Octopus Overlords

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:45 pm And FWIW, she was the one primarily responsible for removing the Confederate flag from our state capitol building, so not sure what that says about this recent kerfuffle, if anything.

If she starts gaining traction in the primaries, expect her to express tearful regret for removing a symbol of "service, sacrifice and heritage".

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:50 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:45 pm And FWIW, she was the one primarily responsible for removing the Confederate flag from our state capitol building, so not sure what that says about this recent kerfuffle, if anything.

If she starts gaining traction in the primaries, expect her to express tearful regret for removing a symbol of "service, sacrifice and heritage".

I'll take that bet. I can't stand her for several reasons, but I would be very surprised if she fell so far as to denounce the one courageous thing she's done in her political career (although it was widely popular at the time, so it wasn't even really THAT courageous).

She's definitely a flip flopper, though, as most politicians are, so we'll see.

disarm wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 9:11 am Well technically, she wasn't wrong. The government was interfering with people's freedom to own slaves. There's always a way to talk around it ...

And she's rightly being criticized for it.

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:45 pm And FWIW, she was the one primarily responsible for removing the Confederate flag from our state capitol building, so not sure what that says about this recent kerfuffle, if anything.

I wouldn't say "primarily responsible." IIRC, she had to be dragged into it. She resisted calls for it at first, but then it became a big media thing and she relented.

I've seen comments to the effect that the party and the 2016 GOP candidates didn't want the controversy to continue into the debates (because then they would have to take a stand on the Confederacy).

I have a plan for election night 2024 - Schrodinger's election. I will spend the night playing Baldur's Gate 3 without looking at any results. I will go to bed in blissful ignorance. I won't collapse the wave function until the next morning. Good or Bad it will be over in a moment and I won't have to sweat it out.

Balduran didn't have enough gates to keep me from peeking. Hell, the liquor store doesn't have enough booze, nor California enough weed, to keep me from checking. It's like driving past an accident.

I'm 100 taking the day after the election off and I'm not watching anything about it. That's how I mentally survived the last one.

I'm going to mainline 2024 election information as a way to relax after absorbing the current state of Covid-19 in 2024.

I have a really bad sinus infection and tried to go to an urgent care on Tuesday. 100 full. I went and got some over the counter stuff instead. Probably safer than waiting two hours with the masses.

I'm a news junkie so I'll be doom-scrolling, even though I already know that SCOTUS is going to decide this one.

There’s always the possibility that Trump has a heart attack during a speech.

I'm going to stake out the minority opinion that trump is the most defeatable GOP candidate. Biden the Trump Slayer loses to anyone else except maybe DeSantis, who's uniquely awful. Yes, I understand the stakes.

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:36 am I'm going to stake out the minority opinion that trump is the most defeatable GOP candidate. Biden the Trump Slayer loses to anyone else except maybe DeSantis, who's uniquely awful. Yes, I understand the stakes.

I hate to admit that this is actually where I land as well.

I was sure Trump had a snowball's chance in hell in 2016...but here we are. I'm not going to underestimate just how stupid and gullible American voters can be again.

Zarathud wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:13 am There’s always the possibility that Trump has a heart attack during a speech.

Well, his blood HAS been poisoned by two immigrant wives.

I guess I feel like there is an element of: America understands the threat of Trump and will push back against it. The threat of 'Haley' like candidates are still under the radar.

I agree with the idea that Trump is a threat to the entire car, whereas Haley is a threat to where the car is being driven... I fear that where Haley is willing to take this grand road-trip is no better than the ditch that Trump is aiming for. I'm left with perhaps the solace that the car is still functioning and we can all drive it someplace nice later - but I'm not sure that's true - and I wonder if Trump is an easier driver to unseat.

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 4:17 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:45 pm And FWIW, she was the one primarily responsible for removing the Confederate flag from our state capitol building, so not sure what that says about this recent kerfuffle, if anything.

I wouldn't say "primarily responsible." IIRC, she had to be dragged into it. She resisted calls for it at first, but then it became a big media thing and she relented.

I've seen comments to the effect that the party and the 2016 GOP candidates didn't want the controversy to continue into the debates (because then they would have to take a stand on the Confederacy).

Yeah, I did some more digging on this after I posted to refresh my memory. According to Democrats, she resisted the push to remove the flag initially, and only after the Charleston massacre did she move on it. And even then fought to keep it on the state house grounds as opposed to being removed completely.

As for her recent comment, omitting slavery as the cause, she walked that back, saying of course it was slavery, but it took 12 hours to do so? 12. Hours. Horrible. Should have been an instant response, or at least within an hour or two.

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:36 am I'm going to stake out the minority opinion that trump is the most defeatable GOP candidate. Biden the Trump Slayer loses to anyone else except maybe DeSantis, who's uniquely awful. Yes, I understand the stakes.

I think Haley is the only one that could beat Biden.

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 9:34 am

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 4:17 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 12:45 pm And FWIW, she was the one primarily responsible for removing the Confederate flag from our state capitol building, so not sure what that says about this recent kerfuffle, if anything.

I wouldn't say "primarily responsible." IIRC, she had to be dragged into it. She resisted calls for it at first, but then it became a big media thing and she relented.

I've seen comments to the effect that the party and the 2016 GOP candidates didn't want the controversy to continue into the debates (because then they would have to take a stand on the Confederacy).

Yeah, I did some more digging on this after I posted to refresh my memory. According to Democrats, she resisted the push to remove the flag initially, and only after the Charleston massacre did she move on it. And even then fought to keep it on the state house grounds as opposed to being removed completely.

