Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

It looks like winning debates is a black job!

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Spilling the end game before they can coat it in frankl luntz-approved dogwhistles.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Republicans don’t trust women.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

The gop couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

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

Not all heroes wear capes.

I desperately hope that, yet again, I am wrong.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

You are here: Home / Elections / Biden For President / Late Night Palate Cleanser Open Thread: Vote for Biden, He’s Not Trying to Kill Us All

Late Night Palate Cleanser Open Thread: Vote for Biden, He’s Not Trying to Kill Us All

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182Comments

  3. 3.

    frosty

    I still think someone needs to do a poster of Biden in the Terminator’s pose with his hand out, captioned “Come with me if you want to live.”

    Hmm, I bet Wonkette could do it. I’d buy that coffee cup! Better than the old “Smokin’ Joe” one they’ve got.

  5. 5.

    geg6

    All his followers are whining assholes, too. And he’s the most bigly whiner of them all. The king of whining assholes. Fuckem.

  7. 7.

    MisterForkbeard

    Yeah, but twitter tells me that when Buden says protests are great but arson is bad, that means that he would also be gassing and attacking people. Because he’s just like Trump except for the tweeting.

    There is a reason I don’t read twitter much. But seriously, don’t read the replies on that tweet. Lefty twitter remains insane

    @Major Major Major Major: Me too, but evidently some people are determined to take offense at him. I guess Biden is supposed to endorse arson?

    Personally, I think it’s exactly right. He agrees with the aim of the protests and thinks the people causing violence (not the same people) went too far. Of course, the problem is that we can’t rely on Trump’s goons to arrest sensibly and correctly, so…

  8. 8.

    randy

    I am not good at cussing. This ceremony of malediction that you do for me lowers my blood pressure, and I thank you.

  12. 12.

    Punchy

    It’s a bit of a strawman to belittle those who believe Trump wont leave office.  The question isnt if he’ll leave after the Electoral College votes him out — he must at that point.  It’s that he’ll either prevent the EC from meeting/voting or litigate the election results ad infinitum, long past the 20Jan turnover date.

  14. 14.

    dmsilev

    Vote for Biden, he’s not objectively pro-demon-sperm.

    (Assuming we all survive this year with some semblance of our society still intact, future historians are going to look back and assume most of the ‘news reports’ are allegorical or something, not literal truth. Sorry, folks, it really happened. All of it.)

  16. 16.

    dmsilev

    @Punchy: His term ends on January 20th. If for some reason the Electoral College hasn’t voted, he ceases to become President then, the office is vacant, and we cascade our way down the succession sequence. Say hello to President Patrick Leahy…

  20. 20.

    Anya

    Speaking of Biden what’s the take on the Chris Dodd “she had no remorse” thing? I refuse to read Politico so I don’t actually know what in the article but the K-Hives re super angry.

  25. 25.

    HumboldtBlue

    And remember, Black Lives Matter. Wall of Moms recognizes the movement started by black moms.

    And the Obamas continue to be all high and mighty about doing awesome and good stuff, now the Emmys wanna invite them to a party.

    @Adam L Silverman:

    There was an interview on Sunday I believe with one of the white Portland moms who got things started and she was very clear that she and others had come together to support the black moms who have been doing this since forever.

    The black moms are the leaders and we’re here in support is a damn powerful message to hear.

  26. 26.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Anya: It’s Dodd being Dodd. Biden was photographed holding a note pad today and the first line was Kamala Harris and the second line was “don’t hold grudges” and the third line was “she campaigned with me and Jill”.

  28. 28.

    Punchy

    @dmsilev: Ah….so the term is default “end”, not default “continue”?  Did not know that.  So simply blocking the EC from gathering wont help him…..thats good to know.  Thx!

  29. 29.

    Anya

    @Adam L Silverman: It’s so unprofessional and inappropriate for Dodd to be kneecapping one of the people they are vetting. Even if they don’t choose Kamila Harris he is garnering negativity for the campaign. I feel like the Biden campaign have handled everything masterfully since it was clear he was going to be the nominee. Too bad Dodd is bringing that negativity to the campaign.

  31. 31.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Anya:

    That’s bugging me too and I wasn’t 100-percent behind Kamala at first but Michael Cohen at the Globe convinced me otherwise back in March or April.

    Dodd’s meddling was wholly unnecessary particularly in a time when so many young Democrats and progressives have absolutely no idea who he is other than just another old white man scolding strong impactful black women.

  35. 35.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Yes. Link here to Tumulty at WaPo

    “She laughed and said, ‘that’s politics.’ She had no remorse,” Dodd told a longtime Biden supporter and donor, who relayed the exchange to POLITICO on condition of anonymity.

