Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

White supremacy is terrorism.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Every reporter and pundit should have to declare if they ever vacationed with a billionaire.

No one could have predicted…

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

It’s a good piece. click on over. but then come back!!

Usually wrong but never in doubt

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

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

Peak wingnut was a lie.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

Republicans firmly believe having an abortion is a very personal, very private decision between a woman and J.D. Vance.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: The Future’s *So* Bright…

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: The Future’s *So* Bright…

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Vice President Kamala Harris is the only White House hopeful who has qualified to compete for the Democratic presidential nomination, the Democratic National Committee said in a statement on Tuesday.

Although no other major Democrat had indicated any plans to challenge Harris, the DNC’s announcement officially clears the path for the vice president to seek her party’s nomination uncontested, just nine days after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and created a vacancy at the top of the ticket.

Harris will now face a vote by the party’s national convention delegates, who will officially ratify the nominee in a new online voting procedure adopted by the party last week. Voting will begin Thursday and will conclude on August 5, the release said. Votes for anyone other than Harris will be tallied as “present.” According to an Associated Press survey, Harris was the overwhelming choice of convention delegates to replace Biden as the party’s standard-bearer and face Republican former President Donald Trump on the ballot in November.

Under party rules, a candidate qualifies to compete for the nomination by submitting a notarized declaration of candidacy, meeting legal requirements to be president and securing the electronic signatures of at least 300 delegates, with no more than 50 signatures from any one delegation counting toward the 300 minimum. The DNC announced that 3,923 delegates had petitioned to nominate Harris.

Despite the early vote to select a nominee, delegates will still convene as planned in late August at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The party will convene a ceremonial state-by-state roll call vote on the convention floor, followed by acceptance speeches by Harris and her soon-to-be-named running mate…

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: The Future's So Bright...

(Jack Ohman via GoComics.com)

Reader Interactions

427Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    Under party rules, a candidate qualifies to compete for the nomination by submitting a notarized declaration of candidacy, meeting legal requirements to be president and securing the electronic signatures of at least 300 delegates, with no more than 50 signatures from any one delegation counting toward the 300 minimum

    What about signatures from a bunch of jackals?

    Asking for a friend.

  5. 5.

    Suzanne

    Dark horse VP pick: Luke Skywalker.

    Mark Hamill is one of my favorite public figures.

  6. 6.

    Tony Jay

    @Baud:

    The VP Slot is still unfilled. We just presumed you’d been staying off the Intertubes while the Fraternity of Humourless Suits (Democratic Ward) probed your pantsless past for indiscretions.

  7. 7.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Tony Jay:

    We just presumed you’d been staying off the Intertubes while the Fraternity of Humourless Suits (Democratic Ward) probed your pantsless past for indiscretions.

    We can’t brag about them if we don’t know what they are.  Sometimes Baud!?’s legendary modesty is a detriment.

  8. 8.

    Chief Oshkosh

    I am told that VP Harris will officially start her campaign, with running mate, next Tuesday in Philly. That suggests to me that her choice for running mate will be Shapiro, but who knows.

  9. 9.

    WereBear

    Mr WereBear has been staying up too late bingeing on all the good news. He’s been put to bed with his favorite hugging cat, and I hope not to see him for hours now.

  10. 10.

    Gin & Tonic

    I normally think editorial cartoons should follow the “less is more” credo, but that Ohman cartoon, which throws in everything but the kitchen sink, had me LOL’ing. Particularly like the jackboot on TFG.

  14. 14.

    sdhays

    @Gin & Tonic: The only thing I don’t get is Vance’s shirt, like he’s an actual hillbilly or something. Not the writing on it – that tracks.

  17. 17.

    Lyrebird

    @Chief Oshkosh: That suggests to me…

    @WereBear: I thought the campaign spokesperson specifically cautioned not to read too much into the location, right?  There was a Bsky tweet thing last night.  So I think it is NOT a PA based person, but could be an AZ based person… or MN or wherever in the galaxy eh?

  20. 20.

    Suzanne

    @Chief Oshkosh: Then apparently someone with her campaign said something like, “Don’t read too much into that”, referring to the fact that she’s going to be in Philly. So who knows.

    Some commenters here (and none of that “valued commenter” snark bullshit) have totally valid criticisms of Shapiro on the school vouchers issue. I will say that I don’t believe he’d have anything to do with that as VP. I think he’d be a good pick, even if he isn’t my first choice.

  23. 23.

    zhena gogolia

    @cain: Yeah, I have to trust their judgment, but Shapiro is my least favorite of the names mentioned.

  24. 24.

    p.a.

    Ah!  A potential DVeep pro-voucher candidate!  I have something to complain about!  I have something to complain about!  I’m back to normal Democratic voter baseline!//s

     

    In all honesty, the Penn gov isn’t my 1st choice, but given the success of K’s rollout, I’ll just trust, & STFU.

  27. 27.

    TBone

    Repost:  I’m much more interested in who will be the new Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General than I am in the Veep pick.

  29. 29.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @WereBear: Being married to a Philly girl, I agree that Philly has all those things, and much more! For instance, Gritty, Swoop, the Phanatic, and Birdy McBirdface – high culture! ;)

    It would be a great head fake to announce in Philly that the choice is Walz (or Kelly or fill-in-the-blank). All the oppo research that the Weirdos will be doing this week would be wasted effort, and the reaction of the Philly crowd would be EPIC.

  30. 30.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: Where do these weirdo freaks come from?

    C’mon, you lived in Misery. You know where they come from. They’re everywhere. In fact, one is sneaking up behind you right now…

  31. 31.

    hueyplong

    @Gin & Tonic: Yes, that comic is vicious. What about “don’t ask don’t tell” on the upholstery?

    That comic should appear here every day.

  32. 32.

    WereBear

    It is true about likeability… though in my childhood I remember being scared of a photo of Nixon and his wife on the campaign trail.

    She had the horse-about-to-panic eyes which made me feel for her, and he was repulsive. And while I could admire John McCain and Eisenhower, their quality is really down and the factory workers are ready to strike.

  34. 34.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Quinerly:

    Never heard of this guy. Where do these weirdo freaks come from?

    https://popular.info/p/meet-the-conspiracy-theorist-and

    Good question, I’d never heard of him either!  One quote from the link:

    Starbuck spoke at length about Tractor Supply’s involvement in Pride events. He argued that “[t]he kind of sex you like is not an appropriate topic for work” and that “[e]vents built around the kind of sex people like to have should not have kids at them”

    If a Pride event is an “event built around the kind of sex people like,” ISTM that that’s true of every wedding.  No more kids allowed at weddings!

  36. 36.

    hueyplong

    @UncleEbeneezer: Won’t and shouldn’t happen, but it would be fun to see her to open the debate with, “Girlfriend, can I give you the number of a better hairdresser?”

    I worry that Randy Rainbow would drop dead on the spot.

  37. 37.

    Quinerly

    I didn’t catch the details. Was in my wake up fog. MJ mentioned that Harris campaign put out an email/press release to big donors saying if they are going to donate, donate now. Something about rules changing for donation amts if a sitting governor is selected for the VP slot. Google gives me no info.

  39. 39.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @sdhays: ​ The only thing I don’t get is Vance’s shirt, like he’s an actual hillbilly or something

    That undershirt is not “hillbilly” wear. It’s called a “wife beater” for a reason.

  41. 41.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Lyrebird:

    @WereBear: I thought the campaign spokesperson specifically cautioned not to read too much into the location, right?  There was a Bsky tweet thing last night.  So I think it is NOT a PA based person, but could be an AZ based person… or MN or wherever in the galaxy eh?

    I’m ready to support Kamala’s choice, even if it’s a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.  Maybe especially if it’s a real small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

  44. 44.

    WereBear

    The ladies on the IHIP News (I’ve Had It Podcast) are living in the MIDST of MAGA and they are pointing out that if Harris had as many marriages/sex scandals as Trump…

    Why? Because it’s all women’s fault. Every time. Somehow.

    Mediocre men get pass after pass. That’s how the world is so goddam weird.

    Trump is their poster boy.

  45. 45.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I beg to differ….Soulard and Benton Park’s Venice Cafe did not have weirdo freaks. I even asked Busty Heart and Tiny Tim when they visited. They confirmed as outside observers.😉

  48. 48.

    Lyrebird

    @lowtechcyclist:

    I’m ready to support Kamala’s choice, even if it’s a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.  Maybe especially if it’s a real small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

    HEE HEE HEE.  Just no Tribbles.  Or Gremlins, since they get water at the debates, right?

  49. 49.

    RaflW

    @WereBear: The campaign has said not to read too much into the location where the announcement is happening. Not sure I believe it, but it could also make sense for Shapiro to do some sort of rah-rah for who ever she picks as a unity move?

    I’m all in for the Democratic ticket, who ever the VP nom is. Is it all perfect? No. Each choice has tradeoffs, and I’m quite unhappy that Harris put out a statement in favor of KOSA, which the right & the tainted judiciary can use to attack LGBTQ people.

    But Schumer (and Amy Klobuchar and others) but the VP in this box, moving a bill now with a bipartisan push that’s too much of a gift to Repubs. There’s work still to do on our Democratic caucus on how to legislate better. But that’s for next year at this point. Onwards!

  50. 50.

    Spanish Moss

    She’s having fun. That’s the thing. And you can’t fake that.

    So true. I am loving all of the clips and quotes from Atlanta, the exuberance is contagious!

  51. 51.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Quinerly:

    He looks like a kid himself in the picture. I looked him up. He has a Wiki page. 35 years old. From Tennessee.

