How to cognitive pic.twitter.com/YM51OJ58qA
— Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) July 10, 2020
Donald Trump needs to spend less time playing golf and more time listening to experts like Dr. Fauci.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 13, 2020
Have the Republicans made one even quasi-substantive hit on Biden over policy, or is it all personal attacks & “Dems are socialists” boilerplate?
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) July 13, 2020
Just checked the forecast and I believe it’s the first time that the votes of the “very likely” states has eclipsed 270 votes. pic.twitter.com/ULuOh9Ojgp
— (((Michael Spence ??????))) (@michaeljspence) July 13, 2020
Wild that there's a coalition in American politics stretching from Angela Davis to Bill Kristol https://t.co/jK2RKEUuJ1
— Michelle Goldberg (@michelleinbklyn) July 13, 2020
And nothing of value was lost…
“As America is brought low by the pandemic, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Republican party itself will simply be another casualty of Trump’s serial bungling.” https://t.co/TTx3e2hY1A
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) July 13, 2020
debbie
There are so many fucking idiots in this world.
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone ???
Baud
@rikyrah: Good morning.
Baud
Baud
Baud
zhena gogolia
I pray that Biden is allowed to take office, and that the Republican Party is destroyed. But what comes next? We can’t have one-party rule, can we? (And I realize full well that Putin will help Trump stay in power by all means necessary.)
OzarkHillbilly
Dan, I think you mean “As America is brought low by the Republican Party…”
Kropacetic
In order to do that, they would need to understand the substance of policy
He has sexual dalliances with unwilling children, dontchaknow?
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
We can and must until sane Republicans can take over their party again.
zhena gogolia
@Baud:
The music is terrible. But the text is good.
zhena gogolia
@Kropacetic:
And his little boy was wearing a Redskins hat in 1970-something.
Baud
This gives me more hope than any poll.
WereBear
@debbie:
Side effect of a more civilized and compassionate society. We can’t let the environment weed them out like back in the day.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: Any week that ends with Mick Mulvaney getting the boot is a good week.
WereBear
@zhena gogolia: Historically, the conservative Democrats will join any sane Republicans and marginalize the RWNJ.
The Democratic Party becomes more progressive, and the Christopath wing becomes radioactive.
At, of course, a slow pace.
Punchy
Coming soon to your state: MAGAs claiming they’re not legally allowed to wear a mask if they’re concealed carrying. It’s the new “out” for anti-maxxers here in KS. Of course it’s complete bullshit, but sure as shit it’ll be the new shiny value signal in your hometown soon.
OzarkHillbilly
Too f’n funny.
Kropacetic
Well, we are already in a situation where all relevant policy debate is within one party. So, though unlikely, this might be an acceptable outcome. It would depend on keeping corruption under control within the party, the continued relevancy of the party’s internal policy debate, and a light touch on candidate selection. I see the best outcome in a one-party situation as looking similar to no parties, but with internal ethics enforcement mechanisms.
I don’t see this really happening, though. If the Republicans become truly non-viable nationally, they’ll probably still have pockets of strong support around the country. Other third parties may fulfill the role of second party where the Republicans can’t. Like I recall one election cycle in MA where the Greens ran more candidates than the Republicans.
For these third parties to step up, though, they would also need to demonstrate more respect for the governing process than they often do.
debbie
@WereBear:
I got caught up in a local community group on FB last night about reopening schools. I was appalled at how many parents of children were willing to put other peoples’ kids at risk. Not a one of them would respond when I asked them if they were willing to put their own kid at risk.
In Ohio, there have been 152 hospitalizations and 2 deaths in the 0 to 19 age group. Nowhere to go but up.
What has happened to critical thinking skills???
Ken
That last tweet from Spectator USA (in Drezner’s response) is an insult to Emperor Palpatine.
Kropacetic
So do what you need to do to make sure that you and others are safe out in public. Leave the gun at home.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Speaking of serial bungling. Apparently there is a serious issue with false positives on the tests, so it’s not impossible the apparently lower mortality rate that’s been observed is because of that, but because Trump is both to stupid and lazy to pay attention to his briefings, or even able to do anything but spew BS and fell sorry for himself, “false positives” comes out “the test gives people the virus”.
