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You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2018 / Small Victories Open Thread: Bannon Not Doing So Well Right Now

Small Victories Open Thread: Bannon Not Doing So Well Right Now

by Anne Laurie|  October 31, 20186:28 pm| 262 Comments

This post is in: Election 2018, Open Threads, Republicans in Disarray!, Assholes, Clown Shoes, Just Shut the Fuck Up

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In deep red Kansas, 17 people showed up at a Topeka Holiday Inn to see Steve Bannon (free continental breakfast in the AM) https://t.co/6pTBVu660V pic.twitter.com/yyOb6mN62z

— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) October 31, 2018

Steve Bannon makes spur-of-the-moment trip to Topeka for personal appeal to Trump base, telling them control of the House depends on whether they show up to support @Steve4Kansas, even if he is a #RINO #ksleg https://t.co/5S9STUE4mT pic.twitter.com/tK1p1OuSBV

— Sherman Smith (@sherman_news) October 31, 2018

… At an unpublicized micro-rally in North Topeka, Bannon told a small gathering that a New York Times poll showing Democrat Paul Davis with a four-point lead over Republican Steve Watkins was the catalyst for his spur-of-the-moment decision to fly to Kansas.

He expects Robert Mueller to deliver a report on President Donald Trump before the end of the year. If Davis wins, Bannon said, Democrats will take control of the House and use the Mueller report as a blueprint to launch impeachment proceedings.

If the Trump base doesn’t show up next Tuesday, he said, “we’re going to lose this.”…

About 25 people attended the rally at the Holiday Inn Express on US-24 highway, including a small contingent of event organizers and individuals following Bannon for a documentary. People were notified midday by unsolicited texts that read: “Support Trump and MAGA! RED TIDE RISING RALLY with STEVE BANNON.”…

Bannon spent the day at similar events in Nevada and planned to provide motivational talks for Kris Kobach’s campaign before leaving for Iowa. Kobach, the Republican nominee for governor, is tied with Democrat Laura Kelly in consistent polling.

“Sometimes,” said Christopher Reeves, a Kansas representative to the Democratic National Committee, “you know your candidates by the people who rally to support them. Steve Bannon was worshiped and publicly praised by the American Nazi Party, David Duke and others. He once said feminism is worse than cancer. He was fired from the Trump administration for being too radical. It is clear what he believes about Steve Watkins and Kris Kobach, and that support is pretty troubling.”…

Bannon said the small crowds at his rallies are intentional, that the point is to make it a grassroots movement for Trump supporters #ksleg

— Sherman Smith (@sherman_news) October 31, 2018

That's not a "micro-rally." That's a bridge foursome and a moldering carcass of hubris and delusion encased in filthy garments from LL Bean's 1985 "Muttering Hobo" Fall Collection.

— Facial Merkin (@facialmerkin) October 31, 2018

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Previous Post: « Don’t stop, it’ll soon be here
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Reader Interactions

262Comments

  1. 1.

    misterpuff

    October 31, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    So much WINNING!

  2. 2.

    dmsilev

    October 31, 2018 at 6:35 pm

    a moldering carcass of hubris and delusion encased in filthy garments from LL Bean’s 1985 “Muttering Hobo” Fall Collection.

    I’ve been fond of how The Onion described him when got fired as ‘The White House’s most encrusted advisor’.

  3. 3.

    piratedan

    October 31, 2018 at 6:37 pm

    he was probably there just to hit the 10.00 blackjack table to launder some illegal campaign contributions, I spent some time in Topeka working on a contract and while some of the folks there were nice, it was without a doubt, the shittiest gig I ever took.

  4. 4.

    aliasofwestgate

    October 31, 2018 at 6:38 pm

    The use of the whole ‘red tide rising’ thing? Has me going WTF? Do you not know that the connotations of Red Tide are not good in any possible way. That’s what i bumped on. But seeing how tiny the crowd was and his pathetic hobo look is vastly amusing.

  5. 5.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    October 31, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    Bannon said the small crowds at his rallies are intentional, that the point is to make it a grassroots movement for Trump supporters

    If your lawn only has 17 grass roots, we call that a “dead lawn”.

  6. 6.

    feebog

    October 31, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    I see the two unwashed shirts under a grease stained bomber jacket is still in with the Neo-Nazi crowd.

  7. 7.

    geg6

    October 31, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    @misterpuff:

    I know! I’m tired of all the winning, aren’t you?

  8. 8.

    gene108

    October 31, 2018 at 6:42 pm

    I want to think this is some kind of horrible career shattering, life ruining, downward path for Bannon, but then I remember he is a multimillionaire and all this is just a vanity project for him,

    Sigh…ain’t no justice….

  9. 9.

    Marvel

    October 31, 2018 at 6:42 pm

    Haz vote. https://imgur.com/a/SGhB7NK

  10. 10.

    Amir Khalid

    October 31, 2018 at 6:42 pm

    Micro-rally? 17 people might be enough to fill a living room. It sounds more like a nano-rally. Maybe even a pico-rally.

  11. 11.

    schrodingers_cat

    October 31, 2018 at 6:43 pm

    @Amir Khalid: There were more people at the house party my neighbor hosted for the write-in candidate in the primaries for the state senate.

  12. 12.

    WereBear

    October 31, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    @Amir Khalid: Micro-rally? 17 people might be enough to fill a living room. It sounds more like a nano-rally. Maybe even a pico-rally.

    Good one!

  13. 13.

    Baud

    October 31, 2018 at 6:45 pm

    I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist.

  14. 14.

    Amir Khalid

    October 31, 2018 at 6:47 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:
    Plus, when you organise a rally and all of 17 people show up, the inescapable take-away is that you are beneath most people’s notice.

  15. 15.

    CarolPW

    October 31, 2018 at 6:49 pm

    @Marvel: Benton Co? Me too. My ex and I voted a week ago Sunday and our ballots went to the drop box last Monday. And this Monday on the way to the pet store I saw several yard signs for democratic candidates, so that was exciting too! Going to be a long time before we get a democratic representative, either state or US, but I have hopes I’ll live that long.

  16. 16.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    October 31, 2018 at 6:51 pm

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    If your lawn only has 17 grass roots, we call that a “dead lawn”.

    OK, folks. We can close up the intertubes for the day, WE HAVE A WINNER!

  17. 17.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 6:54 pm

    I think people are going back to hiding their MAGA freak flags cause of all the backlash they’ve gotten if not at the ballot box, then at home or work or with family

  18. 18.

    trollhattan

    October 31, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    For…reasons Bannon was interviewed on NPR a couple weeks ago and he kept gaslighting like hell that Trump is a geeeeenius, one of the smartest, bestest brain dudes the earth has ever belched forth. Got the impression he’d recently rewatched the SNL skit featuring the off-camera super-genius Reagan.

    Since Bannon’s been flouncing around Europe spinning up the nazis, can he be held criminally liable for their violent outbursts?

  19. 19.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 6:58 pm

    Trump is sending so many troops to the southern border that I’m actually starting to wonder if he’s planning to invade Mexico.

    20,000 Troops. 2,000 National Guard.

    Logistics must be a royal bastard.

  20. 20.

    tobie

    October 31, 2018 at 6:59 pm

    Since this is an open thread, I guess I can bring up that I got polled by Rasmussen’s firm this evening. There were the usual questions about whether I think the country is on the right or the wrong track, whether I approve or disapprove of Trump, whether I’m more inclined to vote for a Republican or Democrat this season, and whether I’m more or less eager to tell people about my vote. I lied and said I was a moderately conservative Republican because I know Rasmussen’s polls always oversample Republicans. The weird part were the endless questions about immigration and birthright citizenship. From the simple question whether you should have a right to citizenship based on birth, to whether parents of kids born here should be deported and finally whether “illegal immigrants” (Rasmussen’s phrasing) should be entitled to state and federal services before their immigration status was confirmed. These were all leading questions, clearly trying to push the subject in one direction by reducing complicated issues to sound bytes. I gather that’s half the point of a Rasmussen poll: to test out memes for the Republicans. Anyhoo…this was the first national political poll of my life.

  21. 21.

    Kay

    October 31, 2018 at 6:59 pm

    Nate Silver
    ‏Verified account
    @NateSilver538
    Follow Follow @NateSilver538
    More Nate Silver Retweeted (((Harry Enten)))
    Pennsylvania polls have been just awful for Republicans. If Democrats have a good night next week, PA would really be the epicenter in some ways—a bit ironically given the preponderance of Trump-voters-in-Pennsylvania-diners-still-love-Trump stories.

    I just want this noted, because it means all of the political discussion for a year after Trump was basically bullshit that doesn’t matter :)

  22. 22.

    trollhattan

    October 31, 2018 at 6:59 pm

    @lamh36:
    I do wish. But I can’t say when proudly ignorant and stupid ever takes the day off, either.

  23. 23.

    delk

    October 31, 2018 at 6:59 pm

    Nice Nike shoes Bannon is wearing. Thought those were supposed to be boycotted.

  24. 24.

    Ken Shabby

    October 31, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    Hooray For Everyone.

    Wake me in 2022 or 4.

    https://youtu.be/8NlrgjgOHrw

    “2016, as I recall, was an astonishing victory – and! – the media was behind us!”

    Let me know when White Atlanta burns and Vicksburg is re-taken. Y’all need pack a lunch, yo –

  25. 25.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    Some of the active-duty troops heading to the border will deploy with weapons, O’Shaughnessy said a day earlier. According to the internal Pentagon documents reviewed by The Post, active-duty personnel can use force to protect themselves or others.

