On Deck: 2022

[ZiprHead]

Yup. I bet the other driver had a cell phone in her hand.

 

[ZiprHead]

^^^ Oops.

Police change account of crash killing Indiana Rep. Walorski

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Police have changed their description of the crash that killed Indiana Republican U.S.

apnews.com

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Police have changed their description of the crash that killed Indiana Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, saying Thursday that it was the SUV in which she was a passenger that crossed a state highway’s centerline and caused the head-on collision.

Walorski and two members of her congressional staff died in the Wednesday afternoon crash in northern Indiana, along with the woman driving the other vehicle, the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office said.

The department’s initial account was that the car driven by Edith Schmucker, 56, Nappanee, Indiana, crossed into the SUV’s path, but the office released a statement Thursday saying investigators had talked with witnesses and viewed video evidence that their preliminary determination of which direction the vehicles were traveling was incorrect.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

It would be so very sweet to see the Democrats gain 4 Senate seats. That would mean Democrats 54, GOP 46. It would mean no longer having to cater to Manchin or Sinema. It would help put a crimp in Moscow Mitch's Grim Reaper act.

 

[Elixir]

All things said, she sounded like a decent person... who also voted to up end the election in 2020.

Obviously God punished her for that stoopid.

 

[Derec]

It would be so very sweet to see the Democrats gain 4 Senate seats. That would mean Democrats 54, GOP 46. It would mean no longer having to cater to Manchin or Sinema. It would help put a crimp in Moscow Mitch's Grim Reaper act.

Manchin and Sinema were very important to put a brake on Congressional Dems spending like a drunken sailor.
Spending $3.5T (B³) after spending so much already on COVID packages and on infrastructure would have poured fuel onto the inflation fire.

We would have been much worse off if not for those two.

 

[Derec]

Dems could gain 4 seats if all goes perfectly. That'd seem like a complete and utter failure of the GOP. A 2 seat gain seems very plausible. How in the heck could the GOP not find someone other than Herschel Walker?

Herschel Walker is definitely an own goal. Warnock was very much beatable since he is to the left of most of Georgia.

In Ohio, JD Vance sounded like a crazy right-winger going on about "The Wall" in Internet ads.

Forget the wall. The dude wants to ban porn.

 

[lpetrich]

(oops)

 

[lpetrich]

Ron Watkins, often suspected of being behind QAnon, was in last place in a Republican primary. He ran for the House in AZ-02, in all but southern and western AZ, and he got 3.5% of the vote, behind all of the six other candidates.

About him and his candidacy: Ron Watkins hopes to move from QAnon to Congress. And he needs Arizona voters to do so.

QAnon's Ron Watkins Loses Arizona Congressional Primary

Watkins first announced his intentions to run last year and was able to secure a spot on the ballot after gaining the state’s required number of petition signatures.

The campaign, which was plagued by fundraising woes and embarrassing moments, failed to garner much support outside of Watkins’ online following.

Unlike Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert.

As the former administrator of the far-right imageboard 8chan, which later became known as 8kun, Watkins has long been suspected of being behind the “Q” persona of QAnon.

The QAnon conspiracy theory alleged that a team of government insiders known collectively as Q was dropping vague and coded hints on 8chan regarding President Donald Trump’s secret battle against a global cabal of child-eating pedophiles comprised of Democrats and Hollywood elites.

Suspected QAnon Creator Ron Watkins Loses Spectacularly in Arizona Republican Primary

 

[lpetrich]

Election deniers rack up wins, fueling concerns in both parties | The Hill

Republicans touting former President Trump’s unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen saw victories across the map in Tuesday’s primaries, raising questions — and, for many, concerns — about what will happen in November’s general elections.

Democrats, and some Republicans, argue these candidates won’t stand a chance when they face independent voters in November. But others warn not to count them out given President Biden’s low approval ratings and the dismal national mood.

Like Donald Trump winning in 2016.

It would have been much better to support Republicans who are relatively moderate and who are willing to work with Democrats.

In Michigan, Tudor Dixon, who was considered the establishment candidate in the race, won the Republican gubernatorial primary days after she declined to say in a “Fox News Sunday” interview whether the 2020 election was stolen. In May, she — along with almost every other candidate at a debate — raised her hand when asked who among them believed Trump was the rightful 2020 winner in Michigan.

At the same time, Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), who voted to impeach Trump last year over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol, was ousted by Trump-backed candidate John Gibbs, who has questioned the 2020 election results.

In Arizona, former television news anchor Kari Lake, who has been one of the most vocal critics of the 2020 election results, appears to be on track to win the gubernatorial primary, while Abe Hamadeh, who has also questioned the election results, is projected to win the state’s GOP primary for attorney general.

At Least 120 Republican Nominees Deny The Results Of The 2020 Election | FiveThirtyEight
Back to TheHill.

