Said it before and I'll say it again: When Republicans bitch about Trump not attacking Kamala Harris on "policy" they actually mean they wish that Kamala was 80 years old and needed special shoes to walk or she had a private email server that she "acid-washed" or Ella Emhoff smoked crack and had a seat on the board of a sketchy Ukrainian energy company despite not having any experience.
If they had that then they wouldn't give a fuck about "policy-based attacks."
It’s definitely gotten better, but we’ll see what happens when the easily bored toddlers of the wealthy media class get into October and there’s not much of a horse race to cover. The GOP-Russia axis (intentional word choice) will have some kind of October surprise worked out (granted they have to rework it now that Biden is out) and we’ll see what our media stars do with it.
True, but I’m hoping we have some other great anti-Trump October surprises, such as his campaign having hired the second “assassin,” or having made some deal with Netanyahu, etc.
The problem is that “anti-Trump October surprises” are things Trump announces on live TV daily. I think anyone who isn’t in the cult knows he’s made a deal with Netanyahu.
He gave more to Netanyahu than any other prior PotUS. Even recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. Meanwhile, he was more reliably anti-Putin than either Obama or Biden, though he may well abandon such under this term with Vance. I really do worry we would've been better off with him winning in 2020. Maybe he would've just gotten it all out of his system then. But I really hope if he loses now, this is the end. He's in dire shape, and barely coherent. Biden's the only guy he looks vigorous next to.
I think this article is onto something, even if the head and subhead seem absurdly over-stated given Trump's at 48% on Polymarket to win in November.
It seems like his lies are finally starting to catch up to him. In 2016 he could promise his healthcare plan is just around the corner, 8 years later he gets laughed at for the "concepts of a plan" line. It was similar with free IVF for everyone. It just seems obviously non-credible.
Bulwark folks who for their sins watch him all day also say he's just losing his edge. He's getting even more repetitive and illogical. That can't help.
Proving lies ( are lies ) is expensive and takes more time than inventing lies. Nothing makes a liar happier than hearing that his lie will be proven wrong. In that time he will make up and test 10 more, and then deny the proof anyway for a bonus.
This is an old fascist tactic. Don’t tell a small lie, tell a whopper. Goebbels I think, and who knows who before him.
Proving lies also forwards them. Regular people maybe never heard the lie, and the rest wonder why anybody is talking about it. ( must be something there )
Conspiracy lies are not ‘theories,’ there is nothing right about them, and the KKK and misogynists and tyrants and cult members are *not* ‘conservative.’
The best reporters have to stop saying shit like that! Not seeing it.
It’s maddening.
We can’t stop lies, we have to stop liars.
We need reasonable and broad minded and thoughtful identification of lies and liars. 3 lies and you’re out - or one Big Lie.
I wonder if a large part of this is related to the replacement of Pence with Vance. Back in '16, Pence was the respectable validator for religious conservative voters, and he also didn't draw much attention to himself. He was almost furniture while everyone gawked at the Trump Show.
Vance is a much more active and attention-grabbing member of the ticket (probably due in part to Trump's declining energy level), and he's also meaner, more mendacious ... just genuinely MAGA in a way that Pence wasn't. The problem is, he has none of Trump's charm or wit, and people are starting to see and be turned off by the ugliness of this schtick.
Vance, like trumputin, is a symptom of the racist disease that the GOP thinks it has under its control. Such control never exists and the disease will run rampant until the body politic is inoculated with the vaccine of intelligence and maturity.
The lie machine is broken but does it matter? From my perspective the GOP is pandering to young working class men not for votes but for the raw muscle they will need to enact their second coup. The GOP is now the vehicle for the will to power for people who have given up. Their only task is to create a bogus cover story, illegal immigrants voting in droves, that gives them a peg to hang the insurrection on. This explains Vance's take no prisoners style and Trump's lazy efforts to campaign. They aren't trying to win votes anymore because they have the lonely boys in their pocket.
Interesting theory. But is important when making the total calculation of power. There is a potential for destabilization when partisan coalitions are skewed in such a manner that young men, or personalities of a certain type, men susceptible to acting violently in groups, all lean to one side and are alienated from another.
That's why this is sort of a recent, healthy development:
read down to this paragraph, and look at the video-
"Our new Closing Strong episode with Rep. Maxwell Frost and others comes out this afternoon. I will share a link in the next Hopium post. In the meantime check out a clip where Tara and I discuss Joe Rogan’s unexpected, effusive praise of the Vice President: "
Love or hate Joe on the inside, but it would be good if there could be a couple rounds cordial banter/flirtation/mutual admiration between campaign, campaign surrogates and Rogan, in terms of giving some men, even with some toxicity, a "permission structure" to vote Kamala and not vote for or otherwise support Trump. I believe in catching people doing something right, and highlighting it, even if they're not usually helpful people.
