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[Maximum Spin]

His response is in the context of being asked about violence in Kenosha, not voting.

For that matter, Proud Boys apparently released a statement saying that they would, indeed, "stand down" after being asked, which implies that they certainly interpreted it that way. Of course I'm sure someone will say that's just a nefarious cover.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I can't imagine how anyone would think that Incel al-Qaeda would be less than honest in their press statements. Just a spot of hysteria, surely.

[Rolan7]

In the context of this being an election debate, "stand back" AND "stand by" are two different directives.
Unrelated, I want to respond to some earlier posts by reiterating that voting is better than not voting.

The only reason the two party exists is because of voter apathy.  If people bothered to vote for hopeless third parties, they would literally stop being hopeless.  It's one thing to vote strategically.  There's no defense for abstaining.

And besides that, downballot votes fucking matter!  I am sorry but I am incensed at the earlier talk of "blue states" and "red states" - most states do not go straight-party for president/senators/representatives/governor, because there is more at stake than just the electoral college votes.

For fuck's sake, people, please vote for your local representatives. 

Edit:  A friend recently asked me if I'd rather he vote for Trump than not vote at all.  It was a good question.
I absolutely respect someone who selects their votes a-la-carte more than someone who votes a straight ballot.

The option to conveniently vote a straight ballot makes me very upset, and is on par with all the modern-day fascism.

[sluissa]

Just to note, and I'm not trying to defend Trump here, but I do think context is important.

The transcripts posted all imply that Trump pulled "Proud Boys" out of nowhere. But Wallace asked him to condemn white supremacists in general, and the name "Proud Boys" actually came from Biden somewhere in the chaos as Trump was asking for a specific name to condemn.

That said, Trump never came close to condemning them. The whole outcome of the thing made it seem like they were even more closely connected since he felt like he could just give orders to them and then they in turn actually said they were going to follow said orders. Now granted, I don't necessarily think it's all that strange to think that an American would follow an order directly from the President, especially when it's as simple as "Don't cause trouble."("...yet.") But god damn does that send the absolute wrong signal for such an easy pitch question as that was.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

For the record, this is how noted liberal cuck Ronald Reagan addressed the connection between racist politics and the Republican Party. It's like night and day compared to everything Trump has ever said on this topic.

And I think Reagan is a literal fucking traitor as well as largely responsible for the ecological death spiral world order that we now find ourselves trapped in and will probably be the ultimate demise of most of the people reading these words, including me!

[DemonOfWrath]

It was such a strong condemnation that they immediately turned it into a slogan and started printing and selling it on merchandise.

He couldn't say just "I condemn them.", bam, done. He told them to stand by and then immediately started talking about how somebody's got to do something about "Antifa and the left".

And funnily enough, they interpret that as a call to be ready to do something. I forget exactly where I saw it, but they were quickly talking online about taking it as orders to be ready to "fuck shit up" when needed. If anyone thinks they're taking it as a condemnation you're being very wishful.

It's not hard to read between the lines there.

At best it just shows how Trump is too much of a coward to ever say anything his supporters do is bad, as he's consistently shown over the years. Whatever he said of being willing to condemn them, when actually put to the test seconds later he waffled and deflected instantly.

[scriver]

I will not have you speak of waffles in that manner young man

[DemonOfWrath]

I condemn waffles and waffling in all of their myriad, devious forms! :3

[wierd]

This is Ameripol! Don't bring up Belgians and their WAFFLES in here! That belongs in the Europol thread!

(lol!)

[delphonso]

Don't bring up Europol! This is Ameripol - the only thread that exists!

[Rolan7]

mmm flat pastries
He can't even disavow QANON.
"I don't know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate,"

As if he's never been briefed on Qanon.  As if he doesn't suck up their worship.  Hell, I wonder how much it's informed his tirades against the "deep state".

[wierd]

Trump and Biden both, act like they are both suffering very early stages of some kind of dementia.

Seriously.  Does not fit with Alzheimers, but there are many kinds of dementia.  Trump doesn't know who or what QAnon is, other than that they seem to agree with him. (and because he's obviously "Right(tm)", that means they are A-OK.) That they are batshit crazy, never occurs to him. Again, because he is "Right(tm)". (like basically all dementia sufferers believe.)

Biden is much the same way.  This is why the debate devolved into a shitshow, rather than a calm and reasoned debate. The ability to comprehend a contradiction with one's internal narrative, and flexibly adapt and change one's position (which is essential for debate to actually, you know, WORK) is one of the things that is lost due to dementia. You have two competing "TRUTH!" speakers, who just devolved deeper and deeper into name calling and histrionics.

I am not really qualified to make such diagnoses; Hell, a proper mental health professional would be loathe to make an impromptu diagnosis.  As such, I am not saying "They totally have dementia"-- I am saying instead that their behavior is characteristic of persons with dementia.

[Dostoevsky]

And besides that, downballot votes fucking matter!  I am sorry but I am incensed at the earlier talk of "blue states" and "red states" - most states do not go straight-party for president/senators/representatives/governor, because there is more at stake than just the electoral college votes.

For fuck's sake, people, please vote for your local representatives. 

Edit:  A friend recently asked me if I'd rather he vote for Trump than not vote at all.  It was a good question.
I absolutely respect someone who selects their votes a-la-carte more than someone who votes a straight ballot.

The option to conveniently vote a straight ballot makes me very upset, and is on par with all the modern-day fascism.

Yes, this is a very good point and I feel bad for neglecting to mention it. Don't just vote for local reps, read up on the various ballot questions you may be facing too. This stuff matters, and the wording in the ballot question can't always be trusted (or even be entirely sensible, in my experience). This is unfortunately however an area where local reporting can help a lot, yet not everywhere has enough of that these days.

[thompson]

Trump and Biden both, act like they are both suffering very early stages of some kind of dementia.

Seriously.  Does not fit with Alzheimers, but there are many kinds of dementia.  Trump doesn't know who or what QAnon is, other than that they seem to agree with him. (and because he's obviously "Right(tm)", that means they are A-OK.) That they are batshit crazy, never occurs to him. Again, because he is "Right(tm)". (like basically all dementia sufferers believe.)

Biden is much the same way.  This is why the debate devolved into a shitshow, rather than a calm and reasoned debate. The ability to comprehend a contradiction with one's internal narrative, and flexibly adapt and change one's position (which is essential for debate to actually, you know, WORK) is one of the things that is lost due to dementia. You have two competing "TRUTH!" speakers, who just devolved deeper and deeper into name calling and histrionics.

I am not really qualified to make such diagnoses; Hell, a proper mental health professional would be loathe to make an impromptu diagnosis.  As such, I am not saying "They totally have dementia"-- I am saying instead that their behavior is characteristic of persons with dementia.

Disagree. Trump’s “Stand back and stand down” comment was very insightful. The man knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s a habitual bullshitter, so tends to instinctively gravitate that way. He’s also a narcissist, so cannot take any form of criticism at all. But aside from that there does appear to be method in his madness.

“Stand back and stand by”... so he intends to have his thugs keep an eye on the left, but doesn’t want them to get directly involved in violence (presumably to avoid bad press). Interesting slip up on his part. Man knows exactly what’s going on.

[wierd]

Possible;  Trump is indeed ALSO a narcissist.  That the diagnostic features become blurred there does not help matters.

However, that he has consistently failed to succeed in any real scheme he has dreamed up, suggests that he is pathologically incompetent at anything other than the confidence man act.  That means some form of planning or orchestration deficit, considering the resources he has had at his disposal. 

I 'question' if he has the mental flexibility to create such a plan.