AZ GOP Goes Full Bullshit: Claims It took Down Violence-Inciting Tweet Over Copyright Concerns
from the this-is-what-we-do dept
If you're looking for what the meltdown of a major political institution looks like in real time, you need look only to how the GOP is behaving in the wake of Donald Trump's decisive electoral loss. This trickle down freak-out was somewhat predictable, with nearly everyone agreeing that a Trump loss would not see a classy exit by the soon-to-be former President. But I'm not sure anyone would have predicted that the Republican Party writ large would refuse to admit what is an obvious electoral defeat, would seek to overturn a legitimate election in which they picked up all kinds of seats in the House of Representatives, nor cuddle up with all kinds of crazy actors wielding bizarre and easily disproven conspiracy theories.
But it's worth noting something: it's unlikely that the vast majority of the GOP players in this Riverdance of stupid are actually crazy. Whatever one might want to say about Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham, they aren't batshit insane, nor stupid. Neither is the vast GOP infrastructure around the country. More likely, they are simply cynical enough to play up the conspiracy theories in order to rev up their voters for future elections, hamper a Biden administration, and otherwise make life as difficult on the party that won the presidency as humanly possible. They're liars, in other words, not psychos.
Case in point would be the audacious set of tweets sent out by the Arizona GOP recently. Tweets which, referencing a Rambo movie of all things, very much incite violence.
That account followed up on that tweet, indicating that Trump followed that creed and asking if any of its followers did as well. Sadly, many responded in the affirmative, appearing to indicate that there are folks out there ready to die for the cause of Donald Trump. Unsurprisingly, a large number of people both on Twitter and in public, including many public officials, many of which are Republicans, lost their collective shit over the tweet. The backlash was swift and severe, with condemnation over a tweet that appeared to actively incite violence coming from all political corners.
Which is why it was also not surprising that the Arizona GOP took the tweet down, though it's reasoning is both absurd and indicates the content of the tweet itself is something that group has no problem putting out in the future.
In an email to the Phoenix New Times on Tuesday, Arizona GOP communications director Zachery Henry bypassed the backlash over the now-deleted tweet by saying that it was taken down “due to concerns about copyright and fair use law.”
“The Republican Party of Arizona condemns all forms of violence in the strongest terms. Fictional movie scenes should be weighed in their proper context,” Henry told the Phoenix New Times in an email. “However, due to concerns about copyright and fair use law, this clip has been removed.”
The AZ GOP is full of crap. Copyright concerns didn't suddenly materialize between when the tweet was posted and when the backlash began. No DMCA takedown was issued over the tweet, nor the image within it. The tweet was taken down over the backlash.
Except the AZ GOP now also can't take any credit for taking down the tweet, since it's indicated that the tweet wasn't a problem save the copyright concerns. It's the worst of all worlds, in other words.
But the most important aspect of this is, again, just how cynical it all is. The GOP knows Trump's claims of fraud are absurd. But they'll use them anyway to try to score political points. And if someone in, say, the home state of Gabbie Giffords has to get shot in the meantime, then so be it.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: arizona, arizona gop, copyright, election, fair use, rambo
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Whatever one might want to say about Mitch McConnell and Lindsey
Stupid, no.
Corruptz yes.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Psychopaths are liars. It's a trait that they don't feel, or care about the misery that they cause. Sociopaths while also not caring are not typically violent.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
So you have half the country on the run?
To claim one removed "Tweet" means you have half the country on the run, that's a stretch even for your aggrandizing, Timmy.
Do you know, for instance, that 18 states have joined with Texas in a direct challenge to the HOW of mail-in ballots at the Supreme Court? NOT the fraud, simple uncontestable fact that Legislatures didn't approve the changes. -- Why not analyze that and see if you've any cause for glee?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
You remind me of scene from 'Allo 'Allo:
German General: The glorious German Army shot down 42 Allied planes last night.
