Political Randomness

[Rip]

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.800990

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/opin ... ngary.html

What is next, call out jews for jew hating?

Quite entertaining watching the left and right both call anyone who criticizes someone on their side who is jewish an anti-semite, while mocking the other side for doing it. Free hypocrisy for everyone.

[Jaymann]

I heard of George Soros for short selling the Bank of England. Didn't realize until now he was Jewish.

[El Guapo]

I can only assume it's a self reinforcing problem.

Has anyone attempted prima nocta on Alabama?

I mean, Neil Young wrote a whole song urging Alabama to be less racist. It's got a long history - for what it's worth, 2017 is probably the least racist Alabama has ever been.

[Holman]

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.800990

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/opin ... ngary.html

What is next, call out jews for jew hating?

Quite entertaining watching the left and right both call anyone who criticizes someone on their side who is jewish an anti-semite, while mocking the other side for doing it. Free hypocrisy for everyone.

Yes, I'm confident that Netanyahu doesn't hate Soros for being Jewish.

But there are people who definitely do. They don't hide it.

Quite entertaining to watch you absolve everyone on your side of antisemitism even when they're shouting it to the rooftops.

[El Guapo]

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.800990

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/opin ... ngary.html

What is next, call out jews for jew hating?

Quite entertaining watching the left and right both call anyone who criticizes someone on their side who is jewish an anti-semite, while mocking the other side for doing it. Free hypocrisy for everyone.

Yes, I'm confident that Netanyahu doesn't hate Soros for being Jewish.

But there are people who definitely do. They don't hide it.

Quite entertaining to watch you absolve everyone on your side of antisemitism even when they're shouting it to the rooftops.

That's a disgusting move that Netanyahu did.

[GreenGoo]

I can only assume it's a self reinforcing problem.

Has anyone attempted prima nocta on Alabama?

I mean, Neil Young wrote a whole song urging Alabama to be less racist. It's got a long history - for what it's worth, 2017 is probably the least racist Alabama has ever been.

Yeah, but Skynyrd has decided that getting rid of Young was easier than not being racist.

Yeah, Well, I heard Mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ol' Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

[Isgrimnur]

They brought Neil on stage to sing it with them on later years.

[GreenGoo]

That's a disgusting move that Netanyahu did.

Netanyahu is deeply conservative, and while I haven't been staying on top of Israeli news lately, the last I heard he was getting his ass kicked in the political arena, and his wife's shenanigans didn't help matters much either.

If Netanyahu is going after Soros, I can be fairly confident it's not because he's jewish. Maybe because he's a liberal and hence not jewish enough?

Honestly, who gives a crap. I appreciate Rip keeping us up to date though. It helps to understand his mindset, even when he's just trolling.

[GreenGoo]

They brought Neil on stage to sing it with them on later years.

Impossible. They clearly don't need him around, anyhow.

[LordMortis]

They brought Neil on stage to sing it with them on later years.

Impossible. They clearly don't need him around, anyhow.

[El Guapo]

That's a disgusting move that Netanyahu did.

Netanyahu is deeply conservative, and while I haven't been staying on top of Israeli news lately, the last I heard he was getting his ass kicked in the political arena, and his wife's shenanigans didn't help matters much either.

If Netanyahu is going after Soros, I can be fairly confident it's not because he's jewish. Maybe because he's a liberal and hence not jewish enough?

Honestly, who gives a crap. I appreciate Rip keeping us up to date though. It helps to understand his mindset, even when he's just trolling.

Soros runs an international pro-democracy group. My understanding is that said group has been critical of Israeli policy regarding the Palestinians. So Netanyahu doesn't like that, plus I think Orban (who is a terrible, terrible person) has been friendly towards Netanyahu, so the whole kerfluffle probably threatened to disturb Netanyahu's relationship with Orban.

[Holman]

Ronnie & Neil

DBT

(No, not that dbt.)

[tjg_marantz]

Jews gonna jew I guess.

Heh, I love this expression. How do you feel about it tgb and/or defiant and/or anyone else of the jewish persuasion?

Also, holy crap, is George Soros the boogeyman or something? Why in the fuck is he being brought up in a Alabama senate race?

