Every person in America should be able to work hard, play by the same set of rules, & take care of themselves & the people they love. That’s what I’m fighting for, & that’s why I’m launching an exploratory committee for president. I need you with me: https://t.co/BNl2I1m8OX pic.twitter.com/uXXtp94EvY
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) December 31, 2018
I don’t know if she’ll win the nomination, but of all the contenders so far, she’s got the most fully baked message and proposals I’ve heard. Even if she doesn’t ultimately prevail, I’m glad to see Warren in the mix. The ideas she’s put forward recently — like the Accountable Capitalism Act and the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act — need to be part of the conversation for Democrats.
Open thread!
debbie
I apologize, but I am not able to work up any enthusiasm just yet.
Honus
TCM is showing all the thin man movies today starting 30 minutes ago.
debbie
@Honus:
God, those are great movies!
Chyron HR
Well, good luck with that. I think I can guess which candidate Bernie is going to point to and scream “WHORE!!!!!” at the debates.
daveNYC
Probably won’t make it past Super Tuesday, but I certainly won’t be upset if she’s the nominee.
debbie
@Chyron HR:
I’m betting a “Pocahontas” slips out in a week or two.
Honus
I kind feel like declaring now is just putting targets out there for the right wing to attack and distract from Trump.
CaseyL
No sure how I feel about this. She’s needed in the Senate; OTOH, she has a forthright way of putting things that cuts through a lot of bullshit. On the other other hand, I don’t know how knowledgeable she is on non-financial issues.
Oh, and the Berners are already freaking out, saying she’ll “steal” his supporters and demanding to know why she didn’t support Wilmer in ’16. Anything that pisses them off makes me happy.
Honus
@debbie: just watched a great scene where Myrna Loy is having a conversation with an ice bag tied to her head with a ribbon for her hangover.
Frankensteinbeck
We’ll see who puts themselves on the list. If nothing else, she’ll split the early Sanders vote, ensuring that after Super Tuesday at the latest it will be ‘Bernie who?’ He’s a major topic when the 2020 Democratic race comes up, but honestly I don’t think he’ll get very far. Too many people who liked him early on last time have soured on him, and soured on him big time. One thing I’ve noticed is that Democrats do learn, and ratfuckers have to come up with new tricks because the old ones quickly stop working. Everybody else will put party and country over their personal ambitions.
EDIT – And Sanders’ big trick in 2016 was the ‘we were robbed’ conspiracy theories. Nothing else had the same power to turn off voters we could otherwise have gotten. When he fizzles out early, he’ll just be a crank everyone who was ever likely to vote Democrat will have forgotten.
Ceci n est pas mon
@Honus: I think I’ve seen only two of those, the original and the one with James Stewart.
Anybody remember a Stewart movie where solving the case depends on the brand new technology of photographic enlargement? And in the finest Hollywood tradition, as in every spy movie, there is no limit to how much you can enlarge it. Reading the date on the newspaper someone is holding turns out to be the big clue.
debbie
@Honus:
Yeah, I give her credit for her dogged attempts to keep up with her husband!
Betty Cracker
@Frankensteinbeck:
I count myself among that number, and I believe that is the biggest unreported story of the 2020 campaign so far. Every other minute someone files a story about how Democrats can rope in Sanders’ supporters or how Sanders is the front-runner, so Democrats better get on board. Well, how about a story about whether Sanders can appeal to Democrats he alienated in 2016? It’s a legit question!
Elizabelle
I think Warren can get out there and talk up bread and butter issues and cut a sharp contrast between Democratic approaches and the GOP. She is all about the middle class and economic realities. She is an excellent speaker on those topics. Will be interesting to see if she gets a respectful hearing.
Zinsky
I love Elizabeth but I think she is too old and she evokes the same misogynistic fury in old white males (like Trumpo) that make her unelectable. Regardless of whether it is fair or not, I think that younger, less abrasive women like Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillenbrand (sp?) are going to have a better shot at national office than an Elizabeth Warren or Hillary Clinton. Until we can get those sad old white men under the sod, there just isn’t much point in running a lightning rod like Warren. We need her more in the Senate!
Ceci n est pas mon nym
Crap, in moderation because I mistyped my nym. Moderator please remove duplicate.
@Honus: I think I’ve seen only two of those, the original and the one with James Stewart.
Anybody remember a Stewart movie where solving the case depends on the brand new technology of photographic enlargement? And in the finest Hollywood tradition, as in every spy movie, there is no limit to how much you can enlarge it. Reading the date on the newspaper someone is holding turns out to be the big clue.
I can remember all that but have never been able to remember the title.
Mai Naem mobile
I think Warren is more useful in the Senate. Also I don’t think she would be that great a POTUS candidate.
Is there a reason why RI Gov Gina Raimondo isn’t talked up as a POTUS candidate. She just won her second term. She comes across as kind of WASPish but she is female and a current governor.
germy
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-news-bernie-sanders-campaign-sexual-violence-20181230-story.html
p.a.
Well if she can move/open the Overton Window, great, but, too old. Obama as a Senator>President is rarer than Governor>President. D governor stand outs?
Ridnik Chrome
@Honus: Don’t know about the movie, but I read Hammett’s book, “The Thin Man”, and was amazed at how much drinking the characters do.
Charluckles
Regardless of the eventual nominee I am glad to see the anti-corruption stuff getting pushed. If we can keep the focus on that it will be devastating for Trump and his Republicans.
Elizabelle
@Ridnik Chrome: Oh yeah. It’s there in the movies too.
Nick and Nora are effervescent. Wish I had TCM.
Betty Cracker
@Zinsky: Klobuchar, maybe, but Gillibrand seems to have inherited Hillary Clinton’s status as a wingnut hate-fetish object along with her senate seat. Plus, there are Democrats who hold her entirely responsible for Al Franken’s departure — unreasonably, IMO — but here we are.
geg6
@Betty Cracker:
And once again, it’s white (mostly) men who count and no one else does. Just like the media’s laser focus on the white male working class Trump voter. Now it’s all about how those losers (women, PoC) can soothe the delicate ego of white men enough to persuade them to vote for a candidate who would actually address their economic concerns realistically. Fuck that shit. So tired of the whining of and concern about white fucking men.
ETA: And my white male partner says the same thing as I do. He, too, thinks white men are assholes.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Ridnik Chrome: That’s a thing I remember from the movie as well. William Powell is constantly pouring himself one or drinking someone else’s dregs.
