Thursday, May 25, 2017

All eyes are on the Montana special election and their body slamming GOP candidate. Update!

Even before last night's incident this race was pretty close according to Five Thirty Eight: 

Most pollsters gave Gianforte the lead. Gravis Marketing had him up 49 percent to 35 percent. A Change Research poll put Quist closer, with Gianforte ahead 49 percent to 44 percent. Two Google Consumer Surveys put into the field over the last three weeks actually had Quist up by 7 and 14 percentage points, respectively. In other words, there’s a wide spread in the publicly available data.

However since Gianforte went all  roid rage on that Guardian reporter there has been a significant shift in perceptions of the race.

For one thing Gianforte lost a newspaper endorsement: 

We're at a loss for words. 

And as people who wrangle words on a minute-by-minute basis, that doesn't happen often. 

What happens even less — hopefully never again — is a Montana candidate assaulting a reporter. While there are still questions left unanswered about GOP House hopeful Greg Gianforte's altercation with Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, eyewitness accounts, law enforcement investigations and records are all shocking, disturbing and without precedent. 

That's why The Billings Gazette editorial board is also doing something without precedent: We're rescinding our editorial endorsement of Greg Gianforte.

And that was only one of three.

Of course as reported yesterday the Gianforte campaign is asserting that THEY were the injured party.

And of course the Right Wing media has been quick to jump to their defense.
Sadly for them however there was a local Fox affiliate who were eyewitnesses to the incident:  

As the time for the interview neared, Gianforte came into the room. We exchanged pleasantries and made small talk about restaurants and Bozeman. 

During that conversation, another man — who we now know is Ben Jacobs of The Guardian — walked into the room with a voice recorder, put it up to Gianforte's face and began asking if he had a response to the newly released Congressional Budget Office report on the American Health Care Act. Gianforte told him he would get to him later. Jacobs persisted with his question. Gianforte told him to talk to his press guy, Shane Scanlon.

At that point, Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, "I'm sick and tired of this!"

"Then began punching the reporter." Boy there's a bumper sticker for you.

The Fox News team also added this:

To be clear, at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte, who left the area after giving statements to local sheriff's deputies. 

In response to these statements Gianforte has been charged with misdemeanor assault.

Now this being Montana, apparently beating the shit out of someone for asking a question is not necessarily the end of your campaign, so Gainforte could still win this.

But if he does win it could be the worst possible outcome for the GOP.

Courtesy of CNN:

If Gianforte loses, he -- and the story -- disappear. Republicans would immediately blame his last-minute implosion for the defeat, allowing them to avoid the idea that the race should be properly read as a national referendum on Trump and the recently-passed American Health Care Act. (Worth noting: Before Gianforte's choke-slam on Jacobs, the race had been tightening due to the corroding national environment for Republicans.) 

Now, consider what happens if Gianforte wins. Some time between now and June 7, he will have to appear in court to face the assault charge. And based on the audio provided by Jacobs as well as the eyewitness reports from a Fox News crew, it's hard to see how he doesn't get convicted. (Nota bene: I am not a lawyer.) 

What do Republicans do then? Every member of leadership will be asked, daily, whether seating Gianforte represents a willingness to look the other way. And for a party already struggling with branding issues, that's not the sort of story House Republicans need bouncing around Washington. 

If they don't seat Gianforte, then what? Can they force him to resign? And would that mean -- as I suspect it would -- another special election where the Democratic nominee, Rob Quist, would almost certainly run and might well start as the front-runner due to the controversy surrounding Gianforte? 

Gianforte losing is a bad story for national Republicans. Gianforte winning might well be a worse one.

Those are good points.

All I know is that an election in Montana that had once been well off my radar, has now become much too fascinating to ignore.

Update: Gianforte won. Proving that this is indeed Trump's America.

That is until we rise up and take it back from him.

32 comments:

  1. Grey One talks sass1:48 PM

    It is obvious to me that Derek Hunter does not wear glasses. My glasses cost $300 + including safety lenses. They are not that easy to break. The force needed to break them is considerable.

