u/PorcelainDalmatian

I’ve written multiple posts now on how Trump and the Republicans are going to ratfuck the midterms, and how woefully underprepared the Democrats are for when it happens. Everyone told me the Postmaster General would never go along with Trump’s mail-in ballot plan, and sure enough he did. Everyone said SCOTUS would never allow it, and today they just did. The 6-3 decision along partisan lines doesn’t bode well for future challenges either.

It's not going to stop there. I’ll say it again: They are going to send armed ICE agents to disrupt the vote. They are going to send men with guns and bogus warrants to seize voting machines and uncounted ballots in key districts. They will refuse to certify the vote - guaranteed.

It’s happening - in real time - and I don’t know what we have to do to get Democrats to pay attention. I don’t know a single Blue state that has an alternative plan if SCOTUS ultimately upholds Trump’s mail-in voting ban. Some states, like Colorado, are totally mail-in. So what are they going to do?

IT’S FUCKING SEPTEMBER!

I haven’t heard a single Blue state governor announce a plan to stop men with guns (FBI, ICE, etc) from seizing ballots. Not one. Who is going to physically guard the vote? State militias? State National Guard? Local police? Nobody has a plan.

Every time a Democrat is asked what the plan is, they effectively say, “Well….um…I guess we’ll file some lawsuits?” Lawsuits aren’t going to be worth a damn if they’ve stolen uncounted ballots or prohibited millions of people from accessing polling places. Even if you file a lawsuit, it will ultimately make its way up to SCOTUS, who will side with Trump.

We’ve all been lulled into this sense of complacency because the polls are looking so good for Democrats right now. We all think we’re going to have this massive victory in November and stop Trump’s agenda cold. But none of it matters if they ratfuck the vote. Everyone can’t imagine this happening, simply because it’s never happened before. Every evil, illegal thing Trump has done over the last decade was always met with “Oh, he’ll never do that!”

And yet, he always does.

Write your Congressman and Senators and tell them to wake the fuck up.

I’m getting really tired of everyone from Bill Maher to Charlie Sykes to Van Jones getting their panties in a wad over the dreaded “DSA.” “We’re going to look like the party of extremists! Let’s let the Republicans pick our candidates for us!” It’s absurd. Republicans (and the mainstream media) never fret about having extremists in the GOP.

And that got me thinking: Who is really the "extremist" party in this country?

Let’s run the numbers…..

Democrats have 254 members in Congress (209 House and 45 Senate). In terms of Left-wing bomb throwers you’ve got a mere handful: The Squad (AOC, Omar, Pressley, Tlaib, Casar, Lee and Ramirez). To be generous well thrown in Jayapal. Even if 3-4 DSA members win this Fall, you’re looking at around 12-13 extremists among the Democrat House. Meanwhile, there are literally no left-wing extremists in the Dem Senate. There’s Bernie, but he’s a registered Independent. The Dem Senate is 100% normie.

So for the Democrats it’s 5% extremists, and 95% normies.

Now let’s turn to the Republicans: Among 222 GOP House members and 53 Senators, there isn’t a single normie Republican left. They are all MAGA extremists now. They’re a Star Wars bar scene of insurrectionists, conspiracy theorists, religious fanatics, Proud Boys, anti-vaxers, COVID-truthers, Groypers and Q-Anon loons.

Not a single member of the Senate will go against Trump. Even when he’s appointing a rogue’s gallery of rapists, podcasters, Fox News hosts and anti-vax lunatics to key cabinet positions. Even when he’s killed their careers (Cornyn and Tillis). The GOP House of horrors is even worse. Only MTG and Massie will go against Trump, but that’s only on narrow set of issues. When you look at their position writ large, they’re even more extreme than Trump.

So for the Republicans, it’s 99% extremists, and 1% normies.

But keep telling me that the Democrats are the “extreme” party.

Then there’s the GOP’s “policies.” They’ve got masked El Salvadorian-style death squads killing people in the streets for the crime of being Brown. They’re building literal internment camps. They’ve brought back measles, screwworm, cyclosporiasis, with polio right around the corner. They’ve let a heroin-addicted mental patient dismantle the world’s greatest health research system. They’re getting us into multiple illegal, unilateral wars of aggression without Congressional approval. They’re rolling back reproductive health and civil rights to the 1950s. People can’t even afford staples like ground beef anymore. They’re literally demolishing the White House. In my 50+ years on this planet I have never seen a more extreme party - left or right. They’re turning us into a Banana Republic.

