#The Bob Dole Test

[easymanwer]

Men's Mental Health Bechdel Test

(The Bob Dole Test / The Bob Test / The Dole Test)

1) Features at least 2 male characters.

2) Talk about things other than violence, aggression, or hypersexuality.

3) They openly discuss their emotions, highlighting male vulnerability.

Mens Mental Health Bechdel Test

(The Bob Dole Test / The Bob Test / The Dole Test)

1) Features at least 2 man characters.

2) Talk about things other than violence, aggression, or hypersexuality.

3) They openly discuss their emotions, highlighting man vulnerability.

Men Mental Health Bechdel Test

(The Bob Dole Test / The Bob Test / The Dole Test)

1) Features at least 2 male characters.

2) Talk about things other than violence, aggression, or hypersexuality.

3) They openly discuss their emotions, highlighting male vulnerability.

[ceruleanmusings]

sticky notes - carlos & mickey (2.2k words)

The first sticky note showed up in her notebook.

Actually, it was folded up and tucked beneath her green pen. (Green pens were for taking notes, red pens were for extra or corrected information, blue was for taking tests.) The clip bent out further than it should have, attached to the spiral rings and that's when Mickey saw the bright orange paper.

Mouth twisting, she wiggled it out and unfolded the fresh creases. Flipping it over, neat block letters stared back at her:

Have a good day! :)

Humming, she read the note again and folded it back up. She left it crumpled on the edge of her desk.

-----

She found the second note under her paper plate. Sunshine dripped onto the Palm Woods and the pool deck was packed with teenagers and kids swimming, tanning, listening to music, chatting, and hanging out. The temperature was perfect, the sky a breathtaking solid blue, and the air crackled with the excitement of what they were going to do next with an open slate.

She'd returned to the cabana after a quick break inside. Carlos and James called to her to join them in the pool for a game of chicken but she waved them off, saying she wanted to finish eating. Really, it was because Griffin's voice echoed in her mind that she needed to stay out of the sun. Some bullshit about not getting "too dark" that she tried to make herself forget he actually uttered.

She finished the rest of her drink, cleaned out her little bowl of Dole peaches, polished off her sandwich, contemplating finishing the few cookies leftover but decided if they were so concerned about her skin darkening a tad they'd be worried if one bite of sugar widened her waistline by .001 inches. And she didn't want to deal with that bullshit.

She tossed her cup and crumpled her plate and that's when she saw that note. It was neon yellow this time. The neat block handwriting was still the same:

I a-peach-iate you!

Her eyes went to the trashcan. Her crumpled, abandoned cup lay on top with the empty bowl nestled in its mouth. The little bit of peach juice left sloshed to one side.

Her mouth twitched in the corner.

That was a good pun.

------

How the third note ended up in her boot of all places, she couldn't understand. Nor how she didn't notice it until she got back to Kelly's apartment and wound down for the day.

The minute she moved past the threshold she hopped around, tugging off her shoes. Kelly preferred not to have anyone leave them on when entering.

Her bare foot smacked against the floor and she hurried out the way to not block the door her sisters and aunt scurried through. Jazz and Mel's shoes went flying, landing in a heap by the shoe bench. Sammi and Kelly always carried their heels, hooked by their fingers, to their rooms to be returned to their proper places. Mickey always made sure to unlace her boots first. She'd swap them out with the next pair she felt she wore those out.

Bright green paper fluttered to the floor, a stark beacon against the shiny hardwood.

"What the...?" she looked in her boot, as if she'd find another one there, and then looked at the paper on the floor. Folded up just like the others.

She wracked her brain, trying to remember when she last took off her shoes. There was playing hide and seek in the Palm Woods—which Katie won when she somehow stuffed herself in one of Buddha Bob's empty mop buckets—and then she laid down some bass tracks at in the studio—for some reason she preferred to play bass or add her vocals while barefoot—and she and her sisters kicked a soccer ball around Palm Woods Park.

She needed to pay better attention to her surroundings. But it was hard to live anywhere else but inside her head sometimes.

You're doing great! ;)

------

"What're you looking for?" Jazz's question was punctuated by the clatter of a plate and a glass in the basin sink. Resting her elbows on the counter, she grinned upwards at Mickey. "Your marbles? 'Cause you lost those a long time ago."

"Ha ha," Mickey said with a sarcastic laugh. She barely spared her sister a glance, frowning down at the bottom of her backpack where her fingers scrabbled over loose pens, gum wrappers, and a Christmas card she'd forgotten about. "I think those ended up somewhere with your tact."

Jazz stuck out her tongue, pushing Mickey's head with her index finger as she walked past. In retaliation, Mickey swiftly extended her leg and kicked Jazz in the butt as she passed. "Seriously, though, what's up?" She picked up an apple from the bowl and started popping it in the air from her elbow.

"Nothing. Just...y'know, trying to find my head." It was a funny joke their dad used to say. English wasn't his first language so his commentary could be lost in translation sometimes, but he loved one saying: "I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached to my neck." Though, somehow, over time it morphed into "I'm looking for my head" or other variations, meaning they were trying to get back on track after being knocked off kilter for various reasons. Much like another family favorite, "I was letting the heat out" when having forgotten to close a door (mostly the microwave), it made little sense to anyone else but it made her dad laugh.

"Yeah? 'Cause you've been different lately."

Mickey looked up after crumpled a discarded receipt to Fun Burger from three months ago. She and Logan had split a chocolate brownie pudding. "Overdosing on Vitamin D will do that to you."

"I meant...perkier? More relaxed, maybe." She squinted. "Your aura's different."

"My aura?" Mickey gave her a look. She knew Jazz was into the more spiritual side of things and believing in the powers of the universe but that was strange even for her.

"Okay, your vibe. You're...brighter."

Mickey snorted at that. Strange word choice but even she couldn't deny Jazz's observations. Usually when she woke up she'd g through the motions of getting ready for the day; eat, brush her teeth, wash her face, throw on her clothes. That morning he actually found herself springing out of bed. She even looked herself in the eye in the mirror. "Gets kinda boring walking around with a dark cloud, y'know?" She shrugged one shoulder.

Jazz nodded. "Gotta let that sunshine in sometimes."

"If you start singing 'Tomorrow' from Annie, I will kill you."

Jazz's teeth snapped into the crunchy skin of the apple and she wiggled her eyebrows as she walked off, heading back to her room.

Mickey went back to searching her backpack, filing past her notebooks and binder. Then she sighed and gave up her search.

There must not be a note today.

-------

More showed up over the next couple of weeks. A rainbow of positivity and faith. Before long she began to wonder where they would pop up next.

One was in the mug she always grabbed for Kelly when tasked to grab her some coffee, another woven in between the strings of her bass, another in her backpack, in the pocket of her apron, in the head of her lacrosse stick, in her favorite canvas produce bag, in her ferret's carrier bag, in her drawer of Kelly's desk. (Herself and her sisters each had a drawer to stash their favorite candy. It didn't start out that way but they eventually took over; Kelly tried to fight a losing battle as long as she could.)

Every time one was found a little spark zinged through her. She still didn't know who it was but they somehow always had the right thing to say.

Don't over think it!

You got this!

You're a badass!

Don't forget to breathe!

A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have and I'm so lucky to have you as my friend!

Trust your gut!

I believe in you!

It doesn't matter what others think, they aren't you!

That last one was her favorite.

------

Mickey's head bobbed along to the beat of Mel's drumming filtering through her in-ears. It melted in with Jazz and Sammi's guitar and synth, creating an easy groove for her to slip into. It was always fun to play "City is Ours", it was the perfect button to a long day of rehearsal.

She danced and jumped in place, letting the music move through her, catching the smiles on her sisters' faces filtering in through her swinging curtain of hair. 'Fun' wasn't a strong word but it encapsulated what she felt perfectly in that moment.

Playing with her sisters was fun. Playing for her friends was fun. This song was fun. She'd been taking it for granted, going through the motions, letting her fingers curl along the strings and form chords while her mind drifted somewhere else. But she kept her mind focused in this moment, in the levity of playing music for the love of it. Maybe she'd been the most hesitant to step into this world but now she couldn't imagine her life without it.

"Hey, Gustavo's letting us off early!" Kendall's excitement was palpable; he nearly crashed into Logan rushing back into Studio B. Gustavo barely let them cut rehearsal short. "Anyone up for some skating?"

He got a chorus of affirmative responses. Mickey quickly unplugged her cords, turned off the amps, and zipped her bass away. She was halfway through the halls of Rocque Records when she stopped and changed her mind, deciding to leave her bass in her locker rather than take it with her. She couldn't fully enjoy her time with her friends if half her mind was worrying someone would try to steal it from the parking lot.

She pinched the sleeve to Mel's shirt, letting her know she'd be right back. She hurried back through the halls, her bass bouncing against her back. It came to a stop the same time she did when she rounded the corner and saw Carlos in front of her locker, tapping his fingers against the slats at the top. When he saw her he froze, face twisted up in surprise. She was sure hers reflected the same.

They stared at one another for a few seconds. Somewhere down the hall the coffee machine gurgled and dripped coffee into

"So it's been you," she said.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I wanted to do something nice. You seemed kinda bummed after Griffin talked to you guys that one day. What he said wasn't cool and I wanted to cheer you up." He opened the locker and pulled out what he'd slipped in, holding it out to her.

A paper butterfly sat pinched between two fingers, perfectly folded in bright blue paper.

"I was going to tell you but...I don't know..."

She almost felt bad unfolding it, it was beautiful construction, all sharp edges and precise folds. But she need to know what it said. She smoothed it out with her thumbs, once, twice, three times, and read the note the exact same amount:

Mickey, you’ll move mountains! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!

"I had help with that one," Carlos said with a sheepish smile.

"I know." It was her favorite Dr. Seuss book. She still had a copy on her desk from when they first moved in with Kelly. Their parents gifted each of them one. She couldn't bare to move it. It was the first thing she saw when she woke up.

It was where she stashed all her previous notes.

Tucking the note into her palm, she placed her bass on the floor and pulled him in to a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered as they rocked from side to side. His eyes were misty when they pulled away, or were they hers? "Was this origami?"

"Yeah! I wanted the last one to be special."

It was. It really, really was. Because it was from Carlos, because he took time out of his life to cheer her up, because he thought of her. "Where'd you learn origami?"

"Oh, well, there was this exchange student back home in Minnesota. Her name was Aiko. She was in my homeroom and she didn't speak much English and she was alone a lot. No one really knew how to talk to her. I felt so bad for her so I wrote her a note telling her I was happy she was in our homeroom and part of our class. She was very happy so I made sure to sit next to her in homeroom every morning. She showed me how to make those little origami stars and then she taught me some other stuff too. I thought you'd like the butterfly."

"I do." It was perfect. She opened her locker and carefully put her bass in. Then she grabbed a spare magnet and put up the note among the smattering of pictures of her and her friends goofing off and making faces at the camera, of her, Kelly, and Gustavo in his office that Mel caught as they tried to dig through his taxes, of her ferret, and one of James' old headshots (he thought it was "Hot Mechanic", it was actually "Confused Astronaut".)

She'd ask him about how he managed to hide them all later. Her focus was on the present and experiencing all of it without the worry of tomorrow.

Looping her arm through his, with winsome smiles, they headed back to join their friends.

-----

@witchofinterest @raging-violets @partiallypearl @myloveforhergoeson

[antoine-roquentin]

best result for the gop among asian people since 2008, latinx people since 2004, and black people since reagan got 14%, tying bob dole’s 12% in 1996. weirdly, people are reading blame into these charts when it’s clear that some sober-minded analysis should be done as to why the supposedly more racist candidate doubled his vote among black women. when you remember that biden wrote the 1994 crime bill and that racists like richard spencer, curtis yarvin, rahm emanuel, madeleine albright, bill kristol, max boot, jeffrey goldberg, bret stephens, george will, rick wilson, eliot cohen, stanley mcchrystal, william mcraven, miles taylor, tony blair, rick snyder, david cameron, moe davis, joe lieberman, and others felt comfortable enough to endorse and vote for him, people responsible for untold numbers of deaths, then it starts to make a bit more sense.

this all brings to mind a new york times article from september:

The results are sobering. We began by asking eligible voters how “convincing” they found a dog-whistle message lifted from Republican talking points. Among other elements, the message condemned “illegal immigration from places overrun with drugs and criminal gangs” and called for “fully funding the police, so our communities are not threatened by people who refuse to follow our laws.”

Almost three out of five white respondents judged the message convincing. More surprising, exactly the same percentage of African-Americans agreed, as did an even higher percentage of Latinos.

These numbers do not translate directly into support for the Republican Party; too many other factors are at play. Nevertheless, the results tell us something important: a majority across the groups we surveyed did not repudiate Trump-style rhetoric as obviously racist and divisive, but instead agreed with it.

Hispanics, of course, are no more monolithic than any other group, and internal differences influenced how individuals reacted. The single biggest factor was how respondents thought about Hispanic racial identity. More than whether the individual was Mexican-American or from Cuba, young or old, male or female, from Texas, Florida or California, how the person perceived the racial identity of Latinos as a group shaped his or her receptivity to a message stoking racial division.

Progressives commonly categorize Latinos as people of color, no doubt partly because progressive Latinos see the group that way and encourage others to do so as well. Certainly, we both once took that perspective for granted. Yet in our survey, only one in four Hispanics saw the group as people of color.

In contrast, the majority rejected this designation. They preferred to see Hispanics as a group integrating into the American mainstream, one not overly bound by racial constraints but instead able to get ahead through hard work.

