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Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

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Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

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Let me file that under fuck it.

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You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Cold Grey Pre-Dawn “Crisis of the Soul Sole” Open Thread: Early Reviews, REALLY Not Positive!

Cold Grey Pre-Dawn “Crisis of the Soul Sole” Open Thread: Early Reviews, REALLY Not Positive!

by Anne Laurie|  January 9, 20194:31 am| 58 Comments

This post is in: C.R.E.A.M., Dolt 45, Immigration, Open Threads, Republican Stupidity, All Too Normal, Ever Get The Feeling You've Been Cheated?

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Looks like the White House secured major network TV time for an address that repeats all of the president's arguments on immigration, only, this time, through a TelePrompTer.

— ErikWemple (@ErikWemple) January 9, 2019

Take it from the professionals…

I enjoyed how Trump aides told the WSJ they were super-duper fact-checking their content because they knew they had to be real honest from the Oval Office and then Trump just said the regular wrong things he always says.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 9, 2019

There was nothing too interesting in that speech, and nothing too interesting about that speech.

— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) January 9, 2019

I am surprised at how relieved I am that nothing real actually happened in Trump's address tonight. Apparently I was actually worried.

Have to build up those political cynicism calluses a bit more.

— Katherine Mangu-Ward (@kmanguward) January 9, 2019

If I understand the protocol, Trump now owes each of us $130,000 for enduring nine minutes of his boring fuckery.

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) January 9, 2019


Trump just made his first nationally televised reelection speech.

The entertainment networks who provided time made a huge mistake. Not one word of news in Trump speech.

— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) January 9, 2019

Okay, someone on here offered to send me a bottle of nice wine if there wasn't an emergency declaration in this. Who was that? I would like the wine please.

I'm not gloating, I just need a drink.

— Dara Lind (@DLind) January 9, 2019

I wanted to say to the media “those are fucking slogans not policy” but as a woman of color I want to make sure that I’m “likable” and “articulate”. ??????

— Maya Contreras (@mayatcontreras) January 8, 2019

Short rebuttal to all of this: if it’s as bad as he said, fact he’s done nothing even though Repubs controlled Congress is an impeachable offense.

— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) January 9, 2019

It was a bad speech delivered badly. Other than that, a net plus! https://t.co/YxyNkJHzRt

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) January 9, 2019

Trump just sent his SECOND fundraising email today asking for money based on his "speech"

This was a campaign event disguised as a presidential msg and the networks all fell for it pic.twitter.com/E5oEKpcQ2U

— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) January 9, 2019

This is the dynamic that Trump’s speech was supposed to counter. It didn’t. https://t.co/mdQFTxzdzb

— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) January 9, 2019

People looking for persuasion from Trump are always disappointed. Trump practices polarization, not persuasion. His speeches are about firing up his side. They're about raising the stakes.

Problem is, his side is getting smaller, and they no longer control the House.

— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) January 8, 2019

The big takeaway from the Oval Office address: Trump knows he's hit a wall on his border barrier. https://t.co/agPdwzglrz

— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) January 9, 2019

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Reader Interactions

58Comments

  1. 1.

    Gozer

    January 9, 2019 at 4:54 am

    Didn’t watch the orange buffoon’s utterings, but the commentary has been entertaining.

    In other news, insomnia is a motherfucker. Thank god I mostly work at home. Think I’ll just stay up and head to an early morning yoga class and get my stretch on before the weight room.

  2. 2.

    NotMax

    January 9, 2019 at 4:58 am

    Purposely (and purposefully) avoided Dolt 45, the pundits attempting to make sense of nonsense, and even the comment threads.

    No regrets.

    @Gozer

    Main complaint at this juncture about insomnia is that it doesn’t pay rent, considering all the time it spends here.

  3. 3.

    R-Jud

    January 9, 2019 at 5:03 am

    This was my favourite tweet on the subject.

  4. 4.

    bjacques

    January 9, 2019 at 5:06 am

    I’m glad it was 3am over here and it was short enough I could just read the text this morning. No way I was going to stay up for that,

    MS-13 soured my milk, made my dog barren and–God help us–brought us peace without honor.

    At lest we know the TV networks and pundits haven’t learned a damn thing n the past 2 years and we can plan accordingly rolling into 2020.

  5. 5.

    Gozer

    January 9, 2019 at 5:07 am

    @NotMax: Ain’t it the truth.

