Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

This chaos was totally avoidable.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Trump’s cabinet: like a magic 8 ball that only gives wrong answers.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

It may be funny to you motherfucker, but it’s not funny to me.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

You cannot shame the shameless.

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

Text STOP to opt out of updates on war plans.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

All hail the time of the bunny!

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

Books are my comfort food!

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

So many bastards, so little time.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Hail to the Hairpiece / Saturday Night Open Thread: Bad News, Repubs

Saturday Night Open Thread: Bad News, Repubs

by | 223 Comments

This post is in: , , , ,

Bless you, Betty Cracker, for the perfection of Hugh “ambulatory cream cheese sculpture” Hewitt.

The Media Village Idiots promoted him from the Wingnut Wurlitzer to the “serious” media specifically as a sop for this year’s gang of Repub Talibangelical extortionists, so I’m gleefully looking forward to HH’s blank, uncomprehending expression when Trump and all his minions get beaten in November. It’ll be like Karl Rove when Romney lost, only dumber!

Reader Interactions

223Comments

  3. 3.

    chopper

    The speeches at next week’s RNC convention should reflect the seriousness of the times and the Constitutional means of meeting them

    and I should win the powerball.

  4. 4.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    So who will Hillary’s running mate be, and when will they announce? Before, during, or after the circus in Cleveland?

  6. 6.

    Omnes Omnibus

    It’ll be like Karl Rove when Romney lost, only dumber!

    I am really trying to comprehend this sentence, but part of my mind keeps screaming. “Unpossible!” while the rest says, “Dude, you must chill.”

  8. 8.

    redshirt

    @Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter: Warren is great but so so so stupid to take a great Dem Senator out of the Senate and have her replaced by some back benching Repuke.

    We need the Senate. Imagine, if the Dems had 51 Senators right now we’d probably have a liberal Supreme Court.

    Every Democratic Senator Matters.

  9. 9.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    I’d still prefer Perez, but not too hopeful for that outcome…

  10. 10.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    Does the Pence choice make a difference to the Clinton camp’s calculations, as he is considered to be a more “boring” choice?

  11. 11.

    Schlemazel Khan

    @bago:

    I have struggled to think of someone that would be a worse President than Drumpf. Thanks you for pointing out that person. Perfect clip though, thanks

  14. 14.

    Mary G

    Hugh used to be on a program called Life and Times on the LA PBS station that was started after the riots when the police were tried for beating up Rodney King. He was the right wing representative, a woman named Patt Morrison was the leftie. There was a centrist in the middle that made no impression on me at all. He was a pompous ass even then.

  15. 15.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter: I don’t see why it would. Veep picks aren’t something that moves very many votes. My guess is that she, as is her wont, has been carefully considering the merits of the various short-listees and that she will make a decision based on who she is most comfortable with. Anyone on her shortlist will slay Pence in the Veep debate.

  18. 18.

    eric

    I can see it now at the Dem Convention:

    Jim Ross: Oh my god, is it? is it? My god its Vince Foster!!

  19. 19.

    CaseyL

    I think Hillary’s primary consideration in picking a Veep will be someone who can govern if worst comes to. Someone with good, if not acute, political judgment and skills.

    Democrats tend to do that.

    GOPers tend to pick assassination insurance.

  20. 20.

    redshirt

    Is there any nationally prominent white male Democratic politician? Kaine doesn’t count as I wouldn’t say he’s nationally prominent.

  21. 21.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    Sounds like Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is a possibility. I didn’t know much about him, looked him up on Wikipedia. Looks okay. Represents a Western state (I like that), started a brewpub, seems to be able to evolve views on controversial issues (death penalty, marijuana). Thoughts?

  24. 24.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter: I think she may have been vetting Admiral Stavridis as a potential check on Trump picking LTG Flynn. 4 stars trumps (if I can use that word) 3 stars. Also, retired after completing his final command assignment on his terms beats being forced out of your final command and being forced to retire early. I haven’t heard much more chatter about him, but he’s the son of immigrants, he’s been the SACEUR so having him would be a great counterpoint to Trump’s we’re going to either knuckle under those NATO members or we’re going to get rid of NATO, and it would be another signal that despite the email thing, she’s acceptable to the most senior folks from the most respected institution in the US.

  25. 25.

    redshirt

    @MomSense: I’d really like a Latino, either Perez or Castro. Go for the freaking jugular.

    Getting Hispanics to vote in greater percentages is the silver bullet to kill the Republican Party at the national level. Turn Texas blue, and end them.

  30. 30.

    Percysowner

    @redshirt: Al Franken? Maybe Sherrod Brown? I don’t know enough about who would appoint Franken’s replacement to know if we would lose the seat or not, but Kasich would replace Brown and THAT would be a disaster.

    I hope we do everything we can to turn the Senate Democratic and move on from there. Although, we may end up needing more than a majority if we want Clinton to appoint any Supreme Court Justices, or any Federal judges period.

