Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

Come on, man.

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

Republicans don’t trust women.

Donald Jessica Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

Usually wrong but never in doubt

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Battle won, war still ongoing.

I did not have this on my fuck 2024 bingo card.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

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

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Stay Joyful

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Stay Joyful

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ICYMI:


And we have a great President in the Oval Office right now, too!

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Stay Joyful

(Jack Ohman via GoComics.com)

Reader Interactions

141Comments

  1. 1.

    lowtechcyclist

    Great Ohman cartoon.​

    ETA: First!​

    ETA2: It was a great speech! I’m starting to believe she’ll win.

  5. 5.

    New Deal democrat

    Trump posted a Xit claiming “ Pennsylvania is cheating, and getting caught, at large scale levels rarely seen before,”
    To which Patrick Dillon replies, “Tell me your PA internals without telling me your PA internals.”

     https://nitter.poast.org/mpdillon/status/1851591539236962534

    Probably wasn’t a good idea to insult an ethnic group with 100,000’s of PA voters.

    In separate news, GDP clocked in at a solid 2.8% annualized for Q3, with consumer spending even stronger. This is good news heading in to next Tuesday (but keep your fingers crossed about Friday’s jobs report).

  6. 6.

    satby

    Closing strong this week.

    And though I don’t watch CNN, every time Leah McGowan (@PoliticsGirl) responds to one of the right wingers, it goes viral. Amazing that clear, simple statements / explanations are so popular, isn’t it.

  8. 8.

    Jeffro

    My Fellow Republicans, It’s Time to Say ‘Enough’ With Trump

    by Judge Michael Luttig

    (gift link)

    One week from today, we will decide whether Donald Trump is fit to be president of the United States again. He is not.

    When we entrusted our Constitution and our democracy to him before, he betrayed us. Campaigning for the presidency again, he now promises to exact vengeance against his fellow Americans whom he deems “the enemy from within,” those who have dared to challenge his betrayal, an enemies list that includes Republicans and Democrats alike…

    There could be no higher duty of American citizenship than to decisively repudiate a man who betrayed the nation when he was previously entrusted with the highest office in the land and now threatens the persecution of American citizens who have crossed him. In the almost 250 years since the founding of the nation, no president before Donald Trump has ever so betrayed America.

    All Americans, but especially Republicans, will live with their decision the rest of their lives. This election is anything but politics as usual, no matter how desperately Donald Trump and the G.O.P. have tried to make it that…

    America’s democracy and the rule of law are the only truly consequential stakes in the 2024 presidential election. Yes, there are important policy issues about which we disagree. But that has always been the case and always will be. In this election, these policy differences are comparatively inconsequential, if consequential at all…

    Ms. Harris is the only candidate who can be trusted to honor the president’s sacred obligations to America’s democracy, Constitution and rule of law. The vice president understands and cares about what Donald Trump does not. She calls on Americans to “stand up for the rule of law. For our democratic ideal. And for the Constitution of the United States.” She believes we “have the power to chart a new way forward, one that is worthy of this magnificent country that we are all blessed to call home.”

    America has never heard those words from Donald Trump. And it never will.

    LET’S GO Ds!

  11. 11.

    Jeffro

    fwiw, stories 1, 2, 4, and 7 on Faux News dot com right now are about – of course – the ‘garbage’ comment from President Biden.  They. Got. Nothin’.

  12. 12.

    K-Mo

    Wait, that’s it?   They just peacefully cheered for Kamala and then went home?   They didn’t desecrate our national monuments and attack the cops?   Lame!

  13. 13.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @New Deal democrat:

    Been trying to find Spanish-language articles to read to get a sense of just how big an effect that MSG disaster is having on the Hispanic community. The answer as far as I can tell is “a hell of a lot”. Many point out numbers of Puerto Ricans in important swing states, but one also mentioned that there are 800,000 Puerto Ricans eligible to vote in Florida.

    Unfortunately my Spanish is not good enough to get much out of video. Watched an interview with a professor who I think was saying that he thought the racism of that MSG rally was “calculated”. If so, I’d say it was kind of a miscalculation.

  14. 14.

