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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
The Mod with the Migraine
Disasturbator
Bernie is like 77,once the primaries roll around he'll be 80,he won't have the energy for intense campaigning required
New theme music also a box
But will that stop him from trying anyway?
Disasturbator
He'll probably name a successor to carry on his ideas or something,I just don't see him doing much campaigning at 80
New theme music also a box
A procrastination in of itself
@Blue, 538 have a set of seven things that primary candidates tend to do before running and so far they have nine people on the democrat side who’ve done 5 or more. [1]
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
Oh dear *see's Sanders at the top of the list*
"You can reply to this Message!"
That reminds that 538's podcast a few days ago pointed out that Trump had been laying out the groundwork for a campaign on the Republican side - visiting important states, magazine interviews, etc. - before he announced he was running. He was much less a random occurrence than he was made out to be.
It’s that time again! A criminal complaint against yet another Russian conspirator. Happy Friday indeed!
The woman, Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, 44, of St. Petersburg, was involved in an effort “to spread distrust toward candidates for U.S. political office and the U.S. political system,” prosecutors said.
Court documents provided a detailed look into Russian efforts to “sow division and discord” in the American political system, thanks in part to Ms. Khusyaynova, a fastidious manager and bookkeeper.
Ms. Khusyaynova managed millions of dollars for a company owned by Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch sometimes called “Putin’s chef.” He was indicted in February on charges of interfering in the 2016 presidential election. Some of the money Ms. Khusyaynova managed was spent on advertising on social media in the United States, buying internet domain names and “promoting news postings on social networks.”
The conspirators seized on divisions in American politics, prosecutors said, including immigration, guns, race relations, women and even the debate over the protests by National Football League players during the national anthem.
According to the complaint, Russia’s trolls did not limit themselves to either a liberal or conservative position, and often wrote from both viewpoints on the same issue. They developed strategies for blending in to partisan American audiences.
“If you write posts in a liberal group ... you must not use Breitbart titles,” read one message sent to the Russian group, referring to the conservative American news site. “On the contrary, if you write posts in a conservative group, do not use Washington Post or Buzz Feed’s titles.”
The group also gave suggestions, some of them racist, for reaching specific affinity groups. One member suggested keeping posts simple when they were aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups of color, writing that “colored L.G.B.T. are less sophisticated than white; therefore, complicated phrases and messages do not work.”
Framing suggestions often accompanied news stories shared by the group’s members, according to the complaint. One story, originally posted by the conservative news site World Net Daily, was titled “The 8 dirtiest scandals of Robert Mueller no one is talking about.” When instructing a group member to share the story on social media, an unnamed member of the Russian group instructed a fellow member to “emphasize that the work of this commission is damaging to the country and is aimed to declare impeachment of Trump,” according to the complaint.
Much of the social media content included in the complaint against Ms. Khusyaynova was fairly standard fodder for partisan Facebook pages. In 2017, according to the complaint, a fake Facebook account called “Bertha Malone” was used by the Russians to post an image meme falsely alleging that former President Barack Obama had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Another 2017 post, by a fake account called “Rachell Edison,” was used to post an image about the National Rifle Association. The text accompanying the image read “I think next 4 years will be great for all Americans, and for gun lovers especially!”
The conspiracy detailed in the complaint was part of broader political disruption effort known as “Project Lakhta” that began in 2014. Prosecutors said that Ms. Khusyaynova was its chief accountant, whose responsibilities were as diverse as paying salaries to renting office space. No one else was named in the conspiracy in court papers.
According to court documents, Ms. Khusyaynova oversaw project activities which included media and influence activities directed at the United States, Ukraine and the European Union.
Authorities that the Russians tried to hide what they were was doing, disguising payments as software support and development from entities controlled by Mr. Prigozhin. Affiliates of his companies used 14 bank accounts to finance “Project Lakhta.”
Prosecutors and the F.B.I. said that Ms. Khusyaynova kept detailed financial documents that listed expenses for advertising on Facebook and Instagram and “developing accounts” on Twitter.
Court documents show she wielded a hefty budget that totaled more than $35 million between January 2016 and June 2018. Between January and June 2018 alone, prosecutors said, the project’s proposed operating budget totaled more than $10 million.
it can be read here. It’s worth a read since the detail is insane.