    The Marine Corps will deploy military police and a special-purpose task force headquarters as part of the U.S. military’s mission, while the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division will deploy helicopters, according to the documents. Troops will deploy with a mixture of lethal and nonlethal weapons and are authorized to use deadly force in defense of “all persons, foreign or domestic, who are faced with imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm, and where lesser means have failed or cannot be reasonably employed.”

    What could possibly go wrong?

  26. 26.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    Talked about this in a previous thread, but now Kemp tweeted out

    @BrianKempGA
    Follow Follow @BrianKempGA
    More

    Governor candidate, GA
    STACEY ABRAMS CANCELS WSB-TV DEBATE, KEMP CAMPAIGN RESPONDS > http://ow.ly/SwX730mrUvM #gapol #gagop #tcot #gafirst

    Which is a lie. I’m loving that folks in the comments are for the most part NOT having the lies.

    Kemp pulls out of final debate for governor due to Trump visit http://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/kemp-pulls-out-of-final-debate-for-governor-due-to-trump-visit/85-609946537 via @11AliveNews

  27. 27.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 7:06 pm

    Ain’t this the truth!

    @oliverdarcy
    Follow Follow @oliverdarcy
    More
    “Nothing that Smith says during his Fox News program — no matter how sick his burns on Trump might be — neutralizes the impact of Dobbs or Sean Hannity or Tucker Carlson or dozens of other Fox talking heads. Nothing.”
    https://twitter.com/oliverdarcy/status/1057761034298146822

  28. 28.

    piratedan

    October 31, 2018 at 7:12 pm

    @Kay: I think that there’s a certain subset of Reporters that absolutely adore doing profiles on Trump voters so they can pretend to engage with them while trying to honestly and objectively record their POV. Then those said same reporters get to feel like they’re doing good by allowing the voices of the people to be heard… never mind that this particular vein of Americana has already been richly mined, but for some reason they’re afraid to head into Philadelphia and speak to the small business woman of color to get her POV, its as if she’s a mythological creature of lore……. and I’ve yet to see the puff piece with anyone who happened to have voted for Ms. Clinton who had the election stolen from her, talk about being ignored by the press….

  29. 29.

    SRW1

    October 31, 2018 at 7:12 pm

    Breakfast with 17 people can be stressful, even if coffee and the munch munch is free.

  30. 30.

    Roger Moore

    October 31, 2018 at 7:13 pm

    @Ken Shabby:
    If you’re trying to hide that you’re a Russian troll, it helps not to use the version of the video with foreign language subtitles.

  31. 31.

    Chyron HR

    October 31, 2018 at 7:15 pm

    Faces of Meth MAGA

  32. 32.

    J R in WV

    October 31, 2018 at 7:16 pm

    As a child who grew up in a newspaper newsroom, literally, I have strong opinions about freedom of the press. My father spent a huge amount of money to defend his editorial page against a libel suit pressed by a crooked politician, and won in the US Supreme Court many years ago. Details to those who want them, it’s in textbooks about news media libel law.

    But the press needs to spend its effort on being accurate, truthful, and objective. Not on making timely but false accusations against political opponents of the owner’s captive politicians. Once a press organ begins promulgating lies, spinning falsehoods, distorting events, they begin to shed the freedom of the press and start to be a propaganda arm of a politically corrupt movement.

    Would the First Amendment have allowed the German Nazi party movement to take over America in the 1930s? After years of observation of reality my answer is NO, IT WOULD NOT!

    Truth is an absolute defense against accusations of libel and slander. I now believe that presenting blatant falsehoods repeatedly destroys a news organization’s “freedom of the press” and allows them to be shut down to protect the nation from the certain damage to come from a wild propaganda outlet spewing lies as if they were true, over and over.

    I’m going to post this comment in several threads, I think it is important.

  33. 33.

    SRW1

    October 31, 2018 at 7:17 pm

    @trollhattan:

    Since Bannon’s been flouncing around Europe spinning up the nazis, can he be held criminally liable for their violent outbursts?

    Even Marine Le Pen of Front National fame found it necessary to disavow Bannon. Seems his European adventures are not going so well.

  34. 34.

    trollhattan

    October 31, 2018 at 7:18 pm

    @Roger Moore:
    It’s now the 1st there and we know what that means: monthly vodka shipment!

  35. 35.

    japa21

    October 31, 2018 at 7:19 pm

    Haven’t read all the comments today so mayhaps someone already pointed out Penzey’s latest. I won’t quote it, it is too long. Just go to the FB page and read it yourself.

    I will point out that all Penzey’s throughout the country are closed on Tuesday so all their employees can vote.

  36. 36.

    J R in WV

    October 31, 2018 at 7:22 pm

    @lamh36:

    I think people are going back to hiding their MAGA freak flags cause of all the backlash they’ve gotten if not at the ballot box, then at home or work or with family

    I saw a comment from someone who remarked they had started taking pictures of local racists acting out in public. So far he had identified four individuals and tied them to online racist outbursts as well as public racism in his community, and they all four lost their jobs.

    Which seems very appropriate to me, old bearded white dude, who wants the liability of having a racist working for you, ready to cause public humiliation of your company at a second’s notice? One outburst could kill a local company dead, anywhere.

  37. 37.

    chris

    October 31, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    Steve Fucking Bannon is coming to Canada this week. Hope he gets stopped at the border for lack of personal hygiene. Made me wish for a moment that I still lived in Toronto so i could join the protests.

  38. 38.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Truth is an absolute defense against accusations of libel and slander.

    You mean it was. At least with this Supreme Court majority that believes we live in a post-truth reality.

  39. 39.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:24 pm

    @chris:

    Steve Fucking Bannon is coming to Canada this week.

    There is an awful lot of uninhabited wilderness where his body would never be found.

    Just saying.

  40. 40.

    MJS

    October 31, 2018 at 7:24 pm

    @Kay: Nate better not jinx it for us here in PA. We have a couple of really shitty Republicans running for Governor and U.S. Senate.

  41. 41.

    MoxieM

    October 31, 2018 at 7:24 pm

    More shirts than audience, eh? I wonder which smells worse.

  42. 42.

    H.E.Wolf

    October 31, 2018 at 7:25 pm

    @CarolPW:

    @Marvel: Benton Co? Me too. […] Going to be a long time before we get a democratic representative, either state or US, but I have hopes I’ll live that long.

    A small piece of encouraging news for the two of you – there are a huge number of volunteers for the Dems in Benton County this cycle. I’ve been watching the numbers rise for the past 12 months. The field organizers in that area have done an amazing job. It bodes well for 2020.

  43. 43.

    Steve in the ATL

    October 31, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    Yo—paging @eclare! Sorry I missed your bat signal earlier. Was locked in a room with a bunch of union thugs in Cleveland. I’m lucky to be alive!

    Adam can give you my email address if you need me in the future.

  44. 44.

    Amir Khalid

    October 31, 2018 at 7:27 pm

    @TenguPhule:
    Them troops will be standing there in full combat armour, locked and loaded, feeling really disappointed because no one showed up get shot at.

  45. 45.

    Steve in the ATL

    October 31, 2018 at 7:29 pm

    @SRW1:

    Even Marine Le Pen of Front National fame found it necessary to disavow Bannon.

    Sacre merde! When you’re too nazi for that nazi bitch…just wow.

  46. 46.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 7:31 pm

    @J R in WV: right. alot of the viral video meme have involved folks calling the police on Black folk for just living their lives.

    Everyone has a cell phone with a camera nowadays

  47. 47.

    Sab

    October 31, 2018 at 7:32 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: You are in Cleveland and didn’t tell anyone?

  48. 48.

    J R in WV

    October 31, 2018 at 7:32 pm

    @Roger Moore:

    @Ken Shabby:
    If you’re trying to hide that you’re a Russian troll, it helps not to use the version of the video with foreign language subtitles.

    Roger, thanks so much for noticing this and calling our attention to it. So many people wonder how much trolling is taking place, and this answers that question: A Whole Lot!!

    If they’re here like this, they are everywhere. Ken Shabby raised a lot of questions in my mind, and without access to his IP address or other details about his posts all I could do was reach a conclusion from his content. But this nails the box lid down on his reality – Russian Troll !!

    We’ve had some disagreements, but we’re both Americans, unlike some who post here from time to time. Thanks again!!

  49. 49.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    October 31, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    @TenguPhule:
    I’m so glad the Pentagon is wasting money on Operation Inherant Racism.

  50. 50.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    Glad to see that the local media is calling out Kemp for claiming that Abrams backed out of the last debate. It be cool if they just called it lying but still glad they are reporting the truth and not the Kemp lie.

    @MSNBC
    Follow Follow @MSNBC
    More
    WSB-TV report: “Sunday at 5 p.m. was an agreed upon date and time from all three campaigns. However, within the past 24 hours, Kemp’s campaign informed us they are unable to make that date and time work. Kemp is attending a rally with President Donald Trump in Macon.”

  51. 51.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    Them troops will be standing there in full combat armour, locked and loaded, feeling really disappointed because no one showed up get shot at.

    Other then the normal traffic going between the US and Mexico.

    Historically, massing that many troops on your national border made the other country nervous that you’re planning to invade them.

    All we need is for Mexico to start redeploying units in response and the clusterfuck would be total.

  52. 52.

    An Outhouse

    October 31, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    These are Jill Stein sized rallies.

  53. 53.

    chris

    October 31, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    an awful lot of uninhabited wilderness

    I know, I live there. This afternoon I went across the road and into the trees, an hour later I could safely say that the nearest human was at least two miles away. And I had cell service.

  54. 54.

    SFAW

    October 31, 2018 at 7:35 pm

    A quick gander at CNN tells me that a judge told Georgia it must accept absentee ballots with mismatched signatures.

