Tue Oct 30, 2012, 12:44 PM
ourbluenation (6,358 posts)
Shashank Tripathi, Last Night’s Twitter Villain
Source: Buzzfeed
By Jack Stuef During the storm last night, user @comfortablysmug was the source of a load of frightening but false information about conditions in New York City that spread wildly on Twitter and onto news broadcasts before ConEd, the MTA, and Wall Street sources had to take time out of the crisis situation to refute them. What leads a person to do such a thing, which his critics have likened to shouting “fire” in a crowded movie theater? It’s unclear. But perhaps it has something to do with the nature of anonymity. If there are no consequences for posting false “BREAKING” news, there’s an incentive to do it to an accumulate a large audience. What @comfortablysmug didn’t count on, apparently, was losing that anonymity. Based on photos he censored and posted to the account but I found unedited elsewhere, @comfortablysmug is Shashank Tripathi, a hedge-fund analyst and the campaign manager of Christopher R. Wight, this year’s Republican candidate for the U.S. House from New York’s 12th congressional district. Read more: http://gofwd.tumblr.com/post/34640321762/shashank-tripathi-last-nights-twitter-villain I got duped by this guys twitter posts last night. Jerk.
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60 replies, 6766 views
| Author | Time | Post | |
| ourbluenation | Oct 2012 | OP | |
| MADem | Oct 2012 | #1 | |
| SoapBox | Oct 2012 | #2 | |
| bluedigger | Oct 2012 | #3 | |
| fleur-de-lisa | Oct 2012 | #4 | |
| ourbluenation | Oct 2012 | #26 | |
| geardaddy | Oct 2012 | #5 | |
| AverageJoe90 | Oct 2012 | #27 | |
| limpyhobbler | Oct 2012 | #6 | |
| heaven05 | Oct 2012 | #7 | |
| Roland99 | Oct 2012 | #8 | |
| The Magistrate | Oct 2012 | #11 | |
| Volaris | Oct 2012 | #50 | |
| Demit | Oct 2012 | #9 | |
| MADem | Oct 2012 | #16 | |
| customerserviceguy | Oct 2012 | #10 | |
| Plucketeer | Oct 2012 | #12 | |
| MADem | Oct 2012 | #19 | |
| Plucketeer | Oct 2012 | #36 | |
| MADem | Oct 2012 | #47 | |
| fleur-de-lisa | Oct 2012 | #22 | |
| customerserviceguy | Oct 2012 | #42 | |
| calimary | Oct 2012 | #13 | |
| customerserviceguy | Oct 2012 | #15 | |
| calimary | Oct 2012 | #17 | |
| freshwest | Oct 2012 | #32 | |
| Blue_Tires | Oct 2012 | #39 | |
| bocaoma | Oct 2012 | #14 | |
| calimary | Oct 2012 | #18 | |
| defacto7 | Oct 2012 | #24 | |
| Ikonoklast | Oct 2012 | #20 | |
| starroute | Oct 2012 | #21 | |
| cosmicone | Oct 2012 | #23 | |
| 12AngryBorneoWildmen | Oct 2012 | #25 | |
| geardaddy | Oct 2012 | #28 | |
| Kurovski | Oct 2012 | #51 | |
| geardaddy | Oct 2012 | #54 | |
| JI7 | Oct 2012 | #34 | |
| grantcart | Oct 2012 | #40 | |
| Divine Discontent | Oct 2012 | #49 | |
| JackRiddler | Oct 2012 | #45 | |
| TomClash | Oct 2012 | #29 | |
| MrScorpio | Oct 2012 | #30 | |
| JackRiddler | Oct 2012 | #31 | |
| jdsunflower | Oct 2012 | #33 | |
| JI7 | Oct 2012 | #35 | |
| Sunlei | Oct 2012 | #37 | |
| brooklynite | Oct 2012 | #38 | |
| ourbluenation | Oct 2012 | #41 | |
| brooklynite | Oct 2012 | #43 | |
| JackRiddler | Oct 2012 | #44 | |
| brooklynite | Oct 2012 | #53 | |
| JackRiddler | Oct 2012 | #56 | |
| brooklynite | Oct 2012 | #59 | |
| JackRiddler | Nov 2012 | #60 | |
| JackRiddler | Oct 2012 | #46 | |
| muriel_volestrangler | Oct 2012 | #52 | |
| Tx4obama | Oct 2012 | #48 | |
| truthisfreedom | Oct 2012 | #55 | |
| JackRiddler | Oct 2012 | #57 | |
| JI7 | Oct 2012 | #58 |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 12:49 PM
MADem (85,875 posts)
1. THIS needs to go VIRAL--VIRAL, I say. A REPUBLICAN campaign manager, fucking with people for SPORT
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How long before Wright fires him?
