Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

There are times when telling just part of the truth is effectively a lie.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

The willow is too close to the house.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Too little, too late, ftfnyt. fuck all the way off.

Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.

Wait, what?

People are complicated. Love is not.

This blog will pay for itself.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

In my day, never was longer.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

One way or another, he’s a liar.

The lights are all blinking red.

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

We can show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

“Alexa, change the president.”

Second rate reporter says what?

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / 2024 Primaries / Botox-Filled Rooms (Open Thread)

Botox-Filled Rooms (Open Thread)

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This isn’t surprising, but it sure is repulsive: (Bloomberg)

Trump Auditions VP Picks Before Wealthy Donors in Palm Beach

Vance, Rubio, Burgum and Scott among leading contenders
Trump says he will likely announce running mate in July

Donald Trump is sharpening his focus on a possible running mate by taking a page from his days hosting reality show “The Apprentice” and parading the top contenders for the slot in front of rich benefactors this weekend.

Grotesquely attired, preternaturally smooth-faced GOP fat cats presiding over a Hunger Games-style winnowing process for potential Trump second bananas is painfully on brand. It’s a fitting successor to the fabled smoke-filled rooms — Boss Trump’s Palm Beach star chamber of aggressively rejuvenated billionaire scum.

This is not a healthy party. But we knew that.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

165Comments

  2. 2.

    Scout211

    I assumed that Governor she-who-shall-not-be-named was still in the running when you mentioned Botox.  LOL.

    But the fact that she was not there with Trump and the big donors is interesting.

    I still have my money (Monopoly money, that is) on J.D. Vance.

  5. 5.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: From what I’ve read, Kari Lake is too cringe even for Trump. Noem’s prospects are deceased in a gravel pit. Katie Britt went and Jindalled herself. Who else is there? Stefanik? Not “central casting” enough. 🤔

  6. 6.

    oldster

    I hope they had to do all of the events in the pageant — the talent show, the swimsuit walk, the part where they share their hopes and dreams.

    TFG is making sure that the eventual VP will be pre-humiliated and pre-neutered.

    I agree that Vance has the inside track. Unless TFG gets a whiff of the fact that JDV thinks he is smarter than him — that will be fatal.

  9. 9.

    Scout211

    @Quaker in a Basement: I hope he makes them perform stunts for the audience.

    They already are out in the media stroking Trump’s ego and rewriting history to Trump’s benefit.  Just like a gaggle of trained seals, barking for Trump to feed them.

    Okay, that image just made me throw up in my mouth a little.  Sorry, not sorry.

  10. 10.

    Baud

    @Betty Cracker:

    I’m glad. The media gets really excited when they consider the possibility of Republicans being diverse. I hope we can avoid that at least.

  11. 11.

    Percysowner

    Can we expect that the winner will talk about Trump’s “beautiful blue eyes”?

  13. 13.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @Scout211: Okay, that image just made me throw up in my mouth a little. Sorry, not sorry.

    I have no problem with your imagery. The more they humiliate themselves the happier I’ll be.

  14. 14.

    Baud

    Via reddit. Be forewarned not to believe everything you see.

    TikTok is allowing users to spread manipulated videos of Biden, despite the platform’s policies
    TikTok’s policies require that “manipulated media that shows realistic scenes must be clearly disclosed”

    Deceptively altered videos of President Joe Biden with audio added to depict him receiving profanity-filled jeers are spreading on TikTok without any labeling or disclosure, seemingly violating the platform’s policies. TikTok has a history of falling short when it comes to moderating AI-generated or deceptively altered content.

  15. 15.

    Scout211

    @Quaker in a Basement: But does Vance look like he’s from “central casting”?

    Hmmm, not as “pretty” as the star (in Trump’s mind), can grow a beard, can mimic a lawyer-turned-financial advisor, has family with roots in the rust belt but has plenty of money and a big donor behind the scenes.  Yep, perfect second banana!  Will never upstage the star.

  16. 16.

    H-Bob

    @Ohio Mom: There may have been a few gay ones with a “spouse”!

