Back in 2016, J.D. Vance texted his old college roommate that Donald Trump might one day be remembered that way, according to texts that were released today.
Three days ago, Trump endorsed Vance's candidacy to be the next U.S. senator from Ohio.
Here's video of J.D. Vance saying this week that what changed his mind and led him to support Donald Trump was how Trump "revealed" the corruption in American politics.
I mean, I guess Donald Trump, the most corrupt president in American history, did expose how vulnerable our government is to corruption?
My best guess is that Vance, if he becomes the Republican nominee for Senate and has to appeal to independents, plans to say as little as possible about Trump and to complain, when his Democratic opponent (expected to be Congressman Tim Ryan) tries to ask him about all the times he praised Trump, that Democrats are obsessed with the past.
N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:13 am
My best guess is that Vance, if he becomes the Republican nominee for Senate and has to appeal to independents, plans to say as little as possible about Trump and to complain, when his Democratic opponent (expected to be Congressman Tim Ryan) tries to ask him about all the times he praised Trump, that Democrats are obsessed with the past.
Have you heard the latest from your buddy, N.E.B.?
Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance on Friday alleged that MAGA voters dying from fentanyl looks "intentional" and claimed that President Joe Biden is responsible for those deaths.
"If you wanted to kill a bunch of MAGA voters in the middle of the heartland, how better than to target them and their kids with this deadly fentanyl?" Vance said during an interview with Jim Hoft, who is the founder of the far-right news site Gateway Pundit.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Fri Apr 22, 2022 1:13 am
My best guess is that Vance, if he becomes the Republican nominee for Senate and has to appeal to independents, plans to say as little as possible about Trump and to complain, when his Democratic opponent (expected to be Congressman Tim Ryan) tries to ask him about all the times he praised Trump, that Democrats are obsessed with the past.
Have you heard the latest from your buddy, N.E.B.?
Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance on Friday alleged that MAGA voters dying from fentanyl looks "intentional" and claimed that President Joe Biden is responsible for those deaths.
"If you wanted to kill a bunch of MAGA voters in the middle of the heartland, how better than to target them and their kids with this deadly fentanyl?" Vance said during an interview with Jim Hoft, who is the founder of the far-right news site Gateway Pundit.
I had not. Thanks for that, I guess!
And have you seen the even laterest?
As noted above, Donald Trump endorsed J.D. Vance and not Vance's Trumpier rival, Josh Mandel, to win the nomination to the next U.S. senator from Ohio.
But tonight at a rally in Nebraska, as Trump mentioned the names of various candidates he's endorsed around the country, he said that in Ohio he had endorsed:
N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Mon May 02, 2022 1:57 am
As noted above, Donald Trump endorsed J.D. Vance and not Vance's Trumpier rival, Josh Mandel, to win the nomination to the next U.S. senator from Ohio.
But tonight at a rally in Nebraska, as Trump mentioned the names of various candidates he's endorsed around the country, he said that in Ohio he had endorsed:
In a Georgia debate tonight, Kandiss Taylor, a Republican contender for the governorship, said that during the pandemic: "Kids were at home for year, not ingrained in education and routine. Children need routine. And what we saw happen is children with depression or children that were being molested. Let's talk about the hard stuff: kids who were being molested never had a reprieve. They were molested day after day, and their parents were not teaching them anything."
Meanwhile in a rally in Nebraska, Charles Herbster, running to be that state's next governor, said, "We're going to take sex education out of the schools and put it back in the homes where it belongs."
I'd say that Herbster and Taylor should meet to talk about getting their stories straight, but given that eight different women have accused Herbster of groping them, I would understand if she passed on that opportunity.
So, N.E.B. (or anyone), does Tim Ryan have a chance of defeating J.D. Vance?
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
There's always a chance. Ohio voted for Obama just ten years ago, before shifting sharply to the right in 2016 and 2020. It will be very difficult for Ryan to win.
Well, Ryan is very middle of the road, so maybe he will attract some of the quiet portion of the GOP voters who are fed up with Trumpian craziness (e.g., people who think like Vance did about Trump before he went over to the dark side) while still holding on to the progressive vote motivated by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Probably not likely, but it will be an interesting test.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Mehmet Oz, a doctor who rose to fame for hosting a TV show about health issues, is running to be the Republican nominee for a Senate seat from Pennsylvania (to succeed Pat Toomey, a retiring Republican), even though he lived in New Jersey until very recently. He has been endorsed by Donald Trump. Many of Oz's positions seem relatively moderate for a Republican.
Oz holds both U.S. and Turkish citizenship. He has said that, if elected to the Senate, he will give up his Turkish citizenship. He says he has "never been politically involved in Turkey in any capacity," but today a photograph was released that shows him voting in the 2018 Turkish election. His campaign says that he voted for the losing opposition party and that this doesn't count as being "politically involved." I guess so, although it sure seems odd for a U.S. Senate candidate to have participated in a foreign election just four years ago.