Oh. I see. Breitbart and inforwars are trying to make the race about defeating the jewish agenda. Does that work? MSD, are you worried the jews are taking over...something? American culture, apparently?

If only Soros got a dollar every time his name was mentioned. I wonder what it's like being the folk tale used to scare children to vote a certain way.

Honest to fuck, how did Jews become so scary? Is this a Christian versus every other religion with enough followers? Are we going to hear about the Hindus next?

"George Soros" is invoked when someone really wants to say "international Jewry", but knows that would go over poorly.

As for how Jews became so scary...it's a good question, but somehow we're a go-to scapegoat the world over.

Also FWIW I enjoyed "jews gonna jew". Obviously that's dependent on context, but obviously tjg is commenting on Moore's thinly veiled anti-Semitism.

Christ on a pogo stick, I sure hope no one would think I was being anything but facetious. Is that the right number of negatives. I was being facetious. There! LOL

I grew up being taken as the token jew around my non jewish friends. I have the last name, I went to all the bar mitzvahs, yet not jewish. Everyone I grew up with assumed I was jewish. Hehe.

[tjg_marantz]

Also FWIW I enjoyed "jews gonna jew". Obviously that's dependent on context, but obviously tjg is commenting on Moore's thinly veiled anti-Semitism.

I'm not sure if I knew you were Jewish before today. Anyway, thanks for letting me know.

Another name for the list.

As far as Jews gonna Jew, it sounds sort of empowering, like Playahs gonna play, or something gonna something (sorry, imagination failed me there). In any case, it sounds like something a person proud to be Jewish would own, and take all the power away from it being an insult. Shrug. I just liked it because it sounds positive to me.

Haters gonna hate is what you were looking for I think.

[El Guapo]

Jews gonna jew I guess.

Heh, I love this expression. How do you feel about it tgb and/or defiant and/or anyone else of the jewish persuasion?

Also, holy crap, is George Soros the boogeyman or something? Why in the fuck is he being brought up in a Alabama senate race?

Oh. I see. Breitbart and inforwars are trying to make the race about defeating the jewish agenda. Does that work? MSD, are you worried the jews are taking over...something? American culture, apparently?

If only Soros got a dollar every time his name was mentioned. I wonder what it's like being the folk tale used to scare children to vote a certain way.

Honest to fuck, how did Jews become so scary? Is this a Christian versus every other religion with enough followers? Are we going to hear about the Hindus next?

"George Soros" is invoked when someone really wants to say "international Jewry", but knows that would go over poorly.

As for how Jews became so scary...it's a good question, but somehow we're a go-to scapegoat the world over.

Also FWIW I enjoyed "jews gonna jew". Obviously that's dependent on context, but obviously tjg is commenting on Moore's thinly veiled anti-Semitism.

Christ on a pogo stick, I sure hope no one would think I was being anything but facetious. Is that the right number of negatives. I was being facetious. There! LOL

I grew up being taken as the token jew around my non jewish friends. I have the last name, I went to all the bar mitzvahs, yet not jewish. Everyone I grew up with assumed I was jewish. Hehe.

Oh, I certainly wasn't accusing you of anything. My discussion of "George Soros" as a placeholder for international jewry was a criticism of Moore and his jew baiting, and I enjoyed the whole "jews gonna jew" thing. That was all pretty clear from your post.

I'm unsure how Moore's going to win this election without the Alabama jewish vote. Pretty sure both Jews are going to vote against him now.

[tjg_marantz]

Jews gonna jew I guess.

Heh, I love this expression. How do you feel about it tgb and/or defiant and/or anyone else of the jewish persuasion?

Also, holy crap, is George Soros the boogeyman or something? Why in the fuck is he being brought up in a Alabama senate race?

Oh. I see. Breitbart and inforwars are trying to make the race about defeating the jewish agenda. Does that work? MSD, are you worried the jews are taking over...something? American culture, apparently?

If only Soros got a dollar every time his name was mentioned. I wonder what it's like being the folk tale used to scare children to vote a certain way.

Honest to fuck, how did Jews become so scary? Is this a Christian versus every other religion with enough followers? Are we going to hear about the Hindus next?

"George Soros" is invoked when someone really wants to say "international Jewry", but knows that would go over poorly.

As for how Jews became so scary...it's a good question, but somehow we're a go-to scapegoat the world over.

