Trump: “I alone can fix this.”
Is this guy running for president or dictator? #RNCwithBernie— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 22, 2016
Good question, Bernie. I didn’t watch Trump’s speech live, but from viewing the highlights and reading the transcript, Trump’s Mussolini-class confidence in himself as the only cure to the country’s ills struck me too. This isn’t the way a believer in small “d” democracy thinks or behaves.
Of the many stupid and frankly crazy reactions Republicans have had toward President Obama’s public pronouncements, one of my least favorite has been their ransacking of speech transcripts to count the number of times the president said “I” or “me” — to demonstrate how uppity he is, I guess.
Think they’ll parse speeches for “I” and “me” now that they’ve nominated a clinically diagnosable narcissist as their standard-bearer? Nope. Trump is the arsonist selling fire protection. He sows chaos and anger to sell “law and order.”
But as clownish as the GOP convention was, and as dark, dystopian and distorted as Trump’s vision of America is, the Republicans will almost certainly get a bump in the polls from being the focus of a week’s worth of media coverage, much of it undeservedly positive.
Let’s try not to pee down our legs when that happens, okay? Instead, let’s work our asses off to keep Trump, his pack of parasitic kin and his legion of goons and henchmen away from the White House. Let’s keep in mind that we have a much better story to tell — and far better people to tell it.
I happen to think Hillary Clinton will be a great president. In the 25 years or so I’ve followed her career, our views on every issue haven’t always aligned. But she’s running a truly inclusive campaign that will build on the progress the Democratic Party has made under President Obama’s leadership.
And when Clinton speaks on policy, it’s readily apparent there’s a keen mind at work there — even if you don’t agree with a specific proposal. Contrast that with Trump, who possesses only the will to power and the cunning to advance his personal glorification in the handiest manner.
The Republicans told many lies during their convention, but one thing they said was true: This is now a binary choice — Trump or Clinton. After considering the four-day hate-fest in Cleveland, now more than ever, I’m with her.
Trentrunner
If you’re not watching, turn on Trump’s conference right now.
randy khan
Must I?
Amanda in the South Bay
On the plus side there’s very little time between conventions this year, which should help dampen Trumps bounce.
germy
@Trentrunner: Can you give us the key words?
oldster
“now more than ever, I’m with her.”
Seconded, co-signed, and agreed.
Trentrunner
Good God, what a grudge-holding thin-skinned bombastic dickhead: spent 5 minutes on Cruz the betrayer, Cruz whom he’ll form a super-pac to beat, how National Enquirer published the JFK-assassination story, adverted to Kasich’s non-attendance.
Pence was over Trump’s shoulder white-knuckling it because it was cray-cray.
Mike J
@Trentrunner: Is he dropping out of the race? If not, I can skip it.
Trentrunner
CNN is covering it as “Trump won’t let go of the past.”
Kay
Actual state lawmaker in Ohio believes someone is bringing “millions” of Syrian refugees here.
This particular lawmaker chairs the education committee. Trump can say anything to them. It just becomes true.
Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap
Anybody have the word cloud to compare against the, oh so selfish, speech Obama gave in 2008. You remember that meme don’t you? Why, all he did was talk about himself.
Scout211
Will she pick Kaine or Perez today? Or someone further down the list?
Any guesses?
gogol's wife
Please get rid of the autoplay audio ads.
Kay
@Scout211:
I’ll guess. Kaine.
Iowa Old Lady
To my shame, it only dawned on me today that the D convention is next week. I thought there was a week in between. OK then. I’m ready. I hope it’s a stark contrast to the Rs.
ruemara
@Trentrunner: no.
raven
@srv: Get the fuck out of here you scumbag motherfucker.
Betty Cracker
@Scout211: My guess is Kaine, but I am still Team Tom!
gogol's wife
@raven:
Thank you, raven.
Elizabelle
I’m with her, II.
And with Tim Kaine. Or Thomas Perez. I am with Team Democrat.
Now, for a nap.
gogol's wife
Repeated from downthread: when your “liberal” friends start talking about Hillary’s e-mail, remind them that it’s our job to spread positivity about the candidate who’s going to save us from fascism.