    Did not read the article, just saw the headline before heading out. I hope it’s as good as we think.

    Apologies if someone already posted this.

  55. 55.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:36 pm

    @??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??:

    I’m so glad the Pentagon is wasting money on Operation Inherant Racism.

    The troops will have two months of being stuck in Texas, bored out of their minds and unable to drink while deployed. And they’ll be armed.

  56. 56.

    Viva BrisVegas

    October 31, 2018 at 7:37 pm

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I think it was more along the lines that no foreigner gets to explain French fascism to a French fascist.

    After all isn’t that the point of being a “nationalist”?

    Bannon hasn’t yet noticed that his anti-globalist message which is that of globalising nationalism, doesn’t go down well everywhere.

  57. 57.

    Amir Khalid

    October 31, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    @chris:
    You know how vampires recoil from garlic? Well, Steve Bannon needs to be greeted by a crowd of Canadians wielding bars of soap.

  58. 58.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    Khashoggi’s murder now being described in detail by Turkey.

    JFC.

  59. 59.

    Ken Shabby

    October 31, 2018 at 7:39 pm

    @Roger Moore:

    Really, Roger? Subtitles = bot?

    I don’t know who you are, what you believe and what you want. I don’t know you, yet.
    I expect the same patience from you as I’d hope you’d provide me. The only way some clips remain on YouTube is if they’re subtitled in another language besides English.

    Calm the fuck down, use your head, work some correlations and – Think.

    This place has its own little police force, doesn’t it.

    “Strangers in the village!”

    I’m an ally, you fucking moron.

    I’m waiting to celebrate when there’s something to celebrate. It ain’t now, it ain’t yet and, I’ll check with you next week, after we all become unicorns.

    Really? You’re so fucking Stupid your first reaction to anything outside your narrow area is ‘bot’?

    Fuck off.

  60. 60.

    Dan B

    October 31, 2018 at 7:39 pm

    @Amir Khalid: A pico rally? Is that a description of the Continental Globalist Breakfast ? Paper towels with coffee brewed from brown paper bags and autumn leaves? I’d call that a condition.

  61. 61.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:39 pm

    @Amir Khalid:

    Well, Steve Bannon needs to be greeted by a crowd of Canadians wielding bars of soap.

    Gonna need a bigger tub.

  62. 62.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    October 31, 2018 at 7:40 pm

    Donald Trump Will Hold An Ohio Rally The Day Before The Midterms. The Republican Candidate For Governor There Is A Maybe.

    Mike DeWine is running a campaign few Republicans in this country would dare: The Ohio gubernatorial candidate is hugging President Donald Trump and outgoing Gov. John Kasich, bitter rivals since the 2016 primaries who appeal to dueling factions of the party.

    DeWine is just being careful not to hug either too tight.

    As of late Tuesday, he wasn’t even sure he would attend Trump’s campaign rally next Monday — the day before Election Day — in Cleveland. The House race in that district is not competitive. Many believe the same about Ohio’s Senate race. DeWine, who is locked in a tight race with Democrat Richard Cordray, might be the only one Trump’s visit can help. But it could also hurt. So while other Republicans in places where Trump won comfortably practically beg him to fly in on Air Force One, DeWine has to see if he can move a few things around on his calendar.

    […]

    DeWine, the state’s attorney general, has skipped Trump events in the past. When Trump campaigned two weeks ago in the Republican stronghold of Warren County, DeWine came early to mingle with voters but left before the event began. He has shown less apprehension around Vice President Mike Pence, who was scheduled to appear with DeWine on Wednesday in working-class Mansfield. He also has committed to a Kasich-headlined rally Friday evening in Columbus.

    “Well, look, I want everyone’s support,” DeWine told BuzzFeed News after his Tuesday night event with South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump-friendly face whose strenuous defense of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has made him a hero on the political right. “I’ve known Gov. Kasich since 1979, so I appreciate his support. I appreciate Donald Trump’s support. I say I’m the only thing that Donald Trump and John Kasich agree on, literally. That’s it. I’m it.”

    […]

    Cordray has made Obamacare, particularly the preexisting conditions part, central to his campaign, mirroring strategies from Democratic candidates for governor who are running against Republicans who opposed the law. One of DeWine’s first orders of business after succeeding Cordray as Ohio’s attorney general was to join the lawsuit challenging Obamacare’s constitutionality. He has said, without going into much detail, that he would support efforts at the state level to preserve coverage for preexisting conditions if Republicans in Congress eventually are able to repeal Obamacare and its mandate that insurers provide it.

    “Really a bogus issue,” DeWine said of Cordray’s attacks. “It is the national Democrat playbook. You can go to other states and see ads that are almost identical to the ads that they’re running against me. It’s anybody who was against Obamacare. Look, I’m not bashful about being against Obamacare. It was not the right way to go. I don’t apologize for opposing that.”

    In the final week of the race, DeWine is trying to run to Cordray’s left on the issue. His campaign has produced a TV ad asserting that DeWine has the stronger record on preexisting conditions and that Cordray, in his years as a legislator, never voted in favor of such coverage. Cordray’s team quickly disputed the ad, pointing to a 1992 vote in the Ohio House.

    “Mike DeWine has spent this entire race trying to thread the needle and straddle two wings of a very divided Ohio Republican Party — and he’s failing to win over either side,” Mike Gwin, a spokesperson for the Cordray campaign, said in a statement to BuzzFeed News.

  63. 63.

    Chip Daniels

    October 31, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    Like Spinal Tap, his fan base has simply grown more selective.

  64. 64.

    Viva BrisVegas

    October 31, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    Sort like an imbecile’s version of Jade Helm?

  65. 65.

    piratedan

    October 31, 2018 at 7:41 pm

    @lamh36: tells you all you need to know about candidate Kemp, if the SOB is willing to lie about why he won’t attend a debate, then what won’t he lie about?

    If he can’t keep to an agreed upon commitment about a debate and then lie about why he won’t be attending, makes it clear that this guy is not fit for public service.

  66. 66.

    hells littlest angel

    October 31, 2018 at 7:43 pm

    Bannon said the small crowds at his rallies are intentional …

    Literally thousands of people may have been turned away.

  67. 67.

    TS (the original)

    October 31, 2018 at 7:43 pm

    @Kay: That was a delight to read – thanks Kay. I had just checked out booman & they all appear to be in the depths of despair & convinced democrats have blown it. Used to be a useful site.

    I’m really enjoying the upbeat posts & stories – BJ has it all at the minute.

  68. 68.

    Baud

    October 31, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    @hells littlest angel: Think about how many millions were deterred by the fear of liberal mobs.

  69. 69.

    chris

    October 31, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    @Amir Khalid: That’s a great idea! Maybe just foam generators so that nobody throws the first bar. Although the image of Bannon being pelted with bars of soap makes me happy.

  70. 70.

    Shana

    October 31, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    @dmsilev: “Most encrusted advisor”! That goes in the Hall of Fame along with “short-fingered vulgarian”?

  71. 71.

    hueyplong

    October 31, 2018 at 7:47 pm

    Not sure trolling is the most efficient way to establish that one isn’t a troll or a bot.

  72. 72.

    raven

    October 31, 2018 at 7:48 pm

    @Ken Shabby: So if you don’t like it beat it, douche.

  73. 73.

    Kay

    October 31, 2018 at 7:48 pm

    @MJS:

    Nate better not jinx it for us here in PA.

    I should stop jinxing too- I believe in the jinx factor. Right about now is where we start screaming at people that they can’t be “complacent”. I’ll do my shift Friday.

  74. 74.

    Wapiti

    October 31, 2018 at 7:49 pm

    @TenguPhule: Since we seem to be stuck with the Muslim Ban 3.0, maybe we could add Saudi Arabia to the list?

  75. 75.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:49 pm

    @Viva BrisVegas:

    Sort like an imbecile’s version of Jade Helm?

    Or Kent State.

    Its so stupid and so ripe for potential tragedy that it crosses the line twice.

    I’ve seen comments wondering if this is another one of Trump’s little tests of loyalty to pull others into his spiral of shit.

    Mattis is risking making himself complicit in crimes against humanity. But if Trump against all odds has American troops obey orders that violate international law, then it all goes to hell.

  76. 76.

    John Revolta

    October 31, 2018 at 7:49 pm

    Apparently most of Bannon’s backers would describe him as “that nice-looking young man”.

    Also, Topeka is Koch Bros. HQ. Coincidence?

  77. 77.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 7:50 pm

    Sigh…welp…guess I’m done with Hugh… I’m a firm believer in “birds of a fether flock together”… your good friends are trash Hugh…

    @Variety
    Follow Follow @Variety
    More
    Hugh Jackman says that he doesn’t talk politics with friends Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner https://bit.ly/2Og9Ef1

    ETA: Oh and how much do ya think his PR people are pulling their hair out…like “really Hugh…THIS is the time you choose to comment on this”

  78. 78.

    Ken Shabby

    October 31, 2018 at 7:50 pm

    @J R in WV:

    “We’ve had some disagreements, he doesn’t seem to like cats, and, we’ve our own little group here and, besides – he’s new.”

    What I think now?
    Many of you are like every narrow motherfucker my entire life.
    You don’t want help. You just want to bitch and have a group pity party.

    I’m not a bot, you fucking morons,

    Wow.

    “We’ve had disagreements”

    Heaven forfend.

    This is a petty place, after all. I love a good argument but, petty stupidity is right out of fucking high school.

  79. 79.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    @piratedan:

    if the SOB is willing to lie about why he won’t attend a debate, then what won’t he lie about?

    Funny story, this is exactly what happened to the two Republicans running for governor and lt. governor in Hawaii.