Kick and rec. Wish I could rec it a hundred times. |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 12:51 PM
SoapBox (5,795 posts)
2. Another freak, sicko pervert.
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...maybe living in his mom's moldy basement?
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 12:54 PM
bluedigger (10,539 posts)
3. Asshole of the Year.
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There has to be an applicable law to use against this worthless POS.
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 12:59 PM
fleur-de-lisa (1,598 posts)
4. The article doesn't list any of the false statements he made about the storm . . .
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what was he reporting on twitter? I'm curious, but I don't want to give him any more hits on his account.
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Response to fleur-de-lisa (Reply #4)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 02:59 PM
ourbluenation (6,358 posts)
26. He's yhe one who said nyse had 3 ft of water
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When it didnt.
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 12:59 PM
geardaddy (14,308 posts)
5. Don't expect Shashank to get redemption.
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Response to geardaddy (Reply #5)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 02:59 PM
AverageJoe90 (5,215 posts)
27. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. n/t
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:01 PM
limpyhobbler (6,623 posts)
6. 1) Was comfortablySmug the one who started the rumors or did he just re-tweet it...
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2) Why should we believe Jack Stuef really knows the identity of comfortablySmug, if he didn't show any evidence...
3) What were the false stories tweeted by comfortablySmug anyway... Not serious questions but just sayin there are some questions. |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:02 PM
heaven05 (2,362 posts)
7. i hope
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his dangerous shenanigans can be shared with everyone.
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:09 PM
Roland99 (36,462 posts)
8. A REPUBLICAN campaign manager, eh?
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I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.
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Response to Roland99 (Reply #8)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:18 PM
The Magistrate (80,503 posts)
11. And a Hedge-Fund Trader, Too, Sir....
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Such a shame you can only hang a man once....
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Response to Roland99 (Reply #8)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 01:10 AM
Volaris (1,579 posts)
50. Perfect.
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Now i have to go watch that again. damn you... |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:13 PM
Demit (7,207 posts)
9. Is this really LBN?
Response to Demit (Reply #9)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:43 PM
MADem (85,875 posts)
16. It's news of national importance when a GOP campaign manager and rMoney supporter
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behaves in a fashion to bring discredit upon his candidate.
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:17 PM
customerserviceguy (14,701 posts)
10. Whoever did this is an evil fuck
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but I hope it reminds people that Twitter is not journalism. Of course, when "legitimate" news shows feature Twitter twits postings at the bottom of their screens, it gives this form of communication a mantle of respectability.
Would we really be all that much worse off if Facebook and Twitter just simply disappeared one day? |
Response to customerserviceguy (Reply #10)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:24 PM
Plucketeer (6,267 posts)
12. Question:
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"Would we really be all that much worse off if Facebook and Twitter just simply disappeared one day?"
Not to my way of thinking. I actually think the world would be a better place. But humans are too damned dumb to see what they're doing to themselves. |
Response to Plucketeer (Reply #12)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:47 PM
MADem (85,875 posts)
19. Back in the days of the American Revoluton, pamphleteers did the same kind of shit.
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People took out ads in papers to dis/trash their opponents.
