God Has Abandoned Us: U.S. Politics November 2023

This is good... for now? Any DeSantis defeat is cool in my book

The Supreme Court refused Florida’s emergency request to partially reinstate its law targeting drag shows Thursday, preventing the state from enforcing the legislation, for now.

A federal judge previously struck down the law, finding it unconstitutional. As it appeals, the Republican-led state in the meantime sought to keep enforcing the legislation except against the restaurant that brought the lawsuit.

Three of the court’s conservatives — Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch — publicly dissented and voted to revive the law.

Two other conservatives — Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — voted with the majority to rule against Florida, but the duo indicated their votes don’t signify whether they believe the law is constitutional.

lol Gorsuch that marvelous libertarian

always nice when AShley Moody takes one too

I didn't vote for Obama in 2008. I used to lecture jaymc and clemenza (who's Canadian!).

wait what did you lecture me about?

Many xps but no, Rob, I am not trying to lecture or police Tabes and yes, Rob, I do kinda wish we had a more complete picture of who is out there and what they want, as a guide to the future viability of better things. Whom to run in the future, what stances those candidates should take, etc. It might be interesting and/or helpful information.

Let me also be clear about the extent to which my stance is prescriptive and/or moralizing. When people sit out an election because they feel their vote is meaningless - in whichever direction - that is a lost opportunity for information. It's not necessarily a moral crime or whatever.

If someone feels that not-voting is the BEST statement of their sentiments, because they hate both "choices," that is itself a choice. And I understand that choice.

What I am trying (badly) to address is the sentiment that it's not worthwhile to vote blue in a safely red state, red in a safely blue state, blue in a safely blue state, or red in a safely red state.

States get "safely" one color by virtue of the actions of individual voters. That critical mass that you sense is actually not some gravitational power of nature. It's the cumulative power of millions of individual decisions. Decisions that are precisely as consequential as yours and mine.

If everyone said "meh, my one vote doesn't matter" and stayed home, every election would end in a tie of zero to zero.

American politics is so tribal I don't think we need those non-voters' votes to figure out what will turn states: send more of them to college and have them live in cities and not attend church weekly. Or the opposite.

You can be in charge of that.

Weird reply, man!

If everyone said "meh, my one vote doesn't matter" and stayed home, every election would end in a tie of zero to zero.

― Oh I believe in Yetis' Day (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, November 16, 2023 8:37 PM bookmarkflaglink

OVERTIME

wait what did you lecture me about?

― jaymc,

I was one of those "lol Obama is as bad as Romney" guys.

The Nobel committee obviously classed Obama right up there with Kissinger.

YMP, i actually agree with a lot of what you write, which is why i continue to vote in down-ballot and local elections.

in the 2008 primaries, i supported john edwards

;_;

at the time he had the most progressive climate plan

soon afterward, i was bitten by many insects and entered a fugue state

How many electoral votes does a fugue state get?

all of them, eventually

Milo's point re tribalism is well taken.

Accordingly, in lieu of political polling, maybe we should just count up the TruckNutz sold vs. lattes sold, and go from there. Toby Keith albums sold vs. Harry Styles albums sold. Whole Foods locations vs. Bass Pro Shop locations. MyPillow vs. Virginia Woolf novels.

If we're going to embrace tribalism above everything else let's just frickin go ahead and go there. Skynyrd vs. Beyonce FITE

The Focus Group podcast with Sarah Longwell is pretty interesting on this stuff.

Is she on Team Beyonce or Team Skynyrd?

Not sure. I guess the whole brand is Team Nevertrump or RINO.

It's just interesting to me to hear why people flip or are considering voting which way. It's not always what I would think.

A zillion xps but fwiw I wasn't talking at or about tables or anyone in particular. It's just how things are at a certain level imo. Stakes are different different places. But for me, voting is not some sacred act, it's just the little nudge you choose to give or not give. I usually lean toward nudging.

