The least important election in my lifetime

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Sat, 07/13/2024 - 10:35pm

Today's assassination attempt pretty much sealed it. We are getting a Republican trifecta. This might be the end of the "safe state" system, the system that has dominated American Presidential elections since 1992, in which the West Coast and the Northeast are (D), the Plains states and the Deep South are (R), and everything else is a tossup.

I wonder if the Democrats have any ideas of how to prepare rationally for life under the new Administration, or if they're simply working themselves up to blame the Greens or Putin or RFK jr. or Xi Jinping for whatever happens.

I rather suspect it's going to be the blame game. After all, Joe Biden is the primary accomplice to a genocide, and his overall foreign policy actually helps Putin, but none of this doesn't seem to be a big deal for Democrats. It doesn't look to me like a practical attitude, and thus it's nothing they can sell outside of the circles of the already-converted.

The Democrats also don't seem to have any idea of how bad Biden foreign policy has been. Wasting away the US and Europe on the futile gesture called 'Ukraine," don't forget the half-a-million combat deaths, and then fueling the genocide in Gaza, yeah, the rest of the world outside of "NATO" (which will collapse in a few years) and bizarre outliers like Argentina will turn away from the US; eventually they will destroy dollar hegemony. The Dem idea of antagonizing China is plain old suicide. The Dems have a legitimate shot at defending Biden on domestic policy, namely the Inflation Reduction Act; of course, the actual inflation-reduction measure, increasing the Prime Rate, and ending the COVID subsidies means that a lot of people are going to remember how good it was under Trump and under part of Biden, but not in the end. Ending Affordable Connectivity wasn't a good move either.

What will appear front and center for the next three and a half months is the Democratic Party idea of "saving democracy" by obliging everyone to vote for Biden and then trying to swap Biden out toward the end. Exposure of "saving democracy" will further reduce their standing in the country.

So there it is, folks: three and a half more months of pretense, and then the politics of our daily lives can proceed without the nuisance of "elections" in which we were deprived of any choice from the get-go and in which we just sat there and accepted it.

CODA: Kyle Kulinski wants to know why we can't have normal days and a normal country. Quick answer: it's because people like Kyle Kulinski spent way too much time playing footsie with the Democrats instead of doing real organizing.

Tags:

Democratic Party

Trump Assassination Attempt

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Comments

Submitted by usefewersyllables on Sat, 07/13/2024 - 11:49pm

Yup.

He won today, as if that was in any question at all. The reactions of the people around me in the venue (a rec center in a very repub suburb) when the news came upon the teevees everywhere made me quite convinced that I would be in danger if I had the temerity to open my mouth.

There ain’t a fucking thing I can do about it. I really can’t describe how that felt- but it is now clear that this is really no longer a country for me. I have to either find a way to get the fuck out of here before the bullets really start flying, or just accept it and let someone ballistically Freedumb me into oblivion. That is all.

—

Twice bitten, permanently shy.

Submitted by Tall Bald and Ugly on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 12:38am

Love your

turn of phrase @usefewersyllables

ballistically freedumb—Classic

I started laughing-first reaction couldn’t help it

watched the video with the ‘You’re Fired’ signs
In Stereo in the background and started Rolling
with laughter so hard the tears were running
down my Leg

Set Up

this shite has gotten Way too obvious lately
or maybe I’m just that cynical

—

Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .

Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .

If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march

Submitted by on the cusp on Sat, 07/13/2024 - 11:16pm

After the shot heard 'round the world this afternoon,

I would say this election is the most important, and possibly the last, election of our lives.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Sat, 07/13/2024 - 11:30pm

Nope -- least important.

@on the cusp You are going to singlehandedly re-elect Biden? Or whomever they swap him out for? I trust you are already located in a swing state and are strategically poised to flip that state for the Democrats.

Or maybe you are going to save the Senate for the Democrats? The last analysis I saw argued that the Republicans would have 57 seats after the dust had cleared.