The minority of Latinos who saw the group as people of color were more liberal in their views regarding government and the economy, and strongly preferred Democratic messages to the dog-whistle message. For the majority of Latinos, however, the standard Democratic frames tied or lost to the racial fear message. In other words, Mr. Trump’s competitiveness among Latinos is real.

But our research also suggests good news. There’s a winning message Mr. Biden and his party can deliver that resonates with most Hispanics no matter how they conceptualize the group’s racial identity.

The key is to link racism and class conflict. The pivot we recommend was also the most convincing message we tested among whites and African-Americans.

Democrats should call for Americans to unite against the strategic racism of powerful elites who stoke division and then run the country for their own benefit. This is not to deny the reality of pervasive societal racism. But it does direct attention away from whites in general and toward the powerful elites who benefit from divide-and-conquer politics.

This is the race-class approach that one of us helped pioneer. It fuses issues of racial division and class inequality, and by doing so shifts the basic “us versus them” story — the staple of most political messaging — away from “whites versus people of color” to “us all against the powerful elites pushing division.”

Here’s what this looks like:

We had come so far, but now Covid-19 threatens our families — for instance with health risks, record unemployment and losing the businesses we worked hard to build. To overcome these challenges, we need to pull together no matter our race or ethnicity. But instead of uniting us, certain politicians make divisions worse, insulting and blaming different groups. When they divide us, they can more easily rig our government and the economy for their wealthy campaign donors. When we come together by rejecting racism against anyone, we can elect new leaders who support proven solutions that help all working families.

This message was more convincing than the dog-whistle message among Hispanics no matter how they saw the group’s racial identity. It also beat the dog-whistle message among African-Americans and whites.

To understand why this works, it helps to compare it to the standard Democratic responses to Mr. Trump’s messages stoking racial fear.

One standard reaction is to directly challenge Mr. Trump as a bigot while also condemning structural racism. We tested a message like this. It said, in part,

Certain politicians promote xenophobia, racism and division. And it’s not just their words. It’s their policies, too. We see it in how they rip families apart at the border. And in how the police profile, imprison and kill Black people.

Compared with the dog-whistle fear message, this “call out racism” message lost among whites, perhaps unsurprisingly. It also lost among those Latinos who did not perceive themselves as people of color.

Denouncing racism against Latinos seems like an obvious strategy to those of us who see ourselves as people of color and are outraged by Mr. Trump’s denigrating language and his administration’s violence toward Latin-American immigrants. Yet this approach ignores the fact that our racial self-conception is not shared by a majority of Hispanics, who seem to balk at understanding themselves as people of color under racist attack.

The other standard Democratic response to dog whistling is to sidestep racial issues as much as possible. Let’s call this the “colorblind” approach, which we also tested. Our version partly said,

We live in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, but Covid-19 illnesses and deaths are worse here than almost anywhere else. We must elect new leaders who have a plan and are ready to build this country back, better.

This approach seeks to build a coalition by emphasizing shared concerns, for instance around health care or the economy, while avoiding divisive conversations about racism. But it is dog-whistle racism that cleaved the white working and middle classes from the Democratic Party in the first place, and failing to counter that strategy directly leaves its potency intact. In our research, the colorblind message basically tied the racial fear message among whites as well as the majority of Hispanics.

In contrast, Democrats can build common cause across economic classes and racial groups with a race-class approach.

We tested seven race-class messages woven around different issues, including immigration reform and criminal justice. Among whites — often seen as more likely to be comfortable with messages that avoid challenging racism — all seven race-class messages beat the colorblind narrative. Indeed, five beat or tied the dog-whistle message, something the colorblind message failed to accomplish.

Framing racism as a class weapon also proved effective at nurturing support for racial justice reforms. The race-class approach urges people to view the real threat in their lives as emanating from powerful elites stoking division, not from supposedly dangerous minorities.

[mdawritings]

Wanna Be Yours: Ch. 6

I.VI

Masterlist

Warning: rough sexual content, slapping, spanking, and all-around roughhousing.

Song(s): "Don’t Blame Me" by Taylor Swift

You throw your legs languidly over the chair in the corner of Hotch’s office. "I’ve already studied the material you gave me extensively." You rest your head against the arm of the chair, your eyes fluttering closed.

"If you don’t want the help we can stop these little sessions. That’s fine to settle for mediocrity. Truly, that’s your own mistake," Hotch huffs disapprovingly and you hear him stand up from his chair.

"I’m sorry. I’m just tired," You groan softly and force your eyes open, to see him leaning on the desk arms crossed against his chest as he looks over you. A small smile fights its way onto your face. He looks absolutely amazing today. He’s much more casual than usual. He has a green polo on and the top two unbuttons are undone just enough to let a little chest hair peek out. It’s got you all kinds of unfocused.

"There’s an exam in three days. You need to be prepared," Aaron raises a brow at you, waiting for you to sit up properly and pay attention.

"Isn’t it kind of unfair for you to help me study for an exam you’re writing?" You laugh a little under your breath, swinging your legs around to sit in the chair normally. You lean forward, resting your chin in the palm of your hand.

"I’m not giving you the exact exam questions. Just testing you on the material. Plus, I’ll throw in some questions about the extra stuff we’ve been discussing," Aaron nods and reaches across his desk for a notebook.

You let out another sigh and reach for your own notes. "God this is so boring." You pout.

Aaron raises a brow at your childish attitude and rolls his eyes, "You have something you’d rather do?"

"I have quite a few ideas." You grin and raise your eyebrows twice in jest. Aaron shakes his head at you, narrowing his eyes, "Fine. Fine!" You sigh frustratedly. You’re shocked he’s forcing you to study. Something about it is endearing, knowing that he does still care about your success in the class, not just purely driven by his sexual attraction to you. He holds out another sheet of information and you quickly scan the page, reading it at a pretty fast pace. "Yeah I already know all of this."

"You sure?" He countered, shoving his hands into his pockets, his thumbs hooked on the edges.

"Yes, Aaron, I’m sure," You hold the paper out to hand it back to him.

"How well do you know all of it? Is it practically ingrained in your brain? Can you recall it at a moment's notice? This is a timed exam after all." Hotch rattles off the interrogatory questions and you practically scoff at him.

"You have such little faith in my study habits it’s genuinely concerning. I’ve already made an extensive study guide, studied said study guide, and could take the exam today if I had to." You point out before leaning back in the chair again.

"How about we test your knowledge then?" He raises a brow crossing the room to stand directly in front of you. You crane your head back to be able to look at him. The way you’re positioned, you sitting, him standing, he towers over you, inevitably making his dominance over you more oppressive and obvious.

You scrunch your face up, feeling confused by his actions. "Stand up," He commands and gestures with his hand for you to move out of your chair. You stand up hesitantly but don’t move from your spot, unsure where he’s going with this. He sighs frustratedly and practically lifts you on your feet, moving you out of his way before sitting down in your spot.

You place your hands on your hips, frustrated with him, "Hotch, if you just wanted my seat you could’ve—" Before you can finish your sentence, however, Hotch grips you tightly, yanking you down, laying you across his lap. You let out a small screech in response, fearful you’re going to fall onto your face, but Hotch is quickly to catch you and hold you steady. "What are you—"

"Shut up," He groans out. He reaches forward, practically ripping off your blouse before rolling your skirt up to bunch at your hips. "I’m tired of the attitude today. You’re going to keep that wicked little mouth of yours shut until I tell you to open it, do I make myself clear?" Hotch’s large rough hand trails up your bare legs, before cupping one of your ass cheeks, rubbing and groping it.

You pause, unsure if you should verbally respond so you give a small nod. Hotch draws his hand back, smacking your ass, sending sharp stings of pain throughout your body. You yelp but sink your teeth into your lip, attempting to mute your sounds.

"I asked you a question," He growls out, rubbing over the spot he just smacked, both his hand and your skin warm from the contact. "Do I make myself clear?" He asks once more, placing heavy emphasis on each word and drawing out each syllable.

"Yes," You breathe out, attempting to catch your breath.

"Good girl," He uses his other hand to gather both your wrists, pinning them behind your back. "Corpus Delicti. Define it."

You furrow your brows, "What?"

Smack, smack. He doles out two insanely hard spanks to your ass and you cry out in response. "I asked you a question. Give me the answer," He growls, releasing your wrists so he can fist your hair in hand, "Define corpus delicti."

Your head is fuzzy from the pain and arousal as you squirm around, feeling his firm body below yours. "Corpus delicti," You pant slightly and struggle to find your words, "Also called body of a crime. It’s the principle that there must be facts or evidence that show the occurrence of a crime."

"Good," His hand runs lazily over both cheeks of your ass, his hand slightly cooler than your burning hot skin. He hooks his finger into your panties and pulls them down your legs. "The two components of corpus delicti?"

Just as you open your mouth to give an answer, Hotch thrusts two fingers into you at an achingly slow pace. His fingers are thick and fill you wholly and he curls them just right. "Oh fuck," You moan out, unable to contain your arousal.

He pauses for a moment and stills. "Don’t stop!" You whine impatiently. Just as the words leave your lips, you remember the question he asked you. "Wait, wait!" You cry out but Hotch brings his hand down harder than ever on your ass three times in rapid succession.

"Evidence that a crime has been committed and someone is criminally responsible for the act," You cry out, missing the feeling of his fingers inside of you, "That fucking hurts," You whine in pain, your head feeling fuzzy. You can barely think straight. Your bottom is on fire, your eyes sting with tears and you’re just aching for his touch again.

"You know what to say if you want me to stop," He tuts disapprovingly and the safe words you two have discussed race through your brain. You’re not going to say one. You’re in a whole world of pain but you’re most definitely enjoying, "Now if I recall, you’re not supposed to speak," He clamps a hand over your mouth, leaning his face in close to your ear, "Now be quiet. Otherwise, someone might hear you making all this unnecessary noise."

He’s taunting you. He raises his hand, spanking your ass, again, and again, and again. You’re not quite sure what spurred this on, but you’re assuming it has to do with the way you cursed at him. He finally lets up after another five spanks, your moans and cries muffled by his hand. At this point, your legs feel weak and you struggle to hold your head up. Tears stream down your cheeks freely.

"The principles of criminality?" Hotch runs his hand up your bare back, reaching for your bra clasp and undoing it to slide your bra off.

Your breathing is wildly erratic and just about everything you’ve ever learned seems to have disappeared from your memory. But out of fear of more smacks to your stinging cheeks, you rush to get the answer out, "Legality, actus reus, mens rea, fusion of actus reus and mens rea, harm, causation, and stipulation of punishment." You rattle off, letting out a small sigh of relief.

You feel his hand leave your skin and you squeeze your eyes tightly shut already anticipating the slap before you get it. He gives you two more electrifying spanks, "Ow!" You cry out, "What the fuck was that for?" You burrow your face into the arm of the chair and feel him chuckle softly beneath you. He keeps you pinned to his lap, pressing his erection hard into your stomach.

Hotch doesn’t reply simply pushing you up off his lap and back onto your knees. You sit back on your heels, squeezed in the small space between him and the arm of the chair. His hands go to his belt, undoing it and unzipping his slacks just enough to push his boxers down and free himself from his pants. He’s already hard, obviously aroused from the punishments he had been doling out to you. "Let’s put that mouth of yours to good use."

You bend down, taking almost all of him into your mouth. You wrap one hand around the base, pumping and stroking the remaining length that doesn’t fit in your mouth. You bring the other hand to cup and fondle his balls, eliciting a long, loud groan that rumbles deep in his throat. "That’s my good girl." He gathers up your hair in his hands, holding it out of your face.

You bob your head faster, picking up the pace as you run your tongue along the entirety of his cock. You pull all the way out to the tip before taking all of him back into your mouth again. His cock hits the back of your throat, causing you to choke out a gag, tears stinging your eyes again. You breathe through your nose as he tightens his grip on your hair. "Just like that… don’t stop. Take all of me, pretty girl."

Just as you feel him twitch in your mouth, beginning to buck his hips quite wildly, he pulls your head away.

"Why’d you stop I—" Hotch silences you with a passionate kiss, wrapping one hand around your neck to pull you closer, but not really tightening his grip in a way to cut off airflow. You moan into his mouth loudly and he guides you onto his lap.

You place your knees on either side of his hips, grinding against him. Your mouth focuses on meeting his, taking in every one of his moans. "Please, daddy," You whine, "I need you now." The name spurs him on and he lifts your hips just enough to push into you.

It’s a familiar feeling, but even now it still elicits a small gasp from your lips as you throw your head back in pleasure. This exposes the entire base of your neck to him, which he soon litters with small nips and kisses as he resists the urge to move you or thrust into you.

You squirm a little but he keeps your hips glued in place, "Please. Please I need more," You beg pathetically. You bring your eye line back down to look at him and he has that hungry, lustful glint in his eye that you love so much.

"What do you want me to do, pretty girl?" He mumbles against the skin of your neck and the vibrations of his deep voice send chills down your entire body. Your ass is on fire and every nerve ending feels electrified with his cock buried deep inside you like this.

"Please," Your begging intensifies and Hotch trails a hand between the two of you, rubbing your clit, increasing the pressure steadily, "Please, daddy, fuck me!" You need some form of friction, anything at all. He’s torturing you and you’re fucking sick of it. You’re hot and sweaty and horny and you need to finish.

"When are you going to learn?" He tsks softly and reaches up with his other hand to massage your breast, taking your nipple between his fingers. "You need to use your words." You whine impatiently.

