Get in losers, let's go losing. (tm @justkarl ) https://t.co/8L3V4sc7Ih
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) August 31, 2023
he's going to top it this time with an ad that's supposed to be barbecue and gives the distinct impression he's consuming human flesh https://t.co/NKkdGQAIIZ
— James Palmer (@BeijingPalmer) August 31, 2023
Good news for Sinema, whose path to victory so far as I can tell is to scoop the guts out of the Republican candidate’s coalition https://t.co/UhHoEfbOuL
— post malone ergo propter malone (@PropterMalone) August 30, 2023
This is one fruit of the election fraud conspiracies that have metastasized within the GOP.
When every loss (even an ass kicking like what Mark Kelly did to Masters in ‘22) is waved away using conspiracy logic, there’s no such thing as a bad campaign or bad candidate. https://t.co/qRCQwXzqy3
— Conner Hafen (@Conblob) August 30, 2023
Masters’ 2022 run was the stuff of nightmares — one of the most incompetent, hollowed-out operations you could imagine with abysmal candidate favorables. I see little reason for this to change in 2022.
If Rs nominate him or Lake (the two frontrunners!), Gallego would feel great. https://t.co/3XrdkFM5LW
— Lakshya Jain (@lxeagle17) August 30, 2023
Given that healthy political parties have an autoimmune response to ostracize losing candidates, I expect both Kari Lake and Blake Masters to lose the primary https://t.co/SaSOi0yEEW
— Special Puppy ???? (@SpecialPuppy1) August 30, 2023
Just In: Blake Masters, the venture capitalist who lost last year after calling to privatize Social Security, is planning to run against Kari Lake for the Republican Senate nomination.
The Democratic candidate to support is @RubenGallego.
🔗https://t.co/67HqaqiBBq pic.twitter.com/4haOzrLpHL
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) August 30, 2023
The DSCC when it sees a possible Senate field of Kari Lake/Blake Masters (Arizona), David Clarke (Wisconsin), Matt Rosendale (Montana), Sam Brown (Nevada), and Bernie Moreno (Ohio): pic.twitter.com/SuMT6q4c59
— Lakshya Jain (@lxeagle17) August 30, 2023
And of course, Marine veteran Ruben Gallego is a very strong nominee
He'll have a high floor of support (~40%) from Hispanics, Natives, and white progressives
As long as neither Sinema or Lake dominate the rest of the vote, he's the heavy favorite
— Brent Peabody ???????? (@brent_peabody) August 30, 2023
<whispers> If the polls in the GOP race continue in a similar fashion we will know the AZ results by 8pm anyway. https://t.co/zrblBmKRtd
— The AZ – abc15 – Data Guru (@Garrett_Archer) August 30, 2023
less than 50 grand in the AZGOP bank account and a freak show primary? now you take this home, throw Wendy Rogers in the pot, add some broth, a potato, baby, you’ve got a stew going. pic.twitter.com/f8yCqpKk1Y
— anthony musa (@anthonydmusa) August 30, 2023
*“Calls for a ‘return’ to a non-existent past are seductive precisely because it did not exist.”
Villago Delenda Est
Between this and the RICO trial in Atlanta, popcorn futures are through the roof!
Mike in NC
It seems mandatory to wear the Trump uniform of blue suit, white shirt, and solid red necktie if you want to run anywhere as a Republican. All the men at the last presidential debate looked like that and it screamed “pathetic”!
Carlo Graziani
I mean, does Cinema even want to hang on to her job? She’s now met so many lobbyists daily who make more than she does and have less job-related insecurity and stress, she must be thinking “I could do that instead” some part of the time, no?
Alison Rose
“Blake Masters” sounds like the asshole antagonist in a 90s high school movie.
Twitter’s embed function is still borked, but OMG this is so pathetic, and what’s even more pathetic is how many people probably creamed themselves over it.
