gmr548

I don't disagree with any of this, my point was more that there is energy-hogging technoloigical infrastructure going up all over the country Bitcoin or otherwise. Like I said, I acknowledge that Texas has gone out of its way to cozy up to Bitcoin mining operators (I honestly don't even know how that ecosystem works), and that no doubtlies at the feet of the state GOP.

The blank stare and smirk is definitely warranted there lol

The whole "blame Obama!" bit is giving MAGA and it's sad. I hope what was posted upthread about the anchor going on to state how dumb that is is accurate; though it probably wasn't worth reporting at all. The Clooney video is probably the funniest thing I have ever seen a conservative produce online, maybe the only funny thing. That's pretty good. No idea about anything clinical but at the very least he has to be extremely socially maladjusted given his upbringing. Not his fault really, I pity him to a degree. Unlike his brothers, he's basically been drafted into this. Harris isn't the majority's first choice, but there's enough consensus around her as acceptable/logistically sensible that I think it would be relatively quick and smooth. So a slice of Virginia basically sees a black candidate and nopes out to the GOP, reminding us that part of that state is still very much southern/Appalachian. Biden and his inner circle have been channeling Trump honestly and it is sad. I do feel for him. It seems his judgment is probably still there but his stamina and ability to communicate is failing him. No shame in that at his age, in his job, in this world. But come on man, know when to walk away. Biden is 100% staying in unless the entire Democratic Party agrees to remove him from the ticket involuntarily. The winds seem to shift by the day on that but I have to say it feels unlikely there will be a consensus on taking that step while there is any time to actually do it. Because she'll be deported. I fail to see how that would be morally questionable tbh.

We actually should do this with Hungary, I'm sure that's what they meant right? ... Right?

Same poll with thirds

Even crazier example of the microclimates: 59 degrees in Sunset, 105 at Mt Tam like 3 miles away. https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2024/07/unbelievable-change-in-temperature-in.html

Yep. We're just seeing elected Democrats come around tot he position that 65% of American voters or whatever it is have consistently held for the entire election cycle, in real time. Biden is mortally wounded now but it has been the debate fallout that did it, not the debate itself.

And they're probably still making in their votes. As a recent Texpat I'd say the top 10, more or less, were factors for us; though some overlap and 6 is alarmingly stupid, just flat out wrong. 1 and 3 were the main drivers - 1 is guaranteed to get worse and I've lost faith in 3 doing anything but continuing to deteriorate. Texas is still a half decent value prop if you want to work a corporate job, buy that huge house in the burbs, crank out a few kids, are truly apathetic toward politics, and the climate and sprawl don't wear you out. It wasn't always like this - between SCOTUS keeping the worst of the religious right in check and less general insanity in the GOP platform the politics could be stomached for a while. The state has just descended further and further into madness over the past 15 years(hmm, what triggered that?). It breaks my heart as someone who lived all of my 32 years there but we just could no longer convince ourselves that the future could be anything better than a mostly tolerable grind, with much worse on the table. Maybe that's the case anywhere but it was time to find out.

It's been reported that Kamala Harris would be able to simply take over and have the entire Biden-Harris campaign war chest and infrastructure at her disposal because, to grossly oversimplify it, her name is on the campaign and she is a part of it already. Is that not the case? For one, Democrats are not going to 25th a sitting POTUS. For two, that wouldn't actually change anything about his status as the presumptive nominee. Not with Trump on the ballot it's not. I buy the downballot race thing though.

Y'all making me defend Incredulity but this is correct. Bitcoin mining, AI, and large data centers are massive energy hogs, and they are all over the country. The US has been making major energy efficiency gains, keeping electricity use flat, if not declining, for most of this century despite a growing population and ever more digital life; but these things are busting that progress. Now, to the degree that Texas is unique in selling out to land these operations and of course in the context of its inability to manage and operate a first world power grid, yeah it's the long standing party in power that gets to own it.

