US Politics April 2019 Thread: 'I find that pretty hard to believe'

JuJu and Psycho Joe

pretty apparent that the media loves Trump the same way pharma companies love people getting addicted to opiates

Trump is the opiate of the asses

the suppository of all thing essentially american

e pluribus rectum

if you stuck around a day or two, long enough to hear about how there was actually some damaging stuff to trump in there

Yes but it was mostly stuff that every sentient mammal in the universe already knew.

Something like 33% of those mammals believe he is disqualified and should never have been allowed even close to power. They were not and are not persuadable.

Something like 33% of those mammals don't give a shit because he's doing what they want in government. This may encompass a wide range of things such as nominating conservatives to the bench, exerting downward pressure on immigration, deregulating, combating the MSM, or just plain causing LIBTEARS by existing.

The other approximate third is just not very engaged.

Exactly nothing in the report changed my mind about who Trump was, is, and ever shall be.

Did it change yours?

I am as anti-Trump as anyone here. Voluminously on record as such. But Mueller = dud in terms of breaking the current deadlock, as far as I can tell.

Personally I suspect that impeachment proceedings would have exactly the same lack of effect, but I would be happy to be proven wrong.

The McGahn stuff changed my mind, in a way, because it was worse than I even realized; I was just listening to the Daily, and it's telling that Giuliani et al came out swinging against McGahn post report when it was McGahn that prevented Trump from committing an even worse crime. McGahn makes a strong witness. And Team Trump knows that.

And Trump throughout comes off more like Richard Nixon than he ever could in his wildest dreams.

YMP basically otm, though I don't think it divides into thirds--I think most of the unengaged still have an instinctual thumbs up/down response and you only see movement in a much smaller percentage. 538's approval tracker is really the only "reporting" you need on Trump's public perception: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/

The comparisons with past presidents are especially instructive. People made up their minds about this guy in the first few months of his administration; it's pretty remarkable historically!

Ultimately it's not about changing minds - that's what elections are for - it's about what to do with a trove of information that further affirms he's a crooked scumbag who makes America not great. I think the only answer is impeachment, if only to get the GOP on formal record as defenders of his shitheadery. Because if impeachment does not go forward, then the GOP will plow forward with its own reverse impeachment, and probably run on that, too. "Vote us back in and we will get to the bottom of this treason!" etc.

It's true there's no real "bombshell" in the Mueller report per se, but rather it's a confirmation of all the bombshells that have dropped over the last 2 years, the stuff that Republicans have been yelling "Fake News!" and "Witch Hunt!" at the entire time. As though Russiagate = Pizzagate or something. As a GOP Congressman or Trump supporter you either go against your own law enforcement agencies or conclude that welcoming foreign help and directing everyone to lie to the country is actually fine. You can't just ride the fence anymore.

and yes, the media's handling of this was absolutely abysmal.

. As a GOP Congressman or Trump supporter you either go against your own law enforcement agencies or conclude that welcoming foreign help and directing everyone to lie to the country is actually fine

though, of course, they've been doing this ever since the inauguration, basically, with trump et al trying to discredit the intelligence community at every opportunity.

i was hoping, though, that the reaction to the mueller report would prompt some more awareness among conservatives of their cognitive dissonance. 2 straight years of trump attacking mueller and the very idea of being investigated, followed by 2 days of him praising mueller and the report and crowing 'total exoneration', followed by him saying 'total bullshit' when confronted with the reality that the entire second part of the report proves, over and over and over, in clear language, how he obstructed justice. i was really hoping that at least a few people would be able to recognize the bullshit this time around.

his approval rating's gone down 5 points, I guess some people are listening

of course this is why the Dems need to initiate impeachment proceedings now. make cowards like Mitt Romney put their names on the record. who cares if you rile up a bunch of Pizzagaters.

Would hope that there would be a couple of impeachments due in a couple of weeks if not sooner. Barr himself has obstructed justice now.
Hearing the narrative about the Clinton impeachment backfiring on the Republicans is being reassessed and it actually helped tehm in the next election despite some chaos created by GOP higher ups being exposed as having affairs in the interim.

