Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

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

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Jesus watching the most hateful people claiming to be his followers

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

“woke” is the new caravan.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Petty moves from a petty man.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

Whoever he was, that guy was nuts.

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / 2024 Primaries / PAC Men (Open Thread)

PAC Men (Open Thread)

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Things got ugly at a Tuesday strategy meeting held by Never Back Down PAC bigwigs, i.e., the geniuses who are running the flailing Ron DeSantis 2024 campaign, according to NBC News. The main item on the agenda was how to stop Nikki Haley’s surge.

But PAC consultant Jeff Roe, a hired gun, and board member Scott Wagner, allegedly a DeSantis confidant, huffed and puffed in a manner reminiscent of toxic masculinity decanter Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK).

“You have a stick up your a–, Scott,” Roe fumed at Wagner, who is a member of the Never Back Down board.

“Why don’t you come over here and get it?” Wagner responded, rising from his chair. He was quickly restrained by two fellow board members. The interaction was relayed to NBC News by a source who was in the room.

The infighting represents an escalation in the long-running war between Never Back Down’s professional political operatives and DeSantis’ Tallahassee-based inner circle over who is to blame for the governor’s failure to compete effectively with front-runner Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

Fellas, I’ll tell you who’s to blame, and I’ll do so free of charge. The person who is to blame is Ron DeSantis. The tell is that voters were more enthusiastic about his candidacy before they met him. Afterward, they were all like, “Ewww, get this scowling, snippy, beady-eyed, weird-boots-wearing poser outta my cornfield.”

Now, trying to depose the cult figure from a cult of personality was always going to be a tall order. It’s understandable that donors admired the cut of Ron’s jib in what they prematurely assumed was the post-Trump era. DeSantis ticks so many boxes: plutocrat lackey who presents as populist, deeply corrupt, overt authoritarian tendencies, inspires enthusiasm among racists, misogynists, Nazis, etc.

But your boy Ron just doesn’t have it, whatever “it” is. He’s an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding. It’s time to punch each other in the dicks one last time and go back to Tallahassee.

Open thread.

Reader Interactions

101Comments

  5. 5.

    Baud

     Afterward, they were all like, “Ewww, get this scowling, snippy, beady-eyed, weird-boots-wearing poser outta my cornfield.”

    It’s nice to see that Republicans have some standards.

  8. 8.

    Brachiator

    But your boy Ron just doesn’t have it, whatever “it” is. He’s an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

    Ron DeSantis is It-less.

    Also, according to a recent CNN story, Nikki Hayley is attracting the attention of GOP big money.

    In one sign of growing donor enthusiasm for her campaign, billionaire hedge fund founder Ken Griffin said this week he is now considering financially backing Haley after remaining on the sidelines in the GOP primary.

    When is the next GOP debate?

  9. 9.

    Ken

    @Old School: No, their strategy for how to beat Trump is that he drops dead suddenly (“And then — a miracle!” — Salieri in Amadeus). Beating Nikki Haley is because they expect the party to turn to whoever’s in second place after the miracle.

  10. 10.

    Splitting Image

    @Alison Rose:

    Also also “Why don’t you come over here and get it?” sounds like flirtation, not a threat.

    It needs Mae West to deliver the line correctly.

  13. 13.

    rikyrah

    Things got ugly at a Tuesday strategy meeting held by Never Back Down PAC bigwigs, i.e., the geniuses who are running the flailing Ron DeSantis 2024 campaign, according to NBC News. The main item on the agenda was how to stop Nikki Haley’s surge

     

    Couldn’t happen to a better group of demons.

  14. 14.

    MattF

    I recall that at the start of the DeSantis campaign, there was a noticeable lack of actual DeSantis footage containing images of actual DeSantis actually saying something. And chatter about how his wife was his ‘secret weapon’. Raised certain questions.

  18. 18.

    Warblewarble

    By definition things at a Never Back Down PAC meeting are always ugly, they don’t have to get ugly.

  20. 20.

    J. Arthur Crank

    “You have a stick up your ass”

     

    “Why don’t you come over and get it?”

     

    ”OK, drop your drawers.”

     

    For some reason that last line was missing from the block quote. Perhaps a cut-and-paste error?

  23. 23.

    Old School

    @Ken: Yes, but the article phrased it as “who is to blame for the governor’s failure to compete effectively with front-runner Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.”

