I'd take this "Americans rate the presidents" poll more seriously if you idiots didn't just make "Transformers 4" the biggest movie of 2014
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) July 2, 2014
Steve Benen explains why the hair-on-fire Democrats should calm down:
… In this new poll, respondents were given the list of the 12 modern presidents and then asked to choose the best one. Not surprisingly, Democrats and Republicans answered the question very differently…
… Democratic voters tended to distribute their votes broadly, with Clinton, Kennedy, and Obama each reaching double digits, while 66% of Republicans backed Reagan. GOP voters largely ignored the rest of the list.
So when we look at the overall results and see Reagan in the #1 slot, it’s the result of a simple dynamic: Democrats split their vote and Republicans didn’t. (Indeed, among all 20th century presidents, there’s really only one president GOP voters celebrate, while Democrats tend to see a variety of presidential heroes.)…
In other words, what this poll tells us is that Republicans really love Reagan and really hate Obama….
I’m not sure which is more irresponsible: Quinnipiac, for putting such a pointless survey in the field, or media professionals who are pretending the results are important.
As always, it’s worth reading Benen’s whole post — he has charts!
NYMag‘s Jesse Singal has some more science:
… In addition to the obvious reason not to take this too seriously — the predictably sharp partisan divide in how people answered, which leads to the unsurprising conclusion that Republicans don’t particularly care for Obama — there’s another, slightly nerdier one: the availability heuristic.
That sounds fancy, but it simply means that we are biased by how easy it is to summon an example of something in our heads. So when a right-leaning person is asked to think of a bad president, the shadow of Obama looms large over them…
Never forget, a certain percentage of our fellow citizens honestly can’t remember the name of the guy in the Oval Office just before President Obama, although they will take a guess it was “Ronald Reagan”.
Also, they were promised a pony, and they still haven’t gotten their pony!…
.
Corner Stone
I was told there would be ponies…
Corner Stone
William Jefferson Clinton?
David Koch
the repugs have spent 35 years building a cult like monotheism around reagoon national airport.
They never even mention Ike. It’s like he never existed.
Dems have so many good choices. My grandfather is in his 80s and his favorite is Truman.
burnspbesq
It would be extremely difficult for anyone to care less about this nonsense than I do. Not sayin’ it can’t be done. There may be some obscure rule of quantum mechanics that allows for the existence of “negative caring.”
Villago Delenda Est
The cult of the shitty grade Z movie star lives, and it’s a cult based on a tiny bit of truth embellished in baroque style.
burnspbesq
There was major tax legislation, that raised rates and eliminated stupid policy choices made by prior Congresses, enacted in both midterm election years during the Reagan administration (1982 and 1986).
I guess that means Reagan was a Commie stooge or sumpin sumpin.
Botsplainer
@David Koch:
There’s an awesome renaming White House petition to rename Reagan National after Tim Howard.
I’m just sad I can’t take a midnight shit on Reagan’s headstone.
J.D. Rhoades
So Obama got “worst president” because the Democrats answering had more choices?
Botsplainer
Yeah, right – like you meant that, you shitweasel.
http://www.jjcafe.net/photography/trips/california_12_31_04/12_26_2004_CA/web/slides/P1010017.html
Mike in NC
You can always count on our corrupt corporate media to spread this ridiculous bullshit.
If these pollsters are calling people at home in the morning/afternoon on land lines, all they’re going to reach are angry/stupid old people who are tuned in to FOX News.
Is there really anybody under the age of 75 who is nostalgic for Saint Fucking Reagan?
Several years ago one of the cable TV networks ran a laughable poll on who was the Greatest President Ever!, and woe and behold the winner was one George W. Bush.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Botsplainer: Hey, that’s number 3 on my “Things on which to Piss” list.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
My favorite Republican bumper sticker from the Bush years was, in big letters: “I MISS IKE” and underneath in smaller type “Hell, I miss Harry”
Obama, who is never running for office again, got 33%, which with MOE and Margin of Stupid, puts it pretty close the infamous 27%. I think I heard David Corn say Bush’s approval rating is 48%, and I’ve heard other polls put him over 50, which is a national disgrace.
Corner Stone
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): John Lennon’s resting place, and who is #2?
Hill Dweller
Quinnipiac also over-sampled whites, seniors and rural voters. They got their desired result.