MJS
@Betty Cracker: I also think Bernie will be toast as soon as other candidates start to release their tax returns. He’ll either refuse and be ripped for it, or he’ll follow suit and lose his populist credibility.
different-church-lady
@germy: “Cure economic inequality and sexual violence is taken care of too.” – Bernie. (not really)
Gravenstone
@Chyron HR: Yeah, this will help divide the wrath of the Berniebros, if nothing else comes of it. Being able to credibly challenge him from the left ought to drive the old coot batshit.
satby
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: it was Call Northside 777 based on a true crime story that happened in Chicago. Filmed in Chicago too. A favorite of mine.
PaulWartenberg
I hope she does win, even with trump and the Fox-Not-News screamers attacking her with the Pocahontas stuff. It would be a signal the voters fcking care about what Warren and the Dems are trying to get done.
Kay
Me too.
The county Democratic organization is already for Sherrod so I will go with them because I’m on the committee and that’s the majority position. I’l stick with him until he’s out (or wins, I guess) but I will also 100% support whoever is the nominee so don’t worry :)
But I’m Sherrod for the duration. I feel like team work is especially vital right now and the county committee is my “team”- they’re really disheartened after 2018 in Ohio and we all need to stick together.
different-church-lady
@Elizabelle: If nothing else, it will be a litmus test for the “WWC economic anxieties” populist crap. She’ll go out and talk the economy and she’ll be rejected by all the same players who won’t come right out and admit they think blacks and browns are taking away all their jobs.
Ohio Mom
Warren is certainly a domestic economic policy goddess but
foreign policy is going to be a big issue for obvious reasons.
Russia needs to be dealt with and there are lots of relationships to repair, and for the ones that can’t be repaired, a new status quo developed.
She’s really going to have to address all that if she is going to have any chance at all.
satby
@Elizabelle: get the Sling free trial. You can add TCM and another channel called Film Detectives that’s also mostly old B movies.
Al Z.
Good for her. Volunteered for point duty. Did she draw the short straw?
emmyelle
She’s not my choice for President (and frankly, I like having her as my Senator and want to keep that), but i agree that she will bring an extremely valuable set of ideas to the campaign. And it goes without saying, if she is the eventiual nominee (though I doubt she will be), I’ll work my ass off for her.
And I believe that the Sanders campaign will implode as the bros unleash their full load of misogynist bro-munition against someone who many on the left consider an important ally.
So this is good news.
MisterForkbeard
I don’t really want her to run – shes a fantastic senator but has some pr stumbles and the right wing is primed to hate her.
That said, if she’s a spoiler for Bernie tlthats probably a very good thing. She’s a massively better choice than him, and this defangs some of his supporters.
MazeDancer
Sherrod Brown, and Connie Schultz, his Pulitzer Prize winning wife, will be tough to beat.
He is both safe and liberal.
Also like Chris Murphy. Also safe and liberal.
But, of course, will be supporting a well-folded envelope if they get the nomination. As long as it’s not Bernie.
Alas, Elizabeth Warren inspires hatred because misogyny still abides. Deeply. Do not want any excess hatred this cycle. Because that is all the media will feature – Why is Warren so hated?
May the media soon grok that the most hated Dem in politics is Bernie Sanders, except he’s not a Dem. Hope he gets arrested for tax evasion.
Do I want a woman? Of course. Not so sure I want Amy K, not liberal enough, but will take her. Do I want Kamala H? Of course. Not likely to get her, but an Kamala-Amy ticket would be some hot stuff.
zhena gogolia
@satby:
I love that movie.
satby
@Ohio Mom: a lot of that is addressed just by not having Drumpf and /or any Republican win in 2020. The entire world is waiting for a return to sanity in the US. Voters throwing the bums out will be viewed positively.
Honus
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: the Thin Man movie is a rare one where Stewart is a villain.
I think the movie you’re thinking of with the photograph is Call Northside 777
justawriter
I am starting to worry that with every Democrat with a higher profile than your average dog catcher running against cheetoface in 2020, the next year will be filled with hundreds hours of video of liberals tearing down whoever reaches front runner status that will be rerun ad nauseum by dark money “independent” campaigns once the real campaign starts.
Yarrow
I like Elizabeth Warren in the Senate. She does a great job there. I am less enthused about her as president. She’s good on financial matters. I’m less confident on her positions and understanding of other issues.
More recently, I have concern about her political instincts. I was not impressed with her video about her Native American background. DNA tests are not appreciated in the native communities and it appeared she didn’t even try reach out to native communities and involve them or even consult with them. There is a good story there about how Native Americans were excluded from white society and yet they’re woven into white culture via stories like Warren’s family has told. She could have told that story, which in no way would negate her own story, and it would not have required a DNA test at all.
It all seemed so clumsy and white-focused. I’m no expert in this sort of stuff but even I cringed while watching her video thinking of the people whose stories were being ignored yet again.
There was also an issue of timing. I forget now what exactly was going on, but she took focus away from something important that was going on because the media feasted on her story for 24 hours or longer. It was politically stupid timing and seemed all about her and not about what was best for Democrats in general.
Elizabelle
@Ohio Mom: I think having a focus on rooting out corruption, and a good sense of what one knows and does not know (and thus, picking good advisors) is crucial there.
I am sick of the idea that foreign policy is the bailiwick of the great White Republican Daddies. It is not.
Kay
I think the other thing that Warren and Brown bring is they both have a good relationship with the Democratic Party, unlike Bernie Sanders.
It’ll be much harder for him to do his “I’m the REAL Democratic Party” thing with such powerful currently-serving Democrats running.
If you believe the Sanders Effect benefits Trump (and I now do) and want it mitigated, then put some actual Democrats in the mix.
Warren and Brown will not take kindly to Sanders claiming to be the real, true Democrat and if he starts the shit with how corrupt everyone else is they will be pissed and push back.
tobie
I’m glad she’s thrown her hat in the ring. She’s a forceful spokesperson for the idea of the social contract, the public square, and the common good and we desperately need someone who can remind us what it means to live in a state of, by, and for the people.
schrodingers_cat
I am mostly meh about her as a candidate. Not the best and certainly not the worst. I do like her stances on financial regulation but not on trade.
dnfree
@Ceci n est pas mon nym: I keep trying to figure out in what way your nym could be reconfigured or mistyped in order to wind up in moderation. It’s like a word puzzle.
Elizabelle
@Yarrow:
[Warren and the DNA test] took focus away from something important that was going on because the media feasted on her story for 24 hours or longer.
