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… pundit janitors mopping up after the GOP

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Let there be snark.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

This really is a full service blog.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

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This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

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The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

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You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread: Performance Art?

Open Thread: Performance Art?

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I know South Carolina is notoriously “too small for a republic, too large for an insane asylum”, but either SC Senator Tim Scott’s newest intern is a truly dedicated performance artist or the state is even weirder than I assumed. Caity Weaver, at Gawker:

Byron Thomas, a patriotic young man from “the extremely beautiful state of South Carolina” loves flags. He loves Confederate flags, like the one he hung in his room at the University of South Carolina despite protests from other students. He loves American flags, like the ones that decorate the office of his state’s Republican United States Senator Tim Scott, where he has been an intern for eight days.

Sadly, not everyone shows flags as much love as Byron Thomas does. No one else in his office, representing the extremely beautiful state of South Carolina, even says the Pledge of Allegiance before work every day, like he does.

Byron Thomas is reaching out to change this. So he sent out an email [Wednesday] morning, inviting staff and fellow interns to a cool flag party happening every day before 9 a.m.

Good morning

My name is Byron Thomas and I’m from the extremely beautiful state of South Carolina. I intern for Republican Senator Tim Scott. I’ve had the pleasure of coming into different offices to meet the staff and interns from different states. Yes, we are all different and are working on different agendas but at the end of the day, we’re all citizens of the greatest country on earth, known as the United States of America. Now I’ve only been here for 8 days but I can tell that something is wrong, (in my opinion). We have American flags in front of every room, but I’ve never seen anyone take the time to proudly say the Pledge of Allegiance. Truly ask yourself, when was the last time you put your hand on your heart and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Now, I’m not attacking anybody because it’s your freedom and right to not say it but I’m assuming everyone that’s working up here loves this awesome country. Are we that busy that we can’t take a minute to show some pride and respect for our country? I say it every morning before I walk in because America’s always on my mind. I truly care about this country and I refuse to let this country fall. I know saying the pledge isn’t going to straighten out this economy we are in, but I believe it’s the little things that will take us far in life….

There is much more to this email, at the link. Warren Rojas at “Roll Call‘s gossip blog” went the extra mile and shared a bunch of CNN iReports from “the fiercely opinionated Byron Thomas“:

Earnest or acting, I will say this in Mr. Thomas’ favor: He’s way more professional than Tucker Carlson and his latest kiddy-act novelty Gabe Finger…

Reader Interactions

87Comments

  2. 2.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    To which flag does Mr. Thomas pledge allegiance?

  3. 3.

    Patricia Kayden

    Lot of crazy folks in the Republican party. A Black man who supports the confederate cause. Interesting what you have to support to be a Black Republican.

  4. 4.

    Face

    known as the United States of America

    I’m sure they’re relieved that he’s told them where they’re from, and what country they’re living in.

    Good fucking lord, does this come off as nuclear-grade Jackassholery.

  6. 6.

    beltane

    I have never seen proof that South Carolina is, in fact, too large to be an asylum. Until someone produces evidence to the contrary, I will just have to believe what my eyes tell me, which that South Carolina just happens to be an unusually large insane asylum.

  10. 10.

    Punchy

    I say it every morning before I walk in because America’s always on my mind.

    So he stands in the hallway and says recites this to his door?

    This reads like an Onion spoof. Do we have confo that this is legit and not spoof?

  11. 11.

    beltane

    @Punchy: Since the highlight of the Republican convention featured an old man yelling at an empty chair, I am not surprised to see Republican interns make it their practice to talk to doors.

  12. 12.

    peach flavored shampoo

    I would not let this guy visit the Statue of Liberty, for fear he’d try to bang her.

  14. 14.

    Belafon

    I still have trouble understanding why Christians support flag worship, though I do understand why “Christians” support it.

  15. 15.

    Shakezula

    From his Twitter account

    I look at the positives in life. So if slavery never happened in the United States of America, I wouldn’t be here today. I love the USA!

