A Real Twitter War
A real Twitter war has now erupted. This is not a mere "tweetstorm," where people snipe at each other through Twitter messages, this is a dispute between Twitter itself and what looks to be the entire Republican Party election machine. How it all ends nobody knows, but it was almost inevitable that Twitter would eventually get sucked in to the partisan divide in one way or another. In this growing conflict, Twitter fired the first shot, by locking up Mitch McConnell's election site for posting a threatening video (the video was of protesters outside Mitch's house threatening him, so it wasn't like the campaign was threatening anyone else, in all fairness). The Republicans have returned fire by announcing they are pulling all election Twitter ad spending. So far, neither side has blinked.
Twitter is in a no-win situation, at this point. Up until the 2016 presidential election, Twitter (as well as Google and other Silicon Valley online powerhouses) had adopted the stance that they were nothing more than the phone company, in essence. AT&T (back it the heyday of its monopoly, that is) could not be held responsible for things like phone calls by kidnappers making ransom demands, or threatening phone calls to a politician, or outright fraudsters... or any other illegal communications made through its phone lines. It was seen as a neutral entity, like the power company. It merely provided the framework for communications, but (importantly) it in no way was responsible for policing those communications. It was the messenger and not the message, period.
The online companies wanted to be seen the same way, legally. A neutral conduit, no more, no less. They wouldn't undertake policing of the content users put up via their tools, except in the most egregious cases. They didn't want to be seen as gatekeepers, mostly because they knew full well what a legal headache doing so would mean for them. But after 2016, this became an untenable position.
More and more, the politicians are calling on Silicon Valley to police itself. This applies to foreign spending on American election ads (as well as other foreign interference), but it has also grown to policing political users in a much more intrusive way than before. A few hate-spewing conservatives have been unceremoniously kicked off Twitter and other social media platforms, leading to the charge from Republicans that conservatives are being unfairly "censored" or "silenced." Donald Trump has bought into this idea, and has been convening mini-summits of Silicon Valley executives to complain about it. Meanwhile, Twitter announced that it would be much more harsh on those who broke its rules of service (which prohibit hate speech as well as outright threats), and that while they would still make an exception for "those in the public interest," they might also somehow "flag" these posts if they cross any of the company's red lines. Freezing McConnell's account is the highest-profile action taken since they announced the new policy.
Twitter is now being attacked from both sides of the political aisle. Again, this was probably the inevitable result in becoming a de facto editor of the content posted on its site. Those on the left -- quite accurately -- regularly point out that there is one enormous Twitter user who regularly breaks the company's guidelines on an almost daily basis, and that his name is Donald Trump. Those on the right are now attacking Twitter for "censorship" of their views. Twitter is going to have a very tough time navigating these choppy political waters, that's about the only solid prediction that can be made right now.
Of course, there simply is no legal case to be made that Twitter is somehow "censoring" people. Twitter is a private company. It is not a government agency. It is no longer even seen as a public utility (like the phone company). Therefore, they can allow anyone on their private communications platform they wish, and they can equally exclude anyone they wish -- for any reason at all. Nobody's being "censored" because Twitter doesn't have the power to do such a thing -- censorship is solely the purview of governments. If you break their rules, then they can chuck you off their site, period. There simply is no "free speech" argument to make, because Twitter never promised to hew to the First Amendment, instead they laid out their own list of guidelines, which all users have to consent to in order to use the site.
Where the conservatives might have an actual legal leg to stand on is the charge that they are being discriminated against for their political views. But even this isn't a slam-dunk. It's a question of civil rights versus the First Amendment "free association" clause, really. Conservatives would argue that Twitter cannot discriminate against their views because that is illegal in an open marketplace. But is it really? Twitter, after all, could suddenly announce that it is a progressive company for progressives to use to communicate amongst themselves, and that all conservatives would be banned, period. This would outrage conservatives, but then there's nothing to stop some enterprising conservative to set up a conservatives-only competitor to Twitter, where progressives would be banned. Free association means being able to associate with those of similar political views (and, conversely, exclude those with other views), which is why the Democratic and Republican Parties are allowed to exist, even if they exclude each others' members. There's no law stating that Twitter couldn't follow this model.
Historically, this was what the Founding Fathers already could see in front of them, literally in black and white. The only possible parallel to Twitter is the newspapers of the day, back in the 1700s. And those newspapers were so scathingly partisan it would make Roger Ailes blush. They didn't even pretend to be neutral. If you were a Federalist, you read Federalist newspapers with the most vitriolic denunciations of their opposition imaginable. This was what was in place when the Bill of Rights was written, and they got a double-dose of protections from federal laws -- both the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech, both contained within the First Amendment. So the Founding Fathers would have had no problem at all with a progressive Twitter competing with a conservative AntiTwitter (or whatever).
Twitter, however, will likely not take this route. They still want to be seen as at least somewhat neutral. They can only do this, though, if they can prove consistency in how they apply their guidelines. Are conservative users not given the benefit of the doubt on a questionable tweet while progressives are given more leeway? That would be problematic in a court of law (where conservatives were charging Twitter with discrimination). Or is Twitter applying the same standards evenhandedly to all? Of course, their lax attitude towards Trump is going to be problematic in proving evenhandedness, but that would actually work in Twitter's favor in such a court case: "See? We let Trump get away with all kinds of stuff we have banned progressives for, so you can't call us biased!"
What Twitter has done by yanking McConnell's access is to shrink the sphere of immunity of "people in the public eye" to contain just the president himself. It's hard to read it any other way, really. Mitch McConnell is second in the Republican Party only to Trump, after all. If the GOP held the House, then an argument could be made that McConnell is only third in importance, but with Nancy Pelosi in charge, McConnell is obviously the second-most prominent Republican around (sorry, Mike Pence, but that's the way it is). With this warning shot across McConnell's bow, Twitter seems to be indicating that Trump will be the only politician who will be allowed to still flout its rules on a regular basis with no fear of ever being shut down by Twitter. Nobody else is prominent enough to qualify for this lenient treatment.
