Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Somebody needs to explain to DeSantis that nobody needs to do anything to make him look bad.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

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

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

Pelosi: “He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are.” Why not both?

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, it’s door #2)

Republicans do not pay their debts.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

The lights are all blinking red.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

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

You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2016 / Let the Beating Commence

Let the Beating Commence

by | 230 Comments

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If you’re looking for a reason why Democrats are going to unite, Jim Newell’s is as good as any, and better than most:

The best way to stop Donald Trump is to hit him and hit him and hit him to the point that it seems like cruel overkill, and then hit him some more, and then, when he starts crying, to begin really hitting him. Every Democrat is going to want to participate in this, despite what misgivings some may have about the milquetoast neoliberal.

Sanders is obviously going through some stuff right now. He knows it’s over. His Thursday rally speech went nowhere near attacking Clinton, as these sorts of events did when he still felt it was a competition. Even the most hardened Clinton loyalist would’ve felt compelled to empathize in the setting. There he was before what may have been his last rally, rattling through the planks of his policy agenda and feeding off the energy of his crowd. This has been his daily life for the past year. How is any human being able to withdraw from this without feeling extraordinary pain?

Maybe he doesn’t have to. He can still speak at rallies and still talk about the issues of importance to him, just not on behalf of his own candidacy. And he can still go after Donald Trump, too, something even a serious-minded revolutionary can’t resist.

[…] Thrashing Trump is easy, fun, and—now that there are real stakes—thrilling, and morally necessary. Stopping Trump gives purpose to life, and life to a divided party.

If this is how the Sanders campaign ends, I don’t see any problem with that.

Reader Interactions

230Comments

  3. 3.

    gwangung

    @ted mills:

    Really, I am in it for the beatings. And if regular, my morale will improve!

    Internets, won.

    (And this IS a beating I’d be all for)

  4. 4.

    magurakurin

    I haven’t been shy about voicing my disgust with Sanders over the course of the campaign, but I think he is coming back to Earth here. I would bet heavily that he endorses Clinton Tuesday night after DC or at least very soon after. He’ll probably shift his “going to the convention” talk to center around the platform and “fighting for our values” or some such boilerplate. Not sure how many big rallies he’ll do for Clinton, but it seems possible. Especially since his point person on college outreach and organizing college vote just signed on with the Clinton team. This is going to work out. Bernie is still a son of a bitch, but, for now, he will remain our son of a bitch.

  6. 6.

    Baud

    How is any human being able to withdraw from this without feeling extraordinary pain?

    It’s very difficult.

  7. 7.

    Baud

    The best way to stop Donald Trump is to hit him and hit him and hit him to the point that it seems like cruel overkill, and then hit him some more, and then, when he starts crying, to begin really hitting him. Every Democrat is going to want to participate in this, despite what misgivings some may have about the milquetoast neoliberal.

    This is awesome.

  8. 8.

    smith

    The beating administered by Elizabeth Warren yesterday left me feeling very satisfied, but eager for more. I’d be happy to share those pleasures with the Bernistas.

  9. 9.

    Mike in NC

    Drumpf should end up as a pool of orange spray tan with a polyester combover floating on top of it.

  11. 11.

    Uncle Cosmo

    Cans of WHOOP-ASS the size of depth charges! Full spread!

    Release the Biden! Release the Warren!

    Puppet masters–the Democrats are coming to stomp you!

  12. 12.

    Jeff Spender

    I filled out an aggreeable survey for the Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. Let nobody say I’m not in the pocket of Big Microbrew.

  13. 13.

    different-church-lady

    HOW DO YOU EXPECT HILLARY TO WIN OVER BERNIE VOTERS IF YOU KEEP ACTING LIKE SHE’S THE WINNER?!?

  14. 14.

    hovercraft

    @Baud:
    Missed the speech I’ll have to find it.
    I may be a secret sadist, the thought of administering daily make that hourly beatings, is very pleasing to me. Bring back the colosseum, lets have daily shows with our biggest stars beating him up daily.
    Do I need help?

  16. 16.

    The Thin Black Duke

    In spite of what the Klingons say, sometimes revenge tastes best when it’s fresh out of the oven. Hmmm mmm, good.

  20. 20.

    hovercraft

    Republican outreach to women continues, congresscritter Duncan Hunter said today that regardless of any controversy surrounding Trump he’s with him because no one wants to vote for their grandmother. Not offensive at all.

  23. 23.

    RepubAnon

    Bernie did a great job turning the Democratic Party around – now, it’s time for them to help win the Presidential election… and then start organizing for the next round of mid-year and local elections. If the Democratic Party can start electing Bernie supporters to state and local offices in the next midyear elections, they’ll be the real winners here… and Bernie will have won.

  27. 27.

