.@drsanjaygupta on @CNN after Pence presser: "Well, first of all, and despite what you heard, we are in the middle of a public health disaster."
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) June 26, 2020
At the coronavirus briefing, Paula Reid of CBS just asked a question that seemed to short-circuit Pence. pic.twitter.com/OXuvWpo9lA
— Dan Zak (@MrDanZak) June 26, 2020
Some people say, given the obvious deterioration of the Oval Office Squatter’s reelection campaign, that the Permanent GOP is preparing to shove Mike Pence to the front of the 2020 ticket — just in case. Let nobody forget that Pence is every bit as vile, dishonest, and dangerous to our joint American experiment as his ‘chief.’
Also, he is really, incredibly, remarkably-even-by-Indiana-Republican-standards stupid. The only difference between a Trump incumbancy and a Pence one would be less ‘entertaining’ press conferences and more overt theft by his kakistocratic handlers.
Watching Pence try to defend the campaign’s superspreader events is a masterwork in watching a person at the very limits of his intellect try to take one step beyond it.
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) June 26, 2020
The only difference between the word salad that Pence delivers here and what Trump says at pressers is that Pence has learned to pause and speak in a sober tone. Otherwise it veers between gibberish and outright lunacy. https://t.co/d6oIuDcsUJ
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) June 26, 2020
Not that it’s shocking or anything but this thread makes it clear this press event was to frame the damage, not to do anything about it continuing. https://t.co/aSVs5r9Nwf
— Schooley (@Rschooley) June 26, 2020
That would be the same White House that threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act and claimed absolute power over governors, yes? https://t.co/HsjqgeDiy9
— Blake News (@blakehounshell) June 27, 2020
Pence: It's important to note that what we're seeing in the South is really "outbreaks," really outbreaks "in specific counties" or "specific communities."
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 26, 2020
Pence’s dishonesty is more polished and more nuanced than Trump’s. But that was a really dishonest depiction of the pandemic situation: https://t.co/CiL2USFb9I
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) June 26, 2020
This is what people say at funerals for people who had a long illness. https://t.co/gcLVeSK1xd
— Schooley (@Rschooley) June 26, 2020
the ‘pretend everything is going great’ strategy by the Trump administration feels more and more out of touch every day https://t.co/Wwdnn0XbhU
— The Public Option is good actually (@gdigitalzsmooth) June 26, 2020
"The media has tried to scare the American people every step of the way, and these grim predictions of a second wave are no different."
–@VP on June 16 https://t.co/1q1bomof4V
— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) June 27, 2020
I appreciate that Pence is doing everything he can to ensure that if Trump dies of too many hamberders, Pence will be unable to win.
— Jeff Fecke (@jkfecke) June 26, 2020
Face-punching is never the solution.
But if it were, there’d be a lot of people happy to solve Mike Pence.
— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) June 26, 2020
New @MeidasTouch video showing @VP lying to nation during press conference about COVID while Trump admin continues to kill Americans…Produced and Released by Meidas MINUTES after press conference concludes: #MoreLiesMoreDie
— Ben Meiselas (@meiselasb) June 26, 2020
Longmire: Season 6, Episode 8, Netflix Help Needed
Brachiator
From a previous thread
Jesus wept. From CNN.
Dead-Eyed Ken Doll Pence is certainly eager to do Trump’s bidding, no matter who is hurt.
Dorothy A. Winsor
I heard bits of that press conference. Pence tries to look serious but he’s just blowing smoke. He’s infuriating to listen to. But then, they all are.
prostratedragon
He might not –maybe– be as relentless as his boss, but the first thing I noticed about Pence as VP is that he will tell a huge lie with an absolutely straight face. Wish I could remember what and when exactly, but I mean it was a whopper. Shouldn’t be hard to prepare for him if that’s the way they want to go.
West of the Rockies
Back in the 80s I knew a guy, a not-very-bright fellow, who bought a pair of plain-lens glasses (no vision-altering quality) because he wanted to look smart. He would then suck his lower lip into his mouth to try to look thoughtful. It didn’t work.
Pence evidently thinks frowning and tipping his head make him appear thoughtful and sincere. Fail.
