Following up the “Many Standards of Anger” post — one of the Creature’s new tag lines is “Democrats produce mobs, Republicans produce jobs.” As for the latter charge, let’s review —
See “Republican presidents flunk the economy: 11 reasons why America does worse under the GOP.” Of course, y’all know this stuff.
The Miami-Dade Republican Party’s County Chairman led an angry mob of partisans, alongside the local leader of national hate group the Proud Boys, in an attack on a Democratic campaign office this week.
Miami GOP Chairman Nelson Diaz planned the event (image below) and local Congressman Carlos Curbelo publicized the protest heavily, before and after.
No big surprise there, either. See also,
A group of hecklers angrily confronted House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi during a campaign stop for a congressional hopeful in South Florida, cursing at her and calling her a communist in a moment that was captured on video.
It was yet another incident that stoked fears that the country’s bitter and emotional political environment is at risk of leading to violence.
Pelosi has her flaws, but if she’s a communist I’m Brad Pitt. Anyway, these two reports may be of the same incident, although it’s not clear.
We’re hearing more news stories about people like Mitch McConnell being harassed in restaurants. I’m having a hard time working up much sympathy for McConnell. Anyone who has done as much damage to the United States as McConnell has should not be able to show his face in public without consequences. But I also suspect that if people are becoming more aggressive it’s because they feel powerless. The political system is utterly corrupted; nothing works as it should. Time for the torches and pitchforks.
And it’s especially rich that the Creature, who literally patterns himself after mob bosses, should complain about mobs.
“…people like Mitch McConnell being harassed in restaurants.†Marie Antoinette was’nt too keen on coming face to face with the citizenry either. As it is, Turtleman is surely a top contender for worst Senate Majority leader of all time, though perhaps a historian could come up with a convincing contender from the Civil War era….
Being harrassed in a restaurant, presumably by one voter, is just a bit different than having a mob of Proud Boys (aka Pound Scum) pounding on your door.
Being accosted in a restaurant is an occupational hazard for any politician. If it is happening more often to Republicans then that may just be a function of their popularity.
Elaine Chao is on our payroll. She was angry for a political attack on her husband. But she is just as culpable.
Paid Protesters? They’re Real. Article focuses on a company called “Crowds on Demand”.
Michael Avenatti:
As much as we try to give them credit, the majority of Americans are pretty base, time constrained, even pretty stupid, and fall for catchy little taglines. Republicans know this well. In my better world the Democratic Party would simply repeat: "Republicans Are Fucking Liars.", then back it up with simple images of what they've done to America recently.
Now, the idiot-in-chief is going to withdraw from a nuclear agreement we have with Russia. Gorbachev (who knew he was still alive) made a remark that such a decision did not come from someone with a very great mind. Hahaha. Check out Josh Marshall:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/gorbachev-trumps-nuke-treaty-withdrawal-not-the-work-of-a-great-mind
At 73 I keep hoping I will die of natural causes; but, think it is more likely that I will die because of something stupid done by Trump. I just hope whatever it is, it takes a whole a lot of Republicans with me.
I'm gonna go off topic but there's something bumping around in my head I have to get off my chest. (Mixed metaphors intended)
I had a conservative in my car last night – I druve Uber – and I criticized Trump's handling of the murder of a Suadi journalist in Turkey by the Saudi Prince. His reaction was pure Trump – it was unfortunate but you can't derail an important relationship with an important ally in the region over one person.
Later it occurred to me what I should have said. Suppose – for illustration – that friends of HRC abducted Sean Hannity. They strapped him down and interrogated him about what he knew about Trump. Partway through the questioning, they cut off his fingers to encourage him. Then the killed him, beheaded him and dismembered him with a bone saw. A team of specialists cleaned up after to destroy any evidence.
When somebody at Fox noticed Sean was missing, a review exposed the abduction and the identity of the murderers. A thorough investigation by the Democrats came to the conclusion (without evidence) that HRC was not in on it.
