Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Even though I know this is a bad idea, I’m off to do it anyway!

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Bad people in a position to do bad things will do bad things because they are bad people. End of story.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

The choice is between normal and crazy.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

If marriage is the equivalent of selling yourself into slavery, women with self respect should reject the offer.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

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

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Democrats have delivered the Square Deal, the New Deal, the Fair Deal, and now… the Big Joe Biden Deal.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Extreme Self Expression

Extreme Self Expression

by | 207 Comments

This post is in: ,

I’m sad to report that this is the wingnuttiest set of bumper stickers I was able to record on my trip.  This one was captured in deepest Pennsyltucky.  I’m sure you’ve all seen more gaudy displays.

The nuttiest t-shirt I saw was at the Colorado Springs airport – I didn’t get a picture, but it went something like this:  “When North Korea Starts Dropping Bombs, the Soldiers Should Take a Knee and Let the Players Fight”.

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

207Comments

  1. 1.

    The Midnight Lurker

    Oh, please… I live in Texas. I can walk a half a block and have that beat!

    Hey! Maybe it’s a regular feature! A contest?!!

  7. 7.

    LeComte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    My mother’s finest bit of wingnuttia, recalled from childhood, during a period combining Vietnam War anxiety, Cold War jitters, and her undying devotion to the Confederacy:

    “This country is just too big, and has to be in so much of the world. It would have been better to be smaller after the Civil War.”

  9. 9.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    My mother’s finest bit of wingnuttia, recalled from childhood, during a period combining Vietnam War anxiety, Cold War jitters, and her undying devotion to the Confederacy:

    “This country is just too big and has to be in so much of the world. It would have been better to be smaller after the Civil War.”

  10. 10.

    Karen S.

    I haven’t seen anything like that in Chicago. Suburban Chicago is a different story, depending on the suburb, although even in the majority white suburb, which trends conservative, where I grew up and where my parents still live I don’t recall seeing much bumper sticker or yard sign support for Trump. I do see the pro life bumper stickers and Jesus fish on vehicles occasionally when I’m out there.

    Very cold here today. I think the high will be in the teens, which is balmy compared to yesterday. However, that won’t stop me from going to my judo class this morning. I took up judo in 2016 at the age of 52, having never done any martial art before. I needed something physically rigorous (high blood pressure, sedentary job) in my life. I really enjoy it. I passed my promotion test to orange belt right before Xmas 2018. I’m still pleased and proud.

  11. 11.

    VTR

    I stopped at a traffic light behind a pickup here in Fairfield County, CT. His bumper displayed and professionally made “MUELLER” sticker. Anyone know where to get those?

  14. 14.

    Yarrow

    @schrodingers_cat: Yeah, the crazy goes both ways. I’ve seen both kinds, usually older people driving the vehicles.

    Also, the above photo is typical of the cars I’ve seen–usually it’s about abortion with a few associated stickers for the NRA or a political candidate. Sometimes it’s the other way around with mostly pro-gun stickers, but in that case they don’t usually have any anti-abortion stickers.

  16. 16.

    MomSense

    The Republicans are ramping up their war talk about Venezuela. They really need some new and Yuuge distractions right now so they are going to push this like mad.

  18. 18.

    MomSense

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    I don’t know yet. I’m going to go in this afternoon and see how she is. I called her room this morning but she didn’t answer. I’m her medical power of attorney so they would call me if something happened.

  19. 19.

    Yarrow

    @MomSense: They can try but it isn’t going to work as well for them. Trump isn’t popular and we’re in a bunch of never-ending wars already so the idea of another war isn’t going to work as well.

  20. 20.

    VTR

    Also, here in CT, I see vehicles with “Connecticut Concealed Carry” stickers. I think telling everyone you’re carrying a hidden weapon misses the point.

  23. 23.

    Mike E

    I canvassed in NC/SC/PA for conservation issues. A short list of responses:
    “Acid rain is good for the trees in Alabama”
    “You’d do better with a shave and a haircut”
    “I’m a smoker, and I’d be a hypocrite if I came out in support of clean air”
    “It’s in the Lord’s Hands”

  27. 27.

    hueyplong

    The pictured car is centrist due to the lack of Conferderate paraphernalia and threats of violence against libruls and immigrants.

  28. 28.

    Creigh Gordon

    One of my favorite bumper stickers, in Colorado Springs, read “Focus On Your Own Damn Family”

  29. 29.

    Yarrow

    @MomSense: Well, of course they are. Russia is sending support to Maduro and Russia will continue to push narratives that divide Americans, cause chaos here, and ultimately weaken the US.

  31. 31.

    Another Scott

    Popehat/Ken White’s piece on Roger Stone is up at TheAtlantic:

    The indictment charges that Stone eagerly pitched himself to the Trump campaign as the man with connections to WikiLeaks (thinly disguised as “Organization 1” in the document); that he vigorously mined his network to suggest questions for WikiLeaks to answer, amid a media blitz in which he touted upcoming leaks about Trump’s Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton. The indictment identifies Stone’s WikiLeaks connection only as “Person 1,” but news reports have repeatedly identified him as the author and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi. The indictment identifies Stone’s favorite media contact as “Person 2,” someone who is widely believed to be Randy Credico, a dog-fancying talk-show host who comes off as a slightly dim off-Broadway understudy for the role of Stone. The common theme of Stone’s compulsive texts and emails to Corsi, Credico, and the Trump campaign was not just an appetite for dirt on Clinton, but Stone’s own relentless self-promotion. It appears he was successful in getting the attention he wanted—the indictment reveals that a “high-ranking Trump Campaign official” sent Stone a text message reading “well done” after WikiLeaks released stolen Clinton campaign emails in October 2016.