    “Dodd felt it was a gimmick, that it was cheap,” the donor said. The person added that Dodd’s concerns about Harris were so deep that he’s helped elevate California Rep. Karen Bass during the vetting process, urging Biden to pick her because “she’s a loyal No. 2. And that’s what Biden really wants.” Through an aide, Dodd declined to comment. Advisers to Harris also declined to comment.

  36. 36.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Punchy: @dmsilev: I appreciate your optimism, but the simple reality is we are off the looking glass and through the map. For 3 and 1/2 years the President has disregarded the Constitution and Federal laws whenever he sees fit. By and large he has gotten away with it. For 3 and 1/2 years it is because he is a useful idiot for Mitch McConnell as McConnell pursues his own objectives. For 2 years he has also been a useful idiot for Bill Barr as Barr pursues his own objectives. A number of his other most senior appointees, like DeVos, Mnuchin, Ross, the guys at Interior an EPA, are also all pursuing their own objectives or those of the people they worked for before they were tapped for their cabinet appointments. But the important people in this equation are McConnell and Barr. As long as McConnell and Barr support him, he can and will do whatever he wants. Especially given that Barr controls OLC and OLC, in secret, determines what the Constitution and Federal laws are and mean for the executive branch.

    At the end of the day the Constitution is what it has always been: an old piece of paper with no built in enforcement mechanism. Speaker Pelosi is a sharp, objective, and strategic legislative leader, but she controls the House and that’s it. If Barr and McConnell, especially Barr, decide to support the President if the President seizes power despite losing the election and despite what the Constitution says, then that is what will happen. The military will stay on its bases and in its garrisons to remain apolitical because Milley has now been bitten badly by seeming to be political. The National Guard of states controlled by Republican governors closely aligned with the President, such as Florida, Georgia, Arizona, SC, TN, TX, MI, will be mobilized and sent by their governors to support him. Customs and Border Protection will be fully mobilized to do so as well. There will be an attempt to mobilize state and local law enforcement by the President as well and it will be partially successful depending on location. Continuing to believe that our institutions, structures, processes, rules, norms, and laws will protect us and insisting that they will is going to be the death of what is left of the Republic.

    Hope for the best, expect and prepare for the worst.

  37. 37.

    SFAW

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Glad it freezes well, so we can buy it 3 pounds at a time.

    Does not compute. Why would you need a freezer if you’re only buying three pounds? I mean, that’s breakfast and lunch, I guess, but what about dinner? [And not enough left over for a late-night snack.]

  39. 39.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    Trump 2016: Things are bad, vote for me so I can fix them

    Trump 2020: Things are even worse, vote for me or else things will get much much worse
     

    — Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) July 29, 2020

  40. 40.

    Anya

    @HumboldtBlue: Absolutely. It’s like scoring a goal against your own team. It’s a terrible look for an old white guy.

     

     

    @Omnes Omnibus: From what I am getting from Twitter everyone believes that Dodd sanctioned it. The article attributed the “she has no remorse” quote to him and he has not come out and denied it.

  41. 41.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Anya: Congressman Clyburn has the final say. Without him VP Biden wouldn’t be the nominee. If Clyburn wants it to be Harris, it’ll be Harris.

  42. 42.

    Amir Khalid

    I don’t understand the lingering “Biden’s not really my guy” negativity among some Democratic voters, including a number who comment here.

  44. 44.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Omnes Omnibus: Several California Democratic campaign folks went on the record. It’s better than the California DSA chuckleheads who are demanding that Biden pick Congresswoman Bass, Congresswoman Lee, or Nina Turner and their preference of the three is for Turner.

  45. 45.

    Anya

    @Amir Khalid: So true. This is what makes me sleep at night. I feel like this is not going to be 2016.

    ETA — reader comprehension issues. I guess I need to sleep.

  48. 48.

    SFAW

    @Amir Khalid:

    I don’t understand the lingering “Biden’s not really my guy” negativity among some Democratic voters, including a number who comment here.

    Negativity of the “I still wish it were Warren, but I guess I’ll vote for Biden” type? Or the “Biden’s a corp-o-Dem, and I’m still on the fence” type? If it’s the former, that’s not really a problem; if it’s the latter, that’s a problem — but I don’t recall seeing that sentiment here, at least not in recent days/weeks.

  49. 49.

    Kropacetic

    @Amir Khalid: I don’t understand the lingering “Biden’s not really my guy” negativity among some Democratic voters, including a number who comment here.

    Easy for you to say.  Sounds like you don’t have to convince yourself to support him on a daily basis.

  51. 51.

    Anya

    @Adam L Silverman: Let’s hope so. Honestly, I’ll support anyone he picks. Defeating Trump is all that matters at this point. We know that any Dem ticket will be million times better than the plague we’re dealing with right now.

