• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

… gradually, and then suddenly.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

Polls are now a reliable indicator of what corporate Republicans want us to think.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Israel is using food as a weapon of war. Unforgivable.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

If West Virginia and San Francisco had a love child.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Consistently wrong since 2002

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

It’s easier to kill a dangerous animal than a man who just happens to have different thoughts/values than one’s own.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Republicans got rid of McCarthy. Democrats chose not to save him.

I like you, you’re my kind of trouble.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Mobile Menu

  • Four Directions Montana
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19 Coronavirus
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2024 Elections
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Oh God I could do better than that

Oh God I could do better than that

by DougJ|  January 11, 20163:08 pm| 115 Comments

This post is in: Very Serious People

FacebookTweetEmail

I’m working on a new twitter persona, a centrist parody, but I’m starting to wonder if I’ll never keep up with No Labels on that front:

[3/8] Six candidates have made the Promise so far: Ben Carson, Chris Christie, John Kasich, Martin O’Malley, Rand Paul and Donald Trump.

— No Labels (@NoLabelsOrg) January 11, 2016

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Hep-C and QALY
Next Post: Monday Evening Open Thread »

Reader Interactions

115Comments

  1. 1.

    kindness

    January 11, 2016 at 3:11 pm

    What promise is that? The possible snark is too much to wade through as entertaining as it would be.

  2. 2.

    Doug!

    January 11, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    @kindness:

    I may make it a group effort where I ask people to tweet all the stupid centrist stuff they find at me.

  3. 3.

    Dork

    January 11, 2016 at 3:17 pm

    @kindness: Judging by the fact that Promise is capitalized, I’m assuming NoLabels is excited that these 6 knuckleheads use a “healthy” version of fake butter.

  4. 4.

    NotMax

    January 11, 2016 at 3:17 pm

    No labels.

    Good idea for undershirts, bad idea for politics.

  5. 5.

    MomSense

    January 11, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    What kind of promise is it? I promise to employ false equivalency in all my political analysis.

  6. 6.

    Tokyokie

    January 11, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    Mark McKinnon, who’s neck-deep in blood for his work in getting The Worst President in History inflicted upon us, is the guy behind “No Labels.” No labels my ass. I’ve got one for you: war criminal. Let him try posting his crap from a prison cell in Den Haag, and then maybe I’d take his shtick seriously. But then, I’ve know the bastard for 40 years, so probably not.

  7. 7.

    NonyNony

    January 11, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    @kindness: “Problem Solver Promise” http://www.nolabels.org/promise-faq/

    “In making the Problem Solver Promise, candidates are expressing their support for No Labels’ National Strategic Agenda and committing to begin work with the congressional leaders of both parties within 30 days of inauguration on at least one of the four Agenda goals”

    “The National Strategic Agenda is composed of four goals based on a nationally conducted poll of voters:
    • Create 25 million new jobs over the next 10 years
    • Secure Social Security and Medicare for the next 75 years
    • Balance the federal budget by 2030
    • Make America energy secure by 2024”

    IOW – four things that poll well in the abstract but nobody is going to agree on the specifics.

    (Who could argue with creating 25 million new jobs? Well, I’m sure Trump’s ideas for that revolve around building a wall with Mexico and lowering the minimum wage. Agreeing on the problems might be a first step, but it’s a baby step that is meaningless when you’re talking about these kinds of bullet points…)

  8. 8.

    NonyNony

    January 11, 2016 at 3:19 pm

    I have been appropriately stuck into moderation for my sin of posting a link to No Labels Problem Solver Promise FAQ. One time when WordPress is probably smarter than I am…

  9. 9.

    scav

    January 11, 2016 at 3:21 pm

    How sweet. There’s a hint of “Lips that Touch Liquor Shall Never Touch Mine.” vibe to it all.

  10. 10.

    sloan

    January 11, 2016 at 3:21 pm

    Hahaha!

    Brutal, man. You couldn’t pay me to read Ron Fournier’s tweets.

  11. 11.

    David Hunt

    January 11, 2016 at 3:24 pm

    Christ, those No Labels jerks tweet like it’s going out of style. The tweet Doug posted was just four hours old and I had to wade through tons of crap to look at their whole 8 tweet screed of NoLabels B.S.

  12. 12.

    JPL

    January 11, 2016 at 3:24 pm

    O’Malley called out No Labels for accepting Trump’s promise because Trump is a racist and a fascist.

  13. 13.

