A lot of people who say endorsements don’t matter anymore look pretty silly today.??
‘A senior Taliban member told CBS News, "Trump might be ridiculous for the rest of the world, but he is sane and wise man for the Taliban."’ https://t.co/JXpBeCIKti
— Isaac Chotiner (@IChotiner) October 10, 2020
huge tactical error by the taliban here. if they’d endorsed sooner they coulda got a sweet speaking spot at the gop convention right after the mcloskeys warmed up the crowd for them https://t.co/Vp9VhzRT9W
— kilgore trout, acting president (@KT_So_It_Goes) October 10, 2020
Given Trump’s… unusual… political instincts, can you blame them?
I am surprised he didn't go for a simpler and more elegant solution: wearing his underwear over his pants. https://t.co/rp9YD3Gk81
— Slava Malamud (@SlavaMalamud) October 10, 2020
Pharniel
Could have seen Fox re-run the old James Bond with the heroic Taliban fighting the evil Soviets.
cain
Hey the Taliban is now our friends. :eyeroll: With this administration everything is possible – he’s a uniter!
cain
@Pharniel: For some reason I thought that was Rambo?
ETA: Yep, that was the plot to Rambo III. Apparently the original ending was that John Rambo was going to continue fighting with the Mujaheddin against the Soviets. THAT would not have aged well :D
Kent
They are not stupid. They saw all the different governors sucking up to Trump and praising him before they got their ventilators and PPE. So heck, endorse Trump and you might get a better and quicker withdrawal. It’s no risk because they know Biden has too much integrity to derail any peace process out of spite
Everything with Trump is transactional, including foreign policy.
Yutsano
The “spin” here is that the ones who endorsed aren’t the “real” Taliban. Instead they’re the exiles in Dubai* who escaped after the initial American invasion. Therefore it’s not the true Taliban endorsement. Checkmate libtardz!
*uncertain as to their current location and too lazy to look it up.
Cheryl Rofer
Chetan Murthy
@Yutsano: But but but doesn’t he like Taliban who *weren’t* captured?
NotMax
@Yutsano
Clearly sucking up to become the next Medal of Freedom recipients,.
//
MobiusKlein
Why is talking about your family part of the interview process for a nominee to the Supreme Court?
I don’t dive into family history looking for a Node.js programmer, or project manager.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Yutsano:
Sounds like a distinction without a difference to me and not quite the sick burn reactionaries think they’re making
Mike in NC
I remember when he invited them to Camp David for BBQ and football. Such a stable genius.
BTW: My brother in the Boston suburbs says all of his neighbors have “Republicans for Biden” yard signs.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
So, does that whole “pretend he’s frail” thing point to Trump never being very sick in the first place? I honestly don’t know what to believe anymore with Trump’s health
cain
@MobiusKlein:
NodeJS! Slowly I turn… step by step.. inch by inch…
Chetan Murthy
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): As someone put it: if your theory of Shitler’s behaviour involves a triple-bank-shot with the cue behind the back, rethink your theory: they just ain’t that schmaaaaht. No, I think he was actually infected, and actually sick. And maybe his aides convinced him not to do the stunt, b/c he might not be able to rip the buttons loose. Or, y’know, his big-ass gut would hang out. And without a suit jacket, he couldn’t wear his girdle, so yeah, that gut would be big-ass.
Martin
Beware CA voters.
The GOP has set up fake ballot drop boxes across the state – Fresno, LA, OC.
If you have someone else drop off your ballot for you, they are required to identify themselves on the ballot with their signature. This is to prevent this kind of fraud – if the GOP collected the ballot this way, they couldn’t have you identify the person delivering the ballot and have them sign it. This is a felony.
Here in OC, the sample ballot has a list of all drop box locations – the OC Vote ones are pretty hard to miss – they’re large and well branded.
Benw
Sorry to bomb another Trump thread but congrats to the NBA’s bubble, the players that played their asses off, the staff and support workers that made it possible, it’s been it’s been a much needed respite to watch the playoffs this year
Amir Khalid
I am disappointed that Trump didn’t go through with the Superman T-shirt idea. I am sure it would have cheered Joe Biden up bigly.
Chetan Murthy
@Benw: Congratulations are indeed in order: I was sure they’d “pop” that bubble by now. Surprised that it held, and that’s down to the discipline of the players, family, staff, support workers, everybody inside and outside, who made it happen.
Kay
@MobiusKlein:
Well, in this case it’s part of a planned political campaign:
There have been a lot of frauds perpetrated on the public the last 4 years, but this is one of the slickest.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Martin:
Speaking of OC, I loved this bit:
In other words, conspiracy theories about why they lost OC and other areas in the 2018 midterms. I don’t think they’re going to control the California state government for the foreseeable future and it’s not because the Dems are “ballot harvesting”, it’s because the CA GOP are nutjobs who refuse to do any self-introspection as a party whatsoever
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
They probably couldn’t find a superman shirt in size XXXXXL
david
Tonight, America got to witness two of its greatest athletes in two different sports proving their greatness. Between LeBron James and Russell Wilson, it was a totally enjoyable 4+ hours.
