Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

It could be worse. Vance could have said “post-menopausal sows.” Waiting for that audiotape to surface.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

I am pretty sure Katy Tur wasn’t always such a bootlicking sycophant.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

“But what about the lurkers?”

The willow is too close to the house.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

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

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

The choice is between normal and crazy.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

Even though I know this is a bad idea, I’m off to do it anyway!

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

The US Supreme Court is on the ballot in november.

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

You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2016 / Open Thread: Livestreaming President Obama

Reader Interactions

619Comments

  2. 2.

    Trentrunner

    Twitter: “Joe Biden is so good, he makes you wanna give old white men another chance.”

    Trump is strangely silent on Twittter…

  5. 5.

    Anoniminous

    This is a classic Democratic political convention. First night shore-up the Left Wing. Second night Party Unity. Third night pivot to the middle.

  9. 9.

    sigaba

    @Anoniminous:

    First night shore-up the Left Wing. Second night Party Unity. Third night pivot to the middle.

    Yeah and some people won’t let us forget it :)

    I’m gonna try to get on the California delegation in 2020. I’m announcing now.

  11. 11.

    PaulWartenberg2016

    There’s a reason why Democratic speakers are so good and effective this week compared to last week’s lame offerings by Republicans:

    Democrats are offering a positive and focused message of fixing and improving and winning. Republicans are attacking, despairing, belittling others, spreading fear for the sake of driving voters away or whimpering in fear for a strongman to save them.

    Biden’s speech may have taken time to shred Trump into a million pieces, but he also took the time to speak positively of America, of our nation’s standing among allies, of our ability to fight for good causes and be there at the finish line. Damn inspirational speech there.

  14. 14.

    hovercraft

    Reposted from downstairs. Per Anderson Cooper

    Trump just requested a waiver to get an additional 76 visa’s for low wage workers for his properties in Florida because he can’t find American workers. It just went over the wires.
    Talk about perfect timing, and being tone deaf.

  15. 15.

    rikyrah

    Mikki KendallVerified account
    ‏@Karnythia
    Joe hasn’t got a fuck to give or a damned thing to lose. He’s going to drag Trump & Pence like they owe him money for 3 months.

  19. 19.

    rikyrah

    Al Giordano
    ‏@AlGiordano
    Just remember everybody, it’s @normansolomon in the CA delegation whipping up all the heckling. Never let him in the coalition again.

  24. 24.

    Mister Papercut

    @Ben:

    As both a Richmonder and a Virginian, trust me, you will love Tim Kaine.

    Chester here, and so help me, if the ‘Busters interrupt him there’ll be no dealing with me.

  27. 27.

    Anoniminous

    @sigaba:

    From my perspective we’ve got a great platform.

    Now we have to elect people to implement it. That means building a coalition to re-take the House and Senate. We can’t do that without getting some of the Middle … which Trump is conveniently leaving wide open for us to take.

  28. 28.

    Quinerly

    This is rocking. I’m crying at his walk out. Relaxed, happy Kaine! I adore this man.

  32. 32.

    Citizen_X

    @dmsilev:

    Also, I suspect someone has pulled the battery out of his phone.

    Uh-uh, no way. Nobody puts babyfingers in a corner!

  34. 34.

    JPL

    NYTimes is saying that Bloomberg is the first to mention the word sane and it was not in his embargoed remarks,

  37. 37.

    guachi

    Nope.

    Sherrod didn’t speak today. I’ve tracked every speaker and he didn’t speak.

    Kaine’s nomination was earlier today during boring time.

  38. 38.

    Mary G

    I want to listen to Tim, but all I can think of is how loud the place is going to be when POTUS comes out.

  40. 40.

    donnah

    Restating the obvious, but this Democratic convention has managed to wash away everything rotten and ugly that was shown in the Republican convention while still keeping its hands clean. The spirit is more cohesive, positive, uplifting and inclusive than any single moment of the Republicans’. Biden moved me to tears, Kaine is down home honesty in the flesh, and the mood in the hall seems exuberant and charged.

    Proud to be a Democrat, ready to vote for Hillary.

  42. 42.

    Troublesome Carp fka Geeno

    I like him – he’s got a very down to earth delivery – with a political savvy behind it.

  50. 50.

    ? Martin

    Apologies on Politico link:

    Sources within and close to both the Clinton camp and the committee’s leadership say a top-to-bottom revamp is likely, with an eye trained on winning elections ahead of the 2021 redistricting fights.

    “What has to happen now is the DNC has to reinvent the Democratic Party around both the electorate and the tools we have today,” said Simon Rosenberg, the head of the NDN think tank, who ran for the DNC chairmanship in 2005. “The party has to go through a sustained period of modernization and reinvention. It can’t keep doing what it’s been doing, because below the presidential level we have had far more losses than were necessary.”

    Another point of consideration beyond the USSC appointments, being the incumbent going into the 2020 elections where the next round of redistricting will take place. This is a big opportunity for Dems if they can build on these strengths.

  55. 55.

    Keith P.

    Not a great speaker, that Tim Kaine. He’s a regular guy, but I’m kind of surprised he has such a deep political resume. Very likeable, though. And he’s got a Jesuit background, so he’s got intellectual heft.

  57. 57.

    Anoniminous

    Good folksy speech. Hitting all the main themes.

    Tho’ if he mentions apple pie I’m gonna barf

  59. 59.

    cmorenc

    Having to watch 3rd night of DNC @relative’s house on Fox – which is like being transported to a bizarre-o world, compared to watching the first two nights on CNN and listening to CNN on the 3 1/2 hour trip from home to their place. Fox is pulling out all the stops to keep their audience in a bubble, filling every moment in-between the three marquis speakers (Biden, Kaine, Obama) with counter-programming GOP propaganda – and didn’t show so much as a word of Bloomberg’s speech.

  60. 60.

    ? Martin

    @dmsilev: If you want to keep those bay area democrats in line, just chasing them with a white-label hot dog will do it. No need for physical violence.

  61. 61.

    Trentrunner

    LOL tonight’s leaked DNC voicemails feature Dems calling the DNC to complain that Bernie Sanders is “being coddled” by the DNC.

    Could it be BJers?

  68. 68.

    dmsilev

    He described meeting and marrying his wife in about as many seconds as Bill Clinton used minutes.

  69. 69.

    Baud

    They seem to have decided to use this time to introduce Kaine to indies rather than as an attack dog against Trump.

  70. 70.

    Kay

    @guachi:

    Sherrod Brown isn’t a very good speaker. It just isn’t his thing. He’s a terrible debater too. He’s great in a small room though.