"Please. I’m begging you," you tilt your head down and lean forward to kiss him quickly, nipping at his lips and aching to taste him. You let out a small cry in pleasure when he finally lifts your hips, just to slam you down onto him. He’s taking a rough pace with you. He’s wild and uncontrollable but you don’t even notice because your body feels so overstimulated. Between the pain in your bottom and the overwhelming pleasure, your head feels as if it's in a haze.

You’re on top of him, but he makes it evidently clear that he still has control, even in this position. His hands grip your hips with bruising strength and he thrusts his own hips up to meet yours with every bounce. He hits deep inside you and you cry out in pleasure, holding onto his shoulders tightly for balance.

Your skirt slides down from your hips a little, almost hiding the image of him thrusting up into you. You don’t last long, feeling the familiar pressure building between your hips, "Can I come? I want to come around you!" You cry out, "Fuck please daddy!" You struggle to get coherent words out, devolving into a series of incoherent curses and moans as Hotch continues to slam you down onto his cock.

"Go ahead," He mutters softly and leans in to kiss your cheek and down under your jaw, "You’ve been a good girl you deserve it," He speaks close to your ear and the feeling of his hot breath fanning across your face sends a small shiver through you as your eyes roll back into your head. You come hard around his cock, chanting his name and letting out loud, strangled cries of pleasure.

You can barely hold yourself up and you burrow your head into his neck as Hotch continues to fuck you through your orgasm, his pace unrelenting. You feel your legs trembling as Hotch’s pace grows erratic, his panting turning into guttural deep groans. "That’s it, daddy," You purr, nipping at his earlobe.

"Fuck!" Hotch cries out and thrusts into a few times before coming to a shuddering halt and throwing his head back onto the chair, breathing heavily.

You both stay there for a while, attempting to catch your breath and to get the strength to stand up. Hotch soon lifts you up, placing you back on your feet. He stands up soon after, tucking himself back into his pants and reaching for his belt. He walks back around to his desk. You both exist in silence, moving about the room, cleaning yourselves up. You bend down for your bra and blouse that Hotch so carelessly discarded.

"Come over to my place tonight." Hotch’s voice cuts through the silence as you are getting dressed. Your head shoots up to look at him and he can read the confusion that coats your face. He glances away from your line of sight and back at his desk. He busies his hands with some papers on the desk.

You pull your blouse on, attempting to button it before realizing a few buttons are missing. "Isn’t that a little… different for us?" You attempt to decode Hotch’s mannerisms but he keeps his focus down on the materials on the desk.

"I’m tired of hiding out in this stuffy office," He shakes his head, "Plus there’s only so many surfaces I can put you on here." He glances up at you, that mischievous smirk plastered across his face. "My apartment has a working AC system, food, drinks, and most importantly, a very large, very comfortable bed."

You hesitate, not sure how to respond. You want to go over to his place. It sounds nice but you have a sinking feeling you’re growing just a little too attached to your law professor.

"Well, I won’t be over until late tonight." You respond as Hotch picks up your bag from the floor, holding it out for you. You reach to pull it onto your shoulder. You glance up to see Hotch’s quizzical look, "I promised Charlie I would help him study. For your exam actually." You laugh softly and see Hotch’s face fall into a frown.

"Charlie Miller?" He clarifies and you nod.

"Yeah," You breathe out, attempting to right your clothing and smooth out your hair, "Something wrong?"

"He’s… just not someone I would picture you wasting your time with," Hotch crosses his arms against his chest, eyes focused down at you. You want to quickly dismiss his judgment, attributing it to Charlie’s lack of work ethic but you sense something else in his tone. Is that… jealousy?

You smirk widely, "Oh really? Are you sure that’s what’s bothering you?"

"What are you insinuating?" He tilts his head to the side, raising his brows, his voice flat and unimpressed.

"Oh I’m not insinuating anything, professor," You drawl out the title and grin at him cheekily.

He grips the front of your blouse, pulling you close to him, "Watch the attitude. Unless you want me to show you what real punishment is like tonight." He reaches down to grab and grope at your ass, eliciting a small hiss in pain.

You stay like that for a minute, your chest pressed against his, his hands roaming your body once more. He lets out a strained breath before letting you go, "Call me if you’re going to come over."

You nod, "Bye Aaron," You smile before turning to close his office door.

———

"I’m serious, Charlie, we have to focus," You laugh as he places a beer in front of you on your kitchen table.

"One beer is not going to kill your focus, kid genius," He rolls his eyes cracking open each of the bottles, "Besides, I’m the one who needs help with studying."

You grin and pull the beer out of his hands, "Fine. Then you get this back when we’re done."

"What? Are you punishing me?" He places a hand over his chest feigning shock and hurt.

You roll your eyes, reaching over to nudge his shoulder playfully, "Let’s just get started" You notice that Charlie has scooted his chair a little closer to yours, his thigh pressing firmly against yours. He brings his hands down to rest on his lap, his fingers brushing gently against your leg. The small contact doesn’t make you uncomfortable. It just doesn’t send sparks through your entire body the way Hotch’s hands do. You clear your throat, feeling your face flush. Your bottom is still wildly uncomfortable sitting here on the hard wooden chairs in your apartment.

"Outline the principles of criminality." You turn on a small smile. As Charlie starts to rattle off his answers, your mind wanders back to your study session with Hotch from earlier. Your ass is still stinging wildly. Your mind is still sort of foggy and you’re fucking exhausted. The aching between your thighs hasn’t ceased and you’re sure it won’t be going away any time soon if you decide to go over to Hotch’s tonight.

"Was that correct?" Charlie’s question startles you out of your thoughts. "Hey… y/n, you okay?" He places a hand on your shoulder.

You glance back at Charlie, realizing you’ve entirely missed what he said, "Uh yeah… let’s just move on. "Ex post facto?"

"After the deed or after the fact." He recites before giving a large grin, "So how am I doing, Einstein? Living up to your expectations?"

"You just might exceed them, Miller," You taunt but you can’t seem to get into the natural teasing rhythm with him. You can’t stop thinking about Hotch. You force your eyes back to Charlie, who seems to return the same level of unwavering eye contact.

Yes, it’s amazing when you’re with him. You’re never unsatisfied. The passion between you and your professor is unmatched. You can’t keep your hands off of him. But when you leave you can’t help but let your mind wander. Every interaction feels so static. Like your relationship is simply an exchange of services and it leaves you feeling used. Like you’re unimportant and worthless. Yet at the same time, he manages to make you feel seen. Hotch simultaneously sees the greatness in you, he acknowledges the potential and the intelligence you hold, while also treating you like every other man in power treats women. He sees you the way you want to be seen while reducing you to just your looks. You wonder if Hotch grows bored of you… what is to become of this arrangement? Do you lose the respect of your professor as soon as he no longer wants to sleep with you?

That’s when your mind stumbles over a thought you had never considered until right now: Are you the only one? He seems so comfortable with the dynamics of a student/professor affair. Are there other students he’s showering with praise before burrowing his head between their thighs?

"Y/n? Are you okay? You seem so distracted and lost today." Charlie’s voice is soft and warm.

"Yeah," You have to break his eye contact, unable to look at his features any longer, glancing down at your hands. His whole presence is the exact opposite of Hotch. Hotch is rough and blunt. His eyes are warm, the most beautiful light brown tone, contrasting with his jet black hair and warm skin tone. Hotch’s touch is rough, needy. His voice is gruff, abrasive. Charlie’s voice is smooth and velvety. Every touch from him is gentle, inviting. His skin is pale and his eyes are a bright blue. Hotch is a man and Charlie is… well Charlie is practically a boy. Still older than you, but immaturity and inexperience run rampant through him.

His hand reaches under your chin, tilting your face up to look at him. He doesn’t speak, his eyes just searching yours. And suddenly you’re kissing him.

His hands are warm on your cheeks. He pulls you close, your hands resting on his bare chest, easily accessible because the top buttons of his shirt are open. His mouth is soft and warm against yours. One hand comes to the back of your neck, the other trailing down to your back. He pushes your back, your body arching against him.

Soft slow kisses turn into more rapid, needy ones. Your hands explore his body and you notice just how different he is from Hotch. His skin is smooth and heavily muscled. He pulls you closer, attempting to remove any distance that remains between your bodies. You don’t have time to think, he just lets your hands explore his torso. His hands move steadily down, resting on your bare thighs before sliding just under the hem of your skirt.

Your fingers work at the buttons on his shirt and his large hands rest on your hips under your skirt. In a second, he pulls you as close as possible, settling you onto his lap. You let out a soft moan in response. And Charlie lets out a low chuckle that vibrates through your entire body. That’s enough for you to pause and think for a second.

What are you doing? What the actual fuck are you doing?

You freeze, stopping the kiss to pull away. You look over Charlie’s flushed features, his eyes alight with lust and his lips plump and swollen from your kiss.

"I’m sorry. I can’t," You start to speak and get off of his lap, taking a few steps away. You’re struggling to catch your breath and you haphazardly grab your belongings.

Charlie grabs your hand lightly, "Wait, wait where are you going?"

"I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that," You shake your hand, yanking your hand from his grip. "I shouldn’t have…"

"Did I do something wrong?" Charlie scrunches up his brows confused.

"No! No," You reassure him, maybe just a little too forcefully, "I just… I really have to go." And with that you’re practically running out the door, running out of your own apartment just to clear your mind and get some air.

As soon as you step outside, your first thoughts are of Hotch. You’re not dating him, nothing is solid, there’s no exclusivity. He could be sleeping with a million other students for all you know, but for some reason, you feel dirty. You feel guilty. You can’t possibly comprehend why you feel like this. There are hardly any real moments of connection between you and Hotch. You enjoy each other’s company but it’s not as if you would ever spend time together without having sex. That would make what you and Hotch have too real. And it’s not. It’s just sex, no promises, no commitments. Just pure, animalistic acts of passion.

You think about Charlie. You’ve led him on. You let out a frustrated groan, walking down the block from your apartment. The weather is getting colder every day and you shiver slightly. As your feet scrape against the pavement you think about the other night when Hotch walked you home and you feel the guilt growing inside of you. Maybe there is some connection between the two of you. Or maybe that’s entirely one-sided.

Either way, whatever just happened with Charlie was incredibly wrong and should never have happened no matter how good it felt or how nice and kind he is to you. You have this thing with Hotch. Whatever the thing is, all you know is that you can’t think of anyone other than Hotch, even as Charlie’s hands gripped and massaged your skin. Your heart is pounding and your breathing is tremulous. It's getting so cold that you can see your breath hang in the air.

You dig into your bag for your phone. You flip it open and dial the number. "Aaron? I’m on my way over now."

Chapter 7: I.VII →

[kikis-writing-world]

Weapons Training

Summary: Agent Whiskey has another encounter with the woman who took his watch.

Pairing: Agent Whiskey x Female OC (Future Agent Brandy)

Word Count: ~2000

Rating/Warnings: PG, but overall SFW - Whiskey has some dirty thoughts.

Author’s Note: Another installment of Agent Brandy - reuploaded because tumblr mobile thought an edit meant “oh, okay, I’ll delete this whole post!” Punk ass bitch... Anyway, as mentioned before, not all the drabbles in this universe will be strictly chronological.

First part here!

The memo went out a week or so after Whiskey’s encounter with (the pickpocket) the hopeful agent: The recruitment session was over and two new agents would soon be joining their ranks. The next several days for the recruits would be spent honing their expertise to find out where they were best suited. Whiskey knew the board was hoping for at least one new field agent, but there were also the behind the scenes crews, like R&D or Medical, that were eager for recruits as well. Whiskey didn’t even know the girl’s name to find out if she’d passed recruitment, let alone find out where she’d land. What was he supposed to say? “The girl who swiped my watch from under my nose? Yeah, keep her away from me.” He’d never do that for two major reasons:

1. He’d have to admit that she’d fooled him, and 2. He absolutely wanted to see her again - just maybe at a safe distance this time.

His wish was granted a few days later as he saw her. She was dressed like an agent this time - That answered his question on whether she’d passed recruitment or not. Her hair braided over her right shoulder, white button up shirt under a dark grey vest and matching dress pants. He caught sight of the way the pants hugged her ass and thighs before losing her around the corner.

Before he even realized it where his feet were taking him, he was following her around the corner and into the weapons testing department. Had he noticed, he might have come up with a plan of what he was going to say or do once they were face to face. Instead, he just stared at her as she turned to see who had joined her in the room.

“Agent Whiskey.” She greeted cordially, nothing like the bashful, flirty woman she’d been at the elevator. Where before she seemed nearly starstruck, now she couldn’t care less that he was near.

“Sunshine,” he greeted in turn. While the sight of the woman didn’t brighten his day nearly as much as she had the first time they met, he knew the nickname would serve as a reminder. It let her know that he hadn’t forgotten that first encounter. The nickname made her grin wickedly. “I s’pose a congratulations is in order.”

She nodded appreciatively, “and I thank you for your help in that matter.”

Whiskey tried to hold in his outburst, feeling his face tinting red at the strain. His infamous temper won out however as he strode towards her, pointing in her face. “You stole my watch!”

“Borrowed.” She seemed unfazed at Whiskey’s annoyance, turning away from the Agent to peruse the weapons along the walls of the armory. “I had every intention of giving it back once I was done with it.” She glanced at him, looking for the shine of the watch under his sleeve. “And I do see it’s been returned to its place.”

