this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2024
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/john-fetterman-tells-maher-that-near-death-experience-freed-him-to-speak-out-says-progressivism-left-me/ar-BB1nS49V

From the article:

The liberal comedian then asked Fetterman whether his shift in various policies had anything to do with his recovery from his 2022 stroke, asking if his near-death experience had given him a "freedom."

"Absolutely," Fetterman responded. "There's a line from the first 'Batman,' Joker's like ‘I’ve been dead once already. It's very liberating.'"

"It's freeing in a way. And I just think after beating all of that, I just really [want to] be able to say the things that I have to really believe in and not be afraid of if there's any kind of blowback."

So basically yes, the stroke made him a Republican. Pathetic and disappointing, but all too predictable.

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[–] [email protected] 136 points 5 months ago (3 children)

I told my inlaws about that "it takes brain damage to be a republican"

Then proceeded to ask would they vote for him now that you agree with his positions. Both of them said no "because he's a democrat"

[–] [email protected] 48 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Of course they wouldn't vote for him. It's like a sports game to many Republican voters where they just vote for their team regardless of their position.

I'd bet that if a literal socialist ran for office as a Republican, many Republican voters would be on board.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I’d bet that if a literal socialist ran for office as a Republican, many Republican voters would be on board.

Check this out: https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/09/17/aria-dimezzo-sheriff/

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[–] [email protected] 123 points 5 months ago (1 children)

This just in: Brain damage leads to conservative values. Conservative votes still matter as much or more than yours. More at 11.

[–] [email protected] 31 points 5 months ago (6 children)

it's usually simpler than that. conservatives pay more than liberals.

i know a few leftists who have now gone hard right... because they got paid more to spout conservative conspiracy nonsense than they did liberal/socialist stuff.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 5 months ago (4 children)

It must be so easy to grift money out of conservatives. Just spout some conspiracy theory about how 'they' are actually behind the bad things in the world and watch the money pour in, regardless of how little sense it makes.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (4 children)

In line with this, there's also an immense left-to-far-right pipeline in media simply because the left will hold you accountable even if you agree with them but the right doesn't give a fuck as long as you say the thing.

I listened to a podcast about one such author. I forget what about but she wrote a book based on IIRC a flawed interpretation of whatever subject leading the whole thing to be basically wrong.

People pointed out it wrong, sales plummet, author gets butthurt and defensive, now they're playing the antivax circuit I believe it was.

(Sorry, the podcast was background noise for powerwash simulator so I don't remember specifics lol)

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[–] [email protected] 115 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

"There's a line from the first 'Batman,' Joker's like ‘I’ve been dead once already. It's very liberating.'"

You... you get that the Joker was the bad guy right? Who went on to kill a bunch of people? I guess it makes sense that this is your reasoning for becoming a republican but what a weird quote choice.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Dude didn't even pick a quote from the 1 movie that attempts to cast the Joker as a sympathetic character. I swear...

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[–] [email protected] 100 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Ahh Bill Maher is not a liberal comedian. He's really not either of these things.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago

His jokes and his ideas suck

[–] [email protected] 85 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If that brain damaged asshole had any integrity he'd resign because he's no longer capable of doing the job he was elected to do.

[–] [email protected] 79 points 5 months ago (2 children)

He's literally not representing the people who elected him anymore. It's practically political malpractice.

[–] [email protected] 59 points 5 months ago (1 children)

shit, this bitch from NC ran as a democrat, got elected, and then immediately switched parties to be a republican.

It's OK, because Nicole Sidman is going to take back the seat in November.

Cotham rose to prominence with a speech on the statehouse floor about her own abortion that drew national attention in 2015.

She ran for her seat, which was heavily Democratic and included east Charlotte before redistricting, as a Democrat and strong supporter of abortion rights. But she switched parties in April 2023, giving the Republican-led General Assembly a supermajority in both houses. That allowed Republicans to override Gov. Roy Cooper's vetoes at will and pass laws they had long sought, such as a stricter abortion limit that lowered the cutoff in most cases to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Cotham ran on protecting Roe V. Wade, then switched parties to help dismantle it. She's a true bottom feeder.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

Yeah same with that rep from Hawaii. Like how tf we just let these people get past vetting?

