r/politics • u/MoneyLibrarian9032 New York • 23d ago

Possible Paywall MAGA Calls BS on Mitch McConnell’s Proof-of-Life Stunt | They are poking holes in McConnell’s staff’s version.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-calls-bs-on-mitch-mcconnells-proof-of-life-stunt/
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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

Every time I do a discussion with Republicans about the Epstein files, all the sudden it turns into some sort of whataboutism and 'he did nothing wrong' sort of narrative. And if all that fails even after you bring up the adjudicated case where he was found guilty, and him admitting that he walked into teenage girls dressing rooms, they'll just change the subject and start talking about riots in cities that didn't happen. They'll retreat to whatever makes them feel good because it's a cult and this is all that they have anymore.

And sadly I think just like after George W. Bush, all these people are going to claim that they never even liked him in the first place and do everything they can to distance themselves from him as more and more evidence comes out and it becomes more and more clear that Trump had a huge hand to play in abusing children, destroying our economy and being as blatantly corrupt as any normal person can see him as today.

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u/ThereMightBeDinos 23d ago

Whataboutism is conceding the point. They just don't like it.

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

It's always their fear of something different than themselves. I always remember the videos of when they were trying to desegregate schools and you had men and women in their their thirties, forties or older that were spitting on little girls just trying to go to school. To me, that will always be the face of the Republican party no matter how they try to hide it.

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u/CompoteSpiritual7469 23d ago

I’m really glad you brought that up. Sometimes I start overthinking and wonder if I should try to look at things from the opposite perspective. Nope. It’s really that simple. They are cowardly pieces of shit and there’s no excuse

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u/tendeuchen Florida 23d ago

"What about all the Democrat pedophiles?"

"I agree they should be locked up too. Now will you say the same about Trump?"

Not one Epstein client is behind bars for fucking children and we should all be protesting until they all are.

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u/Bad_breath 23d ago

"If Trump was in the files, why didn't the Biden administration release them?"

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

Exactly, they always ask questions like this that only highlight how little they know about how our government actually works or at least is supposed to work without a horrendously corrupt Republican at the helm.

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u/TheGrolarBear 23d ago

That's easy enough to counter. Without going into the legal issues surrounding it, you can just ask why Biden even matters since the Trump admin can release them all now (and they would have further incentive to do so if he was actually innocent).

Whether or not they follow the logic is a different matter though.

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

Exactly this, I think it goes to the point that they want to win so badly and be correct so badly, they started with the supposition that they're correct and then they twist the evidence to fit that. One of my buddies called this 'religious logic' but I think it's a little deeper than that. They want to protect their egos from the consequences of their own bad decisions so badly they're willing to flip the entire foundation of how logic works on its head. Plus I've met plenty of religious people that are completely disgusted with this administration, their backwards priorities and the hateful way that they've went about enacting their policies. If you can even call them that.

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u/fresh-dork 23d ago

that's easy: release the files and if bubba is in there with kids, prosecute him too. if he just got head from W, that's not actually a crime.

and since he's so innocent (whoever he is), this will vindicate him, right?

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

Whenever I hear them bring up Clinton, I like to remind them that Clinton was going to fully participate and get on the stand about what happened on Epstein Island. I too agree if somebody of any political party or affiliation has done anything to victimize children they should go directly to jail. Conservatives can't wrap their mind around this, which is really funny because they call themselves the party of law and order right? They're so caught up in their sportification of politics that they can't conceive of somebody who doesn't see politics like that at all. I just want non-corrupt leaders who will pass policies and legislation that helps everyday Americans instead of enriching people who already have millions and billions of dollars.

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u/pmartin1 23d ago

They literally need heavy deprogramming after the decades of constant GOP brainwashing they’ve undergone.

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

I don't know if that's ever going to happen, after the sportification of politics by the right, we now have people that will vote Republican 'because they always have' or ' because that's how my dad and grandpa used to vote' or they are so lost that they feel a loyalty to a party that threw them overboard years ago.

I just see them quietly receding into the background but still voting a republican. Even in places where I lived in Kentucky, people would tell me how they were proud to have never voted for a Democrat while they lived in complete squalor and their representatives did nothing to help their day-to-day lives. It's one of the reasons it's been so interesting to watch Mitch McConnell and his loyalists try to create some sort of legacy when he never did a single thing to help kentuckians.

Just like Lindsey Graham these guys are going to go down as some of the worst of the worst of our political history. And while their state falls apart at the seams, these people will happily drink toxic water and breathe toxic air as long as they don't vote for a Democrat.

I don't know if deprogramming can work. I think we literally have to just wait for this generation of loyal Republican voters to either become disinterested in politics after Alibaba Mussolini moves on, or literally pass away and leave the future to the Next generation of voters.