(see next for punch line, I'm being BLOCKED on this!)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: You remind me of scene from 'Allo 'Allo:
German Colonel: I didn't think they had that many left!
Clearly you don't/can't seek out conflicting reports so have gauge on reality, just like all orcs / NPCs / masses / proles in novels.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
BTW: here are three recent BIG ACTUAL losses for "your" side.
Violence-inciter Michigan State Rep Cynthia A. Johnson rebuked by legislature, stripped of committees
Democrat U.S. House Rep Eric Swalwell is removed from House Intel Committee after Chinese spy link is found
Hunter Biden reveals he is facing tax fraud investigation
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Someone needs to directly ask the top GOP figures in DC if destroying the republic over Trump is actually worth it.
While they might have a blood thirsty base that they've riled up and pointed at the other side, it seems they have forgotten that they can & will turn on a dime and go after them over any perceived slight. Suddenly it will be about cooler heads & trying to blame the other side... but you assholes remained silent after every Trump statement pushing violence as the answer... enjoy the whirlwind.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: BTW: here are three recent BIG ACTUAL losses for "your&
There. After 30 or so "Resend" and changing order to try, I got in again.
Wish you'd fix your "system" so that it's predictable.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
It's not "obvious" when in middle of night, Biden suddenly surged and passed in alleged numbers.
AH. Exactly. You have to assert that Trump is so personally offensive that voters split while still going for the Rs, and WAY beyond "the Blue wave" that polls predicted, remember that? It's inexplicable.
First, name 3 specific, not just do generic reference to what you imagine. You clowns always fall apart when required to get specific.
2nd: We don't. Those are largely foisted on us by our enemies, and gleefully repeated by our lesser enemies like you.
I bet you're one who'd deny a "Great Reset" is coming, a conspiracy which is easily found and widely reported, AND you probably would refuse to admit that in the UK, on excuse of COVID, the serfs have lost near all right to travel, get fined heavily for going outside their "tier",and the UK military will likely administer the shots, and the UK serfs -- if not world-wide -- will need to carry "vaccination papers" with them, besides that even vaccination won't allow to quit wearing masks!
But you've got your ONE removed Tweet as balance all that! Enjoy it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
really would like to know
How many of the top GOP are into evangelical teachings.
Anyone think it would be Interesting if Both sides started throwing shoes at each other?(would love to see them sort the shoes after)
Instead of marshaling the Citizens, into doing stupid things, Would love it on PAY TV, just as WWF does it.
The old sayings are Wrong, Words do hurt and have meanings, even misconstrued, they can Cause a reaction. ANd humans are reactionary. There are many who dont THINK THIS THREW, before they act.
But who is to blame for Incitement? Who do we arrest if something happens? Isnt it a conspiracy if a 3rd party does something, supposedly unintentional on the 1st party comment.
They are all idiots, NOT thinking the ramifications of ANY comment from a leader of the people, be it a senator, representative, Governor or President.
Good luck folks.
This is creating a strange future, with no middle ground.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
While they're not even remotely honest enough to answer that question outright their silence or at most tepid disagreement as Trump tries to torch the country to the ground on his way out speaks for itself, saying without any room for misinterpretation that yes, they are absolutely fine with everything Trump is saying and/or doing because better a country facing mass civil unrest and violence than one where they might lose any power.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: So you have half the country on the run?
"Do you know, for instance, that 18 states have joined with Texas in a direct challenge to the HOW of mail-in ballots at the Supreme Court? NOT the fraud, simple uncontestable fact that Legislatures didn't approve the changes. -- Why not analyze that and see if you've any cause for glee"
Nah, you can go read PA's response yourself, because it's complete takedown of the bullshit TX suit is GLORIOUS....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
You're mistaken. Kelli Ward really is a psycho.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
It is when postal votes are counted after in person votes, and one side said they were not safe and the other said keep yourself safe and use them
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
we get it, you're willing to toss democracy in the trash and embrace a dictatorship because your side lost
at least have the guts to admit it
[ link to this | view in thread ]
'Will someone rid me of this troublesome politician!'