Scout211
@Betty Cracker:
@Kay:
My guess as well, but I am holding out hope for Perez.
Splitting Image
I don’t know whether Clinton will be a “great” President, but as in 2008, I’ll settle for “decent to good” and give the eventual winner some room to breathe. Obama has exceeded my expectations quite admirably, and Clinton may do so as well. At least this campaign proved she can learn from her mistakes, which is more than you can say for Trump.
burnspbesq
@Scout211:
My wild-ass guess is Hickenlooper. He has a good track record, no enemies to speak of, and he moves Colorado from battleground to solidly Dem.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I doubt Trump knows he’s trolling CNN. I wonder if the people who hired him at CNN get that. I’d be willing to bet Wolf Blitzer does not get that.
Archon
@srv:
That’s what make you guys so dangerous.
Anoniminous
@srv:
Since Trump absolutely has to take Ohio and Clinton doesn’t what that means is Trump is in deep trouble in Ohio.
You ignorant fucking shitbag.
burnspbesq
@srv:
Go home, Chicken Little. We got this. By “we,” I mean the folks with bladder control and the ability to tell the difference between signal and noise.
Major Major Major Major
@Kay: that’s not a new one. Trump definitely plucked it from the fever swamps.
jeffreyw
I have been aggressively ignoring politics during the convention. Can anyone ID these eggs? Small brown bird, haven’t had a good look. The green “berry” next to the finger is about the size of a peanut M&M.
scav
@gogol’s wife: srv is indeed one of the more annoying autoplay ads, but Cole and banning . . .
Villago Delenda Est
Businesses are very rarely run like a democracy. They’re usually outright dictatorships. Even poorly run ones, like the Drumpf empire which has serious cash flow problems.
randy khan
The key point to watch in the polls is whether Trump gets a bump or not. No bump, he’s dead.
misterpuff
If we are going all Weimar Republic, then we need the Social Democrats to be fighting with the Socilists/Communists and divide the opposition to the Fascists.
But Bernie is with Her now. We are united!
Praying its true/
Villago Delenda Est
@srv: Keep dreaming your dream, just like the vermin of the Village are, dipshit.
Just One More Canuck
@Scout211: Who else could it be but Baud?
gogol's wife
@misterpuff:
I’m hoping for strong speeches by Warren, Obama, and Sanders to help.
Felonius Monk
@raven:
Why are you always so fucking polite to this mofo? :-)
joes527
What I would love to see next week would be an opening speaker that referred to the mess in Cleveland, and Hillary on the last night drawing the contrasts between the options, but between the opener and the closer have noting but positive speeches about what the Democrats can do rather than how bad Trump is. Embargo even mentioning Trump between the opening speech and Hillary’s close*
It might seem like a missed opportunity to spend a week snipping at Trump’s heels, but if the D’s could keep next week overpoweringly positive, the contrast between the conventions as a whole would be unavoidable, even for our failed media.
* you know _nothing_ would drive hime crazier than being ignored.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Verily, the gods of chaos are taking over
if nothing else, he’s likely to hang a lantern on Trump that even Wolf Blitzer will find it hard not to see
Villago Delenda Est
@srv: If we’ve been effectively under a dictator for 8 years now, how is it that you’re not in a FEMA camp at this moment?
schrodinger's cat
@jeffreyw: How are the new puppeh and house kitteh relations?
Kay
@Scout211:
I love Perez but he’s probably not really qualified to be President. He’d have to do a lot more than labor rights and voting rights. I’d prefer a current or former governor over just about anyone.
I don’t think the VP matters that much politically so I personally would go with “prepared”.
cokane
@Splitting Image: I think she’ll be a good prez, mainly because of experience. But man, I wish she was a better candidate. Hopefully the convention can bring out some positive policy platform, I feel like the Dems have nothing near as concrete as HCR was in 08 — it’s almost all just anti-Trump.
MattF
@burnspbesq: Has there ever been a four-syllable Vice President?