Martin
The truth we’re going to eventually have to come to terms with is that hundreds of thousands of people died and trillions of economic damage was done because one guy didn’t want a mask to smudge his orange makeup, and everyone was too fucking chickenshit to call him out on that.
Martin
@West of the Rockies: 46% of the population bought it.
prostratedragon
@Brachiator: If you’re punching out the Hallejuia Chorus you need a lot more than 6 feet. From what I’ve read, at least double it for loud singing.
HAAAAA-le-ju-ia!!!
catclub
That under attended Tulsa rally has finally made an impression on the press. otherwise they would not have bothered to mention it.
Does anybody else think that it would much better for overall health if they sang with masks ON and then sat down and took them off?
Miss Bianca
@Brachiator: Dear God, I have to presume that it’s deliberate now. Trumpism *is* a cult, and it’s demanding sacrificial victims among the faithful. It’s like watching some Dementor version of “The Lottery”.
Martin
@prostratedragon: It’s about 25 feet for singing at choral volumes.
prostratedragon
@prostratedragon: Ah. Took my browser a long time to load the tweets (been like that lately, but then I rarely reboot). I see that AnneL and the press are on that.
HeleninEire
Right before Pence came on my TV, DeSantis was on my TV and it was stunning. He filibustered and made no sense as he told us all is well. 10,000 cases a day (which by the way, tops NY’s worst day).
All I could think of was the meme of the dog in the fire saying everything is fine. By the time Pence showed up I wanted to throw my coffee cup at my TV.
mrmoshpotato
Fuck these assholes, and FUCK EVERYONE WHO DIDN’T VOTE FOR HILLARY!
The worst part is NONE OF THIS HAD TO HAPPEN!
prostratedragon
@West of the Rockies:
Maybe he learned it from this.
dexwood
Pence has no soul. I’ve read how some find him more believable because he’s calm and has a steely gaze. Donald can’t drag him down with him fast enough for me.
hells littlest angel
Followup question: the Constitution gives you the right to behave like a complete fucking asshole, but is that really a reason you should behave like a complete fucking asshole?
Ken
I can’t see the GOP dumping Trump. They’d be (rightly) afraid of his followers – both that they wouldn’t show up in the polls, and that some percentage of them would take “second amendment action” against the GOP traitors.
mrmoshpotato
@hells littlest angel: I’m sorry you have such trash “representing” you. I can’t imagine how fucked Illinois would be if we didn’t throw our Rethuglican, labor union-hating governor out on his ass.
Emma from FL
@Miss Bianca: It’s Jonestown on a large scale.
hells littlest angel
@mrmoshpotato: Huh?
WaterGirl
As awful as Trump is, I feel terrified when people say they think Trump will step down. Because if he does, all those people who are starting to turn against him will vote in lockstep for whoever the R nominee is, and we might have 4 more years of Republican rule, which this country cannot withstand.
Martin
@Ken: Plus, the entire GOP tied themselves to Trump by enabling him. What’s more, what is their policy? Trump has zero policy goals for a 2nd term, and neither does the GOP. Their only goals have been low taxes which they got, along with the expected deficit, and spamming judges. That’s it. Dust off those hands and go home, job done.
I guess culture war, but holy shit are they losing that one badly at the moment.
Martin
@WaterGirl: Trump doesn’t know how to step down. I’m certain he’s been asked to for the sake of the GOP, but he doesn’t give a shit about the GOP – that’s McConnells job.
phdesmond
@Martin: ouch! that has the ring of truth!
Mike in NC
Pence cannot answer the simplest question, as when once asked: ‘Do you believe that homosexuals should be jailed?’ Instead he hems and haws and says “Look, blah blah blah I won’t answer”.
He’s a batshit crazy bible thumper.
WaterGirl
@hells littlest angel: He is describing the governor we had in the last cycle, before Pritzker was elected.
He’s saying we would be fucked if we still had the previous guy, whose name I refused to ever speak. It’s like Voldemort.
WaterGirl
@Martin: Thanks for talking me (slightly) off the edge.
hells littlest angel
@WaterGirl: Thanks. (Though what that has to do with my comment I don’t know.)