    Yeppers, he looks like he’s not out of college yet.

  52. 52.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Sid: Love the commentary at that link. JD, you had ONE job: Don’t say the word “couch.”

    Reminds me of Fawlty Towers episodes in which Cleese’s character keeps reminding staff “Don’t bring up the war!” to German guests, and then of course does it himself.

  53. 53.

    Lyrebird

    @OzarkHillbilly: It’s called a “wife beater” for a reason.

    Hey Ozark!  Thanks again for your advice the other day.

    The muscle shirt is called that for a classist reason, and yeah I never heard the specific slur that@narya: mentioned, but I was aware of  some of that stereotype.  Not trying to argue, just can’t walk past a good reason to remind people that domestic abuse is committed by people from all walks of life, including people never seen without their white collar or their golf shirt on.  Sigh.

  54. 54.

    TBone

    @RaflW: the debt ceiling standoff crisis is due to rear its ugly head again in January 😡

    https://washingtonspectator.org/peter-thiel-and-the-american-apocalypse/

    Between the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, and the rapid coalescence around Kamala Harris as the presumptive Democratic nominee, everyone’s rushing to update their political calculus. But there’s one recurring thread that haunts us that people aren’t yet talking about: the debt ceiling, which must be addressed once again by January 2nd, 2025.

  55. 55.

    Scout211

    A federal judge in Alabama  on Tuesday refused to block the Biden administration from enforcing new anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ students in four Republican-led states, breaking with six other judges who have said the rules are invalid.

    U.S. District Judge Annemarie Axon in Birmingham in a 122-page ruling, rejected various arguments that the four states led by Alabama made in challenging U.S. Department of Education regulations that say a federal law barring sex discrimination in education extends to gender identity.

    . . .

    Axon, an appointee of Republican former President Donald Trump, said the claims by the states and several conservative groups were conclusory and not backed by court precedent.

    “Although Plaintiffs may dislike the Department’s rules, they have failed to show a substantial likelihood of success in proving the Department’s rulemaking was unreasonable or not reasonably explained,” Axon wrote.

    A total of 26 Republican-led states have sued over the rule, which is set to take effect on Thursday. Six other judges have blocked the rule from being enforced in 21 of those states pending the outcome of underlying lawsuits.

     

  56. 56.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: No, no wierdos at all in Soulard or Benton Park. Except for my son, his wife, and their children. Everybody else is perfectly normal and the Venice is a magnet for them. That’s why they had to put on an Alternative St. Patty’s Day Parade, one for the normal people.

  57. 57.

    Quinerly

    My bet is Walz is the VP pick.

    I think Kelly is out. Chris Matthews insists it should be Kelly. For that reason alone, I say it’s not Kelly.

  61. 61.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    And the boys dressed up in Girl Scout uniforms. (Green for St. Pat’s Day) and got thrown out of the main, downtown St. Pat’s Parade. I was there when it went down (and Jeff actually had hair). Were you?😉

  62. 62.

    Eunicecycle

    @Suzanne: ssomeone on Twitter said Beshear had more security around him than usual. That’s how we knew Vance had been picked. There was suddenly black SUVs around Vance’s house. Our idiot governor tried to say it was normal when asked about it.

  63. 63.

    WereBear

    @RaflW: it could also make sense for Shapiro to do some sort of rah-rah for who ever she picks as a unity move

     
    Yes, he would certainly be there in any case.

    I think this break from the usual frees us up to make new rules. All that “comity of the Senate” crap was a smelly smokescreen.

    Aall her VP picks are being evaluated on how well they can embrace the new campaigning realities.

  65. 65.

    Quinerly

    @Baud:

    CM said no way it is Walz…..something, something, something, “then why haven’t I ever heard of him?” when Rev Al was giving push back and trying to discuss Walz. I have come to loathe Chris Matthews.

  66. 66.

    RaflW

    @lowtechcyclist: That loser (literal, didn’t advance in the primary) isn’t worth the time, but in general the conservative male is always obsessed with sex. So their reductivist thinking is to label queer people by the sex they might prefer to have, rather than the affectional orientation underlying any passions that might manifest.

    I think it’s because straight white conservative men don’t have an affectional orientation. The don’t love anyone. Maybe not even themselves. But they famously all refuse therapy, so here we are, having to vote them down because they act out their loveless lives on all of us.

  68. 68.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Lyrebird: ​Thanks again for your advice the other day.

    I live to serve.
    (as I bow most humbly) (have I mentioned lately how humble I am? I am very humble. in fact it is the first thing most people take notice of. they call me “humble tom.)

  70. 70.

    RaflW

    @Quinerly: I would so love it if Matthews is wrong. He’s an exhausting old windbag. May have been relevant a decade ago, but now? Pffft, part of the ‘wisdom machine’ that reflects my desire to just totally cut the cable cord (a project I’m inching our HOA towards in ’25).

  71. 71.

    brendancalling

    @Quinerly: what a little weirdo. The kid has more product in his hair than Liberace with none of the fashion sense. I’ll bet he fucks couches too.

  72. 72.

    NotMax

    And I see (no link, for reasons) nutball deluxe Glenn Beck is bleating that Harris’ VP pick has been decided and dictated by both of the Obamas.

  73. 73.

    WereBear

    @RaflW: Yes.

    Recently my brother was all, “Why do you get all het up about this?” and I had to explain the many conservative men and boys who didn’t look at me like I was a person.

    And I was supposed to choose one to marry? Hell no. I wanted that stuff from the old Thin Man series.

    He dodged the bullet because she broke a vase over the gunman’s head. They joked and laughed. No one was “the boss.”

    They were partners.

  74. 74.

    different-church-lady

    the more likable candidate wins.

    Biden wasn’t more likable than Trump?!?

  75. 75.

    Raven

    There was a VA event at our local VFW last Friday and there was both a VA LBGQT table and a rep from Senator Warnock’s office. I stopped by both and thanked them for what they are doing. It’s not my dad’s VA!

    https://flic.kr/p/2q6xCbr

  76. 76.

    Suzanne

    @Eunicecycle: Beshear seems fine to me.

    Any of them are fine to me. I have a “heart’s favorite”, but it really doesn’t matter. Just win, baby.

  78. 78.

    Sid

    @narya:

    sorry- I tried to post a link to a photo of James Caan as Sonny Corleone wearing the t-shirt in question. For some reason, it refuses to link.

  79. 79.

    brendancalling

    @WereBear: I might have a cheesesteak today myself!
    I hope it’s Walz, personally. Shapiro is fine, but Walz is a great attack dog, and he does it with a smile.

    Shapiro has Israel and school voucher baggage, as well as that guy who got fired for sexual harrassment (but without a word  about what happened and why Shapiro’s admin simply agreed to settle).

  82. 82.

    RaflW

    @Eunicecycle: Procedural question (to all): If it’s Beshear, how does that shake up Kentucky politics? (I see there’s a Dem Lt. Gov. so that’s at least a relief.)

    For any of the governor candidates, is the expectation that they stay in office but ‘on leave’ till Nov. 5, or resign to campaign full time? Pence did not resign while running nor even after the EC handed him his new job, only on swearing in, I guess.

  83. 83.

    Mousebumples

    @Chief Oshkosh: Reports yesterday from a campaign staffer were not to draw conclusions from the city. But who knows

    Eta – everyone else seems to have beat me to responding, whoops. Apologies for the pile on.

  84. 84.

    WereBear

    @Lyrebird: Brando wore one in A Streetcar Named Desire.

    Playing an abusive man. I think these things seep in and spring up later…

    Like the way the Q people go on and on about reptile aliens in human suits. When I am certain that’s from the two miniseries, V.

    Which was about alien fascists who persecuted scientists. And had a dramatic “peel off the false face” scene.

  85. 85.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: I was there when it went down (and Jeff actually had hair). Were you?😉

    Not for the parade but I remember it happening. Do you remember the Alternative parade? I was the guy who put Sister Winkie and the Scurrilous Monks (who become Scrotumless Drunks) together for it. Afterwards, I remember wandering the streets of Soulard alone and in the dark while still wearing my monk’s robe and people yelling out their windows, “SISTER WINKIE RULES!!!” or “LONG LIVE SISTER WINKIE!!!”

  90. 90.

    SatanicPanic

    I was reading earlier that the right wants to end no fault divorce. They just get weirder and weirder. I’m on marriage number two and I’m very happy. I know why they’re like that – Republican men wants sex maids. But I think most of the men I know want an actual partner and more than a few of us made regrettable decisions in our youths. I’m glad I’m not tied to my first wife forever.

  91. 91.

    TBone

    @brendancalling: I’m having one tomorrow, hubby is going on a DelCo road trip and he always brings them home.  Unless I tell him to get my favorite pizza instead.  Tomorrow is definitely cheesesteak day!  DelCo cheesesteaks are the best and I will fight anyone who says otherwise 😁

  98. 98.

    Quinerly

    @Baud:

    Morning Joe on MSNBC brings him out about once a month now. Don’t think any other show brings him on anymore.

  101. 101.

    charon

    @Lyrebird:

    wife beater relates to the Stanley Kowalski character in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and more generally to lower class immigrant men.

  103. 103.

    Baud

    Harris isn’t going to introduce her Veep in Minnesota since it isn’t a swing state. So even it’s Walz, the rally would be somewhere else.

  107. 107.

    bbleh

    … let Harris introduce herself to the American people and gives them the chance to form an opinion before the GOP can get a chance to define her.