Also FWIW I enjoyed "jews gonna jew". Obviously that's dependent on context, but obviously tjg is commenting on Moore's thinly veiled anti-Semitism.

Christ on a pogo stick, I sure hope no one would think I was being anything but facetious. Is that the right number of negatives. I was being facetious. There! LOL

I grew up being taken as the token jew around my non jewish friends. I have the last name, I went to all the bar mitzvahs, yet not jewish. Everyone I grew up with assumed I was jewish. Hehe.

Oh, I certainly wasn't accusing you of anything. My discussion of "George Soros" as a placeholder for international jewry was a criticism of Moore and his jew baiting, and I enjoyed the whole "jews gonna jew" thing. That was all pretty clear from your post.

I'm unsure how Moore's going to win this election without the Alabama jewish vote. Pretty sure both Jews are going to vote against him now.

Cool beans

[YellowKing]

You don't really need an entire state to be racist. I don't think all Republican Alabama voters are racists.

But when you are willing to ignore racism (or sexual predation, or any other number of horrible things) just because your guy has an (R) beside his name, what's the difference? Your vote and the guy wearing the sheet's vote look the same in the final tally.

[GreenGoo]

You don't really need an entire state to be racist. I don't think all Republican Alabama voters are racists.

But when you are willing to ignore racism (or sexual predation, or any other number of horrible things) just because your guy has an (R) beside his name, what's the difference? Your vote and the guy wearing the sheet's vote look the same in the final tally.

My question was based on Breitbart and Infowars trying hard to influence the election by talking about the jewish conspiracy in Alabama (jews are hiring women to accuse Moore etc). If they think this will push the election in the right direction (in their opinion) they just think a significant number of Alabama's population would be influenced by fear/hatred of jews.

That's why I asked about a whole state.

I think you're right though, even people who are not blatantly racist are going to vote with their neighbours who are, or as you say, simply overlook any issues so they can keep believing that Moore is a godly man doing god's work.

[Jaymann]

Pence narcs on his frat brothers for having a keg.

He wasn’t a particularly stellar student and had a B average, according to The Atlantic. An evangelical Christian, he once attended a music festival billed as the Christian Woodstock and spent days “rocking out to Jesus-loving prog-rock bands and born-again Bob Dylan imitators.”

Apparently he didn't know Dylan was actually Bob Zimmerman.

[Rip]

My entire point was/is that Moore invoking Soros has nothing to do with his faith and everything to do with his politics. Calling it jew hating is just silly. Soros could be a bible thumping Baptist and Moore would have still ragged on him for being a rich and powerful leftist. The accusation of anti-semitism are just the proverbial dog whistle.

[GreenGoo]

Soros could be a bible thumping Baptist and Moore would have still ragged on him for being a rich and powerful leftist. The accusation of anti-semitism are just the proverbial dog whistle.

Because Soros is heavily involved in Alabama politics? And it's pure coincidence that Breitbart et al are pushing the jewish conspiracy in Alabama at the same time Moore is talking about Soros, how unamerican he is and that he's going to a not very nice place?

Try harder.

[El Guapo]

https://twitter.com/JeffFlake/status/938160754490052609

I'd appreciate more a vote against the GOP tax bill, but still the right thing to do in this race.

[El Guapo]

Polls in this race are all over the place, so who knows. My best guess is that Moore will wind up winning by like 2 - 4 points, but I'm not sure that any outcome would surprise me at this point.

[Smoove_B]

He's going to win and as long as he votes (R) in the Senate, there won't be any type of ethics investigation or push to have him removed. Because that's how things work now. We had a good run America, but our system is quite clearly rotten to the core.

[Rip]

Soros could be a bible thumping Baptist and Moore would have still ragged on him for being a rich and powerful leftist. The accusation of anti-semitism are just the proverbial dog whistle.

Because Soros is heavily involved in Alabama politics? And it's pure coincidence that Breitbart et al are pushing the jewish conspiracy in Alabama at the same time Moore is talking about Soros, how unamerican he is and that he's going to a not very nice place?

Try harder.

