Politics megathread

One wonders what they could do. Do you have any suggestions? I’ll pass them on. My suggestion is for Senate Democrats to start talking to Senate Republicans, one on one, wherever they can find a potentially receptive ear, to kill the Big Ugly Bill. There might be a provision worth saving, but so far nobody has mentioned one.

That’s a good suggestion, and on its own would already represent a significant improvement. The Dems’ legislative powers are admittedly limited at the moment, so they need to flex whatever muscle they can when given the opportunity. But the last time they had such an opportunity, they caved at the last minute.

Schumer backs down on fight against GOP’s government funding bill as Democrats face reckoning over Trump strategy | CNN Politics

It seems they were afraid voters would be angry at them for causing a shut down. But, as it happened, that was the point at which their approval rating began to plummet to its present level of around 30%.

I’m not denying the problems a shutdown would have caused, but the main problem to me is that the Party had no coherent strategy or message, and many members were surprised and angry at the decision. This contrasts starkly with the lockstep fanatical unity of the GOP.

I also think they should be hammering relentlessly on questions of Trump’s mental competence, which was very effective (and with far less cause) against Biden. Has any Democratic legislator responded to Trump’s claim that Biden was replaced by a clone or robot? Not that I have heard.

They also need to respond proportionately to the GOP’s atrocities. For instance, the recent incident in which officers of the Federal Protective Service barged into the Manhattan office of Democratic Rep Jerry Nadler on the pretext that “rioters” were being sheltered there, and handcuffed an aide:

How did the party leadership respond to this?

The Tennessee Holler: “Asked about a Dem response to a Rep. Nadler aide being handcuffed by DHS agents inside his congressional office — @RepJeffries: “We will respond in a time, place, and manner of our choosing… it will be continuous and it will meet the moment.” BASH: “What does that mean?”” — Bluesky

Yeah, I’m sure that has Trump’s thugs quaking in their jackboots.

2 Likes

The challenge is that little attention is paid to what organizations or parties say. What do leaders say? And for the moment, I have no idea who speaks for the Democrats.

That is part of the problem and, in fairness, it is not entirely the Democrats’ fault. The US system is not like the Parliamentary system, in which there is a designated leader of the opposition whose job is to coordinate and represent the minority party. But that did not impede GOP when they were out of power during the Biden administration. Everyone knew who was leading the Republicans, and it was someone who did not even hold elected office.

At the moment the party establishment seems out of step with the grassroots of the party. If recent polls are accurate, the most popular active American politician, of any party, is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In fact, she is the only one most people even like. But when the Democrats need someone to make a public statement, they send out Chuck Schumer or Hakeem Jeffries to utter bland, uninspiring platitudes. I guess they are worried AOC is too woke and, as everyone seems to believe, woke is why the Democrats lost.

2 Likes

And she can dance.

1 Like

For those following the LA protests, don’t forget that this was how MLK’s civil rights protests were depicted by propagandists at the time.

5 Likes

The protests can appear very differently, depending on what images are chosen:

Tina-Desiree Berg: “The are line dancing in the middle of the protest while shouting Fuck ICE” — Bluesky

3 Likes

If I’d been president, the attacks between Israel and Iran would never have started.

Also there’d be peace in Ukraine on day 1.

6 Likes

“Day 1”? Low energy! If I’d been elected president there’d have been peace in Ukraine the day after the election. :stuck_out_tongue:

Nobody would have dared to be at war within months of my inauguration without my express permission.

Come to think of it, they might even have been so afraid of me that they’d have declared peace the day after I announced myself as a candidate.

4 Likes

They’re eating the dogs.

And Biden was executed in 2020 and replaced by clones and robots.

(To Elon Musk: You get what you pay for.)

And yesterday Trump said that at age 11 his parents got him tested and he was determined to be a musical genius. Would have had a great career—like nobody has ever seen before. (??)

Kim Jong-il, father and predecessor of the current dictator of North Korea, in his first round of golf reportedly scored 38 under par and somewhere between five and eleven holes-in-one. (Claims vary.)

