[Malankazooie]

Going to happen during prime time, which means there is intent to get the public engaged. Except the mindset is in an old paradigm. Is prime time really that important anymore? I guess dusty old farts will bring in the biggest numbers. I think they have the rear-view mirror mindset and are hoping to capture Watergate special sauce or something, when there were like three network channels and Archie Bunker had to wrap the rabbit ears in tin foil and hit the magnavox to get the picture to come in. Also, shocker, Fox News will not air the coverage.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

'Free Gas Cards Are the GOP's New Campaign Gimmick—and It's Legal

Voters in Georgia can't have water within 150 feet of a polling place. But campaigns are allowed to hand out free gas[...]

[...] a $25 gas voucher straight from the goddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece.

The catch: They had to sit through a pitch for her political candidate of choice—college football hero, Olympic bobsledder, Russian roulette aficionado, and now aspiring Republican senator Herschel Walker.

But the goddaughter—Trump-pardoned felon, QAnon booster, and reality TV tell-all author Angela Stanton-King[...] was the face of a promotion from a pro-Walker super PAC [...] giving away [...] fuel in the name of unseating his opponent, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), the pastor who currently leads the congregation at King Jr.'s old church.

[...] with summer gas prices spiking in a pivotal election year, these giveaways could soon become a nationwide trend[...]

[...] legal [...] "as long as they aren't given the gas cards in exchange for agreeing to vote for Herschel." He observed that if this model were successful, then similar promotions "may indeed become a popular gimmick for Republicans to bash Democrats over inflation and gas prices."'

Free Gas Cards Are the GOP's New Campaign Gimmick — and It's Legal (thedailybeast.com)

Nothing stopping pro-Democratic groups from doing the same then (though without the silly 'gas prices are Biden's fault!' subtext---maybe put a cartoon of Putin (buggering Trump?) on the gift card)---and not just gas cards. Could become an arms race of give-aways....

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 07 June 2022 - 03:02 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Another potential 'technically legal, though it's against the spirit of the law' arms race for votes:

'A PR Firm Is Paying TikTok Influencers to Promote Liberal Causes and Hype Democrats’ Middling Accomplishments

Vocal Media “recruits, trains, and pays influencers” to promote liberal causes on TikTok.

Picture, if you will, a panoply of TikToks, scrolling in a hypnotic stream before you. A disgusted Taylor Swift influencer in the fall of 2021, blaming then-Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin's former company for buying Swift's master tapes. A Tesla owner enthusing about how the bipartisan infrastructure deal could create more charging stations for electric vehicles. A single dad washing baby bottles in his kitchen and singing the praises of the expanded child tax credit championed by the Democrats and the Biden White House. A woman leaping off her couch in celebration of the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson. An influencer asking her followers to sign a petition for Biden to protect Spirit Mountain, a sacred Native cultural site in southern Nevada.

All of these videos have one thing in common, besides being slightly wooden in delivery: they were masterminded by an “influencer marketing partner” called Vocal Media, which specializes in “influencer campaigns” for progressive and nonprofit causes. Vocal has been training and paying influencers to promote their clients’ causes in a series of videos that are generally not marked as sponsored content. [...] The videos, as a whole, appear to contravene the spirit—if not, the company insists, the letter—of TikTok’s rules about political advertising and the Federal Election Commission’s guidelines about sponsored political content online, which advise, “Virtually all paid political advertising on the internet must contain a full, clear, and conspicuous disclaimer on its face.”

[...] a spokesperson for Vocal, said the company isn’t doing anything wrong. “Political ads are different from creators advocating on issues they are passionate about,” [...] “Speech about issues is not inherently partisan, that’s a longstanding legal precedent.”

[...] the FEC and FCC “have not issued definitive guidance” for types of social media communications, and that if they do, Vocal will follow them.'

