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Nov 2023 Mod notice:


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In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.

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

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#342451: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:06:58 AM

There's more than a little evidence she planned to divorce Trump before his Presidency and ended up doing otherwise because of the hassle.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#342452: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:06:58 AM

Melania said "Fuck Christmas" once on tape.

This is one of those things where I think people need to stop going out of their way to find things to be offended about when there are plenty of things the Trump Administration have done that actually warrant outrage. Melania said "Fuck Christmas"? Well. Um. Hot take: Fuck Christmas.

I'm sorry, I did not realize that the left was the Party of Fundamentalist Christians fiercely embroiled in the War on Christmas to defend our precious Christian holiday from Republican atheists and Pagans and their "Happy Holidays" rhetoric. I was not informed that we had switched sides on the issue of Holy Absolute Reverence Towards Christmas. I guess that's my bad.

The Trump Administration has been guilty of countless actual atrocities. Being offended by insufficient Christmas spirit has always struck me as looking for something to fight about during a slow news week.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Dec 8th 2020 at 7:09:14 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#342453: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:09:16 AM

Tobias, I hate to inform you this, but we actually don't dislike Christmas.

That's a Republican lie.

I KNOW, RIGHT!

:)

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Dec 8th 2020 at 7:09:26 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#342454: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:09:53 AM

[up][up] It was more about the hypocrisy of it, than anything, but yeah, wasn't really that big of an issue and got blown way out of proportion.


Reposting because it got caught up in the bottom of the last page.

Okay, found the Ted Cruz lawsuit. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA16) filed a lawsuit asking for 2.5 million mail-in-ballots cast in Pennsylvania to be thrown out. Removing those votes could put Trump in the lead. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has already tossed the case out, and the Supreme Court will decide today if they're going to hear it. USA Today

Ted Cruz has offered to present the case if the Supreme Court takes it up.

(BTW Biden wins even without Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.)

Edited by nova92 on Dec 8th 2020 at 7:22:05 AM

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#342455: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:20:14 AM

Tobias, I hate to inform you this, but we actually don't dislike Christmas.

That's a Republican lie.

I KNOW, RIGHT!

:)

Maybe you don't. But that's the point: the left doesn't actually have a position on Christmas. We are not required to be a specific faith. We aren't pushing for Christian supremacy. We are not demanding that all liberals accept Jesus as their one true savior. We are not trying to abolish science classes or push kids into private Christian schools or enshrine the Ten Commandments in our courtrooms.

As with all majority demographics in the U.S. (white, male, heterosexual, etc.), the idea that Americans must all forsake their beliefs and bow in subservience to the one true faith and swear themselves to Jesus is a Republican value. Not all Christians are Republicans, but Republicans are the party of Christian supremacy. Same way not all whites are Republicans, but Republicans are the party of white supremacy.

The left is a diverse coalition of faiths, ethnicities, sexualities, and belief systems. And it hurts that coalition when leftists start getting bent out of shape about "That Republican DARED to besmirch the one true savior Jesus Christ!!! THIS IS AN ISSUE ON PAR WITH MEXICAN CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND STOCHASTIC TERRORISM!!!"

Melania Trump said "Fuck Christmas". And. Well. Fuck Christmas. As a leftist, this isn't a hill I'm willing to die on. She is entitled to her own opinion about the precious Christian holiday. If she isn't, then maybe the Democrats aren't the safe harbor for atheists and pagans that I thought it was.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Dec 8th 2020 at 7:23:36 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#342456: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:24:20 AM

[up] AFAIK, no one really did that though? The most I saw was, "hey, wonder if conservatives will condemn this the way they attack people for saying 'Happy Holidays' - no? well, they're hypocrites as always."


Washington Post: Today Virginia enacts Breonna's Law, which bans no-knock warrants. It's the third state to do so, after Oregon and Florida.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#342457: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:26:13 AM

Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania saying they exploited the pandemic to make unconstitutional changes to their state's election laws.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today filed a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in the United States Supreme Court. The four states exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to justify ignoring federal and state election laws and unlawfully enacting last-minute changes, thus skewing the results of the 2020 General Election. The battleground states flooded their people with unlawful ballot applications and ballots while ignoring statutory requirements as to how they were received, evaluated and counted.

