Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

They punch you in the face and then start crying because their fist hurts.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Not all heroes wear capes.

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

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

Republicans do not trust women.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

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

Our messy unity will be our strength.

’Where will you hide, Roberts, the laws all being flat?’

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

If America since Jan 2025 hasn’t broken your heart, you haven’t loved her enough.

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

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

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Hail to the Hairpiece / Monday Evening Open Thread: Media (Fizzle) Notes

Monday Evening Open Thread: Media (Fizzle) Notes

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My interpretation: If Jared Kushner can’t be the Nancy Reagan of a new generation — the ‘kitchen cabinet’ director running the Oval Office behind a photogenic, semi-demented figurehead — he figures he can at least dream of being the next Roger Ailes.

The Financial Times story is behind a paywall, but HuffPo says:

… [T]he Financial Times reported that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner spoke with a boutique media deal-making firm about the prospect of launching a television network. Kushner, who owns the New York Observer, contacted LionTree founder and chief executive Aryeh Bourkoff within the past couple months, according to the paper…

Vanity Fair reported in June on Trump’s media plans and noted that Kushner said at a dinner party how “the people here don’t understand what I’m seeing” and that “you go to these arenas and people go crazy for him.” The New York Times added in August that Trump and Kushner had “quietly explored becoming involved with a media holding, either by investing in one or by taking one over.”

But even if Kushner contacted Bourkoff, Politico’s Mike Allen reported Monday that the LionTree executive has no interest in working with Trump…

Kushner, the scion of a New Jersey real estate family who married Trump’s daughter Ivanka in 2009, has been one of Trump’s closest advisers. One Trump source recently told The New Yorker that Kushner ― who keeps a low profile and rarely gives interviews ― has been Trump’s “real campaign manager.”…

Apart from the NOBODY IS THE BOSS BUT MEEEEE tantrum such reporting is liable to spark from Lord Smallgloves (rumors of civil war within Trump Tower?), there’s the problem of finding enough content to ensure a paying audience…


Not very glamorous! The opposite of YUUUUUUGE…

***********
In other Trump-related infotainment disappointments, there was some excitement yesterday when foundational ratfvcker and ‘informal Trump advisor’ Roger Stone sent out an enigmatic tweet…

… but today Stone’s pimping a “Daily Caller exclusive” about “my next NYTimes bestseller”. Hey, at least Tucker Carlson’s checks clear, ifyouknowwhatImeanandIthinkyoudo!

Reader Interactions

171Comments

  1. 1.

    redshirt

    Josh Marshall has some good reasons why Trump TV won’t happen. In sum: Too costly, and who would work with Trump, and who would sell products on such a network?

  2. 2.

    scav

    Yet another Bunga Bunga Media-Governmental Empire with all the perqs of manhood-bragging scattered about. Berlusconi was weird about his hair too. Sad. No ideas of their own, it’s all retreads.

  5. 5.

    PGFan

    @redshirt: Yes — the notion that Trump can just whistle up a new cable channel is highly questionable. Although it would be kind of nice if they blow a lot of money in the attempt. But it would be better if they just quietly slink away. Furthermore, Trump is crazed 70-year-old. He’s not going to last forever.

  7. 7.

    lamh36

    Someone has GOT to post about the Melania Trump CNN interview…

    This woman is either diabolically smart and just playing dense…or she just dense and reading what in front of her…

    @BenjySarlin
    Melania Trump tells CNN she wants her focus as First Lady to be combating negativity on social media.

    Hmm.

    @kylegriffin1
    Melania: “It was two teenage boys.”

    Cooper: “He was 59.”

    So Trump camp thinks using Melania will ease up on him. if someone claps back. they’ll say the spouse is off limits, but wait…Bill C too

  9. 9.

    Anoniminous

    Fox pulls in around 2 million suckers viewers a day. Trump should do at least as well and draw in some of the Fox News audience. There’s plenty of media and intellectual whores willing to sell out to get on the air so content, I submit, isn’t a problem. The problem I think is finding advertisers willing to have their products associated with the Herr Fuhrer GropenGrabber.

  13. 13.

    SiubhanDuinne, liberal mob enforcer bitch

    Bob Schooley ✔@Rschooley
    It will be just Trump, Giuliani and Ailes sitting around playing “Hot or Not.”

    I hear Billy Bush is available, if they’re looking to hire.

