Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats
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Dave
Staff member
The Supreme Court just made bribery legal. Wonder why some of them would think that.
www.latimes.com
Supreme Court wipes out anti-corruption law that bars officials from taking gifts for past favors
The U.S. Supreme Court rules state and local officials may take gifts and payments for steering contracts to grateful patrons.
www.latimes.com
A politician that takes bribes needs to be taken out behind the chemical sheds.The Supreme Court just made bribery legal. Wonder why some of them would think that.
Supreme Court wipes out anti-corruption law that bars officials from taking gifts for past favors
The U.S. Supreme Court rules state and local officials may take gifts and payments for steering contracts to grateful patrons.
Win? Not lose, in this instance. Well, not lose entirely everything. That's not good enough.
That last one is an x for both.
Biden started off this debate horribly. He’s coming off as old and frail, and some of his answers are falling into gibberish. Trump, despite spreading absolute false bullshit, sounds stronger and more confident. This is ugly. Every time Biden fumbles an answer, even if I agree with his basic idea, I feel his chances of being reelected dropping.
figmentPez
Staff member
I blame the moderators for not calling Trump on his lies.
I watched a few clips of the debate and Christ, it's an embarrassment for both men.
It's not exactly wine and roses here in Canada, but at least our main federal candidates aren't all WELL past the age of retirement. Then again, Pierre Poilievre's talking points haven't sounded much more reasonable than Trump's.
It's not exactly wine and roses here in Canada, but at least our main federal candidates aren't all WELL past the age of retirement. Then again, Pierre Poilievre's talking points haven't sounded much more reasonable than Trump's.
figmentPez
Staff member
I also blame them for not demanding that both candidates clarify their meanings. There was a bunch of back and forth about Charlottesville where everything was left unclear because the moderators failed to moderate! Trump said that every news anchor had debunked Charlottesville, but the two candidates were talking about completely different things. No one has "debunked" the fact that there was a Neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville and there was a terrorism attack that killed someone. You can argue about if Trump's statements were debunked, but bad shit still went down, and that's what was being discussed in the debate.
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figmentPez
Staff member
Watching two decrepit old men arguing about who has a better golf game is really depressing.
I didn't watch the debate last night (because, really, I'm not getting up at 3AM for that) but every snippet I've seen and every comment I've read has said the same: Joe had one of his worse days, his presentation was terrible, and this is just sleepwalking straight into Trump 2 if he doesn't withdraw.
I really like(d) Biden for a lot of things. Yeah, he may not be the Progressive candidate of choice, but he's done a lot of good both as VP of Obama and as president. He's just plain too old - as pretty much everybody knew from the start.
Only problem is - who can be a consensus candidate to replace him? There's too litle time for any "new" candidate to come forward, and it'll pretty much be up to the establishment to pick someone.
Kamala Harris is just plain doomed.
Hillary Clinton I would SINCERELY hope they won't even consider.
Newsom? Whitmer? Beshear? I can name 5 or 6 more who all have their pros and cons - but by not withdrawing earlier Biden has robbed the people of their chance to have input, and also for these candidates to actually get known to the broader public. Also, the optics of "he had to withdraw because Trump WON THEDEBATE SO BIGLY" are just absolutely terrible.
I was already expecting a Trump victory. Now I'm expecting a Trump landslide. Enjoy the last few months of a world where democracy still holds some power - the EU is slowly sinking into a neocapitalist and neofascist morass, and the US seems hell-bent on getting there first.
I really like(d) Biden for a lot of things. Yeah, he may not be the Progressive candidate of choice, but he's done a lot of good both as VP of Obama and as president. He's just plain too old - as pretty much everybody knew from the start.
Only problem is - who can be a consensus candidate to replace him? There's too litle time for any "new" candidate to come forward, and it'll pretty much be up to the establishment to pick someone.
Kamala Harris is just plain doomed.
Hillary Clinton I would SINCERELY hope they won't even consider.
Newsom? Whitmer? Beshear? I can name 5 or 6 more who all have their pros and cons - but by not withdrawing earlier Biden has robbed the people of their chance to have input, and also for these candidates to actually get known to the broader public. Also, the optics of "he had to withdraw because Trump WON THEDEBATE SO BIGLY" are just absolutely terrible.