The difference, now, is that bullshit is refuted quicker. The lie can't get halfway round the world before the truth has his pants on anymore. The truth is after the lie within moments. It's easy to tune out FB or Twitter--just don't sign up for it. It's another thing to expect others to do the same, though. Why not toss out the smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc? They just distract people, too... |
Response to MADem (Reply #19)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 07:37 PM
Plucketeer (6,267 posts)
36. As you say....
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one can just not partake. I'm BACK on FB because there's an interest group (writing) that landed there after a site specific to that craft crashed. Otherwise, I wouldn't be there. Not that I'm paranoid, but I actually hold dear, my anonymity to some degree. Today's generation thinks it's all so cool to have as many "followers" as they can get. As I see it, this only numbs one to the evils of surveillance as it's all-seeing presence is coming to the fore.
I live in the country - with a pretty private back yard. I like having the freedom of being able to take a whiz next to a tree rather than going into the house to do so and wasting the flush of water that would be required. On the other hand, I would not like to find my image up for laughs on someone's personal page or YouTube - and yet I think that is where so much of this is headed. |
Response to Plucketeer (Reply #36)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 10:35 PM
MADem (85,875 posts)
47. You can always sign up as John Doe or Joe Blow....or Country Boy Treewhizzer!
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And then just find your Big Mouth, Live-Out-Loud friends who put their names and faces out there, and let them know it's you, privately.
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Response to Plucketeer (Reply #12)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 02:21 PM
fleur-de-lisa (1,598 posts)
22. I wouldn't care if they both went away but . . .
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unfortunately, it's the only way some young people get news. And although a lot of crap is passed around, a lot of political stuff gets disseminated this way too. PBO and team use both very effectively to energize young voters.
And the anti-Mitt memes are priceless! |
Response to fleur-de-lisa (Reply #22)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 08:37 PM
customerserviceguy (14,701 posts)
42. Well, there's always Jon Stewart for that
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To me, his show is way closer to journalism than anything on Facebook or Twitter.
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Response to customerserviceguy (Reply #10)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:25 PM
calimary (30,555 posts)
13. Evil fuck or ASSHOLE. Remember, he IS a republi-CON after all. He even agrees.
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A year later, they interviewed him. Tripathi, appearing with the same censored face that shows up in Twitter photos, said he was “not as blatantly an asshole in person” but still has “asshole tendencies.” He credits Adderall with his skill at writing so many provocative comments.
http://gofwd.tumblr.com/post/34640321762/shashank-tripathi-last-nights-twitter-villain |
Response to calimary (Reply #13)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:28 PM
customerserviceguy (14,701 posts)
15. Well, an asshole is useful for one thing
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In this case, it's also dispensing shit.
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Response to customerserviceguy (Reply #15)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:44 PM
calimary (30,555 posts)
17. Quite true, especially in this case. Good one!
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So, okay, then he's being useful, and true to himself. And he's doing what he's ideally suited and built to do: dispensing shit.
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Response to calimary (Reply #13)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 06:51 PM
freshwest (31,243 posts)
32. No doubt did it to make the FDNY, NYPD, FEMA, public workers and Obama look incompetent.
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Last edited Tue Oct 30, 2012, 07:09 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1) I hope there is some consequence for this guy, it may have even caused false reports to the emergency responders.
When a person pulls a fire alarm for kicks, people can die while the reponders are busy handling the prank. At least 30 dead from this storm so far, this is not a prank or a joke, it is sabotage. I hope his employer is inundated with complaints and takes action. |
Response to customerserviceguy (Reply #10)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 07:57 PM
Blue_Tires (31,647 posts)
39. +1000
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When I was still a reporter, I thought the ultimate in lazy journalism was over reliance on online polls...Treating twitter and facebook as real without proper sourcing and fact checking is a whole nother universe...
I personally don't think social media should go away, just kept in it's proper perspective |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:27 PM
bocaoma (23 posts)
14. this guy drives serious people away from social media..............
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way too many trolls social networking with warped agendas..........