  14. 14.

    gf120581

    @redshirt: I tend to agree with Marshall on this. Trump may simply have to resort to grifting the rubes like so many other right-wing hucksters have done over the years. Ben Carson can give him lots of pointers.

    Still, part of me hopes the TV thing does go through if only for the havoc it would wreak on Fox News. Half of the place might quit to go to Trump.

  15. 15.

    dmsilev

    @lamh36: Well, Henry Hyde called an affair he had at age 45 or 50 a “youthful indiscretion”, so by that light, why not?

  18. 18.

    jonas

    @redshirt:

    who would sell products on such a network?

    OMG, if someone’s willingly subscribing to a Trump-branded network, is there anything you *can’t* sucker them into buying? Ludicrously overpriced gold coins? Shitty survivalist gear? Books on surviving your time in a FEMA concentration camp (and profit in the end!)? The possibilities are endless!

  19. 19.

    James E Powell

    I expect Chris Wallace to go full Inspector Javert against Clinton on Podesta’s emails, her emails, the very idea of email.

    Email for Clinton is like Obamacare for Obama. It’s just what people who don’t like her say.

  20. 20.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @James E Powell: Josh Barro ‏ jbarro 48m48 minutes ago
    “WikiLeaks” has become like “Benghazi” in that it’s a buzzword thrown around by Clinton haters with no clear theory of what’s so bad.

  22. 22.

    RepubAnon

    @gf120581: My personal hope is that Trump steals a chunk of the Fox viewers, enough to make Fox unprofitable … but not enough to make Trumpski’s TV profitable. Next, Trump sells out to the Russians and does propaganda TV for Putin until the Trump brand sinks into a putrid pesthole of failure.

    Pity that Trump will have looted it for all he could – but then, maybe we could extradite him to Russia if Putin wants him badly enough.

  23. 23.

    JMG

    @James E Powell: Wallace can read a poll as well as anyone else. He’s not about to throw away his reputation as one of Fox’s relatively sane personnel in a vain attempt to pump up Trump. If he does, well, there goes the reputation, and it won’t help.

  24. 24.

    jl

    ‘ It will be just Trump, Giuliani and Ailes sitting around playing “Hot or Not.” ‘
    Bob Schooley

    Hey, wait a minute. I suggested a 24/7 Donny Rog and Rudes show for Trump TV on this here blog yesterday. Schooley read BJ blog?
    But my idea is that they would white about about all the losers creeps and bums what crossed them in the past, in addition to dames what asked for it.

    And they could order out for cheeseburgers and fries and shakes from different places and rate them (Newt could join for those segments).
    And Palin is available to provide some content, and maybe liquid refreshment, if rumors explaining some of her odd performances are true.

    There will be plenty of newsworthy material for Trump TV. Don’t chicken out VC sugar daddies, that network will pay for itself.

    Edit: And I recently read Pence started as a wingnut radio host. He’s probably best for the night shift, midnight to 8. Trump could drop in when he is not tweet storming. So, I smell winner.

  28. 28.

    shortribs

    @redshirt:

    and who would work with Trump, and who would sell products on such a network?

    The same companies that advertise on Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, etc..

  29. 29.

    Pest Bog Mummy, Frakensteinbeck

    @Anoniminous:

    Trump should do at least as well and draw in some of the Fox News audience.

    I sincerely doubt it. Once he loses the election, his base will abandon him like he never existed. His name is poison with businesses, so advertisers will not be enthusiastic. He doesn’t have strong financial backing, to put it mildly. He can’t organize for crap, and insists on meddling with and disorganizing instead of letting competent underlings do it. Most importantly, he’s a chiseler. It has become public knowledge to the entire business community that Trump will steal every penny of your investments he possibly can for himself, and has come up with fascinatingly inventive ways to do it. This spells failure at every level.

  30. 30.

    RareSanity

    @redshirt:

    who would sell products on such a network?

    Money for gold, doomsday rations, home security, those electric scooters, Medicare supplemental and life insurance policies.

    They don’t have to like Trump to enjoy separating his suckers from their money.

  35. 35.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Anoniminous: If you watch Fox during the day the ads are largely for survival stuff, reverse mortgages, gold coins, things like that. I don’t think they’re allowed to advertise for firearms or ammunition, but if they could they would. There’s not a lot of stuff advertised on Fox during the day that anyone would really want, let alone need. That will be the revenue stream from advertisement model.

  38. 38.

    Underpaid Propagandist

    @Adam L Silverman: My other favorite was the ever odious Benny Shapiro claiming Andrew “Rapists! Rapists!” Breitbart didn’t have an ounce of racism in his orgone-mated blood.

