We’re going to need a lot of TP


tp

That really is the logo for the Republican ticket, huh?

Time to wake up to the veep candidate. Here are four reasons Mike Pence is the absolute worst. Or perhaps you’d prefer the myth of Mike Pence?

His key values are a fanatical opposition to abortion and Planned Parenthood, a contempt for LGBT citizens, rejection of immigrants, and he wants to ramp up the war on drugs. Against that, his denial of climate change and evolution are almost comical. With that choice, Trump has definitely firmed up his position with ignorant straight white religious men, and strengthened his opposition among just about everyone else.

It’s an interesting strategy. I hope it doesn’t work.

Comments

  1. says

    Okay so I just skimmed the Rolling Stone article. “We need to make it clear that Indiana will not tolerate the actions of criminals.” Can we all just agree that the cigarette companies should probably be considered criminals? Also I feel my previous comment should probably say “tobacco and nicotine. Oh and tar, tar is good, it’s just the poor man’s molasses”

  2. F.O. says

    Is that a Trump orally penetrating a Pence?
    That seems a very odd design decision.
    The bar does evoke money though. A sign of stability?

    I’m genuinely curious of whether this choice will push more Stein voters to vote for Clinton instead? o_O

  3. penalfire says

    This is such a boring choice. I was looking forward to Trump / Christie or Trump / Gingrich or Trump / Perry.

  4. says

    I was hoping for Trump/Trump, actually. If only he’d asked the daughter he wants to have sex with, it would have been a nice happy dog whistle to the conservative Christian community.

  5. sugarfrosted says

    Tonight I learned about his presumptive secretary of treasury: Carl Icahn, the famous corporate raider. That scares me on such a deep visceral level that I can’t care about Pence. I used to half seriously call Trump America’s Boris Yeltsin (incompetent leader who basically gives away everything to a small handful of oligarchs). Now it fits too well.

  6. nekomancer945 says

    Remembering the days of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew, I understand the value of choosing a VP as “insurance”. No one was going to remove Nixon with the prospect of Agnew becoming president. I remember the month when all of a sudden there was a pause in the Watergate hearings. All of a sudden there was this investigation of Spiro Agnew. At that point, I realized that the impeachment and removal of Nixon were going to happen. They were preparing the line of succession, and Gerald Ford was put into position as Agnew resigned in disgrace. I firmly believe that if Trump wins there will be almost immediate moves to impeach him as soon as an opportunity arrives, and with much “begrudging” support from his own party — who will then get a president that they would much prefer. Personally, I think there were worse candidates than Trump, like Cruz. Pence is in that category. Pence will be our future if Trump wins. More reasons now to fight hard for Hillary.

  7. slithey tove (twas brillig (stevem)) says

    Drumph keeps trying to lose and the rethug voters keep pushing him further into the race. maybe choosing Pence is his final FU to the voters to not vote for him.
    ..
    The only valid phrase in that fantasy, was the bit about the rethug voters. They repeatedly endorse him regardless of what a blustering a-hole he appears to be in his speeches. Even WHEN Hill Clinches the election, we’ll still have the people whole voted for Drumph to deal with. me sad

  8. FossilFishy (NOBODY, and proud of it!) says

    I saw that logo and thought:

    “Of course he’s issued his own currency…oh wait.”

    I suppose I shouldn’t feel too bad, his ego is more than monstrous enough and his class sufficiently absent for such a thing to be possible.

  9. slithey tove (twas brillig (stevem)) says

    Speaking of the logo looking like currency: I don;t see it, the flag reference is obvious, but I can also see a hand (the red stripes) with a curled thumb, (the TP innuendo graphic).
    It makes sense they vanished the logo so quickly, it is piece of “used TP” (sic) [think of that sic phonetically also]
    everything from the Dumph campaign qualifies as the stuff on the used TP before it is flushed.

  10. sebloom says

    After living in Indiana under the Pence administration I can tell you in all honesty that Pence is the perfect partner for “the donald.” Pence is a solid connection to the Religious Right. He’s also a quiet, calm sort of guy, exactly the opposite of Trump. I’m convinced that he believes Trump is actually a good pick for President, and is probably wetting himself thinking of himself as President in 8 years.

    Oh, and every horrible thing you’ve heard about Pence re: his policies, is probably true.

  11. raven says

    PZ Myers: Heh. The logo has disappeared from the Trump campaign site.

    Thought that would happen and soon.

    That logo clearly depicted some sort of generic sex act. The long part of the T was in someone’s someplace orifice.

    The semantics were that Trump was fucking Pence. (Don’t think about it or you will have to grab some brain bleach.)
    The symbology is that Trump plans to screw over the USA. Which is true, but not a great campaign slogan.

  12. robro says

    Heh. The logo has disappeared from the Trump campaign site.

    As if you can pull a meme like that to stop the damage. Sorry, too late Trump. Another glaring indicator of incompetence.

    I was hoping for Trump/Trump, actually.

    Trump/Trump wouldn’t be much better…I mean, TT instead of TP? Come on…

  13. slithey tove (twas brillig (stevem)) says

    re 17:
    yeah, perfect reminder, Internet Never Forgets.
    Deleting your exmple of gross incompetence will remain on the Internet forever to remind everyone of your dumbfuckery.

  14. Infophile says

    @13 slither tove:

    “Pence” is also the British version of “cents,” so “Trump Pence” could be interpreted as a form of currency.

  15. Gregory Greenwood says

    Infophile @ 19;

    “Pence” is also the British version of “cents,” so “Trump Pence” could be interpreted as a form of currency.

    We like our pence just the way they are, thanks, no added Trump required.