The die is cast. The Dems have wasted the past year insisting that everyone vote for Joe Biden. Well, nearly everyone complied, and now we discover a revolt against Biden at the top echelons of power. None of us mere plebes have any control over the end-result of that revolt either. The Republican National Convention starts day after tomorrow.

—

“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon

Submitted by usefewersyllables on Sat, 07/13/2024 - 11:36pm

I can’t even

@Cassiodorus

begin to imagine how it will come out, now…

The die is cast. The only remaining question is “who will be left standing”.

—

Twice bitten, permanently shy.

Submitted by on the cusp on Sat, 07/13/2024 - 11:36pm

After the assassination attempt,

@Cassiodorus Trump will win. Democrats lose. The contest is over but for the formality of election day.
Hero Trump will be much admired, will have a majority in Congress and Senate. He will be able to assume powers like never before.
I am in Texas, a Red state that just got redder today.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by ovals49 on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 5:16am

This is not the first time

@on the cusp
that the US has been the victim of the regime-change specialists. OUR regime-change specialists.

RFK jr. understands the nature of the beast and has a plan to “unravel” the internal threat to our ailing democracy. His message is centered on healing our political and social divides. This may be a tough sell in the wake of the attempt on Trump’s life, but remains the only plausible path forward that does not lead to even more violence and chaos.

We do embrace our hot lead dispensers. Do we have to use up all our ammo before we consider a non violent cure?

—

“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024

Submitted by Snode on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 7:55am

Yup

Our place in democracy is needed one day a year. To vote. Then we become irrelevant for the next 364 days. Our choice? The lesser of two evils. Biggest problem? Figuring out which is which.

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 1:07pm

Climate change is pretty onerous at this time

But, since we have placed the task of its mitigation in the hands of Democrats, we are getting another four years of Trump, Republicans, denial, and heat.

—

“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon

Submitted by wokkamile on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 1:10pm

Calling it

way too soon. It's only July. He only had his ear nicked. Another lucky Republican, Teddy Roosevelt in 1912, got shot in the chest, insisted on delivering a nearly one-hour speech, but ultimately lost in the election.

I'm waiting until at least the D situation is settled in late August before placing my bets.

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 4:09pm

What's going to save the Dems?

@wokkamile The ones I know are only as good as their leadership, and right now their leadership is really, really bad.

—

“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon

Submitted by wokkamile on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 4:58pm

Ds badly

@Cassiodorus need a fresh start away from Biden. Even if it's Kamala. Getting out from underneath the Biden Burden will bring badly needed new energy to the top of the ticket. Would be preferable if she actually earned it through a straight-up 4-5 week contest.

Rs have their convo tomorrow. We'll see if Rs do what they normally do -- overplay their hand. In the case of Trump, I can easily see the party and Donald himself referencing the ass'n attempt as if it's the Reincarnation of Jesus, a Miracle from the Hand of God. I've already seen plenty of that type of ridiculosity online in the social forums.

And let's see who He chooses as his VP. Likely someone who will meet his first test: a loyal disciple of Donald who will bear the cross for him if necessary.

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 6:40pm

Sure.

@wokkamile But here's the problem.

1) All eyes are now on the Democrats. You can count on the Republicans taking advantage of this. And the Democrats look really, really bad right now.

2) The shooter appears to have been the product of all this crap spewed in the mass media about Trump. As if it wasn't enough that, when he was in power, Trump was a lazy asshole who cut taxes on the rich and made a bunch of sh$tty judicial appointments. Omigod a second Trump term will be the END OF DEMOCRACY! You know, the blabbers on The View, Whoopi Goldberg, Keith Olbermann, Heather Cox Richardson and all the other horrible people. This from the SAME group, the Democrats, whose primary choice of tactics includes removing people they don't like from your voter ballots. Watch while they try to live all of that stuff down.

3) Biden foreign policy is REALLY BAD. Gaza. Ukraine. China. The whole attempt to re-establish US hegemony is eventually going to destroy the dollar and piss off two-thirds of the world. The disintegration of US power may in fact be clearly visible in the election run-up.

