I have noted more than once the degree to which unreality has become part of our politics. Here’s a great example.
So, maybe I was in the sun too much earlier today, but I am pretty sure that Republicans have been led by a guy for the last decade who was a known adulterer, bragged that he could grab women “by the pussy,” was found guilty of fraud in the case of paying off a porn star with whom he had sex while his wife was recovering form giving birth, and has been held civily liable for sexaul assualt (and that is an incomplete list).
And perhaps the wasp stings I endured earlier today have addled my brain, but I am pretty sure that the current candidate for US Senate in Texas is being divorced by his wife on “Biblical grounds” (the Evangelical-to-English translation of which is that his wife is accusing him of sleeping around). Further, said candidate was spotted in England recently with his mistress, a Christian influencer who may have left her husband for him. Oh, and then there’s this via The Texas Tribune: Inside the child sex abuse case that resulted in Ken Paxton’s office offering a plea deal of just one day in jail.
It could be the Benadryl I took because of the wasp stings is clouding my memory, but isn’t the current SecDef on his third wife, whom he impregnated while still married to his second wife? And didn’t he let the tire out of her tires at work so he could have an excuse to drive her home? And wasn’t he accused of sexual assault, a matter of which he settled out of court? And that’s just part of his CV of seriously problematic behavior (more here, for example)
Possibly it is the distraction of the England-Norway game, but didn’t Howard Lutnick lie about being associated with Jeffrey Epstein, to include visiting his island and engaging in business with him?
Oh, but McCarthy notes that they ousted Matt Gaetz! (Actually, they didn’t. He resigned after winning re-election.)
Does the former Speaker mean this Matt Gaetz? Via The Hill: McCarthy says he’s not Speaker because ‘one person’ in Congress wanted to avoid ethics complaint.
That’s the same Matt Gaetz who was renominated and reelected twice, even after credible allegations emerged.
He was so toxic and such a GOp pariah that Trump initially nominated him to be AG before he decided to withdraw.
Well, at least Gaetz is off in the wilderness, appropriately shunned from conservative spaces!
Wait, I am being handed a note.
Gaetz has a daily show on OAN.
At the end of the day, I wish Platner had never been nominated. Moreover, I want the parties and their adherents to take seriously the significant character concerns of their candidates.
I would say that the Democrats, while not perfect in this arena, have done a far sight better than Republicans of late (see also Swalwell, Eric).
Trump, by himself, makes it impossible for the GOP to have the high ground. And yes, I remember Bill Clinton.
McCarthy is not just spinning here. He is trying to gaslight, i.e., to convince viewers that reality is not what it is. This is dangerous and erodes democracy and public trust.