    None of this was a crime. The indictment doesn’t suggest that Stone directed, or even knew of in advance, specific illegal acts like hacking. Being thirsty for leaks doesn’t violate federal law. But when congressional investigations began, Stone’s combativeness became a liability, as it has for so many Trump associates. According to Mueller’s probe, Stone kept lying. The indictment said Stone lied in a letter to members of a Congressional intelligence committee about not having any communications related to its investigation, then doubled down under oath. Court documents also say that Stone concealed his many text and email conversations with people, including Corsi and Credico, in which he was seeking dirt about Clinton from WikiLeaks. Mueller’s account states that Stone lied about his efforts to contact WikiLeaks through Corsi, trying to portray the hapless Credico as his WikiLeaks contact. The indictment also says Stone lied about his discussions with the Trump campaign concerning these efforts, along with his knowledge of WikiLeaks’ upcoming releases. Stone idolizes Nixon and aspires to dirty tricks—this, too, is part of his brand. It may not have occurred to him to do anything but lie.

    Live by the Reality TV show, go to prison by the Reality TV show…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  32. 32.

    Gozer

    No MAGA assholes down here in Puerto Vallarta. They wouldn’t have the stones to talk some cash-money shit and all the locals think I’m Dominican/Puerto Rican/Cuban/etc. which is a breath of fresh air compared to El Norte.

    Most Americans I’ve encountered down here seem to be either neo-hippie, surfer-types, old hippies, or LGBT folks. Nary an Ugly American in sight.

  33. 33.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    “When North Korea Starts Dropping Bombs,

    this person doesn’t know that NORK is now one of our strongest allies, because somebody in KJU’s inner circle hit on the idea of addressing trump as “Your Excellency”

    I suspect he makes Pence, Jethrene and the Large Adult Children address him that way. He tried to sell it to Melanie and she said “I know about mushroom. Maybe I call you Your Toadstoolness? You put five more million in Lichtenstein within 24 hours. Remember name on account is Knauss”

  36. 36.

    James E Powell

    I saw a bumper sticker with that North Korea – NFL players bit on it. A reminder that right-wingers are not just twisted, but stupid.

  37. 37.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Robert Costa @ costareports
    At a meeting Wednesday with conservative groups, the president accused former House speaker Paul Ryan of having “screwed him” by not securing border wall money, according to one attendee, Mark Krikorian.

    and he can’t even get revenge by tweet anymore

  38. 38.

    Quinerly

    @VTR: Amazon has
    some “Mueller Time” ones. Search “Mueller bumper sticker” on Amazon. There are choices. ?

  43. 43.

    Quinerly

    @Creigh Gordon: I have a few on Poco’s traveling Escape….the small oval stickers from all the NPs we have romped in. On the back on the bumpers are “Liberals treat dogs like people, Conservatives treat people like dogs” and “Dems protest wars, Republicans protest healthcare.” There’s another but I’m drawing a blank right now. I figure if anyone is confused then they should read the one on the bottom of the hatchback window. “NOT A REPUBLICAN.” All purchased at Santa Fe Hemp. Fabulous selection in that great store.

  44. 44.

    mad citizen

    I’m really noticing and thinking about the references to our new gilded age, the income inequality posts, and where MLK was headed regarding poor people here the last few days. The other day I came across a reference to a Poor Peoples March on D.C. in 1968 (I was 7 and surely remember the Vietnam protests, but had never heard of this one). I was kind of blown away that such a march ever took place. It seems unfathomable in today’s world.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_People%27s_Campaign

  48. 48.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    “I know he is a professional,” Pelosi said of McConnell. “So It is particularly painful to see him kowtowing to the president of the United States. And I said to him, ‘Do you just want to abolish the Congress or maybe just the United States Senate? Because that is effectively what you’re doing.’”

    Asked what McConnell said in response, Pelosi replied: “What does he ever say? Nothing.”

    I wonder if Kate McKinnon is practicing her Pelosi for tonight. I hope she thinks up something more interesting than last week’s brief effort would suggest.

  50. 50.

    zhena gogolia

    Laura Too left this on the Schlemazel thread:

    Random thoughts to start the day. My Uncle grew up in a time men weren’t allowed to have feelings or cry and he spent much of his life overcoming that. He was a loving husband, father and man who championed strong women. He always tried to punch up. I believe one of the reasons this planet is as fucked up as it is is because we are not allowed to show grief. It will come out one way or another-through tears or violence. The violence may be self directed and not visible but it is there. One of the many endearing things about this place is the ability to come together. You have all held me and each other up and it has made it much easier for me and I hope for each other. It is okay to cry, it is what makes us humane to each other. One of the most wicked acts I’ve ever observed was a mother telling her daughter she could not have any sort of service or funeral for her when she died. No telling funny stories, no sharing food, no crying, no community. One last act of cruelty in a very abusive life. After waiting a respectable time the daughter had a planting ceremony for a tree and invited all of her friends and relatives. It just so happened the mother’s ashes were planted under the tree. I am lucky to be surrounded by the subversives.

    Walter will never be forgotten! We both kicked in for his care & transport and were thrilled he got to spend his last wonderful days as a Minnesotan. Sometime soon it would be nice to have a MN BJ meet up so we can toast all things good.

    J Michael, he spoke so highly of you and they took such delight in taking you most everywhere hockey related. The pictures were so funny! He was honored to have read your wonderful book.