    Felonius Monk

    @hovercraft:

    he’s with him because no one wants to vote for their grandmother.

    He might want to reconsider that — I think grandmothers are looked upon more favorably than grandfathers. Especially grandfathers that look like an orangutan with a possum on their head.

  31. 31.

    hovercraft

    @Felonius Monk:
    He’s Duncan Hunter a moron, he has a secret source who told him that the border patrol knows that Isis has infiltrated through Mexico.@Emma: The dog house may actually be literal this year.

  33. 33.

    Luthe

    While I’m not normally inclined toward the sadist side of BDSM, in this case I can make an exception. Time to flog the Manhattan Mussolini’s ass until nothing is left but the opossum on his head.

  35. 35.

    hovercraft

    @debbie:
    Oh stop being so politically correct, everyone in that room knows exactly what he meant. He would never wish any harm to the president.

  37. 37.

    dmsilev

    @hovercraft: I’d be reluctant to vote for either of my grandmothers, what with both of them being dead and all. If the alternative was Trump, well, Dead Gramma ’16 it is.

  40. 40.

    Cacti

    @different-church-lady:

    “I’m sick of these conventional elections. One person and one vote might be good enough for your grandmother, but who wants to vote for your grandmother? Nobody. Not even your grandfather.”

    I’d have happily voted for my grandmother (RIP) for any office she ran for.

    After my grandfather died of cancer in their 16th year of marriage, she never remarried, and finished raising 5 kids on her own between the ages of 4 and 15, in the era where equal pay for equal work wasn’t even a pipe dream.

    She was worth a million manicured GOPer Congressmen.

  41. 41.

    Felonius Monk

    Trump is the turd floating in the Republican party’s punch bowl. They are all saying how good the punch is, but none of them are drinking it.

  42. 42.

    JudyinSD

    Here is the quote from Ducan Hunter

    “I don’t care about personality, and by the way, if I had to go on personality, I would still go with Trump over Hillary Clinton. She is a shrill, loud person. If I wanted to vote for my grandmother, I would vote for Hillary Clinton,”

    Duncan said.

  44. 44.

    WarMunchkin

    @redshirt:

    Thrashing Trump is too mainstream.

    Thrashing DWS and the Democratic Party is far more Progressive.

    You say this as if it’s snark, but it is the actual, current, position of the Sanders campaign leadership, as of this morning.

  45. 45.

    Jeffro

    Hey how about ol’ Mitt and the “trickle-down racism” of Trump? That’s gonna leave a mark (and certainly draw a bunch of tweets from the Vulgar Yam)

  46. 46.

    HelloRochester

    Nice to read a BJ post not taking a steaming dump on Bernie, his ideas, and his supporters.

  47. 47.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @RepubAnon:

    Bernie did a great job turning the Democratic Party around – now, it’s time for them to help win the Presidential election…

    LOLWUT?

    Did the last 8 years never happen? Sanders has done his best to drive wedges through Obama’s winning coalition- with which he won in a landslide twice, without any help from Bernie fucking Sanders and the purity ponies who pouted and stayed home in 2010 because the public option unicorn didn’t fart rainbows on them. This is the condescending delusional bullshit that is the problem with creating unity among Dems, because newsflash – Bernie isn’t a Democrat.

  49. 49.

    Jeff Spender

    The big news amongst the Berners is that his campaign is preparing an Independent Run!

    Yeah! Because that’s possible. Stein is only on the ballot in 21 states so yeah! Totes possible.

  51. 51.

    hovercraft

    @Jeffro:
    Priority USA is just spoiled with riches, everyday is just a treasure trove of delicious quotes. Today we had Mitt, the turtle saying his candidate doesn’t know anything. The ads just write themselves.

  53. 53.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @Jeff Spender:

    The Bernfeelers in my FB feed have replaced Bernie with Jill Stein as of yesterday, since Jill Stein has said Trump is better than Hillary. It’s like a mutating zombie virus.

  54. 54.

    pat

    I am listening to trump give a “speech” in Richmond Virginia (live on MSNBC) and I bet if Paul Ryan is listening he is on suicide watch.

  56. 56.

    James E Powell

    What’s up with this HRC appointing a donor to some intelligence board?

    Is this going to be bigger than Benghazi?

    Will the Republicans come up with any non-stupid attacks on HRC?

  58. 58.

    redshirt

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne: It tears me up a bit because I know Stein et al have good intentions. We want the same things. And yet they are so blind, so naive, so focused on one issue alone that they can become enemies of the Good Fight, and thus they become enemies. And I don’t want to fight them, but if I must….

  62. 62.