Good old stochastic terrorism strikes again. 'Sure would be a shame if someone were brave- I mean misguided enough to protect the country by killing and/or intimidating a few of our political opponents...'
Yeah, that's not how it works, but nice of them to show their true colors as violent and corrupt goons who will do anything to preserve their power. You do not get to expect to be taken seriously when you post a blatantly pro-violence message involving a movie character known quite well for his hefty body count, double-down on it with some good old peer pressure and then when called on your calls for violence say you totally aren't suggesting that people go out and kill your opponents despite the fact that you just 'suggested' that.
They could have blamed it on a rogue person who didn't represent the party and was removed because of it, or perhaps claimed that someone hacked the account to make them look bad(honestly when lying is your go-to there's just so many options), the fact that they pulled it and tried to claim that it was because of copyright concerns makes clear that they had no problem with the original message, they just botched the photo to accompany it.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ooh, that sounds fun, would you happen to have a link?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22O155/163367/20201210142206254_Pennsylvania%20Opp%20to%20 Bill%20of%20Complaint%20v.FINAL.pdf
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
Thanks, 43 pages though, that's going to take a bit, but good humor should be worth the effort I suppose.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
I mean, even just the preamble is gold....
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
Damn, first page of the argument and already a gem, I can see what you meant about it being glorious, and it just keeps on coming...
'The cascading series of compounding defects in Texas’s filings is only underscored by the surreal alternate reality that those filings attempt to construct. '
...
'Texas offers statements about Pennsylvania law and Pennsylvania’s election administration. Befitting of Texas’s distance and unfamiliarity with either, those statements are littered with patently false allegations and conclusions.'
...
'Third, Texas asserts that certain counties “adopted [] differential standards favoring voters in Philadel-phia and Allegheny Counties with the intent to favor former Vice President Biden.” Bill of Complaintat 17. In support of this false assertion, Texas cites to the complaint in Trump v. Boockvar, 4:20-cv-02078 (M.D. Pa. Nov. 18, 2020). What Texas neglectsto mention is that this complaint was dismissed, see Trump v. Boock-var, 2020 WL 6821992 (M.D. Pa. Nov. 21, 2020),and that dismissal was affirmed by the Third Circuit be-cause those charges were backed by neither specific al-legations nor evidence, Texas’s suggestion of a wide-ranging conspiracy is a fantasy.'
...
'But it should not be necessary to point out that the 2016 and 2020 elections were, in fact, separate events, and any analysis based on the assumption that voters in a particular state would behave the same way in two successive presidential elections is worthless.'
...
'Let us be clear. Texas invites this Court to over-throw the votes of the American people and choose the next President of the United States.That Faustian in-vitation must be firmly rejected.'
...
'Texas does not (and could not) allege that Pennsylvania’s actions disenfranchised it. Indeed, it is Texas that seeks complete disenfranchisement.'
...
'Whatever the standard, Texas cannot meet it. Nothing in the text, history, or structure of the Constitution supports Texas’s view that it can dictate the manner in which four sister States run their elections, and Texas suffered no harm because it dislikes the results in those elections. Further, Texas’s claims are also moot and barred by laches. The predicate for Texas to take action was established well before Election Day, but it waited until now—after all four States have certified their elections—to bring this action. While Texas waited to see the results, millions of voters relied on the settled rules. Those voters should not be punished for not choosing Texas’s preferred candidate, and Texas should not be rewarded for its unreasonable delay in bringing this action.'
...
'At bottom, Texas seeks to invoke this Court’s original jurisdiction to achieve the extraordinary relief of disenfranchising all Pennsylvanians who voted and one-tenth of the voters in the entire Nation. Such relief would, of course, be “drastic and unprecedented, disenfranchising a huge swath of the electorate.” Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., 2020 WL 7012522, at *7. In support of such a request, Texas brings to the Court only discredited allegations and conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact. And Texas asks this Court to contort its original jurisdiction jurisprudence in an election where millions of people cast ballots under truly extraordinary circumstances, sometimes risking their very health and safety to do so.Accepting Texas’sview would do violence to the Constitution and the Framers’ vision, and would plunge this Court into“one of the most intensely partisan aspects of American po-litical life.” Rucho v. Common Cause, 139 S. Ct. 2484, 2507 (2019).'
