Matt Gaetz reported to be leaving the House - Page 9

Hercules Rockefeller · 6th April 2021, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by DevilsAdvocate

We are well on our way to President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho.

No, you skipped that step and went straight for Trump.

dudalb · 6th April 2021, 02:04 PM

It says tons that his fellow GOPers in congress, with a couple of exceptions, are not rushing to Gaetz's defense. They know he is dead meat.

dudalb · 6th April 2021, 02:50 PM

Gaetz is stealing from Trump's playbook, but that seems not be working very well. You have to Donnie to pull that off.

smartcooky · 6th April 2021, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by gregthehammer

"Is that a piston in your belt, or are you happy to see me?"

A man is attending to his car which has broken down and stopped on the side of the road. He has the hood up, and is looking at the engine. A shabbily dressed wino walks up and asks "what's the matter?". The man says "piston broke" and the wino says "Yup, me too!"

Stacyhs · 6th April 2021, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by smartcooky

A man is attending to his car which has broken down and stopped on the side of the road. He has the hood up, and is looking at the engine. A shabbily dressed wino walks up and asks "what's the matter?". The man says "piston broke" and the wino says "Yup, me too!"

shemp · 6th April 2021, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by smartcooky

A man is attending to his car which has broken down and stopped on the side of the road. He has the hood up, and is looking at the engine. A shabbily dressed wino walks up and asks "what's the matter?". The man says "piston broke" and the wino says "Yup, me too!"

Bad joke thread is in Humor forum. Mods, please move.

carlitos · 6th April 2021, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by pgwenthold

Hey, hey, hey!

I didn't say he was replacing a piston. I said he had a piston in his belt!

If you are going to mock my typo, at least get the context right!

I figured that’s why he had it tucked there. I forgot about the fashion at the time.

Mock is a bit strong; maybe needle or kid?

dmaker · 6th April 2021, 08:22 PM

It seems that Gaetz asked for a blanket pardon for him and some congressional allies:

"He privately asked the White House for blanket pre-emptive pardons for himself and unidentified congressional allies for any crimes they may have committed, according to two people told of the discussions."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/u...?smid=tw-share

The Don · 7th April 2021, 01:29 AM

I note that various talking heads are saying that none of the allegations would do Matt Gaetz any harm whatsoever in the district he represents.

Bearing that in mind, I can see him brazening this out and unless he's actually jailed, in a few weeks time it'll all be forgotten.

jimbob · 7th April 2021, 03:20 AM

Originally Posted by The Don

I note that various talking heads are saying that none of the allegations would do Matt Gaetz any harm whatsoever in the district he represents.

Bearing that in mind, I can see him brazening this out and unless he's actually jailed, in a few weeks time it'll all be forgotten.

I'm not sure. Because he is probably popular with the Trump fans.

There are quite a few ambitious republicans who want Trump's, for want of a better word "mantle".

It's a crowded field full of ruthless, amoral fools*. They would be very happy for Gaetz to be removed from contention, and any GOP candidate would do well for Gaetz's seat.

*If they weren't fools, just utterly cynical, a lot wouldn't actually risk implicating themselves in potentially illegal activities

Belz... · 7th April 2021, 03:22 AM

Originally Posted by dmaker

It seems that Gaetz asked for a blanket pardon for him and some congressional allies:

"He privately asked the White House for blanket pre-emptive pardons for himself and unidentified congressional allies for any crimes they may have committed, according to two people told of the discussions."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/u...?smid=tw-share

So he guilty, then.

dmaker · 7th April 2021, 05:05 AM

The best part about the revelation of the pardon ask is that he denied asking for one to Politico.

Armitage72 · 7th April 2021, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by Hercules Rockefeller

No, you skipped that step and went straight for Trump.

It's been pointed out many times before that when President Camacho was faced with a crisis, he found the smartest person in the country, assigned him to solve the problem, and followed his advice. That would have been an improvement.

Craig4 · 7th April 2021, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by dmaker

The best part about the revelation of the pardon ask is that he denied asking for one to Politico.

I think the really best part of this leak and nearly all of the rest of the leaks is that they are coming from Republicans. There is no way a Democrat would have known about the pardon or the pictures he showed members.

Hlafordlaes · 7th April 2021, 07:34 AM

Originally Posted by The Don

I note that various talking heads are saying that none of the allegations would do Matt Gaetz any harm whatsoever in the district he represents.

Bearing that in mind, I can see him brazening this out and unless he's actually jailed, in a few weeks time it'll all be forgotten.

