It's hard to put this in words now. I just want to hit stuff.
American Politics thread: No Nazis Allowed
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Pretty shocked that the 48-hour FBI investigation where nobody was interviewed turned up nothing.
My initial reaction to this news was to wonder why conservatives wanted THIS man so desperately and not any other a-hole they have on their list- where you could "throw a dart" and hit a great pick. (https://qz.com/1317761/some-of-trumps-supreme-court-picks-could-last-for-40-years/)
But it's painfully obvious now that this isn't about Kavanaugh being the absolute best pick in their eyes- it's about getting a Republican– any Republican-- in as quickly as possible and not "losing" to any of these "liberal setbacks" (like sexual assault trials and FBI investigations). It's not about who they think is actually good for the job- but about achieving another victory for the party and it's disgusting.
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@Badass:
My initial reaction to this news was to wonder why conservatives wanted THIS man so desperately and not any other a-hole they have on their list- where you could "throw a dart" and hit a great pick. (https://qz.com/1317761/some-of-trumps-supreme-court-picks-could-last-for-40-years/)
But it's painfully obvious now that this isn't about Kavanaugh being the absolute best pick in their eyes- it's about getting a Republican– any Republican-- in as quickly as possible and not "losing" to any of these "liberal setbacks" (like sexual assault trials and FBI investigations). It's not about who they think is actually good for the job- but about achieving another victory for the party and it's disgusting.
Right, it's A) about owning the libs (a rapist on the SC will trigger them harder than anything else), and B) Kavanaugh thinks Republican presidents can't be indicted.
Anyway, Moderate Sue is voting YES on Kavanaugh:
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https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/05/politics/kavanaugh-nomination-vote-friday/index.html
Welp. Can't say I'm shocked, just disappointed.
On a slightly different note, I found this article interesting and thought I'd share it here. It talks about how people on both sides of the political divide feel like "strangers in their own land" now and how that mentality has shifted since Trump entered office.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/upshot/estranged-america-trump-polarization.html?emc=edit_nn_20181005&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=7871708320181005&te=1 EDIT: However, my curiosity is leading me to question exactly WHY many republicans felt so estranged prior to Trump's election- they did, obviously, which is what ultimately contributed to his victory (among other tampering). Is it really, as the article above suggests, related to the the loss of religious and "traditional" family values in America? I can't quite understand how that's such a horrible thing, but perhaps I'm biased.
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It's because there's more foreign brown people around.
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Republicans felt estranged because the country elected a black guy.
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Republicans felt estranged because the country elected a black guy.
@Cyan:
It's because there's more foreign brown people around.
I suppose I was hoping it was more than that, but maybe I'm giving them too much credit.
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Susan Collins is a gender traitor.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
I was expecting her to sell out but not that she'd go Full Lindsey Graham while doing it.
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@Cyan:
It's because there's more foreign brown people around.
It's a shame the acronym The "Rich, White, Old Christian Men Only Club" doesn't roll off the the tongue.
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Susie Sellout was a yes from the start but too much of a coward to ever say otherwise.
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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/10/05/day-624/
Day 624: A mistake.
1/ The Senate voted 51-49 to advance Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination. Republican Lisa Murkowski voted not to advance the nomination. She called the cloture vote "a mistake" and that Kavanaugh is "not the best man for the court at this time." Democrat Joe Manchin voted in favor. Confirmation is not assured as Sens. Susan Collins, Murkowski, and Manchin could vote differently during Saturday's final confirmation vote. Flake told reporters he would support Kavanaugh on the final vote, "unless something big changes." (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / NBC News / Wall Street Journal)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/05/kavanaugh-votes-confirmed-872713
How senators voted. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/brett-kavanaugh-senate-cloture-vote-count/
LIVE UPDATES: The Guardian / Wall Street Journal / CNN / CBS News
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/kavanaugh-fbi-investigation-oct-18/index.html
2/ Susan Collins is expected to announce her decision on Kavanaugh's nomination at 3 p.m. ET today. Sarah Sanders said she thinks "we should" have the Senate votes needed to confirm Kavanaugh. (CNN / CBS News)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/05/politics/collins-kavanaugh-vote-nomination-announcement/index.html
Mitch McConnell said is "optimistic" after having lunch with Collins and GOP leadership. (The Hill)
3/ Kavanaugh wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal arguing that he is an "independent, impartial judge" who "might have been too emotional" during his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week. (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-am-an-independent-impartial-judge-1538695822
The American Bar Association is re-evaluating Kavanaugh's "well-qualified" rating. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, the ABA referred to "new information of a material nature regarding temperament" stemming from Kavanaugh's hearing. (Business Insider)
4/ Trump mocked former Senator Al Franken for folding "like a wet rag" and resigning following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct last year. (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/us/politics/trump-al-franken-minnesota.html
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I was wondering why there was a piece of coal lying behind Collins' skirt but it was actually just Joe Manchin.
