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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#341351: Nov 27th 2020 at 4:37:53 AM

Montana elected a Republican Governor for the first time in 16 years this November. You might remember Governor-elect Greg Gianforte for assaulting a reporter the day before a special House election in 2017.

He's awful, especially on the environment. Worse is that his election gives Montana Republicans a trifecta, enabling them to pass conservative legislation that has been blocked by Governor Steve Bullock. NPR The Guardian

The governor-elect is known for his fundamentalist Christain faith, his support of school choice policies and restricted access to abortion. Even as COVID-19 ravages the state, the pandemic was not a campaign priority.
Gianforte has also said he would allow for concealed carry of guns without a permit. He ran on his success as a businessman, saying he would bring a "customer service" environment to state agencies. He's pledged to reduce taxes and slash regulations for industry.
The governor, former software developer Greg Gianforte, has in the past sought to strip protections from 700,000 acres of wilderness, and his conservative "Montana Comeback Plan" election platform promises to "streamline" permitting processes to increase logging, coalmining, and oil and gas production.
A proposal formulated with Montana Senator Steve Daines would have stripped protections from more than a half-million acres of Wilderness Study Areas. If the move had been successful, it would have been the single biggest rollback of protected lands in Montana history.
This year, Gianforte introduced a federal bill that would have amended the US Endangered Species Act and delisted the grizzly bear. He also pledged to "review, roll back and repeal" regulations on extractive industries that he deems excessive or unnecessary, and is a proponent of exporting Montana coal and undoing emissions limits on power plants.

clemont107 Carmine at the Beach from A Vacation in Paldea (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Carmine at the Beach
#341352: Nov 27th 2020 at 4:52:37 AM

[up]As unfortunate as it is, it's not surprising. A lot of people in Montana support anyone with an "(R)" next to their name just because of the "(R)".

"Paldea has a lot of different Pokemon from those in Kitakami." - Carmine
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#341353: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:06:33 AM

[up] Montana has elected multiple statewide Democrats in the recent years, though, which is what makes it more disappointing.

Mullon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
#341354: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:20:31 AM

I could use some Schadenfreude news, has Giuliani held any press conferences in front of something stupid again?

Never trust anyone who uses "degenerate" as an insult.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#341355: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:41:30 AM

I found this:

Donald Trump spent Thanksgiving night railing against Section 230 on Twitter as the #DiaperDon hashtag went viral

https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-calls-end-section-230-diaperdon-goes-viral-twitter-2020-11

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#341356: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:46:20 AM

Yeah, I've been telling you guys Trump is not going to allow that particular humiliation to happen. He is just going to get in his car and leave. Probably to Maralago for a round of golf during the inauguration.

Optimism is a duty.
Ayasugi Since: Oct, 2010
#341357: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:49:56 AM

Currently my money is on him going to Mar-a-lago for a long weekend before the inauguration and just never coming back. But probably also tweeting out that the White House has no authority anymore and his current residence is the true White House.

Wildcard Since: Jun, 2012
#341358: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:50:10 AM

Unforutnately, I'd like to see Republicans rail against "Police Brutality" when a slight show of force happens to their supply side Jesus.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#341359: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:51:16 AM

He's basically Eric Cartman going "screw you guys I'm going home".

[up][up][up]I doubt any of us really thought Trump had the guts to risk bodily harm that way.

Edited by M84 on Nov 27th 2020 at 9:52:13 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
clemont107 Carmine at the Beach from A Vacation in Paldea (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Carmine at the Beach
#341360: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:52:33 AM

[up]Hey, as much of a Jerkass Cartman was, at least he still loved his mom.

"Paldea has a lot of different Pokemon from those in Kitakami." - Carmine
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#341361: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:54:18 AM

Except Cartman also has no issue abusing and manipulating her. It's a very selfish and entitled "love".

Disgusted, but not surprised
Wildcard Since: Jun, 2012
#341362: Nov 27th 2020 at 5:59:49 AM

Just like Donald Trump's "Love" for his entire family!

Edited by Wildcard on Nov 27th 2020 at 9:00:04 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#341363: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:01:36 AM

Eric Cartman might be one of the few characters where a comparison to Trump wouldn't be an Insult to Rocks.

Seriously, Eric Cartman's a monster.

Edited by M84 on Nov 27th 2020 at 10:01:56 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
clemont107 Carmine at the Beach from A Vacation in Paldea (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Carmine at the Beach
#341364: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:11:27 AM

[up]If I recall correctly Donnie's campaign team photoshopped his own head onto Thanos in the Avengers: Endgame scene where he loses, so that is a better example of Insult to Rocks.

Are there any villains besides Cartman where a comparison between them and Donnie wouldn't be an Insult to Rocks? The only ones I could come up with are Scar from The Lion King and Joffrey from Game of Thrones.