    “I guess I’m just meant to be a future politician … hopefully that’s what god [sic] wants me to do,” he posits.

    Please proceed.

  17. 17.

    Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again)

    @lamh36:

    Looks like the Goons of August have reported early again.

  18. 18.

    dmsilev

    Via one of Gawker’s commenters, Thomas’s Facebook account is Special:

    Don’t mess with Texas??? Well how about don’t mess with South Carolina!!! We’re the true Rebel State!!! Our Palmetto trees helped defend our forts on the coast from British cannons, which played a huge part in the Revolutionary War. Before we seceded from the union, one of our congressman Preston Brooks beat Senator Charles Summer with a cane on the senate floor.

    “One of our guys used a cane to beat an old man trapped at a desk nearly to death. Oh, and he had a friend pull a pistol to keep any interfering good Samaritans at bay. Yay us!”.

  19. 19.

    themann1086

    @Shakezula: There’s an oldie that never gets less offensive!

    ETA: I last heard this from an Opus Dei roommate who also was thankful that his grandmother was Dutch, giving him some “noble” (or something, I forget the exact adjective) white blood [ETA2: he was Filipino, IIRC]. Stay classy, Young Republicans!

  21. 21.

    catclub

    @Punchy: Flag mezzuzahs. Karen in GA, here is your semi-scam. The best will be blessed by the chief rabbi in Israel.

  23. 23.

    Teddy's Person

    @dmsilev:
    Why did Sumner, not Summer, get that beat down? Oh yeah, he was protesting slavery. Dumbass (the intern not you).

  24. 24.

    Shakezula

    @themann1086: I’ve heard a few very obnoxious white people say slavery and centuries of racism are a small price to pay for being brought out of Darkfrica to the Enlightened States of America. This is the first time I have ever heard a black person say this.

    Edit: Um, a brown person with “white blood” in him/her is really, really, really, really, damn common. Especially when you’re talking African-Americans.

  25. 25.

    Bubblegum Tate

    @dmsilev:

    “And all of this happened in order to preserve the enslavement of my ancestors! Isn’t that awesome?”

  26. 26.

    IowaOldLady

    Have you ever seen the Big Bang episodes where Sheldon and Amy Farrah Fowler are making videos about flags?

  28. 28.

    celticdragonchick

    @Redshirt:

    I happen to like my Scottish flags (The St Andrews Cross national flag of Scotland and the Rampant Lion flag of the House of Stuart).

    I also like my Irish tricolor flag with the Guinness Beer toucan bird kicking a soccer ball, and I like my Guilford Courthouse American battle flag that has red and blue stripes, and 7 pointed blue stars on a white field.

  30. 30.

    dmsilev

    @Shakezula: I’ve most often seen that advanced by evangelical Christians. Basically, the argument such as it is was that “sure we’re enslaving them now. But we’re saving their immortal souls. So, a net win”. Oh-so-coincidentally, that was also an argument used by the actual slaveholders and traders.

  31. 31.

    Bobby Thomson

    Fuck off, asshole. You pledge allegiance while flying the flag of treason proudly? Your “allegiance” ain’t worth shit.

  36. 36.

    EconWatcher

    I spent some time in SC just a few years ago, and all I can say is, anyone who grew up there with a darker hue than pure white has nothing but my sympathy and will get a lot of slack from me. The racism is as heavy in the air as the summer humidity.

    Who knows what this kid has been through. He’s obviously not playing with a full deck, but none of this hurts anyone, and I don’t think he’s an appropriate target for snark.

  39. 39.

    Belafon

    @? Martin: So the son of the person who runs stormfront has better sense of racism than a black intern. The conservative bubble is strong and very echoy.

  41. 41.

    ? Martin

    @? Martin: Actually, thinking a bit more, he probably has a brighter political future than anyone I can think of. He’ll be absolutely showered with money and praise by the GOP for speaking the ‘truth’ in a way that, stupefyingly, white people have been unsuccessful doing in the political sphere. We’ll see him on the ballot for congress before long.