    Butch

    I’ve never heard of him before, but watching the smug, condescending look on the face of Scott Jennings, is it wrong of me that I really, really want to backhand the guy?

  17. 17.

    TBone

    Getting ready to buckle up again, weed, wine, valerian.  Peaceful but not lax.

    A voter engagement group yet unnamed by Pennsylvania law enforcement submitted batches of voter registration applications suspected of being fraudulent both in York and Lancaster counties. Or about 60 percent of those examined in Lancaster.
    “It is not uncommon, especially in presidential election years, for paid workers of such groups to turn in fabricated applications,” explains Katie Bernard of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
    It won’t matter who is paying the group. Donald Trump will use the episode to declare the election invalid when he loses Pennsylvania next week.
    Bernard deconstructs Trump’s claims…

    https://digbysblog.net/2024/10/30/buckle-up-3/

  18. 18.

    Betty

    With regard to the Biden quote, so much is in the punctuation – supporter’s v. supporters’. One person rather than all Trumpers.

  20. 20.

    dmsilev

    @Jeffro: Dear Fox News, stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen.

    They really are desperate for another “basket of deplorables” moment, aren’t they?

  23. 23.

    satby

    @Betty: Well Chris Cizzila can differentiate apostrophes in spoken words vs simple plurals. He claims the WH “doctored” the read out by putting an apostrophe in. The mockery is intense. I love that for him.

  24. 24.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @dmsilev: They really are desperate for another “basket of deplorables” moment, aren’t they?

    Also, too, a Sister Souljah. Democrats are actively encouraged to  disparage those perceived as their own constituencies while Republicans can never be the subject of even minor criticism without it being a major uproar about the scandalous attack on their way of life.

  25. 25.

    satby

    @Betty: Well Chris Cizzilla can differentiate apostrophes in spoken words vs simple plurals. He claims the WH “doctored” the read out by putting an apostrophe in. The mockery is intense. I love that for him.

  26. 26.

    Scout211

    President Biden has clarified.
    Joe Biden X

    Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation.

  27. 27.

    JiveTurkin

    @Scout211: If you have to explain you fucked up.  Bit of an own goal, but I can’t imagine it meaning anything.  Might rally his supporters slightly, but also might reinforce the remarks at the Trump rally, and not just the comedian’s remarks.

  29. 29.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @dmsilev: They really are desperate for another “basket of deplorables” moment, aren’t they?

    Also, too, a Sister Souljah. Democrats are actively encouraged to  disparage those perceived as their own constituencies while Republicans can never be the subject of even minor criticism without it being a major uproar about the scandalous attack on their way of life.

  31. 31.

    New Deal democrat

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    the racism of that MSG rally was “calculated”. If so, I’d say it was kind of a miscalculation.

    I would bet that the MSG organizers didn’t realize the Puerto Ricans are all American citizens, all of whom on the mainland have the right to vote.

  32. 32.

    hueyplong

    @JiveTurkin: No, it doesn’t mean he fucked up.  FoxNews will turn literally anything said by a Democrat into an offense to their patriotic viewers.  This has been true for decades so it’s ok to catch on.

  34. 34.

    Jeffro

    oh

    you don’t say

    Companies Ready Price Hikes to Offset Trump’s Global Tariffs if He Wins

    (where was this reporting for the entire past year??!?)

    Across the United States, companies that rely on foreign suppliers are preparing to raise prices in response to the massive import tariffs that former president Donald Trump promises if he wins the election Tuesday.

    Producers of a range of items, including clothing, footwear, baby products, auto parts and hardware, say they will pass along the cost of the tariffs to their American customers.

    The planned price increases next year would come as consumers are beginning to enjoy relief from the highest inflation in four decades and directly contradict Trump’s repeated assurances that foreigners will pay the tariff tab.

    “We’re set to raise prices,” Timothy Boyle, chief executive of Columbia Sportswear, said in an interview. “We’re buying stuff today for delivery next fall. So we’re just going to deal with it and we’ll just raise the prices. … It’s going to be very, very difficult to keep products affordable for Americans.”

  35. 35.

