Conventions and Conspiracy Theories

Democrats prepare to hold their first virtual convention, while Republicans are poised to elect a Q fan to Congress.

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Conventions and Conspiracy Theories

On the latest episode of the Reason Roundtable: conventions and conspiracy theories. 

Less than a week after announcing that Sen. Kamala Harris (D–Calif.) would be Joe Biden's running mate, Democrats are about to hold their first fully virtual political convention—a party-run Zoom conference direct from their living rooms to yours. No one knows exactly what to expect, but it's definitely going to be weird. 

Speaking of weird: Republicans in Georgia just nominated a Q-curious candidate for Congress, and she's likely to win her race. So just how strange are things going to get in this already deeply weird year?

Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Peter Suderman, and special guest Jesse Walker discuss the strangeness of an all-online political convention, what the selection of Harris says about the future of Democratic Party politics, and the many misunderstandings about QAnon and its place in American politics.  

Audio production by Ian Keyser and Regan Taylor.
Music: "Odd News" by Twin Musicom.

Relevant links:

"Kamala Harris Is a Cop Who Wants To Be (Vice) President," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

"From Antifa to UFOs, One Joke Can Spawn a Thousand Conspiracies." by Jesse Walker

"QAnon and Its Precursors," by Jesse Walker

"When an Epidemic Spreads, So Do Rumors," by Jesse Walker

"Joe Biden's Career Is One Long Lesson About the Dangers of Bipartisan Consensus Politics," by Eric Boehm

"The Extremely Online Are Less Informed About Political News, More Informed About Conspiracy Theories," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown 

"America Is Going To Vote by Mail. We're Not Ready," by Eric Boehm

"Joe Biden Is No Moderate," by Peter Suderman

"The Election Could Be Chaotic. Why Is Trump Trying To Make It Worse?" by Eric Boehm

What are we consuming this week?

Peter Suderman

• Palm Springs

Katherine Mangu-Ward

• Codenames: Pictures

Nick Gillespie

• The Crying of Lot 49

Jesse Walker

• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

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Comments

[Dillinger]

>>Democrats are about to hold their first fully virtual political convention

dead air and bare legs in the forecast.

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[mad.casual]

Democrats prepare to hold their first virtual convention, while Republicans are poised to elect a Q fan to Congress.

I don't see why being a fan of Q or the Q Continuum should bar one from holding public office.

[Unicorn Abattoir]

We don't need any more spy gadgets.

[Jerryskids]

I'm not real familiar with the QAnon conspiracy theory stuff, but I've heard this woman has said such crazy shit as Sharia law is incompatible with the US Constitution when we all know from Ilhan Omar's example that it clearly is and that George Soros is a Nazi when there's no evidence he supports Donald Trump or that he's Israeli.

[Chuck P. (The Artist formerly known as CTSP)]

I got it. Not everyone values the next generation.

[Nardz]

Reason has no higher value than protecting the rights of the wealthy to have child sex slaves

[Crazy mick]

The same reason that a flat earther or moon landing hoax believer should be disqualified. . You have to be a complete moron to believe in it

[Mother's lament]

You have to be a complete moron to believe that "QAnon" is actually even an issue.

[Crazy mick]

I don't think it's an issue of itself, the belief in it just indicates stupidity and nuttiness

[Muzzled Woodchipper]

No dumber than believing that America is a “White supremacist” country.

[Mother's lament]

Or that Russia stole the election for the price of an old house trailer.

[Dillinger]

this. also you can't even pronounce it

[Quo Usque Tandem]

I have a [conspiracy?] theory: the polls are just as wrong as they were in 2016.

Any takers?

[Don't look at me!]

I see there is a Q in your name.........

[Mother's lament]

*Starts with a Jake Tapper rant*

TBH, CNN is the progressive version of Q-Anon.

[NashTiger]

Being a Qer is a bridge too far, but the Democrat caucus is full of Holocaust deniers, 911Truthers, Protocols of the Elders of Zion believers, Farrakhan Fans, and Russia! Gas lighters

[DaveSs]

Lets also not forget a disturbingly significant number of people who openly advocate racial segregation/discrimination

[Muzzled Woodchipper]

While claiming most of the country is made up of White supremacist.

[Art Kumquat]

Shockingly CNN came out with a poll that puts Trump 4 points behind Biden. It's a lower spread than most, and I doubt CNNs good intentions in anything they do, but interesting anyway.

As others have said you get Trump within 4 points and he's probably going to win. Imagine the shitstorm that happens the day after.

[Dillinger]

when CNN can't lie past 4 points there's trouble for (D)

[Fat Mike's Drug Habit]

There's a good chance there's a shitstorm regardless of who wins. The results are already invalid, so the loser is going to cry that this was rigged and a non-zero number of their supporters are going to burn shit down.

Stock up on food, water, ammunition and whatever your vice is; November is gonna be wild.