     

    “aggressively rejuvenated billionaire scum” … do they include the Aussie to whom Trump told military secrets ?

  18. 18.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: We won’t escape that if Trump picks Scott, and I don’t think that’s outside the realm of possibility. It would be a sop to disgruntled forced birthers.

  22. 22.

    sab

    I heard on NPR that most dogs in America are toxically bored.

    My teen stepson was. Why wouldn’t our dogs be? My dogs beavered on through frudtration.  My stepson did drugs,

    So I am biased about her: dogs try, humans drugs.

    I shouldn’t post this.

  24. 24.

    moops

    I think all picks are basically a wash with the voters.  Scott would alienate some voters, and pull some undecided in.  The rest don’t move the vote polls.    So, Trump is smart to see which VP can bring in the most money.  The dude has a lot of bills and still has to staff all of his ground game.

  25. 25.

    Old School

    Potential VP picks expected to attend include North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott and J.D. Vance; and U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik, according to a copy of the retreat’s program seen by Reuters.

  26. 26.

    JWR

    I put my (imaginary) $$$ on Tim Scott months ago, and I’m sticking with my bet. Vance just seems a bit too bright for TrumpWorld, but not nearly as bright as Stefanik, who’ll never make the grade. As for the others? Hell if I know

    ETA, I think that Burgum won’t make it through the Central Casting filter until he plucks his eyebrow.

  28. 28.

    eclare

    Totally OT, I watched the first episode of season three of Hacks.  A little slow to get going, but once Deborah (Jean Smart) and Ava (Hannah Einbinder) were in scenes together, it was brilliant.  The show portrays female friendship and competition so well.

  29. 29.

    lowtechcyclist

    Don’t know much about Burgum, but the other three are all quite loathsome.  They deserve the humiliation that Trump’s gonna inflict on them before he picks one.  Not that that will end the humiliation for the chosen one, but at least the winner has the potential payoff of succeeding to the Presidency.

    BTW, anyone remember who was the last President who’d previously been a losing candidate for veep? It’s been awhile.  Being the #2 on a losing ticket seems to be way more of a curse than a blessing if one has national aspirations.  ETA: Only a couple of them during my lifetime have even gotten their party’s Presidential nomination, and they both lost.

  33. 33.

    Trollhattan

    @eclare: Do not have Max but thought she was great in Mare of Easttown. Had completely lost track of her prior to seeing that.

  36. 36.

    kindness

    JD Vance is gonna be the pick.  Trump refuses to elevate a woman and won’t share billing with his VP.  So the VP will have to be a suck up.  That’s Vance.  That plus he won’t have to let go of his Senate seat to run.

    Won’t matter.  Trump & whom ever is toast in November.

  38. 38.

    eclare

    @Trollhattan:

    I think Jean Smart has been in several seasons of Fargo.  This role, as sort of a Joan Rivers comedian, fits her perfectly.  She owns it.

    I normally don’t like Kate Winslet, but everyone was great in Mare of Easttown.

  40. 40.

    NotMax

    @kindness

    “And we won’t have to lay out bucks for new campaign signs and banners, just have to white out the ‘PE’ from the last ones and Sharpie in ‘VA'”
    //

  41. 41.

    Elizabelle

    Ick.  Not gonna spend any time thinking about Trump or his VP pic.  This post should be illustrated by Chester Gould, of Dick Tracy fame.  All the repellent looking villains.

    Straight out of a dystopian comic strip.

  42. 42.

    TBone

    I’m betting it’s Rick Scott because Dotard doesn’t want too many syllables to pronounce.

  44. 44.

    Bill Arnold

    In the Talent competition (or maybe Hopes and Dreams), the candidates should be asked for their opinion about Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. That’s the part about a certain duty of the Vice President:

    Section 4
    Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
    …

    This question needs to be asked by the press as well.
    Trump’s cognitive decline appears to be trajectory such that by Jan 2021, were he and the VP in office, it would be a question openly being asked by many. Voting Americans need an answer before the election.

  46. 46.

    Trollhattan

    @TBone: I would be amused, but only if they agreed to my stipulation: Rick Scott and Trump must exchange hairdos.