    New Deal democrat

    @satby:

    @TBone:

    Thanks.

    There has been so much about Trump’s behavior in the last few weeks that suggests to me that he knows he is losing, and is instead laying the groundwork to try to throw the election into the House of Representatives, including campaigning in NY and CA in an attempt to pick up enough GOP seats to keep the majority there.

  39. 39.

    Frankensteinbeck

    Rallies are anecdotes, not data, but… Jesus Christ.  The initial expectation was 8,000.  The upgraded number was 20,000.  Harris got TEN TIMES the expected turnout for that speech.  That is an insane amount of voter enthusiasm.

    @dmsilev:

    I expected Musk to not pay.  We may never know how much of his supposed support for Trump never actually got to the Trump campaign, but Musk and Trump are neck and neck for empty promises and deadbeat unpaid bills.

  42. 42.

    Soprano2

    @The Audacity of Krope: I’ll repeat again it’s all about who the voters are. The press sees white men as the “regular, average” voter, and they can never be insulted or criticized. All the rest of us aren’t regular or average, so it’s OK to criticize us. I think it’s really that simple.

  43. 43.

    Jeffro

    @Jeffro: related: American Business Cannot Afford Another Trump Presidency

    [business leaders] may be afraid of angering Mr. Trump, who has a long track record of using the levers of power to reward loyalty.  They should be more afraid of the consequences if he prevails.

    Business leaders often say they hate uncertainty about taxes and regulation even more than they hate taxes and regulation. Mr. Trump is the personification of uncertainty. During his four years as president, he demonstrated an alarming willingness to rewrite federal policies abruptly, out of spite, for favoritism or just on a whim.

    Planning to develop a property or make an acquisition that needs regulatory approval? Businesses might assume that a second Trump administration would be more supportive than Mr. Biden was or Ms. Harris would be. But a populist’s favor is capricious; there’s no way to predict who might end up on a Trump enemies list or why. Building a factory to make parts for electric vehicles? Counting on suppliers in other countries? Good luck.

    Even by a traditional policy scorecard, Mr. Trump would do damage to American business. The candidate’s promises of tax cuts and regulatory leniency also must be weighed against other campaign proposals that are clearly not in the interests of American business.

    He has proposed large tariffs on imports, which would raise costs for companies that rely on foreign suppliers and could revive inflation. He has proposed large-scale deportations of immigrants, which would deprive businesses of needed workers and consumers. He has threatened to meddle in the Federal Reserve’s management of monetary policy. His proposed tax cuts would add trillions to the federal debt, which could drive up borrowing costs for the government and the private sector.

    Executives who convince themselves that they can shape Mr. Trump’s decision making should consider the record of everyone who has tried to ride the tiger in the eight years since he emerged as the leader of the Republican Party. Those expecting his instincts to be tempered by advisers, as sometimes happened during his first term, will be disappointed. His inner circle has been purged of people who say no.

  44. 44.

    Kyle Rayner

    @dmsilev: Interesting to see if Cards Against Humanity will activate their trap card. Iirc, along with their other legal action and anti-Musk shenanigans, they were participating in referrals through his little program so that they could sue him if he didn’t cough up the promised $47.

  47. 47.

    Flanders Other Neighbor

    @Butch: Regarding Jennings, that’s my first reaction, but then my softer side speaks up and points out how hard it must be to defend the indefensible.  But I tell that side to get lost and I’m back to laughing at his dumb ass.

  48. 48.

    JWR

    @satby:

    The thing is, they did find cheating, but it appears to be Republican canvassers signing up Amish names

    Where did you get this information? Because neither your AP link, nor the link provided below by TBone, mention either of those two groups, and the elections officials won’t comment on who the alleged registrants are.

  49. 49.

    Eolirin

    @Scout211: Biden’s stutter, or rather the abysmal treatment the media makes of it, is a real problem. There wouldn’t have been any ambiguity or ability for Fox to try to twist that if he didn’t have a speech impediment.

    I wish we could call that bullshit out more directly for the ableism that it is, but there’s no way to get that to penetrate.

  50. 50.

