Quote :

"I would be interested to hear more about the circumstances of your political transition. I'm also reformed. But I don't think I'm a communist yet."

I'm not a communist, either, and I'm sure plenty of socialists would deny I was one of them as well - ideological purity tests and infighting being the hallmarks of the left - but I now consider myself solidly socialist and no doubt 2003 GrumpyGOP would have called me a Red without hesitation.

Susan Smith made me a Republican in 1994 when she drowned her kids, blamed an imaginary black guy, and avoided the chair. I was 9 years old and, upon learning that Republicans were the ones who supported the death penalty, determined that's what I wanted to be.

NC Amendment 1 made me an Independent in 2011, because even if I didn't feel strongly about gay marriage as such I did not want North Carolina to be humiliated as one of the last states fighting a lost cause that was obviously going to be viewed badly by posterity.

Donald Trump made me a Democrat in 2016 when he got nominated and finally forced me to confront the GOP as an amoral machine designed to accrete power at any cost, and rank-and-file republicans as a mix of proto-fascists, quislings, or slack-jawed meme consumers with no higher aspiration than "owning the libs."

The pandemic provided the big push into socialist territory. In the broadest sense, it finally made me recognize the total disregard for labor by capital. In a much more narrow way, I can point to the exact moment I went from "liberal" to "socialist." It took place in the Oregon Convention Center almost exactly two years ago, when I was already fed up watching a group of for-profit hospitals exploit the COVID crisis, you the taxpayer, and me as a worker, and one morning they yelled at us for giving out too much bottled water to people in the post-vaccination rest area. "Only give water to people who look like they need it," said people who were making almost $1 million a week off of vaccines and labor provided to them for free by the government.

4/14/2023 9:34:54 AM

Great summary. Thanks!

Donald Trump and the resultant sycophantic behavior definitely pushed me far to the left.

4/14/2023 10:24:53 AM

^^

what are the key principles of socialism to you

4/14/2023 10:29:01 AM

Nice post Grumpy. I've also moved left over the years.

I remember having reactionary takes in the 90s and 2000s. The disdain for the poor and buying the narrative that some people were just in the situation because of their "culture."

Similar to your experience during the pandemic, "liberalism" fell apart. I was already jaded with the illusion of meritocracy. Being able to work from home while others could barely make it doing jobs to keep goods and services going and watching billionaires have a dick measuring contests of flying rockets into space.

4/18/2023 11:56:19 AM

Man, wtf?:

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/18/1170624504/mcconnell-says-republicans-will-block-effort-to-replace-feinstein-on-judiciary-p

4/18/2023 3:42:25 PM

Greatly Old People

4/18/2023 4:30:11 PM

The real WTF is why is Feinstein still in Congress?

4/18/2023 11:24:35 PM

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/montana-transgender-lawmaker-zooey-zephyr-silenced/

4/25/2023 10:23:57 PM

Republicans care a lot about decorum if you didn't know.

4/26/2023 6:44:21 AM

https://www.wral.com/story/gop-uses-state-capitol-protests-to-redefine-insurrection/20833343/

Quote :

"It’s the third time in the last five weeks — and one of at least four times this year — that Republicans have attempted to compare disruptive but nonviolent protests at state capitols to insurrections. .... “(What) they did today was equivalent, at least equivalent, maybe worse depending on how you look at it, of doing an insurrection in the Capitol,” Sexton, a Republican, told a conservative radio station on March 30."

4/28/2023 9:31:40 AM

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/05/1174127990/republican-legislatures-look-to-put-local-issues-in-liberal-areas-under-state-co

Quote :

"Lawmakers in statehouses across the country have spent the past several weeks debating bills that would bring local issues like zoning, education and police powers under state control. In recent years, national culture war debates have driven a surge of new legislation, known as preemption bills, in Republican state houses aimed at rolling back laws passed by more progressive cities. Mayors and advocates say the trend risks alienating voters who lose faith in the power of their local leaders. "What we're seeing lately is an increase of home rule grab type legislation," said Clarence Anthony, the CEO of the National League of Cities. "This year, there are 600 different preemptive laws that are being proposed by different legislatures throughout America. That, in fact, is a rise and it's very concerning to our municipal leaders." Bills targeting education, transgender and LGBTQ rights, housing policy, gun rights and policing are among the most prevalent in the legislative sessions this year, according to the NLC. ,,, ,,, ,,,"

5/5/2023 3:24:02 PM

almost as if there’s a dedicated movement to end democracy

5/5/2023 4:42:03 PM

If it turns out desantis and trump are both not viable as national candidates, whos next in line? Are they just going to try to take desantis to term?