Punchy
The R primary debate, should it occur, would be absolute glod. 2 insane clowns screaming ever more incoherently into a mic about Ameros, pediatric cannibals, and the 2A right to arm 2nd graders….
The Pale Scot
Open thread so:
Scotties are very musical
New York Scottie Dog Loving the Accordian
Basil The Scottish Terrier Dog howling, talking and saying ‘hello’
Really, once they start up you can’t shut them up
Lyrebird
I diddn’t think an ad could be worse than Carly Fiorina’s Demon Sheep ad.
I was wrong. Demon Sheep ad is funny at least! And kinda on topic, in a stupid and unintentionally campy way. You can believe it’s a political ad from the start. The “watch me shoot this gun for no reason other than to brag on the silencer and the German craftsmanship” thing is… well, I couldn’t believe it was a political ad at all until his logo came up at the end. What the everloving…? “vote for me, I have a fancier gun than the murderer who almost killed the wife of my [then] opponent”????????
oatler
@Alison Rose:
Remember Blake’s smirking “Let’s go Brandon!” in his ads?
Jackie
Blake vs Kari? I can’t wait!!! Sinema is gonna be “Sinema WHO?”
piratedan
to be fair, I’ve posted a few times here about just how insane the GOP in Arizona is and this news plainly illustrates that this is not a misrepresentation.
to go a bit further, Lake and Masters represent the Faux News media bubble and so they’re essentially fishing in the same pond. Then you also have the Constitutional Old West crowd represented by the likes of Jim Lamon, who appeal to all of the wild west cosplay commandos out there. There’s no money in the bank because it was all spent on lawsuits courtesy of Ms. Lake and Mr. Finchem and the Cyber Ninja fiasco. The car dealership funders out of the chamber of commerce wing aren’t sure that they want to continue writing checks to any of these people and out on the furthest flung fringe we have people like State Rep Wendy Rogers who is busy auditioning for the next Ashli Babbitt guest star role to storm whatever government building that crosses her path.
The “smart” money may end up going to Sinema simply because she’s plainly for sale at a discount price and because the days of playing nice with Democrats for state residents with money is a thing of the past that went out of vogue with the DeConcinis and Udalls.
I wouldn’t be shocked to watch Meghan McCain throw her hat in the ring just because there’s not enough anarchy in play on the right. My concern is that Doug Ducey will run, but thus far, he’s not indicated that he wishes to take on Mr. Gallego in these trying times for GOP candidates.
J. Arthur Crank (fka Jerzy Russian)
Normal people: “What was the point of that ad? For a while there I thought he was either going to masturbate himself, or that gun.”
Blake Masters, and perhaps a few of his immediate family: “That ad was fantastic! Let’s get back into the race and make even more of these!”
J. Arthur Crank: “Christ, what an asshole!”
Geminid
There was a credible story last year about a Republican political consultant who had a focus group watch video of Blake Masters speaking to voters. The consultant had never before seen such low likeability ratings for a candidate.
grumbles
@Lyrebird: O’Donnell’s “I’m not a witch” commercial is another classic of this very weird genre, for slightly different reasons.
https://youtu.be/ek3OUay2uWw
Jackie
@piratedan: Very few Dems will vote for Sinema. She’s considered Repug lite. Gallegos should win the Dem primary.
Alison Rose
@grumbles: OMG I’d forgotten about that!!! hahahahahahaha memorieeeeees
piratedan
@Jackie: I believe so, especially since Sinema left the party, supposedly she may run as an Independent but my guess would be that she’s into wholesale grifting mode and getting herself set for the pundit track on some no labels influencer track.
sdhays
Blake’s smile reminds me of Florida Senator
BatboyScott. He looks like he’s getting ready to literally bite someone’s head off and swallow it whole.Alison Rose
@sdhays: hey, no kinkshaming around here
eclare
@Alison Rose:
I kept thinking, never surrender, never surrender, for some reason there is a melody in my head. Yep, song by Corey Hart from 1985.