This is interesting. Donald Trump's endorsement of J.D. Vance certainly seems to have come just in time to propel him to the top. Also notice how the most moderate contender for the Senate nomination, Matt Dolan, starting rising sharply in the race at exactly the same time. Another week and he might have won. Gibbons or Timken should have dropped out and endorsed him.
N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Thu May 05, 2022 5:58 amAlso notice how the most moderate contender for the Senate nomination, Matt Dolan, starting rising sharply in the race at exactly the same time. Another week and he might have won.
Perhaps that bodes well for Ryan?
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Of course, even if Judge Tottenburg rules that the challenge goes forward (and it isn't overturned on appeal) it is very unlikely that the state court judge will rule that Greene should be removed from the ballot. But it is a nice thought.
As most observers expected, the state judge ruled today that the plaintiffs failed to prove that Greene had participated in an insurrection, and he accordingly recommended that her name remain on the ballot. Following that, Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, confirmed that she will not be removed. Reluctantly, I think that this is the right decision at this time.
I also -- reluctantly -- think it is the right decision.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Wed May 04, 2022 11:44 pm
Mehmet Oz, a doctor who rose to fame for hosting a TV show about health issues, is running to be the Republican nominee for a Senate seat from Pennsylvania (to succeed Pat Toomey, a retiring Republican), even though he lived in New Jersey until very recently. He has been endorsed by Donald Trump. Many of Oz's positions seem relatively moderate for a Republican.
Oz holds both U.S. and Turkish citizenship. He has said that, if elected to the Senate, he will give up his Turkish citizenship. He says he has "never been politically involved in Turkey in any capacity," but today a photograph was released that shows him voting in the 2018 Turkish election. His campaign says that he voted for the losing opposition party and that this doesn't count as being "politically involved." I guess so, although it sure seems odd for a U.S. Senate candidate to have participated in a foreign election just four years ago.
Mike Pompeo, who was Secretary of State in the Trump administration, is supporting a different Republican in the race, and he said today that Oz's "close ties" to Turkey raise "significant national security concerns."
While I don't trust Pompeo on any subject, I have seen lawyers who represent clients in government work say that having recently voted in a foreign election is generally a problem for someone trying to obtain a security clearance.
Voronwë the Faithful wrote: ↑Tue Jun 08, 2021 3:28 am
I've also not been a big fan of Nina Turner, but I know nothing about Shontel Brown, or the other 3 or 4 candidates for the primary.
I'm also not enamored of the Congressperson in my district, Marci Kaptur, mostly because she's practically a non-entity, although I'd vote for her against any Republican, and to her credit, on one occasion when I called her local office, she herself answered the phone.
Is the new district that Kaptur is now running in still your district, N.E.B. It appears she is running against a major QAnon proponent and participant in the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally (though I don't believe there is any evidence that he breached the Capital).
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 1:38 amVanity Fair has a what I think is an important article for understanding the so-called "New Right" (sometimes abbreviated "NRx," which is short for "neo-reactionary"; among the other terms used are "radical young intellectuals" and "post-leftists" -- the latter acknowledging a horseshoe aspect to some of its members), a movement whose intellectual leader is a former computer programmer (and crypto-white nationalist) named Curtis Yarvin, who is friends with the billionaire tech financier Peter Thiel and two candidates for U.S. Senate that Thiel is funding: venture capitalist and Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance of Ohio (of whom I've written many times) and venture capitalist Blake Masters of Arizona. Vance was just endorsed by Donald Trump (following which Thiel gave another $3.5 million to a PAC supporting Vance; Thiel had previously donated about $10 million to that cause). Trump has yet to endorse in the Arizona race, but he did appear last fall at a fundraiser for Masters.
The website of Senate candidate Blake Masters, Republican of Arizona, calls for not only Roe (1973) and Casey (1992) to be overturned (both concern abortion rights) but also for Griswold (1965) to be overturned.
Voronwë wrote:
Is the new district that Kaptur is now running in still your district, N.E.B. It appears she is running against a major QAnon proponent and participant in the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" rally (though I don't believe there is any evidence that he breached the Capital).
J.R. Majewski, an Ohio GOP congressional candidate, was a January 6 participant and has repeatedly shared pro-QAnon material
Oi.
N.E. Brigand wrote: ↑Sun May 08, 2022 7:31 pm
The website of Senate candidate Blake Masters, Republican of Arizona, calls for not only Roe (1973) and Casey (1992) to be overturned (both concern abortion rights) but also for Griswold (1965) to be overturned.
That's the case that makes contraception legal.
This is what I greatly fear is coming, along with loss of other rights, especially for the marginalized. Our social security nets/foster system cannot handle what is to come if these laws pass not to mention botched 'back alley' abortions and violence against women, minorities, and anyone other than straight, white, 'christian' men.
The primaries in Pennsylvania are happening today.
Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor John Fetterman, who is the leading candidate to become the Democratic nominee for this year's U.S. Senate race in that state, announced Sunday that he had a mild stroke on Friday, and it's just been announced that he's having surgery to implant a pacemaker. Right now.