5/5/2023 9:24:33 PM

I think you're assuming that the GOP primary process will meaningfully consider national viability.

5/6/2023 8:34:28 AM

I’d bet at this point trump will not be the nominee.

I think only a 50% chance now it’s desantis.

5/9/2023 11:25:37 PM

https://www.al.com/news/2023/05/tuberville-on-durham-report-if-people-dont-go-to-jail-lets-dont-have-elections-anymore.html

Quote :

"If people don't go to jail for [Special counsel John Durham's investigation], the American people should just stand up and say, 'Listen, enough's enough, let's don't have elections anymore...'"

Boy, that escalated quickly.

5/18/2023 8:44:53 AM

Quote :

"LET'S DON'T HAVE"

5/18/2023 1:35:16 PM

https://twitter.com/keithedwards/status/1660258785087340544?s=46

Quote :

" Maybe the worse retail politician ever. Just brutal to watch"

I can’t stop watching

told y’all he wasn’t it

5/22/2023 12:20:36 AM

LOL!

"What's your name?"

"I'm Tim [Somebody]."

"OK."

So natural!

5/22/2023 6:10:58 AM

I get to post a Jamelle Bouie column for free. thanks, WRAL

https://www.wral.com/story/the-four-freedoms-according-to-republicans/20869769/

5/22/2023 10:29:06 AM

https://www.wral.com/story/tensions-in-heavily-gop-tenn-county-after-conservative-takeover-reflect-wider-battle-over-elections/20872690/

5/22/2023 1:23:30 PM

https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-approval-rating-2024-polls-1805073

Desantis disapproval rate almost 70% among Latinos

[Edited on June 7, 2023 at 5:17 PM. Reason : ]

6/7/2023 5:16:07 PM

Christie and Hutchinson are the only 2 who didn't defend Trump and oppose his indictment, right?

6/10/2023 11:33:48 PM

They're the only ones I've seen, but admittedly haven't done a line-by-line check.

6/11/2023 9:18:05 AM

https://www.dougburgum.com/

This guy seems pretty palatable from the little I’ve seen so far (which is seeing part of his appearance on Face the Nation, plus 2 minutes of internet searching and looking at his campaign site)

6/11/2023 10:51:18 PM

I saw the same. Also, he has no chance.

6/12/2023 2:28:03 AM

https://www.wral.com/story/moms-for-liberty-rises-as-power-player-in-gop-politics-after-attacking-schools-over-gender-race/20905932/

6/12/2023 2:18:15 PM

Great!

6/12/2023 3:00:56 PM

^^^ oh definitely not. I'm just hoping there's someone I can vote for in the primary before either abstaining or gritting my teeth and voting Biden in general, depending on who the GOP nominee is.

None of the remotely acceptable Republicans have a chance.

6/12/2023 7:34:01 PM

You gonna roll to Miami tomorrow for the party?

6/12/2023 7:35:44 PM

Maybe I'll show up if the day comes where they cart his sorry ass off to the butt hut.

6/12/2023 8:41:53 PM

Only do it if you're planning to make and display a homemade sign that includes the term "Butt Hut"

6/12/2023 8:52:50 PM

there's going to be a few idiots but otherwise an uneventful day is my prediction.

6/12/2023 10:02:17 PM

Yeah, I guess nothingburger

6/13/2023 12:37:01 AM

No, actually I saw a YouTube video that said it was going to make January 6 "look like a playground".

6/13/2023 7:44:20 AM

^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8U1IabM_Ww

As much as we call other people 'stupid', they believe us to be equally so. We all say the same things, whatever be our views, and call the other radical.