Villago Delenda Est
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Leslie Blitzer is a mimbo.
lgerard
@Tilda Swinton’s Bald Cap:
Remember when wingnuts used to count the “I” and “me” references in Obama’s speeches and claim that he was a narcissist.
That criticism is no longer operative.
cokane
@Villago Delenda Est: Seriously, I was promised anti-white pogroms
Smiling Mortician
@joes527:
He’d have to be out front in order for the Dems to snip at his heels. He’s not. And he won’t be.
Amir Khalid
I don’t have a particular favourite among the names mentioned for Hillary’s VP pick, but it seems to me that she has the luxury of a shortlist devoid of bad choices. I’ve felt all along that she should pick a VP, someone who will play a significant and positive role in her administration over four or eight years, rather than a mere running mate of use only in the election. I’m confident she will do just that.
Calouste
@MattF: Eisenhower
jeffreyw
@schrodinger’s cat: Puppeh v Kitteh is so far unchanged from initial “get the fuck back or I’ll cut you”. Katie may be warming to him but that may be wishful thinking on our part.
Baud
@Just One More Canuck: Only if Hillary votes her conscience.
Baud
@Calouste: That’s why they called him Ike.
ETA: Oops. We’re talking about Veeps.
Peale
@Trentrunner: LOL. That’s fine. Please continue to run against Cruz and Kaisch.
Baud
@Amir Khalid: I feel the same.
FlipYrWhig
@cokane:
That’s totally, utterly false.
SiubhanDuinne
@MattF:
Rockefeller.
dmsilev
@lgerard: Remember the whining about the Greek columns flanking the stage at Obama’s acceptance speech in 2008? Any guesses whether the same idiots are complaining about Trump putting his name up in 50 foot letters over his head as he spoke last night?
SiubhanDuinne
@Calouste:
Ike was never Veep.
Baud
Baud! is one syllable.
ETA: Unless you add the umlaut.
Kay
@Scout211:
I’m cranky about “qualifications” right now because I feel we have hit bottom with Mr. Trump and must immediately raise the bar, up to and including perhaps an exam with essays. Why don’t talented newer Democrats ever run for governor, anyway? We’re like The Presidential Party or something. Governor of Maryland? That’s where Perez lives.
charluckles
“I happen to think Hillary Clinton will be a great president. In the 25 years or so I’ve followed her career, our views on every issue haven’t always aligned. But she’s running a truly inclusive campaign that will build on the progress the Democratic Party has made under President Obama’s leadership.”
This, this, and this again. We should be shouting this from the rooftops. The kind of negativity and fear Trump is selling is not going to fly in this face of an optimistic positive campaign about our candidate and our future.
SiubhanDuinne
@dmsilev:
I thought that was photoshopped. Are you seriously saying that was the set? (I listened to the speech, didn’t watch more than a couple of minutes, only saw stills of the giant golden T R U M P.)
Dadadadadadada
@Calouste: was never Vice President.
ETA: I see I was beaten to this.
MattF
@SiubhanDuinne: Ah. Good one.
lgerard
@dmsilev:
We all burst out laughing when we saw the stage. I’m amazed that no one in the RNC could explain to him how tacky and over the top the stage was.
All those jokes about how he was going to remodel that White House now seem kind of tame
jeffreyw
Mmm… Peaches and Cream Cheese Danish
cokane
@FlipYrWhig: Ok? What major legislative policy would a Clinton presidency pass that’s on the level of the ACA?
CONGRATULATIONS!
Bernie’s so cute when he’s disingenuous. Dictator, of course.
Same job Bernie was running for. He sure didn’t have a plan for including the judicial or legislative branches in his Four-Year Plans.
Dadadadadadada
@SiubhanDuinne: That was the set, though I don’t remember seeing him actually standing in front of his name like that. At worst, the content of the video board was photoshopped into an actual image taken during the speech.
FlipYrWhig
@Kay: Kaine has been mayor, lt. governor, governor, and senator.
dmsilev
@SiubhanDuinne: No, it was real. He had TRUMP displayed on that big video wall at the back of the stage, along with what looked like roughly 50 American flags.
