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 ...
Sharper says:
Choice quote: "I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate."
I had to read it through twice before I realized that it didn't actually end with "because those mouthbreathers are completely batshit," it only seems like it does.
moondancer says:
As a Pennsylvanian, I am pleased only because it is a sharp stick in the eye of the GOP. Specter is too self serving and egocentric for my taste. I anxiously await the time in the near future when the goopers fall to scrapping with the Libertarians and Green Party for a place on the ballot.
Prudence says:
I disagree, Ed. True, Arlen would have trouble winning on a GOP ticket, but that's probably because the GOP has debased itself beyond all previous expectations, and getting on the ticket would demand yet more insane party-line voting. Don't forget, the Dems have recently welcomed a former Loony Rushdoony adherent and evangelical powerhouse like Howard Ahmanson, Jr to their ranks, so I believe it's more a case of the GOP charging to the right of Attila the Hun, than an electoral power-play by Specter.
At the end of the day, Specter's 85 and has cancer, so I don't think this is about his political future so much as his conscience.
Welcome to the Obama Big Tent, Arlen.
Matthew says:
Oh come on, Prudie! Specter's only 79 (a veritable Spring chicken!) and he's only had cancer twice.
…
Well, okay, yeah. Maybe this is sort of a death-bed conversion.
JohnR says:
What amazes me is Olympia – I'm not clear whether she feels that it's nobler to go down with the Titanic or whether she's waiting for the seemingly inevitable Beck/Palin 'Beer Hall Putsch' to finally throw in the towel. It's like staying married to Hannibal Lecter because divorce is dishonorable.
Mike says:
Does this mean that the Franken Election is going to be dragged out indefinitely now?
Ed says:
Coleman-Franken has reached the MN Supreme Court. There are limits to how much longer it can be dragged out, as there is only one additional venue for appeal and I seriously doubt they will touch this one with a 10-foot pole.
From the SCOTUS perspective, there is no issue here once the state has certified the results.
Jeremy says:
Pretty good timing for yesterday's post considering this announcement, no?
Prudence says:
Bugger, Matthew, you've pointed out that I have zero maths skillz. Damn, the truth will out. You're right, Arlen is 79 and has some serious cancer ish, but I guess being a dopey old euro-commie, I believe him. Sure, his poll numbers have been taking a beating, but for some odd reason (and not that we'd vote along party lines together) I buy the conscience gambit. Most of it.
That, and the old dude has finally realized that the GOP *really is* being run by loopy nutbags like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and Michelle Maglalang Malkin. No worries about any moderate center, Michael Steele will be voted out of the RNC by a no-confidence vote shortly.