OzarkHillbilly
@Kropacetic: Better yet, just stay at home.
Cheryl Rofer
Hey, hey, Donald J!
How many people did you kill today?
I know it doesn’t scan.
rikyrah
@zhena gogolia:
Yes,we can have one party rule, if the other party is a death cult
rikyrah
@zhena gogolia:
That they thought something would be seen as wrong with that picture says everything you need to know about the GOP
rikyrah
@debbie:
Keep on asking them
Let us have your children go first ??
rikyrah
@Baud:
Yesssssss ??
Zzyzx
If this continues, what will happen is more sane conservatives move to the Democratic Party and then the party splits with the progressives forming a second one.
Sloane Ranger
Do not under any circumstances take a dive into the Beyonce of Marketing Twitter thread. It is full of leftist purity freaks insisting that Biden is as bad as Trump and saying they are going to either sit out the Presidential election or vote 3rd Party.
Fortunately, judging from the quality of their English, I don’t think that many of them are eligible to vote in US elections.
Peale
I see that Grant Imahara has passed on at the age of 49 of an aneurysm. I remember when Mythbusters was must see TV for me. They basically had my dream job on TV each week.
germy
@OzarkHillbilly:
The leopards are licking Mulvaney’s face and he’s getting nervous.
He clearly understood the Leopards Eating Faces Party would spare him.
Chyron HR
@zhena gogolia:
We currently have four or five, depending on how you want to categorize “Berniecrat”.
Peale
Come on, North Carolina. You Barely went for the fucker last time. In 4 years, no one has changed their minds? Most stubborn state in America.
germy
@Sloane Ranger: Does Angela Davis cite RT as a legitimate news source? I didn’t read the whole thing.
Gin & Tonic
@Baud: I mentioned yesterday, last month my son and his wife felt ill (more so his wife.) She got very nervous, so they discussed it, called us, went out to get tested, came home and later that day got their (negative, thankfully) results by e-mail. This was in Kyiv.
If Ukraine can manage this, what the ever-loving fuck is up with the USofA?
geg6
@OzarkHillbilly:
I have no clue what any of that means, let alone why it’s funny. I need a laugh after finding two close colleagues from different campuses passed away over the last four days. Explain?
rikyrah
Zzyzx
@geg6: click on the link (the date). He claimed that he saved his ex from a threat. It turned out that he was the one threatening her.
JAFD
@zhena gogolia: Good morning, and Happy Bastille Day to all yon jackals and jackalettes !
Note that the two greatest novels – IMAO – ever written about American politics – All the King’s Men and The Last Hurrah – are both about intermural contests in the Democratic Party.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@zhena gogolia: We do it in California. What keeps the Dems honest here is they know if they piss off the voters the Republicans get back in office and screw everything up again.
geg6
@Zzyzx:
Okay, got it. Idiot self-owns. Thnx!
Gin & Tonic
Here’s video of police in St. Petersburg (the cold one) arresting a “dangerous extremist.”
zhena gogolia
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
If only the whole country could be like that.
Look at the devastation the Republican presidents have wrought in my lifetime: Nixon (corruption in politics, etc.), Reagan (income inequality starts here, my friend), GHWB (Clarence Thomas), GWB (Iraq, Katrina), and NOW THIS. Why would anyone ever vote for them?????
Jeffro
I for one am willing to at least give it a try. ;)
Chyron HR
Cunning plan #149: Set up a “Q for America” PAC and run a targeted ad on Fox News in DC praising Trump for killing Tom Hanks, and then let him go on a Twitter spree whining that the Fake News Media won’t give him credit for it.