Trump is reportedly contemplating taking some sort of action himself, but it's unclear exactly what he thinks he can do with an executive order. He cannot institute laws by fiat in this manner, and as already pointed out, the concept of "censorship" doesn't even apply since Twitter is not a government agency in any way, shape, or form. So while Trump threatens executive action, it's a mystery exactly what he thinks he could accomplish by doing so.
Twitter, by its action against McConnell, is upping the ante in this battle. Conservatives will now argue that Twitter is more lenient towards progressives than towards conservatives. Twitter did allow a #MassacreMitch hashtag to proliferate recently, which was introduced as an adjunct to the #MoscowMitch hashtag. The latter was in response to McConnell's refusal to allow the Senate to act on election security, and painted Mitch as a willing agent (or "useful idiot" to use the Cold War phrase) of Vladimir Putin. The #MassacreMitch was intended to do the same thing with McConnell's refusal to allow the Senate to act on gun safety legislation that has already passed the House. The problem is, while Moscow is clearly a noun, "massacre" can be either a noun or a verb. When read as a verb, the hashtag itself can be seen as a threat towards Mitch McConnell. That's a valid argument to make.
Twitter, if it hopes to survive this "Twitter war" with its corporate reputation intact in any way, is going to have to make a few examples of too-far leftists and ban a few of them from its platform. It could yank some "antifa" accounts for provoking violence or making threats, and thus attempt to insulate itself from accusations of political bias. Short of doing that, it's going to be a tougher case to make to the public. Twitter's problem is that its policing of its own rules of conduct has always been pretty subjective. Short of "I'm going to kill you" or "I think someone should murder this guy," it's often tough to know where to draw the line between overheated rhetoric and actual threatening language. Especially for a private company.
Twitter is obviously trying to crack down on what its users are allowed to post. But they sure chose a prominent target to begin this crackdown, which is only going to add fuel to the fire of the raging debate over how much it should be policing online behavior, and by what standards. Short of banning Trump, singling out Mitch McConnell is about as provocative an action as could be imagined in the midst of an ongoing political debate over how much regulation online companies require. We'll see what happens next in this Twitter war, but so far it doesn't seem to be doing the company much good in the court of public opinion.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
I think it's hilarious. Some idiot Repub groups announced they won't advertise on Twitter until #MoscowMitch is back up but whoopie-effing-doo. The longer they don't advertise the better the big crybabies. I hope Twitter doesn't cave but they probably will.
Also think Twitter owes nothing to conservatives - no "parity" no both-siderism, no "find a lefty and ban them to try to appear impartial" - all of that is bullshit.
Conservatives always kick and scream to work the refs, but when you give in they just find something else to support their endless claims of victim-hood.
CW: In this growing conflict, Twitter fired the first shot, by locking up Mitch McConnell's election site for posting a threatening video (the video was of protesters outside Mitch's house threatening him, so it wasn't like the campaign was threatening anyone else, in all fairness).
I know, right!? There are all kinds of other reasons to "thump" Mitch McConnell, but this sure isn't one of them.
Well, the whole issue is obviously yet another case of "what goes around comes around" and is basically the Twitter equivalent of Moscow Mitch holding the Supreme Court Justice vacancy open until the next election and therefore should obviously be settled by Twitter waiting for approximately one year and then allowing the Twitterverse to make the decision.
Allow me to demonstrate:
Needless to say, I do not like his chances. :)
Paula
2
Also think Twitter owes nothing to conservatives - no "parity" no both-siderism, no "find a lefty and ban them to try to appear impartial" - all of that is bullshit.
I know, right!? The both-siderism, whataboutism, and whining like effing toddlers of the perpetually grieving victims on the right really gets old, doesn't it?
How many times have you heard this lately: "But, but, but... no one is blaming Elizabeth Warren for the Dayton shooter."
My response: There is no parallel here or "both sides" bullshit. Are you so damn dumb and desperate that you're going to make excuses for a white supremacist domestic terrorist killer who repeatedly spewed the exact same language as the President?
Show me the footage where someone at a Warren rally screamed out, "Shoot your sister!" and Elizabeth Warren laughed in response and kept talking about the invasion of ignorant white guys. I'll wait.
Conservatives always kick and scream to work the refs, but when you give in they just find something else to support their endless claims of victim-hood.
Yep. They just make shit up.
Aren't the ads on places like Twitter targeted to a specific audience that already agrees with you? That seems like a waste of money.
Do you really think the KKK’s money would be better spent advertising to anyone but white supremacy supporters? I get what you are saying, but few ads are aimed to change your opinion; they are simply there to encourage your support of that opinion.
@JL
From a previous commentary..
if you're so sure, are you going to pledge here and now that you'll vote for biden in the general if he's the dem nominee? assuming you're right, such a pledge would be a meaningless thought exercise. but i suspect you're just blowing hot air on this one.
OK... OK...
I will pledge to vote for Biden if he is the Dem nominee..
IF....
If YOU pledge to vote for President Trump if Biden is NOT the nominee..
I mean, if you are SO SURE that I am blowing hot air... :D
Deal???
Conservatives would argue that Twitter cannot discriminate against their views because that is illegal in an open marketplace. But is it really?
Let's ask all the Bakers who have been hauled thru the courts, eh??
Twitter, after all, could suddenly announce that it is a progressive company for progressives to use to communicate amongst themselves, and that all conservatives would be banned, period.
And a Baker, after all, could suddenly announce that it is a Christian bakery for Christians and all gay people will be banned..
Liberals would howl but nothing could stop them from setting up their own Gay Bakery and all Christians would be banned..