  48. 48.

    piratedan

    waiting for the expose when Trump stumbles into the dressing room before the swimsuit competition…..

  51. 51.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @moops:

    Trump is smart to see which VP can bring in the most money.

    This.  The selection this time around will have nothing to do with whatever political boost such a pick might give him.  It’ll be all about grifting the rubes.

  53. 53.

    mrmoshpotato

    This is not a healthy party. But we knew that.

    Yup.  Been true since least the days of Newt.

  54. 54.

    TBone

    Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson turned away from polling station for forgetting voter ID under rules he introduced when he led the Conservative Party.

    😆

  55. 55.

    Jeffro

    @moops: Trump is smart to see which VP can bring in the most money.

    Yeeeeeeup.  Ol’ J.D., probably.  (barf)

  56. 56.

    CaseyL

    The abasement and humiliation the VP-wanna-Bs have to endure makes me smile.

    The fact that they’re willing to endure it makes me very earnestly hope for an asteroid strike on Mar A Lago.

  57. 57.

    eclare

    @Baud:

    Orangutans are very smart.  The story about orangutans in some zoo, IIRC in TX, was that the keepers trained them to clean their enclosure by giving them a treat for every candy wrapper, potato chip bag, etc. the orangutans brought to them.

    Then the orangutans figured out to tear the trash into smaller pieces…

    They are one of my favorite zoo animals.

  58. 58.

    Harrison Wesley

    Trump and Rick Scott?  It would be a race to see who could steal all the money first.

  60. 60.

    Quinerly

    OT.

    Took a little drive over to Las Vegas, NM….the original Vegas….where Teddy Roosevelt pulled from the country side to make up his “Rough Riders.” Home of Armand Hammers’s World College and roadside natural hotsprings where you pull over behind some pickup trucks parked side of the road, take a little walk, and jump in a natural tub with the locals soaking in the middle of the day. Lively conversation for sure.

    Had a nice lunch at a favorite “dive bar” and a HH IPA at the refurbished Castenada Hotel, an old Harvey Hotel by the LV train depot.

    Actually, what I came here to post is this….saw one of the ugliest things I have ever seen in my life behind pictures of Trump, Cruz, and Musk.

    Tesla’s Cybertruck. Up close and personal at nearby Storrie Lake State Park. Temporary plates. Texas. I peeked in. Ugly on the inside too. Who on earth is buying these things?

  61. 61.

    Hob

    @eclare: Smart also had a great supporting role on the HBO Watchmen miniseries, as Laurie Blake the cynical ex-superhero turned FBI agent— wonderful casting, made me literally laugh out loud from pure appreciation when she first showed up.

  67. 67.

    Scout211

    @Quinerly: Tesla’s Cybertruck. Up close and personal at nearby Storrie Lake State Park. Temporary plates. Texas. I peeked in. Ugly on the inside too. Who on earth is buying these things?

    I saw my first Cybertruck in the wild last week in the parking lot of my dentist’s office. The pics have always looked ugly but in person, that truck is fugly!

  68. 68.

    JWR

    BBC just showed me that the UCLA encampment has been completely erased, which I guess means the protest is like so over! (Yeah right.)

  73. 73.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Scout211:

    The Cylon Transport Vehicle.  A Pontiak Aztek with Playstation 1 graphics.

    For people really interested in a comparison of “I Have A Small Penis” vehicles, this one’s pretty good:

    motortrend.com/reviews/2024-tesla-cybertruck-vs-rivian-r1t-vs-ford-f-150-lightning-comparison-test-r…

    I’m not typically a fan of watching videos but this one’s good in terms of how they beat apart the thing but then still rate it higher than the Ford Lightning because ultimately the writers at MotorTrend can’t help themselves.

  76. 76.

