First off I want to say that I agree entirely with @Aspenglow’s efforts to curtail the rehashing of the credibility of Republican claims regarding the laptop in this thread. Left alone it could totally derail the thread into a clone of the other two of three threads we’ve had on the subject.
On the other hand, given that the laptop “scandal” is likely going to be the main focuses of any house investigation of Biden, its going to be hard to discuss the investigation without referencing the issue to some extent. And with the a hard line, “next post on this topic = warning” I am wary of trying to identify on my own what level of discussion is appropriate vs what is likely to be viewed as continuing the hijack.
For example is a post along the lines of. “I think that the GOP will harp on the laptop facts/topics X, Y, Z, without bothering to flesh out any real connection between them” ok, or would it be too likely to reopen the hijack?
I understand the dilemma, I do. And I agree it’s hard to discuss without invoking the Hunter Biden + laptop discussion.
What you propose would be fine, so far as I’m concerned. However, when the responses go solely into a discussion regarding Hunter Biden and the laptop, then it’s off topic. Or as they were earlier in the thread, responses are offered only as a means of diverting the discussion from the topic at hand.
It’s a fine line and I do get that. What I suggest you do when you see the hijack happening by someone else is to say something like, “I disagree with what you’re saying, and I’m responding in ___ thread so as to not hijack this one.” Then link to the appropriate thread to respond.
ETA: My general practice is to allow some hijacking. But when the discussion has turned almost entirely to the hijack, I’m going to intervene. If there are already cautions in the thread to drop the hijack, as there were in the at-issue thread, then I think one proceeds at one’s peril.
I was thinking along the same lines. To ban talk of Hunter or the infamous laptop in a thread about possible/ probable Republican Congressional investigations doesn’t leave much to talk about. Their entire premise of the “corruption” of Joe Biden revolves completely around and is inextricably intertwined with Hunter, and the laptop is their main talking point and “proof”.
I think you can say, "Hunter Biden and his laptop have nothing to do with a basis to investigate Joe Biden. If you think it does, feel free to make your case in this thread: (link to Hunter Biden thread of your choice)
The question in this thread is, what has Joe Biden done that merits investigation and/or impeachment?"
That of course depends on my being aware that I am participating in a hijack which is sometimes difficult to do in the heat of a discussion. Fortunately we have enlightened mods to give us some perspective when we are led astray.
Is that the question? I thought that the question was, what tactics are Republicans going to use to tar and feather Biden, regardless of whether or not they merit investigation, and how it will play out when they do?
Just came into to post this, glad I don’t have to start the the thread.
I love you, Aspenglow - but I disagree with your call here.
This post was not about the Hunter Biden laptop.
I do not mention the contents or origin of the laptop at all. In fact, the word laptop does not appear anywhere in the post. When I referenced the Hunter Biden investigation , I was referring to the upcoming House GOP investigation of the dealings between Hunter and his father, which is the direct subject of this thread, as per the link in the first post.
The link in the OP isn’t about the GOP intent to investigate Joe Biden’s Covid response, or the withdrawal from Afghanistan, or the color of his suits ( although I’m sure those are coming ) It is specifically about the extent of Joe Biden’s involvement in his son’s business dealings.
And I don’t see how we can discuss that without discussing his son’s business dealings.
I’ll let everyone else fight it out about discussions regarding the provenance and authenticity of the laptop, I sort of think it’s relevant because it’s discussed so heavily in the preliminary House report, the link in the OP……OTOH it does get tiresome.
But that’s not what my post was about.
ETA: The point I was trying to make is that I think this new investigation is more about publicly shaming the President’s son than it is about finding something on Joe and I think that sentiment is on point for the thread.
Gotcha. I misread it. I thought it was a discussion of what he was being accused in that ridiculous Republican news conference they held a few days ago laying out their agenda. The one where they kept deflecting questions about government and the speakership and other irrelevant (to their mind) things to remind the questioners that they only wanted to talk about Hunter Biden, that HE was the focus of their future Congressional inquiries, Hunter, the laptop, and Joe’s corruption regarding the same.
To the question of what Joe Biden has done to warrant such scrutiny? My answer is absolutely nothing that I’m is aware of or have heard any factual proof for.
@Buck_Godot, well, that’s a fair observation. I was going more by the thread title, and I’ll agree the OP was not so limiting.
I did review all of the OP’s posts before issuing the first mod note re Hunter Biden’s laptop, and I did feel their wish was to stick closer to a discussion of actual bases to investigate Joe Biden.
@Ann_Hedonia, I think I saw the words, ‘Hunter Biden,’ and jumped the gun. I’ll retract the mod note. You’ve explained the difference in your post v. others well.
So let me ask this: Should the thread be moderated in any way with respect to Hunter Biden + laptop discussions? Shall I remove the mod notes and let 'er rip?
But as to what the Republicans think they have, it all goes back to that damn laptop, and it’s hard to refute the things they think they have when you can’t talk about them.
As I said in my earlier post, I really like the lines you set, that allowed discussion of Hunter Biden and his laptop provided that they were about how it relates to the house investigation, but banning posts that are solely directed at the truth of falsity of the claims.
On the other hand it may be really hard to keep it to that very fine line, particularly if new poster comes in late, only reads the last few posts and so misses your mod note.
I also note that the title of the thread says its supposed to be a follow along thread so maybe it can be a sort of breaking news type thing. Using the Jan 6th congressional hearings as an example it never got hijacked into a discussion about whether the election really was or was not stolen, or whether the Jan 6th people were “just tourists” so maybe there is hope.
Ok, so you all let me know if you think this is fair guidance for that thread:
Discussion of Hunter Biden and his laptop permitted so long as it relates only to upcoming proposed investigations, but not for the truth of the matter.
Discussions debating whether or not such allegations are true or false will be mod-noted and pointed to other existing Hunter Biden threads.
If someone persists in debating true or false, they will be mod-noted and/or warned.
As the OP of that thread I will agree this seems fair to me and within the realm of what I had in mind by starting it. Mention of the dreaded laptop is not to me a hijack per se. Multiple posts debating what is on the laptop, where it came from, how accurate it is, etc. has been covered in other threads as you have noted and dragging the conversation in that direction would be more of a hijack.
I intended the thread to be a discussion about how the GOP is now positioning all of this so it is now an investigation of President Biden and their previously stated intent to use this to impeach him. As such it is clear Hunter and the laptop will pop up from time to time but I would hope it isn’t the focus of the thread.
That is all. Thank you.
ETA: It was suggested by one poster elsewhere that this thread may have been started prematurely since their isn’t an actual investigation currently underway. Given the Comer/Jordan press conference and the subsequent release of the GOP staff report laying out the crimes they are looking into I felt there were things worth discussing now. If the consensus is that the thread should be locked and reopened once the actual investigation begins I could be persuaded that is a valid viewpoint.
Thanks for your input on this, @Kolak_of_Twilo. With your input here and that of others, I think we’re all on the same page for your thread going forward.
That was me (or, at least I’m one of the posters who said that). My problem is that we really have no idea how the Republicans will go after Biden, so it’s difficult to discuss without going off on tangents about Hunter Biden, Burisma, or other things that might be hijacks. It just descends into Republican bashing (probably rightfully so), but there’s nothing yet to really bash them about.
