TheHiddenCatboy @ jhymesba @lemmy.world

Posts

11

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577

Joined

2 yr. ago

People downvote for a variety of reasons. Some people do indeed look at a post with 31 downvotes and put their downvote in the manner mad_asshatter describes below. Others are so far into Democratic Party orthodoxy that anything that challenges that is immediately downvoted without thought. But I suspect that the majority of people downvote and upvote the way I do: By reading the message and deciding if it contributes or detracts from conversation.

I strongly disagree with the assertion that Biden is washed up. Why? Because he's been a gaffe-machine for as long as I can remember. While every politician can have flaws found, I think, given the challenges Biden has faced and the unified disloyal opposition the GOP has presented itself as, he's done a damn good job with what he's been given. I would even have voted him for a second term, because I get gaffes and misspeaks, because even I have problems with that.

I definitely like Harris even more because 1) she's only 9 years older than I am, 2) she's managed to put Trump on his heels out the gate, and 3) it defuses this 'old man' bomb the Press keeps wanting to wave around. A win-win-win, if you will, even if I think Biden was done dirty by the media and people like you. And we can't forget that now all of Trump's attack material now is useful to the Dems, and Team Red gets an object lesson of 'every time you point the finger at someone, three point back at you.'

Even then, I'd not downvote NYT for this, nor would I have downvoted you for reposting it. I'd call it out as bullshit for sure, and say that continuing to harp on Biden's age plays into Trump's hands. Biden has 5 months left in office regardless of who wins in November. He's already in Transition Phase, making ready for whoever takes over. He's surrounded himself with good people, and I'm sure we're in good hands until transition in January. I'd like to make sure the transition moves it from one set of good hands into another, and NOT into the shitgibbon's hands, which is why I call this out. If you think there is a Biden problem, it'll solve itself in 5 months when Biden hands over the power to the next admin. Let's work on making sure that next admin is a Harris/Walz admin.

But not even that gets you the downvotes here from me. What gets you the downvotes from me is that you called people that disagreed with you part of a cult. Listen up here, asshole. I'm trying to stop cults from taking office in January. I think that this bullshit you're posting increases the chance that the cult that wants to go up my Black, bisexual, pagan wife's privates while calling me a race traitor (I'm White) for marrying her will get into office. I'm trying to stop the cult led by Vladimir Putin, with a long and storied history of using 'useful idiot' patsies to amplify disinformation and outright lies, from poaching democracy from yet another Western country. I'm trying to ensure that come 20 January, the Orange Cult Leader himself is left ranting and raging on the sidelines as Kamala Harris is sworn in so we might keep our country from falling to Authoritarianism for another 4 years. And then you, you shithead, come in here and accuse me of being part of a cult because I dare disagree with your bullshit article saying Biden should still be an issue to harp on. No, motherfucker. You're not lumping me in with the actual cults. So if you don't want downvotes, maybe stop playing the fucking victim and realise that Biden is yesterday's news and we're focused on putting the Shitgibbon down. That get through your thick skull, you jerk?

I think ABCDE is asking about how this matters for President. Since North Carolina is not Maine or Nebraska, winner takes all. So if you're right, and more Dems turn out than Reps in NC, then even as NC goes redder in the House, it'll still deliver its ECs to the Blue...assuming of course the now gerrymandered State government doesn't call the election stolen and refuses to certify the vote.

I think that's what we're going to actually see more of. A partisan power-grab by Conservatives by refusing to listen to the will of the people.

I love it. Even if you can't flip your Red State, having your votes means Harris can point to a broad spectrum of support that extends even into deep red places, and you never know. It might just be your vote that flips a city or county seat blue and makes it less likely that you and those around you get caught up in the Reich-Wing attempted coup.

And Pepperidge Farm needs to remind all Americans of this fact!

Well, that's fair, because you're responding to things OP never said. Specifically the headline. The headline is CBS's headline. :3

I agree with OP. This IS a big deal, even if it is a tiny fraction of the overall spend. It's part of a strategy to convert some of the supposed 92% of eligible Democrats overseas from non-voters into voters. I'm hoping Harris/Walz will be adopting Dean's old 50 state strategy, motivating Dems nation-wide, and even world-wide, into voting, and a good start is helping the organisation that helps eligible voters who live overseas with a cash infusion. Can they spend more into this? Absolutely. And they might! But even 300k is a good start, considering Democrats Abroad hasn't gotten anything from the party up to this point. Maybe he's trying to point that out to rebut your point that 300k isn't a big deal, with reasons why it is? I sure think he's making good points.