    H.E.Wolf

    Biden’s original comment seemed clear to me, as “[Trump’s] supporters’ garbage” – i.e., the garbage spoken by Trump’s supporters/rally headliners… which was the topic Biden was responding to.

    It’s true that apostrophes are one of the most difficult punctuation marks to hear. :)

  51. 51.

    Josie

    @Eolirin: If only there was an organization whose job it is to report on details like this and give a explanation that would educate the public on the truth of the matter….

  55. 55.

    Velocifowl

    Nieces were there and loved it.  They are voting in person because it’s their first vote.   They are iffy about including Republicans when that comes up.  They are hopping mad about that.

    I get that but I point out to them sitting down with Republicans or including Republicans doesn’t mean all or just any.  Liz and Kingzinger could be used.  Kingzinger would be good for the VA or as Secretary Airforce.  Liz is a rottweiler and while I wouldn’t put her in charge of DOJ I’m sure a role could be found for her to go after Trump and his conspirators.  Plus including them would make MAGA scream.  There are plenty of Republicans out for blood.

    I’m not sure if I convinced them outside of making MAGA scream.   Let Harris be joy, let Walz talk smack, and find some R’s who know how to shiv people.

  56. 56.

    Kay

    @TBone:

    This opinion is definitely colored by my firm belief that fundamentalist religious beliefs are basically incompatible with democracy but an Amish voter fraud scandal wouldn’t surprise me at all. They have a terrible reputation as far as interactions with “English” in farming and business communities for dishonest dealings. We had an Amish surveyor scandal here, where they had fellow church members submitting falsified land surveys – they nearly got the county engineer fired because he called it out. They also have regular child and animal abuse charges – they have basically cornered the puppy mill industry and we have a special tiny nonprofit here who rescue the horses they discard when the animals can no longer work. It’s a brutally regressive patriarchial religion where they believe people not of their faith are “lesser”. It ain’t all apple butter and agrarian love. Doesn’t surprise me at all that the 10% who vote are rabid Trump supporters. I could have called that from space.

  58. 58.

    Almost Retired

    Scott Jennings is unsufferable.  Smug, ignorant, predictable.  The Los Angeles Times added him to their roster of columnists recently, which made the decision to cancel my subscription this month all the easier.

    Notice that unlike most of these conservative male pundits – who barely let a woman complete a sentence before interrupting – Scottie knew better than to DARE to interrupt Politics Girl.

  59. 59.

    Soprano2

    @New Deal democrat: That would make it make sense. Also, when you see all the lawsuits the Republicans are filing about throwing out or not counting various types of votes, it makes you believe they know they’re going to lose.

  60. 60.

    UncleEbeneezer

    Aubrey Plaza calls out comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial joke about Puerto Rico. “Thankfully, my sweet abuelita wasn’t here to hear that disgusting remark. But if she was alive today, I think she would say, ‘Tony Hinchcliffe, go f— yourself.’”

  61. 61.

    Baud

    Apparently, when Dems say party leaders are always in a defensive crouch, what they’re doing is projecting.

  62. 62.

    Kay

    I believe in the First Amendment – we can HAVE fundamentalist religious – they just can’t be a majority influence in a democratic pluralistic society and have that society remain democratic and pluralistic. Incompatible.

    Most fundamenalist religious of any and all stripes are Trump supporters and that isn’t an accident. Voter registration scandals are dumb because you have to have actual bodies to vote – it’s “cheating” that won’t work – but I’d look for it in all Trump supporting fundie religous communties. Part of being fundie religious is believing laws don’t apply to you.

  63. 63.

    jonas

    @Butch:  but watching the smug, condescending look on the face of Scott Jennings, is it wrong of me that I really, really want to backhand the guy?

    The Germans invented a word for this: Backpfeifengesicht — a face you just want to punch.

  65. 65.

    Josie

    @Kay: ​
     that’s the thing. When you believe that your way is the only way, you don’t believe that anything you do is cheating. As you said, that is why it doesn’t work in a democracy.

  66. 66.

    SFAW

    @Baud:

    Can’t tell if you’re making a joke, but assuming (for the moment) you aren’t: President Biden’s use of “is,” especially when taken as part of the rest of the sentence, makes it clear (to me, at least) that he was talking about Hinchcliffe, not supporters-plural.

