Note from a partisan: I’m gonna treat any votes Elizabeth Warren gets in New Hampshire like I would finding a forgotten twenty in a coat pocket — nice, but not something to base my budget on. There are pundits who should now better talking about a ‘favorite neighbor’ vote, but New Hampshire’s neighborly intentions towards Massachusetts resemble those of Rand Paul’s neighbor towards the Senator’s yardwork habits. The smart money in the Granite State primary has always been on Bernie Sanders, because he appeals to the Free State Project anarcholibertarians and the resentful MA expats who commute to their jobs in the ‘Peoples’ Republic’ (and complain about the sky-high NH property taxes that replace the state income tax). My real curiosity regarding the primary is whether Deval Patrick — who only got lured into the national race to kneecap any tiny chance Warren might have in NH — drops out after the votes are counted Wednesday, or if his pride will keep him limping along until Super Tuesday, where he can be embarrassed on his old stomping grounds.
But still!
Overheard at Warren’s town hall after she finished speaking, a voter on the phone: “I just feel so responsible,” she said, “I feel so responsible for my vote.”
A sentiment I’ve heard from a lot of voters in early states the past few weeks, especially
— Deepa Shivaram (@deepa_shivaram) February 4, 2020
About last night…
Welp, Pelosi just reached out to shake Trump's hand and he turned away. Pelosi visibly winced.
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) February 5, 2020
NANCY TORE UP HIS SPEECH pic.twitter.com/HCKq3D9waR
— Meena Harris (@meenaharris) February 5, 2020
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on why she ripped up President Trump’s speech: “Because it was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives.” pic.twitter.com/nYTjAZAwGo
— Jason Donner (@jason_donner) February 5, 2020
Seems to me like Pelosi took a page out of Trump’s playbook and stole the spotlight away. No one’s talking about the speech now.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) February 5, 2020
Honestly, Pelosi would have been justified in scrawling THIS IS BULLSHIT in Sharpie on the back of her copy of the speech and sticking it into the camera frame for the entirety of the speech.
— David Waldman-1, of Yorktown LLC™ (@KagroX) February 5, 2020
"They don't think we're real Americans, say as much every day, and work everywhere to make things worse for the voters who depend upon us to stop them from doing that. And guess what? We honor their passion and respect their opinion." https://t.co/UdkP7HUV2V
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) February 5, 2020
SFAW
I think it would have been good humor if The Traitor had actually shaken the Speaker’s hand, and she crushed it (a la the way testosterone-addled frat rats or athletes try to do to their friends). Of course, he probably would have responded by trying to have her shot.
Baud
Today is the day that people who are silent about Trump preach to us about civility.
Immanentize
Good morning, morning peeps.
Baud
@Immanentize: Good morning.
SFAW
@Baud:
“My Mama always tole me: If’n you cain’t say anything good about the Democrat Party — well then, let ‘er rip!”
OzarkHillbilly
Blech.
rikyrah
Good Morning, Everyone ???
rikyrah
I didn’t watch a minute of that speech.
But, Nancy Smash ???
rikyrah
@Immanentize:
Morning Imma.
How’s Little Imma doing?
What’s he doing with his days?
Immanentize
@rikyrah: Same! And she is in white Again. Did the Dem. Women wear white again?
Jerzy Russian
The temperature is close to the freezing point outside right now. Today looks like as good a day as any to remain hidden under the covers.
delk
Good Morning everyone.
Immanentize
@rikyrah: He’s doing better all the time. He is mixing some online Ed with gaming, seeing friends when possible, petting the cat. He is getting bored which I think is a good sign — less focused on the recovery and the new way of eating. He needs a project or a job, but the job will probably have to wait until April after our trip. He is going for his first post-op CT scan on the 18th. That is giving me anxiety, which is most probably misplaced. Still….
Dorothy A. Winsor
I was awed enough by Pelosi ripping up the speech and saying it was the polite thing to do, but that tweet about how Ds will always extend a hand and try to work together? That was so perfect. Like Schiff, she was born for the role she’s now playing.
