The 2023 Republican Debate thread

[Anastasis 23478]

8 minutes ago, Paul Wesley said:

Why not just start your own thread if you wanted to make that case?

I think that the gop debate thread is a good forum to make that point. It’s always good to shit on neocons. 

[RDCanecutter 26454]

They ain't none of em worth a shit. A whole stage full of people making the tacit argument for divine right of kings. Or government by random names pulled from a data base. Anything but them.

[Anastasis 23478]

I am not really sure what any of this means or the related iconography, but if it involves a decapitated neocon it is probably a good start. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Anastasis

[RDCanecutter 26454]

A jibbering coke-head with a funny name.

[washparkhorn 9939]

Elon is a simp for timeshare salesmen mania  

[Satchel 6938]

I think we’d do well to remember that Elon has Asperger Syndrome. He should be expected to 

• Have Inappropriate social interactions
• Conversations that almost always revolve around themselves or a certain topic, rather than others
• Have An intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects
• Becoming upset at any small changes in routines
• Memorizing preferred information and facts easily
• Difficulty managing emotions, sometimes leading to verbal or behavioral outbursts, self-injurious behaviors or tantrums
• Not understanding other peoples’ feelings or emotions

[Underdog 28725]

3 hours ago, Satchel said:

That audience. God almighty…

People showed up? 

[HenryJames 66133]

 

[South Austin 52521]

So did I miss the neocon drinking game?

[Bullneck 19181]

7 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

Find someone who will look at you like Pence looks at Trump.  

[Bullneck 19181]

 

 

[Bozo_Casanova 26495]

6 hours ago, Paul Wesley said:

You posted "these neocons are just like democrat neocons" over and over again until you finally got the response you were trolling for, then you say "you seem triggered."

Why not just start your own thread if you wanted to make that case?

I mean, I think you're wrong, but I'm willing to hear your argument.  If you think Ukraine by itself makes Biden (who ended a two-decade conflict in Afghanistan to his own political detriment) a "neocon," then pretty much all of Western Europe was "neocon" in response to Hitler in the 1940's, as was Soviet Russia, as is all of Western Europe in response to Putin.

Anastasis'd!

[Dnaguy 12002]

2 hours ago, HenryJames said:

 

 

I noticed this as well and laughed.

 

He's an alien in a skin suit.

Prove me wrong!

[Poe It Up 126]

9 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

What were you expecting?  Honest question.

kidding, well, kinda sorta. I fully expect to lose and was hoping for some kind of Hail Mary. Vivek is being pushed on me but he expects to abolish the FBI? Give me a break, he ain’t it. 

[Underdog 28725]

46 minutes ago, Dnaguy said:

 

I noticed this as well and laughed.

 

He's an alien in a skin suit.

Prove me wrong!

 

[South Austin 52521]

[Blotto 23560]

6 hours ago, Satchel said:

I think we’d do well to remember that Elon has Asperger Syndrome. He should be expected to 

• Have Inappropriate social interactions
• Conversations that almost always revolve around themselves or a certain topic, rather than others
• Have An intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects
• Becoming upset at any small changes in routines
• Memorizing preferred information and facts easily
• Difficulty managing emotions, sometimes leading to verbal or behavioral outbursts, self-injurious behaviors or tantrums
• Not understanding other peoples’ feelings or emotions

 

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13585]

Trump has Ass Burgers.

[Js1 85437]

Just now, Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand said:

Trump has Ass Burgers.

*Ass Berders 

[South Austin 52521]

I didn't see the clown show last night, but after watching some clips and reading the pundits, it seems like Haley was the "winner," Rhonda's performance will result in a further slide down the polls, and everyone else is there to plug whatever future book they write.  Am I close?

[Bozo_Casanova 26495]

Thought about this overnight

Did enough: Desantis
Did not do enough: Asa Hutchinson, Bert's Eyebrows
Did too much: Vivek!
Seemed lost: Tim Scott?
Pencest Pence: Mike Pence
Sickest Burns: Christie
Tallest midget: Haley

Edited August 24, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[smuggs 9353]

3 hours ago, HenryJames said:

 

 

1 hour ago, Dnaguy said:

 

I noticed this as well and laughed.

 

He's an alien in a skin suit.

Prove me wrong!

 

He's got a gorgeous set of ears, though. Like a mighty African bush elephant, emerging from a stand of stinkwoods along the banks of the majestic Limpopo.

[horn4life 3767]

I think you saw exactly what the Republican party is today. An intellectually dishonest party without any actual principles.

Yeah I will vote for a convicted felon, because... I can pretend intellectually that for Donald Trump and Trump alone, is a "victim."  It's a pretend fantasy world, that must be lived in from top to bottom of the party.  With the notable exceptions of Hutchinson and Christie.