FlipYrWhig
@cokane: I don’t know if it would _pass_ but I expect a big push for daycare, which would be huge.
SiubhanDuinne
@MattF:
He was the only one I could think of off the top of my head, but it started me wondering so I checked Wikipedia’s list of US VPs. Sure enough, in our entire history, he’s the only Vice President we’ve ever had with a four-syllable surname.
Peale
@dmsilev: I really need to save that image. Because the Conventional Wisdom is that the Republican convention was great because it was spontaneous and not overly scripted. When they start complaining about how Hillz is overly stage-managed and not “spontaneous” (she’s just so cold!), I want to bring out that Trump photo.
Dadadadadadada
@lgerard: Anyone who tried to explain any such thing to him would have been fired and sued. And anyone that had enough brains to realize how awful the set was, or enough guts to tell that to the Fuhrer’s face, left this campaign, or this party, for that matter (or never joined it in the first place), a long, long time ago.
joes527
@FlipYrWhig: Last night it sounded like Ivanka was positioning herself to be Hillary’s appointee to head this one up.
SiubhanDuinne
@dmsilev:
Well, that is just amazing. I really thought it was some clever ‘shopper doing a visual riff on that iconic Citizen Kane image.
cokane
@FlipYrWhig: sure, assuming a Dem congress, I meant to include
Cermet
With AGW apparently beginning to even be felt in the US of amerika, over and the what the terrible effects are causing in the middle east, this election is our last chance to begin to get serious or suffer all the full fury of well above 2 C average earth temp increase. Anyone who sits this one out isn’t concerned for the future and might as well start on their dirt nap.
Dadadadadadada
@cokane: A constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United? Sweeping criminal-justice reform? Restoration of the Voting Rights Act? There are several other possibilities.
Central Planning
@jeffreyw: Song thrush? Here’s a picture of the eggs
Uncle Cosmo
@srv:
Go fuck yourself with a rusty chainsaw, you turd badly kneaded by a stumpfingered hand into a vaguely humanoid shape.
Villago Delenda Est
@Baud: “They were saying Boo-aud, sir.”
Peale
@Kay: I don’t know. I was chatting with a few folks who think she needs to be flashier with her pick. They weren’t amused with Kaine. They would like Lin-Manuel Miranda to write her acceptance speech as a pop-rap and think Leslie Jones would be a game changer VP pick.
FlipYrWhig
@Peale:
Where have you seen this conventional wisdom? My sense — and I concede I’m not taking a wide sampling — is that many-to-most of the watchers found it to be a disorganized muddle that embarrassed a lot of the people who were supposed to have been inspired. And that’s not even taking into account the dark, bleak tone of so many of the speeches.
catclub
@SiubhanDuinne: I thought photoshop, too, but it was the projection on the jumbotron.
I am sure Trump approved it.
Mai.naem.mobile
I dont mind Kaine but I think its short sighted thinking. I think theyre figuring Terry Mac appoints the replacement and they have another Clintonista in the Senate but theres no guarantee the replacement wins.relection in an off year. I really wish she would go with Perez.
FlipYrWhig
@Mai.naem.mobile: How about Perez moves to Virginia and then runs for Senate?
Peale
@Baud: Bäud – wouldn’t that rhyme with void or roid?
raven
there’s no guarantee anything
scav
T R U M P
A candidate where only one-third of the U.S.A. is included and gets central billing.
cokane
@FlipYrWhig: But I don’t see that as being nearly equivalent. I mean, ACA dropped uninsured rates by ~6%, which is about 19 million or so people and lord knows how many got savings, the law’s effect could arguably ripple to help 100+ million americans
Baud
@FlipYrWhig: That’s the media spin.
catclub
@cokane: ask again when there is a chance she will have Democratic majorities in both houses.
Otherwise, blocking the GOP house from doing stupid things is as much as we can ask for.
Major Major Major Major
@cokane: you could always flip through the white papers on her website.
joes527
@Dadadadadadada: Unless the D’s take the house and senate (extremely unlikely) Hillary will be fighting a holding action. As long as the House refuses to do anything other than repeal the ACA, any president’s options are going to be limited.