Quote:

WaPo: Now, Gaetz is planning to take center stage later this week as a keynote speaker at a conservative women’s group’s conference at former president Donald Trump’s Miami golf course. Women for America First, a nonprofit organization of Trump loyalists, orchestrated and publicized a rally on Jan. 6 before the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and also led bus tours nationwide spreading unfounded claims of election fraud.

“We know firsthand what it is like to be treated unfairly by the main stream media,” Amy Kremer, the group’s chairwoman, said in a statement to The Washington Post that defended Gaetz as “innocent until proven guilty.”

"Guilty" is becoming a positive political statement under Trumpism. Best line of defense: "It hurt libdem voters".

dirtywick · 7th April 2021, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by Armitage72

It's been pointed out many times before that when President Camacho was faced with a crisis, he found the smartest person in the country, assigned him to solve the problem, and followed his advice. That would have been an improvement.

Yeah, that’s Hollywood. In real life, idiots don’t listen to anyone

JoeMorgue · 7th April 2021, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by Armitage72

It's been pointed out many times before that when President Camacho was faced with a crisis, he found the smartest person in the country, assigned him to solve the problem, and followed his advice. That would have been an improvement.

Any idiot with any level of self awareness generally isn't that much of a problem.

Stacyhs · 7th April 2021, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Quote:
WaPo: Now, Gaetz is planning to take center stage later this week as a keynote speaker at a conservative women’s group’s conference at former president Donald Trump’s Miami golf course. Women for America First, a nonprofit organization of Trump loyalists, orchestrated and publicized a rally on Jan. 6 before the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and also led bus tours nationwide spreading unfounded claims of election fraud.

“We know firsthand what it is like to be treated unfairly by the main stream media,” Amy Kremer, the group’s chairwoman, said in a statement to The Washington Post that defended Gaetz as “innocent until proven guilty.”

Originally Posted by Hlafordlaes

"Guilty" is becoming a positive political statement under Trumpism. Best line of defense: "It hurt libdem voters".

Bear in mind that people have a tendency to vote for things against their own best interests: The National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage, founded in 1911, by women and Phyllis Schlafly's anti-ERA movement to name but two.

Minoosh · 7th April 2021, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by smartcooky

I think you missed alfaniner's point. Look at the posts he is responding to... particularly the top one.

I'm good at missing the point, I'm told by ISF members I argue with

. One in particular. I'll have another look.

Minoosh · 7th April 2021, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger

It's really hard to believe this anecdote. And even if true (because I can believe the cops would shoot anyone at the drop of a hat), who were these BLM people, how many of them, did they speak for the group???

The anecdote rang false with me because it's an example of piss-poor situational awareness. You can't see anybody and your arms are pinned. Someone would be able to snag the pistol before you could slide out from underneath the car. I don't want to believe gun fans are that stupid about carrying.

Re: Gaetz's attraction to teenagers, I can think of one aspect of the situation that might hurt the girls, even if they feel completely grown up. A 17-year-old might be inexperienced enough to misinterpret the reality, which is that 99 percent of the time, the man does not want you in spite of your age; he wants you because of your age. The risk titillates the older man and it has nothing to do with you personally. It's also not personal when he dumps you as soon as you turn 18.

Skeptic Ginger · 7th April 2021, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by Minoosh

... I can think of one aspect of the situation that might hurt the girls, even if they feel completely grown up. A 17-year-old might be inexperienced enough to misinterpret the reality, which is that 99 percent of the time, the man does not want you in spite of your age; he wants you because of your age. The risk titillates the older man and it has nothing to do with you personally. It's also not personal when he dumps you as soon as you turn 18.

I was pretty woke at 17. I might have done a few stupid things but I was no longer under the control of my parents.

portlandatheist · 7th April 2021, 09:01 PM

I know this article may seem like a stretch at first but it is a fantastic read.
The Bullwark: "Red Bull, Elon Musk, and Matt Gaetz"

Quote:

But the preponderance of evidence suggests that Republican voters don’t care about tangible government outcomes.
They don’t care whether or not a border wall is built, or who would have (theoretically) paid for it. They don’t care about whether or not the government fails to manage a global pandemic, killing hundreds of thousands of their fellow citizens. They don’t care if unemployment is up—or down. They don’t care about stimulus checks. Or the national debt.
It’s a little bit like—check that—it’s exactly like Red Bull.

