[Tiste Simeon]

Nicodimas, on 14 July 2024 - 03:22 AM, said:

HoosierDaddy, on 13 July 2024 - 11:35 PM, said:

So someone took a shot at Trump and hit his ear..

Interested in finding out more in who took the shot…and missed.

Fair to say we’ve reached another level in the violence in the streets probability.

Guy was probably a lefty shooter and wasn't disciplined in his training for pull control.

.

Not that the truth ever matters to you Nico but I've seen a number of places saying he is a registered Republican and aember of a gun club so there's that...

[Tsundoku]

Simmo - I think Nico meant left hander.

@Nico
Some interesting thoughts there, I'm wondering all sorts of things too.
However, could you please make a small edit to that ginormous photo of the shooter in ... post #12437? Obscure the head and blood.
It doesn't bother me, but other folks might appreciate the consideration.

My main thoughts on this: we either have
1 - lone wackjob so open and shut case, or
2 - more people involved. Less likely if the guy really was "just" a full on gun nut, but ... why would he try to cap Trump in that case if he's a Republican member? I would have thought he'd be LESS likely to believe the "existential threat to democracy" ads the Dems have been running.
Surprised he went for the head shot too - is Trump known to wear body armour? But at 130m or thereabouts I can see why he might feel like the headshot. Still, centre of seen mass is always the mantra, maybe go for the top of the sternum area if you're feeling cute. But a definite hit should be the objective, and Trump's head moves about too much. Dunno what the wind was like but at that distance there's not much it can effect unless it's blowing an absolute gale. Also surprised he got that close! Big security fail there. Especially with those guys saying they tried to raise the alarm for a few minutes beforehand. Or... was it a fail ... dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn (cue more conspiracy theories).

If there's more people involved - who stands to benefit? And who stands to benefit MOST? I can't see any scenarios where the Dems benefit from any of the possible outcomes of this.

I have been most amused by the Trump shitbags like Miller etc saying it's the Dems ads that led to this, "incited" it. What, like the Trump et al full on bullshit that led to 6 Jan 2021, plus Qanon and all that Pizzagate crap? Are they going to take responsibility for that? Can't have it both ways. But then again the cognitive dissonance is strong with them.
Some other fuckwit tweeted something like "Biden ordered it". Idiot. But, even if he did, all he has to do according to SCOTUS is say it's an official act, right?

But, I hate to say it but I agree with previous comments that Trump is going to win in a canter now. Before, he always had doubts over his "martial credentials". Now, they're going to think he fucking Superman, "chosen by God" (even more than before) and all that bullshit. No way the Dems can win from here. Even if a conspiracy is uncovered with irrefutable evidence, and Trump was all over it. Too many won't believe it and think it's a Dem plot and evidence they control the FBI etc.

EDIT: I also have been experiencing lag and 504 Gateway Timeout errors from this site recently, see my post at https://forum.malaza...ost__p__1468353

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 14 July 2024 - 09:42 AM

[Tsundoku]

Another thought: how long after he's inaugurated will it be before Trump is found somewhere near the Senate chamber with 23 stab wounds? Sic semper tyrannis and all that. (Maybe that's why old mate took a shot at him?)
Probably just after he's had the last Dems rounded up and just before he starts on his Republican dissenters.

Maybe a less literal stabbing though, they'll use him to remove all the Dems and then impeach him?

EDIT: I'll bet Pooh-tin, Pooh Bear and Poo Kim are happy about this. Their bestest yugest most easily flattered and manipulated bud will be back in the chair and it will be open season everywhere.
Feel sorry for Ukrainian President Putin, ... er ... Zelensky.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 14 July 2024 - 10:51 AM

[Maark Abbott]

It kind of smells of Farage getting milkshaked, but because America it's bullets instead.

[Macros]

Couldn't be a milkshake.
Risk factor would be insane to attempt that.

I'm betting on a full on nutter butter

[Tsundoku]

Maark Abbott, on 14 July 2024 - 11:34 AM, said:

It kind of smells of Farage getting milkshaked,

Macros, on 14 July 2024 - 11:58 AM, said:

Couldn't be a milkshake.

Agreed. Too many boys brought to the yard.

[Primateus]

Sweet zombie jesus!

Guys, it's not that hard. First of all, don't shoot a politician, any politician, even if you think they're an "existential threat", because it ain't going to go the way you want it to.

And second? If you are going to do something so stupid as take a shot at a politician, no matter who they are? Do us all a goddamned favour and hit the first time!

If you kill a bystander, innocent and all? Well, now you've just gone and made it much worse.


In conclusion; Don't try to shoot a politician, it's not cool and it's not going to make things any "better".

[HoosierDaddy]

There are good things that could come out of this... if handled correctly. If this perhaps makes Trump reign in his language a little more or suddenly has an epiphany on the availability of assault and sniper weapons in the US... perhaps it can be a lesson on how words DO matter and that where guns are profligate perhaps everyone should be careful with the language they use about political disagreements.

