#the kevin poll made me think of this

[dreamgirledward]

whenever i remember sam had zero meaningful relationships with male characters not including jack i cant help but laugh like the longer it's been since the show ended the more obvious this shit looks to me ksjdkfshfksdjh

[thevoiceofdesertbluffs]

mmmmmmmm food yummy yummy (someone fucking stop me)

[purple-dreams9]

If Thea was Theo, a controversial opinion

I want to preface this post by stating that this is not meant to change anyone's mind or opinion. I am not here to tell you to like a character or to ship a certain ship. You are free to hate Thea, write her off your fics, ignore her existence, and ship Kevin with the milkman if you so desire. This is also not an essay. Instead, think of it as the thought dump of someone munching over it for days.

This all started with a conversation about Thea with a couple people on a Discord server. I've been mostly neutral about Thea, not understanding the overall hate but not knowing much about her either. It led me to read Nora's most recent post about Thea, the replies and the "Why do you not like Thea?" poll, and I've seen plenty of Tweets about her, too.

In general, I noticed one main element when people explain their stance: it is not because Thea is a woman and people want to ship Kevin with male characters. The real reason(s), branched in different directions: the age gap, the lack of building of her character, how little she shows up/how little we know about her/the feeling of her being shoo-ed in out of nowhere as Kevin's love interest, and her attitude (inc. her lack for communication with Kevin after he left the Nest, her comment to Jean in TSC, etc.)

I have been in many fandoms for over a decade, some with more prominent mlm ships, and to be honest, none of those reasons seemed to truly justify the dislike of Thea to the degree she is disliked in the fandom as a whole, especially as the romantic interest of a main character. It seemed to me that most of it is rooted in the desire for Kevin NOT to be straight, but to be gay and be with a guy (or bi, but I see more people using "gay" for Kevin. And some prefer Aro/Ace Kevin, but these fans are a bit more quiet and subdued with their headcanon.) See, even taking Thea out of the equation, there are no popular mlw ships for Kevin with characters from canon, and even in fanon ships the counterparts are mostly (if not all) men.

That got me thinking: "What if Thea was Theo? How would that change how fans interact with this character, even if her personality was the same? What about the relationship with Kevin? Would fans approach the ship differently if he had had Theo as a boyfriend instead of Thea as a girlfriend?"

Of course, it is all hypothetical. For one, a big part of her character is that she is a woman of color (note that I am not black, so I am in no position to talk about how her race plays out with her character) in a predominately male and white team (violent cult) that had to fight her way to the top. It wouldn't quite have the same weight or the same background if she was a male. For two, I am aware it would bring another discourse to the table, that of the "predatory gay men stereotype" (even though there was nothing predatory or "grooming" in their relationship, but that conversation is not for this post.) I am sure plenty of fans would still hate the Kevin/Theo ship, and Theo himself.

Still, I allowed myself to picture it. I read, once, that women used to ship male characters together because female characters were underdeveloped and were not interesting. I wondered if this applies to fandom as well, how certain fandoms prefer to develop and grow male characters.

Things like "lack of canon information about Theo" would not be an issue. Fans are very good at filling in the blanks and building a character from the few spare parts given by the source. This also applies to "there is almost no interaction with Kevin" because let's be honest here, guys, ships are sometimes made from nothing. Rarepairs exist, and even ships like pre-TSC Jerejean can explode in popularity.

With how big of a part Kevin plays in the books and how big his shipping fandom is, if Theo was a thing, I truly believe we would have seen him bloom in fanon spaces. He would have given space and opportunity to grow, change and develop both as a character and in his relationship with Kevin.

The "forbidden relationship" trope and the possibility for angst would have fans foaming, fics working around Theo's past and how he had to fight his way to the top would be written, AUs where he leaves the beliefs of the cult behind and reunites with Kevin would also exist. We would see stories about how his and Kevin's love story played out before and after Kevin left the Nest (at least one primarily focused on the notes they used to pass each other in secret). His mean comments and bitchiness would be ignored, played down, understood, forgiven, or found charming (like Andrew's throughout the series, or even Abby's in TSC.) In a few words, he would be more present and less disliked.

AFTG is a predominately queer fandom, and there is nothing wrong with wanting representation, but I also think it's necessary to use the same scale for female and male characters that are romantically or sexually involved with more popular ones. It's fine not to like Thea, but also to sit and think: would I asses a male character in the same way? How would my view of them change regarding their gender? Just food for thought, I guess.

Again, this is not a call to action of any sort. It is just me, rambling and putting my thoughts down. I can't see different realities so this is basically all fiction. I wanted to take it out of my brain, hear what others think and that's it. Ship what makes you happy. Create what inspires you. Curate your experience. All that being said, Id love to hear your thoughts, but I wont debate anyone's opinion because that's truly, not what Im seeking.

This got longer than I intended so I'll end this here. If you made it, thanks! I hope you have a nice day.

[ninyard]

saw the kevjerison option on that one poll and was pointed in your direction, PLS tell me what's up if you're up for it bc I'm obsessed with this concept

you know i'm still working on some idea that aren't them in a club because truly the club is the most perfect place for them to exist but uhhh in short, a recap:

- hypothetically Kevin and Jeremy used to hook up. Kevin and Allison have a friends with benefits situation already going on. The three of them find themselves in a drunk situation in which 1) Kevin is bisexual as fuck and can't stop staring at both of them 2) both of them notice this and decide to give him what he wants. Kevjerison is 98% fueled by how horny Kevin is about the both of them, and how they get off on seeing Kevin so into them.

- Them hooking up doesn't erase or change anything about Jeremy's sexuality. It's just sex, a threesome for the sake of it, because what else are they going to do and why the fuck not? They're not dating (but i mean. in some universe maybe they could be. but that's not what this is about. not to me, not yet)

- https://www.tumblr.com/ninyard/tagged/kevjerison

- service top jeremy, praise kink kevin, and bratty and/or dominant allison? hello? are you telling me they're not made for each other? Just think about any one of them almost playing a silent game with the others to see who can possibly turn on the other two the most. It'd be so intense and hot and hot and hot and that's why this works (to me). because they're ALL hot. And Hot People fucking Hot People is a fucking home run every time

- So many hypotheticals and ideas about how their hookups would work/look like. Discuss?

[dykedvonte]

This was an ask from skull anon I accidently posted early so ignore that here is it actually completed. Crew voice claim first!