Quote:

What they have, instead, is a lifestyle brand.
And if you want to move up the ladder within a brand network, you don’t do it by governing or making policy.
You do it by getting attention.

Quote:

His current—I’m not sure what we’re supposed to call this, maybe “predicament”?—isn’t a threat. It’s the best thing that could possibly have happened to him. Gaetz gets to fill the attention vacuum left by Trump’s exile. He gets to posture and preen. Everyone talks about him and the fact that Democrats hate him only makes him more attractive to Republican voters.

I love this article about what it says about Trump just as much as it says about Gaetz. They are not legislators or politicians but something else.
Their voters don't even care if they get ripped off or lied to in the process. The "capital" that Trump and Gaetz are negotiating, selling, and trading, isn't political capital but they are trading in the commodity of attention capital. In this regard, they are the most epic of winners, even if they accomplish nothing politically or financially and I am guilty of giving them far more attention(even now) than they have ever deserved in this regard. But this is what they are taking to the bank and what they value.
This is isn't entirely new and entirely a conservative problem. In a sense, this is what polical populism is to some extent. AOC for example is rated as 230th out of 240 democrats in terms of effectiveness, but "effectiveness", in terms of this definition, has never been her goal. According to this study, Rep. Ilhan Omar fared far better than AOC so I think this is more than saying "Idealogues don't get much done" which has truth to it but the bigger truth is that those trading in the attention economy, get even less done when it comes to legislation.
I hate Trump and Gaetz and have read over a dozen anti-Trump books during his tenure and there is a part of me that must feel like the donors sucked into repeat donations must feel when they didn't agree to repeat donations: a feeling that I've been suckered all along.
These ******** are not after my vote, or after my donation, or after legislation or agreement; what they are after is my attention. I would say the Portland rioters are a similar phenomenon but I'll save that for another thread.
Matt Gaetz is a worthless human being and a worthless politician but a winner in terms of the attention economy.

Segnosaur · 8th April 2021, 07:01 AM

So Stubby McBonespurs has finally given a response about Gaetz...

From: Politico
Trump said Wednesday that embattled Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) “has never asked me for a pardon,"...Trump also stressed that Gaetz “has totally denied the accusations against him.”

(Trump might be hiding behind the idea that Gaetz didn't PERSONALLY didn't ask Trump for a pardon, rather than whether Gaetz may have asked others in the Trump administration for a pardon.)

The Great Zaganza · 8th April 2021, 07:05 AM

Gaetz already admitted to asking for a Pardon, though he claims he asked it for himself as well as everyone else who was pro-Trump.

bruto · 8th April 2021, 07:36 AM

Gee, it's almost as if one of them might be lying. I'm shocked.

ponderingturtle · 8th April 2021, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by bruto

Gee, it's almost as if one of them might be lying. I'm shocked.

No the shocking this is that one of them might be telling the truth.

SuburbanTurkey · 8th April 2021, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by The Great Zaganza

Gaetz already admitted to asking for a Pardon, though he claims he asked it for himself as well as everyone else who was pro-Trump.

I suppose it's possible that Gaetz never even got far enough up the totem pole for Trump to even be aware. I imagine trying to solicit a pardon from Trump involves a lot of pleading to his lackeys, and only if you've greased the right palms or otherwise run the gauntlet do you even get to plead your case to Trump personally.

It's entirely possible Gaetz unsuccessfully sought a pardon and Trump never even knew about it.

ponderingturtle · 8th April 2021, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

I suppose it's possible that Gaetz never even got far enough up the totem pole for Trump to even be aware. I imagine trying to solicit a pardon from Trump involves a lot of pleading to his lackeys, and only if you've greased the right palms or otherwise run the gauntlet do you even get to plead your case to Trump personally.

It's entirely possible Gaetz unsuccessfully sought a pardon and Trump never even knew about it.

Both of them telling the truth, is that even possible?

Segnosaur · 8th April 2021, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey

I suppose it's possible that Gaetz never even got far enough up the totem pole for Trump to even be aware. I imagine trying to solicit a pardon from Trump involves a lot of pleading to his lackeys, and only if you've greased the right palms or otherwise run the gauntlet do you even get to plead your case to Trump personally.

It's entirely possible Gaetz unsuccessfully sought a pardon and Trump never even knew about it.

Possible. Although Trump had a habit of answering phone calls from people that perhaps he shouldn't have (much to the annoyance of his office staff.) Plus, there is a video I have seen of Gaetz phoning Trump to tell him 'good job' over some speech he made, so it does look like Gaetz does have some sort of direct connection to Stubby McBonespurs.

