If DeSantis wins

Thaluikhain

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Interesting note about that individual, Christopher Rufo:

In short, he claims a degree from Harvard in his bio. Except it appears to be a sort of Harvard add-on, "Harvard Extension School". The article quotes a policy analyst: "Harvard Extension School courses are accepted toward degrees at most colleges and universities... Do you know who doesn’t accept HES credits? Harvard College, i.e., the undergraduate institution that everyone in the world thinks of when you say ‘Harvard.’" An interesting context for a man criticising "middling, left-wing intellectuals".

The article also notes a person from the Trump White House team who described herself as a Harvard alumna, when it turns out she paid for a $82,000, 7-week course for which no entry requirements were required other than the fee. (Many universities offer these sorts of short, often CPD-type, courses). This and Rufo above are, I fear, a relatively common sort of trick - essentially to get some sort of backdoor association with a prestigious institution and exploit that grey area to present it in way that is not quite an outright lie but also clearly misleading. It may work at face value for selling themselves, but does not speak highly of their ethical standards and transparency.

Rufo's argument is not subtle: essentially, that free enquiry only counts as a principle when directed to a good or beneficial aim. Even if prettily worded, this is patently an endorsement of censorship - a good or beneficial aim is inevitably going to be decided by the state, and thereby through their control over public sector universities gives them the ability to shut down material that they disapprove of.

I also think University executives should have higher standards of professionalism than going onto Twitter and calling people they disagree with "hysterical".
As a result of this, are we going to see going to Harvard for reals not impress anyone, since they've sold out on the brand name?
 

Ag3ma

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As a result of this, are we going to see going to Harvard for reals not impress anyone, since they've sold out on the brand name?
There's a fine line between flogging extra stuff by trading off the brand name, and devaluing the brand.
 

Kwak

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"Two dozen white supremacists are outside the main Disney World entrance in Orlando right now, marching with signs featuring Gov DeSantis's face, swastikas, the n-word and homophobic slurs," activist and organizer Shannon Watts tweeted. "This is the 2023 Republican Party."

The incident on Saturday was considerably similar to a group of protesters who gathered near the same Disney World sign in May 2022, at the start of the governor's feud with the company. Protesters at that gathering also carried signs with swastikas and others that read "DeSantis Country." The governor had, prior to that incident, refused to denounce Nazi flags at another gathering in Orlando.
 

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"Two dozen white supremacists are outside the main Disney World entrance in Orlando right now, marching with signs featuring Gov DeSantis's face, swastikas, the n-word and homophobic slurs," activist and organizer Shannon Watts tweeted. "This is the 2023 Republican Party."

The incident on Saturday was considerably similar to a group of protesters who gathered near the same Disney World sign in May 2022, at the start of the governor's feud with the company. Protesters at that gathering also carried signs with swastikas and others that read "DeSantis Country." The governor had, prior to that incident, refused to denounce Nazi flags at another gathering in Orlando.
Now, now. I'm sure all those neo-Nazis are just normal, rational, everyday folks driven crazy by the fact that anyone who isn't exactly like them is provoking them by continuing to exist.
 
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tstorm823

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"Two dozen white supremacists are outside the main Disney World entrance in Orlando right now, marching with signs featuring Gov DeSantis's face, swastikas, the n-word and homophobic slurs," activist and organizer Shannon Watts tweeted. "This is the 2023 Republican Party."

The incident on Saturday was considerably similar to a group of protesters who gathered near the same Disney World sign in May 2022, at the start of the governor's feud with the company. Protesters at that gathering also carried signs with swastikas and others that read "DeSantis Country." The governor had, prior to that incident, refused to denounce Nazi flags at another gathering in Orlando.
I give that maybe 2% chance of being real. I'm not saying100% that it's a fake event put together by Democrats to hurt Desantis politically, but it's darn close to 100%.
 

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I give that maybe 2% chance of being real. I'm not saying100% that it's a fake event put together by Democrats to hurt Desantis politically, but it's darn close to 100%.
Yeah I say the same about yourself.
 
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Elijin

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I give that maybe 2% chance of being real. I'm not saying100% that it's a fake event put together by Democrats to hurt Desantis politically, but it's darn close to 100%.
Hmm, if only he made some conclusive denouncing that it wasn't okay. But until he does, it doesnt matter if you believe it's real or not, because his silence says he doesn't wish to lose that crowd.
 
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tstorm823

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"Our side would never do that, so it must be a false-flag operation."

Please stop being a Nazi apologist.
There are plenty of neo-nazis, and plenty that like Republicans, I'm not disputing that. But if you're not at least suspicious of men in full masks to hide their faces yelling racial slurs and waving Nazi flags outside of Disney World while holding a printout of Ron Desantis's face at a time when polls suggest he's the biggest threat to Trump winning the primary, then you've got some completely unprecedented levels of credulity.
 