I was already expecting a Trump victory. Now I'm expecting a Trump landslide. Enjoy the last few months of a world where democracy still holds some power - the EU is slowly sinking into a neocapitalist and neofascist morass, and the US seems hell-bent on getting there first.
Don't forget about France. They look in a strong position to surge there before the US.
And sadly, Canada doesn't seem far behind. The Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, is looking more and more like he'll win. Maybe a minority government, but still.
Fascist, yes, and terrible and racist, but Le Pen's party is oddly not that capitalist minded.
But, yeah.
GasBandit
Staff member
I can't be the only one remembering how JFK beat Nixon in the first-ever televised debate largely because Nixon, unfamiliar with the new medium and how it worked, refused to let anybody put makeup on him, and thus appeared sickly and pale in front of the entire nation where JFK looked energetic and vibrant.
But yeah, this debate is leaving democrat voters crestfallen and MAGA sycophants jubilant. If the election was held tomorrow, it wouldn't go well. But the horse may yet laugh. Sucks to basically have to fall back on "well maybe a miracle will happen."
But yeah, this debate is leaving democrat voters crestfallen and MAGA sycophants jubilant. If the election was held tomorrow, it wouldn't go well. But the horse may yet laugh. Sucks to basically have to fall back on "well maybe a miracle will happen."
Dave
Staff member
Biden looked exactly like the republicans said he was while Trump spewed nothing but lies that the "moderators" just let go.
Independents may lean Trump now because of how bad Biden looked.
Democrats will still vote Biden because Trump is awful in every way.
Republicans do not give two shits about whether or not their candidate is awful or lies. They frankly love it.
This is not looking well and it's frightening.
Independents may lean Trump now because of how bad Biden looked.
Democrats will still vote Biden because Trump is awful in every way.
Republicans do not give two shits about whether or not their candidate is awful or lies. They frankly love it.
This is not looking well and it's frightening.
The miracle MIGHT be that Trump goes to prison.
I know, I know, that's laughably optimistic, but there's a chance.
I know, I know, that's laughably optimistic, but there's a chance.
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Another Trump stroke would be good. A bigger one this time.
But in all seriousness, if they were going to run someone besides Biden, they would have had to set things up a year or two ago. What should honestly be happening is that on local and grand scale, is the Democrat party should constantly remind voters they're losing so much more with Trump and his cronies, like their access to healthcare: i.e. abortion, IVF, etc. Not being able to say when and IF you have your own children should be mobilizing those voters, even amongst conservatives. They may not want to say it out loud, but they use those services as much as anyone. Shit, if Democrats were as evil as Republicans, they'd be running scare ads that white families won't be able to pass they genes anymore; they'll have to pick children from "the poor, colored adoptables from teen moms and drug addicts". (None of this is accurate, but look at some of Reagan's campaigns and you could see it happening, sadly.)
This shouldn't sit squarely on Biden's shoulders, because not only could he not handle that, but I don't know if anyone could. This should be about how much there is to lose with a Trump return, and how much we lost the first time around. Can't these guys get it together for some honest, scary reality? There is no "Obama Hope" this time, only "You have no idea how much worse it will get".
But in all seriousness, if they were going to run someone besides Biden, they would have had to set things up a year or two ago. What should honestly be happening is that on local and grand scale, is the Democrat party should constantly remind voters they're losing so much more with Trump and his cronies, like their access to healthcare: i.e. abortion, IVF, etc. Not being able to say when and IF you have your own children should be mobilizing those voters, even amongst conservatives. They may not want to say it out loud, but they use those services as much as anyone. Shit, if Democrats were as evil as Republicans, they'd be running scare ads that white families won't be able to pass they genes anymore; they'll have to pick children from "the poor, colored adoptables from teen moms and drug addicts". (None of this is accurate, but look at some of Reagan's campaigns and you could see it happening, sadly.)
This shouldn't sit squarely on Biden's shoulders, because not only could he not handle that, but I don't know if anyone could. This should be about how much there is to lose with a Trump return, and how much we lost the first time around. Can't these guys get it together for some honest, scary reality? There is no "Obama Hope" this time, only "You have no idea how much worse it will get".