Same exact argument you are making..
Yet, we know from REALITY that it can't happen..
If you hare a baker, Progressives feel you have to serve ALL customers without ANY discrimination..
Yet, you Progressives feel that discrimination is PERFECTLY acceptable...
IF the RIGHT people are discriminated against..
I await all the cries of, "Well.. er... Uh.. THAT'S DIFFERENT!!"
@JL,
Biden says ‘poor kids’ just as bright as ‘white kids’ in latest gaffe
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-says-poor-kids-just-as-bright-as-white-kids-in-latest-gaffe
This is why it's a fact that I am NOT just blowing hot air..
:D Ready to accept the challenge???
“we choose science over fiction. We choose truth over facts.”
-Joe Biden
And THAT is the Demcorat Party in a nutshell.
Ignoring FACTS and choosing "truth".. THEIR "truth"...
This is why Biden won't be the Dem nominee.. :D
Are you so damn dumb and desperate that you're going to make excuses for a white supremacist domestic terrorist killer who repeatedly spewed the exact same language as the President?
Really??
You mean, language like:
“The environment is getting worse by the year. Most of y’all are just too stubborn to change your lifestyle. So the next logical step is to decrease the number of people in America using resources. If we can get rid of enough people, then our way of life can become more sustainable.”
Is THAT the kind of language you are referring to?
Because where every person who is NOT a Party slave would know that THAT kind of language is the language of the Democrat Party...
:eyeroll: moron...
Or maybe you mean, the language like automation causing job losses..
Or the language of openly supported Universal Basic Income...
Or maybe you mean the language where the El Paso scumbag railed against oil drilling and fracking..
Or the language where the scumbag shooter was hysterical about college debt..
Or the language where he went on a sustainability bender and went on and on about recycling..
Of course, there is the Democrat/Eco Terrorist language about culling the herd to save the environment...
So, once again..
The FACTS clearly show that the "language" of the El Paso Scumbag shooter is the DEMOCRAT "language"...
Of course, for those morons who are Party slaves, they don't see the FACTS...
I am guessing none of you have actually READ the manifesto of this Democrat Scumbag shooter...
:eyeroll: morons..
The fact that he is a racist simply harkens back to the Democrat Party, being the Party that gave us the KKK and all..
Ya'all's concentration on the Democrat in El Paso where you ignore the Dayton shooter who was ALSO a Democrat and Antifa follower who supported Warren..
Ya'all live in your own little world, devoid of all fact and reality..
Oh.. And let's not forget which rhetoric it was that prompted the El Paso scumbag's rampage..
"When the most recent debate when {Democrat Candidates} all said free healthcare, they all raised their hands. That’s what pushed {Scumbag El Paso Shooter} over the edge. He felt he was justified. He felt he ran out of alternatives."
-FBI Agent Steve Hooper, AIC, El Paso Shooting
Once again.. I have FACTS..
Ya'all (NEN) have nothing but hysterical Party bigotry and hate...
Let the name-calling and personal attacks because ya'all don't have any facts.... begin..
Former firefighter stops man armed with 100 rounds of ammunition at south Springfield Walmart
https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Heavy-police-presence-at-Walmart-Neighborhood-Market-in-south-Springfield-528602951.html
So much for the bullshit claim that the "Good Guy With A Gun" is a myth....
One again.. The FACTS....
CW-
" The only possible parallel to Twitter is the newspapers of the day, back in the 1700s. "
I don't think so. Federalist newspapers created their own content which they passed on to subscribers. At best, the public could submit letters to the editor, which might get published. Since newspapers were highly partisan, censorship was rampant. Newspapers were local and rates of information transfer were very slow.
A better analogy to Twitter is a 1970's student union bulletin board, indifferently maintained, standards, if any, only loosely enforced and more generally ignored.
Public restroom graffiti is the best analogy I can construct for Twitter content/Twitter experience. Imagine if public toilets had text screens and keyboards in the stalls and beside the urinals, and if all were linked together on the Internet. That's the best analogy I can devise for Twitter.
Trump visits shooting victims in Dayton, El Paso, but mostly stays out of public view - ABC news
Yep. Team Trump used the brief visit as a photo op. Commercials made from the footage are already on You Tube. Trump is the star, 1st responders are backdrop.
Yep. Team Trump used the brief visit as a photo op. Commercials made from the footage are already on You Tube. Trump is the star, 1st responders are backdrop.
Actually, it was the other way around..
But why let FACTS ruin your perfectly hysterical bigoted rant..
It's interesting to note what Democrats were doing while President Trump and the First Lady were giving comfort to victims and their families.
Democrats were protesting and politicizing the tragedy..
Democrats are scumbags..
Yep. Team Trump used the brief visit as a photo op.
Funny.. You didn't complain when Odumbo did the same thing..
Gold Star Mom: Obama Used The Death Of My Son For A Photo Op
https://dailycaller.com/2016/08/04/gold-star-mom-obama-used-the-death-of-my-son-for-a-photo-op-video/
Hypocrisy, thy name is Stig...
Speaking of Odumbo...
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/94d975d789e91c203ffc59759d768f8deba3374ec3dc54835b283abcd0483b50.jpg?w=800&h
#sad
Ooooooo
"Featured Comment"
https://www.scottadamsfans.com/content/blog.aspx?id=352#disqus_thread
Ain't I the speeshal one.. :D
President Bill Clinton: Reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban Now
https://time.com/5647319/bill-clinton-assault-weapons-column/
Yea.. Ban a rifle SOLELY and COMPLETELY due to cosmetic reasons..
THAT will fly in court..
It will be laughed at all the way up to the SCOTUS...
But the tragedies do keep happening, while the one thing that we know can reduce the number and the death tolls of mass shootings has not been done: reinstituting the ban on assault weapons and the limit on high-capacity magazines that was in effect from 1994 to 2004.