    As I said-random. I don’t really know how this works-if I reply to a comment does it let you know? So many people have said such wonderful things I would love to respond as able but am not sure you will each get the message. If anyone wants my personal email is laurabbey @ gmail

    The plan now is a memorial sometime in spring at Lake Maria State Park as it was one of his favorites and close to the cities. Again, I thank you for the kindness shown me, my Uncle, and especially each other.

  51. 51.

    germy

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I hope she thinks up something more interesting than last week’s brief effort would suggest.

    It’s the writers. They’ve been doing that bothsides bullshit for decades now.

    Remember how they mocked Al Gore during the Gore/Bush debates? “Social Security lockbox” haw haw!

    Lorne Michaels is a douche.

  53. 53.

    Amir Khalid

    @Another Scott
    Alas, CafePress don’t ship to Malaysia. But maybe one of you guys could order a shirt to say Der Müller Gottes mahlt langsam, aber mahlt außerordentlich fein. It might be popular with the Juicitariat (he said modestly).

  55. 55.

    Yarrow

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Me too. If they go with the “Nancy Pelosi drunk on her on power” take again I”m going to be really disappointed. It was so wrong last week and it’s wrong now. Nancy SMASH has done nothing that suggests she’s drunk on her own power. She’s a powerful woman exercising her rightful power.

    Maybe to the misogynists writing the skit that makes her drunk on her own power, but that says a lot more about them than it does Nancy SMASH. I was surprised Kate McKinnon went along with that portrayal, though.

  57. 57.

    Gozer

    @OzarkHillbilly: A couple days ago we got as far south as Boca de Tomatlan, but we might go that direction next week.

    Mostly we’ve been walking around the hillside neighborhoods west of the area south of the stadium and near the Zona Romantica.

  58. 58.

    cmorenc

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    No Confederate flag, Mandatory subtraction of 2 points from RWNJ bumper sticker score.

    Not so fast – we haven’t had a look at what’s flying in their front yard. You can occasionally come across the paradox of people flying *both* a modern US flag *and* a confederate flag in their yard, though usually in that case the confederate flag is hung draped across the front porch railing and the US flag is up on the pole. As if to show that they have their priorities straight :=)

  59. 59.

    MomSense

    @Yarrow:

    It is perfectly acceptable for men to seek power but when a woman does it she must be conniving or have ulterior motives. I’m so sick of it.

  60. 60.

    JGabriel

    @MomSense:

    The Republicans are ramping up their war talk about Venezuela. They really need some new and Yuuge distractions right now so they are going to push this like mad.

    The Viet Nam war didn’t keep Nixon from being forced out of office under threat of impeachment. So I don’t think a Venezuela war is gonna protect Trump – at all.

  62. 62.

    Elizabelle

    @Amir Khalid:

    Der Müller Gottes mahlt langsam, aber mahlt außerordentlich fein.

    Good one. Per Google Translate:

    The miller of God grinds slowly, but grinds extremely fine.

    The miller of God. Of justice, anyway.

  64. 64.

    JGabriel

    @Mike E:

    “I’m a smoker, and I’d be a hypocrite if I came out in support of clean air”

    At least that one shows an unexpected level of self-awareness.

  66. 66.

    WaterGirl

    @Yarrow: Truly powerful people, women, dogs… don’t need to tell people they are powerful.

    My big dog used to let my cocker spaniel steal the ball right out of his mouth if they were both chasing the ball and he got there first. He knew he was the big dog, and if he really wanted something, he got it. Otherwise, he was content to let his little bro have it.

    He was my role model for how to work with the group I managed at the University.

  73. 73.

    zhena gogolia

    @Yarrow:

    I don’t think the performers on SNL have veto power. (I’m not a fan of Kate McKinnon, but she probably doesn’t have that kind of power.) It later struck me that not only did they have Pelosi “drunk on power,” they had McConnell as just a scared little turtle trying to hide from everything.

  75. 75.

    Citizen Alan

    @mad citizen:

    I can’t remember the name of the case, but I remember being shocked in law school to read a 1969 SCOTUS 5-4 opinion that was one vote away from naming poverty as a protected class and would have forbidden the government from taking any adverse actions against people simply for their inability to pay a filing fee or a fine. No wonder the powers that be moved heaven and Earth to get Nixon elected.

  76. 76.

    Yarrow

    @zhena gogolia: Several years ago Keenan Thompson said he would not play anymore black female characters and said SNL needed to hire an African American woman. So they did. That’s not veto power over a skit directly, but it was still power.

  77. 77.

    Brachiator

    @Elizabelle:

    @WaterGirl: Yes. That’s the expression as rendered in English.

    Translating word for word is not always sufficient.

    A little more from the Google Machine:

    The quote apparently comes from a 17th century poem by Friedrich Von Logau. With the following line, it reads as follows:

    Gottes Mühlen mahlen langsam, mahlen aber trefflich klein
    Ob aus Langmut er sich säumert, bringt mit Schärf’ er alles ein.

    The English translation by Longfellow (19th century) is fairly well known:

    Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small;
    Though with patience he stands waiting, with exactness grinds he all.

    Oddly enough, this has always reminded me of the lyrics from “If I Were a Carpenter:

    If I worked my hands in wood, would you still love me?
    Answer me, babe: “yes I would, I’d put you above me”
    If a miller were my trade, at a mill wheel grinding
    Would you miss your color box, your soft shoes shining

  80. 80.