But Bill Maher tells us he may have to vote for JD Vance in 2028, because “…the Democrats are a little nutty.” Personally, I would take “a little nutty” over masked death squads in the streets - but I’m old fashioned that way.

Strangely, in poll after poll, voters view the Dems as the more extreme party, despite the facts. So how did this happen?

Around 10-12 years ago Republicans had an epiphany: They realized that running individual races was expensive and hard - so why not demonize the entire Democrat party instead! Working with their allies in the Fox News Cinematic Universe, they started stereotyping Democrats just the way they stereotype ethnic and religious groups they hate. The goal was to create a world in which a significant amount of the electorate would say, “But I could never vote for a Democrat!”

You hear this sentiment all the time in Sarah’s (and others’) focus groups. “Well, I really don’t like the GOP candidate…but I could never vote for a Democrat!” This attitude allows the GOP to run absolute lunatics - and win. Even when their lunatics lose (Kari Lake, Herschel Walker) it’s by less than one half of one percent.

We’ve got to start fighting this absurd stereotype. Every time they call Democrats “extreme” we need to respond with a litany of examples of just how radical the GOP has become in comparison. Instead we’re wringing our hands over an infinitesimal amount of DSA candidates. Let’s stop contributing to the false narrative!

The other problem with today’s Democrat party is that they spend all of their time piling on Trump, instead of focusing on the radicalism of the GOP writ large. Yes Trump is awful, but voters need to understand the extremism and danger of the entire party. You’ve seen Trump’s health. He’s not long for this world. If we put all our emphasis on him as opposed to the party, then after he dies the average independent will think “Well, Trump’s gone, so now I can go back to voting for Republicans.”

We can’t have that.

Well, our do-nothing Congress finally got off its ass - just to do something stupid. Yesterday the House passed a bill to make Daylight Savings Time permanent (308 to 117). It now heads to the Senate, where it enjoys a lot of support, and Rape Van Winkle has pledged to sign it.

I’m so sick of living in the move “Idiocracy.” So sick of being ruled by the dumbest people on the planet. We already did this, people! In 1974. And it was an unmitigated disaster. Why are we touching the stove again?

In 1973, Congress passed permanent daylight savings time. It went into effect on January 6, 1974 with 79% public support. Within only one month, public approval had dropped to 42%, and people were practically rioting in the streets. Car accidents skyrocketed. Kids were literally getting hit by cars and killed because they were walking to school in the morning in the pitch black. People started putting reflective tape on their kids. An absolute disaster. The public outcry was so loud that Congress repealed the law in October 1974.

And now we’re going to do it again!

It’s ludicrous. Humans have natural circadian rhythms. Our bodies are meant to wake when it’s light and sleep when it’s dark. These Rhythms regulate everything from hormones to sleep to weight. Humans are not engineered to wake in the pitch black. Have you ever had to get up at 3 AM for an early, long distance flight? It’s discombobulating. Dressing, showering, eating - everything feels unnatural - because it is. For kids, it’s even worse. Actually, it’s permanent Standard Time that’s better for our bodies.

Permanent daylight savings time means 9:00 to 10:00 AM sunrises in the North of the US. Insane. It’s going to mess with everything from agriculture to construction to manufacturing. And unless you’ve found a way to adjust the axial tilt of the Earth, you’re not getting much more daylight in the Winter.

Our government is bringing back the measles, polio, and screw worm. Meanwhile, everyone is getting Trumparrhea from the cyclosporiasis in our produce, because Bobby Brainworms decided to stop tracking it. How long can this country survive with the absolute dumbest people in charge? I thought the 1.5 million dead from Trump’s botching of COVID would’ve taught us that lesson. I guess not.

Call your Senator today and ask them to vote “No” on this nonsense. We don’t need a repeat of 1974.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that SCOTUS will rescind birthright citizenship this week. It’s something I’ve felt ever since they decided to take the case.

Why? Because birthright citizenship has been settled law for centuries. Multiple courts have upheld it. Trump’s DOJ is not presenting any new arguments. If SCOTUS wanted to uphold it, they could have simply let sleeping dogs lie and denied cert.

