US Presidential elections 2024

[Deesse23]

I love Hitler meltdown vids.

Bruno Ganz was a great actor. He was next to Kinski in Nosferatu. Nuff said.

[Inkubus]

A,I., gay pie!!

[mordant]

Interesting thought piece: "What a Lie is For"' discusses the motivation behind the Trump campaign (and especially JD Vance) deciding to amplify lies about Haitian immigrants.

At the most basic level, there is just no percentage in trying to parse a political campaign's decision to try to incite a pogrom. It does a favor to the people doing it, for one thing, because even assessing it along the lines of any other campaign decision provides a cosmetic coat of reason to something that hasn't earned it. More than that, there's no sense in searching for a justification when the people involved know that they are doing something that can't be justified. That is more or less why they're doing it, and any supposed tactical advantage should be understood as secondary to the primary purpose, which is to see what they can get away with, and to begin seeking permission in earnest for something that is (probably) still impermissible.

(Emphasis mine)

https://defector.com/what-a-lie-is-for-trump-vance-ohio

[epronovost]

Interesting thought piece: "What a Lie is For"' discusses the motivation behind the Trump campaign (and especially JD Vance) deciding to amplify lies about Haitian immigrants.

At the most basic level, there is just no percentage in trying to parse a political campaign's decision to try to incite a pogrom. It does a favor to the people doing it, for one thing, because even assessing it along the lines of any other campaign decision provides a cosmetic coat of reason to something that hasn't earned it. More than that, there's no sense in searching for a justification when the people involved know that they are doing something that can't be justified. That is more or less why they're doing it, and any supposed tactical advantage should be understood as secondary to the primary purpose, which is to see what they can get away with, and to begin seeking permission in earnest for something that is (probably) still impermissible.

(Emphasis mine)

https://defector.com/what-a-lie-is-for-trump-vance-ohio

In other words. The spread blood libels story to later justify their cruelty towards migrants and members of ethnic minorities. They do the same thing with abortion with their stories of babies being executed to later justify their ban on abortions.

[mordant]

The Guardian has surfaced emails of election officials in Georgia conspiring to refuse to certify the general election and to spread false reports that there is widespread election fraud.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024...on-georgia

It's always hard to tell whether this kind of thing is a bunch of good ol' boys playing a political version of fantasy football, or if it will actually amount to something. But Georgia has passed laws giving election certifiers more wiggle room to "raise concerns" about an election, however spurious.

[SYZ]

More than 100 former national security officials from
Republican administrations and former Republican
members of Congress endorsed Kamala Harris on
Wednesday—after concluding that their party’s nominee,
Donald Trump, is “unfit to serve again as president.”

In a letter to the public, the Republicans, including
both vocal longtime Trump opponents and others who
had not endorsed Biden in 2020, argued that while
they might “disagree with Kamala Harris” on many
issues, Trump had demonstrated “dangerous qualities.”
Those include, they said, “unusual affinity” for dictators
like Vladimir Putin and “contempt for the norms of decent,
ethical and lawful behavior.”

“As president,” the letter said, “he promoted daily chaos
in government, praised our enemies and undermined our
allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans,
prioritized his personal interest above American interests
and betrayed our values, democracy and this country’s
founding documents.”

In their letter, the Republicans acknowledged concerns about
“some of the positions advocated by the left wing of the
Democratic Party,” and some of them have been quite critical
of the Biden-Harris administration.  But the letter said that
“any potential concerns” about Harris “pale in comparison to
to those over Trump".

  —Excerpted from The New York Times, 18 September 2024.

[Cavebear]

More than 100 former national security officials from
Republican administrations and former Republican
members of Congress endorsed Kamala Harris on
Wednesday—after concluding that their party’s nominee,
Donald Trump, is “unfit to serve again as president.”

In a letter to the public, the Republicans, including
both vocal longtime Trump opponents and others who
had not endorsed Biden in 2020, argued that while
they might “disagree with Kamala Harris” on many
issues, Trump had demonstrated “dangerous qualities.”
Those include, they said, “unusual affinity” for dictators
like Vladimir Putin and “contempt for the norms of decent,
ethical and lawful behavior.”

“As president,” the letter said, “he promoted daily chaos
in government, praised our enemies and undermined our
allies, politicized the military and disparaged our veterans,
prioritized his personal interest above American interests
and betrayed our values, democracy and this country’s
founding documents.”

In their letter, the Republicans acknowledged concerns about
“some of the positions advocated by the left wing of the
Democratic Party,” and some of them have been quite critical
of the Biden-Harris administration.  But the letter said that
“any potential concerns” about Harris “pale in comparison to
to those over Trump".

  —Excerpted from The New York Times, 18 September 2024.

When Republican party members support the opposing candidate, it is an unusual and serious statement. National-level Republicans have done it (Dick and Liz Cheney for example). They are somewhat protected by long-term reputation from repercussions. But when many lower-level Republicans say the same thing (being less-protected from political consequences), that seems even more impressive.

The election is about 50 days away. If things continue as they are going, I may be able to go to bed happy for Harris by 10 pm on election night.

I view the choices in the presidential election as being between an insane autocratic candidate and a democracy-supporting sane one. I'm sure you can guess which I mean.

[Silly Deity]

From "The Room Next Door" - imagine if US news channels were to analyze Trump speeches this well

[pattylt]

From "The Room Next Door" - imagine if US news channels were to analyze Trump speeches this well

That was pretty funny but how dare someone parse Trumps speech!  Yes, I do wish even a fraction of this type of analysis was performed by the MSM.  Instead, they just push a horse race and act like the candidates are on equal footing and intelligence!

[Minimalist]

The MSM is owned by the same oligarchs who are ruining this country.