spencerhiggins.bsky.social

I strongly believe he says whatever he’s “supposed to say” no matter how inane or stupid it is. He’s just got a sheen of sounding reasonable that makes you think he believes it, but he knows he’s full of shit.

I do wonder what he would do as President if Trump croaks. I wonder if he even knows.

Uh oh Spartans Iowa’s completing pass now

He says “cold winter” and the NYT reports 6 days ago that Russia has started targeting Ukraines natural gas supplies in advance of winter.

The bill is going to be paid by the wider GOP left holding the bag electorally.

It gets weird if Trump drops dead and Vance is in power because then the pardon power is in the hands of a guy who I assume wants a future in politics. He’s not going to be inclined to use it as freely.

I do think this is true. I would note that the existence of the pardon power is *very annoyingly* a safety valve here.

Yes, mass corruption is bad & they are going to a steal a lot of stuff, but most of the cabinet is going to be pardoned at the end. So they can theoretically feel less desperate.

I know the left and Dems do this kind of thing too. It’s good for simple messaging for an uninformed electorate. But outside of campaigning, Democratic policy making when in power is more nuanced and complex because it attempts to grapple with reality.

There’s some grand unified theory to be fleshed out how the GOP’s policy responses are all monocausal. If a problem has any sort of complexity, the GOP only ever says, “it’s one easy fix.”

Autism is complex? Nah, it’s vaccines!

Stuff too expensive? Immigrants!

Need a job? Rich people tax cut!

Yes, this is all very irrational in some sense, but also, for normies the tariffs are an easy villain to point to for a theory that “Trump made everything more expensive.”

Thune plans on being the GOP Senate Leader into the future, and Speaker Johnson is a bit more day to day.

As a lawyer, I gotta say that today is hilarious.

The NFL Needs To Cool It With The Celebration Penalties | Defector It was a crucial situation in the NFL’s marquee game of the week. The Lions had been unable to do anything on offense, but their defense had played well enough to keep them within a score of the reign...

I wrote about how the NFL’s celebration penalties wreck games. Get rid of them! defector.com/the-nfl-need...

Lesson: Sometimes you take your foot off the gas in public health/anti-pestilence issues, and uh, bad things happen

He’s lying about the economics of it. But also, there’s an actual serious screwworm infestation coming soon, and he’s blaming it on immigrants, like an asshole. (Instead of on the US stopping efforts to fight it in “foreign” parts and maintaining active barriers to it)

I think he’s aware of it and he’s blaming it on immigrants

Due to recent events, I am very sorry if this applies to you, but if you have a “zz” in your name I do not want to know anything else about you. Full stop.

I love that kid’s perseverance

As long as we can count potential defensive and/or special teams yards

(I think the defense can maybe score this game. Iowa DBs have been in tantalizing position on some big passes)

That seems good?

USC’s gonna have trouble fielding a team with an injury every play.

I love Nature’s Metropolis.

Say what you will about him being a pedophile, at least he’s more eloquent than sleepy joe

Someone must stop these low-wage servants from buying all the houses!

I did pity him.

Maplecheese via SAClopedia in October of 2007 Ephebophile(noun) a pedophile with a thesaurus

I'll stop sheeting this when it stops being relevant

Iowa vs Michigan 2016
Stanzi
Iowa at Minnesota 2024

If nothing else comes out of the backlash to Trumpism, let it be a renewed commitment to small-r republicanism. This should be embarrassing. It should be shameful. You are a free citizen of a free republic, act like one for God's sake.

genuinely very few things more satisfying than reading the kinds of emails rich and famous people send each other

He’s also handsome and probably very interpersonally charming. Put a veneer of wealth on *that*. That makes it very easy to charm your way to power. (And also great evil)

Seems insane that Trump’s wild obsession with the “Russia-gate hoax” is maybe not because of how vulnerable Trump was to Russia for laundering their $ but actually it’s just another trail back to Epstein? (And, hey, maybe the Russians also picked up some tidbits. I hear this Epstein guy is unsavory)