You know, the media could follow what’s important longterm, rather than the latest shiny object yorked up by Republican enablers.
I speak of the media in general, and not our political infotainment complex.
O. Felix Culpa
EW is not my first choice (not sure who that is, yet), but I’m fine with her running. She sets the table as a strong Democratic advocate for the beleaguered working and middle classes. Perhaps she also draws some heat away from the eventual winner. She’s smart, articulate, and a learner. We won’t beat misogyny (or racism) by being afraid to have women (or POC) run for office.
Luthe
Not my first Presidential choice, but I think she’d make an excellent choice for VP. She’d bring the “elder statesperson” vibe to balance out the (younger) Presidential candidate and could play point on domestic economic issues, leaving the candidate free to deal with the multitude of other crap that will be flung their way.
I do want to propose an amendment to her anti-corruption bill: no one should be allowed to hold federal office without passing the citizenship exam. If that doesn’t force our fine elected officials to learn the basics of the Constitution, nothing will.
debbie
I thought for sure there would be a tweet on this already, but no. Dude is on fire, though, six tweets already, all whining about BAD PRESS. Good.
Kay
@justawriter:
I worry about it too, but you also can’t let the opposition run your primary. Chaos is bad, but so is gearing a primary to what best protects against Russian leaders stumping for Trump. We can’t give them that power.
Zinsky
@MazeDancer: Your points are all good ones. I like Chris Murphy from Connecticut too! Smart, safe, handsome and appeals to the middle. (I know, I know, I am very liberal, so I would prefer a Sherrod Brown but we need to be very methodical and disciplined) . We have to play this 2020 election “poker smart” and not allow this orange monster and his albino, winged monkey sidekick Pence to continue to befoul the White House. If we run people too controversial this time and lose because of it, it is Game Freaking Over for the Democrats and for the nation!
O. Felix Culpa
@tobie:
QFT
Elizabelle
@O. Felix Culpa: Completely agree.
dnfree
@Ridnik Chrome: Yes, the drinking in movies and books of that era is amazing. The “Topper” movies were the same. Both drinking and recovery were played for laughs.
Luthe
@MazeDancer: I’ve heard from sources within the Murphy camp he doesn’t want to run until his kids are older. This could be totally wrong, but it checks out to me.
Honus
@satby: I recall there was also an early fax machine involved in that one, too.
Mike in DC
Warren’s presence in the race will force everyone else to up their policy game. Her corporate reform bill would dramatically transform corporate America. The anti corruption bill is also great. I’d like to see a student loan forgiveness proposal packaged with a plan to shift to grants and apprenticeships to pay for tuition.
debbie
@O. Felix Culpa:
I agree. Plus, she’s never withered when attacked. Maybe others will grow new layers of asbestos observing her.
Elizabelle
@tobie: Yes. Well said. Absolutely.
It is a stark contrast.
Elizabelle
@satby: Thank you re Sling.
Filing that away for later. For sure.
schrodingers_cat
Sorry to be shallow, she is an extremely boring speaker. Her convention speech for HRC was a snooze fest
Yarrow
@Elizabelle: They sure could but they don’t and candidates and elected officials have to work with the media we have not the one they wished they had.
satby
@Honus: there was! And the guy giving the polygraph test was the actual inventor of the polygraph.
@zhena gogolia: it’s a great movie!
FlyingToaster
@debbie: Already has. I’ve seen Twitter (national) and local blog asshats.
Bobby Thomson
@Mai Naem mobile: her centrism.
JPL
@Ohio Mom: That is what concerns me.
EveryDayIHaveTheBlues
@Ohio Mom:
Hi Ohio Mom, quick question! Were you by any chance at Kyoto sushi last night on Montgomery Road? I was there with my wife and son, and thought I recognized you from our meetup if last summer, but wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to disturb you in case I was mistaken…
tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat)
Happy New Year from Tokyo! May 2019 bring us out of the abyss! Best wishes to everyone on Balloon Juice from a mostly lurker.
Percysowner
@Kay: I like Sherrod and would have no problem with him as a candidate. I don’t like that we would automatically lose a Senate seat when DeWine appoints a right wing Republican to fill his seat. We need to take the Senate as much as we need the Presidency, since if we don’t McConnel, or whoever, will declare that the people haven’t spoken a Democratic President can’t be allowed to appoint judges, unless they have served 3 terms. I am SO cynical about the Repubs anymore.
Yarrow
@schrodingers_cat: Agree. She’s boring. I think she also spoke at the 2012 convention and was dull then. I really like her in interview situations but she’s boring as a speaker. That’s important.
satby
@Mike in DC: I agree. It’s too early for me to decide who I prefer as a candidate, but those policy positions need to be loud loudly and proudly promoted by every Democratic candidate, and Warren is the leader on those issues.
Chyron HR
Oh, wow, I almost forgot, Warren jumped on the Bernie train and declared that the 2016 primary was “rigged”, in direct defiance of observable reality. Do you plan on apologizing for for THAT shameful display, Professor?
MazeDancer
@Luthe:
He’s only 45, so he can wait another 8 years, at least.
Eric Swalwell can also take a back seat. Love him, but he turned 38 in November. Willing to risk ageist label to say: Wait, listen, learn. You’ll be a better President.
Gin & Tonic
@schrodingers_cat: I wouldn’t mind four years of boring.
dnfree
I am over age 70, and I don’t think anyone who is going to be that age or older when inaugurated should be president. It’s fine for her to run (anyone can run), and I welcome discussion of her issues, but I think age is a valid criterion for determining who becomes the nominee. I thought we had turned the generational corner when Obama became president, and I know people here disagree, but I didn’t think Hillary should be the nominee in 2016. A well-developed platform and a long history of working on issues doesn’t necessarily translate into inspiring voters.
O. Felix Culpa
@Zinsky:
Is there any Democrat that the Republicans can’t/won’t slime – and the MSM play along with them? (See: Swfitboat) We have to run on our own terms. Yes, be smart, but don’t be cowed by fear of what an unprincipled opposition will do. They’ll be unprincipled no matter what.
tobie
@MazeDancer:
He’s been on my list for a while because he’s good on everything from gun control to healthcare to foreign policy, but I haven’t heard that he’s interested in running. He’d be on the top of my list if he declared.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@Honus: @satby: Thanks! I knew the BJ community would know this one. Now to track it down.
schrodingers_cat
@Chyron HR: I haven’t forgotten her vociferous campaign against TPP.
@Gin & Tonic: A door knob is better than T, but I can think we can do better than Warren.