    I at least try to put it to work and get a lot of reading done. Can’t get any actual work done with a tired, mushy brain, but I’ve blown through plenty of nonessential books and usually get in early morning exercise.

  6. 6.

    rikyrah

    January 9, 2019 at 5:12 am

    Would not watch???

  7. 7.

    NotMax

    January 9, 2019 at 5:15 am

    @Gozer

    Gotten into the habit of putting on a 1930s or 40s or 50s B (or C) picture – tons of ’em on Amazon Prime – while lying down and shutting the eyes, only listening. Should I drop off for 20 minutes or so during that, consider it a win and haven’t really missed much of anything.

    .

  8. 8.

    p.a.

    January 9, 2019 at 5:19 am

    MS-13 is the new operating system, correct? So it’s even worse than Win-7?

    OT: Just saw on early morning news that in legalized mj areas police dogs have to be retrained to ignore marijuana. If they can’t do it, they’ll have to be retired.

  9. 9.

    hervevillechaizelounge

    January 9, 2019 at 5:29 am

    Not sure why but I’m still agog about the media attendance at the off-the-record Trump luncheon. I often dine with people who claim I’m an enemy of the state.

    Hope those fuckers got little tiny bone saws to cut their leathery, Trump-brand steaks.

  10. 10.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 9, 2019 at 5:34 am

    Somebody gave a speech last night? What about?

  11. 11.

    sukabi

    January 9, 2019 at 5:38 am

    @hervevillechaizelounge: drumpf thinks he’s on “Celebrity Apprentis: The Presidency — WWE ” and the network bosses are his producers.

    Problem is network bosses are happy enough to feed his delusions for the ad bucks.

  12. 12.

    sukabi

    January 9, 2019 at 5:39 am

    @OzarkHillbilly: wasn’t a speech. Low energy, poorly read campaign grift setup.

  13. 13.

    Baud

    January 9, 2019 at 5:42 am

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    It was a speech about how badly America fucked up in the 2016 election.

  14. 14.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 9, 2019 at 5:48 am

    @sukabi: Oh good, I was afraid I had missed something.

  15. 15.

    JoyceH

    January 9, 2019 at 5:50 am

    Since the Trump speech obviously served no valid government purpose and the campaign sent fundraising emails before and after the speech, specifically tied to the speech, I would like to see every network that carried the speech present the campaign with a bill for nine minutes worth of prime time commercials

  16. 16.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 9, 2019 at 5:50 am

    @Baud: Are we still beating that dead horse?

  17. 17.

    Baud

    January 9, 2019 at 5:52 am

    @JoyceH: But then Trump will be mean to them.

    @OzarkHillbilly: For the rest of my natural life and, God willing, significantly afterwards.

  18. 18.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 9, 2019 at 5:53 am

    @JoyceH: Like trump would pay a contractor…

  19. 19.

    geg6

    January 9, 2019 at 5:55 am

    Hilarious. Young Jared was on the Hill yesterday telling all GOPer congresscritters that this was the speech that would convince the country that Cheeto is right and then the Dems would be forced to come to the table or face an enraged populace blaming them for everything. Poor Jared.

  20. 20.

    John S.

    January 9, 2019 at 6:05 am

    @geg6:

    And yet, given a complicit media and a large chunk of the electorate addicted to Fox News, it’s even odds as to whether or not Trump gets an approval bump from his televised temper tantrum/fundraiser.

  21. 21.

    Sebastian

    January 9, 2019 at 6:18 am

    @JoyceH:

    Correct. Or if they don’t, do what i keep repeating ad nauseum, haul the execs and everyone in charge in front oF Congress and have them explain why they violate campaign finance law. Then indict them.

  22. 22.

    sukabi

    January 9, 2019 at 6:20 am

    @John S.: I have great expectations that his trip to the border will undo any bump he may get from his network time. He’ll do something stupid like always. And Melania will probably wear her I don’t care jacket.

  23. 23.

    MazeDancer

    January 9, 2019 at 6:21 am

    Rod Rosenstein leaving DOJ is so big can’t process it.

    Does eclipse the speech.

  24. 24.

    Phylllis

    January 9, 2019 at 6:25 am

    @sukabi: So true. The article about Mark Burnett in this week’s New Yorker says as much.

  25. 25.

    plato

    January 9, 2019 at 6:28 am

    @MazeDancer: “Checks and balances”. What a joke they have become.

  26. 26.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et al.)