Villago Delenda Est
@Corner Stone: That would be Karl Rove’s resting place.
Wait, he’s not dead? Still not a problem….
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Corner Stone: Cheney’s future grave site leads the list. Then Thatcher’s grave (I see her and Reagan as codependent evils – and she wasn’t senile most of her time in power).
NotMax
Kickbacks from NYMag must be sweeter than those from Paul Constant at The Stranger were.
(But I kid….)
BruceFromOhio
That Reagan and Shrub have invisible sins to a sizeable portion of the electorate tells you pretty much all you need to know about why shit is fucked.
David Koch
President Obama may yet end up on Mount Rushmore.
√ Regulating CO2
√ Withdrawal from Iraq
√ Withdrawing from Afghanistan
√ Keep the US out of war in Syria, Iran, and Ukraine
√ Forcing Syria to destroy is WMDs
√ Repealed DADT
√ Overturned DOMA
√ Extended Federal Benefits to LBGT unions
√ Federal contractors ENDA
√ Ended Discrimination Against Transgender Federal Employees
√ Raised car millage to 55 mpg
√ Rescued the Auto Industry
√ Prevented a 2nd Great Depression
√ Ended Bush’s tax cuts for the rich
√ Brought health insurance to 29 million people
√ Ended rescission, pre-existing conditions, lifetime caps
√ Fair Sentencing Act
√ Ended discrimination against women in the Military
√ Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
√ Lilly Ledbetter Act
√ Mathew Sheppard Hate Crimes Act
√ Credit Card Reform Act
√ Food Safety Act
√ Eliminated banks from federal student loans
√ Found bin Laden
√ Reduced Nuclear arms by 66%
√ Provided crucial financing for Telsa’s electric car
√ Stem cell research
√ Appointed the most women to the Federal Bench in history
√ Appointed first female Chairwoman of the Federal Reserve
√ Appointed as many women to the Supreme Court as all of his combined predecessors
√ And he’ll stop the Keystone pipeline
And he has done this in only 5 1/2 years.
NotMax
@David Koch
Funny you should mention Ike.
Hal
It interesting that Republicans feel like their only choice is Reagan. The myth of that man is amazing. I wish there would have been a followup question like asking those respondents to name one thing Reagan did that they are most impress with.
The Dangerman
@David Koch:
With a Republican Caucus in Congress for 4 of those that has been of “questionable capacity”.
lukeallen1
Lets start a rumor that Michelle Obama plans to run in 2016 and make Barack his VP, essentially giving Barack 2 more terms. Oh the head explosions from the wingnutz.
chopper
goopers are orthodox, dens are not. Story at 11.
burnspbesq
You knew somebody was going to go for the cheap and obvious pun after yesterday’s district court decision on marriage equality. I was kinda surprised that it turned out to be Ahn-drew.
http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2014/07/02/ky-lubricates-the-case/
eemom
@David Koch:
hmm. Somehow I didn’t think you were in the “young enough to be my kid” demographic of commenters. You must be very mature for your age.
Belafon
@lukeallen1: And see how long it takes before someone realizes that he can’t be VP.
Eric U.
@J.D. Rhoades: Reagan, Nixon and GWBush are really hard to choose between as far as worst president goes. Republicans are pretty weak minded, and to get to the heart of the matter all the crap they say about Obama is in the same spirit of the things they said about Clinton, and none of it is based in fact. It’s all noise. Although I would have thought some of them would remember how much they were propagandized to hate Clinton. But almost none of them voted for him as worst president
becca
Since the Pew poll that came out with squishy economic “liberals”, conservatives seem to have decided the L word is no longer the mark of the beast.
Robert Kagan prefers “liberal interventionist” to neocon now.
Charles Murray sez progressives are the problem, not those nice libs.
Creepy.
chopper
Dems, even.
David Koch
@eemom: Ah, that’s right. you told me you’re nearing 50. Nothing wrong with that, vintage is the new black.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@becca: Kagan may prefer the liberal interventionist term, but he is a neo-con. He was a PNAC director. That puts him chest deep in that cesspool.
NotMax
@eemom
Trivia: There are still alive two grandchildren of John Tyler, the 10th president (1841 – 45).
catclub
@lukeallen1:
I think the requirements for either President or VP make Obama ineligible to run for VP.
But if Michelle runs and her VP resigns, she could nominate Barack for VP, then she could resign.
