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You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2016 / Frivolous Chat Open Thread: GOP Kneecaps Another VP Contender

Frivolous Chat Open Thread: GOP Kneecaps Another VP Contender

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I guess Joni Ernst’ breadbags story didn’t hurt her with Iowa voters last year, so Reince ‘RNC PR BS’ Priebus decided to give another token woman a chance.

Here’s Jezebel‘s explanation of the ‘Relic Room’:

South Carolina could spend up to $3.6 million to house and display the Confederate flag that once flew in front of the statehouse. After a long deliberation, the state removed the flag in July after nine members of Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal were murdered in a hate crime.

When the state finally decided to remove the flag from statehouse grounds, it did so with the compromise that it would be moved to State Museum’s Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum Commission; a move that seemed an easy enough response as state and federal lawmakers suggested that moving the flag to a museum was the natural compromise. But that compromise looks a bit more expensive than the rhetoric. The commission that governs the weirdly named Relic Room, a name overburdened with religious overtones, proposed a budget of $3.6 million to properly house the Confederate flag, $1.7 million less than their original proposal…

I think we can all parse the John Edwards reference, but I’m gonna have to leave “Lizard Thicket” references to those more familiar with South Carolina politics.

Reader Interactions

51Comments

  1. 1.

    Satby

    They need 3.6 million to “properly house the Confederate flag”? Shoot, I can make a VERY appropriate display for only a million and a half and save them lots of coin they can use to buy more voting machines.

  2. 2.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Not meaning to go all UN-frivolous so early in the thread, but I’ve been wanting an open thread. I put this up on FB earlier this evening, and have received an interesting variety of responses, so thought I’d put it up here as well and solicit y’all’s reactions:

    *******

    I’m just thinking as I go here — have not really thought this through — but please tell me if there’s a downside to this.

    President Obama invites the leadership of the NRA and the CEOs of the big gun manufacturers, as well as various high-profile elected officials from Congress and the states who have taken a strong 2nd Amendment stand, to the White House for an everything-on-the-table summit to solicit their ideas on how to reduce gun violence in America. Let’s face it, none of them is going to come out publicly in FAVOUR of more violence and gun-related deaths. So, since they are so far summarily rejecting all of the President’s (incredibly mild) initiatives, what would THEY propose? They are allowed to say once, and once only, “arm everybody,” but beyond that they have to come up with good workable suggestions and show their work, give their reasoning.

    I think if any leader can pull this off, it is Barack Obama. At the very worst, it would be a waste of a few hours and the situation would remain where it is today. But at best, or even at a little bit better, it would arguably come up with some good ideas and would give our so-called “adversaries” some buy-in, which in turn should make them more willing to participate.

    Tell me why this is a terrible idea, without resorting to name-calling and arguments that boil down to “it’ll never work in this political climate, so why bother?” Let’s MAKE it work!

  4. 4.

    Satby

    @SiubhanDuinne: Why not? I’d like to think it could work. But the fact is most of them wouldn’t sit down at the same table of the man they’ve been demonizing for 7 years to increase their gun sales.

  5. 5.

    John Revolta

    @SiubhanDuinne: Well, the boilerplate reponse is “Let’s enforce the laws we already have”, so that’s probably all you’d get. It would be great political theater though.

  6. 6.

    greennotGreen

    @SiubhanDuinne: These gun nuts and/or manufacturers are either people who are so incapable of reason that they cannot understand basic data (like the connection between guns in the home and suicide) or they are people so bereft of morals that they are unable to give up their “hobby” or their profits even to save the lives of little children. They won’t work with President Obama. He’s too rational.

    ETA: aviellefoundation.org/

  7. 7.

    dmsilev

    I think the GOP should have done something different. They should have embraced their “deep bench” and given each of the 532 Presidential candidates 30 seconds worth of rebuttal time.

    (actually, that wouldn’t be a bad thing to do with less-insane candidates. Take the 45 minutes or hour or whatever, chop it into N pieces, and let each candidate make their own speech)

  11. 11.

    Mike J

    @greennotGreen:

    they cannot understand basic data (like the connection between guns in the home and suicide)

    If guns keep you safe, ask your insurance company how big your discount will be if you have one or more in your home.

