Politics 2023

[Buster's Uncle]

I have at least that much to say about her - and I'm multi-tasking, trying to catch up from supper.  Later, maybe, tomorrow maybe.  I can copy/paste what I told a foreigner on SKype this afternoon if a find a half hour...

[Trenacker]

The central problem is that performative cultural outrage, now quite bigoted, has become the most valuable commodity for winning the primary elections that enable these people to continue having careers, and, almost as important, relevance, which we have seen is worth any and every sacrifice in their eyes.

I also believe there must be a distorting effect of their interaction with so many of the MAGA rank-and-file. "If so many people believe this so passionately, maybe it's OK for me to be their tribune."

Fortunately, voters seem to want more than that. Speaking as a liberal, hopefully Ron DeSantis has trouble shopping his uniquely retributive brand of fascist parking lot politics outside the state of Florida where older folks have so many cultural axes to grind.

I feel like there's a whole population in this country that has given up on politics as proble-solving. So they just vote for politicians who will entertain and validate them. People who were just happy somebody as outwardly successful as Donald [Sleezebag] was praising them, even if they didn't trust him to do anything.

But now, we all live in our own little bubble. If our guy is driving the bus, we don't sweat the small stuff. I think Republicans assume the economy is worse under a Democrat, whether that is true or not, which helps to prevent people from fleeing a sinking ship.

[Buster's Uncle]

...Liberal?  Aren't you a conservative -not reactionary- Republican w/ sense?...

[Buster's Uncle]

Nikki Hailey is totally vice-presidential material, by the way.

A 'Merican with a little sense told you so.

She's the right age, yes, has checked off a big qualification on the checklist - Governor of somewhere, also who'd worked for the "president" as ambassador to UN.  But hasn't pulled a hitch in the national legislature.  Bit of a nazi, but not capital N.  She's also an empty suit.  She'd look pretty standing behind the Candidate, and check off the ethnic token box the pro Republicans like to check in their eternal struggle to live down being the racist party.  Perfect for VP, bad for president.

So, Sarah Palin advantages-plus, and little of the downside, that Palin's unfit to be a public figure, less be in public service.

Nikki won't humiliate herself in the VP debate, but then Palin didn't.

Mike Pence?  Huge empty suit.  Pig never expected any spine, any line beneath which he Would Not Stoop.

I think that's actually fair to Pence.  He was VP because he was SO unthreatening.

Nikki is pretty for a woman her age, at least, and doesn't show her ass every time she opens her mouth.

Palin DOES have charisma beyond being breathtakingly good-looking for a granny who doesn't look like she's trying hard.  When she walked over to Biden before the debate, looking all wasp-wasted and tiny next to him and asked "Is it okay if I call you Joe?" that didn't seem intended for the microphones?  Actual charm beyond looks.

Pity she's ignorant and actually stupid.

[Euro respondent has never heard Palin speak]

She has this north border accent -I think her family was from Montanna, before Alaska, the accent sounds Wiscaaansen to me- that just sounds stupid.  Then what she says is stupid.

*Wisconsin - phonetic spelling that means nothing to you, ok.

[Buster's Uncle]

Let me add, original comment following on that - it all speaks to a profound systemic flaw -very much also on the part of sundry nominees- that we are offered Mike Pence, Sarah Palin, Dan Quayle, Joe Biden, for that matter, as VP candidates, none of whom look like much of anyone's idea of a possible President.  THAT's plum tragic, it is, because some of them actually go on to be President, Joe, all on the strength of a nominee picked them largely for being no threat.  BAD juju.


Contra what I said on Skype, Nikki isn't VP material - she's running mate material.  There's a profound difference.

[Unorthodox]

Aren't you a conservative -not reactionary- Republican w/ sense?...

That's enough to get you labeled liberal these days. 

[Buster's Uncle]

By the Nazis, sure.