  40. 40.

    patrick II

    I don’t really like to be too hard on Melania. If she was with a normal politician he would have run for something like mayor, then governor or senator, and only then president and she would have had some time to improve at this sort of thing. She’s new at this, is not particularly well educated, and has been thrown into the deep water.

    I know its unforgivable that she’s married to Donald, but that’s already enough burden to bear.

  41. 41.

    jl

    @RareSanity: Did you know you can have your retirement IRA invested in real gold coins and delivered right to your door? For real retirement security that you can trust. You can sit there and watch it, or dig your fingers into it, or dive into it. For a small additional fee, you can get a special security safe for it too.

    I think, actually I am double plus sure, it is straight from the US government, the place has ‘Mint’ in its name and everything.

    The country needs more places to put out public service ads like that.

  42. 42.

    lamh36

    @gogol’s wife:

    @FeministaJones 2m2 minutes ago
    Just saw the gif of Trump trying to kiss the little Black girl and I had a visceral reaction and I feel sick to my stomach now

    @Tomahawk2020
    @FeministaJones me too. The longer video is even worse because he had already kissed her seconds before on the cheek then he went for mouth

  43. 43.

    PVDMichael

    For what it’s worth.. If I had another game changing piece of Oppo, I’d be dropping it tonight or tomorrow morning. Let it percolate the day before, day of the last debate.

    Hopefully it comes from a female film editor who works for the Miss Universe organization.

  44. 44.

    RareSanity

    @Pest Bog Mummy, Frakensteinbeck:

    “Legitimate” businesses left…the grifters are still there. If he had none, he wouldn’t be on the air.

    @raven:

    Rough times all around, that’s for sure. I believe Kirby will get things on the right track, and I’ve wanted Paul Johnson gone for a long, long time. If Duke, Stanford, Notre Dame, and Northwestern can field competitive teams without gimmicks, there’s no reason why GT can’t do the same.

  45. 45.

    West of the Rockies (been a while)

    @shortribs:

    Yup… Pharmaceuticals, gold sellers, survivalist gear providers, and some of them, I assume, are nice people.

  46. 46.

    Nom de Plume

    @Anoniminous:

    There’s plenty of media and intellectual whores willing to sell out to get on the air

    I was reading recently that with Ailes’ departure from Fox, on-air personalities are freed from their contractual obligations. Trump could easily get Hannity and O’Reilly, though I doubt he could afford them. Hannity might do it just because he’s a born lackey, but O’Reilly is going to want to see some fucking money up front.

  48. 48.

    raven

    @RareSanity: Yea, I sold my Cocktail tix at a $40 loss today. I never go but I’ve also never not broken even. Ya pays yer money ay takes yer chances. I’m about to rack but I hope you are doing well.

  49. 49.

    Anoniminous

    @Pest Bog Mummy, Frakensteinbeck:

    Once he loses the election, his base will abandon him like he never existed.

    Or get stirred-up and easy meat because the election was stolen by the SheDevilFromHell, the blahs, the Joos, the LIEbruls, the race traitors, the KenyanMuslimAntiChrist, etc. etc. etc.

    @Adam L Silverman:

    There’s no ban on advertising firearms or ammo on TV AFAIK. They don’t do it because of cost effectiveness. A whole channel of dumb ass ammosexual dumbfuqs might make it worth their while. The real barrier is they are selling the things as fast as they can make them so they don’t need to advertise.

  51. 51.

    jl

    Now that Beck’s thing is going under, non-hybrid survivalist seed companies will need to place their ads.

  52. 52.

    lamh36

    @GroverNorquist
    BREAKING HILLARY:O’Keefe captured Feingold on tape talking about how Hillary might do an executive order on guns:

    So…what?

    Any gun rights folks who were voting for Trump…ain’t voting for HRC..smh

    They grasping at straws now…

  53. 53.

    Thoughtful David

    If I were to go into any business deal with Trump, even like, say, a TV channel, before I did anything I”d demand 100% cash paid upfront.

  57. 57.

    jl

    @Anoniminous:

    “Or get stirred-up and easy meat because the election was stolen by the SheDevilFromHell, the blahs, the Joos, the LIEbruls, the race traitors, the KenyanMuslimAntiChrist, etc. etc. etc. ”

    I think that depends on how badly (God or FSM willing) Trump gets whomped with votes. After awhile almost no one, even die-hard bigots, extreme sexists, and authoritarians (and I dunno who else would be on the Trump boat anymore) will be willing to admit they voted for him.