    What still amazes me is (1) they’re NOT defining her, or really doing much AT ALL beyond some standard-MAGA-script stuff — they’re STILL flat-footed — and (2) not only are they not defining her, but SHE’s defining THEM!  Judging from the squealing in MAGA-land, “weird” has really struck a nerve!

    All I can think is, they had been huffing their own exhaust FAR too much, and they simply don’t know how to respond to even the possibility that they’re not gonna win in a walk.

  108. 108.

    NotMax

    @WereBear

    Shot in the arm for the undershirt industry after the bottom dropped out of that market following the release of It Happened One Night.
    :)

  109. 109.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: ​ Same here. I swing by the Venice from time to time* to see Jeff and any of the old crowd who might still be hanging around but of course it’s not the same.

    *usually when I am at my son’s house, he lives just a block away.

  110. 110.

    matt

    @Sid: Me too! I was good with Kelly until I read something about how he’s not comfortable attacking and likes to talk about kitchen table issues. This isn’t that kind of election. Shapiro isn’t near the center of the party on I/P and I think he needs to bake a little bit before he’ll be ready for the national stage.

  112. 112.

    Butch

    Anyone else notice that the same old white guy pundits who predicted abortion would fade as a campaign issue are now saying that the Harris “honeymoon” will be over in a couple of weeks?  It seems they are incapable of learning.

  113. 113.

    Eolirin

    @RaflW: We cannot afford to lose PA, because GA and NC cannot be trusted to not fuck with the process, and Harris is behind there the most of all the swing states.

  116. 116.

    Lacuna Synecdoche

    Ragnarol Lobster via Anne Laurie@ Top:

    Really funny watching all these sour faced conservatives mean mugging at every mention of VP Harris’ name

    For 25 years now, the unsubtle subtext at Fox News has been Democrats Are Weird. And now these assholes are complaining because Democrats turned it around on them and made the subtext text?

    Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-hah!

  118. 118.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    I am surprised Jeff is still functioning. I guess Chad is his “handler.” I get most of my Venice updates from Sarah Jane and Sam. Pretty sure you know them. I’m trying to get them out for a visit.

  121. 121.

    matt

    @bbleh: Their best shot was stuff like ‘far-left California communist’, which if you think about it means ‘weird’, so the ‘weird’ attacks serve as some pre-emption, among other things.

  124. 124.

    EarthWindFire

    @Suzanne: This. Beshear’s a nice guy with negative charisma to balance out Harris’ off the charts charisma and snark. But all of them have their strengths and weaknesses.

  125. 125.

    Jeffro

    @Quinerly:I think Kelly is out. Chris Matthews insists it should be Kelly. For that reason alone, I say it’s not Kelly.

    ha!

    he’s a reliable indicator of what not to do, that’s for sure

    I am SO PSYCHED for this ticket, whomever the pick is. =)

  128. 128.

    Dave

    @bbleh: Maybe this is the moment when their juggled BS fever dream fueled by cruelty and hubris finally collapses (for now at least) turns out there is more ruin in whatever you want to call MAGA/Trump/The modern GOP than I would have anticipated but it’s possible the stars align this continues and Democrats continue to out perform polls.

    15% or 20% chance maybe, I do expect that the puke funnel and a dull conventional media will get itself together, but this a moment that could be pivotal.  Someone described Biden as COVID PTSD’s sin-eater and that means the timing of everything may have worked out perfectly. We’ll see but I’m certainly enjoying the optimism

  130. 130.

    catclub

    @matt: ‘far-left California communist’,

     

    The base believed that nancy pelosi was a communist.

    I am not sure normies did. The Nancy Pelosi who is quite wealthy and her Husband is very very wealthy?

    That Nancy Pelosi?

  131. 131.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @lowtechcyclist: Agreed.  The VP doesn’t run the show, the President does.  Nobody on the list is even close to a deal-breaker to me.  Feels like people are just preemptively trying to find something to be mad about.

  132. 132.

    narya

    @bbleh:

    All I can think is, they had been huffing their own exhaust FAR too much, and they simply don’t know how to respond to even the possibility that they’re not gonna win in a walk.

    I don’t think they ever intended to get all the votes–they’ve expected a close-enough election in the swing states to cheat (not certifying the vote, challenging votes/voters, etc.) and throw sand in a few carefully selected gears. A huge turnout (which is what massive interest, volunteers, etc. may portend) has the potential to disrupt that. Also too: I think they think Dobbs doesn’t matter.

    ETA: cleanup

  134. 134.

    p.a.

    Perhaps part of the “Rethugs flat-footed in response to Kamala” reality is that they haven’t really been good at this stuff all along without the help of a compliant, fucking lazy MSM and flobberworm Dem responses.  Well, trad media is more and more passé and some Democratic pols now know how to strike back.

  137. 137.

    Mike E

    @WereBear: I remember being scared of a photo of Nixon

    Billy West who voiced Nixon in the 31st century animated series Futurama (among a dozen other characters) recalled seeing him when he was a kid and thinking, “this guy could be a werewolf” and incorporated an “ah-roooo” in his portrayal. Hilarious.

  142. 142.

    Sean

    @Quinerly:

    Susquehanna had her up 4 in PA in their poll yesterday. They’re like a B- pollster, so that’s not a horrible result.

    Fox has her up 2 there with the third parties involved and tied on head to head. Wish the Bloomberg poll showed that movement, but she has moved in others, so who knows? The likely voter screens will matter a lot and have pollsters adjusted to the new reality of what a “likely voter” might be this year? It won’t be easy.

  143. 143.

    Dave

    @matt: I’m really hoping for Walz myself; he seems perfect for the moment.  Strangely enough he does increase the diversity of the ticket. Teacher, senior enlisted, not from an Ivy League comes off as safe and kind but not a pushover.

    And not a milquetoast centrist that is afraid of his policy successes.

  144. 144.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @rikyrah: Only Megan could pull off a pantsuit with a crop top to show off her mid-riff.

    Too bad the audio feed on PBS, where I was watching had major issues so the sound for Megan and first part of VP Harris’ speech was shit.

  146. 146.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Quinerly: ​ I guess Chad is his “handler.”

    As much as anybody can be. My son (and others) have semi regular “run-ins” with Jeff over how things should be done.

  147. 147.

    rikyrah

    Terry Lee Watkins Jr. 王瑞民 (@TerryWatkinsJr1) posted at 5:41 PM on Tue, Jul 30, 2024:
    Here are 5 fields of mistruths used against Kamala Harris, revolving around her record as AG and DA. I will post each video under.

    1. Marijuana
    2. DNA Testing
    3. Truancy
    4. Prison Labor
    5. Banking

    In order to download plug in the video URL here.
    https://t.co/dme2amil6b https://t.co/zjce2hfJE4
    (https://x.com/TerryWatkinsJr1/status/1818416547716587794?t=g_MHy5sMe_myXeGi-Nc39Q&s=03)

  151. 151.

    TBone

    @NotMax: I haven’t cut the watermelon yet because the heirloom cantaloupe was riper.  It is so candy sweet and juicy you have to eat it over the sink like a peach!

    I will cut the watermelon tomorrow when I don’t have to cook anything else because hubby is bringing cheesesteaks home.  So I can focus on the BBQ sauce and my cubed watermelon & feta salad with fresh mint leaves.  It sounds weird but it is very delicious.  I will let you know how the BBQ sauce turns out – I have a rack of ribs I’m planning to use it on in combo with my new favorite dry rub (Hank’s brand).

  153. 153.

    Dave

    @zhena gogolia: Oh absolutely true that something I appreciate about her; I like them as a team because I think they would work as presentation and I really like what I’ve seen of Walz.

    I’m not going to be upset if it’s not him.

    Never had strong feelings about Harris one way or the other but that’s fine I wasn’t her target audience and as middle aged straight dude I probably shouldn’t be (not that she can’t and doesn’t appeal to me it’s just not aimed at me).  A lot of my fellow cohort is freaking out that we aren’t the be all and end all anymore but I’m hoping there will be a growing contingent that adapts to a changing world. Just very happy about the current enthusiasm.

    Like so many others I was concerned that any attempted transition was going to go sideways so I’m very excited it’s played out this way.

    Edited this comment basically 60% of it has been added.

  156. 156.

    catclub

    @narya: All I can think is, they had been huffing their own exhaust FAR too much,

     

    If you ask Trump whether Seattle right now is smoking rubble from being destroyed by BLM protests 4 years ago, he will say yes. Also Minneapolis.

  158. 158.

    p.a.

    If we are going to cite polls, and you have the info, pls be specific: registered voters? think twice before posting;  likely voters? postable; online poll? no, just no.😉

  164. 164.

    Tony Jay

    @Frankensteinbeck:

      Sometimes Baud!?’s legendary modesty is a detriment.

    ‘Baud’s Legendary Modesty’ is a cracking euphemism, and also what Robert Smith originally wanted to call ‘The Cure’. True story? Maybe.

  165. 165.

    rikyrah

    @Quinerly:

    My bet is Walz is the VP pick.

    I think Kelly is out. Chris Matthews insists it should be Kelly. For that reason alone, I say it’s not Kelly

     

    Santa Claus has grown on me. Snuck outta nowhere.

     

    Imma say it again..

    NO SENATORS!

    JUDGES

    JUDGES

    JUDGES

  167. 167.

    cain

    @Dave:

    It’s the teacher part, plus a teacher in Native indians lands (I refuse to call it reservation) – that’s pretty awesome.

  169. 169.

