The Race For 2024

[Emily Lake]

Trump is an existential threat to democracy here and throughout the world.

Why do you think this? What do you think Trump will do that will destroy democracy throughout the whole world?

 

[Elixir]

Their ages simply are not relevant as we will end up with one or the other of these men.

What matters is their intent.

Let’s see … a guy who has every reason to give a legacy performance as President of the United States, vs a guy who desperately needs to stay out of prison regardless of the cost to the United States, its people, government and its economy.

The choice is clear to anyone with a brain, and even more so to anyone with an intact internal scumbag detector. The malevolence of one candidate stands out in neon, and the fact that there’s no need to say which one, is strong supporting evidence that it’s true.

 

[bilby]

Trump is an existential threat to democracy here and throughout the world.

Why do you think this? What do you think Trump will do that will destroy democracy throughout the whole world?

The whole world might be a stretch, but it's not what he will do, rather what he won't do.

Russia will invade (the rest of) Ukraine, and perhaps some other European countries. Trump won't try to stop this, nor even help those countries to resist.

China will invade Taiwan, and perhaps some other South East Asian countries. Trump won't try to stop this, nor even help those countries to resist.

North Korea will try to invade South Korea. Trump will support this attempt (albeit with words rather than deeds), even though it will probably fail, and will cause millions of civilian deaths in the process, because he and Kim are besties.

An isolationist America is bad for the world; An America whose President actively admires foreign dictators, and who dislikes other democratic nations (whose populations are rarely brought to book for saying mean things about Donald Trump) is disastrous.

 

[ZiprHead]

Watch it Emily, you're about to be declared a MAGA Trump fanatic if you continue down this trail.

So, Tomorrow is the debate. Here's some recommended drinking game rules:

• Trump talks about Biden being hopped up on drugs take a sip
• If Jake Tapper or Dana Bash bring it up, do a shot.
• But if they bring it up in the context of how Trump has joked about it, do a whole shot.
• If they bring up Trump joking about it but it’s clear they didn’t get the joke, do a second shot
• If Biden admits that he’s wasted and finally cries out for help to stop the elder abuse being perpetrated against him by Jill and his White House handlers, cheers to him for finally breaking free of his captors and take a swig out of the bottle
• When (and let’s be honest, he’s going to do it) Biden tries to take credit for “creating 15 million jobs,” do a shot
• When Trump points out that the vast major of those “jobs” were positions returning after the COVID lockdowns were lifts, take a sip
• If that fact is brought up by either Tapper or Bash first, don’t drink anything…you’re either suffering from alcohol poisoning already or you’ve just witnessed history and will want to remember where you were when a CNN employee fact-checked a Democrat in real time
• Same goes for if Joe is corrected when he repeats his lie about inflation or gas prices being lower than when he took office
• Chug for 3 seconds if anyone informs the public that Biden drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try to get prices down, endangering our national security in an attempt to win reelection
• If Trump brings up Hunter first, do a shot
• If Joe does, then Trump says something like his brother suffered from addiction and he’d never attack someone for getting clean, the criticism is about corruption, don’t drink at all because you might have just witnessed a turning point in the election
• If Biden mentions Russia, do yourself a favor and don’t drink anything. He’ll likely mention Russia a lot, and claim Trump is somehow a tool of Putin because he thinks ending the war in Ukraine is a good idea
• But do a shot if Trump points out that Democrats are absolutely in favor of an immediate ceasefire and negotiations in Israel, where Jews are defending themselves from a very recent terrorist attack, while calling the concept of even broaching the subject of a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine an affront to democracy without explaining how that is
• Don’t, however, drink enough to try to make sense out of this, otherwise you will die
• If Trump actually behaves take two shots
• If Biden doesn't have a senior moment take two shots

So I see you like FlavorAid.

 

[ZiprHead]

So why were debates moved before conventions?

