Too soon to start thinking about 2024?

[Carpet_pissr]

It'd 100% be better if they had a bigger poll

sorry.

My 15 year old son thinks this is the best!

I do it for the children.

ALSO what she said. Literally. (Full disclosure, we planned to have two only, and ended up with three)

[El Guapo]

This is probably the ad that Biden should be running.

[Smoove_B]

That ad is perfect, fwiw.

Up next on CNN - a Town Hall with Nikki Haley:

CNN announced that Jake Tapper will moderate a Republican presidential town hall event with former South Carolina governor-turned-2024 candidate Nikki Haley. The event is scheduled to take place in Iowa on June 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

CNN’s press release on the event states that Haley “will take questions from Tapper and a live audience which is comprised of Iowa Republicans and Iowa voters, who say they will pre-register to participate in the Republican caucuses by the deadline set by the Republican Party of Iowa.”

Just what we needed!

[Octavious]

CNN is dead to me. I mean at least she didn't try and overthrow the country? Well not directly at least. I mean she knows she can't win unless everyone else dies so is she just hoping to slide in as the VP?

[El Guapo]

I'm not planning on watching, but having had the Trump town hall, seems like they need to have ones for non-Trump GOP candidates as well, right?

[ImLawBoy]

I'm not planning on watching, but having had the Trump town hall, seems like they need to have ones for non-Trump GOP candidates as well, right?

It seems like a perfectly reasonable approach for mainstream candidates that did not try to overthrow the government.

[Octavious]

Anyone aside from Trump is perfectly reasonable. Even Ron. He might be the crappiest person in earth, but he hasn't tried to overthrow the country (yet).

[Smoove_B]

It seems like a perfectly reasonable approach for mainstream candidates that did not try to overthrow the government.

Perfectly reasonable:

When Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley stepped onstage Wednesday morning at a campaign event at Saint Anselm College, she had a question for the crowd.

"Everybody know about Dylan Mulvaney?” Haley asked. “Bud Light? That is a guy, dressed as a girl, making fun of women.”

To the GOP’s hardcore base, Dylan Mulvaney needs no introduction. The transgender content creator who partnered with Budweiser has been the target of vicious attacks and sustained indignation for weeks, largely thanks to a seemingly endless stream of segments on Fox News.

But in the crowd at Saint Anselm College’s “Politics & Eggs” event, packed with New Hampshire’s famously independent voters, this anti-transgender broadside was not met with applause but silence.

Voters in the room appeared largely unaware of the Bud Light controversy. When Haley waited for applause, they didn’t clap.

I'm sure after she irons out her hate speech routine, it'll go over much better on CNN.

[Octavious]

It's kind of amazing to me how they kept on ramping up the hate to the point where someone just being transgender evokes outrage. It was drips and drabs and them bam we're all about just flat out hating them again. Sliding back decades only took a few months of hate articles. It's awesome.

[ImLawBoy]

It seems like a perfectly reasonable approach for mainstream candidates that did not try to overthrow the government.

Perfectly reasonable:

They're not going to pick and choose based on issues. They're just not. So where do you draw the line? I'm not 100% sure, but permitting town halls for legitimate candidates who haven't actively encouraged insurrection seems reasonable. Permitting town halls for legitimate candidates who are not objectively known for lying as easily as they breath air seems reasonable.

[gilraen]

I'm not 100% sure, but permitting town halls for legitimate candidates who haven't actively encouraged insurrection seems reasonable.

I'll definitely give you this one.

Permitting town halls for legitimate candidates who are not objectively known for lying as easily as they breath air seems reasonable.

Unfortunately it's such a low bar these days. You are basically just drawing a line between "lying" (like Trump does) and "talking points" that always devolve into dog-whistles for the base (like the whole Dylan Mulvaney debacle).

[waitingtoconnect]

It’s all just survivor reality television politicians now thanks to trump.

Politics is now reality television. And like reality tv the audience only wants the most toxic or vicious individuals to compete for the grand prize. Democrats havent really realised this yet or have chosen to pretend it’s not happening.