    RevRick

    @Jeffro: The campaign keeps saying that Kamala is looking for someone with executive experience, which likely points to a governor. Kelly was a naval captain, which barely qualifies. My governor, Shapiro, has a question hanging over his head regarding his former chief of staff, who was forced to resign over sexual harassment accusations leading to a six-figure settlement.

  170. 170.

    Quinerly

    @OzarkHillbilly: I severed my relationship/friendship with the place in 2020 over how Red was treated by Jeff and Liquid Gold. Never even went over to say good bye to Jeff. I do quietly follow Venice’s FB page. Mostly out of curiosity. That chick in charge of social media posts a lot.

  172. 172.

    Dave

    @cain: I agree that’s probably the biggest of those for me, though I do think the perspective of the enlisted has been missing at the upper levels, it gives the impression that he is a real mensch if I’m allowed to borrow that phrase and able to take a wider perspective.

    Almost a political Mr. Rogers vibe but with a little more hidden edge.

  174. 174.

    206inKY

    I love that “we’re not going back” seems to be getting picked up by everyone. Megan Thee Stallion and Quavo are a BFD but even more pandemonium will break out when we see whatever Taylor Swift has up her sleeve.

    One unexpected consequence of the messaging is that I’ve had Fleetwood Mac perpetually stuck in my head these past several days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i3ZfrVY9iU

  175. 175.

    Old School

    WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris will campaign with her running mate in western Wisconsin next week as part of her first battleground state tour as Democrats’ presumptive presidential nominee.

    Harris and her future running mate, expected to be announced early next week, will travel to battleground states “to campaign to the voters who will decide this election,” according to the Harris campaign. A campaign official confirmed the trip “will include a stop in Western Wisconsin.”

    A spokesman for the Harris campaign did not say which day or where Harris and her vice presidential pick will stop in the western part of the state. But Harris is expected to hold her first rally with her running mate Tuesday in Philadelphia.

  177. 177.

    Sean

    @p.a.:

    Apologies, I couldn’t find the link directly to the poll.

    SP&R on X: “BREAKING NEWS: SP&R today releases its latest Pa poll in the race for POTUS. It shows Harris w/ narrow 4-point lead within the poll’s +/-4.0% MOE. Field Dates 7/22-7/28; sample size 600 LV. https://t.co/Xi6XISxRMO” / X

    Susquehanna is a 4 pt lead w/ 600 LV sample

    Fox is RV – 1,034 sample +2 Harris with 3rd parties – tied head to head

    Fox News Poll: Harris, Trump tied in Pennsylvania | Fox News

  178. 178.

    Quinerly

    @rikyrah: I am all over Walz…actually, think he’s kinda hot. Something about the Midwestern coach demeanor.

    I probably stayed in St. Louis too long….but I digress.

  181. 181.

    narya

    @rikyrah: Ding ding ding! on the judges. Harris will want to continue doing that, and she knows the Senate is already tough sledding this year.

  182. 182.

    Soprano2

    I just listened to a good program On Point did about JD Vance and his connection to these weird, nutty billionaires who think democracy has failed and people like them need to be running the world. It’s well worth a listen if you have the time, because they treated it seriously. It should be available on their web site and podcast feed by tomorrow. This is the kind of reporting we need to reward.

  186. 186.

    Eolirin

    I think Tester may be the biggest fight this election, and we desperately need that seat so I’m really hoping we see the same systemic polling miss we’ve seen in other elections lately there. He’s close enough that that’ll give him a very narrow win, but that’ll be all we need.

    I think FL and TX are probably out of reach of a miracle with the rest of the court cases against Trump shut down.

  188. 188.

    RevRick

    @rikyrah: Senators in states with a Democratic governor and a good replacement bench are okay by me. Arizona has a Democratic governor, but there’s a question mark around the bench.

  189. 189.

    206inKY

    @Frankensteinbeck: Dear reader, I snorted at this comment. (B/c I forgot too!! How are all these things coming into focus again?? I cannot wait to purge from my brain all worries about TFG returning to power ever again.)

  190. 190.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @bbleh:

    they’re NOT defining her, or really doing much AT ALL

    The press has been doing Trump’s campaign for him.  He just rambles and vents and the press beats up Biden.  No, conservatives can’t do their own campaigning against Harris.

    The press was really caught flat footed.  I remember the… half hour?  Hour?  Between Biden’s resignation and his endorsing Harris.  They were giddy over the idea he would shiv her and Democrats would be consumed by infighting.  It takes time to build a new Narrative and right now they’re stuck with “Who could have foreseen Democrats would be in array?”

  193. 193.

    MomSense

    @Lyrebird:

    I am picturing the whole group of candidates showing up to celebrate the ticket in a happy show of unity and purpose.

  195. 195.

    Anyway

    @TBone:

    Repost:  I’m much more interested in who will be the new Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General than I am in the Veep pick.

    Cart. Horse :-)

  197. 197.

    Soprano2

    @SatanicPanic: I think that’s a tell that they know it’s work to hold onto a good wife, and they don’t want to work that hard at it. They want to trap the woman in the  marriage. Wanna bet they make it easy for a man to file for divorce, but hard for a woman to do the same?

  199. 199.

    Geminid

    @Eolirin: I do not count Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell out in Florida. As the former U.S Representative points out, Rick Scott has won each his three races by less than 1 percentage point, and has never run in a Presidential year. Plus, Florida Aanortion rights ballot initiative is polling well and could have coat tails.

  202. 202.

    RevRick

    @zhena gogolia: Mrs Rev signed up to do 200 to PA voters and she has 25 to go. With my essential tremor I’m useless that way, so I’m in charge of doling out the largesse.

  204. 204.

    K-Mo

     

    @RaflW:   There are all these hangers-on / old guard types (Carville, Matthew’s, Brazille) who seem so irrelevant

  206. 206.

    TBone

    @Mike E: ooohhh, hoagies done correctly are just…ooohhhh!  We have a place here in central PA in the next town over that we drive 1/2 hour one way to just because they get rolls delivered from South Philly every morning.  Their hoagie is close. Almost a substitute.  Their cheesesteaks are not even close though.

  207. 207.

    RaflW

    @Soprano2: What I read was that the P25 plan is to end no-fault divorce, but not reinstate alimony. Obviously, in aggregate women’s income potential is higher now than 20-30 years ago, but since other P25 agenda items mess with that, too, the goal is to economically trap women in addition to ending ‘easy’ divorce.

  210. 210.

    RaflW

    @Soprano2: Sooo many reasons for confiscatory tax rates. This country would be much better off with those assholes paying 50% of more — and no giant loopholes. It would defang them a bit, and fund all the stuff the deficit scolds want cut.

  211. 211.

    TBone

    @NotMax: in my world, hoagies are always cold and grinders are always toasted so the cheese melts and the roll flavor deepens.  No self respecting DelConian eats “subs” ever.

    ETA general PSA:

    Boarshead brand meats are under recall right now!  No real hoagie contains it, because Genoa salami and sopressata and capicola.

  215. 215.

    TBone

    Three attempts over two days to kill Spotted Lantern flies:  FAIL

    Those bastards are QUICK.

    😳😖

  222. 222.

    Harrison Wesley

    If Shapiro is the pick,veep debate would be great World Wrestling gig. Coucher vs Voucher.

  223. 223.

    Citizen Alan

    @WereBear:

    And while I could admire John McCain and Eisenhower

    I found almost nothing remotely admirable about John McCain. His sole claim to having any sort of ethical character stemmed from his status as a POW who survived torture with enough poise to not actually defect and start making propaganda videos for the North Vietnamese. But other that that, he was a fail-son who should have been grounded long before he was shot down and captured (and IIRC, he was hotdogging and off-mission when he was shot down). He came back to the US to abandon his faithful wife in favor of his rich mistress whose family financed his first campaign. He evaded censure over the Keating 5 scandal because he got ahead of it and “apologized” and our worthless media ate it up.

    In his political career, he did exactly three things that were worthy of respect: (1) He was part of McCain-Feingold, even if the corrupt SCOTUS overturned it, (2) he (hesitatingly, haltingly, but earnestly) told a racist old bitch that Obama was not a Muslim terrorist but was a decent family man and was videoed doing so, and (3) He voted to save the ACA, even if I still believe he was motivated more by sheer spite towards Trump than any decent motives.

  228. 228.

    Leto

    @TBone: down in Royersford we saw a lot more of those little bastards. They were just frigging everywhere. Avalune and I would spend considerable time on our walks just stomping them out. They’re somehow not quite as invasive where we are now. I spotted one last week on the back fence and was able to amble over and squish it. But yeah, spotted lantern fly is the devil!

    Quick tips for smooshing: if you can approach them head on, it’s the best. They won’t move when you go to stomp. Also in my experience, they have about 2-3 hops before they can’t hop anymore. Just be patient, track, kill.

  231. 231.

    Citizen Alan

    @UncleEbeneezer:

    Nobody on the list is even close to a deal-breaker to me.

    Agreed. The only ones I feel iffy about are Beshear (but only because the poor people of Kentucky will slide into the abyss without him) and Shapiro, who has the potential to become a wedge issue over Israel-Gaza if something unexpected happens in that region. At this point, I honestly believe that Netanyahu, the Hamas leadership, and Putin are coordinating to decide how best to stage an international crisis in a way that advantages Trump over Kamala.

  232. 232.

    Old School

    DETROIT, MI — Kamala Harris will bring her presidential campaign to Detroit next week, when she plans to invite her yet-to-be-named running mate, the Democrat’s campaign staff announced.

    Campaign officials said much of the details remain in the planning stages, including which day the vice president will visit and which venue she will host the event.

  233. 233.