Except the facts clearly show that the ban on "assault" rifles had absolutely NO EFFECT on gun violence..
Even if you ignore the utter bullshit that is the moniker "assault rifle"...
There is absolutely NO SUCH weapon as an "assault rifle"... It's a media construct that has ZERO to do with reality...
The “red flag” law is a good idea. Also, we can and should do more to prevent, treat and manage mental illness. But the incidence of mental illness in America is similar to that of other wealthy nations, yet we have far more deadly mass shootings.
Not factually accurate.
US Ranked 10th in mass shootings..
worldpopulationreview.com/countries/mass-shootings-by-country/
The Myth That the US Leads the World in Mass Shootings
https://tinyurl.com/y2l5tepy
Democrats can't even address the FACTS that prove their arguments are bullshit..
The “red flag” law is a good idea. Also, we can and should do more to prevent, treat and manage mental illness. But the incidence of mental illness in America is similar to that of other wealthy nations, yet we have far more deadly mass shootings.
Not factually accurate.
US Ranked 10th in mass shootings..
tinyurl.com/y5k7nghy
The Myth That the US Leads the World in Mass Shootings
https://tinyurl.com/y2l5tepy
Democrats can't even address the FACTS that prove their arguments are bullshit..
Worldpopulationreview
review
CW,
Your wordpress pukes and comments are caught by the NNL filter that have 'review' and '.com' together..
This would explain why national review DOT com is always NNL'ed but it seems to be any web site that ends in 'review'...
Just a heads up...
"We choose TRUTH over FACTS."
Joe Biden
Exactly.. And THAT is exactly the problem with Democrats and Left Wingers..
They choose their ideological "truth" over FACTS...
"THEIR TRUTH IS NOT YOUR TRUTH!!!"
-Oracle Of Yonada, STAR TREK
26 - US Ranked 10th in mass shootings..
Lankford claims to have “complete” data on such shooters in 171 countries. However, because he has neither identified the cases nor their location nor even a complete description on how he put the cases together, it is impossible to replicate his findings. His unwillingness to provide even the most basic information to other researchers raises real concerns about Lankford’s motives.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3238736
What a crock of crap. Next time at least read the shit you post.
What a crock of crap. Next time at least read the shit you post.
And your FACTS that refute these facts are...???
Where exactly??
Son, you have your head so far up the Dumbocrat Party's ass, you haven't seen a FACT in a decade...
Come talk to me when you have FACTS..
Not Party slavery bullshit..
However, because he has neither identified the cases nor their location nor even a complete description on how he put the cases together, it is impossible to replicate his findings.
Yea.. Kinda like your Humans Cause Global Warming con..
BBBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Lankford claims to have “complete” data on such shooters in 171 countries. However, because he has neither identified the cases nor their location nor even a complete description on how he put the cases together, it is impossible to replicate his findings. His unwillingness to provide even the most basic information to other researchers raises real concerns about Lankford’s motives.
You *DO* realize you are making MY case for me, right???
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Whatta moron... :D
There hasn't been THIS much stoopidity from your Democrats since JM posted that humans cause climate change!!
Congrats Patrick.. You are in a class of stoopidity nearly un-matched...
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
@Patrick..
Ooops.. Looks like the ONE brain cell you had left just died of loneliness!!!
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHA
Cool....I got "Moscow Michale" stumbling over his own words. My day is complete.
Cool....I got "Moscow Michale" stumbling over his own words. My day is complete.
Lame recovery..
You just totally decimated the VERY report that moron Dumbocrats like you use to "prove" that the US is the number 1 country for mass shootings...
Like I said.. You prove my case!!
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA
Now, run away again with your tail between your legs like you always do....
You've been PWNED!! :D
I have always believed in the inherent goodness of people. I still do. I have spent my life trying to advance the idea that our common humanity matters more than our interesting differences and working for a world in which we are coming together, not being torn apart.
-Bill Clinton
Yea.. As long as Clinton can rape and sexually assault women and children, he is a happy camper...
Read the abstract to the report moron. It totally debunks his findings.
@Patrick,
In other words... MORON... You are so unequivocally and demonstrably ignorant of the issue, you make REPUBLICAN arguments!!
BBBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
What a total and complete imbecile you are...
:D
Patrick-31
In spite of any flaws in the Lankford study, it is not wildly out of line with many other studies. The USA does not have anything close to the World's record of firearm homicide rates. Many failed states, or failing states have worse records.
The USA is an outlier among economically advanced nations. That is where the argument should stay focused.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence#/media/File:2010_gun_homicide_rates_in_high-income_countries.png
You can easily find other reputable studies that reach the same conclusion.
The Troll loves to play apple:orange comparison games. His reputation proceeds him, it's up to you if you wish to waste your time with him.
Neilm-
Any chance your blocker is going to become a regular feature? It presents a cleaner page than the TamperMonkey version - although I like to check out the TamperMonkey time stamp stats once in a while. The ass groove in the Troll's computer couch must be taking on Grand Canyon like dimensions.
@Patrick,
Don't sweat it too much, Patrick.
I am sure one of your fellow morons will ride to your defense and try to prop you up..
They are as much of a Party slave and idiot as you are.. :D
Stig,
The USA does not have anything close to the World's record of firearm homicide rates. Many failed states, or failing states have worse records.
Exactly...
The Troll loves to play apple:orange comparison games. His reputation proceeds him, it's up to you if you wish to waste your time with him.
As I said.. One of your fellow morons will come to your aid.. They are nothing if not predictable.. :D
Any chance your blocker is going to become a regular feature? It presents a cleaner page than the TamperMonkey version - although I like to check out the TamperMonkey time stamp stats once in a while. The ass groove in the Troll's computer couch must be taking on Grand Canyon like dimensions.