Shalimar
I would say I am rooting for injuries, but Masters really seems like he is going to murder a rival someday.
eclare
@J. Arthur Crank (fka Jerzy Russian):
And in the ad he talks about how much fun it is to shoot, while not exhibiting any of the usual signs that humans display while having fun. He may as well have been inspecting and fondling your utility meter.
frosty
@Alison Rose: Trigger warning plz!!! I don’t ever want to see that face and fortunately I didn’t have to hear the voice.
Ken B
@Lyrebird: I think someone involved with the campaign wanted to humanize him and told him to make a short video about something he loved, probably thinking it was something they could run at political events and maybe cut down into a commercial later.
Probably thinking of him riding a horse into the sunset or showing off his collection of vintage beer bottles or some such.
Instead, they got…this.
He seems a little uncomfortable at the very beginning but quickly gains speed and enthusiasm. I think he was so happy with the results that he ran with it as a campaign commercial.
Also, .22 long rifle?
wjca
@Ken B:
Perhaps from the same firm that does DeSantis’ “humanizing” videos. I suppose they are constrained by the material they have to work with. But perhaps they should speak to their marketing folks about who to (and NOT to) sell their services to.
Ken
But we’re talking about the Arizona Republican party.
SuzieC
That is so freaking demented. It looks like he’s stroking his gun/penis.
matt
that picture of Masters and Lake both in fully psycho splendor is really something
Mr. Bemused Senior
@eclare: is a puzzlement. At what was he shooting? I mean, what target?
After that I looked up the demon sheep ad. What are these people thinking?
And “I’m not a witch.” Where are their consultants? Have they learned nothing of the ways of Science?
patrick II
@wjca:
There have been a significant number of Republican candidates showing their prowess with guns in the last few years – – none looked so much like American Psycho.
Steeplejack
@Ken B:
The term “.22 long rifle” describes a kind of .22 caliber ammunition, used in pistols as well as rifles.
I am sure I made two or three magazine/clip mistakes in the sentence above.
Mike in NC
@sdhays: We just watched a totally deranged horror comedy starring Nick Cage as Count Dracula, called “Renfield”. Insanely over the top mayhem. Talk about guilty pleasures.
smike
@Mr. Bemused Senior:
Bingo! We have a winner.
Jackie
Off topic, but this is pissing me off:
“It’s one of the iconic images of the American presidency: the commander in chief, standing and waving to the cameras from the top of the stairs leading into Air Force One,” NPR reports.”
”“But recently, President Biden has been avoiding climbing up the sometimes-wobbly 18-foot staircase that is trucked over to the plane’s upper door. More often than not, he is using a much shorter and sturdier set of stairs that fold out from the belly of the plane.””
Maybe Biden should be using an escalator (like TIFG in 2015) or a golf cart (like TIFG in 2017 at the Sicily Summit.)
tam1MI
A bit of good news out of Texas… a judge has ruled that the law stripping local control from cities is unconstitutional.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/texas-judge-rules-as-unconstitutional-a-law-that-erodes-city-regulations-in-favor-of-state-control/ar-AA1g0u0f?ocid=entnewsntp&cvid=8fe59bd1698c4d31a507c7676ed21b37&ei=26
wjca
Now they just need to make the logical extension, that the state cannot strip members from school boards and other governing bodies in favor of gubernatorial chums.
SpaceUnit
Hard to believe anyone would push for privatizing social security at this point, especially considering the age of the Republican core constituency. It’s a proven loser.
Even the dumbest of Arizona’s MAGAs probably realize that an amount of money like that given to the Wall Street boys would magically disappear in less than 24 hours. Am I underestimating the stupidity of MAGAs?
Ken B
@Steeplejack: Sorry, I wasn’t clear.