@Yarrow: And I agreed with almost everything she had to say, but my attention wandered off after the first 5 min. She explains economics like you are a daft child, she reminds me of some elementary school teachers I had.
Kay
@Percysowner:
I agree but the rest of the committee does not, so I’m going along to get along :)
I don’t even know who is strong in this field. I know nothing, anymore. I feel like there’s no downside to going along and some upside.
I’m okay with all of them, except Biden. I just fundamentally don’t buy Biden. He reinvented himself in a way that I find disturbing. I could take it when he was second to Obama but as a person… I feel the opposite towards him that other people do- I don’t find him genuine.
But I’d vote for Biden v Trump, easy.
satby
@Yarrow: Every potential candidate isn’t going to fire up everyone. I have never warmed up to Sherrod Brown as a speaker or as a candidate. He’s fine but nothing really inspired me about him.
We’re not looking at dating partners, we’re choosing someone to run a government that’s been in chaos. Some people may find boring wonkiness a huge relief.
Frankensteinbeck
After some thought, Warren might be valuable for actually pushing debates and the eventual candidate to the left, as opposed to how Sanders took credit for Hillary already being more liberal than him.
@debbie:
He’s the thinnest skinned person on the planet, desperate for external validation. He was getting roasted as a failed negotiator for the shutdown, and thought for sure he’d turned things around with the Iraq visit. Nope. He fucked that up, and the shutdown keeps moving on. I think now he’s holding out for McConnell and Nancy to hand him a budget he can sign without admitting defeat. Whining about how he wasn’t treated fairly is different. It’s torture for him, though.
Elizabelle
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat):
Happy New Year back atcha. Does Tokyo/Japan do anything unusual to celebrate New Year’s Eve/Day?
germy
@EveryDayIHaveTheBlues:
Cole should sell balloon pins.
Just like fox news personalities wear their flag pins, we could wear our balloon pins. This way, if we encounter each other in public there’ll be instant recognition.
O. Felix Culpa
Any additional recommendations for entertaining (i.e., not depressing) movies for NYE watching, preferably on Netflix or Prime? Thx.
dnfree
And on a completely different topic, apparently Louis CK is doubling down on being offensive and even cruel.
https://slate.com/culture/2018/12/louis-ck-leaked-set-governors-parkland-pronouns.html
Ceci7
@tobie: Well said. I’m not spending any energy debating a candidate’s likeablity or electability at this point. Especially not in reference to a woman, and definitely not in reference to this particular woman. Happy to talk policy and platform all day long.
Bruuuuce
I like the idea of her running, to suck the air from Wilner’s stance of being the only economic liberal lion in the race (which is crap anyway). But the cult of his personality is already fighting back. From a comment at Le Livre des Visages:
I have some concerns both about her age and about the existing slanders the Manchurian Canteloups (tm David Gerrold) will use against her if she gets the nomination, but aside from that, she’s at or near the top of my list.
germy
@dnfree: He’s so wrongheaded but I’m glad he’s finally showing his true self. Maybe there’ll be less cheering when he pops up unannounced in comedy cellars.
satby
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat): Happy New Year!
O. Felix Culpa
@germy:
Love that idea! Balloon pin sales could be a fundraising opportunity for BJ. :)
Ken
@MJS:
I thought I read that’s now a requirement for the Democratic primaries, am I remembering correctly?
Gelfling 545
@Honus: I have them on DVD and am planning to watch them this evening. My daughter found an obscure Loy/Powell movie and put it in my stocking at Christmas so I may watch that one first. The Libeled Lady. Right now I’m caramelizing onions tor soup.
Yarrow
@schrodingers_cat: I agree. It’s hard for me to stay focused on her speeches. I like her one-on-one interviews with people. She seems to do well in that environment. It’s not that being a good speaker is a requirement to be president, but as presidential candidates do give lots of stump speeches and if everyone drifts off in the first five minutes it’s not going to help her cause.
EveryDayIHaveTheBlues
@germy: True that. I’d go for a pin with Tunch’s face (or my own dear departed Mutton, saying “FEED ME”
Denali
For some women(can’t think of what it would be), women, especially potential women candidates, always seem to commit some unpardonable offense- Gillebrand and her treatment of Frankel; Warren and her DNA search. Can’t we let go of these minor flaws and stop looking for the perfect candidate. We need to throw all our energy behind the candidate who will defeat the indefensible present occupant of the White House.
dnfree
@Kay: Biden falls into my “excluded by being over age 70” category, but I also think that some of his demeanor might be explained by his brain aneurysms in 1988. One side-effect of aneurysms or strokes, depending on the part of the brain affected, can be loss of filter, both behavioral and verbal. I don’t see that mentioned much but sometimes his actions or speech seem to reflect impulsiveness.
jeffreyw
@O. Felix Culpa:
And Megaphone Man!
Yarrow
@satby: I agree that not every candidate will fire up everyone. And I also agree that boring will be much more attractive this time around. I don’t think being a boring speaker is the same thing as being a boring candidate, though. I am referring to her speech-giving as boring. She’s not boring in all ways.
Instead of boring I think of my preferred qualities in a candidate as something like quiet competence. That doesn’t necessarily mean boring but it certainly does mean they have knowledge and experience and they don’t feel the need to constantly behave like a toddler who didn’t get a cookie and is late for nap time.
satby
@dnfree: or the amount of loss and tragedy he’s lived through has left him with few fucks to give. He of all people knows life is short, and you should say what you feel.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
If she advances those ideas through her campaign, I’ll be happy. I like her but she doesn’t seem to inspire a lot of enthusiasm, and there’s something to be said for seeking TK’s role as Lion of the Senate rather than the Presidency.
@dnfree: I wish I had been more vocal about my feeling that he was overrated before he was outed as a pig.
germy
I’d proudly wear a Tunch pin, if it came to that. I’d even wear a Tunch fez. Balloon pin or FeedMe pin, I’m fine with either.
Imagine the thrill of encountering a jackal unexpectedly in the wild? We could even play it like the old Get Smart TV show, with a prearranged question. “Lurker or loudmouth?” we could ask each other.
“I share recipes and argue politics.” “Oh, I mostly lurk, rarely comment.” etc.
zhena gogolia
@dnfree:
Wow. Well I can proudly say I never thought he was the slightest bit funny. I grew up with Carlin and Pryor, so CK did not impress me.
satby
@Yarrow:
Which eliminates both Drumpf and Wilmer
MazeDancer
@schrodingers_cat:
All true. Warren is boring and she’s “good for you.” She is a spoonful of medicine without the sugar.