MuckJagger
@srv: You could have just said “derp” and saved yourself a lot of typing.
Baud
@cokane:
I don’t think it’s wise to go with a massive single program. People are a little exhausted with the ACA fight.
Betty Cracker
@Uncle Cosmo: LMAO! Well done!
catclub
@FlipYrWhig:
Not exactly outreach to people who do not yet fully back Trump and the GOP.
ET
I saw something NBC that says David Duke was running to fill the seat vacated by Vitter. Thanks Trump.
SiubhanDuinne
@catclub:
FlipYrWhig
@cokane: I dunno, there are _a lot_ of women being held back personally, professionally, and psychologically by lack of affordable childcare options: childcare can devour a whole middle-class salary. I think it’s the big missing piece in the social welfare state in the USA, and Hillary Clinton is one of the people with the most moral authority to push for it.
Baud
Kevin Drum
Could be us if resentment prevails over good sense.
Glennis
Nor do I think they’ll make any more “doric columns” reference to Obama’s speech in Denver. Not after getting a load of that stage set in Cleveland.
CarolDuhart2
The Reuters Picture
FlipYrWhig
@Baud: The media spin is that it was an embarrassment. Whose spin is that it was entertainingly spontaneous? I haven’t seen that anywhere.
lgerard
@SiubhanDuinne:
I read an AP article that said that crews worked all day Thursday to change the stage from silver to “Trump Gold”
Ian
@Kay:
I love Perez but he’s probably not really qualified to be President
Baud
@FlipYrWhig:
I heard it on MSNBC. I’m not saying it’s the dominant spin, but it’s out there.
SiubhanDuinne
@Betty Cracker:
Betty, are you still planning to go to Hillary’s VP announcement? I know she’s speaking in Tampa this afternoon, but I doubt she’ll announce until tomorrow, maybe in Orlando? How much lead time do they give to balance the element of surprise with the desirability of a big crowd, security with travel time, etc.?
Anyhow, if you expect to be there, I do hope you’re planning to live-blog the event.
ETA: Also, been meaning to ask, what kind of tat did your newly-adult daughter get?
Ian
FYWP
Felonius Monk
Ted Cruz is firmly entrenched under Trump’s skin. Nice job Teddy.
Glennis
@srv: Are you insane?
FlipYrWhig
@Baud: I have to assume it was on the order of “Well THAT was a hell of a thing to witness first-hand.” I haven’t seen anyone say that it was a triumph or a showcase for the party’s beliefs and energies. But I haven’t gone out of my way to look, either.
Matt McIrvin
@catclub:
This is actually more likely than you might think.
catclub
@Trentrunner:
Not just cray-cray, but even worse, stepping on the message you want to get out. Pence is dumb, but he knows to stay on message.
catclub
@Glennis: Just don’t feed the troll, please.
cokane
@FlipYrWhig: I’m not denying that. But HC was both an issue that affected everyone and a major looming liability in the federal balance sheet. It was also something Dems could be 99% certain was going to pass if they won sufficiently in the leg. I havent followed the campaign as closely this time, but I haven’t seen an agenda I can be confident about in the same way
catclub
@Peale: I was hoping for Ba-uuud!
SiubhanDuinne
@lgerard:
One of the bits in Ivanka’s speech that just didn’t ring true was when she referred to her father writing notes with his black felt-tipped pen.
Everybody knows Donald J. Trump uses only gold metallic Sharpies. Classy!
low-tech cyclist
Remember how the wingnuts would go on about this notion that we Obama supporters regarded him as “the One” or some such?
I’d occasionally point out that Nixon’s 1968 slogan was “Nixon’s the One.”
But now we have Trump’s “I alone can fix this.”
Guess it’s OK for a Presidential candidate to be The One, as long as it’s their ‘One.’
bemused
The rightwingers would have been howling with outrage if Hillary or Obama had said “I alone can fix this”.
catclub
@Matt McIrvin: I would be happy to be surprised.
