Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

I wonder if trump will be tried as an adult.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

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

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

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

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Thanks for reminding me that Van Jones needs to be slapped.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Republicans don’t trust women.

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

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

After roe, women are no longer free.

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

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

White supremacy is terrorism.

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Reader Interactions

118Comments

  8. 8.

    Really?

    They should have had Katy Perry do that.

    “It’s Chris Matthews, just go out there and say ‘well I believe’ and he’ll cut you off before you can finish, no sweat!”

  9. 9.

    Corner Stone

    @Baud: Jennifer Palmieri is CD for HRC. And can’t talk in coherent sentences with an offstage heckler shouting something at her in the background. She keeps clenching her hand into a fist and starting her sentences over.

  13. 13.

    benw

    Switching over to MSNBC. Switching all deflector shields to double-front. Locking X foils in attack position.

  15. 15.

    benw

    O’Malley, then Bernie, then Hillz. Two opening bands and the headliner. No sign of bias here! :)

  20. 20.

    Corner Stone

    Not a fan of this venue/format. Looks like O’Malley is about to give Maddow the Bull Durham speech and start mugging down with her.

  21. 21.

    MazeDancer

    That MSNBC intro video for O’Malley was more exciting that any aspect of him ever seen in the campaign.

    He also has a terrible habit of not blinking when he’s rattling stump speech. Like he has no eyelids. It’s strange. When he goes off the cuff, he blinks like a normal person.

  23. 23.

    benw

    @Corner Stone: agreed. O’Malley seems like he’s about to start bellowing a stump speech with poor Rachel cringing a few feet away. Why do they put a small audience right behind them? So awkward. He got a pretty good shot in at Trump. O’Malley having fun with the card questions. Handled them quite well.

    ETA to change a ” to a ‘ because PUNCTUATION

  29. 29.

    Mnemosyne (iPhone)

    The reason no one at work lets me play movie trivia games:

    “Hey, Mnemo, what’s the name of that murder mystery with Christopher Reeve and Dyan Cannon?”

    “You mean Deathtrap?”

    “Yes!”

    There was also some confusion yesterday about who directed Sorry, Wrong Number since some people were mixing it up with Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder, but that one I had to look up in IMDb (Anatole Litvak, for the curious).

  40. 40.

    MazeDancer

    @benw:
    @Feebog:

    Bernie is very good at being totally present. He answers with his whole self. It never feels canned. Think it’s because he’s not afraid of making a mistake.

  41. 41.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud: He was asked about his dream job, were he not in politics. He said president of CNN, and they would cover politics way differently.

  46. 46.

    geg6

    So far, I am once again proud to be a Democrat. Both O’Malley and Sanders are just great. But Bernie is still wrong on his gun votes. No way he gets around that record, no matter how he wants to finesse it.

  49. 49.

    Elizabelle

    Don’t you see Bernie with crossover appeal to folks who are sick of professional politicians? Even while he is one. He’s plainspoken.

    Loved his answer on voting. Every citizen older than 18 registered to vote. If you can’t win an election fairly, find another profession.

  50. 50.

    Kay

    @MazeDancer:

    He was great on voting rights. A lot of passion. I know he was probably told to be calmer but my favorite thing about him has always been how worked up he gets :)

  53. 53.

    Baud

    @Elizabelle:

    A little tired. And I was disappointed Rachel didn’t ask O’Malley anything about Egyptian pyramids. We still have idea where our candidates stand on that question.

  54. 54.

    MazeDancer

    @geg6:

    (quoting you) So far, I am once again proud to be a Democrat. (End quote)

    So true. I’m watching on delay so can fast forward commercials, but so happy to hear serious discussion about important things.

    As much as I’m turned off by Martin O’Malley, I would stage rallies to get him elected if he wins nom.

    Candidates who believe in good government are inspiring.

  59. 59.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Haven’t even seen Hillary yet (probably because she hasn’t been on yet, LOL) and I could so happily support any Dmocrat the voters ultimately decide to nominate. We may not have a deep bench but we have a rich bench. The Republicans have a deep bench if numbers = deep, but I wouldn’t piss on any one of them if they were on fire.

  60. 60.

    geg6

    @MazeDancer:

    I have a friend who worked for O’Malley. He can’t say enough good about him. That has made me a bit of a fangirl with him. Plus he can sing and play and looks great shirtless. If Inthought he had half a chance, I’d be hitting the streets for him.