Do we need to embrace tribalism or is it just a reality? Moving beyond the constraints of education (and attendant socioeconomic status), location and religion would require an unimaginable shift in American politics. Is there a political message that doesn't betray core Democratic principles (such as abortion access) that would let them win more than 25% of rural white evangelicals? I'd like to think a social democratic or socialist message of making life better for everyone would work but that would require rebuilding white evangelicals' worldview from the ground up and I'm sure we'd all be dead before it really started to take root.

I don’t think that elections are decided collectively by virtue of the actions of individual voters!

Candidates running for office aren’t spontaneously generated by the parties or the populace right before campaign season. Generally, someone who is running for an office has to have the backing of an organization, a wealthy interest, or bring their own cultural or financial capital to the table. (the metaphorical one, not the poster obv)

voters may not always notice or care about who has endorsed a candidate, but those endorsements, be they individual or collective, vocal or financial, are going to give you the roots and foundation of how an elected official is going to carry out their job

long story short, I think someone even being on the ticket is the culmination of a long series of choices made by many people upstream of elections and participation in organizing is as important if not more so than individual votes in an election

When will politicians learn not to talk to children?

.@NikkiHaley to nine-year-old girl in a “Nikki Haley” hat: “I love your hat.”

Nine-year-old girl: “Thanks, one of your guys gave it to me for free.” pic.twitter.com/06q87wube5

— Sarah Dean (@sarahmdean95) November 20, 2023

In case that doesn't embed:

Nikki Haley to nine-year-old girl in a “Nikki Haley” hat: “I love your hat.”

Nine-year-old girl: “Thanks, one of your guys gave it to me for free.”

my dad is consumed with the idea that haley’s going to get the nom and beat biden

he wants biden to abdicate like tomorrow

So there does seem to be some momentum to dumping Biden, there have been two op-eds by centrists in the Washington Post calling for him to not run.

for tracer's dad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKh6XxYbbIc

yeah no

I like Ukulele Ike!

The last time a reasonably successful Democratic president dealing with divisive overseas conflict didn't run brought the batshit GOP as we know it to life.

some momentum to dumping Biden

two op-eds by centrists in the Washington Post

The second thing is not evidence of the first thing.

Kinda spooky re: LBJ

In 1967, he secretly commissioned an actuarial study that accurately predicted he would die at age 64.

LBJ was a “here for a good time not a long time” bro.

xxp Unperson I feel like the milquetoast columnists in the Post actually have their fingers on the pulse of insular elite opinion.

I feel like the milquetoast columnists in the Post actually have their fingers on the pulse of insular elite opinion

They absolutely do, but those people don't really matter anymore and cannot effect real political change. Certainly not on the level of knocking an incumbent president, one who got the most votes of any presidential candidate in US history, out of running for re-election. I mean, I don't foresee Biden riding in any open-top motorcades anytime soon, do you?

LBJ at least appreciated a good pair of pants

LBJ was only 64? fucker looked like he was 85 by the time he died

About the only president who hasn't visibly aged over his time in office is Trump.

also LBJ looked 70 when he was 50 so there is that

xpost For starters, he wears a ton of make-up and dyes his hair. Beyond that, he didn't work that hard.

That is the most logical conclusion, yes.

LBJ also got pretty shaggy towards the end

https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/a0nB6LrYuwkw6AERQuYhQlqIw8A=/9x226:3145x1990/960x540/media/img/mt/2018/08/GettyImages_615297724/original.jpg

my dad is consumed with the idea that haley’s going to get the nom and beat biden

I can imagine Haley beating Biden, but having a hard time imagining her getting the nomination. Seems like fanciful centrist talk, people who still think "the fever will break" or something.

It's about as plausible as Newsom replacing Biden on the ticket

Guys, you gotta stop getting people's hopes up here

i think if something legal happens with Trump (as in, he's found ineligible to run somewhere, or gets convicted prior to the election)then Haley would probably get the nom.

Trump will be the nominee whether he's ineligible or gets convicted, the hell are you guys thinking.

what makes you think mere law will stop these people?

americans love a bad boy