  71. 71.

    Old Dan and Little Anne

    My wife and I proudly went to bed last night after realizing my sisters’s brother and law unfriended the both of us on FB because we overwhelmed him and his moronic friends in a typical pro-trump comment thread. I usually stay out of his bullshit but he recently brought up abortion when she was discussing union rights. Fucking insane, these people. Tonight’s been great. Can’t wait for PBO to speak!

  73. 73.

    jl

    @Keith G:

    ” Men for others…..Boys for us. ”

    I think you misheard.

    Edit: I think Kaine is fine for matchup with Pence. ‘Boring’ is his own joke about himself I read someplace. Which I guess is where lazy pundits and news actors got their standard line about him.

  74. 74.

    Quinerly

    @Baud:
    James Cameron did the wonderful environmental/climate change video in the afternoon..
    All the videos have been spectacular.

  77. 77.

    Mister Papercut

    @Ben:

    I grew up in Chesterfield, did you go to Thomas Dale?

    Sadly no, I’m a transplant from the Peninsula.

  78. 78.

    guachi

    I guess I like this speech because “goofy and heartfelt” is how I speak to my junior sailors every time I have to speak to them.

  84. 84.

    Troublesome Carp fka Geeno

    I think they believe Kaine just isn’t known.
    This is the answer to “he’s not liberal enough”.

  85. 85.

    dr. bloor

    @Baud: Also no particular urgency in having him serve the traditional role this election cycle. POTUS, Joe, Warren et al are just getting warmed up.

  86. 86.

    JMG

    Look, if you’re not a great speaker, as in Lincoln or FDR great, and you’re the act between Biden and Obama, low key and folksy is the only way to go.

  87. 87.

    Anoniminous

    @? Martin:

    Good to hear. The State parties at the county level are in shambles and new blood is desperately needed to run for state legislature positions.

  89. 89.

    JPL

    From Maggie Haberman @NYT Unless I am missing something, Bloomberg is the first major public figure to openly question Trump’s sanity. It was not in the embargo rmrks

    @Trentrunner: Not me, but I did one time say that he was yelling at clouds..

  90. 90.

    ? Martin

    @LAO: Kaine is a lot like Biden, in that they don’t speak or carry like a slick politician. They are very approachable. Biden clearly more experienced at it, but Kaine will find his footing. He really is a rather good running mate for Clinton. My understanding is that he’s very good at getting things done, similar to Clinton.

  91. 91.

    lamh36

    I get the point of this speech.

    It’s Tim Kaine introducing himself to American voters. His was the first speech in primetime national nets here in NOLA.

    “If any of you are looking for that Party of Lincoln, we’ve got a home for you right here in the Democratic Party.” —@timkaine #DemsinPhilly

  94. 94.

    Eric NNY

    I love you all, but….democracy is messy, loud and contentious. We ought to be glad OUR party allows dissent and disagreement and OUR candidate isn’t calling security to “get ’em outta here”. We should be thankful they give a shit. We just need to be patient and encourage them to channel that energy into positive action. Intolerance breeds separation.

  95. 95.

    Lizzy L

    @? Martin: Easy there with the California insults. I’m a Bay Area Democrat, and those spoiled chanting assholes don’t represent me.

  98. 98.

    ? Martin

    OnionPolitics: Tim Kaine Addresses DNC In Fluent English In Clear Appeal To White Male Voters #DemsInPhilly

  105. 105.

    Schlemazel Khan

    @donnah:
    One of my FB friends who is a both-sides low info guy posted how both sides conventions are bad (after saying he watched neither) He is getting roundly toasted by people who do not post political crap so that makes me very happy

  106. 106.

    Troublesome Carp fka Geeno

    I have to say; the more I’ve found out about Kaine, the more liberal he looks. Like everyone else, I had been thinking he was just a “safe” choice, but he is sneaky leftist.

  109. 109.

    JPL

    I actually like this guy.. he’s like a really early Bill Clinton. I hope he doesn’t have a sax though.

  111. 111.

    trnc

    @Quinerly:

    Mike Pence didn’t get a video last week. Sad! Cheap!

    They’re still waiting for enough rubles to come in to pay someone to make one.

  117. 117.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I’m finding Kaine very engaging — as I did the day Hillary announced him as running mate. Prior to that, I had known his name, and didn’t know anything negative about him, but he won me over then and he’s doing it again tonight. Also, I love his ancient grizzled Republican ex-Governor father-in-law.

  122. 122.

    Anoniminous

    This is a very clever speech. Introducing himself as an easy-going guy you’d like to have over for BBQ hamburgers and a beer.

  125. 125.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @eric:

    I hope (and expect) that they will all be doing interviews with him. I’d love a Jorge Ramos one-on-one with Kaine.

  127. 127.

    Mnemosyne

    These fake-folksy “so hey” interjections are actually kind of working for me. And the slips into Spanish seem pretty natural to this gringo’s ears.

  129. 129.

    Richard Mayhew

    @ellie: that is a great description for this speech… I get a vibe from Kaine of happy holy shit I am here

  130. 130.

    BlueDWarrior

    Tim Kaine doesn’t strike me as a ‘stealth liberal’ as some people would put it, more he strikes me as a ‘demure liberal’. He says and does all the things you’d want a good liberal from a purple state to do, he just doesn’t take a megaphone and be bombastic about said things he’s done. He is very much the anti-Trump in that regard, but substance and style-wise.

  133. 133.

    EZSmirkzz

    I told John weeks ago that I had reached the age where the problems and challenges of our nation belonged to the future, because I was not only ready, but anxious to totter off in old age, and hopefully, obscurity. I think it is important to address this swan song post to this community, because you have taken the brunt of acerbic observations, hopefully of front pagers, but as individuals as well.

    Back in May of 2004, when the seeds of these trying times were germinating in the War on Iraq, when George W. Bush had first dropped the cleaver of division on the American people, and threw away his chance to become a great President, so he could pretend to be one, we progressive/liberal Democrats that were debating the Neo-cons in the Washington Post forums, we Democrats in general, and progressives in particular were derided for having no direction, no ideas, and having the gall and temerity to be liberals, when the “L” word was a dirty word. So I posted this up, and would like to share it with you tonight. It does not dovetail with what Vice President Biden said tonight, but;

    I firmly believe America’s road is toward a more democratic, inclusive society, built on respect for the individuals rights over the state, the states right to intercede and correct abuses of the majority and the powerful, and the majorities right to rule. I find little logic in appeals to the past and the good old days, especially from people who would be unable to survive in the times they seem to espouse and hold so dear. America’s past may be a beacon to some, but her future is a beacon to me, She is not nearly as great a nation as she could be, so those who hold to the status quo are robbing themselves of unknown riches, and holding all of our children hostages to their desire for the sedentary existence of a pond within the tree lined banks of conformity.