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Manchin's made it clear that he would only vote no if there were 50 other no votes and clearly there aren't because fuck Collins and fuck Flake.
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@Cyan:
Manchin's made it clear that he would only vote no if there were 50 other no votes and clearly there aren't because fuck Collins and fuck Flake.
I've heard that's Manchin's M.O. He'll vote Republican if it won't actually affect the outcome. That said he's the decider this time and the fact he voted yes now, when the worst that would have happened is a tie breaker from Pence, falls into that, but still does not bode well for tomorrow.
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@Cyan:
Manchin's made it clear that he would only vote no if there were 50 other no votes and clearly there aren't because fuck Collins and fuck Flake.
Yeah. I'm honestly getting tired of the 'coward' insult for senators. They do what's best for them. Collins is almost certainly retiring to a nice and cushy lobbying position, so she's voting for Kav. Manchin wouldn't be the deciding vote, but he's voting for Kav because it increases his chances of getting re-elected this year.
I've heard that's Manchin's M.O. He'll vote Republican if it won't actually affect the outcome. That said he's the decider this time and the fact he voted yes now, when the worst that would have happened is a tie breaker from Pence, falls into that, but still does not bode well for tomorrow.
Manchin isn't the decider. Collins is.
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We should count ourselves extremely lucky that Manchin acts on his Blue Dog instincts when it won't matter.
The man is one of the most strategically important figures in American politics right now and West Virginia will only replace him with someone actually evil.
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https://www.vox.com/2018/10/5/17941312/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-legitimacy
I reiterate:
Abolish the Supreme Court.
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That ain't happening, what with its existence written right into our Constitution.
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November can't come fast enough.
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Manchin isn't the decider. Collins is.
I've been hearing that there'll be a Republican Senator who might miss the vote because of his daughter's wedding (though that's assuming he doesn't opt to come back just for the vote). That makes it 99 Senators to vote for Kavanaugh, all but two voting on party lines and one (Murkowski) a firm "No". That makes Manchin the decider unless Daines returns, in which case Daines is the decider.
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November can't come fast enough.
Might be for the best that elections won't be for another month. Kavanaugh rallied the conservatives and blew a hole in Democrats' midterm prospects, but their resentment and motivation will have dissipated once he's properly seated. Meanwhile, liberal anger will remain high*.
*presumably. The pussytape actually happened LATER in the 2016 cycle (October 7) and we all know how little that ended up doing.
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Might be for the best that elections won't be for another month. Kavanaugh rallied the conservatives and blew a hole in Democrats' midterm prospects, but their resentment and motivation will have dissipated once he's properly seated. Meanwhile, liberal anger will remain high*.
*presumably. The pussytape actually happened LATER in the 2016 cycle (October 7) and we all know how little that ended up doing.
I daresay the pussy tape was offset by the FBI's "We're reopening the investigation into Hillary Clinton a week before the election" antics.
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*presumably. The pussytape actually happened LATER in the 2016 cycle (October 7) and we all know how little that ended up doing.
So long as James Comey, Man of Great Non Partisan Integritude, doesn't release another letter saying GOSH OH GOLLY THAT HILLARY CLINTON SURE IS SHIFTY HUH, we're in the clear.
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@Cyan:
So long as James Comey, Man of Great Non Partisan Integritude, doesn't release another letter saying GOSH OH GOLLY THAT HILLARY CLINTON SURE IS SHIFTY HUH, we're in the clear.
Yeah, the FBI is now led by a guy who swore personal loyalty to Trump, cleansed the agency of undesirables and just finished a sham investigation. I’m sure there won’t be a convenient bombshell dropped in late October this time.
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It's like, people know the American government is vastly corrupt, but it's so infuriating how utterly blatant and vile it is nowadays. Like Trump doesn't even pretend like he's putting this stooge up as a justice just to save his ass.
