It’s been a hell of a day. In keeping with the rhyming couplet of cattery theme this evening, Odoroki & Hime would like to point out that, really, the downticket races are the biggest thing, so please focus on those. Have a good night. I’m gonna go knock myself out since I have to be at work before 8 am. Open thread for you night jackals.
Archives for March 2020
Election Year Horrorshow Open Thread: These Are Not Serious People
Potentially dangerous, yes — but not serious.
Sanders campaign puts out Marianne Williamson, anti-vaxxer in the midst of a global epidemic, as their CNN surrogate to counter the Biden unity rally.
— Ben LaBolt (@BenLaBolt) March 3, 2020
This was not a last-minute “response” rally; it was scheduled in advance of the Biden/Buttigieg/Klobuchar lovefest tonight:
If you’re in or near Los Angeles, join me Monday night for a Get Out the Vote event for Bernie. 7 to 9 PM at the Montalban Theatre, 1615 Vine Street in Hollywood. Bring your friends!https://t.co/yIcXjsUqBs pic.twitter.com/qiwc9vkF1g
— Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 1, 2020
I checked the ‘donate’ link; the funds go to Bernie, through Williamson’s account — I assume she takes a percentage, but I’m a cynic that way. But the rally is credited as “Featuring Spiritual Teacher and Author Marianne Williamson and Bernie’s Daughter Heather Titus, Director of Sedona Yoga Festival,” so I guess it’s a joint grift.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota:
Speaking of coronavirus, Ilhan Omar is asking everyone at this Bernie rally to hold hands
— Molly Hensley-Clancy (@mollyhc) March 3, 2020
Attract a clown, expect a circus…
Yikes!
Here's Michael Moore dismissing Joe Biden's big primary win by saying "South Carolina is not representative of the United States" pic.twitter.com/r5ONvhEQVe
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) March 3, 2020
Yikes at Bernie claiming that he won working class voters in South Carolina. The only way that is true is if he only counts white people. This is what Trump does with polling- only citing white voters.
— Ben Tribbett (@notlarrysabato) March 2, 2020
The moderate wing of the Democratic Party is consolidating- but make no mistake the @BernieSanders campaign knew it was coming. This is how Sanders responsed to @elizacollins1 question on the topic:
“Why should I be surprised that establishment politicians are coming together?” pic.twitter.com/W0NbF03Mwn— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) March 2, 2020
Election Year Horrorshow Open Thread: These Are Not Serious PeoplePost + Comments (91)
Months of Tedium, Then Whammo
Sorta feels like the news cycle, ehh? Just so much shit happened in just the last 72 hours regarding the 2020 election.
Respite Open Thread: Here’s A Cat On A Hat
Just in time for Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Gabe takes advantage of a hat that has escaped the donation pile:
Been an insteresting day.
Respite open thread.
Respite Open Thread: Here’s A Cat On A HatPost + Comments (76)
Chris Matthews Taps Out
About 45 minutes or so ago, depending on when I hit post, Chris Matthews has retired from MSNBC.
— Hardball (@hardball) March 3, 2020
It was so abrupt and sudden and, apparently, unexpected that when they came back from commercial, Chris Kornacki was sitting in front of the camera, looking like he was going to cry, and clearly at a loss for words. He took the show immediately back to another commercial so they could figure out what to do for the rest of the hour.
A lot of people are going to start to opine that Matthews was forced out because of his confusing Jamie Harrison who is running to unseat Senator Graham in South Carolina for Senator Scott, who is the junior senator from South Carolina. Or that his comparing Senator Sanders’ victory in the Nevada caucus to Hitler’s invasion and subsequent occupation of France by going around the gap in the Maginot Line. But the reality is that Laura Bassett’s courage was the coup de grâce.
At the end of last week, Bassett wrote an article and got it published that specifically recounted how Matthews had sexually harassed her on multiple occasions when she was booked on Hardball as a commenter. The safe play for Bassett was to continue to not publicly discuss it, even as many people knew that something had happened according to her recounting events in her article based on an earlier article about a not named cable news host who had harassed her.
In 2017, I wrote about a cable news host being gross and inappropriate with me. I was afraid to name him at the time. I'm not anymore; it was Chris Matthews! And his sexist exchange with Warren this week inspired me to revisit those moments and name him https://t.co/oBWXXJDPhR
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) February 28, 2020
Here is Bassett’s response to his resignation:
Guessing this is not a retirement. https://t.co/pbwDM2UtUG
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) March 3, 2020
No, I have more to say than that. Since calling out Chris Matthews, this week has been really rough. The harassment has been invasive, cruel and personal. And it’s all worth it if he will never have the platform to demean and objectify us again. https://t.co/YS1FxW25zt
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) March 3, 2020
And here response to his on air apology that was not specifically addressed to her:
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) March 3, 2020
Open thread.
Contest ends…
Not THAT one: I mean the competition for the dumbest fucking tweet in the history of blue check marks:
What the goddamn fucking hell? As if any “liberal” outside Haberman’s mama’s PR shop target audience “persona” flipbook ever thought Ivanka Trump was anything other than a vapid shart-stain on the seat of her odious wretch of a father’s ill-fitting golf pants.
She registered as a Republican NOW because she was too stupid to realize she had to change her registration in time to vote for Velveeta Voldemort during the 2016 primary.
