GA senatorial campaign

[echappist]

Oh how the droll "he who smelled it, dealt it" rings true yet again. I guess none of us should be surprised that Walker is a hypocrite on the issue of abortion

I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise, as there has been the incident of an anti-abortion PA congressman who had to resign b/c he did in fact pay to terminate a pregnancy as result of his extramarital affair.

But this is perhaps the highest profile of such incidents. It is reported that Walker, who's actively running on an anti-abortion platform, has recently been closing the gap to Sen. Warnock, only for this tidbit to be unearthed. No idea what effect this might have on the GA senatorial race.

The prevarication and cynicism aside, one wonders how strained the father-son relationship is that the son, who was previously spotted wearing a pro-Trump T-shirt, is trying to actively sabotage his father's campaign.

In the grander scheme of things, one gets the sense that selective enforcement would always be how things operate. "Inner Party" members get a free pass; "Outer Party" members might get a free pass if the morality police deems a particular person worthy; proles and all others get smacked with full brunt of the law.

[Clyde]

Hypocrites run random in politicking. On the other hand I love to fart. And no intention to derail your well thought out political discourse. HW was a fun to watch RB in college. He’s petered out now.

[caleb]

In the grander scheme of things, one gets the sense that selective enforcement would always be how things operate. "Inner Party" members get a free pass; "Outer Party" members might get a free pass if the morality police deems a particular person worthy; proles and all others get smacked with full brunt of the law.

I thought the major point of appointing oneself a member of the sexual morality police was that it came with a free pass for your personal behavior? (see evangelical pastors from Ravi Zacharias to Jerry Falwell Jr., not to mention the clergy sex abuse scandal.)

The more loudly someone decries X, the more likely they're doing some version of it.

[bigbill]

Ray Wylie Hubbard said it best. Substitute politician for a preacher.

He said, "Come on over here son, let me show you around
Over there's where we put the preachers, I never liked those clowns
They're always blaming me for everything wrong under the sun
It ain't that harder to do what's right, it's just maybe not as much fun
Then they walk around thinking they're better than me and you
And then they get caught in a motel room
Doing what they said not to do"

[Scott G.]

Politicians are rated on the character of their content,
instead of the content of their character.


Screen Shot 2022-10-04 at 5.48.13 PM.png

[echappist]

Ray Wylie Hubbard said it best. Substitute politician for a preacher.

He said, "Come on over here son, let me show you around
Over there's where we put the preachers, I never liked those clowns
They're always blaming me for everything wrong under the sun
It ain't that harder to do what's right, it's just maybe not as much fun
Then they walk around thinking they're better than me and you
And then they get caught in a motel room
Doing what they said not to do"

HW is more of a carnival barker than a politician with bona fides.

Whatever one thinks of the ilks of Ted Cruz and such, one gets the sense that there's at least a high functioning brain behind that reptilian demeanor. HW, to use a phrase used to describe the current British government, is someone whose ambition wildly exceeds his capabilities, except unlike the ilks of Truss and Kwarteng, there's not much there other than bombastic rhetoric in the case of HW.

We now have one former SEC football coach as a senator, and another former SEC star running for senator. Big time sports is often compared to the circus aspect of Bread & Circus of Roman times, but at least they didn't have circus clowns and trainers with no credential other than circus acts become Roman senators.

[Peter Polack]

I'm just waiting for Trump to tell his followers and his Republican Party what to think. Then I'll don my MAGA hat and follow.

[Bob Ross]

[Marvinlungwitz]

Oh how the droll "he who smelled it, dealt it" rings true yet again. I guess none of us should be surprised that Walker is a hypocrite on the issue of abortion

I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise, as there has been the incident of an anti-abortion PA congressman who had to resign b/c he did in fact pay to terminate a pregnancy as result of his extramarital affair.

But this is perhaps the highest profile of such incidents. It is reported that Walker, who's actively running on an anti-abortion platform, has recently been closing the gap to Sen. Warnock, only for this tidbit to be unearthed. No idea what effect this might have on the GA senatorial race.

The prevarication and cynicism aside, one wonders how strained the father-son relationship is that the son, who was previously spotted wearing a pro-Trump T-shirt, is trying to actively sabotage his father's campaign.

In the grander scheme of things, one gets the sense that selective enforcement would always be how things operate. "Inner Party" members get a free pass; "Outer Party" members might get a free pass if the morality police deems a particular person worthy; proles and all others get smacked with full brunt of the law.