  80. 80.

    Ken Shabby

    October 31, 2018 at 7:52 pm

    @raven:

    On my way, motherfucker.

    Thanks for the fish.

  81. 81.

    Mnemosyne

    October 31, 2018 at 7:54 pm

    I’m sorry, I’m still helpless with laughter over “micro-rally.”
    ?????????

    Now I’ll go read the rest of the thread.

  82. 82.

    raven

    October 31, 2018 at 7:55 pm

    @Ken Shabby: Don’t let the byte byte you on the ass.

  83. 83.

    Mnemosyne

    October 31, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    @aliasofwestgate:

    The use of the whole ‘red tide rising’ thing?

    They probably should have asked a woman or two what “red tide” means to them. It’s … not what Bannon and his pals seem to think.

  84. 84.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    @Ken Shabby: Sorry for your experience but you’ll need to develop a thick hide to stick around here. Many regulars are gunshy about new names because this site has a long long history of assholes, trolls, stalkers, racists and libertarians popping in here due to the liberal nature of Cole in regards to moderation.

    Don’t be afraid to speak out and call them out on it.

  85. 85.

    JMG

    October 31, 2018 at 8:00 pm

    I don’t think anyone is complacent. I don’t think anyone on this board hasn’t done a whole lot for the Democrats in this election. I don’t think it’s either optimistic or pessimistic to be prepared for any result at all next Tuesday night, at least emotionally. Got to be ready to get going again on Nov. 7 come what may.

  86. 86.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 8:06 pm

    Interesting. If Stacey gets stiffed by voter suppression efforts…I will be pretty happy if this race goes our way!

    Lucy McBath vs Karen Handel
    https://twitter.com/ForecasterEnten/status/1057782160877326337

  87. 87.

    Roger Moore

    October 31, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    @J R in WV:

    We’ve had some disagreements, but we’re both Americans, unlike some who post here from time to time.

    I don’t mind getting into disagreements with people. Honest, good-faith disagreements are a good way of expanding your mind and sharpening your rhetoric. The real problem comes when the person you’re disagreeing with isn’t arguing in good faith but is just trying to spread propaganda or stir up trouble.

    And, BTW, the comment about the foreign subtitles was at least partly snark. The subtitles weren’t in Cyrillic, so I doubt they were Russian; I think, though I’m not sure, they were Magyar. And there are sometimes reasons for posting a video with weird subtitles; it might be the only version you can find easily, for instance. But I still suspect the guy is a foreign troll; his writing is wrong the wrong way for a native speaker.

  88. 88.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 8:08 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    It’s as close to a military parade that Dolt 45’s ever going to get.

  89. 89.

    oldgold

    October 31, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    I agree.

    New voices and opinions should be welcomed.

    Profanely calling commenters trolls or Russians who are new and/or offer opinions not in line with the jackals’ orthodoxy is not good for the long term health of this blog.

    Don’t let the blog bullies win.

  90. 90.

    Mnemosyne

    October 31, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    @lamh36:

    Foreigners who haven’t been paying attention probably shouldn’t try to make public statements about American politics. They always end up looking like clueless idiots.

  91. 91.

    Ken

    October 31, 2018 at 8:10 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    The troops will have two months of being stuck in Texas

    Why? The election is five days away and there’s absolutely no reason for them to be there afterward. They might not even start the deployment before then.

  92. 92.

    raven

    October 31, 2018 at 8:11 pm

    @oldgold: You better look at who is calling who motherfuckers, motherfucker.

  93. 93.

    catclub

    October 31, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    @Amir Khalid: one is tempted to go further with the metric abbreviations, but milli rally is perfect for me.
    no rallies actually have even 17 million people, but 17 thousand is perfectly reasonable.

  94. 94.

    Dan B

    October 31, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    One thing that jumped out at me about Bannon’s nano rally is the small number of attendees. It was also a bad image, the importance of which Bannon should be acutely aware.

    That and Trumps smaller rallies and the ridiculous but scary troops on the border seem to be indicating that there are only fragmented efforts to sway the midterms.

    I was concerned that the Trump administration was full of people who were afraid that their criiminal and unconstitutional acts would net them prison time if the Dems won. That they’d act like a cornered animal and ramp up the illegal acts against the media and “liberals”. Unless they’re planning to start a border war against maquiladora heavy towns with the expectation that Americans will go all patriotic it seems like a doomed plan.

    Are the divisions and infighting in the White House and the GOP so strong that they can’t pull together an effective attack on the election? Is there strong but behind the scenes pushback from the Chamber of Commerce wing? Would they be willing to sabotage this election to keep neoliberals and neo nationalists out of office, because they realize it would poison the “Reasonable Conservative” brand for generations?

    Here’s to hoping!

  95. 95.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    @chris: @TenguPhule: @chris:

    Now you guy’s have got me thinking about a trip to Toronto and trying to remember what was in that concoction from an Elementary episode used to completely dissolve bodies,

    Nutmeg was one ingredient,……

  96. 96.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 8:14 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    Must be dogs and fire hoses which the Deep South states can lend lease out.

    // // //

  97. 97.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 8:17 pm

    She deserves jail time. I mean you saw flashing lights…even if you didn’t know it was a bus and you action is to speed up around the flashing lights?

    Hell, I see flashing lights and I slow down and look around to assess the situation.

    Driver charged with reckless homicide in crash at school bus stop that killed identical twin brothers and sister – ABC News – https://abcn.ws/2Q4Aqsz via @ABC

  98. 98.

    Corner Stone

    October 31, 2018 at 8:17 pm

    @oldgold: Just speaking for myself, I have been very confused by a series of posts by that commenter.

  99. 99.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 31, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    @Sab: He still has a sense of shame.

  100. 100.

    Kathleen

    October 31, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    @piratedan: I lived in Wichita for 2 years. I’d call it a bowel but a bowel provides a useful function.

  101. 101.

    VOR

    October 31, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Or ask someone from Florida about the Red Tide. Algae bloom killing fish and making the beaches unusable. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide

  102. 102.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Hell…Hugh has been an A-list star in the states long enough that he should know better.

  103. 103.

    Kathleen

    October 31, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    @feebog: And this is the best the fucking master race has to offer?

  104. 104.

    Mnemosyne

    October 31, 2018 at 8:22 pm

    @lamh36:

    First guess: she was drunk.

    Second guess: she was texting.

  105. 105.

    oldgold

    October 31, 2018 at 8:22 pm

    @raven: Long ago, when I first ran across you at FDL, I thought you should change your blog name to Dr. Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde. Still do.

  106. 106.

    Mnemosyne

    October 31, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    @lamh36:

    Actors are … not necessarily smart people.

    Don’t get me wrong — I kept meaning to watch “The Greatest Showman” and now I feel justified in taking back off my list. But I think a big part of this is that Hugh Jackman is just not very bright.

  107. 107.

    Patricia Kayden

    October 31, 2018 at 8:24 pm

    @gene108: I’m sure going around the country speaking in front of 17 people isn’t an ego building exercise. Bannon would reach more people if he created a PAC and put out ads.

  108. 108.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    October 31, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    offer opinions not in line with the jackals’ orthodoxy is not good for the long term health of this blog.

    OTOH, people who offer vapid slogans that they can’t support with a cogent argument should be mocked

  109. 109.

    raven

    October 31, 2018 at 8:26 pm

    @oldgold: I’m sure I care.

  110. 110.

    Patricia Kayden

    October 31, 2018 at 8:28 pm

    @lamh36: Why debate your opponent when you can just steal the election?

    I hope Kemp’s voter suppression tactics fail badly. Republicans need to learn that you don’t win elections by blocking votes. You win by appealing to more voters.

  111. 111.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    @Kathleen

    Almost too perfect a fit, innit?

    The Wichita Wingnuts were an independent baseball team based in Wichita, Kansas, in the United States. The Wingnuts were members of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.
    An expansion franchise in the 2008 season, the Wingnuts played their home games at Lawrence–Dumont Stadium through the end of the 2018 season.…

  112. 112.

    oldgold

    October 31, 2018 at 8:29 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Mockery is fine. I have no problem with it and admit I sometimes deserve it.

  113. 113.

    skerry

    October 31, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    @lamh36: I’ll not be surprised if it turns out that a mobile phone is involved.

  114. 114.

    Sab

    October 31, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: About Cleveland or battling union thugs?

  115. 115.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    October 31, 2018 at 8:31 pm

    you will like the picture if you click on the link

    an bremmer @ ianbremmer
    We’re in the final stretch before midterms and this remains the best photo from the campaign cycle.

  116. 116.

    Omnes Omnibus

    October 31, 2018 at 8:33 pm

    @Sab: Yes.

  117. 117.

    Dan B

    October 31, 2018 at 8:34 pm

    @Ken: Trump needs reasons? Reasons fir American troops to glare menacingly at kids, moms, and “virile young brown men” 1000, then 950, then 900, then 850, then, 800, .. you get the idea.

    His “reason” is that everyone is a snowflake like him, terrified of the disease ridden but still “virile young brown men”.

    (And if they get re-deployed to every restroom in muddle America we’ll be well trained by Adam Silverman in Sister Golden Bears mighty brigade. Or something similar, maybe…)

  118. 118.

    Gvg

    October 31, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    @Dan B: one thing to keep in mind is that a lot of Trump flunkies don’t actually have a background in politics. They can’t make an effective plan because they don’t know anything. Also they think they know it all but they don’t and they all have different opinions they think are facts.
    They make a lot of rookie mistakes.