He glared at her as she returned to looking at the weapons, her fingers skimming over a shotgun before passing it over. “You think you’re mighty clever don’t you, darlin’?”

“Only compared to some.” She shrugged, taking a knife off the wall to examine.

“I hope you’re not meaning me,” his voice held a sharp tone of warning as his footsteps mirrored hers, not letting her get too far away from him.

“If the watch fits.” She teased, sparing him a glance over her shoulder with a dazzling grin. He felt his ire flare up again, but he didn’t want to show her that she was still getting under his skin.

“How about a little friendly competition then?” He suggested, looking pointedly at one of the doors that led out of the armory. Behind it held one of the training rooms: built to survive just about any thrashing an Agent could dole out with any Statesman issued weapon, and with enough technology to create practice simulations and measure intricate readings.

“What do you suggest, Agent Whiskey?” She asked, turning to face him. He definitely held her interest now.

Whiskey grinned triumphantly, crossing the room to pull a whip down from it’s display. It wasn’t his personal whip, the one he knew like an extension of his own arm, but it was similar enough. “A little target practice. Weapon of choice, of course.”

She watched as he clipped the whip to his belt before she looked over the room. If he was honest, her wide eyes made her look like a kid in a candy store. He wondered if she’d choose something she was familiar with, trying her best to beat him, or pick something exciting that she couldn’t help but want to get her hands on. New agents could be so fickle.

She picked up a revolver and tested its weight in her hands. She slipped the holster around her waist with practiced ease. He had to admit, it was a good choice. A weapon he’d used many times before.

“Let’s do this.” She goaded, passing him to saunter confidently into the room. Whiskey chuckled at her smugness, following her in and pressing a few buttons on the screen to set the scenario.

Twelve holographic targets popped up throughout the room, split symmetrically down the middle with six on each side.

“Weapons holstered. Computer will count us down on my mark. Fastest to get all targets wins.” He explained calmly.

“On your mark, then.” She nodded, turning to focus on the field ahead of her.

Whiskey watched her for a moment, taking in her profile. Her muscles were tense, poised and ready to strike. She rolled her neck and wiggled her fingers to loosen up as her eyes darted between targets.

He turned to his own field and signaled for the computer to count down. A robotic voice echoed through the room.

3… 2… 1…

The loud buzzing was drowned out quickly. Gunshots rang as the whip cracked. A few seconds and it was all over.

The back wall illuminated with the times for each side of the room, Whiskey’s time blinking to indicate a winner - by only a few tenths of a second. He grinned triumphantly as she huffed.

“How the fuck do you out-whip a damned revolver?” She cursed, making him chuckle.

“Well, if you ask nicely, maybe I’ll show you.” He couldn’t stop his voice from slipping into that flirtatious drawl from the first day they met, adrenaline still coursing through him from the rapid attack.

“Really? Even after I took your watch?” She questioned cautiously.

“I thought you only borrowed it.” He joked. “C’mere.” He nodded for her to stand with him. She holstered the gun that had just finished smoking, and crossed the room. He grabbed her upper arms, turning her so that her back was to her front. She stumbled slightly with the suddenness of the movement, falling backwards into his chest.

“Right-handed?” He asked, breath tickling her neck. He already knew the answer from watching her shoot. She nodded in affirmative and he gave her the whip to hold in her right hand, covering it in his own. He took her left wrist in his other hand to hold her in place, kicking her feet gently to move them into the proper position. “Good. Now swing it over your head a bit, get a feel for it.” He told her, swinging their connected hands. She tilted her head upwards as she watched the whip. “Get used to the feel of it, the ridges of the handle, the weight of the thong.”

“The what?!” She tried to step away from him, but his left arm circled her waist quickly, keeping her in place and holding her tightly against him.

“That’s what it’s called, Sunshine. Don’t shoot the messenger.” He chuckled, ignoring how soft she felt against him. He watched as she swallowed hard, her throat bobbing with the effort. Once he was sure she wasn’t going to run again, he returned his left hand to hers.

“That’s it.” He mumbled as he sensed her relax again. “You ready?”

She didn’t have time to answer before he snapped his wrist, the motion so familiar to him that he was sure he could do it in his sleep. Her hand dragged along with his, moving the whip as it sliced through the air. The telltale crack echoed through the room, making her jump.

“Holy shit!” She cursed loudly, jumping away from him. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the now immobile whip hanging from her hand. “That’s intense!”

He laughed at her reaction, the spark in her eye. “It’s an underestimated weapon,” he agreed, holding out his hand. “But you can feel how much power it has.”

She nodded in agreement as she handed the whip back. “That was amazing. Thank you.” She smiled gratefully at him, and it almost made him feel bad for the anger he’d held for her, for wanting some kind of revenge.

“What else you trainin’ with? Other than a six shooter?” He asked as he hung his own weapon back onto his belt.

“Other guns, I tried out some blades but they’re not really my style.” She shrugged. “I’m good with explosives, but sometimes you need finesse.”

“What about your watch?” His question made her glance at the watch on her wrist. It was very similar to Whiskey’s own watch, but they had styled it to look more feminine. His watch would have looked bulky on her tiny wrist, but this one fit well. “You go around borrowing things, you oughta know how to use ‘em.” He teased.

“I’m getting used to it.”

“Show me?” He moved to the touch screen to set up a new training scenario. Holograms filled the room, silhouettes of 3 people walking around. Two were blue, while one was outlined in red. They walked in random patterns so that she would have to watch, wait, and make sure her shot was clear. “Paralyze the red target.”

“I can do that.” She hummed to herself, getting into position and holding up her watch. She clicked the outer frame of the watch to the proper setting - level of force: paralysis. He watched her eyes darting between the figures, waiting for her opportunity. He tried to keep himself still, silent, not wanting to throw her off.

She tapped the button watch, eyes on the red hologram. The room made no noise - nothing to indicate she’d hit the target or accidentally got a bystander instead. Her eyebrows furrowed.

“What ha-” She started to ask before she blinked several times. Whiskey grinned as she looked down, seeing the paralytic dart sticking out of her own right shoulder. She slumped to the floor, no doubt already feeling the chemical take over her arms and legs. “What?”

“Ah, rookie mistake.” He cooed innocently, kneeling down next to her. “Bet you accidentally switched your watch. Probably thinks you’re left-handed.” He picked up her wrist to show her the watch, her arm limp in his grip. “If it thinks you’re wearing it on your right hand, any weapons adjust accordingly.” He pointed out the tiny, pin-sized hole the dart had come out of, pointing back at her instead of out past her fingertips.

“You…” She was having trouble lifting her head. He dropped her arm, helping to lay her prone in a more comfortable position.

“Don’t worry. It’ll wear off in an hour or so, you’ll be fine. Maybe I’ll even tip someone off that you’re in here.”

She grumbled unintelligibly, unable to talk as the paralysis took over her tongue. If looks could kill, well he might not be dead but he would certainly have a few new scars on his pretty face. He stood over her, making a show of polishing his watch with his opposite sleeve.

“You messed with my watch, I messed with yours. Now we’re even, Sunshine.”

He tilted his hat at her before strolling away, whistling a happy tune. On his way to his office, he hinted to a passing R&D agent that the new recruit had gone into weapons training and someone should probably peek in to make sure she hadn’t hurt herself.

He was going to get chewed out for sure, but it was oh so worth it.

tagging: @wickedfrsgrl​

[welieawakeatnight]

.WRITING ADVICE | Recurring Sounds in Writing

An editor from Newsday told me the story of how he tried to help a reporter revise the top of a story. As often happens, the editor knew that the lead paragraph could be improved, but not how. As he walked down the hallway, story in hand, he looked up to see the Brobdingnagian figure of Jimmy Breslin, who agreed to take a peek at the problem.

Too many -ings.

Can a writer use too many words that end with -ing, and why should that be a problem?

To put it another way, why is “Wish and hope and think and pray” stronger than “Wishin’ and Hopin’ and Thinkin’ and Prayin’”? With apologies to Dusty Springfield, the answer resides in the history of English as an inflected language. An Inflection is an element we add to a word to change its meaning. For example, we add -s or es to a noun to indicate the plural. Add -s or ed to a verb, and we distinguish present action from the past.

The writer should not worry about the occasional and strategic use of an -ing verb, only it’s overuse. In this passage from a biography of U.S. Senator Bob Dole, we learn of the care he received after a terrible war injury:

Bob held on, and made it through the operation. The fever disappeared and the other kidney worked, and by fall, they’d chipped away the whole cast. Now they were trying to get him out of bed. They hung his legs over the edge of the mattress, but it made him weak with fatigue. It took days to get him on his legs, and then he shook so, with the pain and the strangeness, they had to set him back in the bed.

Using the simple past tense, Richard Ben Cramer creates a scene that is vivid, clear, and dramatic. There, in the middle, rests a single exception (“they were trying”) to describe immediate and continuous effort.

Let me attempt to write a paragraph with too many -ings:

Suffering under the strain of months of withering attacks, reservists stationed in Iraq are complaining to family members about the length of their tours of duty, and lobbying their congressional representatives about bringing more troops home soon.

There’s nothing right or wrong about the sentence. It’s just heavy on -ings, five of them, expressing a variety of syntactic forms:

“Suffering” is a present participle, modifying “reservists.”

“Withering” is an adjective, modifying “attacks.”

“Complaining” and “lobbying” are progressive forms of verbs.

“Bringing” is a gerund, a verb used as a noun.

Revision would like:

Reservists stationed in Iraq have suffered months of withering attacks. They have complained to family members about the lengths of their tours of duty and lobbied Congress to bring more troops home soon.

Test the -ings that appear in your writing and remove them accordingly.

- Writing Tools (2008) by Roy Peter Clark

[surveyhoursss]

99.

the Urban Dictionary survey.

So apparently you just run this stuff through Urban Dictionary. Post your search under every question.

1. What's your name? Emma

Emma- a girl who is beautiful inside and out. She loves unconditionally and rarely ever likes someone, but when she does she falls hard. She is gorgeous and never a flirt. If you have an Emma in your life, don't lose her.

That's really cute

2. How old are you? 17

Not yet officially an adult, yet feel most of the pressures of being one. Either you're applying for college or you're in college, have serious relationships, have a job, etc. You begin to transition from a defenseless child to one of society's bitches.

Ouch

3. Who is one of your friends? Lina

The most amazing girl you will ever meet. I can’t even think of words Extraordinary enough to describe her but I bet she could come up with any word ever written down.. it’s amazing how smart she is, but she is so modest and humble. She is always there for you even if she has to stop everything she is doing to help you. And she is gorgeous, not only is she the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen inside and out, she also has the most beautiful voice, she sings like a professional even though she has never had lessons. She is so determined. You’d think she is perfect but she doesn’t think so. She beats herself up whenever she messes up in the slightest. She is a really happy person most of the time, but tests give her anxiety and she always needs her friends support when she is feeling down. She is kind to everyone. She will become a friend to anyone in need without question... and that isn’t exaggerating. Reach out to her, show her that she is loved, because you know she would do the same for you.

4. What should you be doing? Pre Calc

a useless math class designed for students who virtually hate themselves. taught by a useless teacher with small brains and frizzy hair. the tests are impossible and the lessons are (not) taught.

5. What's your favorite color? Pink

A weirdass looking red.

damb

6. What's your birthplace? Kansas

1.) The most centralized state in the United States of America. This is the homestate of former Republican Presidential Candidate Bob Dole.

7. What month were you born in? April.

April is a gorgeous female. She’s shy at first, but once you get to know her she’s the life of the party. She’s funny, smart, energetic, excitable. Probably the cutest girl you’ll ever meet. April is beautiful on the inside and outside. She always has love to give. She’s loves the finer things in life and will surround herself with beautiful things. Everybody deserves an April. She is a great friend or girlfriend. She has a close relationship with her family and friends. Overall, April is a good person with all of the amazing qualities you could think of. If you have an April, hold onto her.

Yeah...

8. Who is the last person you talked to? My dog

Your only friend.

ouch

9. What is one of your nicknames? Lang Gob (short for language goblin lmao)

없당 ;w; Nothing

[avengerscompound]

Tempting

Tempting: A ScienceBros Fanfic

Buy me a ☕ Square:  @iron-man-bingo - Blowjobs, @brucebannerbingo - Face Fucking

Rating:  E

Warning:  Smut (MMF bisexual threesome, Oral sex, face fucking, throat bulging, vaginal sex, minor come play, facial)

Word Count:  1413

Pairing:  Bruce Banner x Tony Stark x F!Reader

Summary:  When Tony suggests that if you show up in a lab coat over lingerie to get her and Bruce to come home earlier, the next time they’re late for dinner, you do just that.

Tempting

It was getting late and you were starting to think that Tony and Bruce weren’t going to come up to the penthouse.  It happened from time to time.  You’d usually go and check on them, if the work was serious or they were just in the zone, you’d leave them be.  If they were just messing around you’d drag them back to the penthouse with you.

The last time you’d done it Tony had joked that showing up with just a lab coat over stockings and garter belt would get them out of there.  The suggestion had made Bruce turn such a dark shade of red that you thought the next time you needed to go down there you might just show up and fulfill that one little fantasy of theirs.

You got up and went into the bedroom to get ready.  Stripping off and showering and then doing your hair and make-up.  You put on the garter and a pair of black stockings and then finally grabbed one of Bruce’s lab coats and put it on, wrapping it tightly around you.

You went down to the lab and stood in the doorway, leaning on the jam just watching them work.  Tony had the music blaring, AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ filled the room and making you fairly certain there would be nothing you could do that would actually catch their attention.  He flitted about from one screen to another and then to his workbench where he’d stop for a moment and focus on whatever he was building, only then to flit from screen to screen again.