Hefty read but yeah, they tore the idiots in Texas a new one with that one, as was fitting.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
It very much was, yes, as opening salvos go it was just amazing, someone was very much channeling their inner Popehat for that one.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: 'Will someone rid me of this troublesome politician!'
Why not call them up as Terrorists?
Send in the TSA, DHS?
It would be based ont he idea they Arnt following the constitution.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
Funny, that's what folks have been demanding from you ever since you made those election fraud claims.
Yet you never seem to deliver. Now why is that?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Comeback
Oh that’s hilarious
Tell him a Rambo is a person who runs and guns like a noob in a FPS and usually gets owned by a 13 year old in COD.
I just want to see his reaction lol
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: she’s a coward
Oh no doubt. She will drown her kids in a bath if she ever found out one was Democrat. But that’s not the same as being like she pretends.
Thing is the gop is a paper tiger. They talk shit. As far as actual fighting. Most people who are capable of violence don’t give off many cues they are about to do the deed they do it. It’s the ones who pull things like this that will run if you say “bring it”
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: BTW: here are three recent BIG ACTUAL losses for "y
Why?
It's funny to see you having a meltdown every other day over something that most people grok almost instantly. It's even funnier because you haven't grokked it after shit-posting here for years, even though it has been explained to you on multiple occasion how it works.
Your stupidity is really something to behold, and lately you seem to have been on a roll proving it, again and again.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re:
A correction, it's actually not obvious to someone who is stupid as fuck - even if you happen to point out how ballots are counted.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
And if someone in, say, the home state of Gabbie Giffords has to get shot in the meantime, then so be it.
As someone who lives in AZ. The unfortunate outcome of this statement would be the shooting of Katie Hobbs, the Democratic elected official who oversaw, and certified, the election Even if it was the Trump supporting Governor we have that got shot, I would be nearly as upset as when Gabby was shot. Yes, I even call him Governor Douchey most of the time. The only good outcome of that would be if the Republitards that like what Trump has brought to this country, but still actually say they believe in the law and the constitution. Went out into the deep desert and release their Krakens(AR15s) against the Republitards the only listen to OANN, Beritbart and Fox news, and none were ever heard from again. Still, at the end of the day, that would be pretty sad too.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: BTW: here are three recent BIG ACTUAL losses for "y
"After 30 or so "Resend" and changing order to try, I got in again"
So... you kept spamming the site until you found a way to fool the spam filter into not filtering you as spam. Now that your spam has made it through and been correctly flagged by the community as spam, the filter will now apply that information and learn from its mistake, thus correctly marking your next comments as spam, and the cycle begins again.
You're really not good at thinking this through, are you?
" Wish you'd fix your "system" so that it's predictable."
There's nothing wrong with the system, the problem is the one asshole who thinks that sending 30 comments instead of one is a reasonable use of time.
Sane people are not running into this problem.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
A surprising easy read actually (Wide margins and skipping references help), well worth the effort. Bonus points to the writer from we pedants for the "correct" use of 'decimate'!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: [savoring the breeze]
It is hard to pretend that any of this is a surprise. It is the logical development from the ``tea party'' development a few years ago.
I believe they tried to keep some deniability between the main party and the ``tea party'' types, but it was pretty clear from this part of the state. What, did you think all those buses and such, complete with one token ``black republican'', just sprang up in the parking lot?
Trump is the whirlwind which they should have expected when they were sowing the wind. [Hosea 8:7]
Now, pretty much everything you used to think of as Republican doctrine is gone. Balanced budget? Distrust of Russia? Free trade? Limited government? Stare decisis? Disapproval of divorce and other family stressors? Virtue of hard work? Not commiting sex bat and bragging about it? A certain distaste for diddling one's own daughter? Respect for the military, who were not seen as losers and suckers?