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Response to bocaoma (Reply #14)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 01:47 PM
calimary (30,555 posts)
18. Welcome to DU, bocaoma!
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This certainly gives Twitter a nice little black eye.
Glad you're here! We need you! Now get to work! |
Response to bocaoma (Reply #14)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 02:37 PM
defacto7 (3,198 posts)
24. Hey... Welcome to DU...
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You mean there are serious people still left in social media?
Hard to tell sometimes. |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 02:08 PM
Ikonoklast (21,617 posts)
20. What is it with Republicans and lying?
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Can't they do one thing without telling a lie about it? Is it some form of mental problem? Is the culture of "Fuck you, pal, I got mine!" actually turning them into sociopaths?
Or, since it has worked for well for them by telling stupid people what they want to hear in order to get their vote, they think it works on everybody else? |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 02:11 PM
starroute (10,385 posts)
21. Wright is a former employee of Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan
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He seems to have no political experience. And he's running against an incumbent in a heavily redistricted district that bizarrely consists of disconnected chunks of Queens, Brooklyn, and the Lower East Side of Manhattan -- many of which suffered heavily in the storm.
So there may be some kind of agenda going on here, though I'd hesitate to say what. |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 02:33 PM
cosmicone (3,367 posts)
23. I don't get Indian-Americans supporting the republicans
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especially after being called macacas.
Fortunately, over 90% of Indian-Americans are progressive and not like this asshole. He brings shame to the whole community with such actions. |
Response to cosmicone (Reply #23)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 02:55 PM
12AngryBorneoWildmen (484 posts)
25. Dinesh D'Souza. Exhibit A
Response to 12AngryBorneoWildmen (Reply #25)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 03:13 PM
geardaddy (14,308 posts)
28. Yep, and Bobby Jindal. Exhibit B
Response to geardaddy (Reply #28)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 03:26 AM
Kurovski (33,249 posts)
51. And for the exhibit C...
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Last edited Wed Oct 31, 2012, 03:28 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1) Nikki Haley.
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Response to cosmicone (Reply #23)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 07:27 PM
JI7 (40,048 posts)
34. they don't care, as long as they get theirs like this hedge fund guy
Response to cosmicone (Reply #23)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 08:05 PM
grantcart (38,728 posts)
40. They want to be apart of the upper caste.
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Unfortunately many in India still suffer from a caste orientation of the world. |
Response to grantcart (Reply #40)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 12:12 AM
Divine Discontent (19,441 posts)
49. right on! there was an Indian heritage couple in the early voting line for about 5 seconds
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and they stormed out about how long it looked. The guy next to me said, they refuse to stand that long with all these Obama supporters. LOL
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Response to cosmicone (Reply #23)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 10:17 PM
JackRiddler (19,338 posts)
45. There's nothing to get.
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I don't get European-Americans supporting the Republicans, either.
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 03:20 PM
TomClash (10,944 posts)
29. An old trader's trick
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. . . used by another con artist.
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 03:22 PM
MrScorpio (55,301 posts)
30. These wingers will use anything as an excuse to be an asshole
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Even natural disasters.
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 05:16 PM
JackRiddler (19,338 posts)
31. That guy's running in my district - just called...
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As of 5 pm today, the campaign number connects to a general Verizon fail message. I called to ask if Triphahi was the Twitter villain and to ask if he was still campaign manager.
Another number, Tripathi's "office" as campaign manager, connects to nothing after many, many rings. The site still lists Tripathi as campaign manager and Wight as a "candidate." Not that there was any chance of Wight even breaking 25% of the vote against Maloney, but now I want to see both of them commit some hara-kiri! |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 07:25 PM
jdsunflower (9 posts)
33. psychopaths among us, feeding on chaos
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 07:35 PM
JI7 (40,048 posts)
35. he was on some website of Romney Volunteers
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what a piece of shit.
