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The Christian-Nationalist Rot Runs Deep
 

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On Sunday, Brent Leatherwood, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, gave a statement about Joe Biden’s decision to step aside from the 2024 campaign. Here’s what Leatherwood said:

Not only is this a historic decision, it is the right decision for our nation. The role of president takes a heavy toll and, based on what has been apparent for some time, it was unrealistic to ask President Biden to endure another four years of the incredible burdens placed on the one who occupies this office.

Twenty-four hours later, Leatherwood was fired.

 

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11 hours ago, Lord Liaden said:

Let's not get too ad hominem, folks. The Simon is watching.  :fear:  💀
 

 

Wasn't trying for one.  NOT saying J.D. Vance is a fungus or anything like that.

 

Trying to make a bad pun on "growing on me" is all, just had a funny image I wanted to share.

 

But, I can delete/edit if preferred.

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20 hours ago, unclevlad said:

Secret Service director resigns.

 

Had to figure this'd happen.

 

EDIT:  Buttigieg?  Yeah, gotta agree with LL.  He's several steps too far at this point.  The Republicans would LOVE to paint the Democrats as the party of groomers.  It might be worth it later...but not this election.  

 

There is also a move to defund the secret service since they were unable to protect Trump. Instead, I say that they should be put back to their original mandate. That is to locate and prosecute monetary crimes. Nothing in this say that they provide protection for anyone. Let's put that protection upon the FBI who are better trained, equipped,  and supplied. The FBI can then protect everyone that the secret service currently does. 

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4 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Wasn't trying for one.  NOT saying J.D. Vance is a fungus or anything like that.

 

Trying to make a bad pun on "growing on me" is all, just had a funny image I wanted to share.

 

But, I can delete/edit if preferred.

 

To be fair, not everyone can grow a decent beard.  

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5 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Wasn't trying for one.  NOT saying J.D. Vance is a fungus or anything like that.

 

Trying to make a bad pun on "growing on me" is all, just had a funny image I wanted to share.

 

But, I can delete/edit if preferred.

 

Not for me to ask for it, I didn't take offense at it, and I wasn't casting aspersions at you, or at Old Man for his successive comment. I was just expressing concern that the both of you were heading in a direction that might cause trouble for you.

 

 

Edited by Lord Liaden
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5 hours ago, Asperion said:

 

There is also a move to defund the secret service since they were unable to protect Trump. Instead, I say that they should be put back to their original mandate. That is to locate and prosecute monetary crimes. Nothing in this say that they provide protection for anyone. Let's put that protection upon the FBI who are better trained, equipped,  and supplied. The FBI can then protect everyone that the secret service currently does. 

 

The Secret Service branch of the Treasury Department that protects politicians and candidates is already trained, equipped and supplied for that role. The FBI is tuned to be an investigative and enforcement agency, not a security and bodyguard agency.

 

What gets me is that it wasn't so long ago that the GOP were always yodeling accusations that the Democrats were going to defund law enforcement. Now whenever law enforcement isn't working to their benefit, they can't wait to bray about defunding it.

 

 

Edited by Lord Liaden
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Interesting fact I heard on Harris's fundraising: 60% of it was from first time donors. That seems like a good indicator that she's going to be pulling in some fence sitters who weren't happy with Biden's apparent decline. 

 

She's going to be hard to attack. All I'm seeing so far is the border -- which is easily defensible to the undecideds by pointing out that the Republicans shot down two border bills at Trump's behest -- and accusing her of knowingly covering up Biden's decline. I'm curious how she'll craft messaging around that last one, as the situation is in reality far too nuanced for sound bites or memes to convey. I'm fairly confident her campaign will get it sorted, though.

Edited by Pattern Ghost
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1 hour ago, Pattern Ghost said:

She's going to be hard to attack.