  119. 119.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    @Dan B:

    Badtux is worth reading and remembering:

    “At which point we’re back to MLK Jr., who was responding to a church bombing that killed four little girls. The bombers were prominent KKK members who were also top officials in local law enforcement. MLK’s point was that if it was not these particular people, it would have been someone else who murdered civil rights workers, because the whole system of white supremacy was based upon violence against black people and their supporters.

    At this point, I think we can say that the whole system of Republican supremacy is based upon violence against black people, Hispanic people, Democrats, Jews, and their supporters.

    That is all.”

    https://snarkypenguin.wordpress.com

  120. 120.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Looking at the pics, it’s a two way “rural road”, so correct me if I’m wrong, but when the bus flashes the lights and deploys the STOP side, both sides are supposed to stop right? And if I read correctly, the siblings were crossing to get on the bus.

  121. 121.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 8:37 pm

    FYI, reporting on data through October 29.

    An analysis of TargetEarly’s data finds that with one week until the 2018 midterm elections, the surge in early vote among nearly all demographics — especially among young people and people of color — compared to the 2014 midterm elections reveals the intensity and enthusiasm surrounding this election and underscores how traditionally Republican-leaning states are emerging as new battlegrounds.

    As we assess these numbers, it’s important to note that the early vote data gives us a sense of relative intensity among various voting blocs, but doesn’t reveal how these groups are voting.…
    [snip]
    Traditionally Republican-leaning states, including Georgia and Texas, have drawn significant attention this year with the potential to produce some of the biggest surprises of the 2018 cycle; accordingly, early vote rates have significantly increased compared to 2014, potentially shaping the states’ futures as new battlegrounds.

    In both states, young voters aged 18–29 have increased their early vote rate by nearly five times or more. African-American early vote rates have more than double compared to 2014, and Hispanic turnout has surged massively in both states. Source

  122. 122.

    Major Major Major Major

    October 31, 2018 at 8:38 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    assholes, trolls, […] racists and libertarians

    “…but I repeat myself.”

  123. 123.

    Kathleen

    October 31, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    @Baud: And cooties.

  124. 124.

    Amir Khalid

    October 31, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:
    And it is a fine picture indeed.

  125. 125.

    JPL

    October 31, 2018 at 8:40 pm

    @Corner Stone: I chose to ignore him/her and it’s apparent that you did too.

  126. 126.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    FUQ’N right it did. It’s Halloween…MJ’s Thriller RULEZ Halloween!

    @chartdata
    5m5 minutes ago
    More
    Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” has reached #1 on US iTunes

    https://youtu.be/sOnqjkJTMaA

  127. 127.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    @NotMax:

    “and Hispanic turnout has surged massively in both states. ”

    And yet, the MSM keeps putting up “Democrats in Disarray” fact free eeyoring about how the Hispanic vote isn’t turning out.

    Funny that.

  128. 128.

    PJ

    October 31, 2018 at 8:42 pm

    @Roger Moore: Polish. Which reminds me, how many Polacks does it take to derail a blog thread?

    Thank you, I’ll be here all week. Please, try the veal.

  129. 129.

    Steve in the ATL

    October 31, 2018 at 8:45 pm

    @Sab: in and out—short visit this time! When I’m in town for more than 24 hours, I’ll let everyone know and we can meet up.

  130. 130.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    @Ken:

    Why? The election is five days away and there’s absolutely no reason for them to be there afterward.

    If Trump pulls them before the refugees actually arrive, he’ll look weak. He’d rather the troops suffer an extended deployment.

  131. 131.

    Kathleen

    October 31, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    @NotMax: Ha! I’m sure nym is badge of honor to the white hoodeds. Aren’t the Koch Bros from Wichita? Kansas is almost as God forsaken as Kentucky.

  132. 132.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 8:47 pm

    @PJ

    Polacks

    Watch it, bub. Not cool.

  133. 133.

    JPL

    October 31, 2018 at 8:48 pm

    @TenguPhule: trump will just say that the troops scared the thugs away, and then he’ll retreat.

  134. 134.

    eemom

    October 31, 2018 at 8:50 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    this site has a long long history of assholes, trolls, stalkers, racists and libertarians popping in here due to the liberal nature of Cole in regards to moderation.

    This site also has a long history of groupthink and mob mentality, just like all other sites and collections of people throughout human history.

  135. 135.

    catclub

    October 31, 2018 at 8:50 pm

    @Jay: not sure if that or this

    young voters aged 18–29 have increased their early vote rate by nearly five times or more.

    is more encouraging. The pessimist in me says that is nearly six extra votes!

  136. 136.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 8:50 pm

    @Jay:

    And yet, the MSM keeps putting up “Democrats in Disarray” fact free eeyoring about how the Hispanic vote isn’t turning out.

    Sadly its Truth in television in Florida.

    Puerto Ricans there are not projected to move any needles.

  137. 137.

    Mary G

    October 31, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    RIP Willie McCovey. One of my favorite players even if he was a Giant.

  138. 138.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 8:52 pm

    @JPL:

    trump will just say that the troops scared the thugs away, and then he’ll retreat.

    Since Trump was dumb enough to talk so much that there is now a live track of their exact position in Mexico, that’s not gonna fly. Besides, what does he care that 20,000 troops don’t get to spend the holidays with family and loved ones?

  139. 139.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 8:53 pm

    “Precisely. Second and third generation movement conservatives almost without exception continue to get high on their own supply: these are people who have spent their whole lives being indoctrinated into the belief that unpopular policies are actually popular. They are genuinely shocked to be told that most voters don’t like the idea of slashing taxes on the wealthy while cutting social programs that benefit the vast majority of the populace. (That’s democracy for you, as C. Montgomery Burns would say).

    What such people can never acknowledge, because it’s far too painful, is that Republican electoral success is based increasingly on nativism in its ugliest forms. (As Krugman points out, this is something the pundit class is also largely incapable of acknowledging to itself as well). And Trump’s authoritarianism is absolutely of a piece with this fact: if you lead a movement that attracts only a minority of voters, and that movement’s ideologues are committed to pursuing many policies that aren’t even particularly popular with that subset of voters, let alone with the public at large, your movement will, sooner or later, have to turn to an authoritarian demagogue.”

    http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2018/10/trump-understands-republican-policies-arent-actually-popular-white-supremacy

  140. 140.

    Patricia Kayden

    October 31, 2018 at 8:53 pm

    @TenguPhule: I wonder if the troops will be yanked right after the election. The caravan isn’t remotely close to reaching our borders.

  141. 141.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 8:54 pm

    @eemom:

    This site also has a long history of groupthink and mob mentality, just like all other sites and collections of people throughout human history.

    This is true.

    For instance, the Last Jedi is truly a shitty movie that nonetheless some regulars here found acceptable.

  142. 142.

    Kathleen

    October 31, 2018 at 8:55 pm

    @Mary G: I saw the Giants play the Pirates in Candlestick in 1960. It was my first professional baseball game. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Giants (we lived in Stockton for 2 years). RIP, Mr. McCovey, indeed.

  143. 143.

    Dan B

    October 31, 2018 at 8:55 pm

    @Jay: Yeah. I lived in Jim Crow small town Arkansas as a kid. The people seemed creepy to me. They also seemed unaware of how undereducated they were. There were brand new school buildings for the white kids but the books were old and worn. My world history textbook had no cover and was missing pages with the publication date but the last chapter ended in the middle if the Great War!

    I keep thinking of radical right wingers like Cheney, Rove, and Rumsfeld who were cunning and competent. It seems that Trump can’t help but alienate people like them and may have angered the Koch wing.

    If that’s the case then it is much more likely that the destruction of American democracy will have to wait.

  144. 144.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 8:55 pm

    @Patricia Kayden:

    I wonder if the troops will be yanked right after the election.

    I doubt it. It would be the sensible thing to do. And we’ve all seen Trump’s approach to sensible.

  145. 145.

    KSinMA

    October 31, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: FTW

  146. 146.

    schrodingers_cat

    October 31, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    WashPost says that T wants to deploy 15,000 troops along the border. Why is Mattis going along with this BS?

  147. 147.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 8:57 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    Puerto Ricans wern’t projected to turn the vote in Florida. Having fled devastation and holding onto the hope of returning home, they had/have bigger issues on their plates.

  148. 148.

    Ken

    October 31, 2018 at 8:58 pm

    @Kathleen:

    Aren’t the Koch Bros from Wichita?

    As far from it as they can get.

  149. 149.

    JPL

    October 31, 2018 at 8:59 pm

    @TenguPhule: Unfortunately trump and his supporters could care less about the truth and the troops. They are only pawns in his sick game.

  150. 150.

    Sab

    October 31, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Sigh. Lol.

  151. 151.

    NotoriousJRT

    October 31, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    @feebog: Bomber jacket? Looks like a Members Only sample…

  152. 152.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:

    5,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, over the past few days.

    The key takeaway:

    “Trump says”

    Zero troops are deployed,

    Zero troops are being mobilized,

    It’s an Imaginary Dolt 45 Parade so far.

  153. 153.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    That’s not a “micro-rally.” That’s a bridge foursome and a moldering carcass of hubris and delusion encased in filthy garments from LL Bean’s 1985 “Muttering Hobo” Fall Collection.

    Now that tweet is Betty Crocker level writing there.

  154. 154.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    FYI.

    President Donald Trump and the top Republican tax-writer in Congress, House and Ways Means Chair Kevin Brady of Texas, conceded on Wednesday there was zero chance that middle-class Americans will see their taxes cut this year.

    It was the first time the White House had returned to a last-ditch campaign promise since the President made the pledge at a rally in Nevada almost two weeks ago. The statement effectively closed the door on any chance of pushing through a tax cut this year. Source

    @schrodingers_cat

    Fully expect that Mattis will slow walk this as much as possible, waiting for Dolt 45 to move on to the next shiny object.