The same Breitbart with a senior editor who is jewish and has an office in Israel and strongly support moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem and is in general a staunch supporter of Israel. Yea, sure total bunch of jew haters.

and they aren't pushing jewish conspiracy in Alabama, they are pushing leftist wanna be socialist conspiracy in Alabama. It is the left that keep invoking anything to do with who is and isn't jewish. Most of us don't care whether someone is jewish. It is about politics not religion. Not surprisingly there are plenty of jewish people on both sides of the political aisle.

[GreenGoo]

I don't understand your argument. The article is published by breitbart.com. It's available.

Are you suggesting that because they have a jewish editor the article doesn't exist? Or that the jewish conspiracy they are touting must truly exist and therefore is not racist because an organization with a senior jewish editor would never make up random shit to promote their agenda?

Seriously, what's your argument?

Maybe it's that breitbart is not inherently racist, it only publishes racist stuff in order to exploit other peoples' racism to promote their political objectives? This somehow makes it less offensive because the racism isn't really in the "heart" of the organization?

Try. Harder.

[Rip]

I don't understand your argument. The article is published by breitbart.com. It's available.

Are you suggesting that because they have a jewish editor the article doesn't exist? Or that the jewish conspiracy they are touting must truly exist and therefore is not racist because an organization with a senior jewish editor would never make up random shit to promote their agenda?

Seriously, what's your argument?

Maybe it's that breitbart is not inherently racist, it only publishes racist stuff in order to exploit other peoples' racism to promote their political objectives? This somehow makes it less offensive because the racism isn't really in the "heart" of the organization?

Try. Harder.

Where? I have searched all over Breitbart for this article that say there is a jewish conspiracy in Alabama to no avail. Sounds like someone is taking something they said and adding the jewish part to it.

You mean this? http://www.breitbart.com/big-government ... oy-moore/

Written by what I can only guess you think is a self hating jew? Didn't notice the word Jew or the Jewish faith invoked in there at all.

Is it not possible to oppose the leftist agenda of someone who happens to be jewish without being an anti-semite?

[Enough]

I don't understand your argument. The article is published by breitbart.com. It's available.

Are you suggesting that because they have a jewish editor the article doesn't exist? Or that the jewish conspiracy they are touting must truly exist and therefore is not racist because an organization with a senior jewish editor would never make up random shit to promote their agenda?

Seriously, what's your argument?

Maybe it's that breitbart is not inherently racist, it only publishes racist stuff in order to exploit other peoples' racism to promote their political objectives? This somehow makes it less offensive because the racism isn't really in the "heart" of the organization?

Try. Harder.

Where? I have searched all over Breitbart for this article that say there is a jewish conspiracy in Alabama to no avail. Sounds like someone is taking something they said and adding the jewish part to it.

You mean this? http://www.breitbart.com/big-government ... oy-moore/

Written by what I can only guess you think is a self hating jew? Didn't notice the word Jew or the Jewish faith invoked in there at all.

Is it not possible to oppose the leftist agenda of someone who happens to be jewish without being an anti-semite?

Take this recent story for example, nope, no antisemitism there! Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew. Breitbart makes Fox look fair and balanced. An interesting read from the Forward, How Steve Bannon and Breitbart News Can Be Pro-Israel — and Anti-Semitic at the Same Time

I found this in less than a minute.

[GreenGoo]

I don't understand your argument. The article is published by breitbart.com. It's available.

Are you suggesting that because they have a jewish editor the article doesn't exist? Or that the jewish conspiracy they are touting must truly exist and therefore is not racist because an organization with a senior jewish editor would never make up random shit to promote their agenda?

Seriously, what's your argument?

Maybe it's that breitbart is not inherently racist, it only publishes racist stuff in order to exploit other peoples' racism to promote their political objectives? This somehow makes it less offensive because the racism isn't really in the "heart" of the organization?

Try. Harder.

Where? I have searched all over Breitbart for this article that say there is a jewish conspiracy in Alabama to no avail. Sounds like someone is taking something they said and adding the jewish part to it.

I too tried to find it before responding but could not. I have no good explanation for why I can't. Some possibilities are that I conflated 2 separate articles that google search brought to my attention, that I was reading breitbart, infowars and articles on Moore's comments all at once I mixed up who said what about who.

Since I can no longer find the information I was referring to, I withdraw my comments re: breitbart and infowars pushing racism in Alabama.