The.22 long rifle found is a small, relatively low-powered round that was originally designed to use black powder (that’s how old the round is). It’s used as a plinking round or for use in a shooting range environment, because it’s cheap and low powered enough that it’s less dangerous than bigger, hotter rounds.
Given the gun fondler’s love of bigger, badder guns, I just found it amusing that he’s so enamored of his .22.
The original caliber of the weapon was .32 (7.65mm to Europeans) when it was used by the Nazis. Still not a powerful round, but it was powerful enough for Hitler to commit suicide with his.
But if he was looking to get the attention of his fellow gun-humpers, I’d expect him to be shooting a bigger, flashier gun.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he’s so excited by a pistol associated with both Nazis and 007.
Fake Irishman
@wjca:
Alas, a difference in home rule provisions tucked into the state constitution protecting some cities vs. other local governing entities like school boards.
(Unless you know something I don’t which is entirely possible)
piratedan
@SpaceUnit: nope….
Masters is backed by Peter Thiel, so those techbro dudes would love to play with your retirement stash and then just happen to charge a bunch of fees to make it vanish in the process. He’s a vulture capitalist and I guess Social Security is like a flame to these moths.
Following the GOP side of events and machinations here in AZ is half scary/half hilarious. When you really LOOK at what these folks are proposing it’s so far beyond the pale to be translucent… yet, it’s all cloaked in racism and misogyny and lies; which is just like feeding candy to toddlers and no one on that side wants to be the dentist.
On a side note, it will be VERY interesting to see if Jack Smith subpeonas Doug Ducey to testify about the fake electors plot. I kind of suspect that this is why Ducey is not running for Senate. I suspect if he tells the truth in a courtroom regarding the ask from the 45 Administration to overturn the state election, that it will not sit well with the significantly crazy part of the state, meaning that any campaign in 24 is likely to die an ugly death.
mdblanche
I am sure whoever loses the Lake/Masters primary will concede with dignity and grace and urge their supporters to back the candidate who won fair and square without any further drama.
eclare
@Jackie:
Or maybe Joe should put TP on his shoe? Or angrily discard an open umbrella that was confusing him? Would that be good enough for you NPR?
I feel your rage.
SpaceUnit
@piratedan:
As an Arizonan do you feel that Rubin Gallego is in a good position?
steve g
@Jackie:
Biden should just own it big time. “I will get off the plane anyway I please. I’m the president,” or some similar grinning bluster.
BeautifulPlumage
@Alison Rose:
Hey, at least he got the orange shit spread out on his face better than yesterday’s. Or they fixed the lighting.
@frosty: I have to agree, need a PAB head’s up next time 😺
karen marie
@Lyrebird: I’m not clicking through to look but that sounds like an ad Masters did the first time he lost. Is he recycling his shitty ads?
eclare
@steve g:
With at least one F bomb.
Alison Rose
@Jackie: Do they want him to dance a jig up and down the stairs? While balancing a stack of plates on his head? And juggling fire? All with his eyes closed?
JFC. Yeah, he’s an older guy, which means he’s not the spryest person on Earth. So fucking what.
piratedan
@SpaceUnit: I do, by announcing early he’s pretty much cleared the field from any honest challenger from the Democratic side based on what I have been seeing on the boards. Sinema has name recognition and not in a good way from anyone on the left. Gallego has pretty much full support from all left leaning hispanic voters, the native bloc should follow suit and from what I read, they are registering more voters after their impact in the last two elections.
The GOP infighting may drive some of their voters to Sinema, but not likely enough to give her a plurality. I do get the feeling that the MAGAnauts have really turned off a LOT of voters with their actions….
The cost of the recounts
the mockery of not accepting the results of the election
the legal travesty that has followed
now that we have the shoes dropping from the legal side on what took place on J6, I’m fairly sure that Arizona will come up again as it was one of the false elector slates that was offered. With people like Representatives Biggs, Gosar and Lesko and their likely involvement with the assembly of those electors (likely including current state representatives), there may be some additional local fallout that will also be something akin to ground zero for MAGA members being removed from office or indicted for their actions surrounding J6.