Meanwhile, we do have the world’s most victorious military. They conquered downtime L.A. in no time.

2 Likes

L.A. is the worst city – worse than downtown Mogadishu.

2 Likes

The great peacemaker. The great dealmaker. The unpredictable but also ruthless and savvy businessman. Everyone will be afraid to start wars without his permission, attack american allies, or respond to attacks at all.

Meanwhile:

Meanwhile Trump is busy arranging Banana-republic military parades to honor himself (how very North Korean of him) while also using the military on american soil to crack down on protests his own stupid policies of grabbing people off the streets to be deported without due process have instigated.

Meanwhile prices have gone up on pretty much every consumer product in the US. An anti-vaxxer lunatic—who has suggested Covid might have been created by jews and the chinese to target white and black people—is dismantling the department of health, while military secrets are leaked to the press routinely by drunk wifebeaters tv hosts, and innumerable other should-have-been-an-instant-disqualification-for-any-other-candidate-in-history scandals I’ve already forgotten.

But I hear all the highest IQ white male pedophile grifters have replaced the transsexual dwarves in air traffic control, so I guess you have that.

Are you tired of winning yet, conservatives?

1 Like

Obviously, this means Biden is still the president of the Deep State. If Trump were president, then every war would have ended on day 1 like he told us.

Straight from the mouth of the dear leader Orangutosser.

Trump caught on hot mic saying he wants his people to behave like North Koreans when he speaks

What is most fascinating about this isn’t that Trump wants everyone around him to behave like absolute sycophants in his presence, we knew that already. It’s that he seems to want to have Kim Jong Un visit him at the white house. Presumably so he can brag and show off to Kim?

1 Like

“They’re eating the Checks. They’re eating the Balances.”

Seen at No Kings ABQ.

3 Likes

My favorite is “Super-callous fragile-ego sexist racist POTUS

5 Likes

Why did Trump leave the G7 conference only a day after his arrival? Because of the situation in the Middle East?

RECAP | Trump departs G7 summit early, citing Middle East, as U.S. and Canada aim for deal within 30 days

No! Something “much bigger than that”!

Trump says G7 summit departure not linked to any Israel-Iran ceasefire offer | CBC News

It seems obvious to me: The last thing Trump’s handlers want is for him to spend several days waddling among world leaders, doubly incontinent and saying things that make his mental deterioration even more apparent than it already is.

Though maybe he’s gonna nuke Tehran? Could be! ¯_(ツ)_/¯

BTW, has the President made any statement regarding the assassination of Melissa Hortman?

He might send a bunker buster.

People in Minnesota are noting the absence of the FBI. is being charges under State law so there can be no federal pardon.

Oh, my mistake. Trump has responded:

President Donald Trump said Tuesday morning he doesn’t want to call Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after the shooting of two state Democratic lawmakers and their spouses in his state over the weekend.

“I don’t want to call him,” Trump told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Air Force One, referring to the Democratic governor who was then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate during last year’s campaign.

“He appointed this guy,” Trump added, repeating baseless rhetoric circulating on the right that’s attempted to tie Walz to the shooter.

Walz in 2019 appointed Vance Boelter — the suspect in the shootings who was arrested Sunday after the “largest manhunt in the state’s history” — to the state’s Workforce Development Board, a group of business owners who consult lawmakers. But such boards, which are numerous in Minnesota, are not particularly high-profile and generally feature a bipartisan cast of characters

“I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out,” Trump continued on Tuesday without holding back in his assessment of Walz.

“I’m not calling him. Why would I call him? I could call and say, ‘Hi, how you doing?’ Uh, the guy doesn’t have a clue. He’s a mess. I could be nice and call, but why waste time?” Trump said on his way back to Washington from a G7 summit in Canada.

Trump says he ‘doesn’t want to call’ Walz after Minnesota shootings suspect captured | CNN Politics

2 Likes