    Jim

    Remind me of a comment by Robert Kennedy in the early sixties about Pennsylvania: “On one end is Philadelphia, at the other, Pittsburgh, in the middle is Mississippi.”

  81. 81.

    Yarrow

    @Spanky: He posted in the Schlemazel memorial thread. He said he left because Balloon Juice was very angry and he needed to take care of his mental health.

  85. 85.

    Salty Sam

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I don’t see cars like this much, living in the People’s Republic of Massachusetts but do see the opposite end of the spectrum, the lefty version of this.

    I am from a small town in S. Texas, but spent the entirety of last summer on the Noath Shoah of Mass. The “red-to-blue” shift in bumper stickers was a breath of fresh air. Looking fwd to going back in May…

  86. 86.

    patrick II

    @Karen S.:
    Congratulations, that is wonderful. The advantages of taking something like judo, rather than just jogging or something, is that in addition to the exercise, it’s interesting and keeps your mind in the game as well. It also teaches balance and new movements which also activate the mind. There is a chance you will learn some useful self-defense too, but with all of the other advantages that is a bonus.

  88. 88.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    this made me chuckle

    ryan cooper @ ryanlcooper
    “Trump repeats the same five or six phrases like a defective Teddy Ruxpin not because he’s trying to brainwash or brand but because he can only hold like 175 words in his head at one time”

    then I saw this

    Donald J. Trump @ realDonaldTrump
    We have turned away, at great expense, two major Caravans, but a big one has now formed and is coming. At least 8000 people! If we had a powerful Wall, they wouldn’t even try to make the long and dangerous journey. Build the Wall and Crime will Fall!

    and this

    Rick Wilson Retweeted Donald J. Trump
    “Then Grandpa started to repeat himself, sometimes telling stories that made no sense at all. It’s why we sought help with a professional memory care center.”

    it’s like the other day when they asked him about Cohen and witness intimidation and the bats in his belfry roosted on “he’s afraid of the truth!”. Then they asked about Pelosi and the SOTU and the bats were tired so he just repeated, “She’s afraid of the truth.”

  89. 89.

    patrick II

    New conversation
    Tim Allen @timallensblues
    15h15 hours ago
    Replying to @mattyglesias
    Is was a win, and we will get our wall…….you underestimate the literal millions that are ready to reclaim our country…..
    21 replies 0 retweets 1 like

    We know they are literal. If they understood hyperbole they would know it is a metaphor for the confederacy, not an actual physical thing anymore, though sadly idea still exists in the heart of RWNJ’s everywhere.

  91. 91.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Brachiator: And Amir’s version is a bilingual pun on Müller, which means “miller” but also is the German spelling of Saint Robert Mueller’s name.

    The following E as in “UE” is the standard way to spell words with umlauts without actually using an umlaut.

  92. 92.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud: Me too. Stepping away for a while is good.

    This week, I am happy, with Nancy Pelosi demonstrating her chops (we already knew her mad skillz) and Roger Stone getting more attention predawn than he was expecting.

    I cannot stand the intraDemocrats internecine warfare though. Tune it right out.

  94. 94.

    Yarrow

    If anyone hasn’t seen this twitter thread yet it’s hilarious and unbelievable, but also believable.

    You guys.

    Roger Stone’s attorney has written a novel. It’s a political thriller.

    Please enjoy the blurb. pic.twitter.com/9hNVuX9oAV— Erin For President (@erinscafe) January 26, 2019

    She live tweets reading the whole book.

  96. 96.

    Matt McIrvin

    @schrodingers_cat: I see them in Massachusetts, further out in the hinterlands. This one’s not so extreme because there aren’t any direct death threats on it (“Liberal Hunting License”), also no Infowars sticker.

  97. 97.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @schrodingers_cat: I live in Quaker country. There is a particularly Quaker set of stickers that a lot of people cover their cars with. Always including at least “COEXIST” (with each letter the symbol of a different religion) and “WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER”.

  98. 98.

    Mary G

    I am lucky that through no merit of my own I have never gone more than 20 or 30 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean since Nov. 2016, so I can count the number of Trump/Pence stickers I’ve seen on one hand. The big one here is “COEXIST” with all the religious symbols.

    Also the expensive minivan/huge SUV with a line of stick figures of Dad, Mom, a number of kids and a dog or two. I assume they vote Republican but don’t want to say so out loud.

  100. 100.

    Yarrow

    @Baud: I’ve left, but only after people were specifically awful to me personally. In the midst of all the other shit I’ve got going on in my life I don’t need that shit too.

  104. 104.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Yarrow: it takes me a while since I have a terrible memory, but there are certain people, and topics, I just don’t engage with

  105. 105.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Elizabelle: I don’t really care, since I think he was a flash in the pan, but vaguely wonder if Seth Moulton is smart enough to feel stupid these days

    in the credit where due department

    Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Retweeted Nancy Pelosi
    I will tell you something most of the country probably already knows: SpeakerPelosi does not mess around.

  106. 106.

    Brachiator

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Donald J. Trump @ realDonaldTrump
    We have turned away, at great expense, two major Caravans, but a big one has now formed and is coming. At least 8000 people! If we had a powerful Wall, they wouldn’t even try to make the long and dangerous journey. Build the Wall and Crime will Fall!

    How long has Orange Julius Caesar been rehearsing this new catch phrase?

  107. 107.

    Yarrow

    @Baud: Not that much of a line, apparently. I mean for other people. We all have our own lines.