    The Other Bob

    @zhena gogolia:

    @Dave: Just want to point out that Harris is also not from an Ivy League school

    Folks from Howard would disagree. Howard, Spellman, Morehouse, and maybe others are considered Black Ivy League.

  234. 234.

    WereBear

    @Citizen Alan: Didn’t say I liked McCain, but the way he corrected that person was impressive.

    I could see the look on his face that he knew he was trapped. He didn’t play to the MAGAs to win. Credit where due.

  235. 235.

    sdhays

    @Quinerly: Why can’t these shitheads just be put out to pasture? Who fucking wakes up in the morning thinking, “I wonder what Chris Fucking Matthews thinks about…?”

    Pulling in ranting guy from street corner would be better since you’ll get the same quality of analysis, but in a more transparent package.

  237. 237.

    Citizen Alan

    @catclub:

    The base believed that nancy pelosi was a communist.

    The base uses “communist” as a place-holder for “n*****-lover.” I genuinely wonder what percentage of the MAGA crowd, if polled, would say they thought Nancy Pelosi was either a Muslim or atheist.

  238. 238.

    WereBear

    @Citizen Alan: I’d add one more point… he could have gotten out of the POW camp, he had trading value from his Navy family. But he stayed until everyone got out.

    I try to be fair.

    But we could sit down with a list of everyone on that stage at the RNC and all of them lack something in their present incarnation.

    They’ve all sold out, one way or another. I didn’t find a single one to be admirable.

  239. 239.

    206inKY

    @RaflW: It’ll be miserable to lose Andy but not a body blow like NC’s situation. His running mate Jacqueline Coleman is fantastic and would become Kentucky’s first millennial governor.

    I think the real downside would be that Andy is in a strong position to take McConnell’s Senate seat. On the other hand, he could lose a close Senate election and get forgotten like some of the other generational talents (Abrams, Beto) who came extremely close in tough races. Beto ran into a buzzsaw in the 2020 primary, but the tsunami of hope that he generated in Texas was real. It’s there in amber in the Running with Beto HBO documentary.

  240. 240.

    Juju.

    @Quinerly: I read an article about him , it may have been the same article, but I don’t remember seeing a picture of him. The interesting thing about the picture of him to me with the article you linked to is how much he looks like JD Vance’s transgender friend. I don’t know if it means anything or not, but it seems with people who have a raging hate for one particular group, that fairly often it comes from a self hating point of view.

  241. 241.

    sdhays

    @The Other Bob: …Black Ivy League isn’t Ivy League. In a good way!

    The point is having people in power whose formative years weren’t spent all in the “real” Ivy League bubble, which can warp one’s perception of the state of the world. Diversity in experience is valuable in any situation, but especially where people are making decisions for the whole country.

  245. 245.

    WereBear

    @ssdd: Oh, yeah. MAGA, but tech is their religion.

    I ran across a video by someone who was working on a bunker project: they all have Armageddon fantasies, no doubt fueled by paranoia of pitchforks and torches when the masses finally rebel.

    He got into a conversation with one of them, where this guy carried on about how after the collapse it would be hard to get good, trained, help. He started fantasizing about using shock collars to keep them out of the supply storage and the consultant eeeeeeased himself out, and kept on walking.

    And it’s not that they are necessarily brilliant, but they are highly motivated by their own egos.

    It’s the remake of Atlas Shrugged.

  246. 246.

    piratedan

    @RevRick: don’t sweat the AZ bench if this comes into play that Kelly ends up being the pick.

    Gov. Hobbs has Congressman Stanton from Phx Metro to pick if she chooses.

    other possibilities…

    if you’re concerned about losing a sitting Congressman, you’ve also got fmr Congressman O’Halloran (who got gerrymandered out in 2022).  Could also select Mayor Kate Gallego (Ruben’s ex) of Phoenix or Regina Romero, the Mayor of Tucson.

    None of those would likely cause an eyebrow raise, Stanton being the most likely to be selected.

  249. 249.

    Sean

    @Citizen Alan: None are a deal breaker for me either, but I do worry about Shapiro simply because the last thing we need to blunt any of KH’s momentum with intraparty fighting over vouchers, Gaza or the recent sexual harassment settlement for his staffer. The media will flock to those stories like moths to a flame and we’ll get endless bullshit written about it, rather than focusing on KH’s upward swing. I’d really rather she avoid getting tripped up unnecessarily or having to rebut these issues instead of getting her message out. But they’re pros, and they clearly seem to know what they’re doing. I’ll be there to support whoever.

  250. 250.

    sdhays

    @NotMax: Too much competition for the unapologetic Nazi view. He doesn’t have the hustle in him, and probably can’t work a computer.

  252. 252.

    rikyrah

    @Citizen Alan:

     At this point, I honestly believe that Netanyahu, the Hamas leadership, and Putin are coordinating to decide how best to stage an international crisis in a way that advantages Trump over Kamala.

     

    No doubt.

     

    And, Shapiro’s being punished because he’s Jewish, IMO.

  253. 253.

    Dave

    @WereBear: Love those guys; my dudes that might last for about a week before your very motivated help figures a way around and then repays that kindness with interest.

    The tech bro version of this absolutely makes me see red. Convinced that a collapse is inevitable and imminent and they might have just enough influence to make that self fulfilling prophecy.

    They won’t enjoy it all if it comes to pass but that entire field is shot through with very intelligent idiots who make the classic mistake of thinking that because they are generally smart and very knowledgeable in small set of things that they must brilliant in others.

    Far from the first group to do this but a particularly aggravating example of it.

  254. 254.

    Nelle

    @Citizen Alan: My husband is sitting you on the same bench.  There was some scuttlebutt about other things he did while a POW, but I’m not familiar with that.  Also, my husband (at the Naval Academy) wanted to be a Navy pilot, but was nabbed by Rickover for the nuclear sub program.  Then McCain lost five planes, while my husband was scuttling around below the ocean’s surface.

  256. 256.

    JML

    Another things about Walz for the non-MN types: he ran his campaign around the concept of “One Minnesota”, while having a platform of a lot of progressive, forward-thinking ideas. It was a pretty effective and unifying technique and he won both of his races for governor pretty handily.

  257. 257.

    WereBear

    @rikyrah: A Jewish friend told me they didn’t want him to be picked.

    “We don’t need that kind of attention right now.”

    Not a vote dealbreaker, by any means. Just… concerned. And I hate that.

  258. 258.

    Harrison Wesley

    @TBone: Yeah, there are places in the Sarasota area advertising “Philly cheese steaks.” I wouldn’t bother trying them.

  260. 260.

    Kent

    @rikyrah:And, Shapiro’s being punished because he’s Jewish, IMO.

    He’s not being punished because he is Jewish.  No one is “punishing” Harris because she is married to a Jewish man.

    People are raising questions about Shapiro because of his very hawkish views on the war in Gaza and and Gaza protests in the US which puts him in conflict with a certain portion of left wing of the party.   I expect if he was non-Jewish and had taken all the same stands (like say a Lindsey Graham) they would be equally skeptical of him.

    Now I would be the first to agree that there is an ugly anti-Semitic strain that has emerged in the American left (or that has been revealed with the war in Gaza).  But I don’t think pure anti-Semitism is what is driving some to question Shapiro.  It is more his positions as governor

    Biden has gotten all the same pushback from the left as Shapiro and he is not Jewish.

  261. 261.

    Martin

    @Harrison Wesley: We have a local place that makes legit hoagies and cheesesteaks. Import a lot of ingredients. You can also get Tastycakes, Utz chips, etc.

    So, I understand your sentiment, but there can be good places outside Philly.

  263. 263.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @Citizen Alan:

    I genuinely wonder what percentage of the MAGA crowd, if polled, would say they thought Nancy Pelosi was either a Muslim or atheist.

    They do not believe she is Christian.  They’re quite open about that.  Atheist, Satanist, I bet a bunch think she’s a Jew, whatever’s their individual poison.  Not Christian.

  264. 264.

    WereBear

    @JML: I feel Walz was the most seasoned, easy to leave his state in capable hands, and he shares some of MVP’s likeability and charisma, though in a different, low key way, as another commenter said about him previously.

    All I know is Harris had a single mom, and even though she was a professional woman that is not easy, as I understand she also spent time growing up in Canada, so there might not have been family support, either.

    Just saying that they both have humble backgrounds for this day and age, and this enhances, not detracts.

    And, finally, he’s a Master Sergeant. I have this mystical fascination with the balance they manage just by being so darn good at what they do.

    I don’t think there are classes for it. This auto-didact has to admire them.

    In case of needing a Witness Protection program, like I’m all dressed up for a cocktail party but get lost and walk in on J D Vance and a couch while I’m filming a TikTok.

    I could be happy in the Twin Cities. There’s Chicago, the Second City.

    But the pizza. Might be a deal breaker.

  265. 265.

    Martin

    @Kent: Exactly this. Democrats don’t benefit from pro-Israel views or policies. Trump is already doing that. Democratic voters are pretty solidly in favor of an immediate ceasefire and transition to a two state solution, declaring settlements illegal, and supporting Israel defensive capabilities. A lot of Democratic Jewish lawmakers make those policy arguments. Shapiro just isn’t one of them.

  266. 266.

    lowtechcyclist

    @NotMax:

    Hoagies or grinders? The eternal dilemma.

    Not being personally familiar with hoagies, I’d always assumed it was just a shorthand for “hot oven grinders” which I ate plenty of when I was living in Connecticut.  So is there a real difference between the two?

    ETA: Never mind, I should have kept reading, the difference was explained. Hoagies are cold.