  52. 52.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Adam L Silverman: Okay.  I am still not particularly concerned.  Biden’s been doing just fine.  He’ll make a good pick, and Dodd will get on board or be sidelined as a surrogate.

  56. 56.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Punchy:

     It’s that he’ll either prevent the EC from meeting/voting or litigate the election results ad infinitum, long past the 20Jan turnover date.

    I’m sure they’ll love the sound of Madame President Pelosi.

  58. 58.

    dmsilev

    @Adam L Silverman: Nina Turner said, yesterday I think, that voting for Biden over Trump was like eating half a shit sandwich rather than a whole one.
    I’m going to go way out on a limb and guess that she’s not on the shortlist.

  59. 59.

    Jinchi

    @Adam L Silverman: If Barr and McConnell, especially Barr, decide to support the President if the President seizes power despite losing the election and despite what the Constitution says, then that is what will happen.

    That’s absurd. In the end, the president, Barr and McConnell have power because people accept their legitimacy on at least some level. Trump was treated as legitimate because, at least by some metric, he had won the presidency. That’s why our soldiers, our courts, our political and civilian officials (often grudgingly) sat through his inauguration and his idiocy.  He cannot simply declare himself legitimate. If he loses the vote and Barr and McConnell joined with him to declare victory by fiat, they will have a real rebellion on their hands much of it by people who actually have their hands on the levers of power.

  61. 61.

    Amir Khalid

    @Kropacetic:

    There is, effectively, a binary choice between Biden and Trump. I am not American; that choce is not upon me.

    @SFAW:

    I see both types. The former among mainstream Democrats, the later is more of a professional left/Wilmerista thing. The former strikes me as the greater concern because it’s in the mainstream, even if not in a majority thereof.

  62. 62.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Amir Khalid: The former strikes me as the greater concern because it’s in the mainstream, even if not in a majority thereof.

    I have been consistently told that this is not a problem.

  65. 65.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Jinchi: There is de jure legitimacy and de facto legitimacy. He doesn’t care about the de jure and provided Barr will back him up, he has the de facto. At the end of the day this isn’t even about legitimacy, it is about power. Maintaining it. Especially because losing it puts him in the same position as Bibi in Israel: reelection or prosecution and most likely prison. McConnell and Barr seek power because they seek to rule, not to govern. Trump wanted to be president to rule as well because he fundamentally misunderstands what the presidency is and what America was. I’ve been an appointed supervisory GS 15 in the Department of the Army and the DOD. I’m going to be very, very blunt here: the vast majority, in my experience well over 90%, of civil servants, from junior to senior on the GS scale, as well as the Senior Executives are so risk averse, that despite having incredible protections as a result of our civil service laws and provisions, they won’t make even easy decisions. Besides, if you think a bunch of GS whatever at some agency refusing to do something scares Barr and McConnell, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

    We are not in a conventional time. Thinking conventionally based on how things worked before January 2017 is the wrong way to look at things.

    As I’ve said repeatedly: I hope I’m wrong, I want to be wrong, I’d like nothing better than for you and everyone else who feels like it to tell me “told you so” come 21 January 2021. But this type of stuff, how to both foment it and prevent it, are part of my professional expertise. And that expertise is screaming at me.

  69. 69.

    Kropacetic

    @Amir Khalid:There is, effectively, a binary choice between Biden and Trump. I am not American; that choice is not upon me

    Why do you think I bother with this process of convincing myself?

  71. 71.

    Kattails

    @Adam L Silverman: Sooooo, Adam dear, you going to be mailing us our preparation instructions in plain brown anonymous wrappers well in advance of any problems, since this isn’t stuff that can be put up on the internets?

    Sigh. It isn’t just Trump, Barr, McConnell–OK, the entire GOP– it’s Putin, and it’s a layer of deep stupidity that I knew was there (in the US) but had not realized just how deep it is; and it’s the bad actors, the ones who will add to the chaos just to get their rocks off.

    Hope for the best, expect the worst… “life is a play, we’re unrehearsed.” –Mel Brooks

    PS How’s Mom?

  72. 72.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Adam L Silverman: I disagree with your assessment on this, once noon January 20th rolls around if Trump isn’t certified the winner, he ceases to be President.  He can say he’s President and live in the White House, but will anybody in the Federal Government give a damn what he says?

    The risk adverse  path will be to listen to the person who has constitutional authority, not a pretender.

  73. 73.

    Jinchi

    @Adam L Silverman: There is de jure legitimacy and de facto legitimacy.

    De facto is determined by whether people are willing to enforce his orders and whether the civilian population is willing to accept it. Right now, even the protesters on the ground in Portland recognize some level of legitimacy on the part of the feds launching tear gas and grabbing people off the streets, because they still trust in the system as a whole.