Quinerly
Good morning! I have been torturing myself for a few weeks reading strangers’ comments on NC news sites on FB. (I’m originally from NC and am always curious b/c the state was always so progressive compared to the rest of the South.. And yes, I know what Charlie Pierce started saying in 2010 about the state). Anyway, I have no Trumpists in my circle. I’m in a bubble, in a way. I initially dipped into the comments when I was reading local articles about Confederate monuments (ones I personally knew of) coming down). The comments mostly made me sick to my stomach. You would think live babies were being eaten in the middle of the night on the courthouse square. I forged ahead with my torture and now have been reading the comments of Covid Deniers. My questions are
1.what is the source of the belief that hospitals are getting $3000-$10,000 per dead Covid patient, thus hospitals have the incentive to call every death a Covid death.
2.And then there’s the new talking point of everyone knowing someone who signed up to take a Covid test, didn’t take it, and got test results in the mail that they were positive. I guess my point is are these talking points on Fox.. Some RWNJs actively pushing these narratives or is this just some crazy shit made up on social media/trolls?
Jeffro
@Baud: And you saw why he is calling for it, right? Because his kids can’t get tested quickly enough (one of them, so that she can go safely visit her grandparents)
boo-fucking-hoo, Mulvaney
germy
OzarkHillbilly
@Zzyzx: @geg6: Even better that he is the one who refuted his own story.
OzarkHillbilly
To own the Libtards?
svendsen
@Kropacetic:
How else can I protect my family against COVID?
If I see a virus, I shoot first and ask questions later.
Amir Khalid
@Cheryl Rofer:
Our esteemed fellow jackal raven might say: Fuck Donald Trump. Heck, I think raven actually does say that.
germy
Jeffro
@rikyrah: “boring” is a pretty big tell for ol’ Donald…that’s usually what he uses (like w/ that 2018 NYT trumpov family tax fraud story) when someone has him dead to rights.
Also (obvs) the whole country is more than ready for “boring”.
Also, entertaining the country and keeping news outlets’ ratings up = not in the president’s job description.
Dorothy A. Winsor
I just had a comment disappear when I tried to post. Let me try again.
I blogged about how hard it is to remember that there’s a dog in the book I’m drafting, and he’s needs to show up on just about every page. The solution came when I remembered that joke about the dyslexic atheist who lies awake wondering if there is a dog.
My blog has been broken, adding unreasonably to my stress. It’s on the mend now, I hope.
OzarkHillbilly
@Gin & Tonic: I’m impressed by the restraint they show. the police in the warm St Petersburg, would have thrown her to the pavement and started working her over with their clubs.
Baud
@Gin & Tonic: A notorious member of al Babushka.
Baud
@Gin & Tonic:
Ukraine hasn’t drowned its government in the bathtub.
Baud
@Zzyzx:
In 2009, we started to split before we had finished the job of relegating the GOP to history. I hope we have learned from that mistake.
rikyrah
Baud
@rikyrah:
“Be
BestRich”WereBear
@debbie:
The charitable response is that panic blots out frontal lobe input.
The less-charitable response is that 27% seem to just lurve them some Facebook.
WereBear
@Peale: Oh no! That’s too bad. He was a House Favorite.
Jeffro
It’s mid-July. We have six more months of do-nothing donald getting ever more erratic and dangerous while the pandemic plays out across the country.
Long-term unemployment is going to keep going up up up until the country can get a serious, national plan in place. “Eight weeks of sacrifice to get back on our feet again” – we’ll need something pithier, of cours, but that’s what it’s going to take. That won’t happen while trumpov’s still in office wrecking things/shouting at the tv/playing golf.
So if we want to shorten the time frame between now and the start of those eight weeks…I have to agree with Michelle Goldberg: where are the calls for trumpov to resign?
(hint: both Michelle and I know it’s very likely he’ll never resign. but every day he doesn’t is a day things get worse here, not better, and people ought to be reminded of that)
WereBear
@JAFD:
I concur!
Jeffro
@rikyrah: oh good, more attempts at ‘marketing’ or ‘messaging’…”this pandemic is actually an opportunity for you to go do something different with your life! Happy happy sunshine!”
narya
Kitchen update! Or, really, dining room update, seeing as how that’s where all the appliances are living. Cabinets are not quite done, but soon, I think; they’re coming to measure for the countertop today. I also have no screen door–they had knocked the old one sideways, so I said I’d replace it . . . but I could NOT find a black storm door (w/screen), of the right size, online, at any damn place in the city/suburbs. I may just give up and get a screen door; I’ll see if the contractor has any ideas.