  25. 25.

    Miss Bianca

    He’s an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding. It’s time to punch each other in the dicks one last time and go back to Tallahassee.

    I just had to see that again. Oh, Betty, we love you!

  27. 27.

    Miss Bianca

    @Old School:

    Their strategy for how to beat Trump is “Let’s Attack Nikki Haley!”?

    Well, sure…just like some “Democrats” feel like the strategy for beating Trump is…”let’s attack Kamala Harris.”

  29. 29.

    WaterGirl

    @Miss Bianca:

    He’s an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

    You’ll sort of get to see it again.  I already made a rotating tag:

    Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

  37. 37.

    frosty

    @WaterGirl: How many rotating tags are we up to? Do you delete the obsolete ones from past issues and elections?

    ETA And how many are from Betty C? She deserves to have her killer prose immortalized (as you did above)..

  40. 40.

    RaflW

    @Old School: And the attack was apparently a push poll saying “Did you KNOW that her parents were immigrants and that her real name is Nimrata?!?1!”

    Because of course Ron associates with racists. Birds of a feather and all that.

  41. 41.

    Old Man Shadow

    Conservative men especially really seem to be never progressed beyond a thirteen year-old bully’s mindset.

  43. 43.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Seriously, though, the Political Action Committee is a post-Watergate reform that spawned unintended consequences out the gazoo and all over the political landscape.  What is truly needed the annihilation of Citizens United, heavy regulation of political ad rates on television, both broadcast and cable, and massive restrictions on donations.  The billionaire parasites need to be gelded.

  45. 45.

    Alison Rose

    @RaflW: Unfortunately, the “Nimrata” thing seems to work to some degree, and even a handful of liberals think it’s HIGHlarious to call her that. Plenty of people go by nicknames, and I’ve known numerous folks who have chosen a more “Western” name rather than their foreign birth name, largely because most English speakers butcher the hell out of their real name.

  48. 48.

    Ken

    @frosty: Do you delete the obsolete [tags] from past issues and elections?

    I think so, but since the Republicans first have to give up the issue (“Carter inflation!” “Clinton Whitewater!”), it can take a few decades.

  49. 49.

    Alison Rose

    @Omnes Omnibus: Some definitely don’t care. I’d imagine when it’s liberals doing it about a conservative, some of them probably think “yeah it’s a little racist but it’s okay because they suck” which is not how it works.

    Like, Tammy Duckworth’s first name is Ladda. If folks on the left have no problem calling her Tammy since that’s the name she uses, then it’s equally fine to call Haley Nikki.

  52. 52.

    Gvg

    @Alison Rose: and I have known plenty of non immigrants who have changed their name, used a nickname or a middle name because they just didn’t like the one their parents gave them. Sometimes for obvious reasons (what were those people thinking) and sometimes just because. So, who cares.
    Immigrating and updating your name has a long tradition here anyway. Frankly, it’s more likely to be appealing to Republican voter vanity than offensive.

  54. 54.

    jonas

    But your boy Ron just doesn’t have it, whatever “it” is.

    I used to be with “it.” Then they changed what “it” was. And now what I’m with isn’t “it” anymore, and what’s “it” seems weird and scary…

  55. 55.

    Alison Rose

    @Gvg: Yeah! My best friend in high school (still friends now) was Genevieve. As you might imagine, that wasn’t the easiest name to tell people or for people to read or spell. She always called herself Gen…which of course most people heard as Jen and thought her name was Jennifer. I don’t think she dislikes her name but as a teen, it annoyed her. Nothing wrong with choosing something else.

  56. 56.

    karen marie

    I’m horrified at the behavior these asswipes are modeling for children, most especially those raised in Republican households.  This trend bodes ill for the future.

  58. 58.

    RaflW

    @karen marie: It bodes ill for the present as well, though I am kind of enjoying the number of “Republicans close to fisticuffs” stories.

    Internal dissention that severe suggests they know they’re unpopular and heading for electoral disaster. Or DeSaster, in some cases.

  61. 61.

    WaterGirl

    @frosty: I do take some of the rotating tags out of the rotation if they are “out of code”.  If you ever see one that is totally stale, let me know.  I try to catch those, but I don’t make it my life’s work. :-)

    The rotating tags come from lots of people.

    but if I had to guess, I would say that Baud, Omnes and Betty Cracker are more highly represented in the tags than most of the rest of us.

    edit: And Tony Jay!  How could I forget Tony Jay!