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
Bernie Bro Walter Bregman is saying the foiled plot to kidnap and kill Governor Whitmer was due to …… wait for it…. economic anxiety.
Jebus!
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Chetan Murthy:
Oh I believe he was infected and was sick. He just may not have been very sick and wanted to prove how “strong” he was by using these idiotic theatrics
Benw
@Chetan Murthy: yep
Yutsano
@Chetan Murthy: Technically they’re the ones who fled, so they really are his kind of “leaders”. The ones who were smart enough to get out of town when things got too hot.
@NotMax: Heck might as well see if Dolt45 paid for the endorsement. They denounced it through a spokesman later but it’s LBJ and the pig fucking.
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
The shelling is getting closer and closer to The Bunker
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Chetan Murthy:
@Benw:
Me too. I was sure it was going to fail. The MLB and now the NFL haven’t fared nearly as well
Ivan X
Just gave to (nearly) all the BJ thermometers in one go. Feels good! Plus I talked my dad into it too, and he never gives anything.
cain
@Martin:
Can’t we send the sheriff there and charge them with a felony? Better yet, just start sending republican voters over there. Find em on facebook and helpfully point them out.
Chetan Murthy
@Yutsano:
Precisely.
Mai Naem mobile
@Amir Khalid: Bigly strongly. Gotta wonder what the Hindu nationalists purportedly* supporting Donny think of getting the Taliban’s endorsement
* I think a lot of hindu nationalist Donny support on Twitter is bots.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Mai Naem mobile:
Speaking of, I think Trump lost of a lot of followers on Twitter because so many of them were actually just bots
MobiusKlein
@cain: Hey, we all have our anchors to haul.
Me, I’m staying pissed at the Mac F’ing Butterfly Keyboard.
Kattails
@Mike in NC: Was looking at the RVAT youtube earlier; all those Republican voters (now) against Trump. It’s interesting, sometimes you can see real anger breaking through, sometimes you just want to crash your head into the wall. Like, we told you told you told you and you blew us all off.
What’s kind of scary is that so much will be riding on our team, and these people–how much of a chance are they going to give Biden and Harris? Are we going to have to pull off miracles in 6 months, when the whole system needs to be scoured and rebuilt?
Martin
@cain: Law enforcement has been notified.
Ivan X
@MobiusKlein: It does suck. At least it has been consigned to the dustbin of history in the 2020 models.
Yutsano
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I still don’t think he’s totally in the clear. He hasn’t left the White House since he got released from the hospital. That’s a tell. He had fresh bandages at the weird Blexit rally thing. He’s still getting treatments. Something is rotten in the people’s house, and it’s time for the place to get aired out.
Achrachno
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): As many observers have noted, in step with California becoming bluer the Republicans here have become crazier/stupider/more extreme. Take your pick.
Kay
A cherished tenet of Trumpism is never, ever take responsibility for your own actions. Even when shown your own name endorsing a position, insist it “appeared”. Barrett’s co-partisans and colleagues have worked very hard to deny the public any information on her work or her views, but we’re finding a lot out about her anyway just based on her actions we’ve seen. Speaks volumes.
sdhays
@Yutsano: The stupid Blexit rally was only 17-18 minutes as I recall. Hardly a rally by Dump standards, and that was basically right off his bedroom. He couldn’t keep going for even 20 minutes.
He’s a lot better than he would be if was anyone other the POTUS, though. It irritates me how many breaks this piece of garbage continually gets.
PigDog
@David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: he also adds his prediction: I predict in the coming weeks the Democratic narrative will change from euphoria over the apparent large leads in early voting to concern that a disproportionately large number of younger voters have yet to return their mail ballots.
Of course he’s right, and I should invest in worry bead futures.
Patricia Kayden
West of the Rockies
@cain:
I’ve heard that line my whole life (58 years) and had no idea what it was about. Just now looked it up. Ah, The Three Stooges (et al). Still funny stuff.
gwangung
@PigDog: Oh, that’s on the mark, but only because Dems are such worrywarts.
The key voters are older voters and Dems have a great advantage, I think, in the over 65s……
Brachiator
One of the reasons that Trump supporters don’t care about Trump using his presidency to enrich himself is because they gladly participate in the grift. The continuing investigation into Trump’s taxes reveals how various companies spend money at Trump properties and get favorable treatment.
But there is room for the little guys and religious hypocrites.
I doubt that Trump gave religious groups a discount for using his facilities.
