Nice thing about saying Biden doesn’t really mean that threat to democracy stuff—doesn’t really think rejecting election results, coup attempt, Jan 6, encouraging anti-FBI violence, etc are different—is it lets you keep aligning with those forces while telling yourself you’re not pic.twitter.com/RmaPJLWsvk
— Nicholas Grossman (@NGrossman81) September 4, 2022
His extremely well-compensated, very dishonest-but-superficially-plausible-to-targeted-NYTimes readers, bullsh*t…
We elected a historically centrist ancient white man who explicitly disclaimed support for the more aggressive social democratic policies advocated by the party’s left wing. What more do you want from us? https://t.co/ib9Tdj0EFI
— Leonid Baezhnev ?? (@rev_avocado) September 5, 2022
If your demand to join an antifascist democratic front is that the dominant party adopt only your policy preferences, that in the interest of stopping fascism Biden just make Mitt Romney president, you’re just a fascist too.
— Leonid Baezhnev ?? (@rev_avocado) September 5, 2022
this would be a fair point if it was just both parties tend to rely on the executive too much and congress no longer governs as it should, that’s true but the fact is only one party is based around the cult of a particular proper name, a “Caesar” if you will https://t.co/ey2FGUivG6
— John Ganz (@lionel_trolling) September 4, 2022
This story gets much more interesting—as does the choice to tell it and frame it this way—if you can remember that the violence of 2020 was overwhelmingly wrought by the cops https://t.co/gqn2JBhIVL
— Tom Scocca (@tomscocca) September 4, 2022
I’m sorry, if you think that conservative “post-election paranoia about elite malfeasance” was because of the 2020 riots then I’ve got a bridge to sell you. I remember the *exact same theories* being floated in 2012, the only difference was that Romney (to his credit!) conceded. https://t.co/5Tbwww3KiW
— Nathan Goldwag ???? (@GoldwagNathan) September 4, 2022
Setting support for trans rights in opposition to chruchgoing is ignorant. Biden’s faith is part of what makes him accepting , and many trans people are religious. Is Ross a bigot because of his own faith or is he religious because many churches accept bigotry. https://t.co/TZ0KIWLn9U
— Pomodoro (Dad Joke Era) (@ilpomodoro2) September 5, 2022
Well, they can’t be honest that the Civil War and Reconstruction were what made them anti-democracy, so they keep having to come up with more transparently fake reasons.
— Brave Thought Leader™ Elf (@ProzacElf) September 4, 2022
None of which hasn’t been discussed ad nauseum over the past seven years or so. I don’t know what the insight is here.
I hope it’s not “Ds must help Rs elect Ron DeSantis president.”
— I, Fred, will knock you all down!! (@LesserFrederick) September 5, 2022
Why can’t Biden be Hindenburg is, to be fair to Douthat, basically the mainstream position of the entire legacy press in America. https://t.co/IrF8WAjsRv
— Jacob Bacharach (@jakebackpack) September 4, 2022
Here’s all you need to know about Mr. Douthat https://t.co/HGni54RlQy pic.twitter.com/Kh02FyolUa
— Jonathan M. Katz (@KatzOnEarth) September 4, 2022
Gin & Tonic
Imma take Cole’s advice and ignore Ross and everything he says.
Baud
@Gin & Tonic:
Good idea. Paid to be disingenuous.
ETA: I will say this though. Imagine if the Dems after 9/11 had said that if Bush really believed in fighting terrorism, he would give Dems Medicare for All in exchange for supporting him. That’s the equivalent of what RD is telling the GOP to do.
brantl
Ross DoucheHat, the doughy pantload. Never Truer than NOW.
Turgidson
I shouldn’t be surprised anymore when I read a “respectable” conservative pundit blame Democrats for *his* party being a frothing mob of bigots and morons who only believe in democracy if Donald Trump (!!!) gets to be emperor for life. But somehow to still happens.
Even though I know better, I still think there is a line that will get crossed by Trump or his goons and wannabes where people like DoucheHat realize they just can’t fuck that “Dems made us do it and/or Dems must unilaterally surrender to show their sincerity” chicken again and retain any dignity or credibility at all. And I keep being wrong.
germy shoemangler
God, I hope Ralph isn’t planning anything stupid for 2024.
Baud
@Turgidson:
Everything flows from elections. If we win in November, that’ll go a long way to changing some attitudes.
trollhattan
Henceforth, my porn name is “Abjure Snark.”
Chunky Snark is so 2010s.
