Doesn’t Matter Who Wins the K Race; We’re All the Same

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

The troll act was tired 10 years ago. I named two people swayed by Palin's nomination. Name one person you know, really know, who hasn't voted lockstep forever? You talk like you actually know normal people but you grew up in one super educated lib bubble and live your life in another. You. Don't. know. How. real. people. think.

When I said you were right, I meant that you were right. Not trolling. I don't think a VP choice can help. You point to Palin as an example that it can hurt. I don't think the magnitude was huge, but you're right.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

edit

https://hoodline.com/2016/11/trump-t...-10-of-sf-vote.

If he did live in Marin there’d be twice as much political diversity as SF

I don't live in Marin or SF. In my county, Trump got >20%.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

Yes. A once-in-lifetime candidate like Obama has the ability to unite the entire party.

TM

A one in a lifetime moderate/centrist like Obama.

He won with a big tent. He collected white farmers in Iowa who'd previously voted GOP.

He capitalized on voter exhaustion with the Hobbesian darkness that was the Cheney/Bush years. "Hope." It's unifiying. It sells. It sold twice, quite well.

The identity politics of Trump is mathematical. The identity politics competing with Trump is mathematical. I can't predict which math wins, but a unifying message beats Trump's math. And unifying the varying identities demanding their interests be elevated to primary importance is tough. Where all the progressives squabble and some stay home as a result of not getting what they want, Trump Nation is probably going to stay rather unified, and vote as a monolith.

Biden is a unifying message. Warren is a unifying message (she alienates Wall Street, true, but the voters connected to Wall Street are a rounding error mostly in a hardcore blue state). Even Bernie is a unifying message, but he's tired iron at this point.

I think Warren could unify people in a much more significant and resonant manner than Biden. But that's prediction, and I suck at predictions. But one needn't have a crystal ball to see that fucking with Biden, rather than supporting him, is really dumb strategy. Harris and Warren should be jockeying for VP slot. And Warren should get it. (Because as much as Harris is better for my bottom line, No More Fucking Corporatists. And for God's sake -- No Prosecutors.)

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

As you know, once upon a time I ran some political campaigns, and I always loved places that vote 90% my way, because they give great margins so a really small town can have a big impact, and I also loved places that voted 90% the other way in the past, because I have some idea how to knock it down to 80% and that swing can make a big difference. But there are very, very few places that are in that 90% category. Most of the country is somewhere between 60/40 and 50/50. There aren't as many bubbles as you think (either red ones or blue ones), but the bubbles that are least permeable are some of the rural white ones.

Maslow's hierachy applied differently to rural whites than it does now. In years past, they'd the luxury of taking a chance. If Trump teaches us anything, it's that they're now desperate.

It's hard to determine Trump's impact on rural economies as the data is sketchy. We hear about farmers getting killed because of tariffs, but we don't know how many are small farmers and how many are medium to big ag. (And I wouldn't trust anyone offering me a breakout, as we're too close in time for reliable data to be available.)

But let's assume Trump has had between no impact and a negative impact on rural white communities. If that's the case, these communities have just wasted another four years on a bet that didn't pan out. They could barely afford that bet. They won't make another. I suspect that, backed against the wall even further, they'll default to the lizard brain logic, "Biden's a Democrat. I've got to be able to get more from him than Trump." I don't think they have a choice but to vote for whoever they think will give them more.

So I suspect they're uniquely permeable this time around.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

I don't live in Marin or SF. In my county, Trump got >20%.

Buttfuck? 20%. Damn son, you do seem situated to speak to how the average American thinks! mi dispiace

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Adder

I'm not sure why Warren or Beto are on your list. For Warren, is it just that she's a woman? Because "old white lady who wants to help" doesn't seem all that threatening to the fragile white people you're talking about.

I think the national perception of Beto paints him as a lot more progressive than he actually has been, so I'm not sure he actually scares those people either (although that also makes him less viable too).

I don't see why Beto is in the race. (Or any race, really.) He's a whiffle candidate. He only gave Cruz a run for his money because Cruz is between #4 and #8 on the list of Most Loathed Human Beings on Planet Earth of every breathing American. And the residents of quite a few other countries. (bin Laden only makes #6 in some circles.)

When Vanity Fair did a spread on Beto a few months back, I was depressed. Not because they gave ten pages and Annie Leibowitz to this McCandidate. Because I knew Graydon Carter's influence had been erased. A Spy veteran who coined "short fingered vulgarian" as a Trump descriptive would never countenance that tripe.

I still have the New Yorker and the Atlantic. The former remains, however, in desperate need of an editor who can rein in the writers. No one needs five pages of background. Faulkner would find the magazine indulgent.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I still have the New Yorker and the Atlantic. The former remains, however, in desperate need of an editor who can rein in the writers. No one needs five pages of background. Faulkner would find the magazine indulgent.

I was a finalist in the caption contest a few years back!

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

When I said you were right, I meant that you were right. Not trolling. I don't think a VP choice can help. You point to Palin as an example that it can hurt. I don't think the magnitude was huge, but you're right.

Thanks. When i troll people know it. I would worry when I was trying to be sincere if people thought I was trolling. Maybe your primary sock needs to take a step back and look inward about why we all assumed you were trolling? I mean, there is only one sock here that loves you enough to actually eat over a sewer to indulge whatever fetish you might have been exercising- don't dismiss my tough love- listen to it?

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

I was a finalist in the caption contest a few years back!

I've a coffee table book of those somebody gave me. I used to open it. The hit rate on it staying open for more than 5 minutes is .05%.

Some say droll done right died with Plimpton. I don't agree. But I don't argue with that sentiment either.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Thanks. When i troll people know it. I would worry when I was trying to be sincere if people thought I was trolling. Maybe your primary sock needs to take a step back and look inward about why we all assumed you were trolling? I mean, there is only one sock here that loves you enough to actually eat over a sewer to indulge whatever fetish you might have been exercising- don't dismiss my tough love- listen to it?

I thought he was trolling. And I thought it was a bit pissy, but pretty well done.

This might be instructive... a new rule: It's impossible to be effectively earnest toward anyone you've been corresponding with for over a decade.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Buttfuck? 20%. Damn son, you do seem situated to speak to how the average American thinks! mi dispiace

What's the reddest place you've ever lived?

Also, f*ck you for suggesting that Trump voters are average Americans. You're like the New York Times.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Thanks. When i troll people know it. I would worry when I was trying to be sincere if people thought I was trolling. Maybe your primary sock needs to take a step back and look inward about why we all assumed you were trolling? I mean, there is only one sock here that loves you enough to actually eat over a sewer to indulge whatever fetish you might have been exercising- don't dismiss my tough love- listen to it?

I think you were the only person who suggesting I was trolling, and I also think that's it's easy to impute bad faith when you are arguing with someone on the internet.

eta: stp

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Can someone explain why people are tweeting about feral hogs?

eta: Never mind, GQ has me covered.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop

Can someone explain why people are tweeting about feral hogs?

eta: Never mind, GQ has me covered.

It's good we have RT, a resident expert on feral hogs.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

I hope you're right about Warren. I think Trump's racist bullshit when it comes to her will have traction with the people I think will be key in this next election.

He's certainly salviating about the racist things he can say. But I think inviting her to talk about growing up poor in Oklahoma has the potential to backfire (as long as she handles it better than she did with the dna test).