“Trust in the integrity of our election processes is sacrosanct and binds our citizenry and the States in this Union together. Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin destroyed that trust and compromised the security and integrity of the 2020 election. The states violated statutes enacted by their duly elected legislatures, thereby violating the Constitution. By ignoring both state and federal law, these states have not only tainted the integrity of their own citizens’ vote, but of Texas and every other state that held lawful elections,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Their failure to abide by the rule of law casts a dark shadow of doubt over the outcome of the entire election. We now ask that the Supreme Court step in to correct this egregious error.”

Elections for federal office must comport with federal constitutional standards. For presidential elections, each state must appoint its electors to the electoral college in a manner that complies with the Constitution. The Electors Clause requirement that only state legislatures may set the rules governing the appointment of electors and elections and cannot be delegated to local officials. The majority of the rushed decisions, made by local officials, were not approved by the state legislatures, thereby circumventing the Constitution.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#342458: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:32:13 AM

Well I support Christmas because holidays are a distraction from our inevitable doom.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#342459: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:32:59 AM

As a Jew, I have to agree, fuck Christmas. I hate this time of year, it feels like I can't go anywhere or look at anything without that holiday I don't celebrate being shoved in my face like propaganda.

I legit watch Nightmare Before Christmas as a power fantasy because I too wish that I could ruin Christmas for everyone that celebrates it. Not, like, permanently or in a dangerous way, I just wish everyone celebrating Christmas was miserable, even if just for one year.

EDIT: Obviously, the pandemic is way beyond the pale, I was imagining more of a Nightmare Before Christmas scenario, where a bunch of presents are terrible and the holiday is disrupted somewhat.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Dec 8th 2020 at 8:57:44 AM

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#342460: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:36:33 AM

AFAIK, no one really did that though? The most I saw was, "hey, wonder if conservatives will condemn this the way they attack people for saying 'Happy Holidays' - no? well, they're hypocrites as always."

Hypocrisy is a double-edged sword. One of many reasons it's a poor political argument.

  • Democrats: Republicans said we shouldn't appoint a SCOTUS Justice in a President's final term but then SUDDENLY IT'S OKAY when it's their President.
  • Republicans: Democrats said it was fine to appoint a SCOTUS Justice in a President's final term but then SUDDENLY IT'S A PROBLEM when it's our President.
  • Both: Man, what TOTAL HYPOCRITES the other party is, amirite?! They just pick and choose what to believe based on scoring political points!

Any time you condemn Republicans for having one opinion here but the opposite there, Republicans are condemning us for having the opposite opinion here but the one opinion there. There are only two sides; you cannot go after them for switching positions without, yourself, switching positions. Attacking Republicans for hypocrisy requires a gesture of hypocrisy. As such, claims of hypocrisy have no political value.

That's the problem. Melania expressed frustrations about the decorating she has to do for Christmas and it wasn't the Republicans attacking her for being insufficiently Christian. It was the Democrats. And if Melania just venting frustration about Christmas means she isn't Christian enough for Democrats, then me and mine definitely aren't.

You're trying to dunk on the Trump Administration, but you're hitting other members of the coalition instead.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Dec 8th 2020 at 7:37:13 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#342461: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:36:44 AM

I just never really liked most of the "traditional" Christmas food and beverages. It's also not really a holiday where it's appropriate to get drunk, unlike say, New Year's Eve.

It's also a holiday where you're expected to wake up early.

Edited by M84 on Dec 8th 2020 at 11:38:37 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
Mullon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
#342462: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:38:17 AM

Does the Paxton lawsuit have any real legs?

Never trust anyone who uses "degenerate" as an insult.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#342463: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:38:52 AM

To clarify: Republicans are not bad because they pragmatically shift positions or change tactics in order to achieve their goals. Republicans are bad because their goals are horrific crimes against humanity and must be opposed.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#342464: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:39:23 AM

[up][up]No.