Good to know. Thanks for the information. It's always good to be aware of bias, even in bias-checkers!

Anyone who has downvoted this bot, can you explain why? I'd like to learn more.

Good job. That's all we should ask of you. You made a mistake, learned from it, and vow not to do it again. As long as you uphold that, you'll be an outstanding citizen, and that's all we should ask for.

I like protected bike lanes and roads without holes in them too!

This is my worry too. We've survived Trump for this long because he's not half as smart as he thinks he is, nor is he as charismatic, either. But he's not alone in this. Republicans are chomping at the bit for "Permanent Republican Rule", and if they have to outlaw Democrats and Democracy to do it, they will. They're happy in a Banana Republic...as long as they are the ones in control. Which means merely getting rid of Trump isn't enough. We need a constant campaign to keep Republicans out of office, which the Left isn't keen on doing because the Left isn't one unified group, but instead a loose coalition of Scientists, Academicians, Artists, Environmentalists, Civil Rights advocates, and countless other small factions, that are easily played against each other.

Go back and watch Star Wars Episode 3. That's actually a good description of how a democracy falls to autocracy. The Republicans have been openly dreaming of a "Permanant Republican Majority" since AT LEAST Bush 43's terms in office. And they've been laying the framework since Nixon -- a newsentertainment channel that caters to Right-Winger fantasies, judges who put ideology over legality, partisan gerrymandering that concentrates Republican voters for power and dilutes Dem votes into meaninglessness, and political theories that basically advocate for the dismantling of our political systems if that will keep Democrats out of power even if they have a majority.

To answer your questions directly:

Can he do that? Yes. He can. Anyone can.

What would need to happen to convert our system to lifetime terms? There are a variety of ways, but they all boil down to the President doing outright illegal things under cover of a friendly Supreme Court. After all, they granted immunity to 'official acts', which we believe is cover for an autocratic takeover of the country.

What would need to happen to convert our system into a dictatorship/monarchy/whatevs? This is just a hypothetical situation. It's July 2028. Mass incarcerations of Leftists, Immigrants, Muslims, and Minorities have begun and the country is in the throes of a civil war. Polling is reporting that Trump could lose the election, despite disenfranchising the Left's voting base through various means. Trump announces he's postponing the 2028 elections 'until things calm down, they have to get much better first before we can have a fair election." People sue. It doesn't matter what happens in the lower courts, because they'll appeal all the way up to the Supreme Court. The same 6 Conservative ideologues that said he has immunity for 'official acts' will rule that he has the right to suspend the election. And that, my friends, is how Democracy ends, with massive applause from the Alt-Right assholes that Clinton quite rightly fucking called "Deplorable".

Can Trump actually make either of those happen? Yes. Yes, he can. The framework is already laid out. HK-65 laid it out elsewhere. Essentially, you start by shutting the Other Side out of government. You then take over all the levers of government. Then you set them so you can't lose. You might need to just waive away the safetyguards that get in your way, and some you might use your lock on government to remove 'legitimately'. If the 22nd Amendment gets in the way of a Republican dynasty, they'll have it removed.

TL;DR? Never rely on checks and balances to stop authoritarianism. In the end, the Constitution IS just a piece of paper, and will be run over by authoritarian jerks if that means power.

Yeah. This can be quibbled with, but it puts the most important thing at the bottom: Polls are meaningless unless you GOTV.

I like the sentiment if not the wording here. The only poll that matters is the one conducted on 5 November. All others are just tools the campaigns use to motivate voters and direct campaigners. If you want your guy or gal to win, you need to act as if you're 2 points down in the polls and vote accordingly.

I definitely think there is a case of Goose/Gander here. If Biden was too old, and got run out of office by opportunistic media jerks happy to harp on his age day after day, attacking things he's done his entire adult life as if it shows he's one foot in the grave, then by god, the Media should jump all over Trump for the same problems. This is our way of saying "Hey, if Biden was too old at 81, then so is Trump at 78, especially with 59 year old Harris in the mix. Where are you, Media?"

The reasons Hillary lost in 2016 are varied.

• Poor GoTV operations in WI, MI, and PA.
• Comey fucking her over with a GOP October Surprise.
• People didn't know what they would get with Trump. They were saying he'd turn Presidential for YEARS after he was elected. (He never did...)
• Hillary having a faint smell of corruption around her, mostly concocted by Team Trump.
• Russian Troll Farms filled with dipshits who worked overtime to fan dissention amongst the Left and Centre while empowering Team Trump.
• Targeted Troll attacks in Swing States, specifically WI, MI, and PA, that Hillary wasn't paying attention to.