    They will not recognize that for a man who stages a coup to stay in power. Trump huddled in a bunker when peaceful protesters were marching in the streets. He isn’t going to last long if he triggers a civil war.

  74. 74.

    gwangung

    @Kropacetic: There’s a certain amount of legitimacy for this. It’s based on his past actions, which were both absolutely and relatively more conservative than they had to be for their time.

     

    However, his past actions were also mixed with acts that were absolutely and relatively more progressive than they had to be.

     

    This tells me that a) he can read the room, and b) he will react to pressure from the population.

     

    It is not a hopeless case to remain engaged after a Biden election; it would not be an EASY case, as the various segments of the Democratic coalition will make demands on him. Folks need to make sure the progressive case remains strong and persuasive, and not think “Mission accomplished” after an election.

  75. 75.

    SPN in CO

    I haven’t seen one here point out that even if you are an amoral power grabber, Trump is not the one for whom you would risk your neck in the teeth of a losing vote.  …   He’s incapable of getting you what you really want – effective and efficient control of the levers of power.

    As long as he is in the White House, you really can’t have an effective dictatorship. So if I were McConnell or Barr, I wouldn’t want him in the White House any longer than he has to be there.   Why would I risk my neck for someone who throws everyone he deals with under the bus?   Just so I could suffer through four more years of impotent temper tantrums and incompetence in office without actually getting the power I want?

  79. 79.

    Mallard Filmore

    @Adam L Silverman: There is another wildcard in all this.  The ‘Rona is not done with us yet.

    My prediction for the worst case, and I lean your way as the GOP is acting like they will still be in power after January …

    • our first National Strike
    • insurance carriers for foreign flag ocean freighters will declare that delivery to USA ports are no longer covered … “turn around”
    • my social security income will drop to zero
  80. 80.

    Hungry Joe

    My Bernie Bro swing-state relatives have re-affirmed that they will not vote for Biden, and after having “been burned twice” by Obama will never again vote for anyone they disagree with. I told them that that means they’ll never vote again. Answer: “Mumble mumble Green Party mumble Revolution mumble I have principles.” Hopeless.

  82. 82.

    Adam L Silverman

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: This isn’t about the Constitution or laws or norms or rules or customs. This is only about power. We are the point that Lincoln warned about in his Cooper Union speech: “rule or ruin”. They will either rule or they will ruin. That is it.

  83. 83.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Jinchi: Again, this isn’t even about de facto legitimacy. This is solely about power. Retaining it and wielding it.

  84. 84.

    Kropacetic

    @gwangung: What it comes down to for me is “is it more important that people vote for the guy or that they’re happy about it?”

    You’re not going to get both out of everyone and only one really matters.

  85. 85.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @gwangung: there might well be some “you’ve got to make me do it” to a Biden presidency, but I don’t think we have to worry about him vetoing anything Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer get passed (and past Joe Manchin) because it’s too progressive

  86. 86.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SPN in CO: Everything you’re seeing going on in Portland and that may be coming to a city near you is Barr. He’s been making plans to do this for over 30 years as the Just Security article 8 days ago made clear. Sure the President is happy about it, but the President could be made happy with an extra Quarter Pounder, fries, and ice cream. What you’re seeing now is Barr’s vision for America. Overlapping with McConnell’s.

  88. 88.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Adam L Silverman: Power is limited by being able to cajole or force people to do things, you put way too much faith on Barr and McConnel.  Will the military listen to a pretender President when Acting President Pelosi had legitimate authority?  Or are you presuming that Barr has the Speaker arrested.  When you get there, let’s just say states are sovereign.

  93. 93.

    Give me strength

    Hello Balloon juicers. I’ve been lurking here for a number of years. Not sure why I’m delurking now… or actually, it’s probably because I just got my positive COVID test result and now I can’t sleep. It’s probably fine. Had a couple of days of fever and muscle aches and I’m pretty much good now. Counting my blessings that I can work from home.

    ive never had any particular opinion about Joe Biden, one way or the other, until recently. I’m not sure if I would have voted for him in the primary if it was still competitive by the time it got to Ohio, but I have to tell you, I think I’m starting to love him.

  94. 94.

    Adam L Silverman

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: The military will stay in garrison. Milley will over correct. And Milley also knows that if Biden becomes president, he will be asked for his stars on the 22 of January.

  97. 97.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Inventor: Just be aware of what could happen. And vote! Get everyone you know to register and vote! Get everyone you know to get everyone they know to register and vote!

  98. 98.

    Anne Laurie

    @Amir Khalid: I don’t understand the lingering “Biden’s not really my guy” negativity among some Democratic voters, including a number who comment here.

