Where Are We Runnin’? - American Politics Thread, May 2022

there's a straawwwmaaaan
waiting in the sty

xp to table

True and point very much taken. tbf I was responding to what I thought Andy was saying: [inaccurate paraphrase deleted after reading his clarification], which I thought off-base after reading about such an alarming accumulation of legitimate state power. But you're right, it's wrong to dismiss RR as the work of loners.

xposts: sorry for bad posting blargh

apologies if this was already noted, I only saw it today

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/us/politics/biden-military-somalia.html

WASHINGTON — President Biden has signed an order authorizing the military to once again deploy hundreds of Special Operations forces inside Somalia — largely reversing the decision by President Donald J. Trump to withdraw nearly all 700 ground troops who had been stationed there, according to four officials familiar with the matter.

In addition, Mr. Biden has approved a Pentagon request for standing authority to target about a dozen suspected leaders of Al Shabab, the Somali terrorist group that is affiliated with Al Qaeda, three of the officials said. Since Mr. Biden took office, airstrikes have largely been limited to those meant to defend partner forces facing an immediate threat.

Together, the decisions by Mr. Biden, described by the officials on the condition of anonymity, will revive an open-ended American counterterrorism operation that has amounted to a slow-burn war through three administrations. The move stands in contrast to his decision last year to pull American forces from Afghanistan, saying that “it is time to end the forever war.”

he probably forgot

The Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has verified and confirmed the news published to the effect that the United States of America has authorized U.S. and European oil companies to negotiate and restart operations in Venezuela.

— Delcy Rodríguez (@delcyrodriguezv) May 17, 2022

I've seen enough: Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) defeats Rep. Conor Lamb (D) in the #PASEN Dem primary.

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) May 18, 2022

That’s cool, this guy rocks

Mostly mentioning this because guy's name is literally Chesebro.

The suit also names as defendants James R. Troupis, a lawyer for the Trump campaign in Wisconsin, and Kenneth Chesebro, a Massachusetts lawyer who wrote a key December 2020 memo to Mr. Troupis proposing the fake elector scheme.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/us/politics/wisconsin-fake-electors.html

Another positive development:

I've seen enough: Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R) has lost renomination to state Sen. Chuck Edwards (R) in the #NC11 GOP primary.

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) May 18, 2022

lmao

I've seen enough.

you ain't seen nothin' yet

well, yeah

Good to hear.

Cawthorn to deliver concession speech wearing only cocaine, a key ring w/keys, and a wheelchair.

Fetterman got almost 60% of the vote, btw. Will a single journalist concede that his positions represent the Democratic mainstream? No, of course not.

Why is it necessary to "concede" what no one would deny? Everything on here

https://johnfetterman.com/issues/

looks to me like something 90% of elected Democrats, including the President of the United States, would sign on to. That sounds like Democratic mainstream to me.

(Except legalizing weed, which I do think Dems would probably be smart to whole-heartedly instead of half-heartedly adopt.)

Cawthorn finally going down, one of the only examples of a republican being held accountable in the last several years, and it’s because of cocaine and orgies, is one of the most bleakly funny things that has ever happened

Re weed, Tennessee couldn't even muster the outrage to ban Delta 8 this year, because the vape shops are making too much money. The weed war is effectively over, Democrats ought to declare victory and make fun of politicians who pretend to be worried about it.

seems like it's a similar situation here in Texas, at least in Austin. There are tons of stores that sell delta 8 and other weed-like products, and they were all panicking that they were going to be shut down immanently, but then the day came and it didn't happen, it's still being sold everywhere.

In #OR05, progressive Jamie McLeod-Skinner (D) carrying Deschutes Co. (Bend) 70%-30% over Rep. Kurt Schrader (D). Looking very grim for the incumbent Blue Dog.