JPL
@Immanentize: When is your cruise? I was curious since some cruise lines have had a problems because of the virus.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Yep. That’s what plastered all over the media “Pelosi rude to Trump, OMG!”
Kay
@Immanentize:
Oh, that’s good to hear. I think “bored” is good.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Immanentize:
I saw a pic of a bunch of them gathered together and indeed they were in white.
Baud
@rikyrah: Good morning.
Baud
@delk: Good morning.
OzarkHillbilly
@Immanentize: Ben Shapiro got his panties in a bunch over some white dresses, so I guess so.
Jerzy Russian
Did everyone get a paper copy of the speech, or was it just Nancy? If it was the latter, then that would be even more awesome. Future historians (if any) would note that “no known copies exist…”.
Baud
I wonder if the people who are always demanding performance art from the Dems will stop complaining.
Actually, I don’t wonder about that at all. I was lying about that like a Trump.
Lapassionara
Good morning, everyone.
Wasn’t Trump supposed to have the “second part” of his annual physical in January?
Ken
No, no. Read along during the speech, and use a red Sharpie to make big X’s and lines through the lies and bullshit.
Bonus if she can find a squeaky one.
Baud
@Lapassionara:
Good morning.
SFAW
@Jerzy Russian:
” … for which we are eternally thankful.”
JPL
Thank you to the person that recommended the Stranger on Netflix. (maybe Mom Sense) That’s what I watched last night instead of mini hitler speak.
JPL
@Lapassionara: hahahaha fool me once…
Jerzy Russian
@JPL: Too lazy to look it up myself (and I don’t have a TV), but is that based on the book of the same name by Camus?
SFAW
@Lapassionara:
“Melanie, am I supposed to have some doctor thing? I can’t remember?”
“Oh, no, Do-nald. The doctor said you are in perfect shape. Here, would you like another triple-cheese, triple-bacon, extra pork rinds burger? Then you can wash it down with this nice poloni … uh, I mean this nice milkshake.”
Frankensteinbeck
@rikyrah:
The man is SO PETTY. I managed 5-10 minutes, and it was all claiming Obama destroyed everything and now it’s “the strongest it has ever been.” Mix that with disturbingly drawn out ssss and ffff sounds, and long, long applause breaks by Republicans to soothe his insecurities. As soon as my food was finished cooking I left. There is no use listening to an asshole rant, because he’s not acting in good faith anyway.
Ned F.
I think Michael Moore and Jane Fonda can now consider themselves possible freedom medal candidates in the next Democratic presidency .
Immanentize
@JPL: Cruising in Mid-March. No hassle yet, as far as I know. Wouldn’t it be great if a bunch of worry worts decided to cancel? Like 1/3 of the ship? We are committed unless something seriously changes.
Jerzy Russian
@Lapassionara: I won’t object if he puts off going to the doctor.
MazeDancer
New Hampshire has an open primary. Republicans can go vote in the Dem race.
They are planning to vote for Bernie. Not sure how many will, but if there is any place where it will appeal as a tactic, it’s NH.
SFAW
@Ned F.:
And Saul Alinksy, posthumously.
Baud
@Ned F.:
I’ll support a primary challenge to any Dem president who gives Michael Moore a medal.
Say what you will about Rush, he actually successfully advanced his cause.
JPL
@Jerzy Russian: Not that deep. It’s a crime novelist, Corban
SFAW
@Immanentize:
Where are you guys cruising to? Providence? Newport? Bridgeport (CT)?
Baud
@MazeDancer:
The only story out of NH will be if Bernie doesn’t win. Otherwise, it’s all about who comes in second and third.
JPL
@Immanentize: That would be awesome. A ship of our own.
SFAW
@Baud:
If you’re going to go all Big LeBaudski on us, I think I’d rather you say “STFU, Donnie.”
Immanentize
Skepticat
I was too late for this yesterday, but we know ________ will be making Another YUGGGE, PERFCT SPEECH soon, so I’m going to try the passive activism suggested by Tengrain on Mock, Paper, Scissors. I urge you to play along.