    Bill Arnold

    @kindness:
    From a betting odds site (and others seem to agree), here are the top ones:
    Tim Scott 3/1
    Tulsi Gabbard 5/1
    Doug Burgum 7/1
    Elise Stefanik 8/1
    J.D. Vance 8/1
    Ben Carson 9 1
    Marco Rubio 12/1
    Kristi Noem 16/1
    Lee Zeldin 18/1
    Mike Pompeo 18/1
    Nikki Haley 20/1
    Katie Britt 20/1
    Vivek Ramaswamy 22/1

    Also see this, which doesn’t list odds but is updated frequently:
    Who’s the Trump VP Pick? Latest Odds for Every Shortlist Candidate. (Margaret Hartmann, Updated May 1, 2024)

  80. 80.

    Quinerly

    @Baud:

    I walked the little beach area at the lake. Was trying to figure out which of the middle-aged, big belly, White men could be the owner. Lots of fishing going on. LV is not wealthy by any means. Huge Hispanic population. After 30 mins of recon, I gave up and went to The Castenada for a HH beer before driving back. You would have thought a Texan Tesla Cybertruck owner would be easy to spot with my finely, honed skill set.

  82. 82.

    eclare

    @Origuy:

    Thanks!  That looks awesome, I love to watch them climb with the requisite three points of contact.

  84. 84.

    Quinerly

    @Scout211:

    This one was a funny gray. Parked in the shade. I did a double take. Even with my now perfect eyes from fancy surgery last summer, I thought it was some sort of card board box thing that had been spray painted with cheap paint and had weird plastic wheels. Our Ozark will remember the original floats in the old neighborhood’s Mardi Gras Parade in the early 1980’s. They would fall apart a block or two into our neighborhood parade. I immediately flashed on my parading past.

  85. 85.

    Scout211

    Lawmakers announce dog lovers caucus in wake of Noem news

    Bipartisan lawmakers on Tuesday announced the start of a dog lovers caucus on Capitol Hill in the wake of a story about South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) shooting and killing a family dog.

    “In light of recent events, we’re launching the Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus today!” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said in a post on the social platform X. “This group dedicated to man’s best friend aims to foster bipartisan cooperation and will help put paws over politics.”

    The post also featured photos of Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Susan Wild (D-Pa.), alongside Moskowitz, each holding a dog.

    “While Congress might disagree on everything, we can all agree that dogs are beloved companions, bringing us all so much joy,” Mace said in a press release obtained by The Hill. “We started this caucus to champion legislation that protects the rights and well-being of dogs, ensuring they receive the care, respect, and recognition they deserve.”

    🤣🤣🤣

  88. 88.

    Hoppie

    @cope:

    And serious people think we are a species capable of colonizing the galaxy?

    Mike Resnick covered that in Birthright, I would say.

  89. 89.

    Jackie

    @Baud: No women this round. The next round will be the women. Stefanik, Mace, Huckabee-Sanders, Britt… maybe  Nikki Haley…

  91. 91.

    gene108

    Rubio?

    I thought the President and VP had to be from different states. I though that’s why Dick Cheney switched his official residence to Wyoming, even though as President of Halliburton he lived in Houston, when he was Bush, Jr.’s VP.

  94. 94.

    JPL

    @gene108: omg Rubio would resign and move in a flash

    I still think it’s Tim Scott because trump takes pleasure in saying my black. 

  95. 95.

    lowtechcyclist

    @gene108:

    Here’s what the Constitution says (Article II, Section 1, third paragraph):

    The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves.

    So if both candidates on the ticket were from Florida, then Florida’s 29 Electors could only vote for one of them.  All the electors from other states could vote for both.  But that could lead to some interesting calculations in an election that was close in the Electoral College.

  96. 96.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Jay C:

    Not since Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 – FDR had been the VP candidate on the Dem ticket with James Cox in 1920.

    Yeppers!

    Losing VP candidates since have rarely even won their party’s Presidential nomination.  I think Bob Dole and Fritz Mondale are the only major-party exceptions.

  97. 97.

    Jackie

    @gene108: They can be from the same state – and give up their EC votes… OR someone can move to another state. I don’t see Scott or Rubio prematurely giving up their senate seats, AND I don’t see TIFG moving to NY or NJ.

  98. 98.