    Zinsky

    January 11, 2016 at 3:28 pm

    I love the reference to the Bowie lyric from “Queen Bitch” as the title to the post!

  14. 14.

    lurker dean

    January 11, 2016 at 3:28 pm

    i look forward to indievoterguy, but it’s going to be hard to keep up with “independent” ron fournier. and his buddy matthew dowd:

    Matthew Dowd ‏@matthewjdowd 2h2 hours ago
    @Ronc99 @ron_fournier huh?? i have been an independent for years. throw flags on both sides.

  15. 15.

    The Other Bob

    January 11, 2016 at 3:29 pm

    Just tweet all the centrist stuff from the public’s point of view…which will be to the left of the Ds.

  16. 16.

    Iowa Old Lady

    January 11, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    I had to take my phone off the hook this afternoon. One out of area number kept calling back instantly when I didn’t pick up the previous call.

    21 days until caucus

  17. 17.

    NonyNony

    January 11, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    @JPL: hey man – it’s “No Labels”. “Racist” and “Fascist” are both labels. “No Labels” isn’t about that kind of thing, you know.

    O’Malley might want to think about the kinds of people he’s signing up to associate with.

  18. 18.

    trollhattan

    January 11, 2016 at 3:31 pm

    Thought the whole pledge thing was Grover Norquist’s schtick. Does he know he’s being imitated?

  19. 19.

    JSinLA

    January 11, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    Go ahead and try to figure out which of the @indievoterguy followers are sincere and which are not.

  20. 20.

    Matt McIrvin

    January 11, 2016 at 3:34 pm

    Trump’s plan for all four is:

    1) Apply awesomeness of self
    2) Get top men on it, top men
    3) Make the Mexicans pay, also be awesome
    4) Build a wall, but make it an AWESOMENESS wall

    Easy peasy.

  21. 21.

    NobodySpecial

    January 11, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    AstroTurf for losers. Same as it ever was.

  22. 22.

    Cheap Jim, formerly Cheap Jim

    January 11, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    The typo in Manchester is a nice touch.

  23. 23.

    Seanly

    January 11, 2016 at 3:40 pm

    So, is this an open thread? It is? Great!

    Good luck to my Clemson Tigers against the media-favored Alabama. Play well & have fun.

  24. 24.

    petesh

    January 11, 2016 at 3:44 pm

    Nice title. Got a frock coat and bipperty-bopperty hat?

  25. 25.

    bystander

    January 11, 2016 at 3:48 pm

    Speaking of those Burkean bells ringing in my ears, I love that the Moriarty/Lecter character on Law and Order: Criminal Intent is named “Nicole Wallace”. No matter how many people the character poisons, she’s still not as horrifying as her namesake.

    As much as the L&O franchise dumps on defense attorneys, I wonder if the Dick Wolf crew really meant to make such an overt comparison.

  26. 26.

    JPL

    January 11, 2016 at 3:49 pm

    @Seanly: My friends are there.

  27. 27.

    JPL

    January 11, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    Doug, I’m surprised that you didn’t mention Trumps comments about football players being soft. Surely, there has to be a both sides comment to that.

  28. 28.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    January 11, 2016 at 3:52 pm

    @Seanly: I’m rooting for Clemson, if nothing else to see Joe of the Morning cry.

  29. 29.

    Peale

    January 11, 2016 at 3:55 pm

    @NonyNony: The issue is that “Lowering the minimum wage” and “cutting social security” and “digging for more coal” are exactly the type of centrist positions that No Labels promotes. Its basically giving up whats left of liberalism in the name of getting along with the right and creating comity among the elite.

  30. 30.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    January 11, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    If No Labels didn’t exist, Republicans would create it. Oh, wait..

  31. 31.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 11, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    @bystander: That was one of my favorite story arcs.

  32. 32.

    Mnemosyne

    January 11, 2016 at 4:02 pm

    @JPL:

    I would love to see Trump say that to, say, Richard Sherman. Sherman may be a 6’3″ pro ball player, but he’s also a Stanford graduate, so he could mop the floor with Trump in more ways than one.

  33. 33.

    Mike J

    January 11, 2016 at 4:04 pm

    Has your candidate promised to #fixnotfight?

    Why on earth would I want a candidate who promised not to fight for me?

  34. 34.

    benw

    January 11, 2016 at 4:06 pm

    Doug!, if your satirical twitter account doesn’t eventually advocate for eating babies, you’re softer than American football players.

  35. 35.

