Republicans: continued

[Tero]

(The border issue cannot be solved now. Because they need it for a capaign platform)
"Once you get past the border as Republican issue Number 1, what's Number 2? What can you name? Attacking trans health care? Ending aid to Ukraine?" asks @chrislhayes on the GOP policy vacuum.
https://www.threads.net/@allinwithchris ... IwNjQ2YQ==

[Sean Hayden]

The border issue leads naturally to foreign policy —less meddling specifically— and that takes us to the economy, which goes without much trouble into climate change, which can easily get us to social justice, and from there to all the evils of a society on the edge…

The Republican platform is robust.

[pErvinalia]

Love this.

[Brian Peacock]

Excuse the ignorance of this poor European, but why/how does an internal party matter such as the Republican nomination warrant a nationally broadcast knife fight between candidates? Is it that Republican internal politics is now basically an unedifying, enshitifying entertainment product?

[Tero]

Comical Comey in congress. Failed to arrest Hunter.

Biden walked out of the room a short time later as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) began speaking, leading to her deriding him as a “coward.”
Her comments then provoked a rebuttal from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), who reminded that the “gentle lady from Georgia” had previously shown “dick pics” of Biden in the same committee room.

The off-the-rails hearing came after Republicans launched contempt proceedings against the younger Biden last month for his refusal to comply with a subpoena for his deposition in the impeachment inquiry into his father.

[Tero]

Excuse the ignorance of this poor European, but why/how does an internal party matter such as the Republican nomination warrant a nationally broadcast knife fight between candidates? Is it that Republican internal politics is now basically an unedifying, enshitifying entertainment product?

This is how we do it. Normally followed by a debate in the fall between the two party candidates.

Because of the totally embarrassing primary race, to either side still looking for the candidate, this skipping of the primary is a major reason to run an incumbent preident again. Even a Jimmy Carter. You run them because there is a momentum to get the known candidate to be the main topic in the news. Kind of does not work if the popularity of the candidate is 40% all year. But it will this time as there is a dislike of both candidates at the 50% disapproval level.

[Tero]

As further background on that, look at the charts comparing presidents
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/bi ... id=rrpromo

George W Bush had 50% approval at the end of 4 years. That gave him a second term. A democrat would not get more than the 48% if the politics at the time was business as usual. Bush only had the Irak war ongoing agter the 9-11 mess.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Unit ... l_election

The U.S. and allied forces failed to find any weapon of mass destruction in Iraq. Nevertheless, on May 1, George W. Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in a Lockheed S-3 Viking, where he gave a speech announcing the end of "major combat operations" in the Iraq War.

[rasetsu]

The underlying circumstances were inherently bizarre: Hunter Biden was literally in the room, volunteering to answer members’ questions, while GOP members complained about his reluctance to show up and answer members’ questions. It was against this backdrop that the latest Republican circus unraveled into an embarrassing mess — complete with Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina referencing the president’s son’s testicles and Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia needlessly promoting provocative photographs for no apparent reason.

But the hearing was not without relevant lessons. Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida offered to make a deal with his GOP colleagues: He’d vote with them to hold Biden in contempt for failing to cooperate with a committee subpoena if they also agreed to apply the same standards to congressional Republicans who, just last year, also failed to cooperate with a committee subpoena.

“You can get my vote,” Moskowitz said, “but I want you to show the American people that you’re serious. ... Show that you’re serious and that everyone is not above the law.”

They refused.

At the same hearing, the Democratic congressman asked House Republicans — who presumably have questions for Hunter Biden, since they subpoenaed him — whether they were prepared to end the hearing and immediately hear testimony from the president’s son. They balked at that opportunity, too.

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-sho ... rcna133411

[Tero]

CNN: DeSantis gets a D-. (But is right about voters: they care little for actual politics)


Unfortunately, the overall quality of his answers declined rapidly throughout the debate. His answers became alarmingly policy-free and could easily fit on bumper stickers. That’s what doomed DeSantis. And he telegraphed why he refused to leave the shallow end of the debating pool. After Haley made a pretty good point, DeSantis retorted, “She’s focused on a lot of political stuff – things that no voter cares about….” Wrong timing. Haley was making perfect sense, as she was every other time he accused Haley of a “word salad.” It’s as if DeSantis just learned that phrase, word salad, which I honestly don’t think he understands.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/11/opinions ... index.html

[Tero]

The DeSantis vs. Haley Debate Didn’t Give Us a Single Human Moment

....Instead, we were treated to a semi-childish, back-and-forth debate. For two hours, Haley recited talking points and relentlessly plugged a website called DeSantisLies.com. Meanwhile, DeSantis wagged his finger in his usual condescendingly didactic way, dropping lame canned lines, including accusing Haley of “warmed-over corporatism” and caving to the “woke mob,” among other insults.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-desan ... man-moment

The writer is correct, without Chris Christie in there, these two are almost indistinguishble.

[JimC]

Excuse the ignorance of this poor European, but why/how does an internal party matter such as the Republican nomination warrant a nationally broadcast knife fight between candidates? Is it that Republican internal politics is now basically an unedifying, enshitifying entertainment product?

In Australia (and I'm sure in the UK too) there are sometimes vicious pre-selection battles between same party rivals to contest a seat in parliament, but they are usually only observed by local party members (although sometimes it leaks to the press). There are also rather nasty internal party fights, often resulting in a new PM or minister. These are usually not an organised public spectacle as in the rather savage US nomination debates, but enough about such internal party struggles leaks to the press to convince one that the underlying viciousness is there...

Homo politicus is the same the world over...

[Tero]

Not The Onion
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... nald-trump

[rasetsu]

Almost one-third of Republican primary voters would support bombing the fictional kingdom of Agrabah, according to a report released by Public Policy Polling on Friday.

More than 530 Republican primary voters were polled this week on their support for Republican candidates and foreign policy issues including banning Muslims from entering the US, Japanese internment camps from the second world war and bombing Agrabah, the kingdom from Disney’s animated classic, Aladdin.

In its poll, Public Policy Polling asked the 532 Republicans: “Would you support or oppose bombing Agrabah?” While 57% of responders said they were not sure, 30% said they supported bombing it. Only 13% opposed it.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... nald-trump

[pErvinalia]

Your country is fucked.

[Tero]

Abortion seems to divide support for candidates.
https://apnews.com/article/iowa-republi ... 0c03e33655
“At this stage, if we’re going to continually lose elections because of that issue, I’d say dump the whole damn thing and let God be the judge,” said Greg Jennings, a 68-year-old retired painting contractor from Clear Lake, Iowa, who was attending a rally for Trump.