Buster's Daddy went to reactionary seminaries, got first-hand experience of that, and thinks he's not one of them now.  He was never even a labor liberal like me, and we're a social conservative family.  Man, he knows Greek and Hebrew, written, now, and I can't discuss theology with him the last 15 years unless I feel content to ask questions and just listen, the arrogant SOB.




That's ugly hateful bullcrap, Reagan turning Liberal into an insult word.  They don't even call themselves that anymore, having just plain lost that battle.  The real liberals are "Progressive" now.

[Buster's Uncle]

A note on a Biden phail you won't expect?  When he ran for Vice President, I was shocked, Shocked, I tell you, that Joe is charming.  He did it with a big grin on his face, then as actual Vice President, like it's only Vice President and he wasn't trying to be taken seriously.  Grave, GRAVE basic error on his part as Congressman, running for President the first time, being President this time, that he puts away -consciously, it has to be- that grin and that charm to try to seem sober-somber and respectable.


He'd be an infinitely stronger President with that grin showing more often.  I like him way better smiling.

[Geo]

He'd be an infinitely stronger President with that grin showing more often.  I like him way better smiling.

Now there's a reason fanmail exists...

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, I threw it out in public, and you never know...




Another random thought:  Kudos to the long list of people who had the guts or whatever to quit on The Don -maffia, and hey I just coined a good one on the fly- the day after Nazi Wednesday.  It wasn't two weeks early, and only a gesture, thus, but a VERY VERY important one, those being in short supply in the aftermath.  Who knew Betsey Vos, in particular had it in her?  They'll all always be stained by having been in the same room with him at all twice, but it hints that many are the rat sorbet of fascists - they've got less Nazi...

[Rusty Edge]

The central problem is that performative cultural outrage, now quite bigoted, has become the most valuable commodity for winning the primary elections that enable these people to continue having careers, and, almost as important, relevance, which we have seen is worth any and every sacrifice in their eyes.

I feel like there's a whole population in this country that has given up on politics as proble-solving. So they just vote for politicians who will entertain and validate them. People who were just happy somebody as outwardly successful as Donald [Sleezebag] was praising them, even if they didn't trust him to do anything.

Not sure which is the chicken and which is the egg, or if the problem is that we have so many choices we can choose our own facts. But when you put it all together it results in big, big trouble.

[Rusty Edge]

Let me add, original comment following on that - it all speaks to a profound systemic flaw -very much also on the part of sundry nominees- that we are offered Mike Pence, Sarah Palin, Dan Quayle, Joe Biden, for that matter, as VP candidates, none of whom look like much of anyone's idea of a possible President.  THAT's plum tragic, it is, because some of them actually go on to be President, Joe, all on the strength of a nominee picked them largely for being no threat.  BAD juju.


Contra what I said on Skype, Nikki isn't VP material - she's running mate material.  There's a profound difference.

I expect that Kerri Lake will be [Sleezebag]'s running mate. She's great on camera, she's pretty, she's from a swing state and when it comes to an interview, a debate or the 2020 presidential election she's not hampered by the facts or principles. She was the most Trumpian political figure pre-George Santos.

[Buster's Uncle]

Mafia Don won't have a running mate.

If Nikki was truly sharp -have I said this in public before?- the day that kid shot up the church, she'd have taken three state troopers out front of whatever building she actually worked in as SC Governor, and had that Confederate Flag down instanter.  Had a staffer 'leak' to the media about 15 minutes notice.  She might have already been President by now, if she was that sharp.

[Buster's Uncle]

Mylochka -who is just old enough to faintly recall Kennedy's head blowing up, and Watergate far better than I do (which is all anyone talked about in 1974, even nine year-olds)- said recently that Nazi Wednesday was the most important thing to happen in US politics in her lifetime, 61.25 years now.

I'll add on to that, possibly the most important thing to happen in politics in the world, bar the Soviet Union having a BAD 1991.

Reactions?

[Geo]

I'll add on to that, possibly the most important thing to happen in politics in the world, bar the Soviet Union having a BAD 1991.

Reactions?

There's plenty more important things that happened in the world. Even politically. But then again, I'm from the other side of the Atlantic.