  36. 36.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    Tom Perez wins the Balloon Juice veepstakes! So when should the big announcement be?

  39. 39.

    redshirt

    @sigaba: Al Franken might be a slick choice for this reason. Plus I assume he’d bring a verbal game that most VP candidate’s couldn’t match. Can you imagine releasing Al as an attack dog on Trump? It would be hilarious.

  41. 41.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    @shomi: Whoa, calm down! Oh wait, this Balloon Juice – my apologies, carry on…

  42. 42.

    redshirt

    @rikyrah: I know nothing about Perez but I trust all your opinions so I’d be psyched if he was nominated.

    I really, really, really want to see the Dem’s win Texas at the Presidential level.

  44. 44.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    @Omnes Omnibus: Yes, she and her team have a great track record so far. But it’s no fun if we can’t armchair QB this to death!

  45. 45.

    Adam L Silverman

    @eric: He was a great heel. I was always fond of George The Animal Steel. From what I understand, George had several advanced degrees and was quite successful outside the ring.

  48. 48.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: Its unlikely they could win Texas this year. Making it competitive and causing the GOP to have to defend there, however, is plausible and possible.

  49. 49.

    lamh36

    So I’ve been planning a baby shower for my youngest sister for about a month and a half. She had one in DFW last week, and this week was our turn in NOLA. Had a few glitches, but it turned out really well, and essentially our entire NOLA fam came through for her and her husband and soon to come baby Layla Grace, at the end of August.

    Of course, I’m tired as hell, but happy it went well. You can check out the pics at my blog here: It’s A Girl, NOLA Style…Baby Shower for Layla Grace

    I’ll post this comment again tomorrow for any those BJ who aren’t night owls like some of us :-)

    I’m off to bed now but before I go…your daily Zoe pic. It took her a while to warm up to all the loud azz NOLA peeps, but she finally settled down for a bit to play with a balloon…then of course being Zoe…seconds later…she was over it and me…lol

    Zoe…0 to “really lady” in less than 60 seconds …LOL

  51. 51.

    redshirt

    @Adam L Silverman: Oh for sure. But that’s what I want to see – compete in Texas. Work hard to register voters in Texas. Make them defend it. Any resources the Repukes have to put into Texas comes from some place else.

    I’d like to see Texas turn blue in 2024.

  55. 55.

    magurakurin

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    On the 12th there was an article out saying she had been invited to speak on Monday, but on the Convention page there is no mention of her. The complete speaker list isn’t out. It looks like Bernie is getting the marquee spot Monday night.

    Or Warren is the VP?

    I suspect it won’t be Kaine or Warren, just because. I placed my bet on Julian Castro, but more and more I’m thinking it just might end up being Perez.

    The gamblers are now laying odds on Kaine 4/6. Castro is 10 to 1.

  56. 56.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: Yes, when he came back for his final stint, his schtick was playing a completely inarticulate – as in he sort of moaned instead of spoke, deranged individual who, among other things, liked to eat the foam padding they put over the turnbuckles to protect the wrestlers.

    Here’s his bio:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Steele
    Early life[edit]
    Myers was born in Detroit in 1937[1][2] and was raised in Madison Heights, Michigan.[5] During high school, he found success in track running, baseball, basketball and football.[5] In 1956, Myers entered Michigan State University as a football player for the Michigan State Spartans,[5] but his career as a football player was immediately cut short as a result of knee problems.[5] In 1961, he was with the Grand Rapids Shamrocks (UFL) 1st place Western Division.[6]

    After gaining a bachelor of science degree from Michigan State University and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University,[7] Myers became a teacher, amateur wrestling coach, and football coach at Madison High School in Madison Heights, Michigan. There he would eventually become a member of the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame.[2][8]

  59. 59.

    Prescott Cactus

    @redshirt: No matter where she lands, Warren has got the verbal game locked up vs Trump. I respect Franken for his work, but his prior job will be used against him. Gawd he’s not an ex-stripper, but SNL. To the teavangelicals, it’s about the same.

    Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Julián Castro perhaps.

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    OTOH, I trust HRC to make a good choice.

  63. 63.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    @dmsilev: The Friday after the opposing Party’s convention was when the McCain campaign rolled out Sarah Palin!

  64. 64.

    magurakurin

    Just wanted to add. Whoever Clinton picks the convential wisdom in the media will be that it is a mistake. “I gawr-on-tee it.”

  65. 65.

    redshirt

    @Prescott Cactus: I feel like she’s already playing that role to perfection as a non-VP candidate. Get her out on the stump and let her have at it, but keep her in the Senate.

    I think I’ll actually be bummed out if Warren is chosen. Such a bad choice IMO.

  68. 68.

    eclare

    @lamh36: Have you seen the post from The Thin Black Duke? Idris is in the latest issue of Interview, and the photos must be seen. And Zoe is adorbs.