    I wish a foreign policy based on the respect of individual nations for each other, to allow other nations to seek and find their own happiness within the political, social and economic systems that they determine to be most suitable to themselves to provide for the common welfare and happiness of their own people, without the influence or interference of or from our government. I seek an American foreign policy that does not project our military strength beyond our own borders except in self defense, and not for the narrow interests of the minority economically powerful, which endangers all Americans from the repercussions of their misdeeds. America should encourage freedom, liberty and democracy in all nations and not just the few, and not support repressive dictatorships and kingdoms for the economic convenience of our own people, or the narrow interests of corporations.

    To quote Jefferson, “Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the ark of the Covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human, and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment… laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind… as that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, institutions must advance also, to keep pace with the times…. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain forever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”

    I have stated more than once that I thought John was the nicest guy on the internet. I still think so. His kindness to his friends, drunken strangers and youths on his street, his brothers in arms and his fraternity brothers speaks to my sentiments. If I could wish one thing for all of you it would be that you not forget to be nice, kind and compassionate, towards not only your friends, but those who have not yet become so.

    As to my “Progressive Manifesto’ let me just say, I haven’t changed one damned bit. We have elected our first African American President, and with American good sense in November, our first woman President since those time. You should join with all of your fellow Democrats, and take a moment to revel in your pride for these accomplishments. No one did these things. We, all together, did things. May God keep you and bless, and these United States.

    Peace

  134. 134.

    jl

    Comes off like ‘aw shucks’ nice regular guy. But he is very very quick on his feet, agile in quick response.
    Can come after someone with an ingratiating cheerful smile.
    From what I have watched, the higher the pressure, the quicker the pace, the better he does.

    But I think maybe can some off too ‘regular’ in this kind of context. But I think he is getting a good reception.

  136. 136.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Keith G: There are two. The first is the Jesuit education mission statement: “to make men for others”. The second is the motto of the Society of Jesus: “ad majorem dei glorium” – for the greater glory of God. I was exposed to both every day for three years.

  138. 138.

    Troublesome Carp fka Geeno

    I love our convention.
    Technically “Sí, se puede” means “Yes, it can be done”.
    “Se puede” is the passive voice, but common parlance can wipe out technical grammar seven days a week.

  140. 140.

    ? Martin

    @Lizzy L: Hey, I’m from California. Fuck, I work for California. But bay area democrats are a unique breed. Yes, they are the cornerstone of our victories and they are they were the first people to drag California into the blue state column, however, they are quick to go down the white privilege route – attacking development of affordable housing, transportation, etc. Yes, I get that the historic ambiance of your neighborhood is awesome. But people are living in fucking shopping carts. And there’s enough of these people to form an effective voting bloc. The ones in the room are obviously the most radical of the group, but there’s a lot of pretty out there liberal ideas in that area that you don’t find anywhere else in the state.

  150. 150.

    jl

    @ellie:

    ” Kaine is quite the lovable dork. ”

    Pence and anyone else up against him won’t think so when he busts out the perfect comeback before they have even finished their attack line.

  153. 153.

    dmsilev

    OK, this is funny. If he does this Trump impersonation for the rest of the campaign, Donald is going to be literally chewing the walls.

  159. 159.

    LAO

    @? Martin: I think your dead on, I just texted a friend a similar thought.

    Also, he’s doing ok as an attack dog, a real Biden trait.

  160. 160.

    Ben

    Kaine is good at this because he’s already run against a Trump-like jerkass in the person of George Allen.

    Trump is just George Allen with a bigger bank account and a hit of crystal meth.

  165. 165.

    Kay

    Trump is in Toledo. He brought the idiot son with him. I’m trying to find out if there were any (elected) GOP surrogates there.

    “We’re going to make it as architecturally attractive as possible” re: border wall. #TrumpinTOL

  166. 166.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @eric:

    Yup. The first 24 hours or so, I thought “Well, the Spanish is nice value-added,” but now I think it is essential. Sends such a huge message that Hillary means it.

    And LOL, love Kaine mocking Trump just now. Hahaha!

  170. 170.

    Mnemosyne

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    IIRC, Kaine is the first US Senator to make a speech from the Senate floor entirely in Spanish and has done interviews entirely in Spanish before. Some people say his accent is a little wonky, but he’s clearly very fluent.

  171. 171.

    Rey

    I lovvvvvvvve Tim Kaine- if the Repubs don’t change their ways, they will NOT be back in the White House for another 17 years. Boo Yah!

  172. 172.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    Gabriel Debenedetti Verified account
    ‏@gdebenedetti

    For those wondering why they skipped Sherrod Brown: they ran out of time. He’ll speak tomorrow.

  174. 174.

    TheMightyTrowel

    What do you want to bet “I do a great impression of Donald” was on Kaine’s pick-me-for-veep CV?

  176. 176.

    JWR

    When he mentioned that Trump hasn’t released his tax returns like “every other presidential candidate”, I was hoping NPR had gone right to a shot of Bernie!, but oh well..

    ETA, I meant PBS.

  177. 177.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Joel: No, “Believe me!” is good. He is calling Trump out and a liar and a fraud. Two words to do it. Stiletto.

  179. 179.

    dmsilev

    You know, I wish Democrats would stop pussy-footing around and attack Trump directly…

  185. 185.

    Fair Economist

    @? Martin:

    But bay area democrats are a unique breed. Yes, they are the cornerstone of our victories and they are they were the first people to drag California into the blue state column, however, they are quick to go down the white privilege route – attacking development of affordable housing, transportation, etc.

    The crunchy granola types protesting inside the convention aren’t the same group as the homeowning NIMBY types who oppose anything to make the Bay Area slightly less unaffordable.

  188. 188.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Uh oh, Trump has his heavy hitters too!!

    ‏@ greggutfeld
    Kaine is awful right now. Trump doesn’t say “believe me.” do your homework.

  190. 190.

    Emma

    @Mnemosyne: He definitely has an accent but he is completely colloquial and you can see he’s thinking in Spanish. There’s no “translation lag.”

  192. 192.

    lamh36

    All joking aside…who hear after hearing this speech thinks Tim Kaine is gonna eat Mike Pence for dinner in the debates. #DemsInPhilly

  195. 195.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Mnemosyne:

    I’ve never studied Spanish, although I know enough Latin, Italian, and French to be able to figure out simple sentences. But from what I’ve heard of Kaine’s Spanish, he certainly sounds confident. Can’t speak to his accent, but I’m sure he’s understandable.

