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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Open Thread: The Grift Dream Will Never Die!

Open Thread: The Grift Dream Will Never Die!

by Anne Laurie|  January 27, 20169:03 pm| 57 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Cruz-ifiction, Election 2016, Glibertarianism, Open Threads, Republicans in Disarray!

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Can I get another 100 donors from Twitter tonight? We must defeat Socialism. Contribute $35, $11, or just $2!! https://t.co/78WPMctrVp

— Dr. Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 26, 2016

If everyone contributes a small amount of their income, we can pool all the resources together to defeat socialism https://t.co/weT2oLkZLp

— Bile Cube (@BileCube) January 26, 2016

It says something about the sheer inanity of this year’s Repub field that Little Prince Rand can’t even get point-and-mock traction with stuff like this. Not to mention (via) Audit the Ted, because “the Ted Crus” receives funds from “the Goldmaine Sox”:

“I even like his hair!”

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Reader Interactions

57Comments

  1. 1.

    Felonius Monk

    January 27, 2016 at 9:10 pm

    And just how does Little Rand-y plan to defeat socialism with just $3500 at most? Sounds more like he’s beggin’ for beer money.

  2. 2.

    Baud

    January 27, 2016 at 9:12 pm

    Is there anything that isn’t performance art anymore?

  3. 3.

    redshirt

    January 27, 2016 at 9:13 pm

    We’re past the post-modern mirror here, people.

  4. 4.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 27, 2016 at 9:14 pm

    But, but, but . . . pooling all our resources together to accomplish something is one of the defining characteristics of socialism.

    ETA: Edited to correct grammar. Sigh.

  5. 5.

    Baud

    January 27, 2016 at 9:15 pm

    @Linda Featheringill: It’s ok unless the government does it.

  6. 6.

    Felonius Monk

    January 27, 2016 at 9:16 pm

    @Baud:

    Is there anything that isn’t performance art anymore?

    Of course not.

  7. 7.

    redshirt

    January 27, 2016 at 9:17 pm

    There is no meaning than what we give meaning.

    Truth is what you make it.

    Morality is a play.

    Vote NIHILISM!

  8. 8.

    FlipYrWhig

    January 27, 2016 at 9:21 pm

    @Linda Featheringill: Unless I’m being super dense, that’s why the second tweet is funny, right?

  9. 9.

    Felonius Monk

    January 27, 2016 at 9:21 pm

    @redshirt:

    There is no meaning than what we give meaning.

    Truth is what you make it.

    Morality is a play.

    Vote NIHILISM BAUD!

    Fixed it 4 U.

  10. 10.

    amk

    January 27, 2016 at 9:22 pm

    alice dived into the rabbit hole and died.

  11. 11.

    Baud

    January 27, 2016 at 9:23 pm

    @Felonius Monk: The cool thing is that the fix works perfectly.

  12. 12.

    Linda Featheringill

    January 27, 2016 at 9:24 pm

    @Baud: @FlipYrWhig:

    Yes. To both of you.

  13. 13.

    Major Major Major Major

    January 27, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    @Baud: my story about the fishies is just normal art! Click my nym for the link since the link button is crashing mobile safari :(

    You know, speaking of grift and shameless self promotion.

  14. 14.

    BruceFromOhio

    January 27, 2016 at 9:29 pm

    If everyone contributes a small amount of their income, we can pool all the resources together to defeat socialism

    Now this is elegant sarcasm. We could all learn from this.

  15. 15.

    BruceFromOhio

    January 27, 2016 at 9:31 pm

    @redshirt:

    IF IT’S NOT FUN, IT’S WORK.

  16. 16.

    jl

    January 27, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    Was that horrible cartoon made with the xtranormal movie maker?
    Worst I have ever seen. I guess putting out slop like that is very inspiring to potential contributors.

    BTW: My favorite statistical xtranormal cartoon.

    Biologist talks to statistician
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz1fyhVOjr4

    Edit: No offense to biologists. I suppose…. the conversation sounds pretty much the same whatever hooligan applied researcher comes knocking on the high poo-bah statistician’s door.

  17. 17.

    BruceFromOhio

    January 27, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    The landlords twit feed is like listening to the guy on the park bench muttering to himself. You can’t tell for sure from a distance if he’s on a conference call with his bluetooth earbud, or just bonkertastic.

    Or both.

  18. 18.

    jl

    January 27, 2016 at 9:40 pm

    @redshirt:

    ” Vote NIHILISM! ”

    If you are working for the Baud! campaign, make sure you get paid in small unmarked bills upfront.

  19. 19.

    ThresherK

    January 27, 2016 at 9:44 pm

    Does the transaction cost of processing a very, very small donation actually cost more than it returns below a certain amount?

    If so, put me in for half that amount. Four times a day, for a month.

  20. 20.

    Gvg

    January 27, 2016 at 9:44 pm

    Capitalism is pooling resources also. Then investing. Inferior definitions and black white thinking.
    Some things have a history of working better done by capitalism or free enterprise. Other things have a history of being better done by government or some other social collectivism, like a judicial system. Pay attention to usual results. Also decide what desirable result is. Name calling is too simple minded. Oh well

  21. 21.

