Twitter board agrees to $44 billion sale to billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk

[Solauren]

Okay, I take it back.

I know how this mans mind probably works - Like a Sonic the Hedgehog on LSD trapped in a 'hamster ball' made out of adamantim, with the inside covered with just a little bit of oil.

Haphazardly running all over the place, without clear direction, or sight, smashing everything it comes in contact apart, until finally the drugs wear off, climbs out of the ball, looks around, and decides it needs to go into another ball. And since it's scared of the dark, it takes a hit of LSD as it climbs in....

[madd0c0t0r2]

That wouldn't do anything useful because part of the appeal of Twitter that drives engagement for a number of its users is being able to use it as a platform to troll and harass their political opponents, especially minorities.

Never said it would. I said that's the only (close to) logical explanation I could think of for Musk buying Twitter to burn it down.

Seriously, who knows how that man's mind works?

It's a step in his backup plan to run for president

[Lord Revan]

That wouldn't do anything useful because part of the appeal of Twitter that drives engagement for a number of its users is being able to use it as a platform to troll and harass their political opponents, especially minorities.

Never said it would. I said that's the only (close to) logical explanation I could think of for Musk buying Twitter to burn it down.

Seriously, who knows how that man's mind works?

It's a step in his backup plan to run for president

Of South Africa? IIRC Musk isn't native born US citizen so he can't run for President of the USA, it's the law that a person running for the President has to be native born.

[Ralin]

Of South Africa? IIRC Musk isn't native born US citizen so he can't run for President of the USA, it's the law that a person running for the President has to be native born.

Given that we're talking about a guy known for doing stupid shit and burning huge amounts of money for the sake of his ego and desire for attention, I'm not convinced the fact that he legally cannot be the president would stop him from running for president.

[bilateralrope]

Of South Africa? IIRC Musk isn't native born US citizen so he can't run for President of the USA, it's the law that a person running for the President has to be native born.

Given that we're talking about a guy known for doing stupid shit and burning huge amounts of money for the sake of his ego and desire for attention, I'm not convinced the fact that he legally cannot be the president would stop him from running for president.

Yes, that seems possible. The question is, how far will he get through the Republican primary process before someone takes legal action to force him out of the race ?

[Ralin]

Yes, that seems possible. The question is, how far will he get through the Republican primary process before someone takes legal action to force him out of the race ?

I'm curious what those legal options would even be, honestly.

[Crazedwraith]

President? Do you know how much power he'd have to give up to be president?

[bilateralrope]

Yes, that seems possible. The question is, how far will he get through the Republican primary process before someone takes legal action to force him out of the race ?

I'm curious what those legal options would even be, honestly.

I'd guess the lawsuit would start in federal court to get an injunction that ends Musk's campaign. A lot of filings to speed things along due to the election deadlines, as well as summary judgements because the only relevant fact (Musk's place of birth) isn't in dispute. Any judge who can be relied upon to follow the constitution and/or be racist will rule against Musk, but this will probably reach the supreme court.

Along with Musk supporters trying to compare it to the racists demanding Obama's birth certificate.

President? Do you know how much power he'd have to give up to be president?

That depends on how quickly Musk manages to burn his wealth.

[Ralin]

Along with Musk supporters trying to compare it to the racists demanding Obama's birth certificate.

And the fact that it is admittedly a pretty bullshit part of the Constitution.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

I would love to see a face-off between Musk and Trump in the primary challenge!

President? Do you know how much power he'd have to give up to be president?

Is that Jeffrey Combs? I'd know that voice anywhere!

[bilateralrope]

Along with Musk supporters trying to compare it to the racists demanding Obama's birth certificate.

And the fact that it is admittedly a pretty bullshit part of the Constitution.

Sure. But there are things in there that are even more bullshit that should be dealt with first. Like the Electoral college.

[Batman]

I would love to see a face-off between Musk and Trump in the primary challenge!

President? Do you know how much power he'd have to give up to be president?

Is that Jeffrey Combs? I'd know that voice anywhere!

Nope. Timmverse Lex was voiced by Clancy Brown

[Crazedwraith]

I would love to see a face-off between Musk and Trump in the primary challenge!

President? Do you know how much power he'd have to give up to be president?

Is that Jeffrey Combs? I'd know that voice anywhere!

Nope. Timmverse Lex was voiced by Clancy Brown

The Question, the other person in the clip is voiced by Combs though.

