US Politics XXXII: Cancel my subscription to the insurrection

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I don’t know why any of you are shocked that Democrats are not keeping their campaign promises. I mean, “Hello”, this is nothing new. If you recall, candidate Obama was WAY different than President Obama as just one recent example.



Guys, Democrat politicians don’t care about you, your beliefs, or people in general for that matter. They care about themselves and getting elected and re-elected.



That’s why anyone who isn’t a Democrat is not surprised by any of Biden and Congress’ action or inaction.



Oh, they do care about one more thing, their foreign interests be it China, the Middle East , wherever. That’s why it’s not shocking that we bombed Syria again. The world knows that Biden and the Democrats are weak, and the Bank of the United States is back open to take care of everyone in the world except Americans.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Lol guys he thinks we believe that he wanted any of the promises put forth by democrats. Like universal healthcare or basic human decency.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

He's just asking for an Ordinary Spring [emoji769]

 

[LemonMelon]

They could be, need to be far more ruthless, but blaming inaction in Congress on the decisions of Democrats or making it out to be a uniquely Democratic phenomenon is such a bad faith argument.

 

[anitram]

We all know that Republican politicians are totally in it to take care of the people. 100% altruistic.

 

[Hewson]

Lol guys he thinks we believe that he wanted any of the promises put forth by democrats. Like universal healthcare or basic human decency.

And that Trump followed through all his promises.
Promises made, promises kept.
He must be enjoying that new better than Obamacare health care plan, was the first thing on the Trump agenda as I recall, had Republican control of both houses, so it sailed through, right?

 

[BEAL]

https://twitter.com/hami/status/1365339498364604419?s=21

Probably a mistake....

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

So MBS approved the operation to murder Khashoggi, but Biden administration is not imposing any sanctions on him. CNN says they fear it would be too complicated to do that. Sanctions for Saudis involved in the murder, except for MBS.

Um, ok.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Several GOP reps said they can't be in DC to vote on the covid relief bill, but of course they can go to FL to QPAC. To worship the golden statue.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Fuck em then. Vote without em

 

[LuckyNumber7]

So MBS approved the operation to murder Khashoggi, but Biden administration is not imposing any sanctions on him. CNN says they fear it would be too complicated to do that. Sanctions for Saudis involved in the murder, except for MBS.

Um, ok.

There are like two democrats and four republicans who don’t see Saudi Arabia as somehow a tremendous ally. Everyone thinks the two democrats are crazy socialists and nobody likes the four republicans.

 

[BEAL]

https://twitter.com/mckaywrigley/status/1364972080513515520?s=21

Wanted to share how crazy technology is getting.

I am ready to serve our AI overlords!

 

[BEAL]

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1365559813808168966?s=21

Note that a federal judge in TX (Trump appointed) just struck down the CDC Eviction ruling. It’ll head to appeals and probably the Supreme Court.

GQP only want suffering. I am trying to think besides a tax cut, what other policy do they run on??

Suppose cut social programs. Cut regulations.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Kimberly Guilfoyle confused Twitter users on Friday with a prediction about ex-President Donald Trump.

“I will confidently say that (former) President Trump from his desk at Mar-a-Lago will accomplish more for America in the next four years than (President) Joe Biden and (Vice President) Kamala Harris could ever dream of,” former Fox News host Guilfoyle, who is the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr., told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida.

 

[Vincent Vega]

That’s why it’s not shocking that we bombed Syria again.

US forces got attacked by multiple rocket strikes in Erbil. A contractor was killed in the attack. The strikes were retaliatory. I know, sounds complicated, but I'm sure you can make the connections.
Would you have wanted the Republicans to simply turn the other cheek?

 

[Jerry Dunk]

Yes, I'm sure "there's nothing we can do, those Republicans, you know?" is going to be a very winning case at the ballot box in 2022. There's no way that blows up in the Democrats' face! Thank you everyone for informing me that there are limitations on what they can do. Just what the Democratic Party needs: people making excuses for them.

 

[BEAL]

I agree with you. The Dems need to figure out a way to get the 2-3 senators to give in and kill the filibuster. My father is one who falls in the “you can’t just kill that, you have to work across the isle” but he still lives in a fantasy world where two parties want to help the country. To uphold this stupid rule will end up proving to destroy millions of peoples lives.

As you said blaming the other side does nothing but prove your own party sucks.

Over half the country’s states are passing suppression laws on voting. Even if the country is happy with how the Dems are leading it still could end up with them losing congress.

Hell Arizona is trying to pass a law that allows them to pick their own electors if they don’t like the outcome of an election.

 

[Irvine511]

I agree with you. The Dems need to figure out a way to get the 2-3 senators to give in and kill the filibuster.

I think everyone agrees with this. Probably both Manchin and Sinema. But they are doing the political calculus needed to get re-elected. Arizona is a purple state. It’s possible that there’s a D to the left of Sinema who could win in the general. But we’re a few years away from that. There’s no one to the left of Manchin who would win in WV. Plus, Manchin gets points for standing up to his party as it increases his independent cred.

Jumping on a table and waving a sword and shouting “for shame!” isn’t an informed or particularly effective means of creating the permission structure for the two of them to get to yes.

 

[BEAL]

So it’s purely selfish reasons then? Which i think is true.

What are we going to say if the GOP take over congress in 2022 based on all the gerrymandering and suppression? Better luck next time? Blame it on turnout ?? Every election seems like it has record turnout for the Dems and it’s because they want these policies created (and a check on Trump)

We keep placing all the burden of societies problems on those who are directly affected by them. I actually don’t blame a minority bloc if they give up on the process. They saved this country for the next four years, but if we don’t do something they will be the ones who get punished.


