Shadows in the Metaverse

There are no crystal balls on Ricochet, but we can’t keep our eyes off the future. What’s to become of the GOP? Hard to say; but our guest David Drucker has written a book and launched his very own podcast to ponder these very questions. Rob and James put him in the interviewee seat for a change get his take on how candidates will have to navigate a climate that’s been permanently altered by Donald Trump.

Photo: Twitter/@holmes_reports/NBC29

How does the former president affect local and state elections? What should make of the upcoming election in Virginia? (What the heck’s up with those tiki-torchers?) And, most importantly, how do the members of the ever-growing crowd of Republican hopefuls get attention while living in Trump’s shadow?

You’ll have to listen to find out!

Also, Peter pops in to tell us about the Rupert Murdoch birthday celebration he attended, plus Rob and James debate the consequences of Zuckerberg’s hopes to take us all to the metaverse.

Music from this week’s podcast: Complicated Shadows by Elvis Costello

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There are 69 comments.

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  1. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    HeavyWater (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Nohaaj (View Comment):

    The “surgical removal” of DJT was done by fraudulent mail in votes and finished at 3:00 AM by demo fraudsters, not by Republicans voting all Republican except for Trump. Let’s Go Brandon!

    This does not explain all of the Republican voters who left the President vote blank (or voted for Biden) and then voted down the line for Republicans. If the Dem’s had fraudulent mail in votes, why did they vote for Republicans down the lihe?

    You really think that is bigger than Zuckerberg’s operation plus the staggering lack of ballot controls created by Elias?

    I think Zuckerberg fixed it all by himself, actually.

    It seems like you are using Zuckerberg as an excuse for losing an election. Even if you are correct, Zuckerberg isn’t going to change his tactics. So, as we look to the future, the GOP has to find a way to win elections in spite of Zuckerberg and other Lefty tactics.

    They are going to outlaw what Zuckerberg did because it’s the right thing to do. It’s ***obviously*** un American or whatever you want to call it. It’s wrong. Trump won on the merits. 

    I am really underwhelmed by everything you are saying about this. 

    • #61
  2. FredGoodhue Coolidge
    FredGoodhue
    @FredGoodhue

    EJHill (View Comment):
    Here’s the film James was talking about at the end of the podcast:

    I don’t see street lights or lines on the streets.

     

    • #62
  3. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    HeavyWater (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    HeavyWater (View Comment):
    But others might say that there it is perfectly “legitimate” for a billionaire to use his power as Zuckerberg did.

    I love this. This is just perfect. We need billionaires to rent the government for whatever they want.

    Actually, in recent times it has been the Left that wants the government to crack down on people spending their wealth engaging in political speech.

    The Left said that they hated the Citizens United US Supreme Court ruling while the Right argued for freedom of speech, not limited by $2,000 contributions.

    The same way that Google wants to eliminate cookies from browsers and websites.  Not to help with privacy and security, but because they’re using their quasi-governmental monopoly on information and technology to lock everybody else out of their new surveillance scheme, FLoC.  Google is suddenly anti-cookie because they have something better, and they’re using the moment to choke out other comers in the info arena.

    Democrats want big money out of elections because their own big money flows in different ways.  Lobbyists and corporate contributions are so-o-o 1990s.  Democrats use public sector unions and collusive lawsuits to simply commandeer money into politics.  They want legal big money out of politics because theyhave no need for it — the ban only affects Republicans.

    • #63
  4. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    FredGoodhue: I don’t see street lights or lines on the streets.

    After the Great Blizzard of 1888, the City of New York required all electrical and communications wires buried. Stop lights and street lights can be seen on the corners. They’re not very big and the traffic lights only had red and green, no amber.

     

    • #64
  5. ToryWarWriter Coolidge
    ToryWarWriter
    @ToryWarWriter

    HeavyWater (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Nohaaj (View Comment):

    The “surgical removal” of DJT was done by fraudulent mail in votes and finished at 3:00 AM by demo fraudsters, not by Republicans voting all Republican except for Trump. Let’s Go Brandon!

    This does not explain all of the Republican voters who left the President vote blank (or voted for Biden) and then voted down the line for Republicans. If the Dem’s had fraudulent mail in votes, why did they vote for Republicans down the lihe?

    You really think that is bigger than Zuckerberg’s operation plus the staggering lack of ballot controls created by Elias?

    I think Zuckerberg fixed it all by himself, actually.

    It seems like you are using Zuckerberg as an excuse for losing an election. Even if you are correct, Zuckerberg isn’t going to change his tactics. So, as we look to the future, the GOP has to find a way to win elections in spite of Zuckerberg and other Lefty tactics.

    In my country what Zuckerberg did is completely illegal.  Its an in kind donation and has gotten people thrown in prison.  

    • #65
  6. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    HeavyWater (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Nohaaj (View Comment):

    The “surgical removal” of DJT was done by fraudulent mail in votes and finished at 3:00 AM by demo fraudsters, not by Republicans voting all Republican except for Trump. Let’s Go Brandon!

    This does not explain all of the Republican voters who left the President vote blank (or voted for Biden) and then voted down the line for Republicans. If the Dem’s had fraudulent mail in votes, why did they vote for Republicans down the lihe?

    You really think that is bigger than Zuckerberg’s operation plus the staggering lack of ballot controls created by Elias?

    I think Zuckerberg fixed it all by himself, actually.

    It seems like you are using Zuckerberg as an excuse for losing an election. Even if you are correct, Zuckerberg isn’t going to change his tactics. So, as we look to the future, the GOP has to find a way to win elections in spite of Zuckerberg and other Lefty tactics.

    We did not lose this election.  Sounds like you are using a violent mugging as an excuse for not showing up on time.  Guess you’ll just have to leave earlier to account for your daily mugging.

    • #66
  7. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    There is no reason to make this complicated. What Zuckerberg did obviously won the election. If you don’t think so, just listen to that academic analysis that Molly has. 

    Then throw in the fact that Georgia effectively admitted that they didn’t have proper controls on 400,000 ballots. What if the other states are just half as bad? The Elias Covid-19 lawfare did it’s job. 

    It’s disgusting. 

    • #67
  8. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    pooryorick (View Comment):

    I enjoyed the Metaverse chat too – although I expected one of the guys to give a hat tip to Neal Stephenson. Looks like Zuck finally got around to reading Snow Crash.

    Actually “True Names” (1981) by mathematician, science fiction writer, and libertarian Vernor Vinge.

    • #68
  9. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    When I listened to this podcast a few days ago, I might add, it struck me as daft.

    This was like the Jeb Bush campaign committee plotting how High-Energy Jeb is going to take on that Bad Orange Man.

    There may be a candidate (Evan McMullen?  Lynn Cheney?) who is stupid enough to pull an Aaron Burr and challenge Trump for the presidential nomination, but the smart move is to run for Veep.  After all, whatever happens, Donald Trump will not be running in 2028.

    Though I think that the non-white candidates have the inside track, given how thoroughly the media have created the myth of Racist Trump.

    • #69
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