Originally published at: Donald Trump Just Basically Bribed Americans to Vote for Republicans - TPM – Talking Points Memo
With his poll numbers at record lows, gas prices at record highs, and mounting signs of momentum for the Democrats, President Donald Trump just debuted a novel strategy to secure votes: bribery. Speaking at the Republican National Committee’s historically unheard of midterms convention on Wednesday evening, Trump offered to pay Americans $5,000 each if —…
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Yeah, like he’s never lied to Americans ever before! 
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Up to his old tricks again I see. The repetition of his narcissism is getting quite old.
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"I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,”
270 million over the age of 18 => $1.35 Trillion dividend. Funding that is going to require one hell of a tax cut.
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cHzcQ#se# Fetterman appears by video at GOP convention and says he’ll work with Trump
The U.S. senator from Pennsylvania described himself during his remarks as a “common-sense Democrat” who rejected socialism.
Archive link: archive.is/cHzcQ)
I wonder how @kelaine feels about this.
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Well, in theory, is this not simply offering Americans a huge tax cut by another name?
Don’t get me wrong. Trump is stupid and insane and there’s no getting around that. But, well, pretty much all elections are based on offering things to voters. “Vote for us, and you get X”
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The GOP has not become United Russia’s clone, but is certainly acting Putin-party-adjacent. United Russia, led by Putin, always boosts government spending ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections, going so far as to make “one-time” deposits in the bank accounts of voters in critical voting blocs such as pensioners, veterans and families of active military. Trump’s $1 trillion promise, however, has yet to show up in people’s accounts. Indeed, loss of the House is almost a certainty at this point, so it’s just hot air. For the scam to work, you give the bribe before the vote, and then you keep track of how everybody voted. (This was actually the case in the 2004 reelection of Putin, For example if you voted at a workplace, and the votes of all 20 people were known, it didn’t take much for the boss to figure out who voted and how. Voting wrong could be a promotion-killer or even result in ostracization.)
As Trump’s approval continues to bleed out it’s hard to say who are the constituents he has left. Christian nationalists, true believers in White Privilege, and the Special Projects Gang (includes tech bros, crypto, tax evasion caucus) maybe. The massive data center rollout globally is starting to sputter. First, it is unclear who pays for the total surveillance society and costs of robotic labor inputs. Second, regional extirpation or even extinction of the human species is not what most AI-curious people, or even political parties, have signed up for. Finally, the Money River seems to be entering a dry spell. The federal finances are already so out of whack that we go another $2.1 trillion in the hole every year, bond rates are unsustainable, and looting by insiders and well-connected outsiders (e.g. Thiel and Musk are inside-outsiders) has overtaken governance in fiscal priorities.
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The initial NYT take is that it isn’t illegal due to the timing. Payment before the election would be an illegal bribe. After the election it’s in the same category as promising a tax cut. From one article:
It is not unheard-of for politicians to tie the possibility of an economic stimulus to an election’s outcome. In 2020, Democrats in Georgia pointed to $2,000 coronavirus relief checks if their party took control of the Senate.
Jessica Levinson, who teaches election law at Loyola Law School at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, said that Mr. Trump’s statement did not seem too far afield from a promise to lower taxes.
And Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, said Mr. Trump’s promise was protected speech under the First Amendment, pointing to Brown v. Hartlage, a unanimous Supreme Court decision from 1982 that struck down the application of a Kentucky law preventing candidates from making monetary promises in return for votes. Justice William J. Brennan Jr. wrote in the court’s opinion that “so long as the hoped-for personal benefit is to be achieved through the normal processes of government, and not through some private arrangement, it has always been, and remains, a reputable basis upon which to cast one’s ballot.”
The article pointed out that he’s promised things like this before and hasn’t delivered, like a $2,000 dividend to every adult from tariffs, and the near-impossibility of finding a trillion dollars to pay for it.
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NOTE to the media, Speaking to the GOP convention makes you partial
Attorney General Todd Blanche will hit stage at GOP midterm convention
Attorney General Todd Blanche’s office pushed back against criticism of his planned appearance at the Republican Party’s midterm convention, saying his participation is legal, was approved by Justice Department ethics officials, and is taking place in his personal capacity.
The response came after former Attorney General Eric Holder criticized Blanche’s decision to speak at the Republican gathering in Dallas, calling the appearance inappropriate for a sitting attorney general.
“Attorneys general don’t talk about political things,” Holder said, according to The Hill. “He shouldn’t be there.”
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EXACTLY, send me my 5K now and I promise to do the right thing on election day.
WHAT a piece of shit my sr. senator is. FUCK HIM.
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Aha! Tired of all the winning, I see. Seeing a lot of that lately. Here’s a nice cup of koolaid to clear those silly thoughts from your head. Now go join the others.
(yes, this is snark)
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they’re both awful, but they have plenty of competition; Joe Lieberman and Kyrsten Sinema both immediately come to mind as more-or-less equally awful traitors…
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We should all say it in Bill Clinton’s accent.
I will not get conned from that conman Mr. Trump.
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trump said…
“Because we’ve done so well and because our country is making so much money that only I can make this promise to you and here is my promise, if the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate — both of them … because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” Trump declared during his headlining speech.
… … … … … … … …
I could use the $5 grand. BUT I will not take his dirty money in any case.
It’s a lie anyway. It would not come out of his pocket.
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if the republicans win the house and senate…
So no checks, sad!
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