Elagabalus · 8th April 2021, 11:01 AM

Ahem ...

Stacyhs · 8th April 2021, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by ponderingturtle

Both of them telling the truth, is that even possible?

Not without them erupting into flames.

eerok · 8th April 2021, 11:26 AM

It's possible Gaetz didn't specify his own wrongdoing when he advocated pardons for GOP crimes, just as he didn't specify his own wrongdoing when he voted against the anti-trafficking bill.

Ladewig · 8th April 2021, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Segnosaur

(Trump might be hiding behind the idea that Gaetz didn't PERSONALLY didn't ask Trump for a pardon, rather than whether Gaetz may have asked others in the Trump administration for a pardon.)

Well. I’m of the opinion that when one repeatedly insists that one has never said things that were televised and recorded, then one never feels the need to play little word games.

I am of the opinion that if one frequently and emphatic ly denies saying things that were recorded and broadcast, then one never feels the need to play little word games.

And it has been speculated that № 45 has no concept of true and false.

№45. I like it.

dirtywick · 8th April 2021, 02:43 PM

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pol...ecutors-480289

Guess we’ll find out what his buddy has to say soon

Stacyhs · 8th April 2021, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by dirtywick

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pol...ecutors-480289

Guess we’ll find out what his buddy has to say soon

I suspect some beans may be spilling soon.

kookbreaker · 8th April 2021, 06:07 PM

Gaetz’s office released a statement from the “women of Gaetz’s office” supporting him. Of course, nobody was named in the statement.

https://www.businessinsider.com/matt...ing-him-2021-4

They are also likely not 17 years old.

acbytesla · 8th April 2021, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by Elagabalus

Ahem ...

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/04...7877570829.jpg

Is this a real billboard? Or is it some photoshop?

eerok · 8th April 2021, 07:55 PM

The plot thickens for Gaetz. What a shocker.

Joel Greenberg Is Poised to Plead Guilty. His Attorney Said Matt Gaetz Is Probably on Edge Right Now [lawandcrime.com]

Quote:

“If Greenberg is signing a cooperation agreement, it means he has information that can help the government prosecute other people,” said attorney Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who was counsel to the Democrats during one of the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump. “Usually prosecutors don’t cooperate ‘down’ (ie prostitutes) but look to cooperate ‘up’ against bigger fish (ie Gaetz).”

jadebox · 8th April 2021, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by acbytesla

Is this a real billboard? Or is it some photoshop?

Real.

https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/n...ld/7138781002/

https://mobile.twitter.com/TrueFacts...ddogpac.com%2F

jadebox · 8th April 2021, 08:02 PM

Reality is giving Carl Hiaasen's imagination a run for it's money.

6th April 2021, 12:47 PM	#321
Hercules Rockefeller Woof! Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 3,615	Originally Posted by DevilsAdvocate We are well on our way to President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho. No, you skipped that step and went straight for Trump.
	__________________ Quantum physics means that anything can happen at anytime and for no reason. Also, eat plenty of oatmeal, and animals never had a war! - Deepak Chopra

6th April 2021, 02:04 PM	#322
dudalb Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sacramento Posts: 50,543	It says tons that his fellow GOPers in congress, with a couple of exceptions, are not rushing to Gaetz's defense. They know he is dead meat.
	__________________ Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty. Robert Heinlein.

6th April 2021, 02:50 PM	#323
dudalb Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sacramento Posts: 50,543	Gaetz is stealing from Trump's playbook, but that seems not be working very well. You have to Donnie to pull that off.
	__________________ Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty. Robert Heinlein.

6th April 2021, 04:12 PM	#324
smartcooky Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Nelson, New Zealand Posts: 17,187	Originally Posted by gregthehammer "Is that a piston in your belt, or are you happy to see me?" A man is attending to his car which has broken down and stopped on the side of the road. He has the hood up, and is looking at the engine. A shabbily dressed wino walks up and asks "what's the matter?". The man says "piston broke" and the wino says "Yup, me too!"
	__________________ I want to thank the 126 Republican Congress members for providing a convenient and well organized list for the mid-terms. - Fred Wellman (Senior VA Advisor to The Lincoln Project) If you don't like my posts, my opinions, or my directness then put me on your ignore list. This will be of benefit to both of us; you won't have to take umbrage at my posts, and I won't have to waste my time talking to you... simples! !

