The weirdest thing to me has been MAGA clinging onto the Epstein case while simultaneously pushing (or never decrying) teen marriage, teen pregnancy, and all the usual slut-shaming sex-negative shit they've always been shilling.
They love to call anyone who would read a book about happy penguins a groomer, but when we're actually counting the people who actively groom teenagers it's ALWAYS going to be mostly the very same demographic as hardcore MAGA. I can't for the life of me understand what makes them feel differently. Please don't take this as a statement that I myself think it's fine to groom and abuse children. Absolutely not, it's just in general this crowd is NOT concerned about the well-being of teenage girls. Never mind the fact that girls are starting puberty earlier every year due to reasons we don't fully understand but likely linked to industrial pollutants in the environment. These are not people known for exhibiting a complex understanding that a child wearing a bra at 10 doesn't have breasts specifically to titillate her youth pastor. I kind of hope they stick with it, but for people concerned about accountability they've never seemed interested in justice for the victims or the victims period.
Since you spend more time in right-wing fever swamps than I do, has anyone pointed out that during Epstein's glory days, Trump was also a Democrat? I'm sure Epstein considered money and power, not political party when making out his guest lists, but to a conspiracy theorist now questioning Trump, him being a Democrat back in the day might mean something.
I think this did help me understand a little better. I get why they draw the moral line at the idea of Epstein, but I didn't get why this specific instance of Epstein shit bubbling up was the one that got a reaction instead of...you know, the consistent, continual cries of "WE KNOW TRUMP ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PRICK." But your writing makes me think that even if they had heard (and even accepted) that Trump associated with this prick, the idea of him not releasing the files on everyone else would have still been a sticking point.
I dunno, is this anything? I'm sort of still trying to parse out the distinction. I get that pedophilia, real or perceived, is their big red line, but I'm not sure what makes this specific time the big break.
"Our chances of recovery as a nation are orders of magnitude higher today than they were two weeks ago. Trump has committed one of the largest, strangest, and stupidest unforced errors in American history"
Excellent post...what a bizarre almost 10 years this has been....
Thanks again for the subtext to the crazy. The only thing I hope you're not 100% on is that we are past the climax on this thing.
I really hope so too
Terrific podcast Laura! You give the historical context for Trump’s invulnerability, and then tear it down…bit by bit. God, I hope you’re right.
The weirdest thing to me has been MAGA clinging onto the Epstein case while simultaneously pushing (or never decrying) teen marriage, teen pregnancy, and all the usual slut-shaming sex-negative shit they've always been shilling.
They love to call anyone who would read a book about happy penguins a groomer, but when we're actually counting the people who actively groom teenagers it's ALWAYS going to be mostly the very same demographic as hardcore MAGA. I can't for the life of me understand what makes them feel differently. Please don't take this as a statement that I myself think it's fine to groom and abuse children. Absolutely not, it's just in general this crowd is NOT concerned about the well-being of teenage girls. Never mind the fact that girls are starting puberty earlier every year due to reasons we don't fully understand but likely linked to industrial pollutants in the environment. These are not people known for exhibiting a complex understanding that a child wearing a bra at 10 doesn't have breasts specifically to titillate her youth pastor. I kind of hope they stick with it, but for people concerned about accountability they've never seemed interested in justice for the victims or the victims period.
Since you spend more time in right-wing fever swamps than I do, has anyone pointed out that during Epstein's glory days, Trump was also a Democrat? I'm sure Epstein considered money and power, not political party when making out his guest lists, but to a conspiracy theorist now questioning Trump, him being a Democrat back in the day might mean something.
I think this did help me understand a little better. I get why they draw the moral line at the idea of Epstein, but I didn't get why this specific instance of Epstein shit bubbling up was the one that got a reaction instead of...you know, the consistent, continual cries of "WE KNOW TRUMP ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PRICK." But your writing makes me think that even if they had heard (and even accepted) that Trump associated with this prick, the idea of him not releasing the files on everyone else would have still been a sticking point.
I dunno, is this anything? I'm sort of still trying to parse out the distinction. I get that pedophilia, real or perceived, is their big red line, but I'm not sure what makes this specific time the big break.
"Our chances of recovery as a nation are orders of magnitude higher today than they were two weeks ago. Trump has committed one of the largest, strangest, and stupidest unforced errors in American history"
[looks sadly at the football, hoping, hoping...]
This was my Good & Encouraging News read for the day. The whole week, actually.
Fed my fantasy of getting to hear the lamentations of Republican women before I die.