Anya - Janine Ditullo. She doesn't really have any big roles but she's Brendan's mom from the show Home Movies. She's snarky in a way I think Anya would be before anything went down.

Curly - Craig T Nelson. Specifically as his role Coach. Think he also has a sort of middle age voice

Daisuke - Greg Cipes but specifically when he's voicing Kevin Eleven as a teen and his voice has that deeper register. I think he just sounds a little punkish.

Jimmy - Steve Buscemi specifically in Parting Glances. I don't think his voice is loud but more shrill? He's a nasally fellow to me whose voice is intimidating because it shouldn't be so when he says stuff it just sound wrong. Like Randall Boggs. He'd be on his kin list. He's scarier when he's quiet.

Swansea - Ed O'Neill just because I think Jay (Modern Family) fits his general demeanor but also Al (Married with Children). Sort of rough, dry and tired but with that sort of comfort only a dad could have.

Now for other general stuff:

Anya knows how to finger quilt, tried to show Daisuke but he just can't get it, secretly smug about it.

Curly is like a gym bro sim. A good distressor for him is either jogging around the Tulpar or like working out like a freak in his room.

Daisuke has a shitty moped he bought himself after a summer of mowing lawns. It was his first purchase with his own real money and he got attached cause his parents were super proud!

He also thinks it makes him look badass even though it sputters every time he starts it.

Swansea likes taking pictures with his family and wife and even the crew but treats it like a whole ordeal. Fusses about people fixing their faces but is always happy with the results no matter how goofy

Jimmy refused to let Anya sleep in medical after crash. He explained it as not wanting to "disturb" Curly...

Swansea once accidently called Daisuke one of his kids names when he got irritated with him. Made the kids day in a way

Curly does not react to any level of sour, likes citrus and calls it sweet and refreshing, war heads are like jolly ranchers to him.

Anya has a very nice singing voice and Daisuke happily jokes and encourages her to get into the indie scene. Did choir as a kid

Jimmy knows a bit of Spanish through osmosis from jobs he's worked. Mostly knows how to talk shit and directions

Tells Curly he's mostly just saying basic stuff but its real vitriolic towards him that he just translates to like general compliments/jokes. He is still just a WHITE man

Anya reads who done it mystery murder books and makes fun of all the obvious twists and how they glaze the detective MC.

Curly lets Jimmy sit in the Captain's seat because when he doesn't Jimmy is noticeably meaner and more scathing to him.

Anya was planning to get a cat after a conversation with Curly about feeling lonely living in her apartment. Was gonna name it Polle as an in joke before everything happened....

Sexuality speed round: Anya is bi no real preference, very open about it. Curly doesn't label himself and kinda just goes with the moment. Daisuke is bi but a larger preference for girls, has a friend that everyone thinks he dating tho. Swansea had experiences in his youth and that's all he'll say on it other than a few comments here or there. Jimmy is straight but in a way where you here him talk about gay people and know he's current experiences... like the other day.

Yeah heres some more I always hold back cause like what if y'all don't want all of them at once? I think they all had family dinner as a crew but it always felt like an awkward thanksgiving with your family from a wide political spectrum... ergo Jimmy always said some shit and make someone storm off from the table.

[wrestler-smash-or-pass]

Weekly Wrapup 3/24/24 (late)

This Week's Rankings:

Lash Legend - 71.7% smash

Killer Kelly - 66.9%

Wade Barrett - 65.5%

Jordynne Grace - 65.3%

Rey Mysterio - 64.9%

Shayna Baszler - 62.7%

Angelico - 58.2%

Santos Escobar - 58.1%

Dominik Mysterio - 58.0%

Bollywood Boyz/Singh Brothers - 44.5%

Ryusuke Taguchi (Apollo 55) - 43.0%

Nick Wayne - 32.5%

Nia Jax - 28.7%

Nasty Boys - 7.1%

Average smash rating this week: 51.9%

More stats under the cut, along with my observations, commentary, and some of my favorite tags...

Most total votes this week (most enthusiasm)

Nick Wayne - 397 votes

Dominik Mysterio - 371

Shayna Baszler - 244

Nia Jax - 230

Santos Escobar - 227

And least total votes this week (least enthusiasm)

Ryusuke Taguchi - 149 votes

Bollywood Boyz/Singh Brothers - 164

Lash Legend - 173

Killer Kelly - 181

Jordynne Grace - 193

The closest poll was Bollywood Boyz/Singh Brothers, who lost 73-91.

Bottom Ten Overall

Vince McMahon - 3.9% smash

Ric Flair - 4.6% smash

Nasty Boys - 7.1% smash

Kane (Corporate variant) - 10.1% smash

Miracle Violence Connection - 11.8% smash

Gene Munny - 12.4% smash

Spike Trivet - 12.% smash

Kevin Sullivan - 13.1% smash

Triple H (Terra Ryzing variant) - 18.6% smash

Eric Bischoff (NWO) - 20.0% smash

Bottom Women Overall

Nia Jax - 28.7% smash

Eve Torres - 47.1% smash

Carmella - 47.8% smash

Nikkita Lyons - 48.2% smash

Julia Hart (Cheerleader Variant) - 49.8% smash

With an average smash rate of 51.0%, this is the lowest-scoring week yet. The overall average smash rate currently sits at 58.9%, and the previous low score was allllllll the way back in Week 1, at 52.6% average smash rate.

We also got two changes to the overall rankings: Nasty Boys made it to No. 3 on the Bottom Ten Overall list, and Nia Jax was voted the least smashable woman so far. There are still 31 men considered less smashable than her, but it's a major accomplishment to be the first woman to score significantly under 50%.

In happier news, someone finally requested one of my personal blorbos: Angelico. It has been agonizing waiting for him to be requested, so thank you to whoever sent him in. Now to see how long it takes for someone to request my other blorbo...

Rey Mysterio is more smashable than his son Dominik, 64.9% to 58.0%. Dom got 149 more votes, though.

Ryusuke Taguchi is more smashable as a member of Apollo 55 than he is on his own, but not smashable enough to get over the 50% mark (43.0% vs 28.4%).

Nick Wayne got the most votes this week, at 397. A lot of the tags said something along the lines of "he's too young right now, but let's check back in a few years." So, if this blog is still around in 5 years, I will make sure to run a new Nick Wayne poll.