Quinerly
@rikyrah: good morning from our little tribe of 2!
As I mentioned above, been torturing myself reading on line comments to local NC newspapers. This “go out and get something new/different” talk is very prevalent in the comments. For what it is worth, by my little count, it’s mostly from older White women and self proclaimed stay at home moms. Very much the attitude, “just take any job and quit taking government $.” It’s like a Tourets thing just being blurted out in all comments to any news article. Saw it yesterday when folks were besides themselves in a Redskins name change thread.
Lacuna Synechdoche
Daniel Drezner via Anne Laurie @ Top:
So I suppose it’s true then: Every cloud really does have a silver lining.
germy
Salty Sam
@Jeffro: I would pay good money for boredom at this point.
Ken
Nonsense. Why, just the corruption trials of every Trump cabinet member will be a ratings bonanza, especially when they start naming names.
Emma from FL
@debbie: It isn’t taught. It hasn’t been for more than 20 years.
WaterGirl
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Your two comments went into SPAM. I just marked them as not spam and approved them.
Try commenting again right away – your comments should go through right away as usual.
Sloane Ranger
@germy: it appear to be from an interview she did on RT a few weeks ago on Black Lives Matter.
Quinerly
@Salty Sam: I have decided that that might be Biden’s biggest appeal at this point. Even the hardcore “Progressives” I know are exhausted. They are actually admitting that we would have problems had Sanders been the nominee. These were Sanders supporters right up to recently.
Betty Cracker
@rikyrah: The fact that this admin thinks a knock-off bag and shoe peddler who’s never had a boss not named “Daddy” is a suitable spokesperson for this year’s version of a “just learn to code” campaign is…totally unsurprising.
Bruce K
@Jeffro: Pisses me off. Here in Greece, I can get a 24-hour turnaround on a test. I saw news that Greece might be considering letting in people from the US who can show a negative COVID test within 72 hours prior to arrival, let my sweetheart in Maryland know, and got a bucket of cold water thrown on me: the turnaround for someone she knows, a firefighter showing symptoms, is over eight days. So the thought of her coming to visit me is relegated to a pipe dream.
At the rate things are going, we may end up going a year without seeing each other.
Barbara
@germy: Regarding Ivanka Trump versus Ghislaine Maxwell: It’s not like I have firsthand information, and I have no love for Ivanka Trump, but Ghislaine Maxwell was basically Epstein’s Gal Pimp. She was arrested at a remote location in New Hampshire after an LLC bought a property for cash and refused to disclose who would be living there. Reportedly, her brother facilitated the transaction and either did or wanted to (article wasn’t clear) supply military style bodyguards. When the feds arrived she refused to open the door and tried to hide inside. Now, her attorneys are trying to persuade a court why she isn’t a flight risk. There aren’t many people who are worse than Ghislaine Maxwell, but people can be equally awful in their own distinctive ways.
Kathleen
@JAFD: My dad loved The Last Hurrah. We both read the book and saw the movie when I was 10 or 11.
germy
@Barbara:
Noel Casler worked on The Apprentice tv show and saw the family up close and personal. He tends towards hyperbole, but he was present during stuff that didn’t make the final cut.
germy
Skepticat
My nephew, niece, and I have voted and hope to see the last of Susan Collins very soon. We’re not alone.
wgme.com/news/local/mainers-throw-going-away-party-for-sen-collins
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
Just got off a bankruptcy conference call. Apparently, the district court is chomping at the bit to reopen in person services in the Aug/Sept timeframe. Problem is, the chief judge of the District is in Bowling Green, a center of wingnuttery (Rand Paul lives there), and McConnell’s fuckery has put a lot of FedSoc goons on District benches.
Bankruptcy judge was none too pleased – they’ve been moving things real well without all the personal appearances, but there’s not a lot he or the other BK judges can do about it.
My government is trying to kill me.
