US Politics, December 2019: Profound procedural deficiencies

see also

https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-gave-trump-everything-he-wants-738-billion-defense-bill-2019-12

https://www.rollcall.com/news/democrats-got-completely-rolled-in-ndaa-talks-critics-say

My friend @RepRoKhanna is right: it is Orwellian for Congress to hand over billions of dollars worth of weapons and bombs to a president waging a horrific, unconstitutional war in Yemen—and call that progressive. pic.twitter.com/6SUmUUhv3q

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 11, 2019

The Pentagon’s budget has been too large for too long. I cannot support a defense bill that’s a $738 billion Christmas present to giant defense contractors & undermines our values and security.

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) December 11, 2019

didn't want to bring my american bullshit into the uk election thread but what I woudln't give for a two week fucking election. we're a year into ours with a whole other goddamn year to go. feel like the 2016 election ended 4 months ago after starting up in 2014.

Trump formally started his campaign on the day of his inauguration.

https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/569/201701209041436569/201701209041436569.pdf

Been catching up, did we already cover this?

http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2019/12/bring-out-the-coffin-let-the-mourners-come

The president of the United States admitted in court yesterday that he stole two million dollars from charities organized to help veterans.

(Trump settled because the alternative would have been litigation that would have exposed some of his finances. Think about what someone’s finances must look like when his lawyers tell him that the better option is to admit that he stole two million dollars from veterans to pay for a portrait of himself.)

This development, which would have simply ended a presidency in the Before Time, now barely even qualifies as a news story, because nobody cares. The reason nobody cares is because any news confirming that Donald Trump is a sociopathic thief is not really news: everybody already knows this.

The reason nobody cares is because any news confirming that Donald Trump is a sociopathic thief is not really news: everybody already knows this.

also the right wing media gaslit everyone on that side into believing that trump is "no different" from any ol' "corrupt" politician.

thank God the Dems are keeping impeachment "focused"

mmm yes, i'm sure the CPD is the reason

The New York Times reports:

President Trump is discussing with his advisers the possibility of sitting out the general election debates in 2020 because of his misgivings about the commission that oversees them, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Mr. Trump has told advisers that he does not trust the Commission on Presidential Debates, the nonprofit entity that sponsors the debates, the two people said.

Less of a concern for Mr. Trump than who will emerge as the Democratic nominee is which media personality will be chosen as the debate moderator, according to people in contact with him.

the Dem candidate should first refuse to debate him so as not to "dignify the office"

Dem candidate should step up to the pot and challenge him to a televised flush-off

the Dem candidate should first refuse to debate him so as not to "dignify the office"

This might be the first thing you've ever posted that I agree with. The official line should be "what's the point?"

I feel like there's no way that Trump wimping out of the debates would help him, but who knows anything anymore.

I’m vain enough to believe I know things, still, and it would be very bad for either candidate to drop out. You either want to get your message heard by the max number of people possible, or you don’t

of course if it's Biden, we might see a Demented Grandpa slapfight

No matter how bad the venue or the moderator or the media platform, as a candidate you have to believe that head to head you will clearly be preferable to the alternative. If you don’t, get out of the way

That’s where the narcissistic prequisite of being a candidate should shine through

at every debate, a plant should blow an airhorn every time Trump tries to talk

You either want to get your message heard by the max number of people possible, or you don’t

I agree with this. I don't think presidential debates are the way to do it in 2020, though. There's nobody to "win over." No one to convince with logic, or on the merits. The question animating the 2020 Democratic electorate is "How much do you hate Donald Trump?"

the Dem candidate should first refuse to debate him so as not to "dignify the office"

Trump will not take part in debates because he is increasingly unable to even simulate sentences (yesterday he was having trouble even making it to the end of words), and his past temperamental & intellectual disposition against listening & substantially responding to someone else's words is now a complete neurological inability. He also does not seem able to stand and walk consistently, let alone roam the stage like a threatening wildebeest, as in 2016. He, or/and his handlers, are becoming aware of this and know that exposing his decline will damage his prospects. For these reasons, as well as the opportunity to bait him for cowardice, absolutely no candidate should let him off the hook of publicly making the choice himself.

I feel like if Trump drops out of debates, the "low info" voter who "claims to see both sides" will say "well he has a point, he felt the moderator wasn't being fair, and he's not required to debate!". and if the Dem drops out, the same guy will say "What does (candidate) have to hide?"

Independents and low info voters that claim to not be politically affiliated have subconsciously bought into the narrative that liberals are weenies and corrupt and hypocritical and Republicans are bad people but they never claimed they weren't, so they will always crucify democrats for the same shit Republicans do even while claiming to be impartial

and if that question is the sum total, they will lose again

xxp

sic otm

If Trump tries to avoid debates, the Democrat would be a fool if they refuse to ruthlessly mock and shame Trump around the clock for wimping out.

