SethFeb 13, 2024
๐ฟ๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐’ถ "not yet begun to fight"

Look, when you're voting for a President you're not actually voting for just one guy. You're actually voting for every single member of their staff from the Vice President on down, the people who have the lunch pail type jobs who do the nuts and bolts daily grind work of holding our democracy together.

So forgive me if I think you a little naive for framing this as "one old guy vs another old guy". Remember that a vote for one of those "old guys" is also a vote re-affirming the first black female vice president in history plus a thousand other staff members that both she and Biden vetted between them.

And a vote for the other "old guy" comes along with about a hundred fucking traitors and moochers and grifters and seditionists and convicted fraudsters and rapists and literal white supremacists, most of whom are his own fucking family members.

Feb 13, 2024 at 6:29amWeb
Show threadoldguycrustyFeb 13, 2024

@Lana

Yes. Such an important point.
One consistently overlooked in the media.

Show threadtuban_muzuruFeb 13, 2024

@Lana

All that's true - and I'm grateful to you for reminding us it's not just the person at the top of the ticket.

As Congress grows ever more hidebound and feckless, it tends to kick politically troublesome topics over the fence to the Executive and SCOTUS SCOTUS, which should be guided by the law, has lost its gravitas - nobody respects this Roberts Court.

And the President's job is too big for one person. Over time, the VP has assumed more responsibility, but it's becoming a problem.

Show threadKaliFeb 13, 2024
@Lana Exactly! one old guy has his staff vetted by his party and has โ€”a gun to his headโ€” political pressure to not do anything weird. Trump will literally be cheered on by his pile of reactionaries whenever he says whatever sludge that comes out of his head
Show threadKirkFeb 13, 2024
@Lana Yes! Not to mention all the people they will nominate and appoint.
Show threadDarnell Clayton Feb 13, 2024

@Lana @meltedcheese #JoeBiden does not have to promise me anything to get my support.

Whyโ€ฝ Because #Biden would still be better than #DonaldTrump, the latter who is an insurrectionist facing a litany of crimes.

I do not desire to have an authoritarian suffering from a Messiah complex as President, as #Trump will tear down Western civilization because he fails to understand the importance of #NATO.

Show threadWndlBFeb 13, 2024
@Lana @RickiTarr It is right there at Project2025.org plain to see
Show threadMacCruiskeenFeb 13, 2024
@wndlb @Lana @RickiTarr right, [expletive deleted] plans to reshape the whole executive branch to partisan loyalists. Part of what has kept the federal government stable is the professional staff that doesn't turnover every four years. That would change, and it would be bad.
Show threadWndlBFeb 13, 2024
@maccruiskeen @Lana @RickiTarr How many Americans have ever even heard of Senior Executive Service, which is, in my experience, kinda like a priesthood?
Show threadRRBAug 20, 2024

@wndlb @Lana @RickiTarr Hmm. I just came across a weird name collision. Can we convince the NRA that Trump is pushing gun control?

https://annual2021.afsp.org/project2025.htm

AFSP 2021 Annual Report

As 2021 comes to a close, we canโ€™t help but reflect on the past two years and the unprecedented upheaval we all have experienced personally, professionally, and socially due to the global pandemic. While we have faced unexpected challenges and stressful uncertainties, one thing we are grateful for is how we have come together as a nation to #StopSuicide.

Show threadWndlBAug 20, 2024
@rrb @Lana @RickiTarr nice try
Show threadDavid HarlanFeb 13, 2024

@Lana

A vote for Trump is a vote for

Show threadSFborn1940Feb 13, 2024
@Lana A president is as good as his advisors. These are the people who are deeply involved in various areas of concern, and they know who does what in Washington and in the outside world.
Trump's ego demands "yes men" under him - a fatal flaw.
Show threadmichellelaverickmusicFeb 13, 2024
@Lana Iโ€™m from England so no skin in this game. If I was US citizen Iโ€™d have no choice but to vote Biden. I have no choice here but to vote Stammer. But what does have to be ask is how both countries democracies managed to end up selecting candidates no one actually wants. Two party states eventually means domination by single partyโ€ฆ
Show threaddilletanteFeb 14, 2024

@michellelaverickmusic @Lana

In a democracy it is always choose the best of a bad lot. But without democracy you end up with far worse.