[mad.casual]

so the loser is going to cry that this was rigged

Or say ramble on about poor people and white people should get along better while others cry it was rigged on his behalf.

[Compelled Speechless]

Yep. There's basically going to be a civil war over two candidates that the vast majority of Americans can't stand. It's about as 2020 as it gets.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

I've often wondered if Trump wailing about the fraud from the rush to vote by mail is partly just to get the Dems to defend it now, so when they lose in November (or will it be December), they won't have a leg to stand on.

[Muzzled Woodchipper]

That definitely sounds like a Trump-like move.

If he loses he can claim the election was rigged. If he wins, he gets to tell Team Blue that they’re the ones who insisted, so sit down and STFU.

[Quo Usque Tandem]

I still have my pandemic boxes of supplies with long shelf life.

As far as ammo goes, good luck with that unless you stocked up in advance [which I also did].

A civil war, given that this country already endured four bloody years of one, is not inconceivable.

[Levi Rodriguez]

Seriously, an entire podcast about this stupid conspiracy theory? Can't find anything else to discuss?

[Don't look at me!]

It’s a conspiracy.

[R Mac]

There’s an interesting story regarding a certain FBI agent but it’s pretty local.

[JesseAz]

Russiagate wasn't believable enough for Reason.

[R Mac]

Haha jinx bitch.

[Chuck P. (The Artist formerly known as CTSP)]

Q? Just the tip, please.

[R Mac]

Nice

[Fats of Fury]

Will Joe deliver his acceptance speech masked? Will it be thick enough to not notice if his lips are moving? Will he sound suspiciously like Jerry Mahoney? Will there be virtual rioting? Does being Q-curious indicate an interest in lines forming? Does any of this result in Hillary becoming president?

[Mother's lament]

Speaking of conspiracies, Dilbert author Scott Adams has a good one that seems pretty plausible:

"The more CNN talks about "What if Trump loses and does not leave the job," the more you know Coup V2.0 is a go.

Step 1: Get mail-in voting approved to guarantee a non-credible election result.
Step 2: Claim Trump's electoral victory is not legitimate.
Step 3: Use media brainwashing to make it "true" that Trump really lost but has become a dictator, staying in power.
Step 4: Impeach or otherwise remove Trump by non-Constitutional means. Frame it as saving the nation."

[Moonrocks]

Possible, but I don't think it will go any more smoothly than their last attempt.

[EscherEnigma]

Yeah, Adams went off the deep end a while ago.

[creech]

What's the complaint about Trump and the P.O.? Isn't he warning states that mail in ballots will take longer to deliver than they expect? Nice guy, isn't he, letting them know they better put their "mail by" dates a week or two earlier, before he gets the chance to destroy Biden in the debates. You'd think the Dem governors would be lauding him for the heads up.

[Crazy mick]

If anyone reading this is dumb enough to buy into q anon, I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn for sale.

[R Mac]

Is it for sale?

[Longtobefree]

Mick is acting as my agent, but he misunderstood the basis of the offer.
The bridge, even though it is not located in an ideal location vacation-wise, what with the quarantine and all, is still too valuable to sell. What is offered is lease rights on a 50 year term.

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

The sale is for sale. Think Sotheby's vs Christie's.

[lap83]

Brooklyn bridge AND Brooklyn is for sale? Guess everyone in NY really is moving to Connecticut

[R Mac]

Please don’t dumb down my jokes. Thanks.

[R Mac]

Actually I take that back, that’s a nice different joke about the same thing.

[Moonrocks]

So Reason has plenty to say about this one person (R) that believes in some strange conspiracy theory. Anything about every single Democrat running for office still believing that Trump colluded with Russia to rig the 2016 elections?

[Moonrocks]

Or how about something more recently, like how Trump is going around stealing mailboxes like an election day grinch carrying a huge sack full of mailboxes as he goes?

[Moonrocks]

Trump's unidentified secret police going around kidnapping peaceful protesters? Those peaceful protester really being Trump's agitators trying to make the left look bad? Those are just fine, nothing to see there.

[Moonrocks]

Oh yeah, remember when president Trump was abusing his power by withholding foreign aid that was never withheld unless a foreign government reopened an investigation that was never reopened on a presidential candidate that wasn't running for another year after the actions allegedly happened? Neither do I.

[Mother's lament]

"Those stupid QAnon believers think that the Democrats are evil child-Molesters. Whew, that's crazy"

Meanwhile Bill Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Eliot Spitzer, Bill Richardson, Harvey Weinstein, George Mitchell, etc. smile

[Longtobefree]

Q may be crazy, but they have more basis than the four years (if it is even over) of Russia lies, perjury, and fabrications.

[Art Kumquat]

Meanwhile Reason refuses to cover the violent Portland and Seattle riots in any meaningful fashion except as anti cop screeds. Literal assault, battery, robbery, and attempted murder.

No wonder libertarianism is dead. It colluded with the far left.

[lap83]

I'm not watching the convention, but I needed a beer just thinking about it

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