    But it doesn’t serve the “let’s make it a horse race” media crowd to say that, so here we are.

    I wish he had said “that guy’s demonization,” rather than making it non-specific, but so it goes.

  69. 69.

    SFAW

    @Flanders Other Neighbor:

    but then my softer side speaks up and points out how hard it must be to defend the indefensible.

    Or maybe Jennings could not defend the indefensible? Just a thought. [Of course, not defending the indefensible would cause him to be Cast Out, which apparently is the Worst Thing Evah.]

  71. 71.

    Weftage

    @Soprano2: The site was down for a few minutes. I was going to post a wearl of pisdom, but the computer said no.

    (Let me know if you don’t get this message)

  72. 72.

    SFAW

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    What? Not following your banter. Can you try it a bit slower?

    ETA: And, so as not to disappoint you: thanks again SO MUCH for giving the Jets Aaron Rodgers. He really kicked the Pats’ asses on Sunday.

  73. 73.

    Nelle

    I’m tired.  I’m 73 and I spend two ten hour days per week caring for the most active two year old (and on occasion of school days off, his 5 and 7 year old sisters).  My choice and I love them completely, but the day after, I just stare at the wall. There’s a reason we don’t have babies at my age.   I try to get around my neighborhood to get out the vote.  My arthritis is acting up and interfering with sleep.  My eyes are still wonky after cataract surgery.  I want to do more and there isn’t much gas in the tank.

    So.  Seeing those young people dancing in Atlanta lifts my spirits like nothing else.  The youth choir yesterday singing “Hope Lingers On” comforts me like nothing else.  I want to turn things over to younger generations.  I will do what I can for their future as long as I can, but they are capable and ready.  I’m ready to mentor, to console, to try to inspire, but those who are younger can do this.  I think I and a lot of my peers are ready for our rest.

  74. 74.

    TS

    @satby: The way the guy looked at her was so telling – he thought she was so unimportant compared to his quoting of the lies about trump and project 25.

    This is what MVP has to put up with all the time from low quality misogynistic white males who think they just have to laugh at any woman who dares call them out.

    It will be a joy to see them having to toe the line and respond to someone who knows what she wants and expects them to do it. I can already read the MSM talking about the mean woman upsetting the WH staff.  Pfffft  I shall enjoy every second of it.

  75. 75.

    cain

    @Jeffro: our people aren’t very subtle. They will cry like crazy and you know there can be only one person to blame and everyone will blame the tariffs.

    Trump will double down but adjust so that his business is not affected.

  77. 77.

    Ukai

    @Butch: “Whenever I see him, I’m seized with this irrational urge to punch his face. Should I get help?”
    “No, I think you can take him on by yourself.”

  80. 80.

    topclimber

    @Kyle Rayner: IANAL but if I get it right Musk has setup an indirect vote buying scheme. That’s illegal. Courts do not enforce illegal contracts. So forget about getting the $47 if (when) Musk reneges.

    Am I right, legal jackals?

  81. 81.

    Geminid

    @Velocifowl: Cheney has all the platform she needs to stick it to Trump and MAGA Republicans. I expect she’ll wade into the Republican intra-party war that will follow a Trump defeat and she’d be less effective in that fight if she took a position in a Harris administration.

  83. 83.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @TS: Why?   Why would Harris appoint her?  Why would Cheney accept?  They disagree on so much.  They can be together for this campaign and Cheney then can be a part of the loyal opposition.

  84. 84.

    Bupalos

    @Omnes Omnibus: The fact that so many of us really do tend to think these people are in fact something to discard is the primary challenge to getting American politics back on the rails. The Republican operatives know that our honest, deep-in-our heart disregard for these people is their jet fuel. Biden knows that too, and the reason he stumbled and bumbled into something that can be easily spruced up into killer bulletin board material is because Biden was trying too hard not to provide it. I think what he was actually doing there was trying to accurately distance the “floating garbage” comment even from Trump – who so many of his supporters identify with at an unhealthily deep level- and trying to refer specifically to the comedian. That is the particular supporter he intended to reference.