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I generally engage with everyone. I just skip over comments if they bother me. I’ve had to learn a lot of compartmentalizing in my life so it’s not that hard for me. I don’t need personal attacks, though. Waste of time and energy so I’ll just regroup.

  108. 108.

    Yarrow

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Isn’t Seth Moulton thinking about running for president? Ah, yes. Here it is:

    BOSTON (CBS) – Seth Moulton is exploring the idea of running for the Democratic nomination for president in 2020, a source close to the Massachusetts congressman told WBZ-TV Wednesday.

    That’s from January 16 so well into the shutdown. I don’t think he’s learned a thing.

  109. 109.

    Matt McIrvin

    @cmorenc: There used to be a guy who drove around here (northern Mass./southern NH) in a pickup truck with ratty US and Confederate battle flags flying from the two rear corners of the cab.

  110. 110.

    Elizabelle

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Tee hee. Seth Moulton is literally the Congressman for Salem, MA. He picked the wrong witch to bet against.

    And, looking at his district, it’s only 25 miles from Salisbury MA to the Maine state line.

    I think some of us were already up for a BJ meetup in Maine to canvass against Susie “Me, I’m a Moderate” Collins. And now Moulton’s district is really, really close. And has some lovely waterside communities.

    Hmmmmm. Would have to be for the primaries … 2020. Road trip. It’s coming up.

  112. 112.

    Aleta

    @Spanky: And where the heck is J Michael, aka Tissue Thin Pseudonym?

    229
    J Michael Neal
    @Ohio Mom: @WaterGirl:

    I left because, for my own mental health, I needed to step away from a place that is as relentlessly angry as Balloon Juice. That’s not a criticism of the place, as there is more than enough going on to be angry about. It just wasn’t good for me. And I’m constitutionally incapable of just lurking anywhere, so it is a complete absence. Maybe I’ll be back at some point, but that time isn’t yet.

  114. 114.

    Elizabelle

    @Aleta: When did that comment date from? Do we know what issue(s) — of the political variety — sparked his self-exile?

    I am happy that he and Schlemazel were friends in real life. And that TTP is still around, in the background.

  120. 120.

    ThresherK

    @VTR: I’m also in CT and I’m used to seeing a number of CCDL window stickers, with a picture of a handgun. The CD stands “Civil Defense”, failing on both counts.

  125. 125.

    jacy

    There’s a pickup truck around here that is covered in pro-Trump, Jesus, and flat earth stickers. Whenever we see it the kids say that it’s amazing that the person inside is smart enough to drive a vehicle. Also, down the road, there’s a little compound which I think used to be a motel back when Airline was the main highway through BR — big chain-link fence and all sorts of crazy racist/gun/Bible signs. I’ve never seen anybody there but it always give me a second’s pause when I drive past, as if the crazy is going to leak out.

  129. 129.

    germy

    He will be running for president. He is set to announce (according to the news)

    Bernie Sanders: "I think the time is long overdue for the American people to tell this president he is not a dictator, he is not a king, he is not the despotic ruler of Saudi Arabia, he is not his authoritarian friend Vladimir Putin of Russia." Via CSPAN pic.twitter.com/THyupp5kAc— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 26, 2019

  130. 130.

    Lapassionara

    @Baud: I’m concerned about the primary too. I see the old battle lines being formed, and some supporters of a candidate have to tear other candidates down, instead of focusing on why their candidate is the best choice. My goal is for a Dem to be president. That takes precedence over every other consideration. Eyes on the prize!

  132. 132.

    Baud

    @Lapassionara:

    I’m really against Bernie and wish he wouldn’t run. I don’t have a visceral reaction to Biden but I hope he doesn’t run. I’m pretty neutral on most everyone else at this point.

    ETA:. I will of course respect the primary voters’ choice when it comes to the general election.

  137. 137.

    Yarrow

    @Baud: I think Bernie is going to crash and burn (bern? haha). He’s got tons of skeletons in his closets and the other Dem candidates are not going to hesitate to pull those out. I’m sure Hillary’s got a long list of oppo research items she’d be willing to share with a few candidates.

    The text message that John Cole got from Out Revolution trying to drum up support for him “whether he wins or not” is a tell. They don’t think he has a chance and he’s in it for the grift.

    @ThresherK: She’s already been a mess right out of the gate. She’s going to go nowhere.

  139. 139.

    germy

    http://www.shakesville.com/2015/07/looking-for-bernie-part-2-mr-sanders.html

    Sanders voices concern over men getting cancer as well, but apparently they don’t have to blame their sexual attitudes. Rather, it’s female authority figures who are to blame:

    A child has an old bitch of a teacher (and there are many of them), or perhaps he is simply not interested in school and would rather be doing other thing. [sic] He complains and rebels against the situation, which is the healthy reaction. When a person is hurt, no matter what age, he SHOULD rebel…. Outwardly, he becomes the “good boy”, [sic] conforming to the rules and regulations of the system. Inwardly, his spirit is broken, and his soul seethes with anger and hatred, which is unable to be expressed. He has learned to hold back his emotions and put on the phony façade of pleasantness. Thirty years later, a doctor tells him he has cancer.

  140. 140.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Baud: I think Biden will regret it if he runs, and I’m afraid the rest of us might, too. He can do enormous good as an elder statesman. I said yesterday that Obama got (as I interpret events) a huge boost from Ted Kennedy, and there’s no one like that now. I still feel that way, but Biden is hugely popular and could help sell our candidate, better I think than he can sell himself. His response to people bothered by the Upton story was a bad, bad sign about where his head is at (a Third Way conference in 1991).