There hasn’t been much polling to indicate how the latest crop of nominees will fare in the general. In Pennsylvania, polls have consistently shown Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D) leading Mastriano in the gubernatorial race.

At the same time that some Republicans are speaking out against candidates who espouse unfounded election fraud claims, Democrats, believing they would be easier general election targets, are seeking to elevate a number of them.

 

[lpetrich]

Democrats Spent $43 Million Helping Election Deniers Win Their Primaries

The Democrats are trying to beat the Republicans at their own game this midterm cycle, meddling in a number of GOP primaries with the hope that it'll improve their odds in November. But the strategy has required the party to spend tens of millions of dollars boosting election deniers, and if it backfires, the Democrats will have to shoulder some of the blame for helping those far-right candidates into office.

Democrats have spent at least $43,885,000 on advertising campaigns in races across six states. While the tactic has struggled to see success in congressional races, their efforts to highlight candidates who they believe will be easier to defeat in the general election finally paid off this week after Michigan Representative Peter Meijer was ousted by John Gibbs, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

PM was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump. He barely lost:

John Gibbs 51.8%, Peter Meijer 48.2%.

Maloney knocks Kinzinger criticism of DCCC funding GOP election denier | The Hill

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) on Sunday defended the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) after the group that he chairs took out an ad aimed at splitting Republican support between a moderate GOP incumbent and a far-right House challenger in a Michigan race.

“It’s flat wrong to say that we were promoting an election denier. We were attacking an election denier,” Maloney said on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart.”

By attacking John Gibbs as a loon, the DCCC was indicating to the Republican base who to vote for.

 

[lpetrich]

Kari Lake won, so can we give election 'stealing' a rest?

Opinion: In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, when 'no one was watching,' Kari Lake went from trailing to winning. Funny how that's not a problem now.

...
Instead of calling for counts, recounts and audits, Lake saw enough by late Tuesday night, despite an estimated 20% of ballots were yet to be counted. “We won today 7 out of 10 election day votes,” she told her supporters on Tuesday night. “There is no path to victory for my opponent and we won this race. Period.”

Arizona Primary Election Results 2022 - The New York Times

Governor

Katie Hobbs, the secretary of state, is the front-runner in her Democratic primary. Her opponent, Marco López, has tried to capitalize on accusations of racism against her from a former employee who is Black. In the Republican primary, Kari Lake, a Trump-backed former local television news star, emerged as the early front-runner, but polls show she hasn’t expanded her base. More traditional Republicans, including Gov. Doug Ducey, have rallied around Karrin Taylor Robson.

KL 48.0%, KTR 43.2%, others 3.7%

U.S. Senate

Blake Masters, with the backing of former President Donald J. Trump and Peter Thiel, has continued to lead the pack in public polling. But Mr. Masters has faced sustained competition from two other candidates: Mark Brnovich, the attorney general, who has come under fire for not buying into Trump’s election conspiracies, and Jim Lamon, an Army veteran and former solar energy business owner.

BM 40.2%, JL 28.1%, MB 17.7%

On the Democratic side, incumbent Mark Kelly is uncontested.

Secretary of State

Mark Finchem, one of the most vocal supporters of the 2020 election conspiracy theories and a state representative who has Donald Trump’s endorsement, is widely expected to win the G.O.P. nomination against three lesser-known candidates: Shawnna Bolick, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Beau Lane. In the Democratic primary, Adrian Fontes, the former Maricopa recorder who lost his re-election to a Republican in 2020, is facing off against Reginald Bolding, the House minority leader.

MF: 42.5%, BL: 23.4%, SB 19.3%, MUR: 14.8%

Attorney General
Abraham Hamadeh: 33.5%, others 23.6%, 16.7%, 12.0%, 8.6%, 5.6%


Four election deniers won primaries in that state, for statewide-election seats.

 

[Swammerdami]

Democrats Spent $43 Million Helping Election Deniers Win Their Primaries

The Democrats are trying to beat the Republicans at their own game this midterm cycle, meddling in a number of GOP primaries with the hope that it'll improve their odds in November. But the strategy has required the party to spend tens of millions of dollars boosting election deniers, and if it backfires, the Democrats will have to shoulder some of the blame for helping those far-right candidates into office.

By attacking John Gibbs as a loon, the DCCC was indicating to the Republican base who to vote for.

Just to be sure I understand this: The Democratic ads were sincere: Their ads ostensibly asked voters NOT to vote for the lunatics, morons and liars who endorsed sedition and treason. BUT, the intention was to HELP the lunatics: Republican voters would use these D-sponsored ads as a reason to vote FOR the lunatics.

Is that the idea?