    Jay C

    @gene108:

    The Constitution only specifies that Presidential Electors from any state can’t cast EVs for *two* persons from their own state: which could (theoretically) lead to a situation where a Presidential candidate could get X EVs, and their running mate only get X – n: though in practice, as  in 2000, the candidates on the ticket “officially” are “from” different states.

  100. 100.

    Almost Retired

    My bitcoin is on Vance for VP – his smarmy loathesomeness makes him a natural.  And he’s clearly campaigning for it –  going so far as pretending he likes hanging out with Donald Jr.  I will never forgive Vance for wasting about 90 minutes of my time trying to read his wretched book before abandoning it when he got to the welfare recipient with the T Bone.

  101. 101.

    Martin

    Apparently this was supposed to be done at the Formula 1 race being held in Miami for $250K a pop for the audience, but the crypto.com sponsors shut it down as violating the terms for the venue.

    When the crypto guys are like ‘ehh, that’s kinda sketch’ you know you’re charting some new political territory.

  102. 102.

    Harrison Wesley

    @Jackie: I dunno.  Scott might bite if Trump offered him coffin space at his NJ golf course.  I mean, it wouldn’t be the first one there.

  103. 103.

    Martin

    @lowtechcyclist: 1) the law doesn’t necessarily prevent them from voting for both, because

    2) the only enforcement is by Congress on Jan 6, and we know how that’s going to go. Probably the same way that a 14th amendment section 3 objection would go.

  105. 105.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:

    I’m not typically a fan of watching videos but this one’s good in terms of how they beat apart the thing but then still rate it higher than the Ford Lightning because ultimately the writers at MotorTrend can’t help themselves.

    I read that article last week and WTFing hell.

    Frankly, I think all three of those vehicles are a fucking bad joke. I was tailgated by a big Rivian the other day and all I could see out of the rear view was that enormous grill. It could eat my Subaru in one bite.

    I sure wish the US would get over its truck and super sized SUV fetish. The benefit of electric is diminished by the 3x weight of these vehicles over a car, you know, those things most of us used to drive.

  106. 106.

    Jackie

    @Martin: I’m hoping the new congress will be majority Democratic on J6. That might not be to TIFG/Scott or Rubio’s benefit.

    Eta: And, I’m REALLY hoping Biden/Harris will be starting their second term🤞🏻

  107. 107.

    3Sice

    He will fail in the attempt to auction the seat. The Big Money won’t play and potentials like Vance are way too transparent in their ambition.

    Pence is predictive in that the selection will have to be dumber than Trump.

  109. 109.

    Baud

    @Jackie:

    And, I’m REALLY hoping Biden/Harris will be starting their second term🤞🏻

     
    That would be swell.

  110. 110.

    RaflW

    @JWR: This seems like the play. I agree that Vance is a bit too smart (relatively speaking) for Trump. Don doesn’t want anyone to upstage him, which is why adoring Pence was the perfect sycophant.

    Tim Scott is just craven enough, yet not quite ambitious enough to stab Trump in the back at a crucial moment (something I wouldn’t put past Vance).

    And once Trump spins Tim as the well behaved, loyal to Trump African American who is the ultimate “sSck it, libtards, he has not just a Black friend, but a Black veep nominee!” rejoinder to the (accurate) accusations of Trump/GOP racism, I think MAGAland will accept Tim’s spot on the ticket.

    One also expects our shitty press to have lots of “Trump can’t really be racist” reactions to a Scott nomination. Ugh.

  111. 111.

    Misterpuff

     

    @Quaker in a Basement:

    I hope he makes them perform stunts for the audience.

     

    Stupid Veep Tricks

    #1 Steely-eyed Stare

    #2 Fly Landing Zone

    #3 Leads Disorderly (Non) Transfer of Power

  114. 114.

    Suzanne

    @kindness: I’ve been feeling like Vance might be the guy, too. Maybe Stefanik, because she’s really mean. Kristi Noem just ruined her chances.

  115. 115.

    Jackie

    OT: It’s funny; most, if not all of us have heard this clip multiple times… it’s crazy that this might be the first time the jury has heard it! Difference between political newsies and “normies!”

