>

Exactly. Trump sort of did that with talking about slowing down testing because it was making us look bad. His aides kept saying he was joking and then he said he wasnt.
His whole strategy is I'll wait to see how you take it before I decide if I'm joking or not.
I mean, Jesus, when Trump said he didn't think Russia tried hacking the US in Helsinki while standing next to Putin he later said it was a verbal slip because he was trying to avoid a double negative. He probably had to have double negatives explained to him before he made that "clarification."
What Trump laid bare is that the Republican party will support anyone who isn't a "liberal" to the point of backing someone who is getting his own constitutions killed.
As long as there is power on the table for them they will call any ignorant statement genius
On Thursday night, for instance, Santos was sanctified into the echelon of MAGA saints by the Pope of neo-fascism himself, Tucker Carlson. 

That's perfect Salon >

Hey now they gotta be dead for fifty… wait no five years now to be sanctified >

Didnt you hear? Santos died in 9/11, twice! >

Was that before or after he invented the cotton gin? >

It’s hilarious that all these fiscal conservatives are OK with paying a lifetime pension to this pathological liar out of taxpayer money. >

He has to serve 5 years. Doubtful he'll be reelected. >

Yea, he's now serving a 2 year term, his first and probably last. The fact he got elected in that district shows a rather large failing on the part of NY democrats, IMO. >

But not on the Republicans who nominated him? 🙄 >

It's on you if you expect republicans to not only employ every single dirty trick they can, but for their voting base to be totally fine with it. 
Every single thing originating from republicans needs to be treated as if it's cesium 137. Failure to do so results in what we have. >

Santos is testing showing their hand-  basically testing the rabble for how strong the koolaid is, because at the end of that path, it's nothing but koolaid. >

This is beginning to feel like a "let's see how far we can go with this" type of situation. >

Trump Lite >

More like premium, but you don't get any extra features. >

Extra hand mass, less hairdo chair time, universal shoes that dont require alterations, normal sized ties.   Streamlined, efficient.  We still get all the qualities we expect, pathological lying, grifting, public embarrassment and bizarre behavior.  Just a touch more refined. >

Like your standard grifting conman, but with 15% less stench. >

And 99.9% less orange. >

I'm hoping 100 years from now - if the US survives this Johnnie Cochran style attack of constantly sowing seeds of doubt against what is obviously the truth, along with outright lies and conspiracy - that the history books will call this time "The Golden Age of Ignorance".
And the school kids will say, "How did they believe that stuff?"
Edit: spelling >

The Ignorance Renaissance. >

The Ignorenaissance >


Carlson doesn't really have arguments or evidence, but he does do a bang-up impression of someone sarcastically brushing aside nonsense. Except what he's brushing away is usually pretty serious stuff

Best description of Carlsons style. Carlson, like Trump, figured out that the sarcasm and rage will sell itself. It doesn't matter if there is evidence or substance or thought behind it. The furious tone is what sells. >


the sarcasm and rage will sell itself

Do you remember how completely fucking batshit crazy it was when Trump talked about injecting disinfectants to cure COVID?
That was nothing compared to him claiming that he was speaking "sarcastically" when he said it. But that doesn't seem to be the thing that anyone remembers about it.
What is it about sarcasm that makes it seem like a viable excuse? This was far from the first time that he or his apologists tried to wave something horrible away as sarcasm, or just a joke. 
Why isn't talking sarcastically about the cure for a deadly disease about to go on a rampage and kill hundreds of thousands of people that you're currently addressing in a press conference  seen as infinitely worse than just being an imbecile who doesn't understand how medicine or viruses or anything, really works?