  58. 58.

    Anoniminous

    @efgoldman:

    Who’s going to lend him money?

    That’s the catch, of course. iHeartRadio might if they can manage to stay out of bankruptcy. Abelson, Peter Thiel, and the rest of the TeaBagging whacko brigade might throw in some bucks. His campaign has a list of suckers who could be tapped for some bucks.

    And he could bypass cable and go Internet Direct which is a lot less money.

  59. 59.

    Helen

    Moving news: The purchasers of my co-op have been approved by the board of directors. Shooting for a Nov 10th closing date. In 4 weeks I will be a resident of Dublin. Very excited!! Lots to do.

  60. 60.

    Jeffro

    @Adam L Silverman: I think you’re close Adam but instead of selling these things over cable TV or the internet, what if Trump took his act on the road permanently?

    He likes doing these rallies so much and people who attend clearly get such a kick out of them – why not trademark “Rage-a-Palooza” and hit the road for a few years ? You could have an escalating wattage of speakers leading of course to the man himself .

    Meanwhile sales of offensive T-shirts, guns and ammo, gold coins, dubious medical products, and confederate flags could each have their own vendor booths with Trump taking a huge cut of course .

    Best of all from his perspective it keeps him moving so that it is harder for subpoenas to find him … as I suspect they will be trying to do in the next few years

  62. 62.

    Trentrunner

    @patrick II: I’m fucking fine being hard on Melania. She fucking plagiarized FLOTUS’s speech in front of the world. She’s now handwaving and minimizing sexual assaults generally (“boy talk”) and what her husband did specifically (“he is a boy”). She resorted to anti-Semitic accusations when she didn’t get the publicity she wanted (something her people should just shut the fuck up about, given their history).

    So, no. I won’t cut her slack. She should be subjected to the full force and power of social opprobrium and ridicule that has helped make her odious husband famous and rich (?) in the past 15 years.

    I’ll go a step further: Since the Village has been happy to examine every nuance of the Clinton Marriage for 30 years, let’s do the same for the Trump marriage. Just why would an undeniably gorgeous yet foreign, relatively poor, and poorly-educated model who spoke little English go for a billionaire 25 years her senior? Why?

    We all know why. And it’s unsavory at best and says something about the morals of the people involved. These are not good people.

  63. 63.

    Anoniminous

    @Nom de Plume:

    My feeling is either one or both would jump if they got enough money up front. But there’s lots of people out there. Trump could even do a Reality Show Talent Hunt for on-air people, have them do a broadcast and then have a vote to see who says.

  64. 64.

    GregB

    The Fascist Home Companion.

    With Donald Trump and Not Ready for Fourth Reich Players.

    Sponsored by V**gra and Russia Times.

  65. 65.

    lamh36

    @patrick II: Melania is a white woman…with an accent, yes…but still a white woman…with a rich husband. Donald was married when he “pursued” her…she knew exactly what she was getting into in the beginning.

    Michelle Obama was NEVER afforded the amount of sympathy that Melania is getting when Obama ran for Prez…

    Melania ain’t got it that hard at all…

    YMMV.

  66. 66.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Underpaid Propagandist: I still think the best thing I’ve ever seen on TV was Zoe Tur putting her hand on the back of his neck, leaning in to him, and telling him she would beat his ass when he decided to call her by her pre-transition male name. The tough guy spent the rest of the segment whining about it, threatening to file charges and sue, and did so for several days. He eventually filed charges after whining about the whole thing for several days.
    http://wonkette.com/591588/ben-shapiro-files-charges-against-transgender-lady-for-making-him-look-like-total-pussy

  67. 67.

    Steve in the ATL

    @jl:

    I think, actually I am double plus sure, it is straight from the US government, the place has ‘Mint’ in its name and everything.

    Are we back to talking about ice cream?

  68. 68.

    Mike in NC

    @lamh36: We are inundated with political ads, but the only ones humping Trump are paid for by the NRA, featuring white women in peril. Then I recalled reading how Trump pulled ad money from both NC and VA last week.

  70. 70.

    jl

    What I worry about is ugliness on election day, if idiots and goons from Trump go policing the pols. That will be a mess.

