Octopus Overlords

Posted: **Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:36 pm**

Hey, so…has anyone seen Herschel Walker since the midterms?

Not sure I’ve ever seen anyone get entirely erased from the political radar as thoroughly as he has been. Not even a Newsmax or OAN hit since he lost. Just…poof.

Posted: **Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:59 pm**

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:36 pm Hey, so…has anyone seen Herschel Walker since the midterms?

Not sure I’ve ever seen anyone get entirely erased from the political radar as thoroughly as he has been. Not even a Newsmax or OAN hit since he lost. Just…poof.

Isn't this what usually happens to losing candidates, especially outsiders with no prior political role?

Sure, now we live in the era of Kari Lake, but for the most part the losers have generally fallen off the scope.

In Herschel's case, particularly, there's no payoff in wasting time feeding him talking points, so why bother?

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 9:17 am**

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:59 pm
Skinypupy wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 5:36 pm Hey, so…has anyone seen Herschel Walker since the midterms?

Not sure I’ve ever seen anyone get entirely erased from the political radar as thoroughly as he has been. Not even a Newsmax or OAN hit since he lost. Just…poof.
Isn't this what usually happens to losing candidates, especially outsiders with no prior political role?

Sure, now we live in the era of Kari Lake, but for the most part the losers have generally fallen off the scope.

In Herschel's case, particularly, there's no payoff in wasting time feeding him talking points, so why bother?

Yeah. especially since no one on the Republican side wants to boost him and risk him being their standard-bearer in another race.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 1:04 pm**

Ignorance:

Easier to grift with election fraud, for example.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:50 pm**

When did all the stupid people move to the Republican Party?

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:14 pm**

Grifman wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:50 pmWhen did all the stupid people move to the Republican Party?

I personally hesitate to dismiss them as stupid. Some definitely could be but conspiracy theorists and flat earthers are much more about belonging to a group and/or maintaining an identity as powerful people who know things other people don't. The grifters have just been shameless enough to pull them into their coalition.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:02 pm**

Grifman wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:50 pm When did all the stupid people move to the Republican Party?

Started in 1980. Was complete by 2016.

I follow several different science and space groups on Facebook. Those that are unmoderated (which is most of them) are inundated with flerfers. I've been enthusiastically blocking them for the past few weeks - well over 100 by now - and I always look at their personal page before I do it. Roughly half of them are bots. The bots reply to every space photo with "Nice CGI." Most of the rest are anti-vaxxers, election deniers, moon hoaxers, gun nuts, and/or fundies (there's lots of overlap), and a small number are just off-the-charts insane. It's hard to say how many of them actually believe in flat earth versus just trolling, but there are some who construct intricate arguments from alternative "facts."

Like malchior says, much of it is simple tribalism. They are the enlightened and we are the brainwashed. As I like to say, once you embrace one Big Lie all the others fall into place.

As for the unmoderated FB groups, they thrive on the engagement. A simple innocuous photo of earth from the ISS can draw hundreds of comments from flerfers and those arguing with them.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:01 pm**

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:02 pm
Grifman wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:50 pm When did all the stupid people move to the Republican Party?
Started in 1980. Was complete by 2016.

I'd argue it goes farther back than 1980. Probably late 50s to mid-60s. Bircher's are probably the OG archetype for this type of person in the Republican party. They were supposedly purged by Reagan. But that seems like a bit of a fairy tale now.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:37 pm**

I think that if you had a graph of the phenomenon that included all of the 'quiet' bits, it would correspond nicely with a graph of the civil rights movement.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:38 pm**

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:01 pm
Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:02 pm
Grifman wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:50 pm When did all the stupid people move to the Republican Party?
Started in 1980. Was complete by 2016.
I'd argue it goes farther back than 1980. Probably late 50s to mid-60s. Bircher's are probably the OG archetype for this type of person in the Republican party. They were supposedly purged by Reagan. But that seems like a bit of a fairy tale now.

1980 is the year that they grabbed the brass ring and successfully turned voters anti-government -- which is to say, persuaded the ignorant to vote against their self interest. Voodoo economics ftw!

