"Turtles All the Way Down" was the title of a recent young adult (YA) literature novel by the highly successful John Greene. (The somewhat recent YA movie "The Fault in Our Stars" was made from his novel.) Lately I've seen "all the way down" used in a number of pundit-type pieces. Now I know where it came from! What a great story!
McCarthy is gripped by the same delusion as Paul Ryan and John Boehner before him: that if he says the right things in public and private the crazies will smile and nod and accept him as the leader and stick with him when the going gets tough.
Of course he is incredibly wrong. McCarthy as Speaker of the House will be anything but a leader, he'll be a follower of the day's latest brand of crazy.
Of course, it is difficult to see the MTGs and Boeberts of the House achieving anything of substance, heck, they'll probably struggle to keep the government open. I guess that might be a silver lining?
JVL is right that for the Republicans shamelessness and not having a policy agenda is their superpower. To date voters have refused to hold them accountable no matter how low they go and it is incredibly frustrating.
JVL has a good piece today talking (which itself is akshually a continuation of a common thread he's been on for the last couple of weeks) about how the mainstream media is exacerbating this problem by only focusing on negatives for the Dems but pretty much ignoring the GQP and giving them a pass.
(Disclaimer: I am not and have never been a Democrat. I think some of the more extreme elements of the Democrat party are full-on idiots).
Reading the comments here I see what amounts to a bunch of both-siderism (especially WRT Lincoln project--which isn't actually the Democrats). I also see a lot of talk about the "extremism" of the Democrat agenda.
I am kind of wondering what a lot of you folks are smoking.
The GoP is becoming increasingly and visible insane, is actually driven by its more extreme elements and is beholden to a man whose only interest is himself, whose only love is himself (and how well that fits into contemporary American culture--what a mirror to hold up to ourselves, eh).
And we look set to put these people back into power... because wokeness, because we might spend some money on non-well-to-do people. Might pay more in taxes. If it wasn't so sad and scary it would be hilarious.
Unlike the GoP, the extremist elements don't actually control the Democrat Party. They make a lot of noise on social media and in the general media. Yet, strangely, most of the progressive agenda doesn't really ever seem to get anywhere... mostly because of kickback in the Democrat party, itself.
We have spent the last several decades under variations of conservative, corporate governance (even when the Democrats were purportedly in power). That is what has gotten us to the point that we are at:
Economic inequality not seen since since the Gilded Age;
Increased racial animosity and visible prejudice, heading towards violence;
Bailouts for the rich and the corps while the rest go hang;
A general willful ignorance of objective reality;
A preference for performance/entertainment over actual substance (and a confusion of the first for the second);
Social disaffection to the point that people are unwilling to wear a MASK during a pandemic (if only to exhibit social solidarity and caring for others) or to get a vaccination.
Too many Americans are unmoored to reality. Spend too much time on social media. Listen to too many idiots whose only cachet is their popularity--think that opinions = facts.
There is no actual leadership, anywhere. They are a lot of "leaders" who are merely people trying to get out in front of the other idiots--either so they can pretend they have power or so they can make money. Leaders do not ape and amplify the feelings and opinions of the mob, leaders SHAPE and reform the feelings and opinions of the mob (hopefully to improve them and culture, in general). I am seeing very little of this. It IS out there but it is drowned in the excrement extravaganza that we have made of our culture and politics.
The problems are not in our politics, the problem is in our culture. The politics is merely a visible symptom.
Unfortunately there is no quick fix. There may not even be a fix short of an actual collapse pf the system. I am increasing convinced of this, when I look around me. The problem with a collapse is that you can't know what you are going to end up with, instead.
Rick Wilson has a good point. The fact that Trump isn't in power has had no affect on the sanity of the GOP-in fact the Republican party has become more insane. This fact is covered repeatedly at The Bulwark. The virginia governor's race is an example of the effectiveness of a "non-Trump" Republican candidate. Such a candidate winning the Oval office-one with more discipline and savvy, could be disastrous.
I finally had time to listen to the Bulwark's turkey podcast with Sarah, Mona, Amanda and Charlie yesterday.