The Times articles also point out the additional benefits you get from being a member of Trump’s clubs.
Calouste
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): NBA rosters are a lot smaller than the MLB and the NFL, that helps.
HumboldtBlue
@Benw:
Good call, the NBA stood up responsibly and not only provided the entertainment only it can provide but it reached deep into the local community to help.
Also.
Fuck the Lakers.
Another Scott
@David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: Early voting in Virginia has been constrained by there only being a handful of locations in each county. The largest, Fairfax, has all of one location. That changes this Wednesday at 1 pm when close to a dozen other locations open. Expect the early voting numbers to go up A LOT soon.
Cheers,
Scott.
Sister Golden Bear
The latest Republican rodent copulation… putting up fake ballot drop-off boxes.
I hope our AG prosecutes the fuck out of these assholes.
Ruckus
@Achrachno:
¿Porque no los tres?
West of the Rockies
@Sister Golden Bear:
Surely, stealing ballots is illegal, yes?
James E Powell
@Calouste:
Also the NBA regular season was almost over when they suspended play in March, so they didn’t include the eight teams that weren’t within six games of a playoff spot at the time play was suspended.
SectionH
@Martin: Well most of us in SD go to one of local libraries to drop ballots. Mr S and I were so spoiled that our local polling place was Our Clubhouse – I am not making that up. I won every brag with friends in MA about the closest places they could vote. I did ‘splain that dropping my mail ballot in outgoing mail was even closer.
We’re both permanent mail voters from the getgo, but it was fun to (take the elevator) and wander over there and get stickers. It’s ok, No polling here this year. We have to go the closest Library dropoff. Gee, I so love living in a sane place like California.
Ruckus
@Sister Golden Bear:
They are just trying to help…… themselves.
Also let’s see they are telling people on FB, from a GOP site, where drop boxes are. I wonder how many of their own are going to waste a vote.
I also hope that they spent their budget on the boxes and don’t have anything left for the legal fees for their vote theft arrests. And convictions. I thought I read the other day that the fine is $1000/ballot. Could be completely mis informed however.
James E Powell
@HumboldtBlue:
Oh, C’mon man! I love LA!
But check out tonight’s super spreader event.
Some people are celebrating sensibly in their cars.
Ruckus
@James E Powell:
I live 30 miles from downtown so the locals had to set off fireworks and explosives to celebrate with.
SectionH
@Sister Golden Bear: WTF?
Ian
@David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:
Guns like that, and that many of them, are not cheap.
James E Powell
@Ruckus:
The source to see what’s happening in DTLA is Smoke n Scan on youtube.
This guy plays video feeds, with police radio scanner while smoking his bong.
cain
@West of the Rockies:
Not just 3 stooges, but I think even Lucille Ball has used it. It’s a generic gag I guess. But yeah, totally funny stuff – but it’s used to talk about something that was horrifying. I suppose now we can say “MAGA! Slowly I turn.. step by step, inch by inch – I grab da guy, kicked in the shins, slapped him upside the head, and then delivered a knockout punch!”
I’d like a new gag same stuff, but with an IT background.
I ended up watching it on youtube, and then laughed hysterically at the “Whose on first?” one. Classic.
cain
@Brachiator: I assume that is only the mega churches who are already fleecing the faithful.
cain
@HumboldtBlue:
Man those fellas really get a disproportionate number of wins at the NBA finals don’t they?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@James E Powell: LA City Hall tonight.
West of the Rockies
@cain: just watched on YouTube the labyrinth scene from A Chump at Oxford (Stan and Ollie). It still kills.
Steeplejack
@Another Scott:
Yeah, I planned to vote in Fairfax County in the first week of early voting, but the one location was packed every day. So I decided to wait until the other locations open this week.
matt
I saw a bum wearing a Superman shirt today.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Brachiator: …just draining the swamp…nothing to see here…move along…
Yutsano
@matt: Ah. Now I know where the marmot on his head got the idea.
Ruckus
@James E Powell:
Everybody needs a hobby…..
HumboldtBlue
@cain:
Yeah.
Fuck the Lakers.
Otherwise, the strident reaction to LeBron being named in the greatest of all time conversation has reached silly proportions.
That man is an all-time top athlete of the modern era.
Put him in a sport, any sport, and watch what happens.
NotMax
@HumboldtBlue
The jury on synchronized swimming is still out.
:)
?BillinGlendaleCA
@NotMax: Men’s Synchronized Swimming?
HumboldtBlue
@NotMax: @?BillinGlendaleCA:
LeBron in a swimming pool?
NotMax
@BillinGlendaleCA
Thought perhaps the link would go to either the one or the other.
;)
?BillinGlendaleCA
@NotMax: Wrong.
Geoduck
@HumboldtBlue: Speaking as a Seattle-area resident who isn’t even a basketball fan, fuck the NBA.
mrmoshpotato
What bullshit did Ben Sasse pull about 3 hours ago per Cole’s Twitter feed?