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2023 3:20 pm**

malchior wrote:
Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 10:02 pm
Grifman wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:50 pm When did all the stupid people move to the Republican Party?
Started in 1980. Was complete by 2016.
I'd argue it goes farther back than 1980. Probably late 50s to mid-60s. Bircher's are probably the OG archetype for this type of person in the Republican party. They were supposedly purged by Reagan. But that seems like a bit of a fairy tale now.

Yeah, when the democrats embraced the civil rights movement, it concentrated the race voters in the GOP.

But Reagan was a true, cross party candidate. He did benefit from a lot of policy options Carter started, but didn't see the benefits of tho.

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Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2023 1:19 pm**

Holy crap, this explains so much:

Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, due out Tuesday, is first and foremost a reported biography of the former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO. Embedded, though, within Abraham Josephine Riesman’s more than 400 pages based on more than 150 interviews is an analysis, too, of the roots of today’s twisted political climate.

“Wrestling,” writes Riesman, “has metastasized into the broader world, especially since the inauguration of the 45th president. There’s little difference between Trumpism and Vince’s neokayfabe, each with their infinite and indistinguishable layers of irony and sincerity. Each philosophy approaches life with one goal: to remake reality in such a way as to defeat one’s enemies and sate one’s insecurities.”

Perhaps even more apropos, Riesman offers a fresh way to consider current dramas, especially within the Republican Party, including the most compelling conflict — Trump versus Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Many observers of politics tend to think about candidates who are at odds in terms of lanes, but at this point it might be more useful, Riesman suggests, to think in terms of roles: heroes and villains — in industry lingo, faces and heels — and the fluidity of such positioning within the twists and turns of storylines that can see similar combatants giving rise to new contestants and surprising results.

More specifically:

Kruse: And one of the more interesting arguments in this book is the idea that the generation that grew up with wrestling is now running stuff or about to run stuff and that matters a lot. How are Republicans and Democrats both doing politics differently now because they watched Hulk Hogan in the ’80s and ’90s?

Riesman: We learned that the most important thing is entertaining people — basically the most important thing is pushing people’s buttons. And also learning that you can be a heel and be successful — you can be somebody who is hated and you can profit off that hatred.

Kruse: Attention above all else, button-pushing over policy-making …

Riesman: And success in being hated. That’s such a key part of the Trump phenomenon. People think that by hating him and tweeting about how bad he is they’re somehow stabbing against him. But that’s the same way that people thought they were making a point of taking down Vince McMahon by buying T-shirts that say “Stone Cold” because “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was Vince’s rival in a storyline. But Vince McMahon owns it. He makes all the money off the T-shirt. That’s what happens with Trump. And not just Trump. George Santos. Any number of politicians. It’s how you succeed now.

It's a great article.

Posted: **Mon Mar 27, 2023 11:51 am**

Posted: **Tue Mar 28, 2023 8:17 pm**

Add it to the pile:

[Missouri] House Republicans just voted against all state funding for libraries. They defunded libraries.

THEY DEFUNDED YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Posted: **Sun Apr 02, 2023 10:44 pm**

Another profile in courage moment.

Posted: **Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:30 am**

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 8:17 pm Add it to the pile:

[Missouri] House Republicans just voted against all state funding for libraries. They defunded libraries.

THEY DEFUNDED YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Link to a news article about this bill in Missouri.. The Missouri House apparently claims they did this because the libraries were using public funds to pay for the suit brought by the ACLU against the state. This is not true.

Posted: **Mon Apr 03, 2023 8:51 pm**

It's shooting related, but probably belongs here-

https://wpln.org/post/republicans-bar-t ... use-floor/

Posted: **Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:19 pm**

malchior wrote: ↑Sun Apr 02, 2023 10:44 pm Another profile in courage moment.

Sadly not many like John Bolton left who speak out about what they believe no matter what (whether you agree with them or not). Now it’s all about how can I keep my seat in Congress or get funding for my PAC.

Posted: **Tue Apr 04, 2023 12:57 am**

waitingtoconnect wrote:
malchior wrote: ↑Sun Apr 02, 2023 10:44 pm Another profile in courage moment.

Sadly not many like John Bolton left who speak out about what they believe no matter what (whether you agree with them or not). Now it’s all about how can I keep my seat in Congress or get funding for my PAC.

Bullshit. He should have testified in Impeachment rather than writing a book.

