Friday Open Thread

14 thoughts on “Friday Open Thread”

1. My guess is Helen was referring to the art of writing well, . . .

   . . . and probably not to driving an automobile???

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   1. In the long run, we all wind up dead, whether we avoid danger or not.

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      1. That hasn't yet been proven, given the continued existence of Keith Richards.

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         1. Keith looks pretty good, in the YouTube clips that I've watched from the Stones' European tour last year.

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2. It's starting to get late in the day for a SCOTUS ruling. A cynic might start expecting a Friday news dump level turd.

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   1. On Colbert last night he mentioned they said the release would be before 11:59 pm. He also pointed out the implications of one coming out late on a Friday. Brace yourselves, America.

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   2. And it appears I was too cynical. Unsigned opinion puts a full stay in place pending appeal. Thomas and Alito would have removed the stay, making them the worst two justices on the Court.

      The appeals hearing is set for May 17th.

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      1. Alito is apparently publicly criticizing Kagan, Sotomayor, Barrett for now supporting the shadow docket when they opposed it in the past (Yahoo News this AM).

         Alito seems confused, which makes it hard to track what he might actually be saying. Even Thomas isn't supporting him on this one.

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3. The role of MyKevin™ is properly cast…

   Give this to Kevin. pic.twitter.com/a5Nea9GiGE

   — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 21, 2023

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4. Republican Thunderdome Politics. Josh Marshall at TPM

   All of these clowns think they can square that circle when they can’t. Haley, Scott, Pompeo. The only plausible path to dethroning Trump is a candidate who says something like this: “You know what? F*ck Trump! Yeah, I supported him and he did some good stuff. But this is ridiculous. He’s still stuck on losing the 2020 election. If you can’t get the job done move aside for someone who can. Don’t make excuses. He’s in hot water for paying off a pornstar and he might be in jail by 2025. It’s a joke. I’m better. Let’s move on.”

   Would that work? Probably not. But it might. And I guarantee you it’s the only angle that has any chance, albeit a very slim one because again …. Republicans like Trump.

   Most of what we’ve seen over the last six or seven weeks is what we noted above. Once it became clear that it would be super hard for DeSantis to satisfy the wishy-washy desires of a minority of the GOP to move on from Trump his support began to drop like a stone. Then his fall became the story. That’s the key to dig into. Aside from a few hits on Social Security and Medicare, nothing in the GOP presidential world over the last couple months has had anything to do with policy or even governance, even by the stupidest and most trivial standards. I’m not saying it’s not about white papers and big think. They’re not even talking about drag shows or police. What you’ve seen is a fairly choreographed series of events the upshot of which is to make DeSantis seem weak, hapless, helpless and absurd. That is the language of Trumpism – denigration and humiliation.

   We’ve discussed in the past how much of politics is made of performative aggression and the ability to dominate. This is something like the other side of that coin. Once you look stupid, weak and helpless — to other Republicans — you can never be their nominee. You simply can’t come back from that. You wouldn’t have a great shot as a Democrat either. But performative dominance and strongmanism aren’t the centerpiece of Democratic political culture. So it’s not the same thing.

   Trump already had DeSantis on the ropes. Then he managed to get all his House supporters to endorse Trump right as DeSantis started haplessly trying to get them to endorse him. Like a trapdoor Meatball Ron walked on to when he thought he was making his move. Then last night they all went for dinner and took pictures at Mar-a-Lago. Suddenly he’s the loser who didn’t get invited to the party. Trump always talks about how the other countries are laughing at us here in America. He threw a party for everyone to laugh at Ron. Endorsements in themselves mean almost nothing. This is performative humiliation. It’s the language of Republican politics.

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   1. Astute and well written.

      Thanks.

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      1. Trump simply can not be humiliated.  He has humiliation immunity.

         All his scandals, lies, childish behaviors, grifts, adulteries, selfishnesses, rapes, conspirings, bigotries, ignorances, thefts, and treasons; any one of which would completely disgrace and derail a more normal tyrant, work together as a shield for him. (He lies and denies all these things, but his supporters are all in with him because they know that every time he opens his mouth it’s a lie from a lying liar that’s lying — they actually find fulfillment and gain proximity to the Chosen One by sharing and spreading his lies for him.)

         The Republican party is so divorced from reality, morally corrupt, and intellectually bankrupt that they don’t worry about any of their own lying. Hell, they need the liars, they know that — the bigger the lies and the more of them, all the better.

         Ttump is by himself his very own, self-contained basket of deplorables.  This is his superpower.  He’s the culmination of decades of Republican strategy and ambition, the alpha Republican.  That’s why today’s real Republicans love, and fear, him so.

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