  155. 155.

    Ladyraxterinok

    October 31, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    @Ken Shabby: Pot–kettle!!

  156. 156.

    Major Major Major Major

    October 31, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    @TenguPhule: that’s actually an example of you exhibiting groupthink

  157. 157.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    @SRW1:

    Seems his European adventures are not going so well.

    Awwwww, poor fucking asshole……..

  158. 158.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    @schrodingers_cat:

    WashPost says that T wants to deploy 15,000 troops along the border. Why is Mattis going along with this BS?

    Trump touched him and he’s turned to shit. Or perhaps he was shit all along and now feels free to flaunt it.

  159. 159.

    Ken

    October 31, 2018 at 9:12 pm

    @NotMax: That means no tax cut at all, since the only reason to float the idea was the election – as shown by the fact that Trump first talked about it three weeks before the election instead of, oh, January when there might have been a chance of getting it through Congress before the end of the year.

  160. 160.

    Baud

    October 31, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: What is one supposed to do when the group is correct?

  161. 161.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: I hate last Jedi because it was a pisspoor movie that required everyone in it to clutch at an idiot ball combined with Diablos Ex Machina. Not because it had a female lead.

  162. 162.

    hueyplong

    October 31, 2018 at 9:13 pm

    @Kathleen: In 1981, a year after he retired, McCovey waited for me while I ran down to the gift shop of the casino where I worked so I could buy a birthday card for him to sign for my brother. We were huge Willie Mac fans. I was delayed and was sure he would be gone when I got back up the escalator. He was still there, and signed it.

  163. 163.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 9:15 pm

    @Jay:

    Zero troops are deployed,

    Zero troops are being mobilized,

    Not true. Mattis is going along with his shit. At least 800 active have been stood up and deployed and they’re actually calling in more troops for this insanity.

  164. 164.

    Chyron HR

    October 31, 2018 at 9:15 pm

    @lamh36:

    Wait, are we allowed to like Michael Jackson again now that he’s dead? What about “Let’s Dance”?

  165. 165.

    tybee

    October 31, 2018 at 9:16 pm

    @raven: ah, perhaps a few of you rush to judgement…

  166. 166.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 9:16 pm

    @Chyron HR:

    What about “Let’s Dance”?

    Too soon.

  167. 167.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    SOOOO cute.

    I tried to get Maddie to wear a Shuri costume, but she was like what is that…SMH…LOL. So we settled on Wonder Woman…LOL

    @Lupita_Nyongo
    Following Following @Lupita_Nyongo
    More
    The cutest Wakandans I’ve ever seen,
    https://twitter.com/Lupita_Nyongo/status/1057782359037104128

    https://twitter.com/Lupita_Nyongo/status/1057782235510726656

  168. 168.

    Major Major Major Major

    October 31, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    @TenguPhule: I recall you mostly gave in-franchise reasons for hating it. (e.g. Leia force stuff.) Fandom is a form of groupthink. Objectively as a film I think it’s inoffensive and entertaining.

  169. 169.

    Steve in the ATL

    October 31, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    @Chyron HR: the only good Bowie song from that era was “blue jean”

  170. 170.

    Patricia Kayden

    October 31, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    @TenguPhule: The fact that Mattis agreed to work for Trump shows that he was a mess from the get go. Why else tie yourself to such an awful human being? Ditto John Kelly.

  171. 171.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    October 31, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    @Chyron HR: wait, why didn’t we like Bowie?

    God dammit you guys, I try to keep up with the groupthink. Where are the memos posted? Did we like the new Halloween? Cause I’ve always like Jamie Lee Curtis, and I figure it will be streaming in time for Christmas fare

  172. 172.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 9:19 pm

    @Chyron HR: who says anything bout liking MJ again…like ’em or not…Halloween isn’t Halloween without hearing Thriller.

    It’s like when you hear the music to “That’s What Christmas Means To Me” by Stevie Wonder for like EVERY other Christmas movie or advert (really though…I’m like does Stevie give ANYONE who asks for the rights to the song)

  173. 173.

    sab

    October 31, 2018 at 9:20 pm

    @Jay: Here is hoping, because those troops have families and our turkeyday is almost here.

  174. 174.

    schrodingers_cat

    October 31, 2018 at 9:21 pm

    @NotMax: Some troops have already been deployed. Yesterday’s Snooze Hour covered that.

    ETA: Not sure whether are already at the border or are en route.

  175. 175.

    Wapiti

    October 31, 2018 at 9:21 pm

    @schrodingers_cat: A stupid order is not always an illegal order.

    Mattis has been directed to put troops on the border. This might seem stupid, but it is not illegal. Mattis will do it. I expect that the operation order will be reviewed by DoD military lawyers to minimize the chance of subordinate commanders committing illegal acts by mistake.

  176. 176.

    jl

    October 31, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    Continental breakfast must have sucked. Hell, if the breakfast was good, I’d duck in for the time it took to load up on breakfast (I can load up quick, especially scrambled eggs). Than scram out of their and scarf down. Free food is free food, dammitall. Unless some cameras were around. Even a good continental breakfast wouldn’t be worth that cost.

  177. 177.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    @Chyron HR

    He is still with us and had one of the longest tenures as a successful progressive radio commentator. What’s not to like?

    Oh, that other Michael Jackson. Hmph. Parvenu.

  178. 178.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 9:24 pm

    @Chyron HR: wait…folks dont’ like “Let’s Dance”?

    Oh not for nothing, but they’ve been playing Under Pressure alot on the local easy listening station, guessing cause of the Queen movie coming out this weekend.

    They’ve also been playing the radio edit of Bohemian Rhapsody and We Are The Champions. I expect them to do an entire Queen set for the weekend.

  179. 179.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 9:24 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    I recall you mostly gave in-franchise reasons for hating it. (e.g. Leia force stuff.)

    You remember incorrectly

    I thought it was stupid, but my beef is the whole fucking plot made no sense from the opening act. From the rebel bombers designed by ACME, the whole hyperspace tracking and fuel fiasco, to the complete bullshit about a fucking literal ocean stern chase in SPACE and the director’s decision to essentially fuck over everyone in the film, it was a steaming mess that insults the audience’s intelligence.

  180. 180.

    Major Major Major Major

    October 31, 2018 at 9:26 pm

    @TenguPhule: must’ve been somebody else going on about “Mary Poppins Leia” then.

  181. 181.

    BC in Illinois

    October 31, 2018 at 9:27 pm

    @Jay:

    5,000, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000, over the past few days.
    The key takeaway:
    “Trump says”
    Zero troops are deployed,
    Zero troops are being mobilized,
    It’s an Imaginary Dolt 45 Parade so far.

    Vote Vets responds:

    Why not 100,000? Why not a bajillion zillion?
    What a joke. Now he is pulling numbers out of thin air, trying to make anyone believe that migrants 1000 miles away pose any kind of real threat, just to scare up votes.

    https://twitter.com/votevets/status/1057724205448327168

  182. 182.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    @lamh36: The very first time I remember finding out who Queen was, and liking their music, was before Wayne Worlds. I was a poor kid, so we didn’t have cable, so we had to watch stuff in syndication or I’d get obscure stuff from the library. So I first heard Queen thx to the Flash Gordon soundtrack, but the first song I recognized from them was from the Highlander movie soundtrack…”Princes of the Universe” and “Who Wants to Live Forever.

  183. 183.

    J R in WV

    October 31, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    @Ken Shabby:

    Really? You’re so fucking Stupid your first reaction to anything outside your narrow area is ‘bot’?

    No, Mr Shabby, your narrow mind is the ‘bot. Fuck you. A reaction to criticism like yours is a real tell. Amusing and descriptive.

    You started commenting here a couple of weeks ago. You obviously don’t know much about blogs in general nor this blog specifically. All we know about each other is what we say to each other.

    All we know about you is what you tell us about yourself, and that’s pretty ugly. Go away for a while, and learn how to converse about complex subjects. Maybe you won’t be rained upon next time. Think about why two people as different as Roger and me would both react to you the same way.

    Roger and I fuss about each other pretty often, on a low level. But you seem to get an extreme reaction from both of us. Wonder why?

    Screw you. Why would you want to hang around a blog where in only a week or two you’ve been roundly rejected. Especially a blog where there is so little moderation as this one… you can be a Republican or Russian drone here, if you want to be rejected every time you say “Hi”!

    Why on Earth would you pick a Youtube video only available in a foreign language, and react violently when someone who has been here for years points that out>? No reason, or the obvious reason?

    Hope you get a good paycheck for the end of October, enough to buy all the Vodka you need!

  184. 184.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    “By 29 October 2018 approximately 800 soldiers of the initial contingent had been deployed, with military officials confirming the remainder would be in place by the end of that week.[6] Citing an unnamed source, KQED-FM reported the forces were being moved to marshaling areas in California, Texas, and Arizona and, from there, would respond to CBP positioning requests.[6] In addition, the operation called for the supply of U.S. Army-owned anti-riot gear to the CBP.[5]”

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Faithful_Patriot

  185. 185.

    Raven

    October 31, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    @tybee: My reading skills are fairly decent:

    “Strangers in the village!”

    I’m an ally, you fucking moron.

    I’m waiting to celebrate when there’s something to celebrate. It ain’t now, it ain’t yet and, I’ll check with you next week, after we all become unicorns.

    Really? You’re so fucking Stupid your first reaction to anything outside your narrow area is ‘bot’?

    Fuck off.

  186. 186.

    Msilaneous

    October 31, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    @Ken Shabby: Justice Kavanaugh?