4) Democrat hypocrisy. Watch as they make the primary campaign theme the criticism of Republicans for doing stuff they do themselves. This nonsense is what debunks the Project 2025 hysteria. Or maybe it's that they, like Biden, like to recycle debunked lies.

5) The Democratic Party failure to offer anything of substance to anyone who wasn't connected. Biden ended the COVID subsidies and poverty went up 60%. Affordable Connectivity was lost. They "reduced inflation" by making it much harder to buy or sell a home, as the corporations bought up real estate by the dozen with their Federal handouts. All of this will amount to a vast stay-at-home by people who would otherwise vote (D).

6) The "replace Biden" movement has a due-by date, and that date is approaching fast. So there remains the distinct possibility that they won't be able to replace Biden, or they'll replace Biden with someone new who won't be able to mount a legitimate campaign in the time she or he will be granted. Meanwhile the donor revolt will continue to deprive Biden and the Democrats of great quantities of money.

—

“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon

Submitted by on the cusp on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 7:27pm

My taxes went up under Trump

@Cassiodorus and went WAY up with Biden, just sayin'..

#5.1.1 But here's the problem. 1) All eyes are now on the Democrats. You can count on the Republicans taking advantage of this. And the Democrats look really, really bad right now. 2) The shooter appears to have been the product of all this crap spewed in the mass media about Trump. As if it wasn't enough that, when he was in power, Trump was a lazy asshole who cut taxes on the rich and made a bunch of sh$tty judicial appointments. Omigod a second Trump term will be the END OF DEMOCRACY! You know, the blabbers on The View, Whoopi Goldberg, Keith Olbermann, Heather Cox Richardson and all the other horrible people. This from the SAME group, the Democrats, whose primary choice of tactics includes removing people they don't like from your voter ballots. Watch while they try to live all of that stuff down. 3) Biden foreign policy is REALLY BAD. Gaza. Ukraine. China. The whole attempt to re-establish US hegemony is eventually going to destroy the dollar and piss off two-thirds of the world. The disintegration of US power may in fact be clearly visible in the election run-up. 4) Democrat hypocrisy. Watch as they make the primary campaign theme the criticism of Republicans for doing stuff they do themselves. This nonsense is what debunks the Project 2025 hysteria. Or maybe it's that they, like Biden, like to recycle debunked lies. 5) The Democratic Party failure to offer anything of substance to anyone who wasn't connected. Biden ended the COVID subsidies and poverty went up 60%. Affordable Connectivity was lost. They "reduced inflation" by making it much harder to buy or sell a home, as the corporations bought up real estate by the dozen with their Federal handouts. All of this will amount to a vast stay-at-home by people who would otherwise vote (D). 6) The "replace Biden" movement has a due-by date, and that date is approaching fast. So there remains the distinct possibility that they won't be able to replace Biden, or they'll replace Biden with someone new who won't be able to mount a legitimate campaign in the time she or he will be granted. Meanwhile the donor revolt will continue to deprive Biden and the Democrats of great quantities of money.

—

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Submitted by wokkamile on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 9:56pm

I'm in the Dem

@Cassiodorus Drama Discussion only out of hopes it will result, somehow, in Biden stepping aside. Biden in my estimation will if he is re-elected, give us about a 95% chance of direct war w Ru and thus WW3. It's that simple for me, and I'm rather confident in my assessment.

But I would never bet against faint-hearted dissenting Dems deciding to pull back from their calls to have Joe go. The longer he can run out the clock, the better his chances of staying put.