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@S.C.:
It's like, people know the American government is vastly corrupt,
Half know it's corrupt, half think it's corrupt only under specific circumstances, and a few don't care either way because they're more concerned with other less important and more stupid things.
@S.C.:
Like Trump doesn't even pretend like he's putting this stooge up as a justice just to save his ass.
And yet he's (somehow) less offensive than the thousands of bullshit artists pretending that Merrick Garland wasn't fucked on and that what's happening to Kavanaugh is unprecendented (somehow and comically also forgetting Clarence Thomas).
Yeah, the FBI is now led by a guy who swore personal loyalty to Trump, cleansed the agency of undesirables and just finished a sham investigation.
One that Don McGahn played a role in to ensure it was as much of a sham as possible.
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Just got a notification from Reuters. Sounds like the confirmation vote is underway and he's been confirmed.
No word yet on how the votes shook out.
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Trump says GOP Sen. Murkowski ‘will never recover’ for voting ‘no’ on Kavanaugh
One annoying thing in all this, is Trump thinks this No vote will cost Murkowski her seat in 2022. Who's going to even remember this, when I doubt Trump will even be in office in 2020. Heck, he might not even be alive in 2022 (wishful thinking, maybe).
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LOL … MAGA
Two Mandates, Two Scoops, Two Supreme Justices.
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MAGA indeed… this doesn't surprise anyone but it's depressing to see nonetheless. A part of me is still expecting democrats to somehow lose in November, in which case I will probably just check out of all American politics forever for my own sanity.
My libtard cuck shill tears aside, the allegations will further empower the left to vote in November, but the whole experience gives Republicans a platform to preach that "liberals can dig up anything that happened in your past and try to defame you, nothing is safe, etc", effectively making this whole thing an "issue of privacy". And there's a good chance that like everything else, the very gullible republican voters will actually believe that.
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The same Republicans were okay with digging up Obama's past with regards to him going to Jeremiah Wright's church, digging up Hillary Clinton laughing at a rape victim (which of course she didn't do), constantly digging up Bill getting it on with Lewinski, citing the racism of the southern democractic party (which they erroroneusly attribute to the whole party), citing the past criminal records of black people who get shot by police officers etc
Someone needs to call them out on the selective wayback bias.
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People have called them out consistently. They just aren't listened to.
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November can't come fast enough.
Unfortunately, even a big turnover in November is too late now. Conservatives now control the supreme court, and they've appointed a toooon of unqualified judges at lower levels. And the SC is having a hearing on if the president should have full pardon power over the state level this month (which is the real reason they were so desperate to get Kavanaugh through. ) Trump is going to literally be above the law in a couple weeks, able to pardon anyone, midterms be damned.
What's having a check and balance now for the next two years, when the big harm has now been decided for the next 30 years?
And even scarier, even though all signs point to it happening, what if there ISN'T a bluewave? What if the gerrymandering and voter tampering and russian interferance… keep things where they are unchecked? We expected a blue wave in 2016 too and it didn't happen.
If we can at least get a 51-49 majority that'll be SOMETHING. McConnell won't be in control anymore. But I'm scared not even that will happen.
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Unfortunately, even a big turnover in November is too late now. Conservatives now control the supreme court, and they've appointed a toooon of unqualified judges at lower levels. And the SC is having a hearing on if the president should have full pardon power over the state level this month (which is the real reason they were so desperate to get Kavanaugh through. ) Trump is going to literally be above the law in a couple weeks, able to pardon anyone, midterms be damned.
What's having a check and balance now for the next two years, when the big harm has now been decided for the next 30 years?
And even scarier, even though all signs point to it happening, what if there ISN'T a bluewave? What if the gerrymandering and voter tampering and russian interferance… keep things where they are unchecked? We expected a blue wave in 2016 too and it didn't happen.
If we can at least get a 51-49 majority that'll be SOMETHING. McConnell won't be in control anymore. But I'm scared not even that will happen.
Why the Big Double Jeopardy Supreme Court Case Isn’t a Threat to the Mueller Probe
Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, pardons, the Supreme Court, and Gamble v. United States
That's heavy, but I can at least add that I'v seen two articles suggesting that even if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Gamble, at the very least it wouldn't affect the big players in the Mueller case. For what that's worth.
