Yeah, why not this morning?
538 has an interesting article on why there was a storming of the Capitol (hint: racism):
From Larry Bartels:
The support expressed by many Republicans for violations of a variety of crucial democratic norms is primarily attributable not to partisan affect, enthusiasm for President Trump, political cynicism, economic conservatism, or general cultural conservatism, but to what I have termed ethnic antagonism. The single survey item with the highest average correlation with antidemocratic sentiments is not a measure of attitudes toward Trump, but an item inviting respondents to agree that “discrimination against whites is as big a problem today as discrimination against blacks and other minorities.” Not far behind are items positing that “things have changed so much that I often feel like a stranger in my own country,” that immigrants get more than their fair share of government resources, that people on welfare often have it better than those who work for a living, that speaking English is “essential for being a true American,” and that African-Americans “need to stop using racism as an excuse.”
Conclusion, for those opposed to reading:
Instead, we must characterize them as they are: They are a dangerous mob of grievous white people worried that their position in the status hierarchy is threatened by a multiracial coalition of Americans who brought Biden to power and defeated Trump, whom back in 2017 Ta-Nehisi Coates called the first white president. Making this provocative point, Coates wrote, “It is often said that Trump has no real ideology, which is not true — his ideology is white supremacy, in all its truculent and sanctimonious power.” So, when we think about those who gathered in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday and who will surely continue their advance in opposition to democratic rule, let it not be lost on us that they do not simply come in defense of Donald Trump. They come in defense of white supremacy.
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You mean, Clinton was right about the deplorables?
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Of course she was. I have not seen any evidence to the contrary.
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Could you explain this more? I’ve never actually seen Fallon, but he’s just a comedian right? Is he not supposed to not have people on his show? Seems like a weird ask.
Also, who TF was fooled by this enough to change their vote??
Sure he’s a comedian. Sure he can have people on his show. That doesn’t make him immune to criticism. If he had Richard Spencer on and had a “normal” conversation with him and make him look like a relatively pleasant Average Joe who people would want to go have a beer with, would that be OK? If he did that with Louie Gohmert, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Jim Jordan and anyone else espousing anti-democratic rhetoric and failed to ask them anything about it and went out of his way to make them look good, pleasant, funny, etc., would that be OK?
They’re all pieces of shit intent on burning down everything this country stands for in order to promulgate their selfish interests. If that means repressing countless Americans in the process, that’s fine with them. We shouldn’t normalize that shit in general. People who are public figures who have a platform that attracts viewers and are in a position to influence those viewers really shouldn’t be normalizing that shit. Trump was a danger to anyone paying attention and not willing to get caught up in anti-Obama, anti-elitist, anti-government rhetoric - and Fallon had him on and made him relatable to those watching even though the danger Trump posed to this nation and to the proper functioning of government was readily apparent.
He bears responsibility for it. Feeling bad about messing up his hair isn’t sufficient.
I agree celebrities are powerful, but that’s a level of moral reasoning and character judgment beyond what I would expect from corporations, friends, family, and coworkers. We even have a few AO posters who went so far as to vote Trump before changing their mind. All I can say is thank God they changed their minds.
I just can’t see giving free passes for behavior that helped lead to where we are today because … reasons - especially when the “apology” is half-assed and feels more like I’m sorry I got caught.
People voted for Trump in '16. I get why, disagree with it, think they made a shitty choice, but OK. You made the same decision in '20 after 4 years of exposure to who he really is? Yeah, sorry - get back in the sinking boat. As it’s about to go under the water and suck you under, you don’t get to claim you’ve had a revelation and now you’re sorry and want to beg for forgiveness and be thrown a life preserver. Nah, ride that bitch to the icy depths.
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I am with Ted here. We must hold people responsible for their words and actions. Republicans from the local officials to the president have not been held accountable for what they say or do. Lying repeatedly must be punished somehow and people and organizations from late night hosts to CNN to Fox or a local paper need to face repercussions for their involvement in allowing and profiting off this destructive behavior.
Interested in ideas for punishment.
Really all those who voted to object after the Legislature of the US was attacked following sedition by the POTUS should be removed from office by the rest of the chambers and DJT should be charged by the DOJ for sedition.
42 days at Trump rallies - social distancing not permitted
I think the Constitution protects against cruel and unusual punishment
Trump supporters haven’t really paid much attention to the Constitution lately…
I am tired of cancel culture. We all make mistakes. Heck I voted for Trump in 2016. It was a mistake. I not only did not vote for him in 2020, but I let people that I have influence over also know how strongly I felt about him being unsuited for the office. No one will take anyone seriously if we start litigating people for doing what Jimmy Fallon did.
Trump should be behind bars. A resignation and a Pence pardon may be the only thing that stops that from happening.
Public shaming is a powerful tool. So are admissions of wrongdoing - which, I know, it’s 2021, we haven’t made anyone have to do that for 21+ years now, we just give them a token love tap on the finger and tell them to behave or well, … gosh darn it, we’ll be concerned. Really concerned. Like Susan Collins-level concerned.
Maybe they can spend time cleaning the literal shit off the walls at the Capitol, too.
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Idiot who sat at Pelosi’s desk has been arrested
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Fallon was one of many people in the media who gave Trump way too much airtime. Even the media who repeatedly criticized him were still responsible for giving him free publicity. In the quest for profits, he was overexposed, both before and during his presidency. I hope the media is capable of moving on afterwards.