“While four major crap fests were occurring and gobbling national attention, there were plenty of other insane side shows. These less covered events still offered schadenfreude for the less charitable liberal, ignominy for those acutely aware a sociopolitical low point was playing out on stage for all the world to see. Here are seven other absurdities you may have missed during RNC 2016.”
“Liquid assets are one challenge. Hardware is another for the Trump show. Apple and its CEO Tim Cook, declined to support the 2016 Republican National Convention in any fashion. No cash. No technology. Imagine a multi-day meeting of any kind – political, corporate or non-profit – without MacBooks and iPads. Believe it. Although Apple declined to publicly comment on its non-support of this week’s festivities, it’s pretty clear RNC leadership is a little butt hurt over the slight. A spokesman for the convention team said, “We are working with a variety of major tech partners who are focused on being part of the American political process.”
“As The New York Times reported this week, the platform also “demands that lawmakers use religion as a guide when legislating, stipulating ‘that man-made law must be consistent with God-given, natural rights.’” Anyone who thinks well-meaning public servants are attempting to blur the lines between Church and State out of zealotry for Christ, I’ve got a bridge in Atlantis to sell you. Over and again within in the Republican Party’s official legislative positions, religion is used to bludgeon and subjugate the “other.” The irony of course is that this backward-looking bullshit is the work of a scared and shrinking minority. These fools are the other now and they know it. GOP leadership is doubling down on the Man’s panic in an evolving world and culture where he’s losing the position to dominate.”
“Last week The Wall Street Journal reported that Senator Kirk raised just a million dollars in the second quarter of 2016 to Duckworth’s $2.7 million. The Congresswoman’s cash on hand is nearly double her opponent’s. In a conventional election, these numbers spell big trouble with voters going to the polls in less than three months. But this is no regular ballot year as we well know. And besides the regular problems facing an incumbent – a popular challenger, low coffers and statewide voters who lean left, Mark Kirk has one other “yuge” problem – Donald Trump.”
“The bottom line: when the Republican Party took its unified February gamble to stonewall replacing Scalia, the reasoning was already tough to follow. Moreover, the offered logic wed them permanently to the position. After all if you claim you’re exercising stubbornness in the name of democracy, it’s hard to shift gears if say, your candidate is a maniac, has no chance of winning the election and/or SCOTUS decides not to play along with the reliable ideological divide.”
becky sarwate 