  62. 62.

    Elizabelle

    @Baud: Happily, Dr. Carson has found a way to get the pyramids story off the front page.

    It makes me mad that we look at these 3 sane and capable candidates, and CNN etc. want to treat the Republicans as equivalent, and 45% and up of America will vote for any Republican on the ticket, no matter how craven or cray cray. Tiresome.

  67. 67.

    Elizabelle

    @SiubhanDuinne: Now there’s a challenge.

    I’d piss on the Republican candidates. That, and camping trips, are the only thing that make me wish for — uh, an easier way to do so.

  80. 80.

    benw

    I’m not liking Clinton’s answers much. I feel like she’s dodging and rambling out the clock.

  81. 81.

    MazeDancer

    @Kay:

    (quoting you) I don’t like purple but she looks fine. She looks best in blue, actually. Please notify her. (end quote)

    Never ceases to amaze me that Hillary does not retain the best stylists in the world. Also hair and make-up. NYC is full of the world’s best. They would all help her.

    Purple is a lovely color. But it is not Hillary’s best color. Also her ever changing hair and make-up never makes sense.

    She also looks very tired tonight.

  83. 83.

    Corner Stone

    Death penalty question. No, no, no. Do not go State’s Rights on the death penalty. Too much hem-hawing on this. It’s never the answer. Just say no to the death penalty, HRC.

  85. 85.

    Elizabelle

    I don’t like the death penalty. Not even for the Charleston shooter. (He engaged my “he’s so young” instincts.)

  86. 86.

    Kay

    @Corner Stone:

    I agree. It’s dark enough not to be purple. Also! Good for her for making a distinction on federal/state for the death penalty. People focus too much on federal criminal law, IMO.

    Bad answer on school security, though. Cops in schools is just a bad idea. End of story.

  87. 87.

    Tenar Darell

    Thanks to all for the Hamilton lottery tip. My first attempt was unsuccessful (based on crowd odds weren’t that good). Maybe I’ll try for the matinée…

    A deserved big thank you to Redshift & NotMax for the recommending Hand to God. Seriously funny and very dark. Steven Boyer, who plays Jason/Tyrone, was amazing.

  90. 90.

    Corner Stone

    Black people in the audience have repeatedly been shown not clapping for any answer HRC gives.

  100. 100.

    benw

    @Corner Stone: I thought the DOMA answer was OK. Don’t just stand up once, but keep fighting. I thought she loosened up a little talking about the old photo of her and Bill.

    Oh no, they’re all on the stage at once! Violation of DNC rulez!

  101. 101.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Wish there were some way for future candidate events to combine the one-on-one interviews (or conversations, or whatever) with having all the candidates go at each other. Maybe 25 minutes per candidate and then 45 minutes for a free for all building off the answers they gave earlier. I did appreciate the longer form answers.

  102. 102.

    Corner Stone

    @benw: She doesn’t really have anywhere to go on the DOMA question. She should just remain stumm.
    People are going to conveniently forget the fact that the 1990’s electorate was nothing like where we are today, especially on GLBT issues. Heck, in 2004 Karl Rove won Ohio (maybe) by putting gay stuff on the ballot.
    Motherfuck the 1990’s.

  103. 103.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @benw:

    Her answer, I think, made more sense for those who saw/heard the interview she did with Rachel the day after her Benghazi! Benghazi! Benghazi! committee hearing. And Rachel kind of set it up as a continuation of that interview.

  104. 104.

    Kay

    @Corner Stone:

    2004:

    “In Ohio, for instance, political analysts credit the ballot measure with increasing turnout in Republican bastions in the south and west, while also pushing swing voters in the Appalachian region of the southeast toward Mr. Bush. The president’s extra-strong showing in those areas compensated for an extraordinarily large Democratic turnout in Cleveland and in Columbus, propelling him to a 136,000-vote victory.
    “I’d be naïve if I didn’t say it helped,” said Robert T. Bennett, chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. “And it helped most in what we refer to as the Bible Belt area of southeastern and southwestern Ohio, where we had the largest percentage increase in support for the president.”

