#GOPtards

[palephx]

Resistance is febrile.

“The grifters that make up the troll-industrial complex are not okay. “One can see the sheen of desperation in the world of self-identified conservatives who make a living by "triggering” the liberals. The usual dose of outrage bait isn’t working as well any longer, so the right-wingers are escalating the provocations. Tucker Carlson, for example, gave a glow-up interview with manosphere “influencer” Andrew Tate, who is being held in Romania on charges of sex trafficking and rape. Daily Wire anti-trans provocateur Matt Walsh is selling plushies of himself clad only in a diaper, which he encourages people to give to children. Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro, on the other hand, made a nearly hour-long video tantrum about “Barbie,” complete with setting the dolls on fire. The clawing need to get attention from progressives seems to be driving these engagement farmers a little nuts, as they up the weird-and-evil ante, hoping to get those precious clicks and plays. […] “The escalation of shock value tactics, on both the right and the pretending-not-to-be-right political classes, are likely rooted in the same cause: The slow motion collapse of Twitter, now rebranded "X,” under the leadership of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. While these folks have various outlets, both in the media and social media, ultimately their business model of trolling depends heavily on Twitter. “Grifters need people to harass and a mainstream discourse to counter. As traffic takes a nosedive and Twitter becomes less a part of the conversation, it’s going to be harder for these folks to make money,” Melissa Ryan, a strategist who helps counter online disinformation, told Salon.”

—

“They need us. We don’t need them:” The fall of Twitter is making the trolls and grifters desperate

The clawing need to get attention from progressives seems to be driving these engagement farmers a little nuts, as they up the weird-and-evil ante, hoping to get those precious clicks and plays.

[…]

“What Musk has proven through his actions and his statements is that he’s committed to serving the trolls and the fraudsters first and the ordinary good faith users second,” explained Brian Hughes of American University, who is the co-founder of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL). But, he noted, Musk is “blinded by his own ideology” and can’t see how this is backfiring. “As normal people, for lack of a better term, continue to leave Twitter, that’s actually going to cause probably a reduction in the use of the platform by these trolls and these fraudsters. They don’t have their audience of targets that they need,” he continued.

(bolding mine)

HAHAHAHAHAHA die mad about it, trolls. Full offense.

[palephx]

If allowed to speak further, then the same idiots will invariably trip over the prior trope of "brown fecundity," an equally fatuous bit of erstwhile eugenics, which claimed that non-whites were out-reproducing them.

Well, then why on earth would you want to force anyone to have more babies, if you think it's a fucking plot to "erase whiteness?"

Whiteness never existed, no matter what the NRA, AFA, and KKK told you. Die mad about it.

[duncanswallow1]

How to write a best seller. A reprise

Given that Roy Moore, the GOPtard from Alabama, is trying to use the Bible as a defence in his case of molestation of a 14 year old, I felt this might be timely. ***** For some reason, sex and violence are always bracketed together as malign influences in literature. I’ve never seen sex as malign, as long as it’s consensual. As for violence, you only need to read the newspapers to discover things…

[palephx]

"The Court of Donald I," by Steve Brodner.

This is fucking brilliant, and expertly detailed. If the GOPtards want to revise our public school textbooks, I will have to insist that this image gets a chapter all to itself.

[duncanswallow1]

How to think that's not the way to do something

How to think that’s not the way to do something

Other people’s lives are a complete mystery to me. I readily admit this. You only need to look at TFF, the gibbering idiot in the White House, and the next six people in the line of succession, to appreciate that some people just don’t work right. Not to mention the people who voted in the GOPtards, and in that group I include Bernie supporters who refused to vote for Hillary. They beggared…

[palephx]

THAT'S NICE. NOW, MAKE THEM STOP.

Erin Reed at Erin In The Morning:

Over the past two years, over a dozen states—all under Republican governance—have enacted policies that forcibly disclose the gender identities of transgender youth to their families, ban LGBTQ+ literature in educational settings, and prohibit educators from discussing LGBTQ+ topics. Driven by a wave of right-wing, anti-trans sentiment, teachers have been labeled as "groomers" and terminated for even showing incidental support for LGBTQ+ people, such as showing classroom films with LGBTQ+ characters in them. At the same time, books with LGBTQ+ themes are facing scrutiny, and students are subjected to exhaustive investigations into their gender—often instigated by parents who question the legitimacy of a transgender student's athletic victory. Now, a new Navigator Research survey reveals significant public backlash against the GOP's stance on LGBTQ+ issues in schools. Navigator Research surveyed 1,000 registered voters between August 17-August 21 to ask about education policy in general. When asked about the top three issues voters care about, only 28% listed “being exposed to woke issues about gender and race in school” as one of their top three issues. Instead, topics such as safety from gun violence, education quality, and providing mental healthcare in school garnered widespread support.

See the survey results on education priorities here:

The survey delved into specific policies enacted in conservative states, revealing broad public disapproval. Policies involving book bans and mandatory genital inspections for youth athletes in order to confirm their sex were especially unpopular, with 92% and 84% opposition, respectively. Additional measures, such as the prohibition of Advanced Placement African-American History, suspensions for teachers who show support for LGBTQ+ students, and bans on classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity, also faced strong opposition—each garnering over 65% disapproval in the survey. Opposition was even widespread among parents, who opposed each of these policies. See the survey results on specific policies here:

These findings pose a significant challenge for conservatives who are doubling down on an anti-LGBTQ+ platform. When considered alongside other polls, such as a Fox News survey in which 86% of respondents identified attacks on transgender children as "a problem," the data suggest that Republicans are experiencing substantial backlash. This is particularly relevant given the considerable focus they have placed on targeting transgender individuals in schools and in personal lives. According to the Navigator survey, a mere 34% of voters indicated trust in the Republican Party on these issues. Democrats currently enjoy a 10-point advantage on matters related to race and gender in educational settings, buoyed by strong support from independent voters.

A recent poll from Navigation Research conducted between August 17th and 21st reveals that right-wing priorities such as book banning policies aimed at pro-racial justice and pro-LGBTQ+ material and attacks on LGBTQ+ expression, identity, and rights in schools is a major bust.