I don’t agree this is a long game anymore. The democrats may be banking on covid dying down as their big accomplishment but it’s not going to be enough. We can’t wait until 2024 to find someone to replace the moderate no budge Dems.

But, even if they were to kill the filibuster there’s no promise they’d even vote for the legislation that comes thru.

I find it odd we all celebrated winning congress and executive but aside from having adults at the top, we still seem to be in the same cycle.

Except now the next time GOP get into power there’s no guarantee we ever take it back

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Lmaoooo of course it was

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/27/golden-trump-statue-mexico-cpac

 

[LemonMelon]

I hear a lot of complaints, but no solutions.

If they had complete party support to kill the filibuster, it could feasibly happen. But they don't.

If they had the votes to pass a minimum wage increase, they would. But they don't.

Fighting the GOP to a draw isn't the way to pass sweeping legislation. They had the chance to make significant gains on election night and they blew it. So now we're forced to settle for a scenario where a couple of defectors can crash the party.

I'm less pessimistic than many about the Senate midterm elections because the map is pretty favorable, but they're going to get their ass kicked in the House and watching party control flip flop in Congress so frequently has mentally prepared me for this circumstance.

Our system of governance is fundamentally broken and I'm not sure what to do about it with the country so divided.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

There is a solution. Win more seats.

 

[BEAL]

Yes. Win more

OR....

Split the country up.

Both seem nearly impossible to happen. The former has a chance because of it being a simpler solution, but for democracy to survive relying on such massive turnout every single cycle feels a bit hopeless too.

I’m not really afraid of Trump winning again, but what someone much smarter can do with what the roadmap he created

https://twitter.com/jaynordlinger/status/1365813051178553350?s=21

https://twitter.com/jaynordlinger/status/1365813052705296392?s=21

 

[Irvine511]

There is a solution. Win more seats.

My hope, and it is a small one, is that Trump turns out a nonvoter who will go back to nonvoting.

Suburban revulsion at the GQP has to be sustained for the next 2 years, and a credible argument must be built that basically says “we’ve done well passing legislation that is clearly popular and helpful and which the other side also opposes opposes because they do not wish to help you; imagine what we could do if you vote these psychopaths out.”

I hope the racist gerrymanders underway in red states blow up in their faces, as if often does. A great way to get someone to vote is to try and prevent from from voting.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Things are not looking good for Gov Cuomo

(CNN)A second former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is accusing him of sexual harassment, according to the New York Times.

The former aide, Charlotte Bennett, alleges that Cuomo asked her questions about her sex life, whether she had monogamous relationships and if she ever had sex with older men, according to the Times. Bennett told the newspaper that the alleged incidents happened late last spring, during the height of the state's fight against the coronavirus.

Bennett was previously an executive assistant and health policy adviser in the Democratic governor's administration until she left in November, according to the Times. Bennett recounted one particular episode to the Times that allegedly occurred on June 5, in which she was alone with Cuomo in his office in Albany.
The 25-year-old, according to the Times, said the Democratic governor had asked her a series of personal questions, including stating that he was open to relationships with women in their 20s, which Bennett interpreted as clear overtures to a sexual relationship.

CNN has reached out to Bennett for comment on the latest accusation.

In a statement on Saturday, Cuomo denied the allegations saying he believed he had been acting as a mentor and had "never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate."

Cuomo said he had requested an "outside review" of the matter and asked that New Yorkers await the findings "before making any judgments."

"I will have no further comment until the review has concluded," Cuomo said.

 

[BEAL]

https://twitter.com/domeniconpr/status/1366093894002356227?s=21

That’s a lot of states introducing new laws. Not every one of them are nefarious and evil intent, but a lot of them are.

Needing miracles to win every election isn’t a recipe for success. We did it in 2020, but 2022 and 2024 seem like it’ll take a bigger effort.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Not every one of them are nefarious and evil intent [...]

Maybe not, but why is there acceptance for voting being so complicated in the first place? When I turned 16, I became eligible to vote in local elictions. At 18, I became eligibe to vote in all elections. All I need is to register at a physical address, then I automatically start to receive a letter a few months before the election.

Why do people accept that voting is being made so complicated, and so many people get barred from voting?

 

[LemonMelon]

They accept it for the same reason they accept a party where not one Senator, not a single one, voted to offer them economic relief. It's tribalism, and we've been rendered completely ineffective by it.

 

[Hewson]

In a statement on Saturday, Cuomo denied the allegations saying he believed he had been acting as a mentor and had "never made advances toward Ms. Bennett, nor did I ever intend to act in any way that was inappropriate."

Cause what most 25 year old women are looking for when they start a job in the political world is mentoring from a man in his 60s about sex with older men.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

My hope, and it is a small one, is that Trump turns out a nonvoter who will go back to nonvoting.

Suburban revulsion at the GQP has to be sustained for the next 2 years, and a credible argument must be built that basically says “we’ve done well passing legislation that is clearly popular and helpful and which the other side also opposes opposes because they do not wish to help you; imagine what we could do if you vote these psychopaths out.”

I hope the racist gerrymanders underway in red states blow up in their faces, as if often does. A great way to get someone to vote is to try and prevent from from voting.

Well lets be honest about 2022 for a second - it's a one issue election for the average American.

If life is normal again, the Democrats have a huge advantage in 2022; suppression tactics be damned.

If it isn't, all bets are off.

These next few months will decide the balance of power in 2022.

If we've got full schools and full ballparks and people going on vacation and a booming economy (even if it's an artificial one built on good feelings vs sound economic policy)? We win.

If there's a fuck up in the vaccine distribution, if one of these varients or perhaps a new one renders vaccines ineffective, if a few major school districts in key areas are still virtual in the fall? We're in deep shit.