    And man, I am just loving what I’m hearing here. He will be a great attack dog, and he’ll demolish Mike Pence with a cheerful wink in the VP debate. The Smiler with the Knife.

  199. 199.

    Keith P.

    Tim Kaine is reminding me a lot of Joe Biden. He has a real everyman quality and is just a likeable guy.
    And, oh shit, Obama is about to come on. For all the doom and gloom, this has been a real uplifting convention.

  207. 207.

    Quinerly

    Hate to break it to you…that’s not a flag pin. What will Tucker Carlson say tomorrow?

  209. 209.

    lamh36

    Ok..this was a great way to handle the dead end

    “We all should feel the Bern and we should all not wanna get burned by the other guy!”

  213. 213.

    dmsilev

    Repeating something I said earlier this evening:

    Yesterday, we had the previous Democratic President speaking
    Today, we have the current Democratic President about to speak
    Tomorrow, we will have the next Democratic President speaking

    Let’s do this.

  214. 214.

    SiubhanDuinne

    OMG, what an ending to Tim’s speech! I’m going to adore this man as Vice President.

  215. 215.

    LookingForACanadian

    I stopped watching cable news after the 2012 election; I cannot believe how far Rachel has fallen. Sad! (truly)

  216. 216.

    Anoniminous

    Prediction: we just locked the Midwest. People in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio are going to love this guy.

  217. 217.

    WarMunchkin

    Well, that was interesting. My sense is that Tim Kaine is a walking emoticon.. I’m not the target demographic for him, but I hope it works for us.

  221. 221.

    jl

    @Emma: He learned all his Spanish entirely from the kids he was teaching out in a mountainous agricultural area in Honduras. I forget the name of the city. He taught them technical school vocational stuff and they taught him Spanish. The guy has done real stuff and must be a quick study.

  222. 222.

    JordanRules

    Yessss goooooodnessss!!!!!!! Day 3 is a beast!

    …and you know who hasn’t even appeared yet….

  223. 223.

    Mnemosyne

    @Emma:

    This gringa is impressed that he did a couple years’ stint in Honduras and then maintained his fluency. That means that he’s worked hard at it and made a point of keeping it up.

    @Kay:

    I think their official names around here are Uday and Qusay. ?

  225. 225.

    Miss Bianca

    @Mnemosyne: Ha! Yes, he’s the quiet, decent suitor your parents like who suddenly surprises you with a flash of wit or passion! This Regency writes itself!

  228. 228.

    aliasofwestgate

    Okay, I like Kaine. His Spanish is excellent, the accent is probably wonky because he learned it in Honduras and his natural accents mashed into it. Guy is quick on his feet, and seems sweet. Up until he lands anasty uppercut to the chin with a smile. Loved that!

  231. 231.

    PhoenixRising

    Perfect. The Donald constantly uses the words ‘incredible’ and ‘unbelievable’ in their colloquial meaning of ‘it’s gonna be great’.

    But calling attention to the first meaning–you can’t believe a thing he says–is brilliant.

  233. 233.

    MobiusKlein

    @? Martin: yeah, we bay area dems are not perfect. I will try to be better.

    Housing policy is hard, and involves coordinating many stakeholders. and transit. And so on.

  235. 235.

    Lizzy L

    @? Martin: My neighborhood is in San Pablo. San Pablo is the poorest blue collar town in the northeast Bay, right next to Richmond. My neighborhood is called the Rollingwood District. It’s a bunch of small houses, all right next to each other. The houses are 60 years old, 940 square feet, small. My neighbors are an awesome bunch. We are nurse’s aides, and parking garage attendants, construction workers and hairdressers and gardeners. We watch out for each other, we party together, we don’t have much but we help each other as best we can. Do I like what’s happened to the city across the Bay — where I used to live, 30 years ago? Fuck no, it makes me weep. But please don’t speak about the Bay Area as if the condo-owners and techies are the only people here.

  237. 237.

    Emma

    @Mnemosyne: I’m impressed also. Often you lose a language if you don’t practice everyday. I’ve been reading Italian magazines and listening to audio-books in Italian because I realized I was losing my fluency. He must take time to practice regularly.

  242. 242.

    TriassicSands

    @Emma:

    After a certain very young age, it is nearly impossible to not have an accent in a second language.

  246. 246.

    Mnemosyne

    Obama being introduced by an old white lady who’s a Gold Star Mother and got into politics thanks to him?

    It’s almost like these people know what they’re doing.

  257. 257.

    JWR

    Hah! Gwen Ifill Freudian Slip, after first listening to Mark Shields re Kaine’s speech, calling for a comment from “Donald” Brooks.

  258. 258.

    japa21

    I am starting to feel sorry for Hillary. After Michelle, Bill, Joe, Obama and even Kaine, she is going to have several tough acts to follow.

  262. 262.

    ellie

    @Keith G: OMG! My uncle lived in Waterville for years and my sister lives in Whitehouse now. I rented a house briefly there in 2003-2006. I was across the street from Oak Openings.

  264. 264.

    Greg

    Hitting Trump on his low brow vocab is quite a cutting attack.

    He’s so egotistical it will cause him heartburn.

  266. 266.

    cmorenc

    Tucker Carlson on Fox has a WASP-wedgie over Kaine’s breaking into short passages of Spanish in his speech – somehow the country will come unbound unless English is everyone’s first language. And then Fox made sure to repeat a clip of Nancy Pelosi with her “gods, guns, and gays” comments today during a PBS interview.

  267. 267.

    Redshift

    @Emma: There are a lot of Latinos among his constituents. It’s not California or Texas, but there are still plenty. I agree he must work at it, but he can do it on the job.

  269. 269.

    rikyrah

    YES…remind people of what shape this country was in when POTUS was elected.

    Man deserves a spot on Mount Rushmore for all he did for this country…

    WITH one party committing ECONOMIC TREASON against this country beginning January 20, 2009.

  272. 272.

    Davis X. Machina

    @cmorenc: Abraham Lincoln purchased a German newspaper through a straw man as part of the 1858 Senate campaign…

  280. 280.

    Quinerly

    @Baud:
    It was a pin there obviously but not of the American flag nature? He had a lapel pin on Saturday for his rollout but it was a Hillary pin (red, white, blue). In other news, I need to get back into my regular routine…and a life. I’m talking with strangers about flag pins on the internet. Pathetic!❤

  283. 283.