6th April 2021, 06:12 PM	#326
shemp a flimsy character...perfidious and despised Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: People's Democratic Republic of Planet X Posts: 40,805	Originally Posted by smartcooky A man is attending to his car which has broken down and stopped on the side of the road. He has the hood up, and is looking at the engine. A shabbily dressed wino walks up and asks "what's the matter?". The man says "piston broke" and the wino says "Yup, me too!" Bad joke thread is in Humor forum. Mods, please move.
	__________________ If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set. "...just as a magnet attracts iron filings, ~~Trump~~ shemp attracts, and is attracted to, louts." - George Will "[shemp is] a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality." - Shakespeare

6th April 2021, 04:30 PM	#325
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 18,221	Originally Posted by smartcooky A man is attending to his car which has broken down and stopped on the side of the road. He has the hood up, and is looking at the engine. A shabbily dressed wino walks up and asks "what's the matter?". The man says "piston broke" and the wino says "Yup, me too!"

6th April 2021, 07:28 PM	#327
carlitos "más divertido" Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: USA! USA! Posts: 22,860	Originally Posted by pgwenthold Hey, hey, hey! I didn't say he was replacing a piston. I said he had a piston in his belt! If you are going to mock my typo, at least get the context right! I figured that’s why he had it tucked there. I forgot about the fashion at the time. Mock is a bit strong; maybe needle or kid?

6th April 2021, 08:22 PM	#328
dmaker Graduate Poster Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,689	It seems that Gaetz asked for a blanket pardon for him and some congressional allies: "He privately asked the White House for blanket pre-emptive pardons for himself and unidentified congressional allies for any crimes they may have committed, according to two people told of the discussions." https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/u...?smid=tw-share

7th April 2021, 01:29 AM	#329
The Don Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sir Fynwy Posts: 31,614	I note that various talking heads are saying that none of the allegations would do Matt Gaetz any harm whatsoever in the district he represents. Bearing that in mind, I can see him brazening this out and unless he's actually jailed, in a few weeks time it'll all be forgotten.

7th April 2021, 03:20 AM	#330
jimbob Uncritical "thinker" Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: UK Posts: 22,905	Originally Posted by The Don I note that various talking heads are saying that none of the allegations would do Matt Gaetz any harm whatsoever in the district he represents. Bearing that in mind, I can see him brazening this out and unless he's actually jailed, in a few weeks time it'll all be forgotten. I'm not sure. Because he is probably popular with the Trump fans. There are quite a few ambitious republicans who want Trump's, for want of a better word "mantle". It's a crowded field full of ruthless, amoral fools. They would be very happy for Gaetz to be removed from contention, and any GOP candidate would do well for Gaetz's seat. If they weren't fools, just utterly cynical, a lot wouldn't actually risk implicating themselves in potentially illegal activities
	__________________ OECD healthcare spending Expenditure on healthcare http://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/health-data.htm link is 2015 data (2013 Data below): UK 8.5% of GDP of which 83.3% is public expenditure - 7.1% of GDP is public spending US 16.4% of GDP of which 48.2% is public expenditure - 7.9% of GDP is public spending

7th April 2021, 03:22 AM	#331
Belz... Fiend God Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: In a post-fact world Posts: 92,070	Originally Posted by dmaker It seems that Gaetz asked for a blanket pardon for him and some congressional allies: "He privately asked the White House for blanket pre-emptive pardons for himself and unidentified congressional allies for any crimes they may have committed, according to two people told of the discussions." https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/u...?smid=tw-share So he guilty, then.
	__________________ Master of the Shining Darkness "My views are nonsense. So what?" - BobTheCoward

7th April 2021, 05:05 AM	#332
dmaker Graduate Poster Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,689	The best part about the revelation of the pardon ask is that he denied asking for one to Politico.

7th April 2021, 06:05 AM	#333
Armitage72 Philosopher Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 5,417	Originally Posted by Hercules Rockefeller No, you skipped that step and went straight for Trump. It's been pointed out many times before that when President Camacho was faced with a crisis, he found the smartest person in the country, assigned him to solve the problem, and followed his advice. That would have been an improvement.

7th April 2021, 06:29 AM	#334
Craig4 Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: I live in a swamp Posts: 22,846	Originally Posted by dmaker The best part about the revelation of the pardon ask is that he denied asking for one to Politico. I think the really best part of this leak and nearly all of the rest of the leaks is that they are coming from Republicans. There is no way a Democrat would have known about the pardon or the pictures he showed members.

