52 Comments
Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

I was laughing just from the headline and photo which resulted in an assumption that the issue today was Black Republicans which is, to me, funny like never Trumpers are funny. (Put like that, the subjects are simultaneously funny and not funny.)

Speaking of simultaneously:

"DeSANTIS: Well, you’d be a formidable candidate, Tim."

That's funny both in today's fine satire as well as in our current reality.

And this just amused despite its complee detachment from reality:

"You want to win this thing, it’s gonna be Amos and DeSanty."

But, god, they're all quite nearly as vile as their policies *mumble mumble*...

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I keep reading "formidable" as "FORMIDABLE!" (for-me-DOB-luh) in a faux-frenchy-sounding accent. Makes the sentences more exciting – try it!

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

There’s not much white conservatives love more than a Black person who tells them they are innocent of all racism. Because they deny systemic racism but define racism solely as a personal viewpoint, they will clutch at this Black politician as if he were a lifeboat and they were drowning, and say “See?!” So this would be a very smart play for DeSantis and it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s the play he runs.

I still think DeSantis is another Scott Walker, and won’t be able to make it on the national stage. But I guess time will tell.

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Feb 15, 2023·edited Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Tim Scott one of some of their best friends who are black!

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Have you had Tim over to your house for dinner? You haven't? But he's still your best friend, right?

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Absolutely! Well, I’ve been meaning to invite him, if I had his phone number. But he’s my BBFF! Or more politely, AABFF!

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For some reason, now I'm thinking about that first scene in the first Godfather movie.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Too bad the passive sheep who inhabit Florida aren’t as passionate about democracy as the Israelís protesting Netanyahu’s attempt to escape prosecution by neutering the courts. Between DeSantis, Trump and Rick Scott there’s plenty of reasons for grandma and grandpa to get out in the streets to defend their families and themselves.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

I believe the population of The Villages is closing in on 100,000 and still growing. As Mecca for retired conservatives after they hang up their contractor's tool belt or sell the car dealership, those clowns have put Florida more or less out of reach for Democrats, and I hope the Dems don't burn money putting too many resources into it in 2024.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

I spent 7 years doing political consulting in Florida, and I can tell you that one of the main reasons Florida is now solid red is because Democrats refused to put any resources into the state. From the late 1990s right through when I stopped consulting in 2007, the Democrats' policy was that no money would be spent on any race that wasn't a 100% guaranteed win. So even in places were the Democrat was competitive, there was no money except what the candidate could personally raise.

The result was that the only picture voters ever got of a Democrat was the caricature painted by Republicans. In many places, there wasn't even a Democrat on the ballot. So by 2010, as far as Floridians were concerned, "Democrat" meant commie socialist minority-loving gay abortionist who was absolutely going to take your guns and hand your house and daughters (or granddaughters) over to Black people.

Democrats are a teensy bit better about this now, but not much. Republicans fund EVERY race, and throw more money at the ones that are NOT guaranteed wins. That's why they control most state governments, and why they keep getting control of the House.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Thanks for your insight and info, I was unaware of that. Historically, that seems like inexplicable incompetence on the Democrats' part as Florida used to be purple, at least at the Presidential level. Now it's obviously red and will remain so for the foreseeable future and the path is through Georgia and Arizona.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

I think a lot of people don't know how much state party organizations matter, and that, well, some of them just suck for reasons that have nothing to do with the politics and demographics of the state itself. A crew of lazy incompetents gets in, hires more lazy incompetents so they won't look bad by comparison, decades go by with no turnover and the only skill they develop is excuse-making. Wisconsin used to be that way. The party has better leadership now, and I won't say they're infallible but they're in there fighting like the old gang never were.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Especially poisonous is the smug idea that "Expertise" consists mainly in knowing what NOT to do. Don't put money into that candidate, she's a sure loser, don't talk about that issue, it doesn't focus-group well. If the medical profession defined expertise in the same way, we'd all die in childhood of measles.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Bingo!

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Man! That was one stacked card!

I'm clean outta food stamps for another week, but I'll be back to the parlor Wednesday.

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My experience as well. I used to question whether the Democrats were a real political party or the equivalent of the Washington Generals, a team of actors being paid to lose. I now believe they are real, but either way, the result is the same.

From getting to know them better, I think the explanation is that they think working class white people living outside of more civilized areas are too just too uncouth and stupid to bother with. They'd rather lose than mingle with people who drive trucks and own guns.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

My MAGA FLa. brother can literally see The Villages from his house: his berg, Fruitland Park, keeps selling the city's unbuilt land to the Villages corp (no idea what it's actually called), and it's corporate boundary has crept closer to his "Florida House" (he has one in the mountains in a obnoxious gated "lake community", and was here to force the sale of the farm, and thus my home...that's not going to go down quite as he likes.)

He did mention they were bad neighbors, and the residents a snobby bunch.

One might hope for a sinkhole, but, as the Mayor of San Francisco said in 1909, looking across the bay at Oakland, "I guess there are some things even the earth won't swallow."