A PR Firm Is Paying TikTok Influencers to Promote Liberal Causes and Hype Democrats’ Middling Accomplishments (vice.com)

[QuickTidal]

I'd be interested in the Jan 6th hearings....if I thought anything would come of it in the way of consequences for complicit politicians...but I know it won't, so I don't care.

[Macros]

Just another day in the circus, the evil clowns will still be at work tomorrow

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Macros, on 10 June 2022 - 05:09 PM, said:

Just another day in the circus, the evil clowns will still be at work tomorrow

'"The US careens through a cold civil war, its feet on the gas pedal, both hands clutching the accelerator."

[...]

"[...] as a historian, let me for now say this: Americans need to understand that what the terrorists at the Capitol did that day wasn’t the anomaly people think it was within the long history of the United States. The almost entirely white mob storming the halls of Congress operated squarely within a tradition of white mob terrorism that has deeply shaped specific parts of the country, and the whole of the nation itself.

The clearest analogue to me is Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898, where a mob of white racists violently overthrew the duly-elected, interracial government of that city, citing the need to be free from “Negro domination” – by which they meant political power that was equitably distributed between Black and white residents. They murdered at least dozens – likely hundreds – of people in pursuit of power. They deployed murderous violence to illegitimately usurp political control of that city and destroy democracy there, prioritizing white rule over interracial democracy when faced with the prospect of having to legitimately compete for power.

Americans talk about coup d’états as the province of so-called “third-world” nations, but it happened here. And it happened in spectacularly successful fashion. Those terrorists destroyed Wilmington’s “Fusion” Black and white government, replacing it with a white, racist, autocratic, Jim Crow government.

There are endless relevant historical comparisons to draw from here, but that one speaks to me the most. Many of the January 6 terrorists are nakedly white nationalists. [...] when they couldn’t win legitimately, they collectively sought to overthrow the government and destroy democracy.

Albeit on a different scale, there is precedent for their approach succeeding, as it did in Wilmington. We must ensure that these terrorists don’t win."


[...] "History may be determined largely by the tectonic grinding of vast impersonal forces, but individual actions can still make a difference. [...] the most memorable moments of the committee’s first public hearing came when one of those Republicans, [...] Liz Cheney, issued a searing indictment of both Trump and his enablers.

[...] She reminded her fellow Republican members of Congress that they swore to defend the US Constitution, not an individual or a political party. And she warned “my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible” that “there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”

Will her statement – or the committee’s subsequent hearings – change many voters’ minds or shame any Republican legislators into honor? Unlikely given the extent to which Americans have retreated into tribal partisan identities. The revelation that many of Trump’s closest associates (and even some of his family) acknowledged the falsehood of his stolen-election claim isn’t terribly surprising given the bottomless hypocrisy that was the reigning ethos of his administration.

But video of the desecration of the Capitol presented in these hearings is as shocking and nausea-inducing as ever, while Cheney’s statement reminds us anew that Trump’s ultimate goal on January 6 was the overthrow of America’s constitutional order. If that’s not enough to move at least some Republicans to condemn Trump’s coup attempt, and take action to prevent a recurrence, then American democracy may be nearing the end of its run."

How was the first January 6 hearing? Our panel weighs in | Francine Prose, Lloyd Green, Simon Balto and Geoffrey Kabaservice

'Liz Cheney Is Ready to Follow Trump to the Gates of Hell'

Liz Cheney Is Ready to Follow Donald Trump to the Gates of Hell

... where Trump is Go*, and Mastriano may be Lucifer Ascendant?...

And (of course) more mass shootings scrolling by like showers outside (or against the doors)....

[Nicodimas]

https://youtu.be/r156NzlHmJ4

Pretty wild !

I like the responses .. of offended folks.pretty interesting video for a aspiring senator

/America hell yeah

This post has been edited by Nicodimas: 20 June 2022 - 06:13 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Nicodimas, on 20 June 2022 - 06:07 PM, said:

https://youtu.be/r156NzlHmJ4

Pretty wild !