7th April 2021, 07:34 AM	#335
Hlafordlaes Disorder of Kilopi Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: State of Flux Posts: 14,958	Originally Posted by The Don I note that various talking heads are saying that none of the allegations would do Matt Gaetz any harm whatsoever in the district he represents. Bearing that in mind, I can see him brazening this out and unless he's actually jailed, in a few weeks time it'll all be forgotten. Quote: WaPo: Now, Gaetz is planning to take center stage later this week as a keynote speaker at a conservative women’s group’s conference at former president Donald Trump’s Miami golf course. Women for America First, a nonprofit organization of Trump loyalists, orchestrated and publicized a rally on Jan. 6 before the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and also led bus tours nationwide spreading unfounded claims of election fraud. “We know firsthand what it is like to be treated unfairly by the main stream media,” Amy Kremer, the group’s chairwoman, said in a statement to The Washington Post that defended Gaetz as “innocent until proven guilty.” "Guilty" is becoming a positive political statement under Trumpism. Best line of defense: "It hurt libdem voters".
	__________________ Driftwood on an empty shore of the sea of meaninglessness. Irrelevant, weightless, inconsequential moment of existential hubris on the fast track to oblivion. His real name is Count Douchenozzle von Stenchfahrter und Lichtendicks. - shemp

7th April 2021, 07:50 AM	#336
dirtywick Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,333	Originally Posted by Armitage72 It's been pointed out many times before that when President Camacho was faced with a crisis, he found the smartest person in the country, assigned him to solve the problem, and followed his advice. That would have been an improvement. Yeah, that’s Hollywood. In real life, idiots don’t listen to anyone
dirtywick Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,333

7th April 2021, 07:53 AM	#337
JoeMorgue Self Employed Remittance Man Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 31,524	Originally Posted by Armitage72 It's been pointed out many times before that when President Camacho was faced with a crisis, he found the smartest person in the country, assigned him to solve the problem, and followed his advice. That would have been an improvement. Any idiot with any level of self awareness generally isn't that much of a problem.
	__________________ Yahtzee: "You're doing that thing again where when asked a question you just discuss the philosophy of the question instead of answering the bloody question." Gabriel: "Well yeah, you see..." Yahtzee: "No. When you are asked a Yes or No question the first word out of your mouth needs to be Yes or No. Only after that have you earned the right to elaborate."

7th April 2021, 12:30 PM	#338
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 18,221	Quote: Quote: WaPo: Now, Gaetz is planning to take center stage later this week as a keynote speaker at a conservative women’s group’s conference at former president Donald Trump’s Miami golf course. Women for America First, a nonprofit organization of Trump loyalists, orchestrated and publicized a rally on Jan. 6 before the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and also led bus tours nationwide spreading unfounded claims of election fraud. “We know firsthand what it is like to be treated unfairly by the main stream media,” Amy Kremer, the group’s chairwoman, said in a statement to The Washington Post that defended Gaetz as “innocent until proven guilty.” Originally Posted by Hlafordlaes "Guilty" is becoming a positive political statement under Trumpism. Best line of defense: "It hurt libdem voters". Bear in mind that people have a tendency to vote for things against their own best interests: The National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage, founded in 1911, by women and Phyllis Schlafly's anti-ERA movement to name but two.

7th April 2021, 12:44 PM	#339
Minoosh Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 12,330	Originally Posted by smartcooky I think you missed alfaniner's point. Look at the posts he is responding to... particularly the top one. I'm good at missing the point, I'm told by ISF members I argue with . One in particular. I'll have another look.

7th April 2021, 03:52 PM	#340
Minoosh Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 12,330	Originally Posted by Skeptic Ginger It's really hard to believe this anecdote. And even if true (because I can believe the cops would shoot anyone at the drop of a hat), who were these BLM people, how many of them, did they speak for the group??? The anecdote rang false with me because it's an example of piss-poor situational awareness. You can't see anybody and your arms are pinned. Someone would be able to snag the pistol before you could slide out from underneath the car. I don't want to believe gun fans are that stupid about carrying. Re: Gaetz's attraction to teenagers, I can think of one aspect of the situation that might hurt the girls, even if they feel completely grown up. A 17-year-old might be inexperienced enough to misinterpret the reality, which is that 99 percent of the time, the man does not want you in spite of your age; he wants you because of your age. The risk titillates the older man and it has nothing to do with you personally. It's also not personal when he dumps you as soon as you turn 18.

