America

[Mikey Brown]

God damn he’s funny though.

[morepork]

Funny as arse cancer.

[Mikey Brown]

For some inexplicable reason I’m watching the secret service getting grilled about their failures during the would-be assassination.

Very strange all round. I can’t tell if these guys are time wasting with all their flowery, superfluous language or that’s just the only way they know how to communicate.

Not many questions receiving a direct answer of any sort. Nobody seems to be able to account for the time between the shooter being spotted and him getting a shot away.

Overall pretty dull viewing. 2/5 stars for me.

[Sandydragon]

For some inexplicable reason I’m watching the secret service getting grilled about their failures during the would-be assassination.

Very strange all round. I can’t tell if these guys are time wasting with all their flowery, superfluous language or that’s just the only way they know how to communicate.

Not many questions receiving a direct answer of any sort. Nobody seems to be able to account for the time between the shooter being spotted and him getting a shot away.

Overall pretty dull viewing. 2/5 stars for me.

Bureaucratic bullshit 1.0. In fairness these sessions are usually just the opportunity for politicians to grandstand. If I were being questioned I’d channel Humphrey Appleby as well.

[morepork]

Gun cosplay manslaughter criminal makes social media adjustment to keep revenue stream flowing from committing manslaughter. I detest these posturing armed playactors with a white hot revulsion. Fuck them, fuck them, fuck them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrlrzw5550o

[Which Tyler]

https://www.rawstory.com/news/trump-ala ... -revealed/.

"Trump praised the Georgia State Election Board, a government body overseeing its election rules," he wrote. "Trump thanked three of the Georgia State Election Board's members specifically for their efforts to change Georgia's certification rules. This is odd. Trump doesn't usually concern himself with details this in-the-weeds."

Flugrath went on to say that the Georgia State Election Board members Trump thanked and singled out were "recently appointed."

"Janice Johnston Rick Jeffares Janelle King," he wrote. "Trump called them 'pitbulls fighting for honesty, transparency, and victory.' So, what exactly are they fighting for?"

Flugrath explained, "The Trump-aligned GA election board members are working to change the state's election rules with less than 100 days until the election. They recently held a meeting, unlawfully noticed and carried out, where they advanced changes to Georgia's election certification process."

"After a lawsuit, the election board is holding another vote on some of the proposed election rule changes, on Tuesday, August 6. The new rules they're trying to pass can be used to sow doubt in the results and delay certification of the the 2024 election," according to the expert's analysis. "One proposed rule change would give authority to local election officials to slow down or refuse to certify the 2024 election results. With election deniers holding local election positions in Georgia, this should alarm us all."

[Mikey Brown]

This Walz guy appears to be a pretty smart, compassionate human. What’s the catch?

[Puja]

Slightly spoiled by him finishing with "You see what I did there," but otherwise, a good shot and something that will endear him to younger voters.

Puja

[Mikey Brown]

Slightly spoiled by him finishing with "You see what I did there,"

Puja

See, I quite liked him acknowledging the ridiculous pantomime they have to take part in. He actually seems like a real human.

It’s good for social media but the whole UFC stand-off, trash-talk element of politics is generally a bit embarrassing. Same with the “weird” thing, it’s pretty cringe at this point but seems to be doing the job.

I think both Trump and Vance might struggle with the ‘dad energy’ that he’s bringing to it.

[Puja]

Slightly spoiled by him finishing with "You see what I did there,"

Puja

See, I quite liked him acknowledging the ridiculous pantomime they have to take part in. He actually seems like a real human.

It’s good for social media but the whole UFC stand-off, trash-talk element of politics is generally a bit embarrassing. Same with the “weird” thing, it’s pretty cringe at this point but seems to be doing the job.

I think both Trump and Vance might struggle with the ‘dad energy’ that he’s bringing to it.