And now for some of my favorite tags and comment

@dm-me-your-weltanschauung on Nasty Boys: #if you told me that this photo was from a campaign encouraging people to get tested for STIs I would believe you#or one of those “talk to your kids about sex before THEY do” things

@booboo-eyedbambi on Dominik Mysterio: #he gives me cute aggression in a way that makes me wanna squeeze him dry like an orange or burn the world down if he says he's chilly

@romanthereigns on Jordynne Grace: #I would let that woman throw me

@discow1tch on Nick Wayne: #he would 100% have been my type when I was a teenager but unfortunately I'm old now and would rather fuck his evil step dad

@supernaturalkickparty on Nick Wayne: #if anything take him to ihop gamestop and build a bear#think i saw a turtleneck shirt this past winter#he can make a christian cage bear

[queer-lovebot]

regarding your tags on the kandreil vs kerejean poll. thea is also a raven though? like loyal to them til the end. how do we know she wouldn't also fall into the same bad habits... not trying to start a fight, i'm just genuinely confused.

Oh this is fun!! The important part about this is that we must remember there is so little of Thea in context of the actual series and from what I know, there’s not a lot about her in the EC (I haven’t read it and it’s not important to the OG post anyway). That being said, we Will need to use some of the EC to fill in her already lacking character.

This is gonna be analysis-heavy so forgive me for being wordy!

Thea has ofc gone through the terrible, horrible Ravens cult brainwashing as anyone else has. We don’t see her past Riko’s death, but we can assume she reacted similarly to the other Ravens. That kind of brainwashing is extremely difficult to fight against! And then having your essential cult leader die….yeah I’m sure she was going through it.

That being said, I think she can overcome it with careful therapy and a thorough care system. I’m sure Thea has friends and/or teammates that care about her and could support her through whatever breakthrough she had. I’m sure she cares enough about her spot on the Sirens to brute force her way to recovery. I even believe some distance away from the Ravens was enough to put even a little bit of apprehension of their practices after seeing that other teams — especially Professional teams — don’t do HALF of that shit is blind to be an eye-opener.

Combine those things together and Thea has a way out. I believe she gets better — at least functional. And the reason I believe this because of Kevin and Thea’s daughter! I don’t think either of them would raise a kid unless they were starting to heal from the Nest and made leaps and bounds. I don’t even think a child would be a thought to them UNTIL all that healing is done.

I also think Kevin needs to fully step out of the Ravens mindset to heal, and that means getting rid of the buddy system, and that means separating himself from Andrew a little bit!! Just a little bit. The same logic for Jean, really. Though these will be his closest friends and confidants, I think it’s easy to fall into habits with people you have an established history with. There’s a dynamic that’s easy and if you don’t pay attention, you can stumble back into it!!

I ALSO think Thea, being as strong willed as she is, will make Kevin at least start recovering before any kind of kid is involved. The way she stormed into Kevin’s dorm after hearing the news and threatened to break up? Her high position in the Ravens? Thea Muldani fights for what she wants and she will get it one way or another if it’s something worth fighting for.

Hence the therapy, hence the child!

Ofc bc Thea is so bare bones this is me doing analysis with scraps and more so going “What can Thea give Kevin that the others can’t?”

[bl-bracket]

So I know this is sort of unrelated to the brackets, but you seem familiar with a lot of bls since you run this blog and have a large following of bl enthusiasts. I think it would be cool if there could also be a way to give people recommendations (you or your audience) so we could be more familiar with all the people in the polls (besides just watching a show blindly).

Oh this sounds like a lovely idea! I've definitely already discovered dramas that I hadn't known about before through this (I mentioned in my response to the question about my favorite BLs but I discovered DNA Says Love You from someone submitting one of the characters from it lol). I've only really been in the BL fandom for about a year and a half, so I have lots more I can learn and would love to hear more about dramas that I might not be as familiar with from y'all too!!!

During the submissions period when we don't have any active polls going on, feel free to send me any recs for dramas and I can publish them here! Could be especially smart if you have some lesser known characters you want to give a better shot at winning! I'll use the tag #show propaganda

I can start by giving a few recs of some of my favorite lesser known dramas! (Though y'all can give recs for well known dramas as well!)

Ghost Host Ghost House (2022): Kevin has come from America to visit his extended family in Thailand and to also do some ghost-hunting for his ghost hunting show online. While he's there, he meets Pluem who works for his family and is also terrified of ghosts. Things get more complicated when it becomes increasingly clear that Kevin's family is hiding something from him. I loved this show so much (binged it all in one night when I couldn't sleep)! The chemistry between Kevin and Pluem is insane and so sweet! The story itself is also great and emotional and really hits you in the feels. The main problem this drama suffers from is being too short. I think it would have greatly benefited from an extra couple episodes to flush out some more of Kevin's character and backstory, but it still is a fun watch!

My Tooth Your Love (2022): Bai Lang is a restaurant owner with a crippling fear of dentists and a bad toothache. He gets dragged by his older sister to the dentist office where one of her juniors from university is the owner/head dentist, Jin Xuan. Bai Lang reluctantly begins to trust Jin Xuan more and the two get closer, but Bai Lang is struggling with a lot more than just a toothache. Despite its silly premise, the show definitely gets a lot more serious and dark at times and definitely made me cry at a few points. Again, the leads have great chemistry and the main thing the story suffers from is its length as some of the B and C plots get lost, but it still gives a satisfying story for the main plot and is definitely worth it!

Jack O' Frost (2023): Salaryman Fumiya and illustrator Ritsu have been dating for some time now but after a fight, the two break up and Ritsu runs out of their apartment. While he's out, he gets into an accident and gets amnesia, completely forgetting who Fumiya is entirely. Fumiya, who regrets breaking up with Ritsu, sees this as a new opportunity to start again and hopefully get the relationship right this time and decides not to tell Ritsu that they had been dating and had broken up. But Ritsu wants to regain his memories and has the growing feeling that something is off about his relationship to Fumiya. This normally isn't my cup of tea (I'm not big on stories about breaking up and all of that) BUT I really liked this one. It's just such a pretty show with such a profound sense of loneliness in it, especially as it hops between flashbacks of Fumiya & Ritsu's relationship when it was going well and when it was falling apart and then cuts to how things are now. The guy who plays Fumiya really hits for me. I know the last episode was a bit of a hit or miss for some people but I liked it (and also it seems like final episodes aren't always the strongest element of the BL industry). This is also not a show to watch if you like happy stories or healthy relationships lol.

[sunny6677]

Spooky Month: The Dating Sim

Part 4

(I'm mainly just doing this because it's fun to watch, but this is basically a spooky month interactive thing/poll which is kinda like a dating sim. Of course, only the adult characters can be your love interests. So do take that in mind.)

