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

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#331401: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:01:53 PM

Whoever is next down the line of succession takes over, and probably will operate on a skeleton cabinet of whoever remains. Pence is still healthy and already in fine condition to take his place.

Remember that Bolsonaro and Johnson, the other heads of state to contract COVID, both eventually recovered from COVID even if they may have experienced a rollercoaster of symptoms. Thus like Tobias said, all the hysteria over whether Trump will live or not, even for the purpose of schadenfreude, is a bunch of irrelevant Epileptic Trees until whatever happens actually comes to happen. It's a waste of your energy and time.

The degree to which Trump is physically incapacitated or inconvenienced by it is less important than what he (or whoever may be puppetting his image) actually does as acting head of state.

Edited by AlleyOop on Oct 4th 2020 at 10:03:28 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#331402: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:01:59 PM

There is a chain of command, and it goes down quite far. Eventually someone isolated from Capital Hill takes the job until January.

Regarding any polling impact from the debate and Trump getting COVID, its too early to tell. In general, real impact begins to show 7-14 days after an event. Polling takes time.

Edited by Rationalinsanity on Oct 4th 2020 at 11:02:40 AM

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#331403: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:03:05 PM

Jaime Harrison’s Best Debate Weapon Against Lindsey Graham Was Lindsey Graham

During the South Carolina Senate debate between Jaime Harrison and Lindsey Graham, Harrison absolutely destroyed Lindsey Graham...by using his own words against him. Jaime also actually answered questions, while Lindsey danced around them and kept bringing up his family's bar to the point where it got annoying and redundant. Lindsey also swore he wouldn't fearmonger and then just fearmongered, and used a lot of buzz words instead of actual answers.

We'll see if it matters.

Here's the thing: nobody gives a shit about hypocrisy. Hypocrisy makes for a great "GOTCHA", but there aren't really that many voters who have "True to his word, even when it costs him our platform" as a Top Five Most Important Issues item during the election.

What voters care about is getting the things they want accomplished, accomplished. However you have to do it. Voters who care about education want to see education improved, and they aren't too concerned with the mechanism of improving it. Declaring Honor Before Reason and watching your voters' interests burn while you remain morally unimpeachable isn't actually great politics.

Republicans lie, cheat, and successfully get their agenda passed. And their voters re-elect them because they'll lie and cheat and successfully get their agenda passed. Pragmatically going back on their word to strike another win for their side of the aisle? Voters see that as a good thing, provided they're on that side.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#331404: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:07:36 PM

I'm not afraid of fair elections.

I live in Kentucky. People assume that we all support Mitch but the fact is that most people don't GET to vote in Kentucky and he actively impedes any chance of people doing so. Because he's a monster.

I believe in democracy.

I also believe Republicans don't and will destroy it if they can.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#331405: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:22:00 PM

[up][up]TBF, the Slate article notes that Graham's popularity with Republican voters has only improved.

It just notes that his ratings with Independent voters has gone down. Presumably, pointing out the hypocrisy is meant to make voters like this like Graham even less.

Edited by M84 on Oct 4th 2020 at 10:22:44 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#331406: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:37:08 PM

But remember, part of the reason he attached himself to Trump is because he was at real risk of a primary challenge due to being perceived as "too moderate" and being too willing to cross the aisle, no matter how ludicrous that seems now. South Carolina is a very polarized state, and Jaime Harrison's best bet at winning is getting strong turnout from the Democratic base, winning over Independents and peeling off a few Republicans/convincing them to stay at home.

The hypocrisy argument here could actually be valuable, because it's reminding voters, especially independents, that Lindsey Graham is not getting what they want accomplished. It's why Jaime Harrison is leaning into 'Sen. Graham was sent to Congress to help the people of South Carolina, but all he's doing is being Trump's biggest fan.' and focusing heavily on local issues.

And Trump's supporters have primaried or attacked other candidates for not being sycophantic enough, so the flip-flopper argument could be worth making over there as well. It's trying to get some of them to at least stay at home or leave the Senate column blank, which is where Lindsey Graham's base problems come into play.

Edited by nova92 on Oct 4th 2020 at 7:38:33 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#331407: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:38:52 PM

Anyone else think it might have been a mistake on Team Biden's part to take down his attack/negative ads while Trump is sick? Frankly, this isn't the time and place for chivalry. Unless there was serious evidence that Biden will be hurt electorally by keeping them, he should leave them up.