Will that happen? Absolutely not because people suck. But there is a world that exists where that does happen. I wish we could all live there.

[HoosierDaddy]

Well, Cannon officially threw her hand-grenade into the lobby. She dismissed charges based on the special prosecutor being illegally appointed lol.

Now we'll find it if it's a dud or not. I have zero expectations that her activism will be overruled by the Supreme Court once it gets there because I have zero faith left in the profession I once thought was worthy of my time. I do believe the 11th Circuit will overrule her and hopefully dismiss her from the case. Fingers crossed. What a joke of a judge she is.

[Cause]

The republic has fallen. Institutional failure of a massive scale to allow this.

[Abyss]

Had a few versions of the 'what if the sniper had got him' conversation this past weekend.
General consensus was that someone worse would have come forward, used him as a martyr, and been elected for eight years as opposed to the four he's limited to.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

HoosierDaddy, on 15 July 2024 - 02:36 PM, said:

Well, Cannon officially threw her hand-grenade into the lobby. She dismissed charges based on the special prosecutor being illegally appointed lol.

Now we'll find it if it's a dud or not. I have zero expectations that her activism will be overruled by the Supreme Court once it gets there because I have zero faith left in the profession I once thought was worthy of my time. I do believe the 11th Circuit will overrule her and hopefully dismiss her from the case. Fingers crossed. What a joke of a judge she is.

Guess her legal reasoning was: Trump's definitely going to win now, and I wanna be on the Supreme Court! Seems pretty sound... at least unless Biden drops out.

If the Supreme Court upholds her dismissal on the grounds that special counsel Jack Smith was illegally appointed, then since he's also heading the federal election interference prosecution, I guess that one will get dismissed too? Can he hand it off to someone else to prevent that from happening?

Quote

Even Democrats who want Biden to step aside are now resigned to the notion that he's here to stay.

"I think this is over,"

Spoiler

one Democratic aide told us, arguing that the news cycle was what was crushing Biden — and the story has now moved on. [...] Senior Democrats remain convinced that Biden will lose the election. [spoiler] While the Biden campaign has cited polling showing that the race remains neck-and-neck, astute political operators argue that such polling focuses on head-to-head match-ups — but in multiway polling including third party candidates, they're losing — and have been for months.

[...] "We've all resigned ourselves to a second Trump presidency."'

Playbook: Can Trump pivot — and can Biden run out the clock? - POLITICO

But wait, Biden has a strategy:

Quote

Biden camp changes tack after Trump shooting, will criticize anti-Israel campus violence

Biden camp changes tack after Trump shooting, will criticize anti-Israel campus violence | The Times of Israel

That'll get the youth vote to turn out, amirite? Meanwhile, one of the most popular youth influencers on Youtube:

Quote

If it isn't apparent enough who God wants to win

When you try and kill God's angels and saviors of the world it just makes them bigger

Good beats evil every time

Jake Paul has a religious reaction to Donald Trump's assassination attempt, while Conor Mcgregor praises his courage | Marca

lol... oh well.

If the shooter had really wanted to stop Trumpism he should've assassinated Biden instead (if he also did Harris he'd want to do Mike Johnson too so he wouldn't become president on her death). OTOH he seems to have been a conservative before the shooting:

Quote

Trump Rally Gunman Was 'Definitely Conservative,' Classmate Recalls

[...] their teacher made students stand on one side of the classroom or another to signal their allegiance. "The majority of the class were on the liberal side, but Tom, no matter what, always stood his ground on the conservative side, [...] That's still the picture I have of him. Just standing alone on one side while the rest of the class was on the other."

Trump Rally Gunman Was 'Definitely Conservative,' Classmate Recalls (thedailybeast.com)

... so a genuine ideologue, committed to resisting social pressure in the name of what he believed was right? Obviously there's a major gap between some pre-Trump "conservative" Republican values and post-Trump values. Is it just a coincidence that it happened the weekend before the Republican National Convention at which Trump receives the official nomination?

Perhaps because he thought Trump isn't enough of a good Christian? Of course it's not as traditional as burning at the stake, but still.... (Granted, Trump would make a pretty good antichrist, as iirc Gorefest pointed out.)

Or maybe he just really loved Ron DeSantis?... nah, not possible...

Based on the way he cowered from the bald eagle, and a few other pieces of evidence, I'd assumed Trump was a coward when it came to physical violence. But his reaction after being shot does suggest otherwise. However, it turns out that before he got back to his feet the Secret Service had already told him "shooter is down", "good to move", "we're clear, we're clear", as you can clearly hear in the video:

'Let me get my shoes,' Trump tells Secret Service agents after assassination attempt – video | Donald Trump Pennsylvania rally shooting | The Guardian

Perhaps Trump just didn't consider the possibility of back-up shooters waiting for him to get back up?

Also, as I know from personal experience, when you have a near-death experience and get mildly injured during it, it can change your behavior immediately afterwards... it's much more than an ordinary adrenaline rush.