  269. 269.

    p.a.

    @NotMax: ‘Twas ever thus. Hoagie = cold, grinder = hot.

     

     

    Didn’t know grinder was even used outside RI & some of SE Mass.

    In RI grinder is every sandwich on a long roll, cold or hot.  The best places have the option of soft or hard rolls,  hopefully supplied by local Italian bakeries (they are going downhill a bit tho).  Not a fan of Portuguese rolls.  I find them dry.

    BUT grinder, sub, hero, hoagie, po’boy; it’s all good!

  272. 272.

    rikyrah

    Santa Claus from Minnesota has won me over. Snuck outta nowhere.

    What sealed the deal was his interview with Tapper, when he basically said

    ‘Muthaphucka, please’

    back to Tapper, but did it in that Minnesota Nice way.

  276. 276.

    frosty

    Only 3??? Down here in South PA I can attempt to squish 3 in a half hour just sitting on the porch.

    ETA That was for TBone

     

     

  277. 277.

    BR

    @rikyrah: ​

    Yeah, I can totally imagine Walz doing a literal barnstorming tour across the midwest from PA to WI 50 events in front of 50 barns wearing his camo hat talking about progressive policies.

  278. 278.

    Leto

    @p.a.: you know what I really miss? A good shrimp po’boy. Had a plethora of options when living in Biloxi, Mississippi but just haven’t had them since. A good fresh baguette, hand breaded shrimp, little bit of lettuce and mayo (light!!!)… man, I really do miss those.

    I’m the same as you honestly; they’re all interchangeable terms for basically meat on bread, hot or cold. When I was a child, one of the things my parents did when doing yard work was when the fire would die down (we burned yard debris), they’d make a sub sandwich, wrap it in foil, then toss it in the coals so it’s get all toasty warm. The bread would crisp up, the cheese would melt, everything was just really nice. Good memory there.

  279. 279.

    TBone

    @frosty: thank you! I’ve only seen one single specimen so far, no conflagrations yet!

    If I see a herd of those bad boys, I’m using a flamethrower!

  281. 281.

    Leto

    @TBone: Muffuletta has the issue of simply too much bread. Honestly, it’s just all bread. It’s good in concept, but the bread isn’t as flaky soft. It’s too dense. And the filling to bread ratio is just too skewed to bread. Everything in proper proportions!

  283. 283.

    WereBear

    Also, if you want to contrast with JD Vance… who entered the race with negative likeability… and just keeps digging the hole deeper… I also like Walz best in that category.

  284. 284.

    TBone

    @Leto: in Delco there is a thing called a cheesesteak hoagie.  It’s a grinder.

    Sammies really depend on the locale IMO – there are so many variations depending on where you live.  Po Boys and muffulettas are available down South but I’ve not seen one north of the Mason-Dixon.

    Now I want a softshell crab sammie!

  287. 287.

    WereBear

    I think AOC has stuck the landing:

    “It’s an incel platform, dude. It’s SUPER weird,” AOC answers Vivek Ramaswamy’s attempt to counterpunch.

  288. 288.

    Leto

    @TBone: The Popeyes chicken chain used to serve shrimp po’boys, but a couple of years back stopped. I think it was right during covid. That was as good as I could get, but nothing close to what I had in Biloxi. As far as muffulettas, I think that might be a more specific south region thing. I can’t recall ever seeing them in SC, where I’m from. Again, first time I saw one was Biloxi and I was intrigued by it. Then after having it, stopped being intrigued. :P

  289. 289.

    frosty

    @TBone: It ALL rides on the bread. I don’t know what Philly does differently but the local rolls are what makes their cheesesteaks and subbies* (oops, hoagies) so much better.

    * that was the name we used growing up in York County

  290. 290.

    Trollhattan

    Gazing out the window at the continual departure of firefighting planes, heading to…which fire? Hard to guess.

    Summer.

  291. 291.

    Trollhattan

    @WereBear: I’d sooner scrap with a pissed badger than with her.

    Those are not smart dudes. Think they’re smart and they’re wrong.

  293. 293.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @Trollhattan: Those are not smart dudes. Think they’re smart and they’re wrong.

    It’s worship of money. They’ve been taught that having money proves you’re smart.

  294. 294.

    rikyrah

    @Geminid:

     I do not count Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell out in Florida. As the former U.S Representative points out, Rick Scott has won each his three races by less than 1 percentage point, and has never run in a Presidential year. Plus, Florida Abortion rights ballot initiative is polling well and could have coat tails.

     

    The abortion initiative is the reason why I’m not giving up on Florida this year.

  301. 301.

    rikyrah

    @RaflW:

    @Soprano2: What I read was that the P25 plan is to end no-fault divorce, but not reinstate alimony. Obviously, in aggregate women’s income potential is higher now than 20-30 years ago, but since other P25 agenda items mess with that, too, the goal is to economically trap women in addition to ending ‘easy’ divorce.

    Absolutely the goal.

    Remember what DeSantis did about alimony in Florida, and all those GOP women were like..

    ” but, the leopard wasn’t supposed to eat MY face”

  303. 303.

    TBone

    @Leto: the bread is supposed to be hollowed out before packing the loaf and pressing it.  Like, scooped out first!

    ETA on a true muffuletta, it’s the only way to fit the ingredients in.  The olive tapenade spread moistens during pressing.

  304. 304.

    rikyrah

    @Baud:

    The Vice President couldn’t make it. She offered to do a Virtual Session with them, where they could ask questions. They turned her down.

    On top of that the ‘panel’ supposedly questioning the Orange Menace includes two nobodies without national profiles. and one of the Black people who works at Fox.

    Yeah, the NABJ deserves whatever blowback they get.

    Roland Martin has been on this like white on rice.

  313. 313.

    TBone

    @Leto: you got robbed!

    My first Po Boy was made with fresh caught Gulf shrimp, deep fried in light batter in Galveston.

    Heavenly!

    My first muffuetta was at an Italian restaurant in Galveston run by an Italian family, served on Sicilian style, hollowed out round loaf.  Mmmmm

  315. 315.

    Soprano2

    @Frankensteinbeck:  The press has been doing Trump’s campaign for him.  He just rambles and vents and the press beats up Biden.  No, conservatives can’t do their own campaigning against Harris.

    Boy this is the truth. I think the O-Boys were right when they said we’ve forgotten what a full-on presidential campaign is like. This one was like the 2020 campaign for both candidates – a couple of events a week max. TCFG can’t keep up with Harris. They were counting on the press continuing to beat up on Biden for them.

  316. 316.

    H-Bob

    “The line for the Kamala Harris rally here in Atlanta is all the way over I-75.”   Was Larry David arrested for giving water to people waiting in line?

    @Quinerly: “I am all over Walz…actually, think he’s kinda hot. Something about the Midwestern coach demeanor.”  As opposed to Vance’s Midwestern couch demeanor 🤣

  317. 317.

    Soprano2

    @TBone: This needs to get a lot of press, because these people are not just weird, they’re batshit crazy. How many people would be down with these tech billionaires running the world for them?

  318. 318.

    Kyle Rayner

    Hey, can we throw KOSA into the weird pile? I’m having trouble getting fully on board with the “weird” campaign, but if anything is weird, it’s KOSA.

  321. 321.

    lowtechcyclist

    @p.a.:

    Didn’t know grinder was even used outside RI & some of SE Mass.

    Lots of places in Hartford served grinders when I was there ~50 years ago.  Most of the pizza places also did grinders.

  324. 324.

    BR

    @Kyle Rayner: ​
    Yeah KOSA was an unforced error on the part of the Senate Dems. The problem is they’re all so clueless about tech that they don’t realize what a terrible thing they’ve created with KOSA, and how harmful it will be to the marginalized communities Dems represent. The only saving grace is that it passed with such overwhelming margins that it won’t be a viable line of attack against Harris because a 91-3 vote that she wasn’t even part of isn’t something she can be attacked on.

  325. 325.

    bbleh

    @Frankensteinbeck: fine, let them both fumble.  Meanwhile, the Harris team (= Biden team) seems to have taken full advantage of the situation, both by doing events that (I guess for lack of anything else) the broadcast / print media cover, and by flooding social media and email.  There IS such a thing as momentum in a campaign, although it can fade quickly.

    One thing I’m really hopeful about (hopeful, omg, what is that?) is that (1) there has been a FLOOD of volunteers (along with the flood of money), and (2) the Biden people had the infrastructure in place to channel and take advantage of it.  THAT’s the sort of thing that helps maintain momentum — excitement is contagious, etc. — and will REALLY make a difference come November.  We need to SWAMP the polls to minimize the effects of Republican ratfking, and the ground game is the way to do it.

    Volunteer!  Donate!  GOTV!

  328. 328.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Martin:

    This is something that we really need to get out to the general public.

    Bodycam footage of police officers in Texas investigating school libraries seeking felony charges against the librarians for their choice of books.

    Dafuq?! I knew they’d been talking about this, but I didn’t know anyone had done more than talk.

    You want to get me pissed, go after my librarians.

    Seriously, who’s going to risk working as a librarian if doing so opens you up to felony charges?  This is an attack on the existence of public libraries.

  335. 335.

    Martin

    @lowtechcyclist: Yeah, to see video of it happening, and the discussion from the cops to school officials really drives it home. I know we’re supposed to believe the GOP isn’t serious about any of this stuff, but they’re serious about all of this stuff.

    I would like to see that report FPed for exposure.

  336. 336.

    WereBear

    @lowtechcyclist: First the cat ladies, now the librarians?