————

You decided to help him clean up the mess.

You walked over to the counter where more towels were present, and grabbed one. He watched you curiously, his brow arched. "..what are you doing?" He inquired. Giving no direct answer, you walked back over with another towel, and you bent down. And even though it wasn't much, you began to clean up the spilled water on the floor. You could feel the wet water staining through the fabric of the towel. And you could even feel the man's gaze upon you.

The man nervously said, "He—Hey, you don't have to do that."

You replied that it was fine, and that you were only offering help for what he probably needed most. After all, you didn't exactly doubt that this day would get any better for him if you just let him clean up the mess himself.

Even though you weren't really looking at him, you could hear a bit of a smile in his voice. "..thanks, dude." He sounded as if his heart of total misery had been warmed by such a simple action. Yet even so, you said that it was no problem.

Dragging the towel from area to area on the floor, you could feel the mess slowly drying up. The man then spoke, "Can I at least help you? I don't want you to have to do everything.."

You went quiet for a moment. You tried saying that it was fine, and that he didn't need to help you.

"I—I know, I just.. I wanna help. I think it's the least I could do for someone like you helping me." As you looked up for a brief moment, you could see him giving you a smile.

After a moment of hesitation, you decided that maybe it was better to let him help than to deny his help at all. So of course, you said that he could help you, but you told him not to feel pressured to help you or anything.

In the end, he only said, "Oh.. don't worry about it. I'm kinda used to cleaning up messes around here anyway."

And so, you began to let him help you. The two of you dried the floor for a few minutes at least, though Kevin got the mess near the bucket and you got the mess that you were already cleaning. You had to admit, this felt kind of nice. Especially considering that you at least made him happy by doing this.

After a while, the two of you finished cleaning up, and the man let out a sigh of relief. "..I guess we got it all. Hopefully there won't be any more messes today.."

You merely nodded in response, but gave a smile even so.

The man then asked, "How come you decided to help me anyway?"

You replied slowly that he needed some help. And that was why you gave it to him.

The man looked away, smiling nervously. "..heh. I get that."

The man went quiet for a moment. You considered getting up to leave, but giving a friendly farewell before you did. But before you could speak, he suddenly spoke up again, "..uh.. by the way, what's your name? I should at least know the name of the person who helped me, right?"

You paused for a moment. You had just met this man, but..

[sequestered-song-skirmish]

Round 1 Poll 38

Rainbow Electronics：　「While it has no lyrics, for me it is one of the most profoundly sad songs I've ever heard. It is also a very curious listen when you know that one half of the group is Kevin Penkin, famed composer of Made in Abyss and Rising of the Shield Hero.」

Craaazy：　「the story the song tells is interesting and playful yet bittersweetly ironic, and i think the instrumentation is enjoyable as well. the narrator of the song has known and loved the person they’re singing about for a long time, and has since watched them slowly spiral into madness and detach from reality. despite it all, they’re still in love with the person. the bridge of the song delivers the twist that before losing themselves, the subject of the song actually rejected the singer; claiming, ironically enough, that the singer was “too crazy” to ever be with. maybe, in the end, they weren’t worth being with in the first place.」

[facepalming-since-chernobyl]

Looks like nic (the one who posted a clip saying Kevin was being creepy but he was actually being quite supportive and she got ratioed for it) has been suspended... again.

One would think she'd have learned her lesson the first dozen times this has happened...

Probably she was reported for otehr things too.

But her case made me think how many sock accounts those people have. The one she is currently using was made in 2021. She was suspended so far at least two times.

What makes you think about how many real fans sc and lobotomizer have. Or how they win polls.

Just saying

[stitchwraith-stingers]

8, 13, 20 🔥fop🔥

common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about - ppl who havent watched the og show on its own / enterity talking abt how coswans marriage fell apart BECAUSE of timmy's secret wish

now again i have no problem w people talking about this if its their own interpretation or au, ive said many times that on its own i think if you do it well you can make a good angst fic, however what i want people to understand is that that take came from someones analysis, and while i do have small problems w it (the 'apartnership shows them being bad for eachother' section in perticular) its just generally not a bad thing however w alot of these analysis' ppl listen to it and it goes through a game of telephone, its what happened to chloe like even before i remember if ppl mentioned her name some guy in his 40s would run to the comments to make 4 posts about how much she sucks and half the time the ppl didnt watch the show itself

i also think its making people blur the line between their own interpretation and what the actual writing intent is "omg coswan got marriage counseling in anw after slowly falling out thats cute" a fun headcanon but people speak of it like it was fully intentional, from the pitchbible coswan were always ment to love eachother wholey, its just the fact that they brought in more writers who made more "i hate my wife" jokes and it went downhill from here, but also because the og fop didnt have its own connected storyline and character arcs, and i highly doubt they planned the 50 years wish in 2002, along with the fact that the ANW writers picking up the pieces and just going off their old writing if that makes sense

as a note on the last part i will admit that coswans relationship got slightlyyy better after season 5-7 ish, keyword being slightly, they dont make explicit "i hate my wife jokes' every 2 minutes and had some cute moments but its still there just much less unbearable

worst blorboficiation - poof WHATTTT WHO SAID THAT

the twink jokes were funny for the first week now its making me want to bash my head into the wall, im also not a fan of ppl molding him into a father for dev (i.e specifically calling him dad) because A) to me it just seems like ur reducing him to one character trait alone B) hes more of a "older brother who returned from collage" type of dude who just got his first job and it isnt going well

also perirep fans, the moment i peep in and i see fanart to me its basically that one yaoi base, close enough welcome back 2018

i want more ppl to take in account the amount of shit poof has been in the og show... YEAH hes a baby and wont remember anything and hes so lenient on da rules, HOWEVER have you considered that hes just trying not to loose his first job ever and when hes not doing godparenting hes being a mischevious little fuck (the cupcake gag, "I NEVER GAVE 2 WEEKS NOTICE!!!!!!!") and foop is also slightly soppy wet, make them daffy and bugs bunny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i could probably list 2 more

part of canon you found tedious or boring - TIMMYS DAD BEING EVERYWHEREEEEE, like i get it the writers found him funny and wanted to use him more but by the time season 10 rolled around he was in basically every single episode and theyve dumbed him down to the point where he was so stupid it got annoying

crocker while i didnt like him also being shoved in every episode atleast had more going on for him because of the whole fairy hunter thing (and i liked kevin... rip kevin) and i get that realistically they couldnt do anything w the other characters cuz the voice actors left iirc but i feel like with this guy the people went "um . what do we do" and threw everything at the wall, holy shit i want to smash this guys head in with a metal poll, timmy moms can stay though