Edited by Rationalinsanity on Oct 4th 2020 at 11:50:44 AM

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#331409: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:44:07 PM

[up][up] IIRC they made the decision before Trump was revealed to have COVID, so it was probably a strategic one and not a misguided attempt at chivalry/taking the high road.

Edited by nova92 on Oct 4th 2020 at 7:44:58 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#331410: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:44:38 PM

[up][up][up]TBF, he's already becoming more popular even without said ads thanks to all this.

Edited by M84 on Oct 4th 2020 at 10:44:50 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#331411: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:44:44 PM

All studies have shown that pro-Biden ads are more effective than anti-Trump ads anyway. I don't think he's losing much by halting them for now and it earns a bit of positive PR for literally no cost.

SatoshiBakura (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#331412: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:45:37 PM

Biden doesn’t need ads to make Trump look like a dumbass.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#331413: Oct 4th 2020 at 7:51:44 PM

The Lincoln Project does attack adds better than Biden ever could.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#331415: Oct 4th 2020 at 8:09:07 PM

@Raineh Daze -

I was going to inquire about that in the LGBTQ thread, as I had seen some posts on Reddit and couldn't understand why pictures of Proud Boys were getting such a positive reception.

After the second picture I saw, I kind of clicked on the fact that a gay couple was pictured, but I was still kind of wondering if it was an Ernst Röhm kind of thing going on.

Edited by Hodor2 on Oct 4th 2020 at 10:10:23 AM

SatoshiBakura (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#331416: Oct 4th 2020 at 8:11:32 PM

Let the boys be proud. The real proud boys are gay boys.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#331417: Oct 4th 2020 at 8:18:34 PM

On another Team Biden note, if Trump does agree to do the 2nd (or more likely) 3rd debate because they claim he's recovered....Biden and everyone working that debate should demand multiple, third party negative COVID tests. Because if Trump's condition improves I could definitely see him trying to debate knowing that he's still infectious, and then call Biden out for being a coward.

And let's face it, no one in his circle would try and stop him.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Hodor2 Since: Jan, 2015
#331418: Oct 4th 2020 at 8:19:34 PM

[up][up] I mean I like the sentiment and not being gay, I can’t really argue agaInst reclaiming the term.

But after the debate, I found the positive reception of Proud Boys unsettling. Less so now that I know the context.

Edited by Hodor2 on Oct 4th 2020 at 10:20:15 AM

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#331419: Oct 4th 2020 at 8:26:30 PM

So GOP Rep. Jim Banks (R-Indiana) is criticizing Pelosi for "Victim-Blaming" Trump for his having COVID, and demanding she apologize for it.

Diseases don't fucking care about feelings. They never will - so don't compare shit like catching a communicable ailment while deliberately avoiding precautions to someone being raped or mugged. The perpetrators of the latter are making a conscious decision - a virus is not.

Edited by ironballs16 on Oct 4th 2020 at 11:41:06 AM

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#331420: Oct 4th 2020 at 8:41:41 PM

[up]"I'll apologize when he apologizes for all he's said."

Republicans would have no standards at all if not for double ones.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#331421: Oct 4th 2020 at 9:37:39 PM

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-covid-19-updates-monday/index.html

Attorney General William Barr will self-quarantine "for now" but is expected to return to work this week, according to a Justice Department spokesperson.

Well he might have it.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Oct 4th 2020 at 9:37:52 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#331422: Oct 4th 2020 at 9:42:39 PM

It really is amazing that the GOP is slowly getting their asses kicked by Covid and they still refuse to acknowledge it as a problem. From their death beds, they'll claim that it's really not that bad.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#331423: Oct 4th 2020 at 9:47:53 PM

They've already chosen this hill to die on.

...Usually that phrase isn't quite so literal.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#331424: Oct 4th 2020 at 9:48:41 PM

The fact it's the Capital Hill makes it...better or worse?

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#331425: Oct 4th 2020 at 9:50:25 PM

Speaking of, Pence is going to campaign on Trump's behalf, even though Republicans want him to stay in Washington.

The short of it is that Republicans are worried Pence will end up getting himself infected doing campaign events since it's now proven their protocols for preventing infection are inadequate, and it seems unlikely they'll enforce stricter ones.

I don't wish him ill, but my god it would be morbidly hilarious if he got sick doing the same damn thing.


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