    Sign of a refined political palate.  Like the people who won’t stop telling you that they’ve never eaten at a chain restaurant, or that they don’t even own a tv.

    Nobody outside of their family circle actually cares, but they get a warm glow every time they reiterate their Principled Position.

  99. 99.

    Adam L Silverman

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: The DHS bubbas.Augmented by as much state and local law enforcement as they can get onboard. And the National Guard of states with Trump friendly Republican governors. C&BP has been arguing since at least 2011 that they are outside the Constitution because it does not apply where they have jurisdiction, which is within 100 miles of the border, both coasts and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and 100 miles of any international port of entry. That puts between 2/3 and 3/4 of all Americans within what they believe is their jurisdiction and which they insist the Constitution does not apply to them. They have been itching to be cut loose for a very long time. And now they think their time has come.

  101. 101.

    Alison Rose

    @Adam L Silverman: Okay but……in your scenario, it doesn’t seem like ANY election result will matter. If it’s super close, Trump will insist on endless recounts or whatever. If it’s a landslide, he’ll insist it’s fake news and it’s all illegal voters and blah blah.

    I’m not meaning to sound snarky here, but based on your comments, what do you think is the point of voting if Trump et al will just call bullshit on any result that isn’t him winning?

  106. 106.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Anne Laurie: with very few exceptions, I’ve found most people who tell you they don’t watch TV can tell you in detail why they don’t, like what drove them crazy about Friends.

  107. 107.

    Adam L Silverman

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: You may not do it in California, but Arizona, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas will have other ideas.

  109. 109.

    MisterForkbeard

    @HumboldtBlue: It seems especially silly because… Biden wasn’t the nominee. She wasn’t trashing the nominee, she was pointing out that something he supported decades ago had hurt her personally. And that’s fine! She was also very upfront that he wasn’t racist and she believed he’d be a fine president.

    She didn’t have anything to be loyal to at that point.

  111. 111.

    Kropacetic

    @Anne Laurie: Nobody outside of their family circle actually cares, but they get a warm glow every time they reiterate their Principled Position.

    Entirely unlike what you’re doing here, eh?

  112. 112.

    smike

    @mrmoshpotato:

    I remember watching some tv show that was focused on improving diet, and it featured a big ol’ farm boy working the farm, with just him and his mom on the farm. For him, breakfast was eggs, probably biscuits (don’t remember), and a pound of bacon. His mom cooked it for him every morning. Every morning.

    For some reason that has stuck with me.

  113. 113.

    Kattails

    @Give me strength: Hi, nice to meet you, thanks for joining in. I agree about Biden, I was all groans when my first choice didn’t make the cut (Warren). I am now just ducky with Joe. The  man has seen a lot of shit in his life. He’s counted immeasurable loss. He is still capable of, and interested in, learning.

    Hope you continue to improve, that must have been scary.

    Have a decent night’s sleep, I’m off to bed myself.

  114. 114.

    mrmoshpotato

    @smike: Ok.  Personally, I couldn’t down a pound or 1.5 pounds in a sitting. ?

    The sammich was delicious btw.

  115. 115.

    mdblanche

    @Adam L Silverman: Alright, what are we supposed to do about it? The way you tell it, it sounds like we’ve already lost. The election is just a pointless exercise and everybody in government is going to go along with it. The end of peaceful transfer of power is a fait accompli. So what are we supposed to do? Take to the hills and set up partisan militias? Campaign for blue states to secede? You make it sound like a situation drastic enough to justify such drastic actions. Or am I missing something?

    And could you explain to a lifelong civilian what you mean by stars on the 22nd?

  116. 116.

    Origuy

    @Punchy:

    Each state’s electors meet in their respective state capital on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December to cast their votes.

      Is Trump going to put his storm troopers in 50 state capitols and DC?

  118. 118.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Give me strength: Welcome to the comments section.  Feel free to comment as much or as little as you like.

    Sorry to hear about the positive test, and the aches and pains with it.  We’re all rooting for your full recovery.

  119. 119.

    smike

    @Anne Laurie:

    My palate is not refined, but Biden was not my man during the primary, either. In fact, I didn’t have a “man”, ifuno?im.

    That said, he is my man now and I am liking him more all the time.

  123. 123.

    Alison Rose

    @Adam L Silverman: I can agree with that. But everything else you’ve said here undermines the reasoning for that. You seem almost 100% convinced that Trump, Barr, McConnell, and everyone else in the cabinet, the administration, the GOP, the military, the police…every single last one of them is going to refuse to accept the election results if Biden wins, and we’re all just going to have to give in and live under their permanent dictatorship.