  74. 74.

    MomSense

    @lamh36:

    Zoe’s too cute! Congratulations to your sister and family.

    We were listening to the street bands tonight after the blues festival and I looked over and saw our junior senator just hanging out taking in the scene.

  77. 77.

    Arm The Homeless

    Strategically, Castro seems like he is still the favorite. It keeps someone from Obama’s circle in the executive, allows him to prepare to run for the top spot in 4-8 years, and doesn’t take Senators out of the 50+VP calculation.

    The only question to me is nuke judicial filibuster day 1, or wait until following Senate session? I suspect Clinton/Schumer won’t give the GOP the benefit of the doubt, like Obama’s first term.

  86. 86.

    Mary G

    I’d pay good money to see Franken or Warren demolish Pence in the VP debate. Anyone Hillary picks will win, but Warren or Franken would be killer.

    @lamh36: Kayla Grace is a beautiful name. Zoe gets cuter and cuter.

  88. 88.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    @Arm The Homeless: Re: the nuke option. I sure hope so. The Republicans have surrendered any smidgen of credible objection, after their incredible obstruction of any and all nominations.

  91. 91.

    Adam L Silverman

    @lamh36: Also, you all seem to like wearing the same color and you all smile a lot. Have you been kidnapped into a cult? Do you need us to mount a rescue? Post a picture blinking twice for yes and we’ll organize a rescue party!!!!//

    More seriously, you all looked like you had a wonderful time, congratulations to the expectant parents, and we’ll keep good thoughts for a safe, healthy, and easy delivery.

  93. 93.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Mary G: I don’t thing that Franken is on the shortlist, but that would be interesting. I doubt that HRC will be that adventurous. Obama was going to be the first Black Pres. and he picked a safe respectable white male pol as his Veep. Do not be surprised if HRC does the same (Kaine). She may go Perez, which i would like. OTOH, she has access to far better polling than we do. This year, i tend to trust her judgment.

  96. 96.

    Prescott Cactus

    @redshirt: All conventional wisdom says a VP is just a bag that the Pres drags around. Warren has the oratory skills that Hillary just doesn’t shine with. Franken would be fastest on his feet and make a fool of all who challenged him one on one, I think they would work on raising his negatives.

    I checked my local (actually state) office for Trump. Main office is in Mesa, which has a high % of Mormon voters, who are not big fans of his.

  97. 97.

    lamh36

    @Adam L Silverman: Oh…it was touch and go for a minute in the beginning. But we tend to start off wrong, but by the middle and the end, we are cooking with Crisco..as they say. Those smiles are cause things FINALLY gelled.

    You’ll have to wait for the blinking tomorrow, I’m so tired now, even if I had Stockholm Syndrome, I’m too tired to even defend my kidnappers :-)

  98. 98.

    NotMax

    Fail-Safe coming up on TCM in about 5 minutes.

    (Posted this on wrong thread just a bit ago.)

  99. 99.

    MomSense

    @redshirt:

    I saw him here last year, too. He must like blues music.

    Oh and the police officers were walking through the crowds blowing bubbles.

  100. 100.

    redshirt

    @Prescott Cactus: They’re going to work hard to raise the negatives of any candidate. Shouldn’t be a factor in the decision unless there are real, damaging skeletons in the closet.

    Seems to me the VP candidate in this age can only solidify a ticket, not raise it up by much. But the choice can certainly drag it down. See: Palin, Sarah.

  103. 103.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @lamh36: It looks like a great party. I can’t with NOLA in the summer, but the photos make me want to try.

  104. 104.

    redshirt

    @MomSense: Back when Angus was Gov my Father was so proud because he called the Governor’s office to complain about something (he’s a Republican so I’m sure it was stupid) and Angus called back and left a message addressing his comments. Dad played it for me with pride.

    He seems like a great guy.

  109. 109.

    lamh36

    @Omnes Omnibus: It’s been raining all week. “flash rain” you could call it…big downpour for like mins, then trickles, then dry…Summer in NOLA.

    But today, ALL day..it wa HOT AS HADES! My aunt’s house was full of folks for at least 3hrs, we had to break out the fans…like da ole skool days.

  115. 115.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    I want a Castro brother, though Perez would be my ideal choice. I trust the candidate’s judgment completely, and I believe she would not take a Senator out of that role in such critical times. Also Senator Professor Warren is where she accomplish the most. So I’m guessing Kaine.

  116. 116.

    lamh36

    I’m soo tired, I sat here and watched Hello Dolly in it’s entirety.

    Boy, that young lady Barbara Streisand sure has some pipes don’t she…she’s def gonna go places…

    :-)

  118. 118.

    hilts

    Saw Paul Begala at a local synagogue about 2 months ago discussing the veep stakes. He said the best choice Hillary could make would be Tim Kaine. He also said that the Castro brothers were too inexperienced to be selected for this position.

