Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton is running for president. He is the 19th candidate to throw his hat into the 2020 Democratic ring.
"He's polling at 0% in Iowa and 0% nationally… But good news, there's nowhere to go but up," says CNN’s Harry Enten https://t.co/AgJU0H5KOl pic.twitter.com/JwhML2tx2u
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 22, 2019
As I’ve said before, Seth Moulton would be a perfectly adequate ‘Rockefeller Republican’ candidate, if only such a creature still existed, even in the toniest MA exurbs. And if he’d chosen to run in the GOP primary — maybe as Bill Weld’s VP — I might even have sent him a few bucks. But as it is, well…
For some odd reason Rep @sethmoulton has decided there's not enough white penis in the DEM race.
Announced he's running for president
Your reaction?
— T. Fisher King (@T_FisherKing) April 22, 2019
please tell me JD Vance is involved in this campaign https://t.co/D81OGZPjKG
— Cake or Death (@Johngcole) April 22, 2019
An interesting aside. Moulton likely would have faced a tough re-elect in part due to the backlash from women voters over his challenge of Pelosi's ascent to the speakership. He has nothing to lose joining the crowded Dem 2020 field. https://t.co/527hCojlTD
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) April 22, 2019
To be fair, Seth Moulton is the first white man in the race. Oh wait, no.
Well at least he'd be the first young white man. Hang on, no.
The first young white male veteran? No.
First young white man whose only accomplishment is unsuccessfully trying to oust Nancy Pelosi? Nope!
— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) April 22, 2019
Others expected to enter the Democratic field soon:
State Assemblywoman Gen Eric
Congressman Gray Dockers
State Attorney General Oyah Thatgui
Mayor Sam Nolence
Joe Biden— BigLoganActHat (@Popehat) April 22, 2019
Rep. Seth Moulton says if he was president during an alien invasion, he would start with diplomacy by giving the extraterrestrial visitors a “classic American meal,” like a beer and a burger.https://t.co/7vxoHxKWDW
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) April 23, 2019
Seth Moulton as mayonnaise pic.twitter.com/WayUIdt5gg
— Devin Nunes' Grapes ?? (@lirpalomina) April 22, 2019
Jerzy Russian
I don’t mind if he runs as long as he does not trash other Democrats and shuts the fuck up after his candidacy goes down in flames.
Omnes Omnibus
@Jerzy Russian: I can live with that.
opiejeanne
More like Miracle Whip.
Mike in NC
Republican-lite
opiejeanne
@Jerzy Russian: Hopefully within a couple of weeks.
plato
Is white penis even a real thing?
Mary G
Lord give me the confidence of a mediocre white man.
plato
Really? peeneez in its original form in a tweet is ok but not so in a post?
Anne Laurie
@plato: Front-pagers get special exemption from the spam filter. (And, while I freed your original comment, I’m not sure the content was worth the effort.)
NotMax
What does one call negative momentum?
Jay
@opiejeanne:
WonderBread?
White rice?
KithKanan
@NotMax: Joementum?
ETA: Not that I think Moulton can manage anything close to a three way tie for third place in any of the primaries.
Jay
@opiejeanne:
Egg white?
Unfavoured gelatine?
Vanella Jello?
NotMax
@Jay
Tapioca.
Omnes Omnibus
@NotMax: Just step back from the tapioca jokes.
Plato
@Anne Laurie: Thanks? The blog’s intellectualness standard demanded it.
NotMax
@Omnes Omnibus
Obligatory.
:)
Steeplejack
@NotMax:
Nomentum.
Amir Khalid
@plato:
That’s what the white guys say, and as you know they’re all full of crap.
ETA: //
NotMax
@Steeplejack
Bingo. Give the man from Virginia a kewpie doll.
Elizabelle
Interesting that he’s not running again for Congress. At this time.
Sebastian
Memo to self: never get in a situation where PopeHat creates multiple names for you.
Savage.
Amir Khalid
@Elizabelle:
With any luck, this man’s political career might come to a premature — for him — end.
Plato
When his campaign crashes and burns, will it be the molten moment?
Anne Laurie
@Elizabelle:
After he got scorched for his failed coup against Madame Pelosi, a number of potential Dem challengers let it be known they’d be more than happy to run against him. His district is RINO-friendly — it’s where financial people who want to own horses & still commute to Boston live — but the memory of ‘fiscally conservative, socially liberal’ Repubs grows dimmer with every election.
This being MA, Seth doesn’t have to file papers for re-election until relatively late in the cycle, and I’m sure he’s got the relevant dates marked on his calendar just in case.
John Revolta
So lemme get this straight. The front pagers get pen1s whenever they want, whilst we lowly jackals have to make do with whatever peeniz substitutes we can come up with? I feel cheap and used.
Jay
@John Revolta:
It is a full service blog.
NotMax
@John Revolta
Phrasing!
:)
ruemara
@Mary G: I really could use a dose of that.
Gin & Tonic
@plato: You can write penis in the comment section if you master this one weird trick.
