US Politics 2023

[Lou]

I feel good about the future. Of course I'm the eternal optimist,
I think the Republicans have not only ended. up in a hole - they can't seem to help themselves - they just keep digging,

They have found themselves on the wrong side of many issues. Demographics are against them and they know it and are acting in desperation. Most Americans are in favor of some kind of gun control. Just now I read that 90% of Americans are in favor of background checks. but Republicans keep eliminating controls.

Only 10% Americans are completely against abortion. But republicans keep making abortion less available.

Those things are two of the most important things to voters. The third being inflation and for the last 6 months the rate of inflation is slowing.

Even a majority of Americans are concerned about climate change.

The Republican house may be the most Do-Nothing house since 1948. Today they are investigating the Manhattan DA.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I bet Donald Trump wins this rape trial coming up. Because, unless there is some surprise evidence, how can you prove it one way or another.

I think it should be possible to bring someone to court and say to the jury "do you believe that this person carried out one or more acts of rape/sexual assault".

And then however many women come in - 5 or 10 - and all say yes he did assault me.

And the jury have to decide if he was guilty of 1 of more crimes against any of the accusers, without having to rule on specific cases.

They only have to decide if of the 5 or 10 women who can all prove that they were near to him/met him, whether they are ALL lying.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

And then if the jury cannot rule on individual cases but can say that definitely at least one offence occurred then the criminal is convicted and given the length of sentence that corresponds to a single offence

I think this approach works particularly well for rape/sex assault/ abuse cases but could also work for some other crimes.

 

[Lou]

The Dominion vs Fox trial has started. I thought there for a minute they might settle. Well, that still could happen later. Almost all these kind of trials get settled. And there were a couple of good reasons for both sides to settle. Proving "actual malice" can be tricky.

I'm glad they didn't settle. I really want to see some of these guys have to testify under oath.

Although Trump isn't a defendant, this trial is about his and his allies lies. And if Fox loses (or settles) it should be detrimental to his campaign for president.

Maybe even more important it should change the media's relationship to the truth.

 

[silva]

I had thought about posting here on and off, but the US is so insanely crazy now I don't even want to start!
I'd never dreamt that our country would be run by people who repeatedly say the same lies over and over while the truth is right there! And people who believe it again and again! Just bullies and tyrants and lots of stupid people whose hate and personal interests take precedence to the damage being done.

and really really sick of US news focusing so much on the same rump crap while so much else is happening. Thank goodness for the BBC and NPR!

 

[Lou]

Mark Twain once said, imagine the average American. Now keep in mind that by definition, half of all Americans are stupider than him.

I've often thought that even if we ever did rid of us Trump, we would still be stuck with all the Trumpers.

However maybe the Trumpers wouldn't be So bad if only once in a while Fox had to tell the truth.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

This story about Fox News agreeing to pay Dominion $787.5 million is quite interesting.

The BBC reports that
Fox reported "net income of $1.23bn for the last financial year"
and "It is also sitting on large reserves of cash - around $4bn"
and "$17.6bn" is the total Murdoch fortune

So nearly $1 billion is quite a chunk of cash.

Dominion "still has outstanding cases against Fox's smaller rivals Newsmax and OAN" while Fox "faces a second, similar lawsuit from another election technology firm, Smartmatic".

I know a little about how businesses work, and I expect there will be a lot of meetings in the coming days and weeks at various media companies that look at this and set up a strategy to protect themselves from these kinds of lawsuits. That will likely involve an improved commitment to the truth, including at Fox.

Fox News lawsuit: Can it afford the $787.5m Dominion settlement?

The network still faces a second, similar defamation lawsuit from another election technology firm.

www.bbc.com

 

[Lou]

I know a little about how businesses work, and I expect there will be a lot of meetings in the coming days and weeks at various media companies that look at this and set up a strategy to protect themselves from these kinds of lawsuits. That will likely involve an improved commitment to the truth, including at Fox.

The Smartmatic lawsuit is for 2.7 Billion. Fox will probably want to settle that too since the Dominion lawsuit pretty much disables any kind of defense they could offer.

I would hope that some kind of commitment to the truth is a result. but keep in mind that the reason Fox went with this whole big lie thing is that the viewers were leaving Fox cause Fox wasn't lying enough.

 

[silva]

I just can't stant the hypocrisy anymore! "We want schools to educate, not indoctrinate"---but are taking away schools right to teach unabridged history and science, legislate fantasy in promoting christian religion, and ban books that dont' conform to their agenda.
Call themselves pro-life but take away any controls on guns and are making it easier to kill more people, won't provide health care, and enact laws to take away womens right to own their own bodies
Say parental rights, but are consistently taking them away
Talk about mental health, but do everything they can to ensure people they don't like stay marginalized and fear for their life
it's all leading the evangelical dream of a patriarchal white facist society on the way to make the US, and most of the world, play into the biblical play of revelation
I'm as angry with moderate dems as much as the far right, because they allowed this to happen
I don't want to live with those people, you can't have discussions with people that insist 2+2=4 is just what the msm wants you to think

 

[Lou]

 

[Lou]

I hardly ever listen to the live NPR broadcasts - I like the podcasts too much. But I just happened to put it on and immediately heard this.