    Do little old ladies who bake cookies need security next? The people who knit blankies for the sick? Are they raiding the local quilt shop?

    This aggression will not stand, Man!

  337. 337.

    scav

    @lowtechcyclist: Plus, things nearly write themselves.  Texas Cops! Absolutely first into your kids schools to protect them from ideas, last into schools if protecting kids from guns.

  338. 338.

    Martin

    @Martin: Related.

    State Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters threatened to hold “rogue” public school districts accountable if they didn’t incorporate the Bible as part of their curriculum. Walters made the statement during his opening comments at Wednesday’s state Board of Education meeting in Oklahoma City.
    …
    “We will not allow it here in the state of Oklahoma,” he said. Walters said districts that didn’t include the Bible in their curriculum were indoctrinating kids. Without providing examples, he said those same districts “want pornography in front of kids under the name of inclusivity but don’t want the historical context of the Bible.”

  341. 341.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Martin: No, Lumsberg was a major in the Brigade S-3 shop not a master sergeant.  Non-aviation warrant officers are kind like the master sergeants.  You never see them working but the things they are responsible for are always taken care of.   As a junior officer, those very senior NCOs and CWOs occupy a strange space.  You outrank them, but their knowledge and experience put them so far beyond what you can touch that it’s not even funny.  If they decide they like you, they can teach you a lot and make your life easier.*. If not….  The major is someone you understand and hope not to become.  The others are mysterious creatures who you will never quite get.

    *It is different than the NCOs in your chain of command.  Part of their job is to train their officers, and they take it seriously if the officer is interested in learning.

  345. 345.

    TBone

    @Rabble Arouser: 💙 I like your nym too!

    Check my comment #139 for a short clip on Grittney’s origin story

    London – U.K. election hijinks, Philly style

  347. 347.

    Leto

    @Omnes Omnibus: so the Air Force is finally, after 75 long years, bringing back warrant officers for some specific reasons. A lot of it is about trying to separate the sheer amount of management work that the SNCOs are straddled with, versus retaining more of the hands on technical workforce that we need. The AF is at point where once you hit E5/E6, you’re starting to transition out of hands on work and are being saddled with more management (paperwork) responsibilities. Honestly it’ll be interesting to see how this evolves, and which specific career fields (MOS) they decide to implement them into first. I don’t follow this as much as I used to, but it’ll be worth keeping an eye on.

    Edit: one of the primary factors the AF brass argued against it was 1) we already SNCOs and that filled the need (and that’s part of how we got SNCOs was giving up WOs) and 2) whose billets are these new people being taken out of? Officer or enlisted? Idk how they resolved that.

  348. 348.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Martin:

    Walters said districts that didn’t include the Bible in their curriculum were indoctrinating kids. Without providing examples, he said those same districts “want pornography in front of kids under the name of inclusivity but don’t want the historical context of the Bible.”

    I could teach a Bible course that would make their heads explode. :-D

    For starters, I would teach the book of Genesis, using R.Crumb’s illustrated version as my text.

  350. 350.

    artem1s

    @WereBear: 
    W announced Powell was going to be his SoS to shore up the AA vote in 2000 (both Dems and GOP tried to get Powell on their WH ticket but he wasn’t interested). The PA announcement could mean Shapiro has his eye on a cabinet position and not the VP spot. Hillary did the same in 2008.

  351. 351.

    Old School

    @Martin:

    It’s history!

    “You’ve seen some rogue administrators making comments to the press and so I wanted to address those,” Walters said Wednesday morning. “What we’ve seen some districts, some of our worst acting districts, come out and say they are not going to teach history. They said they are not going to teach the Bible because they don’t want that.”

  353. 353.

    prostratedragon

    @TBone; @Soprano2:

    In the early days of wondering how we were going to survive T-not-yet-FG, someone –I think it was DougJ still around– posted some arcane info of use to Senate rules nerds from “Balletpedia.” This, naturally, proved to be a typo for “Ballotpedia,” but I was momentarily impressed fhat the dance community as a group were so deeply concerned.

    With that I note that critique of the weirdness discourse has broken out in fashion blogging:

    I think the critiqueable assumption here if any is that weirdness discourse in politics has a normative dimension and a context to its deployment as a conscious, discursive strategy that’s missing in menswear

    It’s “othering” a political brand built on othering.

    Derek Guy directs us to this thread.

  355. 355.

    Leto

    @Old School: if they’re not teaching that Jesus was riding a raptor, with US flag and AR-15 in hand, then what are we doing here? Remember, it’s about the children!

  356. 356.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Leto: Non-aviation WOs in the army are subject matter experts and technicians.  Going warrant is good for pay, but also if you are really good at something and don’t really want to push troops.  In my battalion we had two.  A maintenance tech and the property book officer.  One never called LTs sir but always saluted.  The other did the opposite.  It was a small act of rebellion and also a test.

  358. 358.

    Old School

    “Mamala” is getting back to work, as Maya Rudolph will reprise her Emmy-winning role as Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live this fall as the NBC late-night comedy program covers the final stretch of the 2024 Presidential campaign.

    Rudolph’s impersonation of Harris has been so popular, the moment the Vice President emerged as the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee after President Joe Biden dropped out on July 21, fans had been urging her to clear her schedule for an SNL return. And she has.

  359. 359.

    Leto

    @TBone: if it’s the same report that I think Joy Reid spoke about last night, it’s basically that Roberts didn’t bother to try to bring the liberal justices along with the immunity decision. There was no “compromise” being sought among both wings. And this tracks with his actions/decisions since the court has gone 6-3; he’s going further right in his opinions. The Roberts that would side with liberals previously, that version of him is gone.

    Personally, I’m fine with that. Let the mask fully drop. His entire existence has been to dismantle voting rights and deregulate everything he can. We’ve known that. Glad the rest of the stenographers are finally fucking catching up.

  361. 361.

    Leto

    @Omnes Omnibus: yeah, I’ve worked with plenty and know the basic function and role. The idea would be the same in the AF, SMEs but with less personnel management. I can definitely see them in communications, also down on the flight line in aircraft maintenance. But I also know the AF will just fuck it up, because they can’t help themselves. It’s who they are. There will be inevitable creep on everything, and sooner or later it’ll look just like it does now.

  362. 362.

    henqiguai

    Hmmm.  Nothing for Trump telling lies faster than I can say ‘F*uck that lieing muh fuka’.  And the three female journalists on stage with him (including the black anchor from Fox are being rolled right over.

  364. 364.

    Almost Retired

    Mental health be damned.  I’m watching Trump at the Nat’l Assoc. of Black Journalists.  Christ, what a misogynistic asshole.

  365. 365.

    rikyrah

    @Leto:

    Glad the rest of the stenographers are finally fucking catching up.

     

    Thank you for calling them stenographers.

    Because, I will stand 10 toes down that ProPublica, God Bless Them…

     

    SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE ONES TO PUBLISH THE STORIES ABOUT ALL THE BRIBERY AT THE COURT.

    Folks got as their JOBS -covering the Supreme Court..

    and, you’re telling me that they didn’t know all about this shyt?

    will never believe that.

  368. 368.

    Leto

    @Almost Retired: this is an absolute shitshow of him just talking over them, outright lying, at least one of them trying to correct him, and him just continuing to talk over them.

    Lying about abortion now. Lying about abortions AFTER they were born. He’s clowning them.

  369. 369.

    BR

    The reactions to Trump’s interview at NABJ right now are hilarious:

    this is incredible to watch, like a bunch of seasoned eldercare nurses losing patience with an especially belligerent patient

    https://bsky.app/profile/nabelew.bsky.social/post/3kylxg55pxl2q

    I had a buddy who ran into a goalpost at full speed during a football match and gave himself a concussion and he was way more coherent than this guy who wants to be president

    https://bsky.app/profile/nameshiv.bsky.social/post/3kylxkg5q2k2g

  370. 370.

    rikyrah

    John V. Moore (@johnvmoore) posted at 0:58 PM on Wed, Jul 31, 2024:
    White folks performing Not Like Us on various brass instruments to protest convicted felon Trump outside of the Chicago Hilton & Towers y’all. 2024 is officially the wildest Election of our lives @tify330 @mistergeezy @eclecticbrotha @Kennymack1971 @fadyfromchicago @PettyLupone
    (https://x.com/johnvmoore/status/1818707906298089687?s=03)

  372. 372.

    rikyrah

    Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) posted at 1:03 PM on Wed, Jul 31, 2024:
    Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Al Gore have all appeared at NABJ conventions in the past.

    Donald Trump has never attended. Only comes when Fox News is on the panel. Tries to change the rules. And he’s an hour late.
    (https://x.com/keithboykin/status/1818709016731897989?s=03)

  373. 373.

    Almost Retired

    @Leto:  Fortunately, I have to leave now for a meeting, so I don’t have to listen to him anymore.

    But let’s just say his jabs about Kamala Harris failing the California Bar Exam the first time did not land well in my household –  my mixed-race daughter-in-law is taking the California Bar Exam for the first time right now as we speak.

    What an asshole.

  374. 374.

    Martin

    @artem1s: I think PA was chosen because it’s the most important swing state, and for no other reason. Usually if Dems can bring Philly home they got the state and I don’t think any other swing state city is as large. Obama/Biden favored Philly for a lot of things for this reason. A big impact there goes a long way.

    I really think it has nothing to do with Shapiro.

  377. 377.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Leto:

    That was painful. He must have been on speed. I wanted to yell, à la Joe Biden “WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP!?”

  378. 378.