7th April 2021, 05:21 PM	#341
Skeptic Ginger Nasty Woman Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 87,828	Originally Posted by Minoosh ... I can think of one aspect of the situation that might hurt the girls, even if they feel completely grown up. A 17-year-old might be inexperienced enough to misinterpret the reality, which is that 99 percent of the time, the man does not want you in spite of your age; he wants you because of your age. The risk titillates the older man and it has nothing to do with you personally. It's also not personal when he dumps you as soon as you turn 18. I was pretty woke at 17. I might have done a few stupid things but I was no longer under the control of my parents.

7th April 2021, 09:01 PM	#342
portlandatheist Illuminator Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 3,635	I know this article may seem like a stretch at first but it is a fantastic read. The Bullwark: "Red Bull, Elon Musk, and Matt Gaetz" Quote: But the preponderance of evidence suggests that Republican voters don’t care about tangible government outcomes. They don’t care whether or not a border wall is built, or who would have (theoretically) paid for it. They don’t care about whether or not the government fails to manage a global pandemic, killing hundreds of thousands of their fellow citizens. They don’t care if unemployment is up—or down. They don’t care about stimulus checks. Or the national debt. It’s a little bit like—check that—it’s exactly like Red Bull. Quote: What they have, instead, is a lifestyle brand. And if you want to move up the ladder within a brand network, you don’t do it by governing or making policy. You do it by getting attention. Quote: His current—I’m not sure what we’re supposed to call this, maybe “predicament”?—isn’t a threat. It’s the best thing that could possibly have happened to him. Gaetz gets to fill the attention vacuum left by Trump’s exile. He gets to posture and preen. Everyone talks about him and the fact that Democrats hate him only makes him more attractive to Republican voters. I love this article about what it says about Trump just as much as it says about Gaetz. They are not legislators or politicians but something else. Their voters don't even care if they get ripped off or lied to in the process. The "capital" that Trump and Gaetz are negotiating, selling, and trading, isn't political capital but they are trading in the commodity of attention capital. In this regard, they are the most epic of winners, even if they accomplish nothing politically or financially and I am guilty of giving them far more attention(even now) than they have ever deserved in this regard. But this is what they are taking to the bank and what they value. This is isn't entirely new and entirely a conservative problem. In a sense, this is what polical populism is to some extent. AOC for example is rated as 230th out of 240 democrats in terms of effectiveness, but "effectiveness", in terms of this definition, has never been her goal. According to this study, Rep. Ilhan Omar fared far better than AOC so I think this is more than saying "Idealogues don't get much done" which has truth to it but the bigger truth is that those trading in the attention economy, get even less done when it comes to legislation. I hate Trump and Gaetz and have read over a dozen anti-Trump books during his tenure and there is a part of me that must feel like the donors sucked into repeat donations must feel when they didn't agree to repeat donations: a feeling that I've been suckered all along. These ******** are not after my vote, or after my donation, or after legislation or agreement; what they are after is my attention. I would say the Portland rioters are a similar phenomenon but I'll save that for another thread. Matt Gaetz is a worthless human being and a worthless politician but a winner in terms of the attention economy.

8th April 2021, 07:01 AM	#343
Segnosaur Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 17,343	So Stubby McBonespurs has finally given a response about Gaetz... From: Politico Trump said Wednesday that embattled Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) “has never asked me for a pardon,"...Trump also stressed that Gaetz “has totally denied the accusations against him.” (Trump might be hiding behind the idea that Gaetz didn't PERSONALLY didn't ask Trump for a pardon, rather than whether Gaetz may have asked others in the Trump administration for a pardon.)
	__________________ Trust me, I know what I'm doing. - Sledgehammer I'm Mary Poppin's Y'all! - Yondu We are Groot - Groot

8th April 2021, 07:05 AM	#344
The Great Zaganza Maledictorian Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 14,867	Gaetz already admitted to asking for a Pardon, though he claims he asked it for himself as well as everyone else who was pro-Trump.
	__________________ The things that you're liable To read in the Bible It ain't necessarily so

8th April 2021, 07:36 AM	#345
bruto Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Way way north of Diddy Wah Diddy Posts: 28,220	Gee, it's almost as if one of them might be lying. I'm shocked.
	__________________ I love this world, but not for its answers. (Mary Oliver) Quand il dit "cuic" le moineau croit tout dire. (When he's tweeted the sparrow thinks he's said it all. (Jules Renard)