    Derek needs to walk a mile in another's shoes. Hope his journey makes the front page.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:58 PM

      bullshit mine are over $600 and my kid broke them when we where just playing around.
      It's obvious you go to cheapo glass to buy your crap 300 glasses

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5:09 PM

      Doesn't matter if NOTHIGN got broken. You don't put your hands on someone else in anger, when that person is trying to do their job. A job that you agreed to participate in by running for public office. A job that is protected by the First Amendment. Anyone questioned by a reporter has the right to say, "no comment." If it is private property, you can ask the reporter to leave. You don't get to punch them.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous2:15 PM

    http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/5/25/1665997/-Two-Counties-to-Watch-in-Tonight-s-Special-Election-in-Montana

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:23 PM

      Gianforte won, he apologized, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan made, and he supports #45 MAGA. *gack*

      dowl

      Delete
  3. Anonymous2:22 PM

    Greg what the fuck his name is from Montana thinks Noah (the dude with the make believe ark in the buybull) is a hardass worker and you should be too!

    Noah From The Bible Didn’t Retire, So This Likely GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Doesn’t See Why You Should

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/09/greg-gianforte-montana_n_7536568.html

    Who is that?

    n a February talk at the Montana Bible College about how to find “godly purpose” in work, Gianforte explained why retirement isn’t consistent with biblical teachings.

    “There’s nothing in the Bible that talks about retirement. And yet it’s been an accepted concept in our culture today,” he said. “Nowhere does it say, ‘Well, he was a good and faithful servant, so he went to the beach.’ It doesn’t say that anywhere.”

    “The example I think of is Noah,” he continued. “How old was Noah when he built the ark? 600. He wasn’t like, cashing Social Security checks, he wasn’t hanging out, he was working. So, I think we have an obligation to work. The role we have in work may change over time, but the concept of retirement is not biblical.”

    Jeebus!

    His nut didn't fall far from the nut tree!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous3:44 PM

      Does the moron even know that WE PAID into social security for years?
      And this nut managed to run a software company?

      I don’t care about Noah and his ark; people didn’t live to be 80-90 back in those days. Anyway how does he know that building the ark wasn’t his retirement hobby:)

      Delete
    2. And yet this guy doesn't actually "work". He sold two companies, made millions and now he lives off his investments. I think he serves on a board or two but that isn't exactly a 40 hour work week with 2 weeks off in the summer for a stay-cay.

      So, another Republican hypocrite. Big surprise.

      As for Noah, he thinks the earth was only 6,000 years old and dinosaurs were on the ark. Yes, he is big time into that creationism museum in redneckistan.

      I guess we know who Trump will put in charge of the Dept. of Ed. if Betsy DeVos quits.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous4:12 PM

      Maybe Jeebus explained all that chit to him!

      Maybe that's why he's running for orfice, to explain it to all us plebes and heathens.

      Then Jeebus told him to choke out the reporter?

      Delete
    4. Anonymous5:11 PM

      "Lives off his investments" aka is paid interest on his surplus money. Something called usury and explicitly forbidden by his buybullshit.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous2:30 PM

      This is exactly why their bashing of the poor and unemployed is so ironic. They don't work, they collect passive income. It's called "passive" for a reason. Also there are all the parasites born into 1 percenter families who get into sinecures, or fake jobs, at their parents' companies so they have the social status of a professional job and paycheck but they do nothing for it but play golf and have high end vacations under the guise of doing business.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous2:51 PM

    I just read that many people have cast absentee ballots so they don't know how this will affect the outcome.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:56 PM

    The douchbag will win in a landslide ... 2/3 of votes already cast; and the body slam just solidified his street crowd among the Neanderthals. Big win tonight for the Rethug.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous3:29 PM

      With all due respect to the Montanan IMer who posted here yesterday, what you said, 2:56 PM!

      If he's convicted, a misdemeanor. In other words, "there's more where that came from" if anyone dares try to challenge him again!

      Good LORD.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous3:23 PM

    I have a daughter who recently moved down there and has been working for the Quist campaign. She'd been canvassing houses yesterday, but hadn't heard about the incident when I called her and asked if she'd heard about Gianforte "snapping". He'll probably still win, but at least my daughter will have a story to tell!

    ReplyDelete
  7. About mail in ballots have already been turned in and Montana doesn't allow you to change your vote if you use mail in. That's maybe 50% of the vote.

    If Republicans jump ship and vote for the Libertarian, Quist wins. If fence sitters and independents vote for Quist (or even the Libertarian) Quist wins.

    What Democrats are hoping for is last minute registrations that will vote for Quist.

    The problem here is that "hope". The DNC ignored this race for too long and didn't infuse money into the campaign until after Quist had been royally smeared by the Gianforte camp. Now, after the mail in ballots have been cast they're suddenly realizing they could win and are gearing up at the last minute. They made the exact same mistake twice before.