I like the responses .. of offended folks.pretty interesting video for a aspiring senator

/America hell yeah

'[He] resigned as Missouri governor over sexual misconduct and campaign finance allegations [... his] wife accused him of physically abusing her and their son [...]

"[... He] was [also] accused of blindfolding a woman, tying her to an exercise machine, snapping a photo of her naked and then using it as blackmail," he remarked. "Maybe he shouldn't do an ad breaking and entering."

[...] many [Twitter users] said they reported Greitens for violating the site's prohibition against violent threats.'

'He's a monster': GOP Senate candidate shamed for campaign ad promoting political violence

This video plus being a former governor and ex-Navy Seal do seem to put him in the running for America's Next Top Fascist Dictator... if he wins. Still lagging DeSantis and Mastriano, but he might be able to leapfrog Crenshaw in the rankings....

[Malankazooie]

So the primary elections are going on in my state. Do you guys participate in your State's?

First, full disclosure: I'm not registered Dumbacrap party or Qanon-Maga party (aka the GOP/Republican, party of Trump). I find them both to be reprehensible toadys to big corporate interests. Throw all the bums out I say.

Ok, that out of the way . . .
I normally don't participate in the primaries, but this year I feel I have a duty to do my part. So because I am unaffiliated, I received ballots for both parties. I can only fill out one. I have to, to try and save our democracy, fill out the ballot for the Republican ticket. Hear me out. I have to fill in that bubble for the candidate who has the least association with the - stop the steal, secure our elections, Trump won bullshit that is a cancer across this country. Do your part, vote in the Republican primary (if that is an option) and choose the candidate that is the least bat shit crazy of the options presented.

[Gorefest]

The least bat shit crazy of a bat shit crazy party is a preferable option over not bat shit crazy other parties? I think there may have been a logic centre meltdown.

[Malankazooie]

Its not the general election, that will happen this Nov. I know who I will be voting for then. If we can somehow block the bat shittiest of the bat shits from making it to the genera election, than that is perfect logic.

[Cause]

I find it odd that people affiliate themselves. Stay unaffiliated as you have and have the strategic options open as you see to fit to try Bosst your candidate i. The party you like or SA stage one in the party you don’t like.

In competitive. States voting for the Candidate who is least likely to win in the party you don’t like seems the optimal solution.

It’s crazy to me this is how it works

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Cause, on 20 June 2022 - 10:09 PM, said:

I find it odd that people affiliate themselves. Stay unaffiliated as you have and have the strategic options open as you see to fit to try Bosst your candidate i. The party you like or SA stage one in the party you don't like.

In competitive. States voting for the Candidate who is least likely to win in the party you don't like seems the optimal solution.

It's crazy to me this is how it works

Probability X will win times how terrible it would be if X does win... can be a terrifyingly fuzzy calculation these days....

I could have registered as a Republican to vote for Mastriano. Shapiro's attack ad against Mastriano during the primary was widely seen as Shapiro trying to help Mastriano because he seemed easier to beat in the general election. Like playing Russian roulette with democracy (then again the whole world's turning like slow-motion Russian roulette, perhaps)....

However, Democratic primaries can be meaningful---and can allow you to pick a candidate who you prefer and also think is more likely to win. Pennsylvania example being Fetterman... and terrible nonexample being Shapiro running unopposed (I wrote in Larry Krasner as a rebuke to Shapiro---Krasner being the progressive Philadelphia DA that Attorney General Shapiro has been attacking).

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 20 June 2022 - 11:35 PM

[Malankazooie]

Oh yeah, this could be the week too, I think. SCOTUS has not much time left in the session before they are adjourned until October, yes? So that thing, that everyone is expecting, might very well come down this week.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

'Supreme Court says Maine cannot exclude religious schools from tuition assistance programs

[...] "Although framed as a school-choice ruling, it's hard to see how this won't have implications for a far wider range of state benefit programs -- putting government in the awkward position of having to choose between directly funding religious activity or not providing funding at all," [...]