  42. 42.

    celticdragonchick

    We’re the true Rebel State!!! Our Palmetto trees helped defend our forts on the coast from British cannons, which played a huge part in the Revolutionary War.

    The use of palmetto logs in the defense of Ft Sullivan in 1776 was real enough. The palmetto logs took far, far more damage and held where pine logs would have disintegrated. This was a happy accident unexpected by either side, since fortifications using these logs had never been tested in combat. Ft Sullivan was only half finished and would have been a death trap in the event of a competent British invasion. That did not come until 1780.

    Even if Ft Sullivan had fallen, the British invasion of South Carolina in 1776 was bungled in every way possible and stood little chance of capturing Charleston. This cannot be said to be a huge part of the Revolutionary war.

  43. 43.

    rikyrah

    We’ve had slave catchers since we arrived on these shores.

    Slave catchers who hate themselves and other Black people.

    Slave catchers who won’t ‘get it’ until the chair is kicked out from under them at their own lynching.

    He’s a slave catching sambo of the highest order.

    A real life Uncle Ruckus.

  45. 45.

    Mnemosyne

    So I walked out to my car today here in Southern California and discovered that someone had stolen the two Obama magnets off the back of it. WTF? Are there that many Republicans in the Burbank area, or are there roaming gangs of firebaggers?

  46. 46.

    Voytek Dolinsky, Dean of Students

    @Shakezula:

    I’ve heard heard other blacks say it before.

    The first time was a Moonie who worked at the Washington Times, the other was from Evangelical (what’s the PC word for “spinster”?) fundie who always showed up at functions uninvited.

    In days past, we used derogatory terms to warn other black folk that these kinds of people couldn’t be trusted, but that seems petty and unnecessary now that they out themselves with suprising aplomb.

    “Just Plain Stupid” should be good enough.

  48. 48.

    Amir Khalid

    I see an apparently intelligent young black American man, a university student, speaking in front of a Confederate flag — one he owns and displays with pride. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much obliviousness to history in one person.

    I also see how he makes a peace sign, with the palm of his hand facing himself. I expect the Britons among the Juicitariat will fall down laughing when they see this inadvertent rudeness.

  49. 49.

    hitchhiker

    I’m going for performance art. And I look forward to the episode in which he manages to shame all his colleagues into standing by his side, hands over their hearts, all reciting the pledge in unison like first-graders. Will they be able to muster the proper expression of humility and reverence? Will there be kneeling involved for those not displaying proper devotion?

    North Korea, look out! SC will match you, loonie for loonie.

  51. 51.

    EconWatcher

    @Amir Khalid:

    My kids are still young, but I’m trying to teach them that putting something on the internet under your own name or picture is like tattooing it on your face: It’ll stick with you forever, and anyone you meet for the rest of your life can see it.

    I wish somebody would have that talk with this kid. He’s saying some really dumb stuff, but how old is he? I said some really dumb stuff when I was 19 or 20, and I’m very glad it isn’t on the internet.

  55. 55.

    gnomedad

    @raven:

    Whoa, slapping 16 gigs of RAM in this mofo has it flyin!!!

    Watch out, the ram-grabbers are gonna outlaw anything larger than 8 gigs.

  56. 56.

    NotMax

    Confusing (also conflating and equivocating) form with substance has long been endemic amongst Young Republicans.

    @Mnemosyne

    If it has been unusually hot and the vehicle has been parked in direct sunlight, they may just have slipped off. Heat can degrade the magnetic properties, and the motion and jouncing of driving may have been enough for small, inexpensively made magnetic items to slip or blow off somewhere along the way.

  57. 57.

    Felanius Kootea

    @Amir Khalid: I had no idea that a palm inwards v sign was equivalent to “up yours” in the UK and Australia. I think it still means “peace” in the US.

    Not sure whether this is a performance piece or a Clarence Thomas in the making; I guess time will tell.

  62. 62.