I think you're right on the Dad energy. He's almost aggressively normal and relatable, which is a great position to be in to attack Trump and Vance as being utter weirdos who are out of touch with American priorities. It also makes it very difficult for their attack lines of him being a "dangerous radical leftist" to stick.

At best, he might be normalising radical socialist policies like "not letting children starve" and "requiring a full time job to pay enough to live on" and "health care shouldn't bankrupt people" for the American people - if Joe Regular Dad Energy believes in them, maybe they aren't a woke communist plot to destroy America?

I am cautiously optimistic, for once.

Puja

[Son of Mathonwy]

This Walz guy appears to be a pretty smart, compassionate human. What’s the catch?

Therefore: dangerously extreme liberal

[Which Tyler]

a compassionate human.

You just defined "Woke"

[paddy no 11]

Slightly spoiled by him finishing with "You see what I did there,"

Puja

See, I quite liked him acknowledging the ridiculous pantomime they have to take part in. He actually seems like a real human.

It’s good for social media but the whole UFC stand-off, trash-talk element of politics is generally a bit embarrassing. Same with the “weird” thing, it’s pretty cringe at this point but seems to be doing the job.

I think both Trump and Vance might struggle with the ‘dad energy’ that he’s bringing to it.

I think you're right on the Dad energy. He's almost aggressively normal and relatable, which is a great position to be in to attack Trump and Vance as being utter weirdos who are out of touch with American priorities. It also makes it very difficult for their attack lines of him being a "dangerous radical leftist" to stick.

At best, he might be normalising radical socialist policies like "not letting children starve" and "requiring a full time job to pay enough to live on" and "health care shouldn't bankrupt people" for the American people - if Joe Regular Dad Energy believes in them, maybe they aren't a woke communist plot to destroy America?

I am cautiously optimistic, for once.

Puja

The normality is refreshing, maybe a lot of Americans will have this feeling. Only 90 days for reps to spin this.

[Mikey Brown]

Haven't seen one of these Trump derangement supercuts in a while. I assumed the recent Hannibal Lecter thing was a one off, but apparently he's been rambling about this for years.



On one hand it seems like he must be mixing the name up with somebody else, but he does seem to know who the character is and that it's a work of fiction. Surreal.

[morepork]

He is a broken fucking record.

[Stom]

I like this Walz guy. He just seems…normal.

[Mikey Brown]

FFS. Why did he even drop out if he had this up his sleeve the whole time.



Joe weaponising his own senility and just rolling around in the mud with the Republican shit-slingers is so fucking funny.

[Puja]

Kamala Harris now running +3% over Trump with a steady, day-by-day climb. I'm daring to be hopeful...

Puja

[Son of Mathonwy]

FFS. Why did he even drop out if he had this up his sleeve the whole time.



Joe weaponising his own senility and just rolling around in the mud with the Republican shit-slingers is so fucking funny.

Until a few months ago I would never have believed this phrase could exist.

[Which Tyler]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fox ... 51855.html

"And I heard the scientists say the other day that when a man votes for a woman, he actually transitions into a woman."

Must be annoying for all the trans women out there who spent years/decades and,10s/100s of thousands, and often sacrificing their mental health (hopefully temporarily) on the process, to now find out that all they needed to do was find a woman running for office, and vote for them.

[Son of Mathonwy]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fox ... 51855.html

"And I heard the scientists say the other day that when a man votes for a woman, he actually transitions into a woman."

Must be annoying for all the trans women out there who spent years/decades and,10s/100s of thousands, and often sacrificing their mental health (hopefully temporarily) on the process, to now find out that all they needed to do was find a woman running for office, and vote for them.

As well as being totally mad, these are obviously the words of a man who would never even consider voting for a woman.

[morepork]

FFS. Why did he even drop out if he had this up his sleeve the whole time.



Joe weaponising his own senility and just rolling around in the mud with the Republican shit-slingers is so fucking funny.

Until a few months ago I would never have believed this phrase could exist.