[...] "a State must (not may) use state funds to pay for religious education as part of a tuition program designed to ensure the provision of free statewide public school education."'

Supreme Court says Maine cannot exclude religious schools from tuition assistance programs


'Supreme Court says certain gun crimes are not "crimes of violence" under federal law

[...] ruled in favor of [...] man who is seeking to challenge one of his convictions for using a firearm in an attempted robbery.

[...] 7-2 decision [...] decided that a conviction for attempted robbery under the federal Hobbs Act does not fit the definition of a "crime of violence," and therefore does not trigger an enhanced sentence when a firearm is used.

[...] separate dissents penned by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.'

Certain gun crimes are not 'crimes of violence' under federal law, Supreme Court rules

My initial reaction to the second ruling was... to agree with Alito and Thomas for once. On reflection, I'm not sure longer prison sentences are the best answer, especially for people who seem to have strong potential for rehabilitation....

First ruling is one more shove down the slippery slope to Hell on Earth (a City on a Hill... inverted in hell?).

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 21 June 2022 - 04:30 PM

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

The ruling in the first case was expected. The Supreme Court seems intent on establishing the freedom of religion as a right that trumps others, and removing barriers between Church and State where possible. I doubt it will go anywhere, but I'll be watching the case where a Synagogue is suing the State of Florida stating their religion allows abortion.

Did you catch the Texas GOP platform? Some Highlights:

• Repeal all minimum wage and prevailing wage laws.
  
• Repeal Dodd-Frank
  
• Remove ethanol fuel additive mandates (this one they will never get, no politician messes with American farm subsidies)
  
• Basically disband public sector unions
  
• Point 33 and 34 are good. 33 opposes all efforts to regulate the internet, and 34 is in favour of regulating internet social media companies.
  
• Repeal all laws defining "hate speech" and "hate crimes"
  
• Enact an electoral college system in Texas for statewide offices, guaranteeing they go to republicans.
  
• Repeal the 17th Amendment, so that state legislatures would appoint federal senators instead of them being elected.
  
• Evolution and climate change are to be taught as challengeable and not yet decided (no real surprise there)
  
• Prohibit any teaching of sex education or sexual health at all in any grade in any public school (not even abstinence only)
  
• Abolish property taxes and replace them with something other than income taxes (no details on what that might be...)
  
• Abolish the IRS and departments of Education, Labour, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, and Interior. Also the ATF, NRLB and Transportation Security Administration.
  
• Withdraw from the UN
  
• Random drug tests for all welfare recipients
  
• Abolish federal welfare programs
  
• Allow people and businesses to discriminate against homosexuals
  
• Support for conversion therapy
  
• No mandates for any vaccine (not surprising)
  
• Block grants for medicaid
  
• Elimination of citizenship for those who are born in the US if their parents aren't citizens.
  
• Eliminate H1-B visas
  
• Restore all the removed confederate monuments and don't remove any more.
  
• Repeal all limits on campaign contributions
  
• Abolish gay marriage
  
• Repeal the voting rights act

I honestly thought that after Rick Perry's mistakes, people would remember the Department of Energy's main purpose is maintaining the nuclear weapons stockpile.

Some of it is pretty over the top, but there are a few good ideas in there too, which I haven't seen mentioned in the news articles about it. For example, ending civil asset forfeiture and allowing families to require an independent review whenever someone is killed by law enforcement.

[Macros]

Why would anyone vote for the GOP if that is their manifesto?

[Gwynn ap Nudd]

Right now, because inflation is bad. Even though the government can do little about most of the causes, unless they want the fed to cause a recession.

People will vote Republican this fall because of gas prices.

[Maark Abbott]

Macros, on 22 June 2022 - 04:57 AM, said:

Why would anyone vote for the GOP if that is their manifesto?

Same reason people voted Tory. Everything wrong domestically is the fault of da imogens. Didn't you know Macros kappa?

[Tiste Simeon]

That's a terrifying and regressive list...