    January 9, 2019 at 6:36 am

    Egh. Nothing like being woken up in the middle of the night by a migraine. Good times…

  27. 27.

    Baud

    January 9, 2019 at 6:37 am

    @MazeDancer:

    He won’t be in charge of Mueller after Barr is confirmed. With the Dems in the House and as far along as the probe is, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as it might have been in the early stages. Still, any change is worrisome.

  28. 28.

    Gin & Tonic

    January 9, 2019 at 6:40 am

    @geg6:

    Poor Jared.

    I’m looking around for my violin, but it’s so small I’ve misplaced it.

  29. 29.

    MazeDancer

    January 9, 2019 at 6:42 am

    @Baud: Will try to stick with your positive POV.

    People have noted it will intensify Whitaker questioning.

  30. 30.

    Immanentize

    January 9, 2019 at 6:45 am

    Good morning, All!

    @Baud:
    I agree with you on Rosenstein. Not only is there protection in the House, but the inquiries seem pretty widely distributed now. Another safety valve. And, I frankly sympathize with Rosenstein’s desire to get out.

  31. 31.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 9, 2019 at 6:46 am

    @Baud: Agreed.

  32. 32.

    rikyrah

    January 9, 2019 at 6:52 am

    Good Morning,Everyone ???

  33. 33.

    TS (the original)

    January 9, 2019 at 6:54 am

    So am I hearing rubbish on MJ – or is trump going to declare his state of emergency? Seems to me, there is an emergency – the government is not operating – and trump has caused this emergency. Nothing like creating problems – so you can solve them!

  34. 34.

    Baud

    January 9, 2019 at 6:54 am

    @rikyrah: Good morning.

  35. 35.

    debbie

    January 9, 2019 at 7:06 am

    I liked Schumer’s line about how the symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a 30-foot wall. Other than that, yet another waste of time and money.

    Part of Stephen Colbert’s monologue last night was on immigration numbers. I’ll have to look up the exact numbers later, but it came down to 1:450 illegal immigrants were convicted felons vs. 1:12 American citizens.

  36. 36.

    BruceFromOhio

    January 9, 2019 at 7:08 am

    Did not watch. Caught a recording of AOC on Maddow that was much better. Cleaned my kitchen. Starting a calls-and-letters campaign to my new congresscritter and my rethug senator to get the fuck back to work already, think of the children you soulless two-bit ratfucking criminals. Or something similar. These snakes might hide from the public, but they can’t hide forever. It might be the dumpster fires shutdown, we can still hang it on the neck of every single Republican enabler.

  37. 37.

    Sebastian

    January 9, 2019 at 7:10 am

    @rikyrah:

    Morning!

  38. 38.

    Sebastian

    January 9, 2019 at 7:13 am

    @BruceFromOhio:

    AOC needs speech training asap. Way too many mannerisms in her body language and delivery. Watch her videos without sound if you want to isolate it.

    I was sure someone will tell her soon but then I saw Schumer and wondered how her made it through 30 or 40 years in politics and never had any training.

  39. 39.

    satby

    January 9, 2019 at 7:14 am

    Blech.

    So no chess pieces moved last night and no new immediate Constitutional crisis invoked, sounds like. The current one is exhausting enough.

  40. 40.

    PST

    January 9, 2019 at 7:19 am

    I wish Nancy and Chuck hadn’t been so stiff. As much as I admire her, the Speaker is not good at being the public face of the party. What they said was correct, but it still felt like a lost opportunity. Think of what PBO could have done with 10 minutes, and how it would have shaken Trump to know who would follow. Or one of the younger, more charismatic legislators. I would have stressed the illegitimacy of the blackmail as a tactic for evading the constitutional need for Congress to approve spending.

  41. 41.

    debbie

    January 9, 2019 at 7:20 am

    @debbie:

    Here’s the article I was referring to. It’s from PRI’s The World. I knew it rang a bell!

  42. 42.

    Lapassionara

    January 9, 2019 at 7:20 am

    @John S.: Trump will claim he got an approval bump no matter what, and Fox will urge him to stay the course. Government by faux news anchors.

    Good morning, everyone.

  43. 43.

    Baud

    January 9, 2019 at 7:21 am

    @PST:

    There was no opportunity for anything yesterday. Nothing was lost.

  44. 44.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    January 9, 2019 at 7:26 am

    How was the Sanders speech?

  45. 45.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 9, 2019 at 7:32 am

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Did anybody actually watch it? I have seen zero reporting on it so far this AM.