    NotMax

    January 27, 2016 at 9:45 pm

    2016 Republican motto:

    Neminem decipio ergo sum.

    (Loosely, I grift therefore I am.)

  22. 22.

    Felonius Monk

    January 27, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    @Gvg:

    Name calling is too simple minded.

    But it’s Rand Paul. How much more simple minded can he get?

  23. 23.

    jl

    January 27, 2016 at 9:47 pm

    @NotMax:

    Thanks. I’ll put that on something.

    What is ‘If you grift the con long enough, then the con starts to grift you”

    that would be a good saying for the GOP. And if they win in November, for the US as well.

  24. 24.

    redshirt

    January 27, 2016 at 9:52 pm

    It’s one of the better Nietzsche quotes. Part of his Superman comic writing period.

  25. 25.

    Mnemosyne

    January 27, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    My fellow Hamimaniacs, I saw something today that I’m not allowed to talk about outside of work. Suffice to say, you WILL want to see “Moana” when it comes out in November. Trust me on this.

  26. 26.

    NotMax

    January 27, 2016 at 9:56 pm

    @Mnemosyne

    Growing need observed of crowd funding a Hamiltonion Anonymous organization.

    ;)

  27. 27.

    Mnemosyne

    January 27, 2016 at 10:02 pm

    @NotMax:

    “Hi, my name is Mnemosyne, and I’ve listened to ‘Hamilton’ three times this week … “

  28. 28.

    TG Chicago

    January 27, 2016 at 10:05 pm

    Speaking of candidates no longer able to get point-and-mock traction: the brain surgeon is distancing himself from his top grifter:

    Ben Carson said his top outside adviser and longtime friend Armstrong Williams is dishonest – a failing he also attributed to political opponents and the media that has covered his campaign.

    “Armstrong is not necessarily the epitome of truth,” Mr. Carson said during a breakfast with reporters hosted by Bloomberg. “He doesn’t speak all things that are correct. He often speaks without thinking. He has no official capacity in the campaign whatsoever. His influence has been vastly overrated.”

    He doesn’t speak all things that are correct. New motto for the Carson campaign?

  29. 29.

    schrodinger's cat

    January 27, 2016 at 10:08 pm

    Palate Cleanser from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (Match Made in Heaven) : Tujh me Rab Dikhta Hai ( I see the divine in you). In the best Hindi movie tradition and I am not being ironic, preaches unity of all religions without being preachy and pokes gentle fun at the song and dance numbers that are typical of Hindi movies.

    About the song : Sikh couple ( Shahrukh Khan and Anoushka Sharma) go to a Hindu temple, a Catholic Church and Muslim Darga (tomb of a Sufi saint). Shahrukh is the dorky husband, who Anoushka wishes was more hip (Shahrukh in the distressed jeans) like the heroes of Hindi movies which she adores. Its very meta. I haven’t seen the movie but like the song.

    Female version of the same song set in a gurudwara (Golden temple of Amritsar)

  30. 30.

    PJ

    January 27, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    @Gvg: The significant distinction being that capitalism, after taking resources from owners and workers, aggregates profits for the benefit of owners (or, nowadays, just upper tier management and a select group of investors who are gutting the company to the detriment of shareholders), while socialism aggregates the benefits from joint action and investment and distributes them to everyone.

    This is not to say that private enterprise and public enterprise do not each have fields which they are better suited to manage.

  31. 31.

    hnortman

    January 27, 2016 at 10:12 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Oh honey, I listen to it twice a day sometimes. Already got one trip lined up to see it and working on a second (I live in Texas).

  32. 32.

    The Lodger

    January 27, 2016 at 10:18 pm

    @TG Chicago: Neither does he structure all sentences that are coherent.

  33. 33.

    redshirt

    January 27, 2016 at 10:30 pm

    @Mnemosyne:Did you ever watch “Buffy”? Once More with Feeling?

  34. 34.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    January 27, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    @NotMax: Please consider fixing the insufferable Jekkies first (fans of the musical Jekyll and Hyde). Then we can talk about Hamimaniacs.

  35. 35.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 27, 2016 at 10:33 pm

    these people…

    daveweigel ‏@ daveweigel 21m21 minutes ago
    Cruz megadonors say they’ll donate $1.5 million to charity if Trump debates him. If not, LOL charities, I guess

    ETA: also, too
    Simon Maloy ‏@ SimonMaloy 1h1 hour ago
    Trump pulled the same bullshit trying to get Obama to release his birth certificate

  36. 36.

    PurpleGirl

    January 27, 2016 at 10:34 pm

    @Mnemosyne: No, three times in seven days isn’t obsessive. But three times in one day — that would be obsessive.

  37. 37.

    rikyrah

    January 27, 2016 at 10:34 pm

    Grifters gotta GRIFT.
    I bet Papa Paul is upset that Rand has let down the family grifting enterprise.

