22 years old! Thatâs a good reminder to everyone here that the GOP is not âdying offâ. There a plenty of hateful young dicks waiting in the wings. If anything, growing up on the internet has made them even worse than their elders.
âHe jests at scars that never felt a wound.â
This is of a kind with the story about the Republican in Kansas who said the lesbian kick-boxing Indian candidate would be sent packing back to the reservation. It is the kind of thing that infects social media. Republicans think they can say such shit with impunity right up to the moment they are caught.
Among the many mysteries of Democratic campaigning over the years is the refusal to make icons out of absurdly evil or repellent Republicans. A TV Ad âThe Republican Party has changedâ could feature a parade of monsters, child molesters, fraudsters, big mouths, traitors, money launderers etc drawing simply on those who have been outed just in the past year. It would make compelling viewingâespecially among the white men who are not interested in policy arguments or being seen as Democrats but are nonetheless uneasy about the direction of the country and need a socially acceptable narrative to bail on the Republican party. An organization like MoveOn could trial run such ads in deep-red states where we donât really have a chance of winning, but where ads would be cheap and a negative branding campaign could lay the foundation for a future comeback.
More broadly, Democrats must not shirk from the argumentâwhich has been made clearly by ex-GOPers like Schmidt, Kristol et alâthat the Republican party is rotten as such, is a gangster organization. Anyone who runs as a Republican should be made to deal with the negative party brand (just as Dems for years had to deal with the brand âliberalâ as if it were a filthy word). It isnât OK to be in the Republican party. The Republican party has collapsed into criminality and hatred. Letâs message that without timidity.
The two committees said they do not condone Baleshiskiâs âhurtful and dividing behavior.â
In public, that isâŚ
In a post dated March 26, 2018, Baleshiski targeted David Hogg, a student survivor of the February Florida high school shooting who is now involved in gun-control advocacy.
The post on Baleshiskiâs page read: âIâm not supposed to speak ill of David Hogg because he is a âsurvivor.â Apparently if you survive horrific events, that makes the stupidity spewing out of your mouth above reproach. I disagree. Hogg can burn in hell, I donât care what he survived. Survivors who wage war on my country are my enemies.â
Baleshiski also shared various internet memes critical of Parkland student Emma Gonzalez and participants in the National School Walkout protest against gun violence.
[from The Hartford Courant article.]
Cue the Vermont Republican Party Executive Committee to come to his rescue screaming about how they are âruining his futureâ in 3 ⌠2 âŚ. After all, he is their kind of guy.
The hellfires of irony do so burn.
Baleshiski said a survivor of the Parkland shooting who turned to gun-control advocacy âcan burn in hell.â
In response, Franklin Graham announced a new $10 million ad buy for Baleshiski by Lucifer-PAC USA.
The GOP will play to the worst aspects of their deplorable base. Meanwhile, Democrats ignore their own base while courting these imaginary independents.
Way to keep it classy as always, GOP.
Remind me again who is the vicious out of control mob?
âHeâs a little young. This was a learning lesson,â Callahan [Former Southington Republican Town Committee chair Brian Callahan, who is managing Baleshiskiâs campaign] said of Baleshiski.
âNo candidate is perfect,â said [Anne Reilly, Berlinâs Republican Town Committee chair]
Republcans have never had any trouble attacking survivors if they have the wrong politics, c.f. Max Cleland, Jersey Girls.
But god forbid someone take a fucking knee.
Unfortunately, too many people in CT will just think, âOh well, but his heartâs in the right place.â
In re a âlearning lessonâ:
Youâve got to be taught to hate and fear
Youâve got to be taught from year to year
Itâs got to be drummed in your dear little ear
Youâve got to be carefully taught
Reading this article just made me sad for all of the energy and innocence of the Parkland shooting survivors who thought the fact that the vast majority of Americans who agree with them about the need for gun control could actually change anything in the toxic stew that is American politics now.
Whoâd want to hear that little wankerâs comments anyway. I think weâve heard enough.
Having lived there for over 20 years, I can say with some clarity that, if his name isnât removed from the ballot (due to the late date of the resignation), heâll be overwhelmingly voted in.
CT is rapidly becoming a red State. Watch what happens.
Altruism and good works have always had to face up to this kind of sewage from Republicans. It is sad that these students have to be dipped in it at such a young age. I do think they are tough enough to handle it.
He is right on schedule to be Presidential Candidate when he is in his 70s. We see great potential in this young man who shares our Family ValuesâŚ