Cynical Optimist
cynicaloptimist1.bsky.social
Cynical Optimist
@cynicaloptimist1.bsky.social
“Lunatic fringe. We all know you're out there. Can you feel the resistance? Can you feel the thunder?” - Tom Cochrane
Pinned
First it was J6, then it was Roe v Wade, then it was presidential immunity and dismissing the classified docs case. Republicans will do whatever they can when they have power - nothing, absolutely nothing, is safe or too big a step for them
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
This is the real gulf of America
February 15, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
Unsettling from @anneapplebaum.bsky.social:Trump isn't just trying to bully the media into submission. He's also conditioning the public to see the use of state power to cow independent truth telling as normal, and persuading MAGA to see it as good.

Our exchange:

newrepublic.com/article/1894...
December 16, 2024 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
Yesterday, Trump announced business incentives for investing in the United States.

Today, his son Eric announced a new Trump Tower was being built in Saudi Arabia.
December 11, 2024 at 6:32 PM
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This is an oligarchy.

The founders never intended people to have this much power… EVER

Stop the oligarchy
December 7, 2024 at 2:08 AM
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"Repeat after me: there was no 'landslide'. There was no 'blowout'. There was no 'sweeping' mandate given to Trump by the electorate. The numbers don’t lie."

My new Guardian op-ed on the new GOP election lie - and why it's important to rebut it! I brought (lots of) receipts:
Donald Trump didn’t win by a historic landslide. It’s time to nip that lie in the bud | Mehdi Hasan
In 2024, we have a new post-election lie – Trump didn’t just win, Republicans say, but he won big. He won a landslide. That’s false
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2024 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
While legacy media focuses on the umpeenth Hunter Biden story, they ignore that Republicans are *right now* trying to overturn the election in North Carolina by challenging 60,000 votes in the state Supreme Court race won by Democrat Allison Riggs.

I discuss with @marcelias.bsky.social:
BREAKING: Republicans try to UNDO Democratic win
YouTube video by Brian Tyler Cohen
youtu.be
December 6, 2024 at 3:22 AM
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Over time people should really start to notice that corporate media platforms in the US refuse to mention the Left in any way that doesn’t reinforced the idea that they’re dangerous and everything depends on “moderation.”
Genuinely demented that the Post completely fails to mention the alliance between Macron and the left that won the election, and how Macron created the whole mess by stabbing his electoral allies in the back www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/1...
December 4, 2024 at 8:05 PM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
Remember when Republicans had fainting spells over JUST Jen Psaki taking a job at MSNBC, decrying the apparent "revolving door" between the Dems and the network? Apparently *that's* disqualifying, but when it happens 10x as much on the right? Totally fine.
Monica Crowley would be the 10th former Fox personality to serve in the second Trump administration.
December 4, 2024 at 6:04 PM
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Reject modernity - so-called diversity, equity and inclusion - and embrace tradition - Moms out there defending their special little guys
December 4, 2024 at 4:09 PM
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The nominee to take over the FBI has publicly published a list of innocent Americans he plans to target if given the power. This is more important than finger wagging about norms and traditions.
@timmiller.bsky.social published Kash Patel's "Executive Branch Deep State" list, originally an appendix to his "Government Gangsters" book, and posted it on xitter.

50+ current and former officials who Patel intends to target.

I'm on it, for my 3 months of government service.
December 3, 2024 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
What landslide? Trump will win by 1.5% points, one of the most narrow margins in history.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Donald Trump didn’t win by a historic landslide. It’s time to nip that lie in the bud | Mehdi Hasan
In 2024, we have a new post-election lie – Trump didn’t just win, Republicans say, but he won big. He won a landslide. That’s false
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2024 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
Never forget what MAGA did to OUR house. And how they replaced OUR Flag, with his.
December 3, 2024 at 3:43 PM
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the frenzy over the hunter biden pardon is a good reminder that the press knows how to make something a scandal and has decided that nothing trump does is truly deserving of that treatment
December 3, 2024 at 1:41 PM
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A key asymmetry of this era of American politics and how it’s covered is that Trump is expected to do bad and corrupt things, so when he does it barely qualifies as news. But Dems are expected to be beyond reproach, so anything that seems even slightly suspect is a huge scandal.
December 2, 2024 at 11:09 PM
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We should never forget.
December 2, 2024 at 11:20 PM
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Why isn’t anyone saying that when Donald Trump abused his office by attempting to stop the certification of an election he lost, that he opened the door for Kamala Harris to stop the certification of this one?
December 2, 2024 at 9:23 PM
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I hope everyone is paying close attention to how the Hunter Biden pardon is being covered.

If you wondered why Trump and his cronies can betray America and commit ceaseless crimes for years without consequences but Democrats can't right obviously partisan wrongs, the current media reaction is why.
December 2, 2024 at 7:27 PM
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Sanewashing 101. Embarrassing as F, New York Times. Lordy.
December 2, 2024 at 8:23 PM
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Great piece from @wajali.bsky.social on all the "hypocritical outrage" from the GOP over the Hunter Biden pardon. He brings receipts:
Please Spare Me All Hypocritical Outrage Over Hunter Biden's Pardon
The same movement that supports and celebrates a criminal, vulgarian insurrectionist who pardons his criminal friends now feigns outrage. Here's me playing the world's smallest violin.
thelefthook.substack.com
December 2, 2024 at 1:50 PM
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Right on cue Democrats will spend a week eating each other alive over the pardon while Trump keeps setting up the most unfit government in history to rip apart lives on Day 1 unfettered by a coherent opposition.
December 2, 2024 at 2:55 PM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
Keep pearl-clutching, MAGA. Everyone else, just ignore the bad faith wailing and move on.

Here are the high-profile pardons and commutations Trump has granted during his presidency

cnn.com/2020/12/05/p...
Here are the high-profile pardons and commutations Trump has granted during his presidency | CNN Politics
The end of President Donald Trump’s time in office has been marked by a renewed interest in granting clemency – both from the President, and from members of his inner circle looking for protection bef...
cnn.com
December 2, 2024 at 4:26 AM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
Nate Silver has tweeted about pardons three times in his life. Twice today to say he won’t vote for any Democrat who doesn’t denounce Biden’s pardon of Hunter and once in 2017…to say it’s completely normal for presidents, and Trump specifically, to abuse pardon power.
December 2, 2024 at 3:18 AM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
Some will probably say now, well President Biden pardoned his son now trump will pardon everyone in his circle

Motherfuckers, he was going to do that anyway

Let’s not play that ridiculous game bullshit here
December 2, 2024 at 1:47 AM
Reposted by Cynical Optimist
pro tip: if you said nothing when Donald Trump pardoned donors, cronies, extended family members and war criminals, then sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up about Joe Biden pardoning his own son. just put a fucking sock in it
December 2, 2024 at 12:37 AM