    Even as so many of us feel this desire to simply discard and be done with these people, even as these people put so much and so many at risk through their gullibility, weakness, and mendacity, our democracy depends on us pushing that particular feeling down. Where it surfaces, we all lose. One of the themes here in this space is “Biden didn’t say it, he never would say it… but it’s true.” We should spend a little time with the strangeness of that statement and how it fits into a functional democracy.

  89. 89.

    BarcaChicago

    @Omnes Omnibus:  I got the invitation and am going with a friend. It’s at the Coliseum again – I was just there to see the Obama/Walz rally. Took me back to my first childhood shows – Cheap Trick, anyone? I hope you get the invite!

  94. 94.

    SFAW

    Maybe noted elsewhere, but apparently the Sinister Six have voted to allow VA’s bullshit purge of voters to go forward. [Only saw this as a banner at TPM, I have no other info.]

  95. 95.

    Salty Sam

    @Kay:   Amish…have a terrible reputation as far as interactions with “English” in farming and business communities for dishonest dealings.

    Ha ha, yep!  I have a family member who runs a grocery store in Minnesota- there is an Amish community nearby.  I have fun with him- just mention “the Amish”, and watch him go off!  “Those lying bastards!  They come into my store, buy up vegetables from my produce department, then go out to their “Authentic Amish Farmstand” and mark them up 15%!”

  96. 96.

    Bupalos

    @Kay: Oh yeah, I’m in an area with a good sized Amish presence. It ain’t pretty. The kinds and degree of vice and domestic and social dysfunction is pretty shocking. The mash-mash of “simplicity” (mostly just meaning aggressive ignorance) with modernity is destructive.

    The head of park system here (who’s primary mission is conservation) in general talks about the Amish as the primary obstacle to that mission. That community is cash rich, and outbids the park on properties that fall into an economic range they can consider. They’ll then tend to clearcut log it, divide it, prep it for residential plots, and sell it to a Yankee developer they have building contracts with. Because they’re into the hardwood lumber economy as well as construction, and cash rich, they end up keeping land out of the park system and putting it into the worst kind of thoughtless, destructive development. Probably more rapaciously than the most aggressive Yankee developer would.

  97. 97.

    Soprano2

    @Kay: The people I know who work with animal rescue, even here in SWMO, know all about how the Amish are with animals. They are not fans, to put it lightly.

  98. 98.

    Geminid

    @Jeffro: The Oil Price petroleum industry news site had an article a few weeks ago about a potential Trump presidency. They interviewed various economists about impacts on the oil industry. The consensus was that if Trump followed through on his tarriff policy, the resulting trade war would cause a worldwide recession.

    That’s bad news for the petroleum industry because its profits rise and fall with demand.

  99. 99.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @schrodingers_cat
    The Cold Duke has a speech at the end of the Thirteen Clocks

    If you are gone forever it will not be long enough. If you return no more then it will be too soon.

  100. 100.

    LAC

    I do not know why we care about the hurt fee fees of a bunch of bigots who were  laughing and clapping during that kkklown rally.  If you are still supporting the mango mussolini, then that lingering odor is you stinking up the place.  I beyond tired of the handwringing over people so deep in the fox news silo – vote 🗳!!!

  101. 101.

    Soprano2

    @Salty Sam: My husband said every time he dealt with a customer who was ostentatious about their religious beliefs, he grabbed to protect his wallet. More often than not he was right, too. He said churches expected to have their printing done for free “because they’re charities”. They often tried to chisel him out of money. I get so, so tired of the idea that because people are religious they are also moral, because we have so much proof now that nothing could be further from the truth.

  102. 102.

    TS

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Because I think many democrats try and appoint people from both sides of politics.  Might as well appoint someone who voted for you as opposed to the ones Biden has who should never have retained their position – DeJoy, Wray – appointed by trump.

  104. 104.

    Gloria DryGarden

    That top picture is so artistic and beautiful..

    and Leigh McGowan never let that  guy talk over her. She just kept going. Love it.