Bruce, in contrast, was sitting quietly at a series of screens, moving data around and flicking different buttons.  Occasionally, whatever he did made a machine he was sitting beside whirr loudly and a blue light emit from it.  He would scowl at it before going back to the screen.

“FRIDAY,”  You said.  “Can you nix the music?”

The room suddenly went silent and both men stopped what they were doing, looked around and then focused their attention on you.  Tony’s face lit up like a little boy at Christmas, while Bruce’s cheeks flushed red and he dropped his gaze.

Tony practically skipped over to you, a large smile on his face.  “You didn’t?”  He said as he reached you and put his hands on your hips.

You unbuttoned the lab coat and let it fall open, revealing your naked form and Tony quickly looked over to Bruce and back to you, his hands slid in under your lab coat and he pulled you flush against him.  “Brucie Bear, did you see what our girl did?”

“I can see, Tony,”  Bruce said, shifting where he stood.

“Why, Doctor Banner,” You said pulling away from Tony and sauntering over to Bruce.  “Are you blushing?”

He chuckled and raised his eyes, pushing his glasses up his nose.  “You know I am.”

You began to unbuckle his belt as you leaned in against him.  “I'm sure Tony and I can make you forget all about how shy you are.”  You purred.

Tony scurried over at the sound of his name and pressed himself against your back as he leaned over you and kissed Bruce hard.

Bruce startled for a moment before leaning into it, submitting to Tony's kiss, but also trying to match it.

You undid his fly and pushed his pants down to his ankles.  He was already semi-hard and as you began to sink to your knees in front of him, his cock jumped a little.

You flicked your tongue up the length of Bruce’s shaft and placed little kitten licks at his foreskin and along the slit.  He groaned and tangled his hand in your hair as his cock hardened fully.

Tony sunk to his knees beside you.  The two of you began to kiss over Bruce’s shaft, your tongues dancing together.  Bruce couldn’t keep his eyes off the two of you.  His pupils blew out in lust, hiding the muddy brown of his eyes.  All that was visible was a thin iridescent green ring to let you know that the Hulk was enjoying it too.

Tony pulled Bruce’s cock into his mouth and pushed it down his throat as deep as he could.  His lips pressed flush against Bruce’s skin as he held him there, deep throating him.  Bruce grunted and leaned back against the bench.  When Tony began to slowly bob his head on Bruce’s cock you ducked under and began to suck on his balls.

His head fell back and he gripped the bench.  You and Tony worked his cock together.  It jumped and twitched and his balls tightened as Bruce groaned and his knuckles turned white on the bench.

Tony pulled back and guided you with him and you both stood.  “More relaxed now, Brucie?”

“Mm-hmm.”  He hummed.

You hopped up onto the bench beside him and spread your legs.  “That’s good doctor Banner.  That was the plan.”

Bruce chuckled and moved around to the other side of the bench.  “It does mean you’re in trouble now though.”

You leaned back and kissed his jaw.  “Am I?”

He captured your lips and kissed you deeply, stroking his fingers down your throat.  You hummed softly into his lips as Tony ducked down between your spread legs.  Tony swirled his tongue around your folds and flicked it over your clit.  You moaned louder into the kiss reaching back and tugging on Bruce’s hair.

He groaned and broke the kiss, guiding you so you were lying back over the bench.  You arched your back and tilted you head back opening up your throat.  Tony ran his hand up and squeezed your breast.  Bruce teased the head of his cock over your lips, coaxing them apart and trailing precome over them.  You opened wide, and he pushed in slowly.

You relaxed for him as he tested your limits, pulling out and pushing in again and again.  Each time deeper than before, until he was up to the hilt, cutting off your airways.  The whole time Tony used his mouth on you.  He sucked your clit and pressed his lips down on it.  He pushed his fingers inside you and stroked them over your g-spot.  Your muffled moans filled the lab as small currents passed through you, making you writhe on the bench and your cunt drip down Tony’s hand.

Bruce ran his fingers down the slight bulge in your throat.  He groaned softly and began to thrust.  Tony stood and lined his cock up at your cunt, thrusting in, so that while Bruce fucked your mouth, Tony fucked your pussy.

You lay helpless between them falling apart as they thrust hard and deep into you.  You gagged and choked on Bruce’s cock, each breath you took in restricted.  The lack of oxygen added to the high you felt from the pleasure coursing through you as Tony fucked you.  They each ran their hands over your naked body.  Tony pinched and tugged on your nipples as Bruce rubbed your clit hard.

With a sudden gasp, pulling away from Bruce and arching violently on the bench you came.  Hard.  Your cunt clenching around Tony’s cock as you gushed on him.  “Fuck!”  You cried, your voice a little hoarse from the punishment doled out by Bruce.

Bruce kept rubbing your clit hard, dragging out our orgasm for longer, making you shudder on the bench between both men.  He stroked his cock as he did and leaned forward a little.  Tony squeezed your tits around his shaft, and with four thrusts between the pocket he’d made, Bruce came over your tits.

He moved around the table and sank to his knees next to Tony.  Tony pulled out of you and Bruce began to suck his cock.  You sat up and watched them feeling slightly dazed.  Bruce sucked Tony’s cock hungrily, making graphic slurping sounds as he looked up into Tony’s eyes.

Tony groaned and pulled back just a little as he came, hot ribbons of come filling Bruce’s mouth and spilling down his chin.

“You boys are so messy.”  You say, running your fingers through the mess on your chest as Bruce stood and wiped his mouth.

“Guess we better go upstairs and take a shower,”  Tony teased.  “You wanted us back upstairs, right?”

“You got me.”  You teased getting up and pulling the lab coat tight around you.  It definitely was a fun way to get their attention.

[detective-ai]

Presentation

AO3

The first time Rio kidnaps Shin Tsukimi, it’s total chance. He wasn’t being taken seriously as a villain! Keiji would always stop him with a hearty laugh, clearly remembering the silly freshman Rio from high school who could never manage to get along with anyone. He hasn’t been making a large enough impact with petty crime. He needs to go big! Go bold, go home!

So, he stages a large bank heist. He doesn’t need the money, but he does need the publicity. And sure enough, news reporters dole out in the dozens, bracing up against the barriers the police have set up around the bank. Rio surveys the scene again. Okay, so maybe there’s like... three. Good enough. Time to make his move.

He needs someone young, someone cute and pretty to send the town into a tizzy. He plasters a bright grin mask over his face as he leers down at the crowd, a pair of green heads catching his attention. Why the hell is their hair green?

He shakes off the distracting thought and shoots his grappling hook at one of the beams stretching over the front of the bank. It hooks, thankfully (god how mortifying would it have been if he’d missed). Rio rugs at the line to test its security before standing straight, smiling and waving down at reporters below.

And he jumps, the line growing taut and locking in as he arcs down. Someone in his audience gasps and several people point as he descends. Rio spins, just out of pure exhilaration.

Rio awards himself 25 style points.

He touches down, his legs hardly feeling the jarring impact of the concrete and releases the line as he folds into a roll, popping up into a sprint towards the two green haired reporters. Police shout around him as he approaches the police barrier, but a stern glare as he approaches has them hesitating. The taller of the two reporters- with his long, stringy hair pulled into a thin ponytail- hardly flinches. His bright, cold eyes flash warily as Rio approaches, fist clenching more tightly around his microphone. He feels something sinister crawl down his spine and he promptly decides this is not the one. The city would probably relish this slimy loser being taken off their hands. Can’t have that.

But the baby-faced cameraman behind him, with his powder-blue hair and his cozy jacket and beanie? The way he flinches back, jostling the camera on his shoulder? With his soft blue eyes that light up with recognition? That’s the kind of stuff that would have the city in an uproar if Rio were to snap him up.

Rio grins under his mask, skidding to a stop right before the two, so close he bumps the barrier. He pauses, letting the steel-eyed reporter eye him over. The cameraman behind him seems to hesitate, gaze shifting between the two before he hefts his camera higher and angles himself to catch both Rio and the reporter in the shot. Rio aims a happy wave at the camera. The reporter seems to take a breath to steel himself before smiling widely and lifting his microphone.

“I’m Sou Hiyori with ASUNARO News. Can I ask…” He hesitates and Rio rolls his eyes. “Who are you?”

“The name’s Rio Ranger, doll,” he drawls, a flicker of irritation curling in his stomach. He braces his palms over the barrier, leaning in with a sneer. Not that they can see it under his mask. Maybe he should consider a costume redesign. “Shouldn’t you know that if you’re a reporter? I’m not exactly new in town.”

“Maybe you’re not as big a name in this town as you believe then,” Hiyori returns with a smirk. Rio’s grateful for the grinning mask covering his lower face, since the scowl that that twists his lips certainly wouldn’t do anything for his popularity. The cameraman visibly flinches back in fear at the reporter’s words.

“You’re just horrendously underinformed.” Rio casts a glance around, scanning the area to make sure stupid Keiji hadn’t shown up early to crash the party. He’d set a few false leads around town to keep him busy, but certainly not for long.

“So, what do you have planned here?” Hiyori’s words cut through his straying attention, drawing his gaze once more.

“A robbery, naturally.” Rio sighs, lifting his hand to his head as he fakes exasperation. His gaze slides over, looking beyond the camera to lock eyes with the man behind it. He tenses, his grip tightening on the camera. “But that hero of yours will come soon, so… I’m also going to need a hostage.”

Hiyori cocks his head, the microphone dipping a little as his smile turns plastic. “…A hostage, huh? Me?”

Rio tosses his head a back with a laugh. “How presumptuous! I was going to leave it to a majority vote!”

He doesn’t want Hiyori, obviously, but he did write a whole-ass script and by God he was going to stick to it. He has a image to uphold! Or… create, as it may be.

“A vote?” Hiyori’s voice drips with sarcasm as he scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Of course, villainy runs on democracy.”

“Oh, what a snappy political statement.” Rio straightens, gesturing to the other two men. “Anyway, it’s up to you two! I’ll take either you, or your cute little cameraman here!”

“You want Shin?” Hiyori laughs a little, completely ignoring how the cameraman- Shin, apparently, what a cute name- frowns at him. The reporter grins lazily at Rio. “And what if we say no?”

He really doesn’t like this guy.

Bored, Rio pulls a small trigger from a pouch at his waist and presses the bright red button.

The front of the bank behind them explodes outwards, sending debris cascading down around them. Fire rolls toward them in a plume before curling up, smoke quickly filling the air. The ground shakes- Shin falls, the camera rolling to the ground beside him. Hiyori- the bastard- only stumbles back a step, his arm raised to shield his face.

The building shudders but remains standing. Good. It was easy to figure out where to plant the low-grade explosives to seal in his threat, but the building had to stay up for his grand getaway. Everything seems to be going to plan so far. Fantastic!

He laughs, stooping down by Shin, who looks up at him with wide, frightened blue eyes. The bright orange of the flames flick across Shin’s face. He holds up a hand, as if warding Rio off. Adorable.

Rio rolls his eyes and scoops up the camera, easily holding the heavy news camera at arm’s length to catch both himself and Hiyori in the shot.

“Answer enough?”

Hiyori grits his teeth and glowers at Rio. “I suppose.”

“Glad to hear it!” Rio bobs in place, glancing between the reporting duo. “So? Who’ll it be? Sou Hiyori or Shin…?”

He trails off with the question, raising his eyebrows imploringly at the man- who still hasn’t lifted himself off the ground. Shin grips his scarf tightly, mumbling into it. Even if the fire hadn’t been roaring behind him, he doubts he would have heard him. Rio leans in, cupping his hand around his ear. Shin flinches back before visibly taking a moment to gather himself and lean in.

“Tsukimi. Sh-Shin Tsukimi.”

“Adorable.” Rio pops back up, the camera teetering preciously in his hand. Shin’s face pinches and he makes an aborted movement, as if to catch it if it falls. “Okay! Sou Hiyori or Shin Tsukimi? Which of you will be sacrificed to my villainous plans!”

Hiyori takes a quick glance down at Shin and back to Rio. “Is anyone going to get hurt?”

“Nope!” He pops the p, but it’s muffled under his mask. “Well… Unless your hero makes things difficult for me. Or whoever comes with me decides he wants to fight back. Just don’t be a pain and you’ll be fine!”

Hiyori grits his teeth and takes a step back. Shin looks back over his shoulder in disbelief. Hiyori gives Rio a disgusted glare that he then turns on Shin. “I’ll make sure you don’t lose your job.”

“What?!” Shin shouts, gaping up at Hiyori. “I have a little sister to take care of, asshole!” he turns his glare on Rio. “I have a little sister!”

“Unfortunate.” Grinning, Rio shrugs and turns back to Hiyori. “You saying I should take him?”

“Yeah.” Hiyori nods. “I have people who need me.”

“I have a-!”

“A little sister, yes, you talk about her all the time.” Hiyori huffs. Ranger watches, fascinated, as a strange shift comes over Hiyori. The reporter’s face softens, and he kneels beside Shin, whose scowl deepens. “I’ll make sure she’s taken care of. But I have many many people who rely on me. I can easily add your sister to those I protect. But you understand that I have to be there to do that, right?”

Shin clicks his tongue and looks away, raising a hand to grip anxiously at his beanie. “…You promise Kanna will be taken care of.”