    Mike J

    January 11, 2016 at 4:07 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Trump has obviously had many head injuries, doesn’t see why other people shouldn’t too.

  36. 36.

    RSR

    January 11, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    the #ProblemSolver Promise–committing to work w/ both parties on big goals that matter

    Just what are these ‘big goals’ and who do they benefit?

  37. 37.

    Doug!

    January 11, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    @benw:

    I condemn those who eat babies on the right. But I also condemn anti-baby-eating extremists on the left. A pox on both your houses!

  38. 38.

    sharl

    January 11, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    Thanks for the h/t on my what-about-shouty-Bernie-Sanders tweet, Doug!

    Time permitting, I’m gonna try to work in some @Carl_Diggler memes into these No-Labels/Centrists discussions; maybe even the occasional @MarshallLawless meme, if youth issues ever come up and his radical anarchism doesn’t prove too upsetting to these decent gentlefolk.

  39. 39.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    January 11, 2016 at 4:17 pm

    @scav: Makes sense. Nobody’s touching my liquor — get your own damned booze.

    Oh, wait.

    Never mind.

  40. 40.

    schrodinger's cat

    January 11, 2016 at 4:19 pm

    Problem solver sounds like a Wolfram Mathematica app.

  41. 41.

    Kay

    January 11, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    email from a new Bernista:

    So I went to the Bernie event.
    They’re a nice group, very positive.
    I liked my first foray into political activism.
    Ann, a nice bespectacled young woman, said “here’s some swag,” and gave me a Bernie 2016 bumper sticker.
    In Solidarity (as B says,)

  42. 42.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    January 11, 2016 at 4:44 pm

    @Iowa Old Lady: You might wanna also follow John Prine’s advice and blow up yer TeeVee

    Sahil Kapur ‏@ sahilkapur 2h2 hours ago
    Rubio and his super pac plan to run 7,000 TV ads worth $5.1 million in Iowa from Jan. 1 to Feb. 1 caucus day

    I don’t know how many markets Iowa has (Des Moines, Omaha, Quad Cities?) but Jeehosophat, 7,000 Mini Movies from MiniMarco in one month?

  43. 43.

    Mike J

    January 11, 2016 at 4:44 pm

    @Kay:

    So I went to the Bernie event.
    They’re a nice group, very positive.

    Trump says he’s going to make America great again, How much more positive could you get?

  44. 44.

    sharl

    January 11, 2016 at 4:49 pm

    @Kay: I’m sure you’ve addressed this before…but have you seen any “higher level” organizing efforts by the Sanders campaign in Ohio, beyond rallies and similar gatherings? Something that maybe Nina Turner would be involved with, such as seeking endorsements from local politicians and community leaders, and doing joint events with local pols (e.g., fundraising).

    If all Bernie wants to do is keep HRC from straying too far right (e.g., toward Wall Street), without actually seriously contesting the nomination with the exhausting behind-the-scenes work so often critical for that, then I guess he’s doing fine. (I don’t know if that’s what he’s doing, ftr – it’s a sincere question.)

    If he IS in fact just in it to keep HRC from straying rightward, I wonder if his supporters are fully aware of that, i.e., that at some point he’ll pull the plug on his operation and endorse HRC?

    I haven’t been following very closely (obviously), but figured you’d at least have the latest info on Ohio (land of my yoot).

  45. 45.

    Peale

    January 11, 2016 at 4:49 pm

    @Mike J: I believe we judge this by the “no one is gonna get hurt” standard.

    Trump wants to bring back as many concussions as possible. The era of intentional brain damage.

  46. 46.

    opiejeanne

    January 11, 2016 at 4:53 pm

    @benw: Well, that’s a modest proposal.

  47. 47.

    Peale

    January 11, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I used to feel sorry for Iowans who every four years are overcome by an avalanche of political ads. But many also make a mint on the spending and they smugly think they deserve the attention. The Music Man had them pegged. it’s up to them to figure out where to hide if they don’t wanna hear about Rubio’s beautiful wife and how his father fled comminist Cuba.

  48. 48.

    Iowa Old Lady

    January 11, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    The common analysis of Trump voters is that they’ve fled the GOP establishment because the establishment promised things no one could deliver because reality. But they’ve fled to Trump who is also promising things no one could deliver because reality. It seems the problem is that their voters want reality to be altered.

  49. 49.

    opiejeanne

    January 11, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    @Peale: My husband pointed out to me last week that we have seen a serious injury during a game every single week since football season began. We watched many more games than usual this year because we got roped into a fantasy league by our kids, but that is a lot of serious injuries, not to mention the “just to be safe” concussion protocols.