I don't regret losing a few relatively sane GOPsters if that's the result of this perverse strategy. Twenty years from now "American Republican" will be a dirty word and the joke about German Nazis will be revised to describe them:

"What do you call someone who hated Donald Trump but supported or joined the Republican Party?"​

"A Republican."​

 

[blastula]

Election deniers march toward power in key 2024 battlegrounds - The Washington Post.

The winners fit a pattern: Across the battleground states that decided the 2020 vote, candidates who deny the legitimacy of that election have claimed nearly two-thirds of GOP nominations for state and federal offices with authority over elections, according to a Washington Post analysis.

 

[Elixir]

Election deniers march toward power in key 2024 battlegrounds - The Washington Post.

The winners fit a pattern: Across the battleground states that decided the 2020 vote, candidates who deny the legitimacy of that election have claimed nearly two-thirds of GOP nominations for state and federal offices with authority over elections, according to a Washington Post analysis.

"March toward" ... what?
At this point nary a one of them has won a general election.
I hope they are marching toward incarceration, oblivion, or something like that.
Dems are complicit in some of those GQP nominations, having dumped millions into what they see as weaker candidates.

 

[blastula]

"March toward" ... what?
At this point nary a one of them has won a general election.
I hope they are marching toward incarceration, oblivion, or something like that.
Dems are complicit in some of those GQP nominations, having dumped millions into what they see as weaker candidates.

What general elections would there have been yet? It only takes one winning in the right place to upend everything.

On the Dems, while all they did was advertise how extreme the candidates were, which is not bad by itself, it's still too risky to play around with it imo.

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[lpetrich]

The Trump purge continues.

The Republican Reps who voted to impeach Donald Trump in the second impeachment:

• Liz Cheney WY - lost primary
• Anthony Gonzalez OH - retired
• Jaime Herrera Beutler WA - lost primary
• John Katko NY - retired
• Adam Kinzinger IL - retired
• Dan Newhouse WA - advanced in primary
• Peter Meijer MI - lost primary
• Tom Rice SC - lost primary
• Fred Upton MI - retired
• David Valadao CA - advanced in primary

Of these 10 Republicans, only two of them are continuing to the general election this November. The rest have either retired (4) or else have been defeated (4).

In the first impeachment, however, all the Republicans voted against it, and were joined by two Democrats. Tulsi Gabbard voted "Present".

In the Wyoming Republican primary for the state's only House district, Liz Cheney lost to Trump-supported candidate Harriet Hageman, 66.3% - 28.9% with the others 2.6%, 1.3%, 0.8%.

In Washington State district WA-03, Jaime Herrera Beutler placed 3rd, and will not continue on to the general election. She got 22.3%, with the top two getting 31.0% and 22.8%, and the others getting 16.0%, 3.2%, 2.2%, 1.7%, 0.5%, 0.2%.

But in WA-04, Dan Newhouse got 25.5% and advanced, with the others getting 25.2% and 21.5%.

In South Carolina district SC-07, Tom Rice lost, getting 24.5%, with the winner getting 51.1%, and the others getting 12.3%, 7.1%, 2.5%, 2.0%, 0.5%.

In California district CA-22, David Valadao advanced with 25.6% of the vote, with the top one getting 45.4% and the others getting 23.1% and 5.9%.

 

[lpetrich]

I'll now look in the Senate.

In the first impeachment trial, Mitt Romney UT was the only Republican to vote to impeach Trump, and only for abuse of power.

Here are the Republicans who voted for continuing the trial and/or impeaching Trump.

• Richard Burr NC - III - retired
• Bill Cassidy LA - I, III - no election this year
• Susan Collins ME - I, II, III - no election this year
• Lisa Murkowski AK - I, II, III - advanced in primary
• Mitt Romney UT - I, II, III - no election this year
• Ben Sasse NE - I, II, III - no election this year
• Pat Toomey PA - I, II, III - retired

Votes: I - on constitutionality of trial, II - challenge to its constitutionality, III - impeachment vote

With 69% reporting, Lisa Murkowski has 43.7% of the votes, Trump-endorsed Kelly Tshibaka 40.4%, and the others much less.

 

[ZiprHead]

Her pronouns are EEK! and YIKES! - Travis Bone.

 

[Gun Nut]

It would be so very sweet to see the Democrats gain 4 Senate seats. That would mean Democrats 54, GOP 46. It would mean no longer having to cater to Manchin or Sinema. It would help put a crimp in Moscow Mitch's Grim Reaper act.

Manchin and Sinema were very important to put a brake on Congressional Dems spending like a drunken sailor.
Spending $3.5T (B³) after spending so much already on COVID packages and on infrastructure would have poured fuel onto the inflation fire.

We would have been much worse off if not for those two.

Are you prepared to show your math? How does propreations relate to inflation? Does taxing individuals that earn more than $400K create inflationary pressure? how?