DC Unrest Megathread

[Alben Barkley]

They ran out of goalposts, folks.

No more "Just wait until all the votes are counted!"

No more "Just wait until the Electoral College votes!"

No more "Just wait until the state legislators overturn the electoral college!"

No more "Just wait until Congress rejects the electoral college!"

No more "Just wait until Pence rejects the electoral college certified by Congress!"

It. Is. ALL. OVER!!!!

All but the REEEEEEEEEEEEEing!

[Alben Barkley]

Anakin = John McCain

Yoda = FDR

Obi-Wan = LBJ

[Alben Barkley]

Didn't I tell the doomers all along it would all work out? Despite all the weeping, moaning, and gnashing of teeth... At the end of the day Democrats have absolute control over the White House, House of Representatives, and Senate for at least 2 years.

Just as I said they would.

LOL people were calling me a stupid "bloomer" and wetting their pants/beds all this time LOL. If you only had FAITH that good would ultimately triumph in the end, just as Dr. King said it would, you would have KNOWN all this time and not had to worry!

Stop shaming doomers!

There was a very real reason to freak out and the events of yesterday are proof.  Did I think such actions would succeed? Before yesterday, yes I did think there was a small chance. Watching yesterday unfold, I didn’t think it would.  But the fact that Trump literally attempted a coup is justification for every bit of dooming.

What do you guys want, when you shame doomers?  Us to admit you were right?  You were right.  Now stop taking every chance you have to make fun of us for being worried that Trump would do exactly what he did yesterday.

My friend, I promise you that my post was in no way intended to disparage you. I want us ALL who believe in liberal democracy to shake hands and move forward now, regardless of whatever petty disputes we had in the past. I don't even blame you for being terrified of the GOP and Trump; as I said in another post, they took us to the brink. They REALLY stress tested our democracy, no doubt about that. Beyond even what I expected in some cases; I make no claim of being 100% right because I was not. You, of course, were not either. Nobody did and nobody could have predicted EXACTLY what went down here. My posts here are more than anyhing about an incredible relief that my faith paid off in the end; frankly I am actually almost surprised that it did. They are not in any way intended to insult those who were more pessimistic throughout this whole process. I totally get it. What I want not is absolutely not for you to feel shame, but for you to feel the same relief and happiness I do now. We will assuredly disagree on a lot going forward, but we all have a lot to celebrate in that we sided with the winning team on the fundamental question of whether American liberal democracy could stand. That's no small thing, and we ALL deserve to celebrate it.

[Alben Barkley]

Didn't I tell the doomers all along it would all work out? Despite all the weeping, moaning, and gnashing of teeth... At the end of the day Democrats have absolute control over the White House, House of Representatives, and Senate for at least 2 years.

Just as I said they would.

LOL people were calling me a stupid "bloomer" and wetting their pants/beds all this time LOL. If you only had FAITH that good would ultimately triumph in the end, just as Dr. King said it would, you would have KNOWN all this time and not had to worry!

Stop shaming doomers!

There was a very real reason to freak out and the events of yesterday are proof.  Did I think such actions would succeed? Before yesterday, yes I did think there was a small chance. Watching yesterday unfold, I didn’t think it would.  But the fact that Trump literally attempted a coup is justification for every bit of dooming.

What do you guys want, when you shame doomers?  Us to admit you were right?  You were right.  Now stop taking every chance you have to make fun of us for being worried that Trump would do exactly what he did yesterday.

Dems won a presidential victory through three states by <1% margins, held the House by only four seats, and only barely obtained a tied senate through two razor-thin runoff elections. Oh, and Trump did exactly what we all knew he'd do-- stage a violent coup by using his basement-dwelling homunculi army as cannon fodder. The Doomers were absolutely right to worry.

Also no one would be making these same statements if the GOP hung on to power, admit it! A trifecta is a trifecta is a trifecta. Totally irrelevant in the end how close it was.

[Alben Barkley]

I get the feeling Mr. Barkely has been consuming quite a bit of margaritas in the last 2 hours.

To start, he actually gave praise to Bernie Sanders' state!

YES!!!

YES!!!

IT'S OVER!!!!!!!!

Terrorism LOSES!

Fascism LOSES!

Conspiracy theory LOSES!

Hatred LOSES!

Authoritarianism LOSES!

Narcissism LOSES!

It's OVER, it's finally OFFICIALLY over!!!

Thank you Vermont!!!

Margaritas??! What state do you think I'm from, Florida???

It's bourbon, of course!

Lots and LOTS of bourbon!!!