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) May 18, 2022

Cawthorn’s remaining term will be interesting.

honestly i think he ends up on newsmax. i know people always say that about various politicians, that they're headed to cable, but he's perfect for newsmax, and they definitely don't give a fuck

i love when the newsmax hosts just let the other person (giuliani, navarro, whoever) just go off as long as they want, and they even start laughing and look to the side at their producers as it gets more outrageous. even dogshit cnn hosts know not to do that

hi this is newsmax's Normal Kegger, and I'm your host madison cawthorn

today I will tell you about my visit to Hitler's House, where I learned how to bide a Reich

come on, everybody who goes to europe goes to hitler's house. you gotta go to hitler's house it's beautifu, just beautiful land

what, is it now illegal to go to hitler's house? is hiter's house banned? are we not supposed to admit that it happened now? isn't this what's wrong with america, the censorship of hitler?

god...i'm just gonna go to hitler's house to make a point, now, and maybe make my own little custom hitler button on the flight there...

Centrists are playing the long game getting creamed in the primaries - when the Democrats eat shit in November they can blame it on the "progressive wing."

I mean, they'd do that anyway but they'll have more fun doing it now.

i also find this really funny

I'm done.

I no longer believe the Republican Party can be saved. The vitriolic rhetoric is inspiring violent radicals.

I'm quitting the GOP. And I hope more do the same.

— Miles Taylor (@MilesTaylorUSA) May 17, 2022

that's the "anonymous" trump official NYT op-ed guy from 2018. he's HAD it!

Cawthorn finally going down, one of the only examples of a republican being held accountable in the last several years, and it’s because of cocaine and orgies, is one of the most bleakly funny things that has ever happened

and it wasn't even his cocaine or his orgies!!

it was some shit he most likely made up to seem cool on Warrior Poet Radio is the funniest thing

well, bizarro cool. qanon cool.

He should have just named Matt Gaetz

“Warrior Poet Radio”?

“Warrior Poet Radio”?

Nebraska last week, Idaho this week - GOP voters nearly tossing out secretaries of state *in places Trump won* bc they're so Lindell-pilled. https://t.co/gZIhpn8AJM

— David Weigel (@daveweigel) May 18, 2022

lurid/bleak profile. difficult to see this ending well tbh

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/05/13/madison-cawthorn-injury-profile-00032002

i started reading that and then realised i have no interest in this fuckhead

yeah I'm sure I've mentioned this before but in the pre-Trump era this is the kind of dude whose life goal would be to appear on The Bachelorette as the aggressive dipshit who gets kicked off two episodes in

xp fair. i don't feel like a better person having read it.

I didn't read it, I just looked at the pictures. He would've wanted it that way.

we already knew Cawthorn was deeply fucked up. it was impossible to miss. that article just adds more depth and dimension about how fucked up he is.

his despair would inspire me to have a bit more compassion for him, if he had not sought a position of great power and public trust while having zero awareness of what being in Congress actually meant, other than an ego boost, or grasp of how unprepared he was to fulfill his duties once he attained that position. he should have resigned immediately after he arrived.

Um, y'all are going to be surprised by this, but I read that and felt some sympathy for the guy, but mostly because it is clear he's in a lot of physical and psychic pain and instead of dealing with it, projecting it onto others. That sucks and has real consequences in the world, but I think it's possible to feel sympathy for the kid while decrying his method of dealing with his trauma.

Just my take, as someone who also had control over one of his basic bodily functions torn away through no fault of his own.

Not a lot of sympathy for people who take selfies at hitler’s bunker

Cawthorn's story is like Jason Street got his own series and the creative team decided to go in a dfferent direction

im putting together a team pic.twitter.com/OrstQBsunP

— hybrid creature (@cityafreaks) May 18, 2022

table otm, that being said i didn't read it as i have limited empathy abilities and need to save it for people who deserve it, politicians are not on my list

I can find sympathy for Cawthorn's accident, but not for going to a school that “exists to glorify God” and prepare “Christian men and women who will lead our nation and shape our culture” and then lying your way up the ladder of power and living your life like a totally un-Jesus-like asshole.