With all that chaos looming on the horizon, I like Gallego’s chances… not a done deal naturally, but his chances and the chances for Dems across the state look better then 10 years ago.
Jackie
@steve g: Biden always uses his own feet – unlike TIFG.
That’s my point. He doesn’t use escalators or golf carts to get to his destination. Biden is in much better shape – physically and mentally than TIFG.
As the commercial says – “Age is just a number, and my number is unlisted “
Jackie
@Alison Rose:
“Do they want him to dance a jig up and down the stairs? While balancing a stack of plates on his head? And juggling fire? All with his eyes closed?”
You already know the answer to that.
Absolutely.
SpaceUnit
@piratedan:
I’m glad to hear it.
I live in the neighboring state of Colorado and would love to see Arizona begin to trend blue the way that we have. Fingers crossed.
wjca
@Fake Irishman: Sadly, I probably know even less than you.
I made the foolish mistake of assuming that a Texas legal document such as the constitution (any state’s, actually) was written with an eye to logic, common sense, or, especially, consistency.
wjca
I am in awe that you managed to say that with a straight face!
Jinchi
So if Kari Lake runs and has the Senate seat stolen from her, will she simultaneously be both Senator and Governor of Arizona?
Alison Rose
@Jinchi: If she runs, someone should ask her on the day of her announcement if this means she’s accepted that she is not actually the governor.
BruceFromOhio
Exist in a bubble, run out of oxygen.
BruceFromOhio
@Jackie:
MrsFromOhio don’t openly disagree about much, but NPR is something about which we hotly disagree. I stopped listening in 2016 when NPR normalized fascism and the slithering two-bit ratfuck soulless criminals masquerading as humans in the GQP. And it is this kind of Faux News-curious clickbait only serves to underscore why I treat them as a force hostile to democracy.
eclare
@BruceFromOhio:
I turned it off permanently in 2016 when NPR interviewed some woman in CO who said she needed a reason to vote for Hillary that did not mention TFG or SCOTUS. I will not listen to any station that gives a national unchallenged platform to whoever that idjit was.
Mart
@SpaceUnit: The trick they pull is the change the benefits so the change does not apply to folks over x years old – whatever date they please – as long as it does not hurt core old voters. Mrs. Andrea Mitchell (Mrs. Alan Greenspan) and Reagan screwed Americans by moving the 100% SS retirement payment from 65 to 67. Big reduction, especially for the over 60% who draw at 62. Nowadays expect they will want to start hurting folks age 60. At least our scary reduction in life expectancy compared to peer countries is helping our actuarial tables.
Mai Naem mobileI
@Jinchi: she actually cannot run for the Senate while she’s the governor, at least that’s the AZ law I remember from a long time ago. There’s a funny CNN clip with Katie Hobbs where she’s asked about Lake running for the Senate.
Alison Rose
@Mai Naem mobileI: …….but she’s not the governor.
Mai Naem mobileI
@Carlo Graziani: Kyrsten can make lobbying her main job and her side hustle being the mavericky sharp dressed lady on the foxy five show on FOX.
Mai Naem mobileI
@Alison Rose: we all have our little delusions. Kari’s just happen to be a lot bigger than most peoples.
smike
@SpaceUnit:
And we have another winner. SpaceUnit, come on down!
It seems hard to estimate willful stupidity.
Jay
Wingnut Watch #1, Canada Wingnut Night In Canada
dum, dum, dum dada,…. (apologies to the CBC)
So, the Con’s, following the dictates of their GrOPer “advisors”, (Wormtongues) have launched an election campaign, over a year before there will be elections.
So, headed to the Safeway, (ingredients for BBQ chicken, Alton Brown’d baked potato, local fresh carrots), old guy, (younger than me), asks if I want to take a survey.