And I voted for her and drove around with her bumper sticker still blazing for years afterwards. No fire, no belly.
Stacey Abrams has all the wonk but lots of passion. She writes Romance Novels for heavens sakes. Would happily welcome Stacey to the fray. But not going to happen this time. But, oh, hope someday it does.
Elizabeth can anchor the left-leaning pull, but boring is not going to cut it. Corey Booker is not boring, but unless he gets married soon, not going to win.
We’re going to know by Memorial Day who is going to be ahead. Why? $$$.
It takes fund-raising to be able set up the “grass roots”. The fund-raising comes out of Manhattan and LA. And I, for one, am okay with that. Because you know who “Manhattan” is? Women. A whole bunch of dazzlingly smart, over 65, women who are way more serious than death or taxes about winning this time.
Ken
@Frankensteinbeck:
There’s that Senate bill that was passed 100-0, but that Ryan refused to send to the House floor. I forget if he blamed the (Republican Speaker, convicted felon, and confessed pedophile) Hastert rule for that, or was just being an asshole.
A fast way to get things running again would be to buff the serial number off that bill, relabel it HR-1, pass it, and send it back to the Senate. It doesn’t have wall, but boo-hoo.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
@dnfree: I used to like Louis CK enough that I want to try to defend him. So I’ll say that no standup comic is actually the stage persona, and it appears that he’s trying on a new one, as if he feels he needs a brand new schtick to come back from the wilderness. Also (speaking abstractly) good comedy often goes near or over the line of good taste. I’ll just drop two words on that subject: “South” and “Park.”
Having said that, the stuff quoted in that article is really vile and unlistenable, and more to the point omits the joke part in the supposed “jokes.”. It’s more like right-wing “humor” than actual humor.
Louis, (insert Jedi gesture) this is not the career you are looking for.
emmyelle
@Kay: Sherrod will make an outstanding Vice President for Klobuchar or Harris. Honelsty, he’s the only guy manly enough to survive the optics of having a woman at the top of the ticket. And he has the serious progressive credentials and the reality-based mindset needed to do the job.
Ohio Mom
@EveryDayIHaveTheBlues: Yes, that was us. We were celebrating Ohio Son’s first day at his new job.
His Voc Rehab staff helped him land a position as an Instacart shopper at the Oakley Kroger (I don’t think this is going to be a long term job but every step forward is significant when you’re on the autism spectrum).
As you can see, we party hard //
Next time, introduce yourself. Do not mistake my exhaustion and not looking around as snubbing you.
We really need another Cincinnati meet-up, dont we?
zhena gogolia
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
It sounds as if he thinks recycling Andrew Dice Clay is going to work for him. Even Andrew Dice Clay has moved on.
Yarrow
@satby: Indeed. And probably some candidates we’re not even thinking about at the moment.
Bruuuuce
@Ken: HR-2. Speaker Pelosi has already announced HR-1, which addresses voter’s rights. I’m fine with her keeping her promise and bringing both bills to the floor quickly, rather than switching out and opening herself (and the Dems) up to yet another GOP slander of being less than honest.
trollhattan
@CaseyL:
I am 100% in favor of this. Want to get my primary vote as Democratic candidate? Step 1: be a Democrat.
Yarrow
@MazeDancer: Totally agree with you about Stacey Abrams. She’s got policy chops, political skills, charisma, and passion. I really wish she’d won. For a whole lot of reasons, most importantly because she’d be great for Georgia I think it would still be too early for her to run for President in 2020 but it would set her up much more strongly down the road. I hope there’s a House seat she can run for soon. She’s so good.
OzarkHillbilly
@germy: Balloon bumper stickers too. Cavers have a Bat Sticker that is recognized all over the country. See a bat sticker? Honk and wave as you pass by.
germy
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
I honestly wonder if the new persona he felt compelled to create came from the same part of his brain that compelled him to tug himself in front of horrified women.
Bruuuuce
@emmyelle:
No faith in Senator Booker’s manhood? I tend to disagree, and would love to see either of them debating presumed incumbent Pence.
tobie
@MazeDancer:
Say what? Is this true? I had no idea about the romance novels. My admiration for Abrams’s prodigious talents grows everyday.
emmyelle
@Bruuuuce: Oh I have much faith in Senator Booker’s manhood. But that’s not a universal sentiment.
germy
@tobie: Yes, she is a Romance novelist. Made me admire her even more.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Bruuuuce: Booker would trip all over himself establishing his deep respect and friendship for Vice President Pence before ever throwing a rhetorical punch
JPL
Whitehouse/Harris would be my ideal choice since they are both safe seats. We need the Senate.
BlueGirlFromWyo
Since I think Trump’s trade war will sink the economy, I will not give my primary to anyone who’s been pro-tariff. Period. We risk having that be neutralized as “both sides” to our detriment. It happened with Kerry’s vote for the Iraq war in 04, it will happen with tariffs in 20.
Bruuuuce
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Maybe, maybe not. If it were someone new to the field, sure, but the Senator has made his feelings about this Administration perfectly clear. “Despise” and “loathe” would be accurate descriptors.
JPL
@Yarrow: Abrams can run strong against Perdue in 2020. We need the Senate!
Another Scott
++ to what many have already said better above, including her talking about economics and banking; sucking Bernie’s air out of the room; being on the uncomfortably old end of the distribution; and being a mostly unknown quantity when it comes to foreign policy.
Getting Democratic policies in the news and the 24 hours a day Donnie and his Minions out of the news for a while is a very good thing.
We also should remember that lots of people don’t run for President to win – they want increased exposure for their ideas, they want to be considered for VP, they want to raise money and sell books, etc. I get the feeling that Warren is very good in running against one or a very few people who are adamantly opposed to her and her policies (Brown). I have no idea how she would run against other Democrats.
So far, so good. But we’ll see…
Cheers,
Scott.
Kay
@emmyelle:
I was glad to see Sherrod push back against the idea that he’s the “white working class candidate”. That isn’t his career. It isn’t how he’s operated. He was one of the first Democrats to see the threat to voting rights, for example, back when it was considered alarmist to worry about voter suppression. He took offense at the idea he’s the WWC candidate, and he should. It’s not true.
JPL
@OzarkHillbilly: Any news about the TX caver?
Yarrow
@JPL: If you haven’t seen this tweet, click through for the pictures.
Also, Sen. Whitehouse replied!