    @ThresherK: I’m a lousy prognosticator (and yet I keep doing it…) but I think Gabbard’s on a fast train to nowhere.

  141. 141.

    schrodingers_cat

    @opiejeanne: You and me both.
    @Baud: I have come close to leaving more than once, myself. I still think of it.
    That said I recognize, that I am one of those angry people JMN talks about. Yes I have been angry, the last couple of years, I make no bones about it.
    I am sad and I am mad.

  142. 142.

    ThresherK

    @Yarrow: So, like one of those Big 10 football previews which forgets to mention, say, Indiana, but nobody notices outside Bloomington.

  144. 144.

    Jess

    My fav (here in central Mass, oddly enough) was a pickup truck (natch) with a confederate flag sticker on one side of the bumper, and on the other, “America: love it or leave it.” He drove like an asshole as well.

  145. 145.

    Doug R

    We used to have a SCIENCE rocket on our last car in response to the Jesus fish. Now I have a I (heart) (Alberta) (trex skull) sticker from the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Translated to I love Alberta Dinosaurs.

  146. 146.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @debbie:

    He’s encouraging his supporters to use it all the way through to 2020.

    Forget it. Trump isn’t bad at schoolyard insults, which is as backhanded a compliment for him and his followers as it gets. ‘Build the Wall and Crime Will Fall’ is not going anywhere, though. It’s not short enough to have that visceral “I’m screaming an ethnic slur” satisfaction, the rhythm is hokey, and together it makes you actually think about the words for a fraction of a second. That’s long enough to spot how blandly idiotic they are. Worse, it has that ‘if you’re explaining, you’re losing’ feel. It’s not going to get his followers’ hate on, so they won’t be interested.

  147. 147.

    Matt McIrvin

    There is an amazing level of hate for Kamala Harris being drummed up right now. I don’t mean to minimize concerns about her record as a prosecutor but it is getting absurd on Twitter: ostensible leftists accusing her of fake blackness and claiming her supporters are 100% TERFs, wild things like that. I smell a rat. Many rats.

  148. 148.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Yarrow: From Anita Hill to the drug wars to the crime bill to the bankruptcy bill to Iraq… his candidacy could rip open every wound of the last round and more, and he seems completely oblivious, both to his own record and the current state of the party.

  153. 153.

    ThresherK

    @Doug R: Does that Venn intersect to the U Calgary Dinos also?

    (i am in CT but a big CFL fan and have learned a bit about where the nationals played.)

  154. 154.

    tobie

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Biden is hugely popular and could help sell our candidate, better I think than he can sell himself.

    This is so true. It captures something I’ve been thinking for a while but haven’t been able to put into words. Thanks for coming up with such an elegant formulation.

  156. 156.

    CaseyL

    A now-former FB friend was All About The Bern in 2016, and has never publicly re-thought things. I am mildly interested to see how she reacts to Wilmer’s announcement that he’ll ratfuck 2020 as well.

    (I was going to say that I wasn’t too worried about it, with 2020 being so far off… then I realized that, no, 2020 is not that far off. Dear god and all the godlings.)

    In other news, this being an open thread and all, I am going to spend some of next week getting a few glass pieces up for sale on etsy. A few people here know I do fused glass art and have asked if I could post photos of my work. Now I’ll finally be doing that! Once my art is up there, I’ll post a link, and would love to hear what y’all think of it.

  157. 157.

    Ruckus

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    and he seems completely oblivious, both to his own record and the current state of the party.

    I believe that this is correct. I hope someone can talk some reality into him. The right will use his record as a trope for everything they think is wrong with liberals. Everyone will get smeared with his baggage, not just him. Not sure it will work but it’s too risky to even take that chance. He’s run before and gone absolutely no where. I’ve wondered (to myself) in the past if President Obama asked him to be VP to keep him on the down low for 8 years and to put him out of the running now because of his age.

  158. 158.

    Mary G

    @Matt McIrvin: @Yarrow: Yes, I think the Russians and the Republicans and the Bernie Bros. (who may or may not be all the same thing) are putting a full court press on against Kamala. I see hundreds of new accounts against her on every thread on Twitter. They must be really scared of her.

  160. 160.

    AThornton

    Biden is old school DLC Third-Way politician, stuck in the 1990s. He needs to retire and clear the way for people who have some understanding of what is going on in this century.

  163. 163.

    Lapassionara

    @Matt McIrvin: Yes. I wish more people understood that attorneys do not speak for themselves in a case, they speak for their clients. Prosecutors have additional burdens, and they do have to exercise judgment and discretion, but to attack her record without putting her actions in context is misleading.

  167. 167.

    debbie

    @Frankensteinbeck:

    Tone- and beat-wise, it’s kind of a doublet for his “Build that Wall!” I think it will last and I think he’ll use it in every speech he gives, including the SOTU.

  168. 168.

    Fair Economist

    @Matt McIrvin: The paid rats are out against Kamala. Partly it’s that they think she would be a strong candidate and partly it’s that she has very good chances based on her support from party activists and the importance of California and of African-Americans in the 2020 nomination campaign.

    I am sure there are conservatives involved because they are trying the old “turn strengths into weaknesses” shtick. Kamala broke with the multistate suit against the banks for the housing bubble ans extracted a MONSTER settlement from them – 25 billions, about 10 times per capita what the other states got. So the attack her for not jailing Munchin, which she couldn’t have done. This is an engineered attack, not a natural observation, even from the nutty left.

  171. 171.