[Batman]

The Question has exactly zero text in that sequence so how would one recognize his voice?

[Zaune]

I'd guess the lawsuit would start in federal court to get an injunction that ends Musk's campaign. A lot of filings to speed things along due to the election deadlines, as well as summary judgements because the only relevant fact (Musk's place of birth) isn't in dispute. Any judge who can be relied upon to follow the constitution and/or be racist will rule against Musk, but this will probably reach the supreme court.

Along with Musk supporters trying to compare it to the racists demanding Obama's birth certificate.

The funny thing is, if he can stonewall the various lawsuits long enough to get onto the ballot then the Supreme Court is going to have a difficult time arguing that he shouldn't be allowed to run if the ineligibility rule is the only irregularity in the campaign, because at that point both the alternatives are equally if not more questionable: Postponing the presidential election while the GOP re-run the primary would create at least as much of a legal and constitutional mess because there's zero precedent for doing that in all of US history (which is kind of impressive, really), and letting the election go ahead with only one candidate on the ballot would cause the kind of national crisis that countries encounter the way a sentence encounters a full stop, as Ian M. Banks almost put it.

[bilateralrope]

It's going to be very difficult for Musk to slow the court process when it's purely a matter of law. No discovery to be done. No relevant facts in dispute, which also means no jury.

And this is with me assuming that the Republican party doesn't check a candidates eligibility before allowing them into the primary process.

Honestly, I'm not expecting Musk to run for president.

and letting the election go ahead with only one candidate on the ballot would cause the kind of national crisis that countries encounter the way a sentence encounters a full stop, as Ian M. Banks almost put it.

Sure, the Republican and Democrat candidates are the only ones worth voting for. But when was the last time they were they only candidates for a presidential election ?

Also, wouldn't he have had to pick his VP by that stage ?
Which gives the SC the option to say "leave him on the ballot. If he's elected, treat him the same way we would treat a president-elect who dies before inauguration. Have his VP become president instead."

[EnterpriseSovereign]

The Question has exactly zero text in that sequence so how would one recognize his voice?

By watching the video from the start

[Solauren]

If Musk was going to run for president, he'd have to challenge that part of US law and win.
Then it would d end up in a presidential race between Elon Musk and Arnold Schwarzenegger.....

[EnterpriseSovereign]

If Musk was going to run for president, he'd have to challenge that part of US law and win.
Then it would d end up in a presidential race between Elon Musk and Arnold Schwarzenegger.....

Schwarzenegger FTW!

[Zaune]

Sure, the Republican and Democrat candidates are the only ones worth voting for. But when was the last time they were they only candidates for a presidential election?

I was under the impression that there was some sort of application process that requires n sponsors or something, and that none of the other wannabes ever get as far as having their names on the ballot.

[LadyTevar]

OH, the backlash has already started:

TWITTER EMPLOYEES SUE USING WARN ACT

Twitter is being sued for not giving employees advance notice of a mass layoff that began in earnest early Friday. The lawsuit alleges that Twitter violated worker protection laws, including the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act as well as the California WARN Act, both of which require 60 days of advance notice.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday as news spread that the company — now under the ownership and direction of Elon Musk — would begin mass layoffs early Friday in an effort to reduce costs by eliminating 3,700 jobs, or 50% of its total workforce.

Bloomberg first reported the news of the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California.
(more info in link)

[Solauren]

Now, the question is this -

At any time during this entire fiasco, did Musk state his intention to lay people off once he took control?

[Zaune]

I'm not convinced he intended any part of this debacle, it all just kind of happened as a result of him doing whatever seemed like a good idea at the time. Possibly while high on something.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

One of the things that of note is he is surprised that other car manufacturers are cancelling their advertisements, why would they want to give their money to their competitor? Musk doesn't understand this, blaming it all on activists.

[Bedlam]

One of the things that of note is he is surprised that other car manufacturers are cancelling their advertisements, why would they want to give their money to their competitor? Musk doesn't understand this, blaming it all on activists.

Actually, that is unusual, they would give their money to a competitor if they get the most appropriate / best / cheapest advertising for the amount spent. Given that most large corporations are going to be invested in each other choosing only advertising firms / media companies with mean that no money possibly goes to a rival would be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

If they are choosing not to then is suggests more that they don't think they're going to reach as much of their target audience as they thought they would.