That would (technically) pass constitutional muster. She could then run again and work the same routine.
“No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
Culture of Truth
That was my reaction. 27% hate B. Hussein Obama, while Dems can’t decide who is worst, Nixon, Reagan, or Stupid.
Culture of Truth
or the GOP’s Jimmy Carter, G H W Bush.
catclub
@Belafon: He cannot be elected VP, but he could be nominated and confirmed by the House and Senate(?).
NotMax
@NotMax
Still find it nothing short of astonishing that the two still kicking gents’ grandfather was born in 1790.
Gin & Tonic
@NotMax: Holy Cow.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
Supreme Court upholds Little Caesar’s right to feed Christian employees to lions.
srv
@David Koch:
Arguably, President Nixon might deserve Mount Rushmore.
√ Regulating CO2, Clean Air Act
√ Withdrawal from Vietnam
√ Created the EPA
√ Created OSHA
√ Created NOAA
√ National Environmental Policy of 1969
√ Marine Mammal Act
√ Safe Drinking Water Act
√ Endangered Species Act
√ ABM Treaty
√ SALT Treaty
√ Federal Affirmative Action Program
√ Indexed SS to inflation
√ Appointed three SCOTUS judges who voted for Roe
√ Proposed a guaranteed living wage (funny how that’s all pop now)
√ Advocated a single-payer health care system
√ Knew when to resign when he’d abused his powers
burnspbesq
According to Damon Linker, Hobby Lobby is like giving up a fourth-quarter touchdown when you’re ahead 28-0. Agree or disagree, it’s an interesting way of thinking about the case.
http://theweek.com/article/index/264102/the-hobby-lobby-decision-is-one-more-sign-of-the-religious-rights-decline
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@srv: Shouldn’t you be advocating sending troops back to Iraq at this time of night?
Violet
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
Heh. Glad to see this sort of thing.
MikeJ
Programming alert: Mike Nichols directs a Buck Henry script with George C. Scott starring. Day of the Dolphin on TCM @ 9:30, talking dolphins used in an assassination attempt on the president.
srv
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Obama’s “Decent Interval” wasn’t long enough.
becca
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): yep, but his use of the word is for his.own malevolent ends. Kinda like how that Guy Who Godwin Says Must Not Be Named tried to sell himself as a socialist.
MikeJ
@catclub:
Right. Clearly, Barack could be VP. No prohibition against it.
More of a problem that pres and VP candidate can’t be from the same state. Simply say Michelle is from Illinois and Barack from Hawaii. Every bit as honest as Cheney’s VP run.
Belafon
@catclub: It would be very hard. It would require that the next president’s VP died in the last two years of the term. If it were the first term, and the president was reelected, Obama would have to resign. So it would probably have to happen in the president’s second term.
Violet
@burnspbesq: That article is written in a condescending manner: “back in the land of the thinking” is an insulting way to refer to other takes on the decision, including Justice Ginsburg’s.
I don’t agree with the thesis either. The author lumps all social issues together, when the reality is that advances have been made for gays and lesbians with marriage, while women’s rights and civil rights have taken many steps back. He airily dismisses the tightening of restrictions on abortion as “troubling” but then claims that because they’re done at the state level instead of the federal level they’re an indication that social conservatives are losing. No. They’re a change in tactics and they’re working. Women are losing.
divF
@Belafon: Don’t overwork it. The next president (who will be a Dem) can appoint Obama to the USSC, maybe even as Chief Justice should Roberts keel over due to an epileptic seizure (yes, Roberts has epilepsy, and death, while rare, does occur occasionally).
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Mike J: This article is old, but I think is is accurate.
Belafon
@divF: Oh, I think the Supreme Court would actually be a great final place for him. I was just responding to the idea of him being VP.
MikeJ
@divF: Would it be wrong to open a strobe light factory across the street from his house?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@divF: I hope Alito has some kind of vein burst in his head that leads to him talking to his imaginary friend Spike during oral arguments, and Mrs Alito has to come and, tearfully, take him home.
MikeJ
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): That clause from the 12th seems pretty definitive.
Suffern ACE
@divF: Lord. Just let him retire. If his dream was to be a Supreme Court Judge, don’t you think he would have chosen a more traditional way to go about that? Like actually practicing law and then maybe schmoozing his way to a lower bench?