  46. 46.

    Kay

    January 9, 2019 at 7:41 am

    @PST:

    I’m not sure anyone wants to do the rebuttal. It’s always bad – it’s a bad assignment. Maybe they just took it on as a duty.

    I’m pleased they didn’t give him anything because you can’t give him anything. Republicans will shut down the government as long as they’re rewarded with concessions after shutting down the government. These idiots with “compromise” – what are they thinking? You can’t reward this behavior! It’ll immediately repeat and get worse! It already has.

    Compromise on this is a guarantee of more shutdowns as a tactic to get concessions.

  47. 47.

    Emma

    January 9, 2019 at 7:42 am

    I have been up all night taking care of my sick dad, so please forgive me if I sound a big deranged on the topic, but…. *shrug*.

    No. A more charismatic, younger politician doing an impassioned “rebuttal” to last night’s clusterf_ck would not have been the best thing for the Democrats. It would have allowed the aid-and-abet media to divert the focus from the Disaster in the White House to the 2020 race and push their complicity under the rug yet one more time. We will be fighting on two fronts for a very long while and the last thing we need is helping the enemy.

    While Pelosi and Schumer are not firebrands, there are two advantages to having them as the face of the working party. One, they come across as responsible adults, and two, they have no bigger political ambitions. They could play the disappointed parents to perfection. If anything they strenghtened their negotiating hand, which is important since buyer’s remorse about the shutdown seems to be catching on among Republicans. Donnie and Mitch are going to have one hell of a bad year.

  48. 48.

    Sebastian

    January 9, 2019 at 7:43 am

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Did he even give one? Looks like he did. Our Revolution’s twitter feed shared the speech and that share has as of now … drumroll … 7,715 views. Haha I’ve had more views and I am a fucking nobody.

    Checking Bernie’s twitter he links to YouTube and there his speech has only 78,800 views. Stick a fork in him, he is done.

  49. 49.

    Ken

    January 9, 2019 at 7:54 am

    The reviews were in five centuries ago: “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

    (Also posted in AL’s morning thread, since they both seem active.)

  50. 50.

    Kay

    January 9, 2019 at 7:56 am

    Peter Baker
    ‏Verified account
    @peterbakernyt
    10h10 hours ago
    More
    Even Trump doubts his new strategy for wall funding will work. “It’s not going to change a damn thing, but I’m still doing it,” he told anchors at an off-the-record lunch before his speech.

    He told anchors. Knowing it would be immediately repeated as national news. A message to his base that he’s pulling out all the stops fighting for them.

    He played them for an entire day yesterday. They whole national political media sector spent all of yesterday working for Donald Trump. The public may reject Trump but there is one group of people he has utterly conquered- national political media. They lose every fucking round with him. They never come out on top.

  51. 51.

    Anne Laurie

    January 9, 2019 at 7:59 am

    @Ken: I was trying to sort the nasty ‘negative’ tweets out for you early-morning cynics, before Alain’s picture-post.

    For no particular reason, still feel obligated to at least *try* to be upbeat in the official Early Morning Open Thread…

  52. 52.

    Elizabelle

    January 9, 2019 at 8:02 am

    @Kay:

    there is one group of people he has utterly conquered- national political media. They lose every fucking round with him. They never come out on top.

    Yep. Fuck ’em.

  53. 53.

    Ken

    January 9, 2019 at 8:15 am

    @Anne Laurie: I for one found the nasty negative tweets very upbeat, but thanks for the effort and a happy good-morning “Blech” to all.

  54. 54.

    Immanentize

    January 9, 2019 at 8:19 am

    @Anne Laurie: I for one very much appreciate that, AL. I can get more torqued as the day goes on, but I do like saying hello and staying somewhat positive early.

    In other words, “thank you!”

  55. 55.

    Elizabelle

    January 9, 2019 at 8:27 am

    Morning thread is up now.

    And agree with not going with doom and gloom first thing in the morning. There is the rest of the day for that on Balloon Juice.

    So thanks, Anne Laurie.

  56. 56.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 9, 2019 at 9:12 am

    Where did my last comment go?

  57. 57.

    schrodingers_cat

    January 9, 2019 at 9:15 am

    @Kay: That’s because they are his base. They like what he does. He is their monster, and they his Frankenstein.

  58. 58.

    MadiX

    January 9, 2019 at 9:20 pm

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Same ol’ same ol’, from what I’ve heard. He only has the one speech.

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