And once again, ya prove how much free space I have in your head, Stig.. :D
PWNED
In spite of any flaws in the Lankford study, it is not wildly out of line with many other studies.
Many other LEFT WING studies.
As have been aptly proven, (by PATRICK of all people!!) the Lankford study IS wildly out of line with the FACTS and REALITY...
As Joe Biden said...
"We're interested in TRUTH.. Not FACTS.."
The idea that the US is number one in gun homicides is the Dumbocrat Party's "truth"...
But it is NO WHERE near factually accurate..
Even when we use coding choices that are most charitable to Lankford, his 31 percent estimate of the US’s share of world mass public shooters is cut by over 95 percent. By our count, the US makes up less than 1.43% of the mass public shooters, 2.11% of their murders, and 2.88% of their attacks. All these are much less than the US’s 4.6% share of the world population. Attacks in the US are not only less frequent than in other countries, they are also much less deadly on average.
As Patrick points out, the Lankford study is bullshit..
For once, Patrick agrees with me and agrees with the facts and reality..
Kudos Patrick...
Calling Trump a 'Racist' -- Now a 2020 Dem Talking Point?
The race is still young but certain requirements are quickly emerging for whoever will become the Democratic presidential nominee.
A candidate must support some sort of universal health care. He or she needs a plan for gun control -- banning so-called assault weapons and demanding expanded background checks are the current preferred starting points. An aspiring president also has to have a plan for climate change (Green New Deal or equivalent).
And something else may be required to become the party’s standard-bearer: The candidate who would take on President Trump in the general election must call him a racist during the primary.
“The Dems new weapon is actually their old weapon, one which they never cease to use when they are down, or run out of facts, RACISM!” Trump tweeted aboard Air Force One after visiting with survivors of the mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio.
Democrat Candidate doesn't stand a chance against President Trump.. :D
OMG Walmart is taking down all posters and signs that depict violence. Poor little snowflakes are going to get triggered.
BBBWWWAAAAHHAAAHHHAAAAHHHHAAAAAHAAAHHHAAAA
41- Stig
Your right. I stand corrected. The part I agree with and was trying to make the point with is your statement:
The USA is an outlier among economically advanced nations. That is where the argument should stay focused.
[6] Kick: Yep!
Really, Twitter should just ban all conservatives because, as is becoming crystal clear, they are primarily domestic terrorist-coddling liars.
When GOP Sens/Congressppl tweet they nearly always lie. They repeat Blotus lies. They repeat FOX News and Q-Anon lies. They tweet justifications and excuses for rightwing dishonesty and violence and they tweet both-siderism accusations trying to spread blame for their damage.
It's not possible to monitor/police hate-speech online without constantly having to penalize conservatives because hate-speech is their language.
Truth/facts have a liberal bias. Lies and violence have a conservative bias.
Blotus campaign announces it won't advertise on Twitter and my reaction is: Yaaaaaayyyy!!!
They'll be spending their dough on Russian disinformation on FB anyway.
Your right. I stand corrected. The part I agree with and was trying to make the point with is your statement:
Back pedal faster!!!!
Your own bullshit is catching up with you!!!
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
PWNED!!
The USA is an outlier among economically advanced nations. That is where the argument should stay focused.
Except you have NO facts to support that claim..
All you have is Dumbocrat America hating "truth"...
:eyeroll:
Too many candidates: Some Iowans tired of massive 2020 field
https://news.yahoo.com/too-many-candidates-iowans-tired-051716837.html
Dumbocrats are suffering from Bullshit Fatigue...
The constant Trump/America hate is wearing down Democrats in Iowa...
@michale [8]
Done.
Paula-50
Trump's relationship with his media wife Fox News has been strained lately. I see a divorce coming. He won't abide back talk. He's got the hots for One America News Network....which sounds more like Trump than Trump does.
ONAN, sorry, OANN has been pole dancing all over my YouTube videos for the last week. Trying to drum up a few clicks from me. Their spokesman dresses hipster funny and speaks fluent John Birch.
The concern isn't limited to Iowa. Recent interviews with dozens of Democrats in other early-voting states registered a fresh anxiety among the most diligent deciders: If Democrats don't start to figure things out soon, they could give President Donald Trump the upper hand.
Once again... Democrats are dancing to President Trump's tune.. :D
Latest Biden blunder: ‘Poor kids’ are just as bright as ‘white kids’
https://nypost.com/2019/08/08/latest-biden-blunder-poor-kids-are-just-as-bright-as-white-kids/
Yea.. Biden has a shot as the nominee!!!
NOT!!! :D
Joshua, still waiting to hear from ya.. :D
“We should challenge students in these schools and have advanced placement programs in these schools. We have this notion that somehow if you’re poor, you cannot do it,” Biden said at the event, according to video of his remarks.
“Poor kids are just as bright, just as talented, as white kids,” he added.
Biden almost immediately went into damage control mode, quickly adding: “wealthy kids, black kids, Asian kids, no I really mean it, but think how we think about it.”
But President Trump’s campaign quickly seized on the tongue slip, with his “rapid response director” Andrew Clark tweeting out a video clip of the remark.
“Yikes…have fun mitigating that one,” he tweeted.
Yea, I actually feel sorry for Biden..
But his Trump hate overrode his common sense.. He has no one to blame but himself...
Yo!!! Stat-Boi!!!
Where ya been!!! My stats are getting stale.. You were supposed to keep all the Michale-Obsessed group up to date with my posting stats...
Get with the program, son....
Biden walked out of the Democratic primary debates last week red-faced after he accidentally told donors to “go to Joe 30330” when he meant to tell them to “text JOE to 30330? to donate.
On Monday, the befuddled 76-year-old bungled the locations of the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings when he expressed sympathy for the “tragic events in Houston today and also in Michigan the day before.”
Poor Biden.. He's running on fumes...