The only reason to hear the case is because they intend to overturn it. This is a deeply corrupt SCOTUS, where (6) White Christian Nationalist justices decide the cases before oral arguments, based on their religious/political beliefs. Oral arguments are largely kabuki theater. I listened to the oral arguments in this case, and the justices seemed skeptical of the the DOJ’s argument, but I think it’s just a case of them trying to prove that “We really did a deep dive into this,” because they know how controversial their ultimate decision will be.

It’s also deeply concerning that the justices are waiting to release this opinion until the very last day of the term. This is exactly what they did with the decision overturning Roe. Release it in the 11th hour and then get the hell out of Dodge.

Let’s hope I’m wrong.

An amazing article you should share. Several GOP Muslim delegates were chased out of the state convention. They don’t even try to hide the hatred and racism anymore. It’s front and center.

I restore old Mercedes as a hobby/side-hustle. Some I keep, some I sell. I'm more of a general contractor - I have body guys, mechanics, upholsterers etc that I sub out to for the work. I've primarily done W113s, R107s and W108s.

Recently I've been admiring the W114 coupes and I'm toying with the idea of restoring one for myself. The problem is I can't find any! W113/R107/W108's are everywhere, but W114 coupes are like a needle in a haystack. None on BaT, none on Autotrader. Even Craig's List comes up with bupkis. All the cars I find for sale are in Europe, and I don't want to do deal with that hassle.

Does anyone know why the W114 coupes are so hard to find? They made plenty of them for years. I honestly don't get it.

I’ve never been that interested in the sportsball of any kind, but years ago when I was living in Phoenix some friends invited me down to watch a UFC/MMA match at a local sports bar on a Sunday afternoon.

I was expecting something like a boxing match, what I saw instead was so gay that it made my ass hurt.

Basically, it was two-oiled up, super-muscular guys in the tiniest, brightly colored, tightest spandex short-shorts I’d ever seen. They looked like they belonged on a Gay Pride parade float in West Hollywood. I looked around at the other people in the bar and my inner monologue said, “People know how gay this is, right?”

Then comes the worst part: They didn’t even fight. They just spent 45 minutes on the floor, dry-humping each other in the corner of the ring. It was just two oily bohunks simulating sex acts. I’ve never seen gay porn, but I’m assuming this is what it’s like. After I picked my jaw up off the floor, I again looked over the bar and thought, “Oh my God, don’t people realize how gay this is?”

So I wasn’t surprised when Trump picked the UFC for the event. It’s basically a way for his closeted Evangelical male base to watch gay porn without admitting they’re watching gay porn. Moses Mike Grnidr Johnson, Matt “Lap Tap” Schlapp, Benny Johnson - the whole crew is going to be there with bells on. I can just see Lady G and Tom Cotton Balls ringside, making it rain with fistfuls of dollar bills like they’re at the Blue Oyster Bar. Grindr is going to crash again in DC.

God help us.

I don’t know how they can make it any clearer. They are going to sabotage the midterms. They’re practically screaming it from the rooftops. It’s mid June, and I don’t see any states developing a concrete plan to physically stop this. What is wrong with Democrats?

I’m no math whiz, but I’m pretty sure the Senate is GOP+3, (+4 if you count Lurch McHoodie). Now that Trump has shivved Cornyn, Tillis and Cassidy, he can no longer count on their votes. So we’re down to a 50/50 Senate with VP Couchfucker breaking the tie.

That means all Dems have to do is peel off (1) other GOP Senator to shut down any of Trump’s proposed legislation or nominees. Murkowski hates him, Mitch McConnell (when he’s lucid), is retiring and all out of fucks to give, Collins needs to tack to the center for her Senate race, and Sen Pubehead McLensCrafters (R-KY) has always been willing to break with Trump on his pet issues/conspiracy theories.

That’s a pretty big field to pick from when all you need is one. Good luck, Bill Pulte!

The House is razor close as well. 217 GOP, 212 DEM, 1 INDIE, and (5) vacancies. Once those vaccines are filled, Dems should pick up (1) seat. Trump has lost Massie, MTG, Bacon, Bobert and soon Nancy Mace. Several other House members are in competitive districts and may not want to align themselves with Trump right now. That doesn’t bode well for the President’s agenda either.

Expect a flurry of EO's as Trump's workaround.

It pains me to say it, because i really like the show, but I think I'm done with Pivot.

Scott calling himself a "proud Zionist" on the last pod, in the wake of the genocide/ethnic cleansing/holocaust (pick your phrase) in Gaza is a bridge too far.