As for her recent comment, omitting slavery as the cause, she walked that back, saying of course it was slavery, but it took 12 hours to do so? 12. Hours. Horrible. Should have been an instant response, or at least within an hour or two.

Probably while calculating or carefully observing all along whether it was hurting them or not.

I recently read a good (by which I mean optimistic) article about Biden's chances in 2024. The general takeaway was that Biden's chances are much higher than the conventional wisdom is giving him credit for, and that Roe v Wade being overturned and a pushback against Trumpism will get his voters to the polls. It also made the point that in election after election in recent years, Democrats have been underestimated in the polls only to win big on election day.

Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe. But that article can't predict the impact of a third-party run, the razor-thin margins in the EC, etc so I'm still very much in pessimist mode.

There were 74 million people that voted for TFG in 2020. I have no doubts there's an evil cabal running numbers now and figuring out exactly where he needs marginal wins in order to tilt the Electoral College in his favor.

Like You, I'm Fox Mulder eternal -- I really want to believe it will be a popular and EC vote landslide in 2024 for Biden, but I can't help but shake the feeling that there are somehow now more deplorables and/or more people wiling to vote for not-Biden in November, because reasons.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:50 pm There were 74 million people that voted for TFG in 2020. I have no doubts there's an evil cabal running numbers now and figuring out exactly where he needs marginal wins in order to tilt the Electoral College in his favor.

Now with the benefit of AI!

I read that ~400,000 people spread over five states will decide the next election. They're being targeted at the individual level. They break down into several categories, e.g. some are voters who've been identified as persuadable; some are not-voters who can be persuaded to vote...and they're all receiving appropriate individually targeted messages.

Both parties are doing this, but the Republicans have help from Putin, whose propaganda apparatus has been steadily improving since 2016. Russian bots already flood social media. Generative AI is going to bury us in deepfakes. China and Iran will also be direct players in the next election. Their tactics and capabilities are less known as they're newer to the game, but you know which side they'll weigh in on.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:50 pm more people wiling to vote for not-Biden in November, because reasons.

That's my feeling at the moment. Either they're convinced Biden's government somehow took from them and TFG's didn't or they're anti Israeli invasion of Palestine and think ???

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 12:08 am I'm going to mainline 2024 election information as a way to relax after absorbing the current state of Covid-19 in 2024.

As much as I’ve read along with your Covid-19 related posts and empathized with how hard the pandemic and our societal response has been for those in the public health sector, I think this post finally drives home how awful that experience must have been for you.

Mainlining 2024 election information as a relaxation method . . .

LordMortis wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 9:19 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:50 pm more people wiling to vote for not-Biden in November, because reasons.

That's my feeling at the moment. Either they're convinced Biden's government somehow took from them and TFG's didn't or they're anti Israeli invasion of Palestine and think ???

This is why I think the best defense may be to present them with the king "Anyone but" candidate, Trump.

Alefroth wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 5:13 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:36 am I'm going to stake out the minority opinion that trump is the most defeatable GOP candidate. Biden the Trump Slayer loses to anyone else except maybe DeSantis, who's uniquely awful. Yes, I understand the stakes.

I think Haley is the only one that could beat Biden.

The only thing a Trumper hates more than Biden is a woman telling them what to do. Even the women Trumpers.

Then toss in the belief that she's not really white and you can see where I have my doubts that she'd fare well.

You just moved me into the none of them can beat him camp.

The GOP candidate for 2024 hasn’t been in doubt at any point.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 10:50 pm I have a plan for election night 2024 - Schrodinger's election. I will spend the night playing Baldur's Gate 3 without looking at any results. I will go to bed in blissful ignorance. I won't collapse the wave function until the next morning. Good or Bad it will be over in a moment and I won't have to sweat it out.

It’s like the end of “don’t look up” when much of the world is in blissful ignorance of its impending doom.

hepcat wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 2:44 pm

Alefroth wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 5:13 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 3:36 am I'm going to stake out the minority opinion that trump is the most defeatable GOP candidate. Biden the Trump Slayer loses to anyone else except maybe DeSantis, who's uniquely awful. Yes, I understand the stakes.

I think Haley is the only one that could beat Biden.

The only thing a Trumper hates more than Biden is a woman telling them what to do. Even the women Trumpers.

Then toss in the belief that she's not really white and you can see where I have my doubts that she'd fare well.

Haley is of Indian origin. Most importantly she promised not to run against trump in 2024.

Which to a Trumper means not white.

hepcat wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2023 10:35 pm The GOP candidate for 2024 hasn’t been in doubt at any point.

Right, but I think we were discussing a hypothetical that he wasn't the nominee.

Ah, okay.

waitingtoconnect wrote: ↑Sun Dec 31, 2023 12:18 am Haley is of Indian origin.

Though sometimes she gets confused.

The RFKjr campaign has been a mess from the start.

I wonder if Martin Sheen supports him. He doesn’t seem like the type Sheen would be behind.

Caveat: I could be completely wrong about Sheen and he’s a nut job too.

hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 9:24 pm I wonder if Martin Sheen supports him. He doesn’t seem like the type Sheen would be behind.

Caveat: I could be completely wrong about Sheen and he’s a nut job too.

I mean, he was a great president.

That’s probably what’s informing my opinion of him.

I would not f*** with Dionne Warwick. Even at 83 I feel like she could kick my ass.

She definitely has The Voice superpower. Could probably bring you to your knees at moderate range.

This is funny: