Secretary Clinton will be giving a speech on American Exceptionalism to the American Legion in Cincinnati, Ohio shortly. She is scheduled to appear with James Clad, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in the Bush 43 Administration who endorsed her yesterday saying:
“For Republicans and Democrats alike, everything in national security requires clarity and steadiness, whether managing nuclear weapons or balancing great power rivalries,” Clad said in the statement. “Never losing sight of the national interest is key – a discipline which Secretary Clinton possesses in full measure.”
Without mentioning Donald Trump by name, Clad dismissed the GOP nominee as “an incoherent amateur” who cannot win in November.
“Our adversaries must never hear flippancy or ignorance in America’s voice. They should never take satisfaction from an incompetent president,” he said. “Giving an incoherent amateur the keys to the White House this November will doom us to second or third class status.”
. Secretary Clinton’s speech is intended to partially reach out to independents and Republicans who are dissatisfied with Donald Trump as the GOP nominee.
The live feed is embedded below and I’ll cue up a live feed for tonight’s Trump campaign speech on immigration.
craigie
Her hands seem bigger than Trump’s. Just sayin’
debit
I don’t know if it’s her makeup team or what but she just looks radiant every time I see her.
Dork
Who’s this “Hillary” person scheduled to give a speech today?
Signed,
CNN, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, and ABC
randy khan
I heard a new talking point related to the Clinton Foundation today: That federal prosecutors certainly shouldn’t continue to go after Bob McDonnell in light of the Clinton Foundation revelations. (This comes from someone with ties to the McDonnell camp.)
When I pointed out that none of the money donated to the Clinton Foundation went to the Clintons, directly or indirectly, while money and “gifts” involved in the McDonnell scandal went right to the McDonnells, and so perhaps there were some significant differences between the situations, there was a brief pause in our conversation.
Shell
This visit to Mexico has me flummoxed. Trump calls Mexican immigrants as murderers and rapists and claims hell magically make the Prez pay for a border wall that his base probably imagines as something out of Game Of Thrones. And he somehow expects a warm welcome?
Elmo
Ugh.
I’m all in favor of prominent Republicans endorsing Hillary.
I’m all in favor of using those endorsements in targeted advertising to make the case that “even Republicans think he’s unacceptable.”
But I have an unhappy reaction to her appearing on stage with a junior State Dept official from Bush 43. Nobody has ever heard of this guy, so his only credibility is as part of the worst foreign policy team in a generation. And by appearing on stage with him, *she* is legitimizing *him* and not the other way around.
Wrong approach, says I.
debit
@Shell: If they start playing the Rains of Castamere he better watch out.
Botsplainer
@craigie:
Her dick is a helluvalot bigger than his, given the way she bounces back from propaganda, abuse and lies she’s suffered from the Christian conservatives the last 30 years.
And that’s no insult.
Adam L Silverman
@Elmo: Here’s Mr. Clad’s bio:
He worked for her in the State Department, specifically at USAID, for two years after the Bush 43 Administration ended.
? Martin
@Elmo: This is about extending Obama’s effort to reverse the view of Democrats as being weak. Clinton can campaign on being part of the OBL decision. This is also about expanding the meaning of ‘american exceptionalism’ beyond concepts such as nation building, which is pretty much what it got reduced to under Dubya. Politics is always about drawing contrasts – you need to consider how this is going to play against Trump’s speech and his Mexico visit. This should work out well.
Botsplainer
@Shell:
There was an alt-history short story that had a President Huey Long meet Adolph Hitler during a period of rising tension. Long being Long, you can guess what he unapologetically did to solve the Hitler problem. Nieto wouldn’t have some nasty surprise in mind, but I’d have to chuckle, and hope that Arpaio decides to haul his fat ass down as well.
Mnemosyne
@Elmo:
Meh. I’m only worried if these endorsers start demanding policy concessions in return for their endorsement. I don’t think they’re in any position to do that, though.
And apropos of nothing, migraines SUCK. I am at least able to look at a computer or phone screen today without feeling like someone is sticking a knife in my eye, but I still feel pretty crappy.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Dork: on MSNBC Andrea Mitchell and Kristin Welker agreed that it’s a problem for Clinton that she hasn’t been in the news lately, Donald Trump has been making an issue of it, asking “Where’s Hillary?”, and today was going to be a problem for her because Trump’s visit to Mexico was going to get all the attention, and the optics are bad!
(and Andrea Mitchell just said, about the latest email “controversy”– more emails classified after she sent them), we don’t know the details, but it shows that this issue is not going away)
WereBear
I must admit, I am happy that the first woman making a creditable run at the Presidency has the boost of running against the worst major party candidate in the history of the United States.
Thank you, God/dess.
debit
@Mnemosyne: Gah. Migraines are the worst. I’m sorry you’re suffering, but at least it sounds like you’re on the tail end of it.
WereBear
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Dear heavenly bodies, do I ever loathe Andrea Mitchell.
yellowdog
@Shell: Apparently the Mexican president is an authoritarian asshole with even lower approval numbers than Trump. So who knows what he is thinking. Al Giordano (who lives in Mexico) thinks it may have something to do with Russian interests in Mexican oil. Check out his latest tweetstorm.
Al Giordano @AlGiordano
schrodinger's cat
@Mnemosyne: Ginger tea used to help my friend when she was dealing with migraines. Have you tried it?
WereBear
@Mnemosyne: They do suck. Glad it is getting better.
Origuy
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: The people who decide what is in the news are complaining that Clinton isn’t in the news. How on earth could be fixed?
NickM
The best thing the Mexican President could do is keep Trump waiting a couple of hours while he attends to some emergency and then give him a 5 minute grip and grin. If this is all about dominance politics, he’d be showing who’s top dog and guarantee that not only Trump look weak, but that Trump would go on a Twitter tear for a week or two that will damage him at a critical time. It’s what I’m hoping for. I’m not sure Pena is that savvy, though.
piratedan
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: well it IS Andrea Mitchell, that lady will be mentioning the e-mails on her fucking death bed ala Citizen Kane… my guess is that her last words on this mortal earth will be “classified”.
I’ve damn near given up on MSNBC as a source of any relevant news as they’re continually populated with GOP water carriers and spin meisters, and it all comes from the program director who has done a steady job of squiffing progressive voices o the show or has them tied to responding to GOP arguments with GOP framing.
Jeffro
@? Martin: That’s an excellent take on this speech and Obama’s/Clinton’s view of American ‘exceptionalism’.
It’s hard to express how happy I am with Obama, Clinton, and the rest of the Dem Justice League. Doesn’t get much better.
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Notice the “classified after” she sent them. This means they’ve been upclassified as a result of the FOIA request. Again: there’s no here here.
Punchy
For the love of Christ, please do not ever put “heavenly bodies” and California Raisin Stunt Double Andrea Mitchell in the same sentence.
As for migraines, I prefer barley and farro.
Peale
@Adam L Silverman: Oh, but a few of the newly released ones are never heretofore Benghazi e-mails, or so I’ve been told! Another round of hearings!
catclub
@Jeffro:
The funny thing about American exceptionalism is that the things that actually make us exceptional ( birthright citizenship, really good assimilation of immigrants, minorities – compared to most other nations) are NOT what the usual suspects shouting about American Exceptionalism are in favor of.
Mnemosyne
@schrodinger’s cat:
Hmm, I haven’t tried ginger tea. I think we have a box of it here at work, so I’ll see if there’s some left. I also have some dark chocolate, which will make me feel better on one level even if it doesn’t “really” work. ?
I only get this kind of migraine every 6 months, but MAN does it suck when it shows up.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: 1 aspirin, 1 advil, 1 cup of very strong coffee for the caffeine. That combo should do the trick. Or one dose of Excedrine Migraine, which is made up of one part aspirin, one part advil, and one part caffeine.
Peale
@Shell: He has accused the Mexican government of sending undesirables to the US. He has sided with people who would like to shoot people in his country if they get too close to the border. He has threatened as part of his reset of NAFTA to destroy the Mexican economy for the benefit of the US. Because Trump had a business failure there, he’s run around the country stating the Mexico is a horrible place to do business. The options for getting Mexico to pay for the wall will involve threats as there is no reason why Mexico needs to pay for it. All of these threats to get Mexico to pay will be considered to be rather hostile and bellicose by a government that is not actually a problem for the US.
Botsplainer
@Adam L Silverman:
I’m still waiting to see if there have been any hacks of the personal server.
Far as I can tell, that thing was impenetrable.
CONGRATULATIONS!
@Adam L Silverman: Depends on severity. Wouldn’t do anything for my wife. Wouldn’t do much for me, for that matter. Oddly enough, the surefire remedy for my migraines is vomiting before noon. If that doesn’t happen it’s going to be at least an all day affair.
Roger Moore
@Dork:
She’s the one with an email problem.
Mnemosyne
@Adam L Silverman:
Already took the Excedrin, though ironically regular Excedrin and Excedrin Migraine have exactly the same active ingredients, so I never bother to pay the higher price for the “migraine” formulation. My stomach is a little wonky, so the ginger tea should help with that as well.
And I made G buy me a bottle of Coke from Mexico last night, which is my preferred caffeine fix.
ETA: And my nice boss let me turn off half the lights above my desk, which helps.
Adam L Silverman
@Botsplainer: There has been nothing reported. We do know that the White House, DOD, DOS, and OPM’s unclassified servers were hacked. My guess is that it wasn’t hacked partially because no one knew it existed to hack it.
Jeffro
@catclub: Yes, definitely. I do wish the mouth-breathers could wrap their heads around the thought that America is not a place so much as a set of values. It was never so apparent or so powerful as when Mr. Khan pulled out his copy of the Constitution – my eyes water just a bit thinking about it.
Thanks, Obama (soon to be, ‘Thanks, Clinton’) =)
schrodinger's cat
@Mnemosyne: I brew strong black tea with thinly sliced pieces of ginger added to the tea leaves. Works well for headaches and sore throats.
Adam L Silverman
@CONGRATULATIONS!: Sorry to read that.
Turgidson
@Dork:
Chucklehead Todd: “I’ll tell you what the speech was NOT about. It was NOT about her emails or the Clinton Foundation, or Benghazi, or Anthony Weiner. It was also not a press conference. So obviously, she said a bunch of stuff about some things, but not about the issues that really matter. Coming up next, Trump calls the Democrats the party of slavery. We’ll have our all-star panel of Peggy Noonan, David Brooks, Hugh Hewitt, and Pat Caddell on to discuss how this bombshell will damage Hillary’s campaign.”
Turgidson
@Shell:
We should probably ban Trump from reentering the country until we figure out what’s going on.
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: Good. Hope you feel better soon. I used to get those things and they’re no fun at all.
Trollhattan
@Shell:
Recalling when brave sir Rand Paul went to Howard University to bravely lecture Those People on how they should revere Rand Paul, methinks something like that. Trump can now say “I went to Mexico and they LOVE me! I’m not afraid of the Mexicans!”
Mnemosyne
@CONGRATULATIONS!:
Ouch! I’m lucky that my migraines are usually controllable with Excedrin and a lie-down in a cool, dark room, but every so often one of these nasty bastards sneaks up on me and even laying down with my hands over my eyes isn’t dark enough.
Lizzy L
@Jeffro: GOTV GOTV GOTV!
Adam L Silverman
@Turgidson: Apparently the press conference three weeks ago with the National Association of Black Journalists doesn’t count. Wonder why that is?
Roger Moore
@WereBear:
It’s a good thing and, IMO, not entirely a coincidence. The same social forces that are finally letting people other than white men make serious runs for the presidency are driving the white men who used to shut them out crazy. That crazy is responsible for nominating Trump.
Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.)
Has anybody seen this new thing making the rounds among conservatives about Debbie Wasserman Schultz? She won her primary last night, and conservatives are all buzzing about how that “proves” that Democrats love corruption. I’m no fan of Wasserman Schultz. She seems tone deaf and she’s a hack, but what’s the whole “corrupt” thing about? I know, I know, conservatives don’t need any real corruption to claim somebody is corrupt, but often there something to it. Well, maybe not often, but sometimes, at least. And why home in on Wasserman Schultz? She gave up her post as head of the D.N.C., after all. I don’t get this. Does anybody else know why they’re all hung up on her?
Mnemosyne
@Adam L Silverman:
I need to get my Nasonex prescription renewed. I hate putting steroids in my nose every day, but it really stopped the migraines. (They seem to be tied in with my asthma, which has been acting up thanks to our current weather.)
cmorenc
@piratedan:
Such as…Chuck Toad…er, Todd.
SiubhanDuinne
@Mnemosyne:
Would wearing an eyeshade or visor help as well?
ETA: Whatever works for you, I hope you get relief soon. I’m lucky in that I’ve never been cursed with migraines, but from all I hear they are the worst.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Shell:
Al Giordano’s explanation makes the most sense – both ENP and Trump are Friends of Putin. Lots of Russian money in Mexican oil fields.
Trollhattan
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.):
The Berners did all the heavy lifting for them–they built this shanty then moved out/wandered off, and the Republicans simply moved in like a band of skunks. Didn’t even have the decency to paint the joint.
ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
Migraines are fun aren’t they?
cmorenc
@Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (Formerly Mumphrey, et al.):
The other thing about Wasserman-Schultz that leaps to mind is a prior election season in which, as chair of the DNC, she refused to allocate congressional campaign $$ support to a couple of Miami-area dem congressional candidates because she was such good buds with the incumbent GOP douche-bags and wanted to maintain a good working relationship with them. Geez, I could sort-of-see such a non-funding decision as a matter of hard-eyed triage not to throw $$ at unwinnable races, but you have to be astoundingly tone-deaf to say anything while DNC chair that sounds anything like the reason is because you’re pals with the GOP incumbents.
Barbara
@Elmo: I think that of all the swing states Ohio is the one where Clinton is facing the most headwinds. I don’t know why that is, but I suspect that this approach is being used in Ohio in particular to address what Clinton’s team might see as the reasons for her weakness in Ohio.
Mary G
Love the phrase “incoherent amateur.” Fits to a a T and might get under the skin and stimulate some tweeting.
scav
If Trump really ditched his tethered journalists, I wonder if it will go as well as he presumably thinks. That doesn’t exactly put him in charge of all news filtering out of Mexico — it gives an unexpected priority to Mexican journalists and twitterists (guaranteed to be flattered and impressed with his benediction in deigned to show up personally, no?). Translation isn’t exactly as impossible a barrier as some assume and horrors! there are even people with long form birth certificates that can manage conversations in either button when caught in phone jail.
ruckus
@yellowdog:
Wonder if Trump’s Russian friend is involved in some way?
Adam L Silverman
@Mnemosyne: Its probably better than snorting winstrol!
schrodinger's cat
@scav: Is this meeting really happening? Or is Trump making it all up. No journalists, private meeting, sounds fishy.
Barbara
@Adam L Silverman: This is my routine for migraines and other intractable headaches as well.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Adam L Silverman:
the press idiots have moved the goalposts on that one, to “unmoderated” press conferences, like that makes a difference.
Peale
@Turgidson: Given that they really want to ask her if she’s disturbed by Anthony’s dick pics, I really can see why she’s not holding press conferences.
schrodinger's cat
@Mnemosyne: You know what helped with my asthma related allergies? Sleeping with a humidifier on. Also be sure to through out the water everyday and not let any mold grow.
ruckus
@CONGRATULATIONS!:
Have migraines all the time but have never vomited.
? Martin
@Barbara: Actually, it looks like Iowa is. Obama won Iowa both times and has been considered more of a blue state than Ohio, and yet Trump still shows up leading by a point or two in some polls. Ohio has been more consistently polling for Clinton.
I wouldn’t rule out Steve Kings influence in all of this. He more than anyone I can think of in Ohio has prepared voters for the kind of immigration talk that Trump has been bringing.
Botsplainer
@Adam L Silverman:
There’s security value in anonymity. Guessing that Colin Powell’s aol account stayed secure, too.
scav
@schrodinger’s cat: Why would he and the president apparently lie about it simultaneously — do they just both want some justified me time (or cover for a quick fling) so are mutually faking a political assignation?
Elizabelle
@Mnemosyne: Hope you feel better. Hugs.
@NickM: long wait, cooling his Trump heels, and then a five minute grip and grin w Mexico’s top rapist south of the border.
I hope it comes true.
Maybe they could toss the Trump jet, while it’s waiting on the Tarmac, too. You cannot be too careful w these business types who aren’t respectful of visa practices (Mrs. Trump, poor thing).
Adam L Silverman
@cmorenc: Congresswoman Ileanna Ros-Lehtinen and one of the Diaz-Balart brothers. They all served together in the Florida legislature first. They’ve known each other, professionally and personally, for almost 30 years.
Roger Moore
@Origuy:
She could do something that would justify giving her bad press. Overall, though, they’d rather she not be in the news than be in the news for doing something good or even being given a platform to express her ideas.
? Martin
@Shell: I think he’s desperate and I think ENP (who isn’t very popular right now) is as well. Sometimes rolling the dice is your best strategy.
schrodinger's cat
@scav: Who knows why Rage Cantaloupe does what he does.
Immanentize
@Mnemosyne: Mnem — I am so sorry about the migraine. I had a relationship with one this past weekend. It kept threatening to leave me, but then came back to abuse me some more. All better now but what a wasted time….
Cacti
Better Spanish name for Trump?
Manos Pequenos
or
El Diablo Naranjo
HRA
I read where those now new classified emails were sent when HRC was no longer the SOS. It was on memoreandum.
Wolfowitz endorsement is more Bush IMO.
Lizzy L
@scav: So, the news will mostly come from the Mexican press corps? All righty, then. *grin*
Adam L Silverman
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: I’m pretty sure moderated isn’t the reason it doesn’t count.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
Turgidson
@? Martin:
I suspect maybe Iowa, being almost entirely white, is a state that might actually have a non-negligible cache of hidden white male non-voters who might turn out for Trump but didn’t bother for Mittens of McWalnuts. And on the flip side, there’s probably some Obama voters who aren’t going to bother to turn out for Hillary. Iowa was where it all started for him – I think he found some voters previous Democratic candidates didn’t, and they might be loyal more to him than the party. Just me thinking out loud.
scav
His base would presumably enjoy some new images of scary scary Mexicans being disrespectful of the supreme distilled essence of ‘Mercanhood (a white loudmouth male) and having a new hit of that might ease the bleeding from the blunder of Trumps using different words about personally deporting everyone in the first hour of his majestical presidency. Maybe someone’s decided to be really careful about not using stock images, especially if it comes with a sort of Spring Break vacay.
Adam L Silverman
@Botsplainer: Most likely.
Turgidson
@Roger Moore:
Her continued existence seems to be all they need in this regard.
Peale
@? Martin: I guess that ENP is term limited anyway, so it’s not like he has to care one way or another. Also possible that even though he is popular, his party will win anyway. So thanks to Al Giordiano, I’m a bit nervous that he’s going to announce that he’ll agree to pay for that wall because someone is guaranteeing him a right large retirement package.
Nina
Thing I saw on my facebooks – the fact that Anthony Weiner is still alive is proof positive that Hillary Clinton cannot order someone to be assassinated.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Adam L Silverman:
Agreed. For anyone on twitter who doesn’t follow Matthew Chapman, they should. He really laid into the media today.
Peale
@Turgidson: He lost Iowa and insulted the voters there when polls showed that Cruz had pulled ahead. He also skipped out on the last debate there. Basically, no harm no foul as far as voters go, apparently.
Geeno
I was getting migraines about once a month. Then I had a really horrible one on my wedding day 22 years ago, and haven’t had one since. Not that I’m advising marriage as a migraine cure, it was just weird how they just stopped all of a sudden like that.
shomi
But but…he’s “pivoting” and we should be so very afraid. Just ask wrong way Cole. Yea, a lot (and I do mean a LOT) of full blooded Republicans are endorsing her and/or warning against voting for Drumpf. That is not important. We should fear email gate and various other nothingburgers because that is what everyone at Applebees is talking about. Just ask DougJ and all the other chicken littles who comment on this site.
Barbara
@? Martin: Iowa seems to have become more conservative generally in the last few years, but at any rate, Ohio has a lot more electoral votes.
Gin & Tonic
HJas anyone seen any evidence that Il Donaldo actually arrived? He left his press corps back in Phoenix, and FlightTracker doesn’t show data for his plane (taken off tracking about a year ago.) I don’t have ready access to Mexican-based media.
sdhays
@Turgidson:
You win the internets today!
The Ancient Randonnuer
@Adam L Silverman: Nor does meeting with local press at every place she campaigns at count for much in the eyes of the Very Serious People.
shomi
@craigie: Yea but that must mean big you know what which is probably why Bill needed something else on the side.
Me channeling a warped twisted wingnut mind desperately trying to counter argue to keep their “both sided do it” fantasy alive.
Hal
Andrea Mitchell must be thrilled.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/poll-clinton-unpopularity-high-par-trump/story?id=41752050
Barbara
@Gin & Tonic: Assuming that he is going to go to Mexico City, it’s a long flight even from California because it is so far south. It must be at least three hours. And then, he has to get to wherever he is going in Mexico City, which is not known for its efficient traffic management. I have only been there once and it wasn’t that bad, but we were driving mostly at odd hours, not during the middle of the day. And then, what if there are protesters? I suspect that both Trump and Prieto are going to try to get the other to see things their way — Prieto gets credit for making Trump’s position more reasonable, while Trump thinks he is going to get credit for walking out with a commitment to pay for a wall. This is like two gold diggers agreeing to get married under the mistaken impression that the other actually has money when they both have nothing.
Turgidson
@Peale:
Ah yes, one of my favorite moments of the primary, back when I still thought Trump would probably blow it before he got too close to the nomination and allowed myself to enjoy the trainwreck for what comedic value it could provide:
He accused the voters in Iowa of having brain damage.
That, his “puppets?” tweet about the other candidates lining up to give the Kochs a handie, and his clowning of Rand Paul. Seemed so funny at the time. Now I’m ashamed I ever found him funny.
Mnemosyne
@Geeno:
Already married (10 years this year!) and G probably doesn’t want to go through that hassle again just to cure my migraines. Maybe if we have a blowout for our 25th …
Adam L Silverman
@The Ancient Randonnuer: Yep. 350 interviews, but that’s also hiding from the press.
Turgidson
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
And the Crown Prince of the “BothSides4Ever” Magical Kingdom, Matthew Dowd, came into his mentions to lecture him about how partisan and immature he sounds. Because of course. Surprised King Fournier didn’t get in on the act.
I left a comment for one of Dowd’s tweets telling him his fake “independent” posturing is perhaps the most ideologically rigid stance of all.
scav
Trump viaja a México para reunirse con el presidente Peña Nieto – en vivo
Not that my French is going to do much beyond confuse me in new directions. Still, scary clown piñata along with the expected.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Turgidson:
The lack of self-awareness of these pundits is just stunning. They’re all well on their way to irrelevancy as they get completely tuned out.
Roger Moore
@Adam L Silverman:
She’s hiding from the Villagers, which is what they’re really complaining about.
Turgidson
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
It’s the smug superiority they exude that gets under my skin just about as much as the braindead and purposely misleading shit they pump out. Fournier’s the worst in that regard, but Dowd isn’t far behind.
These fucking people are paid handsomely to cover national politics, and yet their work has the depth and insight of a four year old who just woke up from a coma. But they still strut around like their shit smells like cinnamon rolls, because they get their calls to Paul Ryan returned, or whatever the fuck they think it is that makes them better than the rest of us. It’s just so annoying.
Elizabelle
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: they’re training us not to watch them. Sowing their own obsolescence.
Andrea Mitchell is particularly abhorrent. Why not just dig up Lee Atwater?
Peale
@Hal: Yep. Also, too, when the press interprets the speech she laid out last week as “called Trump a racist” and ignored the rest of the case for it, its going to erode her standing with white people even further. I find the prospect of a Trump presidency personally alarming but it must be nice not to feel that way.
Elizabelle
@Turgidson: I think the NY Times and other papers should replace their crack political teams with sportswriters. Honestly. How could they get it worse? They might be more talented and more honest reporters, too.
Turgidson
@Elizabelle:
I second this proposal. There are plenty of sports journalists who are wayyy, wayyy more dogged and devoted to actual facts than most of today’s Village political journalists are. Hell, I trust most of the writers at Deadspin to track down a story more than I trust the lollygaggers who keep barfing out factually inaccurate and innuendo-filled stories about HRC’s emails for the Times.
Roger Moore
@Elizabelle:
Or maybe they should just say no to crack. ETA: Also assumes that the NY Times doesn’t want a bunch of partisan hacks. My guess is that they’re very happy with their current group and don’t particularly want a bunch of new, potentially competent replacements.
gene108
@Elizabelle:
The problem sportswriters face that political reporters do not face is there many thousands to millions of sports fans (depending on the size of the market), who know all the goddamn rules about the game, the stats of all the players, what other players are signing for of comparable skill level, how games have changed, what rules changing they think have “ruined” or “helped” their sport, etc. And the sports fan is hyper engaged all year long.
Most people tune out political coverage, have a vague idea about what rules are involved, and know very little about what politicians have actually done, i.e. what laws they got passed or gutted or championed, etc.
It’s a lot easier for political reporters to bullshit their way through a story than sports reporters.
The Thin Black Duke
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: Thing is, the only time I ever hear about these clowns is when I come here. I don’t need them.
gene108
@Barbara:
Maybe it’s one of those states, where young people leave and that just leaves the older folks behind.
Iowa Old Lady
@Hal: Yesterday, I saw charts comparing the candidates’ unfavorability with five groups: very liberal, liberal, moderate, conservative, and very conservative. Clinton was above water with the first three group, but as soon as you crossed into conservative territory, that group had 80% unfavorable. So the two conservative groups were really dragging down her rating.
As I recall, Trump had terrible numbers with moderates.
cmorenc
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
Which will unfortunately, likely have about the same impact as a sternly written letter to the editor.
glory b
@piratedan: MSNBC as per Larry Wilmore,
Missing
Significant
Numbers of
Black
Commentators
Calouste
Applying Trump’s razor (“ascertain the stupidest possible scenario that can be reconciled with the available facts”) to today’s schedule for the short-fingered cheeto-faced ferret-headed shitgibbon, flying back and forth from L.A. to Mexico City to Phoenix, IMO the explanation is that Trump thinks the meeting is going to be in New Mexico.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@The Thin Black Duke:
There is way better punditry here than on any of these cable stations – if there’s any better evidence of the role white supremacy plays in the careers of extremely mediocre Wolf Blitzer, Matthew Dowd, Matt Lauer, Chris Cuomo, Ron Fournier, Chris Matthews, Mark Halperin, Mike Barnicle, etc., I’d like to see it. and, they know it, which is what all the pearl clutching about “both sides” and the caping for racists is all about.
Marc
I think that Trump wants a confrontation and that he’ll benefit from one (in the form of positive poll results.)
JanieM
@Calouste: Heh. I was thinking that since he’s so obsessed with people coming over the border, he probably thinks that’s what Mexico is, that place just beyond the border, and he thinks he’s just going over the border for a quick trip himself.
;-)
JR in WV
@randy khan:
Pretty sure the McDonnell’s prosecution is VA state prosecutors, not Federal at all. I could be wrong…
But your point, about who gets the benefit of the Clinton’s foundation, that’s a good point. The foundation saves lives all over the world, and now people are against that? Hating on Hillary for saving lives? Just wow!
JR in WV
@WereBear:
I haven’t seen Andrea Mitchell Greenspan speak since the first night (or maybe the second night) when she told lies about things I had just witnessed. In fact, I haven’t watched much NBC news at all, as in none, since then.
As long as they want to pay a person with a ton of connections kept behind the scenes to lie about things I just watched, not going there, ever. After she “retires” – maybe. CBS does a reasonable job of news. I’ll just watch them instead.
And I don’t need help interpreting Ms Clinton’s speech, she uses plain English which I find easy to understand. So Andrea Mitchell is unnecessary as an interpreter/misinformer about what Ms Clinton says to the nation.
tarragon
@Mnemosyne:
Back on an earlier and almost dead thread, someone asked me to talk about using high flow oxygen therapy to treat my cluster headaches. Here.
So far as I understand it also works for about 50% of migraine sufferers. For me it’s a miracle, if you haven’t tried it it might be work trying.
JR in WV
@Geeno:
You obviously really really needed your new spouse.
And something about being close to your new spouse solved whatever was causing headaches. Good for you!
scav
¿Donde está la bandera Americana? OK, help! is it Waldo, Dora or Carmen Sandiego that allows me to understand Donde está! (slight amusing detour with la bandera which inevitably went ito).
Mnemosyne
@tarragon:
Hmm. Since my migraines seem to be tied in with my asthma, that might make sense. Thanks!
NorthLeft12
@gene108: I will disagree with you strongly about these “knowledgeable” sports fans.
These fans [in my extensive experience] believe they know the rules, and know the players, and know the finer points of playing the games, but they are really incredibly ignorant and quite thick headed about the sport that they supposedly know so well.
The same negative issues that you see in political discourse are present in sports discussions except the emotional level is raised by a factor of ten. As a long time Detroit Lion fan I have heard enough to know that NFL fans are the worst, with baseball and hockey fans [in that order] somewhat more thoughtful about their sports.
Gelfling 545
@Mnemosyne: some preparation such as Ben Gay Cold Therapy rubbed in at the base of the skull, one original sudafed & 1 or 2 aspirin. Works well for me for the headachey migraines. For the occular migraines, acupuncture has kept them away for over 2 years now.
Barbara
@JR in WV: You are wrong. The case was brought by the United States Department of Justice.
1,000 Flouncing Lurkers (was fidelioscabinet)
@Elizabelle: Lee might be a little too honest with them; he started repenting there at the end of his life.
Lizzy L
For those who want to read her speech, a transcript is available at the TIME website. (I tried to link to it but it didn’t work; sorry.)
Truegster
I have a suspicion that Hillary is going to use something against The Orange Menace during the debate that has never been used against him – he has no friends, because he can’t make them. His constant bragging and insulting, his litigious nature has made him a 70 year old loner.
If Donny tries to bring up that Hillary met with Foundation donors, she may point out, “yeah, I knew that Nobel prize economist 30 years ago trying to find financing for the little guy, but you wouldn’t know what that’s like because you have no friends and you never help out the little guy”
(Sound of Orange-colored explosion off camera)
1,000 Flouncing Lurkers (was fidelioscabinet)
@Mnemosyne: A friend’s migraines are always worse and/or more frequent when her allergies/sinuses are in bad shape, whether it’s an allergen, or a big pressure front. That might be why the steroids help you.
D58826
@randy khan: Actually I heard it just the opposite way and that is given the SCOTUS decision (9-0 I believe) throwing out the conviction then the only thing that is illegal is a suitcase full of cash to pay for a government contract.
In which case the Clinton Foundation is free and clear. But oh yes the optics and the smoke. Actually I think the optics would be easier to deal with if the smoke dissipated a bit or maybe some more smoke will hide the optics. In any event it is the Clintons so it must be wrong/illegal/immoral/threat to the way of life or something.
MCA1
@NorthLeft12: Perhaps so, but they do nonetheless know every team and all the stars as well as the bit players on their own team (and minor league system, if applicable), and can name championship teams going back 30 years at least. Contrarily, most people know the names of the President, the Vice President, and one of their two U.S. Senators, and literally not a single additional elected official. The average American could not name more than a dozen historical POTUS’s. They’re not aware of how the parties traditionally interact in Congress, they’re not aware of how judicial appointments and confirmations are supposed to work, they know nothing of constitutional law, the Electoral College, and on and on. And so they’re especially susceptible to the con of Both Sides, and the hand-wringing bullshit of doomsaying they’re treated to by our modern media.
To the original point, though, I’d like to counter gene108’s thoughts with this: sportswriters love extremes and historicity and superlatives. They delight in describing in their most flowery language just how awful a blowout loss was, and just how awesome/pathetic and greatest/worst of all time teams and athletes are. They would have the opposite urge in the current environment than our political writers do: instead of an instinct to describe the horse race as closer than it is, they’d have an instinct to comment on how it’s right up there with Secretariat at the Belmont, and cheering for the greatest blowout of all time so that they have more opportunity to compare superlatives.
Not sure that’s not just as bad in the long run, I suppose, but it would be nice in the current environment, because at minimum we’d have a press unafraid to say in plain language how historically awful the GOP candidate for President is.
D58826
And a few other tidbits. SCOTUS by 4-4 tie will allow the circuit court decision on th NC voter supression law to stand. So it looks like old McCory wasted more state money and will have to face all of the voters not just his chosen few.
And speaking of optics. “old little hands’ is speaking with the President of Mexico. Behind the Mexican President is the flag of Mexico. Behind Trump is a blue curtain. What is the protocol in a situation like this. An American flag behind Trump?
Whatever the protocol if that was Hillary standing there the RWNJ would be in full howl about the disrespect.
Gin & Tonic
So according to something I saw in the NYT, Il Donaldo is supposed to leave Mexico City around 1730 local, which is 1530 in PHX. The flight from MEX to PHX, under ideal circumstances, should be about 3 hours 20 minutes. By the time he gets to his venue he will be at least an hour behind schedule, and likely more.
Unfortunately N757AF does not allow flight tracking. But if I’m the FAA, I’d be inquiring about the on-duty hours accumulated today by the pilots. Sitting in the cockpit while the plane refuels in MEX is not considered rest time, I believe.
opiejeanne
@Gin & Tonic: I say in all seriousness that I do not wish his plane to crash or any harm to come to him. I want him to face Hillary in November.
Matt McIrvin
@Barbara: Of the crucial big three swing states (OH/PA/FL), Ohio is the whitest, though the difference from Pennsylvania is not that large.
Iowa is whiter, and Clinton is doing worse there. But NH is whiter still, and Clinton is doing better there (New England is a bit different, though).
ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
Frequently saline spray helps with my migraines but the best relief is zometripian spray. Can’t get this from the VA, last time I had a prescription l had to get it from Canada and it was $15/ unit.
no
@<a href="#comment-5983402" rel="nofollow