  38. 38.

    rikyrah

    January 27, 2016 at 10:35 pm

    @TG Chicago:
    Setting himself up for post-campaign GRIFT.

  39. 39.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    January 27, 2016 at 10:38 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Let’s see that list of,charities first, not that I don’t trust Cruz’ mega$$.

  40. 40.

    Mnemosyne

    January 27, 2016 at 10:39 pm

    @redshirt:

    Have I listened to it? Dude, I have it memorized.

    @PurpleGirl:

    I can’t listen to music at work, so I really only get a chance to listen to it in the car.

  41. 41.

    Mnemosyne

    January 27, 2016 at 10:41 pm

    @hnortman:

    I probably won’t get to see it until at least 2017, sadly. Wrong coast, work commitments.

  42. 42.

    redshirt

    January 27, 2016 at 10:47 pm

    @Mnemosyne: It’s the only musical I know. And I love it, so I suppose there’s plenty of other musicals I would also love, but let me tell you now: I’m too busy for any new musicals.

    “When I get so old and wrinkly I look like David Brinkley”

  43. 43.

    Felonius Monk

    January 27, 2016 at 10:50 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    and I’ve listened to ‘Hamilton’ three times this week …

    Some say you can go blind doing that, but only 3 times a week could just lead to glasses.

  44. 44.

    Steve in the ATL

    January 27, 2016 at 11:07 pm

    Annie Laurie is the new Jon Stewart

  45. 45.

    PaulW

    January 27, 2016 at 11:10 pm

    I can play this game.

    Can I get another 100 donors from Twitter tonight? We must defeat Egalitarianism. Contribute $350, $110, or just $20,000!!

    That should do it.

  46. 46.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 27, 2016 at 11:20 pm

    I don’t pretend to understand right-wingers, but this seems to be something they think will intimidate Trump and/or make them look…. tough? smart? generous? to their own base?

    ‏@ CarlyFiorina
    Upping the ante, I’m free tomorrow at 8pm, @ realDonaldTrump. My campaign will give $2mm to veterans’ cause to debate at Drake U. (2/2)

    Or course, I do think Fiorina is unhinged

  47. 47.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    January 27, 2016 at 11:24 pm

    $2 dollars will defeat socialism? Wow.

  48. 48.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 27, 2016 at 11:26 pm

    Rand Paul: vile parasite, from an entire family of parasites.

    Wipe them out. All of them.

  49. 49.

    David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch

    January 27, 2016 at 11:28 pm

    Remember when Cole and Griftwald said Baby Doc would formidable candidate for 2016 and we discounted & mocked him at our peril?

    Good Times.

  50. 50.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 27, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: I can’t believe this was all the way back in 2013, I remember it so clearly

    So I predict the hard right is going to take over the party in 2016, and the nomination is going to go to…Rand Paul.”
    “You watch,” Matthews said. “This is what I do for a living.”

    That last part is what makes it memorable (though in fairness, in context, I guess he was almost half right).

  51. 51.

    FlipYrWhig

    January 28, 2016 at 12:01 am

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: I have to say, I’ve never liked any Paul even slightly, but I find his complete failure this time around utterly inexplicable. You can’t tell me he sucks any more than Carson or Rubio, and yet those guys are beating him handily.

  52. 52.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 28, 2016 at 12:07 am

    @FlipYrWhig: It’d be interesting to see how his numbers compare to his old man’s. Seems to be some appeal among the yoot’s for quirky, unelectable old coots. Like voting for Dumbledore or your funky professor or cool grandpa. When I was youthful the closest thing we had to a quirky grandpa on the ballot was the, if memory serves, somewhat patrician Lloyd Bentsen.

  53. 53.

    David *Rafael* Koch

    January 28, 2016 at 12:12 am

    Any one ever see the cult classic “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”?

    Well a Killer Tomato attacked Trump tonight (video)

  54. 54.

    David *Rafael* Koch

    January 28, 2016 at 12:15 am

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about Rudy Giuliani. We just had a little joust off camera, I’m always told don’t waste it off camera. I believe he’s not only running, I think he’s going to win this whole thing come around the next election, the way things look right now. July 12, 2006

    Matthews gets paid well for being consistently wrong.

  55. 55.

    Villago Delenda Est

    January 28, 2016 at 12:34 am

    @David *Rafael* Koch: Typical pundit. Untrained monkeys are better at predictions than the vermin of the Village.

  56. 56.

    Anne Laurie

    January 28, 2016 at 12:49 am

    @David ?Canadian Anchor Baby? Koch: There’s nine months yet — Prince Rand could still be a spoiler. (For the Repubs, but it could happen.)

  57. 57.

    priscianus jr

    January 28, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    @jl: “Was that horrible cartoon made with the xtranormal movie maker?
    Worst I have ever seen. I guess putting out slop like that is very inspiring to potential contributors.”

    I wouldn’t vote for Rand Paul if you paid me, but I like the cartoon very much. Perhaps you don’t get it.

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