(on a unrelated note cuz i didnt wanna make a seperate post: hot take but iirc i think timmys mom was actually a good mother on her own when dad wasnt around, she just got so into him she forgor ....... if that makes sense)

[lnane]

OKAY BUT I HAVE THOUGHTS ON WHY SHAPESHIFTING IS LITERALLY OBJECTIVELY THE BEST SUPERPOWER BESIDES THE TRANS REASONS. GET READY FOR A MINOR ESSAY

So first of: Shapeshifting has many different variations. So does the rest of these. Flying can be just hovering to wings to basically telekinesis. Teleportation is a science on its own. You get it. But for the simplicity and sake of it we can assume this poll refers to them in their purest truest version of themselves. So whats that mean for shapeshifting and what are the alternatives?

First of we got the most popular variation of shapeshifting, and arguably the weakest, what I like to call the Chameleon Variation. Think the typical changelings. Mystique. Changelings in dnd. That sexy lizard from She-Ra. The ability to take on the appearance of other people, but nothing else. The furtherest in ability changing this does is that if you shift into someone with other physical abilities than you, like being more athletic or being able to sing, you might be able to mimic those (granted you have the knowledge to utilize those abilities) (Note: this is usually limited by your own biology, so even if you change into someone with super strenght you dont necessarily get super strenght, just more muscles. And that is IF you even get stronger at all). This variation is only looks. Camouflage. Outside of the benefits of looking differently, you do not get anything out of shifting (or only something minimal).

The second variation are Form Changers. These are the ones that have a determined set of forms they can change into, with very little flexibility in terms of mixing and such. These forms each typically have different utilities and powers on their own, but very rarely do you get access to both. The list of forms can increase or decrease, depending on what the plot wants. Popular examples of this is Werewolves from Everywhere, Ben 10, Beast Boy, Vampires (sometimes), Zoan Devil Fruit users in One Piece. Your shapeshifting is easily defined as "Youre either form A or form B. No inbetween". The rare occassions there are "inbetweens", those are typically treated as seperate forms.

Third variation are the Utilities, normally also the Partial Changers. These are the shifters that can shift parts of themselves to fit specific needs. They got limbs that can become tools, or they can just harden their skin, and so forth. This variation is kind of a gray zone, as there are a lot of powers that can fit into this category without being explicitly shapeshifting. Think Kevin Eleven from Ben 10, Kirashima from BNHA, Human Torch. Theyre technically doing a shapeshift to some extent, but normally their regular form is still distinguishable, and they just added something to make a particular situation easier. I also like to see this category as the half shifters. Theyre kind of it, but also not.

Basically every super power has some form of variation similar to this, different ways the power manifests and different rules to how it works. This is developed so that you can have a roster of characters with basically the same superpower without them being the exact same. But the rawest form of the power, the pure form that is the entirety of the power, can (most of the time) do all of the variations to some extent.

True shapeshifting, however, can do all these variations, and so much more.

True shapeshifting, in the definition that ive developed over the YEARS that ive had this thought, is simply true self control. You can control the shape of every aspect of your own body at any given time. Down to at least a molecular level, if not atomic or even subatomic. You determine the material of which each minuscule part of your body is made of, as well as its shape, at any given time, all the time. Now this might sound like a lot of effort, which it is, because no great power would be great without some work being required to it. So let me walk you through just how to make this power great.

So you discover you have the ability to fully control the molecules in your body. First of you need to figure out how to Stay In Shape, literally, and not just dissolve into slime all the time. This is easy part, but the most necessary as it will need to become second and first nature for you to function. The second step is figuring out how to do the basic other stuff. Id recommend learning about human anatomy and physics for this. As well as chemistry. Expect that to master this power you need to be an expert in the art of being a girl in STEM. Change the material of your skin to be sturdier. Figure out how to change your appearance. The simple stuff everyone wants to do with shapeshifting. Try to grow and shrink in size. Now this point is where its getting interesting. Because, true shapeshifting gives you the ability to control how the material of your body is built and how that looks, but it doesnt give you the instant ability to just. Create or destroy mass. So, even if you grow larger, or shrink, your mass is still the same. If you weigh 100kg reguarly, you still do even if youre now 5 meters tall. And the same goes for being 1 meter tall. Youre just more or less dense.

SO. How to fix this? Easy. Add more mass. Figure out how to fuck around with eating so you gain more molecules to work with. Doing this enough will grant you the ability to grow to incredible sizes. But this also creates a problem. The added mass doesn't go away, so eventually youll start cracking the concrete on the street by putting several tons of pressure on the point of Size 40 shoes. Thats not very good for your enviorment, especially not if you want to be sneaky about your powers. How do you solve that?

Easy answer: Gas. Just become gas. Your body is still your body no matter its material, and if you can control your own blood flow why can you not become a cloud. Just disperse a large part of yourself in the air around you. And guess what? The adding of mass and fucking around with how your body works mightve given you a lot of physical powers, like super strenght, endurance, size changing, some super speed, etc. But now? You basically have telekinesis as well. Think about it. If your body is the physical meat suit that everyone sees, as well as at least 50% of the air in a 100 meter radius, you can just. Shove things around. Without noticably touching them.

At this size you might also need to figure out more effective ways to add mass than eating. Like just absorbing large swats of material. And when you do, whats stopping you from just absorbing everything around you and just letting it be what it is. Congrats! You can now become a planet! And for everyone on that planet, you might as well just have reality warping. Not that it matters unless you want it to, because you are also those people! Try not to go insane from the potential hivemind you accidentally created.

Now you could easily stop there, or you could easily (but slowly) start sending pieces of you out into space and eventually absorbing the galaxy and beyond.

And with that level of mass under your control, you can simply do whatever you want. You are literally a god now. Any material is yours to control and you can do whatever you want. If there is any power that can sneak its way into higher planes of existence, its true shapeshifting.

If you remove the limiters commonly placed on shapeshifting as a power, someone is eventually just going to become everything. And to be fair, it makes sense that all shapeshifters are limited to not do that, because that would just make them too overpowered and that wouldnt be fun narratively. But it is funny that the argument that you could make as a child that shapeshifting can get you any power because "ill just turn into someone with [Insert power here]" is literally true. Oh universe ending level of threat has appeared? I either spawn a black hole on them or Become Them. Get assimilated idiot.