As has been noted, only the first debate will be before the convention (and any candidate who meets the criteria can participate, although only Trump and Biden have done so). It was CNN's idea: https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/...d-former-president-donald-j-trump-on-june-27/

My guess is this.
Given the current situation, nobody needs a debate. The sooner one is held, the more likely it is to attract eyeballs. That makes it more profitable for people trying to sell their cars and prescription meds and fast food.

Capitalism at it's finest.
Tom

You think that no answer is worse than some random noise you just produced?

You're asking us to guess what the reason is and then you fuck on the guesses? If you want the real answer ask CNN.

 

[ZiprHead]

Brandon is getting worse;

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni walked over and guided a wayward President Biden after he strolled away from a photo opportunity at the G7 Thursday. The president and other world leaders were gathered to view parachute jumpers who descended from the sky while displaying the flags of allied nations – in a show of unity and military prowess. Some of the leaders were still clapping as one blue-clad parachutist unhooked some of his gear, when Biden started slowly walking away. At that point Meloni jumped into action, walking over to the president to guide him back to the shot which would show all the leaders together.

Daily Mail

He looks every day of his 81years, he is out of it, totally confused and lost.

He's not going to make it to November.


*edit. To be fair, he has traveled a fair bit the past few days and he is sure to be tired. But still, he is not up to the job of POTUS.

It sounds like President Biden had a moment of confusion at the G7 event, which prompted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to help guide him back. While traveling extensively can be exhausting, concerns about his fitness for office are understandable given his age and recent behavior.

Moment of confusion? Really? For saluting someone in jest? Regarding the parachutist, Biden was talking to the parachutist. This was photoshopped.

The deceptive Biden G7 video was quickly debunked, but it kept going viral anyway

Despite fact-checks online, Big Tech platforms continued to spread a misleading video of President Joe Biden.

www.nbcnews.com

I'd recommend to people to be suspicious of the media.

The Deceptive Biden G7 video was quickly debunked, but TSwizzle was taken in by it anyway. SAd.

In what way was anything debunked? The old duffer wandered off with that dopey, vacant look on his face. How do you debunk “he looks every day of his 81 years”?

Debunked here in the first minute of the video.

I dunno. I mean, yes, the edited video makes it look worse... but even in the full video it doesn't look good. Biden still wanders off from what he's supposed to be doing, and everyone else in the group looks uncomfortable by it. That person in pink still has to go retrieve him and redirect his attention back to what he's supposed to be paying attention to.

I get what you're saying here... but I'm not sure there's a meaningful difference to most of the independents in the country. It's a choice between:
Biden got confused and wandered off and made everyone else look confused and uncomfortable until someone retrieved him and brought him back to the important thing he was supposed to be paying attention to.
and
Biden got distracted by something else and wandered off and made everyone else look confused and uncomfortable until someone retrieved him and brought him back to the important thing he was supposed to be paying attention to.

You are about to be listed into Trump supporters and murderers of ukrainian babies.
By the way, original video was not edited. It just had different angle.

Yes, and because it had a different angle, liars and cheats used it to claim Biden just wandered off.

 

[ZiprHead]

Biden still wanders off from what he's supposed to be doing

He's the President. If he wants to wander off, why shouldn't he?

Because voters are going to perceive that as dementia, that's why.

Less snarkily, because it's disrespectful and inappropriate behavior if it's done intentionally, and it suggests a lack of cognitive capacity if done unintentionally.

This is bullshit. I watched the NBC version that wasn’t cropped. It looked pretty normal to me.

I also watched the NBC version which is posted in this thread. I see a group of politicians listening to a guy for whatever the hell event they're there for. I see Biden gradually turn away, and walk off away from the group. I see other people in the group notice that he has walked away, and look at each other rather uncomfortably. I see one woman go after him while trying to simultaneously pay attention to the speaker, and try to direct Biden back to where he's supposed to be.

If the dude in charge of the country deciding he's bored with the event he's there for, and deciding to gradually wander off to look at something else instead of paying attention to the speaker is "normal" to you... well, you've got a different idea of normal than I do.

So taking a few strides is wandering off now?