    We may have been collectively stupid enough to torpedo our future prosperity through Brexit, but we aren’t so far gone that our transatlantic cousins can offload Trump on us in any form.

    Really, he’s all yours…

  16. Anri says

    Yeah, I’m surprised that it took them a while to figure out that there might be an issue with a logo featuring a long, thin item plunging down into a oval orifice actually spelled out by the letters “TP”.

    If someone had suggested this logo for the antagonists in a parodic political comedy, it would have been nixed as “too silly”.

  17. Gregory Greenwood says

    robro @ 17;

    As if you can pull a meme like that to stop the damage. Sorry, too late Trump. Another glaring indicator of incompetence.

    Agreed – the Striesand Effect will not be denied. Whether Trump wills it or not, this will be the de facto logo of his campaign, disturbing subtext and imagery and all.

    Though, we could look at it from another angle – the logo sort of looks like one of the old fashioned plunger type detonators used to trigger explosive devices for demolitions, popularized as an image by things like the old Road Runner cartoons. So, the unintended suggestion here is that Trump is planning to destroy America? Sounds about right.

  18. Gregory Greenwood says

    On the subject of Trump and Brexit, it seems like he might be planning to attempt his own equivalent should he become President, stating his intent to pull the US out of the North American Free Trade Agreement if Canada and Mexico don’t agree to the renegotiation he desires.

    Trump seems to have been directly inspired to pursue this policy by the Brexit idiots over here, so sorry about that.

  19. Gregory Greenwood says

    Apologies for the Daily Mail link. Their coverage of this isn’t as bad as you might expect from a newspaper justly described as the Daily Heil for its anti-immigration coverage and variously fascist stances on many issues.

  20. Golgafrinchan Captain says

    If I were Drumph [shudders], I’d be worried that someone on the gun-toting far right would asassinate me to get the president they really want.

  21. unclefrogy says

    the VP nominee is insurance like Agnew was and is probably a wise move, it re-assures the party regulars that he really is like them and not a threat and will inhibit the dems.
    I do not think Pence should feel all that secure however I suspect that “the boss” will not feel any hesitancy in firing him if the mood strikes him.
    I think it might be good to keep in mind how Trump has actually made his career and fortune.
    He has allowed his name to be put on various schemes which were actually managed by other hustlers, hucksters and con-men marketers. Used the bankruptcy courts to his advantage and came out of many of his failed schemes with a personal profit. That is how business works these days very much like Romney’s business success.
    I see no indication what so ever that he has changed any.
    He is a pie in the sky salesman start to finish everything he sells is BS and illusion.
    What he realizes is that people want to believe all kinds of crap if it sounds good for them or supports their delusions. They voted for Shrub twice after all.
    He lives in a world where he sees that who is really in control are the 1% and it makes no real difference in the end.
    The thing we have to really worry about is what will happen if he wins the election and then the inevitable and predictable failure happens.
    The rabble he has chosen to lead are not known for being understanding and forgiving.
    uncle frogy

  22. gijoel says

    When I’m emperor of this planet I will force any politician who wants to restrict women’s health choices to have a public endocavity ultrasound. Learned doctors will then describe the reproductive health of said politician to the gathered press core.

  23. slithey tove (twas brillig (stevem)) says

    re 19:

    “Pence” is also the British version of “cents,” so “Trump Pence” could be interpreted as a form of currency.

    aya, “tuppence” comes to mind, as the shortened form of ‘trumpence’. worth not even two cents that tuppence. (wink wink nudge nudge).

  24. sugarfrosted says

    @26 Now I want to see an episode of WKRP about this year’s Republican National Convention.

  25. cartomancer says

    I had to google possible meanings of the letters “TP” to work out what the joke was. It’s not one we Brits use.

    I’m guessing you mean “toliet paper”? (toilet roll, toilet tissue, lavatory paper or bog roll in the UK, depending on your social class). Wikipedia also lists “target practice” “teleportation” “tense phrase” and “trouser press” among others…

    But yeah, my first thought was that it sounded like the currency they would use in a fictional country. Trumpton most likely – the Private Eye (a British satirical magazine) version that we have been enjoying for a year or so.

  26. Nerd of Redhead, Dances OM Trolls says

    I’m guessing you mean “toliet paper”? (toilet roll, toilet tissue, lavatory paper or bog roll in the UK, depending on your social class).

    Yep, that is the self-inflected joke by the Drumpf campaign. Sometimes trees, bushes, and houses are coated in (more like hold onto one end and throw the roll over the object, tear and return the roll via the same process) toilet paper as a joke, and the vernacular is that they have been TPed.

  27. Beatrice, an amateur cynic looking for a happy thought says

    Ah, so that’s what TP stands for. Thanks, cartomancer and Nerd. I was wondering what was so funny.

  28. Azkyroth, B*Cos[F(u)]==Y says

    “Pence” is also the British version of “cents,” so “Trump Pence” could be interpreted as a form of currency.

    Well, “Trump” and “cents” in the same sentence wouldn’t work phonetically.

  29. Azkyroth, B*Cos[F(u)]==Y says

    I just noticed, the “T” and the “P” with part of the staff covered look kinda like a highly stylized hammer and sickle. O.o

  30. Intaglio says

    Patton Oswalt has defined the word thus – “trumppence” n. Obsolete coin made of dried earwax. (origin Tudor England) “I paid the ***** in trumppence and three ale cakes.
    https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt

    My version was the somewhat more polite – “Trumppence” a forged coin of lead alloy meant to represent a silver threepenny bit

    The Samantha Bee team produced the gif of the TP logo under the heading of “Breaking the mattress of America”