Felonius Monk
@srv: Hey, srv. Are you ready for the Trumpocalypse? Be afraid, be very afraid.
sukabi
@dmsilev: now be fair. Those yuuuuge letters were for the short sighted lemmings so they could follow their leader right off the cliff.
Kay
@Ian:
I actually think a state legislature is good, solid experience. I also want Democrats to stop focusing on the federal so much. You really want to do something groundbreaking on criminal justice, for example? Reform a state system.
Peale
@Kay: I kind of agree. And I would prefer a governor. We’ve had nothing but current and former Senators at the top of the ticket since 1996. The problem is, I’m not really all that fond of the experience obtained through the world’s foremost deliberative body. I know Gore was a VP and Clinton was SoS, but I really would prefer to highlight some other kind of background.
Percysowner
@gogol’s wife: Use Flashblock combined with and ad blocker (I use UBlock) then donate to Cole using the donate button. No autoplay ads, and you’re still supporting him.
cokane
@Kay: This is an excellent point that alot of folks miss. TBH not much criminal justice reform can happen federally
Matt McIrvin
@catclub: Weirdly, Sam Wang’s current models have a Democratic House takeover as the more likely of the two.
catclub
@bemused: ‘Forward together’ should be regularly contrasted with ‘I alone can fix this.’
El Caganer
@Peale: Unfortunately the Libertarians are the only ones currently running an ex-governor ticket.
burnspbesq
@cokane:
Full-cost-of-attendance Pell Grants (i.e., free college) would be a BFD.
Betty Cracker
@SiubhanDuinne: We’re going to the rally later today — getting excited about it! I’ve heard Clinton WILL announce the VP pick here, but maybe that’s just the local HFA org being overenthusiastic. I’ll live-blog it if the situation is conducive to that, but no promises! :)
The kidult got an abstract design tat. I’m not a tattoo fan, but I have to admit it’s kind of pretty — it reminds me of Indian henna art. And she got it high enough on the shoulder that it won’t show unless she’s wearing a sleeveless top. Whew!
Dadadadadadada
@MuckJagger: “I’m stealing that.” -M. Trump.
Ella in New Mexico
@srv:
Only 8 years with “Czars”, executive orders and edicts? Surely you fucking jest. Or do you think you’re just hanging out with the Trump voter crowd that has absolutely no memory of history?
cokane
@Ella in New Mexico: And we can be sure Trump will restrain himself from using executive orders
Gelfling 545
@srv: You forgot to add “sheeple”. Not official without that designation.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Glennis:
Yes.
Peale
@El Caganer: It doesn’t matter what other parties do. I won’t be voting for Gary Johnson unless he somehow is the candidate of pot legalization and expansion of the welfare state, which isn’t really all that likely.
I’m trying to imagine VP picks that might make me reconsider voting for Hillary. Rahm Emmanuel. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Zell Miller…come to mind.
SiubhanDuinne
@Betty Cracker:
Whether or not she announces today, I hope you have a great time! And if you can’t live-blog, take lots of pictures and tell us all about it later.
Tat sounds good.
Old Broad in California
I wonder how much of a fund raising boost HRC got from that GOP convention.
VOR
@Anoniminous: Trump’s campaign manager, Manefort (sp??), said on MSNBC yesterday that Trump didn’t need to win Ohio. They were going to win Pennsylvania and New Jersey, maybe 48 states. The former McCain aide (Steve Schmidt?) on their panel right after the interview was flatly dismissive of Trump winning New Jersey.
Jim Parish
On the first-person pronoun accusations against Obama: people who have actually checked and compared his usage of first-person singular pronouns to that of his immediate predecessors found that it is at most middle of the pack when compared to his immediate predecessors. (Go to Language Log and search on “obama pronouns”.)
catclub
@Trentrunner:
Good catch, apparently quite the doozy.
debit
@FlipYrWhig: I have had two people this morning, two people I ordinarily find pleasant and moderately thoughtful, tell me they loved Trump’s rant last night. “He tells it like it is! He wants to keep us safe!” When I asked what he would keep us safe from, I got a mumbled non answer that I’m afraid translated to “black people.” Sigh.