 

Wrong!  Day four of her candidacy and so far I've seen:

  • She's not really Black
  • She's not South Asian, she's Indian
  • She failed to solve the border (as a powerless VP, after Trump killed the border bill)
  • She's not a citizen because her parents weren't born here
  • She's secretly a Middle Eastern man
  • She laughs too much

As if anyone has ever seen Trump give more than a fake chuckle.  But it is important to remember that, to a large percentage of the electorate, attacks on candidates don't have to be plausible or make sense.

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Speaking of attacks, Congressional Republicans have exploded over Biden stepping down.

 

I'll warn in advance, their comments are...what we've come to expect from them.  The article is SFW, but still revolting.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/24/us/politics/harris-biden-republican-reactions.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9k0.r9uS.VUa9AyFaizom&smid=url-share

2 hours ago, Pattern Ghost said:

She's going to be hard to attack.

 

18 minutes ago, Old Man said:

Wrong!  Day four of her candidacy and so far I've seen:

 

Can we amend PG's statement to be "hard to attack on a rational basis"?  

 

Side point...has Biden stepping down, and Harris stepping in, really thrown the Republican strategy SO far off kilter that they have to resort to the absurd assertions Old Man listed?  I'm thinking...ya know, it might have.  

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Heh.  Tempted to post a theory from writer John Scalzi's email "blog" or w/e.  He goes  into a lot more detail, but, admittedly, it's speculative.  It's just circumstantial evidence that may have added up to an actual strategy.

 

He (with, admittedly, no clear 100% evidence) thinks it MIGHT have actually been a strategy for the Dems.  Of course he (and I) can't say for sure but it sounded potentially plausible.

 

Let Biden take the (metaphorical/social media, not literal!!!!) punches, since he's willing to stop running.  Harris takes the reins.  Opponents off balance.

 

It was interesting, at least.

Edited by MrWolf
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I too have wondered if Biden actually meant to withdraw all along and the fumbling, panic, and eventuqal withdrawal were actually a Fiendishly Cunning Plan to put the Pubs off balance...

 

But no. These are Democrats. When have they ever been this devious? I mean, successfully and on purpose?

 

I tend to discount all conspiracy theories on the grounds that eighr the "conspiracy" is completely open (as Pubs' long maneuvering to overturn Roe v Wade or dismantle the administrative state) or they're absurd because people just aren't that competent. Especially in large groups. People misunderstand, get in each other's way, blab because they want atention... Nope. No secret Master Plans. The most parsimonious explanation is virtually always that things are what they seem.

 

Dean Shomshak

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49 minutes ago, unclevlad said:

Side point...has Biden stepping down, and Harris stepping in, really thrown the Republican strategy SO far off kilter that they have to resort to the absurd assertions Old Man listed?  I'm thinking...ya know, it might have.  

 

Short answer: Yes. The GOP had built their whole campaign around Biden's age and perceived mental decline. Now completely wasted.

 

Another interesting point: Republican leadership had a recent online meeting with other national Republican politicians, advising them to stop commenting on Harris's race and gender, because that would probably backfire on them. They were even offered a "cheat sheet" of other talking points if they can't think of anything else to say about her. Think about that.

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1 hour ago, Old Man said:

 

Wrong!  Day four of her candidacy and so far I've seen:

  • She's not really Black
  • She's not South Asian, she's Indian
  • She failed to solve the border (as a powerless VP, after Trump killed the border bill)
  • She's not a citizen because her parents weren't born here
  • She's secretly a Middle Eastern man
  • She laughs too much

As if anyone has ever seen Trump give more than a fake chuckle.  But it is important to remember that, to a large percentage of the electorate, attacks on candidates don't have to be plausible or make sense.

 

The only people who'll give any weight to this crap are those who already do. It's so irrelevant or easily refuted, it's not going to sell anyone against Harris who isn't now.

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1 hour ago, Lord Liaden said:

 

The only people who'll give any weight to this crap are those who already do. It's so irrelevant or easily refuted, it's not going to sell anyone against Harris who isn't now.