Jeffro
@Bruce K: Yup. People need to realize:
Quiltingfool
@Quinerly: Re hospitals getting extra money for positive Covid deaths- I’ve heard a similar rumor here (in MO). My niece is friends with a lab tech in a hospital, and friend says her hospital gets paid extra money for every positive Covid test, so the lab techs are being told to claim tests are positive when they aren’t. So friend believes the numbers of positives are wrong everywhere, and we shouldn’t trust what is being reported.
I got nothing. How do you respond to this? Do I think it’s true? Nope. We have a low number of confirmed cases in this county, which is vacation central in Missouri, and should, theoretically, be much higher. Also, if the hospital is juking the numbers upwards (for mo money), why isn’t our county count much higher? Why would hospital admins take that kind of risk for a measly hundred grand or so?
I’ve always said if I was going to turn to crime, I wouldn’t steal a piddly amount of money – I’d “rob a Brinks truck.” If I’m gonna go to prison, I’d want some street cred! Go big or go home!
SFAW
@Cheryl Rofer:
How about this slight modification?
ETA: I realize “peeps” might be more acceptable to you kids, but I’ll be dipped in shit if I use that. (And get offa my lawn!)
Eunicecycle
@Quinerly: For your first question, I think it’s from the first Congressional relief package that allocated money to states solely per capita, not by hard hit they were by Covid-19. So Wyoming with few cases received maybe $40,000 per case and NY, with lots of cases, got $1,000 per case. This was pointed out to show the money should be allocated differently, but RW media glommed onto the argument that NY was getting more money for more cases. So of course they were reporting lots of cases! Totally not what the original argument was, but it sounds logical to them. As for the second thing about testing, I’ll bet it got started to discredit the testing numbers. It never happened but sounds true.
Peale
@Quinerly: The “Deaths are inflated because they are paid a bounty” has been going around for awhile. It fits in this right wing idea that you look at every reported death for the “underlying condition” and declare that the underlying condition, not COVID was responsible for the death, therefore its the fault of the dead for not being healthy. COVID doesn’t kill. Your fat, high blood pressure, cancer surviving, kidney failing lazy (black) ass killed you. I find it laughable because people can live with these conditions for years. We really do as a society hate people who have chronic illness. Also, considering these people die after spending weeks in the hospital, $10,000 is a drop in the bucket. One patient in the ICU on a ventilator for a week is easily looking at a few hundred thousand in bills.
SFAW
@Skepticat:
Careful! MomSense might take issue with your Collins hate.
[Sees MomSense reacting, ducks in anticipation of having a large rock or lobster thrown at head by MomSense.]
Roger Moore
@Jeffro:
I like to say that there’s the good kind of exciting and the bad kind of exciting, and I’ll take boring over the bad kind of exciting any day. I’m so ready for a boring president. I can also understand how Warren Harding made “Return to Normalcy” a winning campaign slogan.
MagdaInBlack
@rikyrah:
I have so very much to say about that but it all boils down to “Fuck these fucking idiots.”
Barbara
@germy: I don’t care. I hate innuendo.
Just One More Canuck
@Quinerly: The fact that there is no evidence for any of that is evidence enough, isn’t it?
SFAW
@JAFD:
Jacquals and jacquellettes, if you please, in honor of Bastille Day.
rikyrah
@Quinerly:
Glad to see you again :)
Eunicecycle
@Peale: I hate that argument: “They died WITH coronavirus not BECAUSE OF coronavirus.” If someone had a 1 year life expectancy they should get that year. If it’s a month they should get a month, not dying alone in a hospital. It is a ghoulish argument.
Ken
@Roger Moore: As Terry Pratchett put it in Pyramids, in regard to a king, “Number of enemies ground under feet: 0. On the other hand, number of times ground under enemies’ feet: 0. Basically his life was a no-score win.”
frosty
@Quinerly: Hi there! Good to see you back again.
Quinerly
@Quiltingfool: I’m in St. Louis. Been reading the same thing in Post Dispatch comments. It’s always someone who has a relative who works for a hospital or Quest Labs telling the on line commenter this. I agree. How do we counter this?