“Let’s do our patented Tune In and then Shut-Off destroy the ratings routine.
As we have proven multiple times now, the networks do watch the drop-off rate in real-time.
All you have to do is:
1. Watch the beginning.
2. Shut off the teevee, close the tab on your browser or whatever device you are using the moment the Mango-hued shitgibbon begins to sniff with his patented Adderall slurring.
The thing is you must be watching at the beginning to be counted. Not being there at all is like not voting.
Enough of us do that it will be reported and we know, Know, KNOW that our totally Stable Jenius reads ratings. It will get to him.”
Lapassionara
@MazeDancer: Same thing in South Carolina, per report. The SC Democratic Party tried to have a closed primary once, and you would have thought that they had announced that they were going to murder newborns. So, expect an anomalous result.
Skepticat
@Ken:
THIS!
RandomMonster
@JPL: I was watching The Stranger last night too instead of that crap SOTU. The plot is outstanding so far!
Baud
@SFAW:
STFU, Donnie
Jerzy Russian
@Baud: In exchange for my vote, will you give Nancy Pelosi a medal when you are President? I will vote for you twice if the award citation is printed on thin strips of paper.
SFAW
@Immanentize:
Venice Italy, or Venice Florida? I’m assuming Italy, but …
And “mid-March” in RI is not exactly springtime (re: temps, not a calendar thing), as you probably know.
In any event, I hope you kids have a wonderful time.
SFAW
@Baud:
No, not ME! The other one!
OzarkHillbilly
@Skepticat:
You ask too much. I’m not voting.
Baud
@Jerzy Russian:
She’ll not only get a medal, I’ll name her warden of the supermax that houses Trump and his family and cabinet.
Immanentize
@SFAW: Italy. A little sea air will help the Immp’s convalescence. And set me up as well.
SFAW
@OzarkHillbilly:
Why not? I thought convicted-and-released felons had the franchise in Misery.
SFAW
@Baud:
I thought you liked her. Why would you put her through something like that, i.e., having to spend her days anywhere near those mofos?
Jerzy Russian
@Baud: Excellent! I will encourage all of my friends to also vote for you. That should get you a few extra marks on your side of the ledger.
Ken
@SFAW: It’s not all downside. Every day, she gets to turn the crank that shrinks all the cells by one inch.
Soprano2
I listened to this story on NPR this morning, where David Greene found yet more Republicans in Iowa to talk to. https://www.npr.org/2020/02/05/802904125/iowa-republican-voters-react-to-trumps-state-of-the-union-address (Evidently NPR doesn’t know how to find any Democrats in Iowa.) They were highly offended that Nancy tore up the speech, and claimed that Trump making fun of the disabled reporter was “fake news” and “lacked context”. Questions Greene could have asked, but didn’t: 1) Were you offended when the president refused to shake the Speaker’s hand? 2) What context about Trump making fun of the reporter am I missing? 3) Since you cited the fact that Iowans are nice when you said you were offended that the Speaker ripped up the speech, are you offended when the president calls members of Congress nasty names? Somehow, none of these questions are ever asked of Trump supporters, but they’re allowed to go on and on about how upset they get that they are branded racists and bigots because they support a president who regularly says racist, bigoted things. I’m not sure exactly what they expect people to believe.
bemused
I’m shocked trumpie got through his bs speech without juvenile gestures or language and able to pronounce the bigger words, minor word mangling.
The butt kissing republicans are pathetic, obsequious, like dogs showing their bellies.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud:
What did she ever do to you? I’d commit suicide if I had to spend my days anywhere near them.
OzarkHillbilly
@SFAW: The franchise yes, but not the TV.
Baud
@Jerzy Russian: I hope you’re popular!
@SFAW:
@OzarkHillbilly:
She doesn’t have to be around them. She just has to keep them from getting out.
SFAW
@OzarkHillbilly:
Now you’ve done it.
