The 2024 Circus

[Northwoods]

BREAKING: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces his run for the Presidency ... as an Independent
https://twitchy.com/justmindy/2023/10/09/rfk-robert-kennedy-announces-run-as-independent-n2388319

Should only help whoever the R nominee is.  Most people on the right might be less nauseated by RFK Jr but there’s unlikely to be a significant shift in cots his way.  Even if Trump is the R nominee the votes RFK will get still be at least 3:1 from D’s.  That will make it much harder for the D nominee to win without even more blatant cheating than in 2020.

[WLJ]

Meathead is not happy and that's good thing in my book

    Bobby Kennedy Jr.’s announcement to run as an Independent is a dangerous and cynical move by wealthy Republicans to put Trump back in the WH. I talked with Bobby and told him that what he is doing could destroy American Democracy. He didn’t care.
    — Rob Reiner (@robreiner) October 9, 2023

https://twitchy.com/dougp/2023/10/09/rob-reiner-tried-to-save-democracy-by-telling-rfk-jr-why-he-shouldnt-run-but-he-didnt-care-n2388324

[Pb]

Should only help whoever the R nominee is.  Most people on the right might be less nauseated by RFK Jr but there’s unlikely to be a significant shift in cots his way.  Even if Trump is the R nominee the votes RFK will get still be at least 3:1 from D’s.  That will make it much harder for the D nominee to win without even more blatant cheating than in 2020.

I don't know.  I bet plenty of otherwise GOP voters will vote for RFF.

[Ben]

I don't know.  I bet plenty of otherwise GOP voters will vote for RFF.

Actually I've gotta side with sumpnz here. I know many conservative voters are in my boat - they support him against the establishment, but they would never vote for him.

For people who might vote for him, I would look to what I'm calling the "Tulsi Gabbard crowd" - dems and independents who have been speaking out against the establishment over the last couple of years, especially regarding the Trump vendetta stuff. I'm gonna guess that given Biden as the dem, and RFK the only "name" independent, that a lot of them that don't just stay home, will vote for him.

[Pb]

Lots of people on arfcom drool over RFK. 

[cordex]

RFK and Tulsi are what I wish Democrats were.  That is to say, people with whom I may disagree on a bunch of issues but at the end of the day not worry that they fundamentally hate the founding ideas of the USA or are trying to actively trying to destroy our country.  I wouldn't want to vote for either of them, but I could probably think of some Republicans I'd have to pass up for them.

I have no idea what RFK's likely pull is with people who vote Democrat today.  When polled against Biden regarding the Democratic primary he was getting support from only a tiny fraction of Democrat voters.  In the polls that pit Biden vs Trump vs Kennedy, Biden and Trump are in a dead heat with Trump barely edging out a win ... but Biden and Trump have been polling at about that ratio without Kennedy involved too.  Honestly, I could see Kennedy spoiling for either candidate and afterward everyone nodding sagely and saying that they knew it was going to happen.

[Ben]

Lots of people on arfcom drool over RFK.

That's very surprising to me. I'm curious if it's all younger guys?

[Ben]

RFK and Tulsi are what I wish Democrats were. 

I'm not even sure you could call Tulsi a dem anymore, or even if she calls herself one. I continue to be impressed with what she has had to say since her, I guess not red-pilling, but whatever pill people take that's not red or blue.

Obviously "put your money where your mouth is" comes into play, but if she were to support what she says she supports now, I don't know if I would vote for her for President (I might), but I would not be grinding my teeth for four years while she tramples my rights, which these other jokers have done. She might do stuff I don't agree with, but then they all do that.

[Pb]

I'm not even sure you could call Tulsi a dem anymore, or even if she calls herself one.

Loads of arfcomers drool over Tulsi too.   

[cordex]

I'm not even sure you could call Tulsi a dem anymore, or even if she calls herself one.

That’s fair, and RFK is apparently ditching the party too. Just goes to show that the kind of Democrats who love the country can’t get along with the Democrat party anymore.

But no, it was Trump who shifted the Overton window so much.

Loads of arfcomers drool over Tulsi too.   

She is a good looking woman.  Better to drool over her than RFK.

[Jim147]

Lots of people on arfcom drool over RFK. 

You might tell them to search what he said about the NRA. The NRA has made the 2nd Amendment a suicide pact with our children. When are we going to deal with the NRA.

