McKay Coppins in the Atlantic on how Newt Gingrich made Trump possible.

[F]ew figures in modern history have done more than Gingrich to lay the groundwork for Trump’s rise. During his two decades in Congress, he pioneered a style of partisan combat—replete with name-calling, conspiracy theories, and strategic obstructionism—that poisoned America’s political culture and plunged Washington into permanent dysfunction. Gingrich’s career can perhaps be best understood as a grand exercise in devolution—an effort to strip American politics of the civilizing traits it had developed over time and return it to its most primal essence.

In June 1978, age 35, he gave a talk to some college Republicans.

“One of the great problems we have in the Republican Party is

Marina Hyde is merciless to Jordan Peterson.

Peterson is also a leading member of the arseoisie, or the “intellectual dark web”, as they prefer it. Again, are you familiar with the “intellectual dark web”? I do hope not. It’s a self-styling by a loose group of soi-disant intellectuals you’d cross continents to avoid having a pint with (although they didn’t go with that tagline in the end). There isn’t space for a full passenger manifest, but they include Peterson, talkshow host Dave Rubin, Newsweek columnist and perma-pundit Ben Shapiro and a bunch of other people bizarrely obsessed with what students do, even though we’ve known since time immemorial that students often act like idiots, and mostly grow out of

It is outrageous what the Democrats are doing to our Country. Vote Republican now! https://t.co/0pWiwCHGbh pic.twitter.com/2crea9HF7G

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2018

… Read the rest

It is outrageous what the Democrats are doing to our Country. Vote Republican now! https://t.co/0pWiwCHGbh pic.twitter.com/2crea9HF7G

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2018

… Read the rest

That lawsuit against North Dakota’s voter identification law? The judge ruled against a stay.

A federal judge in North Dakota on Wednesday declined to grant emergency relief to a Native American tribe and voters who said they are being disenfranchised by North Dakota’s voter identification law.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland ruled that granting an injunction days before the election “will create as much confusion as it will alleviate.”

But Hovland said the allegations contained in the lawsuit, filed Tuesday, “give this Court great cause for concern. The allegations will require a detailed response from the Secretary of State as this case proceeds.”

…

Versions of North Dakota’s voter identification law have been the subject of litigation for the

Voter suppression in Georgia, chapter 47.

[Brian] Kemp’s attempts to prevent people from voting exemplify the familiar ways in which access to the ballot has been restricted for people of color across the United States. But voter suppression also happens in ways that aren’t as well-known, and are even more insidious. In particular, local prosecutors have increasingly brought criminal charges against black voters and community activists for small technical infractions. They’re sending the frightening message that casting a ballot is risky — a message that resonates even when the charges turn out to be baseless and the people charged are acquitted.

In a particularly disturbing case, Olivia Pearson, a grandmother and lifelong resident of Coffee County, Ga., found herself

What else is Trump up to today?

Melania and I were treated very nicely yesterday in Pittsburgh. The Office of the President was shown great respect on a very sad & solemn day. We were treated so warmly. Small protest was not seen by us, staged far away. The Fake News stories were just the opposite-Disgraceful! pic.twitter.com/9B9HgCF1G9

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2018

Making his visit to Pittsburgh yesterday all about him and not at all about the reason he was there: the eleven people murdered and four people injured in a mass shooting by a racist on Saturday. The closest he got to mentioning the actual occasion is “a very sad & solemn day.” (“Solemn” is kind … Read the rest

Asia Bibi has been acquitted.

A Pakistani court has overturned the death sentence of a Christian woman convicted of blasphemy, a case that has polarised the nation.

Asia Bibi was convicted in 2010 after being accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in a row with her neighbours.

She always maintained her innocence, but has spent most of the past eight years in solitary confinement.

The landmark ruling has already set off violent protests by hardliners who support strong blasphemy laws.

Demonstrations against the verdict are being held in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan. Clashes with police have been reported.

“Hardliners” is a good deal too euphemistic. They want a woman killed for supposedly saying something they don’t like about … Read the rest

Trump went to Pittsburgh even though many people there wanted him to stay away. That seems pretty typical of his callous narcissism. Yes, it seems to be part of a president’s job to assist with public mourning, but that gets complicated when the president spends a lot of time publicly inciting hatred against individuals and groups. He becomes a person you don’t want hanging around a funeral, especially a funeral for people murdered by someone shouting ethnic or religious hatred.

Trump is not a kind or generous or caring man. He’s the opposite. He’s angry, and greedy, and self-centered, and filled with hostility and aggression. He’s terrible in disasters, and it’s hard to imagine he’s any better at funerals … Read the rest

More orthodoxy-sniffing:

AART – Artists Against Rampant Transphobia

October 26 at 2:28 AM · 

It has come to our attention that Liverpool based artist Nina Edge is transphobic and has been spreading her vile bigotry on twitter via the Welsh Streets twitter account. We ask that anyone in the Liverpool art scene takes a stand against this by limiting her involvement in your projects and spreading awareness. Thank you once again for the incredible amount of public support and solidarity we have witnessed since this was discovered. Protect trans women and include them in feminist spaces!

Of course, she hasn’t been doing any such thing. But hey, let’s organize to destroy her anyway!… Read the rest