But will they have the "lonely boys?" I mean, how stupid do they have to be? Where did the last batch end up but in prison? And this time, the Presidency is in Democratic hands and the National Guard will immediately be called out.
Working class young men seeking a way to valorize their lives will build on the model gun manufacturers have created for them. Thus the invisible hand of the market replaces the legitimate valorization of working class lives: the role of breadwinner with the cos play role of protector.
Some rather interesting polling out about people's expectations on who will actually WIN the presidential race, and those numbers are pronounced in favor of the Harris-Walz ticket. This in fact could well be the signaling of the end of the tRump era - of him, but NOT necessarily of tRumpism or the MAGA virus that has so infected the GOP.
At any rate, hopeful signs that an elected tRump is not only not inevitable, but no longer expected.
Your conclusion is reassuring and you call out multiple examples of smear failure. But your conclusion that the GOP Main Battle Taunt is broken doesn't have any supporting evidence except that these particular lies failed. All the pellets in a Shotgun blast don't have to hit the target in order for the target to be wounded. Or killed.
They will continue throwing stuff against the wall (3rd metaphor) and some may still stick.
After all, they have the Newspaper of Record on their side. All the New That's Fit for Trump.
2/3 of servers don't make enough to be taxed on their tips anyway.
Trump copied dropping tax on tips from elsewhere I think, and he broadened it so much it turned into a tax dodge for high-income consultants etc who will be able to hide some serious income as "tips".
Wish this were true, but the reality distortion field is keeping Trump in the race. Why? Partly because some whites believe they are losing their “proper” position in society and partly because some “Christians” believe they can force others to behave the way they want in matters of sexuality.
“You can fool some of the people some of the time, and part of the people part of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” Abraham Lincoln
Six weeks out, and you have to wonder: How can they top "THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS"?
I'm still waiting for the MSM to shift into "Concerns Arise Over Trump's Possible Cognitive Decline" mode. It could happen!
https://youtu.be/3BrCvZmSnKA?si=f9xSb7tVysXLc1no
Said it before and I'll say it again: When Republicans bitch about Trump not attacking Kamala Harris on "policy" they actually mean they wish that Kamala was 80 years old and needed special shoes to walk or she had a private email server that she "acid-washed" or Ella Emhoff smoked crack and had a seat on the board of a sketchy Ukrainian energy company despite not having any experience.
If they had that then they wouldn't give a fuck about "policy-based attacks."
BB: Well said. From your lips to the ear(s) of the god(s) of the multiverse(s).
It’s definitely gotten better, but we’ll see what happens when the easily bored toddlers of the wealthy media class get into October and there’s not much of a horse race to cover. The GOP-Russia axis (intentional word choice) will have some kind of October surprise worked out (granted they have to rework it now that Biden is out) and we’ll see what our media stars do with it.
True, but I’m hoping we have some other great anti-Trump October surprises, such as his campaign having hired the second “assassin,” or having made some deal with Netanyahu, etc.
The problem is that “anti-Trump October surprises” are things Trump announces on live TV daily. I think anyone who isn’t in the cult knows he’s made a deal with Netanyahu.
He gave more to Netanyahu than any other prior PotUS. Even recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. Meanwhile, he was more reliably anti-Putin than either Obama or Biden, though he may well abandon such under this term with Vance. I really do worry we would've been better off with him winning in 2020. Maybe he would've just gotten it all out of his system then. But I really hope if he loses now, this is the end. He's in dire shape, and barely coherent. Biden's the only guy he looks vigorous next to.
Yes, Lowry’s “Trump can win on Character” gave me a spit take and a laughing attack. It’s the clearest sign of the Times’ loss of the plot.
I think this article is onto something, even if the head and subhead seem absurdly over-stated given Trump's at 48% on Polymarket to win in November.
It seems like his lies are finally starting to catch up to him. In 2016 he could promise his healthcare plan is just around the corner, 8 years later he gets laughed at for the "concepts of a plan" line. It was similar with free IVF for everyone. It just seems obviously non-credible.
Bulwark folks who for their sins watch him all day also say he's just losing his edge. He's getting even more repetitive and illogical. That can't help.
Lies are cheap. ( it’s a profit thing )
Proving lies ( are lies ) is expensive and takes more time than inventing lies. Nothing makes a liar happier than hearing that his lie will be proven wrong. In that time he will make up and test 10 more, and then deny the proof anyway for a bonus.
This is an old fascist tactic. Don’t tell a small lie, tell a whopper. Goebbels I think, and who knows who before him.