[sa7abnews]

Biden cognitive health concerns: What did Kamala Harris know? Experts warn of denial dangers

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/09/biden-cognitive-health-concerns-what-did-kamala-harris-know-experts-warn-of-denial-dangers/

Biden cognitive health concerns: What did Kamala Harris know? Experts warn of denial dangers

A majority of voters believe that Vice President Kamala Harris knew about — and covered up — President Biden’s reported cognitive health issues.That’s according to a YouGov/Times of London poll that surveyed 1,170 registered voters on July 22 and July 23.Among those who believe Biden’s health issues were kept under wraps, 92% said they think the vice president was well aware of the situation.DOCTORS REACT AFTER BIDEN’S LIVE ADDRESS TO THE NATION: A CONCERNING ‘LACK OF EMOTION’ Overall, 68% of respondents believe Biden’s decline was on Harris’ radar.”There’s no way for me to know what went through Kamala’s head or what her experience has been dealing with Joe Biden,” Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author based in New York City, told Fox News Digital.”Perhaps seeing him on a regular basis made it difficult for her to pick up on any changes,” said Alpert, who has not treated Biden.”Of course, this is just speculation, and we do not know of any formal diagnosis.”Judy Gaman, CEO of Executive Medicine of Texas, a luxury medical services provider in Southlake, previously spoke with Fox News Digital about the failure of those around Biden to seek help for the president.JOE BIDEN’S HEALTH: LEADERSHIP ABILITY QUESTIONS MOUNT AS OVAL OFFICE SPEECH GAVE NO REASON FOR EXITING RACE”Either they are in denial and have watched this take place over a period of time, so they are less sensitive to the contrast, or they are fully aware but can’t bear the thought of what happens to the family (on many levels) if Joe is no longer president,” said Gaman, who also has never treated the current commander-in-chief. Although there’s long been debate about potential signs of cognitive decline, the issue came to the forefront after the June 27 presidential debate, when Biden sparked concerns with his sometimes incoherent speech and unclear train of thought on national live television.The president, who is 81, has also appeared to “freeze” on stage during public appearances on more than one occasion.In mid-July, Biden tested positive for COVID-19, and was said to experience upper respiratory symptoms that included “rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general malaise,” according to a statement on the White House’s website.On July 23, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s personal physician, released a letter stating that Biden’s symptoms had resolved and that he would “continue to be monitored for any recurrence of illness.”White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has stated that Biden has seen a neurologist multiple times as part of routine health exams, but that he is not being treated for any neurological disorders.Outside the political arena, it is common for family members and loved ones to avoid facing signs of cognitive decline and potential dementia, experts say.”Ask any family who has dealt with Alzheimer’s, dementia or Parkinson’s, and they will tell you that what we are seeing play out [here] is classic with most families who face this,” said Gaman, whose own mother struggled with Alzheimer’s disease.”His story just happens to be playing out on the big stage,” Gaman added. “Remember, everyone rallying around Biden and covering up the truth has something personal to gain by him continuing to hold office.”In some cases, Alpert noted, signs may be genuinely missed.EARLY DEMENTIA OFTEN HAS A SURPRISING WARNING SIGN, REPORT SAYS: ‘FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES'”Generally speaking, family members who see their loved one on a regular basis don’t always pick up on the cognitive decline as perceptively as those who might just see someone on occasion,” he said.  “For example, someone seeing Grandma once a year during the holiday season is more likely to pick up on a decline than if they were seeing her monthly.”That’s because cognitive decline is usually gradual in the beginning, he noted.”Early signs might be subtle and perhaps mistaken as normal aging or stress.”In other cases, the person experiencing the decline may find ways to adapt and develop strategies to compensate for the cognitive difficulties, according to Alpert, which can make the symptoms less obvious to close family and friends. Experts agree that a denial of someone’s cognitive decline doesn’t do the person any favors.”If family members and close associates are in denial about a loved one’s cognitive decline, it can delay diagnosis and treatment of the person,” Alpert warned. FDA APPROVES NEW DRUG FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE”Dismissing an obvious issue as ‘just a bad day’ or saying ‘everyone forgets from time to time’ doesn’t help the person, and will only slow access to resources and proper management of the condition,” he added.Delaying treatment can also pose safety risks, experts agree.”Although in the short term it might be easier to look the other way, ultimately denial leads to more stress for the loved one as the condition worsens,” Alpert said.”Sometimes, getting a proper medical diagnosis provides the clinical validation necessary for the patient to actually feel understood.”In Alpert’s practice, he said he sometimes has patients who experience a host of symptoms, but don’t know exactly what is going on.  “Once I confirm the diagnosis, they feel a bit relieved to know that their symptoms are real and part of a medical or psychological disorder, and not just made up,” he said.In Biden’s case, denial of a possible cognitive disorder isn’t just dangerous for the president, but also for the country as a whole, experts say.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTERIf Biden is experiencing cognitive decline, failure to get him the medical attention he needs could be putting his health in danger, according to Gaman.”From the standpoint of the country, we need to address this as a health crisis and not a political crisis,” she said.Gaman also noted that if Biden does have one of these conditions, he may not understand the need to ask for help.”This is a prime opportunity to increase funding for research, raise awareness and encourage others dealing with this to come out of denial.”Gaman noted that she is not claiming to diagnose the president, but rather asking that the country open up the discussion on neurodegenerative disease, “especially since it’s on the rise.”Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign requesting comment but did not receive a response. For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/healthIn response to earlier outreach from Fox News Digital, the White House press office said that “health was not a factor” in Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. “He looks forward to finishing his term and delivering more historic results for the American people,” the White House said in its statement. 

[the-new-pokespe-futures]

Ok, with the Alola Dexholders winning the poll,

let’s start with them. I was in between them and the Kanto Dexholders mainly because Gen 7 was when we get to see the most alien-ish pokemon ever.

Now, before I select the first 10 aliens for his playlist, there are some rules I’m gonna have to state for all of the dexholders:

No OP aliens at the start for their first playlist (Way Big, Clockwork, Alien X, etc) unless some circumstances are there or they have some kind of niche.

Only aliens that Ben has canonically transformed in the original and reboot on-screen in the shows (just so I can have more options and be more accurate)

No 5 Years Later transformations (Also, I’m not counting Eon from Race Against Time)

When it comes to the Andromeda V, I will count them but substitutes will be made if possible.