Whether it was my mistake or something else has occurred, without corroborating evidence I am left with less concrete evidence than I demand from you, so I back off my claims.

I'm left confused and scratching my head, but in any case, you win this round, anonymous internet troll.



edit: Obviously I'm embarrassed and it's not like me (I'd like to believe) to make controversial claims without evidence. If anyone comes across anything like I was talking about and don't want to post it, I ask you to send me a PM so I feel less crazy.

[GreenGoo]

Take this recent story for example, nope, no antisemitism there! Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew. Breitbart makes Fox look fair and balanced. An interesting read from the Forward, How Steve Bannon and Breitbart News Can Be Pro-Israel — and Anti-Semitic at the Same Time

I found this in less than a minute.

In fairness to Rip (unfortunately, I am bound by facts) he was referring to the specific article in this case that I was talking about. Since I can no longer find the article, it calls into question it's existence.

Of course if you just want to counter Rip's general claim that Breitbart can't be anti-semitic because they employee jews, well then have at it.

[Rip]

I don't understand your argument. The article is published by breitbart.com. It's available.

Are you suggesting that because they have a jewish editor the article doesn't exist? Or that the jewish conspiracy they are touting must truly exist and therefore is not racist because an organization with a senior jewish editor would never make up random shit to promote their agenda?

Seriously, what's your argument?

Maybe it's that breitbart is not inherently racist, it only publishes racist stuff in order to exploit other peoples' racism to promote their political objectives? This somehow makes it less offensive because the racism isn't really in the "heart" of the organization?

Try. Harder.

Where? I have searched all over Breitbart for this article that say there is a jewish conspiracy in Alabama to no avail. Sounds like someone is taking something they said and adding the jewish part to it.

You mean this? http://www.breitbart.com/big-government ... oy-moore/

Written by what I can only guess you think is a self hating jew? Didn't notice the word Jew or the Jewish faith invoked in there at all.

Is it not possible to oppose the leftist agenda of someone who happens to be jewish without being an anti-semite?

Take this recent story for example, nope, no antisemitism there! Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew. Breitbart makes Fox look fair and balanced. An interesting read from the Forward, How Steve Bannon and Breitbart News Can Be Pro-Israel — and Anti-Semitic at the Same Time

I found this in less than a minute.

While the title of that article could be better, did you actually read it? What about it was anti-semitic? I didn't see anything in it that was anti-jewish. Unless the simple act of criticizing Krystal and the effect his positions would have on Israel is somehow anti-semitic. I just don't get it. Notice that once again this is an article written by someone who is jewish. Who are we going to call a jew hater next Deshowitz?

[Holman]

Ugh. Don't let Rip move the goalposts. He would have you conclude that criticisms of Moore are invalid because Breitbart employs some Jewish right-wingers.

This thread took a turn into discussing antisemitism because Roy Moore declared that Soros was going to Hell like everyone who hasn't accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior, and then someone asked why Soros is such a constant boogeyman on the Right.

"Why Soros is the Right's Boogeyman" and "Why Alabama sucks shit and will elect a pedophile" are two parallel but unmarried topics. That antisemitism isn't the driving factor in the election in no way diminishes the implications of either question.

[Rip]

I don't understand your argument. The article is published by breitbart.com. It's available.

Are you suggesting that because they have a jewish editor the article doesn't exist? Or that the jewish conspiracy they are touting must truly exist and therefore is not racist because an organization with a senior jewish editor would never make up random shit to promote their agenda?

Seriously, what's your argument?

Maybe it's that breitbart is not inherently racist, it only publishes racist stuff in order to exploit other peoples' racism to promote their political objectives? This somehow makes it less offensive because the racism isn't really in the "heart" of the organization?

Try. Harder.

Where? I have searched all over Breitbart for this article that say there is a jewish conspiracy in Alabama to no avail. Sounds like someone is taking something they said and adding the jewish part to it.

I too tried to find it before responding but could not. I have no good explanation for why I can't. Some possibilities are that I conflated 2 separate articles that google search brought to my attention, that I was reading breitbart, infowars and articles on Moore's comments all at once I mixed up who said what about who.

Since I can no longer find the information I was referring to, I withdraw my comments re: breitbart and infowars pushing racism in Alabama.