  105. 105.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    @schrodingers_cat: what I find irritating is the assertion that morality requires religious belief. One hears it often from certain public figures. [ETA I mean the notion that for a society to encourage morality and decency in the population religion is required.]

    Also, @Soprano2, best wishes to you and your husband.

  107. 107.

    Jess

    I do all my best thinking after my alarm goes off and I’m procrastinating on getting out of my nice warm bed. Here’s this morning’s idea: what if we have a gov subsidized media (newspaper and tv) that can afford to be all about the facts and following the fairness doctrine. It can be overseen by a bi-partisan commission to set the boundaries, but not dictate the content (other than posting various gov reports).  It would be a boring but reliable source for information. I know we have bits and pieces of this out there (like NPR?), but these could be consolidated in such a way that finding and navigating factual info would be much easier.

  108. 108.

    Jess

    what I find irritating is the assertion that morality requires religious belief.

    Me too. I always point out that being obedient is not the same thing as being ethical.

  109. 109.

    montanareddog

    @Jess: Government-subsidized media like the BBC, you mean? RIght wing governments just stuff the board and top management levels with their cronies, which is an issue at the Beeb.

     

    And their North American coverage suffers from the same problem of constantly adopting Republican framing, coupled with a decided penchant for Cletus safaris.

  112. 112.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @schrodingers_cat: A former friend recommended Hinchcliffe’s comedy to me a couple months ago under his performer name, “Kill Tony.”

    Needless to say, after this disgusting display, I’m glad I never took the opportunity to watch him perform.

  113. 113.

    Geminid

    @TS: Former Senator Jeff Flake has done a good job as Ambassador to Turkiye. I don’t think Flake was apointed because he was a Republican though. He was just the right man for the job.

    Liz Cheney also could make a good ambassador, but I think she will want to put her energy into fighting MAGA Republicans. Cheney seems a strongly motivated in this effort, and she can’t fight other Republicans as an ambassador.

  116. 116.

    Peale

    @Geminid: Yeah. I love how the new Efficiency Czar Musk proclaimed that while there will be some pain, it will be over in 2 years. LOL. So…we have tarrifs leading to a recession, the threat to remove 20 million “illegals” from the population also leading to a recession, and their promise to trim trillions out of federal spending, which eliminates one of the tools used to stave off recessions.  Good to know! Meanwhile, a drug addled kook will be laying off everyone at the CDC, FDA and NIH and replacing that with “diet advice to eliminate chronic illness” so if we do have any money left in our pockets, it’ll probably go to pay for the funerals of our parents.

  117. 117.

    FelonyGovt

    @Soprano2: Oh yes. Whenever anyone handed me a business card and it had that evangelical “fish” logo on it I would throw it away immediately. Don’t see that symbol much anymore.

  118. 118.

    TBone

    Gah!  Even more PA fuckery, this time in Chester County (I’ve already covered Bucks and DelCo today):

    Spotlight On PA As Trumpers Try To Build A Fraud Narrative

    The “bad things” that happen here? Daring to vote for anyone who isn’t Trump.

    Diane Houser, a supporter of former President Donald Trump who filed over 200 of the challenges in Chester County, said the challenges are nonpartisan and from a grassroots network targeting the ballot applications of people who moved out of state.

    https://crooksandliars.com/2024/10/spotlight-pa-trumpers-try-build-fraud

    Fuck off, Diane!

  119. 119.

    BellaPea

    The clips I saw of Kamala’s rally this morning literally brought tears to my eyes. Seeing all of those people turn out for the country and the defense of freedom is so heartening after the dark despair of the last decade. I’m hoping and praying that MVP is elected to the high office she so heartedly deserves. Please, please let it happen for the sake of our democracy.

  120. 120.

    rk

    @TBone:

    I was one of those who tried to vote early. Two days in a row. One day I left because I was told I would not reach the window before they closed. So I took an application form for the next day. Next day I was told the wait would be 21/2 hours. Only two people processing but they would go for lunch so basically it would be one person. There were maybe 20 people ahead of me. I left because I couldn’t wait that long. So it’s election day for me.

  121. 121.