    Elie

    @RepubAnon:

    One little asterisk. At the local level, talk of recruiting independents to run as Democrats without having a sense of who they are and what they stand for could interfere with building the Democratic party locally. Sure, there is some really dead wood in the local party but having it dissolve into a mashup of unspecified indies and who knows, could be very problematic if we are trying to build a brand. I don’t have the answer, but some of that is happening here where I live and I am interested in people’s thoughts. I don’t want to shut anyone out per se, but I do want the label “Democrat” to stand for something…

  63. 63.

    hovercraft

    @different-church-lady:
    They are trolls, here we were discussing sadomasochism and voting for grandmothers minding our own business and they come in to snark so they can turn around and say we’re all a bunch of meanies.

  64. 64.

    Emma

    @JudyinSD: Oh God, it’s worse than I thought. He’s really going to have to travel to grandma’s for Thanksgiving on his knees in the snow.

  65. 65.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    @redshirt:

    It’s ridiculous. The first bill President Sanders [shudder] or President Stein [[shudder]] would sign, the purity ponies would scream about being sold out and go running off to find their next savior. They’re all too perfect for this fallen world, and their only purpose appears to be to make sure everyone knows. Yet, can’t seem to figure out how to vote without being led by the hand.

  66. 66.

    Jeffro

    @hovercraft:

    Today we had Mitt, the turtle saying his candidate doesn’t know anything.

    True!

    You almost want to say, “Hey GOP, you could have headed this clown off at the pass back in February if only you’d had the courage of your convic…um…er…BWAH HA HAH…oh man, I almost said that with a straight face…’courage of their convictions’, oh man, that was good…”

    (You get the idea – they should’ve been saying this stuff all along. I asked my air quote “Libertarian” brother a long time ago why no one was pointing out that Trump’s a total moron and a jacka$$ to boot. He seemed to think they were gonna get to it at some point.)

  77. 77.

    Mai.naem.mobile

    I want Dems to force Trump to face something like a backwards exploding whack a mole game where a mole he tries to whack explodes on his face and he moves onto Mole #2 ,repeat cycle…

  80. 80.

    piratedan

    perhaps this really is when the gloves come off… it seems that if these folks are going to appeal their deities to end the life of the President, maybe it’s time to call these hypocritical fucks out onto the carpet….

    They only believe in religion because it supposedly makes them feel superior
    they only give a shit about creating veterans, not supporting them
    income inequality is for other people
    fuck the planet, I want to get rich now
    other people are icky, keep them away from us (applies to anyone who isn’t interested in being subservient to white folks, regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation)

    and the overriding principle that they adhere to seems to be: Fuck you and what YOU want, what about what I want.

  81. 81.

    Roger Moore

    @redshirt:

    It tears me up a bit because I know Stein et al have good intentions. We want the same things. And yet they are so blind, so naive, so focused on one issue alone that they can become enemies of the Good Fight, and thus they become enemies.

    I’m not sure I believe that. I think most Green voters have good intentions, but I think the party leadership have a severe case of corner office disease. They’re focused so tightly on building the party and their power within it that they’ve lost sight of what the party is supposed to accomplish. That’s why they can seriously think about letting the Republicans win to heighten the contradictions, and why they treat the Democrats as a more serious enemy than the Republicans.

  86. 86.

    hovercraft

    @lamh36:
    What is wrong with these people? I see from the article that his entire family seems to be blinded by loyalty. But don’t they have friends other family? Isn’t their sons lawyer supposed to advise them on their letters to the judge ? Even if you are myopic enough to see only his side of this rape, to be dumb enough to let anyone outside you family know it is insane.
    I hope they are shunned.

  87. 87.

    Felonius Monk

    @Baud:

    What a boob

    You are obviously not from Texas.

    ETA: The comments are hilarious. [What is that thing on his head? Trump hair in training.]

  88. 88.

    Miss Bianca

    @The Thin Black Duke: Actually, revenge only works piping hot, for me. Otherwise I start to think, and then before you know it, I start to think of all the reasons why I shouldn’t be looking for revenge. Gets in my way.

  91. 91.

    Miss Bianca

    @LAO: I’ll look into it as soon as I’ve finished with catching up on speeches and videos of misheard lyrics…

  92. 92.

    hovercraft

    @Roger Moore:
    I don’t believe that, everyone knows that life is all about compromise. Anyone preaching purity is not serious they are a protest candidate. Purity in government is either the tea party or a dictatorship.
    The let the republicans win strategy worked so well last time we still haven’t recovered from it.

  94. 94.

    The Sheriff's A Ni-

    If this is how the Sanders campaign ends, I don’t see any problem with that.

    Neither do I. Let’s do this.

  96. 96.

    Starfish

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne: My Bernie Bro is doing the same thing. It’s all white dudes who are saying that if they vote for Jill Stein, they are not sexist. The rest of us have things to lose under a President Trump.