Also, how I’m going to select the aliens based on their attributes, Pokémon teams and dexholder titles (or just a mishmash of all 3)

With that out of the way, let’s begin!

Starting with the boy from Kanto: Sun!

Now, Sun is clearly shown to be working mainly as a delivery boy. So that he could earn enough money to get his great grandfather’s island back. But that has switched to building the Poké Pelago instead. However, since his main job is working as a delivery boy, his first playlist should consist of aliens that could help in his delivery job. Therefore, the first alien I decide to give him is: XLR8 Fasttrack

The reason why I decided on Fasttrack is because he’s fast so he would be able to deliver packages more on time, and he would probably be able to run on water to deliver said packages

…

I know, I know. You’re all probably thinking: Why not XLR8? He’s faster than Fasttrack and more popular! Now let me explain why:

Fasttrack appears to be one of the more feline-based aliens, and since Sun has 2 cat Pokémon, I feel that it’s fitting.

Fasttrack is confirmed to be stronger than XLR8 so he could probably lift heavier parcels with ease.

XLR8 has claws which I feel that he would have some difficulty holding on to the packages. Fasttrack on the other hand does not have said drawback due to having more humanoid hands.

Now, with Fasttrack taking care of the land and sea (maybe), I think it’s best if I were to have an alien that can soar through the sky, I choose Jetray.

The main reason is because Sun would probably need to fly to get some packages across the globe (or just to save time). Plus, Jetray is confirmed to be able to, and I quote:

“Jetray is Ben’s fastest flier; he can fly at speeds several times the speed of sound.”

and

“Jetray is also fast enough to create sonic booms and enter hyperspace.”

Of course, Sun probably wouldn’t go this fast or else he’ll damage the packages, but he’ll probably work things out.

Next, another alien which would help Sun out in his deliveries is no doubt: Four Arms

Four Arms is only added purely because he has extra arms which would help out in carrying more packages. That’s it really. However, you could argue that Four Arms also loosely represents Sun’s dexholder title as the ‘Saver’, because of that one episode where Kevin bought a car made of pure taydenite, which is basically made out of money.

Speaking of money, considering that Sun now has Kiawe and two other employees at the end of the Sun and Moon arc,

He would probably have an alien which allows him to carry multiple packages, and what better alien than the splitting Splixson: Ditto

Now, considering that Ditto is able to split up into multiple copies, he’s able to deliver multiple packages at once which is very convenient for Sun.

Now, with all that said, we’ve got 4 aliens that helps with Sun’s job being a delivery boy. But what else is there? Well…Sun does get injured, like a lot. So, what better way to represent that with an alien that has extreme durability? Well, for Sun’s fourth alien, it’s The Worst.

Yup. The wobbuffet of Ben 10.

Now, why is he here? Well, atrocians (The Worst’s species) have confirmed to be nearly impervious to physical harm; he is able to withstand heavy physical attacks, and energy attacks. Which, definitely could’ve came in useful from the various times Sun was injured. Although, he would still feel pain.

Speaking of Sun being injured, what’s better than taking hits and not getting injured? Well, how about regeneration to top it off? Well, there’s only some aliens that has regeneration, but I feel one would suit Sun the most, that being: Lodestar

When going through the aliens that have regeneration, I feel that Lodestar suits Sun the best. With his magnetic abilities, he would be able to probably oppose the Aether Foundation by attracting anything that’s magnetic and throw it at them. He probably hates the Aether Foundation (specifically Faba) for taking his great grandfather’s island (at least, I think he hates it). So, he would probably use Lodestar to go on a revenge attack against the foundation. If not for Moon stopping him (hopefully).

Also, with Solgaleo being said as the embodiment of the Sun, but for some reason being steel type (I actually know why but I feel that it’s a bit long to explain). And since Lodestar is magnetic, it can attract steel.

Now, Lodestar is probably the one stretched the most when it comes to the aliens I chose, but this one makes more sense. Now, we know that Sun hates Faba with a burning passion. And some of us do. So what better alien to convey Sun’s rage against Faba and to represent his starter: Rath

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHIN’ TUMBLR USERS DAY AND NIGHT, RATH IS A SUITABLE TRANSFORMATION FOR SUN BECAUSE SUN’S STARTER ‘DOLLAR’ IS AN INCINEROAR WHICH IS A WRESTLER AND SINCE RATH IS PARTIALLY INSPIRED BY HULK HOGAN, IT FITS!! NEED RATH EXPLAIN MORE? WELL FINE!!!!! SUN HAS A LOTTA ANGER AND RAGE AGAINST FABA, AND MIGHT RATH ADD, DESERVES A SIRIUS BUTT KICKING!!!! RATH GETS TO DO THE WORK FOR SUN IN THIS CASE!!!!!!!

So, that’s the reason. Also, I really want to see how I would write as Rath, and it was a lot of fun. I actually don’t know if Sun does hate Faba but it seems like he does, you can correct me later on, however, Rath still works because like I said, I am going to be influenced by their teams and Sun has an Incinerorar so it works. Plus, I could imagine the scene where when Faba reveals that all of Sun’s efforts were useless, Sun would just transform into Rath and yell out something like: “LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING FABA FROM THE AETHER FOUNDATION, RATH DOES NOT LIKE YOU WENT BACK IN YOUR DEAL, AND THAT MAKES RATH MAD!!!!!!”

Now, for Sun’s next alien, I was having a bit of a dilemma as of who to choose, but like I said, I’m going to be counting one of the mons on Sun’s team. In this case, Drachma. His Stakataka if you’re confused. Since Stakataka appears to be made out of sentient bricks, what better alien to represent that than: Bloxx. Who’s just sentient Lego.

Plus, Bloxx can shapeshift, so he could help in the delivery area.

Next, for his second-to last alien, again, I was stuck on who to choose. After a while, I decided on the Amperi: Amphibian

Now, why Amphibian? Well, according to the wiki, Amphibian is described as ‘a blue jellyfish-like alien’. And at one point, both Sun and Moon were stranded for 6 months in Ultra Deep Sea. And do you which Ultra Beast is found in there? Well, you guessed it, it’s the Nihilego.

Which are basically jellyfish-like pokemon. So, I suppose it works. Also, it loosely represents that both species can damage the nervous system, with Nihilego’s neurotoxins and Ultimate Aggregor shocking Grandpa Max so much that it damaged his nervous system. Loose, but it’s there.