    They were crowing about it at the time.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/politics/campaign/samesex-marriage-issue-key-to-some-gop-races.html

  105. 105.

    benw

    @Corner Stone: I think Hill did kind of make the point that the country is very different now than the in the 90’s on gay rights, so that DOMA looks even worse in hindsight now.

    @SiubhanDuinne: oh, ok, I didn’t see that one.

  106. 106.

    jl

    I’sc like Sanders to get better on details. His answer on Amtrak vote was vague to average voter, saying it’s the same as for airlines doesn’t mean anything to most people.

    HRC is still weak on influence of money on politics. I can’t believe that she trotted out her finger waving again at bankers before the crash, without any amplification. So, she went and waved her finger is supposed to mean something? She’ll wave her finger again the next time before it happens next time? I thought she would say something like ‘and if I’m president I will be able to do more than wag my finger and scold’.

    Sander’s answers on why single payer in Vermont didn’t happen have been extremely weak in previous interviews, but I don’t think Maddow asked him about it (may have missed it since I took a couple or short breaks).

  110. 110.

    MazeDancer

    Another “Proud to be a Democrat” night.

    Even the audience looked like real people you might know. That same feeling one gets when watching the conventions. GOP= Who are these people? Democrats=There’s my country!

    Any of the candidates so far outclasses anyone the GOP is running.

    Hillary is very, very, very smart. One of the things I like best about Mr. Obama is how very smart he is.

  112. 112.

    Corner Stone

    @Elizabelle: She put it down as people in a Democratic admin have left public service to join tech titans. That is true. And their influence back out to old colleagues may be a problem. But her framing made it sound like tech titans were funding D candidates (D candidates in bed), and that that was the issue. It was very poorly constructed. Most big tech donors are glibertarians and give to R’s.

  113. 113.

    Amir Khalid

    It seems to me that none of the three Democrats said anything really surprising, whether it looked good for them or bad. And no one won any supporters away from the others. So one wouldn’t expect any change in the polling after this forum.

  114. 114.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @jl:

    HRC is still weak on influence of money on politics. I can’t believe that she trotted out her finger waving again at bankers before the crash, without any amplification. So, she went and waved her finger is supposed to mean something? She’ll wave her finger again the next time before it happens next time? I thought she would say something like ‘and if I’m president I will be able to do more than wag my finger and scold’.

    Yup. It was a horrible comment in the first debate and I couldn’t believe that she and her team thought it somehow indicated her strength. She and Bernie relied too much on canned answers (and MOM did as well, but they’re fresher to most people because he hasn’t gotten the press coverage they have). Clinton using that answer yet again makes me wonder if she is too burned out to think on her feet and will continue to rely on talking points long after they have fallen flat. She and her team should have come up with a better way to show that she was trying to use her power and influence as a senator to prevent the implosion, or she should be quiet about it.

    And getting $600k for a few speeches is a bit different from advocating for dying towns in NY. She needs a better answer for that, too.

    :-/

    But in general, it was a good show (I didn’t see the whole thing). It shows that our party’s candidates have different views, have substance behind them, and have actually had to make unpopular decisions and at least occasionally learn from their mistakes.

    Too bad too few people will have watched it.

    My $0.02.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  115. 115.

    jl

    @I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: I think they both relied too much on talking points. But, it was a forum not a debate, so we will see how they both do next week. But on the other hand, even talking points need to evolve. I hope they both become sharper as they progress through the debates (Edit: I say both because I don’t see O’Malley getting enough support to make any difference).

    Edit: and of course, there is no comparison to the garbage going on over on the GOP side. Any of these three would do a good job as president, rather than con their way through a clown show, and preside over a miserable disaster (which seems to be the GOP approach).

  117. 117.

    AxelFoley

    @Elizabelle:

    I don’t like the death penalty. Not even for the Charleston shooter. (He engaged my “he’s so young” instincts.)

    Sorry, but that fucker deserves to fry in the chair. Or lethal injection. Or firing squad. Or hanging.

    Fuck that he’s so young shit. He was old enough to fire off rounds in a room full of praying churchgoers and then drive off.

    He deserves to burn in hell.

  118. 118.

    AxelFoley

    @benw:

    same for me with the Boston marathon bomber. Really didn’t like Hillary’s answer.

    Fuck him, too. Little bitchass coward shoulda been gunned down like his brother was.

    I have NO sympathy for murdering scum like them. NONE whatsoever.

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