  187. 187.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    Note to MSNBC:

    Buy Kornacki a cup or a dance belt. His excitement was, um, evident during the segment which just aired.

  188. 188.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 9:34 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: That was just a final insult piled upon the fatal injuries. The movie was already a goner by the time that big lipped alligator moment happened.

    “We have destroyed the Rebel fighters, therefore let’s call off our fighters because somehow the Rebel cruisers are faster then our ships. Never mind that for some reason those Rebels can’t seem to go any faster once they’ve reached an arbritary limit from our biggest guns. Never mind that we suddenly seem to have invented this totally new fighter doctrine completely out of nowhere just to keep the Rebels from being destroyed. Never mind that we have enough fighters to literally swarm them to death and capital ships suck against fighters as has been established in every fucking star wars movie before this and which we just did again in the first fucking act of the movie. We must let them run for almost two days because our writers are either stupid, on drugs, or both.”

  189. 189.

    Barbara Ryland

    October 31, 2018 at 9:34 pm

    @Kathleen: Dating myself: the first baseball game I ever went to was Pirates versus Giants at Forbes Field in 1966, chosen by my father based on his usual criteria of who was pitching for the other team, in this case, Juan Marechal. Roberto Clemente fouled the ball off 27 times before getting a single. When I reminded my mother of this she had no memory of it whatsoever.

  190. 190.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 9:35 pm

    @jl:
    It looks like a Holiday Inn so I’d say the continental breakfast is some single wrapped cheap pastries, bad OJ and something liquid and brown that could pass for coffee if you were in your 4th week underway with minimal restocking on a USN deployment in the winter. And it’s not even hot.

  191. 191.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 9:36 pm

    @Jay:

    In contrast, in 2017, Operation Element mobilized and deployed 370 Canadian Army specialists to the Canada/US Border to build, staff and provide accomodations, food, medical care and support, to an influx of refugee’s fleeing the US.

  192. 192.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    October 31, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    Dave Wasserman @ Redistrict
    New: based on the past week’s evidence, we’re revising our House outlook to a Dem gain of 30-40 seats (was 25-35 last month) at @ CookPolitical. This could change again before Tuesday.

    I think Wasserman and the whole Cook outfit are pretty cautious. I’m trying to tamp down any optimism in my own head.

  193. 193.

    Mnemosyne

    October 31, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    @lamh36:

    You are correct. It is the law in most states that everyone has to stop for a school bus that has its lights on.

    Like I said — my guess is that she was drunk or texting. The hood of her truck looks like she didn’t even slow down.

  194. 194.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 9:42 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    Stopped watching Star Wars when the franchise ended with Return of the Jedi.

  195. 195.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    October 31, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    @Jay: me too, and trying to catch up now feels like homework. Same with all those superhero movies

  196. 196.

    Steppy

    October 31, 2018 at 9:44 pm

    If I’ve told them once, I’ve told them a hundred times — to put Bannon first and puppet show last.

  197. 197.

    Keith P.

    October 31, 2018 at 9:45 pm

    I wonder how many people put some spare change in Bannon’s coffee mug.

  198. 198.

    zhena gogolia

    October 31, 2018 at 9:45 pm

    @J R in WV:

    Sorry, I don’t get a Russian vibe from this commenter. Like Corner Stone, I don’t understand anything he says, but I don’t think he’s a Russian bot.

  199. 199.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 9:46 pm

    @Jay

    Because there’s nothing anyone could conceivably do to top the Ewoks.

    :)

  200. 200.

    TenguPhule

    October 31, 2018 at 9:47 pm

    @Jay:

    Stopped watching Star Wars when the franchise ended with Return of the Jedi.

    yeah, best to stop there. I’ve tossed the sequels into the “fuck this shit” pile.

  201. 201.

    Susanna

    October 31, 2018 at 9:47 pm

    If you want to contribute in ways not financial, consider joining this group of (yes, wealthy, intelligent and committed women) who formed an alliance based on a way to help Dem candidates in Republican areas. Check out their work re Florida for this election. I’m guessing they’re going to expand for 2020. The article is from the local paper which has a limited amount of space for each article, unfortunately. But there must be a website or Facebook if you want more information.

    https://www.almanacnews.com/print/story/2018/10/24/informing-candidates-and-getting-out-the-vote

  202. 202.

    guachi

    October 31, 2018 at 9:48 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: They are cautious. I’d say “conservative” in their predictions but that would give the idea they skew their predictions to conservatives.

    538 is more bullish on Democrats with an estimated 20-60 seats. I think I calculated today based on past results of Cook predictions that Dems were at a 30 average gain with no wave or 37 with a wave. So 30-40 seats is right in line with their predicted results.

  203. 203.

    different-church-lady

    October 31, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    @Ken Shabby: Sir, this is a Starbucks. Do you want a coffee-flavored dessert drink or not?

  204. 204.

    Ken

    October 31, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Same with all those superhero movies

    Amen. The worst part is the interdependencies – can I watch Guardians of the Galaxy 2, or will I need to have seen Iron Man 2 and Captain America 3 to understand what’s going on?

  205. 205.

    opiejeanne

    October 31, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    @Mary G: We saw him hit two home runs at Dodger stadium, many years ago. It was a privilege even if my team lost.

  206. 206.

    lamh36

    October 31, 2018 at 9:50 pm

    Chumps head is gonna SPLODE!!!

    @Slate
    The Obamas have bought the rights to Michael Lewis’ book chronicling the chaos of the Trump administration: https://slate.trib.al/ujWobYT

  207. 207.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 9:53 pm

    @Ken:

    You can watch Guardians of the Galaxy II with only having watched Guardians of the Galaxy I.

  208. 208.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 9:54 pm

    @TenguPhule

    Very recently broke down and finally got around to watching the first of the new Star Trek movies.

    Steaming is too subdued a term. Geysering butte of feces.

  209. 209.

    TS (the original)

    October 31, 2018 at 9:54 pm

    @lamh36: Will be sweet sweet joy if Handel is defeated. She sends women back to the 1950s – or earlier,

  210. 210.

    Gin & Tonic

    October 31, 2018 at 9:55 pm

    @zhena gogolia: I actually understand (mostly) Corner Stone, but I don’t understand this Shabby guy at all. Wasn’t there some other short-term commenter who wrote in what seemed like over-pretentious “colloquial” English – too clever by half? That’s the vibe I get here, too, definitely not of a native Russian-speaker.

    Besides, that Pulp Fiction clip was subtitled in Polish (oddly enough.)

  211. 211.

    zhena gogolia

    October 31, 2018 at 9:58 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    No, I meant that Corner Stone said up above that he didn’t understand Ken Shabby, so I was agreeing with CS. Poor syntax on my part.

  212. 212.

    J R in WV

    October 31, 2018 at 9:59 pm

    @zhena gogolia:

    Sorry, I don’t get a Russian vibe from this commenter. Like Corner Stone, I don’t understand anything he says, but I don’t think he’s a Russian bot.

    Could be. I never studied Russian, have picked out a few Russian bots from errors in common English slang. He could just be a typical American idjit, no telling without the IP address etc. Just rubbed me the wrong way really quickly, then I saw that he was brand new, never commented before.

    Most new people slip in a couple of toes, say hello, work their way up to being a pisser, instead of jumping on traditional ideas right off. I can’t even pick out why he ticked me off now… but it was surely quickly done!

    ETA: Maybe it’s just because he doesn’t seem to have a point>? Ever?

  213. 213.

    James E Powell

    October 31, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    @TenguPhule:

    “[S]ome regulars here” is not enough people for groupthink or a mob.

  214. 214.

    JPL

    October 31, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    @lamh36: Oh my!!

  215. 215.

    zhena gogolia

    October 31, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    I love to watch Helen Morgan sing “Can’t Help Lovin Dat Man O’ Mine” in James Whale’s Show Boat, but the only clip I can find on YouTube has Portuguese subtitles. It happens.

  216. 216.

    different-church-lady

    October 31, 2018 at 10:01 pm

    Like the plot of Episode Four made any sense?

    [Ducks]

  217. 217.

    zhena gogolia

    October 31, 2018 at 10:02 pm

    @J R in WV:

    He feels a little like the guy who used to paint pictures of rock stars for Cole.

  218. 218.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 10:03 pm

    Is it just me or is Dr. Maddow wearing unusually long false eyelashes today? Could be what’s making her blink an awful lot.

  219. 219.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 10:03 pm

    @J R in WV:

    I’ve had a few rough spots, mostly about how apostrophe’s arn’t rationed up here, like down there,

    But then too, there are “skimmer’s” who take a comment and 180 it.

    Still, this is one of the top 10,000 places on the web.

  220. 220.

    zhena gogolia

    October 31, 2018 at 10:04 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    See —

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5owzfuvE2k

    Actually, now there’s one posted without subtitles, which is nice.

  221. 221.

    different-church-lady

    October 31, 2018 at 10:05 pm

    @NotMax: Yeah, but that Romulan mining ship is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen on a screen

  222. 222.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 10:05 pm

    @James E Powell

    Nor a zeitgeist. Not even a bloggeist.

    ;)

  223. 223.

    Mike in NC

    October 31, 2018 at 10:05 pm

    Trump is going to have to inspire the troops he’s pointlessly sending to the border to mill about smartly. Maybe he’ll go full Rambo and strip to the waist (the horror) and wrap the red necktie around his head. Since he lacks the upper body strength to heft an M-60, a Big Mac will have to do.

  224. 224.

    zhena gogolia

    October 31, 2018 at 10:06 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    I saw a silhouette of him and he looks 6 months pregnant. So I hope there aren’t going to be any shirtless moments. He ain’t no Poldark.

  225. 225.

