Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Prediction: the GOP will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

Chutkan laughs. Lauro sits back down.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

“And when the Committee says to “report your income,” that could mean anything!

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

DeSantis transforms Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

“Why isn’t this Snickers bar only a nickle?”

White supremacy is terrorism.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

The words do not have to be perfect.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Historical Politico-Pornographic News Pic of the Week

Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Historical Politico-Pornographic News Pic of the Week

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Maybe it’s a hoax, but what th’ heck: Wanna help solve a mystery?

It’s over at The Awl, it was found by Elon Green, and it features then-Governors George Romney and Ronald Reagan, their wives, and an as-yet-unidentified young boy. Trigger warning: I can’t believe MisterMix didn’t see it before I did.

Apart from being reminded how innocent “the media” was forty-odd years ago, what’s on the agenda for the evening?

Reader Interactions

99Comments

  3. 3.

    scav

    @Rathskeller: Are you casting aspersions on the massive endowments of the the Sainted Ronnie!?! Why do you think they keep calling for Rushmore instead of the normal sizes that fit on mantlepieces?

  4. 4.

    EthylEster

    yes, really stupid.
    blow job possible only if reagan’s dick is about two feet long.
    which is more stupid…the linked pic or the post containing in?

    Probably MisterMix saw it and thought “really stupid”.

  10. 10.

    jl

    Given my feelings about Reagan, I would call it a shake-ti-putz blessing. Godhead Reagan bestowed in those he deemed worthy.

  11. 11.

    Chuckles

    I don’t think you need to have much love for the Reagans to think the linked post is pretty horrible. What possible purpose could it serve, knowing who the kid is? Being able to make more jokes and innuendoes that he was sexually abused? If the depicted person were an adult, this could be “politico-pornographic”. As is, it’s just sick shit to joke about. IMO.

  12. 12.

    Violet

    Sure it’s just perspective that creates the impression, but it’s still funny. All the adults seem to be having such a good time and the poor kid looks trapped by Reagan’s hands cupping his head. No matter that Reagan is two feet from the kid, it still looks creepy.

  14. 14.

    jl

    @Chuckles: I stopped reading when the article reached a certain threshold of salacious absurdity.
    Which was pretty quick. Just how does it appear that the kid is receiving any kind of ‘job’ from old Ronnie (Edit: other than a trick of perspective)?

    Edit: Sure it’s a funny photo, but the guy who is doing the ‘investigation’ seems to be serious, or is this some kind of pointless ironical snark, extra-dry, that I do not get.

  15. 15.

    Schlemazel [was Schlemizel till NotMax taught me proper yiddish!]

    I used to have a full color poster of the Disney orgy. I remember it being more detailed than this example. It got ripped, I grew up & made the mistake of tossing it away. I bet it is worth a ton of money today. Even if it were not I’d love to show up on Antiques Roadshow with a copy!

  16. 16.

    Violet

    George Romney looks every inch the patrician wealthy businessman. Look at that slicked back hair! And I note that Nancy Reagan is wearing a sleeveless dress. Wasn’t there all sorts of screaming when Michelle Obama wore a sleeveless dress for her official photo?

  18. 18.

    Schlemazel

    Also too on top of that. I used to have about two years worth of The Realist issues. It was a sporadically so you never knew when a new one would arrive. I donated them to an auction to raise money for a childrens theate & they did very well.

  19. 19.

    Hal

    Came home last night to at least a couple of dozen flies in the kitchen, living room, and back stairs to the basement. This happened last year a little later in the year, and it turned out a bird had died in the chimney.

    I’m guessing something else crawled up and died in the walls or in the basement. I managed to get most of the flies out the door last night and the remainder minus a few this morning. It didn’t seem like there were any new flies, and I noticed there were a bunch outside near a smelly garbage can, so I’m sort of hoping they got in via a hole in the screen, but I doubt it. Guess I’ll have to play find the smell on my day off.

  22. 22.

    Hal

    @Baud: I would argue the appellate court could have a broader impact over time than the SC. I just wish Thomas, Scalia, or Kennedy would have the decency to retire in the next two years. I’m guessing we’re stuck with Alito and Roberts for decades.

    The vast majority of cases never make it to the Supreme Court, but are decided by the federal courts of appeal. The Supreme Court hears only about 80 cases each year, while federal appellate courts decide 28,000 cases, publishing 5,500 to 6,000 opinions each year. Nearly every circuit court decision is final, since the Supreme Court refuses to hear over 99 percent of the cases appealed to the court. In effect, many circuit court rulings are the final word on our rights, making the selection of appellate court judges extremely important to all.