  50. 50.

    Calouste

    January 11, 2016 at 4:59 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: There are nine media markets in Iowa, so that means slightly more than one Rubio ad every hour, 24 hours a day, every day of the month, in every market this month. Most of them will be on Fox anyway.

  51. 51.

    Mike J

    January 11, 2016 at 5:02 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Nearly $750/spot?

    In a non-election year, I’d be shocked if you paid half that much for a spot anywhere in Iowa. Ad guys must be dancing in the streets.

  52. 52.

    yegg

    January 11, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    I legitimately can’t tell if that last link you tweeted is actually serious about the whole “Sanders’ supporters clapped and wore shirts with his name on it, JUST LIKE THE FOLLOWERS OF JIM JONES” thing.

    Also, Iowa is filled with white people, what an astute observation.

  53. 53.

    danielx

    January 11, 2016 at 5:05 pm

    You had me at ‘This David Broder column is as true today as it was ten years ago’.

    Once I got past the involuntary gagging, that is.

  54. 54.

    benw

    January 11, 2016 at 5:05 pm

    @Doug!:

    I condemn those who eat babies on the right. But I also condemn anti-baby-eating extremists on the left.

    You centrist asshole! You’re letting the right-wing baby-eaters move the goalposts! Baby-eating is NOT OK, even to save the life of the hungry right-winger!

  55. 55.

    benw

    January 11, 2016 at 5:07 pm

    @opiejeanne: LOL. You’re swift on the uptake!

  56. 56.

    Kay

    January 11, 2016 at 5:23 pm

    @sharl:

    I’m sure you’ve addressed this before…but have you seen any “higher level” organizing efforts by the Sanders campaign in Ohio, beyond rallies and similar gatherings? Something that maybe Nina Turner would be involved with, such as seeking endorsements from local politicians and community leaders, and doing joint events with local pols (e.g., fundraising).
    If all Bernie wants to do is keep HRC from straying too far right (e.g., toward Wall Street), without actually seriously contesting the nomination with the exhausting behind-the-scenes work so often critical for that, then I guess he’s doing fine. (I don’t know if that’s what he’s doing, ftr – it’s a sincere question.)

    I think maybe those are two different things. I haven’t seen any official Party-type events for Bernie but “behind the scenes” would be more house parties or small meetings, I would think.

    I know Clinton is fundraising for Congressional candidates, but I feel like that’s mostly because she’s been endorsed by so many sitting members. There’s nothing wrong with it, but I wouldn’t expect Sanders to fund raise for re-elects of people who don’t endorse him.

  57. 57.

    sharl

    January 11, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    @Kay: Ah, so other than Nina Turner, Clinton has all the major Dems pretty much sewn up. That makes sense. If Bernie’s in it to win it, he’d presumably have to go grass roots, which he seems to be doing anyway wherever he goes.

  58. 58.

    Schlemazel

    January 11, 2016 at 5:33 pm

    @NonyNony:
    I would argue that 2.5 million jobs a year would not keep up with the growth rate of job seekers. That goal is bullshit. I would argue that balancing the budget is not necessarily a good thing and might even make goal 1 harder and the SS goal impossible since they stole SS payments to fund 3 trillion in tax cuts.

    Even pretending those were valid & achievable goals where do these morons think they will find solutions the the tires and anthrax crowd will agree to? Why not include a promise to deliver flying ponies than never eat and never poop to every citizen also?

  59. 59.

    Schlemazel

    January 11, 2016 at 5:39 pm

    @Mnemosyne:
    Of course Sherman could whoop Trump, he is a ni . . a ni . . ah . . thug

  60. 60.

    ranchandsyrup

    January 11, 2016 at 5:40 pm

    Hon Juntsman, Director of Lo Nables.

  61. 61.

    MomSense

    January 11, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    Dear dog, Lieberman and Huntsman are on my teevee. Huntsman really should ease up on the spray tan. He looks like a pumpkin pie.

  62. 62.

    Redshift

    January 11, 2016 at 5:45 pm

    @Iowa Old Lady:

    It seems the problem is that their voters want reality to be altered.

    That’s pretty much the size of it. If reality does not match ideology, reality must be wrong.

    The essence of conservatism the world over is a desire to return to an idealized past that never was. That’s always impossible, so a successful practitioner is one who can continually find someone else to convincingly blame for why he hasn’t delivered.

  63. 63.