SFAW
@Baud:
Unless the Supermax is the size of Rhode Island, and the warden’s office is at the opposite corner from the Traitor and his family, she’d have to “be around” them.
MattF
…and Jen Rubin covers the Dem reply. I’ve been mildly skeptical of Rubin on policy issues, but she seems here to go All The Way.
Baud
@SFAW:
Two words: Distance
learningwardening.I’ve got people working on the app.
OzarkHillbilly
@SFAW: Not yet, but it’s looking better every day.
A Ghost To Most
Rick Wilson at the Daily Beast:
OzarkHillbilly
@SFAW: That is still too close.
Butter Emails
Despite all complaints to the contrary, I think Nancy and the bulk of Democrats do know how to play the media game. The issue is that the rules for Democrats and Republicans are vastly different. Last night Trump violated norms and didn’t shake Pelosi’s hand. Pelosi tore the speech in half. Which norm/decorum violation is the press losing its collective shit over?
Trump could have shown up to the State of the Union naked, proceeded to soil himself and then read excerpts from Mein Kampf and 95% of the media would have gone with a “President exposed a rarely seen side of himself at yesterday’s State of the Union. In a forceful and powerful speech that drew inspiration from a famous historical orator, Trump struck back at Democrats in a daringly risqué manner, paid homage to the strong relationship between Germany and US, and laid out a compelling case for returning to old values”
SFAW
@Baud:
Well, now that they’ve finished the Iowa app, they should have lots of spare time.
Baud
@SFAW:
The Supermax is Rhode Island.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Finally got to see Trump’s State of the Union;
If his base loves this, this supports my theory that the majority of the MAGA hats are stoned out of their minds. Slow cadence, low energy and nonsense presented as amazing truths is how Stoners work.
JPL
@RandomMonster: It really is and keeps you focused on the story rather than the chief of crap.
I did credit the wrong author since it’s Harlan Coben. oh well
SFAW
@Butter Emails:
But not the FTFTFNYT. They would have talked about how the Demon-rats are uncivil, etc.
ETA: But I must compliment you on your media-response prose — well done!
WaterGirl
Anne Laurie, who do you think would have lured Deval Patrick in to kneecap Warren?
JPL
@MattF: I did watch that this morning and she is excellent.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
I’m willing to bet the MAGA hats didn’t watch the SOTU. Not for long anyway. They were flipping channels looking for their favorite show.
gene108
@Soprano2:
Right-wing aggression to achieve their ends is deeply ingrained in America, whether or not those means are legal.
The media, as much as anyone, has internalized this, which is why there’s no outrage, when a Trump supporter threatens armed insurrection if Trump loses.
TS (the original)
@gene108:
The right to rule is not concerned with whether or not something is legal.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Dorothy A. Winsor: If I am right the ones who stayed just tripped out.
The Authors of the A Very Stable Genus say that most of Trump’s admin are upset by Trump’s behavior and agree Trump is damaging the Republic. Yet they still work for the idiot. It must take a special kind of spinelessness being a Republican now.
gene108
@Butter Emails:
Republicans aren’t media savvy. Their billionaire backers built a vast media landscape for them, in order to prop them up, and get Republican voters outraged by Obama wearing a tan suit, spreading Russian disinformation about Biden-Ukraine, etc.
kindness
Love me some Nancy SMASH! Who was it again that said she was terrible as Speaker and should be replaced and by whom?
Yea…..Those are the folks who love circular firing squads.
smintheus
““I just feel so responsible,” she said, “I feel so responsible for my vote.”” That sounds exactly like my MIL talking, who lives near Peterborough.
RaflW
I had no idea Deval was still nominally in the race. What a pointless bit of fapping that has been.
ThresherK
@kindness: Circular firing squads suggests that none of that “replace Nancy as Speaker” talk comes from the leftier-than-thee folks.
But, your point is valid as far as it goes.
Mary Ellen Sandahl
Ah, Nancy, my warrior queen! I’ve been musing on and off all day about what those alternatives of hers might be…