Ella in New Mexico
@srv
Read the whole article, headcase.
nonynony
@Kay:
THIS^^^^^
Did you know that Republicans control 23 state governments at all levels? As in they control the governor and both legislative houses in 23 states (and, frankly, in most of those states they effectively control their Supreme Courts as well, even if the courts in those states are supposedly “non partisan”). In contrast, Dems control only 7 in the same way.
If you want to know why the Republicans kick our asses in every midterm election and can control the House of Representatives consistently over the last 20 year span, you don’t have to look any farther than that. If you want to win federal elections you have to be able to win statewide elections.
Trentrunner
@Peale: Joe Lieberman. AND EVEN THEN, I’d hold my nose and vote for HRC.
catclub
@VOR:
Giving up already on Hawaii and Massachusetts, eh.
I have not begun to hallucinate!
Blueskies
I’ve missed some things. How did the RNC and Trump fundraising numbers come out? Also, did anyone in the press ask Trump in the last 10 days or so when he is releasing his tax returns? Finally, how did the judge rule — are the Trump U court case transcripts going to be made available?
nonynony
@Ella in New Mexico: srv is trolling. That’s why they quote without links and selectively blockquote.
When you respond to srv you are giving them exactly what they want – attention. And the warm happy feeling that srv gets when a liberal on BJ gets pissed off.
Ruckus
@cokane:
The only reason she’s not a good candidate is that she has been under the gop shit gun for the last 25 yrs and people on her side accept the premise. IOW I don’t accept that she is a bad candidate. I do consider that she ran a crap campaign in 2008, and she didn’t come far from winning. But she brings it. Is she the most dynamic speaker you’ve ever heard? Maybe not, but I’m not hiring her for her speaking abilities. You say she will make a fine president, then she must make a good candidate because that’s what is important, that she can do the actual job, not the one we keep in our heads.
The Ancient Randonneur
A presidential candidate (guess which one) publicly stated that he thinks the National Enquirer should win a Pulitzer for breaking the story on the Cruz JFK assassination link.
Let that sink in.
pseudonymous in nc
@Kay:
Or the Federal Party. Because they look at mid-terms and think “ugh?” Because they look at gerrymandered state legislatures and think “ugh?” Because state Dem parties are too hidebound by seniority and end up putting forward competent administrators who aren’t so great at campaigning?
It’s a problem.
NC’s going to be a good test: Roy Cooper is probably the best possible candidate the Dems could have against McCrony, and that race (like the presidential race) is tied tied tied right now. It’s up to Cooper to make the obvious case that with little chance of removing GOP control of a legislature that’s busy fucking over the economic engines of the state (NBA/HB2) there needs to be a governor who’ll veto shit.
glory b
@debit: Black people = not surprised.
Gelfling 545
@FlipYrWhig: Social welfare programs in the US are a piecemeal, on again, off again, roller coaster of a hot mess which might keep you from starvation & homelessness ( though not necessarily, especially if you are male) with a LOT of missing pieces if the goal is to really assist people to move ahead instead of just shut them up.
karen marie
@jeffreyw: It’s so much fun watching a developing relationship! It sounds like kitteh has things well under control. My cat was delighted to discover early on that her puppy is terrified of cardboard. All she has to do to have the dog leave her alone is sit in a low-sided box.
Ruckus
@Glennis:
You even had to ask?
Iowa Old Lady
@Kay: My BIL from upstate NY just said the same thing this morning. He prefers a governor. He’s informed about politics but not obsessed by it. I’m thinking he may reflect how similar D voters think.
Jim Parish
@Glennis: Just remember, those were Bob Flutie’s last words before he was eaten by hyena-possessed students.
Matt McIrvin
@Peale:
If Hillary Clinton announced tomorrow that she was quitting the race and the Democratic Party was appointing Mitt Romney as her replacement, I would vote for him.