    Emma

    @TriassicSands: indeed. I have an accent in English because, though I read and wrote it before I came to the US, I got my fluency in Chicago starting at 15. Funny thing is when I speak English with a Miami-raised Hispanic, they think I have a funny accent. The Chicago Midwestern overlay over the Spanish accent freaks them out.

  284. 284.

    Anne Laurie

    @Keith P.:

    And he’s got a Jesuit background, so he’s got intellectual heft.

    Yeah, hearing that bio bit right after Hillary announced her choice made me feel better about him. Not that I’ve got a pro-Jesuit bias, so much as it let me know that Kaine’s been trained by men who you would much rather have inside the tent, pissing out!

  296. 296.

    TriassicSands

    This may be trivial, but it is something I see every time I watch President Obama…

    He has the nicest smile of any president ever and he might win a planetary-wide contest, too. Some people’s smiles seem forced or awkward, but Obama’s is completely natural.
    I can’t help but contrast that to the ugliness of whatever it is that Donald Trump is doing with his face to try to project seriousness.

    Obama’s smile is radiant.

  297. 297.

    hovercraft

    Trump is kicking himself for being so fucking cheap that they didn’t have any videos as powerful as a single one we’ve seen this week. I guess Hollywood is good for something. Tweety loved the one with Jon Voight, but it’s not in the same league.

  299. 299.

    jl

    @Davis X. Machina: Thanks for reminding me. Welding and construction.

    BTW, I am surprised some of the Kaine fans who were slobbering over him a few nights ago did not have some young Kaine smoking hot beefcake pics links to post while he was speaking.

  300. 300.

    Helen

    The fabulous thing about this is the theme tonight is national security and there’s a lot about guns. NOT ISIS. Loving that.

  304. 304.

    TheMightyTrowel

    I am going to cry like a baby when Obama leaves the white house. When hillary is sworn in the next day I’m going to cry all over again.

  306. 306.

    Keith P.

    @Anne Laurie: I was educated by Basilians (relatively liberal order from my experience), and the Jesuits had a rival school, but their reputation was, in the words of on priest, intellectual rockstars. I seem to recall their reputation as being a liberal order (the Pope’s a Jesuit IIRC) but very well-respected.

  310. 310.

    Lizzy L

    I’m going to lose the thread soon (it’ll stop loading) and I want to hear the President, so I’ll re-connect after his speech if you put up a new post.

    Feeling pretty emotional about this speech.

  311. 311.

    Eric S.

    Dear FSM, am I going to have to admit to my shrink how many times I teared up during that video?

  320. 320.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    Al Giordano
    ‏@AlGiordano

    Remember, tonight is twelve years to the day of his 2004 speech when y’all first noticed him.

  325. 325.

    JPL

    We have been so lucky to have this person in the White House and gotta say I love you back too..

  327. 327.

    rikyrah

    Look at the love for him. Ain’t nobody playing with the clowns…try it if you want to..but, when those signs come down on your head, don’t whine.

  333. 333.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Quinerly: Yep. Though the static cling in that one shot over his shoulder on the White House lawn was a but weird.

  342. 342.

    eric

    A blunt and correct Andrew Sullivan: “I’ve never felt this way about a president, so I might as well admit it. Against hideously graceless opposition, in the face of extraordinary odds, facing immense crises, he stayed the course and changed this country. This election is, at its core, about not letting a bigot and a madman take that away from all of us.”

  345. 345.

    Patricia Kayden

    Love his cheerfulness. What a contrast with the shouty Orange Yam. POTUS hasn’t lost his optimism or swagger!
    Suck it, Rethugs.

  350. 350.

    rikyrah

    @Messina2012 11s12 seconds ago
    12 yrs ago no one knew him, 8 no one thought he could win, 4 they said he couldn’t be re-elected. #yeswedid #DemsInPhilly

  354. 354.

    Patricia Kayden

    @eric: Sullivan is an interesting person. He promoted the racism promoted by The Bell Curve, but loves President Obama. Quite a dichotomy.

  361. 361.

    MisterForkbeard

    Holy crap, the guy yelling “NO TPP!” needs to get punched in the mouth. What an utterly useless human being.

  364. 364.

    Keith P.

    It is really amazing that the GOP willingly ceded the American exceptionalism to the Democrats. That was such a big thing for them for the last 15+ years.

  365. 365.

    jl

    Cleveland:

    “They are coming to kill us! Oh My!
    They are coming to kill us! Oh My!”

    And Trump does have some resemblance to the Cowardly Lion. Though that will get me slammed for Cowardly Lion slander around here, I’m sure.

  367. 367.

    sigaba

    @Patricia Kayden: Sullivan believes in the Bell Curve only when talking about poor people. To people like Sullivan all statistics and social science only apply to poor people.

  370. 370.

    Steve!

    Whatever that heckler was yelling about, I hope that he really, truly internalizes the fact that nobody gives one single fuck.

  376. 376.

    sigaba

    “Backwards in heels.” Nice.

    (ETA: Stipulated, Ginger Rogers is the ur-type of a crank Hollywood Republican :) .)

  383. 383.

    James E Powell

    @dmsilev:

    Dear asshole shouting in the background: Fuck off and die.

    Same guy comes to concerts and yells song titles during the quiet acoustic parts.

  386. 386.

    Quinerly

    The optics on this for Trump are terrible…yes there’s the obvious, it’s Trump…but with Pres Obama speaking you can’t help but compare Trump to Obama.

  388. 388.

    Feathers

    @Anne Laurie: Donald Trump spent two years at Fordham.

    It does show how popular Pope Francis is that Jesuit is a high complement in Democratic circles.

  391. 391.

    gogol's wife

    They panned the crowd, and I said, “There’s Debbie.” My husband said, “Debbie who?”

    I love him so much.

  401. 401.

    Emma

    @rikyrah: It might make me sound a little sexist and a little shallow but I repeat what I said before. That is one fine figure of a man. And he has brains and charm to boot.

  421. 421.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Was Jane Sanders taking a picture of the man her husband wanted to primary four years ago?

    ETA:

    @sigaba: Fuck whistling dude.

    amen

  429. 429.

    lamh36

    @speechboy71 now4 seconds ago
    It’s so obvious that Obama has no respect for Trump; he’s not indignant when talking about him, he’s exasperated

  430. 430.

    the Conster, la Citoyenne

    Rex Huppke Verified account
    ‏@RexHuppke

    And they say that Donald Trump’s hands shrunk three sizes that day. #DemsInPhilly

  434. 434.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @lamh36: some of my favorite Obama moments are when you can tell he is just barely manage to suffer fools

    and a subtle shot at Bush. Good

  435. 435.

    MisterForkbeard

    Allright, I’ve been sitting in my office and honest to god I’m applauding at my computer monitor. So incredibly jazzed.

  439. 439.

    Tilda Swinton's Bald Cap

    Conan said “Tonight the President will give a speech about why people should vote for Hillary and not Trump, it’s entitled I Can’t Believe This Is Necessary”.

  441. 441.

    lamh36

    Pres Obama: “I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump.”

  442. 442.

    rikyrah

    @tsgnews 59m59 minutes ago
    Money personally donated to their charitable foundation over past 5 years:
    BLOOMBERG: $2.793 Billion
    TRUMP: $0

  448. 448.

    Brachiator

    Some Bernie people planned to try to shout Obama down. They also intended to prominently wave pro Bernie and anti TPP signs. They were persuaded to abandon this insanity. A few apparently refused to agree.

    Great speech. Deftly balancing praise for Hillary and totally demolishing Trump.

    The Bernie dopes should pay attention.

  450. 450.

    sigaba

    Ugh, “our people don’t need a savior to rule over them.”

    The Republicans have become everything they accused Obama of being.

  454. 454.

    Adam L Silverman

    @rikyrah:
    http://www.centcom.mil/news/press-release/july-27-military-airstrikes-continue-against-isil-terrorists-in-syria-

    July 27: Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

    7.27.16

    July 27, 2016
    Release # 20160727-01
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    SOUTHWEST ASIA — On July 26, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.

    The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

    Syria
    * Near Dayr Az Zawr, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
    * Near Manbij, eight strikes struck eight separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed 12 ISIL fighting positions and two ISIL vehicles.
    * Near Mar’a, two strikes struck two ISIL headquarters.
    * Near Palmyra, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

    Iraq
    * Near Al Baghdadi, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL weapons cache.
    * Near Albu Hayat, one strike struck an ISIL weapons storage facility.
    * Near Hit, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL vehicles and an ISIL bunker.
    * Near Qayyarah, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL vehicle, two ISIL rockets, 33 ISIL rocket rails, and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
    * Near Ramadi, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL weapons cache.
    * Near Sinjar, one strike suppressed three ISIL mortar positions.
    * Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL assembly area.

    Strike assessments are based on initial reports. All aircraft returned to base safely.

    A strike, as defined in the CJTF releases, means one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative effect for that location. So having a single aircraft deliver a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of buildings and vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making that facility (or facilities) harder or impossible to use. Accordingly, CJTF-OIR does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

    Ground-based artillery fired in counter-fire or in fire support to maneuver roles are not classified as a strike as defined by CJTF-OIR.

    The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community.

    The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group’s ability to project terror and conduct operations. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Syria include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

    http://www.centcom.mil/media/press-releases
    There all there.

  455. 455.

    JPL

    Part of me just wants him to end this speech by saying, it’s time for someone to tell Trump to just go……………….

  456. 456.

    lamh36

    Obama: Does anybody really believe someone who’s spent 70 years not caring about working people “is suddenly going to be your champion?”

  458. 458.

    burnspbesq

    @Matt McIrvin:

    Did they just throw Rahm Emanuel under the bus?

    Rahm’s been under the bus since Monday.That African-American woman sitting next to Bill on Monday night, the one you didn’t recognize? That was the Cook County Executive.

  459. 459.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @jl:

    Between them, the headliners hit every note, every register, tonight.

    Almost like it was planned.

  462. 462.

    lamh36

    @ChadPergram 2m2 minutes ago
    #BREAKING Hillary Clinton to join Obama on stage after remarks #DemsInPhilly

  466. 466.

    Troublesome Carp fka Geeno

    OMG “The American dream is something no wall can contain” – Great F’nline.

  467. 467.

    Kropadope

    @lamh36:

    Obama: Does anybody really believe someone who’s spent 70 years not caring about working people “is suddenly going to be your champion?”

    Not just not caring, but actively harming.

  470. 470.

    lamh36

    @jonathanalter 19s19 seconds ago
    We may never see an orator of Obama’s caliber in our lifetimes.

  474. 474.

    1weirdTrick

    After tonight, who besides the 27% will vote for the Fear-Hate ticket? Oh yeah… the 50% of America that doesn’t pay attention to anything except sex scandals, crime-is-rising headlines and ISIS-is-coming stories until October.

  479. 479.

    jl

    @lamh36: Occurs to me that Obama can really slap a fool sideways with good humor, but very pointedly so it sticks, so maybe they saved the detailed piece-by-piece dismantling of Trump to him.

    Kaine can do something similar, and suppose he will get better with practice.

    Whew… and nice shout out to the Sanders people. And cleverly done in a way that the dead-enders can’t make a fuss without making complete fools of themselves. Kaine is good at that too, though with a different style.

    This is good set-up for HRC tomorrow.

    Edit: I’m still not satisfied with dismantling of Trump, but I guess I am a policy wonk. And I need to remind myself need a good mix of positive along with diagnosis of Trump BS.

    Obama is masterful tonight, after a slow ‘aw-shucks’ build-up. This is great.

    Edit: more building up useful Bernie supporters while shutting down the dead enders. Masterful performance.

  483. 483.

    Anne Laurie

    @the Conster, la Citoyenne:

    Andrew Sullivan is going to vote for Hillary Clinton? WOW.

    Even Sullivan can understand what Trump means when he shouts about deporting immigrants and religious freedom … and Sulllivan is a gay-married immigrant.

    (Besides, I suspect Tough Hillary, that ‘warhawk corporatist’ the BernieBusters keep whinging about, tickles his heartfelt nostalgia for Maggie Thatcher. It has very little to do with the real HRC, but it’s counterfactual catnip to guys like Andrew.)

  486. 486.

    Mike J

    @dmsilev:

    Are you telling me the Democratic Party is _organized_?

    Have you seen how many times they’ve changed out all the signs the delegates have? They had two sign switches during Kaine’s speech. The “homemade” signs were all approved and made by the DNC who handed them out to specific delegations.

  487. 487.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    “caricatured by some on the left,” that’s the price of your shout-out, Bernie

  489. 489.

    Patricia Kayden

    @sigaba: lol!! Someone needs to tell them differently then. They have worked my one last nerve.

    Thanks Bernie!

  490. 490.

    lamh36

    @RalstonReports 3m3 minutes ago
    “We all need to be as vocal and as organized and as persistent as Bernie Sanders’ supporters have been.”

    Smart POTUS.

  497. 497.

    lamh36

    @jeneps
    “If you’re serious about our democracy, you can’t afford to stay home just because she might not align with you on every issue,” Obama says

    @jeneps Jennifer Epstein Retweeted Jennifer Epstein
    “You’ve got to get in the arena with her, because democracy isn’t a spectator sport.”

  504. 504.

    lamh36

    @ddiamond 42s42 seconds ago
    Obama’s “birth certificates” line about his grandparents was just ad-libbed, btw.

  505. 505.

    mike in dc

    He can’t drop the mic after this speech, because if he does, the blast will level the arena.

  510. 510.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Scotch Irish? Jim Webb, bring your peeps!

    I had to hit rewind twice to hear that birth certificate line again.

    daveweigel ‏@ daveweigel 6m6 minutes ago
    Reminder that if Obama lives as long as Carter, he’ll be speaking at Dem conventions through 2052.

  515. 515.

    dmsilev

    the children of those immigrants were just as American as their own, whether they wore a cowboy hat or a yarmulke; a baseball cap or a hijab.

  516. 516.

    Anne Laurie

    President Rhymes-with-Bucket-List Obama talking about his Scotch-Irish grandparents. Bill O’Reilly is gonna stroke out, but Jim Webb will probably chuckle (bitterly).

  517. 517.

    lamh36

    LOL…I heard this too.

    @byjoelanderson 2m2 minutes ago
    Y’all heard that “come on now,” right? It’s church now.

  518. 518.

    jl

    I remind myself that Obama will still be around to do this kind of stuff after he leaves office. But without the constraints of office. It will be good.

    Obama’s hidden digs in his oratory can be like one of those legendary samurai, who can cut your head off with a sword and you walk ten paces before your head falls off. Hawaii joke was nice.

  519. 519.

    Omnes Omnibus

    The thing is, he is toning down the rhetoric to give HRC a chance to be a star tomorrow. And yet, he still does this.

  525. 525.

    danielx

    @eric:

    kaine is a jesuit and a carpenter…..hmmmmmmmm

    Kaine is a Jesuit? Then this campaign is going to be actively painful to him, since from my recollection one of the multiple things the Jebbies detest is a failure in critical thinking. The idea that he’s even having to debate things which are settled facts is going to hurt him like an impacted wisdom tooth.

  526. 526.

    jl

    Man, who has a deep bench now, huh? Who has a deep bench now?

    And we can say their names! We can say their names!

  531. 531.

    cckids

    From Rich Lowrey:”American exceptionalism and greatness, shining city on hill, founding documents, etc–they’re trying to take all our stuff”

    Well, Christ knows you asses aren’t using any of it.

  533. 533.

    lamh36

    @sfpelosi 14s14 seconds ago
    PBO: “when I leave the stage tonight” crowd “NOOO”

  534. 534.

    jl

    @danielx: I’ve watched vids of Kaine dismantling people on panels and in debates. He can save it for that. He is very quick and has a very sure aim.

  535. 535.

    sigaba

    @jl: We need a news network to keep these people paid and in the public eye.

    Depressing that’s the only way to do this.

  540. 540.

    lamh36

    I love that Obama is a “crier”…when he feels emotion…he doesn’t try to go all John Wayne on it.

  542. 542.

    danielx

    Also, too: Obama is teh awesome. Rs wish they had someone who could speak and sound like this.

  543. 543.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I’ve always thought Bill’s impact in 2012 has been overstated, but any debt there is, Obama has repaid like a fucking Lannister. Tywin. Yeah, I’m talking about that show with dragons.

    Greg Sargent ‏@ ThePlumLineGS 18m18 minutes ago
    Bill is like, okay, I bailed your ass out in 2012, but you know, I think we’re square now.

  546. 546.

    jl

    @cckids:

    ‘ they’re trying to take all our stuff” ‘

    Well, it wasn’t useful for them this election so they kicked it out their side door onto the street. Why not pick it up?

  547. 547.

    dmsilev

    Because you’re who I was talking about twelve years ago, when I talked about hope – it’s been you who’ve fueled my dogged faith in our future, even when the odds are great; even when the road is long. Hope in the face of difficulty; hope in the face of uncertainty; the audacity of hope!

  550. 550.

    MisterForkbeard

    Again, asshole booing the “Let’s get Hillary the Presidency!” after THAT speech is brain damaged.

  557. 557.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    damn, damn, day-yum.

    If he and Michelle had a bet on who would be better… I don’t know…

  559. 559.

    Troublesome Carp fka Geeno

    OMFG! Is it redundant to say Obama nailed a speech.
    Must have a cigarette now >>

  561. 561.

    jl

    I read he did more than three drafts of this speech. I think a commenter here posted a tweet about that.
    Hard work pays off. Great speech.

  566. 566.

    Emma

    Daaayum. We have witnessed a seminar on political speechmaking, finished by a master class.

  571. 571.

    jonas

    Damn…he was getting a little verklempt there at the end. There will not be another like this in my lifetime, I don’t think. Always hoping, but this guy will stick with me.

  572. 572.

    BlueDWarrior

    That’s a man that I, and millions of others, would run through a brick wall for.
    And the thing that really intrigues me is what is his post-Presidency could be.

    Just imagine this man with all of the weight and the gravitas behind throwing his weight behind Climate change or Voting Rights, and so on.

    I don’t use much religious imagery when I talk online, but I can honestly say that we have been blessed, by either God or some other unknown force of the Universe, to have this man as our President the last 7-going-on-8 years.

  575. 575.

    PaulWartenberg2016

    FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK THAT WAS A SPEECH PEOPLE

    I KNOW WE CAN’T VOTE FOR HIM BUT GODDAMN HE DESERVES A THIRD TERM, AND WITH A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS THAT WON’T IGNORE HIM.

    ARE YOU ALL IN CAPS LOCK LIKE I AM? I CANNOT STOP CAPS LOCKING. THIS IS LIKE WATCHING MAD MAX FURY ROAD FOR THE FIRST TIME GOING FUCK YEAH YOU WILL NEVER BE THIS METAL MAY WE ALL RIDE TO VALHALLA SHINY AND CHROME.

  576. 576.

    danielx

    @Adam L Silverman:

    So was I, at least in high school, and I understand exactly where they were coming from, although when I was young I was loathe to admit it. If you don’t test your assumptions, base your opinion on facts*, all that, you have failed.

    *Facts like catholic doctrine, jesuits are the smartest people in the world and would never fuck with teenage boys, etc. I wasn’t catholic and was therefore immune to all that horseshit, but I knew people who weren’t so immune.

  580. 580.