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"the population of The Villages is closing in on 100,000 and still growing"

At the inflated rate its residents illegally cast their ballots, that could result in up to 400,000 votes. Of course, when caught they do have to attend a 24-hour civics course. (Meanwhile, Crystal Mason is still in jail.)

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“Fuck The Future: DeSantis/Scott 2024”

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Feb 15, 2023·edited Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Motherfucking genius.

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Feb 15, 2023·edited Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Having clicked the link about Scott's "antiWoke" education bill, I can see a tome (wholly inaccurate and indefensibly misleadingly titled) "The Conscience of a Black Conservative" coming from Regnery Press soon. There is no such thing as a conservative conscience.

I'm certain Ron can find a Veep who looks at him the way Pence did the FOOTOO.

Miserable power hungry sons of bitches...

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Burgess Owens, from Utah. Black! Conservative! Super Bowl Champion!

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Sorry, hasn't taken enough hits to the head to be a Republican Senate candidate, let alone a candidate for President.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

And then they all head for Mar-a-Lago.

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When u said "diversity inititiative," I thought u meant "we accept all kinds: ities, wops, dagoes, and guineas!"

[there are doubtlessly more to be found in the bottomless encyclopedia of American epithets for then-unwanted ethnic groups…]

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Meatballs.

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You've gotta give Trump credit for playin' the oldies. Anti-Italian bigotry is so 1920's.

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There's a cringey-in-retrospective bit in Firesign Theater's "An American Pageant" where they give a pretty comprehensive list.

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Roy really knows shoes!

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

I know, it's impressive, isn't it? If there was a Substack equivalent of the Academy Awards, Roy would win Best Wardrobe hands down.

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And then, someday, the internet will flame out over a viral paparazzi post of Roy, thru the kitchen window, slouching around in faux-flannel fleece pajamas and those old heelless slippers, stabbing a cigarette out in his coffee cup. Sad.

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"You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes? You look like a rube."

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

And really, when you think about it the main difference between Hannibal Lecter and many conservatives is Lecter is more refined.

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That "good bag" was memorable writing from the first I heard it. And, of course, his delivery was perfect.

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I rewatched EEAAO with the alpha female last night as a Valentine’s Day-adjacent activity. In one scene, Waymond, I think it was, lay unconscious. Alpha-universe GongGong wakes him up by taking an empty shoe and holding the open part over his nose. I bet you could have identified the cobbler, Roy.

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And by “cobbler” I don’t mean blueberry.

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I'm leading our film club meeting next month – EEAAO is the choice. Diving into the production backstory now to prep for it. There's some good stuff in there. I won't spend too much time on the (Academy Award nominated) special effects and editing, but there's lots of choice interview details about how they got it done on the cheap during lockdown.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

I was thinking the same! I had to look them up to get a visual.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

This is just so well done, in the handling of the awkward silences, the way DeSantis uses his power to humiliate, so cringe-inducing and yet I enjoyed every line of it. Let's add this to the ones that go into that off-off-Broadway production we're planning.

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Feb 15, 2023·edited Feb 15, 2023

The screenplay would be an Edward Albee vs Flannery O’Connor mashup.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Some of these folks, especially Pence, I just can't figure. Sure, I know there's an insatiable desire for attention, but they've all got more money than they could ever spend, why not just take up fishing or gardening and spend more time with the grandkids? But part of being a right-winger is that the grandkids all hate you, so that's out.

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I loved Nikky calling "Juan." (And that that's the aide's name.) As far as I'm concerned, this was a non-fiction transcript of an actual occurrence.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

BTW, Byron Donalds is the guy who was just on Fox "News" saying "the only reason Pete Buttigieg is Transportation Secretary is because of his intersectionality." Keep an eye on this guy, he's got the potential to rise high in the party.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

The DOT secretaries of the past--Elizabeth Dole and Elaine Chao come to mind. Whatever their qualifications for the job, it's pretty clear neither of them would have gotten it if they weren't hetero--IYKWIMAITYD!

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Ah yes, I've observed him; he's a real piece of shit, which I guess is synonymous with your assessment.

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He will rise to the top of the catbox when it is shaken.

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Oh you...2 marks!

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C'mon, give the guy a break. There's lots of intersections! You gotcher train crossings, yer 4-way stops, those crazy european traffic circles, alla them damn bike lanes takin' up parking spaces and makin' people crazy when the just wanna turn right! Even the cloverleafs are nasty – I mean, just the other day I got a whiff of one and gave me a nosebleed...

Oh, wait. That was clove leaf.

Nevermind.

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Feb 15, 2023Liked by Roy Edroso

Obligatory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN3_c1OnA3s

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I dedicate this performance to the memory of Herman Cain.

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"Well, they could, they very well could." Hahahahahahahaha!

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"Plantation, and High-End Extended Stay Hotel Styles"

As opposed to the more historically accurate "Plantation, and Extremely Low-End Forever Stay Hovel Styles"...

Sorry, my riposte was a little too contorted for my taste, but it just leapt out at me...

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