Kwak

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There are plenty of neo-nazis, and plenty that like Republicans, I'm not disputing that. But if you're not at least suspicious of men in full masks to hide their faces yelling racial slurs and waving Nazi flags outside of Disney World while holding a printout of Ron Desantis's face at a time when polls suggest he's the biggest threat to Trump winning the primary, then you've got some completely unprecedented levels of credulity.
Is your skepticism based on your big brain, 'it's just obvious', common sense, or actual examples of precedence?
Was this previous incident...
...
the real deal, and this latest just using that as the inspiration for the false flag one?

Or, was THIS one...
...
the 'really actually for real' nazis, and the other subsequent ones just antifa in disguise?
 
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Ag3ma

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I give that maybe 2% chance of being real. I'm not saying100% that it's a fake event put together by Democrats to hurt Desantis politically, but it's darn close to 100%.
It's hardly implausible. Politicians who aggressively campaign as authoritarian, right-wing strongmen are liable to enthuse and earn the support of authoritarian, right-wing voters.
 
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tstorm823

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Is your skepticism based on your big brain, 'it's just obvious', common sense, or actual examples of precedence?
This just brings us back to Lyndon Johnson. Johnson may have signed the Civil Rights Act, but he got into office by being a southern racist. He was picked as Kennedy's VP to carry the southern segregationist votes. He had connections to problematic elements in the South. On top of that, in the summer of 1964, he had J Edgar Hoover infiltrate the KKK as part of COINTELPRO operations. And wouldn't you know it, suddenly the KKK was endorsing Barry Goldwater, Johnson's opponent for the presidency. They released statements in support of Goldwater, which Johnson then turned into advertisements for his own campaign, despite his full repudiation of the endorsement.

At the same time, outside of the Republican National Convention, men wearing suits and Klan hoods appeared carrying signs endorsing Goldwater for president. This was not klansman, these were "civil rights advocates". Because being associated with white supremacists is a bad thing in politics. This is not the last attempt to defame Republicans with guilt by fake association; as recently as 2021, fake white supremacists were positioned next to Glen Youngkin's bus for a photo op.

This is a tactic, trying to publicly tie Republicans to white supremacy, that has been repeated for the last 60 years.
It's hardly implausible. Politicians who aggressively campaign as authoritarian, right-wing strongmen are liable to enthuse and earn the support of authoritarian, right-wing voters.
It is not implausible that white supremacists might vote for Ron Desantis. What's implausible is those people thinking "hey, you know what would help Desantis win the presidency? If we put his face next to swastikas in front of Disney World!"
 

Ag3ma

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It is not implausible that white supremacists might vote for Ron Desantis. What's implausible is those people thinking "hey, you know what would help Desantis win the presidency? If we put his face next to swastikas in front of Disney World!"
The far right have a history of endorsing election candidates, so they have a history of presumably not caring about how it looks for that candidate to be endorsed by the far right.
 

Elijin

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Noticing while tstorm is fully prepared to engage in pedantry about real or not, he doesnt wish to engage with the statement about how Desantis could denounce waving swatikas and racial slurs, but doesnt want to alienate that base.
 

Ag3ma

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Noticing while tstorm is fully prepared to engage in pedantry about real or not, he doesnt wish to engage with the statement about how Desantis could denounce waving swatikas and racial slurs, but doesnt want to alienate that base.
There is another rationale, that simply talking about it increases public attention to the fact it happened, and invites wider, damaging debate of what De Santis says and does to attract the support of neo-Nazis. Thus irrespective of whether he disapproves, it is in his best interest to stay quiet - at least until possibly he can't avoid it.
 
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tstorm823

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Noticing while tstorm is fully prepared to engage in pedantry about real or not, he doesnt wish to engage with the statement about how Desantis could denounce waving swatikas and racial slurs, but doesnt want to alienate that base.
Because that's a stupid trick not worth addressing. Desantis has spoken against at least one demonstration like this in the past, it's ridiculous to hold it against him that he's not constantly apologizing for something he isn't responsible for.

And you know, Democrats haven't denounced lizard people lately, obviously that's evidence that they are lizard people.
 

Elijin

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Because that's a stupid trick not worth addressing. Desantis has spoken against at least one demonstration like this in the past, it's ridiculous to hold it against him that he's not constantly apologizing for something he isn't responsible for.

And you know, Democrats haven't denounced lizard people lately, obviously that's evidence that they are lizard people.
Is a group protesting in front of a globally known theme park, specifically naming a democrat and lizard people? Must have missed it.

Oh right, because your shit example is a hand wave that ignores this is specifically being accredited to him, and it takes nothing to say "Don't be flying swastikas and racial slurs."

I think we can all agree here, regardless of left or right, dont fucking fly swastikas and racial slurs. It's not okay.

It SHOULD be a remarkably uncontroversial statement, the only reason it isnt is if....you care about fostering the support of people who think its okay.
 
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Casual Shinji

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If it looks like a duck, acts like a duck, and quacks like a duck... it's a near 100% chance it's a democrate with a duck whistle.
 
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