    MisterForkbeard

    @BlueDWarrior: If he really wants to explode some media/republican minds, I hope he goes and works for the Clinton Foundation. :)

    Realistically, I think he’ll move towards gun control and health care advocacy. Really looking forward to it.

  581. 581.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @lamh36: @rikyrah: Let him have a life. Eight years is enough. It is killing job.*

    *If he could run again, I would draft his ass in a heartbeat. But that is selfish of me. Let us let him contribute to society in a new way. I know he will.

  582. 582.

    jl

    Will be some pix tomorrow at the end, of some kind of pantheon of A-list politicians. That will be good for the campaign.

    Edit: hope no one is mean enough to make some kind of comparisons with the mess last week. That would be impolite.

  585. 585.

    Miss Bianca

    Holy holy holy

    Barn burner of a speech and a coup de theatre on top. Laughing and crying like a goof.

  586. 586.

    Helen

    Huh. This makes me feel I should not leave. Compare this to “bleeding out of her whatever.”

  587. 587.

    Hill Dweller

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: That’s a bit of revisionist history from Sargent. The Obama campaign defined Romney early, and he never recovered. Obama’s pollster said they never came close to trailing in that election. The first debate was the only real misstep, but Obama resoundingly rectified that mistake in the next 2 debates.

  588. 588.

    TriassicSands

    @jl:

    I remind myself that Obama will still be around to do this kind of stuff after he leaves office.

    He’ll probably just return to his home in Kenya where he was born, but if he hangs around I expect him to give Jimmie Carter a real run for the title of greatest ex-president. No disrespect to Carter, but I think I’d bet on Obama (but he has his work cut out for him).

  589. 589.

    rikyrah

    Josh Marshall ✔ @joshtpm
    “Hes less attacking Trump as making him seem small and petty in comparison to the picture of America he’s painting.”

  591. 591.

    guachi

    I had a lazy BoB friend on FB post today that the only reasons he ever heard for someone to vote for Hillary was that she wasn’t Trump and she was the only person who could win.

    Some people don’t wish to be convinced.

    I mean, damn, we have a four day convention with literally hours of people giving reasons to vote for her.

  593. 593.

    jl

    @Hill Dweller: Mit galloped his Gish all out of breath and it broke down after the first one. True that Obama put in a bad performance that night. But also true that Mitt couldn’t pull off cheap stunts like he did at first one through the later debates.

  594. 594.

    cckids

    @jl:

    I’m still not satisfied with dismantling of Trump, but I guess I am a policy wonk. And I need to remind myself need a good mix of positive along with diagnosis of Trump BS.

    We’ve still got 100+ days. This week is about hope, the future, differentiating the DNC from the RNC’s hate-fest. Plenty of time to air the scorn for Deadbeat Don.

  595. 595.

    MCA1

    Goddamn. I know I’m about the 400th person just in this thread to express these sentiments, but wow. We do not deserve that man as our leader, and thank the higher powers we do have him as our leader. I feel like a shitty American for ever taking his steady hand for granted, and for not working harder to live up to his idea of what I, as a citizen, can be. What a President. A great American. I just don’t see how anyone with an open mind could watch that speech and not come out saying “I have to vote for Hillary Clinton.”

  597. 597.

    Steeplejack

    Jesus tapdancing Christ! Tweety rhapsodizes about Obama’s speech, and then MSNBC goes to the floor to talk to a Berniebot delegate who’s still not sure that she can get behind Hillary.

  598. 598.

    cckids

    @Baud:

    Someone needs to win an award for producing this convention.

    Is it possible that it’s DWS? The 2012 convention was amazing as well, and that one was hers. Maybe this is what she’s really good at.

  600. 600.

    The Pale Scot

    @hovercraft:

    Trump Seeks More Foreign Guest Workers For His Companies

    If true this confirms my thoughts, he’s not going to let himself actually win. He can’t, his heavily leveraged business would collapse if he had to leave.

    And one thing I know, you always pay the Russians back. They don’t like losing money.

  604. 604.

    Kropadope

    @Timurid:

    If you’re looking for the Republican bench, start in Arkham Asylum…

    I’d feel sorry for the patients at Arkham.

  606. 606.

    Anne Laurie

    @Matt McIrvin:

    Somebody managed to get in a boo there at the end.

    … “and his body may never be found.”

    Wrong place, wrong time, Booing Dude.

  607. 607.

    prob50

    WOW! Incredible speech. It totally boggles me how great a speaker Obama is. Impressive how he totally dissected Trump yet still maintained his style and grace. Personally, I can never more than 3 or 4 words about Trump without my comments devolving into a string of angry and bitter expletives.

  608. 608.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Got the feeling this may reach TBogg (500+ comments) all by its lonesome.

    YA THINK??

  613. 613.

    Matt McIrvin

    @guachi:

    I had a lazy BoB friend on FB post today that the only reasons he ever heard for someone to vote for Hillary was that she wasn’t Trump and she was the only person who could win.

    That’s enough, isn’t it? Vote to get whacked with a lead pipe, or not get whacked with a lead pipe. “I don’t know… what has not getting whacked with a lead pipe done for me lately? Can I vote for maybe get whacked with a lead pipe instead?”

  614. 614.

    Matt McIrvin

    …So many of these discussions, I think, basically just boil down to “YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME.” That’s democracy, I guess.

  617. 617.

    Credenzal Jocularity

    I, for one, have always been suspicious that the illustrious and oft-referenced TBogg doesn’t appear here amongst his people even when we invoke his name three times.

    *casts a sideways glance at Baud!*

    All. One. Guy.

  618. 618.

    AxelFoley

    @Eric NNY:

    I love you all, but….democracy is messy, loud and contentious. We ought to be glad OUR party allows dissent and disagreement and OUR candidate isn’t calling security to “get ’em outta here”. We should be thankful they give a shit. We just need to be patient and encourage them to channel that energy into positive action. Intolerance breeds separation

    There’s a time for dissent, and there’s a time to put all that shit aside and form the fuck up.

    The time for dissent was during the primaries. It’s time to squad up now.

    If you’re not gonna help defeat Trump, get the fuck out now.

  619. 619.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @The Pale Scot: Know I’m late to the thread, but…

    And one thing I know, you always pay the Russians back. They don’t like losing money.

    You say Mafia, I say Mafiya. The Mob (in whatever ethnic incarnation) is the one organization Stumpfingers would never ever ever even dream of stiffing. They have plenty of black limos with deep trunks, & plenty of concrete. (And in Vlad the Shirtless’s case, plenty of polonium-210.)

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