  99. 99.

    seaboogie

    @Luthe: I follow him in Twitter just to observe full-blown NPD in real time….and offer the occasional poke or prod. I think Fred Sr. messed him up real hard, and Fred Jr.’s drinking himself to death bears witness to the toxic enviro and also had an over-compensating impact. Now the next gen is in the toxic biz/soup, and they kill elephants for fun (yes, irony) and cut off the tail for a photo op. Warren is not wrong harping on “shame” and belittling him – this is the root of narcissism.

  100. 100.

    tybee

    @Felonius Monk:

    Trump is the turd floating in the Republican party’s punch bowl. They are all saying how good the punch is, but none of them are drinking it.

    mmm. quite the visual.

  101. 101.

    Brachiator

    @James E Powell:

    What’s up with this HRC appointing a donor to some intelligence board?

    I had not heard about this? Is it some story the GOP made up or is inflating?

  102. 102.

    Ruckus

    @hovercraft:
    Lawyers telling them what to do. That’s funny.
    They PAY the lawyers, to do what they want, there is a reason lawyers are sometimes known as mouthpieces and not the reverse. Most people know that a lawyer represents them and advises them, people this privileged don’t think anyone can tell them anything.
    From here on out this may be known as Trump’s disease.

  103. 103.

    Miss Bianca

    @Emma: I’m *not* a nice person, that’s the problem. I just remember my ex telling me a story about how he’d plotted and schemed to get even with his mother’s boyfriend, who had been abusive to his mom when T. was just a kid. When he finally got his chance, he said the guy was so freaked out and so genuinely befuddled that T. couldn’t go thru’ with it. He was like, “there was no point trying to get revenge on him for something he couldn’t even remember he’d done.”

    That’s the real danger in waiting. *I* will remember that slight forever; *you* will most likely have forgotten all about it.

  105. 105.

    tybee

    @GKT:

    Sack up and show your face at a Trump rally or shut the fuck up.

    LOL. i assume we’ll see you there.

  110. 110.

    Emma

    @Miss Bianca: I think I should explain that it takes one hell of a wallop for it to turn to a grudge. A friend of mine calls me “event horizon” because I have the ability to simply blank out the person involved. I once sat at dinner with someone who had seriously tried to hurt me years before and did not recognize her. The things that stay are Unforgivables, and thankfully there haven’t been that many in my life. And those that did it remember clearly.

  112. 112.

    SFAW

    @GKT:

    Oh, look, it’s Racist Hump’s new nym. How precious! Dumping the “initial R” schema, it seems. And already with the look-at-how-tough-I-am-and-in-your-face-motherfucker prose stylings.

    Thanks for brightening up an otherwise dreary evening.

  118. 118.

    different-church-lady

    @GKT:

    He could shout N****r on TV and still be within the margin of error!

    Before it’s all over we’ll probably find out.

  120. 120.

    Chyron HR

    Oh my god, it’s actually trying to hide its identity now, and it’s just too fucking stupid to do it. That’s both sad and completely hilarious.

  121. 121.

    magurakurin

    @efgoldman:

    It would sure be nice if he uses the goodwill and influence he’s built up to help out with down ticket races.

    I’d really like to see him stump for Maggie Hasson in New Hampshire. He might be able to turn that election her way if he did.

  123. 123.

    SFAW

    @GKT:

    “Massive violence” by the pro-Trumpers, I think is what you meant. Not that you read the article, nor would tell the truth if you had. Just confirms my earlier assessment.

    But remember not to write “and Jeb will kick Clinton’s butt” — that would be too much of a tell.

    ETA: And this was before I saw your INVINCIBLE tell. Now that Trump is running out of money, whose balls will you fondle next? I don’t think the Kochs are interested in funding a moron, so you’ll have to find someone else.

  125. 125.

    Renie

    I have despised Trump since the 80s when I lived in NYC and saw his ugly mug on the local papers. Let the beatings begin!!

    so say we all..

  128. 128.

    SFAW

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    You can’t help it, can you? Your tells are obvious.

    No shit.

    Adam! You out there somewhere? Banhammer time for GKT, a/k/a Racist Hump.

  129. 129.

    hovercraft

    @GKT:
    Look how INVINCIBLE Trump is. He can’t be stopped.

    Yes, of course, we all know general election polls nearly a half-year from Election Day are not very accurate and shouldn’t matter a great deal to knowledgeable political people. But human nature and the power of hype being what they are, Donald Trump’s ascent to a position even with, and even ahead of, Hillary Clinton in general election trial heats in April and May had a big impact on people in both parties.

