2020 Election - Thread #5

[Bob Schroeck]

Elsewhere, QAnon believers grapple with doubt, spin new theories as Trump era ends: ‘We all got played'

Took them long enough to come to that conclusion.

Admittedly, everybody who wasn't up Trump's arse knew that for years.

looking at the article, only some of them are waking up.  Most are digging deeper into delusion/conspiracy theory.

Well, what can you say?  A fair number of these people should be seeking professional help, and not the kind that comes from the other side of a counter in a gun shop.  Fucking lunatics.

There's also a degree of ego-preservation involved.  The kind of person who can't bear to feel stupid, or is afraid that they are a fool and doesn't want to be handed proof of it.  And then there are the people who get an ego-boost from "knowing the truth" and can't bear the thought that they don't have "secret knowledge" that others don't.

[Kilroy]

There's also a degree of ego-preservation involved.  The kind of person who can't bear to feel stupid, or is afraid that they are a fool and doesn't want to be handed proof of it.  And then there are the people who get an ego-boost from "knowing the truth" and can't bear the thought that they don't have "secret knowledge" that others don't.

In this manner, they are similar to Trump himself then.

[Norgarth]

There's also a degree of ego-preservation involved.  The kind of person who can't bear to feel stupid, or is afraid that they are a fool and doesn't want to be handed proof of it.  And then there are the people who get an ego-boost from "knowing the truth" and can't bear the thought that they don't have "secret knowledge" that others don't.

In this manner, they are similar to Trump himself then.

I was thinking the same thing

[Bob Schroeck]

Barron Trump's lack of presence during the end of the Trump Administration prompts some to wonder, tongue-in-cheek, if he was left behind in the White House.

[Bob Schroeck]

Meanwhile, the FBI are pursuing a woman who appears to have stolen a computer from Pelosi's office during the attack, with the intent of selling it to the Russians.  Go, you valiant patriot.

They've caught her.

And she's getting charged with felony theft on top of all the other charges from attacking the Capitol.

Further developments in the Riley June Williams saga. She was released and put in her mother's custody, with an extra bonus guilt trip from the judge:

“Your mother is making an enormous leap of faith on your behalf, and you are the one person in this courtroom who can make sure your mother doesn’t have to choose between her love for you and her duty to this court.”

[Jinx999]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...91815.html

The Arizona Repulbican Party is going full Trump, and censuring the actual elected Repulbicans in the state for not being a bunch of mindless suckups.

[Norgarth]

Mrs Betty Bowers, America's Best Christian - Excuse our Coups

[Bob Schroeck]

Someone hired banner planes to troll Trump in the skies over Mar-a-Lago.

[DHBirr]

False prophets?  Or did God break His promise to give Windrip a 2nd term as dictator?

In the Bible, there’s a simple one-strike-and-you’re-out test for sorting out the counterfeits: “You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken.”
That’s an unforgiving standard, but I didn’t make the rules, which allow for no mulligans, no gimmes, no grace period, no excuses, no wiggle room, and no appeals process. If a single prediction failed to come true, the one who spoke it was a fraud. The bar was set high to protect God’s people against abusive religious leaders.

Stone them!

[Bob Schroeck]

Missouri Faith Leaders Tell Josh Hawley to Resign, Say He'll 'Sell His Soul' for Career

[Bob Schroeck]

"QAnon Shaman" Jake Angeli offers to testify against Trump at his impeachment trial.

Looks like he might actually be sincere instead of trying to get a podium from which to grandstand; it sounds like he's pissed that he and the other rioters didn't get pardons from Trump.

[robkelk]

CBC News analysis: Can America handle the truth about Trump?

But investigation and prosecution, whether by Congress or the justice system, has another, arguably higher, purpose, and that is simply to know — to know what happened, how it happened and why.

This seems especially important at this moment of epistemic crisis. Americans are deeply divided about knowledge, facts and truth. Their democracy is withering because of it.

[classicdrogn]

Well, like the saying goes - that which cannot survive being brought to light, should be destroyed.