Amir Khalid
There needs to be a Balloon Juice betting pool on when and how Seth Moulton says/does the stupid thing that sends him crashing out of the race for POTUS, with the proceeds going to an animal shelter* of the winner’s choice.
*Or other presidential candidate
FRANK MCCORMICK
@NotMax: Not fair — I personally like Tapioca. Not so much Seth.
Jay
NoMoreMisterNiceBlog front pages Betty Cracker,
https://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2019/04/lets-all-concern-troll-way-right.html?m=1
Gin & Tonic
@Amir Khalid: Ahem. Aren’t betting pools haram? Or are you suggesting that *we* have a betting pool while you stand and watch?
opiejeanne
@Jay: White rice can be rescued. wonder bread cannot.
eemom
Can’t we go back to that Starbucks dude? At least you could mocha him. ???
Mel
@Elizabelle: Isn’t it, though?
I’m as put off by his awkward, not-so-subtly sexist pandering and his attempts to bill himself as a hipster “disruptor” as I am by the fact that he looks like a bit like the love child of Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
Take a look at the photo from the Buzzfeed link in the post. Do you see it? Now that I’ve seen it, he’s likely to people my nightmares along with Cruz in his mime gear.
Jay
@opiejeanne:
White rice here is saved for SWMBO’s Thai cooking and Sushi.
Everything else is brown rice.
Sometimes toasted before cooking.
Jay
@Mel:
Mime gear or bondage gear?
Damien
Serious question: is Seth Moulton literally delusional?
I’m listening to his interview with Rachel Maddow and I sincerely cannot even.
Sab
Seth Moulton is taking attention away from Tim Ryan. What a loss.
BlueDWarrior
@Sab: and people wonder why every challenger to Madame Speaker goes down in flames.
Jay
@Damien:
The bar for medicocre wipple is low, very, very low.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Moulton
Sab
@BlueDWarrior: I wish Ryan would go down in flames in a way that got us in his district a new Congresscritter.
prob50
So this is what, a “Vanity Candidacy”?
Mel
@Jay: No, no, no!! Don’t ruin a good imaginary cat o’ nine tails by association with the Slime Mime!
And with that thought, I must now go gouge out my eyes. Oh, the horror!
prob50
@NotMax: Hey, I LIKE Tapioca. My Mom useta make it back when I was little – poured it into special little dessert cups and then chilled them in the fridge. Comfort food for me today.
VeniceRiley
Skipping politics for tonight in order to be in a great mood to watch the first episode of Gentleman Jack was a brilliant move on my part. If you got HBO for GOT you also get this show. Based on a real person and just wonderful. I loved it. Tie it into the thread? Sure: White pen1s keeps ruining her love life!
Sab
Does that cute gray tuxedo cat in SanJose in the earlier thread have a new potential home yet?
eclare
@VeniceRiley: I saw that listed, but I hadn’t heard anything about it, no actors doing the late night shows, etc. Thanks for the recommendation!
eclare
@Sab: Yes, in Denver where he would be an only child. I offered, but this sounds much better.
Jay
@Mel:
Think gimp, trunk, Pulp Fiction,
Not cat o’ nine tails or assless chaps.
Sab
@eclare: That’s good to hear. He seems to be an exceptional cat.
Mel
@VeniceRiley: Thanks much for the suggestion! I didn’t know HBO had a show about Lister in the works, and it looks really good! On top of all the other interesting things she did, she was a serious mountaineer – the first woman to scale Mt. Perdido (third highest peak in the Pyrenees).
Mel
@Sab: That is happy news! Sweet senior kitties are the best, and he sounds like such an affectionate, people-focused little guy,
The Lodger
@NotMax: Moultmentum!
mrmoshpotato
@Mel: Why am I persecuted?!
mrmoshpotato
Three-way deathmatch – Moulton, Biden Wilmer?
Sab
@Mel: Rehoming senior cats is a problem, not because of them , but because of everyone else.
My Dad’s cat moved in with my Dad ten years ago. He was a stray adopted into our neighbors very neglectful home. He preferred Dad’s house. I told him at the time that moving in with an 84 year old guy was possibly not the best career move. He ignored me.
Eight years later, after my Mom had died and we moved my Dad into a nursing home the cat’s life isn’t what he wants. But he still has a home and food, and a family who loves him ( with a clowder of cats who don’t) and he had eight years as the center of my Dad’s world.
Beats sitting outside in subzero weather because your adoptive family has out-of-town visitors who don’t like cats.
VeniceRiley
@Mel:
Really? Wow! I know next to nothing about her, but am excited to find out. Nevermind the actor playing her is just incredibly sexy to my lez eye. Plus I love period costume drama expertly done by the Englsh
Elizabelle
@Amir Khalid:
Laughing.
@VeniceRiley: FTF NY Times gave Gentleman Jack a great review. And a previous article about its writer/co-director, Sally Wainwright (Last Tango in Halifax), who has long been interested in Anne Lister’s journals. Show is 17 years in the making.