I'm not of that opinion here where some people say "nothing is true or right". I kinda recognize that but at the same time think that just because we don't control who we are and what we believe (at the root of it), doesn't mean we should strive to be moderate. Be an instrument of your belief

When I see videos like these, I realize that a lot of the time spent arguing with people, especially on the internet, is a waste. Actions determine the future.

Too much value is placed upon the arbitrary ideal of being moderate. I think the 'smarter' people tend to do this, which leads to a narrative led by fools.
And the Geniuses tend to go insane? Is that true? Or is it like the crude thought that dropping out is correlating to being some successful rich guy

Which is somewhat ironic, cause that belief means that what I've written above is rather hubristic, but then again, what is a platform where you *can* be nameless for? lol

6/13/2023 11:00:47 AM

Yeah, except one side is objectively, demonstrably of lower intelligence.

Like that video, which indeed was the one I was referencing (in a non-serious way), the main guy talks about what is going to happen if Trump gets "indoctrinated" (instead of indicted). He never misses a beat. I truly don't know how to cope with the ignorance, and even more the pride in being ignorant inherent in the Trumpism movement (or whatever you want to call it). It's depressing. Why would any person of even moderate intelligence choose to align with this ilk? I mean, of course you're going to have dummies in any movement, but here it's like a requirement and a founding principle.

6/13/2023 1:26:57 PM

it’s all Magical Thinking and it’s been a major part of many movements throughout the history of the country

I highly recommend the book “Fantasyland”. it goes deep into Magical Thinking

“Myth America” is another good one that is more focused on right-wing lies and myths throughout US History

none of this is new. we’re just able to see more of it in 2023 than ever before

6/13/2023 2:22:06 PM

I guess that gives me a LITTLE comfort. But modern tools allow the groupthink stupidity to be shared so much more quickly and widely.

6/13/2023 3:10:37 PM

^^

In the long run, kind of one of the things I like about the country.

6/13/2023 4:01:37 PM

Sounds like something a college student would say....

6/13/2023 4:10:35 PM

I have no idea how a non-troll could think that the some of the worst movements in the history of this country could be a good thing

6/13/2023 6:11:59 PM

Regarding the vote to censure Adam Schiff over the Trump impeachment,

George Santos, of all people, said “to not carry out a censure would be a miscarriage of justice and a dereliction of our sworn duty as members of the House of Representatives. We must preserve the integrity of the U.S. House of Representatives and censure Adam Schiff today.”

Although then he ultimately voted “present.”

6/14/2023 8:05:52 PM

This portion from a recent New York Times article seems somewhat noteworthy:

https://tinyurl.com/tv3rfeuh

Quote :

"The two driving forces of this effort to reshape the executive branch are Mr. Trump's own campaign policy shop and a well-funded network of conservative groups, many of which are populated by former senior Trump administration officials who would most likely play key roles in any second term. Mr. Vought and Mr. McEntee are involved in Project 2025, a $22 million presidential transition operation that is preparing policies, personnel lists and transition plans to recommend to any Republican who may win the 2024 election. The transition project, the scale of which is unprecedented in conservative politics, is led by the Heritage Foundation, a think tank that has shaped the personnel and policies of Republican administrations since the Reagan presidency."

7/18/2023 1:43:11 PM

I’m sure that repubs will call for McConnell to resign due to his inability to serve

7/27/2023 12:18:04 AM

Might Tim Scott be a challenger?

7/28/2023 9:22:44 PM

Based on what?

7/29/2023 11:05:54 AM

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-r/2024/national/

this Ramamswamy dude seems to have come out of nowhere, what's his background?

I guess not being in politics is helping him avoid the whole inner GOP drama, wild card

[Edited on July 29, 2023 at 12:48 PM. Reason : --]

7/29/2023 12:46:41 PM

This primary is going to get weird, esp when trump is indicted in ga

7/29/2023 6:45:47 PM

^^ he’s the new Herman Cain

Gop voters say they like him to prove they’re not racist but when it comes time to vote we know what happens

7/29/2023 6:46:31 PM