#5.1.1 But here's the problem. 1) All eyes are now on the Democrats. You can count on the Republicans taking advantage of this. And the Democrats look really, really bad right now. 2) The shooter appears to have been the product of all this crap spewed in the mass media about Trump. As if it wasn't enough that, when he was in power, Trump was a lazy asshole who cut taxes on the rich and made a bunch of sh$tty judicial appointments. Omigod a second Trump term will be the END OF DEMOCRACY! You know, the blabbers on The View, Whoopi Goldberg, Keith Olbermann, Heather Cox Richardson and all the other horrible people. This from the SAME group, the Democrats, whose primary choice of tactics includes removing people they don't like from your voter ballots. Watch while they try to live all of that stuff down. 3) Biden foreign policy is REALLY BAD. Gaza. Ukraine. China. The whole attempt to re-establish US hegemony is eventually going to destroy the dollar and piss off two-thirds of the world. The disintegration of US power may in fact be clearly visible in the election run-up. 4) Democrat hypocrisy. Watch as they make the primary campaign theme the criticism of Republicans for doing stuff they do themselves. This nonsense is what debunks the Project 2025 hysteria. Or maybe it's that they, like Biden, like to recycle debunked lies. 5) The Democratic Party failure to offer anything of substance to anyone who wasn't connected. Biden ended the COVID subsidies and poverty went up 60%. Affordable Connectivity was lost. They "reduced inflation" by making it much harder to buy or sell a home, as the corporations bought up real estate by the dozen with their Federal handouts. All of this will amount to a vast stay-at-home by people who would otherwise vote (D). 6) The "replace Biden" movement has a due-by date, and that date is approaching fast. So there remains the distinct possibility that they won't be able to replace Biden, or they'll replace Biden with someone new who won't be able to mount a legitimate campaign in the time she or he will be granted. Meanwhile the donor revolt will continue to deprive Biden and the Democrats of great quantities of money.

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Sun, 07/14/2024 - 11:20pm

It would be fun to see Biden step aside.

@wokkamile But I'm just saying that because I'm tired of looking at his face.

—

“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Mon, 07/15/2024 - 6:08am

Alexander Mercouris mentioned this:

Democrats in disarray over Biden: ‘We’re totally, totally screwed’

—

“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon

Submitted by TheOtherMaven on Mon, 07/15/2024 - 8:17am

Yes, and they screwed themselves n/t

@Cassiodorus

—

There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Submitted by wokkamile on Mon, 07/15/2024 - 8:34am

Link

@Cassiodorus requires subscription to read.

The events of Saturday will tend to work against anti-Biden Dem forces as it will continue to dominate the news a little longer and as pols will gravitate towards avoiding stances that would be perceived as adding chaos to the current situation. Both Trump and Biden got lucky.

I don't know the reasoning of Mercouris, but I agree we are screwed if Biden stays in, as there is always a fair chance of winning with Trump as an opponent, someone who is only one tweet or convention speech away from undoing any good will from the public he's gained in the past few days.

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Mon, 07/15/2024 - 1:15pm

I think the headline

@wokkamile was what I was going for -- the article itself does not contain very much in the way of new information. As for the paywall, I was surprised when I clicked on the website and it didn't erect a paywall. So I have no idea what's going on there.

As regards swapping out Biden, it's not looking good for the advocates. I suppose there could be a surprise at the convention, but usually (IIRC) there's an attempt at these nominating conventions to make them into controlled, perfunctory events. Saagar Enjeti reports:

Every time I look at this stuff, I remind myself that I have zero influence over what the Democrats do.

—

“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon

Submitted by wokkamile on Mon, 07/15/2024 - 1:29pm

Yeah, saw that vid

@Cassiodorus just a few minutes ago after posting here. Confirms my sense of it and reading the silence out there in Dem Land with no more congress critters coming out against Joe. The Dump Joe movement is all but officially dead.

As for canned conventions, yes indeed we've seen them increasingly pre-scripted, an ongoing over-reaction to Chicago '68. Even worse if the Ds go ahead with their stupid idea of a virtual delegate roll call several weeks before the convention. They'd get more viewers if they left a little uncertainty in the mix.

I now look back fondly on the days when you got the sense that it was happening live from the convention and lots of things were possible by way of political drama. Abe Ribicoff, Mayor Daley, network reporters being roughed up by security on the floor -- that was exciting Must See TV.