Curb Your Authoritarianism? The 2016 Conventional Wisdom Thread (Elections, Part 6)

a "gaffe" on that scale wouldn't even register this year

a little lol at the idea that comey's remarks will damage clinton's credibility. the right have already convinced themselves, in complete opposition to the facts of the case, that clinton is a criminal, and comey's decision not to recommend indictment has made him nothing more than a stooge of the left in their eyes. a rational party might take comey's harsh (and imo accurate) criticisms of clinton's professional judgment as cause for significant doubt as to clinton's fitness for office, but nope, not the right these days. if somebody's not directly accusing her of being a criminal, they're obviously on her side!

Come was accurate, and he spoke well and with precision, but his reputation for probity and rectitude, groomed by both parties and in which he's participated since his Brave Stand against the Bush administration, is starting to grate on me.

*Comey

Has Trump called for Comey's resignation yet?

Oh, man:

"Saddam Hussein was a bad guy. Right? He was a bad guy, really bad guy,” Trump offered as a disclaimer. “But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. They didn't read them the rights—they didn't talk, they were a terrorist, it was over.”

the audio from this one is so repulsive

http://img0.joyreactor.cc/pics/comment/Саддам-Хусейн-1604278.gif

a rational party might take comey's harsh (and imo accurate) criticisms of clinton's professional judgment as cause for significant doubt as to clinton's fitness for office

yeah kind of an interesting strategy from Team Trump here, instead of claiming that Clinton's judgment is bad or that she thinks she's above the rules, he's going full-on conspiracy theory and shouting YOU SEE EVERYBODY IS CORRUPT BUT ME!!! at the top of his lungs, not surprising from a man who still thinks Obama is perhaps not a citizen (and in fact may have ties to ISIS) and regularly appeals to 9/11 truthers and flat earthers

i don't think this can be specifically called out as a trump thing. this is completely universal on the right, whether you support trump or no. if you support the republican part, you're _required_ to believe that clinton is a criminal as a core conviction.

Granted Johnson is running as a libertarian so I don't know if he qualifies as on the 'right' completely, but he declined to criticize her over the server issue.

xpost And also that she successfully bribed both the attorney general and FBI director. She's just so good at being bad. Maybe not as good at being bad as Saddam, but close enough! Still, not *so* good at being bad that she should be president, because that would be really bad, which would be no good.

she is rather good at being mediocre though

Eh, I think she's just OK at it.

i don't think this can be specifically called out as a trump thing. this is completely universal on the right, whether you support trump or no. if you support the republican part, you're _required_ to believe that clinton is a criminal as a core conviction.

I'm also seeing this as perhaps a 'last stand' maneuver from my remaining hardcore BernieBros on FB. It's like they were banking on her getting charged so he'd flip delegates at the 11th hour.

banking
Oh, another dog whistle, huh?

Granted Johnson is running as a libertarian so I don't know if he qualifies as on the 'right' completely, but he declined to criticize her over the server issue.

― akm, Wednesday, July 6, 2016 9:51 AM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that's more of a tactical choice, isn't it? i mean my libertarian friends like to justify him by talking about how his ads aren't negative unlike trump's and clinton's, so clearly johnson is trying to use "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" as a selling point.

and yeah, clinton getting charged is the only shot bernie had left, though it's worth noting that bernie doesn't seem to have thought much of it- if the only way you can win is with superdelegate support, it's not a very smart idea to call for the total elimination of superdelegates.

waiting for the calls for investigation of Comey for taking bribes.

BTW I should apologize to Andrew Farrell. I thought AF was equating Comey's statements with "anyone else and we'd prosecute." AF noted that wasn't his opinion but rather the spin being spun on the right.

I looked into some fetid corners of the 'netz yesterday and he's exactly right: that is precisely how the dextrosphere is reading "this is not to suggest that in similar circumstances, a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences." OMG one law for the Clinton Crime syndicate and a different law for the rest of us, blah blah blah.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) announced that FBI Director James Comey will testify before his panel on Thursday regarding the bureau's investigation of Hillary Clinton's email practices.

oh lol

Then we can investigate the investigation of the investigators. Wheels within wheels, man. The conspiracy goes to the top! The top I say!

have to wonder how much taxpayer money has been spent in the last two decades investigating the Clintons

Here is the 1999 figure: http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/04/01/counsel.probe.costs/

Add in these estimates of the current witchhunts: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/07/05/Investigating-Clinton-How-Many-Millions-Were-Spent-Email-Benghazi-Probes

Anything happen in 2000-2010?

Anyway, upwards of $100 million apparently.

http://www.salon.com/2015/03/12/the_george_w_bush_email_scandal_the_media_has_conveniently_forgotten_partner/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_daily202

I hate all internet jargon and acronyms, and try not to make any effort to understand any of it. Clinton speaking in Atlantic City--that's trolling, right?

no. trump doesn't have any special claim to the great city of atlantic city.

Trolling Bruce Springsteen, that's what I meant.

the job no one wants

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/06/corker-withdraws-as-potential-trump-running-mate/

for any elected pol who isn't in the deep south, accepting the spot has a very high chance of killing their career

Trump/Gingrich would be amazing, if we can go back to that for a second

yeah fingers crossed!

I fondly remember the time in 2012 when a strange man walked up to me at a gas station and asked "are ya voting for Newt?"

now picturing lonely Newt, just hanging around gas stations asking baout votes

xp I hope you looked at him thoughtfully for half a minute, chewing on a sprig of grass, pushed your hat back on your head and said, "Nope."

xp he looked kinda like Newt in a curly wig

or with a Jheri curl

more jill stein lols:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/07/06/why-hillary-clinton-should-be-prosecuted-for-reckless-abuse-of-national-security/

Newt Gingrich with a Jheri curl

who do we have to talk to to make this happen, because it HAS to happen

I've started to get trump video ads on my facebook feed, god only knows why

http://i.imgur.com/QqkSx68.jpg

kinda amazing how far down the unprofessional trumpiness leaks, most local business ads look better than this

unlike newt jheri curl I am not seeing the lols in the jill stein piece

jill stein: national security hawk who definitely has no ulterior reason for wanting clinton prosecuted

He believes he was the reason The Apprentice had the best, classiest production values is all because of him. But he can't tell the difference from zircon cufflinks and gold sharpie ink! Dunning-Kruger all over the place.

wanting to prosecute hillary over this shit is tacit approval of the over-designation of every motherfucking document under the sun being 'CLASSIFIED'

mordy those are not jill stein worthy lols, I suspect whoever is the least funny cockburn ghostwrote that, it's typical counterpunch lash out in the dark tactics, par for the course

I'm still hoping for Trump/Sheen '16

I suspect whoever is the least funny cockburn

olivia wilde is a hill supporter dawg

also she is kinda funny in portlandia idk

it's typical counterpunch lash out in the dark tactics, par for the course

Not OK to be buying the right wing narrative - no way.

Joni Ernst took herself out of VP consideration