https://todon.eu/@CrimethInc/112782702007709408
The Trump campaign aims to use today’s shooting as a sort of Reichstag fire to incite his supporters to step up street violence while calling for more state repression targeting his enemies of choice.
The Biden campaign has already paused all outbound communications and withdrawn their television advertisements, ceding the entire field of narrative to Donald Trump, who will have no compunction about using his status as a victim to advance his efforts to victimize others.
One of the classic mechanics of totalitarianism is that protecting the safety of the leader becomes a justification for violence against large swathes of the population.
As centrists join the far right in paving the way for totalitarian rule under Trump, we have to organize to defend our communities. If you have been in denial about the challenges ahead of us, this should be a wake-up call to find each other and prepare for them.
Beer Hall PutschJan 6? ✔Enabling Act of 1933Trump immunity SCOTUS ruling? ✔Reichstag FireFailed assassination attempt? ✔
Night of the Long Knives coming up next, and soon.
I am soooooo glad someone else is seeing the similarities. “Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it.” Well someone studied it and said “well damn, I can do it better”
Those who do study history are doomed to watch as those who don’t study it, repeat it.
Don’t know if I should feel vindicated after years of warning people about this and being mocked and derided and banned, or if I’m just sad that we’re allowing this to happen.
It’s some bizarre mixture of the two, but sadness definitely makes up the bulk.
We speedrunning now.
The Biden campaign has already paused all outbound communications and withdrawn their television advertisements, ceding the entire field of narrative to Donald Trump, who will have no compunction about using his status as a victim to advance his efforts to victimize others.
This is why we can’t have nice things. Fucking feckless Democrat leadership being timid in the face of a fascist takeover 🤦
Knowing psychology, almost any PR advisor will advise to temporarily cease media attacks against a person who’s been shot.
As a minimum, messages may need to be reworded, because Trump is likely to change his messaging after his narrow escape.
I see what you mean, but to go completely incommunicado is just shooting themselves in the foot and tacitly admitting that “Trump is even worse” is their ONLY strategy to avert what’s by now looking like almost inevitable defeat.
The interesting part: Democrat officials made public statements about going silent for a while, and those statements reached headlines even in Europe. You can go silent and still have your statements in headlines.
Also, as far as money and efficiency are involved - if they save money now, they can advertise more later. Currently, advertising against Trump would have a low efficiency, since he currently receives positive attention. I think their current action plan is “let’s wait for Trump to open his mouth”.
You can go silent and still have your statements in headlines.
Yeah, but those statements were statements of sympathy and the Dems patting themselves on the back for taking the high road. At best, they won’t do anything, but more likely those statements all help Trump.
if they save money now, they can advertise more later
Sounds good in isolation, but the campaign was at the very beginning of an emergency push to claw itself out of a hole with a major PR offensive. They can absolutely NOT afford to take their foot off the gas right now.
Later, they’ll just be bailing water from a ship that’s already on the bottom of the ocean.
Currently, advertising against Trump would have a low efficiency
Continuing to try to convince people that Biden is capable of doing the job would be just as effective and just as crucial for the survival of the campaign’s chances for success as it was yesterday.
I think their current action plan is “let’s wait for Trump to open his mouth”
Which is a ridiculously unwise plan. The right wing echo chamber music other for profit yellow press will treat any direct reaction to one of Trump’s ridiculous lies and fascist policy statements as a mean bully attacking a poor shooting victim who never harmed anyone.
They were slowly beginning to either fool the country into believing that Biden is capable or picking a replacement but now neither is likely to happen and this will be the last free presidential election.
OK, but this isn’t PR for a big budget film, this may decide whether we have a future as a republic or not.
Definitely re-worded, but to just stop altogether is foolish and so short-sighted.
Why wouldn’t it be smart to go full-on anti gun ownership as a PR response from the Democrats now?
Because you are a reasonable person.
Everytime there is a violent act involving guns and the left says that we need to do something, the right will make excuses. This will not sway a single one of them to think the guns might be the problem.
Gun sales will increase now because liberals are coming to take them.
Republicans have no principles. Democrats have no spine - Professor Alan Lichtman.
Yeah, pretty much spot on.
ceding the entire field of narrative to Donald Trump
Does anyone else see a great money grift coming on? MAGAs will be sending their entire paycheck.
This was my literal second thought after I heard what happened.
This is so bloody unreal. The main suspect was even a registered Republican. All of this according to the FBI.
There was some evidence that the Reichstag was torched by the Nazis as well. I can really do without the irony.
Some notes:
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almost no doubt: this will have a mobilizing effect for Trump supporters (“our great leader is being attacked”, etc)
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possibly: this will improve Trump’s ratings among voters with no clear political preference (a big story where he’s not the villain is what he needs)
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pattern: historically, surviving an assassination attempt has improved a candidate’s chances of getting elected; in the most recent example, Slovakia’s prime minister Fico enjoyed a boost in ratings while in hospital after being seriously wounded
I don’t blame Democrats for temporarily ceasing campaign advertisement. Two principles dictate this: “you don’t kick a person who is already down” (Trump was incredibly lucky and isn’t) and “you don’t attack someone who has martyrdom effect”. Generally, you wait until the dust settles. Democrats too will wait until the dust settles. They will also check the popularity ratings and decide how to proceed.
In my opinion, Democrats would strongly benefit from a younger candidate. I would advise getting someone under 55 to run. Among the wider population, not enough people understand that, as things are, the Democratic candidate is Kamala Harris, her name is just currently Joe Biden. :o
Overall, it seems that Trump has considerable chances of getting elected president. Preventing that will require exceptional effort and considerable luck. Only if the Democrats manage to paint a clear picture of what a Trump presidential term would bring about, and only if that picture causes their voters to show up and vote nearly without exception - only then will things turn out differently.
My personal view from Eastern Europe - contingency plans for a Trump presidency ceasing aid to Ukraine have a very high probability of occurrence now (estimated time: early 2025). Over here, everyone and their cat will researching cheap weapons systems to replace things that only the US can provide. I think that group will now include myself.
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The Biden campaign has already paused all outbound communications and withdrawn their television advertisements, ceding the entire field of narrative to Donald Trump, who will have no compunction about using his status as a victim to advance his efforts to victimize others.
Classic liberals.
Well, duh! That shooting gave him everything he could have ever dreamed of, including an absolutely perfect photo op.
And to think I had people downvoting and screaming at me in other threads when I pointed out that this would happen.
This really sucks. If you aren’t armed already. The violence ahead will be bad.
Meh
In an abundance of caution the Biden administration should keep Trump somewhere safe until the election is over.
There’s a spot just a short boat ride southeast of Mar-a-lago…
Without a doubt they will. And when he wins the election, he will ban guns and take them away. Can’t have a chance of something like this happening again.
The Party of “law and order,” folks.
Oh good, because the reichstag fire was also perpetuated by the party in question.
Yeah called this last night too. I guess America was nice well it lasted. I mean I’m still going to fucking vote, but I don’t have high expectations.
Lame and totally expected.
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