Capitol Hill Blue Forums Thread Like Summary - Flimsy evidence and made-up hypotheticals: The Rwing destruction of democracy

In the recent SCOTUS ruling 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis ruled that Colorado graphic designer Lorie Smith does not 'have' to make a website for a gay couple's wedding.

Noted SPLC-labeled hate group the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) - which also defended the Jack Phillips' case. The Colorado state court had found that baker Jack Phillips' decision to turn away David Mullins and Charlie Craig in 2012 was unlawful discrimination.

Rghts groups feared the ruling against the couple could set precedent for treating gay marriages differently from heterosexual unions. But the Supreme Court's verdict instead focused specifically on Mr Phillips' case.

Back at it again, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) took to defend Smith's graphic design and web design business, arguing that her work was "art" and that she shouldn't be required to produce "art" for people who are doing things that are against her religion.

The Supreme Court ruled that Smith does not "have" to make websites for same-sex marriages, regardless of Colorado's anti-discrimination law barring discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.


Judge Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion:
This decision opens the door for any business to discriminate against protected classes of people so long as they claim that what they are doing is "art" or some other form of personal expression. Given that many people feel that way about their work, it's going to go a lot further than just some rinky dink graphic designer in Colorado. Literally anyone in a customer-facing position could also claim that helping or interacting with someone of a protected class is "compelled speech."

According to various media reports, the Colorado web designer who the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday could refuse to make wedding websites for gay couples cited a request from a man who says he never asked to work with her - making this hypothetical case - the first in SCOTUS history, to be ruled upon. This is historic.

This decision has also effectively made protected classes second-class citizens taking second position to a business owners sincerely held beliefs.

The reality is they don't have to create fiction.

The infrastructure is in place and the courts are primed and ready to decide in favor of Republicans. Republican legislatures have already structured voting qualifications geared to reduce Democrat votes but mere slim thousands (which may be all that is necessary for Republicans to outright win) and if that fails then voting boards now have the legislative right and mandate to disallow any votes they deem as fraudulent including whole counties. If they can't win at that level then they have courts with Rump appointed judges willing to side with Republicans in any voting issue. If they don't win at that point, they have an armed contingent of House members who will side with any insurrectionists willing to disrupt federal proceedings (under a blanket pardon) to throw out Democrat certified electors.

So if a rigged election is what you have in mind .... well the Republicans have the Hungarian lock on winning the 2024.

I am not sure a massive Democrat (or anti-Republican) turnout will be enough to ensure Democracy survives

The Supreme Court's recent decision that affirmative action for college admissions is unconstitutional, has an interesting consequence: There is now a lawsuit claiming that legacy admissions are not merit-based, therefore violate this decision as well. At Harvard for example, there have been way more legacy admissions then affirmative action admissions. Once we get rid of both, and admission is strictly based on merit, way more Asian and Jewish kids are going to be admitted! Those two groups have suffered because of reverse discrimination, many qualified applicants being denied to "increase diversity" or other such racially-based arguments.

It will be funny to see how top schools attempt to redefine the meaning of "merit". Important lesson for conservatives: Be careful what you wish for.

District Judge Terry Doughty issued an injunction on the 4th of July (...guess he chose to miss his family's BBQ) blocking the Biden administration from communicating with the social media platforms at all regarding disinformation.

The Biden Administration was sued on the theory that Administration coerced and/or conspired with social media platforms to censor conservative messages and speakers. They claim that this turned Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube into government actors, and so when they booted, downgraded, or appended notes to anti-vax content, it violated the First Amendment.

Judge Doughty, a Trump appointee, has previously issued nationwide injunctions against the Biden administration's ban on new federal leases for oil and gas drilling, as well as its vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.

Doughty wrote in his opinion:


In other words, Doughty states that the Biden Administration targeted conservatives because conservatives are the ones known to promote false claims and conspiracy theories on social media.

You see, when social media sites contact the federal agencies like the CDC for accurate health information, and the government says "no, horse dewormer is a not an effective treatment for COVID," that violates the free rights of people who want to claim horse dewormer kills viruses and then can't because Facebook downranks their posts.

Conservatives get so grrrrrrrr mad about the downranking of their asinine "theories” and misinformation that they promote on social media - what passes for conservative speech today, is mostly crackpot ideology dressed up to appear normal.

It is also quite telling that Doughty conflates batcrap crazy ideas and conservatism. Sometimes Rwingers inadvertently tell the truth.

I wouldn't count on that. That third party is going to spoil it for Biden. Trump will win in 2024. Trump will run because he IS above the law. He will never pay the price for what he has caused.
The only thing that will stop that is if something were to happen to his health that would stop him from winning.
I just hope the senate and congress goes/stays Democratic controlled. That will be our only hope of holding on to our democracy. All other outcomes appear to me like we will be an autocratic government. I sure hope I end up being totally wrong on this, but the indicators I am seeing/feeling lead me this way.

Munchin won't get votes...he's not popular with anybody but the fossil fuel industry.

A lot of women both R & D are still pissed at the SCOTUS Ruling over Roe in 2022. The economy is doing well. Unemployment is down. Inflation is under control. The stock market is humming.

So far the GOP's 2024 campaign appears to be:
- Biden has a 7th grandchild
- Someone left coke in the West Wing
- Biden refuses to disown his son Hunter
- Roll back rights for Black people
- LGBTQ people are coming to steal your children
- We still support the guy with 74 alleged felonies (...with more coming! )

Meanwhile the Colorado and Arizona republican parties are flat broke after placating the stolen election lie and the Michigan GOP can’t stop fighting with each other.

Apparently, more state Republican Parties are bankrupt:



Rachael Maddow's segment on GOP financial troubles. Colorado GOP is considering not having a state primary at all. They have taken on all their fake elector's legal fees, and their usual big money donors don't see Republicans as a good return on investment.