The (no longer) much too early 2024 election thread

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I had not heard that.

[N.E. Brigand]

Donald Trump today suggested that President Biden uses cocaine.

(Since Trump is all about project, I think we're supposed to understand that to mean that Trump uses cocaine.)

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Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders explained why he's supporting President Biden's reelection:

[N.E. Brigand]

Trump is just so gross:

[Dave_LF]

George Carlin spelled this whole dynamic out years ago (NSFW; the bit includes at least 2 of his words that you can't say on TV, but evidently can on YouTube). The difference is that, unless you were an unwilling target of his womanizing, Clinton's bullshitting was largely beneficent, while Trump is as malignant as colon cancer.

[N.E. Brigand]

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, today tweeted:

God is sending America strong signs to tell us to repent.

Earthquakes and eclipses and many more things to come.

I pray that our country listens.

Today's earthquake in New Jersey was magnitude 4.8.

There were at least 11 earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater in the United States during Donald Trump's presidency.

As for eclipses, Trump famously looked at one without wearing eye protection!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

If I squint hard enough, I can kinda, sorta understand the completely bonkers claim that an earthquake is somehow a sign of "God's will." But an eclipse? Sorry, but I can't squint that hard.

[RoseMorninStar]

If I squint hard enough, I can kinda, sorta understand the completely bonkers claim that an earthquake is somehow a sign of "God's will." But an eclipse? Sorry, but I can't squint that hard.

Because the rational part of your brain functions in a normal way.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Ah, but what is normal? Like beauty, it is in the eyes of the beholder.

[RoseMorninStar]

'Normal' was a poor choice of a word on my part. Playing fast & loose with facts/natural occurrences and attributing them to the fault of one person with God meting out particular punishment -along with the ominous 'many more things to come' as if she can see into the future- is just plain silly.

[N.E. Brigand]

NBC reports on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. referring to January 6th insurrectionists as "activists" who have been "stripped of their Constitutional liberties," and that he might pardon them. This was in an email to his supporters. ... It's a good article because it corrects RFK on several points and notes that most of those people who were jailed in connection with January 6th were violent.

I heard later yesterday that RFK Jr. was backing away from this email and blaming it on some misguided associates.

But today he issued a statement that, in the guise of "listening to people of diverse viewpoints," rather whitewashes January 6th. Although RFK says that the rioters acted under Donald Trump's "delusion that the election was stolen from him," he says there "is little evidence of a true insurrection," falsely claims "the protesters carried no weapons," says they didn't try to "seize the reins of government," and notes that Trump urged them to act "peacefully" (he doesn't mention that Trump also told them to "fight like hell"). He says he has concerns about "the weaponization of government," that he feels some of these people received unfairly long sentences, and that as president, he would appoint a special counsel to investigate the investigation.

Also today, there was reporting in Mother Jones on Steve and Tracy Slepcevic, who hosted a reasonably pricy fundraising event for RFK Jr. in San Diego two weeks ago (the low price for tickets was $575). The Slepcevics have ties "to J6ers, QAnoners, Christian Nationalists, and Far-Right Extremists". These connections appear to stem from their longtime anti-vaccination stance (their son has autism which they blame on vaccines), which was one motivating factor for some January 6th insurrectionists (never mind that one of the few decent things that Trump did as president was Operation Warp Speed).

Finally, later today, RFK Jr. made comments weirdly sympathetic to Vladimir Putin, saying that Putin's goal is to "de-nazify" Ukraine.

[N.E. Brigand]

While Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may appeal in general more to potential President Biden voters than to potential Donald Trump voters, I have to say that based on several profiles I've read -- like this one -- I think RFK's most dedicated supporters would pick Trump over Biden (if they even bothered to vote).

[N.E. Brigand]

Fox News aired President Biden's remarks in Baltimore on the collapsed bridge:



Has Donald Trump yet said anything about that disaster?

[N.E. Brigand]

Christina Amira Khalil, who is the Green Party's candidate for Senate in New Jersey, blames today's earthquake on climate change.

[N.E. Brigand]

Glad to hear that it failed so decisively. As you note, that one electoral college vote could be important. If Trump flips Arizona, Nevada and Georgia but fails to flip the other swing states Biden won (and doesn't lose in Florida or somewhere else he won in 2020), that one electoral college vote in Nebraska would give Biden exactly 270, the minimum amount needed.

The Nebraska Examiner reports that Donald Trump was involved in the effort to make Nebraska a winner-take-all electoral vote state.

[River]

Christina Amira Khalil, who is the Green Party's candidate for Senate in New Jersey, blames today's earthquake on climate change.

That makes as much sense as MTG's pseudo-religious blather.

[Frelga]

Ah, but what is normal? Like beauty, it is in the eyes of the beholder.

Normal is what's under the tall part of the bell curve. It denotes neither greatness nor abject failure.

Biden is normal for a leader of a democratic society. Trump is way under the thin tail to the right. For a fascist dictator, though...

[RoseMorninStar]

Oh dear. I spoke with my mom today and she told me 'all the signs are there' for the end of the world as we know it/WWIII. We're all doomed.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Biden may have trouble getting on Ohio’s general election ballot, state’s top election official warns

[Frelga]

Oh dear. I spoke with my mom today and she told me 'all the signs are there' for the end of the world as we know it/WWIII. We're all doomed.

My son said (joking) that it must be the apocalypse. Earthquake in NYC yesterday, eclipse on Monday, and today the Oakland baseball team won a game.

But the signs aren't good, I have to agree.

[RoseMorninStar]

There is almost always an earthquake before an eclipse. And after. Why? Because (according to the USGS) there are roughly 20,000 earthquakes around the globe annually each year. Approximately 55 per day. There are about 16 major earthquakes in any given year; 15 in the magnitude 7 range and one in the 8.0 or greater. I believe a moderate earthquake is 5-7. In the past 40-50 years records show the we exceeded the long term average of major earthquakes about a dozen times. The New Jersey earthquake was 4.8.

Those who are prophesying the end times as in biblical Revelations as being related to politics/divisiveness in the US is American exceptionalism at it's most manipulative/ using religion and fear for political gain/power.

But this is also supposed to be the year of locusts. Such divas!