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PaperclipPerfector  6mo ago (text post)   34918 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of October 28, 2024

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Joe Biden made the following remarks:

“Just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a floating island of garbage. Well, let me tell you something, I don’t, I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know, the Puerto Rico where I’m fr -- in my home state of Delaware. They’re good, decent honorable people,” he said. The president then added: “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”

First this guy is the gift that keeps on giving. I really suppose he lowkey wants to tank his party out of spite with juuust enough plausible deniability. Let's start with unpacking. First - he twists what was said - it was a comedian act making a joke, not a speaker. Subtle but important difference. Even Jon Stewart pitched on the controversy by saying - I find this guy funny something is wrong with me.

Second - this comes from the president, is not a part of comedy act, and the republicans decided to give democrats run for the pearl clutching gold. And without some charity there is no way to deflect (I do think personally that he meant the speakers of the rally, but let's be honest - he deserves exactly as much charity as Trump campaign and kill tony got).

Now the media didn't let it slide even if they gave him somewhat more charity. It's called gaffe, where as a comedian joke is taken at face value. But that is to be expected in a way.

Do you think this will affect meaningfully the election?

Already priced in. This "gaffe" is so benign compared to everything else going on that it doesn't rise above the level of background noise.

I predict it will sway zero (0) votes.

Swaying votes isn't the point - it's all about voter activation and turnout now.

It’s timed perfectly to Goose Republican voter turnout, however.

It seems like it largely will get the Joke out of the news coupled with JD going on Rogan.

Strong odds that Rogan brings this up -- I expect he's pretty sympathetic to jokes not landing sometimes.

His recent episode with the Triggernometry guys had discussion on it. He thinks it was ill-advised for a political event, but... eh, predictable consensus is that this is nothing.

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