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@divF: I think Obama is capable of doing a lot of good in the world post-Presidency, but an appointment to the Supreme Court would limit that. There are quite few legal scholars and jurists who could capably occupy a supreme court seat as a liberal. Very few of them could do the things Obama can do from the outside. Further, Obama would have to recuse himself from a shitload of cases involving things that he touched upon while in office.
KG
@catclub: sorry, that still won’t work. The new Vice President must be approved by both houses of congress. No way would congress go along with the appointment of someone who was otherwise ineligible for the office.
Besides, we are supposed to be the side that opposes further devolvement to banana republic status
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@Mike J: You can’t read a Constitutional Clause in isolation. They have to be read in the context of the related Constitutional provisions and in light of 230ish years of interpretation by courts and scholars.
divF
@Suffern ACE: There is a long history of distinguished appointments to the USSC without prior service in a lower court. Brandeis, Frankfurter, and Warren come to mind.
ETA: This is assuming he wants the job. Not out of the question, since he taught Constitutional Law.
300baud
KG
@Suffern ACE: this career path worked for Taft
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@divF: No one is saying he couldn’t be appointed to the position. We are questioning whether it is a good idea and whether he would be interested in the job.
divF
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
FWIW, I think that it would be a good idea. Having served in the other two branches of government, plus the part of his life spent outside the bubble of privilege that goes along with coming up through the ranks, would give him a different and valuable perspective. Besides, if one compares the impact of a Supreme Court Justice with that of either Jimmy Carter’s or Bill Clinton’s post-presidential careers, I think there is no comparison. This is not a criticism of Carter or Clinton, but more of an indication of the limits of what an ex-president can do with decorum in the public sphere.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@divF: My comment above indicates why it might not be the best idea.
some guy
In a future Democratic Administration Obama’s arrogance would serve us all well with an appointment to the international criminal court, if and when the United States becomes signatory to that body.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@some guy: Arrogance? FWIW the US should be a signatory to the ICC.
KG
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): there’s the additional question of how many cases Obama would have to recuse himself from. There just isn’t much precedent for this scenario – other than Taft, no president (or even Vice President, I believe) has served on the court. Very few members of congress have served as well. There might be a bit more precedent for governors or AGs moving to the judiciary at either the state it federal level (Warren was a governor), but I’m guessing not much.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@KG: Didn’t I mention the recusal problem? I, personally, tend to be pretty strict about it. I think is better to recuse oneself if there is a nonfrivolous objection.
some guy
The great thing about coming home is access to Velocity on the high definition tv. Wheeler Dealer overload orgasmic rush. Rx7, now a tvr worth a rebuilt chassis.omg
Bring on Chasing Classics and Overhaulin
some guy
John Quincy Adams served in the House after his Presidency. Just saying
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@some guy: And?
@some guy: What TVR model is worth a chassis rebuild?
NotMax
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
Hm. Next presidential election in Kenya is 2018.
As of the 2010 Constitution there, a citizen of Kenya is:
A person is a citizen by birth if on the day of the person’s birth, whether or not the person is born in Kenya, either the mother or father of the person is a citizen.
A person who has been married to a citizen for a period of at least seven years is entitled on application to be registered as a citizen.
A person who has been lawfully resident in Kenya for a continuous period of at least seven years, and who satisfies the conditions prescribed by an Act of Parliament, may apply to be registered as a citizen.
A person who is a citizen does not lose citizenship by reason only of acquiring the citizenship of another country and persons who are citizens of other countries may acquire Kenyan citizenship .
A person who as a result of acquiring the citizenship of another country ceased to be a Kenyan citizen is entitled, on application, to regain Kenyan citizenship.
(Just musing on the ridiculous.)
askew
It would be a waste of Obama’s talents to put him on the Supreme Court. He’s young and talented enough to have a post-presidential life that rivals Carter’s. Carter may have been a mediocre president but what he has done post-presidency is nothing short of extraordinary. I hate that the U.S. media continues to treat him like a joke after all he’s done for the world.