    Gin & Tonic

    October 31, 2018 at 10:08 pm

    @zhena gogolia: Yeah, a few months ago I was obsessed with the Gene Kelly/Donald O’Connor “Moses Supposes” routine, and the first YouTube hit that kept coming up was subtitled in Hungarian.

  226. 226.

    J R in WV

    October 31, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    Ouch, dude, that burns so sweet!!!!

    Thanx!

  227. 227.

    Bumper

    October 31, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    The boys are having so much fun trick or treating! It’s lightly raining (more of a mist) so not many kids out. So they are getting handfuls

  228. 228.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    So far, the Insane Clown POSus is the first “modern” President to not visit US Troops in a combat zone.

    Bone spurs must be acting up, big time.

  229. 229.

    JR

    October 31, 2018 at 10:13 pm

    @TenguPhule: Enh, it was just blah. Vapid action fodder like the million superhero movies that come out these days. It was not profoundly shitty like the prequels. *That* was an accomplishment.

  230. 230.

    Mnemosyne

    October 31, 2018 at 10:14 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    People who get very concerned that a movie that prominently features space wizards does not conform to the laws of physics are silly.

  231. 231.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 10:14 pm

    @zhena gogolia:
    Far enough back I can’t think exactly of his style but what I do recall, these aren’t the same. If he’s a bot, or even a he, he’s one of the better ones. He’s not quite as obvious in the botness. More in the style, less american english and more of english as a reasonably studied but second or third language. This is not Amir’s first language but he obviously has a lot of experience as a writer/speaker of americanized english. His construction is better than most of us born here. This one isn’t. It’s almost as if he’s trying too hard. That may be his personality or it may be his first language, or he may be a bot. It’ s anyone’s guess. But his defense is very weak because he’s not got anywhere near the upper hand and thinks he does. To me that’s a tell that something’s fishy.

  232. 232.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    October 31, 2018 at 10:14 pm

    @NotMax:
    I hated the cinematography and the constant lensflair. Action was a thing in Star Trek but there was also high adventure/drama and plots that made you think across all of the incarnations.

  233. 233.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 10:16 pm

    @different-church-lady

    Ah, the spacefaring offspring of Warhammer 40k with Cthulhu. With an infusion of Squiddly Diddly DNA.

  234. 234.

    ??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)  ??

    October 31, 2018 at 10:18 pm

    @Mnemosyne:
    Not arguing with you, but suspension of disbelief is a thing. You should also consistently follow the rules of logic/physics/magic/whatever that you set up for your fictional universe, which may or may not be meant to be a representation of our reality.

  235. 235.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    @Jay:

    Bone spurs must be acting up, big time.

    Did you say bone spurs or ball spurs? Or does he have spurs in both places? Or were they “bone” spurs, if you know what I mean………

  236. 236.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    @Ken:

    BTW, the big take away from Guardians of the Galaxies II s to hire Dwane Johnson’s agents.

    He got even more money in Galaxy II for saying less than “I am Groot”,

  237. 237.

    different-church-lady

    October 31, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    @Ruckus: That’s a lot of words to say “asshole.”

  238. 238.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    October 31, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    @JR: In the DVD commentary on “Splash” (yes, I am a geek, I sometimes turn on the commentary track and watch the whole damn movie again) there is a comment to the effect that things don’t always have to make perfect sense, they just have to make just enough sense for the audience to let it go by and keep the plot moving.

    He was talking about comedy (specifically I think it was something to do with the escape plan near the end of the film), but it probably applies equally well to action movies.

    BTW even geekery has limits. In reference to comments upthread about how Hugh Jackman may not be Einstein, I’ve found that actor commentary on DVDs is usually not worth listening to. They just aren’t smart people as a general rule, and have no concept of the film as a whole other than their part in it. And even then it’s not “here’s something interesting about my character”, it’s more likely to be “it was really cold that day and I hated those shoes”.

    And my vote on “Last Jedi”: fun, reasonably satisfying, likeable characters, acceptable action movie.

  239. 239.

    zhena gogolia

    October 31, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    @Bumper:

    Oh, my husband was ladling in the candy bars for the 1-2 groups of kids who came by here.

  240. 240.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 10:23 pm

    @Ruckus:

    I am not a medical doctor,……

  241. 241.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 10:27 pm

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    They lost me extremely early on when it became obvious no one cared during the sequence when George Kirk agrees to head to a shuttle craft to meet and leaves the bridge. Cut to a shot of a turbolift going down which he exits into the the shuttle craft bay, located in the nacelle above the saucer section.

    Like how I knew The Phantom Menace was going to be an ongoing disaster in the early scene where a protocol droid serves the tea to the novice before it serves the master.

  242. 242.

    opiejeanne

    October 31, 2018 at 10:27 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: the guy with the cutesy down home posts that were unreadable, I thought of him too when Ken Shabby showed up.
    I snapped at him around his third post because of it and he apologized and said he was just here to have some fun.
    Most of the time I find him incoherent, like tonight’s post that set off the accusations of not/troll. I think he thought he was funny.

  243. 243.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    October 31, 2018 at 10:28 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Yeah, I’m one of those who gets very angry at bad physics in sci-fi movies. I had a very vocal reaction to the basic premise of “Gravity”. The premise of “The Martian” also violates the laws of physics, but Andy Weir has already admitted that so I forgive him, and the rest of it is pretty damn good hard-core science and engineering.

    But the “Star Wars” movies are not sci-fi. As you say, space wizards. Also knights and princesses. It’s Harry Potter in space and operates on its own laws. Fantasy has different rules.

  244. 244.

    opiejeanne

    October 31, 2018 at 10:29 pm

    @NotMax: I noticed Rachel’s eyelashes last night.

  245. 245.

    opiejeanne

    October 31, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    @different-church-lady: it was cool but when Bana delivered the line about being a humble miner we laughed out loud in the theater. Don’t know how he kept a straight face.

  246. 246.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 10:32 pm

    Funny thing, I miss Halloween.

    We have no kids, just wolves, bears, deer, moose and other animals.

    Went to town today, only saw 1 kid dressed up.

    8 year old blond sweetheart, high on sugar. Kept trying to climb up on stuff, kept yelling her Dad was gonna be home for Halloween, kept asking people to guess what she was,

    I guessed zombie vampire Princess.

    I got it right.

  247. 247.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 10:36 pm

    @different-church-lady:
    You are right.
    But I usually say at least, fucking asshole. He’s not a common everyday asshole, not by anyone’s standards.

  248. 248.

    J R in WV

    October 31, 2018 at 10:39 pm

    @Ruckus:

    He’s only been around a few weeks. At least his ‘nym didn’t come up with many comments via Google. Major^4 mentioned that their web spider wasn’t working the same way suddenly a whole back, so the query I use to look for B-J comments may not be as accurate as it used to be.

  249. 249.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 10:39 pm

    @Jay:

    I am not a medical doctor,……

    Bet your thankful for that when discussing shitgibbon’s body parts. Think what your next day at work would be like…….

  250. 250.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 10:47 pm

    @Ruckus:

    The only balls I am familiar with are mine, all three of them,……

    And besboll,…..

  251. 251.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 10:49 pm

    @J R in WV:
    As I said above I didn’t get russian bot but I could see why someone would. As you said he’s only been here a very short while and he just gives off a not so agreeable vibe. He may just have a very, as we used to say, black sense of humor, and that’s not intended to be a racially directed statement, just one of always going for the “you have to see it his way or it ain’t funny at all effort. It falls short and makes one wonder if he really gets the humor in the place he’s at. And if he’s going for the humor, he has little understanding of what most people consider funny. And if he’s serious………

  252. 252.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 10:50 pm

    @Jay:
    Well you’ve just confirmed it, you really aren’t a medical doctor…….

  253. 253.

    cwmoss

    October 31, 2018 at 10:50 pm

    @Ken Shabby: You seem nice.

  254. 254.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 10:52 pm

    @cwmoss:
    Well that one was out of the park……..
    Good timing.

  255. 255.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 10:54 pm

    @Jay

    all three of them

    “Walk-a with pride, Joe, walk-a with pride!”

    (Punchline to an old baseball/DiMaggio joke.)

  256. 256.

    Jay

    October 31, 2018 at 10:56 pm

    @Ruckus:

    Had em all my life, all three.

    Vasectomy doctor only did two, never “took”,

  257. 257.

    Elizabelle

    October 31, 2018 at 11:08 pm

    Thank you guys for noticing about Ken Shabby. Histrionic comments make me wonder.

  258. 258.

    Dan B

    October 31, 2018 at 11:16 pm

    @Gvg: So the difference between Cheney, Rove, and Rove, and Trump’s minions is political experience. So it’s probably a good idea to keep an eye on the ones who have like Sessions and to a lesser extent Kelly and Mattis. But people like Perry who are doofuses don’t count because doofus trumps experience.

  259. 259.

    Ruckus

    October 31, 2018 at 11:21 pm

    @Jay:
    Had a buddy who had to go back for a redo. He wasn’t ecstatic about that.

  260. 260.

    NotMax

    October 31, 2018 at 11:25 pm

    @Ruckus

    There’re people who don’t like instant replays when it comes to ball games.

    ;)

  261. 261.

    Kathleen

    November 1, 2018 at 3:47 am

    @hueyplong: I know this thread is long dead but I still had to comment. What a great story. Thanks for sharing it.

  262. 262.

    TenguPhule

    November 1, 2018 at 1:13 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    People who get very concerned that a movie that prominently features space wizards does not conform to the laws of physics are silly.

    Magic A is Magic A.

    It does not mean suddenly deciding to invent whole new Magic Complete Bullshit which makes no sense within the universe its set in.

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