Brachiator
This is the definition of disingenuous bullshit.
I hate this clown and anyone who publishes his crap.
trollhattan
@germy shoemangler: Ralph is 88. His plans for 2024 begin with “breathe.”
trollhattan
@Brachiator:
He does not stand for ANYTHING and never has. But a high-profile platform from which to scold? Gold!
Turgidson
@Baud:
I hope so, but the fact that these people are still claiming the media was grievously unfair to Willard Mitt “Mittens” Romney *a decade ago* makes me wonder.
Baud
@Brachiator:
That struck me too. “Pro-life” and “abortion moderate” are mutually exclusive things.
waspuppet
America: Why don’t you guys write about the fact that the Republican Party has descended into a fascist movement?
The Highly Compensated Beltway Media: That’s the Democrats’ job. If a prominent Democrat said something about it, we’d report it, but we’re not going to do their jobs for them.
The Democratic Actual President of the Actual Fcking United States: The Republican Party has descended into a fascist movement.
The Highly Compensated Beltway Media: Wait see what we meant was
Baud
@Turgidson:
They won’t give up their fake grievances. But they’ll know they will be less relevant if the GOP is out of power.
Baud
@waspuppet:
Good point.
brantl
@Turgidson: They’re still mad that the media didn’t prop the MittBott 3000 up after Obama tore holes in him, in the debates.
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
@Baud: Not to Mr. Douchehat.
germy shoemangler
@trollhattan:
He doesn’t look a day over 80
Baud
The bigger question is, why are liberals still subscribing to the NYT and paying Ross’s salary?
trollhattan
@germy shoemangler: After the restoration, my Corvair looks showroom fresh! :-)
Talk about squandering a life’s work. Ralph was once a meaningful voice for the American consumer.
trollhattan
@Baud: Let’s ask these lunch counter Ohioans.
Baud
@trollhattan:
Heh.
Baud
@trollhattan:
Agree. Tragic, on many levels.
Yutsano
Was it Professor Levenson or DougJ that liked to beat up Doughy Pantload?
Brachiator
@Turgidson:
There is no line that Trump will not cross. Trump does not even have a concept of a line.
I remember saying to some people that I didn’t just oppose Trump, but saw him as a monster when he let people die during the pandemic because of his own stupidity and ineptitude.
His supporters, most pundits, many comfortable middle class to upper class people still believe that they will be okay no matter what Trump does. They cannot believe that American democracy could ever fall, or that at most, suffering will be limited to people who don’t really matter much.
But Trump doesn’t care about America. He doesn’t care about you.
dm
Oh, my. If you click on Nicholas Grossman’s tweet at the top of Anne’s post, he put the headline to Douthat’s column in parallel to the Oct 2020 column “There will be no Trump coup”.
Baud
@dm:
Well, there wasn’t. There was an attempted coup.
Spanky
@Yutsano: Who doesn’t? I’d like to take a swing at his low hanging fruit myself.
Suzanne
I read this Douche piece and it made me so mad. Basically, “why do the Dems exercise power in their preferred direction when they win it?”. UHHHHMMMMM…. because our coalition does not include you, Ross? Because you made a choice about your preferred representation and you chose wrongly? And you find being reminded of that fact humiliating?
These people exercise nothing but pure will-to-power, and just cannot accept it when others do the same.
James E Powell
@brantl:
The truth is that the MAGAts hate Romney as much as they hate the rest of us. This is just another example of the political press blaming Democrats for everything, accepting responsibility for nothing.
Baud
@Suzanne: Exactly. It kills them that we have all these “lesser” people in our coalition but don’t include them because if their own choices. They are forever college dudes who think they are entitled to a date from whatever girl they want.
Tony G
Ross Douthat is just another Catholic fascist, with a thin facade of respectability. I grew up as a Catholic, before I abandoned that cult at age 17. I know his type.
A Ghost to Most
Christian supremacists are irredeemable fascists.
JPL
@Baud: I do the puzzle, but also was paying $17.00 a month for my subscription. I called to cancel, and they offered me $4.00 a month for cooking, wire, the paper and crosswords. When that expires next summer, I’ll become crossword only. Their science pages are still good.
azlib
Ross is like a spouse in a terrible codependent relationship. He has never criticized Trump without blaming the Dems for being part of the problem.
Lyrebird
@Yutsano: I think they were beating up on Jonah Goldberg, but I am not sure. Not this particular overpaid two faced creep.