    Among Republicans, signs that Trump was rapidly consolidating a grip on Republican voters had a lot to do with GOP elected officials and other opinion-leaders, well, following their supposed followers. Trump’s numbers all but killed off the #NeverTrump movement — at least until the Gonazalo Curiel saga of the last week. And among Democrats, quiet panic spread as liberals asked themselves Can it really happen here? and elites impatiently pushed Bernie Sanders to shut down his challenge to Hillary Clinton so the party could gird its loins to battle Trump.

    Even as political folk over-reacted to Trump’s polling surge, wiser heads counseled that it could be an anomaly based on the combination of a post-nomination-clinching “bounce” for Trump and the climax of the Clinton-Sanders struggle. Once Clinton became the putative rather than the presumptive nominee, went the cautionary note, she, too would get a “bounce” as Sanders Democrats came home, and then we’d have a better idea of where the two candidates stood going into the conventions.

    But a funny thing happened as everyone was waiting for the next batch of polls: the Curiel incident occurred and then lingered, and Republicans wondered all over again if they were making a dreadful mistake surrendering to this barbarian’s takeover of their party.

    Now some new general election polls are coming out, and sure enough, Clinton’s showing some momentum. A new Reuters/Ipsos survey has her up by eight points; IDB/TIPP has her up five. Even Rasmussen — which had Trump leading by five points in mid-May — now has Clinton leading by four. And all these results are occurring before it sinks in that Clinton has now locked up her nomination and made history. What’s more, on Thursday afternoon Fox News came out with a survey showing a six-point swing from a three-point Trump lead in May to a three-point HRC lead now.

    These findings, like the earlier pro-Trump numbers, could be little more than statistical noise. But as a mood-changers they could work wonders, as the whole hep political world holds its collective breath to see if Trump’s apparent transformation into just another Republican nominee who had as good a chance of victory as Mitt Romney four years ago was a mirage.

    But unlike some people I actually pay attention to the first paragraph, it’s early days.

  130. 130.

    magurakurin

    @amk:

    At this point, he turn his ‘brand’ golden or trash. His choice.

    I agree. Last week it seemed like he was ready to trash it, but now it really does seem like he is pulling his head in. We’ll know soon enough, but I have to believe that Obama is a very persuasive guy. I’m sure their talk would have been interesting to listen in on.

    And to Jill Stein’s 21 states, they total 290 EV’s so she would have to thread the needle perfectly to find a way to victory. And considering that those 21 include TX, AZ, LA, MS, WV and SC it is impossible. A third party vote is a vote for either Trump or Clinton since this is a zero sum game. The only trouble is you have no real idea of how your vote will turn out. The only way to vote against Trump is to vote for Clinton. Same goes for Johnson for those on the other side. The only way to vote against Clinton is to vote for Trump. Zero sum game.

  132. 132.

    Renie

    @Cacti: Are you a niece/nephew of mine because your grandmother’s story is exactly the same as my mother’s.

  133. 133.

    hovercraft

    @magurakurin:
    She’s a governor which by definition means she governs, therefore has had to compromise. So I doubt she’s pure enough.

  135. 135.

    SFAW

    @GKT:

    Fuck off, you lying, racist, misogynistic fuck.

    But any time you want to meet me, you know where to find me, candy-ass.

    Trump rally? No problem, as long as you candy-ass, screaming little babies don’t bring your (as I think the Powder Blue Cherub calls them) external death p*n*ses (I have no idea what sens stuff to moderation). But the anti-American pro-Trumpers wouldn’t know what to do if they couldn’t fondle their cap pistols.

  139. 139.

    redshirt

    @GKT:

    It will be a real “double down”. The MSM will be “blah blah LePage is a RAAACIISSSSST and then poll numbers will go up by three

    Trump/LePage: the ultimate politically incorrect ticket. I can see LePage lampooning trigger warnings within the first five minutes of his speech at the convention…

    Your troll to FSM’s ears.

  140. 140.

    pat

    holy crap the troll is back and when I check back in the morning there will be upward of 350 comments. Go for the Tbogg, guys!!’

    eta: and gals, of course.

  141. 141.

    Miss Bianca

    @SFAW: I know there’s a link somewhere to the front-pagers’ emails, but my browser is so out of date that I’m not sure I’m seeing it right now.

  145. 145.

    SFAW

    @GKT:

    Trump rallies are a “gun free zone” by order of the Secret Service. Still scared?

    Certainly not of you, candy-ass. Make sure you stock up on pepper spray, because that’s what all you Trump candy-asses seem to like to do pre-emptively.

    Of course, knowing how competent you are, you’d probably spray yourself when you do your “is this thing working?” checkout.

  146. 146.

    pseudonymous in nc

    @hovercraft:

    congresscritter Duncan Hunter said today that regardless of any controversy surrounding Trump he’s with him because no one wants to vote for their grandmother.