  119. 119.

    Mary G

    @Omnes Omnibus: I think it’s going to be Kaine, too, but we can dream. She’s got a big presence on Facebook and Twitter in the Spanish-speaking community, and he is fluent in Spanish.

  120. 120.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @lamh36: For me, October through March – I can go. Outside of that, I will only go if asked. OTOH, NOLA, London, and Paris are the three cities I would go to at a moments notice. Because, duh.

  121. 121.

    NotMax

    @#lamh36

    Yes but way too young for the role, at the time.

    Saw her on this year’s Tonys. Multiple face lifts very evident. (Downside of high-def broadcasting.)

  122. 122.

    Prescott Cactus

    @redshirt: When you are tied to the USS George S. McGovern, tis a heavy anchor you become. . . Plus usual Rethug rat copulation:

    “The least responsible coverage of the ensuing frenzy was provided by columnist Jack Anderson, who falsely reported a half-dozen Eagleton “arrests” for drunk driving and other traffic offenses based on a questionable and unverified tip. Anderson’s gross breach of journalistic ethics in printing unproven gossip generated some sympathy for Eagleton, but it could not save him.”

    P.S. You’re dipping below my strike zone…

  125. 125.

    MomSense

    @redshirt:

    He has taken positions on a couple of issues that really make me mad but I do think he is actually a good guy. He doesn’t put on airs and will take the time to talk to you. BTW I think he just endorsed Hillz.

    @NotMax:

    They’ll probably bring out that Kirk Cameron dude, too.

  126. 126.

    Barb2

    @Adam L Silverman: I’m in. Actually we are mostly smarter, more creative, and can see alternatives to the obvious than the ordinary non lixdesics.

    lixdesics fo het wrold untie!

  128. 128.

    redshirt

    @Barb2: You’re reminding me of that weird Superman villain, Mr Mxyzlplyx, who’s fairly invincible and all powerful unless you get him to say his name backwards, which cancels his powers and sends him back to his strange dimension.

  129. 129.

    Mike in NC

    Never heard of this creepy Hugh Hewitt bastard until the Tory asshole Andrew Sullivan agreed to prostrate himself before him a few years ago on some wingnut talk radio show. He’s another lawyer and religious fanatic among the far right. Who could have guessed? Fuck them all.

  131. 131.

    Lizzy L

    I’d like Perez. But Tim Kaine is fluent in Spanish, and he’s got a lot more energy than Pence, who’s basically a stuffed noodle. And while I love Warren, I concur, we need her in the Senate.

  132. 132.

    guachi

    Wonder if Clinton might pick someone ex-military to push back against the Benghazi/email nonsense. It’s the first thing (especially emails) that I hear people say negative about Clinton, especially people who might otherwise be open to her positions.

    Though she could double down on women/minorities and assume it will overcome getting smashed among whites/men. She’d probably be right.

  137. 137.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Barb2: I didn’t mean to pick on anyone. Its the only even remotely funny thing I know of in regards to dyslexia. I’ve dated two different dyslexic women and have several dyslexic friends. So I have some understanding of the issues.

  139. 139.

    redshirt

    @amk: Indeed! But Dem Governor and Clinton loyalist so pretty good move if she goes for it. Whomever the replacement is, rest assured he/she will be pro Clinton.

  141. 141.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @lamh36: It is the one place to which I would consider in those conditions. I can’t deal vs. NOLA=i’ll try. Only city that is not Paris, that would get that from me.

  142. 142.

    jl

    Should, would, could, will. Gee, maybe old Hugh got it about right. It should, but it won’t.

  143. 143.

    Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter

    @amk: Virginia’s Democratic Governor will appoint a Democrat to replace Kaine if he is picked.

  144. 144.

    Mike in NC

    @redshirt: We visited friends in New Orleans about 20 years ago and the place was an insufferable filthy shit hole. Told them we would consider returning in 50 years, it sucked that bad.

  149. 149.

    Uncle Cosmo

    Re the Democratic Veepstakes: Someone (Mnem?) wondered a few threads back why Martin O’Malley is never mentioned as a possibility. The answer might be Tim Kaine. I say this sadly, as a old friend of O’Malley, but Kaine would bring to the ticket everything MOM could, & more–he’s served in the Senate and as DNC chair, speaks fluent Spanish, & remains fairly popular in a large battleground state. Maybe most significantly, he didn’t challenge Hillary for the nomination. (Not that the O’Malley campaign turned out to be much of a challenge, but the Cliintons rarely forget those things.)

    (Now that I think about it, I wonder if MOM ran for President in part because Kaine would always be ahead of him in consideration for VP, so he might as well have shot the moon.)

  151. 151.

    Barb2

    @Lizzy L:

    Unless the grandmums have figured out a way to give Sen Warren more power. Warren has a history of taking a boring committee chairperson position and turning it into something far more than mere mortals could envision. Her biography is full of her finding and using power. There is an article on Huff Po about not counting Warren out. If she accepts the VP slot she has big plans and knows how to be even more powerful.