(he should have bought a clue from my mask and not engaged, but they are dumb)
The first question asked, was “Given the failed pandemic response, the recession, (there wasn’t one), inflation, should Trudeau be replaced as Prime Minister?” (Couldn’t even use his first name, to tap into animosity for his Dad, Pierre).
I responded, “well as Justin is the illegitimate son of Castro, (one of the Con’s favorite Conspiracy Theories),
and Castro got rid of the corrupt, murderous, gangster Batista Regime,
defeated a US invasion of Cuba and kept Cuba from becoming like so many other countries, a slave state in thrall to the US,
I think we are in good hands. I’ll vote for Justin.*
Guy just did a 180 and walked away.
*here, you vote for your local MP, whom ever has the most MP’s, forms the Government. So, I vote for the strongest candidate to defeat the Con.
eclare
@Jay:
Hahaha…
Villago Delenda Est
@Jay: /highfive
Frankensteinbeck
@Jackie:
I’m really not worried about whether the guy who bikes every day to keep fit can climb stairs.
Tony Jay
We open on a desert vista. Cloudless sky. Mesas. Rattlesnake tracks across the sand. Blake Masters rises into shot from the bottom of the screen. He’s smiling.
“I’m Blake Masters. You need to come with me.”
The camera starts one long tracking shot across the rough ground. Past signs reading PRIVATE PROPERTY and through a chain link fence to a small cubicle with a set of wind-scoured double doors. Through it all Blake Masters remains centre screen, smiling; he must be standing on the same trolley as the camera.
“Come see my collection.”
The doors open and the camera descends a long ramp. It’s dark. There are dripping noises. The rumble of machinery. At the bottom we continue down a narrow corridor lined with cell doors. There is sobbing. The occasional groan of pain. Someone is praying.
“Don’t mind them. They’re not like us.”
At the end of the corridor is a wall, cloaked in shadow. The camera stops. Blake Masters raises his hands like a conductor and the lights come on. Behind him, glued to the wall, are at least a thousand human eyeballs arranged to spell out BLAKE MASTERS FOR ARIZONA SENATE.
“I’m Blake Masters, and I want an Arizona we can all be ourselves in.”
The video stops and we’re in a conference room. A dozen GOP donors are sitting wide-eyed and shaking around a table. As one they turn to look at Blake Masters, he’s still smiling. Next to him is a pale-faced campaign advisor wearing an expression of dawning horror.
“Mister… Mister Masters… just to be clear. When I said humanise….”
eclare
@Tony Jay:
Damn!
Your creativity and attention to detail are impressive.
Nukular Biskits
@Tony Jay:
Didn’t see the punnish ending coming! Well done!
If only we could embed images here …
<iframe src=”https://giphy.com/embed/8Iv5lqKwKsZ2g” width=”480″ height=”201″ frameBorder=”0″ class=”giphy-embed” allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href=”https://giphy.com/gifs/dicaprio-draw-serial-8Iv5lqKwKsZ2g”>via GIPHY</a></p>
Nukular Biskits
@Nukular Biskits:
Well, that didn’t work out.
Tony Jay
@eclare:
@Nukular Biskits:
It’s a joke, but I think we all know that a non-zero percentage of the MAGOP base would look at that and hold fire until they had confirmation on what language the prisoners are praying in.
Then RoDS would reach out to hire the cameraman.
Citizen Alan
@matt: Lake is terrifying in that picture. She looks like the Joker in drag.
lowtechcyclist
@steve g:
Nah, that would keep this particular stupidity alive for another news cycle or two. If nobody’s directly asked him about it, it should be beneath his attention and that of the White House.
If they do ask him about it, his response should be dismissive, something like “if that’s the thing you want to ask the President about, then America must be in amazingly good shape these days.”