    You know who I wouldn’t want to vote for? The legacy immature dudebro heir to his daddy’s seat in Congress.

    (Seriously, Hunter Minor is Congressman Dudebro. Every fucking aspect.)

  148. 148.

    redshirt

    @GKT:

    He’d destroy Hillary’s likely pick, Tim Kaine
    Kaine is a little wimpy beta cuck that wouldn’t know how to strike back at LePage in a debate.

    I don’t see how this can be argued against. Dems are just naturally weak, being compassionate and shit,

  155. 155.

    Reggie Mantle

    @HelloRochester:

    Nice to read a BJ post not taking a steaming dump on Bernie, his ideas, and his supporters.

    But you can always rely on the commenters to provide that.

  157. 157.

    SFAW

    @Major Major Major Major:
    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Based on his #167 post, I’m starting to think that maybe he really is a parody troll. Because you’d have to be either a parody troll, or someone with a sub-room-temperature IQ.

    English-first-ers as your base? I can see Hillary getting 550+ EV against a Trump/LePage ticket, because the SCOTUS would say “What fucking moron thought Paul LePage was a choice for VP?” and award bonus EV, just because. Even Sockpuppet might get on board with that.

  159. 159.

    SFAW

    @redshirt:

    You know LePage spoke French growing up, right?

    I call bullshit! He hasn’t grown up, only out (and taller than my cat).

  163. 163.

    redshirt

    @SFAW: He’s the American success story! A poor man who became rich and then became Governor of an entire state. It’s a FoxNews dream come true.

  164. 164.

    ruemara

    @RepubAnon: lol. What color is the sky in your world?

    As long as the hagiographies end and the business of winning elections begins, I’ll be OK with whatever.

  171. 171.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SFAW: Somebody emailed me, now taken care of. Took a bit of work, little bugger used two different IP addresses tonight. I try to take one night off and look what happens…

  176. 176.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SFAW: No worries. I had to run a late evening errand to the store, got Miss Bianca’s note as soon as I came in, and interrupted my night off to see what was going on.

  178. 178.

    Adam L Silverman

    @amk: its 11:30 PM, if Alain is smart he’s asleep or doing something interesting. I was trying to take an evening away, but stuff happens and I’m happy to help. I think what you’re seeing is that he or she is cycling. You’ll notice that he or she is not around for a few days and then is either mildly annoying, or as the last three or four nights, completely out of control. Either that or he or she is completely decompensating, which would be very, very bad.

  179. 179.

    SFAW

    @Adam L Silverman:

    So I gathered. Sorry that you keep getting called upon to do this. I keep hoping that whoever is paying him will smarten up, although that’s unlikely. Of course, the alternate possibility is that he’s just a sociopath, and he’s trying to become the embodiment of Cleek’s Law.

    Anyway, thanks again.

  181. 181.

    SFAW

    @efgoldman:

    Yeah, it’s not srv. Different style, and with srv I’m not always sure he’s being serious. With Racist Hump, I’m sure.

  182. 182.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SFAW: If I’m around – as in at the computer, I’m checking the moderation bin and clearing comments. It happens and its not a big deal. I don’t think anyone’s paying him. Based on the IP addresses I have a general idea of who we’re dealing with.

  184. 184.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SFAW: srv tends to just be a contrarian and plays it up to the edge. You can tell because on something like the Memorial Day post or the post about Muhammad Ali’s passing, he or she will say post something decent.

  186. 186.

    Brachiator

    Even Romney is popping up to slap Trump around. A recent CNN interview.

    “I don’t want to see a president of the United States saying things which change the character of the generations of Americans that are following. Presidents have an impact on the nature of our nation, and trickle-down racism, trickle-down bigotry, trickle-down misogyny, all these things are extraordinarily dangerous to the heart and character of America.

  187. 187.

    seaboogie

    @rikyrah: Well, you know that Rapey McRaperson thing happened to their family and upset their entitled applecart, when her poor son had one too many and unwittingly inserted a foreign object….

    They are the victims here. How can you fluff the decorative pillows or hang a picture on the wall when you are dealing with this kind of injustice to your family? It’s inhuman.

    At this point I am starting to feel a small bit of empathy for the boy. Between Dad’s “Twenty minutes of action” and Mom’s “I couldn’t even hang pictures”, I’m thinking that he didn’t maybe get a proper upbringing, esp. with the SportsBro cherry on the sundae of “values” and “character”.

  189. 189.

    SFAW

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Although there was a time when I’d get peeved at srv, I find that I don’t these days. Well, not as much, maybe. Maybe I’m getting more mellow (only in a relative sense, of course), or maybe it’s increased senility.

    But he’s definitely not — at least as far as I can tell — a lying, racist, misogynistic asshole like Racist Hump. [I mean that in a nicer way than it scans.]