    Hillary is playing a long game. She wants to empowers down ticket Dems and get more elected. She’s put an impressive team together. I suspect that many on her team will move into department heads etc when she takes office.

    I trust her to make the correct choice.

  152. 152.

    BR

    @Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter:

    @Arm The Homeless: Perez has the same advantages, and he speaks Spanish!

    Not really that well, from what I’ve seen. That’s something that I wonder why nobody is noticing — I like Perez otherwise, but I think not speaking Spanish fluently will be a problem.

  154. 154.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Uncle Cosmo: Also Governor O’Malley puts the issue of the 2nd Amendment front and center. He’s a bright shiny object for the 2nd Amendment absolutists who are already convinced Secretary Clinton is planning on confiscating their firearms and that Associate Justice Ginsburg’s accurate and pretty innocuous response in her NY Times interview that when the next 2nd Amendment case gets to the Supreme Court, Heller will be reconsidered, means that she just advocating overturning not Heller, but overturning the 2nd Amendment through judicial fiat.

  155. 155.

    Matt McIrvin

    @redshirt:

    The only calculus that merits a Warren VP nod is if somehow she is the only person who could help win an otherwise losing election.

    I find that impossible to believe.

    I could see it, if the Clinton campaign thinks that Jill Stein and/or Gary Johnson are set to get all the still-undecided Bernie supporters while Trump hoovers up the #NeverTrump Republicans. There’s such a large and growing amount of “undecided” in the polls at the moment, and the more vindictive Bernie dead-enders actively trying to tear down Hillary whenever her polls jink downward… I could see Clinton making the calculation that she still needs to cover her left flank.

    It might not help much, though, considering that having both Warren and Bernie Sanders himself actively endorsing her and campaigning for her doesn’t seem to help with these people.

  156. 156.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Gretchen: People forget that O’Malley was elected Mayor of Baltimore in 1999 precisely because he promised to fight the crime wave the city was enduring after the retiring (AA) mayor had thrown up his hands in despair. (He won 30% of the AA vote in the primary against 2 substantial AA candidates–my guess is from the older & middle-class voters.) It’s the same situation with the Clintons & that 1994 crime bill. No one who didn’t live through those times can really understand how freaked out the citizenry was over the crime rates, all across the country. In hindsight some of the actions were misguided. But mostly (if not only) in hindsight from many years later. At the time people were desperate for someone to do something about it.

  157. 157.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Adam L Silverman: True but IMO the problem is shared by anyone Hill might pick for Veep this side of Joe Manchin (ralph). The ammosexuals I know are all convinced Madame President will start confiscating their home armories next January 20.

  158. 158.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Uncle Cosmo: I am well aware. I got the Ginsburg stuff from a highly educated friend of mine. When I actually pulled the article and looked up what she said, I was like “huh”?

  159. 159.

    Amir Khalid

    @Matt McIrvin:

    It might not help much, though, considering that having both Warren and Bernie Sanders himself actively endorsing her and campaigning for her doesn’t seem to help with these people.

    What drives these people, as exemplified by the eminently ludicrous H.A. Goodman, is an irrational hatred of a fictional Hillary monster — Hillary the corrupt, Hillary the liar, Hillary the warmonger, Hillary the Wall Street puppet — rather than progressive principle or any real preference for Bernie. They turned on Warren and on Bernie himself for endorsing Hillary. They will happily vote for Jill Stein even if its likely consequence is President Trump.

  160. 160.

    jl

    @Uncle Cosmo:

    ” why Martin O’Malley is never mentioned as a possibility ”

    In addition to other commenters’ reasons, which I think are plausible, O’Malley may not be a good enough politician for national office. Both HRC and Sanders had some great weaknesses as candidates, and I think there was an opening for someone who could split the difference, or combine the best of both. IMHO, O’Malley totally whiffed. He had a habit in the debates of announcing he was going to say some big original important things that HRC and Sanders were not, and then go on to issue generalized anodyne boilerplate. I admire O’Malley for some of his positions, but my main memory of his candidacy was a guy who said he was going to say big things but on many important issues, didn’t really have much to say. Which I think hurt him more than anything else.

  161. 161.

    Prescott Cactus

    People forget that O’Malley

    got his hat handed to him by BLM activists at Netroots Nations last year ! “White lives matter too” stumbled out of his vocal box. It was a tough crowd, but neither he or Bernie ( with forewarning) could go off script to appease the vocal crowd.

  162. 162.

    Barb2

    @Adam L Silverman:

    You weren’t picking on dyslexics. Mostly we can’t spell and love auto spell check.

    Teachers are the worst, plus multiple choice tests. Very often the correct choice is wrong. Many adult dyslexics haven’t been diagnosed.