Mike in NC
Haven’t given a thought about Ross Douthat in several years. Now I can go back to forgetting he exists.
Matt McIrvin
The only reason Democrats have relied increasingly on executive power is that Congressional Republicans have taken the position that nothing will get done in Congress unless it is by Republicans (and precious little will even be done by Republicans apart from obstruction), and have had the power to enforce this. The alternative to executive overreach is nothing, absolutely nothing.
zhena gogolia
I guess Biden gave another great speech.
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
👍
Baud
@Matt McIrvin:
It’s started to change with this Congress. I hope we can keep the momentum going.
M31
isn’t Doughy Pantload Jonah Goldberg? Ross D is the one brought us the “Chunky Reese Witherspoon” story, I thought? (i.e., a woman taking initiative in sex made his wee wee wither)
just eww
of all the errors of the media, bringing people like this into my attention is one of the grosser crimes
Suzanne
@Baud: What really, really kills them is that we do not want them. I have zero desire to cater to the policy preferences or the social status desires of religious conservatives. They are not desirable. AFAIAC, 2016 was a hard line. Biden is willing to separate the “MAGA Republicans” from the rest, but i’m not.
zhena gogolia
god my glasses really fogged up today in class. Then my cane fell on the floor and made a big clatter. It was a disaster. It’s so humid I literally had water running in streams down my glasses. This didn’t happen at all last year — I don’t get it.
Gin & Tonic
We have gotten over 3.6” of rain in the last three hours. My daughter who lives about 50 miles away has gotten 0.
Dan B
@Gin & Tonic: Seattle got 1/10th inch of rain between July 1st and August 30th. Since then it’s been one light drizzle that did not wet the ground under trees. It’s usually dry in summer but this was much less than 1 inch per month.
Suzanne
@azlib: Ross also appears mildly inbred, and is still wrought with Catholic guilt. Just a steaming dumpling of pathologies. This “look what you made me do” shit coming out of the GOP apologists — who now are realizing that their reputations are shredded — is tiresome and I really DGAF about preserving their dignity.
Suzanne
Well, yeah. There’s consequences for being fucking wrong. One of those is that everyone becomes aware that you’re fucking wrong.
lowtechcyclist
@M31:
This is correct.
trollhattan
@Suzanne: Is mildly inbred anything like a little pregnant? Either could apply here.
lowtechcyclist
@Suzanne:
Even if they’re right about all that other stuff, they still have to decide what’s more important, those other assorted issues, or preservation of democracy itself.
It’s a character test. Most of them will flunk it, of course.
Pennsylvanian
So now they want a mulligan on “fuck you feelings”?
No quarter for these assholes.
oatler
@brantl:
Try saying that in Fat Bastard’s voice. I did that myself a few times and always lost it at “doughy pantload”.
Suzanne
There’s another Douche tweet that annoys me in that thread:
When will these dumbfucks absorb that Trump/Trumpism has nothing to do with policy positions?! Nothing. Nobody who supports Trump thinks that he has thoughtfully considered an issue and listened to experts and analyzed data and come to a conclusion. People love him for the aesthetics, specifically the aesthetics of relatively high social status for uneducated white men with no aspirations beyond consumer acquisition. That line is pretty fucken static. Stop pretending that Trumpism is about anything more than flexing on people who are smarter, more successful, and more attractive than you, Ross.
Gretchen
Infuriating that Douthat thinks Biden should « compromise » on women’s healthcare to make reactionaries feel better. His commenters say that since « only a few » women will die of tragic pregnancies, while thousands of imaginary babies will be « saved », and thousands is more than a few. Enraging. These guys seem to think that a 15 week ban is reasonable, and they’ll have 3 politicians with no medical training on tv to discuss the reasonableness of the compromise. They never have a doctor on to explain to them why a 19 week abortion may be necessary. We’ll have to be like Ireland and have a sympathetic, married, educated woman who has already chosen a name and decorated the nursery die of sepsis before these bozos can begin to understand.
JAFD
@Baud:
There was a column by Albert Hunt in December of 2001 (he was the liberal voice on the Wall Street Journal editorial page back then.) on how the Democratic response to 9/11 exemplified patriotism, and the GOP might take some lessons therefrom.
IIRC, of course. Copied and printed out a copy once, but have lived in eleven places since … Oveovdezedaze will ask my friend who works for Dow Jones to borrow his WSJ account …
Suzanne
@Pennsylvanian:
“Hahaha, no, I only meant ‘fuck your feelings’. My feelings, on the other hand, shall be stroked and swaddled and lovingly caressed as if they were a vintage sports car in mint condition.”