Disgusted, but not surprised
PointMaid Since: Jun, 2014
#342465: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:40:10 AM

Re: the Texas AG suit

...Is a state AG from another state even a valid plaintiff to sue for this kind of thing? I would question whether they have standing. As opposed to, you know, voters in the actual state.

Normally, I would say that an AG of any state should have enough legal knowledge to know that better than I do, who has never been to law school (although I have a lot of family in the profession). Given how things stand, though, I won't say that categorically. tongue

[Also, as a cultural Jew/Atheist, yeah, I also don't appreciate it being foisted upon us involuntarily tongue ]

Edited by PointMaid on Dec 8th 2020 at 10:51:49 AM

Mullon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
#342466: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:40:27 AM

Well that's a relief.

Never trust anyone who uses "degenerate" as an insult.
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#342467: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:42:54 AM

I just wish everyone celebrating Christmas was miserable, even if just for one year.

We are still in a nation-wide pandemic that prevents people from seeing their families when they usually would, e.g. during the holiday season like the one we are in, lest they risk becoming deathly ill, perhaps literally, as well as still in the year two-thousand and twenty Anno Domini, so uh, wish granted. Feel a bit better now?

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Dec 8th 2020 at 10:45:56 AM

i'm tired, my friend
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#342468: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:45:03 AM

That's the problem. Melania expressed frustrations about the decorating she has to do for Christmas and it wasn't the Republicans attacking her for being insufficiently Christian. It was the Democrats. And if Melania just venting frustration about Christmas means she isn't Christian enough for Democrats, then me and mine definitely aren't.

But I'm saying that Democrats weren't attacking Melania Trump for being insufficiently Christian or for disrespecting Christmas (again, AFAIK). They were saying that conservative outlets' silence on the issue was saying that no, it wasn't actually about defending Christmas from liberal attacks or whatever.


Republicans are not bad because they pragmatically shift positions or change tactics in order to achieve their goals.

I disagree here, because the methods Republicans use to achieve their goals are bad in and of themselves. (Edit: and I don't think you can necessarily make a distinction between 'goals' and 'methods')

Edited by nova92 on Dec 8th 2020 at 7:51:58 AM

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#342469: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:46:07 AM

The Democrats need to avoid the image of insincerely pious hectoring. We really don't need to insist on religious consistency. It's stupid, and it never really mattered in the first place. It was always a shibboleth to get at liberals, nothing more. I get that we're trying to reclaim ground ceded to the Republicans in religious communities, but complaining about disrespecting Christmas is exactly the kind of idiotic nothingburger that the GOP's culture warriors engage in. Plus, I don't want to see a portion of the atheists get driven back into the Libertarian Party.

Edited by CrimsonZephyr on Dec 8th 2020 at 10:47:19 AM

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#342470: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:47:24 AM

Didn't she also basically say "fuck them kids"? I thought that was the part that stuck out to people.

i'm tired, my friend
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#342471: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:48:55 AM

@Physical Stamina Obviously, I don't want those people to really be miserable, and a pandemic is way beyond what I would ever wish on another person, but at least I'm staying home a lot more and seeing a lot fewer Christmas ads as a result.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Dec 8th 2020 at 9:04:20 AM

DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#342472: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:50:46 AM

Am I missing something or what's up with the Grinch-posting right now?

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#342473: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:51:55 AM

Melania Trump said fuck Christmas and it's that time of year.

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Dec 8th 2020 at 8:54:15 AM

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#342474: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:54:10 AM

[up][up]TL;DR, Arizona Man Tired of Hearing About Holiday He Doesn't Celebrate, Wants Those Who Celebrate to Be Miserable

I'll reserve my thoughts on the matter; I'm risking a thump as is.

i'm tired, my friend
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#342475: Dec 8th 2020 at 7:55:08 AM

Cries of hypocrisy would be more valid if it was Trump himself saying "Fuck Christmas", since he's the one who throws red meat to the base about how "WE'RE GONNA GET PEOPLE TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN".

Edited by speedyboris on Dec 8th 2020 at 7:57:51 AM


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