8th April 2021, 07:37 AM	#346
ponderingturtle Orthogonal Vector Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 50,746	Originally Posted by bruto Gee, it's almost as if one of them might be lying. I'm shocked. No the shocking this is that one of them might be telling the truth.
	__________________ Sufficiently advanced Woo is indistinguishable from Parody "There shall be no poofing in science" Paul C. Anagnostopoulos Force ***** on reasons back" Ben Franklin

8th April 2021, 09:28 AM	#347
SuburbanTurkey Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 8,529	Originally Posted by The Great Zaganza Gaetz already admitted to asking for a Pardon, though he claims he asked it for himself as well as everyone else who was pro-Trump. I suppose it's possible that Gaetz never even got far enough up the totem pole for Trump to even be aware. I imagine trying to solicit a pardon from Trump involves a lot of pleading to his lackeys, and only if you've greased the right palms or otherwise run the gauntlet do you even get to plead your case to Trump personally. It's entirely possible Gaetz unsuccessfully sought a pardon and Trump never even knew about it.
	__________________ Gobble gobble

8th April 2021, 09:46 AM	#348
ponderingturtle Orthogonal Vector Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 50,746	Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey I suppose it's possible that Gaetz never even got far enough up the totem pole for Trump to even be aware. I imagine trying to solicit a pardon from Trump involves a lot of pleading to his lackeys, and only if you've greased the right palms or otherwise run the gauntlet do you even get to plead your case to Trump personally. It's entirely possible Gaetz unsuccessfully sought a pardon and Trump never even knew about it. Both of them telling the truth, is that even possible?
	__________________ Sufficiently advanced Woo is indistinguishable from Parody "There shall be no poofing in science" Paul C. Anagnostopoulos Force ***** on reasons back" Ben Franklin

8th April 2021, 10:10 AM	#349
Segnosaur Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 17,343	Originally Posted by SuburbanTurkey I suppose it's possible that Gaetz never even got far enough up the totem pole for Trump to even be aware. I imagine trying to solicit a pardon from Trump involves a lot of pleading to his lackeys, and only if you've greased the right palms or otherwise run the gauntlet do you even get to plead your case to Trump personally. It's entirely possible Gaetz unsuccessfully sought a pardon and Trump never even knew about it. Possible. Although Trump had a habit of answering phone calls from people that perhaps he shouldn't have (much to the annoyance of his office staff.) Plus, there is a video I have seen of Gaetz phoning Trump to tell him 'good job' over some speech he made, so it does look like Gaetz does have some sort of direct connection to Stubby McBonespurs.
	__________________ Trust me, I know what I'm doing. - Sledgehammer I'm Mary Poppin's Y'all! - Yondu We are Groot - Groot

8th April 2021, 11:01 AM	#350
Elagabalus Philosopher Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 7,012	Ahem ...
Elagabalus Philosopher Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 7,012

8th April 2021, 11:09 AM	#351
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 18,221	Originally Posted by ponderingturtle Both of them telling the truth, is that even possible? Not without them erupting into flames.

8th April 2021, 11:26 AM	#352
eerok Quixoticist Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: ON Canada Posts: 3,694	It's possible Gaetz didn't specify his own wrongdoing when he advocated pardons for GOP crimes, just as he didn't specify his own wrongdoing when he voted against the anti-trafficking bill.
	__________________ "Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future." - Oscar Wilde Last edited by eerok; 8th April 2021 at 11:27 AM.

8th April 2021, 12:42 PM	#353
Ladewig I lost an avatar bet. Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 28,094	Originally Posted by Segnosaur (Trump might be hiding behind the idea that Gaetz didn't PERSONALLY didn't ask Trump for a pardon, rather than whether Gaetz may have asked others in the Trump administration for a pardon.) Well. I’m of the opinion that when one repeatedly insists that one has never said things that were televised and recorded, then one never feels the need to play little word games. I am of the opinion that if one frequently and emphatic ly denies saying things that were recorded and broadcast, then one never feels the need to play little word games. And it has been speculated that № 45 has no concept of true and false. №45. I like it.
	__________________ I lost an avatar bet to Doghouse Reilly. Last edited by Ladewig; 8th April 2021 at 01:41 PM.

8th April 2021, 02:43 PM	#354
dirtywick Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,333	https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pol...ecutors-480289 Guess we’ll find out what his buddy has to say soon
dirtywick Illuminator Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 3,333

8th April 2021, 03:12 PM	#355
Stacyhs Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: United States Posts: 18,221	Originally Posted by dirtywick https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pol...ecutors-480289 Guess we’ll find out what his buddy has to say soon I suspect some beans may be spilling soon.