All gone. Fortunately, the actual party structural elements remain: rampant corporatism, crony capitalism, and generosity toward well-connected defense contractors. So the party will continue, possibly diminished in a few people's sights, but none the less robust.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re:
Omg it's pure gold! Thanks for the briefing!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: she’s a coward
a common trait of SFTB (Stage Four Trump Blindness).
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
Oh, ye gods...for a supreme court to present this as the preliminary;
"Since Election Day, State and Federal courts throughout the country have been flooded with frivolous lawsuits aimed at disenfranchising large swaths of voters and undermining the legitimacy of the election. The State of Texas has now added its voice to the cacophony of bogus claims. Texas seeks to invalidate elections in four states for yielding results with which it disagrees. Its request for this Court to exercise its original jurisdiction and then anoint Texas’s preferred candidate for President is legally indefensible and is an affront to principles of constitutional democracy. WhatTexas is doing in this proceeding is to ask this Court to reconsider a mass of baseless claims about problems with the election that have already been considered, and rejected, by this Court and other courts. It attempts to exploit this Court’s sparingly used original jurisdiction to relitigate those matters. But Texas obviously lacks standing to bring such claims, which, in any event, are barred by laches, and are moot, meritless, and dangerous. Texas has not suffered harm simply because it dislikes the result of the election, and nothing in the text, history, or structure of the Constitution supports Texas’s view that it can dictate the manner in which four other states run their elections. Nor is that view grounded in any precedent from this Court. Texas does not seek to have the Court interpret the Constitution, so much as disregard it.The cascading series of compounding defects in Texas’s filings is only underscored by the surreal alternate reality that those filings attempt to construct. That alternate reality includes an absurd statistical analysis positing that the probability of President-Elect Biden winning the election was “one in a quadrillion.” Bill of Complaint at 6. Texas’s effort to get this Court to pick the next President has no basis in law or fact. The Court should not abide this seditious abuse of the judicial process, and should send a clear and unmistakable signal that such abuse must neverbe replicated."
SCOTUS used an arc-welder to administer this burn.
I guess Baghdad Bob won't be happy. Not even the Stormfront echo chamber can spin that ruling into a win.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Re: Re: BTW: here are three recent BIG ACTUAL losses for &qu
"Sane people are not running into this problem."
Tsk, tsk. Not quite true, Paul. My comments, just to name one, often end up in the "getting looked at" column, every time i include a link or, presumably, use certain word combinations.
The problem we don't run into is that of losing our minds at the idea a moderator might scrutinize the post before letting it through.
To Baghdad Bob this shit simply looks different. He'd get himself tossed out of a bar for pissing on the floor, follow that with a crescendo performance of "I Have Been Silenced!" belted out over the rooftops, and end it in hysteria when the cops drag him off, screaming wildly about the CIA conspiracy trying to put him behind bars.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
"Someone needs to directly ask the top GOP figures in DC if destroying the republic over Trump is actually worth it."
Worth it?
I'd say it's actually their goal. Bear in mind who the current republicans are - the spiritual descendants of the dixiecrats of yore and the likes of Goldwater. And their base consists almost completely of americans utterly dissatisfied with the federal government.
Abolishing the federal government or tearing it to shreds will finally win the war for the South, to name but one advantage they're seeing there. And it means that certain states not to be named will finally be able to declare black people, jewish people, latin people and LGBTQ people second-class citizens without having the federal courts step in and forbid them this. Not that Kentucky, Tennessee or Alabama are shock-full of racist pricks longing for the good old days of Jim Crow when women and black people knew their place.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
It's copyright concerns. "Full bullshit" is par for the course whenever copyright is involved. Anyone who thinks it involves anything less is frankly kidding themselves.
[ link to this | view in thread ]