Republicans Amplified Pro-Gun Control Protesters In Tennessee | FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast

[@MartijnterHaar]

I think Nate underestimates the impact of this story. It made it into mainstream Dutch news. More the 'international news' section than headlines, but it was definitely there in European media. And I bet the likes of your Russia Todays and Chinese state media will drag this story out for years to come.

[@Snowshowslow]

It was also on the German eight o'clock news and I have heard from people in other Western countries where it was in the news as well. But I'm not sure how that impacts the US all that much, except in the broader sense that the rest of the world shakes their head.

[@dannyarcher6370]

The liberal infestation of Western media is total. The fact that the Russians and Chinese love to parrot the liberal narrative should tell you everything you need to know.

[@antigonemerlin]

The story of the Tennessee Three is going to make its way into the history books.

[@EJDubbz]

Every news story on this topic needs to start with: In 2019, Tennessee lawmakers made no attempt to expel former Republican Rep. David Byrd after he faced accusations of sexual misconduct dating to when he was a high school basketball coach.

[@JuanAMatos-zx4ub]

He votes their way so there's no need to waste that, right? /s

[@yondie491]

they also did nothing against the simple assault by the Republican on the floor during the protest

[@blogintonblakley2708]

Truth is that people in the USA are violent, angry and armed. That's how we took this place in the first place, it's how we ran slaves, and how we took half of Mexico. Every once and awhile when the government doesn't provide us with someone to fight we fight amongst ourselves... Mormon vs. Christians. White against Black. North against South... Blah blah... and on an on. The pairing for violence doesn't matter... it's the spasm of violence we love. Then when someone flies into a rage snatches up their armory and kills a bunch of people everyone pretend to pray and sob and wax constitutional. Because we are violent and angry and armed... and we ain't changing.

[@rohankurian5641]

🤔👊🔥✌

[@andrewpinson1268]

If GOP congressmen had protested the same way then they also should have been expelled. There is a place and time for protests of that type.

[@avacadomangobanana2588]

No?????????

[@veronicamaine3813]

If I were a Republican old enough to remember the to 60s I’d get a certain sick feeling right now, because this is all looking very familiar and the conservatives did not end up holding on to their Jim Crow BS back then and they won’t now

[@markaisenberg6641]

Mike Nearman was expelled in 2021 by Oregon congress but I don’t recall 538 or the MSM covering that. I wonder why they didn’t cover that?

[@thefisherking78]

I don't know. Why do you think it wasn't covered? You do understand that this is getting coverage not just because of expulsions but because of apparent motivations and selectivity, right? Expulsions happen, but ousting the young black guys and leaving a white woman who did the exact same thing is interesting. A list of recent behavior by other reps in the same state house that resulted in no expulsions or even sanctions, in fact, no action at all, is also interesting. Why was Nearman expelled?

[@markaisenberg6641]

@@thefisherking78 q: “Why do I think it wasn’t covered?” A: in this video from 538, they never mention Nearman, they act as if kicking them out is unprecedented. The reason is because 538 is a partisan democrat actor who portrays themselves as nonpartisan. Q: “the apparent motivations “ A: you are implying that they didn’t kick out the white lady because of racism and that is what the video suggests as well. The truth is that she wasn’t ousted by one vote and that was because the allegation sheet had false allegations against her. The swing vote was quoted as saying that he couldn’t find her guilty of those things because she verifiably didn’t do those things. He wanted them to change the allegations sheet and he would vote her out. Q: a list of recent behavior by other reps in the same house resulted in no sanctions A: can you be more specific?

[@avacadomangobanana2588]

@@markaisenberg6641 are you okay mark???

[@markaisenberg6641]

@@avacadomangobanana2588 I’m fine, thanks for asking.

[@avacadomangobanana2588]

@@markaisenberg6641 you’re clearly not bro 💀💀

[@gbassman5341]

It's so weird how people just gloss over (or forget!) how the Democratic party used to be the conservative party and then was centrist for a while, when places like the South used to be solidly Blue.

[@veronicamaine3813]

I think it’s more forgetting but basically the civil rights movement flipped it.

[@gaileverett]

What I don't understand is why no Democrat is advancing the argument that banning certain types of weapons does not deprive anyone of their precious second amendment rights. They can just buy some other type of gun, for pete's sake. No ordinary citizen needs military-style weapons.

[@blogintonblakley2708]

If Tennessee loves guns so much they are willing to have mass killings... seems foolish... but it's also Tennessee's business.

[@otsoko66]

Huh? WHAT???? Dems have been advancing this argument for decades! Dems have passed multiple laws against specific types of weapons -- only to have the laws struck down by the current supreme court (previous SCOTUS have permitted this.)

[@yodaddy82daddy70]

An AR-15 is NOT a military style weapon. In fact I know you won't answer cause most gun grabbers are ignorant but what .makes a rifle "military style"? Also mocking my second amendment rights only makes me dig in more. Hence why most of use refuse to give an inch anymore because it is never enough for you tyrants

[@clubgop]

It’s what you don’t understand that make all the difference. It’s all theater. You can’t define these weapons as soon as you do bam they make a weapon to fit that standard call it something else and same old same old. It’s what happened the last time.

[@gaileverett]

@@brett8940 Yes, I know they focus so much on that word, but I just would like to see someone make the case that there's another way to look at it. All I meant was that it seems like Democratic leadership needs to get more creative. The same old arguments over and over aren't working. It should be obvious to everyone that background checks are hardly going to solve the problem.