Doesn't surprise me, but the father/son dynamics are sad.

Herschel is certainly in the running for hypocrite of the year, although perhaps we should bestow the title in memoriam to Ken Starr, acknowledging extraordinary achievements he accomplished in this regard during his life.

Another recent favorite example of political duplicity is Hunter Biden's troubles and probable eventual prosecution. While Jared's blockade threat and subsequent billion dollar bail out from Qatar will never even face an investigation. (Although in part that's due to lack of cooperation from the extorted party).

[Too Tall]

Take the money out of politics and what remains?

[monadnocky]

Take the money out of politics and what remains?

The insatiable lust for power?

[Too Tall]

The insatiable lust for power?

Pretty mulch.

[Scott G.]

Take the money out of politics and what remains?

According to the Supreme Court money is speech, remove the money and.......

And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

[echappist]

More serious question, and on the issue of money, is it worth it for a regular joe like me to donate money?

Two years ago, I donated to Stacy Abraham's organization. Not much, a few hundred, IIRC, but I thought it was going to a good cause (get out the vote).

Now I get inundated with all sorts of solicitations. I'm not opposed to donating to the campaign of the local challenger for U.S. Senate, but I'm not sure if it would make a difference. After all, the funding disadvantage is tremendous (or what this challenger's campaign tells me), and I'm not all that sure a few hundred to his campaign would do more good vis-a-vis donation to the local food bank.

[Mark Walberg]

A couple weeks ago, I saw a reporter asking Herschel Walker about whether he was going to participate in the debate with his opponent.
Herschel said. "He's smarter than me and he'll just make me look bad."

At first, I thought that was a very funny thing to admit on his part.

After thinking a bit, I realized that being smart or intelligent is not an asset in the eyes of most voters.
The only thing that matters is whether the voter thinks the candidate will vote the "right way".

Seems like a less than ideal system.

[Tom]

To me, fiscally conservative means thinking in the long term. Spend money on what saves money.

[TTX1]

To me, fiscally conservative means thinking in the long term. Spend money on what saves money.

That's precisely how a lot of social programs (and insurance, for that matter) work: provide a safety net to avoid high cost interventions downstream.

Yet, we consistently find that Rs want to strip social programs.

There's a big difference between arguing to better manage programs and reduce waste to ensure tax dollars are used effectively - vs. wholesale scrapping taxes and dismantling programs.

One example is education. Another is social security. Another is health (insurance).

Spending on these programs is like an investment porfolio - in the long-term fiscal health of the nation.

However we live in a time when a large percentage of the population has an "us vs. them" mentality and seemingly no sense that spending on these programs benefits everyone - particularly our kids - in the long run.

And don't get me started on climate...

[j44ke]

I know a LOT of Trump voters who voted for him for ^^that^^ very reason. They didn't like him but they HATED Clinton. The "Trumpsters" (his he-can-do-no-wrong fans) get a lot of media attention but there's a huge swath of conservative folks who weren't fans of his but voted for him simply to make sure the wrong lizard didn't get in (that's a call back folks).

By fiscally conservative I do mean the 'traditional' sense, fiscally responsible - don't spend beyond your means. Agree 100% the GOP hasn't been that in recent years. Even when Trump cut taxes, he didn't cut spending - that's *not* fiscally conservative.

Cutting taxes is just like spending, and while it may be effective vote-getting for “conservatives” it isn’t typically fiscally responsible. More like giving taxpayers magic beans for their dairy cow of social spending. But sucker born every minute. Besides if you are all for destroying effective government, tax cuts work pretty well. More blood letting! The patient is weakening.

[echappist]

Cutting taxes is just like spending, and while it may be effective vote-getting for “conservatives” it isn’t typically fiscally responsible. More like giving taxpayers magic beans for their dairy cow of social spending. But sucker born every minute. Besides if you are all for destroying effective government, tax cuts work pretty well. More blood letting! The patient is weakening.

And eventually weak enough that the metaphorical patient could be drowned in the proverbial bathtub…

[Scott G.]

Cutting taxes is just like spending, and while it may be effective vote-getting for “conservatives” it isn’t typically fiscally responsible. [snip]

Ask Minister Kwarteng, tax cut = pound tanks.
Charles III may have to start sending people to the Tower.