Look at the classic troupes:

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... tyTVTropes

Bigot v Bigot (guess who)
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... gotVsBigot

ham to ham combat (only the most extreme liberals v conservative arguments are heard drowning out the real issues)
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... oHamCombat

The caustic critic (eg tucker)

Voting off the island (the primaries)
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... fTheIsland

Tall poppy syndrome (the candidates who should be president will never get through to be president)
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... pySyndrome

The white dwarf starlet (trump)
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... arfStarlet
Very often serves as a platform for washed-up celebrities who aren't quite ready to step out of the limelight, or who are attempting a comeback.


And finally the manipulative ending
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ ... iveEditing

[Smoove_B]

Sure, why not:

CNN will host a town hall with former Vice President Mike Pence early next month in Iowa, the network announced Thursday.

The town hall will be moderated by CNN’s Dana Bash on Wednesday, June 7, at 9 p.m. ET from Grand View University in Des Moines.

Pence, who served as vice president from 2017 to 2021, has been positioning himself as a presidential candidate for months, though he has yet to officially enter the 2024 race. Pence has said he expects to make a decision on a campaign “before the month of June is out.”

During the town hall, Pence will field questions from Bash and a live audience that will include Iowa Republicans and Iowa voters, who say they plan to pre-register to take part in the Republican caucuses by the deadline set by the Republican Party of Iowa and pledge to appear in person at the caucuses.

I've been assured there will be NO dancing and it will be absolutely riveting.

[Kurth]

Sure, why not:

CNN will host a town hall with former Vice President Mike Pence early next month in Iowa, the network announced Thursday.

The town hall will be moderated by CNN’s Dana Bash on Wednesday, June 7, at 9 p.m. ET from Grand View University in Des Moines.

Pence, who served as vice president from 2017 to 2021, has been positioning himself as a presidential candidate for months, though he has yet to officially enter the 2024 race. Pence has said he expects to make a decision on a campaign “before the month of June is out.”

During the town hall, Pence will field questions from Bash and a live audience that will include Iowa Republicans and Iowa voters, who say they plan to pre-register to take part in the Republican caucuses by the deadline set by the Republican Party of Iowa and pledge to appear in person at the caucuses.

I've been assured there will be NO dancing and it will be absolutely riveting.

Can you imagine what the ratings for this will be? I'm not, but I'm almost looking forward to seeing Trump's comments.

[coopasonic]

Curious to see what the fly thinks about it.

[Alefroth]

Isn't it on strike?

[Unagi]

I don’t imagine Trump thinks of Pence as a threat at all.
I’m sure his attacks will be mild compared to those thrown at DeSantis.

I am curious too though, if Trump will call out Pence for “not doing the right thing” on Jan 6th.

[YellowKing]

I have no doubt we'll still see Pence subtly kissing the ass of the guy who incited a mob to kill him.

[Carpet_pissr]

I have no doubt we'll still see Pence subtly kissing the ass of the guy who incited a mob to kill him.

Yep

[Carpet_pissr]

I don’t imagine Trump thinks of Pence as a threat at all.

If true, I (gulp) agree with Trump.

[Smoove_B]

I can only imagine what the behind-the-scenes data is telling his handlers that makes this part of his run-up for the nomination:

Trump today announces that on day one he will sign an Executive Order denying US citizenship to children born in the US if their parents are migrant asylum seekers.

[Pyperkub]

I have no doubt we'll still see Pence subtly kissing the ass of the guy who incited a mob to kill him.

Maybe, but he is delusional enough to announce a run...

Former Vice President Mike Pence to Launch Campaign for White House Within 2 Weeks (Exclusive)
Pence, who is polling in single digits, believes he has a lane with evangelicals in the GOP primaries

[Pyperkub]

I don’t imagine Trump thinks of Pence as a threat at all.

If true, I (gulp) agree with Trump.

He's a legal threat. Not an electoral one.

[Smoove_B]

It's official:

Former Vice President Mike Pence filed paperwork Monday to run for president in 2024, Federal Election Commission documents showed.

Pence, who served under former President Donald Trump, is expected to personally launch his bid for the GOP nomination on Wednesday. A spokesman for Pence confirmed the FEC filings.

The former vice president is expected to bring a more traditionally conservative voice to a primary field that has been drowned out by the populist preachings of Trump, the current front-runner, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Nikki Haley had her CNN town hall last night and Chris Christie is getting ready to announce, so I guess it's officially GOP Clown Car Season (tm).

[Octavious]

Awesome all these idiots are making Trump a lock. I mean honestly it probably would be a lock anyway, but barf.

