People that you've never heard of, people that are in the dark shadows -- US Politics September 2020

There was an excellent piece in The Guardian a couple of years ago devoted to explaining precisely why so-called 'race science' is heinous bullshit:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/02/the-unwelcome-revival-of-race-science

We had a bit of a row about it at the time as some ILXors felt that the scientific method is unhelpful in the struggle against racism. I, for one, deem it essential, but it's only one weapon among many, ineffective when deployed alone.

2xp

I'm thinking of voting in person now, early. ok, you don't like mail in ballots, well here, here's one on election night, you fuck.

My pleasure. Here, in easier reading form: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1308851838406610945.html🕸

If I already requested a mail-in ballot, can I vote early in-person instead?

Might as well do both just in case. It's what the POTUS recommended, after all.

This person has not been paying attention to the successes of the Wisconsin Republican Party for the past decade.
― 𝔠𝔞𝔢𝔨 (caek), Thursday, September 24, 2020

That's one state.

If I already requested a mail-in ballot, can I vote early in-person instead?

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, September 24, 2020 11:37 AM bookmarkflaglink

depends on your state. in mine you can, they just spoil your mailed ballot.

I respect people who believe something like that can't happen because "reason" "institutions" etc. but am hoping we can all agree that charges of hysteria or alarmism in the other direction are completely inappropriate right now and need to stop.

This is worth calling out again and is totally otm. I don't think it's necessarily intended by most of the regular denizens of these threads, but I think it's completely understandable and logical for people to be alarmed and terrified by the complete abdication of the rule of law by the GOP. While it's helpful to point to reasonable articles and remind the room about why doomsday, worst case scenarios are unlikely, simply shushing people as "alarmist" or "hysterical" comes across sometimes, probably unintentionally, as, "shush now, let the grown ups talk".

And, yeah, reminding us of the failsafes are fine and all, but you'll have to excuse some of us for doubting those when so many norms and failsafes have already been ignored or proven wholly inadequate to face up to this current menace.

If I already requested a mail-in ballot, can I vote early in-person instead?

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, September 24, 2020 11:37 AM bookmarkflaglink

depends on your state. in mine you can, they just spoil your mailed ballot.

― LaRusso Auto (Neanderthal),

This. Although I received a ballot in August for our local primaries, the library had no line, so I voted in person.

And, yeah, reminding us of the failsafes are fine and all, but you'll have to excuse some of us for doubting those when so many norms and failsafes have already been ignored or proven wholly inadequate to face up to this current menace.

Yep, I don't get the sense that the Checks & Balances Stress Test™ was passed at all.

There's a real chance that Roe v. Wade and the ACA will be killed in the next year, even without too many shenanigans, so...
Not even talking about a "theoretical" fascist Trump state here. Lots of bad stuff has been happening and will keep happening.

I think it's fine to be vigilant about potential abuses of power, but the thread Alfred posted is right: the "flood the zone with noise" strategy is deliberate; it is meant to exhaust and distract.

Count on it, every day from now on will bring a new outrage du jour. There is a set of repetitive rhetorical motions that we tend to go through. If we have to go through those repetitive motions every goddamn time, that can take away from the energy and focus required to actually defeat and eradicate this kind of politics.

To put it in Gen X terms,

https://media.giphy.com/media/lk0TFUdop2JTW/giphy-facebook_s.jpg

While that is absolutely a part of what Trump is doing, I think it's a huge mistake to write it all off as "just noise".

i think we're all worried

I don't think we disagree, jon. Part of the point of noise is that it ISN'T all "just noise."

The point of noise is that you don't know which specific outrage to pay attention to, so we do the same freakout over each outrage.

i don't disagree with the idea in that thread (that the goal is to confuse/delegitimize the process rather than actually _do_ the things), but the kinds of things we're talking about _have already happened_ at the state level in this county. we have an existence proof that it works. and it seems naive to dismiss the possibility that bill bar might give it a go nationally. and if he does, well, i haven't see a ton of evidence that federal institutions are any more robust than state ones over the past few years.

probably it will be fine.