But fortunately for everyone, it's been almost entirely happy bourbon, not angry or sad bourbon.

Also yes, I'll give Bernie's state credit where it is due. They pushed us over the top officially!

[Alben Barkley]

Also yes, I'll give Bernie's state credit where it is due. They pushed us over the top officially!

Just gonna quote this for posterity's sake.

You know, the next time we go back to the old Atlas ways of intra-party shouting matches  

I welcome and look forward to it! Seriously!

Didn't I tell the doomers all along it would all work out? Despite all the weeping, moaning, and gnashing of teeth... At the end of the day Democrats have absolute control over the White House, House of Representatives, and Senate for at least 2 years.

Just as I said they would.

LOL people were calling me a stupid "bloomer" and wetting their pants/beds all this time LOL. If you only had FAITH that good would ultimately triumph in the end, just as Dr. King said it would, you would have KNOWN all this time and not had to worry!

Stop shaming doomers!

There was a very real reason to freak out and the events of yesterday are proof.  Did I think such actions would succeed? Before yesterday, yes I did think there was a small chance. Watching yesterday unfold, I didn’t think it would.  But the fact that Trump literally attempted a coup is justification for every bit of dooming.

What do you guys want, when you shame doomers?  Us to admit you were right?  You were right.  Now stop taking every chance you have to make fun of us for being worried that Trump would do exactly what he did yesterday.

Dems won a presidential victory through three states by <1% margins, held the House by only four seats, and only barely obtained a tied senate through two razor-thin runoff elections. Oh, and Trump did exactly what we all knew he'd do-- stage a violent coup by using his basement-dwelling homunculi army as cannon fodder. The Doomers were absolutely right to worry.

Also no one would be making these same statements if the GOP hung on to power, admit it! A trifecta is a trifecta is a trifecta. Totally irrelevant in the end how close it was.

Well as a determinist I know there was no alternative to this outcome, but the Doomers were nevertheless correct that this would be close and that Trump would attempt a coup. Also that's pretty good for a meme I'm sure you made while heavily intoxicated.

Aw man, why did you have to go back to the yellow avatar? Was that determined too?

And if you're really sure that everything is determined, was I then not also right to be certain the doomers would be wrong? After all, being "almost" sort of right is not by any means the same as ACTUALLY being right.

But in any case, I really don't care about being right or wrong anymore. I AM heavily intoxicated, and I will gladly accept your compliment on my meme-making skills at a moment at a time when I can barely separate the "A" and "E" keys properly.

I just hope everyone can realize I have literally been looking forward to this moment for almost 5 years. Everything else, all our other petty disputes, have just melted away and look ridiculous in comparison to our shared fight against authoritarianism.

[Alben Barkley]

Joe Scarbrorough just said Donald Trump should be arrested and jailed today for insurrection. He also is angrily asking why the hell the Capitol police were not prepared for this.

The man might as well be speaking for me; when I lived in DC, as he says, we would get screamed at by cops near the Capitol if we couldn't prove we had business there at a particular time. Yet somehow, some way, cops take selfies with terrorists and smile, just let them waltz over barriers.

This is literally the best evidence BLM could ever have asked for. Indisputable now that black people and white people get a TOTALLY different response from cops at all times no matter where they are.

[Alben Barkley]

Joe Scarborough is now angrier than I have ever heard any human being before. He literally just screamed the F word at the top of his lungs on national TV. I am not kidding.

He seems absolutely certain that if black people tried the same thing Trumpers tried earlier, they would have been "shot in the face" and now is screaming fiercely and literally pounding on the table in rage. Calling for the arrest and imprisonment TODAY of every member of the Trump family.

PATRIOT!

[Alben Barkley]

Josh Hawley, the stupid f--king c--nt who started all this, seems to be under the impression that everyone will just forgive and forget!

NO!

We will NOT!

I hope dumbass never lives this day down for the rest of his pathetic "career."

[Alben Barkley]

"Where did you learn your trade, you stupid f--king c--nt, you idiot? Who ever told you that you could work with men???"

This pretty much perfectly sums up how I feel about Hawley and any GOP traitor going along with him.

[Alben Barkley]

So if I got it straight VP Pence ordered the NG in (without legal authority) and three governors sent state militia to federal territory beyond jurisdiction to enforce law.  

Thank god no R governor back Trump here, in hindsight we were a few bad calls away from waking up to an armed conflict

Hell if anything I'm pissed Hogan didn't send his NG in.

[Alben Barkley]

It literally cannot be shared enough:

SADDEST LOSERS EVER!!!

SAD!!!

