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Friday’s Forum
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14 responses to “Friday’s Forum”
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I came across the discussion yesterday about “American Parties. How Do They Work?” and saw that following Stephen’s initial observation that there is no criterion for candidates in either of the two major parties* other than they call themselves a “D” or an “R”, it was primarily a discussion of James Carville, a professional pundit whose sole motivation is to say things that will get him invited onto talking heads TV shows. But I think there is something a lot more interesting about how the two parties actually work, beyond just a discussion of how our party system is not like other countries.
Because the two parties work very differently from each other, at least once you get beyond the city level. The Republican Party is basically controlled by a small group of billionaires. They fund the “think tanks” that write the actual legislation, they fund the Federalist Society that grooms and ultimately selects judges, and they provide huge sums of money to either support their preferred candidates or crush ones they don’t like. They control the institutions, like Fox News, that create the bubble their voters live in. If you want to be a State or Federal level elected Republican official or, more importantly, an aide or consultant that actually formulates Republican legislation, you have to completely toe the party line on the things that matter to the billionaires. The billionaires look for pugnacious sorts who won’t give up once given a goal, and who won’t much trouble themselves about the morality or efficacy of that goal. The patrons leave them free to do what they want on social issues, and this need for candidates and employees who can be simultaneously obsequious and belligerent attracts those whose basic nature is feudalistic, i.e. they kiss up to those they consider their betters and then look for someone inferior and weaker to kick down on. That’s how the Republican Party works.
The Democratic Party has completely different mechanisms. Sure, there are billionaires who dabble, but they have much less of an impact. The success of their candidates is much more dependent on persuading (rather than inciting) millions of individuals voters, and those voters tend to be less emotionally aligned with the party. And the candidates (and aides and legislative consultants) are significantly more likely to have actual policy goals and understand the legislation they are crafting (note that “significantly” means “a significant but still small minority”). While virtually every Republican left standing at the State or Federal level is little more than interchangeable employee of the billionaires and so can be an idiot (Tuberville, Markwayne Mullins, etc), a successful Democrat is much more likely to have legislative or governmental executive accomplishments. They are much less likely to gain their power by demonizing a social group and inciting a bunch of thugs to violence. In fact, a significant number of the votes they will need come from people who are not so much aligned with the Dems as they are repulsed by such behavior in the Repubs, and so engaging in those Republican tactics would be counterproductive. And so they must build coalitions and compromise to achieve power or keep it. That’s how the Democratic Party works.
This could be different in 10 years or 20, but that’s how things work today.
*I’m pretty sure this is also true for the Libertarians, Greens, etc
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The Park Service is now echoing Trump’s claim that a straight blade, such as a box cutter, sliced the liner and foam at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.
To say this claim is being widely mocked is an understatement. One commenter on NPR’s story has said that it’s now the Deflecting Pool, which I think is an apt descriptor.
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@Jen: It is simply mind boggling that the President of the United States goes before cameras and microphones every day and makes patently false claims, and those claims are then repeated and amplified (in a sneering manner) by his cadre of professional liars….and the media, instead of ferociously pushing back at Trump’s childish, delusional proclamations, just moves on. I have no doubt that Trump believes his own bullshit, but what’s the excuse for people like Karoline Leavitt and the odious Steven Cheung?
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@Jen:
Yet the company that installed the Reflecting Pool coating is planning to repair it under warranty. From The Hill,“These areas are a very small part of the massive 7 acre project, and do not indicate a failure of the liner,” the company said. “These repairs can not be made until the pool is drained. As soon as it is feasible for the Park, the pool will be drained and AIC will be back to make those needed repairs as part of the warranty.”
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@Eusebio: Exactly. If it was vandalism, they would not be repairing the work “as part of the warranty.” Warranties typically exclude intentional damage.
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@Jen:
OTOH, having been paid 10 times the original estimate for the job, and given how public it is, repairing the damage “under warranty” is probably a good public relations strategy. Also a good “Trump relations” strategy. -
@Jen: @Charley in Cleveland: @Eusebio: @Michael Cain:
Golly, Jesse Watters on Fox is blaming the Democrats, because they hate patriots and patriotism.
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@CSK: Well, if anyone knows about sabotage, it’s Jesse Watters. Isn’t he the one who deflated a coworker’s car tires so she would have to ask him for a ride home? (He was married to someone else at the time, that story is just so, so ick.)
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@Jen:
The Park Service is now echoing Trump’s claim that a straight blade, such as a box cutter, sliced the liner and foam at the bottom of the Reflecting Pool.
To say this claim is being widely mocked is an understatement. One commenter on NPR’s story has said that it’s now the Deflecting Pool, which I think is an apt descriptor.
Here we are – 10 years into Trump’s open sewer of lies and disinformation – and it amazes me that ‘the Media’ STILL treats his obvious lies with the presumption that he MIGHT be telling the truth.
Yeah, we know why, ‘the Media’ fears Trump, fears accusations of so-called ‘media bias’ and fears lawsuits.
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I forget when the 60 day ceasefire was declared. How long did it last?
Perhaps El Taco is looking for a way to unsurrender?
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@CSK:
So, not quite two weeks. Sounds about right for this regime.
A little bit of history: the Marshall plan disbursed between $120 and $150 billion adjusted for inflation. El Taco is proposing paying Iran double that amount. More, if we count the frozen assets to be unfrozen.
This is indeed the greatest victory ever, for Iran.
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