Epstein also had longstanding ties with Richardson. The former governor, DNC chairman, and presidential candidate—who also served as President Clinton’s Energy Secretary and UN Ambassador in the late ’90s—was reportedly a guest of honor at Jeffrey Epstein’s secluded Zorro Ranch outside of Stanley, New Mexico, and appears in Epstein’s “little black book” of contacts. Giuffre has previously claimed that Epstein transported her to New Mexico as his underage “sex slave.”
Richardson returned $50,000 in campaign donations from Epstein after the financier’s 2007 plea deal in Florida.
The former governor has been hit by scandal before. In 2011, he was under investigation by a federal grand jury for possible campaign finance violations for allegedly giving a woman $250,000 in hush money after she threatened him with a sexual harassment suit. (The investigation was closed without any charges.) And in 2009, Richardson withdrew from a Cabinet appointment as President Obama’s Commerce Secretary over allegations of a pay-to-play donor scandal, though he was never charged.
Another politician accused by Giuffre is George Mitchell, the former Democratic leader of the Senate and Bill Clinton’s Special Envoy for Northern Ireland (and later President Obama’s envoy to the Middle East). Mitchell built a renowned legacy as a statesman. In a 2003 profile of Epstein for Vanity Fair, the former Senator and Army counterintelligence officer praised Epstein: “He has supported some philanthropic projects of mine and organized a fund-raiser for me once. I would certainly call him a friend and a supporter.” The feeling was mutual, with Epstein regarding Mitchell as “the world’s greatest negotiator.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-unsealed-documents-name-powerful-men-in-sex-ring
Looks like Democrats are up to their eyeballs with Jeffery Epstein connections..
I wish I could say it was surprising, but it's really not..
Man wrongly outed as Trump donor by Castro, forced to go over 'situational awareness' with wife, kids
https://www.foxnews.com/media/man-wrongly-outed-trump-donor-joaquin-castro
Remind me again how peaceful and tolerant Democrats are???
I seem to have forgotten what with all the FACTS to the contrary...
A San Antonio man was wrongly outed on Twitter as a donor to President Trump by Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro and said Friday the incident forced him to review emergency plans with his wife and three children.
Harper Huddleston said on "Fox & Friends" that his name appeared on Castro's list instead of the name of his retired father, who contributed to the Trump campaign. He said the mix-up was because they share the same first name, but have different middle names, though his father does not go by the name Harper.
Huddleston said he supports Trump and has contributed in the past to the mayoral campaign of Castro's brother, Julian, who is now running for president. He said he was glad to have received the negative attention instead of his father, but explained that he was forced to go over emergency plans with his wife and three children.
"We convened together as a family and talked about situational awareness, exit strategy, avoiding and exiting conflict, talked about staying low and close to home and just being at our very highest senses," said Huddleston.
Considering the disgusting attacks my children and grandchildren have had to endure from scumbag Democrats in here, I feel for the guy...
If he's smart, he will be carrying and endeavor to take out any threats to his family's well-being..
As I am....
"Moms, dads, retirees and to associate these people with those types of claims is just wrong," he said, arguing that he believes Castro's actions will actually motivate the president's supporters.
"All this does is galvanize the interest and reinvigorate making America great again," said Huddleston.
Yep.. Every time a scumbag Democrats does something moronic and heinous like this, a thousand new Trump voters are created...
Black Guns Matter founder Maj Toure on Fox Nation: Gun-free zones 'do not work'
https://www.foxnews.com/media/black-guns-matter-maj-toure-gun-free-zones-do-not-work
Gun Free Zones are "soft targets".. They might as well advertise We're Friendly To Mass Shooters.. Come On In and Massacre Everyone!!
In Fox Nation's latest episode of "The Liberty File," Judge Andrew Napolitano sat down with Black Guns Matter founder Maj Toure, and former NYC Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik to discuss gun violence and the Second Amendment, following the two mass shootings that tragically took 31 lives last weekend.
Discussing the shooting in a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, the guests said they were surprised to learn that Walmart, currently the largest seller of handguns and firearms in the country, is actually a "gun-free zone" for customers.
I pretty much ignore any NO GUNS ALLOWED signs. Unless it has the force of law behind it or I am in a location that has armed personnel to handle threats, I am carrying.
As El Paso proved, WalMart does NOT have adequate security personnel to handle threats...
I always carry in WalMart...
@m[57]
See 54
JL
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/cartoons/images/2019/08/08/mike_shelton_mike_shelton_for_08082019_5_.gif
Yea.. It's all Trump's fault.. :eyeroll: morons...
@m[57]
See 54
JL
Woops. Missed it.. I noticed I was posting on a previous commentary so I had to move my late-breaking totally relevant comments to today...
OK.. Just so we're clear..
You are going on record as saying you will vote for President Trump if the Dem nominee is any of the socialist OPEN BORDERS, FREE HEALTHCARE TO ILLEGALS ETC ETC candidates.. IE anyone but Biden.
And I am going on record as saying I will vote for Biden if he is the Dem nominee...
Does that sum up the arrangement???
Yup
TS
19
Trump visits shooting victims in Dayton, El Paso, but mostly stays out of public view - ABC news
Too bad there are cell phones that captured the Sociopath-In-Chief visiting with medical responders and bragging about crowd size. Spoiler alert: He lies to them.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/08/08/trump-brags-about-crowd-size-during-el-paso-hospital-visit-nr-bts-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/
Yep. Team Trump used the brief visit as a photo op. Commercials made from the footage are already on You Tube. Trump is the star, 1st responders are backdrop.
The video shows a thankful Trump that one of them knew the name of the arena where he'd held an event; however, there was no discussion regarding whether or not Trump planned to pay the delinquent approximately half a million dollars he still owes El Paso for that event.