That might not be an exact quote but it's close.

[Ben]

Wow. RFK's own family is attacking him, invoking his father. Seems to me that he's actually closer to his father's politics than to modern dem politics.

https://twitchy.com/fuzzychimp/2023/10/09/rfk-jrs-siblings-try-to-sink-his-third-party-run-faster-than-uncle-teds-chappaquiddick-sedan-n2388347

[dogmush]

The DNC is going to come after him with everything they can to get him to drop out before people start early voting.  They smell a Ross Perot.

[Pb]

You might tell them to search what he said about the NRA.

It doesn't matter what anti-gun things they say.

Charismatic aholes saying things that push the right emotional buttons... Trump, Tulsi, RFK.  Loads of people love them anyway.  Even on a gun forum.

[DittoHead]

It doesn't matter what anti-gun things they say.

Yeah "take the guns first, go through due process second" 

I have hard time telling who RFK will take votes from, he was anti-vax before it was cool and Trump is still proud of Operation Warp Speed. Judging by his Tucker interview and upcoming appearance at CPAC, RFK's current audience seems to be conservatives.

[Ben]

Well, this is interesting. Never in a million years would I have expected Tulsi to consider this:

https://youtu.be/Ek51cIacDs0

[RocketMan]

Well, this is interesting. Never in a million years would I have expected Tulsi to consider this:

https://youtu.be/Ek51cIacDs0

Quite the change from 2020.  Has she really changed her stance, or is this her just being flexible and saying what she thinks Trump would want to hear?

[Ben]

Quite the change from 2020.  Has she really changed her stance, or is this her just being flexible and saying what she thinks Trump would want to hear?

I believe she's sincere in her change in politics, but I thought her whole deal with Trump was that she didn't like him, but was defending him not as Trump, but as a railroaded citizen.

I would have never though that she would consider a VP spot under him. Although, one thing about the VP spot is that unlike cabinet spots, Trump would pretty much be stuck with her if he did one of his "Mattis is the greatest/Mattis is an idiot" flipflops, and maybe she thinks she'd be able to do some good under those circumstances from a somewhat "protected" position.

Of course I have no idea what Trump thinks of her, so the point may be moot. My guess is that if Trump gets the nomination, that he will be looking for a guaranteed "yes man" for the VP slot so as not to have any Pence incidents. I don't think Tulsi would be a "yes woman".

[Ben]

Pence is out.

https://twitchy.com/aaronwalker/2023/10/28/mike-pence-drops-out-recently-unsuspended-gaypatriot-celebrates-as-only-he-can-n2389133

[Boomhauer]

Pence is out.

https://twitchy.com/aaronwalker/2023/10/28/mike-pence-drops-out-recently-unsuspended-gaypatriot-celebrates-as-only-he-can-n2389133

Not that he was actually “in” in the first place

[WLJ]

In Most Popular Move Of Presidential Campaign, Mike Pence Ends Presidential Campaign
https://babylonbee.com/news/in-best-decision-since-launching-presidential-campaign-mike-pence-ends-presidential-campaign

[MechAg94]

Gavin Newsom EMBARRASSES Himself Playing Basketball With Kids In China As California FALLS APART!
https://youtu.be/h5L6Isz03mc?si=qADq8r2G-2JATPtg&t=276

I put this here since many think Biden will drop out of the race and Gavin will move in as the presumptive Democrat nominee.  Looked like he realized what he was doing mid-fall and tried to recover only to look even worse.

[MechAg94]

Family Makes Tough Decision To Put Aging Grandpa In US Senate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFeNSB66PY0

The Babylon Bee

 

[WLJ]

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday punted on a decision that could keep former President Donald Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot in that state.

The court dismissed a lawsuit that would bar Trump from the primary ballot under a provision of the 14th Amendment that bars people from holding public office if they “engaged in insurrection or rebellion.” But the justices noted on Wednesday that the decision applied only to the state’s primary, leaving open the possibility that the former president could be booted from the ballot in the general election in November.

 Minnesota Supreme Court: Trump can remain on the ballot — for now
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/08/minnesota-supreme-court-trump-ballot-00126210

[charby]

I don't see Trump not being allowed on the ballot in any state, unless he is found guilty of sedition. I think the start of that trial is in March 2024, which is in the middle of primary/caucus season.

I'm tired of living in interesting times.