  191. 191.

    pseudonymous in nc

    Right To Shite has a pretty obvious M.O. If there’s a pattern — VPNs or Tor — then it might be worth preemptively banning big IP ranges. I don’t like that tactic much, but the alternative is a mod on 24/7 duty who’s savvy to RtS’s habits, and that’s more effort than it’s worth.

  192. 192.

    seaboogie

    @Adam L Silverman:

    or he or she is completely decompensating, which would be very, very bad.

    Witnessed that once (and I did pile on with the provocation), but it got scary ugly pretty quickly.

  193. 193.

    pseudonymous in nc

    @Brachiator:

    Even Romney is popping up to slap Trump around.

    Romney may — and it’s weird to say this — get some kind of redemption in his later years. Not a political one, but as a kind of neo-Rockefeller Republican commenting from the sidelines. A bit like Ivan Lendl at Wimbledon, who, after years of being considered a kind of joyless Eastern Bloc automaton, gained the sympathy of the crowd because he’d never won the tournament and finally showed them that he wanted it on an emotional level.

    I suspect that Romney’s sufficiently well-connected with NYC people to have an insider’s view on the Trump business operation, but I genuinely think that his LDS upbringing also kicks in. Romney did some fairly iffy private-equity deals and tax planning where money’s more of an abstraction, but I don’t think he’s the kind of person who’d hire a contractor and say ‘hey, I’m only paying you 50% of the estimate because I don’t like your work, and if you try for the rest, I’ll sue you out of business.’

    (Josh Marshall noted on Twitter yesterday that actual Really Rich People Of New York don’t have much to do with Trump. He’s a mystery to them, because he doesn’t inhabit the same social and business networks. They have no idea how rich he is, when they can gauge their acquaintances pretty well.)

  197. 197.

    Mike in NC

    @SFAW: Racist Hump/RtR first surfaced here like some turd in a septic tank in 2012, furiously fellating the moron Mitt Rmoney for several months. Then went away until this year when he did the same for loser Jeb Bush. Now back at it for orange combover Donny Rotten. In 2012 mentioned he was an unemployed slacker living rent free in mommy’s basement, and more lately admitting to having a problem with a certain prescription drug for ADHD. So just fuck that stooge already.

  199. 199.

    SFAW

    @Reggie Mantle:

    See, now you’re just doing it because you don’t know any other way to respond, instead of judging whether the comment was one of those you keep claiming is being made.

    Which brings us back to the original thesis: that you are here only to pick a fight, no matter what the situation.

  200. 200.

    Mike in NC

    @SFAW: srv appears to be that sort of contrarian douchebag who follows Slate and Salon but isn’t really a true Drumpf follower. Just fucking with us for his own enjoyment. Sad!

  201. 201.

    SFAW

    @Mike in NC:

    I don’t recall paying him any attention in 2012, but I certainly remember his Jeb/Rubio/Cruz/Torquemada fellating from earlier this year. He’s got issues, to put it mildly. Not sure what ADHD med (if any) turns a person into a racist, misogynistic, lying fuck, so maybe he’s just being a good Rethug and blaming everyone but himself, and no meds involved.

    ETA: Breaking! Must credit Drudge! Mets win 2-1 in 11!

  204. 204.

    SFAW

    @Major Major Major Major:

    Yeah, I seem to recall that. But, for what it’s worth, I glommed onto that about 2 weeks ago, stated that every time I replied to him, and (interestingly) he never addressed it. That was pretty much a confirmation, as far as I was concerned.

    Now I just bring it up when he’s being a douchebag. There was a string yesterday (Friday) AM where he was actually not doing his “You all fucking suck!” schtick, and it was a pleasant surprise, and his comments were relatively reasonable. But I guess LA proved too much for the man the stress was too much for him, and he’s back to his usual bullshit.

  207. 207.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SFAW: Ultimately its sad. As I’ve mentioned a couple of times, I took action on Tuesday because of the slur directed at the transgendered that he directed at a non-transgendered African American woman prepping the lectern for Secretary Clinton, or the one singing the National Anthem (it was impossible to tell from the timing of the comment). We have at least one transgender commenter here who has been brave enough, even with a pseudonym, to identify herself as such. She, and any other member of that community that I am unaware of (and I don’t need to know, I don’t care as in it doesn’t effect me one way or the other, you do not need to let me know), have to deal with enough crap. They don’t need to have to wade through it here.

  209. 209.

    SFAW

    @Adam L Silverman:

    We have at least one transgender commenter here who has been brave enough, even with a pseudonym, to identify herself as such. She, and any other member of that community that I am unaware of (and I don’t need to know, I don’t care as in it doesn’t effect me one way or the other, you do not need to let me know), have to deal with enough crap. They don’t need to have to wade through it here

    Yes, she mentioned it the other day, first time I’d heard it. But I agree: trans persons have enough crap to wade through in the so-called “real” world, without some fucking mook in here adding to it. If I had to put up with the same amount of shit, I’m not sure how well I would handle it.