Yes, Israel had a right to defend itself after Oct 7. The Jews holy book says "an eye for an eye." So go kill 1,200 Hamas and be done with it.

But that's not what happened. Israel used this attack, which they knew was coming, as a pretext for genocide. The current Israeli regime, a large number of it's parliament, and a disturbingly large number of its people view Muslims as sub-human animals worthy of slaughter - and they're not exactly quiet about it.

All of Gaza looks like Hiroshima after the bomb. There's literally nothing left. Israel targeted schools, and hospitals, and churches - killing over 40,000 children in the process. Those that were able to escape have been barred from ever returning to their homeland. If that isn't the definition of "ethnic cleansing" that please tell me what is.

Now they're turning their genocidal aims on Lebanon, a country that never attacked them. Wiping out entire cities and historical sites. What's next? Syria? Jordan? When does it stop?

I'm old enough to remember when the UN saw what was happening in Bosnia and intervened. Where the hell are they now?

And Scott is proud of this. He relishes in it! The profound irony here is that Scott isn't exactly a Super-Jew. It's not like he's running around in a yarmulke, keeping Kosher, and holding a Shabbat dinner every week. He's about as Jewish as I am, and I was raised Evangelical.

You go ahead and cheer the genocide as a "proud Zionist," Scott. Meanwhile, I'll be a proud ex-listener.

I'll still listen to On With Kara Swisher, but she should do some hard thinking herself. You're known by the company you keep, and co-hosting with a proud Zionist who cheers genocide is never a good look.

I’m incensed. Truly beside myself with rage. What kind of monster does this? It says right there on the tag that you’re not supposed to cut it off. It’s a crime, for God’s sake. I’m a “character” voter and this is really beyond the pale.

How are we supposed to criticize Trump for raping little girls with Jeffery Epstein when we support a tag cutter for Senate? We’re ceding the moral high ground. Everybody knows that all transgressions - from jaywalking to first degree murder - are equal and must be treated as such. I’m really beside myself here.

Anyone who thinks Cornyn was going to win tonight in Texas is a fool.

The number one thing that a Senator or Congressman worries about, the number one thing that keeps him up a night is…..re-election. It’s all they think about. The mere thought of returning to the private sector (where you actually have to run a profitable business) is unthinkable.

It used to be that you had to run a competent, diverse campaign to appeal to the majority of voters in your district. Now, all you need is Trump’s endorsement.

Because of gerrymandering, 99.9% of districts aren’t competitive anymore, which means all you need to do is win your primary. And because MAGA is a deeply racist death-cult, all you need to do that, is Trump’s endorsement. If Jesus H. Christ and Jeffery Dahmer were both re-incarnated, ran for Texas Senate against each other, and Trump endorsed Dahmer - then Dahmer would win. Hands down. Wouldn’t even be close.

This is the real sway that Trump holds over Congress. You don’t need to run a decent campaign anymore. You don’t need to raise funds. You don’t need a campaign staff. You don’t need deep-pocket donors. You don’t need to worry. All you need is Trump’s endorsement. And you will do anything to get it, even if it means betraying every principle you ever stood for.

Look at the case of JD Vance. When he was running for the Ohio Senate seat, he was polling at less than 1%. When pollsters asked voters their opinion of Vance, the most popular response was “Who is she?” Josh Mandel was the clear front-runner for the GOP nom. Tim Miller was dancing on JD’s grave - go pull the Bulwark archive tapes. Then JD’s puppet-master Peter Thiel promised Trump millions if he would endorse Vance. Trump did, and a week before the election, Vance catapulted from <1% to over 30%, handily won the primary, and because of gerrymandering handily won the general.

As long as Trump is kingmaker, Congress will bow the knee. And don’t think it will stop once he’s no longer President.

It's not just about ego.

There's an ulterior motive to Trump's passport gambit. Many Red states are implementing their own version of the Save Act, which means MAGAts are going to need passports - and fast.

Someone in Trump's orbit must have shown him the numbers proving that few MAGAts have passports, and therefore their plan at disenfranchising voters may backfire.

So what better way to incentivize MAGATs to get a passport than with a "Trump passport" featuring a picture of their God King?! The same people who cashed their social security checks to buy his gold shoes and crypto will be lining up for new passports!

Pretty clever when you think about it.