If someone has to rush to get you back, then yes.
Again, if you honestly don't see anything "odd" there, then you should be worried about your own mental problems. MSNBC hosts do not have any mental problems, they are simply lying. Lady in the end of the clip is also lying when she says that BS about Putin and LGBTQ nonsense, complete garbage, why did she feel she needed to bring this garbage, I don't know.
They are all pathological liars and hacks. Same with FoxNews, it's just that sometimes they say something opposite of MSNBC&Co which is true by mere fact being opposite of the false. All of them have no problems lying.

Compared to Russian state TV, even Fox News is angelic.

I Watched Russian Television for Five Days Straight

Gary Shteyngart immerses himself in Putin’s propaganda.

www.theatlantic.com

On New Year’s Eve of 2014, I became the subject of a terrifying experiment. On assignment for The New York Times, I’d agreed to stay in a hotel room for seven days (leaving only for a brief daily swim) while watching Russian state television. Three monitors were arrayed in front of my bed constantly blasting the state-owned Channel 1 and Rossiya 1 networks, as well as the Gazprom-owned NTV. By the end of my stay, I had turned from a happy-go-lucky novelist into a squeaking gerbil of a man, psychologically compromised and barely sure of what constituted reality.


Now, slightly more than eight years later, I have decided to replicate this experiment. On the one hand, the length of my sentence has been commuted to five days from seven; on the other hand, since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the state’s propaganda has become even more loud, brash, and genocidal, making any length of exposure to it psychologically problematic. But in some way, Russians were preparing for the bloodshed of innocent Ukrainians as far back as 2014, if not earlier. The images of Ukrainians as a bunch of Nazis hoodwinked by the West were readily presented on Russian television. Back then, I did not want to believe they could lead to the massacres of Bucha and Irpin. Today, I know better.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Trump is an existential threat to democracy here and throughout the world.

Why do you think this? What do you think Trump will do that will destroy democracy throughout the whole world?

Endangering our alliances, allying with Putin, a fourth (fifth?) SCOTUS justice to make getting the Supreme Court back to moderate impossible for 25+ years. In his first term, he royally fucked up the Iran agreement.

The Dems will likely retake the House, so that'll make complete control impossible. However, Trump has already discussed reinstating impoundment authority. Where he can pretty much choose what does and doesn't get spent on, despite Congressional passage... and other laws.

 

[ZiprHead]

Will the two debaters stand on an open stage? With nothing to prevent Trump prancing around when it is Biden's turn to speak? Or nothing to stop Trump from shouting when his microphone is cut off?

CNN actually did a demonstration of how the mic system will work. There are two green lights next to the mics on the podium. When the lights are on the mic is active. When they are off the mic is inactive. One of the CNN guys talked into his active mic while another talked with the mic off. You hear the other person talking but just barely. They reversed the procedure and got the same result. Almost nothing loud enough to be understandable.

I have no idea why two lights right next to each other are being used. Seems a little redundant.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Trump is an existential threat to democracy here and throughout the world.

Why do you think this? What do you think Trump will do that will destroy democracy throughout the whole world?

For a person so adamant on women's rights, not certain why you are supporting the Christian Taliban.

 

[ZiprHead]

I seem to recall that back in 2016 when Trump was running the first time, progressives throughout the country were insistent that if he got elected, it was going to be the complete end of the country and doom would befall us all.

I seem to recall that back in 2016 when Biden was running the first time, conservatives throughout the country were insistent that if he got elected, it was going to be the complete end of the country and doom would befall us all.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I seem to recall that back in 2016 when Trump was running the first time, progressives throughout the country were insistent that if he got elected, it was going to be the complete end of the country and doom would befall us all.

I seem to recall that back in 2016 when Biden was running the first time, conservatives throughout the country were insistent that if he got elected, it was going to be the complete end of the country and doom would befall us all.

Did anyone think Biden could win in 2016?

 

[ZiprHead]

Trump is an existential threat to democracy here and throughout the world.