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/08/08/trump-brags-about-crowd-size-during-el-paso-hospital-visit-nr-bts-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/
CNN??
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yup
OK, Sounds like we got a deal.. :D Can't wait til the end of the Dem primary... :D
OK if you dont like CNN maybe this is more your style.
https://www.breitbart.com/news/trump-boasts-of-rally-crowd-size-during-shooting-hospital-visit/
The Department of Homeland Security quietly disbanded its domestic terrorism unit last year, saying that the threat of "homegrown violent extremism and domestic terrorism," including the threat from white supremacists, has been "significantly reduced." The branch of analysts in DHS's Office of Intelligence and Analysis were reassigned to new positions.</i?
Tell this to the El Paso and Dayton victims families.
@Patrick
Do you have a point???
Tell this to the El Paso and Dayton victims families.
Democrat rhetoric is to blame for El Paso & Dayton...
Why don't you reign in your scumbags???
Michale
Considering the disgusting attacks my children and grandchildren have had to endure from scumbag Democrats in here, I feel for the guy...
Facts to support? As far as I know, there is not a single poster on this forum who has made any attack on your children or grandchild(ren), "disgusting" or otherwise. Not a single one.
Posters have mentioned them because you did, but if a poster mentioning you have children and grandchildren is a "disgusting attack" on them, then using your own logic, it's you who is their primary attacker.
Thank you so much for the comic relief and that demonstration of your law enforcement ignorance regarding "attack."
If he's smart, he will be carrying and endeavor to take out any threats to his family's well-being..
As I am....
As I said, no one threatened your children and grandchild(ren) by mentioning them unless you're prepared to identify yourself as having attacked and threatened them also; however, since you obviously need instruction on what is and is not a threat, what you just posted above actually is a threat... not your first threat on this forum either.
I don't know a law enforcement officer who would make fake claims about people threatening his family while following that up with a real threat, but if that guy you're whining about is really smart and not just a blow hard wannabe, he'll be intelligent enough to know not to post the information of multiple family members multiple times on an archived forum because that would mean it was indeed himself who was the actual living embodiment of the biggest threat to his own "family's well-being."
Thanks again for the demonstration in your ignorance; sometimes the posters in Weigantia need some comic relief, and you're too fucking ignorant to know how stupid you sound... that whole not laughing with you but laughing at you common scenario you'll see in moron trolls. :)
"When the most recent debate when {Democrat Candidates} all said free healthcare, they all raised their hands. That’s what pushed {Scumbag El Paso Shooter} over the edge. He felt he was justified. He felt he ran out of alternatives."
-FBI Agent Steve Hooper, AIC, El Paso Shooting
Once again... There are the FACTS...
You have any rebuttal little boy??
No???
Figgers...
@Daddys Little Cockholster, Victoria..
Facts to support? As far as I know, there is not a single poster on this forum who has made any attack on your children or grandchild(ren), "disgusting" or otherwise. Not a single one.
Yes you have.. You even admitted it and blamed it on me because I posted about them here in the forum prior to you showing up and stinking up the place..
Thanks again for the demonstration in your ignorance; sometimes the posters in Weigantia need some comic relief, and you're too fucking ignorant to know how stupid you sound... that whole not laughing with you but laughing at you common scenario you'll see in moron trolls. :)
I've just collapsed it into about a dozen comments now that I've invoked "HIDDEN" and relegated it to its proper place of invisibility. Be gone! And so it is.
-Daddy's Little Cockholtser, Victoria
Once again, you have proven to be a complete liar..
And owned by me.. :D
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Victoria,
I am curious.. That street corner where you prostitute every night.. Does your mother still work that street corner too?? Do you.. like.. work the street corner together???
I guess silence gives assent... :D
@Victoria...
Remember, it was YOUR bitch ass who opened this door..
You made the rules.. I am simply kicking your ass in accordance with them....
Liberals are now willing to target any Trump supporter for ruination
https://nypost.com/2019/08/08/liberals-are-now-willing-to-target-any-trump-supporter-for-ruination/
And, as in here... Liberals are making the rules.. And they are going to get their asses kicked in accordance with them...
When did it become acceptable for politicians, and their media helpers, to target private citizens for their political opinions? A pair of incidents this week revealed just how routine such bullying has become.
In the wake of the mass shooting in El Paso, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) released the names of a few dozen San Antonio residents who had donated to President Trump’s re-election campaign. (Castro is chairman of the presidential campaign of his twin brother, Julián.)
Castro was apparently unconcerned by the prospect that these people — retirees and small-business owners — would be inevitably targeted for harassment. They had voted the wrong way and donated to the wrong campaign, and they needed to be punished.
This is the political climate that Democrats have created...
It's already resulted in over 31 people killed in El Paso and Dayton..
How many more people must die before Democrats reign in their violent elements??
Patrick
74
OK if you dont like CNN maybe this is more your style.
His "style" is his asinine and nonsensical trolling of commenters on the forum to post to suit him... which you just did, and I have no intention whatsoever of ever doing.
I post on the forum to suit myself and not a fucking board troll who incessantly whines about everyone's posts. I read the forum that way too. I highly recommend it. :)
But the attacks on private citizens is a new low.
People who choose to be involved in the political world — the elected officials, the talking heads, the writers, the consultants and so on — know what they’re getting into. But people outside “this thing of ours” don’t deserve to have their public information exposed because of who they support. They shouldn’t have their businesses decimated and their employees left jobless. Playing this dangerous game with ordinary men and women is downright, well, illiberal.
Which describes todays violent Democrats perfectly..
Illiberal...
His "style" is his asinine and nonsensical trolling of commenters on the forum to post to suit him... which you just did, and I have no intention whatsoever of ever doing.
I've just collapsed it into about a dozen comments now that I've invoked "HIDDEN" and relegated it to its proper place of invisibility. Be gone! And so it is.