    Schlemazel

    January 11, 2016 at 5:46 pm

    @opiejeanne:
    The average NFL career is a tad over 3 season. Given the number of famous guys that do 10 or more there are a ton of players doing 1 or less. Sure, some of those are marginal and are out because they can’t compete but many are out because they are no longer able to compete. And that does not even consider the large number that are run through the NCAA meat grinder and are spit out broken before they even reach the draft.

  64. 64.

    Princess

    January 11, 2016 at 5:51 pm

    @Iowa Old Lady: But they’ll settle for watching some brown people get beaten up.

  65. 65.

    Kay

    January 11, 2016 at 5:54 pm

    @sharl:

    I would think so. IMO, everyone who runs for President believes they can win. Something interesting happens to people when they start running- I see it here with every congressional candidate- they genuinely believe they can win. I suspect it’s necessary to keep going because it’s really a horrible”job”, running. I always (secretly) think there’s a “good chance” I will win my hearings when often that’s not at all true. You just couldn’t go in there without believing that :)

    We have a guy here who thinks he and I (working together) will be able to get Clinton to do an appearance at his centennial farm. The last Presidential candidate who came here was Bob Dole, which made SOME sense since it’s 60/40 R. It’s just not realistic for him to believe she’ll come, but he does. He’s now acting like I’m somehow standing in his way.

  66. 66.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 11, 2016 at 5:57 pm

    @Iowa Old Lady:

    With every moment that passes, I am more and more grateful that I live in neither Iowa nor New Hampshire.

  67. 67.

    Anoniminous

    January 11, 2016 at 6:03 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Once you get used to it, it’s kinda fun. Seeing national Infotainment Mediums standing in an Iowa corn field during an Iowa snow storm wearing clothing more suitable for Florida than 10 below with a 20 mph wind out of the north interviewing some Iowa goofball was good for my morale.

  68. 68.

    FlipYrWhig

    January 11, 2016 at 6:05 pm

    @Iowa Old Lady:

    It seems the problem is that their voters want reality to be altered.

    Their voters want someone to hurt the Bad People. Other than that they have no idea what they want, how to get it, or if it’s even a matter of politics, government, or civic engagement of any sort.

  69. 69.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 11, 2016 at 6:05 pm

    @Anoniminous:

    You do make an excellent point.

  70. 70.

    WaterGirl

    January 11, 2016 at 6:06 pm

    Did anyone watch The Good Wife last night? I wondered what people from Iowa would think of it.

  71. 71.

    Roger Moore

    January 11, 2016 at 6:07 pm

    @Schlemazel:

    Even pretending those were valid & achievable goals where do these morons think they will find solutions the the tires and anthrax crowd will agree to?

    That’s easy. We just have to compromise on tire rims and anthrax, and everyone will be happy.

  72. 72.

    JPL

    January 11, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    @WaterGirl: Without critiquing the episode, I did. I was curious how accurate it was.

  73. 73.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    January 11, 2016 at 6:10 pm

    I’ve just been through what conservatives tell me is the worst thing that can happen to a person, a visit to the DMV for my license renewal. A whole 20 minutes of my life wasted!

    (I did have an appointment.)

  74. 74.

    Schlemazel

    January 11, 2016 at 6:11 pm

    @Roger Moore:
    Well, they want us to believe there is a compromise between going out for Italian and the T&A diet but we all know that the GOP would switch to AIDS and fish hooks the minute the Dems cave and agree to tires and anthrax.

  75. 75.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 11, 2016 at 6:11 pm

    @MomSense:

    He looks like a pumpkin pie.

    Freckles = nutmeg.

  76. 76.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    January 11, 2016 at 6:11 pm

    @Roger Moore:

    We just have to compromise on tire rims and anthrax

    Yum.

  77. 77.

    debbie

    January 11, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    @Tokyokie:

    ALEC’s got to be embedded in there somewhere.

  78. 78.

    Tom

    January 11, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    @NonyNony: Well, Bill Clinton created 22 million jobs during his 8 years as president. If only there were someone else named Clinton who was running. Let me thin, let me think…

  79. 79.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    January 11, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Could be worse, he could look like tRump.

  80. 80.

    Tom

    January 11, 2016 at 6:15 pm

    @NonyNony: You know what? While we’re at it, in Clinton’s last year in office we actually ran a budget surplus, and if the tax structure had been left alone the national debt would have been paid off by 2011, so that would take care of the whole balanced budget thing. Pity nobody named Clinton is running this time.