But perhaps I was just wrong about Trump's physical cowardice---over-generalizing from limited information. If that's the case, then he may be much more dangerous---militarily, for the United States and for the world---than I had guessed.

It's also disappointing that so many leftist academics are claiming it was a "false flag". "Reichstag fire". Not just speculating that there's a remote possibility it might have been. (Which seems extremely unlikely. Some of them have cited Trump's supposed physical cowardice, but if that were the case then Trump wouldn't agreed to be shot at. That definitely looked like a real injury on his ear. Granted, some news outlets did initially report that Secret Service sources claimed his ear had been cut by glass, but the DA has said his ear was grazed a bullet.)

As for how it happened, and how he missed...

Quote

"[The Secret Service] punted the responsibility of surveying and securing some nearby structures to local [police] officers.

[...] To put in perspective just how egregious it was that Crooks made it within 150 yards, or about 450 feet, from Trump—that's roughly the distance U.S. Army recruits must hit a human-sized silhouette from in order to qualify for the M16 assault rifle in basic training. That suggests that even the newest of U.S. infantrymen likely could have landed the shot"

Did Secret Service's Reliance on Local Cops Lead to Trump Shooting? (thedailybeast.com)

Other sources say the Secret Service would typically either have someone on the roof or people at the base of the building preventing access. But apparently he climbed from roof to roof. Of course, in cases where that's possible, they should have people on the roof....

I'd guess that by "local officers" they mean rural police... "aww, come on, that's just the kid who's always wearing hunting gear. He must just be hunting... for Trump!"

Quote

The shooter who tried to assassinate Donald Trump tried out for his high school's rifle team during his freshman year, but was rejected [...] "He was asked not to come back because how bad of a shot he was," said Myers, who was a member of the varsity rifle team and Crooks' classmate. "It was considered like, dangerous."

Donald Trump Shooter Thomas Crooks Didn't Make School Rifle Club: Classmate (thedailybeast.com)

Ah, now we have a motive: I'll show them just how good a shot I am! And just how dangerous....

Quote

Russia Gloats: 'Trump Has Biden's Balls in His Hand'

Russia Gloats Over Shooting: 'Trump Has Biden's Balls in His Hand' (thedailybeast.com)

... and he's pumping his bloody fist in the air (with Biden's shriveled balls inside, and what's left of Biden---and hope for the future of democracy---dangling limply from them...)...

[Maark Abbott]

 Abyss, on 15 July 2024 - 05:46 PM, said:

Had a few versions of the 'what if the sniper had got him' conversation this past weekend.
General consensus was that someone worse would have come forward, used him as a martyr, and been elected for eight years as opposed to the four he's limited to.

The analogy of the Hydra springs to mind. Cut off one head and two more regrow, and all that.

[Macros]

also thought maga nut would go after Biden or some kind of manic spree

[Tsundoku]

Sooooooooo ... JD Vance. I'm not feeling like going down an internet rabbit hole so what's the quick lowdown on him? Should we be "meh", or "very, very afraid"?

[Maark Abbott]

He's from Ohio, so the latter. They extra crazy there.

[HoosierDaddy]

Vance is someone who once said all the negative things rational people say about Trump... until Trump came to power. He's since attached himself like all the other Republican cronies because what he truly wants is power. He's anti-choice, pro-gun, and likes to pretend people are poor because they deserve to be poor.

He's well educated so he knows what he is doing, unlike Trump.

Not sure of the strategic political gain Trump gets from choosing him, other than to possibly secure Ohio and Pennsylvania.

[Cyphon]

Perhaps he's grooming a future president in his mold, in a way the Democrats have failed to do.

That would suggest a rational thought process though and the idea that there is anything beyond a Trump Presidency...

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

 Tsundoku, on 16 July 2024 - 10:51 AM, said:

Sooooooooo ... JD Vance. I'm not feeling like going down an internet rabbit hole so what's the quick lowdown on him? Should we be "meh", or "very, very afraid"?

He's the Hillbilly Elegy guy. From rural Appalachia (they're a different sort of crazy than the usual Ohioan insanity...). Yale Law, Silicon Valley venture capitalist. Supported by Musk and Thiel. Wants to break up the big tech companies, supposedly to benefit start-ups.

Trump probably chose him because of his star power. (Hillbilly Elegy got made into a movie. TV personality with adequate charisma. Only 39 years old, so could be a "successor". First millenial to be nominated for Vice President.)

If we're lucky, after ending democracy Trump and/or Vance will aggressively go after the big tech companies and they'll respond by killing them and taking over the government. (Not that that's at all ideal, but it would be better than Trump... and if they're willing to transition towards a generous universal basic income, and mandate a transition to clean energy and pervasive automation, it might not be so bad.)

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 16 July 2024 - 05:23 PM

[Abyss]

 Azath Vitr (D, on 16 July 2024 - 05:23 PM, said:

If we're lucky, after ending democracy Trump and/or Vance will aggressively go after the big tech companies and they'll respond by killing them and taking over the government.

This may be the single funniest thing you have ever posted.