 

 

On the contrary, the GOP pushes lies like this because they work.  For a brief nanosecond in political time, there was a new candidate that many voters on either side probably had no strong opinions about.  One of the purposes of flooding the zone with lies, even fairly ridiculous ones, is to confuse the voter and make it harder for them to distinguish real information.  The better lies are hard to refute--after all, I can't prove Harris isn't a Middle Eastern man, ridiculous as the claim may be.  These lies can also give people an initial negative impression about the subject, priming them for more convincing lies later. Especially if they're already locked into a media echo chamber with algorithms designed to push you in one political direction or another, hard.

 

I feel like we've all earned Ph.D.s in counterprogramming and propaganda by now, and yet I still always feel like I'm playing catch-up.

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You said it yourself, "if they're already locked into a media echo chamber." Those lies work, on people who were already gullible enough to swallow what the GOP has been selling. Those people were never going to vote for Harris. IMHO after ten years the Republican Party has about reached their limit for Americans they can suck in.

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4 hours ago, Old Man said:

Wrong!  Day four of her candidacy and so far I've seen:

  •  

 

Sorry, I meant credible attacks. That's why I didn't mention DEI hire above. I'm talking about swaying the middle, not the drones already under their control.

 

 

3 hours ago, unclevlad said:

Side point...has Biden stepping down, and Harris stepping in, really thrown the Republican strategy SO far off kilter that they have to resort to the absurd assertions Old Man listed?  I'm thinking...ya know, it might have.  

 

I'd say so. They seem to be back on their heels, with nothing to answer the situation. Let's hope they stay that way. Harris has moved fast to consolidate the party behind her and come out swinging against the Trump campaign. I think her VP pick is the going to trounce Vance's weak sauce attempts at being Trump Jr., regardless of who she chooses. 

Edited by Pattern Ghost
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What's in a name? Quite a lot, perhaps, as code for whom you respect (or think deserves respect).

 

I notice that we are all writing "Harris," or even "VP Harris." Republicans... not so much. Or even pronouncing her name right.

 

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/24/nx-s1-5049773/powerful-women-tend-to-be-called-by-their-first-name-its-not-an-accident

 

When the debates happen, if Trump calls Harris "Kamala" instead of "Ms. Harris" or "Vice-President Harris," I would be delighted if she replied by addressing him as "Donniekins." Though one can also say "Mister <Name> in a tone that turns the faux-respect into mockery.

 

Dean Shomshak

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I find it between fascinating and kind of horrifying how some people are on social media saying "Biden must resign NOW NOW NOW".

 

"Provide proof he's alive!" - Uh.  He's got covid.  Maybe let the man recover?

 

Legally, he's permitted to serve his term unless it turns out he has, I don't know, Alzheimers or dementia for real.  I've seen no personal evidence of either condition.

 

Just $.02 again.

 

Choosing not to run in a tight race, and acknowledging that he may not be the best choice for 4 more years is NOT the same thing as acknowledging some kind of total incapacitation now.

 

There's no law I'm aware of that requires a president who chooses not to run to step down immediately.

 

 

As They Might Be Giants sang, "Having done all this, he sought no second term".  (Admittedly, about James K. Polk, but, different times  - I kind of expect that no one demanded his immediate resignation back then.  No social media in 1848).

Edited by MrWolf
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18 hours ago, Old Man said:

 

 

On the contrary, the GOP pushes lies like this because they work.  For a brief nanosecond in political time, there was a new candidate that many voters on either side probably had no strong opinions about.  One of the purposes of flooding the zone with lies, even fairly ridiculous ones, is to confuse the voter and make it harder for them to distinguish real information.  The better lies are hard to refute--after all, I can't prove Harris isn't a Middle Eastern man, ridiculous as the claim may be.  These lies can also give people an initial negative impression about the subject, priming them for more convincing lies later. Especially if they're already locked into a media echo chamber with algorithms designed to push you in one political direction or another, hard.

 

I feel like we've all earned Ph.D.s in counterprogramming and propaganda by now, and yet I still always feel like I'm playing catch-up.

two-articles-same-paper-same-writer-14-d

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