Heh.
schrodingers_cat
@MazeDancer: She is my senator and I voted for her. She has also been largely silent about the burning issue of immigration and that concerns me. The Ds that have eloquently addressed this issue are Beto (Congressman from El-Paso) and Pramila Jaypal (who is out of running since she was born in India)
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@JPL: I like Whitehouse a lot. Weird he’s one of the few Senators not touted as a candidate. Brian Schatz is another one who’s from a safe seat (I think?) and shows no interest in the Oval Office. I haven’t seen him do much TV, but if his twitter persona is any indication, he’d eat Pence for lunch without breaking a sweat.
schrodingers_cat
@BlueGirlFromWyo: Same here. And Sherrod Brown has press releases defending these stupid tariffs.
Ocotillo
If the usual suspects want a woman to kick around and disparage, go after freakin’ Nikki Haley.
tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat)
@Elizabelle: New Year’s is generally very family oriented. People go back to their hometowns, etc. Dinner is a big family occasion.At midnight again, some people will make soba. On New Year’s day, it’s considered lucky to see the first sunrise. There’s traditional food called osechi ryori that is eaten on New Year’s day and the second and third even. It’s not normal Japanese fare. Traditionally it was food that was made to last a few days to give the farmers’ wives a break from having to cook, so a lot of sugar is used in many of the dishes. Nowadays you can buy osechi at the supermarket or order it.
OzarkHillbilly
@JPL: I probably won’t hear anything more till tomorrow. IF she can get out, it will at the very least take several days, maybe a week or more. One thing they don’t have to worry about with this cave is rising water or bad air. It moves a lot of air and some of the rooms are very large. (the dome she was climbing when she fell is over a hundred feet tall and hundreds of feet in diameter at the base)(iirc).
JPL
@Yarrow: That is so cool!
JPL
@OzarkHillbilly: What a sad situation.
Elizabelle
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat): I like family (and friend) oriented.
Soba. Yum. Enjoy!
Gin & Tonic
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I met Whitehouse in a couple of really small-group settings when he was first running for the Senate, and he seemed really stiff and awkward, which I thought pretty odd for a sitting state Attorney General. But I have to say that the years in office seem to have improved him.
Steeplejack
@dnfree:
All you have to do is type your nym in a way never seen before. All “new” commenters go into moderation until a front-pager releases them.
Yarrow
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat): That sounds really nice. Thanks for telling us about it.
@JPL: I know! He seems to have a good sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously. Those are two great qualities in a politician. I really liked him in those awful Kavanaugh hearings. I thought he was one of the best Dems. In the second round with Dr. Blasey Ford I was wholly uninspired by Cory Booker but thought Sen. Whitehouse was great.
OzarkHillbilly
@JPL: It happens, and it was probably inevitable that it would happen in this cave. Very physical, many ways and locations a person could fall and get seriously hurt. One friend of mine dislocated his shoulder in there when he slipped a foothold on a climb. Would have been really bad news too but one of the gals on the trip has medical experience and was able to get it back in the socket so he could self rescue.
Ohio Mom
@OzarkHillbilly: This is a morbid question: if it becomes obvious that someone can’t self-rescue, what kind of comfort care is provided? I am hoping the answer is warm blankets and gobs of morphine
Ken
@OzarkHillbilly: Recognizing that cavers will probably hate me for even suggesting this, but is blasting or drilling into the chamber feasible? You said it’s a hundred foot dome, is the top near enough the surface that an opening could be made?
Amir Khalid
I think Elizabeth Warren would make a fine executive, which is (or damn well should be) a sine qua non for anyone who seeks the Presidency of the US. Is she a lacklustre speechmaker? I wouldn’t discount her as a candidate for that alone. Bernard of Vemont and Individual 1 are better at it, would either be a better POTUS? She can get by as POTUS as long she doesn’t make a fool of herself from a podium. Is she too old? I suppose, if you reckon over 70 at inauguration is too old; but I have not come across any evidence that she lacks the vigour for the job. Not many have argued here that Nancy Pelosi, 78, lacks the vigour to lead the House of Representatives.
Bernard of Vermont is pretty good at campaign rallies, so I hear, but he has no comprehension of the breadth of the president’s job and few of the executive and political skills it requires. Ditto Trump. Being a great orator is eye catching, but it helps a candidate more than it helps a POTUS.
Elizabelle
@Denali:
Agreed. I am not sharpening my stiletto on any Democrat who runs out of a genuine sense of public service.
This does not apply to the Great White Scolder from a small New England state. But the rest: the media is going to pick them to death and elevate lies about them, so I have their backs. All have a role to play, even when winnowed out.
Yarrow
@OzarkHillbilly: Your comment about this situation in the morning thread made me almost sick. Caving is something I could not do. Sending good thoughts for a positive outcome.
OzarkHillbilly
@Ohio Mom: That, and plenty of stove fuel and food and water. I really have no idea how this is going to play out. In most caves rescue is possible, always difficult, sometimes dangerous in the extreme, but possible. This is one of the few where self rescue is the only way.
OzarkHillbilly
@Ken: Unknown. As I recall the dome is a long ways from the surface and getting an exact location of it on the surface is problematic (cave radio being the only 100% certain way that I know of)(and I am unsure if there is one small enough to get thru to the dome). Any kind of blasting is risky as the stability of the rock above is unknown. There has been some micro shaving done to open up a squeeze to new passages of the cave for exploration but that is entirely different from trying to enlarge whole passages. I am sure before all is said and done all possibilities will be explored.
debbie
@Frankensteinbeck:
Christmas Day on December 31!
schrodingers_cat
@Amir Khalid: If she is the eventual nominee, I will vote for her. Heck I will even vote for BS of Vt if he secures the D nomination but not in the primaries.
schrodingers_cat
@OzarkHillbilly: I hope she can rescue herself. Paws crossed.
kindness
I think Kamela Harris is more telegenic but could easily support Senator Professor Warren. Now if only Bernie could die suddenly and save us his minions trolling…
Chief Oshkosh
@Betty Cracker:
You’re overstating. I can’t speak for other Democrats of course, but I thought Gillibrand’s back-stabbing of a fellow Democrat was reprehensible. However, she wasn’t ENTIRELY responsible for the smearing of Franken (your euphamism of “departure” is noted). After all, Roger Stone had something to do with Franken’s “departure.”