And of fucking course she defends Trump on impeachment and goes on Sean Hannity; the entire pack of ravening grift-mavens has moved on from ripping off contractors and defrauding consumers because they managed to sink their sharp and greedy claws into the US Treasury and aren’t eager to have that or their lucrative foreign government shake-down action foreclosed.
Funny how the country’s mightiest metropolitan daily manages to employ such a credulous hack, unable to spot crude cons that wouldn’t get past an elementary school paper. Why it’s almost as if…
Anyhoo. Christ on a crumpet. This makes me want to subscribe just so I can cancel the NYT again.
Israeli Elections Part III: Heading For a Constitutional Crisis
While everyone is focused on Super Tuesday and the Democratic Primary, Israel is having its third election to try to establish an actual government, rather than Bibi’s semi-perpetual caretaker one, today. As of right now the exit polls seem to indicate that Israel is quickly careening towards a constitutional crisis! Let’s check out the meshugas, shall we?
From Bibi’s unofficial and unapproved political biographer:
Correction. All 3 exit polls give Netanyahu's coalition 60 seats. A long night ahead until the actual results https://t.co/lGmWrX1ikW
— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) March 2, 2020
Channel 12 exit poll
Likud 37
B&W 33
Joint List 14
Shas 9
Lab-Meretz 7
UTJ 7
Yamina 7
Lieberman 6— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) March 2, 2020
Channel 11 exit poll
Likud 36
B&W 33
Joint List 15
Shas 9
Lab-Meretz 6
UTJ 7
Yamina 8
Lieberman 6— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) March 2, 2020
Channel 13 exit poll
Likud 37
B&W 32
Joint List 14
Shas 9
Lab-Meretz 8
UTJ 8
Yamina 6
Lieberman 6— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) March 2, 2020
Israel facing the tensest vote-counting period in its history as even a handful of #IsraElex2020 votes can make the difference between further months of stalemate, if Netanyahu receives 60 seats as predicted by the exit polls, and the extra seat his coalition needs for a majority
— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) March 2, 2020
With 60 seats, the Netanyahu coalition’s preferred option for reaching a majority is tempting an opposition MK to defect. A few possible names spring to mind. If a defector isn’t forthcoming, Netanyahu will pressure Gantz to join, or perhaps Lieberman will have a change of heart.
— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) March 2, 2020
If he somehow gains a majority and 61 MKs back his move against the legal system, Israel will face a constitutional crisis and for the first time a prime minister will claim he is not accountable to the rule of law. https://t.co/VBL1KXOJ9w
— Anshel Pfeffer (@AnshelPfeffer) March 2, 2020
The constitutional crisis is what Bibi will try to jam through Knesset if he is, indeed, able to form coalition government after the votes are counted. Remember, for Bibi this election is about remaining prime minister or going to prison. It isn’t about Israel’s security or the common good or anything else. It is solely about not going to prison.
Netanyahu's triumph, like his campaign, is predicated on erasing this fact ⬇️ https://t.co/1OJQRDT0is
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) March 2, 2020
The Mercer’s appear to have their preferred candidate in Israel, not just the US.
There is Breitbart's Aaron Klein celebrating next to Yair & Avner Netanyahu tonight. https://t.co/oPzI0K3uSe
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) March 2, 2020
I think a lot of the reason that the numbers shifted between the first two elections held last year and today is that because of the actions of the President’s peace negotiating team, Bibi has made it very clear that if his coalition is reelected and he’s able to remain prime minister, that he will annex all the settlements in Area A, as well as significant portions of Area C (the Jordan River valley). This would leave the Palestine Authority with the West Bank equivalent of a terrestrial archipelago. A geographic reality that would make it impossible for there to ever be an actual Palestinian state as there would be no contiguous geography to establish a state. As is too often the case, fear and hate may carry the day.
Netanyahu’s senior aide Natan Eshel said that “hate is what unites” the right-wing camp led by Likud and that negative campaigning works well on “non-Ashkenazi voters” https://t.co/0BRbTQDq9P
— Mairav Zonszein מרב זונשיין (@MairavZ) March 1, 2020
Now we wait and see if the actual election results match the exit polls. And if Bibi is able to convince the one or two members of Knesset elect to jump to his coalition, if he doesn’t make it all the way to 61 seats outright, so he can try to destroy Israel’s constitution and rule of law system so he can stay out of prison.
Update at 6:25 PM EST
The Times of Israel is reporting updated exit polls!
Updated exit polls reveal Netanyahu coalition set back to 59 seats
Channels 12 and 13 update their exit poll results to include the last two hours of voting — 8 p.m. till 10 p.m. — and deliver possible bad news to a triumphant Likud.
The new figures in both polls show a drop in Likud’s favored rightist-Haredi coalition from 60 to 59 seats, slightly further from the needed 61-seat majority.
Channel 13’s results are:
Likud 37
Blue and White 34 – two more than the original results
Joint List 14
Shas 9
United Torah Judaism 7 – one less
Labor-Gesher-Meretz 7 – one more
Yisrael Beytenu 6 – two less
Yamina 6Channel 12’s:
Likud 37
Blue and White 32 – one less
Joint List 15 – one more
Shas 9
Yisrael Beytenu 7 – one more
United Torah Judaism 7
Labor-Gesher-Meretz 7
Yamina 6 – one less
Open thread!
Israeli Elections Part III: Heading For a Constitutional CrisisPost + Comments (66)