Betty Cracker
So let me get this straight: the AZ Repub candidate will either be the creepy gun-fondler with a strong serial killer vibe or the soft-focus hologram Trump banished from his Florida dump for being too weird and embarrassing? Jeebus doesn’t love us this much!
Chris T.
@Jay: Bwa-ha-ha, using their own conspiracy theories against them!
Reminds me of a call I got a few years ago (during the height of COVID) from one of those “police association” grift operations. They asked if I thought the cops should be protected from their on-the-job dangers (I don’t remember exactly how they phrased it), so I said: “Yes, and, given that COVID has killed more officers, by far, than any other cause lately, I guess you’re for masking and mandatory vaccinations, right?”
They hung up on me! SCORE!
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
@Jackie: Yeah I heard that one yesterday and was like “how many new ways are you going to find to point out that Biden is old over the next year?”
He’s perfectly capable of climbing the rickety stairs but he knows one Gerald Ford stumble will generate a thousand questions about his age, so they’re doing what they can to avoid that. Leave it to NPR to find the alternate “he’s old” take.
Geminid
Sinema seems like a natural fit for that No Labels outfit. If her Senate polling does not improve, she and they may agree on her running as their Presidential candidate. Sure beats running as an incumbent and coming in 3rd.
Another Scott
@BruceFromOhio: @eclare: I understand the sentiment, and I too often have to change the channel during ME or ATC, or a BBC show, but public radio is much, much more than the NPR news shows. You can support the former while criticizing the latter (and demanding that they do better).
Cheers,
Scott.
Geminid
@Betty Cracker: Polling shows that Masters will not be a factor* in the Republican primary. It seems like that creepy Lake woman and the Sheriff are the top contenders.
*Unless you count the “Ewww! Factor.”
eclare
@Another Scott:
Point taken. NPR was the only thing I listened to on the local PBS channel here, so that is prob why I equate the two..
BethanyAnne
Back before Peak Wingnut, I remember calling NPR Nice Polite Republicans
Anne Laurie
I’ve read some stories saying ‘Joe Manchin is open’ to running for president on the No Labels ticket, and also that Sinema would be his choice for the VP slot were that to happen.
What this mostly suggests to me is that No Labels is testing the waters, and Joe Manchin has never turned down a chance to get his name in the media. But the thought of those two egomaniacs ‘sharing’ so much as a pizza, much less a campaign, gives my fighting Irish heart unholy glee!
If Peter Thiel is willing to flush more money on another Masters campaign, how much does that change the equation?
Maxim
@Betty Cracker: But maybe doG does.
Matt McIrvin
@BruceFromOhio: What put me off listening to the local NPR station was a day in 2006 when All Things Considered was doing a “Katrina, One Year Later” series and the feature was just an interview with some local cracker about how the displaced people in the FEMA trailers were lazy bums with no initiative. Then there was a Marketplace episode where the centerpiece was a bit crowing about how smart red states were to slash taxes and government services so they could attract business. I was listening in my car and I just started screaming at the radio, then wondered why I was even bothering.
(Marketplace is actually PRI, if I recall correctly, not NPR, but it usually airs on the same stations. I’ve heard someone claim that the show is less awful now than it was then, but I haven’t really tested that assertion.)
Geminid
@Anne Laurie: All that Thiel money enabled Masters to win last year’s primary, but not by that much. This time Masters will be up against Kookie Kari, who has him beat by a mile in toxic charisma. And the Sheriff can put out a much more convincing gun ad without breaking a sweat (I know, it’s a dry heat, I’m speaking figuratively).
Thiel and his buddies could put half a billion dollars down on Masters and he still might not come in 2nd.
What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
@Matt McIrvin: My moment of peak frustration with them was a segment on a research study on an Oregon Medicaid lottery – it produced a random sample where researchers could compare the health outcomes of those who got Medicaid to those who didn’t. So they had the lead author of the study on, who was a professor from some State University to talk about the findings, which unsurprisingly were that the people who had access to health insurance – Medicaid – had better health outcomes. The researcher had no obvious political affiliation or allegiance whatsoever.