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@MDL:
“I've got more Indian blood in me than Pocahontas, and I have none. Sadly, I have none. But I have more than she does.”
- Trump
Why can't he just have a heart attack and we can be rid of him already?
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Trump apologizes to Kavanaugh, says he was ‘proven innocent’
WASHINGTON – President Trump began his ceremonial swearing-in ceremony of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Monday with an apology to him for the way his confirmation hearing went — and by saying the jurist was “proven innocent” of sex abuse claims.
“I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure,” Trump said at the evening White House event.
The president noted that in America people “must always be presumed innocent, until they are proven guilty.”
He then announced, “You sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent” before giving the new justice a handshake.
Trump noted that Kavanaugh’s wife, Ashley, was in the East Room audience at the White House, along with his two daughters Liza and Margaret. In a message especially for his daughters he called Kavanaugh “a man of decency, character, kindness and courage.”
Trump did something infuriating again. I'm so mad right now. He's throwing mud in the faces of so many people with that lie.
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Bit late with this tonight but here's today's WTF Just Happened Today feed:
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/10/08/day-627/
Day 627: "An insult to the American public."
1/ The Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in a 50-48 vote. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted "present," although she said he opposed the nomination. Joe Manchin was the lone "yes" vote from the Democrats. Kavanaugh is the first justice nominated by a president who lost the popular vote, confirmed by senators representing less than half of the country, while also having his nomination opposed by a majority of the country. (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / The Guardian / NPR)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/06/politics/kavanaugh-final-confirmation-vote/index.html
Chief Justice John Roberts has already received more than a dozen judicial misconduct complaints against Kavanaugh. Roberts has chosen not to refer the complaints to a judicial panel for investigation. (Washington Post)
The campaign to impeach Justice Kavanaugh has begun. A petition to impeach Kavanaugh gathered more than 125,000 signatures, but while it takes majority of the House to impeach a federal official, removing them requires a two-thirds supermajority of the Senate – or 67 votes. (Newsweek / NBC News)
2/ Trump called the allegations against Kavanaugh "a hoax that was set up by the Democrats." He said talk of impeaching Kavanaugh was "an insult to the American public." (The Hill / Washington Post)
Mitch McConnell called for an investigation into the leak of Christine Blasey Ford's letter to Diane Feinstein, which alleges that Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while the two were in high school. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/07/christine-blasey-ford-leak-investigation-880177
John Kelly formed a working group to prepare for the possibility of investigations if Democrats win the House. "Subpoenas flowing into a White House create paralysis," said Neil Eggleston, Obama's White House counsel. "The whole system stops while everyone tries to comply with subpoenas and prepare to testify." (Axios)
Susan Rice said she'll decide after the midterm elections on whether to run and try to unseat Susan Collins in 2020, who was the deciding vote to confirm Kavanaugh. Rice was Obama's national security adviser. (ABC News / Washington Post)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/susan-rice-2020-challenge-collins-maine-58348163
Ford has not been able to return to her home due to constant threats, according to her attorneys. "They are not living at home […] The threats have been unending, it's deplorable." Ford "still believes [coming forward] was the right thing to do." (HuffPost)
3/ Trump won't fire Rod Rosenstein after all, saying they have a "very good relationship." Trump and Rosenstein met following reports that Rosenstein wanted to wiretap the president and using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. Rosenstein oversees the Russia probe led by Robert Mueller, whose work Trump has labeled a "witch hunt." (New York Times / CNN / Washington Post / Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/08/rosenstein-trump-travel-880973
4/ A U.N. report on the effects of climate change predicts a strong risk of an environmental crises much sooner than expected. The report finds that the atmosphere could warm by as much as 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial levels by 2040 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, which would cause sea-levels to rise, intensify droughts, wildfires, and poverty, and cause a mass die-off of coral reefs. To prevent 2.7 degrees of warming, greenhouse pollution must be reduced by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, and fully eliminated by 2050. The use of coal as an electricity source would have to drop from nearly 40% today to between 1 and 7% by 2050. Renewable energy would have to increase to about 67%. Trump has mocked the science of human-caused climate change, vowing to increase the burning of coal and intends to withdraw from the 2015 Paris agreement. The world is already more than halfway to the 2.7-degree mark and "there is no documented historic precedent" for the scale of changes required, the report said. (New York Times / Washington Post)
Notables.