    And…do we envision Roberts going along with this, too? Refusing to swear in Biden at the inauguration? I have no love lost for that man but he has at least shown himself not to be a complete Trump-loving ideologue, and to have at least a couple shreds of respect for law and logic. So, once he and Biden do the thing, Trump becomes just Trump again. If he refuses to leave the White House, if he chains himself to the desk or something, he’ll be a trespasser. And I may not have the highest opinion of many in our military or police forces, but I’d bet a fair few of them will be relieved once he isn’t president anymore and they can stop pretending to admire him, and there would at least be some that would gladly drag his ass out of there for the world to see.

  126. 126.

    Redshift

    @frosty:

    I still think someone needs to do a poster of Biden in the Terminator’s pose with his hand out, captioned “Come with me if you want to live.” 

    I put that caption on the photo of Uncle Joe in the convertible, but it didn’t take off. Guess I’m not a big social media “influencer.”

  127. 127.

    Kattails

    @mrmoshpotato: OK I was just going to log off and you made me laugh. Better than that crotchety Silverman guy.  (umm he went  to bed right? )

    @mdblanche: Asked to resign his command, politely but firmly? My question to Adam, who I just jokingly besmirched, is– how is that fact likely to affect Milley’s actions?

  128. 128.

    Mary G

    It’s 38 days until some absentee ballots start going out. I’m going to work like my life depends on electing Biden and all down ballot Democrats, especially in the Senate, because it does.

  129. 129.

    Mallard Filmore

    Trying to think a few steps beyond a GOP coup. We will be ravaged by the ‘Rona, the world banking system will collapse when nobody trusts the dollar. Inside this country it will be like the last few chapters of Atlas Shrugged, where everything stops.

    I don’t see our international trade continuing. Spare parts for oil pipelines, parts for tractors, trains, grain drying silos … any parts made in China will have to come from our on hand supply depots. When they run out it all grinds to a halt.

    Also we owe China big time. How are they going to take the loss of a few trillion dollars of investments? Maybe its worth the loss to make their currency the world standard.

    When this settles out, our oligarchs will be lucky to control a few thousand acres of prime farmland with some serfs at 1700s standard of living. Assuming the militia from the next county over lets them alone.

    They will NOT get a happy population ready to work hard and make them rich. They will not have the old USA but with them in charge.

  132. 132.

    mdblanche

    @Adam L Silverman: That’s a non-answer you clearly don’t mean. The way you tell it doing things the right way as citizens is a sucker’s game, like taking Roberts’ Rules of Order to a tank fight. I assume you’re being coy because giving an honest answer would get you in trouble if it was traced back to you.

  133. 133.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    interesting: Trevor Noah encouraging his viewers to sign up as poll workers. The O’Bros did this too

  134. 134.

    Mary G

    @Give me strength: Glad to read this and hope you’ll comment whenever you feel like it. I agree about Uncle Joe; I was extremely disappointed when he got into the race and the black women I had pledged to follow went for him, but he has been just what we needed and I also love him now. Humbling, but true.

  135. 135.

    Mallard Filmore

    @Mary G: Right.  That is why a coup is not likely.  The big players overseas, and the sane oligarchs here in the USA will order the crazies to stand down.

    If the GOP takeover plan is real, it is utter madness and will not deliver them to their land of milk and honey.  Still, there is a non-trivial chance they will try.

  136. 136.

    Mary G

    @Adam L Silverman: Not just America:

    First BTRs floated down the Svislach river. Now anti-protest drills aired on Belarusian state TV. Lukashenko, facing toughest challenge yet in prez election, warning a surging opposition movement and making his intentions clear: a Maidan-style uprising may be met with force. https://t.co/P4iwl9DaXT— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 29, 2020

  138. 138.

    mdblanche

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: @Kattails: Thanks.

     

    @Alison Rose: For whatever it’s worth, Roberts’ participation is not needed for the inauguration. The presidential oath can be administered by any judge and has been on past occasions when a vice president received an unplanned promotion.

  139. 139.

    cckids

    @Mary G: Glad to read this and hope you’ll comment whenever you feel like it. I agree about Uncle Joe; I was extremely disappointed when he got into the race and the black women I had pledged to follow went for him, but he has been just what we needed and I also love him now. Humbling, but true.

    I agree as well! I’ve said it before, I’m not positive that Joe will be the perfect President for these times, but he is damn sure the candidate we need.

  140. 140.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Kattails: :)

    We do need some laughter, while paying attention to what’s going on and doing what we can to combat it.

    (Is that the response you wanted? ?)

  141. 141.

    mdblanche

    @Mallard Filmore: What will a loss of their investments mean to China? Well, you know what they say. If you owe the bank a million dollars and you can’t pay, you have a problem; and if you owe the bank a billion dollars and you can’t pay, the bank has a problem. Now extrapolate from that.