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Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 07:42 PM
Sunlei (2,207 posts)
37. He should be charged with a crime. Emergency Officials had to take time to deal /w his fake tweets.
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 07:55 PM
brooklynite (12,818 posts)
38. The SAD thing is the number of people here who wanted his tweet on the NYSE to be true...
Response to brooklynite (Reply #38)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 08:30 PM
ourbluenation (6,358 posts)
41. I don't see that anywhere in this thread.
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Response to ourbluenation (Reply #41)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 09:13 PM
brooklynite (12,818 posts)
43. Read here
Response to brooklynite (Reply #38)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 10:14 PM
JackRiddler (19,338 posts)
44. Oh, so SAD!
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Last edited Tue Oct 30, 2012, 10:15 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1) Way to go - nobody here announced made-up disasters in the middle of a real one. This asshole Tripathi did. He spread fear to millions. So don't be trying to shift the moral blame to someone else's thoughtcrime.
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Response to JackRiddler (Reply #44)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 07:49 AM
brooklynite (12,818 posts)
53. They didn't announce it: they cheered it. That's just as bad.
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HO HO! Sandy IS the new Occupy!
Did God intend that, too? Mother Nature is a progressive. You too can be underwater, Wall St. assholes So hoping it's true. Gives new meaning to "Wall Street Bailout", don't it? Let me check my sympathy level for this......mmmmmmm... zero. http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021664417 |
Response to brooklynite (Reply #53)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 01:12 PM
JackRiddler (19,338 posts)
56. There is no moral calculus under which it's comparable.
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Last edited Wed Oct 31, 2012, 01:20 PM USA/ET - Edit history (2) Stop distracting from Tripathi: Hedge fund manager, Republican, predator, panic-monger.
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Response to JackRiddler (Reply #56)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 08:44 PM
brooklynite (12,818 posts)
59. Never said it was "comparable": I said it was sad in and of itself
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Last edited Wed Oct 31, 2012, 08:44 PM USA/ET - Edit history (1) But then, maybe I expect our side to be better.
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Response to brooklynite (Reply #59)
Thu Nov 1, 2012, 01:58 AM
JackRiddler (19,338 posts)
60. You didn't say "comparable," you said "just as bad."
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Tripathi. Tripathi did it. False alarm, endangerment, for kicks.
Someone else's thoughtcrime of thinking they like one of his scenarios on a message board = totally irrelevant. The stuff of handwringing, humorless moralism. |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 10:22 PM
JackRiddler (19,338 posts)
46. Tripathi's name has been removed from the Christopher Wight web site.
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There is no longer any "campaign manager" listed, but a new "press officer," Carlisle Williams.
There is no explanation of the change on the site. The campaign office number still doesn't work. Carlisle's number works. I called and asked why Tripathi was no longer listed. Also, when will Wight issue a statement on this matter? Also, when will Wight be resigning from the campaign, given this matter? Also, shouldn't Carlisle Williams go ahead and quit, to save her own career? Christopher R. Wight for Congress Campaign Office 122 East 83rd Street New York, NY 10028 Office Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9:00am – 9:00pm Sunday: 9:00am – 6:00pm Telephone: 212-988-9880 Press Contact: Carlisle Williams Email: carlisle@cw2012.com Office: 212-988-9880 Mobile: 310-804-8418 |
Response to JackRiddler (Reply #46)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 06:12 AM
muriel_volestrangler (65,259 posts)
52. He's resigned from the campaign
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with an unconvincing apology (but still asking people to vote for his Republican).
Deceptive Twitter User Apologizes, Resigns From Campaign He's just sorry he was identified. |
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Tue Oct 30, 2012, 11:49 PM
Tx4obama (28,749 posts)
48. Kick! n/t
Response to ourbluenation (Original post)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 12:19 PM
truthisfreedom (17,674 posts)
55. Someone explain to me exactly what his agenda was.
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He destroyed his career in an attempt to do what?
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Response to truthisfreedom (Reply #55)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 01:19 PM
JackRiddler (19,338 posts)
57. Drunk and stupid?
Response to truthisfreedom (Reply #55)
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 06:32 PM
JI7 (40,048 posts)