Still in hypothetical mode, I suspect most Republicans would be skeptical and they'd not be using phrases like "due process" or "innocent until proven guilty". However, I'd be in agreement with the GOP about the need for a fair investigation and full prosecution of everyone involved regardless of who they are. You see, here I differ from most Republicans. Murder is wrong and it's not mitigated by wealth or importance. The only difference between the murder that evokes yawns and the hypothetical murder that would produce riots is the victim. In the GOP mindset, guilt or innocence depends on who you are – not what you did.
To be fair, a lot of Democrats would also fail the ethics test if Sean was shortened by a head. The amount of energy that some twisted liberals would put into investigation or prosecution would be tempered by the damage it might do in the next election or other political considerations.
Once upon a time in the USA, most people got it. Justice should be blind, not twisted. If you don't like the victim, because of his color, religion, gender, sexual preference or country of origin, most of us knew it wasn't supposed to matter. Likewise, the popularity or political affiliation of the accused isn't supposed to affect (or determine) your decision.
Sean Hannity is a piece of work – to put it kindly. Nothing he's said – none of the lies he's told – would justify the kind of execution Kashoggi suffered. Here's where I differ from my fare, who shrugged at the brutal murder. I know right is right and wrong is wrong and it doesn't have a friggin' thing to do with religion or political affiliation. I know a lot of liberals also would fail to set aside their loathing for Hannity and evaluate the crime impartially. But we need to get back to some moral footing that applies to everyone and we have to get back to it soon.
Stepping off soap box and, yes, I feel much better.
I think I'm in the twit filter. I didn't cuss but I used the name "Hannity" which may be a swear word to the Mahablog twit matrix.
Kind of like the old days, where the Pharaoh was all about jobs and that pest Moses was all about those mobs. They just need to shut up and build more towers they never get to live in or get buried in for that matter.
P-R-O-J-E-C-T-I-O-N!
Glenn Ribotsky posted this from Queens NY. I could not agree more.
Republicans know the value of a short, sharp, shocking slogan. It's because they have a better sense of the realpolitik of our nation–the voters, by and large, are uninformed (victims of a diminished educational system that they have contributed to gutting) and can be motivated by a simple message that can be uttered in a breath, even if it's a complete lie. That's why "Make America Great Again" works. And why "Democrats produce mobs while Republicans produce jobs" works. The rhyme itself is worth three points in an election cycle.
Democrats love to produce wonky position papers and complex program initiatives, but while these have their place in governance, that place is not in a campaign. They need to get out there with better slogans.
I suggest the following:
"Republicans scream. Democrats dream."
Or:
"Republicans lie. And they want you to die. So they can have your slice of the pie."
Feel free to come up with your own, and put them on T-shirts, bumper stickers, billboards, social media. Because messaging matters, and simple messages work better (especially when so many are simple themselves).
“Republicans lie. And they want you to die. So they can have your slice of the pie.”
I’m going to remember that, and throw it back at the next clown who says “Republicans are for jobs, Democrats are for mobs”. They do indeed know the value of a simple slogan.
They do indeed know the value of a simple slogan.
That's because they are simple minded!
They don't let nuance or complexity get in the way of their serenity?
“Seems like yesterday when Republicans believed that democracy requires a solid middle class, a beneficial capitalism requires a meritocratic system, and rule of law which regulates actions and not persons.”
…is probably far too lengthy and complicated for the modern conservative mind. Needs to fit on a tee shirt or bumper sticker. Maybe a picture with two halves:
———–
Progressive Jesus sucks.
(picture of a poor be-robed Jesus preaching from a mount)
—–
Conservative Jesus rocks!
(picture of a business suit Jesus sporting bling, guns, and MAGA cap, frowning from a limo packed with lobbyists)
———–
Of course, die hard conservatives would consider this to be historically accurate (except wheres the dinosaur?). But this might work with independents.
Doug: You must have a lot of guts to talk about politics while having a stranger in your car. Take it from me, there are a lot of sickos out there. Perhaps a safer topic might be the weather. Also, have a little patience before assuming you are in the twit filter. I have noticed that lately there is a notice at the bottom of my comment that I have a few minutes to make any corrections and I noticed there were only two minutes between your comments. I used to be a proofreader.