Show threadmichellelaverickmusicFeb 14, 2024
@dilettante @Lana - Indeed, i think you are right. It's also true we get the democracy we demand. Fundamentally, I think both UK and US democracies are long overdue for radical reform - as they don't really do what they say on the tin - which is to represent people. They represent vested interests and wealthy/powerful lobbying. Most of our processes haven't been overhauled in decades and, in some cases centuries - a time when most decisions were made by white elderly men...
Show threadChookMother ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿฆ˜Mar 3, 2024
@michellelaverickmusic @Lana Same problem in Australia and I think it has to be the influence of big corporations funding the right wing parties.
Show threadJeffrey D. StarkFeb 13, 2024
@Lana sure but the leader has the final say on things....
Show thread๐ฟ๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐’ถ "not yet begun to fight"Feb 13, 2024
@JStark tell me you failed high school civics without telling me you failed high school civics
Show threadThe Animal and the MachineFeb 13, 2024
@Lana @HollyGoDarkly
Great point! Also more than that even. Youโ€™re voting for the appointee of the Supreme Court lifetime nominations and the structure of the US military. You are voting on the veto of every single federal law. You are voting directly on the Executive and indirectly on the Judiciary and Treasury.
Show threadRoy Brander๐ŸFeb 13, 2024

@Lana

When The West Wing started, the intention was to have Martin Sheen barely seen, barely welcome in meetings because everybody would be too nervous. It was about the Team Behind The Scenes, what was behind that appearance, or speech, or bill-signing.

Even though Sheen played a Fantasy President - Nobel Prize, Chess Grandmaster, and savvy pol - even he couldn't "be President"; its far too hard! Ten specialties, it takes a team to be President.

And Trump CANNOT build one.

Talk about THAT

Show thread๐ฟ๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐’ถ "not yet begun to fight"Feb 13, 2024
@RoyBrander well said
Show threadForRealDoughFeb 14, 2024

@Lana

Sorry folks,

Unless and until you can point to accomplishments by Biden, this just smacks of woke tokenism.

โ€œBuh, Buh, Buh, Trump!โ€

The check is coming due on SARS, and the cost of sleepy joe letting it rip is gunna make it a WWF grudge match between Satan and the devil.

Too bad we Dโ€™s hate them so much we took gestures at gender, skin color, sexual orientation, and owning the cons over good policy.

I know, I know.

But your MSNBC talking points wonโ€™t save us in November.

Show threadForRealDoughFeb 14, 2024

@Lana

Remember when the first black man to be president really pissed them off, and thatโ€™s all we got?

Besides a broken promise to codify Roe, his crushing of occupy, intensifying of drone strikes, and my healthcare premiums have skyrocketed since?

He made out good though.

Buncha mansions on the oceans.

Show thread๐ฟ๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐’ถ "not yet begun to fight"Feb 14, 2024

@BigBadDog

"Unless you can point to accomplishments by Biden..."

You lost me right there bubba. Because I can. And also I won't. I've known you for exactly 30 seconds and enjoyed none of them. I'm sure as shit not taking homework assignments from you. Google exists. Use it. I know you won't.

Show threadM.S. Bellows, Jr.Feb 14, 2024
@Lana @[email protected] Yeah, fuck that fucking fucker.
Show thread๐ฟ๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐’ถ "not yet begun to fight"Feb 14, 2024
@msbellows where do these fascist simps come from and why do they think the fediverse is a good place for them
Show threadM.S. Bellows, Jr.Feb 14, 2024
@Lana They come from X and they're here to cause us pain. Duh.
Show threaddilletanteFeb 14, 2024

@Lana

"He's not Trump" is the killer argument for me.

Show threada fading echoMar 3, 2024
@Lana
Seems fair.
Of the two available plausible candidates, one team is better than the other in a range of ways.
Show threadRein of forgivenessMar 3, 2024

@Lana you are correct.

It's a vote between two old senile men.

That's what everyone should be upset about.

Show thread๐ฟ๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐’ถ "not yet begun to fight"Mar 3, 2024
@joehill literally the opposite of what I said but sure go off bro
Show threadChookMother ๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿฆ˜Mar 3, 2024
@Lana Possibly the sanest post I've seen on this subject. If Biden had a coronary tomorrow, Harris would just pick up and carry on.