Steeplejack (phone)
@HumboldtBlue:
I’ve always loved that ad! Plus Kool and the Gang, “Summer Madness.”
Steeplejack (phone)
@mrmoshpotato:
lgerard
Biden should simply state that his position on the Supreme Court is being audited and he well release it when the audit is complete
Chris T.
@Yutsano: As I understand it, the dexamethasone is IV and given for 10 days. If his first day was that Friday, ten days later is Sunday, so that could be the dex-IV.
Of course, if that’s the case, he’ll be coming off the steroid highs…
JPL
@Patricia Kayden: Governor Kemp of GA added two judges.
Geminid
@Steeplejack (phone): Expansion of the Supreme Court is a hot topic on this forum. And journalists and republicans like Sasse want to make it a major issue in this election. But do most voters care a lot about court expansion? Maybe they should, but I don’t think they do.
JoyceH
Hey, can I just mention how much I’m loving this Fauci story with the campaign ad? In normal circumstances, a campaign can just put out a misleading ad and trust that it will blast all over the country while only a fraction of the audience will hear the debunking. But the Trump campaign is so broke it’s cancelling ad buys in swing states, going dark in a lot of states.
So most people won’t even have SEEN the ad! But if they watch the news, the top story today is Fauci complaining about being used misleadingly in a Trump ad, and explicitly stating that he has NOT made an endorsement of anyone!
When you’re an incumbent, in addition to running ads, you can do things that make news, getting yourself free publicity. And THIS is what the Trump campaign has done for free publicity.
I’m just gobsmacked by the beauty of it all. Did the Trump campaign think they would get away with it? That Fauci would stay quiet when they put him in an ad, sounding like he was praising Trump when he wasn’t? Are they all THAT out to lunch?
TS (the original)
@JoyceH:
Trump got hours of free media with his rallies in 2016. His campaign has never worked out how to do anything different, despite covid.
I am so impressed with how the democrats ran with virtual campaigning because of covid, trump has been left behind in the dust & the reality is most of his current media coverage is negative, despite the best efforts of the media minions who don’t want him to disappear.
Tony Jay
I’ve just watched a rather surprising BBC report on the push to get Covid Amy rammed onto the SC.
Given BBC America’s typical M.O.of regurgitating whatever its U.S. correspondents overhear at the bars frequented by low-level GOP staffers crossed with a quick scan of the CNN homepage, it was shocking to hear them – eventually – lay out the real story, namely that the “Ideological Right and Evangelicals” (their framing) were the big fans of her candidacy, it put abortion, gay-rights and the ACA on the chopping block, the superspreader event at the White House could deny the Republicans a majority come the vote, and they were hypocrites anyway for pushing this nomination through after stealing a seat from Obama.
And not a single solitary mention of ‘court packing’.
As a finger in the wind of how DC conventional wisdom is pre-judging the coming nomination fight, it’s not what I expected to be hearing. Maybe John Sobel was sleeping off a hangover and missed the editorial meeting.
Sloane Ranger
@Ruckus: I think you may be on to something. Perhaps they’ve actually bought in to Trump’s, Democrats will destroy absentee ballots coming from Republican districts and this is their answer. Get their voters to drop off their ballots in a safe place and then trot them round to the election office in person.
If that’s the case, it sounds from what other posters are saying they may have scored 2 own goals. Not only will none of the votes be counted, they could be facing prosecution.
Viva BrisVegas
1869: US population around 40 million, number of Supreme Court Justices = 9.
2020: US Population around 320 million, number of Supreme Court Justices = 9.
Therefore Supreme Court Normalization requires the appointment of 63 new Justices.
I am amazed at the restraint of Democrats who are only calling for 4 more.
Only joking, sorta.
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
Biden should say he’ll expand the court and make Mexico pay for it.
Uncle Cosmo
@cain: “It’s a generic gag,” all right. Read & enjoy!
luc
@Benw: Agree!!!! Congrats to the NBA!
What a relief to watch rationale people accomplishing such exhilarating feats.
Ruckus
@Sloane Ranger:
First, what are the chances that republicans, ever thought to do anything that might in any way help anyone but themselves? It’s been a very, very long time, decades. Second it’s still illegal to unofficially collect ballots as the control of a ballot is the voter and the state’s, to collect, control and count the ballots and in my state, it’s the Secretary of State’s office, no one else.
IOW it’s a scam, put out in areas where republicans have had success but are very vulnerable, a crappy last grasp effort to have some chance at stealing some level of support. I’m not sure what the penalty should be, but severity should be taken into consideration and it should be a lot of severity. Flogging, or more in line with their tactics, sent to bed with no supper and their allowance withheld. For what 10 yrs……