[Alben Barkley]

[Alben Barkley]

Is Trump legally liable for the death of that cop? I’d say he should be. He has blood on his hands.

[Alben Barkley]

We had people with Nazi and Confederate symbols storm the Capitol, something the actual Nazis and Confederates were never able to do. It’s just crazy.

[Alben Barkley]

You know, I wonder if all the Cubans and others in Florida who voted for Trump because they thought BIDEN would somehow be the one to turn the US into a banana republic are regretting it now.

[Alben Barkley]

Trump apparently admitted to McCarthy that he's partly responsible:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-trump-admits-to-house-gop-leader-kevin-mccarthy-that-hes-partly-to-blame-for-violence-at-u-s-capitol/

[Alben Barkley]

I find it extremely unlikely McConnell will actively lobby Senators to vote for conviction.

Maybe not but what could happen is enough show up to convict for a quorum, but most of the rest of the Republicans stay home so they can wash their hands of it. Can still be convicted with 2/3 of “those present” according to Constitution.

[Alben Barkley]

Feel free to expel Lauren Boebert for something like this. Easy way to earn her more attention and popularity on the right, for expelling her over something as small potatoes as this. I feel sure she'd be returned in the resulting special election.

Aiding and abetting terrorists in the Capitol in their attempts to assassinate the Speaker of the House is not "small potatoes."

And I'm f--king sick of negotiating with terrorists. I don't care how it looks or who is martyred or whatever the f--k. This CANNOT be tolerated. Period.

[Alben Barkley]

Feel free to expel Lauren Boebert for something like this. Easy way to earn her more attention and popularity on the right, for expelling her over something as small potatoes as this. I feel sure she'd be returned in the resulting special election.

Aiding and abetting terrorists in the Capitol in their attempts to assassinate the Speaker of the House is not "small potatoes."

And I'm f--king sick of negotiating with terrorists. I don't care how it looks or who is martyred or whatever the f--k. This CANNOT be tolerated. Period.

you aware of how her district would likely see her being expelled due to her insistence on carrying guns in the Capitol, aren't you?

I really don't care you, do you?

>says they care about democracy
>also wants to expel other party rep for behaving exactly in line with how she campaigned before voting in election mere months ago

By this logic, if she was elected campaigning as a Nazi who wants to exterminate the Jews, we should be cool with it if she shoots Jon Ossoff in the face. Apparently I’m supposed to be concerned about the optics of expelling her in her district, as if they could elect anyone worse anyway.

LOL, what the f—k drugs are you taking, man? What are you on about? What kind of absurd, illogical nonsense even IS this? It’s totally incoherent, vacuous babble and a garbage non-argument even by typical “both sides” standards.

This woman gave information to terrorists seeking to assassinate Nancy Pelosi about where to find her as their insurrection was ongoing. She implied they were patriots re-enacting “1776” for their insurrection at the same time. She now refuses to follow Capitol rules, but that’s the absolute least of her issues.

[Alben Barkley]

Can’t believe the National Guard inside the Capitol looks like a far more refreshing and democratic sight than civilians inside the Capitol, but here we are. These people clearly actually care about their country and respect what it stands for. Can’t be said for Trump and his cultists.

[Alben Barkley]

Sean Patrick Maloney now also claiming that some of the “new, conspiracy theory believing, gun-toting” Republican members were showing some of the terrorists around the Capitol the day before the attack.

Gee, wonder who that could be...

[Alben Barkley]

https://twitter.com/USA_Polling/status/1349450495430184960

Presumably, folks on the left are split between "no" and "unsure" because many of typical folks have no idea who or what "antifa" is since, well, it's not really a thing except in the right wing media.

It says 11% of Biden supporters think Antifa was involved, so I'm just not going to put much stock into it.

Edit: And 15% of democrats. Usually these YouGov questions give wonky results.

Yeah the first YouGov poll found wildly higher number of Republicans supported the insurrection than later polls did.

[Alben Barkley]

Sean Patrick Maloney now also claiming that some of the “new, conspiracy theory believing, gun-toting” Republican members were showing some of the terrorists around the Capitol the day before the attack.

Gee, wonder who that could be...

F(inks]CK YOU BOEBERT! GET OUT OF MY STATE!

Sarah Palin should thank god every day for her because she now has someone she can point to and say “See! I’m not THAT crazy!”

[Alben Barkley]

The real goal here is to avoid conviction by the Senate. He'll succeed.

Maybe but being a pariah shunned by corporate America with his businesses destroyed is gonna hurt him even in his best case scenario where he avoids both Senate conviction and criminal conviction after he leaves office.