  63. 63.

    TriassicSands

    There are assholes in the Democratic Party. Why wouldn’t there be among so many people? (Bob Menendez comes to mind.)

    My question is, “Is there anyone in the Republican Party who isn’t an asshole?” By my reasoning, one pretty much has to be an asshole to remain in a party taken over by and in thrall to Trump. When people are old enough to choose for themselves, if they choose Trump or his party, how are they not assholes?

  64. 64.

    TriassicSands

    DeSantis ticks so many boxes: plutocrat lackey who presents as populist, deeply corrupt, overt authoritarian tendencies, inspires enthusiasm among racists, misogynists, Nazis, etc.– Betty Cracker

    And those are his best characteristics.

  65. 65.

    Annie

    I really do think many people — some of us here included —  under-rate the glam factor that Trump gets from being in the tabloids for years, and then  playing a successful businessman on TV for years.  I loathe the man, but I think a lot of his cult status comes from that;  it gives him a definite zing that DeSantis and Haley just don’t have.

  66. 66.

    japa21

    @Betty Cracker: I think the thinking is that as 1) a woman, 2) of color and 3) a daughter of immigrants Republicans would not vote for her.  I think that theory underestimates the hatred the right has for Democrats

  67. 67.

    Miss Bianca

    @Omnes Omnibus: I think Nimrata is kind of a cool name, actually. Much cooler than “Nikki”. But agree that people seem to be using it in a derogatory sense, which isn’t cool at all.

    I’m perfectly happy with hating her stance on everything I care about *and* honoring her right to be called what she chooses.

    I’m versatile that way.

  68. 68.

    wjca

    @Formerly disgruntled in Oregon: Ladda is a very cool name that I have not heard before.

    And apparently it means “Goddess of Love”.  (There seems to be some question where it comes from.  I found Latin, Thai, Latvian, Jewish, etc.  But all giving the same meaning.)

    What will the RWNJs make of that?  Inquiring minds want to know….

  70. 70.

    wjca

    @Betty Cracker: You think Haley would be a less formidable opponent than Trump or DeSantis? I could not disagree more.

    You think the bigots and misogynists wouldn’t stay home if she was the candidate?  Really?

  71. 71.

    jonas

    @zhena gogolia:  I don’t think so. A Haley candidacy would be a tough challenge for Biden, which is why I think she’s getting a lot of attention right now from big money donors. The problem she, and the rest of the GOP field, has, of course, is that regardless of how much $$ she can raise, the base is still in thrall to Trump, and Biden *can* beat Trump again.

  72. 72.

    wjca

    @Miss Bianca: I think Nimrata is kind of a cool name, actually.

    The problem is that it sounds too like the feminine of “nimrod” — which is not generally a complement.

  73. 73.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Ruckus:

    @hotshoe:

    He’s an empty USED plastic cup

    Would be more truthful…..

    He’s an empty USED plastic cup that previously held someone’s contribution to science, last seen pouring across the flabby jowls of an orange-tinged shitgibbon tied to a steel-frame bed in a no-tell motel in the downside of Moscow.

    Maybe I need to take a break…

  74. 74.

    Miss Bianca

    @wjca: I’m sort of curious how the name “Nimrod” – who as I recall was a mighty hunter of Biblical fame – came to to be associated with general dimwittery.

    If I am guessing, I would say Bugs Bunny has something to do with it – I seem to recall that “Nimrod” was one of the terms he used to disparage Elmer Fudd.

  75. 75.

    Betty Cracker

    @wjca: I think japa21 makes a good point at #66. Haley would lose some of the bigot vote, but she was elected governor twice in South Carolina, the cradle of the Confederacy, so she has proven she can win over hardcore Southern Repubs. Also, I think the media (and Never Trump people) would swoon over her, and she might pick up a lot of disgruntled independents. I’d be seriously worried about Biden’s reelection prospects if Haley got the nomination, but she won’t because Trump.

  76. 76.

    azlib

    I have an unusual name and when I ran for the Austin, TX City COuncil way back in the 1980s, rather than change my name I had my media person make fun of it in our advertising to prempt my opposition from using it negatively.

  77. 77.