“Of course.” Hiyori shares a soft smile with Shin and holds out his hand. Scowling, Shin takes his hand and allows himself to be pulled to his feet. Hiyori reaches out to grip Shin’s upper arms, squeezing reassuringly. Then, almost teasingly, he adds, “Who knows? She may even be better off.”

Shin looks stricken as Hiyori drops his hold, wiping his own palms on his scarf. The two turn towards Rio, whose unamused expression has grown more and more impatient. “Well? You ready?”

He holds out his free gloved hand, wiggling his fingers enticingly. Shin squares his shoulders and ducks under the police barrier, reaching for his hand. He hesitates, shaking fingers hovering over Rio’s palm. Huffing, Rio snags his hand and pulls him snug against his side. Shin cringes away. The villain (supervillain) shoves the camera into his arms. “Hold onto that for me, would ya?”

Shin blinks down at the camera shoved against his chest. “What? Why?”

“Because I need both hands to make sure I don’t drop you.”

“Wait wait drop me? What do you mean, drop me?” Rio takes out his grappling hook again, ignoring Shin’s rising panic shrilling against his ear as he aims it towards the flaming building. “Wait, in there? You’re like a-a robot or something right? You know humans like… burn right?”

Rio laughs. “Stop worrying. You might sweat a little, but I’ll get you through this.”

“Rio Ranger!” A deep voice barks out behind them. Rio tenses, shooting a glare over his shoulder. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Keiji Shinogi, local superhuman and city hero, rockets down the street towards them, looking more enraged than Rio has ever seen him. Finally.

Shin perks up in Rio’s grasp, making a lunge for the police barrier. “Help!”

The android huffs and tightens his grip around his hostage, muttering about cooperation as he shoots the hook. “Time to go then!”

“Don’t you dare- hnk!” Shin gags as the hook catches and reels them in, choking on his words as Rio’s grip hooks into his stomach. He shrieks, tucking his face in against the crook of Rio’s neck as they zip through the air and into the flames. Rio can’t imagine the cameraman is feeling too well, surrounded by fire with his neck swathed in that deep blue scarf. He shrugs and dashes deeper into the bank, ignoring Shin as he begins to mutter under his breath.

“Safalin!” He shouts, struggling to be heard over the roar of the flames. The building shudders as Keiji shoves open the doors to the bank. Rio hisses, scooping Shin over his shoulder and bolting towards where he planned for his getaway vehicle to be. He hears the camera clatter to the ground behind them.

“Ranger!” Something on the other side of the room shimmers and a bright orange vehicle pops into existence. A bright green head hangs out the window, the blue ribbons on Safalin’s arms fluttering as she waves. “Over here!”

“I know over there, dammit, I planned for you to be there!” He shouts back.

Safalin draws back, scooting into the driver’s seat as Rio pops the door open and tosses his baggage in. Shin grunts as he bounces across the seats, blankly looking down at his wrists when Safalin reaches over and claps a pair of handcuffs on him. “I-I’m sorry, just a precaution…”

“Ranger, if you leave with that hostage things will not go well for-“

Ranger slams the door closed behind him. “Get going!”

Safalin nods and flips a few levers. The car lifts, bobbing the engines adjust for the weight of the car as tilts towards the ceiling. Shin flinches back into the seat.

“Please tell me you’re not about to try to fly through that.”

“Alright.” Rio lowers his mask, grinning down at Shin. Shin frowns up at him. “But you might want to hold on to something.”

They do, actually, fly through the ceiling. Rio climbs onto his knees to stare through the back window. Keiji stands under the hole the vehicle’s made, glowering up at them as they escape.

“Look at him, Saf, look!” Rio points over the back seat, laughing.

Safalin obediently checks the review mirror. “I say you left quite an impression!”

Rio settles back into the seat, kicking his legs up on the dash despite Safalin’s frown. He nudges Shin with an elbow. “No way they can ignore this!”

Shin stares steadily out the window, refusing to acknowledge his captor. Rio rolls his eyes.

He can sulk if he wants. The hostage isn’t even important in the long run.

It’s the response that counts.

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

cwick (Chadwick Matlin, deputy editor): Clare, Kaleigh and Maggie, thanks for joining me to talk about the president’s medicine cabinet. Yesterday, President Trump revealed that he’s taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial medication, to help prevent him from contracting COVID-19. Trump’s comments were the culmination of his interest in the drug, which he has hyped for months as a way to help fight the pandemic. Let’s talk about what the science says about hydroxychloroquine, what Trump has said about it, and what it says about Trump that he’s taking it.

So, let’s start with the science, which is about the only thing that can ground us in this frenzied moment. Can hydroxychloroquine prevent someone from getting COVID-19?

clare.malone (Clare Malone, senior political writer): (Readers can, on their own time, imagine what else is in the president’s gold-plated medicine cabinet.)

maggie (Maggie Koerth, senior science writer): What we’re basically looking at here is a massive lack of evidence for anything, Chad.

kaleigh (Kaleigh Rogers, science and politics reporter): The results from the few studies that have been done are mixed, at best. Some have found hydroxychloroquine reduced the duration of COVID-19, others have found no difference between using the drug and not, and at least one found there was actually a worse outcome for patients who were on hydroxychloroquine versus those who were not.

maggie: There are ongoing studies of better quality happening — I’m particularly interested in one that’s looking at COVID-19 incidence and outcomes in lupus patients who were already taking hydroxychloroquine for their chronic illness — but we just don’t have evidence to say it does anything.

kaleigh: We do know from past trials of hydroxychloroquine that it can cause abnormal heart rhythms, so the president’s claim that there’s no harm in trying it is not based on evidence. This isn’t like taking vitamin C.

cwick: And are these all studies that test for whether hydroxychloroquine prevents COVID-19? Or are they testing whether it improves treatment of the disease?

kaleigh: Most trials I’ve seen are to treat COVID-19, not to prevent it. (Though there is at least one trial currently testing it out for preventive use.)

cwick: So Trump’s decision to take it preventively complicates things further. We’re in the dearth-iest corner of the dearth of evidence.

maggie: You have the science side of things, which is mostly proceeding as it ought to, and you have the political side, which is full of hype and boom-or-bust demand.

cwick: With that said, Clare, why is Trump doing this? Or maybe the better question: Why is Trump telling us he’s doing it?

clare.malone: On a personal level, Trump is likely taking it because of the recent infections of White House staff and because, well, as we all know, he’s a germaphobe!

But I think it’s a piece of his public response to the outbreak. He attempted, in a quite pitched way at first, to convince the public that things were not as bad as they were made out to be. He promised a non-entity of a disease at first and compared it to the flu. The idea of taking this drug plays into all that, in a more tamped-down way, because he’s offering the public a sort of “cure” or hope. I don’t think it’s a slip of the tongue, but it is a key part of his own thinking about the virus and a key part of how he wants to talk about it in public.

cwick: That’s interesting, Clare. One of the defining characteristics of this disease has been its uncertainty. That’s in part because we haven’t known how to treat those who are sick (let alone make the rest of us immune). Trump seems to be saying: If a medication is good enough to make the president feel safer, it’s good enough to make you feel safer.

maggie: I’m interested, Clare, in whether we’ve seen presidents get so specific in their hope-peddling before. It seems normal for a president to say, “Oh there’s all this research being done and we will have options, let’s fund them.” But it feels to me like Trump has uniquely used the bully pulpit to tout specific products — hydroxychloroquine, that Abbott Laboratories test — when there was more than one option out there. And it’s come back to bite him multiple times. Because when science is moving fast, most of the “good ideas” are going to fail at first. Pinning hope on specific brands and products seems like a real risk he’s taken on.

clare.malone: Right, Chad. The president has gotten A TON of flak for his refusal to wear a mask, but that’s also part of his messaging! It’s certainly odd that he’s taking this drug and not wearing a mask, but he’s a big believer in the sort of traditional displays of “masculine” strength that American politicians have thought the public likes to see. His no-mask thing is the pandemic equivalent of presidential candidates not wearing winter coats while campaigning in Iowa in January.

cwick: This isn’t about promoting promising research, or the latest trial results. He is, in effect, becoming part of the trial himself.

kaleigh: Except it’s not controlled, randomized or blind, so his “trial” is scientifically meaningless. I drink coffee every day and haven’t gotten COVID-19 yet — maybe that’s a prophylactic, too! This is the logic of anecdotal evidence.

maggie: So this reminds me of the study I saw about how men were significantly less likely than women to take non-pharmaceutical preventive measures in a health crisis, like wearing masks, but were more likely than women to take pharmaceutical measures.

kaleigh: His announcement that he’s taking it certainly felt defiant, like he’s doubling down in spite of the evidence. He also spent some time yesterday criticizing a Veterans Affairs study, which found that patients on hydroxychloroquine actually had a higher risk of death.

cwick: Kaleigh, your point about the VA study is super interesting. We’ve seen how the president can dismiss news and findings that run counter to the narrative he wants to promote, and part of his political struggle during this crisis has been knowing when to embrace the science and when to reject it out of hand. By putting his chips in on one drug, the drug itself becomes a cause to rally behind, and news that disputes its power becomes easier for Trump to critique. Essentially, hydroxychloroquine has become part of the White House policy agenda.

clare.malone: Also, if you’ve eschewed a lot of the science in your initial stages of your response, you might as well bet big on a miracle cure, right? Maybe you’ll be right and people will credit with you being early to the party. Americans do love pharmaceutical solutions to their problems.

Shoutout here to former Sen. Bob Dole, the OG American politician-pharmaceuticals spokesman.

kaleigh: It is strange that he got so fixated on this one possible treatment, though. The antiviral drug Remdesivir, by contrast, actually has some promising early results. Why is Trump so interested in hydroxychloroquine? He has scoffed at questions about whether he, say, owns stock in a company that produces the drug, but he also hasn’t provided a lot of explanation about why he’s so fascinated with it.

cwick: Some would have you believe that it might be an issue of cronyism. Here’s the New York Times from April: “Some associates of Mr. Trump’s have financial interests in the issue. Sanofi’s largest shareholders include Fisher Asset Management, the investment company run by Ken Fisher, a major donor to Republicans, including Mr. Trump. A spokesman for Mr. Fisher declined to comment.”

clare.malone: It’s a good question. I’m a bit skeptical of the stock interests answer, since what Trump seems to own is quite negligible. But to Chad’s point, Trump’s personal phone line is always known to be open to friends outside the White House! In the initial stages of the crisis, there’s a sense that he was hesitant to trigger portions of the Defense Production Act because of feedback from the Chamber of Commerce and private industry.

maggie: And meanwhile, his political advocacy has pushed for millions to be spent on it … supplies acquired by the VA and the Strategic National Stockpile.

kaleigh: One thing is clear: When Trump touts a treatment, interest goes up. Not only do Google searches soar, but at least one online prescription service reported a nearly six-fold increase in demand for hydroxychloroquine prescriptions after Trump first mentioned the drug.

maggie: We know there were people from the anti-vaccine movement promoting the so-called ”miracle mineral solution” to him — a pseudoscience “treatment” that basically amounts to industrial bleach — before he spent that one press conference talking about treating yourself with disinfectant.

clare.malone: And we know Trump is susceptible to anti-vaxxers from earlier in his time in public life.

maggie: I can see why the open phone line thing would work in real estate — hot backdoor tips from buddies. But that doesn’t really work in science.

clare.malone: But isn’t it more politics masquerading as science? Which might be the whole problem.

cwick: Right, it seems like we’re all arriving at the same terminus: The president has long demonstrated a contrarian approach to science, so his taking hydroxychloroquine despite iffy science is as much about the political as it is about the personal.

kaleigh: What is the political motivation to fixate on one drug and also continue to tout it against all current evidence?

clare.malone: Momentum. You’ve already been saying it: Why stop saying it?! You’ll just look more fallible.

cwick: Politicians don’t like to be wrong.

maggie: This politician in particular really doesn’t like to be wrong — maybe even more so than others.

clare.malone: It’s the spin zone, y’all! Hop on in. It’s dark, but that’s what it is.

kaleigh: Right, changing your mind based on new and better information is bad in politics, for some reason.

clare.malone: Flip flopping.

cwick: It’s considered bad in broader society, too!

clare.malone: Is it?? That’s actually an interesting question.

cwick: I’d say that I’m reconsidering, but then you’d think I was weak…

[easymanwer]

The Bob Dole Test / The Bob Test / The Dole Test

Inspired by the Vito Russo test, I wanted to create a set of criteria or "litmus test" that highlights the underrepresentation of men's mental health in film.

This can also be seen as a bechdel test for men's mental health / bechdel test for mens mental health / men's mental health bechdel test / mens mental health bechdel test.

For context, this test is named after senator Bob Dole, the man who introduced June's Men's Mental Health Month in 1994.