    JMG

    It doesn’t matter whether I support or loathe the causes they endorse on their cars. Anyone with more than two bumperstickers is nobody I ever want to meet.

  173. 173.

    catclub

    @MomSense:

    The trump administration is always up to no good.

    They just hired Elliot Abrams. a criminal from the Reagan Iran-Contra days.

  174. 174.

    Martin

    I live in the heart of Orange County, birthplace of modern Republicanism. I’ve only ever seen one Trump bumper sticker ever, and only one Trump yard sign – and that was one my mom brought me as a joke from Iowa.

    Romney had a good turnout on bumpers, as did McCain, and while the GOP still mostly turn out for their candidates (every House member from the county is now Dem – though they were all close) they are very obviously too ashamed of Trump to actually claim to be in support of him. Trump is doing massive foundational damage to the party. Dems who already has a supermajority in the assembly just peeled off another R who switched parties during the shutdown.

  175. 175.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Another Scott: Reminds me of the charge the RWNJs habitually spat at Bill Clinton, that “he never told the truth when a lie would do.” It’s always projection with these turds. (& on that note I presume Roger’s Secret Service codename, if he ever had one, was Coprolite – i.e., “fossilized shit.”)

  176. 176.

    rikyrah

    @Yarrow:

    @Matt McIrvin: I smell Russia. She must be a strong candidate if they’re going after her this much this early.

    the thing that heartens me is the amount of pushback from our side. Not even tolerating this foolishness.

  179. 179.

    Martin

    @Fair Economist: Yep. Kamala is the candidate to beat. The GOP knows it. Californians know it. She really does have the ability to appeal to every key Dem constituency. Maddow asked her about some of those more controversial things from when she was AG, and she was ready to answer. That’s not going to stick to her.

    In addition to the housing settlement I watched her carefully during the St. Joseph acquisition of Hoag.

    That raised concerns that the abortion ban was only the top of a slippery slope. Some feared other procedures at odds with Catholic doctrine would be barred, too, after a 10-year waiting period that Harris had mandated in her original approval terms. There were also questions about whether Hoag eventually would have to comply with other strictures in the Catholic Church’s “ethical and religious directives for Catholic health care,” or ERDs, including those affecting end-of-life provisions in Hoag patients’ living wills.

    The new agreement addresses these concerns. Hoag states explicitly that it will not be bound by ERDs in the future. That’s a permanent commitment, and it covers any efforts by St. Joseph to impose the ERDs through a “statement of common values,” the document through which St. Joseph imposed its abortion policy on Hoag last year.

    The agreement also clarifies the murkiness of the ban on “direct abortions” — a Catholic term, not a medical one, which includes, in some cases, even abortions that might threaten the life of the mother.

    Some feared the ban might be construed to prevent the hospital treating women with a variety of miscarriages. It’s now explicit that “imminent, incomplete, inevitable, and/or septic miscarriages” are not considered “direct abortions” and therefore can be managed at Hoag. The agreement also makes clear that Hoag can’t interfere with physicians performing procedures in their private offices, even if those are located on Hoag’s premises or in buildings Hoag owns.

    Another provision extends the period, from 10 to 20 years, that Hoag is committed to maintaining women’s reproductive services “at the same types and levels.” That should help ensure the provision of these services at Hoag for the better part of a generation.

    Hoag is also required to direct women to abortion services, and to take them there at their expense if the nearest suitable clinic is more than a mile away. That too is through 2033. Meanwhile, those services will fill in on their own. ⅓ of the abortion clinics in the nation are in CA, so that should fill in naturally over that time. There are at least 4 places to get an abortion within 2 miles of my house including one hospital – and that doesn’t include the 2 Hoag facilities covered under the agreement above. And none are Planned Parenthood – pretty sure they’d open up a clinic if we weren’t already well covered.

  180. 180.

    Mr Stagger Lee

    “Annoy A Liberal, Work, Get Paid, Be Happy.” From a guy who runs a HVAC service, I guess he is happy that he only gets 50% of his business.

  181. 181.

    opiejeanne

    @Baud: What WaterGirl said. This will not be allowed. You’re our very own special ray of Presidential lumber.

  183. 183.

    VOR

    @catclub: Hiring Elliot Abrams as US Special Envoy to Venezuela is a bad sign. He was heavily involved with the Contras and the messes in El Salvador and Nicaragua in the Reagan administration. He was accused of involvement in Venezuela’s aborted 2002 coup against Hugo Chavez. They are probably positioning him as a expert on foreign policy in Latin America. I view this as a sign the Trump administration is strongly considering intervention in Venezuela. According to the Woodward book, Trump was talking about intervention as a serious option in early 2017, not long after the inauguration.

  184. 184.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: I listened to a really interesting podcast last night on Lawfare. They talked about more than what’s listed in the blurb below. Toward the end of the pod they talked about why/how some countries are successful in the pushback against authoritarian leaders and some aren’t, and the guest said the determining factor is whether the coalition comes together and presents a united front against the authoritarian in the next election.

    I know that sounds ridiculously obvious, but it was quite sobering. I had never heard of Ian Bassin, and it was fascinating to hear how Protect Democracy came together, starting 3 days after Trump was elected. I’m sure I had heard of Protect Democracy on Lawfare since they are bringing a lot of the lawsuits for Lawfare (and others, I’m sure) but the name had never stuck. I was very much impressed by him in the interview and I find myself awfully glad that they are there fighting for our democracy.