Edited by megaeliz on Oct 19th 2018 at 8:28:09 AM
Trump says the c in country must be capitalized when talking about the US: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1053285828892463109?s=20
Disasturbator
Uh huh,he says a lot of things through twitter,they're often meaningless
New theme music also a box
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/10/19/day-638/
Day 638: Discord.
1/ The Justice Department charged a Russian national with conspiracy for her role in an "information warfare" campaign designed to interfere with the midterm elections. Elena Khusyaynova managed the finances of an operation the Justice Department identified as "Project Lakhta," which was designed "to sow discord in the U.S. political system" and interfere in the 2016 and 2018 elections. The operation was "a Russian umbrella effort funded by Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin and two companies he controls, Concord Management and Consulting LLC, and Concord Catering," the Justice Department said, which pushed arguments and misinformation online about immigration, the Confederate flag, gun control, the NFL national anthem protests, among other things. Prigozhin, known as "Putin's chef," and 12 other Russians were indicted by Robert Mueller in February on charges of interfering in the 2016 presidential election. (Washington Post / Bloomberg / New York Times / Wall Street Journal) / NBC News)
2/ Top U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies warned that they're concerned about "ongoing campaigns" by Russia, China and Iran to interfere with the midterm elections and 2020 race. The joint statement by the Justice Department, FBI, Homeland Security Department and Office of the Director of National Intelligence said there is no "evidence of a compromise or disruption of infrastructure that would enable adversaries to prevent voting, change vote counts or disrupt our ability to tally votes in the midterm elections." (Bloomberg / Washington Post)
Georgia is using amateur handwriting analysis to reject would-be voters if their signatures looks different from the signature on their voter-registration card. (Slate)
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/10/brian-kemp-voter-mismatch-georgia-stolen-election.html
In July 2017, Georgia purged 107,000 people from the voter rolls for not voting in prior elections. In total, the Georgia removed more than half a million people — 8% of Georgia's registered voters — from the voter rolls. (American Public Media)
https://www.apmreports.org/story/2018/10/19/georgia-voter-purge
A radio ad in support of an Arkansas Republican claims that white Democrats want to go back to "lynching black folk again." Rep. French Hill disavowed of the ad, which was paid for by the Black Americans for the President's Agenda political action committee. (NBC News)
3/ Republicans and conservative commentators are attempting to smear Jamal Khashoggi in order to protect Trump from criticism for his handling of the journalist's murder by Saudi Arabia. House Republicans allied with Trump have been privately sharing articles from right-wing outlets disparaging Khashoggi. Conservative commentators, meanwhile, have been making insinuations about Khashoggi's background, saying he was "tied to the Muslim Brotherhood," was a "longtime friend" of terrorists, and "not a good guy." (Washington Post)
Steven Mnuchin will take part in an anti-terror finance meeting in Saudi Arabia next week. Yesterday, the treasury secretary announced that he would not attend the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh – a separate event. The event Mnuchin plans to attend will include participation by Saudi security services who are under investigation in Khashoggi's death. (Washington Post)
4/ Trump praised Rep. Greg Gianforte for body-slamming a reporter. Gianforte pleaded guilty last year to misdemeanor assault charges related to the incident. "Any guy that can do a body slam," Trump said to during a rally in Missoula. "He's my kind of guy." (Associated Press / The Guardian / New York Times / Axios)
https://apnews.com/b154544a9a9c42ab8d77b8848313c324
poll/ 49% of Trump voters believe men face either "a great deal" or "a fair amount" of discrimination in America today – more than LGBTQ people (41%), African-Americans (38%), or women (30%). (NBC News)
poll/ 25% of Americans believe Brett Kavanaugh told the entire truth during his Senate Judiciary Committee testimony. 43% disapprove of Kavanaugh's confirmation while 35% approve. (Associated Press)
https://apnews.com/bcd192055e694f2b9365f0c321483fad
🤔 A group of witches plan to place a hex on Kavanaugh this weekend. The event is sold out. (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/15/witches-public-hexing-brett-kavanaugh
Notables.
Rod Rosenstein will sit for a transcribed interview with leaders of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees Oct. 24. The interview will be conducted under oath, but Rosenstein will not be legally compelled to answer any questions. (Politico / Roll Call / CNN)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/18/house-sets-rosenstein-interview-next-week-915043
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke tried to skirt or change department policies in order to justify taxpayer-funded trips with his wife, according to a report by the Interior's inspector general. The Interior spent $25,000 to send a security detail with Ryan and Lola Zinke when they traveled on vacation in Turkey last year. (Politico / Washington Post)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/18/zinke-wife-interior-dept-probe-914313
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to throw out a lawsuit filed accusing the government of ignoring climate change. The lawsuit claims the government violated their right to due process by failing to address carbon pollution, such as emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. (Reuters)
Can we get someone to fucking arrest the Georgia Governor Republican candidate already?