Intellectually... oops, I know, I know, intellect is a very, very dangerous thing according to today's Republicans, but intellectually most of the arguments I heard made last night would have been shredded in my Freshman year ethics(?) class, in that the basic premises of their foundational arguments are simply falsehoods. The single exception was Haley actually admitting that grotesque spending by the Trump Administration gleefully expanding the national debt by an unheard of percentage was the real culprit.

I could go on and on.  But to me it seem that the single foundational necessity to being able to be a "Good Republican" is a whole hearted embrace of intellectual dishonestly.  Even worse, every one up on that stage, knows they are being intellectually dishonest, but they know it's now a requirement to be a "good Republican."  And honestlym that is why we find ourselves at one of the single most dangerous points in time in our democracy.  Simply as when you can knowing embrace lies, then you can lie about anything, And without truth, a country built on foundation of lies, has a very, very weak foundation indeed.

[thrillhammer 684]

7 hours ago, Satchel said:

I think we’d do well to remember that Elon has Asperger Syndrome. He should be expected to 

• Have Inappropriate social interactions
• Conversations that almost always revolve around themselves or a certain topic, rather than others
• Have An intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects
• Becoming upset at any small changes in routines
• Memorizing preferred information and facts easily
• Difficulty managing emotions, sometimes leading to verbal or behavioral outbursts, self-injurious behaviors or tantrums
• Not understanding other peoples’ feelings or emotions

sounds alot like desantis

[thrillhammer 684]

27 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I didn't see the clown show last night, but after watching some clips and reading the pundits, it seems like Haley was the "winner," Rhonda's performance will result in a further slide down the polls, and everyone else is there to plug whatever future book they write.  Am I close?

i'd agree with this.  haley seemed the most reasonable.  if i were a republican she'd be getting my vote.

[troph 24875]

14 minutes ago, horn4life said:

I think you saw exactly what the Republican party is today. An intellectually dishonest party without any actual principles.

Yeah I will vote for a convicted felon, because... I can pretend intellectually that for Donald Trump and Trump alone, is a "victim."  It's a pretend fantasy world, that must be lived in from top to bottom of the party.  With the notable exceptions of Hutchinson and Christie.

Intellectually... oops, I know, I know, intellect is a very, very dangerous thing according to today's Republicans, but intellectually most of the arguments I heard made last night would have been shredded in my Freshman year ethics(?) class, in that the basic premises of their foundational arguments are simply falsehoods. The single exception was Haley actually admitting that grotesque spending by the Trump Administration gleefully expanding the national debt by an unheard of percentage was the real culprit.

I could go on and on.  But to me it seem that the single foundational necessity to being able to be a "Good Republican" is a whole hearted embrace of intellectual dishonestly.  Even worse, every one up on that stage, knows they are being intellectually dishonest, but they know it's now a requirement to be a "good Republican."  And honestlym that is why we find ourselves at one of the single most dangerous points in time in our democracy.  Simply as when you can knowing embrace lies, then you can lie about anything, And without truth, a country built on foundation of lies, has a very, very weak foundation indeed.

this is 100% on point, I'd say Christie (with whom I would not agree on over half of his policies) is at least acting like an adult. He's been consistent for years on his points. Haley said some smart things to try and distance herself from the pack but (1) she'll likely say anything, and (2) she distanced herself out of contention on abortion (moderate), and blaming republicans and trump for the debt (how dare you). Hutchinson was the third that sounded like an adult.

The rest are ideologues who spout half backed shit to get a WWE crowd response.

[South Austin 52521]

Just now, thrillhammer said:

i'd agree with this.  haley seemed the most reasonable.  if i were a republican she'd be getting my vote.

When I read that she didn't deny climate change and urged that women and doctors should not be thrown in jail for abortions, I thought somebody might have roofied her.

[WhatTheBuck 28788]

35 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I didn't see the clown show last night, but after watching some clips and reading the pundits, it seems like Haley was the "winner," Rhonda's performance will result in a further slide down the polls, and everyone else is there to plug whatever future book they write.  Am I close?

Sounds like Hutchinson and Burgum didn’t even show up. Other than not raising his hand to say he’d vote for Trump even if convicted, I never heard anyone mention Hutchinson. And while I haven’t spent quite an hour listening to recaps, I never heard anyone mention Burgum’s name even once.

And sure enough, Mike Pence raised his hand. Trump’s supporters were chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” on Jan 6. Mike had to flee for his safety. He’s admitted that Trump put him and his family in danger. He says there are better candidates than Trump. But of course he’ll vote for Trump again even after he’s convicted for his crimes. A guy who agreed with the mob that wanted to kill him. I don’t know if there’s a suitable word to describe what a spineless, cowardly little lowlife Mike Pence is. Sure, way to do your job like the Constitution demands that one time. Good for you. But Jesus Christ, Mike. Grow a pair. Unreal. 

