The GOP / RNC

[Nodack]

Hilarious.

Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, and a MAGA Meltdown
https://dnyuz.com/2024/01/30/taylor-swi ... -meltdown/
The conspiracy theories coming out of the Make American Great Again contingent were already legion: that Ms. Swift is a secret agent of the Pentagon; that she is bolstering her fan base in preparation for her endorsement of President Biden’s re-election; or that she and Mr. Kelce are a contrived couple, assembled to boost the N.F.L. or Covid vaccines or Democrats or whatever.

“I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month,” Vivek Ramaswamy, the conspiratorial presidential candidate, turned Trump surrogate, pondered on social media on Monday. “And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall.”

The pro-Trump broadcaster Mike Crispi led off on Sunday by claiming that the National Football League is “rigged” in order to spread “Democrat propaganda”: “Calling it now: KC wins, goes to Super Bowl, Swift comes out at the halftime show and ‘endorses’ Joe Biden with Kelce at midfield.”

MAGA is petrified of Swift. She has a lot of loyal fans and she isn’t a Trump fan.

[Nodack]

Republicans now say it might be okay to ignore the Supreme Court
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... r-BB1hrItf
A consequential development of the Trump era is what increasingly looks like the Republicans’ acrimonious divorce from the rule of law.

The party that once prided itself as the law-and-order side has leaped headlong into highly speculative theories about the “weaponization” of the justice system, spurred by former president Donald Trump. Both Trump and his former lawyer Rudy Giuliani recently flouted civil defamation verdicts against them by continuing to defame their victims — cheered on by many on the right. Republican voters increasingly want a president who is willing to break both rules and laws to get things done.

By Friday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) had gone on CNN and indicated that it would be okay to disregard the Supreme Court in certain circumstances.

“We all agree that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land,” Stitt said. “And if the Supreme Court gets something wrong — for example, if they tried to ban and say that we didn’t have a Second Amendment right to bear arms — I think the Constitution supersedes somebody in Washington, D.C., telling us, you know.”

The Supreme Court is the institution we charge with interpreting our Constitution; we now have a sitting U.S. governor and a congressman suggesting it’s okay to ignore what the court says if you have a different interpretation. (Tapper noted to Stitt that Democratic governors could seemingly do the same in restricting gun rights beyond what the court says is constitutional — by arguing that it’s just that important to protect their citizens.)

These kinds of comments certainly lay the rhetorical groundwork for a pretty unthinkable future clash — especially given they come from a party that has demonstrated increasingly little regard for the current application of the rule of law.

[Superbone]

Those wacky people! MAGAs say the darndest things!

[Mori Chu]

You must follow the law, the Constitution, and the decisions of the highest courts ... unless we don't like them.

[Nodack]

And of course the other side is expected to follow the decision of the highest courts without question whether they agree or not because that’s the law.

[In2ition]

I was elected to Congress! I'm going to be rich!!

[Mori Chu]

[Split T]

Two straight posts showing how gross politics are

[Nodack]

What can be done about it? They will never vote for oversight. Every politician in Washington should be audited every year.

[Superbone]

Have you guys seen some of the Taylor Swift conspiracy theory stuff on Fox News? I thought they were joking but they were dead serious. These people are nuts!

[Nodack]

I won’t watch that crap. I guess paying $787 million for lying last time didn’t even phase them.

[Superbone]

I won’t watch that crap. I guess paying $787 million for lying last time didn’t even phase them.

Of course I don’t watch FOX news but I saw clips on King Charles. That’s the show Barkley is doing with Gayle King. It’s pretty entertaining actually.

[Nodack]

I haven’t seen that show yet.

[Mori Chu]

Wow, this would be big if it sticks. The Oregon obstructionist Republicans may be banned from running for office.

[In2ition]

Wow, this would be big if it sticks. The Oregon obstructionist Republicans may be banned from running for office.

Meanwhile, Jamal Bowman wouldn't know anything about this, because of course.

Dems won't even kick out Bob Menedez, because of course.

[Mori Chu]

This article, by Jonah Goldberg (a Christian conservative and Republican) should be required reading for all MAGAs and general GOP conspiracy theorists.

[In2ition]

And then it's behind a paywall.

[Nodack]

Pentagon to MAGA world: You need to calm down over Taylor Swift
“The absurdity of it all boggles the mind,” said one senior administration official.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/0 ... t-00139292
The claims by Fox News and far-right influencers that pop star Taylor Swift is part of a Pentagon “psychological operation” to get President Joe Biden reelected, and somehow rig the Super Bowl to benefit Kansas City Chiefs tight end (and Swift’s boyfriend) Travis Kelce, has been met with forehead slaps in the national security world.

“We know all too well the dangers of conspiracy theories, so to set the record straight — Taylor Swift is not part of a DOD psychological operation. Period.”
Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokesperson

Another U.S. official called the theory “laughable” — indeed, could not stop laughing throughout the conversation — adding that “I really can’t believe this is a thing.”

“Is this Team Trump’s new Comet Ping-Pong pizzagate?” the first official said.

Some officials understandably believe the phenomenon is not worth a second thought.

“I mean, I love Taylor Swift, of course, but I haven’t spent more than two minutes thinking about this,” said a senior DOD official.

[In2ition]

I don't understand the whole Taylor Swift thing, and haven’t spent any time trying to figure it out even though this has been discussed here quite a bit for some reason.

[Nodack]

I was just making fun of MAGA conspiracy theory number 7,832. It has certainly been discussed elsewhere around the country quite a bit.