[Bones McCoy]

Senator? Mitch McConnell is rumoured dead, or in hospital on life support.

Repub lawmakers are denying it (and eh resulting election).
They're posting identikit "I spoke with Mitch for 20 minutes this afternoon" on social media.

Must be some crowded visiting hours.

I also tried to contact him.

[Abernathy]

That's all a bit Soviet Union, isn't it?

[Boiler]

Repub lawmakers are denying it (and eh resulting election).
They're posting identikit "I spoke with Mitch for 20 minutes this afternoon" on social media.

There's a lot of spoof ones too...

[The Weeping Angel]

Meanwhile, there's this fine mess.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/0 ... n-00987737

A woman who dated Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner says he forced her to have sex with him nearly five years ago despite her repeated objections, an allegation Platner denies.

The woman, a 41-year-old Maine resident named Jenny Racicot, detailed the alleged incident to POLITICO in three interviews over the past two weeks. POLITICO also spoke with a man Racicot dated and confided in the years after the alleged incident, and reviewed documents, including emails between Racicot and her therapist and messages between Racicot and an acquaintance whom she warned against getting involved with Platner years before he ran for office.

Racicot said she had an on-and-off relationship with Platner, who is now the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, for more than two years before he entered her rural Maine home uninvited one night in late 2021, deeply intoxicated, and forced himself on her while she repeatedly told him to stop. She said she cut off contact with him after telling him the encounter was not consensual.

“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” she said. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”

Platner denied the allegations.

Just an utter, utter mess and in a senate seat the Democrats need to win to hope to gain control of the Senate.

[Tubby Isaacs]

He's officially stood down.

There seems to be very little reflection among people who pushed his candidacy. The line seems to be "the Republicans are hypocrites blah blah".

The American left is the most useless in the world.

[Yug]

The American left is the most useless in the world.

Probably because they would qualify as right wing in most civilised countries.

[The Weeping Angel]

He's officially stood down.

There seems to be very little reflection among people who pushed his candidacy. The line seems to be "the Republicans are hypocrites blah blah".

The American left is the most useless in the world.

Also, they seem to be blaming everything on the establishment Democrats.

[Boiler]

Unless the Democrats start getting their shit together - which they seem to show no sign of doing - then there'll be another Republican president in 2028.

But no doubt there'll be loads of whiny YouTube videos from Democrat supporters to sustain them to 2032 instead.

[The Weeping Angel]

How exactly do they get their shit together? Also, leading democrats don't spend their time making whiny YouTube videos.

[Boiler]

You might like to re-read my post, TWA - I said their supporters.

As for the Democrats themselves; I see no clear leadership or co-ordinated strategy, no indication of who could emerge as their presidential candidate, no coherent messaging.

It's almost as though they've just decided to give up, sit this out and take their money.

[AOB]

I hope Gavin Newsome is nominee because I think he'll win it regardless of who he's up against. I suppose the upside to the US not having an Opposition Leader and the nominee being decided late is that the next two years aren't spent by Trump and MAGA digging dirt and influencing the media to entrench the minds of the electorate falsely and negatively against the opponent. I expect Trump to run even though he can't.

[Boiler]

Well, when most, if not all of the US media is either owned by Trump sycophants or cowed into submission by his lawsuits (don't they have such a thing as "vexatious litigation" in the US?) it'd be hard for the Democrats *not* to be smeared by them, never mind the religious zealots of MAGA (and worse individuals). But I'd like to hear what the Democrats would offer as an alternative, other than waiting/hoping Trump will expire or as seems to be occurring in some quarters, blaming Israel for propping Trump up.

As for Trump; well, Yanks seem to like dynasties (Bush, Clinton) so I wouldn't be surprised if one of his family stands.

[The Weeping Angel]

You might like to re-read my post, TWA - I said their supporters.

As for the Democrats themselves; I see no clear leadership or co-ordinated strategy, no indication of who could emerge as their presidential candidate, no coherent messaging.

It's almost as though they've just decided to give up, sit this out and take their money.

Sorry, my mistake, but in terms of no indication of who could emerge as their presidential candidates, that's normal for US politics their isn't a leader of the opposition, and it's normal for there being no declared candidates at this stage, to find you'll have to wait for people to declare themselves and win the primary.

[Boiler]

Thanks for the clarification, TWA.

[Boiler]

A Democrat YT contributor has posted up that the carpets and floor tiles have been replaced at Mitch McConnell's house; apparently this is proof that he's dead.

Yeah, okay...

[mattomac]

Yeah you only see Democratic nominations ramping themselves up early to mid next year.

Of course Trump shouldn’t be running but….

[Watchman]

A Democrat YT contributor has posted up that the carpets and floor tiles have been replaced at Mitch McConnell's house; apparently this is proof that he's dead.

Yeah, okay...

Has Mr Wolfe taken control of the situation

[Boiler]

One assumes so...

[mattomac]

With Graham dying, whatever condition McConnell is in he isn’t quite dead.

But probably not fit to be a senator, then again when has he been?

[Youngian]

As for Trump; well, Yanks seem to like dynasties (Bush, Clinton) so I wouldn't be surprised if one of his family stands.

Better Trump dies in office before he can pardon his family involved in corrupt dealings. There's little evidence his health is rapidly declining, that's mainly wish fulfillment from opponents.