Then, they had some hack from Cato, or AEI, to come on and give the “conservative perspective” on this non-partisan independent research study. So it was the raw findings of a scientific peer reviewed study, the findings of which were obviously convenient for liberals, vs. a Conservative hack spin about those non-partisan factual findings. I was like where’s the Liberal hack to give the liberal spin? You have to “balance” objective reality with right wing partisan spin? But you have no Democratic/liberal on to provide counter spin? That is inherently biased in favor of right wing hacks. That was the final straw that made me stop giving to NPR.
SteveinPHX
@Tony Jay:
Only in Arizona! Great set up! Thanks Tony!
Mai Naem mobileI
@Anne Laurie: Blake Masters isn’t JD Vance and Arizona isn’t Ohio. The Sheriff might take it if the other two split the know nothing really cray cray votes. The Sheriff might get portrayed as a sympathetic character because his son and his son’s pregnant fiancee were killed in an accident last year. The driver of the other car who got a DUI happens to be Hispanic. Whoever the winner is, Gallego’s going to have to work for it because you always have the ~25% bigot vote who will vote against him. vote It’ll come down to GOTV, the economy and housing. Housing affordability is a huge issue here.
Bill Arnold
@Ken B:
Subsonic assassination weapon; can be silenced. (Short-range killings.) With hollow points, can do more damage. Doesn’t spook wildlife if silenced.
He was bragging that he is a psychopath, basically. He should be treated as one, for sure.
Yes, there are more powerful subsonic loads.
Bill Arnold
@Bill Arnold:
E.g. The Assassin’s Rimfire: The Beretta 71
Scamp Dog
@What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?: For me it was the Bengazi aftermath. I heard one of their hosts wondering why the state department had made their statement “with such certainty “ when I had heard on her own network the statement starting with a caveat something like “to the best of our knowledge at this early date.” But her Republican pals have used that talking point a lot, and it would be partisan to contradict them, so that’s how to talk about it.
I will donate to the jazz station that uses NPR news on the hour, but the two NPR news stations I can get haven’t gotten a nickel from me since.
Tony G
Blake Masters (obvious gay-porn name) and Kari Lake (another questionable pseudonym) both have the same facial expression, as though they’ve been manufactured on the same assembly line. The crazed wide-eyed stare, and the big malevolent smile. Maybe they both use the same methamphetamine dealer.
Another Scott
@What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?: My local station, WAMU, has PRI’s The World on every evening. Latino USA, Climate One, On The Media, etc, etc.
The media landscape would be much, much worse without public radio.
Cheers,
Scott.
Paul in KY
@Steeplejack: You fine.
Paul in KY
@Mike in NC: The guy who plays Renfield also plays Czar (and former Czar) Peter III on ‘Great’. Does a great job of playing a complete nutwad in that show.
Paul in KY
@Ken B: My gunloving friends would say “22 Long Rifle?!?! You’re just gonna make em mad if you shoot em with that! At least a .38, for God’s sake.”
Paul in KY
@Alison Rose: But she says she is! So she be hoisted with her own petard, gnarrrrrr.
Paul in KY
@Jay: Well played!
Paul in KY
@Bill Arnold: No recoil also is a factor too.
Lyrebird
@grumbles: Oh, yes! I know this thread is probably all rolled up, but yes indeed, Ms. O’Donnell should at least get runner up.
@Ken B: Thank you, that makes sense. Hoping he liked Manly Brush Clearing or Adorable Coaching of Child’s Soccer Team. I still think GWB committed war crimes, never ever approved of him, but I’d be fine letting him watch my kids at the swingset. This guy’s off. I think he should confine that weapon to a shooting range unless closely supervised, but that’s just me.
@karen marie: You’re right, it’s old, someone else was bringing it back so the rest of the world could be sure to see his odious character.