A Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota suggested that Americans should cut back on daily costs amid the economic strain caused by the U.S. military operation in Iran.

Former NFL reporter Michele Tafoya acknowledged how “frustrating” and “hard” rising gas prices are for consumers during a Wednesday radio interview, but she suggested Americans should minimize some of their spending to support Trump’s actions in the Middle East.

“I think right now at least just kind of keeping a stiff upper lip. Maybe you take one less trip to Starbucks and so that gas goes a little further,” she told Tennessee’s KWAM radio host Todd Starnes.

  • neidu3@sh.itjust.works
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    4 hours ago

    Them millennials can’t afford houses because they’re blowing all their money on military operations and avocado toast

    • stringere@sh.itjust.works
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      4 hours ago

      I know you’re being facetious but it’s worth mentioning that avacado toast ingredients are $2 for multiple servings.

      • ContriteErudite@lemmy.world
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        2 hours ago

        Yep! Not only is incredibly economical, it’s a healthier meal than most “traditional” American breakfasts.

        Didn’t stop conservative media from deriding it as millennial over-indulgence. Vilifying the millennial tendency of frugality + preference for plants-based diet choices by portraying avocado toast as excessive and soy milk as emasculating, along with a concerted effort to deliver narrative to the /pol/ audience, it not only swayed the opinions of older generations, but spurred parts of the younger generations to resent each other. I’m sure meat industry profits were also in the mix somewhere.

        The only winners in the culture war are the ones who drive the narratives, and it’s been that way in the US since radio was invented.

        • stringere@sh.itjust.works
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          36 minutes ago

          The only winners in the culture war are the ones who drive the narratives, and it’s been that way in the US since radio was invented.

          And empowered further through industry funded research into behavioral psychology.

  • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    If I understand the guidance correctly, I’m to transition from not consuming Starbucks at all, to… stealing from Starbucks?

    Brew and consume my own coffee, then vomit it back up in the Starbucks lobby? And bill them for it?

    This negative-one cups of Starbucks thing really opens some intriguing possibilities.

  • Englishgrinn@lemmy.ca
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    6 hours ago

    On the one hand, she did start with sympathy before she made her stupid ass comment.

    On the other hand, it was unbelievably stupid and in support of a pointless war in the middle east.

    But for context, I can’t imagine any Republican winning in Minnesota this year, so maybe she’s just running a sacrificial lamb campaign to launch her career as a right wing grifter.

  • CainTheLongshot@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    Ok, you heard her everybody! Time to boycott Starbucks!

    While we are at it, might as well boycott some other frivolous things like streaming services, toxic social medias, and any non-local restaurant, on top of the other things we were already boycotting, like Target. And, wait… why’s the economy tanking even faster now!!!

  • TheGoldenV@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    What about the dude yesterday that just suggested we just need to increase our take home pay.

    I guess the answer was right in front of me all along…

  • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    Couldn’t you just say the old, “I understand that war causes issues for everyone, but we should support our troops. And meanwhile I am running for congress to work to lower all costs for American families,” shtick and then do nothing as always? Like why do you have to be a condescending bitch dripping with disgust and condemnation for the poors? Gain some fucking perspective, you stuck up twat.

    • Soup@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      They do this because they’re stupid and it’s an old, parroted line aimed at passing the blame to other people. If they said what you’re asking for that wouldn’t be as effective at blaming others.

      The other reason is that they know that the centrist/conservative idea of a Starbucks costumer is a woke person who likes fancy drinks and not just black coffee. It’s all about creating a strawman for their base to hate. If they were doing it honestly, they’d also be saying that people should buy smaller vehicles that consume significantly less fuel but SUVs and trucks are associated with their base so they don’t do that. Their base isn’t smart enough to make those connections so it’s all good. They’re not clever, these politicians, they’re just playing “manipulate the voting base” on baby mode.

      • kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world
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        40 minutes ago

        The other reason is that they know that the centrist/conservative idea of a Starbucks costumer is a woke person who likes fancy drinks and not just black coffee. It’s all about creating a strawman for their base to hate.

        Sure but that seems like a stupid strategy too. The people complaining are more likely to be people living on lower incomes which are A) more likely to be conservative themselves, and B) less likely to be driving to pick up Starbucks or other luxuries and frivolous things on the regular. So she is simultaneously downplaying the problem that people are actually experiencing, blaming a thing that is not something that they are even doing, and associating them with the people they hate in the process.

        I may be giving them too much credit, but if I were a broke conservative struggling with affording travel between home, work, school drop off/pick up, and the grocery store, and you said something like that to my face, I’d have some very audible words for you. Maybe some spit too.

        • Soup@lemmy.world
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          5 minutes ago

          You miss the fact that conservatives, nearly universally, do not accept that any of their situation is their own fault(sounds strange when us on the left will blame capitalism and the elite for most of the problems in the world, but we also come with petabytes of receipts and the right is allergic to facts). Many of them who live deeper in poverty are also living in cheaper areas, too, and have already cognitive-dissonanced themselves out of needing to worry about paying for things like health insurance(especially since many benefit from public healthcare systems, even in the US).

          Now, the other important thing to remember is that conservative said those things. That’s crucial because it means that they aren’t talking to their voting base which is cool and tough and good with money, they’re talking to the other guys who need to get their shit together. If their guy does it then there must be a reason and if their enemy does it then there must’ve not been a reason, except they don’t base that on anything real like who’s actually done the research and shown their work.

          Conservatives, no matter where you find them, are inherently anti-social power-seekers who refuse to take true responsibility for their actions. Whenever someone I know moves away from conservatism it is around the time they also, for whatever reason, begin to finally understand that the rich don’t actually love them and that maybe they actually do want to have real friends who aren’t also just other hateful goons, afterall.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      Couldn’t you just say the old, “I understand that war causes issues for everyone, but we should support our troops. And meanwhile I am running for congress to work to lower all costs for American families,” shtick and then do nothing as always?

      No, she’s not running as a Democrat.