  81. 81.

    ThresherK

    January 11, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    @BillinGlendaleCA: You gave them all the personal information required to get an appointment? You know they’re scraping your DNA off those paper forms, don’tcha?

    Hope you’ve got a Rusty Shackleford alternate ID lined up.

  82. 82.

    debbie

    January 11, 2016 at 6:20 pm

    @Kay:

    I think Hillary does need to do more events like what you’ve mentioned. Her events seem scripted and she seems very insulated.

  83. 83.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    January 11, 2016 at 6:22 pm

    @ThresherK: It’s worse than you think, they took my tumbprint, not once, but twice!

    (I think the personal information required for an appointment consists of: your Name, CDL#, and telephone #. Now the government will be watching me!)

    ETA: I’m sure when they “photographed” me they were also scanning my irises.

  84. 84.

    WaterGirl

    January 11, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    @JPL: I was in Iowa working for Obama for the 10 days before the caucuses in 2008, and I got to work one of the caucuses. So I got to see at least one caucus first hand.

  85. 85.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 11, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    Would not wish that on anyone except tRump his own self.

  86. 86.

    Gimlet

    January 11, 2016 at 6:29 pm

    Right-Wing eulogy of the “New Republic”.
    George McGovern-Jesse Jackson?

    http://www.nysun.com/national/a-sale-of-the-new-republic-marks-a-political/89413/

    the bigger issue isn’t a collapse of circulation or advertising revenue or the publishing industry’s digital transformation. Underlying the New Republic’s difficulties is a broader and far more troubling collapse of the ideology — call it Cold War liberalism, or the center-right wing of the Democratic Party — that once animated the magazine.

    Not that centrists have a lot of room in the Republican Party, either. But for those who value ideological diversity and independent thinking, or free markets, freedom, and a robust, internationalist foreign policy, the New Republic’s troubles are a matter not for laughter but for sadness. Magazines and their owners come and go, but for the Democratic Party to slide fully back into a kind of George McGovern-Jesse Jackson morass would be too bad not just for the New Republic but for our republic.

  87. 87.

    Baud

    January 11, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    Six candidates have made the Promise so far: Ben Carson, Chris Christie, John Kasich, Martin O’Malley, Rand Paul and Donald Trump.

    I don’t know what the Promise is, but I promise to do the opposite.

  88. 88.

    JPL

    January 11, 2016 at 6:34 pm

    @WaterGirl: NIce! So what did you think about the episode and the caucus.

  89. 89.

    sharl

    January 11, 2016 at 6:36 pm

    @Kay:

    We have a guy here who thinks he and I (working together) will be able to get Clinton to do an appearance at his centennial farm. The last Presidential candidate who came here was Bob Dole, which made SOME sense since it’s 60/40 R. It’s just not realistic for him to believe she’ll come, but he does. He’s now acting like I’m somehow standing in his way.

    ~
    Sounds like he has some kind of Field of Dreams fantasy going on, and is in need of validation. I’m sure he’ll come back down to earth…eventually.

  90. 90.

    Gian

    January 11, 2016 at 6:40 pm

    @Zinsky:

    for some reason Trump reminds me of the Bowie/Tin Machine “Under the God”

  91. 91.

    Mary G

    January 11, 2016 at 6:43 pm

    @BillinGlendaleCA: They even let you look at the photo and ask for a fresh one if it sucks, unlike Costco. Such terrible service, yup.

  92. 92.

    WaterGirl

    January 11, 2016 at 6:48 pm

    @JPL: Trying hard to avoid spoilers. I have mixed feelings. I suspect that from the candidate’s viewpoint, it might have been on target. I liked the episode but it seemed kind of disrespectful to Iowa, to me, but I don’t live there.

    Some people came in knowing exactly who they were going to caucus for, but some really did switch at the caucus I was at. And food was very important – I was told that having better food than the other candidates could help get people to caucus for you.

    I know that when I was canvassing my precint for Obama, he had just made some comment about a piece of straw or something that offended a lot of people in Iowa. It was a well-intentioned remark that did not set well with some people, but they obviously got past it. I think I would have been offended by the music they played (Iowa’s state song?) as the bus went from place to place. Almost like the old music they played for the keystone cops?

    What did you think?

  93. 93.

    feebog

    January 11, 2016 at 6:50 pm

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    I guess you didn’t notice the GPS tracker they inserted under your car bumper.