[South Austin 52521]

2 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

And sure enough, Mike Pence raised his hand. Trump’s supporters were chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” on Jan 6. Mike had to flee for his safety. He’s admitted that Trump put him and his family in danger. He says there are better candidates than Trump. But of course he’ll vote for Trump again even after he’s convicted for his crimes. A guy who agreed with the mob that wanted to kill him. I don’t know if there’s a suitable word to describe what a spineless, cowardly little lowlife Mike Pence is. Sure, way to do your job like the Constitution demands that one time. Good for you. But Jesus Christ, Mike. Grow a pair. Unreal. 

That's awful.  Was Mother in the audience?

[David Dennison 18925]

The first episode of season 2 of The Apprentice: Vice-President sounds like it was kind of meh.

[Bozo_Casanova 26495]

Speaking of bush
 

Quote

I fear that all that effort to get onto the debate stage was in vain. Because while Burgum certainly made an impression on the country, the entirety of that impression was: eyebrows. I doubt a significant portion of the viewership can tell you anything else about him after watching besides eyebrows. In the same way that in the Barbie movie, Ken’s job is beach, no one would blink an eye if you told them that Burgum’s job is eyebrows. His political positions? Also eyebrows. And his record? You guessed it: eyebrows.

 

[thrillhammer 684]

34 minutes ago, South Austin said:

When I read that she didn't deny climate change and urged that women and doctors should not be thrown in jail for abortions, I thought somebody might have roofied her.

exactly.  and she blamed republicans for spending and the debt.  brought up that there were more gop earmarks than the dems.  wow!

[Bozo_Casanova 26495]

9 hours ago, Anastasis said:

I am not really sure what any of this means or the related iconography, but if it involves a decapitated neocon it is probably a good start. 
 

It's wrong. That's not Indra. That's the mother/death goddess Kali, the devourer of time, tormenting humanity. Indra is not blue, has two arms (usually), and is depicted with the Vajra. 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Bozo_Casanova

[sidis 9832]

now that vivek has garnered some attention, i suspect we will start hearing all about intepirdine and axovant.

if anyone else on that stage was not a completely shameless clown, they would have strategically played to the maga olds by pressing him on his investment in and defense of martin shkreli and his "victimless crimes" instead of playing the he's inexperienced/not a politician card that is so effective amongst republican cult of trump members.

Edited August 24, 2023 by sidis

[thrillhammer 684]

9 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Speaking of bush
 

 

 

take that to the i'd pee in her butt thread.

[Neonmoon 38129]

1 minute ago, sidis said:

now that vivek has garnered some attention, i suspect we will start hearing all about intepirdine and axovant.

if anyone else on that stage was not a completely shameless clown, they would have strategically played to the maga olds by pressing him on his investment in and defense of martin shkreli and his "victimless crimes" instead of playing the he's inexperienced/not a politician card that is so effective amongst republican cult of trump members.

They probably smartly didn't attack his insane beliefs in conspiracy theories as that would endear him to Republican voters. 

[DDD Dad 14343]

10 hours ago, DDD Dad said:

Did y’all see Rhonda’s nonhuman attempt at a smile at the end of his first screed?  

 

4 hours ago, HenryJames said:

 

2 hours ago, Dnaguy said:

 

I noticed this as well and laughed.

 

He's an alien in a skin suit.

Prove me wrong!

 

1 hour ago, Underdog said:

 

 

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

 

[HenryJames 66133]

[Brisketexan 105161]

2 hours ago, Poe It Up said:

kidding, well, kinda sorta. I fully expect to lose and was hoping for some kind of Hail Mary. Vivek is being pushed on me but he expects to abolish the FBI? Give me a break, he ain’t it. 

Maybe....just maybe....you should consider that you're reaching a point of realization that a shitload of people around here figured out a while back.....

1 hour ago, horn4life said:

I think you saw exactly what the Republican party is today. An intellectually dishonest party without any actual principles.

...this is what they realized.  Even the "the cruelty is the point" isn't an actual principle.  It's just a gimmick, used to fire up the worst of our base impulses as a people, who first and foremost, want government to HURT the people they want to hurt.  Remember the complaint "he's hurting the wrong people?"  That's the essence of the party now.  It is nothing but a self-sustaining outrage machine, and the only "accomplishments" it can point to are those that harm someone/some out group.

54 minutes ago, South Austin said:

When I read that she didn't deny climate change and urged that women and doctors should not be thrown in jail for abortions, I thought somebody might have roofied her.

She is an apostate, and will be thrown out of the cult for that.  Seriously, there is no room in the cult for any apostate beliefs.  And yes, the GQP is a full-on cult now.  There is no room for non-cult members.

