At least according to Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance who recently made this remarkable claim. . .
“If you wanted to kill a bunch of MAGA voters in the middle of the heartland, how better than to target them and their kids with this deadly fentanyl? … It does look intentional. It’s like Joe Biden wants to punish the people who didn’t vote for him and opening up the floodgates to the border is one way to do it.” — GOP Senate candidate J.D. Vance, in an interview with Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit, April 29
This is compelling evidence of the sorry state of the Republican Party. Ohio is an important state. United States Senator is an important office. In a party controlled by the sane such nonsense would be disqualifying, but this race-baiting, Trump-endorsed jackass is the Republican nominee for that high office.
Obviously, the claim is beyond demented but MAGA Republicans eat this stuff up. But not everyone does. It triggered a detailed factcheck by the Washington Post which awarded Mr. Vance the coveted Four Pinnochios award!
For those without access, here is the conclusion. . .
“The Pinocchio Test
In just about every way, Vance’s outrage at Biden is misplaced. Fentanyl seizures have increased, not fallen, under Biden. Overdose deaths jumped sharply under Trump. As for Trump voters being supposedly targeted, people of color die at a higher rate from opioids than Whites. It’s bad enough to suggest that the president is deliberately trying to kill off Trump voters with illicit drugs. But it’s especially appalling to make such hyperbolic claims based on zero facts.
Vance earns Four Pinocchios.”
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
As a rule, it is pretty silly to “fact check” a counterfactual like Vance’s statement. But if stirring up rage among the shallowminded is the goal, then silliness will do.
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“Counterfactual?”
Is that Trump-speak for “outrageous calumny” which this clearly is?
Or is “counterfactual” your replacement for “alternative facts” to minimize all MAGA LIES?
If fact-checking outrageous calumny is “pretty silly” what is the proper journalistic response when a candidate for an important office spreads such outrageous calumny?
Who are the “shallowminded” to whom you refer?
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RE: “Who are the ‘shallowminded’ to whom you refer?”
Offhand, they are those who find outrageous calumny in merely ordinary calumny.
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Count me as “shallowminded.” I do not see this as “ordinary calumny” whatever you think that might be.
In my shallowminded way, I find it hard to imagine a calumny much more outrageous than a LIE that our President is INTENTIONALLY killing thousands of political opponents AND their CHILDREN. And, in my shallowminded way, I find it significant that this is not just another typical MAGA shithead bloviating at a bar. Oh no. This is the chosen candidate of the used-to-be Grand Old Party to be the next United States Senator from Ohio.
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The lie is in your own head. Try reading the Vance quote more carefully.
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I’ll bite? How does this quote not say what it says?
If your answer is the “If you wanted. . .” phrase at the beginning, think again.
There is no weasling out of the heart of it. YOU read it again . . “It does look intentional. It’s like Joe Biden wants to punish the people who didn’t vote for him and opening up the floodgates to the border is one way to do it.” A lie within a lie. Drug interdictions are UP, way up.
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RE: “If your answer is the ‘If you wanted…’ phrase at the beginning, think again.”
That’s not my answer. My answer is the “It does look intentional” phrase. Vance doesn’t say, “It IS intentional.” He says only, “It does look intentional.” That sounds like reasonable hyperbole to me to call attention to a problem that is causing about 100,000 preventable deaths per year.
Feel free, if you wish, to argue that the death toll is acceptable.
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“Reasonable hyperbole?”
To imply that the President is intentionally killing off MAGA supporters AND their kids.
I cited this Vance horseshit as evidence of the intellectual and moral decline of the GOP. It has really and truly devolved into a party of racist deplorables. You have confirmed exactly that.
Thank you.
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“ But if stirring up rage among the shallowminded is the goal, then silliness will do.”
Funny, that is precisely what Carlson does with his minute by minute rating system for viewers.
Must be a red shtick, or more to the point, a plank in the GOP platform. Piss off the electorate, then see if they stayed tuned while ads sell jock itch cream.
Fear sells. It killed millions in WW2 and apparently the GOP hopes to do the same today.
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The shallow-mindedness of some here is deep…….
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You, Roberts, Smith. Yep. That about does it. For the shortlist.
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Well, let’s think about this. Opening up the floodgates at the border has increased drug trafficking by Paul’s own admission that fentanyl seizures have “increased” under Biden. Overdose deaths may have increased under Trump but he tried to close off the border and Democrats would have nothing to do with that by blocking every attempt. As a matter of fact overdose deaths have risen even more dramatically under Biden.
https://nida.nih.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
Biden not closing off the border does indeed seriously affect the heartland with drug and human trafficking so reasonable people living there might bring it up as a personal attack on their safety and rightly blame him for it. Sounds like Democrats are the real problem.
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The so-called open border is nonsense. You have been conned. Again.
Increased fentanyl seizures is DIRECT EVIDENCE that the claim of borders opened to drugs is baloney.
“As a matter of fact overdose deaths have risen even more dramatically under Biden.”
Uh, BULLSHIT!
The plague of drug overdose deaths started under Trump. Blaming Biden for a problem he inherited is a dog that will not hunt. Overdose deaths were up from 65,571 annually when Trump took office to 94,738 (up 31% from the year before) annually when he left. The most recent number for Biden is 103,598. (up 12% from the year before). The curve is flattening. Here, do the math yourself…
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
The LYING LIAR you are supporting is claiming that these deaths are something new, something intentional, and that it is targeting MAGA voters AND THEIR KIDS. The truth is that the problem has not been solved but that the overwhelming majority of those dying are people of color not MAGA voters. Lie packed up lie packed up lie.
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Um, up a total of 44% over 4 years under Trump equals an average 11% per year and Biden’s increase to 12% in one year IS an increase. Yes, do the math. A 12% per year rate over 4 years would be a 48% increase over Bidens term. Shall we clap at that wonderful success story now or when his butt gets booted from the white house with a likely much higher overdose rate? If DEMOCRATS hadn’t fought tooth and nail to prevent the wall things might be a WHOLE lot better.
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You do the math . . . Overdose deaths were up 31% over the previous year in Trump’s last year. Biden brought that growth rate down to 15% over the previous year.
The point is not that the problem has been solved. It obviously has not. The point is that it is dishonest to blame the problem on President Biden as if it were something new. And that dishonesty is compounded by the absolutely unacceptable claim that this is the result of an intentional effort to kill off MAGA voters AND their kids.
I cited this Vance horseshit as evidence of the intellectual and moral decline of the GOP. You have confirmed exactly that.
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So you dont like math that challenges your assertions. Except for one anomaly year under Trump, the other 3 years overdoses were below Bidens first year. The numbers keep rising. Not only do I blame Biden but the ENTIRE Democratic party for NOT securing our southern border no matter who is president. Rising drug overdoses due to uncontrolled drug smuggling is what you get for it. Thanks Biden, Pelosi and Schumer!! Great job, GJ olf clap…
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The math does NOT challenge my assertions. Not in the least. Overdose tragedies were rising sharply when Biden took office. They are rising less sharply now. In fact, the upward curve has flattened because in the Biden economy people are once again finding ways to get ahead.
Your rant simply ignores the FACT that it is Republicans who have been blocking meaningful immigration reform for decades. Why? A mix of racist hatred, boogieman lies, and a GOP business class that profits from what is essentially captive labor.
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RE: “Biden not closing off the border does indeed seriously affect the heartland with drug and human trafficking so reasonable people living there might bring it up as a personal attack on their safety and rightly blame him for it. Sounds like Democrats are the real problem.”
Very well put. Increased fentanyl seizures at the border mean nothing when fantanyl deaths are at high levels.
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