Would think the exposure of facts during an impeachment might be necessary for cleaning up the government and avoiding further repeats or similar behaviour.
Also sounds like its almost a duty written into the constitution for any occurrence of despotic behaviour like Trump thinks he's entitled to.

The idea of avoiding it cos it might cost votes sounds a bit like shrugging off a responsibility.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFo1DfNdn9c

well done^

Politico playing the greatest hits this morning:

Pelosi, Schumer to meet with Trump on infrastructure next week

Yoooo let's get Hoyer the fuck out here!!!

I’m so excited to announce that I am running to represent Maryland’s 5th Congressional District!

— Mckayla Wilkes (@MeetMckayla) March 25, 2019

her platform is awesome, also

yeah gonna try to see her speak this wknd

...

Steve King says backlash to white nationalism comment was like what Jesus went through: https://t.co/Y9Qo2mXXh0 pic.twitter.com/nAPzZ17PH6

— The Daily Dot (@dailydot) April 24, 2019

otm

Jesus was insufferable, wouldn't shut up, would execute again

Execution a little extreme, but make sure he can't vote

Jesús who?

lol so now there is another big scary caravan to talk about ? what happened to the last one

election campaign ended.

The Satanic Temple has officially been granted tax-exempt status by the IRS.

Clearly the last few years have demonstrated that Satan is on a roll.

NEW: We have reporting inside Twitter that explains why Jack hasn't "banned the Nazis:" Treating white supremacy like ISIS would mean autobanning some Republican politicians https://t.co/2VmUpqzM7p

— Jason Koebler (@jason_koebler) April 25, 2019

pic.twitter.com/pYs9Qq1f4m

— Jason Koebler (@jason_koebler) April 25, 2019

How in the world did Erik Prince avoid a charge?

changed his name to Eric Academi. no one noticed.

The Art of the Deal!

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-northkorea-warmbier/trump-approved-payment-of-2-million-bill-for-north-korea-care-of-warmbier-report-idUSKCN1S124E

US didn't pay it

BREAKING: Federal judge agrees to release Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Hasson, who was accused of plotting terror attack by federal prosecutors. Judge says govt. has not charged him with terrorism and murder and doesn’t plan to, so no grounds to hold.

— justin jouvenal (@jjouvenal) April 25, 2019

uh

unreal

RESPECT THE TROOPS

sends a pretty clear message that it's okay to target the President's enemies

I know virtually none of the details surrounding this but I don’t think it’s crazy to worry that rightwing prosecutors and judges who are m/l sympathetic outright white supremacy are just going to start wildin out

‘start’

fair :-/

A WaPo story from Tuesday said "Hasson has been charged with illegal possession of unregistered and unmarked silencers, illegal possession of firearms by an unlawful user or addict of controlled substances, and simple possession of a controlled substance." It sounds like the judge agreed with Hasson's lawyers that he should be allowed bail on those charges. But he'll still go to trial.

i regret to inform you the whites are at it again

Confused, I thought I read the crazy judge thought he did not automatically meet the conditions for detention, but it's still up to his defense lawyers to make a conditional case that or how he should be released. That is, it's not like he has or will be simply turned loose.

not out yet, but

https://www.newser.com/article/c8ad9c55755a472f80da701ffdc14940/coast-guard-lieutenant-accused-of-terrorism-granted-release.html

who the fuck are these assholes around Trump saying General Lee is their favorite general ? lol who even has a favorite general other than general Tso ?

Asked if he still thinks there were "very fine people" on both sides of the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville, Trump says, "I was talking about people that went b/c they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E Lee. A great general, whether you like it or not" pic.twitter.com/D7O5vFWy29

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 26, 2019

what a joke he is a fucking joke

I am partial to General Electric, with General Mills as a close second.

i like generals who don't etc

General Johnson imo

He's probably thinking of the car from Dukes of Hazzard. A very fine car.