    Geminid

    @Gvg: Deputy Agriculture Secretary Xochitl Torres Small went in the opposite direction. Her immigrant parents gave her a commonplace Anglo first name, but she envied her brother’s cool Aztec name. So the parents let her pick a new one and she chose Xochitl, which is an Aztec or Nahuatl name for a beautiful Mexican flower. I think maybe her grandparents spoke Nahautl.

    Xochitl Torres Small’s birthday was last week; she is 39 years old.

  78. 78.

    wjca

    @Betty Cracker: Haley would lose some of the bigot vote, but she was elected governor twice in South Carolina, the cradle of the Confederacy, so she has proven she can win over hardcore Southern Repubs.

    Yes, but.

    Winning over hardcore Southern Republicans, sure.  But I was thinking more of the not-previously-engaged-voters that came out of the woodwork for TIFG.  Precisely because he made publicly voicing their prejudices (more) acceptable.  I don’t think that their hatred of Democrats, per se, is on a par with the general run of RWNJs. And I don’t think a Republican wins without them.

    Now if was Haley vs Harris?  That becomes a whole different discussion.

  79. 79.

    Geminid

    @azlib: Nikki Budzinski, the capable Congresswoman for the central Illinois 13th CD, had a campaign ad that made fun of her last name. It was titled “Buttinski.”

  80. 80.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Geminid: And now she’s not even the only well-known Xochitl: the young actress Xochitl Gomez gave a fine performance in the otherwise indifferent “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” not too long ago.

  83. 83.

    Geminid

    @Matt McIrvin: “Xochitl” is a pretty name. It could be the next “Jennifer.”

    If Virginia polItics work out the way I hope, Virginia will have three US Representatives named Jennifer in 2025: Jennifer McClellan, Jennifer Boysko, and Jennifer Carrol Foy. Rep. McClellan already is the 4th CD,  state Senator Boysko is running in the 10th CD, and I’m hoping State Senator Jennifer Carrol Foy will run in the 7th district.

  85. 85.

    TriassicSands

    @Miss Bianca:

    I agree, but then think of the endless number of names that are applied to Trump. At one point, Trump may have been in a class of his own, but so much of the GOP has followed him that that is no longer the case.

    I also think that the significant point in Haley’s name is the motivation for calling her Nimrata. With Obama, using Hussein was a racist attempt to imply connection with Sadam and Muslims. I think that may , if only subconsciously, be behind some of the Nimrata gargage. If Haley earns a nickname based on terrible policies or positions, that is one thing. But to imply her “alieness” is ugly and wrong and should be avoided. I won’t dislike her any more or less based on what she chooses to be called or what others call her.

    I wouldn’t be at all surprised if “Hussein” cost Obama some votes here and there. People can be ridiculous.

  86. 86.

    Paul in KY

    @Alison Rose: On original Pac Man (arcade version) got over 275,000. Cannot remember the exact score. Had various patterns you had to use to get up there and make sure you ate the 2 fruits each board.

  89. 89.

    Paul in KY

    @TriassicSands: I think the ‘Nimrata’ stuff is to imply how craven she is. That she would not want to use the fine name ‘Nimrata’ and would instead use the calculated name ‘Nikki”, presumably to throw off low information xenophobes, whose votes she needs.

  90. 90.

    TriassicSands

    @WaterGirl: Coors Lite

    Now, I have a bad taste in my mouth. It’s the bitter taste of fascism.

    There was a time, back in the 70s when Coors was not available nationally. Unsurprisingly, that made it a “thing” and when people traveled west, there was often a pointed effort to get Coors.

    At one point, a friend of mine and I drove west to go ice climbing in Colorado. My friend insisted on trying the Coors that he had heard so much about. I tried it. Swill. A pointless imitation of beer. Coors Lite? Even worse. But that wasn’t why I refused to ever again drink any Coors beer. Why? Because Adolph Coors lived up to his first name in the worst possible ways. Calling him a fascist would be generous. Nazi? Not indefensible. Terrible beer. Terrible owner and company. What’s not to like?  Everything.

    That was before the explosion in micro-breweries, which for the first time created some widely available, high quality beers in the U.S. When I first went to Europe in 1968, I discovered what beer (and ale, stout, porter, etc.) could be. Today, there are many good brews made in the U.S., but Coors still isn’t one of them — not that I would know since I haven’t had one since the early 70s and it wouldn’t matter to me if they made the best beers in the world. I would never support Adolph and sons.