-Daddy's Little Cockholster, Victoria
Once again, Victoria is proven to be a liar... :D
BBBWWHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
@Patrick
His "style" is his asinine and nonsensical trolling of commenters on the forum to post to suit him... which you just did,
What Daddy's Little Cockholster just said is that I OWN you... :D
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(84) Kick - understood, thanks.
Michale
79
Yes you have.. You even admitted it and blamed it on me because I posted about them here in the forum prior to you showing up and stinking up the place..
Still waiting for those facts to support your assertion that anyone attacked and threatened your family. If mentioning your family is an attack on them, you are their primary attacker.
No one has admitted to attacking and threatening your family because no one has done that on this forum unless you are prepared to admit you attacked your family when you mentioned them.
You are the poster boy for white male grievance and whiny victimhood and the single biggest liar on this forum. You also seriously don't know how fucking ignorant you actually sound. *laughs*
Blotus/GOP's America:
The husband and wife were found dead from suspected gunshot wounds. Officers found several notes which cited "severe ongoing medical problems with the wife and expressing concerns that the couple did not have sufficient resources to pay for medical care," according to a press release.
https://www.newsweek.com/eldery-man-kills-wife-afford-medicl-bills-murder-suicide-1453431
You are the poster boy for white male grievance and whiny victimhood and the single biggest liar on this forum. You also seriously don't know how fucking ignorant you actually sound. *laughs*
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Daddy's Little CockHolster plays the RACE card!!!
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Still waiting for those facts to support your assertion that anyone attacked and threatened your family. If mentioning your family is an attack on them, you are their primary attacker.
I've just collapsed it into about a dozen comments now that I've invoked "HIDDEN" and relegated it to its proper place of invisibility. Be gone! And so it is.
-Victoria, Daddy's Little Cockholster
Once again, Victoria proves she is a liar...
Blotus/GOP's America:
The husband and wife were found dead from suspected gunshot wounds. Officers found several notes which cited "severe ongoing medical problems with the wife and expressing concerns that the couple did not have sufficient resources to pay for medical care," according to a press release.
https://www.newsweek.com/eldery-man-kills-wife-afford-medicl-bills-murder-suicide-1453431
Actually, TrainWreck Care and Odumbo get the blame for that one..
But why let FACTS ruin your bigoted rant..
88] Patrick wrote:
(84) Kick - understood, thanks.
Oh look... Victoria has a new cock in her holster!!!
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
Patrick
88
Understood, thanks.
If you took away the idea that you should post to suit yourself and not the board troll, then you did understand, but FFS, Patrick, having said all that, I don't expect you to post to suit me either! I was just explaining why I won't post right-wingnut propaganda links to appease any board troll.
Kick - I understood exactly what you are saying.
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level - then beat you with experience. [Dilbert]
@Patrick
If you took away the idea that you should post to suit yourself and not the board troll, then you did understand, but FFS, Patrick, having said all that, I don't expect you to post to suit me either! I was just explaining why I won't post right-wingnut propaganda links to appease any board troll.
BBBWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Daddy's Little Cockholster is just bitch-slapping you up one side and down the other!!!
How do you like being her bitch??? :D
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level - then beat you with experience. [Dilbert]
You do realize that the inventor of Dilbert is a rabid Trump supporter, right???
BBBWWAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You just can't win, Patrick...
You try and ignore me, I win..
You try to beat me with your shallow intellect... I win...
And do you know WHY I win??
Because I *ALWAYS* have the facts on my side..
And you have nothing but hysterical Party slavery and bigotry...
Michale
91
Once again, Victoria proves she is a liar...
The confessed criminal and fake cop is calling me a liar. Oh, woe is me! I might... laugh my ass off at his fucking ignorance.
You're not remotely in any danger of kicking anyone's ass on this forum because you're demonstrably not mentally equipped to do so.
Make them laugh their asses off? Yes!
Kick their ass? Sorry, Mike, you are quite obviously obsessed with everyone here who lives rent free in the vast and vacuous space in your cranium where we all reside with our asses therefore forever intact and well beyond your reach.
Trump shares Tucker Carlson video in wake of his departure from Fox News:
The video ? created by The Daily Caller, a conservative news site that Carlson co-founded ? features the Fox host discussing and questioning the legitimacy of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) prior marriage, immigration status and name. Omar, an American citizen, was born in Somalia and immigrated to the U.S. as a child.
The “sham marriage” that Carlson refers to is a popular right-wing conspiracy theory that Omar married her brother in order to bypass U.S. immigration laws. There is no evidence that indicates this is the case, and the theory originated from an anonymous internet forum post in 2016.
Just Trump being Trump.
Balthasar
99
Just Trump being Trump.
The GOP/Tea Party/Trump Trash: People making up fake bullshit about countless numbers of other people, referring to them as "animals," "infestation," and "invasion" and inciting violence from sea to shining sea while whining incessantly about Joaquin Castro's posting of factual information that is available to the public.
If you're ashamed to be listed publicly as a "Trump supporter" who donated the maximum amount to the Inciter-in-Chief, then take it up with the FEC and the laws of the United States that require your name be released to the public. Duh!
Do you see the disconnect?
Of course!
Balthasar
101
Of course! Meanwhile, as Trump retweets Tucker Carlson's fake propaganda about someone bypassing U.S. immigration laws, Trump himself is actually criminally bypassing U.S. immigration laws and has been doing so for multiple decades without abatement.
"If you’re a good worker, papers don’t matter."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/if-youre-a-good-worker-papers-dont-matter-how-a-trump-construction-crew-has-relied-on-immigrants-without-legal-status/2019/08/09/cf59014a-b3ab-11e9-8e94-71a35969e4d8_story.html
I propose they round up these employers who routinely and regularly exploit people for professional and political gain... starting with Donald Trump.