Sunday, December 31, 2023
Nikki Haley Takes A Stand (SATIRE)
The inimitable Alexandra Petri of The Washington Post pokes fun at GOP candidate Nikki Haley for ignoring slavery as the cause of the Civil War:
The Grand Old Party seems to be in a reverse “Picture of Dorian Gray” situation. Glance in your history book and you can see a young, idealistic elephant confidently on the right side of the Civil War, eager to denounce slavery as a moral wrong. Then you look at the party present day, when the less-extreme candidate has to mince words about slaveryso as not to alienate the base! (I guess a reverse “Dorian Gray” situation is just a picture.)
But, look, “What caused the Civil War?” is just one of a whole host of straightforward questions that no GOP presidential candidate can hope to answer. I have taken the liberty of predicting Haley’s responses to analogous questions. Try this at home and you, too, can enjoy a fun, alarming word salad where “capitalism” and “limited government” are thrown in at intervals, like pecans. Happy 2024!
Who is the current president of the United States?
Capitalism, of course, is so important.
Was it good or bad that a mob descended on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, yelling “Hang Mike Pence” and trying to prevent certification of the presidential election?
(laughs) Don’t go easy on me! I think the Capitol is certainly, in the hearts of Americans, a place, and capitalism itself is so important. What do you think?
Do the villains in “Star Wars” seem like they’re based on Nazis?
(laughs) Wow, all right! Coming in with a real challenge! So, obviously, freedom is the most important thing. And we keep coming back to that question of, what can the government tell you to do or not do? I think it comes down to capitalism, of course, is good, and we need to do things to make sure that unaccountable bureaucrats aren’t wielding excess power. And stars are wonderful. But most important of all, what role does government play? Are we compensating the contractors who build our Death Stars?
Can you say something bad about the villains in “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” who were clearly Nazis?
Well, I think the villains were basically, you know, any time the free market doesn’t operate to produce maximum freedom.
If we have an election and Donald Trump does not win, does it still count?
Listen, I know about counting! I was an accountant. We need to have capitalism.
Is the climate changing because of human activity?
Freedom is foundational!
Why was the Republican Party founded?
Reasons, of course, and I think government overreach. Also capitalism.
You’re not afraid to say that it was an abolitionist party?
Are you afraid to say that?
Was Abraham Lincoln a Republican?
I think I’m a Republican.
What is “The Sound of Music” about?
I think the subject of “The Sound of Music” is basically, well, so many wonderful things — faith, of course, and the free market, and the waving of flags and, of course, capitalism. And certainly that’s the real question, right?
Are you afraid to say the Civil War was about slavery?
Obviously, I know about the Civil War! Obviously, Republicans looking for a new standard-bearer (not the kind of standard I took down over the South Carolina State House, although I do totally respect the heritage behind that standard!) should feel comfortable about me. I am prepared and know what to say! It’s not that I decided while speaking on the fly that maybe my base would get offended if I said the Civil War was about slavery. And I think that, of course, too.
Say that a party’s lead presidential candidate is quoting Hitler. And not in the incidental way like Hitler probably at some point said, “I will now excuse myself to visit the restroom,” but in the way where the quote is something truly vile, about immigrants poisoning the blood of the country. What would you say?
Well, obviously, it’s so important to cite your sources, as we keep saying about that Harvard president. So I would say that it is bad, if he is doing what that college president did, with regards to citation. But if he says he came up with it on his own, then I trust him, because freedom of speech.
If elected, will you force more people to give birth?
Government overreach is so bad and individual liberty is of course, freedom.
Are you afraid to say that slavery was bad?
Wow, a real doozy! (chuckles) I would never be afraid of freedom. Some things go without saying.
And Donald Trump is not currently president?
Well, of course, capitalism is so important.
Saturday, December 30, 2023
Will The Supreme Court Put Trump Back On Primary Ballots?
Two states (Colorado and Maine) have ruled that Donald Trump is not qualified to be on the primary ballots in their states, and the question will soon be decided in some other states. The Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine Secretary of State both base their rulings on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
That section of the Constitution prohibits anyone who has engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" from holding "any office, civilian or military, under the United States, or under any State". It seems obvious to me that the phrase "any office" would have to include the presidency.
Did Trump commit insurrection (a violent uprising against an authority or government)? That also seems obvious. On January 6th, immediately before Congress was to meet to count and ratify the electoral votes, Trump urged his followers to go to Congress and stop that vote certification -- and they did so in a violent way (with people hurt, lives lost, and property damaged).
Another state (Michigan) has decided the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply, and said Trump could be on the ballot in that state. Most people now expect the matter to be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Two things could happen. One, they could decide it was up to each state to decide who qualifies for the ballot. Two, they could take the case and either rules Trump was or was not qualified to be on the ballot.
I think they will take the case. But the conservative majority is extremely unlikely to take Trump off of all state ballots. So there most likely ruling is that Trump must be on all state ballots. They will probably dodge the insurrection issue by ruling he has yet to be convicted of that.
Should Trump be removed from all ballots - YES. Will Trump be removed from any ballots - NO. After all, they are right-wing Republicans, and right-wing Republicans don't think rules, laws, or constitutional provisions should apply to themselves.
Don't expect this Supreme Court to do the constitutional thing -- or the right thing.
Friday, December 29, 2023
Most Say 2023 Was Bad Year For U.S. - Expect Same In 2024
The charts above are from the YouGov Poll -- done between December 11th and 14th of a nationwide sample of 1,000 adult citizens, with a 4 point margin of error.
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