People like Poe should pay attention to that.  Keep feeding the Leopards Eating People's Faces party, and sooner or later, the leopards will eat YOUR face.  It's a matter of "when," not "if."  The cruelty machine must be fed.  It will never be fully satiated, so faces will continue to be eaten.

[Js1 85437]

19 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Wow don’t make the youth excited or anything, Laura. They’ll crush your party 

[Gatorubet 30247]

12 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

  That's the essence of the party now.  It is nothing but a self-sustaining outrage machine, and the only "accomplishments" it can point to are those that harm someone/some out group.

This.  Distilled essence of today’s GOP expressed perfectly. 

[threesheets 1673]

"I am not a politician! Heheh-heheh."

[Horn Dog 9875]

1 hour ago, HenryJames said:

[Js1 85437]

2 hours ago, South Austin said:

I didn't see the clown show last night, but after watching some clips and reading the pundits, it seems like Haley was the "winner," Rhonda's performance will result in a further slide down the polls, and everyone else is there to plug whatever future book they write.  Am I close?

You gotta put your dumb hat on.

CNN's poll of Republican debate watchers on who "won" -

7 votes for Vivek
2 votes for Rhonda
4 votes for Nikki
2 said nobody (i.e., we all lose, good day)

[Brisketexan 105161]

1 minute ago, Js1 said:

You gotta put your dumb hat on.

CNN's poll of Republican debate watchers on who "won" -

7 votes for Vivek
2 votes for Rhonda
4 votes for Nikki
2 said nobody (i.e., we all lose, good day)

From what I understand, that tracks with "who sucked Trump's dick the hardest."  Meaning that the only important metric of leadership for Republican voters is "how Trumpy can you be?"  And of course....nobody can beat Trump in the Trumpiness department.

I wonder how much longer it will take the remaining supposedly "sane" GQP voters to realize that by continuing to support the GQP, they are just cult members.  Probably too long.  If they haven't figured out the obvious by now, they don't have the cognitive chops to ever reach that conclusion.

[South Austin 52521]

5 minutes ago, Js1 said:

You gotta put your dumb hat on.

CNN's poll of Republican debate watchers on who "won" -

7 votes for Vivek
2 votes for Rhonda
4 votes for Nikki
2 said nobody (i.e., we all lose, good day)

 

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

From what I understand, that tracks with "who sucked Trump's dick the hardest." 

Yeah, this tells us everything we need to know about the party from here to November 2024 (and the foreseeable future). 

Silly me for thinking Nikki Haley might be a signal of some not-so-batshit-crazy movement in the Republican Party.

Edited August 24, 2023 by South Austin

[A-Tex Devil 2451]

Vivek is so clearly using the Trump playbook both in his strategy and his debate tactics, he should be paying a royalty.  Like I said above, he's the ultimate one spectaculary exit tech bro that assumes because he built one good company he can do anything and that every single one of his "ideas" is executable and possible because he's him.  But he also knows what to say to get cheers and the stupids excited.  

My only concern with that guy is he gets momentum for 2028.  Although I think he can get ground up by the GOP in a way Trump couldn't.  

[tokamak 6432]

I know we've been in a topsy-turvy world for a while now, but think about how strange it is that we had a primary debate and most of the candidates decided to stand around praising the front runner. And then voters polled afterward agreed with that strategy.

It's basically the exact opposite of what normally happens during these things, and what conventional wisdom says that contenders should do.

[Macanudo 12990]

13 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

I wonder how much longer it will take the remaining supposedly "sane" GQP voters to realize that by continuing to support the GQP, they are just cult members.  Probably too long.  If they haven't figured out the obvious by now, they don't have the cognitive chops to ever reach that conclusion.

There aren't any sane GQP voters anymore.

[tokamak 6432]

9 minutes ago, A-Tex Devil said:

Vivek is so clearly using the Trump playbook both in his strategy and his debate tactics, he should be paying a royalty.  Like I said above, he's the ultimate one spectaculary exit tech bro that assumes because he built one good company he can do anything and that every single one of his "ideas" is executable and possible because he's him.  But he also knows what to say to get cheers and the stupids excited.  

My only concern with that guy is he gets momentum for 2028.  Although I think he can get ground up by the GOP in a way Trump couldn't.  

It's already cliche to say so, but I think there's a sizeable chunk of the Trump coalition that will just never get excited about a Hindu guy named Vivek Ramaswamy. They'd choose him overwhelmingly in polls against a Democrat, but would they actually turn out in droves to vote for the guy?

edit: I just read the guy's Wikipedia article and his business career sounds like a fucking joke. His company doesn't do shit and has never made a profit. It seems like he got rich by fooling other, even richer people into investing a lot of money in smoke and mirrors. Good for him, I guess.

Edited August 24, 2023 by tokamak