Trump

[Dhi]

I don't believe any of it is in good faith, I don't believe many operate under the illusion they're defending democracy. Dozens of times now, across the country, zero evidence has been provided and all cases have been rejected by the courts. A person would need to be very gullible, even incapable of critical thought to believe they're defending democracy on zero evidence, based solely on the word of one man.

There was a good piece in the Washington Post about changing the way this is being reported, and the language used. Republican voters may believe whatever they wish. I'm sure many Democrats did not believe Trump won legitimately in 2016. But what demonstrators are doing no longer has anything to do with opinion- they are now taking action to overturn the results of a democratic election and install "their guy" using extralegal means.

We need to stop giving them the benefit of the doubt that they're being fooled. The current US president is giving them permission to stage a coup, and so they are trying to stage a coup. This is in no way noble.

[Callie Del Noire]

George Washington, in his farewell address, warned Americans to "beware the spirit of Party", as political parties pulled your allegiance to them instead of the nation.  They are no different today than they were in his time, or before, back in England.  They don't represent your interests, just the interests of those who donate the most to them.  In an era of mass media and the internet, we don't need to donate to parties or belong to them...just support the individuals you agree with and vote for them.

And...after four years of Trump, and the Republican Party wholeheartedly supporting his atrocities...why did you wait this long to come to your decision?

Because I kept hoping they’d come to their senses.

Foolish I know... I hoped someone would step up and be a LEADER. Not a partymember. An actual god damn statesman.

Socially.. I’m very left, fiscally I’m centrist. Military wise..I dunno..very reform minded. We need a strong military BUT we need to fix our contracting system.  I watched the Joint Strike fighter EAT programs we need BADLY as over run after overrun came out. We need support aircraft badly for the Navy.  So,etching to replace the S-3, ES-3, C-2 and E-2.  The one program we had got eaten by the JSF program.

China is going to assert its position in the Pacific. Taiwan within a decade.. maybe two decades.

My problem with the DNC is it seemed clearly run by folks who were more set on ‘business as usual’ and to be honest, them cooking the books to put Hilary on top pissed me off. I’m already a member of one party that seems happy to sell out folks, why go with more of the same?

Now part of my distrust of the DNC comes from Corrine Brown, who for years cooked books to skim off a charity till her eventual conviction. 

I hope the DNC pulls their head out of their ass since I see no one on the GOP side doing it.

[Callie Del Noire]

Also.,I’m an idiot

[TheHangedOne]

I don't believe any of it is in good faith, I don't believe many operate under the illusion they're defending democracy. Dozens of times now, across the country, zero evidence has been provided and all cases have been rejected by the courts. A person would need to be very gullible, even incapable of critical thought to believe they're defending democracy on zero evidence, based solely on the word of one man.

There was a good piece in the Washington Post about changing the way this is being reported, and the language used. Republican voters may believe whatever they wish. I'm sure many Democrats did not believe Trump won legitimately in 2016. But what demonstrators are doing no longer has anything to do with opinion- they are now taking action to overturn the results of a democratic election and install "their guy" using extralegal means.

We need to stop giving them the benefit of the doubt that they're being fooled. The current US president is giving them permission to stage a coup, and so they are trying to stage a coup. This is in no way noble.

Not to mention how many militias are in support of the Cheeto. And those militia types are the ones who are sitting around, getting a boner at the very thought of the world ending, so they can live out their Mad Max fantasies.

[Deamonbane]

These are the people that think that the Imperium of Man from Warhammer 40,000 is something to be aspired to.

[TheHangedOne]

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2020/12/09/18-states-join-texas-general-election-supreme-court-lawsuit-swing-states/

"18 States Republicans Join Texas In General Election Supreme Court Lawsuit Treason Against 4 Swing States". The title says a lot, but the title is also technically wrong, so I fixed it.

And I am not surprised in the least that this is happening.  Things aren't going as good as people think.

[Bibliophilia]

Does anyone know what supposed changes were made, and if those changes were only made in those states?

My assumption would be that any changes were designed to alter voting practices to allow for safer methods to vote in response to the pandemic.  And, since there were probably quite a few states that had to make such unexpected and hasty changes in response to Corona, that they weren't the only ones.

If those assumptions are correct, you can be a lay-as-fuck person going purely off common sense and see how specious this utter horseshit is.

[Haibane]

As far as I can determine they allowed postal ballots and postal ballots to be accepted after a certain date if post-marked by 3rd Nov. I can't find any other "differences". However what seems to me is that many states allowed postal ballots, and late acceptances, its just that these 4 went Democrat and are critical to Trump to overturn and win. That is all.

If anyone can see anything else, or if I'm wrong, please comment.

Some commentary here regarding the legal issues between states/supreme authority (which I don't claim to understand):

https://twitter.com/steve_vladeck/status/1336329901859688451

[Haibane]

Trump is a busy man, lots of important paperwork to sign.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55236260

[Dhi]

And I am not surprised in the least that this is happening.  Things aren't going as good as people think.