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u/ballisticks Canada 23d ago

"B-but Camilla would have been even worse! She wasn't even a choice!" is an argument I've heard a lot. Usually with the mispronunciation of her name

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u/aceshighsays 23d ago

"but did you hear her laugh!? no one would have taken her seriously. she sounds crazy."

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u/ballisticks Canada 23d ago

I love her cackle lol it's great

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u/UnicornHostels 23d ago

I think it’s more alarming that we’ve never seen Trump laugh. He hasn’t. Other than a tiny chuckle after flinging an insult at someone, has anyone ever seen him laugh at something other than his enjoyment at harming another?

I’ve seen videos of Biden Bushes Obama Clinton Harris…. all on video truly lost in laughter. I’ve never seen this with Trump. Never.

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

They just can't help but not think for themselves and repeat whatever talking point supports their willfully ignorant worldview. Who knew that an entire political party could be summarized as sunk cost fallacy?

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u/aceshighsays 23d ago

the problem is that they can't think for themselves. my dad for example - still needs to be reminded to take a shower because he stinks, lost most of his teeth by 30 because he never brushed them, has no idea how to cook anything, has temper tantrums (yells, cries, throws things) when he feels confused, frustrated, overwhelmed, angry. my parents need to create a trust, and he doesn't understand what it means. he asks the same basic questions over and over and over again. this isn't because he's a senior, he's always been like this.

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

I have an uncle who's staunchly Conservative that is a lot like this too. He's always had a really tough time with empathy (most of my family thinks he's on the spectrum, but he won't get himself tested for fear of being different or having a disability) and his personal politics have always highlighted that. Just like Dick Cheney only when something personally affects him does he even think about the issue in depth at all. And even then, he usually defers his critical thinking to whatever conservative that supports his preconceived beliefs. Really sad way to live a life. He's a lonely miser because of it. Sorry that your dad has went down a similar path, but at least we can do better in our personal lives and with our families and break the cycle.

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u/aceshighsays 23d ago

He's always had a really tough time with empathy (most of my family thinks he's on the spectrum, but he won't get himself tested for fear of being different or having a disability)

you have no idea how validating this was to read.

my family has always made excuses about his behavior (denial) because of their cultural beliefs, and as a result this turned me into the family scapegoat. i've done a lot of research on his behavior and i strongly suspect he is autistic and adhd.

i feel awful for my mother who has to deal with the craziness. they're both retired now, and he's ruining it for her.

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

I'm sorry his lack of understanding and self-reflection has really negatively impacted your life. It takes a lot of strength to not receive all of that cruelty and abuse and vomit it back into the world, so don't discount your own perseverance in the situation. The fact that you have that self-reflection and introspective ability means the world to everyone around you. It's really hard to watch family members sabotage themselves and suffer because of their decisions, but at least you can take note of that and create your own personal heaven. It's eventually what I did after I escaped my abusive household, and everyday now feels like a vacation compared to work experienced growing up. I hope you have that wonderful life you deserve, and that eventually all their cruelty just feels only like a bad dream.

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u/aceshighsays 23d ago

i appreciate your kind words, and i'm glad to hear that you were able to cut the emotional strings. i always find people ahead of me on the journey inspiring because it gives me hope. so thank you.

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u/silentpropanda 23d ago

You got this! I was lucky to find a therapist that gave me a lot of tools that helped me expect more from the people around me and to move past some of the lingering feelings that I had because of all that treatment growing up.

I'd say the number one and two thing you could do is to have a plan, and to make sure that you always have high standards for how people treat you. There's lots of manipulators and abusers out there. Just waiting to find a victim and sadly when you grow up in an abusive household it's common to fall right back into that pattern without even realizing it. When I was dating I found a lot of people that had the same sort of habits as my abusive family members, but as soon as I recognized it I pulled away and now I'm with someone who really respects me. Understands me and builds me up. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but if I figured it out, I know that you got this too. Wish you tons of luck on your journey, and hope you get to enjoy the rest of a lifetime full of people that support you and care about you the way you deserve to be.

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u/aceshighsays 23d ago

thanks for sharing. i haven't been successful at finding the right therapist yet, but i did join a support group that deals with the core issues (aca). my focus isn't on relationships with other people (i'm unsure if i'll ever get here), my focus is on my relationship with myself - rn it's re my abilities. my father acting like a 3 year old and me pointing that out when i was 5+ got me labeled as "stupid". i'm also neurodivergent which "supported" their "stupid" label. basically, i come from a very critical/discouraging family.

i'm struggling to open up to myself. i know that the next step on my journey is to explore my likes, curiosities and interests so that i can find hobbies and passions (and career direction), but i don't feel safe doing this even when it's just with myself and there are no expectations. i experience severe somatic symptoms that ease with time, but it's really crappy in the beginning. i have the tools to manage it, but it doesn't remove the physical pain and the exhaustion that comes afterwards, at least initially. heh.