Proving lies also forwards them. Regular people maybe never heard the lie, and the rest wonder why anybody is talking about it. ( must be something there )
Conspiracy lies are not ‘theories,’ there is nothing right about them, and the KKK and misogynists and tyrants and cult members are *not* ‘conservative.’
The best reporters have to stop saying shit like that! Not seeing it.
It’s maddening.
We can’t stop lies, we have to stop liars.
We need reasonable and broad minded and thoughtful identification of lies and liars. 3 lies and you’re out - or one Big Lie.
best luck to US — b.rad
Great post. I hope it ages well!
I wonder if a large part of this is related to the replacement of Pence with Vance. Back in '16, Pence was the respectable validator for religious conservative voters, and he also didn't draw much attention to himself. He was almost furniture while everyone gawked at the Trump Show.
Vance is a much more active and attention-grabbing member of the ticket (probably due in part to Trump's declining energy level), and he's also meaner, more mendacious ... just genuinely MAGA in a way that Pence wasn't. The problem is, he has none of Trump's charm or wit, and people are starting to see and be turned off by the ugliness of this schtick.
Vance, like trumputin, is a symptom of the racist disease that the GOP thinks it has under its control. Such control never exists and the disease will run rampant until the body politic is inoculated with the vaccine of intelligence and maturity.
I would imagine he and JD may have lost much of their credibility with swing voters after the "dining on cats" thing.
The lie machine is broken but does it matter? From my perspective the GOP is pandering to young working class men not for votes but for the raw muscle they will need to enact their second coup. The GOP is now the vehicle for the will to power for people who have given up. Their only task is to create a bogus cover story, illegal immigrants voting in droves, that gives them a peg to hang the insurrection on. This explains Vance's take no prisoners style and Trump's lazy efforts to campaign. They aren't trying to win votes anymore because they have the lonely boys in their pocket.
Interesting theory. But is important when making the total calculation of power. There is a potential for destabilization when partisan coalitions are skewed in such a manner that young men, or personalities of a certain type, men susceptible to acting violently in groups, all lean to one side and are alienated from another.
That's why this is sort of a recent, healthy development:
https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/democrats-are-a-party-of-joy-optimism?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1223483&post_id=149149613&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=v62di&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
read down to this paragraph, and look at the video-
"Our new Closing Strong episode with Rep. Maxwell Frost and others comes out this afternoon. I will share a link in the next Hopium post. In the meantime check out a clip where Tara and I discuss Joe Rogan’s unexpected, effusive praise of the Vice President: "
Love or hate Joe on the inside, but it would be good if there could be a couple rounds cordial banter/flirtation/mutual admiration between campaign, campaign surrogates and Rogan, in terms of giving some men, even with some toxicity, a "permission structure" to vote Kamala and not vote for or otherwise support Trump. I believe in catching people doing something right, and highlighting it, even if they're not usually helpful people.
But will they have the "lonely boys?" I mean, how stupid do they have to be? Where did the last batch end up but in prison? And this time, the Presidency is in Democratic hands and the National Guard will immediately be called out.
Working class young men seeking a way to valorize their lives will build on the model gun manufacturers have created for them. Thus the invisible hand of the market replaces the legitimate valorization of working class lives: the role of breadwinner with the cos play role of protector.
Some rather interesting polling out about people's expectations on who will actually WIN the presidential race, and those numbers are pronounced in favor of the Harris-Walz ticket. This in fact could well be the signaling of the end of the tRump era - of him, but NOT necessarily of tRumpism or the MAGA virus that has so infected the GOP.
At any rate, hopeful signs that an elected tRump is not only not inevitable, but no longer expected.
They lie, fabricate falsehoods, then brag about it. You want that in the White House?
Your conclusion is reassuring and you call out multiple examples of smear failure. But your conclusion that the GOP Main Battle Taunt is broken doesn't have any supporting evidence except that these particular lies failed. All the pellets in a Shotgun blast don't have to hit the target in order for the target to be wounded. Or killed.
They will continue throwing stuff against the wall (3rd metaphor) and some may still stick.
After all, they have the Newspaper of Record on their side. All the New That's Fit for Trump.
If you believe that Trump is going to exempt your tip income from taxation, I have this big,beautiful wall on the border to sell you!!
2/3 of servers don't make enough to be taxed on their tips anyway.
Trump copied dropping tax on tips from elsewhere I think, and he broadened it so much it turned into a tax dodge for high-income consultants etc who will be able to hide some serious income as "tips".
I think there is becoming a real resistance to MAGA lies and MAGA bullsh*t.
Wish this were true, but the reality distortion field is keeping Trump in the race. Why? Partly because some whites believe they are losing their “proper” position in society and partly because some “Christians” believe they can force others to behave the way they want in matters of sexuality.
“You can fool some of the people some of the time, and part of the people part of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” Abraham Lincoln