Why do you think this? What do you think Trump will do that will destroy democracy throughout the whole world?

Did you not hear Trump say he wanted to be dictator on day one? Did you not read about Project 2025? That's the plan to make Trump dictator. They actually say that shit out loud. WTF kind of an American says shit like that?

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Did you not hear Trump say he wanted to be dictator on day one? Did you not read about Project 2025? That's the plan to make Trump dictator. They actually say that shit out loud. WTF kind of an American says shit like that?

Can't someone give him a Hitler mustache?

Haha! Lots of them out there. Google away!

 

[ZiprHead]

Did you not hear Trump say he wanted to be dictator on day one? Did you not read about Project 2025? That's the plan to make Trump dictator. They actually say that shit out loud. WTF kind of an American says shit like that?

Can't someone give him a Hitler mustache?

Haha! Lots of them out there. Google away!

Hair Hitler!

 

[Tigers!]

Trump is an existential threat to democracy here and throughout the world.

Why do you think this? What do you think Trump will do that will destroy democracy throughout the whole world?

The whole world might be a stretch, but it's not what he will do, rather what he won't do.

Russia will invade (the rest of) Ukraine, and perhaps some other European countries. Trump won't try to stop this, nor even help those countries to resist.

China will invade Taiwan, and perhaps some other South East Asian countries. Trump won't try to stop this, nor even help those countries to resist.

North Korea will try to invade South Korea. Trump will support this attempt (albeit with words rather than deeds), even though it will probably fail, and will cause millions of civilian deaths in the process, because he and Kim are besties.

An isolationist America is bad for the world; An America whose President actively admires foreign dictators, and who dislikes other democratic nations (whose populations are rarely brought to book for saying mean things about Donald Trump) is disastrous.

You should write a book about all of that. The premise is exciting.

Call it "The day the world went Trump".

No matter who, Trump or Biden, is president the US/world could not handle those 3 events simultaneously or even sequentially.

 

[Tigers!]

Will the two debaters stand on an open stage? With nothing to prevent Trump prancing around when it is Biden's turn to speak? Or nothing to stop Trump from shouting when his microphone is cut off?

CNN actually did a demonstration of how the mic system will work. There are two green lights next to the mics on the podium. When the lights are on the mic is active. When they are off the mic is inactive. One of the CNN guys talked into his active mic while another talked with the mic off. You hear the other person talking but just barely. They reversed the procedure and got the same result. Almost nothing loud enough to be understandable.

Neither bloke will be particularly understandable (is that a word?).

I have no idea why two lights right next to each other are being used. Seems a little redundant.

The redundancy reminds me sometimes of your whole system. Nobody knows why but it works (sort of).

 

[Tigers!]

We are offered the chance to watch the debate in Australia this morning (about 3.5 hours away).
I'll pass this time.
I have grass to watch growing or those flies crawling up a wall to look at first.

Unless the debate is Oxford Union rules I will not bother.

 

[Tigers!]

nservatives throughout the country were insistent that if he got elected, it was going to be the complete end of the country and doom would befall us all.

Did anyone think Biden could win in 2016?

Only Biden

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

I'd recommend just drinking. This is going to be the most wasted time ever. Trump will argue that the end times are here and only he can steer the US from Armageddon. Trump will wage a war of hyperbole. Biden will say things are better than they were in 2020. Biden will say every single clicle a standing President has said (except last time) in a debate, taking credit for the sun rising everyday.

This will be the first debate P/VP I'm missing since 1988, and I was in sixth grade then. I remember being confused about why Quayle kept bringing up faith and God. I wasn't an atheist yet, but clearly I was on the path. We were supposed to draw political cartoons (again sixth grade), and mine mimicked how Quayle just wouldn't shut up about it, and Bentsen in my cartoon said something to effect 'You can either put your faith in god or the Duke'. The class didn't get it.

I'm going to watch the Angry Cheeto v. the Mumble Potato. I want to see if one has an angry outburst or if the other has a senior moment.