    There are legit poll watchers, but Trump had delegitimatized everything. So, some white nationalists goons go challenged suspicious voters ( I wonder who those will be). Will be a mess. There will be a legit trained GOP poll watchers, as well as Dems, there, probably some old duffer or duffette who has been doing it for years. They try to calm things down, but to Trump goons they will just be sinister Paul Ryan secret agents in league with Hillary to destroy the universe as we know it. Some poor slob names Fred Huckamer, GOP poll watcher will get beat up. Some of the younger Dem voters will get pissed and try to even the score. Election day could be a big mess.

    And in person election fraud is so exceedingly rare, I would be surprised if there was even one case of a suspicious voter.

  71. 71.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Anoniminous: Not a Federal ban. I think there may be some state level ones. I know that California has a funky statute about advertising fire arms, but I don’t know if it applies to TV or just print adds.

  74. 74.

    Anoniminous

    @jl:

    I can see it swinging either way.

    But I am disappointed that Shapoopie (or whatever the handle is) hasn’t swaggered in to call us all wrong-way pants pee’ers.

  75. 75.

    Barbara

    @Trentrunner: She also went on tv to question whether Obama’s recently released birth certificate was genuine. She does not speak English well but that does not make her stupid or unaware of what she is doing.

  77. 77.

    The Pale Scot

    @jonas:

    Books on surviving your time in a FEMA concentration camp

    I think I’m going to get right on that, how could it not sell

  78. 78.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Jeffro: The question is would these people turn out if he starts charging for admission? Right now admission is free.

  80. 80.

    Schlemazel

    @Adam L Silverman:
    But I believe that Fox News is a money loser, kept afloat by the profitable arms, Fox channel and Fox Sports. Without that income Trump TV is doomed from the start (thought Hair Gropenfuhrer will make out OK). The model works for Rupert because he can afford to pay ofr his propaganda, Trump, not so much. He might squeeze by as a serioies of podcasts

  82. 82.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Helen:

    In 4 weeks I will be a resident of Dublin. Very excited!! Lots to do.

    I’m assuming from your enthusiasm that you’re not referring to the federal prison in Dublin, Georgia? But if you are, please note that ramen noodles have replaced cigarettes as the currency of choice.

  83. 83.

    Mnemosyne

    @RepubAnon:

    My personal hope is that Trump steals a chunk of the Fox viewers, enough to make Fox unprofitable … but not enough to make Trumpski’s TV profitable. Next, Trump sells out to the Russians and does propaganda TV for Putin until the Trump brand sinks into a putrid pesthole of failure.

    Stop making my mouth water.

  85. 85.

    Anoniminous

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Bans like that run right into First Amendment legal stuff. Product advertising can be banned if there is an over-riding public interest like cigarettes and tobacco products and it has to be at the Federal level — and IANAL and that’s the sum of my knowledge.

  87. 87.

    Adam L Silverman

    @RareSanity: Thank you. I’m usually around, especially in my own posts. Old habit from the place I used to post at where every comment was moderated. So you’d post and then hang around, especially as I was the only other person at the time that had moderator access for the entire site (the other was the site owner). But I’m often here at night if I’m not doing much else.

  91. 91.

    jl

    I guess Trump decided it was time to give Dems some more ideas for GOTV campaign spots.
    I just don’t understand why Trump cannot get his platform out to ‘The Blacks’ (who love him). Must be a nefarious Dem-Establishment GOP-corporate media conspiracy against Trump. I can’t think of any other reason.

    Trump: “Obama’s People,” “African-Americans Are Not Showing Up To Vote For” Clinton
    https://twitter.com/Carrasquillo/status/788191276587823104

  93. 93.

    Peale

    @Mnemosyne: yep. I hate him as much as the next democrat right now, but let’s be honest. He’s got an enemies list 100 miles long at this point, some of whom are even less scrupulous than the CIA.

  94. 94.

    Helen

    @Steve in the ATL: There’s a federal prison in Dublin, Georgia? There’s a Dublin, Georgia? Well color me surprised. Nope; talking about the real, true, first, Viking city Dublin, Ireland.

  95. 95.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Vince: He best hope they don’t cut him loose. The minute they do he’s going to get scarfed up and be on his way to DC for arraignment.

  110. 110.

    Thoughtful David

    I just can’t see how Trump does anything over the next five years or so but defend himself from lawsuits, file bankruptcies, defend himself from criminal charges, and expend vast sums on lawyers, as he watches his few millions shrink to nothing. His brand is in the toilet, no one will lend him anything, everyone will demand to be paid up front, and lots of debt will come due. He’s not going to have any time to appear on anyone’s TV show.

  116. 116.

    Steve in the ATL

    @lamh36: there were plenty of black folks at my voting location today, and I live in an area without a lot of black folks. And I’m guessing they weren’t voting for the orange menace or dr. crazy or the arch conservative stoner.

  119. 119.

    JR in WV

    @Adam L Silverman:

    What a despicable little piece of shit, treating people like that. Didn’t his momma teach him any manners? Obviously not!

    Thanks for sharing! Now I know more about Ben Shapiro.

  122. 122.

    dmsilev

    @lamh36: I’ve lost track of the exact number, but I’m pretty sure that over a dozen women have come forward in just the last five days who think that Trump crossed a line, or several lines, with them.

  123. 123.

    Helen

    @Anoniminous: Hoping to land one when I get there. I manage research $. There are two huge research institutions there; UCD and Trinity, and many smaller places. I have confidence that I will find work relatively easily.

    And also even if I wanted to get a job before I arrive, I can’t. To get a PPS # (their equivalent to an SS#) I need to be a resident. So; first things first.

  125. 125.

    Anoniminous

    @Helen:

    Good time for it. With Brexit corporate labs will be relocating to or changing their plans and moving to Ireland.

  127. 127.

    lamh36

    So what’s the over/under on a new tape or explosive reporting coming bout Trump tmrw the day before the last debate or on Wednesday right before?

    Chris Wallace is the latest mod. so i fully expect him to lean Trump at the debate but if something comes out that bit even Fox News can ignore???

  128. 128.

    Adam L Silverman

    @JR in WV: He’s Modern Orthodox Jewish, which, among Orthodox Jews, is a mix of political/social liberals and conservatives where the other Orthodox denominations tend to be made up of political and social conservatives. This is why you’ll always see an Ultra-Orthodox rabbi standing with the priests and pastors when some governor signs an anti-abortion bill. Even though Judaism requires an abortion if the health/life of the mother is in danger and Jewish bio-ethics makes it clear that the developing foetus is not an articulated human being. Rather it is living off the life force (technical Hebrew term is rodeph/pursuer) of the mother. This is also why you don’t name a Jewish child until the 30th day after it is born and if it dies within 30 days there is no ritual funeral – as it had no life force (nephesh/soul, ruach/spirit) of its own and what it had leached from the mother had dissipated.

    Back to Shapiro: based on his dad’s writing he was obviously brought up in the politically/socially conservative portion of Orthodox Judaism. He was accelerated in school – I think he started college at age 16 or so. So by his early 20s he had a law degree and had fallen in with Breitbart, but had no maturity or any idea how to be an adult. From what I’ve seen he still doesn’t. The rest of us call Jews like Shapiro “Jews without Mercy”.
    https://www.amazon.com/Jews-without-mercy-Earl-Shorris/dp/0385178530/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476758643&sr=1-1&keywords=jews+without+mercy

    No one speaks for the Jews. .We are the people of the great fraction; the whole of us must always be described as the number of Jews divided by the number of Jews. Even Moses was permitted no role greater than that of messenger. We are a nation by belief, by ethics, and by history. We are difficult to lead, impossible to collect, a tribe of individuals, a brotherhood of critics. From time to time in our history men and women have come forward, claiming to speak as Jews for Jews. The temptation to proclaim oneself king or prophet in a nation of equals before God is enormous, for God does not seem to answer many prayers. Jews are not likely to turn away the self-proclaimed king or prophet without a hearing, for the life of a Jew offers little ease: History holds little promise, heaven remains in dispute; we are not hostages to fortune but to ethics. As each new challenge to our ethical existence arises, a chorus of Jewish voices answers. The current challenge comes from within the ranks of Jews. A group of men and women, claiming to be both Jews and neoconservatives, now proposes that Jews accept a new ethical definition of themselves, a definition contrary to much, perhaps most, of what has defined us since our historical beginning in the desert after we were Sojourners in Egypt. This book seeks to answer that proposal.

  130. 130.

    Ken

    @Pest Bog Mummy, Frakensteinbeck:

    Trump will steal every penny of your investments he possibly can for himself, and has come up with fascinatingly inventive ways to do it.

    I for one am looking forward to the audit of his campaign’s finances. It may take a team of forensic accountants years.

  131. 131.

    dmsilev

    @lamh36: I’m expecting something more like the first debate; no dramatic revelations right before the debate, but during the debate Hillary uncorks an attack of some sort that causes Trump to flip out and attack some random target over the next several days.