Edited by clemont107 on Nov 27th 2020 at 9:26:40 AM

"Paldea has a lot of different Pokemon from those in Kitakami." - Carmine
Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#341365: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:17:20 AM

Lord Vauthry from Final Fantasy XIV (who is too spot-on for Trump to be anything but deliberate) comes to mind

Gargantuan Narcissistic Manchild who somehow manages to cultivate an entire Cult of Personality out of one of the few remaining bastions of civilization, and ruthlessly exploits those very people (and there's more, but, eh, spoilers)

Edited by Reflextion on Nov 27th 2020 at 9:19:11 AM

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#341366: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:18:38 AM

It's absolutely deliberate, at least in the English localization. One NPC mentions she had a strange dream where everything in Eulmore was suddenly gold-plated, and wonders what it means.

It's been fun.
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#341367: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:19:58 AM

The Republicans seem to have a weird thing about comparing themselves to villains. The Death Star, Thanos...

Optimism is a duty.
clemont107 Carmine at the Beach from A Vacation in Paldea (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Carmine at the Beach
#341368: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:28:53 AM

[up]Most of the villains they associated with would actually be disgusted if they found out they were being compared to the IMPOTUS.

"Paldea has a lot of different Pokemon from those in Kitakami." - Carmine
Blueace Surrounded by weirdoes from The End Of the World Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Surrounded by weirdoes
#341369: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:28:55 AM

The thing is those are actually competent, sympathetic, charismatic and/or threatening. Tend to get blown up by the curtain call.

Edited by Blueace on Nov 27th 2020 at 11:29:18 AM

Wake me up at your own risk.
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#341370: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:38:18 AM

CNN: A dark money mystery in Florida centers on the campaign of a spoiler candidate who appeared to help a Republican win by 32 votes

A situation is unfolding in Florida where it appears (though not all the facts of the case are out yet) that Republicans ran a few non-partisan/independent candidates in state legislative races specifically to take votes away from Democrats, and funded their campaigns using dark money funneled through newly created PACs.

It's not unheard of for both Democrats and Republicans to boost third party candidates or polarizing figures in primaries to increase their own chances of winning, but the scale of the deception going on here seems to be much greater than anything I've seen before.

A month before Election Day in Florida a mysterious company called Proclivity, Inc. contributed $550,000 to a pair of newly formed political action committees in the state.

Two days later, the money flowed from the PACs to an Orlando-area print and advertising firm.

Shortly thereafter, came a torrent of nearly identical political fliers seemingly intended to siphon away support from Democratic candidates by tricking voters into casting their ballots for purported spoiler candidates who demonstrated no real interest in getting elected. None, for example, engaged in typical campaigning activities or raised significant funds.

In one case, the mailers appear to have helped a Republican - a co-founder of Latinas For Trump - unseat the Democratic incumbent in a state Senate race by a razor-thin margin of just 32 votes.

Edited by nova92 on Nov 27th 2020 at 6:40:02 AM

clemont107 Carmine at the Beach from A Vacation in Paldea (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Carmine at the Beach
#341371: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:42:10 AM

[up]So I guess they are following McConnell with these underhanded tricks. Maybe it's time Dems start doing the same?

"Paldea has a lot of different Pokemon from those in Kitakami." - Carmine
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#341372: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:44:22 AM

It's generally agreed upon, I believe, that that's a bad idea since it encourages the kind of bothsiderism that tends to help Republicans and also hurts the image Democrats try to maintain of not being the underhanded party.

Edited by sgamer82 on Nov 27th 2020 at 6:44:35 AM

nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#341373: Nov 27th 2020 at 6:49:51 AM

According to the article, the reason this worked in Florida is because they have fairly lax campaign finance laws. Although, they also note that one of the candidates is currently being investigated, so there's that.

Lesser versions of this tactic have been deployed by both Democrats and Republicans. This year, Montana Republicans tried to get a Green Party candidate on the Senate ballot to take away votes from Bullock, Jaime Harrison in South Carolina ran ads touting the Libertarian candidate as the "true conservative". In Kansas this year and Missouri in 2018, Democrats ran ads to boost the worse/more polarizing candidate in the primary, hoping to face someone weaker in the general.

What surprised me is the thoroughness of their plan, everything from a fake candidate to difficult-to-trace sources of money.

Edited by nova92 on Nov 27th 2020 at 6:50:35 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from Second Star to the left (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Disasturbator
#341374: Nov 27th 2020 at 7:02:58 AM

> Maybe it's time Dems start doing the same?

Then the Democrats would be no better then the Republicans,is that what you what,for them to sink to same depths as their opponents?

New theme music also a box
clemont107 Carmine at the Beach from A Vacation in Paldea (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Carmine at the Beach
#341375: Nov 27th 2020 at 7:06:06 AM

[up]No. But the Dems need to be more effective with their strategies and messaging than, let's say, Chuck Schumer-level.

"Paldea has a lot of different Pokemon from those in Kitakami." - Carmine

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