Whether it was my mistake or something else has occurred, without corroborating evidence I am left with less concrete evidence than I demand from you, so I back off my claims.

I'm left confused and scratching my head, but in any case, you win this round, anonymous internet troll.



edit: Obviously I'm embarrassed and it's not like me (I'd like to believe) to make controversial claims without evidence. If anyone comes across anything like I was talking about and don't want to post it, I ask you to send me a PM so I feel less crazy.

I can totally understand some racist charges being thrown at some of these sites (although disagreeing with it) but the frequent anti-semitic accusations are almost always deflecting dog whistles. It plays well with all the people that love screaming Nazi while applauding the numerous actual anti-semites out there who would like to destroy Israel and kill any jews living there.

[Enough]

I don't understand your argument. The article is published by breitbart.com. It's available.

Are you suggesting that because they have a jewish editor the article doesn't exist? Or that the jewish conspiracy they are touting must truly exist and therefore is not racist because an organization with a senior jewish editor would never make up random shit to promote their agenda?

Seriously, what's your argument?

Maybe it's that breitbart is not inherently racist, it only publishes racist stuff in order to exploit other peoples' racism to promote their political objectives? This somehow makes it less offensive because the racism isn't really in the "heart" of the organization?

Try. Harder.

Where? I have searched all over Breitbart for this article that say there is a jewish conspiracy in Alabama to no avail. Sounds like someone is taking something they said and adding the jewish part to it.

You mean this? http://www.breitbart.com/big-government ... oy-moore/

Written by what I can only guess you think is a self hating jew? Didn't notice the word Jew or the Jewish faith invoked in there at all.

Is it not possible to oppose the leftist agenda of someone who happens to be jewish without being an anti-semite?

Take this recent story for example, nope, no antisemitism there! Bill Kristol: Republican Spoiler, Renegade Jew. Breitbart makes Fox look fair and balanced. An interesting read from the Forward, How Steve Bannon and Breitbart News Can Be Pro-Israel — and Anti-Semitic at the Same Time

I found this in less than a minute.

While the title of that article could be better, did you actually read it? What about it was anti-semitic? I didn't see anything in it that was anti-jewish. Unless the simple act of criticizing Krystal and the effect his positions would have on Israel is somehow anti-semitic. I just don't get it. Notice that once again this is an article written by someone who is jewish. Who are we going to call a jew hater next Deshowitz?

Getting seriously OT but a shadowy, wealthy, elite group led by the Jewish Kristol is the main thesis, no? And we have to wait until the last sentence for Horowitz to clarify wtf he even meant by renegade jew and reading the comments in the article one can be absolutely certain that this dog whistle (or is more like a train horn lol) was heard loud and clear by the alt-right antisemitism mouth-frothers that blame all their problems on the world shadow government run by Jews.

But back to our regularly scheduled programming of the Republican party actively working at the official party level to elect a pedophile that has been twice fired for his attempts to enact American Taliban religious fundie tyranny.

[Scoop20906]

Full disclosure: I'm not from Alabama.

Could have fooled me.

I kid! I kid!

[tjg_marantz]

Polls in this race are all over the place, so who knows. My best guess is that Moore will wind up winning by like 2 - 4 points, but I'm not sure that any outcome would surprise me at this point.

If he does, it doesn't bode well for the Republican party.

[Holman]

Moore's going to win, but it will be tight.

Republicans will claim vindication, but they'll be whistling past the graveyard. A Democrat coming this close in Alabama is as ground-shaking as Sarah Palin winning California.

[tjg_marantz]

Moore's going to win, but it will be tight.

Republicans will claim vindication, but they'll be whistling past the graveyard. A Democrat coming this close in Alabama is as ground-shaking as Sarah Palin winning California.

Ding ding ding

[Jolor]

*This time*, unfortunately, has nothing to do with *next time*.

[El Guapo]

Polls in this race are all over the place, so who knows. My best guess is that Moore will wind up winning by like 2 - 4 points, but I'm not sure that any outcome would surprise me at this point.

If he does, it doesn't bode well for the Republican party.

Moore is a uniquely bad candidate, so at least *some* of the closeness of the race is due to him and not the Republican brand. Regardless, the Republican brand is also in the shitter, so it is going to be rough for the GOP.