Gelfling 545
@SiubhanDuinne: What do you think the chances are that the Trump offspring ever saw their father for anything other than ceremonial occasions while growing up?
karen marie
@Baud: Rachel Maddow was also “just throwing out the question: is this our next political dynasty?” I am gob smacked that she would normalize these abhorrent people because they “sound better than professional politicians” reading words written for them by someone else. “Leftwing media” my ass.
sukabi
@Gelfling 545: except for Ivanka, and the occasional beating and or denigrating I’d say thats probably true.
Dude’s got an unhealthy “thing” for Ivanka….
She has learned how to take advantage of an opportunity though… tweeting about how to get her “look” from last nights convention…
sukabi
@karen marie: pretty sure that exposure to both the “political class” and the washington media causes brain damage, or they slip “compliance” drugs into the water at the networks. Any other explanations out there on why Rachel would try and normalize this fucking mess?
catclub
@The Ancient Randonneur: The other thing to sink in: Donald Trump thinks the National Inquirer is a newspaper, and is probably the first one he reads each morning.
catclub
@pseudonymous in nc:
Mississippi and Virginia vote for governor in odd numbered years – mid-term electorates are too liberal for them.
gvg
@burnspbesq:
Never happen and much more complicated than most realize. I am a University Financial Aid Counselor and have been for 22 years. The first problem that jumps out at me is the huge differences in cost of attendance at different schools and in different states. There is very little logic in the differences but it arises from each states different history in both finance and and government support. For example tuition at the University of Florida for undergrad in state is around 6300 per year and cost total (includes living costs room board books transportation and health care) is estimated at 20590. out of state estimates total 42868. A private school such as Rollins College on campus $67,220 or living at home $52,682 or University of Miami around $65000. SUNY (new York is around $24000 in state and 34000 out. Different states have huge differences in costs even if they are right next door and the totals are huge. Private schools are usually even higher. The costs aren’t just the tuition which is what most people think about at first, its the living. Think of it as having to pay for a second home and utilities and food. Pell isn’t currently even 6000. Community colleges are cheaper are we going to require students go to the cheaper places? Some private schools are total rip offs and will just raise tuition to get more, how do we stop that?
Bigger grants and more of them would help a lot but it woud be a huge boondoggle to suddenly offer everyone grants that bog. Plus I don’t think there are actually enough schools to fill the demand if there was reason for many more to go to school.
The programs we have have been built on the experience of decades and pretty much work, they just aren’t adequate because funding has been so bad. I would just up the amounts significantly. Oh and quit selling federal loans to private servicers. they suck.
different-church-lady
You’re asking me to stop being a liberal?
Aimai
@cokane: such a dumb metric.
jonas
@burnspbesq: The feds could take money they make on conventional student loans and put it towards funding full cost Pell grants for the lowest income students.
MCA1
@Matt McIrvin: Seriously. There literally is not a loathsome enough person in America that if she put them up for VP it would make me even reconsider my vote. GWB, Roger Ailes, OJ Simpson, it doesn’t matter.
Enhanced Voting Techinques
Apparently Trump isn’t content to undo the results of the Cival War, sounds like he wants to undo the American Revolution too.
J R in WV
@jeffreyw:
Jeffrey,
Where was the nest located? Neighbor biologist asks for more data.
Tom65
Not so far. Even Fox is having a hard time passing this turd.
wmd
Likely this has been said already, but down ticket races need us a lot. Hillary should win easily in spite of her negatives, because the alternative really is going to shoot your dog.
let’s get a Congress elected that will move policy in the right direction – and that will stop any belligerent actions coming from the White House.
Jacel
Remember how Bob Dole rarely said “I” or “me”? He’d just keep saying “Bob Dole” each time.
pluky
@cokane: A massive infrastructural upgrade project. That would have the additional benefit of providing lots of blue collar jobs. I’m not talking just roads and bridges here. Public access broad band, green space construction, high speed rail. And yes, tax the hell out of the vampire squids to pay for it.
workworkwork
@burnspbesq: As a Colorado citizen, I’m concerned that his replacement will be another one of those nut-bag wing nuts that seem to spring up like mushrooms around here.
Also, as shallow and petty as it may seem, the Repubs will make his surname and the fact that he owns a brew pub a campaign issue.