As for the presidential rankings, I think Obama will be remembered as one of the greats in 20-30 years after generations of kids learn about his ending 2 wars, signing the repeal of DADT and Obamacare into existence plus being the first president to endorse SSM while in office. When I think about what facts future American kids are going to learn about Obama, he really rivals only Reagan (the evil fuck) and LBJ out of modern presidents and LBJ has Vietnam as a negative to offset all of his great deeds. Nothing Obama has is that negative. With Clinton, it’s all about the tech economy boom and his scandals. Nixon is really only remembered for resigning. W is a long series of disasters. Carter and GHWB are going to be mostly forgotten.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@NotMax: Honestly, if I were Obama, I would just go skiing when i got done with my second term. Just say “Fuck everyone, I am going to have a nice time.” I doubt he will do that, but i sure as hell wouldn’t blame him if he did.
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@askew: I think Obama will be remembered as a good president. He stemmed off an economic disaster and put us on the path to universal health care. But assholes in Congress prevented him from doing more. Being a good president is a decent legacy.
NotMax
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
Oh, agreed. Nothing to be said against retiring at 55. Not totally divorcing himself from the political sphere, but certainly not having a full-time participation either.
Somehow don’t see the family moving back to Chicago, though.
askew
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
I think Obama’s first term accomplishments already put him past good to great. I won’t give the whole list again but I can’t think of another president who has done as much as him since LBJ.
some guy
Wouldn’t it be great if we, as a country. ACTUALLY were signatories to the treaty that makes the International Criminal Court an actual court? If only we had a President who had a background in Jurisprudence, or a similar field.
Yatsuno
Since this is open thread:
I’M GONNA HAVE A NEPHEW!!!
some guy
@askew:
Lincoln
A Ford Motor Company line.
some guy
@Yatsuno:
Nice
Amir Khalid
@Yatsuno:
Yay Uncle Yutsy!
askew
@Yatsuno:
Congrats!!!!!
askew
Since this is an open thread, what do people think the US should do about the children coming over the border in waves due to Central American violence? I hate the idea that we’d send them back to likely die and it seems hopeless to find a solution to this crisis. Watching the coverage on this tonight on MSNBC has me incredibly saddened and depressed over those poor kids.
mai naem
If Hillary becomes president, Bill’s rep will improve a whole lot because of his connection to Hillary, even though she wouldn’t have much to do with his presidency beyond the failed healthcare push.
Obama’s already said they’re going to stay in DC to allow Sasha to finish HS at the same school she’s been attending. I think Michelle is going to insist Barack go out for 2-3 years and earn enough money to set them up totally for the future. Don’t forget he’s going to have to pay for his own security after a few years and I imagine just the security, especially for the first black president, is going to be a huge expense.
scav
@Yatsuno: Congrats on Oncoming Uncledom!
RobertDSC-Power Mac G5 Dual
He is guaranteed lifetime Secret Service protection.
askew
@mai naem:
I think Obama makes money by writing a book. I don’t see him doing the speech circuit for money. I am most interested to see what he and Michelle’s main issues will be post-presidency. I’d love for them to focus on civil rights in the U.S. Increasing voting rights, etc.
Betty Cracker
@Yatsuno: Congrats!
My sister just acquired a puppy, so I have a new fur-niece. But a human nephew is almost as good! ;-)
amk
@mai naem: He and flotus get lifetime ss security.
Anne Laurie
@Yatsuno: Congratulations!
(Incidentally, I did indeed think about you when choosing this version of “Cool Considerate Men”.)
Valdivia
@Yatsuno: congrats!!!
David Koch
Hobby Lobby insures the next several SCOTUS appointments will be female.
Young tough women:
Deirdre von Dornum
Michelle Friedland
scav
@Betty Cracker: Well, kids get a slight edge if you like or require improved access to legos, but otherwise . .
PIGL
@Suffern ACE: actually, some thickened Manticore venom would be more to my taste. For him, and several others.
Chris
@Hal:
“He won the Cold War!”
“He cut taxes!”
I think Reagan’s pretty much the only president who’s 1) ideologically acceptable to them (Ike and Teddy sure aren’t it) and 2) isn’t too tainted by disaster in the mind of the public (Nixon had Watergate, Bush had Iraq and the financial crisis). That’s not the only reason he’s been turned into a god by them, but it’s why he was pretty much the only acceptable candidate.
Chris
@Eric U.:
Yeah. The natural answer is that they went from bad to worse, but each of them was building on the sins of his predecessor.
J R in WV
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
Why on Earth would you suppose that President Obama would “Have” to recuse himself? Clarence didn’t recuse himself on cases where his wife stood to make lots of money, IIRC !!