[Bob Schroeck]

While we're at it, here's a link I suggested for the Trump page at ATT. It gives a better picture of just how endemic lying about everything is to Trump and his organization. It's from that known hotbed of leftwing and liberal muckraking, Forbes magazine:

Here Are The Lies Trump Is Now Telling About His Business

I mean, seriously. The man cannot even honestly declare how tall a building is.

[DHBirr]

I mean, seriously.  The man cannot even honestly declare how tall a building is.

Size matters to Trump.  We all knew that, I think.  It's just that now it seems as if size matters more than anything else to him.

[Labster]

It looks like the election that never ends has entered a new phase: pre-trial briefs.  Mr. Trump's attorneys have argued in new brief that this impeachment is unconstitutional, because he in fact won the election in a landslide, and he can't incite insurrection because he already won.  So this is on its face ridiculous, because the insurrection was focused on other people and we have words like autocoup; but a lot of the brief was ridiculous, because it was written in one day.  Because all of his previous lawyers left a few days before the trial.  Thus, it was almost forgivable that the brief was full of typoes like "Unites States".

See, the old lawyers were going to argue the impeachment was unconstitutional because he is not president, which, as a theory, is plausible.  Even if precedent of impeachment after leaving office exists.  But both the defense and prosecution agree that this is not the case!  One side says he is still president, the other side says that he is not but it is still constitutional.  Meanwhile there are a ton of GOP Senators who would love to agree that this theory is true so they can go back to their important business of obstructing progress.  If they do so, they run the risk of alienating Trump voters.

The way out of the quandary is simply to do the right thing.  I'm not holding my breath, though.

[classicdrogn]

It would not surprise me to learn that keeping the trial as drawn out as possible is GOP strategy to keep the Democrats occupied and spending political capital until the surely inevitable/s (and unfortunately plausible, since there are even more pressing issues that a new administration can't just sweep away than usual) swing to put them back in control of at least one side of Congress.

[Labster]

This is not actually what is happening, though.  Democrats are united on impeachment, so they don't have to waste any time infighting, while Republicans are deeply divided.  President Biden is on purpose staying out of it, saying it's Congress' job, and implementing a lot of policy changes.  Democrats are also going to pass a major budget bill and virus relief plan on a simple majority vote, so nothing we're doing right now requires a great deal of bipartisanship.

The net result is that the longer this drags out, the more preoccupied Republicans are, and the deeper the shame gets.  They concentrate on this rather than attacking the vast array of policy changes that have already been implemented by Biden.  They talk about Marjorie Taylor Green rather than Democratic cabinet nominees.  They're arguing the election still while Democrats are forging ahead on a massive spending bill.

And come on, being able to paint the rival party as insurrectionist racist losers in a court-like setting is like a political capital printing machine.  If that's the GOP strategy, then they're in worse shape than I thought.

[classicdrogn]

Well, they are still arguing an election that was decided three months ago, verified by Congress two months ago, and which their own relentless digging ever since has turned up no actual evidence to back up the more and more ridiculous allegations of fraud on a scale meaningful in any locality let alone nationwide. They are very clearly irrational for one reason or another, you can't expect them to be capable of making good decisions.

[LynnInDenver]

It's a general MISapplication of the "if I say it enough times, it will BECOME true for enough people that it'll actually stick." It would likely stick better if they had more control of the media and other avenues of communication.

[Bob Schroeck]

First it was Dominion. And now...

Voting technology company Smartmatic files $2.7 billion lawsuit against Fox News, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell over 'disinformation campaign'

[Bob Schroeck]

Trump resigns from the Screen Actors Guild

[Black Aeronaut]

Goddamn. Is Dominion going after Fox News as well? If so...

Jeeze, is it possible that Rupert Murdoch's empire is about to be ruined?

[classicdrogn]

Jeeze, is it possible that Rupert Murdoch's empire is about to be ruined?

[RMH999]

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/05/media/lou...index.html

Lou Dobbs (Highest rated show on Fox Business) cancelled so he can spend more time with his lawyer regarding the Smartmatic election lawsuit.