    Leto

    @Almost Retired: I hope it really sinks in with everyone what an absolute asshole he is. Like it should’ve been clear the moment he slithered down the escalator, but I hope this really punctuates the point. Everything he’s saying here is so revolting, just…

    @SiubhanDuinne: preach!

  380. 380.

    Suzanne

    @BR: I am working from home today, and I went downstairs to get a snack, and SuzMom is watching the event on CNN and just losing her mind. She may have just yelled, “WHAT A SHITSHOW” in front of Spawn the Youngest.

    In case you all wondered from where I got it.

  382. 382.

    Leto

    @SiubhanDuinne: the misogyny on display, directed at both MVP and the three moderators, as well as the racism is just… that’s who he is. It’s who he’s always been. It’s vile, it’s disgusting, and it’s good to put that on full display for everyone to see.

  383. 383.

    Lyrebird

    @rikyrah: White folks performing Not Like Us on various brass instruments to protest convicted felon Trump outside of the Chicago Hilton & Towers…

    LOVE IT.

  385. 385.

    Leto

    @Suzanne: Avalune came up briefly to check on me, came in during the abortion portion, and just started yelling at him to STFU, to have the moderators push back on that lie, and then stated, “And this is the problem with trying to debate him. He just vomits out continuous noise and you can’t stop it.”

  386. 386.

    MCA1

    @henqiguai: Any lack of quality followups and holding his feet to the fire for lying or evasiveness doesn’t matter.  His total lack of decorum, his whininess, and his continual insistence on calling any woman who presses him in the slightest “nasty” is all anyone’s ever going to see or remember from this.  Well, that and the people laughing at him throughout.  It’s a complete fall on your face shitshow for Trump.  MAGAts will think he’s giving it as good as he’s getting and love his prickishness; normies will be aghast once again when this stuff hits their social media after being carefully cherrypicked by Harris’ campaign operations.

  388. 388.

    rikyrah

    I know that the Vice President is going to be addressing Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, INC. I hope that she takes the time to  point out:

    Black women are the most educated demographic in the country.

    And, get her team to get the ‘Black Job’ of every woman sitting on the dais, and have her read them out.

     

    Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) posted at 1:26 PM on Wed, Jul 31, 2024:
    Trump’s message to Black journalists and voters is “to stop people from invading our country” who are “taking Black jobs.” (Note the gasps from the audience.) https://t.co/J7qfddpNQR
    (https://x.com/atrupar/status/1818714787624124416?s=03)

  389. 389.

    wenchacha

    @NotMax:  Let’s start a rumor that all along, it has been Jimmy Carter, long-term planner extraordinaire, who is determining Dem policy and appointments. There have been some detours along the way, but Carter put this all into motion after Reagan pushed him from the WH with dirty politics.

  392. 392.

    Leto

    If the audience wasn’t gasping at the racist shit he was saying, they were laughing at the dumb shit he was saying.

  393. 393.

    rikyrah

    Dittie (@DittiePE) posted at 11:29 AM on Wed, Jul 31, 2024:
    So that new website that Georgia rolled out this week allowing you to delete a person‘s voter registration if you have their drivers license or Social Security number and DOB had a fun little glitch on Monday that lasted for about an hour.

    The “glitch”?

    It DISPLAYED the social security numbers, drivers license info and DOBs for everyone registered to vote in the state.

    EXACTLY what Democrats worried could happen.

    An hour is a long time in the tech world. Everyone in Georgia is now at risk of not only having their voters registration deleted, but their identity stolen.

     If you live in Georgia, check your voter registration weekly.

    Congrats @GaRepublicans, you’ve taken weird a step farther.

    apnews.com/article/georgi…

    #DemVoice1
    #DemsUnited
    #USDemocracy
    (https://x.com/DittiePE/status/1818685338916954421?s=03)

  394. 394.

    rikyrah

    Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) posted at 1:54 PM on Wed, Jul 31, 2024:
    I think we’re getting the first view of imploding Donald Trump as he realizes that what was his for the taking ten days ago is slipping away and he’s likely to go to prison rather than the White House. He being dominated and humiliated by Harris and he’s losing it.
    (https://x.com/joshtpm/status/1818721994017587698?s=03)

  395. 395.

    Leto

    @zhena gogolia: personally I think she’d do well. If they have the same type of moderation, she’d do very well. If he’s just allowed to ramble, talk over her, his usual schlock… ofc she said she’ll be there Sept 10th, so we’ll see if the chicken shit shows.

  398. 398.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @wenchacha: Why do think the first Dem President after Carter was a southern, white governor?  Then they snuck in a Black guy.  And now it it all comes to fruition.  Bwahaha!

  399. 399.

    Sean

    He actually said he didn’t know she was black until a few years ago when she suddenly “turned black.” “Is she Asian or is she black?” – Donald Trump

    I mean, jesus christ. Wow. It’s not a surprise, per se, but yeah, great reminder of what a total and complete piece of shit the guy is.

    WaPo reports “audible gasps” from the press corps as the statement was read out loud to press sec. Pierre.

  400. 400.

    Belafon

    @rikyrah: Since every voter was published, someone should loop through the list and unregister everyone. That way, there’s no singling out of any particular group of people by those who were meant to get that list.

  401. 401.

    prostratedragon

    You’d think that crackerjack campaign team of his would have urged him not to do this again, after the last time:

    Trump to Black journalists: “Remember, they’re taking your jobs. These people coming in are taking your jobs.”

    Rachel Scott then ends the interview, saying “we have to leave it there. By the Trump team.”

  403. 403.

    Lyrebird

    @rikyrah: ​ I am not sure I see it the same way Karsh did, the “swipe at the journalist from ABC who didn’t even ask the question.” I think he is trying to be cute. I am POSITIVE that he has no clue how arrogant he is acting.
     
    Very glad the broadcast is getting lots of attention.

  409. 409.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @lowtechcyclist: I swear to Maude that conservatives think about about gay sex faaaarrr more than I, an actual queer woman, does.

    Maybe because their own sex lives are so abysmal.

    Queer joke: When does lesbian sex end? When it’s Monday and we both have to go back to work. (Only half joking…)

  410. 410.

    BR

    Folks should fold Trump’s comment about “Harris became black” into “weird”. It’s not a lie and shouldn’t be “fact checked”, because it’s not even the kind of thing that can be lied about. It’s just weird ramblings. People don’t “become” a different race (assuming we even accept the generally understood concept of race) halfway through their life.

  412. 412.

    moonbat

    @rikyrah: Just chiming in to say a muffuletta from City Grocery in New Orleans is a thing of beauty. Superior to the Italian hoagie because: olive salad!

  414. 414.

    Lyrebird

    @BR: I think he’s trying the crap he successfully pulled on Sen. Warren, though it’s not the same situation.  He got critics Right and far-Left believing that Sen. Warren had used one part of her heritage to get special advantages – sfaik it’s a total lie, but one with legs.

    So I am no kind of communications expert, and you are probably right to suggest leaving that in the big mess of his toxic personality.  I personally want to respond to that particular attack with photos – anyone have a favorite link? – of the adorable little girl with her Afro-puffs.  (wiki link)

    Here’s a t-shirt one with young Kamala, but there are more photos.

  415. 415.

    Lyrebird

    @Martin: good point.  and hey I often disagree with you, but I am 100% in agreement with this –

    Tell her we’re pulling for her, and to let us know when she runs for President so we can do our part.

    (exactly what I wanted to say to @Almost Retired:)

  416. 416.

    Martin

    @BR: Well, I don’t think it’s quite as clear as that. Obama was ‘black’ because it was impossible for society to see him as ‘white’ even though he had equal claim to that label. That wasn’t some decision he made, that was something imposed on him whether he liked it or not. I suspect Harris experienced the same treatment.

  417. 417.

    Martin

    @Sean: LOL. Harris went to Howard. I think she pretty fucking well identified as black when she made that decision. What a racist fucking dipshit.

  418. 418.

    Emily B.

    @rikyrah: Agreed, plus maybe he has legit hearing loss.

    Definitely getting some “Will you kids stop mumbling all the time?” vibes here.

  421. 421.

    Soprano2

    @TBone: It was a long read but interesting. I’ve heard about those crazy tech overlords before, trying to establish their “libertarian states” inside of other countries.

  423. 423.

    Ruckus

    @Raven:

    As a vet who uses the VA I can agree wholeheartedly, it ain’t our dad’s VA. I’ve seen times when I thought that maybe it could do better for ALL vets but it really seems like it has changed into a concept that if you are a vet, you get care, everything else be damned. Overall I’d rate my care at 99%, and that is higher today than in my past at the VA.

  424. 424.

    Ruckus

    @catclub:

    Even if I was willing to speak to his Dumb Ass I wouldn’t ask him anything because his answers are ALWAYS wrong. I’d say it’s because his entire head is located so far up his exit port that all he can see and smell is _ _ _ _. How he stays alive living off of that _ _ _ _, is beyond me.

  425. 425.

    RaflW

    @TBone: This should be the moment to just f–ing ignore it. Lame duck (in a good way) Biden can issue a EO directing all the impacted agencies to just totally blow off any ‘debt ceiling’ shite and in the EO say “Since our Supreme Court has a) said Presidents have immunity when conducting official business, and b) the same Court now routinely says in decisions that Congress “didn’t mean” what laws say in plain text, I as President announce that since a debt ceiling is an artificial limit on spending already authorized by Congress, I hereby authorize all branches and agencies of the government to keep spending.
    Except the Supreme Court. Those guys are broke. Good luck to ’em.”

    Yeah, fantasy. But fun to imagine!

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