Even with all that going on, she did end up as the Winningest Losing Candidate in American history. I HOPE that they are going 50 State Strategy this time around. Trolls look for weak points that they can attack.

Thanks for this. StaySquared is too much of a chickenshit to retract his claim, I suspect.

Honestly, if it's a choice between me and some people I don't know half a world away, I'm picking me. That goes twice when the choices are:

• Pick the gal who will piss off the dictator to the point where he complains that he's not getting enough bombs and missiles quick enough for his bloodthirstiness...like her former boss did.
• Pick the guy who will hand more than enough bombs and missiles to kill every single Palestinian at least once, if not more than once, while grinding American Muslims under the bootheel of Right-Wing Authoritarianism.

I'll pick the gal every single fucking time.

You are a complete and total idiot if you follow this person's ideas, and your choice to vote Third Party or stay home will only increase the chance that you and people you supposedly care about will be fed to the Republican meat grinders, and then you'll have no more worry about Democrats because you'll be in jail or just plain dead.

That's what you'll be enabling. Project 2025, who views Muslims as little more than animals, will be fast-tracked. If you think that's the smart play, you are a fucking moron and deserve everything you have coming to you.

PS: Dems aren't guilty of what this guy's insinuating here. That's 100% on Republicans.

PPS: This is the kind of BS that Russians and Republicans are injecting into our discussions on a day to day basis. While I won't violate Rule 3 and outright call him a bot or shill, I WILL point out to everyone else that this is the bullshit that Team Putin and Team Pepe use to divide Democrats and suppress the vote.

PPS: I agree with @nomous that it's weird, if not ridiculous, that this guy thinks he has a lock on the Arab American psyche. Our whole purpose here is to remind everyone on the Left coalition that come next January, either Kamala Harris will start her first term as POTUS and MAYBE slow-roll more bombs and missiles to Israel so that Egypt, Syria, and others don't try to finish what they started in the '60s, or Trump, who will supply Israel with all the bombs and missiles he can while outlawing Muslims and forcing Christianity down their throats here in the USA via Project 2025. If you're stupid enough to prefer 4 years of Project 2025 to whatever you think Harris will be guilty of, you deserve what you're gonna get, sideways, without lube. And I think that makes you an idiot and a moron like the guy I'm replying to. Make the smart play and don't listen to this fool.

Don't forget getting Student Loans to be somewhat affordable. 5% of not just your total income, but your disposable income, accounting for basic cost of living. That actually convinced me to step away from my ongoing education and enter loan repayment. A huge deal considering how much loan debt I have...

Thanks for saying this.

In the late 70s, the Shah of Iran was a posterchild for authoritarianist shitheads. Everyone wanted him gone, from the religious Right to the academic Left and everything in between. A crowd of liberals, professors, businessmen, reactionaries, and mullahs all united to send the Shah packing. When it was all said and done, Iran had an opportunity to form a Muslim Democracy and join the world as a rising star.

Then the Left started arguing with itself. There were the Communists who wanted Glorious Revolution, and the Academics who just wanted a sane system of government, and the moderates who wanted only a LITTLE bit more socialist support for the underserved, and each of those factions split into sub-factions over some little petty policy difference or another. And while they were fighting, the Religious Right came together, unified in the belief that Gawd Himself was on their side, and promptly took over government.

Iran went from a secular dictatorship to a religious dictatorship while the Left argued.

France has shown us that that doesn't have to happen, by unifying in voting against the Right and settling on one candidate for each district and not letting little distractions get in the way. Unfortunately, despite this win, it shows us that the more things change, the more they stay the same and the various factions of the Left that are unwilling to compromise a single tiny bit and are willing to burn down the house if they don't get exactly what they want, which might just cause the fall of the coalition that defeated the Hard Right in France and another risk of the rise of a Fascist government. Let's be like France before the election, and not like France after, if we possibly can?!

Exactly this. I knew all along that if Biden dropped out, it would be going from "I'm in this 100%" to "I'm out for the good of the nation" without anything in between. You can't do anything but that in politics, because a wishy-washy 'we're evaluating what's best for the country' would be the death of his campaign, and he'd have no choice besides "I'm out" at that point. Might as well just rip the bandaid off and go straight to "I'm out" without any intermediary steps. Be fully invested until you make the decision you can't be anymore.