  94. 94.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    January 11, 2016 at 6:50 pm

    @Mary G: They were even friendly, unlike the byzantine dystopia that I’d been promised by the right wing.

  95. 95.

    Ruckus

    January 11, 2016 at 6:51 pm

    @Gimlet:
    Ah yes I can see that having two actual parties would destroy the New Republic concept. Also shouldn’t a political magazine actually write about real politics instead of some animated idea they have of what they think it should be?

  96. 96.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    January 11, 2016 at 6:52 pm

    @feebog: Hah, jokes on them, I walk most places.

  97. 97.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    January 11, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    @Ruckus: NO, that would divisive. The Magical Balance Fairly must be served.

    ETA: Liberals, so divisive; unlike Conservatives who are so open to compromise.

  98. 98.

    JPL

    January 11, 2016 at 6:57 pm

    @WaterGirl: I felt that the only person that I liked at the end of the episode, was Howard. (the least likable person there is) The scene where she comforts Peter is quite sweet though. Like you, I don’t want to say too much and spoiler it, for those wanting to watch later.
    I was curious about the caucus scene though, so thanks for the information. I didn’t realize that folks showed up not committed to one candidate.

  99. 99.

    Gimlet

    January 11, 2016 at 6:57 pm

    Fox is going “Watergate” in its reporting on Hillary.

    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/11/fbis-clinton-probe-expands-to-public-corruption-track.html

    EXCLUSIVE: The FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of private email as secretary of state has expanded to look at whether the possible “intersection” of Clinton Foundation work and State Department business may have violated public corruption laws, three intelligence sources not authorized to speak on the record told Fox News.

    “The agents are investigating the possible intersection of Clinton Foundation donations, the dispensation of State Department contracts and whether regular processes were followed,” one source said

    “No, there’s nothing like that that is happening,” Clinton said, according to a tweet from Jacobs.

    Experts including a former senior FBI agent said the bureau does not have to notify the subject of an investigation.

    Inside the FBI, pressure is growing to pursue the case.

    One intelligence source told Fox News that FBI agents would be “screaming” if a prosecution is not pursued because “many previous public corruption cases have been made and successfully prosecuted with much less evidence than what is emerging in this investigation.”

  100. 100.

    MomSense

    January 11, 2016 at 6:58 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Why do people do that to themselves?? Do they not know how ridiculous it looks?

  101. 101.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 11, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    Georgia is, in many respects, a Terrible Place, but I have to say the DMV offices, whether county (license plates or tags specific to the car) or state (driver’s licenses, specific to the driver), are a genuine pleasure to visit. Fast, efficient, friendly. Who could ask for more?

  102. 102.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 11, 2016 at 7:04 pm

    @MomSense:

    They must not. Strange.

  103. 103.

    MobiusKlein

    January 11, 2016 at 7:13 pm

    @srv: Louis Farrakhan is a joke. much like you & trump.

  104. 104.

    Kay

    January 11, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    @debbie:

    Right, but there’s just +/- 9000 D votes here. National Democrats campaign where the votes are. She’s just not going to spend a day here at his farm with 100 people. Kasich came out to a farm here but that’s more of a governor thing.

    He could probably get a D governor candidate.

    I got a call from someone with Connie Pillich, BTW. I didn’t return the call yet so I don’t know what that’s about, but I assume “governor”. I like her. I met her at this (horrible) labor event in 2014 where everyone knew Democrats were going to lose and they were just milling around aimlessly. I found her to be very approachable and frank.

  105. 105.

    Roger Moore

    January 11, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:
    I think the image of the DMV as a terrible place- I used to joke it’s the unhappiest place on Earth- is one of these out of date ideas like blaming stuff on the hippies. When people act as if a visit to the DMV is just one step up from prison, they’re dating themselves.

  106. 106.

    JPL

    January 11, 2016 at 7:21 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: It hasn’t always been that way. Only after an uproar, did they start staffing the offices and adding smaller county offices.

  107. 107.

    Ruckus

    January 11, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    @BillinGlendaleCA:
    Yeah I know that. Fucking magical balance fairy. Who the fuck dreams up this shit and how do they get paid so well for it? (That’s also a rhetorical question) Bernie is wrong, the 1% should be taxed at 90% of all of their income. Retroactively for the last 50 yrs. We need to raise the tax rate back to the 1950s levels just to create any type of playing field, let alone level.

  108. 108.

    lamh36

    January 11, 2016 at 7:27 pm

    OT, ICYMI: video of David Bowie on MTV questioning why MTV wasn’t playing more Black artist.