    Amir Khalid

    @Felanius Kootea:
    As I remember, George HW Bush got caught out by this in 1992 when he visited Australia — on the same international tour, incidentally, where he barfed on the Japanese PM. As Bush came out of Air Force One, some locals greeted him with a protest. Wanting to be conciliatory, he gave them the, um, peace sign.

  64. 64.

    rikyrah

    Issa to Cummings at testy IRS hearing: You’re acting like a ‘little boy’
    Aliyah Frumin
    2:31 PM on 07/18/2013

    The latest hearing on the Internal Revenue Services’ targeting of conservative groups got ugly on Thursday, with House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa accusing Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of acting like a “little boy.”

    It started with Cummings criticizing Issa for suggesting the tax agency’s actions were being carried out at the White House. Cummings and Issa have been dueling over the matter all summer.

    http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/07/18/issa-to-cummings-at-testy-irs-hearing-youre-acting-like-a-little-boy/

  65. 65.

    lamh36

    @gogol’s wife: I have long since given up reading online comments to non-regulated blogs and online communities.

    As I said on an earlier thread, the internet is the last refuge of anonymous cowards who want to spout disgusting racist sexist ageist whatever else crap with no real repercussions.

    I make it a real point to ignore it all

  69. 69.

    canuckistani

    To Captain Black, every officer who supported his Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade was a competitor, and he planned and plotted twenty-four hours a day to keep one step ahead. He would stand second to none in his devotion to country. When other officers had followed his urging and introduced loyalty oaths of their own, he went them one better by making every son of a bitch who came to his intelligence tent sign two loyalty oaths, then three, then four; then he introduced the pledge of allegiance, and after that “The Star-Spangled Banner,” one chorus, two choruses, three choruses, four choruses. Each time Captain Black forged ahead of his competitors, he swung upon them scornfully for their failure to follow his example. Each time they followed his example, he retreated with concern and racked his brain for some new stratagem that would enable him to turn upon them scornfully again.

  72. 72.

    JWL

    This clown reminds me of the movie MASH, the scene in which Robert Duvall (as Frank Burns) is on his knees praying to God, and is asked by Donald Sutherland (Hawkeye Pierce) if he was “.. like this back home, or did you crack up over here”?

  74. 74.

    Amir Khalid

    @gene108:
    HW was a Congressman in the 1960s. He was probably too square, then or since, to learn how to make a proper peace sign. Clearly, he still hadn’t learned by 1992.

    @Chris:
    “Never attribute to malice …” and so on.

  78. 78.

    kc

    Bless his heart.

    I dunno, it is kind of refreshing to see someone from South Carolina pledging allegiance to the United States, as opposed to blathering about secession.

  79. 79.

    Kay

    @lamh36:

    Cohen got the facts wrong. His whole stupid thesis is based on Martin wearing some identifiable “uniform” that he hints at.
    But that’s bullshit. It isn’t how he was dressed that night and it isn’t how he ordinarily dresses, looking at photos.
    Cohen is lazy. He arrived at the story with an opinion and a bitter ax to grind
    He read nothing about that kid, because the kid is a prop for him to finally write what he’s been thinking.

  81. 81.

    Gvg

    I don’t believe that kid is real. It’s possible he is but not quite right in the head. It’ just too improbable.

  82. 82.

    hells littlest angel

    It’s hard being a black Republican. Yeah, because being stupid makes everything hard.

  84. 84.

    nineone

    Jeebus, call Leonard Pinth-Garnell. They have perfected “Bad Political Theater.

    I’m curious as to what he thinks he’s going to get out of this. What will his payoff be?

    @peach flavored shampoo: God hates Flags?

  86. 86.

    Dave A

    Frank Collin Syndrome:

    It seams like every minority group has its own particular Frank Collin who oozes up put of the sewer. For those of you who don’t remember; Frank organized and led the Nazi march through Skokie Illinois in 1977, a Jewish community with many Holocaust survivors. Latter to be hilarously parodied in the Blues Brothers movie. Well it turned out that Frank was Jewish. His surname at birth was Cohen and his father was a Holocaust survivor.

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