Should recuse himself and “have to” recuse himself are two diff things, and Supremes don’t “have to” do anything, near as I can tell. They don’t even have to make any sense – look at Hobby Lobby!!! Or Gush v Bore! [ sic, just for funny ]
;- { )
mdblanche
I see in that poll that 45% think it would have been better if Flip Whatshisface had been elected in 2012 instead. What a terrible number. For Flip. It’s less than the percentage of people who voted for him then, so he’s lost ground.
srv
@Yatsuno: Congrats. I suggest Steve, Stevie, or Stephen.
WereBear
@Yatsuno: Congrats on the upcoming Nephew awesomeness.
Johannes
@Yatsuno: Many congratulations!
debbie
@Mike in NC:
Looking at those numbers, practically 50% of Reagan’s votes came from people who either were not born yet or were just little kids when he was in office. So it’s not the man, it’s the legend they’re voting for. The others are either doddering idiots or they made all kinds of money from the crises created by the Reagan administration,
Iowa Old Lady
Americans elected Obama twice by convincing margins. The last time was less than two years ago. As they say, that’s the only poll that counts.
WaterGirl
@Yatsuno: Your first? I was living in the dorms in college when I got the news of my first niece. It was the middle of the day and none of my friends were around, and I was so excited that I ended up telling the painters who were painting our floor!
Big congratulations!
WaterGirl
I’m in moderation, and I swear I didn’t do anything wrong – it’s just a note of congratulations to Yutsano!
Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name)
@J R in WV: Because I think a notional Justice Obama would apply the standards more like a Justice Kagan than a Justice Thomas.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): Barack Obama has ethical standards; Thomas has none.
Matt McIrvin
To be fair to the people fretting about this, I do recall Democrats having a good laugh about it when they did it eight years ago and George W. Bush won Worstest President Ever. That’s basically always how this stupid poll goes.
Matt McIrvin
…I remember, during the Reagan years, knowing even then that (1) Reagan would be celebrated for many years as the greatest president ever, and (2) this would be very, very wrong.
Because half the people I knew were doing it at the time (western Fairfax County, Virginia was Republican territory back then).
If you told me back then, I’d actually be kind of surprised that it hadn’t become a universal sentiment.
Bobby Thomson
@becca:
No he doesn’t. To the contrary, Godwin says that eventually he always is named.
Richard Bottoms
What’s infuriating isn’t the rigged poll, it’s the need to explain psycogical warfare to progressives at this point.
I see polls and headlines on liberal blogs all the time that could not be construed as anything other that an attempt to manipulate the mood of progressives ever so slightly.
The goal isn’t to get John to switch back to the GOP, it’s discouraging him from voting, and barring that get him to express that seed of doubt in a post about Obama or some issue that benefits the Koch brothers.
However many people read this exactly as I do, success is getting just one of you to skip a vote or a donation.
Stop helping these assholes.
WaterGirl
@Richard Bottoms:
Quoted for truth.
What you are saying is completely supported by the Facebook study that just came out.
Quaker in a Basement
Well of course they did. Who the hell else do they have? Bush I, Bush II, Ford, Nixon, Eisenhower….after that, you have to go clear back to presidents that few living Americans even remember. I’m surprised Reagan wasn’t the unanimous choice among Republicans.
Soylent Green
@divF: Saying Justice Roberts has epilepsy is a stretch, not a firm diagnosis. He has had two “benign idiopathic” seizures, 14 years apart, the last one coming 7 years ago. “Idiopathic” means the docs don’t know the cause, “benign” means the seizures didn’t do any neurologic harm. He might never see another episode and afaik is not being treated with anti-seizure meds.
This didn’t stop the wingnuts from using the epilepsy claim to attack his vote on the ACA. I don’t think we should use it as carelessly.
Mnemosyne
@askew:
I heard a really depressing story on NPR yesterday where a mother paid $10,000 to a coyote to bring her two sons up from Guatemala because she was having to pay protection money to gangsters down there so they wouldn’t kill her kids. When the kids are essentially being held for ransom in their home countries, what do we expect parents to do?
Crouchback
In relative defense of American movie goers, “Transformers whatever the hell the rest of the name is” did extremely well overseas and in fact is getting a lot more box office abroad than at home. Apparently the world really like American films but only the stupid ones.
Sondra
Who else are they going to pick besides Ray-gun? Nixon, Ford? That’s assuming they can even think back that many decades.