    I’m copying that sentence – I’ve written similar paragraphs in Blue book exams. Got A-s from most teachers because they knew my work was original. My spelling certainly is.

    One of the Bush brothers is a lazy dyslexic.

    My grandfather was “word blind”. He was pulled out of school. Not dumb, he. He could use math to determine how much grain any silo could hold. He could fix any truck or car. Grandma read the newspaper out loud.

    I wasn’t diagnosed until I had my MA. We just learn to adapt, and some think we are cured. I can’t imagine being any other way.

    You probably know quiet a few dyslexics, undiagnosed.

  163. 163.

    redshirt

    Apropos of nothing, I just want to say this Pokemon Go thing kinda freaks me out and makes me worry for the future of our species. Also, to realize Buddha’s quest for Universal Enlightenment has been knocked back for millennia.

  164. 164.

    BR

    @jl:

    I think there was an opening for someone who could split the difference, or combine the best of both

    That would have been Warren, IMHO.

    About O’Malley, the one thing he did right is that he frequently talked about the difference between the parties, not just candidates. People vote based on party far more than on candidate, and it’s important to call out the differences.

  168. 168.

    jl

    @BR: I agree that O;Malley made some great points as a candidate. I admired the guy and wanted him to do better. But overall, I think he too often promised a lot more than he delivered in terms of ideas and proposals. Opinions may differ though.

  170. 170.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: It is the name of a book. The book itself is based on a passage of Buddhist scripture, for lack of a better term, though perhaps mythology or apocrypha might be better, that begins “Once upon a future time…” It relates the basis for Buddhist apocalypticism, such as it is – though that’s also really not a good term here either. The text deals with Maitreya, the future Buddha, and what must transpire for him to appear and for time and creation to reset. I was playing on words with your reference to the Buddha.
    https://www.amazon.com/Once-upon-Future-Time-Religions/dp/0895819260/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468733213&sr=1-3&keywords=Once+Upon+a+Future+Time

    Buddhist apocalypticism is probably better found in the Cakkavatti Sihananda Sutta/the Teaching on the Lion’s Roar on the Turning of the Wheel from the Sutta Pittaka/The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha.
    http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/36.10-Cakkavatti-Sihanada-S-d26-piya.pdf

  175. 175.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Uncle Cosmo: You mean the same way that the blah guy started confiscating their toys on 20 January 2009, and on 20 January 2013?

  177. 177.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @magurakurin: The horse race narrative must be protected at all costs. The Villagers long ago sacrificed whatever integrity they may have had just to get into the Kool Kids Klub, so that is not an issue.

  181. 181.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: Wrote my MA thesis in religion on apocalyptic movements that use violence to try to achieve their ends, which, interestingly enough, is the end of the world!

  186. 186.

    Adam L Silverman

    @redshirt: I don’t think I actually published anything out of it at all. There may be a conference paper, from that time period. I’ll have to check my presentations list. At one point I was doing at least one, if not two papers, at two to four conferences a year. That was from 97 through about 2007. Then again from 2009 through 2011. So I don’t actually recall all of them.

    I’ll look sometime tomorrow. If I forget, just give me a gentle nudge in a comment when you see me next. I’m getting ready to rack out. Been a long week. I’m just glad things seem quite tonight/this morning. Though I’ve probably just jinxed Sunday.

  190. 190.

    seaboogie

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    OTOH, NOLA, London, and Paris are the three cities I would go to at a moments notice. Because, duh.

    I have yet to fly over an ocean, but London and Paris are on my list when I should do. I drove through NOLA on my way from my brief stint in Miami to NorCal where I reside. I contend that the three iconic cities in the US are New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco (which I used to view from my window before I moved to Sonoma). Lots of rogue-ish-ness at the heart of all of them in their history, giving them unique character. Sadly, SF seems to be erasing said character in the tech boom and avocado toast faddishness.

  191. 191.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    @redshirt:

    So I never knew one of my favorite things in politics are progressive rednecks.

    You’d love northeast Minnesota (the Iron Range and everything north of Duluth). It’s populated by socialist rednecks, the descendants of Finnish communists that were exiled by the Tsar in the late 19th century. It’s a very different set of people than the Finns in northern Wisconsin and the U.P of Michigan.

  192. 192.

    ? Martin

    @redshirt: Pokemon Go is the modern version of walking your dog, when you don’t have a dog. You get out, get some exercise, meet people, and sometimes find interesting places.

  193. 193.

    Tissue Thin Pseudonym

    @? Martin: I have no interest in playing Pokemon Go, but the only problems I have with it are:

    1) the information sucking scams associated with it,
    2) they really need to do a better job of clearing it with property owners before they make something a hotspot or gym.

    Other than that, I have enough oddball hobbies (have I talked about women’s hockey lately?) that I don’t make public fun of anyone else’s. What I say in private usually stays private.