    Coors funded Mountain States Legal Foundation and its president, James Watt, later the worst Interior Secretary in U.S. history.

    Pure Evil. Pure Environmental Evil.

  91. 91.

    OGLiberal

    Problem is, people abandoning Ron aren’t coming to the good side.  So, yeah, good to see that fuckdick struggle, doesn’t help much.

    Show me that monster – not white boots guy, he’s done – consistently under 40%.  Until that happens – and think/hope it will – I don’t trust American voters to do the, not just right thing, but the “this is a fucking existential threat and you have to do this, no matter what”, things.  2016 burns in my mind and we are just not far enough removed from that.  The off schedule results give me hope but fear that too many American voters view the top spot as a fucking Simon Cowell contest.  Problem is that if you elect the old fool who is a fascist and just appears more energetic, you ain’t going to get the chance to change your mind.  This choice is that stark.  Binary choice folks- facism or something resembling democracy.  It’s that fucking simple.  Amd I’m too old to physically fight fascists with guns and fists and it’s last thing I want my kids to have to do.  Just vote the right way, America.  You failed me in 2004 and 2016 but I know you can do it right. But those lunatics will be coming for anybody who isn’t exactly like them so may want to factor that in.  Of course, doesn’t help when we have Steve Schmidt sounding the existential alarm then doing all he can to set that alarm off.  Fucking sheltered fuckers – they can be in Norway in hours and be fine if facism comes here.  I don’t have that luxury.  Nor, do my kids.

    And can we please not not vote for Joe Biden because he’s too close to Israel when the other side – our other side – wants to wipe Muslims off the earth and uses Israel as a tool for their Jesus returns and sends the Jews to hell fantasies?

  92. 92.

    Central Planning

    @Matt McIrvin: ​
     I might have to go find the clip about Bugs insulting Elmer Fudd with Nimrod. I wonder if it was meant to be sarcastic (because EF is clearly an inept hunter, not a skillful one) and that got misconstrued (and then used) as an insult.

  94. 94.

    StringOnAStick

    Nick names are good and a personal right I think.  I was almost born during Gunsmoke and my given name is a standard name from that era starting with the letter K, but my parents decided to call me “Kitty”, because Gunsmoke.  Thanks, thanks a whole lot.  I’m a short, blonde, busty nearly baritone vocalist, the last damned thing I need to be called in “Kitty”.  I go by Kit, which is a fine nickname.

  95. 95.

    RaflW

    @jonas: We also haven’t really seen Trump lay into his former UN Ambassador yet. If he gets the sense she’s the front-second-runner, he’ll get a whole lot nastier towards her.

    None of these people have any regard whatsoever for Reagan’s old commandment to not do damage to each other.

    And I am loving this part (and more) of St. Ronaldus being a very tarnished angel these days.

  96. 96.

    Snarki, child of Loki

    “No, their strategy for how to beat Trump is that he drops dead suddenly”

     

    This just PROVES what a whimpy-wimp DeStupid is, running a major state, where the FL leg would give him anything he even *hints* that he wants, and yet he can’t rid himself of ONE troublesome state resident in a known location!

    Even with swamps & gators to hide the evidence, and “Florida Man” morons to pin it on, if needed!

    SHEESH!

  97. 97.

    Hob

    @Paul in KY: Yes, I’m familiar with that rationale. But it’s incredibly presumptuous to tell anyone “Your birth name is pleasing to me, therefore you should be using it instead of the nickname you’ve gone by YOUR WHOLE LIFE, otherwise I get to call you a coward.” As others have pointed out repeatedly here, it’s extremely common for people in immigrant families to have an Anglicized name that they’ve always used. In Haley’s case it’s literally part of the legal name she was born with – Nikki was her middle name – and it’s also a Punjabi name. But even if that weren’t the case, she went by it long before she got into politics.

  99. 99.

    Paul in KY

    @TriassicSands: Coors always had ‘banquet beer’ on it & I think if you parse that a bit, you come up with “I’m paying for a damn banquet and what’s the cheapest swill I can buy?”

  100. 100.

    Paul in KY

    @Hob: It’s just my personal opinion about her. From reading about her and observing her in action. I get the feeling that when a young man was courting her, if your last name happened to be ‘Dorkleginker’ or something like that, you weren’t gonna get too far.

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