  142. 142.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Mary G: One vote for Dick Durbin’s re-election in Illinois here!

    And I’ll vote to re-elect our Democratic Congresswoman too!

  143. 143.

    hervevillechaizelounge

    @Alison Rose:

    Refusing to swear in Biden at the inauguration? 

    If shit is going bad things won’t get that far.  The republicans will cause chaos in the swing states (imagine every single polling station getting bomb warnings throughout the day, perhaps with one or two actual explosions).  Republican postal employees will be fucking with the ballots (as just happened with absentee ballots in WV).  Trump’s personal army will be deployed in democratic strongholds to deter in-person voting.

    If the vote still goes Joe’s way the republicans will falsely claim democrats caused the chaos to get an unfair advantage and thus the totals are illegitimate.  Every single republican lawmaker (as happened in the impeachment hearings) will get behind Trump.

    As in Bush v. Gore, the question will then be kicked up to the supreme court.  It’s possible Roberts won’t fuck us, but it’s possible he will.

    I’m not saying this will happen, incidentally; I’m just predicting how it would happen if things go to shit.

    Adam’s gloomy demeanor is freaking me out, honestly.

  146. 146.

    Kent

    @Adam L Silverman:@?BillinGlendaleCA: You may not do it in California, but Arizona, Utah, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas will have other ideas.

    You are essentially talking about civil war.  DHS Troopers marching around in US cities would have zero legitimacy.  I would expect various militia squads popping up with snipers to take out some of those guys on US city streets.  Car bombs.  All sorts of bad shit.  Especially in blue states.

    What is the end game?  Trump is old and senile.  They can’ prop him up forever

    Are civilian federal agencies in blue states going to go along?

  148. 148.

    joel hanes

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    You’re in Wisconsin, right?

    So in non-pandemic times you can drive over to Wittenberg and buy Nueskes cherrywood-smoked bacon in quantity, direct from the plant showroom, or to Sheboygan to get Miesfeld’s smoked bacon while you stock the freezer with their Grand Champion Brats.

  149. 149.

    hervevillechaizelounge

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    one nakid woman and they go poof!

    But what if Trump’s army has been issued special glasses that block out nudes?  Like They Live, but without space aliens. #itcouldhappenhere

  151. 151.

    NotMax

    @frosty

    First to admit it has been three and a half decades since saw it, but isn’t the Terminator the – you know – villain?

  152. 152.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @Alison Rose: every single last one of them is going to refuse to accept the election results if Biden wins

    I’m not a US Constitutional expert, I’m not even American, but even I have heard of the 1876 Presidential election.

    What that election showed was that there is a process that can produce a result which can overturn the majority vote in a Presidential election. Officials don’t have to accept or deny anything for that to happen, they just have allow the process to unfold.

    It requires several steps:

    1) Delegitimize the vote as far and as wide as possible, e.g. simply declare absentee votes to be corrupt and hence invalid.

    2) In several swing states get the Republican legislature to certify the result in Trump’s favour no matter what the returns say.

    3) Have those states run their own Electoral Collage ballots which favour Trump.

    4) Create a constitutional crisis.

    5) Which is resolved by an Electoral Commission appointed with majority Trump Republicans.

    6) Declare the disputed state returns in favour of Trump.

    I believe there is another scenario, where if the result is disputed it can be thrown to the House. There each state delegation gets one vote. Whoever gets 26 votes wins. There are 26 states that are majority Republican in the House.

    I’m just saying that it looks to me as if it is entirely possible for Trump to manipulate the electoral process to ensure his reelection with a minority vote (again) without violating any Federal laws or the Constitution.

  153. 153.

    CaseyL

    @NotMax: Not in Terminator II, and apparently not in the last one (which I haven’t seen).  He – or another version of him – was reprogrammed in the past by Adult John Connor and came forward to save Sarah Connor so Baby John Connor could be born.

  155. 155.

    NotMax

    @Viva BrisVegas

    Much could take issue with but shall focus on a single item.

    There are 26 states that are majority Republican in the House.

    A new House takes office in early January and as a consequence that mix may very well differ.

  159. 159.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @NotMax: Much could take issue with but shall focus on a single item.

    Fair enough. I probably don’t know enough to really comment on the situation, but it makes a change from the depressing state of my local politics.

    Still, I think there is a path for victory for Trump from even a bad result. It’s just that it will require a degree of political and legal competence that he’s never shown. Barr on the other hand.

  160. 160.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @Viva BrisVegas: Also, in the past, absentee ballots tended to favor Republicans.  Trump, his family, and many senior officials in the administration have all voted absentee.

    ETA: The House only is triggered if one candidate doesn’t have 270 votes.  The 1876 compromise happened since there was a dispute over electors in southern states.

  165. 165.