    The circuit courts also produce most U.S. Supreme Court justices, particularly the District of Columbia Circuit. Seven of the nine current members were circuit court judges when nominated for the Supreme Court. Three of those seven justices (Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Ruth Bader Ginsburg) were elevated to the Supreme Court from the D.C. Circuit.

    http://www.civilrights.org/judiciary/care.html

  23. 23.

    Cervantes

    That photo appeared in the August, 1967 issue of The Realist. The caption is from that issue and was written by Paul Krassner. It seems to me not useful to identify the child at this point, so I won’t.

  24. 24.

    Baud

    @Hal:

    True. Having the appeals courts is an important thing. But we’re still under the thumb of the five conservatives for the really big decisions.

  25. 25.

    Schlemazel [was Schlemizel till NotMax taught me proper yiddish!]

    can I get a comment out of moderation. Need to shorten my nym.

    Please and thank you

  27. 27.

    Schlemazel

    @Cervantes:
    You don’t have to admit it was you, we understand the trauma is still probably pretty fresh ;)

    the realist was a sporatical – dang auto correct!

  28. 28.

    geg6

    @mdblanche:

    I consider that a Harry Reid accomplishment that doesn’t get nearly the attention it should. If not for Harry Reid, this would not have happened. It’s why I just love Harry Reid, despite the many times I wanted to strangle him.

  30. 30.

    Betty Cracker

    Kee-rist, y’all! It’s clearly young Mittens! It’s probably some gross Repub successor anointment ceremony.

  31. 31.

    Schlemazel

    @geg6:
    Harry is a mixed blessing. I’d like to think he is doing the best he can. I know its a job I would not be successful at (I’d end up on MSNBC calling Graham a derogatory term for gay man & McCain an insane Fkcu). Like so much its frustrating. He is a good guy & deserves our support. I just wish we had “better guys”. Can’t let the ideal get in the practical though.

  32. 32.

    p.a.

    Music question. Anything you recently listened to that you hadn’t for years, and reversed your opinion on? Whether an artist or an album. I always liked The Who Sell Out and Tonight’s the Night, but recent listenings convince my they are great great works of art. On the other hand I keep worrying more and more that The Beatles were “The George Martin Project”.

  35. 35.

    Jebediah, RBG

    since someone mentioned Politico:

    David Gregory, the ousted moderator of NBC’s “Meet The Press,” thinks Washington’s political media are too lazy to go against the “narrative.”

    Moderating a panel at the No Labels’s National Strategic Agenda meeting on Wednesday, Gregory said journalists often fail to report on anything that fights the set narrative in Washington media.

    ETA: I apologize if that gives anyone a har-har tattack.

  36. 36.

    Schlemazel

    @p.a.:
    If they were George MArtin is the greatest genius in the history of music.
    I think the truth is that PM/JL were a great song writing team, perhaps one of the best ever & Martin brought their work to life. They sucked without each other. You could not get a dect 12 track album out of everything the 2 did single and Martin did great work but never reached those heights again. If only M/L could have swallowed their gigantic egos I bet there were still a lot of great works in there. To me Harrison ws the only one who had a body of work after the break up worth listening to.

  41. 41.

    mdblanche

    @Baud: Is it wrong to wish ill health on someone?

    @geg6: If Harry Reid wanted credit for his accomplishments, then he never should have become a Democrat.

  42. 42.

    JPL

    @Chuckles: It’s the first time in my life that I defended Reagan, so you are not alone.

    also.. maybe the second since I didn’t mind his role in “King’s Row”

  43. 43.

    Tommy

    @BillinGlendaleCA: My parents didn’t take me to Disney World. They took me hiking and camping. I’ve been close to every state in the nation.Did it in a car. Often at times in that darn station wagon.

  44. 44.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Schlemazel: Band on the Run is pretty good from end to end. Harrison didn’t get alot of song on Beatles albums, so when the band broke up, he had a shit ton of stuff. That’s the reason that All Things Must Pass is a triple album. He even had some stuff he wrote while with the Beatles that didn’t make an album until much later, see Not Guilty.

  45. 45.

    Baud

    @mdblanche:

    I usually don’t, but for those whose tenure in office is defined by their lifetime, what choice is there?

    But I’d settle for court packing — for civility’s sake.

  46. 46.

    Hawes

    The boy is Mitt and by the laying of hands upon him, St Ronaldus Maximus cured him of empathy, originality and compassion.

    Praise be Saint Ronaldus Maximus!

  47. 47.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Tommy: Pretty much the same with me, even though I grew up 50 miles from Disneyland. In my first 15 years, I think we went to Disneyland 3 times.

  49. 49.

    Mike J

    Speaking of politicians with kids, I fucking hate that dumbfuck Fred guy from Tennessee. He does this commercial trying to convince elderly people to get ripped off by a reverse mortgage company. He’s strolling along beside the lake or some shit, and has a kid with him. Then he does that, “isn’t that right Billy?” thing that always pissed me off. You don’t give a shit what Billy thinks. If Billy dared to offer up an opinion that was different Fred would disown him and probably send him off to military school until he learned to keep his mouth shut. As a kid, I always marked the people who patronized us like bunny rabbits down as assholes.

    (Yes, I know it’s scripted, and not necessarily a reflection on Fred. But he’s playing himself and is very, very convincing as an asshole.)

  50. 50.

    StringOnAStick

    @Jebediah, RBG: I suppose none of us should be shocked that David Gregory is now a hireling of No Labels, if only for that panel moderating gig. And now he has a sudden attack of truth-telling about the Villagers?

  53. 53.

    mdblanche

    @Jebediah, RBG: If only David Gregory were in a position to report on politics himself, or was in one until recently, I’m just sure he’d show all those lazy hacks a thing or two.

  57. 57.

    Gene108

    @Violet:

    If you go to the bottom of the article someone linked some footage of an event, wher Gov. Reagan hosted Gov. Romney at his personal residence in California. The background and outfits of the Romneys and Reagan’s seems to match the photo.

    So as to why Nancy being sleaveless is no big deal, while Michelle forced right-wingers to see something they could never unsee, I’m reaching here, is because Nancy is in her own home and Michelle was on government time.

  59. 59.

    Jebediah, RBG

    @StringOnAStick:

    And now he has a sudden attack of truth-telling about the Villagers?

    In defense of his obvious integrity, I can’t think of any recent event, certainly nothing employment related, that would account for a sudden change of heart about pushing the narrative.

  60. 60.

    Baud

    I mistyped my email address, so I now have a bunch of comments in moderation. Please free or delete. Thanks.

  63. 63.

    Violet

    @mdblanche: Yes, what a shame David Gregory has never been in a position to comment on politics or veer from the “set narrative in Washington media.” Real travesty.

  64. 64.

    Cervantes

    @Gene108:

    That’s the event, you’re exactly right.

    So as to why Nancy being sleaveless is no big deal, while Michelle forced right-wingers to see something they could never unsee, I’m reaching here, is because Nancy is in her own home and Michelle was on government time.

    Nice try! Reagan was Governor of California at the time.

  65. 65.

    Hal

    I was listening to Here and Now on NPR on my drive to work today, and host Robin Young referenced a poll regarding Scotland’s referendum saying the the no vote was at 52% while the yes was 48%.

    According to Young, this makes them statistically tied. Her implication being the vote could really go either way. This is one of my big pet peeves with the media. This need to create a horse race between two competing candidates or referendums. Ralph Reed was on On Point several months ago and when one of the hosts mentioned polling showing support for gay marriage at 51% and against at 47%, Reed said that because of margin of error, they were tied. No challenge from the hosts.

    http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/10/one-last-encore-great-statistical-tie-fallacy

    The idea of a “statistical tie” is based on the theory that (a) statistical results are credible only if they are at least 95% certain to be accurate, and (b) any lead less than a poll’s margin of error is less than 95% certain.

    There are two problems with this: first, 95% is not some kind of magic cutoff point, and second, the idea that the MOE represents 95% certainty is wrong anyway. A poll’s MOE does represent a 95% confidence interval for each individual’s percentage, but it doesn’t represent a 95% confidence for the difference between the two, and that’s what we’re really interested in.

  66. 66.

    Violet

    @Gene108: Thanks for letting me know about the video. That’s definitely it and you can see who the kid is pretty clearly, although that doesn’t tell me much. Just look like a kid.

    I’m struck that Reagan looks like George Clooney–or the other way around. If there’s some Reagan biopic thing, Clooney could play him.

    And yeah, I’m sure there’s nothing else about Michelle Obama that would drive the wingnuts crazy. Nothing at all. Can’t think of a thing. Nope.

  67. 67.

    Baud

    @Jebediah, RBG:

    So I decided to Google No Label’s National Strategic Agenda:

    On Sept. 17, No Labels is kicking off an unprecedented year-long effort to forge agreement on where America needs to go and how we get there. No Labels is calling for America’s leaders to support a new governing vision to build a National Strategic Agenda centered on four goals. These goals – chosen with input from a nationwide survey that No Labels conducted last fall – are:

    • Create 25 million new jobs over the next 10 years;

    • Balance the federal budget by 2030;

    • Secure Medicare and Social Security for another 75 years; and

    • Make America energy secure by 2024.

    That is literally the entirety of the substance of the National Strategic Agenda.

    And this is precious:

    The completed agenda will be unveiled in New Hampshire and Iowa on Oct, 5, 2015, just as the presidential election campaign season is ramping up. The aim of this exercise is to shape the upcoming presidential debate and ultimately, for the next president to use the agenda as the framework for bipartisan action.

    Nothing like this has ever been tried before. Many of our leaders say they want to unite our country, but they never tell us how.

    The National Strategic Agenda is the how, and no organization is better equipped to guide this process than No Labels. No Labels has a unique view on the root causes of dysfunction in our government and the required solutions. Many reform groups are focused on the big systemic fixes like reducing the influence of money in politics or gerrymandering. These are really important endeavors. But they are tough, multi-year, state-by state slogs with very uncertain odds of success.

    No Labels believes America’s challenges are so urgent that we need to find a way to bring the country together now around a new politics of problem solving.

    Really, read the whole thing. It’s amazing.

  68. 68.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Cervantes: The Reagan’s only briefly were the last residents of the CA governors mansion. Nancy hated the place and they lived in a house in the SacTown area. They built a new governor’s mansion in Carmichael, but it was completed after St. Ronnie’s term was over and Gov. Jerry never moved into it. It was disparaged as looking like a supermarket and was eventually sold.

  69. 69.

    StringOnAStick

    @Tommy: Tommy, I’m of the hiking tribe as well but I came by it on my own. There are few activities that are as good for you as plain old walking with a purpose! In 2 months we plan to be hiking to 16,000′ and hopefully 19,000′ in Ecuador, though the latter veers into technical glacier travel stuff that requires a guide; neither of us are novices at that sort of thing though. We’re trying to fit in as many of our local 14,000′ peaks as we can for training, plus fall is the best for that sort of thing around here – fewer lightning storms. Fall in Colorado is usually long and gorgeous.

  71. 71.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Tommy: I went hiking alot when I was a teen, though not as much after college. I’ve started walking around town and into the developments that go into the hills. I’m trying to get my wife and the kid to try some hikes in Griffith Park. The wife isn’t too enthused about it, the kid is willing but scheduling is a problem with her.

  72. 72.

    Cervantes

    @BillinGlendaleCA: Sure, but my point, if you want to call it that, was that, by virtue of their respective husbands’ employment, Nancy was as much on government time when the photo was taken as Michelle is now.

  74. 74.

    Mike J

    @Violet:

    It sounds like a group for people who don’t like wearing logos on their clothes

    Close: It’s for people who are embarrassed to call themselves Republicans.

  77. 77.

    Schlemazel

    @BillinGlendaleCA:
    I know tastes differ, I can’t name 12 songs from L/M solo that I want on my iPod. Maybe thats just me, M sure sold a ton of sewage since then so someone must be buying. I knew that Harrison had that backlog (and shame on L/M for not making H part of their team). But I will defend my original statement, Harrison has more good songs than the other two put together post breakup.

  80. 80.

    Cervantes

    @BillinGlendaleCA: Also, re the following:

    The Reagan’s only briefly were the last residents of the CA governors mansion. Nancy hated the place and they lived in a house in the SacTown area. They built a new governor’s mansion in Carmichael, but it was completed after St. Ronnie’s term was over and Gov. Jerry never moved into it. It was disparaged as looking like a supermarket and was eventually sold.

    The house where the photo was taken was (and is) at 1669 San Onofre Drive, in Pacific Palisades.

  81. 81.

    Violet

    @Mike J: I know that. But the name is ridiculous. A group that identifies itself with the first word “No” is just stupid. Every lifeguard knows you say “Walk” to people around the pool–you don’t say “Don’t Run.” All people hear then is “run.” That’s just how human brains work. Same thing here–they may think they’re saying “No Labels” but what people hear is “labels.”

    And if you can get past that idiocy, their name is just stupid. They’re not FOR anything. They’re AGAINST labels. That’s all we know. What kind of labels? On food? Name tags? Clothing? There’s nothing about the name that indicates politics. You have to know what they’re about even to guess. It’s just dumb.

  82. 82.

    Splitting Image

    Music question. Anything you recently listened to that you hadn’t for years, and reversed your opinion on? Whether an artist or an album. I always liked The Who Sell Out and Tonight’s the Night, but recent listenings convince my they are great great works of art. On the other hand I keep worrying more and more that The Beatles were “The George Martin Project”.

    Martin’s main contribution was standing back and letting the boys grow as musicians instead of forcing them to sing songs written by professional songwriters. That’s what turned them from a good cover band into a formidable songwriting team.

    That said, my impression is that both Lennon and McCartney were fiercely competitive and did their best work when they were in real danger of being shown up by the other one when they brought their material into the studio. Both suffered badly by not having the other around. McCartney’s most memorable work is the stuff he did with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Costello, who could capably fill the role Lennon did, and I think that Lennon spent a few years under the impression that Yoko Ono would do the same for him. His catalogue from 1970-75 is probably the most underwhelming of any of the four ex-Beatles’. Not that there aren’t some real gems in there, just that it’s hard to look at without seeing a lot of wasted potential.

    Harrison’s work on the Concert For Bangladesh and Handmade Films (which includes most of the Monty Python movie catalogue) makes him the most important and influential ex-Beatle by a country mile. Oh, and All Things Must Pass.

    As for music I’ve re-evaluated over the years, Avalon by Roxy Music has become a personal favourite. Duran Duran’s music was ruined for me back in the 80s by my older sister playing them night and day for two years, but I’ve given the first two albums a few spins recently and really enjoyed them.

  87. 87.

    Mike J

    @Violet: I was very surprised that the list of things they’re for didn’t include ponies. They like to talk about a balanced budget and keeping social security solvent, but they refuse to publicly state how they want to do it.

    Saying you want a balanced budget is a semantically null statement if you don’t address how you want to accomplish it. And that’s without even thinking about how you make Republicans accept anything that would be good for the country if a Democrat suggests it.

  88. 88.

    Hal

    Gingrich: GOP Sweep as Obama ‘Decays’

    Given Newt’s track record, Dems just might do OK this fall.

    Rand Paul Still Peddles McCain-ISIS Hoax

    Is Rand Paul on some shit list now? I wonder how much longer he can be his pure Libertarian self vs a conservative Republican.

    Rachel Maddow had a really interesting question on her show recently regarding Rand Paul. She wondered if Paul was really a legitimate candidate for President, or was he in the business of running for President like his daddy. I’m wondering the same thing more and more as time goes on.

  89. 89.

    Violet

    @Cervantes: It’s contextual. In the case of the lifeguard I mentioned above they are trying to get someone’s attention for a safety issue. If they say “Don’t run” people will hear “run”. That’s how the brain works. “Run” is a verb and it’ll be heard first. The “don’t” may not be heard depending on what other neurological input is happening. “Walk” will be heard more dependably, however, so that’s what lifeguards say.

    As for “Never again,” it is meaningless without context. Never again what? Overeating at a buffet? Flying internationally with a toddler? People often say “never again” about any number of things. If you want people to know you’re talking about the Holocaust you have to provide context. If, in the context of a conversation about the Holocaust you say “never again” then people will probably hear it correctly because it’s contextual.

    As for No Labels, if it’s in the context of a conversation about political organizations or new political parties or something, and gets introduced as a political group then it might get overlooked as a stupid name. If you knock on a door and say, “I’m with No Labels,” I’d expect people to look at you funny. You’d have to provide plenty of context. It doesn’t explain itself. There are plenty of better names they could have chosen.

  90. 90.

    bemused

    Huh, I thought no labels was fizzling out but they have unending optimism and cash. The money they spend to keep the money at the top would feed a whole lot of people.

    I admit to laughing at dumb 12 year old humor but 12 year olds would probably call that picture pretty lame.

  96. 96.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Baud: Nary a clue as how to get there, of course.

    Platitudes are so fucking helpful. Not surprising that an empty dickweek like David Gregory would land with them.

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