  132. 132.

    Helen

    @Anoniminous: Yup. Big deal there right now. Ireland will now be the only primary English speaking country in the EU. They also have the infrastructure (thanks to the 90’s Celtic Tiger) to handle it all.

  136. 136.

    Mnemosyne

    @schrodinger’s cat:

    When we moved a couple of years ago, people here reminded me to remember to pack an “open me first” box with the basic necessities in it: toilet paper, paper towels, toiletries, etc. That way, even if everything else got packed, you could get by for a day or two with what was in that box.

  142. 142.

    Adam L Silverman

    @The Pale Scot: The thing these idiots don’t understand, something I finally learned in my early 20s (while living in Scotland), is that courtesy costs you nothing. No one, including Zoe Tur, was telling Shapiro he had to agree with her choice or even think its a good idea. But the lack of basic courtesy and respect to her while in person just beggars the mind. There is an entire set of sinful behavior/violation of commandments concerning lashon harah – the evil tongue/speaking evil, badly, poorly of others.
    http://www.jewfaq.org/speech.htm

    Wronging a Person through Speech

    Leviticus 25:17 says, “You shall not wrong one another.” This has traditionally been interpreted as wronging a person with speech. It includes any statement that will embarrass, insult or deceive a person, or cause a person emotional pain or distress.

    Here are some commonly-used examples of behavior that is forbidden by this mitzvah:

    You may not call a person by a derogatory nickname, or by any other embarrassing name, even if he is used to it.
    You may not ask an uneducated person for an opinion on a scholarly matter (that would draw attention to his lack of knowledge or education).
    You may not ask a merchant how much he would sell something for if you have no intention of buying.
    You may not refer someone to another person for assistance when you know the other person cannot help (in other words, it’s a violation of Jewish law to give someone the run-around!).
    You may not deceive a person, even if no harm is done by the deception; for example, you may not sell non-kosher meat to a non-Jew telling him that it is kosher, even though no harm is done to the non-Jew by this deception.
    You may not sell a person damaged goods without identifying the damage, even if the price you give is fair for the goods in their damaged condition.
    You may not offer a person a gift or invite a person to dinner if you know that the person will not accept.
    You may not compliment a person if you do not mean it.

  143. 143.

    Millard Filmore

    @Thoughtful David:

    [Trump;s] brand is in the toilet, no one will lend him anything, everyone will demand to be paid up front, and lots of debt will come due.

    He will have plenty of time to collect speaking fees, both domestic and foreign, especially for selling off or selling out big chunks of the USA.

  145. 145.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Steve in the ATL: Ancient Scotts martial art: Fuck Yu! Head butt and then repeatedly kick their ribs in when they’re on the ground holding their head where you butted them.

  146. 146.

    Lizzy L

    OT but interesting: This is a comment in a political discussion in a post on a friend’s FB page:

    All of these women coming forward are nothing but a distraction. Hillary does not want to discuss the issues, thats one of the reasons she is hiding. Wednesday, Trump will put an end to all this nonsense. If anyone really cares about the truth. There will be video coming out that will prove she has broken many laws.

    I’m curious: has anyone else encountered this rumor of a video?

  150. 150.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Omnes Omnibus: Unfortunately the news media is looking for a balancing story. The attempt was made today with the State-FBI emails that there was a quid pro quo, but that only lasted until people started quoting from the actual email that 1) it was a now retired FBI official that asked for the quid pro quo, 2) this was all about a retroactive classification because of a FOIA request – the email in question was not classified when it was actually sent, 3) the State Department POC did not commit to giving the FBI official what he requested and the State Department itself never did so, and 4) Secretary Clinton was never involved at all – she was no longer Secretary of State and had no contact/visibility on this at all.

    As someone who works in this world I found the whole thing – not the reporting, the jockeying for something behind the scenes – to be a great example of the transactional nature of the process of interaction within the National Security part of the Interagency. But other than someone like me that works in that world and has had to teach how this stuff works versus how its supposed to work based on directive, there’s nothing there other than someone at the FBI tried to leverage an interagency dispute to get something for his agency, came away empty handed, and was dumb enough to put it in an email.

  151. 151.

    Ruckus

    @Thoughtful David:
    I’ve owned businesses. 100% up front would not be enough. Maybe 1000% up front, in cash. No, on second thought it still wouldn’t be worth having to take a shower with bleach every half hour so that I didn’t feel like scum of the earth for accepting his cash. Because that might would not be enough.

