this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2024
432 points (98.6% liked)

United States | News & Politics

1917 readers
339 users here now

Welcome to !usa@midwest.social, where you can share and converse about the different things happening all over/about the United States.

If you’re interested in participating, please subscribe.

Rules

Be respectful and civil. No racism/bigotry/hateful speech.

Post anything related to the United States.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
all 41 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] dogsnest@lemmy.world 78 points 2 months ago (3 children)
[–] tigeruppercut@lemmy.zip 36 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I'm cautiously hopeful that this all signals a fundamental shift in politics. The Reagan (or perhaps even starting with Nixon) policies that blatantly began saying fuck you to the non-wealthy led inevitably to Trump, a grifting narcissist incapable of telling the truth. The grifts and lies were always part and parcel of the GOP, but eventually when you deny reality hard enough you're going to end up with a "strong" man cult.

Democracy doesn't always survive that (and it may not yet), but the cult puts on full display, with no room to hide (except to the cultists themselves), how absolutely insane the policies are. The point where the low-info voters and normal people couldn't ignore things anymore was Roe going down, and the insanity following that out of SCOTUS like making the president a king doesn't help their image.

Now add in the Harris campaign getting support from even nodding toward more left policies, and theoretically this signals that centrist positions are no longer what carries elections. I have no delusions that this will get us even in the realm of Bernie, but the GQP is the broken party at the moment. The cult will only accept the most extreme of christofascists, yet the "normal" repub voters have seen that those policies end up in the Handmaid's Tale (or at least about half of them are rightfully worried about that).

The orange one put the full weirdness of the party on display, and there's no going back. Lindsey Graham is a grifter but not an idiot, and he was prescient when he said "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed... and we will deserve it."

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 4 points 2 months ago

I've been thinking and wondering a lot of the same things. I do seriously wonder what will happen to the GOP after Trump's demise (whether that's his death or just he stops being able to command a following) will they just start running more normal politicians that kind of echo trump but aren't completely disconnected from reality and will that be successful? Will they try to pivot to more sane people who run on a more 1980s style platform? If the GOP fails is it because of Trump or is it because they've been on the wrong side of history for too long and their base is simply dying out?

[–] silkroadtraveler 2 points 2 months ago

I wish I could believe this but too many of my family and friends have allowed themselves to be so badly propagandized by Fox and the like that they refuse to even consider voting for anyone but the christofascist death cult. They willingly suspend disbelief for their mindless satisfaction of “but I will never vote to be like California”, “socialism is evil”, etc. I believe they are irredeemable. Maybe I’m a bit too George Carlin nihilistic to think we survive this…or it allows me to cope.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago

Donny, how are you going to handle the situation with those tiny hands?

[–] xantoxis@lemmy.world 58 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

The creator of the Lincoln Project is George Conway, (former) husband of Kellyanne Conway. (She famously was Trump's senior counselor. If you follow politics at all, you'll recognize her.) His daughter, Claudia Conway, briefly got famous for hating her Republican parents, although apparently she hates her mom a little bit more. Anyway, all I'm saying is it's fine to laugh about this, maybe even cheer them on a little, but never trust them.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago (1 children)

While the enemy of my enemy isn't necessarily my friend, I'll happily work alongside them in the right circumstances.

How many adversarial nations worked together to bring down Germany and Japan? There was no illusion that, following WWII, Russia and China would be buddies with the US.

The Lincoln Project thinks the most important thing for the future they want is to prevent Trump from being President again. I agree. While our preferred futures are wildly different, right now our interests align and I'll go into battle with them in the full knowledge that the next war will be between me and them.

[–] btaf45@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

There was no illusion that, following WWII, Russia and China would be buddies with the US.

China was an American ally right up to 1949. Americans were pretty fond of China before and during WWII.

The Lincoln Project thinks the most important thing for the future they want is to prevent Trump from being President again. I agree.

I actually have a lot of respect for conservatives who remain loyal to America in the face of Trump's profound disloyalty to America and our values. Those kind of people are our opponents, but not our enemies. It is the GOP's neofascist movement that are the enemies of all loyal Americans, conservative or progressive.

[–] BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 months ago

China was an American ally right up to 1949. Americans were pretty fond of China before and during WWII.

Only some of China though. The US and the Republic of China are still pretty close. The US and the People's Republic of China on the other hand... Part of the US's demands for Japanese capitulation were that Japanese forces could not surrender to Mao's army, but only Chiang Kai-shek.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

although apparently she hates her mom a little bit more.

For good reason

[–] Ohmmy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 months ago

It's a bunch of anti-union, billionaire/corporate toe suckers cosplaying as Lincoln as if they would do anything progressive.

[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 months ago

I absolutely trust them, but I trust them to be self-interested and to do the wrong thing most of the time.

[–] usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 36 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)
[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 months ago

Holy shit, they know how to speak to trump.

[–] TheDudeV2@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 months ago

The catharsis is real!

[–] Toneswirly@lemmy.world 29 points 2 months ago (2 children)

This is your friendly reminder that The Lincoln Project is a conservative organization with a stated purpose of pushing liberal politicians further to the center. They are fattening you up for the kill; stay frosty out there.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

"My enemy's enemy is still my enemy; for now, though, they might be useful"

[–] mautamu@midwest.social 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Thank goodness for the Lincoln Project! Maybe the bully in chief will eventually come to realize he's not in control here...