    It’s amazing how many gun fondlers hide their gun ownership from people who would be happy to save them tons of money if they could prove they were doing things (like smoke detectors) to keep themselves safe.

  16. 16.

    Roger Moore

    @Satby:

    Shoot, I can make a VERY appropriate display for only a million and a half and save them lots of coin they can use to buy more voting machines.

    That seems pricey for an outhouse where the remains of the flag will be used for ass wiping.

  17. 17.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Omnes Omnibus:
    Satby:
    John Revolta:
    greennotGreen:

    Thanks, all. Yes, I agree that the biggest problem might be to get them to accept in the first place. But I really believe that if the president of Smith & Wesson got an invitation from the WH saying POTUS wants your views and suggestions, it would be hard to pass up. As I said, the worst that could happen is to keep the status quo, and there might be a bit of good to come out of it. Anyhow, I’m going to chew on it some more. Appreciate input. Heading for bed but will check thread in the morning.

  20. 20.

    SiubhanDuinne

    I’m in moderation for too many response links (I thought deleting the “@” from each one would do the trick, but I was wrong).

    Grateful to be released at an early opportunity.

  21. 21.

    Satby

    @Omnes Omnibus: Seriously, why should we let the righties keep it all? I’ll be using it for good.
    Edited to add: and saving them money coming in way under budget. If some of my profits happen to wander into the coffers of Sanders or HRC, we don’t need Nikki Haley to know.

  23. 23.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @SiubhanDuinne: It’s an interesting idea, and I think you’re right that Obama is one of the few people who might find a way to make it work, but…

    Obama couldn’t even get GOP leadership in Congress to come to the White House on several occasions, IIRC, over things much less controversial than guns.

    The NRA and the manufacturers and the GOP would say it was a “political stunt” and not show up. Or have “I need to do my hair that day” excuses.

    If Ashton Carter (SecDef) and similar large customers could, say, decide to have a conference and invited the gun manufacturers and less wingnutty gun groups to attend and participate on various panel discussions, that might be a way to reduce the Us/Them contrast and maybe things could be built up from there. Maybe…

    My $0.02.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  24. 24.

    FlyingToaster

    @Roger Moore: No, we want to keep it, so we can charge admission to see it, but if it costs much more that $100K to obtain, install and maintain a nitrogen-filled clear case, I’m going to be REALLY shocked. And no, it doesn’t need it’s own fucking room. It’s not the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Rosetta Stone. Not that many people want to see the latest incarnation of the flag-o-treason. Certainly not hordes of out-of-state tourists. You’re going to get schoolkids, and occasional worshipful groups of Sons of the Confederacy, and otherwise it will go ignored like everything else.

  27. 27.

    Roger Moore

    @FlyingToaster:

    No, we want to keep it, so we can charge admission to see it, but if it costs much more that $100K to obtain, install and maintain a nitrogen-filled clear case, I’m going to be REALLY shocked.

    I would assume that a large part of the cost is for state-of-the-art security so that it can remain on display for longer than it takes for a disgruntled person willing to go to prison to destroy it. Much as I despise the Confederates, they really do need something like that to protect their holy symbol.

  28. 28.

    benw

    Haley could get up to the podium, wrap herself in the Confederate battle flag, and call Obama every vile slur under the sun and jump to 15% in the Republican primary while Halperin calls her a political genius and the NYT lauds her “strong demeanor.”

  29. 29.

    Peale

    Perhaps that 3.6 mil is to carve a plaque in granite that states that the flag has always been about racism, slavery and the denial of human decency to African Americans and maybe how they’re now very sorry for bringing it up. Maybe a footnote about how states rights was always about white supremacy and that the county sheriff isn’t really the supreme interpreter of constitutional law.

  34. 34.

    Bobby D

    I can house the relic…in my fireplace. Shouldn’t cost more than about $0.35 for a match and a teaspoon of charcoal lighter fluid.

  35. 35.

    FlyingToaster (Tablet)

    @efgoldman: Eggsackly.

    I have no objection to housing the flag in their statehouse museum. That’s what it’s for.