    New York Times: “To recap, the jury just heard a very important recording, made by Michael Cohen during the 2016 campaign and extracted from his phone. On the recording, Trump discussed a hush-money payment with Cohen, asking him specifically about the financing of the deal. The payment in question went to Karen McDougal, not Stormy Daniels. Still, the jurors now heard clearly how Cohen reported his dealings to Trump, and that Trump was involved in one of the deals they’ve heard so much about.”

    “The defense has done its best to distance Trump from the hush-money deals, particularly during Keith Davidson’s cross-examination. But primary source evidence is hard to wave away. That recording, from Cohen’s phone, was a doozy.”

  119. 119.

    Princess

    The advantage of Burgum over anyone else is he comes with his own money. And since no one knows anything about him and yet he thought he had the chops to be president, so he’s obviously an egomaniac who likes setting money on fire. Perfect. To me, Vance or frankly Haley would be the most dangerous picks for us but I think they’re both too smart for Trump to want to give them that kind of boost. And Vance has Thiel’s money, but it is Thiel’s money not Vance’s, which adds a complication. Thiel would like to own a president but Trump is probably not his first choice. The ones Trump would probably like the most are Scott and Rubio because they’re the best obsequious butt kissers.

  121. 121.

    Scout211

    @Jackie: And this: Klasfeld Reports Twitter:

    Todd Blanche displays a string of exhibits of Michael Cohen taunting Trump in tweets and retweets throughout April.

    Cohen’s nickname for him, “Von ShitzInPantz,” has entered the public record.

  122. 122.

    Another Scott

    Presumably the only folks interested in being VP to TIFG are people who are praying for him to die in office.  Being the loser VP candidate has very little power to make one P in the future.

    Ford + Dole (1976)

    Mondale + Ferraro (1984)

    GHW Bush + Quayle (1992)

    Gore + Lieberman (2000)

    Kerry + Edwards (2004)

    Clinton + Kaine (2016)

    TIFG + Pence (2020)

    Of course, this election is different with TIFG running again, but it’s still a very heavy lift for a VP candidate to make much of a difference at all.

    Pence-Nome Noem 2028!!1 [ Was red before my edit ]

    :-/

    TIFG is desperate to stay in the news on his terms.  He’ll do anything to try to distract from his upcoming convictions…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  124. 124.

    NotMax

    “I’ll take Places Door Dash Doesn’t Deliver for $1000, Alex.”

    The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory (TAO) officially opened on Tuesday after 26 years of planning and construction. Sitting 18,500 feet high on Mount Chajnantor in the Atacama Desert in Chile, the 6.5-meter optical-infrared TAO telescope is now the highest in the world. Soiurce

  133. 133.

    Misterpuff

     

    @Jay:

    Which VP “candidate” has the best skills at changing a diaper?

     

    Maybe which candidate has lost their sense of smell?

  134. 134.

    Bupalos

    @Scout211: I feel like there could have been a market for an ugly truck that was ugly because it just threw looks out the window because it was so concerned with functionality that it just had no time. In a way, trucks are kind of marketed this way, payload numbers and horsepower numbers and look at it doing this rock-crawling (that you’re absolutely never going to do because you’d scratch the magic ceramic coating on the clear coat because this is actually about preening.) It’s fake, but you could have found the “real” niche there, and maybe created a fashion out of “I don’t care about fashion” kind of thing. There are brands like this.

    But CvpfrTffk has so obviously sweated the visual design elements that the fact that it’s just fugly and awkward can’t be spun back out as a positive. You can tell someone tried hard and a lot of resources were poured into cosmetics and… hole leee fuck!! Like you can tell “this would be much cheaper if it wasn’t supposed to look like this!”

    That’s where it’s not going to work.

  137. 137.

    Scout211

    @Bupalos: The thing that struck me when I saw the cybertruck in person was, it didn’t look like a truck at all.  It looked more like an ugly sedan.  We had to get up very close to it for us to even see that it really has a (tiny) truck bed that you can throw a few things into.  Otherwise, it looks nothing like a truck.  I guess by design.  Maybe.

    So yeah, there’s a market for an ugly truck that looks like and ugly sedan but is super cool, man!  So cool!  