Had never heard of Ms. Lister, and what an ahead of her time woman. Hoping it comes to Netflix or AmazonPrime eventually (no HBO).
Aha. Oprah magazine spotlights the show as well, with excellent links to further information about Anne and her country estate, etc.
Such a dreary time to be a woman. (And not even the “Victorian” era yet.) I am glad to hear of anyone who surmounted the challenges, and it’s usually someone unconventional.
Elizabelle
@Mel: Had no idea she was a mountaineer too.
Look forward to reading more about Ms. Lister.
VeniceRiley
@Elizabelle: The thing to do is give up netflix for a couple months for HBO so you can get this and GOT then drop it and go back to Netflix. I’m going to start doing that sort of thing more and more.
Sab
@Elizabelle: @Elizabelle: What time of day is it for you? My guess is about 10 am?
Elizabelle
@Sab: Your guess is excellent. 9:58 am.
Sipping a final coffee and then to get in a walk. Glorious weather for several days now in Bavaria. Was in Nurnberg for the Easter market on Saturday. Sunday we discovered that my friend’s new tiny town has a lot to offer with walks, a parcourse, and a closeby restaurant that she likes (she is picky). Really a charming little place.
MSNBC on in the breakfast rooms; unfortunately it’s always Chris Matthews for me, but good to see the Mueller report is front and center.
Shoes gonna be dropping for months and months.
ETA: I want a piano, safe, tons and tons of stuff to fall on Trump, Mitch McConnell, Justice Kennedy, all the bad actors. Investigate, investigate, investigate.
Elizabelle
@VeniceRiley: I’m still not even on Netflix! But enjoy it when hotels and friends have it.
Still barely using Amazon Prime. But thanks for the suggestion. It’s a good one.
Sab
@Elizabelle: Hope so, re dropping shoes. Spouse and I, politically aligned, shrieking at each other constantly about when shoes drop. Most contentious time in my 19 year marriage, and we are basicaly on the same side. When will we impeach?
I blame Republicans for endangering my marriage with their misbehavior.
So Europeans who watch America see MSNBC not Faux. Misleading but heartening.
Elizabelle
@Sab: Am on a military base this month, so am heartened to see MSNBC on. It is preferred to CNN here, at least by the staff that sets the TV controls.
Nancy Pelosi knows what she is doing. Investigate, investigate, investigate. Pressure will build for impeachment. Make it a tough vote for Republican senators NOT to impeach. Time is in our favor. It is not in Republicans’, or Trump’s, as awful as stuff may happen in the interim. Dog knows what Barr has planned next, but at least there is no longer the (never earned) presumption that he is a neutral actor.
I am more and more interested in Justice Kennedy, in Citizens United, on WHY the money spigot to Republicans dried up in 2018 midterms. It’s not just the NRA, although glad to see them in fits. Look at them all. Investigate the Mercers. Let it all come out.
polyorchnid octopunch
@Jay: Basmati rice is awesome. Fight me.
Amir Khalid
@Gin & Tonic:
I think it mitigates the sin a bit if you’re not playing for personal gain.
Chris
@Jerzy Russian:
Absolutely this.
Unfortunately, the fact that his first act in Washington was to try and kick out Pelosi doesn’t sound like a promising start.
Chris
@Elizabelle:
I have a different view. I don’t think there’s any chance in hell that Republicans will impeach no matter what, because I don’t think there’s a chance in hell of enough Republican voters supporting it. I support continuous investigations all the same, partly on general principle but partly because the simple drip drip drip background noise has an impact on low infos. This is what hurt Hillary Clinton the most, and it’ll do the same here. Make sure John Q. Citizen can’t turn in the news any day between now and 2020 without hearing some version of “Trump investigated,” “Trump scandal,” “Trump corruption” and whatnot.
prob50
@Elizabelle:
Sounds like a job for The Road Runner. Beep-Beep.
gvg
@Jay: And did not give credit.
L85NJGT
Did he position himself as a rockafella republican? His CV is security state drone. One with bad parliamentary skills, and seemingly not interested putting in the time on the career grind.
TD
This is the lesson we learned from Trump- reduce your opponent to one vulgar trait and harp on it over and over? We learned from the Tea party that it’s better to hound out people who win in favor of the more pure who lose? He challenged Pelosi and she had a public victory that showcased how really good she is at this. And he’s a Democrat representing a Republican county. If you don’t want to vote for him, don’t. If you like someone better, talk them up.
Ruckus
@NotMax:
Negative momentum is called seth.
Ruckus
@Amir Khalid:
Seth gets all happy when you say premature. It’s a strange response to such a common occurrence for him.
Harbison
Seth Moulton will probably not win the primary.
Ruckus
The EW thread above this one is borked for me. Opens with half the screen blacked out and does nothing.
DonkeyKong
Seth Moultan is the type of replicant Harrison Ford wouldn’t bother hunting down and “retiring”