    The Lawfare Podcast: Ian Bassin on Protecting Democracy
    Sat, Jan 19, 2019

    Ian Bassin served in the White House Counsel’s office under President Obama. At the dawn of the Trump administration, he became the impresario behind the litigating organization Protect Democracy, which has become an increasingly cross-ideological mechanism for using litigation to protect democratic values. Benjamin Wittes sat down with Ian to talk about the differences between Protect Democracy and more traditional litigating organizations, what sort of projects they do take on, and what sort of projects they don’t take on. And they talked about the role litigation can and cannot play in preserving the norms that make democracy vibrant. .

  185. 185.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @cmorenc: The display of the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia is the equivalent of displaying the Hackenkreuz.

    No quarter for those who do this despicable thing.

  186. 186.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @VOR: How the hell is the US going to intervene in Venezuela? Our forces are stretched past the breaking point around the globe pursuing vague policy objectives. Donald is playing with fire here.

  187. 187.

    WaterGirl

    @Elizabelle: Did you guys see Colbert within the last 2 or 3 days? He started mocking the “Build the Wall and Crime Will Fall” line, and then he pulled out a (fake) poetry book and read the rest of the “poem”. It was clever and funny and quite biting. It made a total mockery of the *man residing in the white house.

    *I have decided to stop referring to the dumpster as president.

  189. 189.

    Leto

    @[Individual 1] mistermix: Back when I was working, and using my motorcycle to get to work, on my way in there was this late model Ford pickup that sported “TRUMP” across each side, along with a red and white paint scheme and dual American flags on poles above the tail lights. I think it also had Trumpov’s name across the tailgate. I’d always see it pulling out of the McDonald’s parking lot around 0600 and I would think about this person and just how insane they’d have to be to paint up their vehicle like that. I’d wonder how their interaction with the McDonald’s staff was, as well as what their day was like. I’d also what would happen to them when Trumpov is eventually indicted on criminal conspiracy charges: would they paint over their vehicle? Pretend it never happened? Triple down on Trumpov love?

    Fortunately since the accident, I don’t have to see it anymore. I also don’t know whether it’s better or worse than the fellow cyclist I saw with an “SS” on the front of their bike. I was flabbergasted by that one. I’m in the king of prussia area. “Economic Anxiety”, I’m sure.

  190. 190.

    Bill Arnold

    @patrick II:

    There is a chance you will learn some useful self-defense too, but with all of the other advantages that is a bonus.

    With Judo, you also learn how to fall without damage. I took a short (maybe 8 week) judo class as a kid and still find the basics of break fall (the slap in particular) fully available. Don’t fall much (like every few years, when not paying attention) but it’s always there as backup, decades later.
    (Also a couple of black belts in traditional TKD, decades later. Adam Silverman tempts with Aikido, as does Tai Chi at speed (the master in the area died a few years back).)
    Anyway, long point; martial arts training can be very helpful for women, in multiple ways. (Also for males.) Awareness of motion, proprioception improvements, awareness of the motions of others/tells, knowing that one has a surprise advantage, exercise, etc.

  191. 191.

    WaterGirl

    @Lapassionara

    : …and some supporters of a candidate have to tear other candidates down, instead of focusing on why their candidate is the best choice.

    I even see this here on BJ, when people criticize Beto because he caught on in a national way that the other two standout people who ran and lost in November did not. We shouldn’t tear down Beto for that, even if it were to be true that color or gender played a role in the other two losses. He is a great candidate, seems like a truly good person, and he’s great on his feet.

    We are shooting ourselves in the foot when we do stuff like that. I truly hope that the primaries will be based on what the priorities will be for each candidate, and not tear down candidate A to get your candidate B elected. If global warming is a higher priority for you and voting rights is higher for someone else, then let that influence your choice, but it doesn’t mean the other candidate is bad.

    Not preaching to you personally, obviously.

  192. 192.

    Brachiator

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    How the hell is the US going to intervene in Venezuela? Our forces are stretched past the breaking point around the globe pursuing vague policy objectives. Donald is playing with fire here.

    I have not been looking at the news. Is this ass wipe really talking about intervening in Venezuela?

  194. 194.

    MomSense

    Ugh. Visit did not go well. My friend is dying and she is really angry with me. The nurses were all very sweet though. She couldn’t have stayed home alone.

    I decided to drive south to “the big city” and have an adventure. Went to a bakery, my favorite fish monger, and am now knitting in a brewery wishing I’d brought my dog with me. Lots of hipsters and rescue pit bulls here. My kid played at Portland House of Music two weeks in a row and I heard a young woman talking about him. Weird.

    I’ll go in to the hospital tonight and see if she has changed her mind. Dammit this adulting thing is no fun sometimes.

  196. 196.

    Bill Arnold

    @Matt McIrvin:

    I don’t mean to minimize concerns about her record as a prosecutor but it is getting absurd on Twitter:

    There are people (with substantial algorithmic assistance) mapping those twitter (causal) networks. (It’s not hard and there’s plenty of tooling available.)
    Whether there is anyone focused on analyzing KH-related twitter, I don’t know.

  199. 199.

    WaterGirl

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: You are right about Ted Kennedy. I was in Colorado volunteering for the Obama campaign when the news came in, and for those few minutes, EVERYTHING stopped and we all just watched his speech and knew that moment was a game changer.

    And you’re right about Biden. He could do so much as a party elder, and his running will do nothing but mar reputation after his wonderful performance as VP.

    edit: or, what Baud said.

  205. 205.

    Denali

    @MomSense,

    You are doing a good thing, looking after your friend. Know it is not easy. Thoughts are with you.

Comments are closed.