GTFO, people. When y’all chose fascism, you made a choice.
lowtechcyclist
Without reading the FTFNYT, I’m curious as to what Douthat thinks we ought to make concessions on.
Voting rights and gerrymandering? Being able to vote, and having it count, is the essence of democracy.
Climate change? Just the future of the world hanging in the balance.
Abortion rights? Sorry, we’re not compromising on a woman’s right to be in charge of her own freakin’ body.
Gay and trans rights, since he brings up the latter: good God, what earthly reason is there to give them anything less than the same rights all the rest of us have? Maybe his religion says otherwise, but the Constitution is very clear that there shall be no establishment of religion.
Arming Ukraine? Speaking of defending democracy against fascism, they’re doing it and we’re gonna arm them.
Working to get closer to universal affordable health care? I certainly hope his church is for that. Jesus healed the sick. What we’ve got instead is doctors and medicine. Would Jesus have us hold them back from people?
The list could go on, but you get the idea. Why should we make concessions when we’re in the right, just because the other party is on the side of wrong? That makes no fucking sense whatsoever.
zhena gogolia
@lowtechcyclist: Yeah, Douthat is ugly Reese Witherspoon or something like that.
ETA: Chunky Reese Witherspoon
Suzanne
@lowtechcyclist:
Because white social conservatives are used to having their desires and tastes reflected in the public sphere! That gave them a mistaken sense of their importance!
Princess
Douthat is giving cover for Republicans who think of themselves as “moderate”, like him, to continue voting Republican. That’s it; that’s the whole point of the article.
Geminid
@lowtechcyclist: I take Douthat’s column as a positive sign. If he still thought Republicans were taking back the House and Senate this fall he might not be pleading for concessions.
Baud
@Geminid:
👍
Joe Falco
@lowtechcyclist: There’s already been compromise on women’s rights with the Hyde amendment. No more.
Felanius Kootea
Did anyone read the NYT article by Tom Bonier on the sheer number of women who’ve registered to vote since Dobbs? Made me smile and the comments had me cheering. I think the Republicans are in big trouble and Douthat knows it.
ETA: The Kansas vote shows that many women who pulled the lever for Trump weren’t on board with becoming second class citizens.
Miss Bianca
@Suzanne:
I’m stealing this one too, btw!
catclub
Our fellow citizens are amazingly slow learners.
billcinsd
@M31:Ross D is the one brought us the “Chunky Reese Witherspoon” story, I thought? (i.e., a woman taking initiative in sex made his wee wee wither)
I believe it was, specifically her using contraception that caused his wee wee to wither
catclub
Can I just say that I thought the doughy pantload was Jonah Goldberg?
catclub
@Brachiator:
The minimal things Trump needed to do to be re-elected after the pandemic was: 1)Don’t ignore it 2) Don’t make it worse.He could not manage either. We dodged a bullet that he is that incompetent. (of course lots of extra people died dodging that bullet.)
If he does those two things and announces great progress on a vaccine – as though he is interested – he gets re-elected in a landslide.
Mart
@Brachiator: Evil Chris Rufo has told them to make the trans the new CRT.
Matt McIrvin
@Brachiator: I still say Trump should be convicted of crimes against humanity for stealing my state’s doctors’ PPE during the early COVID pandemic. That’s premeditated mass murder.
Matt McIrvin
@catclub: That he wasn’t reelected anyway was a matter of a few narrow lucky breaks. And that’s before even considering the coup attempt.
NorthLeft
Conservatives/Pundits; they never learn, they never go back and review their failed predictions, or bother to understand why they were wrong.
I don’t understand how anyone can take them seriously anymore.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@lowtechcyclist: word
Anne Laurie
Oh, it’s worse than that — Doubthat’s a ‘tradcath’ convert, who freely chose, as an adult, to join the gang of revanchists trying to take the ‘Mother Church’ backwards, in defiance of both physics and the Pope.
At least the community you & I chose to leave consisted of people who’d grown up inside it, who had ties more basic than cultural resentment to hold them together.
Searcher
So Abraham Lincoln is running for President. 1860, 1960, 2024. Whatever.
What percent of currently-registered Republican voters vote for him:
(a) If he’s in a Republican primary.
(b) If he’s running on the Republican line in the general.
(c) There is no C, because if he’s running on the Democratic line in the general the answer is 0%.
Turgidson
@NorthLeft: as driftglass would say: