Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

No one could have predicted…

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

The willow is too close to the house.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

White supremacy is terrorism.

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

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

“woke” is the new caravan.

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Infrastructure week. at last.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2016 / Monday Afternoon Open Thread

Reader Interactions

126Comments

  2. 2.

    Doug R

    We’re having an election TODAY in canuckistan. Don’t worry, my family has already voted for the SOCIALISTS.

  3. 3.

    hells littlest angel

    Larry David absolutely nailed Bernie’s accent…

    Don’t think he had to stretch much to do that.

  6. 6.

    trollhattan

    Larry: our national treasure. I miss “Curb” deeply, but spend far less time cringing from between the sofa cushions.

  8. 8.

    Amir Khalid

    @efgoldman:
    Why on earth would anyone want an endorsement from someone as messed-up as Rob Ford? That’s like applying for a job and seeking a character reference from Charlie Sheen.

  9. 9.

    goblue72

    Both were great. Larry David nailed the mannerisms and the sense that Sanders at times sounds a little like “angry man yelling at clouds”. Kate McKinnon has been spot on with her Hillary impersonation all season, both with the Hillary’s hyper-stage managed persona / lack of ability to really glad-hand combined with the “the Presidency is MINE” mania beneath the surface.

    I am sure supporters of each were annoyed with the imitations, which probably means the satire hit its mark.

    The Democratic candidates make for better satire as the Republicans just satirize themselves. There’s no fun in a Trump or Carson or Fiorina caricature since they are already caricatures.

  11. 11.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    I thought he was hilarious. Alec Baldwin was spot-on, too.

    If you stayed to watch the monologue, Tracy Morgan was great, as was the “lost episode of ’30 Rock.'”

    “Those people from ‘Smash’ are on the screen with me, aren’t they?”

  12. 12.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    Random question for anyone who’s seen it — is the Misty Copeland documentary suitable for kids? My niece has been taking dance lessons for years and might be interested, but she’s only 9. “Suitable” can also mean “too boring for kids.”

  13. 13.

    A guy

    Funny how the talk is of snl and not Bernie’s platform which includes raising payroll taxes for all

  14. 14.

    Betty Cracker

    @schrodinger’s cat: My MIL watched it, but I didn’t pay much attention (was reading instead since I haven’t watched the series). The set / costumes reminded me of “A Passage to India” — that was my only solid impression.

  15. 15.

    Mnemosyne (tablet)

    @goblue72:

    I prefer Amy Poehler’s take on Clinton — less manic, more put-upon. It sounds like Hillary herself doesn’t have a problem with Mackinnon, though — apparently there was a sketch a few weeks ago where the real Hillary Clinton played a bartender to Mackinnon’s Clinton.

  17. 17.

    schrodinger's cat

    @MomSense: It was good. It has picked up since episode 3. I still find the inconsistent of accents of the “Indians” and the “Americans” wee bit distracting.

    Pretty boy Ralph Whelan is growing on me, very scheming and Machiavellian, bumbling Dalal is too bumbling to be taken seriously, same goes for Alice Whelan.

  18. 18.

    goblue72

    @Mnemosyne (tablet): I find Mackinnon’s satirical take to have more truth in it. Hillary Clinton IS a bit robotic and there IS a bit of the “ITS MY TURN DAMNIT!” about her. Much as there is a bit of “I’M MAD AS HELL AND IM NOT GONNA TAKE IT!!!” about Sanders.

  24. 24.

    Bill

    David’s take on Sanders is spot on and very funny. The rest of this skit is “meh.”

    Of course “meh” is my take on most of SNL these days, which I assume means I’m heading for the “get off my lawn” stage of aging.

  25. 25.

    srv

    One of Obama’s planes has been orbiting and spying on my hood today.

    Question is, does FBI think sophisticated drug folks or real terrorists won’t notice that Cessna droning around for four or five hours?

    If you’re going to take away our freedoms, g-man, at least get a muffler.

    Man of the people wants to employ people, not spy on them:

    Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is hoping to lure millennial support with his unconventional campaign — and a promise of providing jobs for a generation that’s struggled to enter into the economy.

    Trump’s bid to sway younger voters relies heavily on his image as a billionaire businessman. He told The Hill during an interview this week that he is often swarmed by younger voters who beg him for jobs during his campaign rallies and said it’s not uncommon for some supporters to attempt to toss him resumes.
    …
    According to an Oct. 13 Fox News poll, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton beats Trump in voters under 35 years old by a 43 percent to 40 percent margin, despite Trump besting Clinton amongst overall voters.

    She’s got a whole 3% on him… lol.

  28. 28.

    trollhattan

    @Keith P.:
    I hope so. If they could pull off the CYE “Seinfeld reunion” show about a show about nothing, inside a show gambit, they can drop a few episodes on us a few years since the last ones.

  29. 29.

    bystander

    David was ok, but the material was lame. The woman who does Hillary has one note -wild eyed, screeching beyotch – that she modulated only when she played with Hillary.

  32. 32.

    trollhattan

    @Betty Cracker:
    That was something really special that comes along once in a very long while. Probably only Aykroyd’s Nixon and Hartmann’s Clinton match Poehler and Fey.

  33. 33.

    MattF

    No link, but Marc Thiessen– former Bush speechwriter and apologist for torture– writes in the WaPo that, yeah, Bush kept us safe. It’s providing editorial space for a flat-out right-wing partisan like Thiessen that really irritates me. I mean, why bother? What has Thiessen ever done that qualifies him for the job of WaPo opinionator? Grr.

  34. 34.

    Rafer Janders

    Larry David absolutely nailed Bernie’s accent and mannerisms.

    It’s not so much that David “nailed” — it’s simply that it’s the accent and mannerisms of every older Jewish guy from New York, David and Sanders included.

  37. 37.

    Calouste

    @MattF:

    No link, but Marc Thiessen– former Bush speechwriter and apologist for torture– writes in the WaPo that, yeah, Bush kept us safe. It’s providing editorial space for a flat-out right-wing partisan like Thiessen that really irritates me. I mean, why bother? What has Thiessen ever done that qualifies him for the job of WaPo opinionator? Grr.

    You already answered you own question.

  39. 39.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @MattF: What has Thiessen ever done that qualifies him for the job of WaPo opinionator? Grr.

    His opinions fit well with those of Kaplan and Lane, the neo-con Bobsey twins who keep the psychotic old racist Charles Kruathammmer around

  41. 41.

    Elie

    Larry David was a hoot! Not so much the other characterizations, but then, that reflects sorry writing by SNL more than anything. Haven’t watched the show much in years. I acknowledge that satire is hard when reality is already so much like satire — ala onion.. Doesn’t give you much room on where to go with spoof or requires a much more cerebral approach ala John Oliver. That is not Saturday Night’s territory. I have watched a little of Trevor Noah and he’s had a couple of good ones including his piece on Ben Carson….

  42. 42.

    Germy Shoemangler

    Any fans of humor and comedy; especially written humor:

    The American Bystander (new humor magazine) is kickstarting to begin publishing quarterly.

    Material from all sorts of impressive folks: Jack Handey from Saturday Night Live, George Meyer from The Simpsons, Monty Python’s Terry Jones, Roz Chast, and many others.

    Mike Gerber is the publisher. Brian McConnachie is the editor.

    Here’s the link:

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaelgerber/the-american-bystander-humor-magazine

  44. 44.

    PurpleGirl

    @Amir Khalid: Harper probably wants the association with the Fords as low taxers — Rob Ford had won the Greater Toronto area because he promised to lower the area’s taxes. Toronto itself did not go for Ford but the surrounding suburbs liked the talk of lower taxes.

  45. 45.

    trollhattan

    Chait takes a sledgehammer to Li’l Marco’s pathetic (and perfectly doctrinaire) “ideas” about energy–how the plucky little industry is doing its darnedest to make us more innovative and stuff, all while mean old Obama holds rein over this era of low production and high prices–through regulatory strangulation!

    I had hoped Li’l Marco would separate himself a wee bit from the rest of the pathetic humps, but I don’t think you could fit a knife blade between him and any of the others. Maybe Huckabee for Energy Sec–we’ll pray for oil and our prayers will be ANSWERED!

  46. 46.

    Brachiator

    A few pieces of back bacon on the Canadian elections

    Parties try to get out the vote as longest modern-day federal campaign ends

    The longest and most expensive election campaign in modern Canadian history will be decided tonight when the last of the ballots are counted, concluding under threat of frost what began in the sweltering heat of an August long weekend….

    Can Stephen Harper become the first prime minister since Sir Wilfrid Laurier in 1908 to win four consecutive mandates? And if he doesn’t win another majority — meaning 170 seats in the newly expanded House of Commons — will he survive as Conservative party leader?

    Can NDP Leader Tom Mulcair miraculously lift the New Democrats to their first national government in Canada’s history? Can the party maintain its hard-won 2011 grip on official Opposition status?

    Can the Liberals under Justin Trudeau become the first third-place party in federal history to leap straight into government in a single election? Is Canada ready for another Trudeau as prime minister?…

    When Parliament was dissolved for the election on Aug. 2, the Conservatives held 159 seats in the 308-seat House of Commons, the NDP had 95 and the Liberals 36, with another 18 seats either vacant, held by Independents or shared between the Green party (two seats) and the Bloc Quebecois and a splinter group.

    Due to population growth, 30 new seats have been added this election, including 15 in Ontario, six each for Alberta and British Columbia and three more for Quebec….

    Some 3.6 million Canadians have already cast ballots during the four-day advance polling period on the Thanksgiving long weekend — an increase of 71 per cent over the 2011 election, when only three days of advance polls were held.

    Whether that increased voter turnout carries into the main event is another question that will be answered today. Just 61.4 per cent of eligible electors cast a ballot in 2011, up marginally from the 58.8 per cent in 2008 — the lowest ever in a federal election….

    Election observers will be watching closely as another new wrinkle unfolds this evening. For the first time, it is legal to transmit election results across time zones into areas of the country where polls have not yet closed — ending an old blackout policy that was becoming all but impossible to police in the era of social media.

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/parties-push-to-get-out-the-vote-on-election-day-as-campaign-draws-to-a-close/article26867214/

  51. 51.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @Elie:

    Tracy Morgan’s monologue was a hoot:

    People were wondering, “Can he speak? Does he have 100 percent mental capacity? But the truth is, I never did. I may even be a few points higher now.

  52. 52.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Could Alec Baldwin be as funny as the real thing?
    Alex Seitz-Wald ‏@ aseitzwald 20m20 minutes ago

    I asked @ JimWebbUSA why he was running as a Dem in this interview. Said he still had hope he could rescue party. http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/jim-webb-chattanooga-shooting-slain-marines-should-have-had-guns …

    Alex Seitz-Wald ‏@ aseitzwald 23m23 minutes ago
    Just in: @ JimWebbUSA to consider running as an independent. Will discuss tomorrow at @ PressClubDC.

    Like Gilligan, the Skipper too, the movie star, and the rest, we may never be rescued.

  53. 53.

    Elie

    @David Koch:

    I agree that they need to lighten up, but I am sure many of his supporters enjoyed the laugh. Bernie himself seems to have a good sense of humor and I see that as a YUGE asset :-). He can even wiggle a little — danced with Ellen DeGeneres a couple of days ago on her teevee show and seemed to enjoy himself. All good as far as I am concerned. A sense of humor is good PR but its also a survival necessity for anyone running for that office…

  54. 54.

    MattF

    @trollhattan: Not surprised. Rubio is the backup to Jeb! favored by the Republican Establishment– if Jeb! fails, I predict that we’ll be seeing ‘features’ in the WaPo all about Rubio’s beautiful family and how his modest and charming wife is his ‘secret weapon’ against Hillary.

    Rubio’s also, fwiw, the Establishment’s last-ditch defense against Cruz. Again, if Jeb! fails, there’s little doubt that the powers-that-be will circle the wagons about the Senator from Florida.

  56. 56.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @MattF: we’ll be seeing ‘features’ in the WaPo all about Rubio’s beautiful family

    Which one?
    /ducks

  57. 57.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @David Koch:

    Sanders himself said that he wants Larry David to make his next campaign speech for him, because David is more like Sanders than Sanders is.

    He also reassured the nervous press that he does, in fact, own more than one pair of underpants.

  61. 61.

    MomSense

    @Mnemosyne (tablet):

    I haven’t seen it yet but I can’t imagine there would be anything inappropriate for your niece to view. If she eally likes ballet, I’m sure she will like seeing Misty just dance. Misty is the ballet equivalent of Dorothy Hamill and Nadia Comanici when we were kids. She’s a beautiful dancer with a compelling story.

  62. 62.

    goblue72

    @Mnemosyne (tablet): I find anything on live TV these days to be startling in HD except for maybe sports. I’ve actually had to fiddle with my TV’s settings to turn off a lot of the HD features to keep TV shows from looking too grotesque.

  63. 63.

    trollhattan

    @MattF:
    Couple months ago I presumed Marco was testing the waters in advance of a “serious” run in four. Now, he begins to take on the sheen of somebody who might actually survive the primary process. With Walker and Bush3.0 lite done for, all that Koch money needs to be thrown at somebody who can follow the script, and not one of the other mooks is stable enough to even know what that means.

  64. 64.

    David Koch

    Monmouth University post-debate nationwide poll
    October 15-18 / September results in parenthesis.

    Clinton: 48 (42)
    Sanders: 21 (20)
    Biden 17 (22)

    Without Biden

    Clinton: 57
    Sanders: 24

  70. 70.

    trollhattan

    @Peale:
    And with minor drift like that it’s hard to peg any movement on a particular event, or even a debate.

    If Serverghazi truly explodes in the Republicans’ faces (please, make it so) there will be a LOT of movement.

  72. 72.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Elie: Trevor Noah is killing it so far. I guess hosting the South African knockoff of The Daily Show was good preparation.

  73. 73.

    trollhattan

    @Baud:
    A very concerned friend thinks the “fix” is in for Carson and he’ll go all the way. We bet cash money, which I assured him I’ll spend on celebratory drinks with him upon paying up. The only question is how soon?

  74. 74.

    Elie

    @Peale:
    @Baud:

    Is this punk data?

    Seriously, are we at the point that either Trump or Carson can win in a national sampled poll? Really? Have things gotten that bad??? I thought that Trump was favored by 25-30% off Republicans followed by Carson some ways back. Not that either could beat either Hillary or Bernie…

  75. 75.

    Elie

    @Matt McIrvin:

    After a little rocky start, he seems to be settling in pretty well. His pieces have been pretty damned good lately. He and John Oliver do a good political sarcasm/bitter humor very intelligently.

  78. 78.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    @A guy:

    You’re referring to the proposition that would close tax loopholes for the very rich, and would provide every worker with 12 weeks of paid medical leave annually, right?

    As a middle class worker, I support that. Thanks for bringing it up, sport!

  79. 79.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Elie: Donald Trump was beating Hillary Clinton in these head-to-head questions back during the summer.

    I think the pattern is that whichever Republican is the flavor of the month in the media beats Clinton in the head-to-head. I doubt it reflects what is going to happen in an actual general election campaign.

  83. 83.

    David Koch

    MSNBC/WSJ Poll — Oct 15 to 18 / September results in parenthesis.

    Trump……………….25 (21)
    Carson………………22 (20)
    Rubio………………..13 (13)
    Cruz…………………..9 (5)
    ¿Jeb?…………………8 (7)

    Trump is at his highest level of support in the poll since entering the 2016 race.

  84. 84.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @rikyrah:

    Saw it, thanks. From what other people have said, too, it doesn’t sound like there’s anything inappropriate in it (like swearing or nudity or graphic violence). Now it’s a question of if we can get a 9-year-old with ADHD to sit in front of the TV for that long.

  86. 86.

    Calouste

    @Elie: Keep in mind that in this poll 6% of the respondents have never heard of Joe Biden, even though he has been VP for close to 7 years. For a lot of respondents Ben Carson, a moron, is pretty much a generic (R), and they might have heard that he was a neurosurgeon. Most of the people who don’t have their choice set in stone haven’t heard yet how crazy Ben Carson, a moron, really is.

  89. 89.

    Elie

    @Calouste:

    I’m just curious who they sampled. NEITHER Trump or Carson should be anywhere near those numbers. How can Trump be at 23% of Republicans but upto 48% against Hillary, etc. I recognize they are not the same polling sample, but I am curious how they pulled it. Seems “harmless” but it conveys a seriousness to these two horrible people that I want to know about — at least how they were selected.

  90. 90.

    trollhattan

    @A guy:
    Questioning paid leave and disability insurance? Ah, sounds like life in Somalia or Bangladesh. It’s a good thing you “work” in mom’s basement and not in an office with humans, because some of those humans will come to work bearing gifts of the flu, which they will share. For nothing.

  92. 92.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    @A guy:

    It is your responsibility to contribute to the society from which you have so greatly benifited.

    Suck it up, you fucking baby.

  94. 94.

    David Koch

    Donald Trump was beating Hillary Clinton in these head-to-head questions back during the summer.

    Not possible. For a republican to win they’ll need 52% of the Latino vote. That’s not going to happen.

    50= (.72)W*60%+(.10)L*52%+(.13)B*6%+(.03)A*26%+(.02)O*38%

    Where W=white, L=latino, B=Black, A=asian, O=other

  95. 95.

    A guy

    Your sickness ain’t my problem. Have a family member float you some dough to get by. That’s what families do.

  96. 96.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Elie: With tRump it’s name recognition, with Carson I got nothing.

    Despite my initial reservation about Trevor taking over TDS, I’ve been really impressed with him.