Franken was calling for an open, thorough investigation of his behavior and the charges made against him. That investigation would’ve been headed by his political enemies (well, his Republican enemies), so it would have been very tough. Gillibrand (and Harris, to a lesser extent) couldn’t let that happen — when else would they have been given such an opportunity? They got to grandstand AND take out a potential competitor for the 2020 nomination. So what if due process was tossed out the window? And even worse, they knew how bogus the charges were once the Stone angle became known. Like many other Democrats, they are expert at sinking a Democrat, but worse that worthless when it comes to nailing a Republican.
Given that we have so many other choices (Klobacher, Warren, Brown, Booker, et al.), there is no reason to go with either of these people, IMO.
dnfree
@satby: I agree with that as well. I think some of his spontaneous groping and leering at women might be because of the aneurysms.
dnfree
@germy: I like your thinking (and that of others) on the Balloon-Juice pin idea.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Chief Oshkosh: I’m deeply ambivalent about the whole Franken mess, and while I agree Gillbrand was too quick to call for his resignation, it’s hard to look at her long record on the subject and think she was just trying to kneecap a rival.
And I don’t really think Gillibrand’s a factor in 2020 because she would lose a charisma contest to a glass of tap water.
Chief Oshkosh
@Zinsky:
As others have pointed out, no matter who the Democratic nominee is, the VRWC (which includes the MSM), will MAKE that person controversial. I think that Democrats need to be DEMOCRATS. Tough, fair, informed, and clearly, clearly not wishy-washy. Let’s not forget that an African American (!) single (!) woman (!) who made no apologies for being liberal (!) just about won the governorship in Georgia. Actually, if the voting had been fair, she probably would’ve won by a healthy margin. I think that was a bell weather event caused by forces that are deep and long-term.
Chief Oshkosh
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I don’t see how her having a long record on the subject exonerates her one bit. In fact, I think she saw it as a good opportunity to gain additional press for her otherwise just cause. It certainly added to the media feed-fest. And, if it helps her aspirations, so much the better, amirite?
Unfortunately for that just cause, her behavior highlighted how some supporters of #metoo don’t care about due process, or any type of process. That hurt the movement, IMO.
Burnspbesq
@p.a.:
WADR, I care less about the Overton Window than I care about the Democratic platform. I don’t think Warren is the best potential nominee, but I hope she does well enough to be an influencer on the platform.
A stronger candidate can run on Warren’s agenda and kick Trump’s ass.
debbie
@Burnspbesq:
Her strength on economic issues can only be a benefit at this point. We have to move the conversation away from the Wall, for Chrissakes.
Stuart Frasier
What are the rules in MA about appointment of a successor? I’m wary of any senator running for president from a state with a republican governor. The senate is just too close to take that risk. It goes double for Brown, as that seat might otherwise be out of reach without him.
Michael Cain
Interesting primary calendar in 2020. Four little states in Feb, two of them caucuses, then on March 3 primaries in states that total about one-third of the US population. States totaling over half the US population will have voted by March 17, including most of the big ones. I expect by then there will be at most three serious candidates standing, and that none of them will have expended much personal effort in Iowa or New Hampshire. If you asked me to bet, I’d bet on Harris and O’Rourke on the basis of geography. Add Gillibrand if NY decides to hold its primary in early March.
EveryDayIHaveTheBlues
@Ohio Mom: Great that he got the Kroger job! That’s awesome… which one is he going to work at? We live closest to the one on Loveland-Madiera road.
Actually, I was sitting behind you (at your far 4 O’clock) so I saw Ohio Dad first and recognized him… next time I’ll be sure to say hi. My wife loves Kyoto and it is in our rotation (sadly the 6 year old is not super keen on sushi) every few weeks.
Yes, we do need another meetup. I’d love to commiserate over the Chabot win and talk shit about the Rs.
I’m traveling in March to Boston for the APS, and so would also love to hang out with any BJers over there (dmsilev perhaps?)
Fair Economist
Warren is stellar on policy; head and shoulders above anybody else being talked about. She does not just have the right stands; she understands the fundamental problems and how to fix them. My main concern with her is that she lacks managerial experience but the other candidates don’t have a lot either so I don’t think it matters this time. And, seriously, look at the quibbling – “yeah she would make huge strides on inequality and concentration of power – but she took a DNA test!” It makes “butter emails” look like a serious issue, and I can’t help but note how eagerly the media seizes on an irrelevancy to distract from a woman who knows how to fix things.
Jinchi
@germy:
Would those be pins with pictures of balloons on them or pins to burst other people’s bubbles?
Jinchi
@Stuart Frasier:
Massachusetts has a special election 145-160 days after vacancy occurs. I believe that the Governor seats an acting Senator in the interim.
Ohio is filled by the Governor until the next regular Senate election (so 2 years in the case of replacing President Brown).
Jinchi
@Zinsky:
Ummmm. No. There is no one who I’ve heard credibly listed who is “too controversial” to win in 2020.
Ohio Mom
@dnfree: I don’t think advertising that your candidate for president acts inappropriately at times only because he’s had brain aneurysms is much of a winning sales pitch.
Especially after this current POTUS, who clearly has brain issues.
germy
@Jinchi: Good question. Depends on the commenter.
Miss Bianca
@Chief Oshkosh: I dunno. My feelings about the Franken Affair continue to evolve. I was barking mad about the way it was handled, and I jumped on the “blame Gillibrand!” wagon rather fervently. In retrospect, not sure that my was my most shining hour of political analysis. For one thing, as it was pointed out, issues of sexual harassment and abuse *are* issues that she has a history of speaking out about forcefully – witness her crusade to bring sexual assault in the military to light, among other things. For another, it *wasn’t* just her – other women Democratic Senators spoke out too. And, as you point out, an investigation would have been headed up by Republicans, who have less than zero interest in dealing with the issue in good faith.
Now, do I wish the thing had been handled differently? Hell, yes. I would have felt a lot better about how it all went down if the first thing I had heard had been Franken offering to resign, with all these women Senators lining up to praise him for taking one for the team, even tho’ they were not convinced that any of the allegations against him were real. If I had *then* heard that he resigned because these women had sat him down, in private, and said, “Al, sucks to be you, but this is a major issue that Democrats care about and you need to fall on the sword for the good of party and country”, I might still have been upset, but I wouldn’t have been livid.
Stuart Frasier
@Jinchi:
Ah, okay. I suppose I could live with it in MA, as I’d expect Elizabeth Warren’s replacement in the special election to be a democrat (although there always could be another Scott Brown). I think that giving up Sherrod Brown’s seat would be an own goal. It’s unfortunate, as I think he would make a great president.