Quinerly
@Eunicecycle: thanks.
frosty
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Nice apology, but it missed the critical reference to FYWP.
Quinerly
@Just One More Canuck: my feelings too. I shouldn’t bother with reading strangers’ comments on social media. Never did until recently re the generic Confederate monuments coming down at local Eastern NC courthouses. I was trying to understand the rage. I got the answer I expected… Racism. Then fell into the trap of poking around in other comments. I’m recently retired and supposed to be traveling around with new puppy. Been essentially on lock down since my return from 4 Corners Area/New Mexico March 12. I guess I am beginning to engage in destructive behavior. ?
Quinerly
@rikyrah: puppy tail wags from JoJo las Orejas and waves from me!
Emma from FL
@Quiltingfool: I would say “I’d like to speak to your friend in person and double-check her information with other techs at different hospitals. Then we’ll talk.”
Quinerly
@frosty: Thanks! been lurking mostly. Love seeing some new nyms. Pretty much up to speed on most threads and a lot of comments. Pissed about canceling upcoming Sept/Oct Santa Fe/4 Corners trip. Know you, too, feel like your traveling wings were clipped. Stay safe.
Scamp Dog
@zhena gogolia: “One party states” don’t arise because the opposition collapses into nothing, they happen because the party in charge actively suppresses any opposition party. When America’s Whigs went under, the Republican party emerged. I’m not sure what will arise from the wreckage this time around, but I’m confident that something will.
Quinerly
@Emma from FL: ????❤️
zhena gogolia
@Scamp Dog:
Thanks. I hope you’re right. First of all, I hope we can make the wreckage happen!
Just Chuck
@zhena gogolia: Yes, our political system needs an opposition party to remain accountable. There’s no reason that party has to be the Republican party. Maybe if the Greens can get their shit together? Oh, and I’ll take one-party rule for at least 8 years right about now. In fact, I’ll take it indefinitely if the alternative is the current GOP.
frosty
@Quinerly: I’m busy making reservations for the trip this spring that got sidetracked. It’s up to almost 6 months on the road next year to go everywhere we want to. I have no confidence we’ll be able to do all of it, but maybe we’ll get 80% of it done. I’m hoping NM, CA, NV, UT, and CO get under control. FL and the travel across AL, MS, and I-40? Doubtful.
joel hanes
@Quinerly:
read the comments
Never get out of the boat.
Just One More Canuck
@Quinerly: how is Jojo?
Quinerly
@joel hanes: I always stayed in the boat. Pretty good sailor back in the day. ?
I’m not that great of a swimmer. I was deep water curious. Bad shit in deep water.
Quinerly
@Just One More Canuck: thread be dead. If you dip back, thanks for asking. He’s a delight! 50lbs, almost 9 mos. Sweet, affectionate, spoiled rotten.
Bill Arnold
@Punchy:
Lovely. Using a threat of lethal force to back up their claim that they have a right to breath virus particles on other people.
Does KS allow open carry? Can a shopkeeper have a combat shotgun to shoo people like this, who are threatening their other customers, out of the store?
Salty Sam
OH DANG! El Arroyo- The Ditch! Fond memories of past life in Austin- the smoked chicken enchiladas were to die for!
Their roadside marquee was/is always good for a chuckle too…
artem1s
@Baud:
they must really believe FL, TX and/or AZ are in play. Or they are starting up the down ticket campaigning to take back the Senate. Good for them either way!
Bill Arnold
@Quinerly:
If there are payments, they can be tracked. They show up on the books. Somebody is making the payments, and somebody is receiving them. If there is no evidence of this, then the commenters/tweeters are lying, and should be called out for lying, and if they don’t shut up, called out for being influence agents, possibly chinese or russian. (depending on their priors)
SteverinoCT
Look to Rhode Island’s state legislature. The state is solidly Democratic, so there has been a Galapagos-like filling of niches by Democrats: left, center, right, etc., a diversity of positions ostensibly within the same party.
SteverinoCT
Dixiecrats in reverse: Conservacrats