  195. 195.

    seaboogie

    @Adam L Silverman:

    I’ve dated two different dyslexic women and have several dyslexic friends.

    “Some of my best friends are…”

    Way to enter the pantheon of *domesticated pet minority* (?) Dyslexia!

    Just tweaking you, Adam – because the integrity of your character is consistently evident. Among my acquaintances is a woman who was diagnosed with dyslexia a week before her HS graduation. Can you imagine? Oh yeah – maybe that was why the last 12 years were so fucking hard?

    I’ve been on the website that shows you how dyslexics perceive the written word (which I crave like oxygen), and I was like – Holy Wow! – how do you navigate this world?

  196. 196.

    Barb2

    Passive Aggressive end of time sects. They are necessarily violent. They don’t carry weapons. Choose to be conscious objectors, medics generally. But they cheer on the war effort, yes indeed. Especially if the war zone is the middle east.

    They cheered Bush on. Some even believed GW Bush was an agent og god.

    We are fuck ed if someone from the end of time sects gets the keys to the white house.

    My Experimental Psych research paper was on Religiousosity. I grew up in an evangelical sect – so why not put some science into understanding what I escaped? I now think of these people as religiously imsane. Governor Pence is one of the R-insane personalities. He is dogmatic and wants to force his religion on others.

    Adam, where would this true believer, Pence fit in what you learn in the research for your MA thesis? He is already using his dogmatic religious believe to harm. The HIV epidemic in his state, for example.

    That there could be part of the plot for a thriller. You’ve done the research. Divide the books into parts and write in the word chunks you feel most comfortable with.

    More people would read a novel, based on facts then they would a work of non fiction.

  197. 197.

    Redshift

    @Formerly disgruntled Clinton supporter:

    Boring (Kaine, in his own words) or bold (Warren?)

    This bugs me a bit. Kaine is the boring choice because he’s a white male senator, but he’s not actually boring. He’s not Evan Bath. He’s an entertaining speaker, he’s funny, and he’s even a little quirky (much more so than our other senator.)

    There are much worse things for comedians to choose a running joke, so I shouldn’t complain, but when I see people (not here) say “Tim Kaine, bleah!”, I want to tell them to get a grip. There aren’t really any bad choices under serious consideration, and Kaine may be the best for an actual VP candidate, rather than a symbolic one.

  198. 198.

    jl

    Maybe I missed if someone posted the Dem convention speakers above. But seems like a new line-up out.

    Mon: Michelle Obama, Sanders and Astrid Silva
    Tue: Bill Clinton and the “Mothers of the Movement”
    Wed: Obama and Biden
    Thur: Hillary and Chelsea Clinton

    Democratic convention features party stars
    LISA LERER and KEN THOMAS,Associated Pres
    https://www.yahoo.com/news/democratic-convention-features-party-stars-175400496–election.html

    So, Warren was removed from first night?
    So, she is still possible VP? Or maybe she was put there to egg on Sanders into closing the deal (that I think was sketched out at their meeting a few weeks ago, BTW)?
    But, sadly, Michelle is speaking first night, so from what I read among the pundits that means Michelle won’t be on the ticket.
    I saw a profile of Kaine, and I didn’t think he was ‘boring’. I didn’t know he was so fluent in Spanish. I need to read up on Kaine’s history and policy positions now, dammit, before I make up my mind.

    I’m going to avoid the news for the GOP convention, and hope that no-one gets hurt. All the hilarious lowlights will be on youtube anyway. But the Democratic convention speeches will be worth watching.

  199. 199.

    Suzanne

    I really hope that it is not Kaine.

    About a year ago, I took a leadership seminar that I actually thought did not suck, as most of them do. This one emphasized that, rather than trying to get stronger at things you’re weak at, you should expend most of your energy further strengthening your strengths. I am coming around to this way of thinking.

    Kaine seems like a “balance” pick, aiming at trying to fill in gaps and attract the voters who aren’t that into her. Fuck that. I hope she doubles down on her strengths with her pick. I still think Cory Booker was a good pick, but any of the rest of them would be good. (I love the idea of Warren because FUCK DUDES, don’t act like being a woman is something that needs to be “balanced out”. How many tickets have we had that were both dudes? Oh right, ALL OF THEM except for two.) Kaine is fine but soooooooo typical for her.

    FWIW, this is why I think Trump did a bad picking Pence. So obviously trying to triangulate. He has had political success being crazy Trump and people love him for it. He just did the least Trumpy thing he could do, and he should own who he is. Picking Pence is soooooooo obviously calculating.

  200. 200.

    jl

    @Suzanne: I think there are several women who would be very good VP nominees, both for campaigning, and in developing tradition of a VP who actually does useful stuff to help the prez while VP, and would be good presidents if need be.

    If (edit: When) I run into retro-dudes who are troll-cerned about two women on the ticket, will be fun to laugh hilariously at them.