I admire the balls on Boris Vladistov or whatever Russian who wrote this. Even if its Nina Romanova.
Edited by CharlesPhipps on Oct 19th 2018 at 5:58:08 AM
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Preach it, thankfully the ACLU is suing him so hopefully this can be reversed.
I can't properly articulate how much rage this makes me feel.
On the bright side, I've gotten my voting information and polling station. I can't wait to vote against this fucker.
Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Oct 19th 2018 at 9:15:45 AM
"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
Can it be reversed in time?
So glad the court got rid of the voting rights acts provisions stopping states from doing that stuff after the states swore they wouldn't.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Queen of Good Things, Honest
I got a text from the state Democratic Party letting us know our ballots are in the mail, so I'll be voting against these f*ckers within the week.
In Colorado, we get to mail in our ballots at our leisure. Before the ballots arrive, we also get a booklet with comprehensive information on every bill and amendment on the ballot. For each bill/amendment, the booklet gives us:
- A summarized breakdown of what the bill would do.
- Comprehensive arguments both for and against the bill.
- An analysis of the economic impact that passing the bill would have.
- The complete text of the bill itself.
These come in a week prior to the ballots so that we have time to familiarize ourselves with what we're voting on. Then the ballots themselves arrive and we have a few weeks to fill them out and mail them back from the comfort of our home and with the luxury of being able to research any names on the ballot we don't recognize.
I...I did not know that other states don't do this until recently. That seems really stupid, since this is pretty much the optimal voting system. F*cking Republicans.
My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
I got my absentee ballot, filled it out and sent it yesterday. I even managed to check up on where the Ohio Supreme Court nominees stood politically, so that was helpful.
Oh God! Natural light!
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Im Minnesota or at least Ramsey County, you can't even vote early until October 30th. You have to send in an absentee ballot. (Which I did.) And if there are any bills you can vote on in Minnesota, you can't do it via the absentee ballot. Seeing as there wasn't an option to vote for that sort of thing.
Edited by kkhohoho on Oct 19th 2018 at 8:32:05 AM
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
I got my ballot a couple weeks ago. Still haven't filled it out, but I still have over a week to do so and I will.
Also, if I have to capitalize "country", can I also spell it wrong for just as arbitrary reasons? When Obama was President, the USA was a country, when Trump is President, the USA is a Cuntry.
Bernie won't stop campaigning until he's cold in the ground. He will literally die on the senate floor.
To further discussion, how are thing going electorally for y'all in your local districts? NC is trying to push through a voter ID law and lower the income tax cap, so absolutely nothing new there,
Edited by Friendperson on Oct 19th 2018 at 7:14:26 AM
Queen of Good Things, Honest
Using a derogatory insult for women to describe Trump's America feels like victim-blaming.
My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.
![[nja]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/user_ninja_2074.png "[nja]"){kind=small}
NC is apparently no longer considered a democracy. So.
Anyway, here in Minnesota's 4th District, things are actually pretty good, electorally speaking. We've still got an incumbent Democrat, and from what I can tell, the Republican has a snowball's chance in hell of winning. We've also got a good shot at getting another Democrat in the Governer's seat, though there's still a slight chance (like 1 out of 12,) we'll get a Trumpite instead. Which pretty much sums up Minnesota. By and large we're blue, but we've still got some red in the more rural parts. Unfortunately.
Edited by kkhohoho on Oct 19th 2018 at 9:24:42 AM
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
I feel like the severity and intent behind that word has died down in recent years, I've seen it used more often recently in the same context as its "male" counterpart. Mostly, it was just for the trope tie-in.
Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Oct 19th 2018 at 7:41:47 AM
Hillary is the most qualified possible Democratic candidate (excepting possibly Elizabeth Warren, who really isn't interested) and could probably win round 2 against Trump (Trump's victory required a perfect storm and still couldn't carry the popular vote; a couple of states turning on him is all she'd need).
Nominating her wouldn't be stupid, but there are other options.