    But that price tag in SC means a room and a permanent security apparatus, probably not in the current museum. Which is grift any way you slice it.

  37. 37.

    FlyingToaster (Tablet)

    @Roger Moore: What disgruntled person are you referring to? We Yankees can’t possibly give less of a fuck, and the #BLM protesters got it off the lawn. Plus I suspect that nobody gets to walk into the statehouse in SC without the usual security theater. Anyone that determined will get themselves a job there anyway.

  38. 38.

    Bobby D

    I work for a DOD component, and have worked for two branches of the military. I’m a liberal, and Ash Carter is pretty universally viewed as incompetent and worthless among my colleagues, regardless of their political leanings (most are righwing, I’m in about the 25% that are left leaning). The man is not well respected within the Dept. The sooner he is gone, the better. Not that Hagel was any better (I actually had high hopes for him, despite being in the party of nutjobs).

  39. 39.

    amk

    So, da nk nutz claim to have exploded an H bomb today. Have the kkklowns learned what is nuclear triad is yet?

  40. 40.

    Amir Khalid

    @benw:
    Many would no doubt look forward to seeing Nimrata “Nikki” Haley, one of the Republican party’s few prominent people of colour, defending the Confederate battle flag’s history as a symbol of rebellion in defence of white privilege.

  41. 41.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SiubhanDuinne: @Satby: @greennotGreen: @SiubhanDuinne: @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: I’ve freed you from purgatory.

    Your idea will not happen. Not because its not a good idea, but because the gun manufacturers have been punished for previous baby steps. Bill Ruger, the eponymous head of Ruger firearms, made some overtures about banning high capacity magazines. Twelve years after his death and there are commenters all over the firearms websites that won’t buy a Ruger- one of the few companies where all of their guns are made in the US – because of this betrayal.
    thegunzone.com/rkba/papabill.html

    Smith and Wesson leadership was briefly aligned with the Clinton Administration on gun control and safety measures. The backlash almost put them out of business. They had badly misread what the response would be. Those in support of the Clinton Administration’s efforts and Smith and Wesson’s willingness to go along don’t buy guns. Those that do almost drove the company into bankruptcy by boycotting their products. To this day, the integral lock built into some Smith and Wesson revolvers is referred to as a “Hillary Hole”!
    businessinsider.com/smith-and-wesson-almost-went-out-of-business-trying-to-do-the-right-thing-2013-1

    No one is going to risk their business. They know they’ll be punished. You might be able to get the head of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which is the actual trade group, to agree to a meeting, but even then I’m not sure NSSF would take the chance either.

  43. 43.

    Geoduck

    Lizard’s Thicket is evidently a midrange chain specializing in Southern comfort food. No idea how good they are, but their online menu is inviting.

  44. 44.

    JasonF

    Lizard’s Thicket is a South Carolina restaurant chain. Think Cracker Barrel, but local.

    Also, Wyeth is a friend of mine — always happy to see him cited on Balloon Juice.

  45. 45.

    Origuy

    @efgoldman:

    I suppose if a bear were to break in here, I’d exeunt stage left, running.

    You have multiple personalities? Exeunt is the plural of exit.

  46. 46.

    Anne Laurie

    @JasonF:

    Lizard’s Thicket is a South Carolina restaurant chain. Think Cracker Barrel, but local.

    So it’s just ‘the local chain nearest the state house?’ I wondered if there were some history of *coughcough* felonious bill-passing (aka bribery) known to have been done there, but that’s because I live in Massachusetts, where the bars closest to our golden-domed Capitol each have their own stories about vote-buying and favor-selling among the patrons…

  47. 47.

    kc

    Lizard’s Thicket is a small local chain of restaurants that serve southern country food. Pork chops, fried chicken, fried okra, etc.

  49. 49.

    kc

    @Amir Khalid:

    That’s not gonna happen, since she called for its removal (granted, only after the Charlestin shooting & probably some arm-twisting by reps of national businesses with SC locations).

  50. 50.

    Paul in KY

    @Satby: My display would have it cut into 4 inch wide strips, with those strips wound on a spindle & placed in my bathroom.

    Taadaa!!

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