U.S. Politics, November 2022: “I don’t know, you hear the same things I do”

Abramson is kind of “oh this looks like a decent point” followed by looking at who posted it and thinking “oh, that guy”

I can’t even remember the full extent of what the damage was at this point, probably a lot of tweets ending with COLLUSION!

Will have to see if there's further confirmation about what happened, but it appears to be a messy situation.

1) I like Pete, 2) I think BDA should be banned

Good morning!

Only ILX Premium subscribers get the "block" button iirc

TAKE MY $8

At the platinum level, you can have a poster you don't like obliterated by a space laser

Currently saving up

$20 to insert that word "fart" in anyone's tweet

I wouldn't fart 20 farts for fart.

1) I like Pete, 2) I think BDA should be banned

Pros:

Has no soul

Cons:

Pete is obviously a guy who's determined to work the system in order to rise within it and accrue power. He's smart so he studies up, and he games it well. This makes it nearly impossible to trust him until he shows more of his hand by taking actions in support of positions that erode his power rather than enhance it. Then we can see if he has any convictions instead of just calculations.

Working at precincts and mixing with the Volk the last week reminded me of what I posted in 2018 -- in what turned out to be an outstanding midterm year for Democrats. Every volunteer to a man and woman echoed the candidates: electing Republicans is a suicide pact. The systemic disenfranchisement of voters in Georgia and Arizona who voted for Biden in '20, the disenfranchisement of felons here in Florida, the continued erosion of abortion access, the assault on trans lives, the abridgement of rights as an educator in Florida, the fealty to fascist autocrats above -- all of it, all of it. We've been clear. Yet the vanishing pool of swing voters who propelled us to triumph in 2018 may stay home or go for Republicans anyway because #inflationcrime. This isn't the fault of local Democrats*: it's an enfeebled, anachronistic, anti-democratic system.

*I have more complaints about the state party, though.

Watch him spar on cable news programs. He can overcome Republican framing and get points across. Can't think of a single Democratic talking head who is anywhere near as good at it as he is. Don't really give a shit about the other criticisms of him, I don't want to be his friend and he's no worse than say Biden or Beto both of whom I voted for.

above = abroad

xpost basically what f. hazel said

I appreciate those strengths, believe me. Every time he's on FOX he leaves the hosts flabbergasted, which confirms my suspicion that the hosts' docility is yet another attempt for the network to look Fair and Balanced. But Explaining Stuff doesn't work anymore. Obama and Clinton are excellent at Explaining Stuff. And?

He's a Capricorn

I think most of my anti-Buttigieg sentiments are based in the fact that it seems like he spent a large portion of his life living doing some sort of cynical politician resume builder training camp exercises but in practice his ability to actually frame things in a boring nonpartisan way is.. not good, but professional?

I feel like the ongoing deconstruction of how a "career politician" should present themself is rooted in an actual shift in the public perception of how campaigning is done versus what people actually do in office, but, weirdo tv's West Wing-esque adherence aside, there are some actual skills that are still valuable

I might just be getting old, though

I found Pete B highly annoying during the election, but my appreciation for him has grown since he joined the administration for the same reasons mentioned above. He knows how to deliver a message really well and doesn't get steamrolled.

I think the point about Obama and Clinton doesn't make sense. The reality is that they are insanely good at making speeches and people love that. I was struck by this all over again this past week seeing Obama go on the stump. He is simply on an entirely different level than pretty much every other politician and that's a big deal. People with that kind of talent have a very good shot at winning. I don't think Pete is anywhere close, but he's at least trying.

You may have misunderstood me or I wasn't clear. Clinton and Obama are sui generis on the stump. I just don't think that shit matters anymore except to rally the base (which is considerable!).

Aimless, on an emotional level I hear ya but I am not sure how to apply this test in practice. Like:

"Hello, politician person! I understand that your profession requires you to please the largest number of people that you can."

"Yes, we live in a pluralistic democracy, so I am obliged to try to reach and connect with a majority of people and address their desires to the extent possible. The more people I reach, the better my chances of being elected in order to pursue policy goals."

"Cool cool. However, I actively you want to demonstrate your willingness to NOT please certain people. To please me, you must piss off some other people, so long as they are the correct people I want you to piss off. By doing so, you will demonstrate to me that you are pleasing to the right people (me) instead of the wrong people (them). Got it?"

I think any normal human would be repelled by those conditions, with good reason.

Which is why people who pursue elected positions are, mostly, profoundly flawed people.

And the cycle continues.

I respect table's opinion but cannot agree with it, as I suspect anyone table would actually want in this position is not someone who would be capable of generating enough public support to actually win. We may all hate veterans; the fact is, the majority of the US does not. We may hate people who work for McKinsey; the fact is, lots of people take jobs at places they don't support 100% for all kinds of reasons. Good or bad? fuck if I know, I'm just saying it happens.

I think Pete B. is fine. That said, he needs more experience somewhere; maybe he should be a governor or something.