Whichever one of you hasn't seen Scrooged yet needs to put everything else down and watch it immediately. It is the best modern Christmas movie (and yes, Sarah, Diehard is a Christmas movie).
Ok, but my main bit of contention is not understanding how all of you rightly point out that Democrats should be acting more urgently about protecting our elections while simultaneously, still, lauding Manchin for being so awesome when he is the singular reason why Democrats will not be able to pass any election reform through his and Sinema's refusal to adjust the filibuster to allow a vote to come to the Senate floor. Therefore I can only conclude that for Manchinema-stans blocking "progressive" legislation overrides protecting elections since that seems to be the reason some of you like him so much.
When the Big Steal finally happens in 2024 it will be Manchin's fault and those who supported him because if he wanted to allow it, the Democrats would have passed election reform months ago.
How long before even a dim bulb like MTG figures out she doesn't need Kevin to wield power and opts to run for speaker herself? Think TFG would back Kev? Not a chance.
What makes McCarthy the front-runner for Speaker in 2023 other than seniority, inertia, and his ambition? Why wouldn't the Freedom Caucus nominate one of their own? And wouldn't the rest of the caucus fall in line if TFG endorsed the Freedom Caucus pick? The Republican freshmen that will knock off many incumbent Dems in the coming rout will be far closer to the Freedom Caucus folks than to the (former) Establishment. And then there's the (albeit remote) possibility of electing TFG as Speaker, the ultimate "own" of the libs and the Establishment!
I was, at the beginning, a huge fan of The Lincoln Project. I unabashedly like snark. So I gave them money. And then the constant appeals for more just kept rolling in. And then I saw the compensation the founders were reaping. And I realized then (because I am just not that bright, I guess) that all this amounted to a grift---just one that supported the goal of getting Trump out of office. I dislike grift more (a LOT more) than I like snark. I am done with these folks.
Why do we see every comment by someone who is listed as banned?
my 4-year-old Loves turtles.
"Turtles All the Way Down" was the title of a recent young adult (YA) literature novel by the highly successful John Greene. (The somewhat recent YA movie "The Fault in Our Stars" was made from his novel.) Lately I've seen "all the way down" used in a number of pundit-type pieces. Now I know where it came from! What a great story!
MTG makes AOC look like JFK.
McCarthy is gripped by the same delusion as Paul Ryan and John Boehner before him: that if he says the right things in public and private the crazies will smile and nod and accept him as the leader and stick with him when the going gets tough.
Of course he is incredibly wrong. McCarthy as Speaker of the House will be anything but a leader, he'll be a follower of the day's latest brand of crazy.
Of course, it is difficult to see the MTGs and Boeberts of the House achieving anything of substance, heck, they'll probably struggle to keep the government open. I guess that might be a silver lining?
JVL is right that for the Republicans shamelessness and not having a policy agenda is their superpower. To date voters have refused to hold them accountable no matter how low they go and it is incredibly frustrating.
JVL has a good piece today talking (which itself is akshually a continuation of a common thread he's been on for the last couple of weeks) about how the mainstream media is exacerbating this problem by only focusing on negatives for the Dems but pretty much ignoring the GQP and giving them a pass.
JVL, please open comments on your daily Triad!!
(Disclaimer: I am not and have never been a Democrat. I think some of the more extreme elements of the Democrat party are full-on idiots).
Reading the comments here I see what amounts to a bunch of both-siderism (especially WRT Lincoln project--which isn't actually the Democrats). I also see a lot of talk about the "extremism" of the Democrat agenda.
I am kind of wondering what a lot of you folks are smoking.
The GoP is becoming increasingly and visible insane, is actually driven by its more extreme elements and is beholden to a man whose only interest is himself, whose only love is himself (and how well that fits into contemporary American culture--what a mirror to hold up to ourselves, eh).
And we look set to put these people back into power... because wokeness, because we might spend some money on non-well-to-do people. Might pay more in taxes. If it wasn't so sad and scary it would be hilarious.