The Democrats cannot win the Senate without the White House barring some total collapse of support on the GOP side that sees something like Allred winning Texas or Dems holding WV or something stupid. At that point, Democrats would win the presidential election anyway. The Dems could lose only WV - holding PA, MI, WI, NV, AZ, MT, and OH - and still lose the Senate at 50-50 with VP Bergum/Vance. I have been pretty bullish on Democrats' chances in the House. Of course if the Biden campaign has truly imploded and this election really ends up with a Trump outright popular vote victory all bets are off, but there is plenty of evidence for Democratic congressional candidates outperforming Biden and given the general disapproval of both presidential candidates, people may vote for a check on the president with their congressional votes. Flipping the House would avert total disaster but Trump and the GOP can accomplish a lot with the WH and Senate, with SCOTUS in their back pocket too. Alito and Thomas will retire and be replaced by 45 year old FedSoc goons. This is funny but honestly that is by far the worst public performance Biden has had given the length, total lack of coherence, and platform. Before you could see he was aging but generally seemed to keep it together well enough for his age. You had people like Kevin McCarthy providing quotes attesting to his ability to function in private. The SOTU, which was not exactly the 4pm Lubys buffet, was fine. It does seem like the dam has burst in recent months. lol yeah that statement was fucking weird.

It can't be boiled down to non-politically charged language because it is politically charged language. It can best be summarized as a Heritage Foundation wishlist.

I mean I think what demonstrates Democratic politicians are weak as fuck is that they were content to ignore concerns about Biden's age from the public and keep quiet about their own until the issue was forced; and then they failed to take a real stance with any resolve either way. Democrats don't need to be like Republicans and line up behind a cult leader. Everyone knows the GOP is party over country. That's a plus for 46% of the electorate who would gladly accept or even welcome fascism for various reasons. They need to present a well differentiated alternative. This. Jon Stewart said it really well - this country is desperate for hope to latch onto, but it isn't there. Presidents' approval ratings have always risen in hindsight but that is a hell of a case of collective amnesia if that's remotely accurate. Pretty much all ties into inflation though. I think the depths of COVID are honestly blacked out from public memory - we've chosen the suppress and don't talk about it method of processing trauma on that one.

Lol yes: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/opinion/biden-election-debate-trump.html Pure, unbridled attention seeking. They still produce some good reporting now and then, no doubt, but they have been behaving like a fucking gossip column since the debate. AOC has shown to be a pretty skilled politician. She has a future in Democratic leadership if little-d democratic government survives what's coming. If there is no consensus, that's a decision. Biden is clearly not going anywhere and Democrats are not unified enough to push him out. He will be on the ticket barring a true black swan event. This saga is over. Congratulations to Democrats for riling up mass hysteria with nothing to show for it but a mortally wounded presidential campaign.

This has already happened, I would not call the latter "giant," and they are functionally Democrats now. There is no non-MAGA portion of the GOP anymore.

Joe Biden can place an order that he be given personal control of an armed drone, take out whatever SCOTUS justices he sees fit, and it's legal now.

Getting desperate after your boys banned PornHub in TX?

That this is getting leaked and Biden is going on TV on short notice to trash the party establishment is illustrative of how dirty this is getting behind the scenes. This is a GOP talking point for the rest of the race if he stays in regardless of context.

I mean so would I. I'm voting Biden, Harris, Carrot Top, whoever ends up the Democratic nominee. I am not in that small but decisive portion of the electorate.

The ~10%-15% of the electorate that are either legitimate swing or new voters are not Aristotle and Plato deliberately weighing the pros and cons of each candidate in thoughtful detail. They are relatively disengaged and/or new voters aging into the electorate and looking back on four years of, fair or not, Biden being the POTUS that presided over major inflation and a lot of the shitty things people said would happen under Trump happening anyway. People see that and feel like who they vote for doesn't matter. It looks like gridlock, a shitload of regulatory litigation in the wake of recent SCOTUS decisions, and Kamala Harris taking the oath of office by early 2026.

The speed primary thing is stupid and a classic example of Democrats treating a broken foot with an amputation as opposed to a boot.

This isn't even the first time he's done this. During the peak of the "invasion" at the border, when his office was desperately trying to start shit with the feds on a daily basis, he was on a trip to India. Of course that's a tacit admission of either being a gutless coward - running from said invasion - or that the entire thing was manufactured political theater. Abbott, Cruz, etc. consistently, openly insult the intelligence of the voters in Texas and are proven right for it, time and time again.

I wasn't referring to a third party. The center and the left have both been in the Democratic coalition since 2018 but that appears to be fraying from both sides.

This is how the American center and left should come together to put down fascism but we are a bunch of stupid concern trolls at the population level.

Still sort of TBD but the current track has Houston to the east side of the storm (stronger side). Depends on the specific hazards of his property - trees or other large items that could cause damage in winds, flooding, etc. Honestly the main concern is prolonged power outages in the aftermath. Could see hurricane force winds doing some work on power lines.