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BonsaiForest a collection of small trees from the woods (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Tongue-tied
a collection of small trees
#340551: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:21:26 PM

National Review seems really frustrated at what a minority they are among conservatives. Conservatives like them are learning the hard way that most conservatives are driven by grievance and pettiness than anything else, and have a "win at all costs" or "screw over my opponent even if it's bad for me/the country" mentality. It must really suck to be a non-Trump conservative.

I'm up for joining Discord servers! PM me if you know any good ones!
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#340552: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:23:45 PM

There's a handful of moderate/rational republicans left in office, but they're mostly in blue states and not nearly enough to have much of an influence on the party at a national level. In fact, if you were particularly cynical, you could say that one of the main reasons they can afford to remain national is that they know that they won't suffer electoral consequences for doing so, and in fact will benefit.

thok That's Dr. Title, thank you! (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Non-Canon
That's Dr. Title, thank you!
#340553: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:24:46 PM

Per CNN, Trump's lawsuit in Pennsylvania has been thrown out.

From Judge Brann's reasoning for throwing out the case:

Brann called the legal reasoning behind the Trump campaign's Equal Protection claim "Frankenstein's Monster." "The answer to invalidated ballots is not to invalidate millions more," Brann wrote.

Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#340554: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:28:02 PM

They really need to start fining and/or sanctioning these lawyers for continuing to file all these frivolous suits after they've already been shut down so many times

Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#340555: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:38:43 PM

The problem is rationale Republicans don't exist. They may not believe Trump won all 50 states and that fascism is correct but they certainly aren't standing in the way of the people who do.

This arguably makes them worse.

Except California, they just want that state removed from voting.

Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#340556: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:38:47 PM

[up][up] Hello, friend.

Edited by Hodor2 on Nov 21st 2020 at 8:39:11 AM

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#340557: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:39:23 PM

As far as the whole Civil War thing goes: anecdotally, I can pretty much directly trace a lot of my political positions to the fact that "the Confederacy were racist bad guys" was my childhood understanding of the Civil War once I knew about it.

So I'm certainly inclined to buy the connection existing in the other direction.

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#340558: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:49:01 PM

In general a problem with republican is that polarization have got them into what I call political war mentality: every movement cared, everything to get and stay in power because for them the country demand they got in power, that is the real reason trump can mantain is numbers.

I tell ypu this because my country have suffer from polarization and it took nearly 15 years and the total crippling of the economy for people finally see maduro bullshit, the republican can count of votes as long they mantain the narrative, problem is they cant deviate from them even if better choice.

Right now they are hitting a wall with their face and their only course is keep hitting expecting somehw the wall will crack.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#340559: Nov 21st 2020 at 6:57:08 PM

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/qanon-ron-watkins-8kun-trump-election-1090151/

Q is back but broken. There's some question he's been bought for 1 million dollars (the cost of his IP address and account on the Dark Web according to Rolling Stone) and is being used to deflate Trumpism.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#340560: Nov 21st 2020 at 7:01:03 PM

It was never realistic to expect Q would die off with trump losing the election. Because this movement doesn't care about the truth, only fulfilling whatever emotional needs these people have that require believing in something like Q. Some people will be disillusioned but Q will live on for a while still.

Edited by Draghinazzo on Nov 21st 2020 at 12:01:18 PM

Blueace Surrounded by weirdoes from The End Of the World Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Surrounded by weirdoes
#340562: Nov 21st 2020 at 7:04:10 PM

There are possibilities two of those being true.

Wake me up at your own risk.
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#340563: Nov 21st 2020 at 7:04:47 PM

More than trump was cheated by the deep states, while Q never die they need a messhiah and trump have just fail in the job.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#340564: Nov 21st 2020 at 7:10:43 PM

There are possibilities two of those being true.

So no, then?