"I am holding right here Trump's diapers!"

I want Trump to miss out on the debates because he's too busy being deceased.

he'll still be tweeting

irl lol, followed by fictional wracking sobs

He will be taxidermied and permanently seated on a throne at his own theme park in Branson, MO

Trump will not take part in debates because he is increasingly unable to even simulate sentences (yesterday he was having trouble even making it to the end of words), and his past temperamental & intellectual disposition against listening & substantially responding to someone else's words is now a complete neurological inability. He also does not seem able to stand and walk consistently, let alone roam the stage like a threatening wildebeest, as in 2016. He, or/and his handlers, are becoming aware of this and know that exposing his decline will damage his prospects. For these reasons, as well as the opportunity to bait him for cowardice, absolutely no candidate should let him off the hook of publicly making the choice himself.

― insecurity bear (sic),

otm. Obama insisting on debating McCain after the September was decisive.

the last part's otm. but is it a fact that he's rapidly declining and his handlers are becoming aware etc? don't get me wrong, he seems like he's dumb as shit and is the dumbest fucking person in the universe, but he's pretty much seemed that way to me for a long time. i guess he does seem less energetic but what does he do right now that requires fast movements? when i catch clips of him at rallies he seems pretty much the same. is he really succumbing to physical collapse before our eyes? i don't dismiss it, these kinds of changes can be hard to notice when they take place over months and years

kinda with you on that one, idk how much of it is real and how much of it is a misperception due to our fatigue with the asshole.

on the other hand y'all are nuts. Of COURSE he's going to debate -- what, and be called a loser? Ronald Reagan fucking debated twice even when it was obvious he had wilted caesar salad for a brain.

mmm caesar salad

I'll be on @seanhannity 2nite @FoxNews at 9pm ET and will explain how @realDonaldTrump will be eligible for a 3rd term due to the illegal attempts by Comey, Dems, and media , et al attempting to oust him as @POTUS so that's why I was named to head up the 2024 re-election.

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) December 12, 2019

He’s not giving up a chance to be on TV. He’ll debate—mark my words.

Also—while he has declined—he is not as infirm as I would hope. At the rallies he seems pretty energized, and all he does at the debates is repeat his stupid talking points in a loud, offensive way.

uh did huck just end that sentence with "so that's why I was named to head up the 2024 re-election"?

full disclosure, my office christmas party was earlier, i got a little wasted and headed home early, but i'm reading these words:

"so that's why I was named to head up the 2024 re-election"

the tweeters are suggesting this was meant as a troll tweet, cos that's what life is, owning people who have the audacity to care about things

his tweet just before that was

Greatly honored to be asked to chair @realDonaldTrump re-election campaign for @POTUS in 2024. Gives me lots of time to plan! By then the Dems wil no longer be a political party in America, replaced by the New Whig Party.

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) December 12, 2019

sorry - and his tweet before that was

The basis for impeachment was found on arena floor @LasVegasNFR and there was more bullSchiff from House Dems than the entire rodeo. pic.twitter.com/jlU9AJVhr1

— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) December 12, 2019

can someone confirm that we are NOT in a simulation because hoooooooly shit

i don't understand why i drink 2 beers and a whisky and suddenly it becomes clear that mike huckabee is tripping balls

Huh,

Dems Veronica Escobar and Jackson Lee purposely misquoted my call. I said I want you to do us (our Country!) a favor, not me a favor. They know that but decided to LIE in order to make a fraudulent point! Very sad.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2019

I scoured Twitter for posts about what happened on the Hannity show tonight (cos fuck watching it), and he did actually appear, but stated he was joking about it.

though you wonder what percent is joke, what percent is intentionally stoking fires

they did actually misquote his call by omitting a word. on the scale of transgressions, it's a mere raindrop compared to the torrential downpour Trump's responsible for in that arena

remember when hannity appeared on trump with stage and was sharply reprimanded by fox execs? boooooooy you better believe he felt bad after that!!!

they did actually misquote his call by omitting a word

did they? which word, in which sentence? i missed this.

but even if it is truly "us" vs "me", as trump suggests, that means that what he actually said was "i want you to do the country a favor by investigating joe biden, one of my political opponents, in exchange for money", rather than "i want you to do me a favor by investigating joe biden, one of my political opponents, in exchange for money". i may be tripping balls here but it seems like he's a treasonous motherfucker in either transcription

if Hannity were to have a stroke and die, who would be the next Fox anchor to carry Trump's water?

it was "do us a favor", they quoted it as "do a favor" or "do me a favor" or something.

it's a nothingburger but of course that's what he's focused on

how does this moment even get captured, in history? is someone keeping track of this shit any more? jfc