Finally, for his last alien, I had the hardest time thinking of who to choose. At first I thought of Portaler since he has portal generation which does reference Ultra Wormholes, but he’s non-canon and even if he is, he would probably be too OP for the first playlist. Evidenced by 5YL putting him in the Powerhouse Playlist (the link for that version of Portaler is here).

I thought of it for a while, before eventually settling on the Galilean: Gravattack

With Gravattack being able to control gravity and that he’s a living planet, it makes sense that considering how otherworldly Ultra Beasts are, it’s as if they’re from another planet. Plus, in a hypothetical scenario, in the final fight against Ultra Necrozma, he would reveal that he has a 10th alien to his allies (they probably knew that Sun has the Omnitrix by this time) as most of them only thought he had 9. That would be a pretty badass fight I would like to see.

And there you have it! The first 10 aliens for Sun’s playlist in a hypothetical scenario where the Dexholders get the omnitrix. So the recap, Sun’s playlist are:

Fasttrack

Jetray

Four Arms

Ditto

The Worst

Lodestar

Rath

Bloxx

Amphibian

Gravattack

Do you agree with me for this playlist? Please let me know! Also, I’ll do Moon’s later on. Sun already gave me a headache. I really want to see this as a drawing but I couldn’t draw, so, you can go ahead and draw if you want. But that’s all I have today. See ya next time ✌️.

[xtruss]

Only “Dirty Politics,” Not The Law, Can Stop Donald Trump

His lies will otherwise remain an effective political and legal tool

— United States | Lexington | August 02, 2023

Trump stands on the high end of a seesaw representing his popularity, the lower end being weighed down by books representing his indictment. Image: Kal

On reading the latest criminal indictment of Donald Trump, this one for trying to overthrow a duly elected president, certain feelings return with renewed power, including that stomach-churning mix of wonder, dismay and exhaustion at the volume and absurdity of his lies about the 2020 election. But a surprising new sentiment stirs as well: Nostalgia. American politics seemed so much healthier back then.

After all, in a political test without precedent since the civil war, the centre held. In fact, the right held. Mr Trump’s vice-president, Mike Pence, stood up to him, as did others within the White House. Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader in the House, said Mr Trump “bears responsibility” for the attack on the Capitol by “mob rioters”. That was a nice moment, in retrospect.

Even more inspiring, in states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania, unfamous Republican officials honoured their own integrity, without recourse to any other authority, and rebuffed the pleas and threats of a president they believed in. “Nobody wanted him to win more than me,” said Lee Chatfield, the speaker of the House in Michigan, in a statement quoted in the indictment, handed down on August 1st. “But I love our republic, too. I can’t fathom risking our norms, our traditions and institutions.” He added, “I fear we’d lose our country forever.”

Three years on, Mr Trump is in a stronger position, with a plausible path back to the White House—not despite his efforts to overturn the last election but because of them. He stuck to his lies, betting on his great gift for preying on others’ baser qualities. Even before Jack Smith, the special counsel investigating Mr Trump, brought the new charges, Mr McCarthy was trying to discredit them as an effort by Joe Biden to “weaponise government”.

On news of the indictment, Tucker Carlson’s replacement at Fox News, Jesse Watters, tweeted, “This is all politics and very well co-ordinated.” He was alleging a plot by Mr Biden to distract people from investigations into his son Hunter, but he was more aptly describing a plot by Mr Trump, who made his talking-points clear: that this prosecution is politically corrupt; that his claims were free speech protected by the Bill of Rights; and that, in any event, he was not lying, because he believed the election was stolen—because, of course, as he still insists, it was. He may need only to persuade one juror that he believes that, and he has sold plenty of shoddy products before. He is already at work degrading faith in the law as he previously degraded faith in the electoral system.

Mr Trump’s political strategy is his legal strategy, and vice versa. They reinforce each other by reinforcing delusions about Mr Trump that most Republicans believe, according to polls, including that he is the victim of conspirators out to protect their privileges from his insurgent politics. Mr Trump’s climb into his dominant position in the Republican field began in late March after his first indictment, on business-fraud charges in Manhattan.

The multiplying felony counts against him—78 so far, with more probably coming—are consuming his campaign funds, and Democrats hope they will distract him from the campaign trail. This is wishful thinking. In 2024 the Trump trials will be the trail. They will focus attention on him and his message of fearless challenge in the face of persecution.

What might break the spell? A conviction could shake even some Republican confidence that Mr Trump deserves to hold office again. But, as has been the case since Mr Trump’s political rise began, the surest protection against his return to the White House would be for other Republican leaders to tell the truth, as those state officials did after the 2020 election.

Some of Mr Trump’s long-shot rivals for the Republican nomination said the indictment showed Mr Trump was unfit for office. “Anyone who puts himself over the constitution should never be president of the United States,” Mr Pence said. But others fell in line or tried to sidestep the substance of the charges. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, did the critical-race theorists proud by attacking the interlocking power structures oppressing Mr Trump. “Washington DC is a ‘swamp’ and it is unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality,” he wrote on Twitter. He called for systemic reform so Americans could move cases from Washington to their “home districts”.

The Real Reckoning Ahead

These Republicans are making the same mistake as many Democrats in hoping that the legal system will, in the end, stop Mr Trump. After the attack on the Capitol, Mitch McConnell, then as now the Senate Republican leader, held Mr Trump “practically and morally responsible”. But he voted to acquit Mr Trump on the impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection, saying the matter was better left to the justice system. That was a fateful choice. Outsourcing the problem of Donald Trump has simply exposed more American institutions to his corrosive power.

Democrats have a tough duty to discharge, as well. They should be as zealous as Republicans in demanding rigorous investigation of Hunter Biden’s business dealings. No evidence has surfaced suggesting President Biden profited from his son’s trading on the family name, and there is no moral equivalence between the younger Biden’s influence peddling, or illusion-of-influence peddling, and Mr Trump’s attempts to subvert democracy. But excusing Hunter Biden’s ugly practices and minimising his lawbreaking serve Mr Trump’s agenda by eroding faith in the impartial application of justice.

Mr Smith’s spare statement to the public on August 1st was a bracing reminder of all that was vulnerable on January 6th, and of the bravery of the law-enforcement officials who protected it. “They defended the very institutions and principles that define the United States,” he said. Now the rule of law is at stake, too, and it is up to politics to come to the rescue. ■