YMP, I'm well aware of the machinations required to acquire political power and keep it and that skilled dissimulation is a necessary part of this. What is lacking in Pete is a deep enough resume concerning how he uses power when allowed to wield it. Being mayor of South Bend is not much of a test of his convictions, nor is being Secretary of Transportation. Politicians who have records built around legislating or governing at a higher level of complexity, such a governors, can be evaluated on those records. So far Pete hasn't been in a place where it is possible to look at his record and know which of his convictions he's willing to go to the mat over, expending power, not just accruing it.

Aimless, I generally agree on Pete. I have yet to be impressed by him, but if I find myself in a middle-school gymnasium where the choices are him and fuckin Steve Bannon or DJT Jr. or MGT or Josh Hawley or Lori Boebert or whomsoever, I know which bubble I will fill in.

anyway

akm we all have a secret unicorn wish list that is never going to happen

In the meantime we occupy our time sniping at the Petes and Elizabeths and Joes and Hillarys etc.

It is the way of the world; I don't really have a solution but neither does anyone else.

You may have misunderstood me or I wasn't clear. Clinton and Obama are sui generis on the stump. I just don't think that shit matters anymore except to rally the base (which is considerable!).

― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

no, I understand, I just disagree. I think an Obama-level candidate would win easily.

xp it's basically a professional consultant class training opportunity to work there right out of school, though. You could try to make the argument that Buttigieg learned what's effective and what mistakes not to make while there, but the trappings are still there

Today, we're launching Momentum, a new initiative to help countries around the world learn from our best practices and expertise in planning and modernizing transportation infrastructure. https://t.co/nDH1EJA2Jx pic.twitter.com/A585ZA0Qr0

— TransportationGov (@USDOT) June 27, 2022

the tweet phrasing isn't his, but good god did this do my head in

like the reason Obama matters less now is simply that he can't run for president again

but if he wore a comedy mustache and changed his name

the reason obama matters less is that he left the DNC by the wayside to rot instead of installing the leaders of his successful 2008 campaign apparatus in its place

otm

Also: he matters less now because in America we like to redress the progress of POC by offering white fascism.

Buttigieg just moved to the town in Michigan where my parents live (and where his husband grew up) and I feel about 75% certain it’s a cynical move to establish residency to run for senator or governor. Stabenow has been in office for 22 years and will be 74 when she’s up for reelection in two years.

I will 100% vote for him over whoever his insaniac fascist opponent is.

Buttigieg just moved to the town in Michigan where my parents live (and where his husband grew up) and I feel about 75% certain it’s a cynical move to establish residency to run for senator or governor. Stabenow has been in office for 22 years and will be 74 when she’s up for reelection in two years.

I will 100% vote for him over whoever his insaniac fascist opponent is.

OK, OK, we get it!

loses 50.1-49.9 because his father taught at Notre Dame and Wolverines fans can't countenance that

possibly to Jim Harbaugh

I don’t hate vets— I hate people who should know better signing up for imperial wars of plunder when they could have done just about anything else.

Fuck Pete Buttigieg.

Also, this isn’t going to come out right but fuck it, cable news and TV in general mean nothing to me, and afaic that it does mean something to anyone is just another sign of the rot at the heart of this fading empire

“Why lookie, I graduated from one of the fanciest schools in the world and can do anything I want, why don’t I assist my country in a genocide?”

Please, spare me— the guy is indefensible

he's really not, but OK you can hate him

voting is harm reduction IMHO, not a moral statement

are you guys still talking about mayor pete? I'm outta here

if pete makes his dad sec of education maybe I will reconsider

i'm tired of hearing about him cos of all of the people that make "booty judge" jokes

If voting isn't a moral statement I would expect fewer intimations that non-voters or the left or etc. are bad people for not being appropriately Vote Blue.

Voting is consumer choice, a team sport, a moral statement and sometimes harm reduction. The Pete Buttigiegs (imperial foot soldier, consultant for pure evil) of the world are a significant factor in why things are so bad - the vanguard of a Democratic Party that hasn't been able to credibly sell a vision for a better, brighter future for almost three generations at this point. "Things will get worse marginally slower maybe" and hectoring people for not being content with that is not a good long term strategy.

^ ^ ^

"Sorry this is the best imperial ghoul we have, look he's gay this time"

It's pathetic.

lol if anyone is hectoring here it's you two, fwiw I'm sure Morbs would agree

purity tests are for losers, sorry, I've been down that dead end road before

and, of course, real change happens in real life, not via elections or cable news, the real danger is people who think that's all there is. direct action gets the goods, as always.

I am hectoring, admittedly. Believe it or not I don’t have a lot of purity tests for most people or regarding most actions, but directly aiding and abetting genocide—choosing to do so— is a bridge too far for me. If that makes me some sort of purity test motherfucker, then I am a purity test motherfucker.

"It's not good to build a resume by actively involving yourself in war crimes" is a pretty low bar for purity testing, I'm not sure what you can't give a pol a free pass for at that point if they're (supposedly) on your side.

Even if it is of the utmost importance to vote for whatever wretch the Democrats throw on the ballot for you - and I voted for Obama twice, Clinton and Biden - right up to that moment and then again after you can still criticize them, point out their flaws, why they're monsters (but lesser monsters, of course), ridicule them for their love of cheese, etc.. Given that Pete isn't on the ballot anywhere on Tuesday seems like we're still right in the zone where you can call him out for his hollowness without being responsible for Republican control of the government.