  210. 210.

    Dadadadadadada

    An idea I’d like to see Clinton carry out:
    Pick a month. August comes to mind; the conventions will be over and the battle lines clearly drawn. On July 31, Clinton announces that in the month of August, she will not respond to any questions about Trump, or criticize any specific “policy proposals” of his, or say his name or even do anything to acknowledge his existence. She will simply focus on her positive agenda, and talk about things she will do as president. (Surrogates, of course, may continue the carpet-bombing as normal.)
    This may establish Clinton as much more than the only plausible alternative to the embarrassment of a Trump candidacy. It may be a brilliant opportunity for her to spotlight herself as a great leader in her own right, who would deserve to win against a much nobler opponent than she currently faces. It would give her a chance to stand above the mudslinging and give America something to vote for, rather than against. It might also give Trump the fatal heart attack he’s had coming for a while; imagine the frustration of going a whole month without hearing his name (which he obviously thinks very highly of) even escape the lips of his most hated rival, on top of the routine humiliation of severely trailing in the polls, seeing should-be supporters fail to jump at the chance to support him or jump ship outright, etc.
    It might also give the Village a chance to point out how elitist and standoffish Clinton is, but it might be a risk worth taking.

  212. 212.

    SFAW

    @Adam L Silverman:

    The least we can do is have, at least virtually here, her back.

    You’re a good man. Thanks.

    And thanks to John (and the other FPers) for having these policies.

  217. 217.

    SFAW

    @Adam L Silverman:

    A Conspiracy So Immense

    … only Cecil B. DeMille could bring it to the screen! Watch as Moses the brave Senator grapples with Pharaoh Commie-apologist Joe Welch!

    etc. etc.

  218. 218.

    Carl W

    @Adam L Silverman: I never paid much attention to transphobia until a trans person on another forum I frequent committed suicide. (Had no idea she was trans until I googled her name after she died.) I never want to see that happen again, so thanks for doing your part to make the world a better place.

  220. 220.

    I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet

    @SFAW: Ah, but isn’t that what Putin wants us to think?!?!1

    On the other hand, maybe they’re from Takoma Park!!11 That would explain things too, if you’ve got a conspiratorial mind…

    ;-)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  222. 222.

    Original Lee

    Sorry to say, the beatings only make our side feel good. Because the Goopers and the independents who deny the Gooper label will take whatever we throw at Drumpf, pivot, and throw it right back at Hillary. I’m seeing it all over my FB feed already. Warren called the short-fingered vulgarian a cheater, a fraudster, a racist, and a liar this week, and now people are posting memes that have multiple accusations against Hillary – not just standalone Benghazi or emails or Whitewater or Lewinski or Foster, but all of them together. They are ramping up the mild distaste and distrust of Hillary many on their side of the divide to insane levels already, and it’s only early June. There are also the ones who are flat out saying Hillary and Drumpf are equally awful, so vote for Johnson (or Stein) instead. I may have to take up transcendental meditation so as not to blow a gasket before January 2017.

  223. 223.

    SFAW

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Does he deal with Roy Cohn’s role in all that? My brother — who is far better read than I about things like this (well, actually, far better read than I am in everything except engineering) — has been of the opinion (for a long time) that McCarthy was Cohn’s cat’s paw. [My brother is not prone to conspiracy theories.]

    Any thoughts on that idea?

  226. 226.

    Adam L Silverman

    @SFAW: He deals extensively with Cohn. He doesn’t seem to imply that McCarthy was the catspaw, but he does make it clear that Cohn had his own agenda and there was a symbiotic relationship. What you do come away with is a mosaic of a very tragic individual who destroyed himself. The chapters on McCarthy’s early life – his intelligence, hard work, willingness to take risks, but to work very had to make them turn out for him – were some of the most interesting. I came away from the book thinking that McCarthy let his personal demons destroy him, which is essentially what happened.

  227. 227.

    SFAW

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Thanks very much for that analysis. Now I gotta go add the book to my “To Be Read” list. My 200-or-so-titles-long list. If I’m going to read all of them, I gotta plan on living to 150.

  230. 230.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @efgoldman:

    New troll in town.

    There’s chat on the board, it’s there to remind you
    Doesn’t really matter which rant you’re on
    You’re trolling away & they’re laughing behind you
    Hey we’ll never forget you until your next nym comes along

    Jerkoff-come-lately, the new troll in town,
    Everybody loathes you, doofus,
    Till the Banhammer pounds
    & you’re not around…

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