There’s a certain level of acquiescence by the losing side - the way Gore ultimately folded in 2000 to maintain the integrity of the government. Even if Democrats gave in, hard to see 60mn+ people who voted out of hatred of Trump rolling with it.

Get a load of this fucking asshole (a writer for the Intercept, of course):

Lots of polling shows that Democrats are less likely to vote if they believe Trump is just going to steal the election. Trump's people have no doubt seen that polling too, which might be motivating Trump to be so honest about stealing the election. Win-win, so to speak.

— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) September 24, 2020

RTed here:

There is not a shred of polling I've seen supporting this, and I see *a lot* of polling https://t.co/6UFRTLgiQf

— Alex Clearfield (@AlexClearfield) September 24, 2020

that's idiotic, if anything it seems to be motivating them to turn out in numbers that would make it incredibly difficult for him to steal

The point of noise is that you don't know which specific outrage to pay attention to, so we do the same freakout over each outrage.

Absolutely. I just think the "we'll see what happens" response to a question about peaceful handover of power is high on the level of "freakout worthy". It seems some on this thread disagree with that, which surprises me. That's all.

Once again I agree with milo! Finish your drinks

“He says the people swallow Clorox and we hear about it for the rest of our lives but he’s trying to have the constitution of the United States swallow Clorox.” @SpeakerPelosi on @realDonaldTrump refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power following the Nov. 3 election. pic.twitter.com/ecp3yIPjVJ

— Vladimir Duthiers (@vladduthiersCBS) September 24, 2020

If there was ever material for one of these thread titles it's "He's trying to have the Constitution of the United States swallow Clorox."

It's a little flabbergasting to me that people ever thought "law and order" applied to people with power.

That’s good for you. Some of the rest of us aspire to achieve greater justice in this country instead of winning at cynicism

I mean if you genuinely take that stance I wonder why you would ever support any politician of any stripe?

I don't!

Also, achieving greater justice in this country comes from creating the conditions for ideas of justice to flourish, not electing some asshole who has degrees from Harvard.

In this way, it is you who are actually cynical.

Sigh.

popcorn.gif

https://i.imgflip.com/1zydwo.jpg

Has there been any talk of post election mobilization if there is any electoral fuckery?

Also his aide is a piece of shit - making it sound like counting every vote is "extreme" and that we should be ok with stopping the count on election day. Some states only require it being postmarked by election day, for one

I remember thinking "it's kinda refreshing to hear a Republican admit that they can't win if everyone votes" but I didn't consider what that actually meant

Sighing because I refuse to let you call me cynic? It must be pretty disappointing, I guess.

I mean, I get that we simply disagree a lot, Tomboto, that's fine. But to call my ideological perspective cynical, particularly given the work that I do and have been doing for the past decade-plus of my life, is just inaccurate and insulting.

no, because I don't have the interest to discuss with you why "creating the conditions" and desiring to influence things via politics (especially by holding politicians accountable) aren't mutually exclusive

I don't take much that people say on this board personally.

unless they're accusing me of being some kind of iron-fisted moderator seeking to crush heterodox views from the boards. because that wasn't even true when I used to ban people.

butth0le!11!1!

"flood the zone with shit" continues to be impactful until we choose to stop having our conversations based on the inside of the toilet

I flood the zone with shit
Upon my liar's chair

Neanderthal, you exposed your password upthread

He should capitalize the 'b' to make it more secure.

I'm less worried about Trump 'stealing' the election than by him winning legitimately with like 11,000 votes. Which is still totally possible, due to the archaic vagaries of the EC.

i'm worried about a great many things which is why I don't like to look beyond today.

but it's hard not to

lol @ DJP's post

my butthole is my passport verify me

"This money is 'cause they hate my guts." Yes, and?

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on FOX just now: "My opponent will raise $100 million ... I'm being killed financially. This money is 'cuz hate my guts." pic.twitter.com/hqMIqpdUoe

— The Recount (@therecount) September 24, 2020

speaking of buttholes