  109. 109.

    Mike J

    January 11, 2016 at 7:31 pm

    @JPL:

    It hasn’t always been that way. Only after an uproar, did they start staffing the offices and adding smaller county offices.

    Alabama closed DMVs to stop black people from getting ID.

    People who think government can’t work always try to make it true.

  110. 110.

    Turgidson

    January 11, 2016 at 7:31 pm

    @sloan:

    There’s a certain performance art quality to Ron “Severe Dementia” Fournier’s tweets and responses. When called out for the fact that his entire faux centrist ideology is based on a false premise and/or deliberate ignorance, he effortlessly misses the point on purpose while attacking his interlocutor for being a mindless partisan, which he believes to be some sort of universal trump card, ending all discussions in his favor.

    I mean, it gets old after about 2 minutes, but there is some amount of craft in his style.

  111. 111.

    Heliopause

    January 11, 2016 at 7:56 pm

    Ben Carson,

    Probably unaware of what he signed.

    Chris Christie,

    Bad move, this doesn’t help him with his RINO problem.

    John Kasich,

    [yawn]

    Martin O’Malley,

    Protip, Marty: Joe Lieberman is about as popular as the clap with Dem primary voters. Your Hail Mary falls incomplete.

    Rand Paul

    Not sure how this fits.

    and Donald Trump.

    Hilarious.

  112. 112.

    Scamp Dog

    January 11, 2016 at 7:57 pm

    @NonyNony: Given that we’ve been generating around 250,000 jobs a month for a while, or about 3 million a year, doing that for 10 years (remember, the population is growing, so you’d expect it to actually grow with time) gets you to 30 million jobs. So their goal is 5 million short of what you might get anyway.

    I know they don’t like labels, but I think “barely numerate” and “lacking background knowledge” fit the bill.

  113. 113.

    Matt McIrvin

    January 11, 2016 at 7:59 pm

    @Roger Moore: The thing I always find strange about DMV horror stories is that it’s a state function, but people usually use it as a proxy for the federal government… sometimes in an argument for devolving things to the states.

  114. 114.

    BruceFromOhio

    January 11, 2016 at 10:41 pm

    A richer man than Trump once said “I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half.”

    To me, you will still always be Arkon DougJ.

  115. 115.

    Mom Says I'm Handsome

    January 12, 2016 at 11:04 am

    On the Saturday before Election Day 2014 I walked into my favorite diner and found it crammed with boisterous dudebros in obnoxious orange t-shirts. Came to find out they were No Labels volunteers, agnostically canvassing for their candidate, the oh-so-not-at-all-politically-rigid Cory Gardner. To a man (they were all men) they were white, clean-cut, and with faces that invited a punch (or at least a dope-slap); when I saw that photo of the shithead Trump supporters it reminded me of that day — the day I had to wait two hours to get the Kitchen Sink smothered burrito at Sam’s #3 and ponder the dismal future of Colorado politics.

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Comments

  • lowtechcyclist on Wednesday Morning Open Thread: The GOP Insists There Will Be Blood Impeachment (Apr 17, 2024 @ 12:10pm)
  • TBone on Wednesday Morning Open Thread: The GOP Insists There Will Be Blood Impeachment (Apr 17, 2024 @ 12:08pm)
  • Soprano2 on Wednesday Morning Open Thread: The GOP Insists There Will Be Blood Impeachment (Apr 17, 2024 @ 12:07pm)
  • WaterGirl on Arizona In The Crosshairs (Apr 17, 2024 @ 12:05pm)
  • Brachiator on Arizona In The Crosshairs (Apr 17, 2024 @ 12:04pm)

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Balloon Juice Meetups!

All Meetups
Talk of Meetups – Meetup Planning
Proposed BJ meetups list from frosty

Fundraising 2023-24

Wis*Dems Supreme Court + SD-8
Virginia House Races
Four Directions – Montana
Worker Power AZ
Four Directions – Arizona
Four Directions – Nevada

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
Positive Climate News
War in Ukraine
Cole’s “Stories from the Road”
Classified Documents Primer

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Mailing List Signup
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)

Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Balloon Juice for Ukraine

Donate

Twitter / Spoutible

Balloon Juice (Spoutible)
WaterGirl (Spoutible)
TaMara (Spoutible)
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
ActualCitizensUnited

Political Action 2024

Postcard Writing Information

Balloon Juice for Four Directions AZ

Donate

Balloon Juice for Four Directions NV

Donate

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2024 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!