The rules are listed below:

1. Features at least two man characters / Features at least two men characters / Features at least two male characters.

2. When in conversation, they aren't confined to the roles of toxic masculinity. Male vulnerability isn't dismissed.

3. Story overall sets a "positive masculinity" example for male viewers.

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[plaguebby-blog]

Things You Should Know On Male Fertility

• Regular intake of Apcalis is not advised because it may cause addiction and may affect your kidney adversely. Rifampin, carbamazepine (Tegretol, Tegretol XR, Equerto, Carbatrol), phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125), and phenobarbital may decrease blood levels of tadalafil, possibly reducing the effect of tadalafil. Please remember that when you use a link to go from our Website to another web site, our Privacy Policy is no longer in effect. In late June 2016 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it will study a potential link between melanoma skin cancer and erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs such as Viagra, Cialis, canadian prescriptions online and Levitra. The global erectile dysfunction drugs market is set to decline in the coming few years. Americans have begun buying their prescription drugs online from internet pharmacies based in Canada. I don't know what I would have done in this circumstance, however. You might know that it is useful for the treatments for erectile dysfunction, but can it be effective because they are there any kind of side effects? Know that you have to initiate the stimulation. They feel that they don't have the charm and seductive attraction some guys have. I feel bad for you. Bob dole viagra commercial they all ages of both in rat get viagra. You should get tested for this ideal range should be between 20-32 pg/dl I think. But in fact we are many years away from the system that are fully interoperable. In accordance with experiments which were performed, botox cosmetic injections is for gentlemen and testing implemented to ascertain effectiveness in females usually are not conclusive. The most important reality is in direction of order the area standing in accordance towards the overall subject of your web site. I can't tell you how identical the fake hotmail site was to the real thing. I have seen fake US silver coins made in China. Some drugs are imitation or fake and so you might avoid being misled, ask an experienced and homework widely before you make any acquisitions. Many doctors are still hung up on the very dubious value of doing blood tests on men before starting them on TRT. “When it comes to adolescents or people in their 20s that haven’t been as sexually experienced, it’s still a little controversial,” she said. But still the results have not been as satisfactory as they should have been. Will I have to live in my camper? Everyone talks about having gold during the meltdown, but will it really help the average person? If there is your contact email address in your web site, or if the email address is embedded into your profile, your email address will be obtained by spammers. • We recommend lowering the intake of the alcohol because it increases the side effects. One thing you should base your search on is the reputation of the manufacturer. Now the one issue that I want to bring up is "Do we really need these drugs in this era of ever growing population". Therefore it is not absolutely a bane that the ED drugs like Cialis pill are highly expensive and are not available easily available in such countries. For the convention in direction of be over them as becoming for their Least complicated Cost Advantage, no a lot less as it would be for your purchasers within any other promoting surroundings, produce certainly they are thoroughly integrated. I guess this means I need to not over analyze everything I read. 17 h), with a comfortably long window of opportunity, releases couples from the need to plan sexual activities and therefore provides the highest amount of spontaneity for sexual activities. But you keep watching because you want to keep hating on it and complain about it. One method to keep away from turmoil is to buy only reliable treatment options. The drug delivery rate is one of the many benefits of our service. The delivery messenger is perhaps capitalism.

[alaturkanews]

LIVE: Latest news, breaking stories and analysis on December 9 | CBSN

LIVE: Latest news, breaking stories and analysis on December 9 | CBSN

Former Senator Bob Dole is being honored at the U.S. Capitol where he will lie in state, the Senate votes to overturn President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine rule and testing requirements for private businesses and the FDA authorizes a new coronavirus antibody drug for people with serious health problems or allergies. We're following all of these stories and more on CBSN. #livenews #breakingnews #news…

[reportwire]

Ocasio-Cortez: 'Embarrassment' that Democratic leaders are delaying Boebert punishment

Ocasio-Cortez: ‘Embarrassment’ that Democratic leaders are delaying Boebert punishment

Members of the liberal “squad” lashed out at Democratic leaders on Tuesday for dragging their feet in punishing Rep. Lauren BoebertLauren BoebertThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Uber – Omicron tests vaccines; Bob Dole dies at 98 Juan Williams: GOP infighting is a gift for Democrats Pressure grows to remove Boebert from committees MORE (R-Colo.) for her Islamophobic comments directed at a…

[patriotsnet]

What Other Republicans Are Running For President

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-other-republicans-are-running-for-president/

What Other Republicans Are Running For President

Next Test Of Trumps Influence On The Republican Party: A Crowded Gop Primary Fight For An Ohio House Seat

A GOP primary Tuesday to fill a congressional seat outside Columbus is shaping up to be a test of former president Donald Trump’s influence over the Republican Party, coming after his preferred candidate lost a Texas House campaign last week and some of his allies aligned with other candidates in the competitive Ohio race.

arrow-right

Tuesday’s contest — in which 11 candidates are vying to replace longtime GOP congressman Rep. Steve Stivers — has caused serious consternation among the former president’s advisers and even Trump himself, according to people familiar with the private discussions.

Trump railed at aides after Susan Wright, the candidate he backed in a special Texas Congressional race to replace her late husband, Rep. Ron Wright, lost to a state Republican lawmaker last week, they said.

The defeat was an embarrassing setback for the former president, who has sought to flex his hold on the party by making a slew of endorsements since leaving the White House, inserting himself into GOP primaries and going after political enemies.

Trump has made his preference clear, issuing slashing statements in which he has complained that other candidates are suggesting to voters that he supports them rather than Carey, a close friend of Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager who advisers say helped secure the endorsement.

Collins says infrastructure bill could pass Senate by end of week with at least 10 Republicans in support

Us Election 2024: Who Are The Likely Republican Candidates To Run For President Against Joe Biden

Mike Pence, Ivanka Trump and Ted Cruz are among the rumoured candidates to become Donald Trump’s successor

The 2020 presidential race has only just finished, but the Republican candidates for 2024 are already preparing themselves for their shot at the White House.

We take a look at who may be looking to get themselves in to the race.

In Gop Poll From Hell Republicans Say They Want Donald Trump Jr To Be President In 2024

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A recurring nightmare among millions of Americans is that come 2024, Donald Trump will forget the fact that he actually hated being president, decide to run again, and win. Seriously, can you think of a more horrifying scenario, except perhaps falling through a sidewalk into a rat-filled chasm, which some people might still prefer? We maintain that you cannot. But an equally terrifying, skin-crawling situation would definitely be to turn on the TV on January 20, 2025, and see Donald Trump Jr. being sworn in as president of the United States, which a number of Republican voters apparently actually want to happen.

The poll, which was conducted between July 6 and 8, did not include Donald Trump Senior, who maintains an inexplicable grip on voters despite the mass-death stuff, an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and a mental state that suggests he should be in a home or studied by a team of Swiss doctors.

And the fact that Don Jr. came out on top is not where the scary news ends. Because apparently if Republicans can’t have Sheep Killer over here, their second-favorite choice is Florida governor Ron DeSantis, the man currently responsible for this:

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More Great Stories FromVanity Fair

The State Is An Active Battleground For Republicans And Democrats Next Year With High

6:02 PM on Dec 9, 2019 CST

The 2020 elections will feature a broad field of Democratic and Republican candidates in a fight that will determine control of Texas.

Monday was the last day candidates could file for the March 3 primaries, the prelude to the much-anticipated general election featuring President Donald Trump’s reelection bid, high-profile congressional races in Texas and a rumble for control of the Texas House.

With former U.S. Housing secretary and former San Antonio mayor Julián Castro struggling to gain traction in most Democratic presidential polls, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts or Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont will look to capitalize in Castro’s home state.

With a half-dozen Republicans retiring from Congress and a handful of others facing stiff challenges, Texas will also be an active battleground in the bigger tussle for control of the U.S. House in 2020.

But the most intense drama is expected to involve the Texas House. Democrats need nine seats to take control and have targeted at least 22 occupied by Republicans, who are trying to reclaim the 12 seats they lost in 2018. Much of the action will be in races in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties.

Here are some highlights from the races:

Eight Republican 2024 Candidates Speak In Texas Next Week But Not Trump

Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, April 30 – A Republican Party event in Texas next week will hear from eight potential candidates for the party’s presidential nomination in 2024, without former President Donald Trump, a source involved in the planning said on Friday.

The May 7 event at a hotel in Austin is being co-hosted by U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, to thank donors who helped fund a voter registration drive and get-out-the-vote efforts in the state.

High-profile Republican politicians who are considering whether to seek the party’s nomination in 2024 are expected to speak to the crowd of about 200 donors.

They include former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and U.S. senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott and Rick Scott, the source said.

The event comes as Republicans wrestle with whether to try to move past Trump in the next election cycle or fall in line behind him. Trump told Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he was “100%” considering another run after losing in 2020 to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump was not invited to Texas, the source said. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was invited but was unable to attend, the source said.

Many Republican insiders doubt Trump will follow through on his musings about running for president in 2024, leaving a void that other party leaders will seek to fill.

Fact Check: Trump Did Not Call Republicans The Dumbest Group Of Voters

5 Min Read

An old quote falsely attributed to Donald Trump has recently resurfaced online. The viral meme alleges Trump told People magazine in 1998 that Republicans are “the dumbest group of voters in the country”. This is false.

While the quote has been debunked several times since it apparently surfaced in 2015, users have recently been resharing it on social media. Examples can be seen here , here , here , here

The meme reads: “If I were to run, I’d run as a Republican. They’re the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they’d still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific. – Donald Trump, People Magazine, 1998”

Snopes first wrote about the false quote here in October 2015 . Since then, the quote has been debunked multiple times .

People magazine has confirmed in the past that its archive has no register of this alleged exchange.

“People looked into this exhaustively when it first surfaced back in Oct. . We combed through every Trump story in our archive. We couldn’t find anything remotely like this quote–and no interview at all in 1998.”, a magazine spokesperson told Factcheck.org that year .

In December 1987, People published a profile on Donald Trump titled “Too Darn Rich”. The article quoted him saying he was too busy to run for president .

Us Election 2020: What Are Primaries And Caucuses And How Do They Work

Four years after the world watched Donald Trump’s momentum build and build until he became the Republican nominee, America is again deciding who will run for the White House.

The nominees are being chosen through a series of primaries and caucuses in every US state and territory, that began in Iowa on 3 February and ends in Puerto Rico in early June.

The Republican nominee will be Donald Trump. Even though technically he has a challenger, he is so popular among Republicans, he has a clear run ahead of him. With that in mind, the Democratic primaries are the only ones worth watching.

It’s an unusual process, not all of which makes sense, although we’ve tried.

Trump Challengers: 10 Republicans Who Could Run For President In 2020

Ryan Sit U.S.Donald TrumpMike PenceBen SasseBob Corker

President Donald Trump faced down a crowded field of GOP presidential hopefuls in 2016 as a political outsider, but he could see a packed stage of Republican challengers again in 2020—only as an incumbent this time.

Trump made few political friends during his ascent to the White House. He made headlines making fun of his competition, doling out nicknames—”low energy Jeb Bush,” “Little Marco Rubio,” “Lyin’ Ted Cruz���—along the way. The president’s diplomatic dexterity hasn’t noticeably improved much since taking office. Senators Rubio and Cruz have improved their relationship with Trump since his inauguration, but other lawmakers from within his party have emerged as outspoken critics, fueling speculation he may face a stiff presidential primary race in 2020.

Here are 10 Republicans who may challenge Trump:

Opinion Polling For The 2020 Republican Party Presidential Primaries

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This is a list of nationwide and statewide public opinion polls that have been conducted relating to the Republican primaries for the 2020 United States presidential election. The persons named in the polls are declared candidates or have received media speculation about their possible candidacy. The polls included are among Republicans or Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. If multiple versions of polls are provided, the version among likely voters is prioritized, then registered voters, then adults.

The Long Race For The 2024 Republican Presidential Nomination Begins

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — In the past week alone, Nikki Haley regaled activists in Iowa, Mike Pence courted donors in California and Donald Trump returned to the rally stage, teasing a third campaign for the White House.

The midterms are more than a year away, and there are 1,225 days until the next presidential election. But Republicans eyeing a White House run are wasting no time in jockeying for a strong position in what could emerge as an extremely crowded field of contenders.

The politicking will only intensify in the coming weeks, particularly in Iowa, home to the nation’s leadoff presidential caucuses and a state where conservative evangelicals play a significant role in steering the direction of the GOP. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is slated to visit on Tuesday, and others, including Pence, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are expected to appear in July.

The flurry of activity is a sign that there is no clear frontrunner to lead the GOP if Trump opts against a 2024 campaign.

“It definitely feels early, but it doesn’t feel like it’s a bad idea based on the situation,” said Mike DuHaime, a longtime Republican strategist. “The party has changed, the voters are changing and I think the process has changed. And I think many of the candidates have realized that.”

“We won the election twice,” he said. “And it’s possible we’ll have to win it a third time.”

As for Trump?

Trumps Losing So When Are Republican Candidates Going To Abandon Him

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On Wednesday afternoon, the latest batch of polls in the Presidential campaign were released, and they showed an increasingly grim picture for Donald Trump. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey had Joe Biden up by eleven points. Fifty per cent of those surveyed said that there was “no chance” they would support Trump. The Quinnipiac University poll showed an even wider national lead for Biden, of fifteen points. Trump’s job-approval rating had sunk to thirty-six per cent, and a daunting sixty per cent of Americans disapproved of his performance in office. “There is no upside, no silver lining, no encouraging trend hidden somewhere in this survey for the President,” Tim Malloy, the Quinnipiac polling analyst who oversaw the study, said. A few hours later, Trump ousted his campaign manager, Brad Parscale—or, rather, had his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, do so. His new campaign manager is Bill Stepien, a New Jersey operative and former Trump White House political director best known for his role in former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s Bridgegate scandal. “I look forward to having a big and very important second win together,” the President tweeted, shortly before 9 P.M.

Susan B. Glasser

Us Election 2020: The Other 1214 Candidates Running For President

The US has had presidents for more than 230 years, but only the first – George Washington – has ever been elected as an independent candidate.

The twin peaks of US politics, the Republican and Democratic parties, dominate media coverage and campaign donations so completely that the chances of an outsider winning are virtually nil.

What kind of person looks at those near-insurmountable odds and thinks – I’m running anyway?