Raven Onthill
The circular firing squad has already taken to the air; some Natives and some Blacks are already damning her as racist.
At this rate, the Democratic nominee is going to be some mediocre white male loser.
Ohio Mom
@Fair Economist: Oh, that DNA test. I thought Warren was quite clear that she did not consider herself Indian, that she understood that belonging to a tribe is much more involved than having had an Indian ancestor.
I was gobsmacked that this was apparently too nuanced and abstract for most of the public, including the Indian tribes who jumped onto the bandwagon because of long-standing anger about white people who do claim they are Indian based on whim.
I get that their anger is justified but think they looked stupid picking on Warren, who is/could be an ally in Washington. Which is something every tribe needs more of.
I will tell you all four of my grandparents were born and raised in Eastern Europe, and that my parents both spoke a little Hungarian. I am under no illusion I am anything but an American however. I see Warren’s claim of ancestry in a similar way.
I guess I should not be surprised at the low comprehension abilities of too many of my fellow citizens, but I remain disappointed.
Miss Bianca
@Raven Onthill:
Because nothing says “we are not the party of racists” like that!
tokyokie
@tokyocali (formerly tokyo expat):
New Year’s Day is the biggest holiday of the year in Japan, even more so than Golden Week. Nothing is open other than the subways and a few convenience stores, as everybody tries to visit a Shintō shrine for New Year’s. (Meiji Jingu draws the most people, about 3 million over the holiday period.) When I worked for Pacific Stars & Stripes in Tokyo, New Year’s was the only day we didn’t publish a paper, because we couldn’t get any Japanese workers to come in. But with no place open and huge crowds on the subways, I’d always hunker down and hold a movie marathon. Never did even got to C’era uno volta in America with the Leone marathons, but we did manage to get through all of Kieslowski’s Trois coleurs trilogy once.
Ken
@Jinchi:
Can we get Borgia pins, with a concealed compartment for the poison?
Nora
@Luthe: Re: your citizenship test requirement: I’ve been saying that for the last two years. Nobody should be able to run for President, let alone serve as President, who doesn’t demonstrate that he or she has the level of knowledge of the Constitution as a newly minted citizen does. I cannot imagine what the argument could possibly be against that as a requirement.
Ohio Mom
@EveryDayIHaveTheBlues: Ohio Son is no fan of sushi either but there is enough at Kyoto to keep him happy.
For a long time he stuck to the fried chicken breast appetizer that comes with crinkle fries. Now he also eats noodles with chicken and shrimp without any vegetables, not even onions.
I can guess that the A and S in APS stand for American and Society but the P could stand for so many things: Philatelists, Psychics, Pathologists, Philosophers…
JaneE
If nothing else, Warren’s presence in the primaries should force Democrats to take some real policy positions that the party can run on. She already has proposals to make the country a better place. If we include them in the next election, whether or not she is the nominee, we may get some of our country back.
JaneE
@Nora:
Except for the obvious one, that most Republicans could not pass.
jk
Warren, along with Biden and Sanders, is too old to be President, plus she fucked up big time with that DNA test.
There are many talented and yes YOUNGER Democrats available. These 3 dinosaurs need to go away.
Seanly
I agree with so much of what she talks about, but she is never going to be President. Unfortunately, both President Trump and the obsequious media will just label her Pocahontas and that’ll be the ONLY F’KING THING we hear about. Nothing about the issues, nothing about Trump’s criminality, grifting, incompetence, and stupidity. Just 10 million hot takes about Warren’s genealogy.
schrodingers_cat
@Ohio Mom: P stands for Physics. APS has an annual meeting in March.
Ohio Mom
@schrodingers_cat: Thanks.
AxelFoley
@Yarrow:
Everything Yarrow said here. Plus, I still give her the side eye for her bullshit about TPP and that shit she said about President Obama making money for his speaking tours. She followed Bernie with that bullshit in an obvious attempt to appeal to his supporters. Fuck her for that.
I don’t loathe her like I do Bernie, but she’s a “No” for me. I’ll never vote for her in the primaries. The only way I will vote for her is if she becomes the Dem nominee.
pattonbt
Warren is good for the race. She will be a great spokesperson for solid democratic financial issues. Not sure how I feel about her across the board, but truthfully, this is probably the first presidential election cycle where I don’t have any decent feel for any potential candidate. It feels like we are, for the first time in a long time, where there isn’t one “it’s my turn” big name candidate starting out in the lead (not that that guaranteed the nomination in the end). So for me at least, I feel like I will get to choose from a blank slate. In the end, whoever comes through has my time, money and vote. Too much is at stake for anything else.
J R in WV
Some discussion of Bernie Sanders, well know Russian stooge, becoming the Democratic nominee for President.
If that happens, I will be forming a True Democratic party to support someone, anyone, else for President, who is actually a member of the Democratic Party. I won’t be voting for Senator Sanders because he is not a Democrat, and is not a loyal and patriotic American.
He is a Russian stooge, has been for decades, will be for the rest of his life. Fuck him and the Russian monster who supports him.
Ruckus
@J R in WV:
I like how you think.
BS are the correct initials for him in far more than name alone.
EveryDayIHaveTheBlues
@Ohio Mom: @schrodingers_cat: sorry, many thanks to Schrodinger’s cat for the explanation. I was at a playdate at a trampoline park (Adrenalyne!) With the 6 year old and rushed the comment.
Great idea re the noodles, I’m glad your son finds them exciting. I’ll suggest that for the son next time. He too got the chicken katsu appetizer yesterday, but for some reason we missed the fries.
Ruckus
@jk:
Warren is two years younger than HRC. Was HRC’s age an issue for you when she was running 2 yrs ago?
That’s not an endorsement from me, just a question of is she really too old. JFTR I am less than a month younger than Warren and do think that a lot of our politicians are too young. But the president only needs to be 35. I’ve yet to meet a 35 yr old who has the chops and balance of outlook I’m looking for in a president. Teddy R was 42, JFK was 43 and President Obama was 47. B. Clinton was 46. Now some of the olds out there think that only an old can have the experience to be president and I disagree. But a balance is necessary.
Interesting wiki page, the ages of presidents.
janesays
@Mai Naem mobile: I assume because 99.99% of America has probably never even heard of Gina Raimondo. I certainly hadn’t until I read this post.
scojo
Amy Klobuchar is my pick: a former prosecutor who can connect with a wide range of voters, she naturally comes across as credible. Trump/Fox News would not do well against her with typical name-calling attacks.