[@lokadoll510]

This is an important story but this particular coverage is pretty flat. I’m not sure the panel even gets why they are talking about it and what angle to the story they can provide. Plus being all white I think they’re missing the gravity of the racial element of this.

[@ari3300]

This panel and podcast in general, would benefit from a more racially diversified panel.

[@dannyarcher6370]

Why?

[@juanvillalvazo1695]

They tend to have some blind spots when talking about certain issues. I don’t think you need to be non-white to understand and speak to issues affecting non-white people, but it doesn’t hurt. Like the way they talk about Latino voters it’s like Latinos are mystical and unknowable entities. They really lack the ability to apply cultural and historical perspective to political trends in the Latino community in the same way they do with non-college educated white voters, and that perspective is nonetheless useful.

[@wendyscottpaff6283]

I agree. Maybe their black journalists were not available for some reason.

[@dannyarcher6370]

@@wendyscottpaff6283 I'm wondering how the skin colour of their contributors would benefit the show.

[@bentrinker1937]

What would a racially diverse panel add? What is a crucial perspective that only a black person can bring?

[@TheCommanderFluffy]

Woopsies

[@danettewhiting7797]

Criminals Prey On The Defenseless. These Fools Are So Lacking Of Intelligence.

[@blogintonblakley2708]

If people want to own guns and sell guns and shoot guns, that comes at a price. One of the prices is that sooner or later someone is going to use their gun to do some messed up stuff. Prompting more people to buy even more guns, leading to even more people who do even more messed up stuff... And around and around it goes. If that is what people in the USA want to do... {shrugs} Seems really stupid, but... that's what is happening, and it's going to keep happening with more and more violence until people get tired of it.

[@FredEdeXIII]

So why isn't there massive crime in other, similar nations with less guns? Aren't they more "defenseless" and therefore vulnerable to criminals?

[@danettewhiting7797]

@@FredEdeXIII Those governments are much harder on criminals. In all of our major democrat cities - they let criminals go free and downgrade felonies to misdemeanors.

[@FredEdeXIII]

​@@danettewhiting7797 Even more misinformation and shifting goal posts. You said the problem was that criminals attack the defenseless, now you're saying that criminals aren't concerned about punishment. The U.S. has the largest incarceration rate of any country (and has for decades), so how is that possible if somehow all these "democrat cities" have been letting people go free in droves as people like you suggest? If you really want to be informed, investigate actual numbers. Don't just listen to and take right wing talking points as fact.

[@danettewhiting7797]

@@SigFigNewton Bottom Line - Take Away Guns And You Have A Totalitarian Government.

[@markaisenberg6641]

Fivethirtyeight spends a lot of time talking about how this is norm breaking and the facts around the charges. I didn’t hear a single discussion about the polling, what people think about the expulsion. On the Trump indictment, all they did was talk about polling and people’s feelings but never a mention about all of the norm breaking and merits of the case. People need to realize this channel is not neutral and is trying to manipulate you.

[@bentrinker1937]

Props to 538 for honestly recounting the events. Most coverage forgets to mention the protest the day earlier.

[@SentimentalHogwash]

All those young republicans will tow the line soon enough! Nothing will change .

[@gaileverett]

Toe, not tow. They're not dragging it.

[@blogintonblakley2708]

I don't live in Tennessee. If they like their guns so much that they don't mind mass killings... seems really foolish to me... but their business.

[@blogintonblakley2708]

@@SigFigNewton If Tennessee wants to be undemocratic in their desire to allow mass killings through a fondness for firearm ownership... That's their business. That help?

[@reverendbarker650]

@@blogintonblakley2708 so you approach every situation like this ? , " Tennessee decides to reintroduce slavery " you, "well thats their business" Seems like your moral compass ends at the border of your own state.

[@blogintonblakley2708]

@@reverendbarker650 Free people making free choices. Yup, it's a standard of mine.

[@tomvu1470]

@@SigFigNewton Depends on who has the guns though. See the Mulford Act

[@markaisenberg6641]

The framing of this is so partisan, it’s actually disgusting. These people broke the law, performed an insurrection and were rightfully kicked out of congress. I hope charges are filed against them.

[@studentdrake]

@@SigFigNewton these lawmakers did what they accused Trump of on January 6th.

[@korayven9255]

@@studentdrake The Tennessee Three and the students they supported were neither armed nor did they attempt to remove from or install anyone into power. You and Mark are both hilariously wrong and irrationally partisan. No one in their right minds thinks supporting a student protest is an insurrection except for paranoid authoritarians.

[@notcompletelynormal]

@@studentdrake Did these Tennessee lawmakers take part in planning the protest? Did they incite violence? Did they refuse to comment and call for help, when protesters were breaking down doors and screaming to hang the vice president? Was the protest violent? Was the congress broken into? Were any lives threatened? Did the protesters bring weapons? Did they violently search through congress, including lawmakers’ offices? Did they bring strip ties, that they were planning to use on the wrists of the lawmakers they were searching for? Did anyone die? Did their actions lead to the assault of 140 police officers, including the mob gouging the eyes of one officer, while assaulting and beating him unconscious with his own baton? Have more than 1.000 of the protesters been charged and arrested to date, with investigators saying it’s “far from over”? Have 541 plead guilty? Have 445 been sentenced, some up to 10 years? Has there been many lengthy and thorough trials, yet only one where a defendant was found not guilty? Cause those are all facts about Trump’ actions and what happened on Jan 6. Please, tell me again how these two things are in any way alike.

[@markaisenberg6641]

@@SigFigNewton they didn’t have any FBI agents helping them or they could’ve done a lot more damage.