I Really Hate to Keep sending traffic to Facebook, since they’re eating the Internet already, but man have I been having fun there lately. Baiting the political partisans is like shooting fish in a barrel: easy and hella fun.
This weekend, I found and posted a meme of a Canadian flag that says, “Dear America: You elected George H.W. Bush. We gave you Celine Dion. You elected George W. Bush. We gave you Nickelback. You Re-Elected George W. Bush. We gave you Justin Bieber. DO NOT ELECT DONALD TRUMP. You don’t want to know what’s coming next.”
For those who don’t like to grace Facebook with your presence, here it is.
Don’t worry: the Democratic front-runner got her turn earlier. That meme shows Hillary with the large caption: “I DID NOT HAVE FINANCIAL RELATIONS … WITH THAT BANK.”
I’m an equal-opportunity offender, though it seems like the far-out far-right takes the bait with a lot more gusto than the far-lefties.
Unless you’ve already stomped away in a rage, you’re about to see why my long-stated advice (“Think first, react later — if at all.”) is such good advice!
Reactive
Now, with the Trump item, even considering this morning’s comment, “Your and IDIOT!” (snerk!), my favorite is from Rhonda who wrote (and this is verbatim): “The people who put this up is not even an American citizen if this was toilet paper I would use it to wipe my dogs butt GO THRUMP from a Indian American citizen”.
Now, disregarding her ability to punctuate, I just loved her comment. I noted that (by hovering her name so basic info pops up) she is not only from Florida, but works at a high school, and no wonder kids are having such a tough time of it with role models like her.
“But,” I told her, “I’ll be adopting your slogan from here on out: GO THRUMP!”
She was immediately back to deny working at a high school! She now lives in Alabama, she said, and… well, let me just quote her again: “I don’t work at a scool I’m an ex veteran who is tired of all the double talking Trump speaks his mind what the rest is thinking but to scared to say because of stepping on someones toes I know what I’m getting with Trump alittle rude but don’t sugar coat lies to get my vote I work with court house and at hospital to recover addicts my daughters dad is a school teacher in Texas Esparza is last name and he don’t like illegal Mexicans either”. I think she needs to go back to scool.
An Ex-Veteran?!
If a veteran is a person who formerly served in the armed forces, what is an “ex veteran”? But hey: GO THRUMP!
I posted a screen cap of her popup profile to show her that she had said herself that she worked at a school. “Face book did that because I would not put where I work down and there is two Rhonda Crawfords that live in brewton ala I guess that is what she does never looked at my personal page thanks for pointing that out”.
Yeah, well, Facebook doesn’t just make up places where you work and add that to your profile, but whatever. It’s 24 hours later, and it still says that. What do I know anyway? “The people” who posted the image “is not even an American citizen,” right? Because anyone who doesn’t think exactly the way she does clearly isn’t an American. Or something like that.
Still, I have a sneaking suspicion that The Donald and Hillary are tied as the Number-One recipients of the special Get Out of Hell Free card for politicians. You know, the VOID one.
Reader Choice
The “vote” between the two memes? Even though it’s been posted longer, as of this writing the Hillary image has been shared 335 times, has 381 Likes, and 17 comments. The T(h)rump image is the clear winner, with (at this moment) 646 shares, 731 Likes, and 43 comments.
So hey: GO THRUMP!
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Why stop there, at least ones for Bernie, Marco Rubio and Crooooz. The minor ones are falling fast. Maybe one of Carson being abducted by aliens 🙂
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One thing at a time. This page was long enough just featuring the front-runners! -rc
The USA Presidential election is not by “universal suffrage!” But this time, dear transatlantic cousins you’re universally suffering!
They’re called Smartphones because they ARE smarter than the majority of those using them. Like those who never get past the onscreen Alphabetic keyboard, to notice that not one but two full keyboards of Punctuation and Math symbols are also included as standard equipment.
If you want a firestorm of response, post an anti-bernie meme. BernieBots will go berserk. In fact, the only thing more vicious and childlike than a BernieBot is a Conservobot.
Looks like you need to make a “get back your American citizenship free” card….
Curious that Rhonda would call someone that presents their opinion not an American. Seems like she has forgotten about free speech and why that is important in America. I also wish someone would show her the key with the period. It is difficult to comprehend what she is saying when the thoughts (?) just run on and on.
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I do think it’s illustrative to show their thoughts verbatim — just as I didn’t edit a single letter of your comment: it’s just as concise and understandable as hers is spew and confusion. But yes, I agree: as I noted in my reaction to her above, I also think she needs to go back to “scool”! -rc
On a related note, there is no Rhonda Crawford listed on staff at W. S. Neal High School in Alabama (School staff listing link below).
http://w.s.nealhigh.al.ech.schoolinsites.com/?PageName='Teachers‘
Based on her writing style, I’m forced to wonder if she has ever been to any high school.
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A list of teachers isn’t conclusive: she could work in the office, or be a janitor, for instance. But really, I believe her when she says she doesn’t work there; I just don’t believe her apparent claim (it’s hard to parse anything she says) that Facebook randomly added an employer to her profile. More likely, she simply screwed up when setting up her profile. It’s not hard to believe she doesn’t know how much of anything works…. -rc
Does anyone else think you should have to take an IQ test before you can register to vote?