  139. 139.

    MikefromArlington

    Wonder if the vp contestants have like a talent show or swimsuit competition like in trumps miss America days

  142. 142.

    Brachiator

    @oldster:

    I hope they had to do all of the events in the pageant — the talent show, the swimsuit walk, the part where they share their hopes and dreams.

    I wonder which one will win the Miss Congeniality award?

    The Republicans have gone overboard in deferring to Trump. They are doing everything they can to ensure that he is happy and are not giving any consideration to the future of the GOP.

    The sole requirement for the Trump VP pick is obedience.

  143. 143.

    Brachiator

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    I sure wish the US would get over its truck and super sized SUV fetish. The benefit of electric is diminished by the 3x weight of these vehicles over a car

    But the main issue here is the weight of the battery. EVs need lighter batteries, greater range and more charging stations before they will truly make a difference.

    When I was on vacation on Texas and Oklahoma, I saw a lot of practical sized SUVs used to haul families, along with trucks of all sizes.

  147. 147.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Martin:

    When the crypto guys are like ‘ehh, that’s kinda sketch’ you know you’re charting some new political territory.

    Truth!

    It’s a pity that’s a bit long for a rotating tag.

  148. 148.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Martin:

    1) the law doesn’t necessarily prevent them from voting for both, because

    2) the only enforcement is by Congress on Jan 6, and we know how that’s going to go. Probably the same way that a 14th amendment section 3 objection would go.

    Or the way the emoluments clause has already gone.

    They’re quickly turning the Constitution into just another piece of paper.  Not good.

  149. 149.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Sure Lurkalot: ​
     

    I sure wish the US would get over its truck and super sized SUV fetish. The benefit of electric is diminished by the 3x weight of these vehicles over a car, you know, those things most of us used to drive.

    Indeed.

    My odd thought here is, don’t allow people to drive anything that big without getting a bus driver’s license. That would at least make potential monstermobile owners ask themselves if it’s worth the hassle.

  153. 153.

    Another Scott

    @Sure Lurkalot: @lowtechcyclist:

    I blame Section 179:

    Are you a business owner looking to add a new Ford vehicle to your fleet? Our team at Sarchione Ford Randolph wants to introduce you to Section 179 of the current IRS tax code. Qualifying vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) exceeding 6,000 pounds may be eligible for full depreciation during the first year of ownership when used solely for business purposes. This can significantly lower your tax liability and save your business thousands of dollars. Below, you’ll find additional information related to Section 179 along with a list of which Ford trucks qualify for Section 179. Let’s get started!

    Why would a business buy a 4000 pound GVW truck when they could write a huge amount off their taxes by getting a 6000 pound GVW one instead??

    Since one can also write off luxury SUVs that weigh over 6000 pounds via the same mechanism, I’m willing to bet that wannabe MotUs that set up a one person LLC are doing the same thing.

    There are too many pathological things in the tax code that need to be done away with – this is one of them.

    Grr…,
    Scott.

  157. 157.

    artem1s

    @Scout211: ​ 

    I still have my money (Monopoly money, that is) on J.D. Vance.

    more important to TIFG Theil has his money on Vance. This is definitely going to the highest bidder.

  160. 160.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @JPL: I don’t see TFG going with a black guy. I’m guessing they’ve done some polling/focus group stuff and Scott would probably lose him more votes than he would gain. I would say JD Vance but he’s not exactly central casting for a Veep. Also mainstream GOP thinking might be that Vance as Veep might help defeat Sherrod Brown in Ohio with GOP GOTV. He would go with Burgum but he’s so weird looking. Burgum looks like some 19th century Gothic creature.

  161. 161.

    Mai Naem mobile

    I don’t know if there are any rich Dems in Florida but I would really like to see Biden do a big dollar fundraising event in Florida. It would wind up TFG even more bigly. Maybe celebrities in Miami??

  162. 162.

    wjca

    @schrodingers_cat: His supporters wanted to hang the last VP, why would anyone in their right mind want to be Trump’s VP.

    With appropriate emphasis, the question answers itself.

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