Unlike the GoP, the extremist elements don't actually control the Democrat Party. They make a lot of noise on social media and in the general media. Yet, strangely, most of the progressive agenda doesn't really ever seem to get anywhere... mostly because of kickback in the Democrat party, itself.
We have spent the last several decades under variations of conservative, corporate governance (even when the Democrats were purportedly in power). That is what has gotten us to the point that we are at:
Economic inequality not seen since since the Gilded Age;
Increased racial animosity and visible prejudice, heading towards violence;
Bailouts for the rich and the corps while the rest go hang;
A general willful ignorance of objective reality;
A preference for performance/entertainment over actual substance (and a confusion of the first for the second);
Social disaffection to the point that people are unwilling to wear a MASK during a pandemic (if only to exhibit social solidarity and caring for others) or to get a vaccination.
Too many Americans are unmoored to reality. Spend too much time on social media. Listen to too many idiots whose only cachet is their popularity--think that opinions = facts.
There is no actual leadership, anywhere. They are a lot of "leaders" who are merely people trying to get out in front of the other idiots--either so they can pretend they have power or so they can make money. Leaders do not ape and amplify the feelings and opinions of the mob, leaders SHAPE and reform the feelings and opinions of the mob (hopefully to improve them and culture, in general). I am seeing very little of this. It IS out there but it is drowned in the excrement extravaganza that we have made of our culture and politics.
The problems are not in our politics, the problem is in our culture. The politics is merely a visible symptom.
Unfortunately there is no quick fix. There may not even be a fix short of an actual collapse pf the system. I am increasing convinced of this, when I look around me. The problem with a collapse is that you can't know what you are going to end up with, instead.
Rick Wilson has a good point. The fact that Trump isn't in power has had no affect on the sanity of the GOP-in fact the Republican party has become more insane. This fact is covered repeatedly at The Bulwark. The virginia governor's race is an example of the effectiveness of a "non-Trump" Republican candidate. Such a candidate winning the Oval office-one with more discipline and savvy, could be disastrous.
Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi is seen kissing AOC and bowing down to her and the Gods of wokeness.
I finally had time to listen to the Bulwark's turkey podcast with Sarah, Mona, Amanda and Charlie yesterday.
Whichever one of you hasn't seen Scrooged yet needs to put everything else down and watch it immediately. It is the best modern Christmas movie (and yes, Sarah, Diehard is a Christmas movie).
Ok, but my main bit of contention is not understanding how all of you rightly point out that Democrats should be acting more urgently about protecting our elections while simultaneously, still, lauding Manchin for being so awesome when he is the singular reason why Democrats will not be able to pass any election reform through his and Sinema's refusal to adjust the filibuster to allow a vote to come to the Senate floor. Therefore I can only conclude that for Manchinema-stans blocking "progressive" legislation overrides protecting elections since that seems to be the reason some of you like him so much.
When the Big Steal finally happens in 2024 it will be Manchin's fault and those who supported him because if he wanted to allow it, the Democrats would have passed election reform months ago.
How long before even a dim bulb like MTG figures out she doesn't need Kevin to wield power and opts to run for speaker herself? Think TFG would back Kev? Not a chance.
What makes McCarthy the front-runner for Speaker in 2023 other than seniority, inertia, and his ambition? Why wouldn't the Freedom Caucus nominate one of their own? And wouldn't the rest of the caucus fall in line if TFG endorsed the Freedom Caucus pick? The Republican freshmen that will knock off many incumbent Dems in the coming rout will be far closer to the Freedom Caucus folks than to the (former) Establishment. And then there's the (albeit remote) possibility of electing TFG as Speaker, the ultimate "own" of the libs and the Establishment!
I was, at the beginning, a huge fan of The Lincoln Project. I unabashedly like snark. So I gave them money. And then the constant appeals for more just kept rolling in. And then I saw the compensation the founders were reaping. And I realized then (because I am just not that bright, I guess) that all this amounted to a grift---just one that supported the goal of getting Trump out of office. I dislike grift more (a LOT more) than I like snark. I am done with these folks.