He has time to indulge day drinking now. He could run vital interference for the campaign by shining a laser dot in front of the Orange Pussy Cat to chase aimlessly.

[morepork]

Same with the “weird” thing, it’s pretty cringe at this point but seems to be doing the job.

It works because it's entirely about how divorced from observable reality a significant amount of "conservative" and Republican Party policy has been from observable reality, and how much of it actually not only goes against the interests of voters, but also just how fucking unhinged it is.

You've got ideological shit like:
The Supreme Court stacked with conservatives and openly corrupt grifters giving the US President total immunity from prosecution from any crime, as long as he says "nuh-uh, totally official."
Trump shouting about closing down the Department of Education.
The Ohio GOP passing a bill that allows for girls (as in FUCKING CHILDREN) to have their genitals inspected before taking part in sports.

Like, normal people don't sit around frothing at the mouth while they seethe over other people's genitals. What kind of a fucking sex freak would demand young women - minors, I remind you - to show some grown-ass adult their reproductive organs?

It also shines a light on mean-spirited Scrooge shit like ending free school lunches being a priority for their platform, defunding public libraries, or cutting infrastructure like public transit and waterworks.

How does that shit actually benefit anyone? How does it improve anyone's quality of life?

When the Republican platform and policies are then reframed and redefined as being weird, it makes the Republicans even more unattractive to voters. When you have Trump ranting about how Kamala Harris wanting everyone to have health coverage as if it's anything other than cool and good, or Nancy Mace melting down over being called out for being a racist while doing a racism on CNN, it just re-enforces that label.

You could pretty much substitute NAT/ACT/NZFIRST for REPUBLICAN here and still carry water.

[morepork]

It works because it's entirely about how divorced from observable reality a significant amount of "conservative" and Republican Party policy has been from observable reality, and how much of it actually not only goes against the interests of voters, but also just how fucking unhinged it is.

You've got ideological shit like:
The Supreme Court stacked with conservatives and openly corrupt grifters giving the US President total immunity from prosecution from any crime, as long as he says "nuh-uh, totally official."
Trump shouting about closing down the Department of Education.
The Ohio GOP passing a bill that allows for girls (as in FUCKING CHILDREN) to have their genitals inspected before taking part in sports.

Like, normal people don't sit around frothing at the mouth while they seethe over other people's genitals. What kind of a fucking sex freak would demand young women - minors, I remind you - to show some grown-ass adult their reproductive organs?

It also shines a light on mean-spirited Scrooge shit like ending free school lunches being a priority for their platform, defunding public libraries, or cutting infrastructure like public transit and waterworks.

How does that shit actually benefit anyone? How does it improve anyone's quality of life?

When the Republican platform and policies are then reframed and redefined as being weird, it makes the Republicans even more unattractive to voters. When you have Trump ranting about how Kamala Harris wanting everyone to have health coverage as if it's anything other than cool and good, or Nancy Mace melting down over being called out for being a racist while doing a racism on CNN, it just re-enforces that label.

You could pretty much substitute NAT/ACT/NZFIRST for REPUBLICAN here and still carry water.

God yes, this fucking government. Like relaxing speed limits around schools? Kids are going to fucking die. Their policies are fucking mental, and having client journalists like the useless gibbering shitgibbons at the NZ Herald or Stuff's resident tory bootlicker Andrea Vance doesn't help.

Luxor is the potato to Liz Truss’s lettuce. They are about to collapse public health. If you have a heart attack in the Hokianga, best call Taurangi Vice. Just an absolute clusterfuck that everyone but them can see coming.

You are an educator there yes? What news from the Riddermark on that front?

[morepork]

That is fucking grim. Like, Florida grim. A template based on a facsimile of US small government shit. Finishing what Roger Douglas started. Jesus Christ. I’m not liking the white washing of cultural identity at all. Again, like the US. Over the last 10 years or so of going back home it has been noticeable how much more confident the kids are in engaging Te Reo. I really hope that doesn’t get lost. What a complete mess.