WaterGirl
@hells littlest angel: It does sort of sound like Mr. Potato :-) is responding to someone who has a Republican governor. It’s late, we’re all tired, we’re all worked up.
scott (the other one)
Here’s the thing about Pence: he would sign exactly the same legislation as Trump, and issue more or less the same kind of executive orders, if probably worded more coherently. He would nominate the same kinds of judges, and maybe exactly the same ones. He’d be exactly like Trump in every way.
Except for this one: there’s no chance Pence decides to launch nukes because someone said something snotty on twitter. And that’s a big damn difference.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Brachiator:
@prostratedragon: The spreading event(s) would have happened before the performance. There had to be at least a couple rehearsals with the orchestra and probably many more than that with the choir.
WaterGirl
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: Actually, I suspect that it was a two-parter.
The choir spread it among themselves in all the practices, and then the increased number of infected in the choir spread it to many more people. That’s my thought, anyway.
edited
prostratedragon
@WaterGirl: My first real practice in kinetic voting. Dude was a vandal.
WaterGirl
@prostratedragon: What is kinetic voting?
Geminid
@WaterGirl: whether Trump makes it to Nov. 3 or not, I think Trumpism will be on the ballot and will be rejected. The Republicans won’t have time to rebrand themselves. Plus some of Trump’s fans will just not show up. And if the party is seen to be giving him any kind of push, a whole lot of Trump fans won’t show up Nov. 3 and probably will never vote Republican again.
WaterGirl
@Geminid: You give them more credit than I do. I think they are like rubber bands and will snap back to R as soon as there is an opportunity.
Hope i am wrong and you are right.
BellyCat
Pence is actually MORE dangerous than Trump. He will say or do anything asked of him by his financial/evangelical overlords, wrapped in a veneer of “heartfelt prudence and reassurance”. He’s a moronic administrative Magic 8 Ball stocked solely with vapid feel-good sloganeering quotes generated by a cheerleading squad.
stinger
@prostratedragon: Pence’s speech as the Republican convention in 2016 was one lie after another. I was astonished. I mean, I didn’t expect much from him, but he’s a professed Christian and they really aren’t supposed to lie. Like a rug.
Geminid
@WaterGirl: some disaffected Republican never trumpers may snap back, but the Republicans need a good showing among independents, cause the Democrats will stay fired up. And Pence is just not a very dynamic figure. Kind of the opposite. I’ve noticed that some of trump’s strongest supporters have no loyalty to the Republican party. Martha McDally polls 10% behind Trump in Arizona. Who makes up that 10 percent? I suspect it’s hard core radical conservatives who regard McSally as a squish.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Oh dear god, you’re right, that’s why Trump is so against a mask, his make up would smear it. That’s why Trump calls masks emasculating,
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@WaterGirl: Pence couldn’t even get reelected governor of deep red Indiana and Trump’s pool boy hasn’t helped Pence’s image. The smart play for the GOP would be Trump to resign, then Pence appoints Romney, then Pence resigns. Then all the embarrassed Republicans would proclaim the GOP has fixed itself and flock back for the election and they could keep the Senate, though as other pointed out the presidency is a lost cause for the GOP. On the other hand I doubt if Romney would go for it since the smart play for him is to wait until 2024 or 2028.
rikyrah
Pence oversaw an explosion in HIV/AIDS in Indiana.
he is horrific😠
rikyrah
@Brachiator:
😳😳😳👀👀👀😵😵😷😷
fun with duct tape
@prostratedragon: The first lies I recall from Pence were the ones he told during the VP debate. Tim Kaine quoted Trump’s most outrageous statements and each time Pence shook his head slowly and insisted gravely, “He never said that.” The wincing expression on his face was probably intended to convey, “You’ve invented that out of whole cloth, but Jesus loves you anyway and so do I.” To me, though, he just looked constipated.
James E Powell
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
Republican voters would never go for Romney. He voted against Trump and worse, he lost to the black guy.
WaterGirl
@Geminid: Interesting! Also an important point about Independents. Though I do think of Independents, at least a good chunk of them, as people who don’t want to call themselves Republican, but at the very least lean very strongly in that direction.
apocalipstick
As one of those people who watches C-span, this is is what struck me about Pence; he’s just bone-deep dumb.