A ramshackle, tumbledown shack, draped in patriotic bunting. On its porch stands a miserable, weeping donkey, dressed in the livery of the Democratic Party. To its left is the circle-D logo of the DNC. The sky is filled with ominous stormclouds.

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   Cory Doctorow (pluralistic@mamot.fr)'s status on Saturday, 11-Jan-2025 07:16:50 JST Cory Doctorow

   Back in 2017, the Democratic National Committee's lawyers submitted a legal brief that didn't just say the quiet part out loud; they *bellowed* it: "[The DNC can] go into back rooms like they used to and smoke cigars and pick the [presidential] candidate that way":

   https://observer.com/2017/05/dnc-lawsuit-presidential-primaries-bernie-sanders-supporters/

   --

   If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

   https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/10/smoke-filled-room-where-it-happens/#dinosaurs

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