[–] todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee 48 points 2 months ago (1 children)

They're still classical conservative, so I'm not the biggest fan, but their goal to get rid of Trump is amicable. If their brand of Conservatism was mainstream, we'd be a lot better off too.

[–] Cube6392@beehaw.org 4 points 2 months ago

I feel about the Lincoln Project how I feel about John McCain. I dislike their positions but I respect their convictions. They really believe their policies are what's best for Americans as people. I disagree with them, but at least the conversation we're having is fundamentally a conversation about what's right and what's wrong and what policies will result in a functioning society. Trump and his ilk meanwhile don't give a shit. The conversation with them is primarily about whether or not it matters that society function

[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

This is all just so mad.

All this money going into what's essentially a psyop on a few people.

Trump/Kamala.

And the handful of voters in swing states who are somehow still thinking "Eh... I'm not sure about Trump or Kamala. I'm 50/50."

Like, I wonder how many dollars goes to each of these people in advertising. They mind as well just pay them.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago

It's not about convincing people one way or another. It's about motivating people to go out and vote. That's one thing Harris/Walz are dramatically better at than Biden/ Harris.

[–] DontRedditMyLemmy@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

*Donald/Harris, put the respect where it's deserved

[–] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

I love that last bit, "we may need to stop being nice." If this is how bad he takes it when they're "nice", then I absolutely want them to turn the pressure up to 11.

[–] Got_Bent@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I know it's a general rule of morality that one shouldn't wish suffering on others, but God damnit I want trump and his acolytes to suffer the same pain they've inflicted on so many. In Trump's case, if that amounts to nothing more than having his ego repeatedly bruised by media kidney punches like this, then so be it. For him, that's on par with physical torture for the rest of us.

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 2 points 2 months ago

Personally, I look at it as "is my desire to see someone suffer significantly smaller than the suffering they intentionally caused?" And if the answer is "yes" I don't have to feel bad for it.

Real world example: a close friend of mine's biological mother was abusive to all of her kids in every definition of the term, and it sounds like she was no better of a wife, friend or relative. She died alone in her shitty trailer at the age of 50 after alienating all of her friends and family. There was no funeral, her obituary literally only stated that she existed and who she was related to. And it sounds like it took several hours for her to finally kick the bucket, plus multiple days to find the body. The suffering she endured was orders of magnitude less than the suffering she intentionally put others through, so I see no wrong in feeling happy with her fitting demise

[–] tabarnaski@sh.itjust.works 9 points 2 months ago

I love how the ad is playing right into the typical mob boss paranoia he might be experiencing right now.

[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The lincoln project is definitely dangerous as hell (they are the fun conservatives and all that entails...) but I am definitely giddy at how much they are clearly breaking the orange piece of shit.

That said... there probably SHOULD be some kind of law against a PAC running a psy op to destroy a single person's mind.

[–] Nollij@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I'm having trouble imagining another politician that would react like this. Even with all of the people he's enabled, and the mindset that's become common, few even have the obsession needed to see these ads. Even fewer will see them frequently enough to react.

The closest man-child I can come up with would be Elon Musk, and even he's (mostly) too busy to obsess over this kind of thing.

[–] NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 months ago

It is fun to say this only works because trump is weak. And... there is an argument that most candidates can't be directly spoken to by playing an ad on fox news.

But just ask any youtuber or otherwise popular e-celebrity. When someone makes a hate video about you? That hits hard. I have a LOT of problems with John "TotalBiscuit" Bain's actions and legacy but he hit the nail on the head with (paraphrasing): You might have no body image issues. But then someone says your nose is big. And that is going to stick with you all day.

And the ad that specifically triggered the C&D? That was straight up gaslighting. Not "I don't like you" gaslighting but fucking with someone's head to isolate them and make them think everyone is out to get them. And everyone is susceptible to that. Hell, we as consumers/watchers are susceptible to that.

Again, it is really hard for me to give a shit about anything that is done to a hateful insurrectionist rapist. But this also feels like the kind of thing we need to pass legislature to protect against like... next year.

[–] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

The closest man-child I can come up with would be Elon Musk, and even he's (mostly) too busy to obsess over this kind of thing

Au contraire. He's as thin skinned as Drumpf. One of the main reasons he bought Twitter was to silence his critical there

[–] UlyssesT@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago
[–] MrPoopyButthole@lemm.ee 4 points 2 months ago
[–] Beetle_O_Rourke@hexbear.net 4 points 2 months ago

CaN't We ReTrVn To NoRmAl CoNsErVaTiVeS LiKe DuByA?

[–] Good_morning@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 2 months ago

The part at 0:42 He trying to sign her boobs!? Wtf Take that bit of clip and run it on Fox and wherever else with the caption "man of God?" Spread that on FB, on the off chance it opens the eyes of a few of the radical Christians who think he's God's chosen

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] Spider89@lemm.ee 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] usernamesAreTricky@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Group of former republicans who are against trump

[–] OlinOfTheHillPeople@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

They're actually current republicans who are against Trump.

Their anti-trump mission reflects my values, but their long-term goals don't.