  97. 97.

    trollhattan

    @Baud:
    I didn’t press, I made the bet and dinner moved on. Honestly, I was only trying to reel him down from his paranoia (probably not helped by saying "Oh, no, that’s not the moron you need to watch out for!”)

  99. 99.

    LWA

    Don’t know if anyone else noted it yet, but support for gun control has spiked.

    A single tick of the meter isn’t all that, but it does show that liberals shouldn’t run scared when the subject comes up, or pre-emptively surrender in despair.
    We can win this one.

  101. 101.

    jl

    Sanders may have a tough sell for his tax proposals, since will be caught in mindless gotcha loop by brainless media.

    ‘how you gonna pay for all that free stuff’ -> ‘Soak the rich!? Not enough money there, class war!!’ -> ‘raise taxes on everyone!?’ -> ‘how you gonna pay for all that free stuff’.

    Sanders will have to sell his total package. If he has a plan to clearly lay it out through an evolving pitch delivered with his forceful stump speech style, he might have a chance.

    The whole package should be attractive, a very small increase in payroll tax for all to finance more social benefits going back to those lower income people receiving the additional benefits (family leave) and a much larger increase for high income people to fix Social Security long run financing problem that is appropriate for that program’s income insurance function over the life cycle.

    It is Scandinavian, in the sense that those countries tend to use rather regressive taxes to finance programs with benefits that flow to those lower income people paying the regressive taxes. And this design seems OK with Europeans who can sense that they receive some benefits from the higher tax rates. Even European expats paying US taxes complain that US taxes are ‘too high’ in the sense that they don’t see what they get for them, a complaint I can kind of see.

    Edit: problem with VAT from my point of view is not that it is regressive per se, but that I doubt US will be able to implement a strong social safety net needed so that those paying a regressive tax like a VAT receive benefits from the programs that a VAT funds in Europe.

  103. 103.

    trollhattan

    @Mnemosyne (iPhone):
    A-yup. [Shakes fist at the Dutch.] What moron talking point got issued today; it’s such s redonkulous non sequitur.

    Truthfully, I don’t want to pay for his forthcoming mental care but it would be irresponsible not to.

  104. 104.

    Chyron HR

    @A guy:

    Too bad Republicans have spent the last 50 years hysterically screaming that every single Democrat is a communist who will raise the tax rate to 100%, huh? How can you possibly campaign against someone who actually does propose minor tax increases?

  108. 108.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    @trollhattan:

    In the Republican world, it’s more fiscally responsible for individuals to pay $200 a month for private disability insurance than for each worker to pay $2 a year. Because “personal responsibility” means “letting a private company put its hand in your pocket.”

    @WaterGirl:

    In my defense, I was succumbing to peer pressure. The other kids started it.

  110. 110.

    Peale

    @PaulW: I will be starting a novel in November. Thank you. I don’t know if I can finish it before May because the person on whom the Novel is based needs to complete his first year of university.

  112. 112.

    Tenar Darell

    @A guy: So you ever buy food in a restaurant or grocery store during cold and flu season? Because most of those workers do not get sick days. So, they work, and sneeze and spread their viruses all over you food. Enjoy your communicable disease, hope you’re not immune compromised from cancer or HIV or any other number of things.

    Oh, and you really think everyone has family? Wow. No single parents, or only children, or dead parents in your fiction or non-fiction universe.

  113. 113.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Baud: That could actually suck in states like Virginia and Ohio if it’s close.

    Possible, but I think Webb has a reputation for lack of follow through, especially for the kind of fund-raising, organizing and net-working he would have to do to get on the ballots, and I don’t think Webb would inspire a write-in campaign

  114. 114.

    Tenar Darell

    @WaterGirl: I know why I did this time, too much family tragedy, made me see effing red. (Should have probably done what I usually do, and copy the comment, re-load the page and wait).

  116. 116.

    Elie

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Webb has some serious problems (emotional). Someone else commented on how sad he seemed during the debate. He has never been able to stick with anything for very long. Something is very wrong because he is a man who superficially would hold a lot of cards for success. I truly wish him well and seriously see him as quite troubled.

  120. 120.

    A guy

    Everybody has family unless they are transitioning in progressive politics. And transitioning is cool these days

  125. 125.

    different-church-lady

    @David Koch:

    The Bernistas on twitter and facebook are really upset with Larry David, saying his portrayal was inaccurate.

    It’s becoming obvious to me that humorlessness is a very common trait of the Bern-feelers.

  126. 126.

    Jesus California

    That was just Larry David doing himself, made up a little like Bernie Sanders. It was funny though, genius idea.

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