Could this be a turning point - or even a tipping point?

Great news. I'm so looking forward to the "tributes" that will appear on the Daily Show and the Late Night shows tonight.

Oh, in case you didn't hear

Live Updates: Fox News Parts Ways With Tucker Carlson Days After Dominion Settlement

The announcement came less than a week after the network agreed to pay $787.5 million in a defamation lawsuit in which Mr. Carlson’s show, one of the highest rated on Fox, figured prominently. He was said to be surprised by the move.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Lou]

Ha! Didn't even have to wait for the evening news!

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Glad that Tucker's gone - and didn't expect this - but let's see where he lands next before celebrating too much but this looks like a win.

So it doesn't look likely but it would be awesome if a bunch of Democrats can unite around someone who is not Biden or Harris.

They are pretty average, can they find anyone better and actually put up a challenge. And then plan to withdraw the challenge if it turns out their candidate has worse ratings in surveys against Trump than Biden does?

I don't think the argument that Biden is the only person that can beat Trump is quite right.

 

[Lou]

Glad that Tucker's gone - and didn't expect this - but let's see where he lands next before celebrating too much but this looks like a win.

Rachel Maddow explained last night that there is always some right wing media star. When one sets, another rises.

It might be a lack of imagination on my part, but I can't imagine Fox replacing him with someone worse.

So it doesn't look likely but it would be awesome if a bunch of Democrats can unite around someone who is not Biden or Harris.

I've warmed up to both of them over the years. Biden has actually accomplished a lot in 2 years - I hope that is going to be emphasized for the next two years. Probably not going to be able to do that much more, tho.

I don't think the argument that Biden is the only person that can beat Trump is quite right.

Electability has become an important criteria in the Trump era. Biden has already shown he has electability

I agree with this POV

Boring is Good: The Moral Case for Joe Biden

“Interesting” is overrated. Beating a fascist isn’t

www.rollingstone.com

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I just was reading the news and saw it pointed out that Tucker Carlson has been sacked just at the time candidates are considering declaring for President. This, given the fact that it's not obvious for him where his next TV job would be - most other networks being either too small or too liberal - and he may consider it.

“Tucker is one of the very small number of political celebrities in this country who has the name ID, the personal wealth, the stature to actually declare and run for president and in a Republican primary run in the same track Donald Trump did: the transgressive, bad boy candidate, the one who lets you say what you want to say, think what you want to think, act how you want to act, no matter how grotesque it is.
“Among Republicans, he’s a beloved figure. He’s right now in the Republican universe a martyr – and there ain’t nothing they want more than a martyr.”

‘Worst-case scenario’: Rick Wilson on Tucker Carlson, presidential nominee

The fired Fox News host has cash, fame and appeal. The Lincoln Project co-founder says Trump and DeSantis should be worried

www.theguardian.com

Hm, that looks worryingly accurate.

I got paywalled on your article Lou, but I'm not convinced that Biden is the best candidate to beat Trump, the polling there is neck and neck and polls of Trump vs other democrats are not very common. I want to see more polls of Trump vs other democrats that might run.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I just watched a 2-minute video Tucker Carlson posted on his twitter and he was saying both parties have colluded to avoid discussion of certain issues, hmm that's interesting, I propose we forgive Tucker Carlson for everything provided he runs as a third party/independent Presidential candidate causing democrats to win.

 

[Lou]

I just was reading the news and saw it pointed out that Tucker Carlson has been sacked just at the time candidates are considering declaring for President. This, given the fact that it's not obvious for him where his next TV job would be - most other networks being either too small or too liberal - and he may consider it.

Some one pointed out that he may have signed a non compete clause.
also the other two former fox guys have both faded into the background. He just might too.
I'm sure ONE would love to have him. I heard that Russia One has already given him an offer.

I got paywalled on your article Lou, but I'm not convinced that Biden is the best candidate to beat Trump, the polling there is neck and neck and polls of Trump vs other democrats are not very common. I want to see more polls of Trump vs other democrats that might run.

in addition, there is the fact that no other democratic has thrown their hat in the ring.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Although it was already known in February I just saw today myself that Ted Cruz is out of the 2024 race for President and will run for Senate. I expect he figured he isn't popular enough at the moment, and can't beat Trump.

 

[Lou]

Biden has been saying something like don't compare me to the almighty. Compare me the alternative.

That may be the most winning argument. Four more years of modest gains or four more years of chaos.
Also if Trump did get elected - he can't be president again - so I don't think would have anything reining him in. He would be vengeful, greedy, corrupt.

Trump and other republicans have to get on the right of the other Republicans they are running against. But what might play to the base republicans in the primaries - probably doesn't help in the general when they are running agains more moderate democrats. When they get to the right on guns and abortion they just alienate moderate repulcans, the independents and even blue dogs.

Also I think there is a good chance a lot of "external factors" may come into play. Number one: Court dates. How effective and Trump campaign when he has to keep running back to the courthouses.

Aslo more gerenal republican stuff: If they keep passing stuff that has little popular support - like pro guns and anti abortion they might further alienate the general population. Then there are book bans and anti trans stuff which doesn't look good

 

[Lou]

https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/133o95g

As usual the comments are the best part