This is just another example of why you can’t have a battle of wits with an unarmed person — or rather, obliviot. You’re having WAY too much fun with this.
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It was indeed very fun to write! -rc
On a more serious note, the reason T(h)rump is doing so well is that people (like Rhonda, and others) are sick of being taken for mugs by the politicians. (Lied to, if that expression is not used stateside). Australian politics is much the same — people are totally disenchanted with the run of the mill politicians promising them the earth and not delivering. While Trump almost certainly will not make the best president, he’ll shake things up big time if he gets anywhere, and might just change the way things are done — for the better. Then again…..
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I agree that’s a significant factor. Of course, T(h)rump isn’t going to be any better. The irony is that we keep believing the lies. -rc
“Not even an American citizen” might have been code for “disagrees with me”, sure — but I’m going to guess that it’s because she took it literally about being from Canada.
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Same issue: lack of thinking. -rc
Clinton is a Goldwater conservative. Propaganda is the only reason anyone thinks the Democratic Party is on the left.
The thing about IQ tests before you register to vote hits home. Earlier, I read a news item from Arcamax.com that compared the vocabulary level of the various candidates at Thursday night’s debate.
Carson spoke with the highest vocabulary of the bunch, at a high school word usage level.
Trump came in lowest, with a third grade average usage level.
I guess the problem is that too many voters cannot understand the intelligent candidates, so they’ll vote for the person who is as educated as they are.
I also laughed when Trump retweeted about Rubio not being allowed to be President because his parents were born in Cuba. Not only is that false, but if it were true, Trump would also not be able to be President because his Mom was born in Scotland.
Unfortunately, we can’t block him, since the Supreme Court decided shortly after the civil war that Obama could be president. You can dig up the information by reading about President Chester A. Arthur on Wikipedia and other sources. His father was born in England.
Arthur and Obama are the two presidents, so far, with a parent born in a foreign country. I do wonder if Cruz’s parents bothered to file the form to have his citizenship recognized soon after birth as required by U.S. Law.
http://www.salon.com/2013/08/22/ted_cruzs_ironic_birther_predicament/ also explains that his mother must have been living at least ten years in the U.S. before Cruz was born, at least five of them after she turned 14. They have not proved that to the Consul’s satisfaction.
By the way, Trump shooting his own foot is in an image I modified and posted here.
As far as the obstructionist “tradition,” that is not a tradition, there is a precedent for Presidents in their last months in office nominating justices to SCOTUS.
Not only did President Adams nominate John Marshall to SCOTUS, he did it AFTER Thomas Jefferson beat him in the election, and the Senate confirmed Marshall in just SEVEN days.
When I see posters like Rhonda I always have to wonder if someone’s account was stolen and a troll is at work.
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That’s just your hope that people can’t really be that stupid. Unfortunately, there are people that stupid — no trolls required. -rc
Where’s Vanna White when Rhonda needs to buy a comma?
Remember the early seasons of American Idol (I’m thinking the season with Sanjaya especially) where the small contingent of public voters worked to keep the worst singer (who everyone knew wouldn’t win) in the running as long as possible? Now look at all the political candidates running for President? Makes total sense now doesn’t it?
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I’ve never actually watched Idol, but it’s a good theory! I only wish it was true. -rc
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” –H.L. Mencken
I find it highly disturbing that the biggest cynics of history are always the best prognosticators.
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And in fact, I posted that to Facebook recently too, with several others the same day, here, here and here. -rc
@Morgan, Colorado…your reference to Cynics brought this to mind:
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. –George Bernard Shaw
I hate the term “Democracy”. The US does not have it, nor does Australia. We tend to get 3- or 4-year dictators. What’s the answer? I don’t know. Maybe referendums on everything, so the politicians can’t get away with what the rest of us see as stupidity? A code of conduct for politicians, limiting them to what they prescribe for the rest of us, would be a good start. My dad used to say that businessmen should run the country, not politicians, but I’m not sure about that (Thrump’s a good example…). He also used to say that the best form of government is a benevolent dictatorship — and the few that I have seen have not been too bad, save that power corrupts and the benevolence usually gets corrupted. No easy answers.
Slightly off topic, but I ran across an interesting video a while back that shows just why Trump is so popular. In essence, he deliberately speaks in simple (mangled) English to show he is “just like” everyone else that’s tired of the politicians who speak well but don’t accomplish anything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aFo_BV-UzI
A bit late to the party here (blame a failed hard drive – RAID1 and good backups are a good idea).
David in NSW: There may be no easy answers, but one that you (and others) might find interesting to consider is laid out in “The Most Dangerous Superstition” by Larken Rose. Even pondering it might be rather difficult for many people, though.
As for this election? Well, I’m not sure there are any clowns worthy of the effort to vote.
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So often the choice isn’t “Which one do I want?” but rather “Which is the lesser of two evils?” We deserve better, but rarely get truly good choices. -rc