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[–] [email protected] 85 points 5 months ago (17 children)

I have personally worked with Fetterman a number of times while I was working for Allegheny county. He had some moderate stances on things like Israeli support, but not like this. Also, he spent his entire time as mayor of Braddock pushing a lot of very progressive things. He actively turned down opportunities to not be living in his office, and get highly paid, in order to fight a large amount of resistance he faced, even among the people he directly worked with in Braddock. He had a provable, positive, long term, impact on Braddock. He demonstrated that a lot of progressive ideas works, because Braddock implemented them, and it worked. This had a impact on how Pittsburgh, and Allegheny county in general, looked at the future, and how to best design it.

He has demonstrated he is staunchly pro-labor and, in the past, has demonstrated so via sacrificing political payola to do that, among many other progressive things. So I am very conflicted at this serious increase in, what was previously a relatively moderate, stance on Israel. I have to wonder if it was the stroke, or did he strike a deal with AIPAC.

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[–] [email protected] 65 points 5 months ago (4 children)

This is beyond disappointing.

This was actively campaigning, taking money as, and presenting oneself as a progressive.

This goes way beyond disappointed.

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[–] [email protected] 65 points 5 months ago

i can't imagine anything more embarrassing than someone who seems to hold political views opposite mine having a stroke and suffering brain damage, only to come out the other end saying now with this freshly scrambled brain he thinks that I'm right.

it's a lucky coincidence that conservatives don't have to go through that because they have no shame.

[–] [email protected] 53 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Still beats Dr. Oz, but sucks he decided to become more of an asshole.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The only way that he beats Oz is that he caucuses with the Democrats. And I HATE when games make me do stupid things because of their dumb mechanics.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Good metaphor, and I agree. But I'm practical above all else, so votes blue no matter who.

It's nice when there are two Democrats running here in California so I can actually vote based on policy instead of party affiliation.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

As someone who owned a "Kucinich for President" bumper sticker I've given up hope of ever voting for someone I actually like in a general election.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago (6 children)

Yeah, first past the post means unless you're a die-hard neoliberal you're not getting who you want and just have to do damage control.

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[–] [email protected] 53 points 5 months ago (2 children)

"Republican plays the game in a liberal area then drops the act once he 'makes it'"

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[–] [email protected] 46 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Other than his psychotically unwavering support of Israel what Republican positions has he taken up?

[–] [email protected] 48 points 5 months ago (6 children)

He’s got some strange agriculture sponsored bills, banning oil sales from the strategic reserve, but most of his sponsored bills are aimed at helping low income people stay in housing, some pro union stuff, and a bit of fuckcars. He literally sponsored a bill to cancel school meal debt at the federal level. Not sure why he’s getting blasted here as a Republican other than idiocy that he’s not a AOC clone by the “Palestine became my only issue in the last 5 months” folks.

A bill to amend the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 to ensure that striking workers and their households do not become ineligible for benefits under the supplemental nutrition assistance program, and for other purposes.

Yea… Real Republican stance. /s

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/browse?sponsor=456877

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Damn, Fetterman. What happened? You used to be cool.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

I'm wondering what Giselle thinks of all of this. I haven't heard a peep from her since he became a senator, and I feel like she was a good influence on him.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago

You should've seen it coming. His name isn't Unfetterman smh.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It's money. Yes to brain damage, but also... Yes to money. It corrupts people. It fucks them up. This guy didn't have much money, go watch the housing show he was on. I bet not many know about that...

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Dude is literally not the same dude. The dude was replaced with another dude and this is that other dude.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I fear this is what's gonna be normal. The money gets to them and we get at least 1 new Sinema every election cycle.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago

There has been, and always will be, just enough to make sure legislation cannot make it through the Senate.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 months ago (1 children)

not gonna lie, i kinda just straight up forgot about his ass.

Unfortunately now i have to remember that he's alive. Maybe that stroke should've taken him out of service...

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (4 children)

I live in Pa and keep forgetting about him until he pops up in the news. Then I'm reminded that he is the biggest disappointment I've experienced in politics. I almost feel like my vote was wasted. Hopefully he at least keeps reproductive rights a thing in this state. I cannot function without my bc because it keeps my endometriosis at bay.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago

Nothing at all unique or special about him, he is and always was a typical politician playing his "constituents" for rubes and apparently succeeding

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago

I mean, yes, disappointing (and yes this is the leftism community so I get it), but it doesn't look like he's doing a Sinema or a Cotham.

Maher then asked him to explain what he meant what he stated last year "I’m not a progressive, I'm just a regular Democrat" and how he separates himself from progressivism

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

"At least he's not Dr. Oz" This is the new way to politic.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I should have known better than to trust someone from York county.

Also, Fetterman is a perfect example of why I don't bother making friends. They're inevitably disappointing.

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