  155. 155.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Omnes Omnibus: Not as far as I know. I’m sure he’s tried to edit/fabricate one, but despite what he and his supporters think of him, he seems to be genetically inept.

  157. 157.

    Adam L Silverman

    @efgoldman: FOX was terrible while I was at the gym around 6. CNN wasn’t much better – they had Chaffetz on. The coverage seems to have gotten better, driven by social media pushback, as the evening wore on.

  162. 162.

    OGLiberal

    Jared’s dad, an ex-con, is a big time Dem, if I’m not mistaken. Or did the black dude at 1600 switch him to the other side?

    Jared must see a kindred soul in his FIL…a spoiled rich kid living off the real estate riches his actually working class (dad in Trump’s case, grandpa in Jared’s) elders built and left him and not really “building” anything himself.

    Although, it seems strange that they’re married…I would think with Trump’s ego he wouldn’t want another big NYC real estate dude’s kid as his SIL…too much competition.

  163. 163.

    tybee

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    the fed pen near Dublin, GA is actually in Reidsville, GA.

    also, Dublin, Georgia is the fastest growing city in Georgia. the population is dublin’ every day.

  164. 164.

    NeenerNeener

    Dublin, Ohio has a lovely golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus and an annual golf tournament, as long as we’re talking about cities named Dublin in the US.

  165. 165.

    Matt

    TBH, I see two possible outcomes for Drumpf on November 9 at his concession speech: either he announces Trump TV or he does a Budd Dwyer… #heymanniceshot

  166. 166.

    Procopius

    @redshirt: Who would work with Trump? How about Peter Thiel, who just announced he is donating $1.25 million to Trump? I’ll bet Sheldon Adelson would. I think the Walton Family would. Jeff Zucker certainly would. We won’t really know until November 9 how loyal his following is. His biggest problem is that he would be going up against Rupert, who is still vigorous and has never been anyone to fool around. I’m pretty sure Rupert is rich enough to buy and sell Trump a hundred times over, too.

  167. 167.

    Procopius

    @dmsilev: Isaac Asimov referred to himself after passing the age of 50 as having entered “late youth.” I have followed his example. Remember, you’re only young once, but you can be immature forever.

  168. 168.

    karen marie

    @PGFan:
    No, but he’s got spawn who “presented well” (they were applauded by the media for not drooling on themselves) at the GOP convention. The very thought of any of them being influential in politics makes me gag.

  169. 169.

    karen marie

    @Adam L Silverman: Trump is claiming this is “felony corruption” and demanding the state dept guy involved should resign. “Felony corruption.” He’s going to get people killed.

  170. 170.

    r€nato

    @redshirt: yah, I’m proud to say I was saying the same things three months ago when talk first emerged of Trumputin possibly using his campaign to launch a TV network. Really, it boils down to one reason: money. It takes a lot to start a television network. Who would pony up that money. Then there’s running it. Who would advertise on it? No well-known corporation would touch anything branded Trump with a 1000 foot pole. The typical hate radio advertisers like Gold Bond powder and gold coin hawkers don’t have the kind of money it takes to pay the ad rates necessary to sustain the venture.

    There’s plenty of other reasons that get into the weeds of broadcast and cable television. I suspect Trump TV would also have a hard time finding quality talent. And of course there’s Trump’s reverse-Midas touch: even if he found investors, and even if he found advertisers, he would surely fuck it all up. If you can go broke running a casino, you shouldn’t even be trusted with a lemonade stand.

  171. 171.

    r€nato

    @Procopius: $1.25MM is loose change compared to what it takes to stand up a TV channel. Buying politicians – even presidential candidates – is dirt cheap compared to the potential payoff. A TV network is a huge money pit, and that’s just to get it off the ground. I would think that Mr. Adelson and Mr. Thiel are savvy men, and know that there’s a big difference between throwing a pittance at a candidate and throwing millions upon millions of dollars at a TV network that will have plenty working against it from the word go.

    There are many other reasons that have nothing to do with money, why Trump TV is a lousy idea doomed to fail. There’s a shit-ton of competition. You have to convince cable and satellite providers to carry you. Who would work there, as far as the on-air talent? Fox News Channel at least has the patina of respectability (really). Trump TV would not. It would likely be a career-killer and the workplace environment would probably be a snake pit. And of course, Trump has by now well-established that his judgment and temperament are somewhat lacking.

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