    We need a 50 state plan and ALL candidates need support, not just the ones the DNC thinks will be an easy win or sure thing.

    This is why Tom Perez has been a failure in leadership. He is part of the same old same old. The progressives are the ones going rogue and supporting candidates like Quist with their little $25 donations because the PARTY isn't doing squat.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous4:07 PM

      The Democratic Party hasn't done squat for decades.

      No wonder Rahm fit right in.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:38 PM

      Gotta agree, 4:07 PM.
      Where the hell are they?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous5:06 PM

      Excuse me, but I am in my fifties, caucused for Hillary, and have dutifully been sending my $25 donations to Quist and 0ssoff. I did the same for three Democratic Senate candidates; Catherine Cortez Masto, Katie McGinty, and Maggie Hassan, as well as a few other important races.

      Are you so sure that it's all "rogue" progressives supporting these people? 0r are a good chunk of them the same old retired teachers, firefighters, etc., that have been doing it all along? I really wish that Democrats would quit attacking each other and realize that our differences are very small........and that the finger pointing only makes Republicans and Russians happy!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous5:14 PM

      I dunno - why don't YOU get involved with your local Dem Party and push them in the right direction. Pipeline it. Or kiss your country good-bye.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous3:35 AM

      Montana, very unpopulated state, is extremely conservative. This New Jersey criminal was already winning in the votes that were cast early. I'm amazed that the Democrat did as well as he did.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
    6. Anonymous2:37 PM

      The Founders made a YUUUUUGE mistake when they gave sparsely populated areas an undue share of control in government, with the Senate that gives 2 votes to a state no matter how few live there and by extension the Electoral College that scorns the choice of the popular vote. There are way too many sparsely populated states in the northern Rockies and prairie region that do not merit getting a whopping 12 senators in DC to California's 2.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous5:06 PM

    But the local Sinclair owned news wouldn't carry the story. Fuckers.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous6:58 PM

    Can Rob Quist Pull The Upset? The Live Montana Special Election Updates Here

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/05/25/rob-quist-pull-upset-live-montana-special-election-updates.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. The body slammer won.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:08 PM

      Welcome to Montana.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:48 AM

      No, welcome to Trump's America. This kind of behavior and politics isn't my America.
      Right now, I miss President Obama so much. The class, the intelligence, the concern, and his cool, calm collected demeanor. I miss him so much.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous8:17 PM

    #1PIG!
    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/05/you-black-btch-miss-black-texas-alleges-cops-arrested-her-after-she-was-victim-of-chiefs-road-rage/

    ReplyDelete
  12. I guess now we know what kind of people our fellow Americans are.

    That fuck Gianforte won but a large margin.

    Yeah, that's the reality we're living with. When an asshole can commit assault and still get elected.

    And that fuck Paul Ryan says Gianforte only needs to apologize. Which you know he won't. He'll just double down on his LIE about being attacked by the journalists. And all of the nut job nazi extremists will consider it a blank check to commit assault not only on the media but anyone they don't like or agree with.

    We are now a country of fear. Not of terrorists or immigrants. (Well, except for the drooling Trump supporters who believe that fake news shit). Nope. We can now fear our FELLOW AMERICANS. Who knows when someone is going to haul off and throw you to the ground and punch you because you looked at them funny or they thought you weren't white enough or Christian enough.

    That is the fucking nightmare we are living in now.

    I am so glad I am living in California. I feel somewhat insulated from the whackos in the red states, even though we do have Republicans in this state. Most aren't as cray-cray.

    But I have a list of states I will NOT set foot in. Montana just moved up a few slots.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous3:33 AM

    Welcome to the United States of Thuggery. Pianoforte will feel so at home with the rest of the GOP con artists in Congress. Lying, corrupt, criminal - only words to describe them anymore.
    Beaglemom

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous8:38 AM

    From what I heard on MSNBC last night, around 80% of Montana's vote was already in due to early voting, so only 20% of the votes would have been affected by what happened the previous night. And that wasn't enough to change the outcome in that very Republican state.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous8:40 AM

    This is interesting, but not surprising:

    http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/montana-congressional-candidate-greg-gianforte-has-close-ties-with-extremist-pastor/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=botb&utm_campaign=rightwingwatch

    ReplyDelete

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