He was a coward when it counted.

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Posted: **Tue Apr 04, 2023 11:15 am**

Posted: **Tue Apr 04, 2023 11:17 am**

Cousin-mistress.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 4:43 pm**

As expected. Racism and authoritarianism raising it's ugly head. If the media does it's job - ha! - they'll show us the "trial" because ultimately this was despicable. I also hope the people of their community return them right to the chamber.

Listen to that roar when he says he'll be back outside! He has tapped into something. Maybe they'll be able to turn it into something.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 4:56 pm**

This is actually what is happening. It is being covered across multiple networks live. It's necessary. We need to show everyone that white supremacy is indeed still alive in this country. Tennessee needs to be put on notice that their racism isn't acceptable.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:02 pm**

Ridiculous. I guarantee that a GOP member of thst body or US Congress will be more disruptive in a month or less with zero consequences. The fucking party of Santos.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:06 pm**

It'll be interesting when this inevitably increases the prominence of at least one of these three (probably Jones but the others are compelling as well). But let's put this in perspective. Children were murdered and they focused on RACIST action. The GOP is anti-democratic, vindicative, and frankly fascist. They're evil. Enough.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:34 pm**

Ignorance is bliss:

Too many drag queen story hours, I guess.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 5:52 pm**

malchior wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 4:43 pm As expected. Racism and authoritarianism raising it's ugly head. If the media does it's job - ha! - they'll show us the "trial" because ultimately this was despicable. I also hope the people of their community return them right to the chamber.

Listen to that roar when he says he'll be back outside! He has tapped into something. Maybe they'll be able to turn it into something.

So what is the process for filling those seats after the members have been expelled? Is it a special election? Or does the GOP supermajority just get to pick whoever they want?

I read someone saying that the expelled members can simply run again. That doesn't sound right, but I couldn't find a statue on the next steps.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 6:06 pm**

NPR

If the expulsion effort succeeds, the lawmakers' seats would become vacant. Because the 2024 general election is more than 12 months away, the districts would hold special elections to fill the seats. The representatives' county commissions can also choose to appoint an interim lawmaker, who would serve until a special election is held.

Representatives who are expelled can return to their office — by being appointed by the commission and/or by running again. The state constitution also says a lawmaker can't be expelled a second time for the same offense.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 6:13 pm**

More context

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Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 6:26 pm**

They did not expel the white woman in the 2nd vote. Come on. Why not wear the hoods out on the floor? The third vote against another black man is next. This is going to look ugly.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 6:56 pm**

What's taking Marge so long with those divorce papers?

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 8:03 pm**

They just expelled the other black member. Another rock bottom moment for a nation that has lost its moral and ethical compass. IMO this is a moment for Biden to speak out publicly. This is not a moment for him to sit back and watch the GOP flex their white supremacy. Our democracy is on fire.

If you haven't read Laboratories of Autocracy I can't recommend it enough. That book is like a primer to interpret what is happening which is that the GOP realizes their hold on power is unsustainable and is acting out to end our democracy. Sometimes they overstep. Sometimes they make mistakes but they are also demonstrating they have the will to be absolutely ruthless. We are at the beginning or even a little farther into the end stage now.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2023 11:43 pm**

malchior wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 8:03 pm Our democracy is on fire.

Our democracy is cinders.

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2023 2:20 pm**

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2023 3:21 pm**

Grifman is here for the catfight

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Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2023 3:34 pm**

Grifman wrote: ↑Fri Apr 07, 2023 2:20 pm

Is…is she CGI?

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2023 7:45 pm**

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Fri Apr 07, 2023 3:21 pm Grifman is here for the catfight

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Man, you should see Twitter - they have been going at each other all afternoon. It’s crazy.

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2023 7:46 pm**

More GOP evil:

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2023 7:54 pm**

This is a bluff you have to call. If they won't let you even participate in your own processes then they'll hold their threat over you until take away the funding for something else anyway. The next logical step is saying that if Pearson is re-elected...etc. You have to stand up to thugs. The time to fight is here.

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2023 8:08 pm**

What if instead of re-appointing the ousted legislators the commissioners found a couple of Black Panthers (or the BLM equivalent) to appoint.

Octopus Overlords

Defining the 21st Century Republican Party?

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