    Msb

    @H.E.Wolf:

    For Biden to call people garbage, he would have had to add “are” to his comment. He didn’t.
    (And he’s not the candidate, much as Trump and the media wish he were.)

  127. 127.

    Ksmiami

    @Bupalos: they are fucking Nazi trash at this point and completely antithetical to our continuation as a functional modern democracy. They refuse to learn, or try to be better and frankly it would be better for everyone if they were hooked up to a sim.

  128. 128.

    RaflW

    @Flanders Other Neighbor: I watched that clip. They guy just radiates “nothing bad will happen to me if Trump wins”. It just jumps out of the screen. Rich, white, male, good hair (for his age), expensive clothes.

    F–k these guys. I know I can’t give in to my deep anger, because there are pitchforks in that closet, and I am remaining invested in my identity as a non-violent person.

  129. 129.

    RaflW

    @BarcaChicago: CapTimes is saying Harris is expected to speak at about 8:30pm CDT. So the concert portion will last a while (three acts, so that makes sense!).

    Good luck to those hoping to attend.

  130. 130.

    Citizen Alan

    @Msb:  I wouldn’t have cared if he had said “are” in reference to Trump supporters in attendance. Hinchcliffe made the disgusting “garbage island” joke, but all the MAGAts in attendance were the ones who laughed at it. Calling them “deplorables” was a kindness.

  131. 131.

    BarcaChicago

    @RaflW: That will call on my stamina :-) To be honest, I don’t really know anyone who’s playing – I just want a last chance before the election to see our next POTUS. And it is always a very good vibe experience to be at a rally. I was lucky to be at that Milwaukee Harris/Walz rally during the DNC and it was fantastic – it was in a much larger venue than the Coliseum in Madison. And I was very fortunate to be at the DNC on Monday and Thursday nights – now THAT was an incredible experience.

    The main thing is, as Nancy Smash says: Just win, baby!

  133. 133.

    Ksmiami

    @RaflW: I don’t think America continues under Trump so you can let your freak fly at that point. If things get as bad as I think they will, the only choice is to take down as many of them as you can.

  134. 134.

    mr perfect

    @Msb: Biden said nothing wrong.  The “Trump – Fuck Your Feelings” crowd need to hear that their behaviour and words are unacceptable.  Pull no punches.

  135. 135.

    LadySuzy

    @satby: Leah should run for Congress. She would become an immediate star of the democratic Caucus. And her platform would be even bigger. She is a FABULOUS communicator.

  137. 137.

    Ruckus

    @Jeffro:

    If I’m remembering correctly, Judge Luttig is on the conservative side of US politics. Much closer to the middle than hard right but still on the other side. And yes I may be badly mistaken, it wouldn’t be the first time…..

    In any event that link from him says it all and extremely well.

  138. 138.

    Ruckus

    @Jeffro:

    shitforbrains has zero idea how things work, and zero concept of learning anything new. Nothing new is going into that tiny, tiny pea brain of his. The intake switch is broken in the off position. Which is fine as he’s never known how to turn it on since birth.

  139. 139.

    Situation Normal

    @Omnes Omnibus: Re Madison rally: I’m originally from Madison. A good city huge growth a plus/minus.  Will there be overflow room? Should be. She could get 50 K people there. Dane county had a great proportioner the good  in the Supreme Court justice election.

  140. 140.

    Situation Normal

    @BarcaChicago: Dane county Coliseum? Great Venue for a rally and suitable for other activity, too. Winter1968 Eugene McCarthy Rally. The place was totally packed, hugely exceeded expectations. 1964 –UW Stock Pavilion: Hubert H. Humphrey that was a barn burner — such energy and optimism! (wow, War in Viet Nam — a tragic, fucked up dark turn)

    Well, back to the Coliseum: sampling now & then, ~1967 Simon & Garfunkel; 1973 Grateful Dead; 1973 Pink Floyd,

  141. 141.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: propuse esta pregunta a mi gente español hablante en mi Facebook. Vamos a ver si alguien responde.

    if anyone sends a useful link, I will put it in the comments. My host brother from Uruguay lives in Miami, I’m hoping he has an idea.

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