[Exodor]

Awesome all these idiots are making Trump a lock. I mean honestly it probably would be a lock anyway, but barf.

Yeah they're repeating the same mistakes they made in 2016 - dividing the anti-Trump voters so Trump cruises to easy victory in the primaries.

I'm a little confused about why Pence would even enter the race. Trumpers hate him because he refused to impose Trump as an unelected dictator in 2020. Non-Republicans hate him because he's an OG Christofascist. Even if he somehow won the primary I don't see how he would have a chance in the general. But I guess grifting is easy money for a Republican with name recognition.

[Unagi]

Awesome all these idiots are making Trump a lock. I mean honestly it probably would be a lock anyway, but barf.

Yeah they're repeating the same mistakes they made in 2016 - dividing the anti-Trump voters so Trump cruises to easy victory in the primaries.

I'm a little confused about why Pence would even enter the race. Trumpers hate him because he refused to impose Trump as an unelected dictator in 2020. Non-Republicans hate him because he's an OG Christofascist. Even if he somehow won the primary I don't see how he would have a chance in the general. But I guess grifting is easy money for a Republican with name recognition.

Pence is hilarious. The only single good thing about him is the one single thing that totally sank him with his 'people'.

[Smoove_B]

It's Chris Christie time!

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie formally announced his second bid for president Tuesday, using his familiar town hall format to begin thumping former President Donald Trump and make an early case for his long-shot candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2024 race.

The kick-off came after a 27-minute speech where Christie accused recent presidents of both parties of “dividing us” with the intention of locking people into their ideological tribes. He referred to leaders that do that as “pretenders” who want to “divide you further and to make it easier” for the country to be “dominated by a single leader.”

[Octavious]

Ya Christie is totally a man of the people.

[malchior]

He's not wrong. If his whole purpose was to blow up Trump then maybe he could redeem himself. If so, he should do things like this right up to a week before primaries and drop out.

[El Guapo]

He's not wrong. If his whole purpose was to blow up Trump then maybe he could redeem himself. If so, he should do things like this right up to a week before primaries and drop out.

This is why I'm glad that he's running. He's a bad person, and he almost certainly doesn't have a chance, and this probably in the end won't amount to much of anything. BUT right now he's the only prominent Republican willing to speak the unvarnished truth about Trump (and about the other Republican candidates who are trying to run against Trump without criticizing him), and he's got enough stature with the media that he'll generate press coverage while doing so. Hard to see how the Republican Party gets better if no one is willing to speak the truth to Republican voters.

[LordMortis]

Hard to see how the Republican Party gets better if no one is willing to speak the truth to Republican voters.

^^^^
That right there. Specifically, not just no one but historically republican somebodies.

[Alefroth]

You mean the RINO Christie?

[Daehawk]

U.S. Supreme Court ruling brightens electoral map for Democrats in 2024

A surprise Supreme Court ruling on Thursday has handed Democrats a potential boost in the 2024 congressional race by calling into question the constitutionality of Republican-drawn electoral districts throughout the U.S. South.

[Smoove_B]

Campaign promises from TFG:

Trump says in a second term he will seek to repeal the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 so that he will have unilateral power as president to seize funds appropriated by Congress for govt agencies and programs and use that money to give out tax cuts.

I guess thanks for teaching me history?

[Isgrimnur]

Impoundment Control Act of 1974

The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA) reasserted Congress’ power of the purse. Specifically, Title X of the Act – “Impoundment Control” – established procedures to prevent the President and other government officials from unilaterally substituting their own funding decisions for those of the Congress. The Act also created the House and Senate Budget Committees and the Congressional Budget Office.

Congress passed the ICA in response to President Nixon’s executive overreach – his Administration refused to release Congressionally appropriated funds for certain programs he opposed. While the U.S. Constitution broadly grants Congress the power of the purse, the President – through the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and executive agencies – is responsible for the actual spending of funds. The ICA created a process the President must follow if he or she seeks to delay or cancel funding that Congress has provided.

[Zarathud]

Trump: Making Nixon look less corrupt, every day.

[pr0ner]

Another video from the Baier interview. Damn.

[Kurth]

Another video from the Baier interview. Damn.

"She wouldn't be killed . . ."

"But your policy?"

"Yeah, starting now. But Alice wouldn't be killed."

[Jaymann]

Schrodinger's death penalty.