Texas has zero grounds to dictate how another state may vote, and the Supreme Court will not touch such a case. Nothing can possibly come of this. It's more theatrics for an audience of one.

[TheHangedOne]

Texas has zero grounds to dictate how another state may vote, and the Supreme Court will not touch such a case. Nothing can possibly come of this. It's more theatrics for an audience of one.

Even if they have no ground to stand on, this consistent nonsense is a threat, because it alters peoples cognition. There's a phrase in particular I'm thinking of; a "[something] window"? But I can't recall it, and googling has not helped.

It's the whole way we view spectrum thing.  Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Anyways--I think this thing with the republicans will shift that window, and that is the real danger (as well as domestic terrorism being inflamed).

[TheVillain]

You're thinking of the Overton Window.

[TheHangedOne]

You're thinking of the Overton Window.

Yes! Thank you.

[Haibane]

Is this worse/wider that the limits the Overton Window allows for? This is almost on the borderline beyond democracy and really starts to slip into dictatorship. Its beginning to slide into Belarus territory. Its damaging what American citizens believe is acceptable in democratic processes.

[TheVillain]

Well, I was reading about how back during the halycon days of Birtherism it was discovered that while 60-70% of registered Republicans claimed to believe in Birtherism if you framed the questions in the context of a knowledge test about facts most cut it out.

This isn't proof but it does suggest that the majority of the people who are claiming to believe that Biden and the Democrats stole the 2020 election don't actually believe it, they just have no real problem with turning America into a Dictatorship as long as one of their own is the Dictator. They just also have enough self-awareness to know that while they feel that people who don't tend to vote Republican shouldn't have the right to vote, they know they can't say that out loud.

[Oniya]

Is this worse/wider that the limits the Overton Window allows for? This is almost on the borderline beyond democracy and really starts to slip into dictatorship. Its beginning to slide into Belarus territory. Its damaging what American citizens believe is acceptable in democratic processes.

The fact that for the last four years, we have watched the media and Republicans treat Trump's tantrum as 'normal' has been shifting the window already.  And has been doing that damage. 

[Haibane]

Well, I was reading about how back during the halycon days of Birtherism it was discovered that while 60-70% of registered Republicans claimed to believe in Birtherism if you framed the questions in the context of a knowledge test about facts most cut it out.

This isn't proof but it does suggest that the majority of the people who are claiming to believe that Biden and the Democrats stole the 2020 election don't actually believe it, they just have no real problem with turning America into a Dictatorship as long as one of their own is the Dictator. They just also have enough self-awareness to know that while they feel that people who don't tend to vote Republican shouldn't have the right to vote, they know they can't say that out loud.

So basically America is screwed as far as any future compromises are concerned regarding key issues like race, climate change, police accountability and all those other things of conscience.

[TheGlyphstone]

So basically America is screwed as far as any future compromises are concerned regarding key issues like race, climate change, police accountability and all those other things of conscience.

Sadly, yes. Our best hope is grinding the existing Republican party into irrelevance, at which point the Democrats would likely splinter into two parties composed of its current progressive/conservative wings.

[Regina Minx]

Pennsylvania has filed its response to Texas' lawsuit. It does not fuck around.

[TheHangedOne]

A clear and unmistakable signal that  this abuse must never be replicated would, in my opinion, involve public executions.

[Haibane]

Pennsylvania has filed its response to Texas' lawsuit. It does not fuck around.

What is the source of that please? I would love to see an official ruling if one is out there. I just want to see these dictatorial fucktards bitchslapped one last time - officially.

[Regina Minx]

What is the source of that please? I would love to see an official ruling if one is out there. I just want to see these dictatorial fucktards bitchslapped one last time - officially.

I got it from the Supreme Court website. The docket for the suit contains all motions and filings submitted thus far.

The Supreme Court has not yet announced whether they will hear this case, if arguments will be necessary once defendants submit their inevitable MTD, or issued an opinion.

[Beguile's Mistress]

[Haibane]

Yes. The crude version of that is "Fuck off loser, accept that you are not wanted as much as the other guy".

[gaggedLouise]

Apparently the FBI have an ongoing probe into some of Hunter Biden's tax affairs and a valuable red jewel that may have been a bribe - they have revived it now after running it on low speed during the election campaign. AFAIK Trump hasn't commented yet, but I can really imagine him ranting "see? The FBI have betrayed me again!! They should have gone full throttle with this a few months back and supported me and Rudy! GAH!!"

Actually, the FBI has a policy of holding back on some investigations involving crime and relating closely to top candidates in a presidential election and their close family, holding back when the time is close to an election - unless it's really urgent and very serious.

Hunter probably is Joe Biden's Achilles heel in some way, but it wasn't Hunter who ran for office - and honestly, even if that red gem was supposedly a bribe gift it pales into insignificance compared to many things Trump has done, both criminally and politically. I'm unashamedly pleased that the FBI held their horses back during the election campaign this time around - if they had gone public about this stuff it could easily have been made to look as if "the FBI is confirming everything in Rudy's laptop story" and this could have tipped the election scales in Trump's favour. That would have been completely disastrous.