    Steeplejack

    @Give me strength:

    Welcome, and please comment more, when and as you wish. Ignore the inevitable “Hey, nym I’ve never seen—you must be a troll” when you say something that someone disagrees with.

    Good luck with the coronavirus.

  167. 167.

    SFAW

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Barr’s problem is he has Trump as a client.

    Barr’s problem is that he’s a corrupt piece of shit, and always* has been. Having Trump as a client only exacerbates (or “enhances”) that.

    * where “always” = “for at least 40 years”

  168. 168.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    @SFAW: I think you missed my point…Barr loves the idea of a unitary executive(a dictator) that agrees with his views.  Trump is the wrong vessel for this because he won’t listen to advice from his attorney.  That is Barr’s problem, it makes his quest for a dictator that much more difficult to pull off.  I don’t disagree with your assessment of Barr’s character or lack thereof.

  169. 169.

    SFAW

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    Yeah, I missed that. However, I would suggest that Barr can still accomplish his desires, even with the Traitor-in-Chief being a narcissistic, incompetent moron. Harder, to be sure, but not even close to impossible.

  170. 170.

    Brachiator

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

     I think you missed my point…Barr loves the idea of a unitary executive(a dictator) that agrees with his views.  Trump is the wrong vessel for this because he won’t listen to advice from his attorney.

    You make a grimly funny point. Barr and much of the GOP base want to choose their tyrant. Problem is, the whole point of being dictator and having absolute power is that you don’t have to listen to anyone.

  172. 172.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    Holy Shit

    Clip on Morning Blow: Dump defending Putin, saying it’s okay that he’s providing arms to kill GIs today because Charlie Wilson provided arms to Soviets 40 years ago. (no really)

  173. 173.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Brachiator:

    I’m prohibited by law from saying what I’d like to say about the things that need to happen to Barr and McConnell should their plot come to fruition. That’s a shame.

    I’m hoping that each will be out of a job in 2021 (McConnell at the minimum no longer being Senate Majority Leader) and that Barr gets to spend a long time enjoying the slow, shitty grind of the illusion of process that he has been instrumental in building, followed by a lengthy prison term.

  174. 174.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    If you are retired military, current military, or a family member of someone in the military, I urge you to watch the Donald Trump interview on a show called “Axios on HBO” Monday at 11 p.m. I saw a clip of it this morning. What Trump says is shocking.

    — Joe F. (@Snicky01) July 29, 2020

  175. 175.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @HumboldtBlue: Doddering Chris needs to sit the fuck down, shut the fuck up, & check himself into the Connecticut Home for the Bewildered before he hurts himself.

    Kamala’s strategy for nomination was to hang on through rough showings in early primaries & count on her network of young, dynamic AA women to rally their mothers & daughters behind her candidacy starting in South Carolina. The shocker was that AA women outside her cadre overwhelmingly preferred Biden. So she went after Uncle Joe trying to demonstrate he wasn’t up for the job, thinking that the AA women vote would fall to her once he was out. Instead his response to her challenge (IMO it didn’t rise, or descend, to the level of “attack”) only solidified their support for him; Kamala’s funding dried up: & that was that.

    It was politics. They both understood that. (Fuck, Doddering Chris ought to understand that even in his dotage.) Didn’t damage the relationship the two of them had by way of the late lamented Beau.

    I wasn’t a Kamala supporter (I was on the Biden train, faute de mieux & then enthusiastically, pretty much from the gitgo) but I believe she will make a fine, feisty attack dog during the campaign & a fine, feisty Veep come 20 Jan.

  179. 179.

    J R in WV

    @mrmoshpotato:

     

    July 28, 2020 at 11:40 pm

    The bacon is baked for a sammich to make!

    Late! Night! Club! Sammich!

    Quite a coincidence, we had BLTs for dinner, Mortage Lifter and Orange Delight tomatoes, thick cut applewood smoked bacon, and frozen bread from the local bakery toasted to thaw, was wonderful!

    Big Sammy for dinner!

  181. 181.

    J R in WV

    @mdblanche:

    And could you explain to a lifelong civilian what you mean by stars on the 22nd?

    He means the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Milley, will be asked to resign, turn in his stars, on Jan 22nd. Because he was a lickspittle for Trump, probably.

    I don’t agree, personally, that Biden would fire Milley quickly , but I was an E-2, next to the bottom rank, and Gen Milley is next to the top rank, he’s 4 stars and the top number of stars is 5. No one currently holds that rank, though.

  182. 182.

    WaterGirl

    @Give me strength: Way late to the thread, but on the off chance that you will see this…

    I am glad you posted.  Getting a positive test would be disconcerting to say the least.  I am glad your symptoms are manageable.  Take care of yourself.

    Don’t let this be your only comment!

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