North Korea will allow inspectors to visit a nuclear testing site that Kim Jong Un says he destroyed, according to Mike Pompeo. North Korea has not yet agreed to provide a full inventory of their nuclear arsenal, a move widely seen as the first step toward denuclearization. Additionally, South Korea said Trump and Kim agreed to a second summit. (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/07/world/asia/pompeo-north-korea-visit.html
A Republican operative raised at least $100,000 in an effort to obtain Hillary Clinton's stolen emails just weeks before the 2016 election. In an email, Peter W. Smith sent wire instructions to "fund the Washington Scholarship Fund for the Russian students" with the donations days after WikiLeaks and DCLeaks began releasing emails damaging to Clinton's campaign. Robert Mueller's office has been investigating Smith's activities. He killed himself in May 2017 – 10 days after describing his efforts to a reporter. (Wall Street Journal)
Federal officials froze all of Oleg Deripaska's U.S.-based assets, including his mansions in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Deripaska is close with Putin and is allegedly involved in murder, money-laundering, bribery and racketeering. (New York Post)
https://nypost.com/2018/10/08/feds-freeze-russian-oligarchs-assets-upper-east-side-mansion/
Fox News hired Hope Hicks as Chief Communications Officer. After she left the White House in February, former Fox News executive Bill Shine took over as deputy chief of staff for communications. (Fox News / CNBC / Variety)
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/08/hope-hicks-lands-at-fox-news-as-chief-communications-officer.html
How to register to vote:
If you're not sure if you're registered, check your registration status on https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/If you haven't registered, use https://www.vote.org/register-to-vote/ , https://turbovote.org/ , or pick up a registration form at your local post office or library.
Check your voter registration deadline:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/06/us/politics/state-voter-registration-deadlines.html
or
Also, on a separate note, the Alt-Right is having a meltdown over Taylor Swift endorsing the Democrats
‘A betrayal beyond words’: The far right melts down over Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Democrats
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Also, on a separate note, the Alt-Right is having a meltdown over Taylor Swift endorsing the Democrats
‘A betrayal beyond words’: The far right melts down over Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Democrats
Mwahahaha!!
Seriously though, people, did she really look like a MAGA nut?
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Mwahahaha!!
Seriously though, people, did she really look like a MAGA nut?
If she is or has at any point ever been a country singer she's supposed to vote republican
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There's plenty of (fairly credible) conspiracy theories about Taylor being a regular on 4chan's /b/ board. So yea, there was reason to believe she might be right wing/alt-right, given her use of 4chan.
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Why the Big Double Jeopardy Supreme Court Case Isn’t a Threat to the Mueller Probe
Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump, pardons, the Supreme Court, and Gamble v. United States
That's heavy, but I can at least add that I'v seen two articles suggesting that even if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Gamble, at the very least it wouldn't affect the big players in the Mueller case. For what that's worth.
Well, that's at least a little reassuring.
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Mwahahaha!!
Seriously though, people, did she really look like a MAGA nut?
She's notoriously apolitical though, to the point there was a whole controversy last year about her not disavowing a white supremacist subsection of her fans
Like Snoop Dogg though, guess that apoliticism broke under Trump.
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Because of current events, I've listened to a bunch of Taylor Swift today. I hope this doesn't change something within me.
Also, Nikki Haley resigned.
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If she is or has at any point ever been a country singer she's supposed to vote republican
Willie Nelson endorsing Beto O'Rourke had the same reaction.
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A comment on the Taylor Swift thing I think sums it up nicely.
So in other words: The alt-right assumed a woman was saying yes to them because she didn't explicitly say no?
Also, there's been a surge in voter registration since Swift came out on the Democrats' side.
https://gizmodo.com/taylor-swift-causes-surge-in-voter-registration-after-e-1829618381
The article doesn't specify whether the registrations are Democrat or Republican, not given the surge is attributed to Swift and spikes in voter registration typically don't favor Republicans, it seems a safe guess they're Democrat.
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Also, Trump has said he now like's Taylor Swift's music about 25% less.
Whatever the hell that means.
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Trump tearfully deletes Picture To Burn off his iPod.
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No more singing Swift songs in the shower for Trump.
Also, Trump has said he now like's Taylor Swift's music about 25% less.
Whatever the hell that means.
It just means he's being petty. As usual.