  201. 201.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Suzanne: He’s pandering to people he doesn’t really need to pander to. But then again, almost everything he does is meant to fire up the base. The problem is, it alienates the middle, which is why you’re supposed to “etch-a-sketch” between the last primary and the convention.

  202. 202.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @redshirt: If I had unlimited funds, and the Concorde was still flying, Paris.

    In reality? The Oregon coast.

  203. 203.

    Barb2

    @jl: Yes this:

    When I run into retro-dudes who are troll-cerned about two women on the ticket, will be fun to laugh hilariously at them.

  204. 204.

    Steeplejack

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Both are retired. Carter is 91, and the idea that Bill Clinton has another run for office in him is laughable. They are “elder statesmen,” but I take “politician” to mean holding office, potentially running for office or having some active and significant influence on the running of the party.

  205. 205.

    seaboogie

    @Suzanne:

    Picking Pence is soooooooo obviously calculating.

    I think you are giving Trump way too much credit. His “team” might be slightly semi-calculating, but the mathematics of strategery are not possible for Trump, for whom everything gets hazy and sound grows faint once the spotlight and mic not focused entirely on him.

  211. 211.

    Aimai

    @BR: thats pretty wrong. There are VERY few actual swing voters at this point who are choosing between parties. And of those swing votes a lot belong to the “i vote for the person, not the party” because they are prifoundly stupid. Both hillary and bernie fid a fine job of arguing that trump is emblematic of the party and that you cant have one without the other. A much better strategy.

  212. 212.

    Jeffro

    @Redshift:

    This bugs me a bit. Kaine is the boring choice because he’s a white male senator, but he’s not actually boring. He’s not Evan Bath. He’s an entertaining speaker, he’s funny, and he’s even a little quirky (much more so than our other senator.)

    There are much worse things for comedians to choose a running joke, so I shouldn’t complain, but when I see people (not here) say “Tim Kaine, bleah!”, I want to tell them to get a grip. There aren’t really any bad choices under serious consideration, and Kaine may be the best for an actual VP candidate, rather than a symbolic one.

    True: Kaine is funny, plain-spoken, and very likable!
    Also: Kaine is a) quite popular in VA (which is light blue, but still a ‘swing state’), b) speaks fluent Spanish, c) is considered strong on defense issues, and d) has been thoroughly vetted before by the O campaign.

    I understand all the other candidates’ good qualities, folks, but this would be a great pick

  213. 213.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @redshirt: Just FTR high summer in the Mid-Atlantic ain’t no picnic either. At 22 Michael Chabon came up with the perfect 3-word description for his debut novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh: Life on Venus.

  214. 214.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Adam L Silverman: Let me remind all & sundry of the best succinct description of the religious terrorist mind, a one-line poem by W. S. Merwin:

    SAVONAROLA

    Unable to endure my world and calling the failure God, I will destroy yours.

    From The Moving Target (1963)

  216. 216.

    SFAW

    @shomi:

    Good to see that you’ve moved on from your “Cole/mistermix/Doug/the-rest-of-the-FPers-all-fucking-SUCK!” schtick, and are now going after commenters.

    Of course, you couldn’t fucking figure out what Omnes actually said, so you got THAT going for you.

  218. 218.

    NotMax

    @Uncle Cosmo

    Merwin lives a score of miles down the road. Friend rents a cottage on his property (complete with outhouse and catchment basin for water).

  219. 219.

    Doug R

    @Adam L Silverman: Bill Clinton has been asked the question and he believes he couldn’t serve as VP due to the constitutional amendment limiting terms-too close to the succession. Jimmy Carter could serve, if he ended up as president he couldn’t run again.

  220. 220.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Doug R: Whether a term-limited former President could be VP depends on how you parse the constitutional language about eligibility for President vs. eligibility for being elected President. But it would be fairly dumb to tempt fate by trying to test it. In any event, any such person who succeeded to the office of President clearly couldn’t be reelected, which would be a disadvantage.

  223. 223.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Doug R: I wasn’t arguing one way or the other, just making the observation that that is how it would be interpreted by the 2nd Amendment absolutist crowd. I honestly don’t think Heller makes much difference either way. All Heller did was make explicit that individuals have a right to own a firearm for self defense within their own homes, but that Federal, state, and municipal governments could still reasonably regulate firearms and firearms usage. McDonald then incorporated the 2nd Amendment and the Heller interpretation to the states. While it is the first time it provides an explicit individual right to keep and bear arms, and to do so for self defense, the in the home component limits it. The 2nd Amendment absolutists would like to expand Heller to outside the home, and it will be interesting to see what, if they get the chance, they base this on. Given that the lower courts are basically ignoring Heller and McDonald anyway, the next likely Supreme Court action in regards to Heller is either putting their foot down and telling the lower courts to get in line with the ruling or overturning all or part of the ruling. I think people make far too much of Heller on both sides of the issue.

Comments are closed.