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#340566: Nov 21st 2020 at 7:37:31 PM

Nothing from a major source yet, but an interesting wrinkle in the Georgia runoffs is starting to be reported: Kelly Loeffler is going into quarantine following inconclusive tests for COVID-19.

https://www.cbs46.com/news/senator-kelly-loeffler-quarantines-following-inconclusive-covid-19-tests/article_3685fd40-2c6f-11eb-a332-af13fb5ad9d3.html?block_id=994626

Edited by sgamer82 on Nov 21st 2020 at 7:39:36 AM

clemont107 Cynthia at the Beach from Sinnoh (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Cynthia at the Beach
#340567: Nov 21st 2020 at 7:39:43 PM

[up]Maybe she'll stop referring to the virus as a hoax.

[down]Edit: thanks for the clarification.

Edited by clemont107 on Nov 21st 2020 at 10:47:24 AM

"My swimsuit fits me well, right?" - Cynthia
Parable State of Mind from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Holding out for a hero
State of Mind
#340568: Nov 21st 2020 at 7:40:24 PM

She.

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#340569: Nov 21st 2020 at 8:30:19 PM

So one thing I've been worrying about more and more lately: what happens if Republicans in Congress try to prevent it from certifying the results once everything else is over and done with?

I haven't heard much about this, which makes me think it's not likely to be an issue, but between the fact that most Congressional Republicans are still keeping silent and the fact that the date to do this is one day after the Georgia runoffs that are factoring so heavily into their thinking both seem concerning.

Shaoken Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Dating Catwoman
#340570: Nov 21st 2020 at 8:37:35 PM

It's a joint session of congress, so Democrats would still hold a majority in the event every Republican decided to lose their minds and pull off a coup in the middle of Washington DC for a man who hates their guts and has already lost.

Like, it's not worth worrying about since all of this relies on people being suicidaly loyal to Trump.

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#340571: Nov 21st 2020 at 9:07:34 PM

I guess my bigger concern is, the process is going to inevitably back Congressional Republicans into a corner where they can't continue their current silence about Trump having lost, and I'm not sure why people are automatically assuming they'll back down when that happens. It's been clear for about this whole week at least that his lawsuits are totally hopeless, and yet, almost nothing has changed.

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#340572: Nov 21st 2020 at 9:08:38 PM

To be fair, there isn't that much more that can be done about Trump, as he's already a lame duck.

"Any campaign world where an orc samurai can leap off a landcruiser to fight a herd of Bulbasaurs will always have my vote of confidence"
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#340573: Nov 21st 2020 at 9:18:00 PM

[up]Who is this addressed to? I'm talking about the Congressional Republicans (including by my count something like 4/5ths of the Senate) who haven't acknowledged that he lost. Just doing that would be a big reassurance, but they haven't, and the longer they hold out on it the less convinced I am that they'll automatically do their job once the electors arrive for Congressional certification.

I don't think it's a move they particularly want to make, but I also think the hope they probably have of Trump himself giving up so they don't have to openly defy him is completely delusional. He's never going to acknowledge he lost.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#340574: Nov 21st 2020 at 9:41:19 PM

Thankfully, the Electors are chosen by party not state government.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#340575: Nov 21st 2020 at 10:42:34 PM

But I'm not talking about electors being selected. What I'm saying is this: Once the electors are selected, they vote on December 14. On January 6 a joint session of Congress is supposed to certify the results of that vote. And from what I can see, it seems like it's ridiculously easy for Republicans to throw a monkey wrench into that certification - all it takes is a joint objection by one representative and one senator.

At which point I'm not sure what happens. The two chambers are supposed to try to work out a way to resolve the issue, but I don't know how that works, or whether it'd be possible since the issue would just be Republicans refusing to admit Trump lost. I think if this goes on until Inauguration Day, the Speaker of the House becomes acting president - which would obviously make this an unlikely move for Republicans to try - but I'm not 100 percent sure, and it's obviously kind of a big constitutional crisis anyway.

And like I said, I find this all the more concerning because it's a day after the Georgia runoffs that Congressional Republicans might wind up believing vindicated the way they've been acting so far. So what I'm trying to get answers for is what reason there is to assume this won't happen apart from thinking that Republicans in Congress will finally admit Trump lost once the hard deadlines start arriving.


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