The photos of the "crowds" at the tank parade remind me of when Bill Hicks would come on stage in an almost-empty club, scan the room slowly, and announce "I've had more people in bed than this" ...
When the president sends a cabinet member on TV to announce "We are using the military to liberate an American city from its elected leaders," where do you go from there. What is left to say. The idea of that being anything short of a near-universal "Wait, what the fuck is going on" moment proves how far we've backslid.
This is from 2022 but it was absolutely right. The practiced buffoonery of Trump 1, all the "just kiddings" and "seriously but not literallys" absolutely succeeded in desensitizing people who are hardly paying any attention to the harder stuff they always intended to do next. ...
The basic fallacy in chasing votes by being "tough on immigration" is that the modal American's position on the issue is "Deport the Bad ones and keep the Good ones," and they alone know who is which, and that simply does not translate into workable policy. So this kind of gestapo stuff horrifies some of the same people who cheered when Trump promised to do it. There are true sociopaths who love this, but "No, I meant only the BAD immigrants! Not my coworker/friend/neighbor!" is as likely a reaction as enthusiasm. You cannot do immigration policy that satisfies these people because what they want is nonsensical.
So by the time center-left parties fully commit to chasing the far right by "getting tough" on immigration, the backlash has already begun to build and they walk right into it. "I thought you people wanted this!" No, they want something impossible and convinced themselves they'd could have it - the "eat whatever you want AND lose weight!" of immigration policies.
It is hard to grasp but large masses of Americans are both racist/xenophobic AND not racist/xenophobic enough to applaud what Trump is doing. It's goldilocks shit, they want a level of racism/xenophobia calibrated exactly to their personal preferences, and you just can't make that policy. Don't try. ...
AP: Trump extends olive branch, invites Musk to White House cellar to taste some brand new amontillado ...
Rick says:
Hahaha… that's a good one. Wheeeee. A vote for Santorum is a vote for communism. And communism died with illegal MP3 downloading, right?
J. Dryden says:
Time to slap up a photo of Rumsfeld alongside Rick's…no need to change the headline/copy, though.
Paula Cole says:
Hey Ed,
You might remember me from the late 90's with hits such as "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" and the theme from Dawson's Creek. I just wanted to say keep on keeping on. You rock those tight ass pants (pun totally intended).
love,
Paula Cole
Jude says:
Anyone see the footage of his concession speech? Blithering homophobe AND weeping family! Priceless. His kid's tears is the lifeblood that sustains me. More! More tears please! Cry HARDER! That's right, it's FUNNY to me.
Sparkling comeuppance.
Now, let's get our shit in complete order–and cut off the head of the snake in 2008. That office belongs to us now just as it did in 2000. Period.
Amy says:
HA! So long, Sucka! Guess the last minute ploy to link Casey with terrorists, didn't quite work.
Jude's right…CRY HARDER! (Kid's crying because daddy might be home more….)