Quite a range as it turns out: As of 9 October, some 1,216 candidates have filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president.

The BBC asked three of them – a concert pianist and motivational speaker, a Native American IT technician, and a crypto billionaire – what they stand for, and why they deserve the votes of Americans.

‘americans Will See The Current Two Options Are Not The Choice’

Jade Simmons is a multi-hyphenated woman. A former beauty queen, professional concert pianist, motivational speaker, rapper, mother, and ordained pastor.

As she puts it, she is an unconventional candidate, “but these are unconventional times”.

“This seemed to me to be a time when we couldn’t afford to do business as usual,” she says. “I’m the daughter of a civil rights activist, and the way my father raised me was that if you see voids, if you see injustices, you need to ask yourself if that might be you that needs to be leaning in.”

She says her goal is to create equal access to opportunity, through economic, educational and criminal justice reform. And in that spirit, she’s aiming to run “the least expensive campaign in the history of our nation”.

“We think it’s abominable that it costs now almost a billion dollars to run for president when the qualifications are that you are 35 years old, a US-born resident, and have lived here 14 years,” says Ms Simmons. “We’d rather spend that money on helping people.”

Full coverage of the US election

While the Republican and Democratic nominees will be on the ballot in all states, independents must meet an array of state deadlines and access requirements.

“I know it sounds wild, given the history of independents! We believe that if we stay standing long enough, there’s still some more disruption coming in – that most Americans are going to see that the current two options are not the choice.

Results Of The 2020 Republican Party Presidential Primaries

Republican National Convention

  First place by first-instance vote

  Donald Trump

e

Below is a detailed tally of the results of the 2020 Republican Party presidential primary elections in the United States. In most U.S. states outside New Hampshire, votes for write-in candidates remain untallied.

Primary elections and caucuses can be binding or nonbinding in allocating delegates to the respective state delegations to the Republican National Convention. But the actual election of the delegates can be at a later date. Delegates are elected at conventions, from slates submitted by the candidates, selected by the party’s state chairman or at committee meetings or elected directly at the party’s caucuses and primaries. Until the delegates are apportioned, the delegate numbers are by nature projections, but it is only in the states with nonbinding caucuses where they are not allocated at the primary or caucus date.

‘we Have To Change Some Things This Nation Was Founded On’

One factor that unites independent candidates is that they haven’t had to please a party majority to get a platform – so they run as themselves, on the issues that really speak to them personally.

Mark Charles is a prime example.

Professionally he’s worked as a computer programmer and in tech support, but he’s also an ardent social justice campaigner on issues affecting Native Americans and people of colour.

His goal is to be an alternative candidate for voters who don’t feel a kinship with the Trump or Biden tickets.

Mr Charles is of Navajo heritage, an identity which has deeply shaped his candidacy and his view of what America should be.

The land upon which Washington DC was built belonged to the Piscataway people.

“These were their lands, long before Columbus got lost at sea – and they are still here. And I am humbled to be living on these lands, on their lands, and I want to honour them as the host people.”

In the early 2000s, Mr Charles chose to move his family to a remote home on a Navajo reservation, “because I wanted to experience the more traditional life”. They would stay for 11 years.

“I saw several presidential elections from that vantage point,” he says.

“We were six miles off the nearest paved road, lived in the one-room Hogan – the traditional Navajo dwelling. There was no running water, no electricity in our community, our neighbours were rug weavers and shepherds.”

“I feel myself becoming both more insecure and more angry.”

Why Donald Trump Is Republicans’ Worst Nightmare In 2024

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large

Earlier this week, amid a rambling attack on the validity of the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump said this: “Interesting that today a poll came out indicating I’m far in the lead for the Republican Presidential Primary and the General Election in 2024.”

this on Trump’s future political ambitions from Politico“Trump is confiding in allies that he intends to run again in 2024 with one contingency: that he still has a good bill of health, according to two sources close to the former president. That means Trump is going to hang over the Republican Party despite its attempts to rebrand during his exile and its blockade of a Trump-centric investigation into January’s insurrection.”new Quinnipiac University national pollhis growing legal and financial entanglementsAs CNN reported on Wednesday night“Manhattan prosecutors pursuing a criminal case against former President Donald Trump, his company and its executives have told at least one witness to prepare for grand jury testimony, according to a person familiar with the matter — a signal that the lengthy investigation is moving into an advanced stage.”

The Contenders Who Competed To Run Against Donald Trump

Tom MurseTom Murse

Within weeks of Donald Trump taking the oath of office as the nation’s 45th president, challengers began lining up to see who would attempt to unseat him in the 2020 presidential election. The controversial president faced early challenges from within his own party, but by and large, the focus remained on the candidates put forth by the opposing Democratic Party.

During one of the most crowded primary seasons in recent memory, several high-profile Democrats, including multiple sitting senators and rising stars in the party, competed for the party’s nomination. Ultimately, it was former vice president Joe Biden who won the party’s nomination. He selected Senator Kamala Harris, another primary candidate, as his running mate, and the ticket won the 2020 general election with 51.3% of the vote and 306 electoral votes to 46.9% and 232 electoral votes for the incumbent Trump/Pence ticket.

Here’s a look at the Democrats, and even members of Trump’s own Republican Party, who ran campaigns looking to unseat the controversial commander-in-chief.

Democratic Challengers

February 7, 2020

Former Us Ambassador To The United Nations Nikki Haley

Haley, 49, stands out in the potential pool of 2024 Republican candidates by her resume. She has experience as an executive as the former governor of South Carolina and foreign policy experience from her time as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Haley was a member of the Republican Party’s 2010 tea party class. A former South Carolina state representative, her long shot gubernatorial campaign saw its fortunes improve after she was endorsed by Sarah Palin. Haley rocketed from fourth to first just days after the endorsement, and she went on to clinch the nomination and become her state’s first female and first Indian-American governor.

As governor, she signed a bill removing the Confederate flag from the state Capitol following the white supremacist attack at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston. She left office in 2017 to join the Trump administration as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Quinnipiac poll found she was at one point the most popular member of Trump’s foreign policy team.

“I think that she’s done a pretty masterful job in filling out her resume,” said Robert Oldendick, a professor and director of graduate studies at the University of South Carolina’s department of political science.

Haley criticized Trump following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters, saying she was “disgusted” by his conduct. Oldendick said he thought her “pretty pointed criticism of the president will potentially cause some problems.”

Republican Candidates Running For The Us 2020 Election

Bill Weld was married twice and has five children.

Weld ran for vice-president as a Libertarian on the Gary Johnson ticket in the 2016 presidential election.

As a conservative, Weld is strongly pro-choice on abortion issues.

The presidential race is on and the candidates are being whittled down to the very few. Who is running on the Republican side? Current President Donald Trump is going for re-election, and the only candidate now challenging him for election as president of the US this coming November 3rd, 2020 is Bill Weld, a former Massachusetts governor.

Which Republicans Are Running For Us President In 2016

With the Republican field for the 2016 nomination more crowded than ever before, here’s all you need to know about the candidates

Running

Donald Trump

The 69-year-old billionaire made a dramatic entrance into the crowded Republican field.

His outspoken comments about Mexican immigrants and Muslims have provoked fury from some, but are popular with his most ardent supporters.

Even before he announced his bid, Mr Trump’s persistence in questioning whether Barack Obama was born in the USA attracted publicity and notoriety in equal measure.

But Mr Trump’s bombastic style seems to have caught the imagination of voters with polls showing him far out ahead of the field.

Jeb Bush

Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, hopes to become the third Bush to sit in the Oval Office.

Mr Bush was long seen as the Republican establishment’s favoured choice, but he has to convince the party’s powerful conservative wing.

Married to a Mexican-American and a fluent Spanish-speaker after living in Venezuela in his twenties, Mr Bush has a strong connection to key Hispanic voters.

But he is conscious that his famous surname is a burden, especially after George W Bush left office six years ago with America mired in two wars and an economy in free fall.

Marco Rubio

The 44-year-old senator from Florida excels as a public speaker and, supporters believe, has the common touch.

Ted Cruz

At one point he started reading Dr Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham to his two young daughters watching on television.

      The 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Wild Cards

The first Democratic debate back in 2019 had 20 — TWENTY! — candidates, so don’t be surprised if the Republican field is just as large or larger. We could have some more governors or representatives run, or even other nontraditional candidates, like a Trump family member, a Fox News host or a celebrity, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who’s said he’s “seriously considering” a run. Stranger things have happened.

Who Are The Republicans Running Against Trump In 2020

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Mark Sanford announced on Sunday that he is running for president, making him the third Republican to go against President Trump’s reelection attempt. He joins former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld and former Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh. Despite little chance of winning against Trump, here is what they represent:

Mark Sanford served as a U.S. Representative for South Carolina’s 1st congressional district from 1995 to 2001 and 2013 to 2019. Sanford won the 2002 South Carolina gubernatorial election, wherein he defeated the Democratic incumbent Jim Hodges. He was re-elected in the 2006 South Carolina gubernatorial election, and consequently served as Governor of South Carolina from 2003 until 2011.

Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford announced Sunday that he is running for president as a Republican, becoming the latest to challenge President Trump in the GOP primaries.

In a series of tweets, Sanford explained the reasons why he was entering the 2020 race as a republican:

“I am compelled to enter the Presidential Primary as a Republican for several reasons – the most important of which is to further and foster a national debate on our nation’s debt, deficits and spending.

We have a storm coming that we are neither talking about nor preparing for given that we, as a country, are more financially vulnerable than we have ever been since our Nation’s start and the Civil War. We are on a collision course with financial reality. We need to act now.

  For These Republicans 2024 Is Just Around The Corner

Mike Pence. Mike Pompeo. Rick Scott. They share big ambitions, but one name hovers above them all …

President Biden told reporters last month that his “plan is to run for re-election,” despite already being the oldest person to have won a presidential election. So, for now at least, the question of who will lead the Democratic ticket in 2024 has been put to rest.

On the Republican side, however, certainty is in short supply. It’s beyond early to be talking about the next presidential election — but that’s only if you aren’t planning to run. Some Republican candidates have already made trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, and others are laying plans to go, in what often represents the first step in building out a campaign operation in those early-voting states.

And on Wednesday, in a conspicuously forward-looking move, former Vice President Mike Pence announced the formation of a new political organization, Advancing American Freedom, whose advisory board is stacked high with former Trump administration officials and allies. The news came on the same day Simon & Schuster announced that it would publish Pence’s autobiography as part of a two-book deal.

The G.O.P. is badly fractured, trying to hold together a dominant base of those loyal to former President Donald Trump and a stubborn minority of pro-decorum, anti-Trump conservatives. Anyone looking to grab the Republican mantle will have to find some way of satisfying both camps — and maybe even expanding upon them.

General Election Candidates On Five Or More Ballots

In addition to Biden, Hawkins, Jorgensen, and Trump, the following candidates have qualified to appear on five or more ballots:

Roque De La Fuente   Gloria La Riva   Jade Simmons   Jesse Ventura/Cynthia McKinney   Sheila Tittle   Kyle Kenley Kopitke   Ricki Sue King/Dayna Chandler  

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 158,379,904

0 states have not been called.

Here Are The Republicans To Keep An Eye On For 2024

Bradley Devlin

Republicans are paying extra attention to a number of Republican governors, senators, and former officials that might consider making a run for president in 2024.

The contenders come from various contingents of right-leaning thought, and will be fighting to capture parts of former President Donald Trump’s base. Whichever Republican hopeful prevails will not only become the Republican Party’s nominee, but also help determine the ideological trajectory of the Republican Party in the post-Trump era.

Vice President Mike Pence

It’s not uncommon for vice presidents to follow up their stint as second-in-command with a run for president. Former President John Adams, the nation’s second president, was America’s first vice president under President George Washington. More recently, President Joe Biden became the 46th president four years after he ended his eight-year tenure as former President Barack Obama’s vice president.

Vice President Mike Pence might decide to do the same, but Pence’s relationship with Trump seems to be severely tarnished after Pence did not contest the certification of the Electoral College results, as reported by The Hill.

Senator Ted Cruz

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz could run for president again come 2024 after he defended his senate seat in 2018 from Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Cruz’s bid for the presidency in 2016 ended in failure as Trump captured the Republican Party’s nomination.

Senator Josh Hawley

Governor Ron DeSantis

If Trump Runs In 2024 Could Any Republican Beat Him

As we await the final results to come in from the decisive states, let us assume for a moment that this election ends in the way that now appears most likely. That is, Joe Biden wins, and a large number of conservatives are convinced that the only reason President Trump lost is that Democrats stole the election.

Given these circumstances, if Trump decided that he wanted to run for president again four years from now, is there a Republican politician in the country who would be able to stop him?

For sure, professional Republicans would want to move on from Trump. And many of the Republican voters who merely tolerated him because he was better than the Democratic alternative may be eager for other options. But those are the same groups of people that tried unsuccessfully to kill his candidacy in 2016.

Trump may decide that he doesn’t want to run again. Or his health may decline as he enters his late 70s. But let’s just assume he decides to run and that he’s in roughly the same mental and physical condition that he is now. How can any Republican hope to compete with him?

In defeat, Trump would be in a position unlike that of other one-term presidents. Typically, one-term presidents are written off as losers, and their parties run away from them. Think of Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Carter, or George H.W. Bush. After 1980, nobody ran for office claiming, “I’m a Jimmy Carter Democrat.” Bush I was never a coveted speaker in conservative circles after his loss.