GasBandit
Staff member
That doesn't disqualify him from being elected. Because so much of our government is based upon people 200+ years ago feeling like it wasn't necessary to codify such things because "Well of COURSE the American people would never elect a convicted criminal president, so we won't even bother explicitly prohibiting it."
figmentPez
Staff member
Honestly, I'm not sure being dead would stop SCOTUS from ruling that Trump can still be president. They'll just prop his corpse up in the oval office and tell everyone he's doing a better job than ever.
GasBandit
Staff member
Actually, that could actually be said to be the truth.
Federal Liberals just lost the safest seat they had. The Cons are getting a HUGE majority.
I genuinely wish I could leave the country, but I don't think there's anywhere safe anymore.
GasBandit
Staff member
Let's just review the recent supreme court shenanigans all in one place....
The Supreme Court struck down part of a federal anti-corruption law and ruled that state officials may accept “gratuities” from people who wish to reward them for their official actions. The ruling vacates the bribery conviction of a former Indiana mayor, who accepted $13,000 from a trucking company after he directed about $1 million worth of city contracts to the company. The ruling, 6-3 along ideological lines, says federal anti-corruption laws only apply to situations where officials accept gifts before taking government action – not to being rewarded after. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in her dissent that the ruling relied on an “absurd and atextual reading of the statute” that “only today’s Court could love.” (New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Vox / Huffpost / CNN / New Republic)
The Supreme Court stripped the Securities and Exchange Commission of its main tool for enforcing rules against securities fraud. The 6-3 decision means the SEC can no longer use its in-house court to enforce regulations and imposes penalties.Defendants accused of fraud now have the right to a jury trial. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented and accused the conservative majority of upending “longstanding precedent” to cut back on the authority of federal agencies and that “litigants who seek to dismantle the administrative state” would rejoice in the decision. (Associated Press / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / NBC News / Politico / NPR / Axios)
The Supreme Court limited the EPA’s ability to regulate air quality. The EPA’s “Good Neighbor Plan” would curb nitrogen oxide pollution from industrial facilities, and apply to 23 “upwind” states whose emissions can contribute to pollution in “downwind” states. The EPA said the plan would help prevent premature deaths, reduce emergency room visits, and cut asthma symptoms by limiting the amount of smog. By a 5 to 4 vote, the court ruled that the emissions-reductions standards set by the “Good Neighbor Plan” were likely to cause “irreparable harm” to about half the states unless the court halted the rule to consider challenges pressed by upwind states. (NBC News / NPR / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Associated Press / New York Times)
The Supreme Court struck down part of a federal anti-corruption law and ruled that state officials may accept “gratuities” from people who wish to reward them for their official actions. The ruling vacates the bribery conviction of a former Indiana mayor, who accepted $13,000 from a trucking company after he directed about $1 million worth of city contracts to the company. The ruling, 6-3 along ideological lines, says federal anti-corruption laws only apply to situations where officials accept gifts before taking government action – not to being rewarded after. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in her dissent that the ruling relied on an “absurd and atextual reading of the statute” that “only today’s Court could love.” (New York Times / Washington Post / Associated Press / Vox / Huffpost / CNN / New Republic)
The Supreme Court stripped the Securities and Exchange Commission of its main tool for enforcing rules against securities fraud. The 6-3 decision means the SEC can no longer use its in-house court to enforce regulations and imposes penalties.Defendants accused of fraud now have the right to a jury trial. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented and accused the conservative majority of upending “longstanding precedent” to cut back on the authority of federal agencies and that “litigants who seek to dismantle the administrative state” would rejoice in the decision. (Associated Press / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / NBC News / Politico / NPR / Axios)
The Supreme Court limited the EPA’s ability to regulate air quality. The EPA’s “Good Neighbor Plan” would curb nitrogen oxide pollution from industrial facilities, and apply to 23 “upwind” states whose emissions can contribute to pollution in “downwind” states. The EPA said the plan would help prevent premature deaths, reduce emergency room visits, and cut asthma symptoms by limiting the amount of smog. By a 5 to 4 vote, the court ruled that the emissions-reductions standards set by the “Good Neighbor Plan” were likely to cause “irreparable harm” to about half the states unless the court halted the rule to consider challenges pressed by upwind states. (NBC News / NPR / Bloomberg / Washington Post / Associated Press / New York Times)