Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Chutkan laughs. Lauro sits back down.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

A last alliance of elves and men. also pet photos.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

I know this must be bad for Joe Biden, I just don’t know how.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Don’t expect peaches from an apple tree.

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

You are here: Home / Politics / Live Blogging / Graduate Together 2020 – Live

Reader Interactions

153Comments

  2. 2.

    TaMara (HFG)

    I watched the CNN Class of 2020 and Bill Clinton spoke (and Yo Yo Ma played Simple Gifts, which I thought was so appropriate). Clinton did not hold back. It was good. Can’t wait to see what Pres. Obama has to say. Also can’t wait to see twitler’s head explode.

  3. 3.

    Hildebrand

    My daughter graduates this year. She plans to major in International Studies with hopes of entering the Foreign Service.

    She is watching tonight just so that she can watch ‘her’ President.

  5. 5.

    Highway Rob

    {grits teeth} Do not do not do not get all grammar asshole on these kids. {grinds teeth} Don’t do it. {teeth now reduced to a fine powder} Don’t.

  8. 8.

    zhena gogolia

    @Highway Rob:

    I just saw they spelled “everything” as “everthing” on a caption.

    Oh well, spelling and grammar aren’t everthing.

  13. 13.

    Highway Rob

    @Baud: “He tasks me, and I shall have him!”

    or, alternatively

    “He tasks me, he heaps me, I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it.”

    (Thanks, Google.)

  18. 18.

    Elizabelle

    Thank dog emphasis is on the graduates, and their possibilities, and no commercials.

  24. 24.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Highway Rob:

    Oh hell yes. In my case, I had to endure seven previous graduations, I absolutely loathe the ceremony (played a sax in four) and would have skipped mine is possible.

  30. 30.

    Feathers

    Turned it on. Found myself starting to cry and then in an instant thinking this is the worst pandemic in a century and you are alive! Realized I hadn’t eaten dinner (or lunch). Cooked myself some spaghetti, poured a glass of cider. Properly fed, this is wonderful and lovely.

  43. 43.

    Highway Rob

    Okay, I’m on the bad side of 40, and one thing I’m noticing about these graduates is the crazy big range of how old they look.  Just me?

    Edited to add: I live in the college town where I went to school and I can’t drive near campus because they’re all babies these days.

  45. 45.

    Jo Jo las Orejas

    Estos niños son muy lindos. Entiendo lo que dicen! Quiero ir al instituto

  52. 52.

    TS (the original)

    @JPL:  He is still to express sympathy for those who died from COVID-19, and congratulating anyone except himself is not in his repertoire.

    And now, President Obama

  56. 56.

    khead

    “A lot of them aren’t even asking the right questions” – BAM!

    ETA – Damn, he’s slicing and dicing.

  58. 58.

    Baud

    Dear Class of 2020, you’re better than the President. Graduates during my term couldn’t say that.

    Love, Barack.

  59. 59.

    Elizabelle

    Slavery.  The Civil War.  Famine.  WW2.  9/11.

    Trump.

    I know he meant “COVID” but.  Trump.

  62. 62.

    Feathers

    Yeah, Barack!!!

    He seems to have rearranged the shelves since the HBCU address.

    I should stop.

  63. 63.

    lamh36

    He’s great at the shade, but I like that he tapered his message to the room. He knows she’s speakin to teens adn of course their parents. But still geting the body blows!

  64. 64.

    Elizabelle

    @khead:   I adored that.  Trump and his enablers.

    And a jab at people who make a lot of $$ and don’t care that people are sick and hungry around them.

  67. 67.

    zhena gogolia

    @HumboldtBlue:

    That was good.

    What kills me is when he lists virtues like responsibility, respect for others, etc., it sounds like a reproach to Drumpf.

  71. 71.

    Jo Jo las Orejas

    @Baud:
    En algún lugar de mi tierra natal. Quiero visitar Nuevo México nuevamente. Mi mamá está triste porque probablemente no iremos en septiembre. Quería ir a Puppy Class en St. Louis pero no pude ir por Covid.

  72. 72.

    Elizabelle

    From Bowling Alone to Dancing Alone, to celebrate your high school graduation.

    That was really well produced, and spot on.

    And fuck — a My Pillow ad follows on MSNBC.  Really!

  76. 76.

    lamh36

    @kylegriffin1

    More

    Obama: “Do what you think is right. Doing what feels good, what’s convenient, what’s easy—that’s how little kids think. Unfortunately, a lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles and important jobs, still think that way, which is why things are so screwed up.”

    7:56 PM – 16 May 2020

  83. 83.

    TS (the original)

    This was a massive insult to trump – highlighting that the democratic presidents – Clinton and especially Obama – are the go to people in time of need. it was such a delight to hear over and over & read over and over President Obama.  One can dream.

  85. 85.

    Feathers

    @zhena gogolia: Karol G. I am too old to know who she is, but young enough to like her singing.

    The Jonas Brothers are stepping up, they have done several of these online shows. That they are brothers probably does help with the coordinating. They do seem like nice guys.

    ETA: I see TaMara beat me to it. Apparently this is their new single, from an new album. She is on the record.

  90. 90.

    lamh36

    @jeligon

    WOW! @BarackObama goes in on US leaders: “Doing what feels good, what’s convenient, what’s easy, that’s how little kids think. A lot of so-called grown-ups, including some with fancy titles & important jobs, still think that way, which is why things are so screwed up.”

  91. 91.

    Darkrose

    Obama looks good, too, as opposed to the melting candle look that Drumpf is working these days. Knowing how much that chaps his orange ass makes me happy.

  92. 92.

    Jo Jo las Orejas

    @Baud:
    Mi mamá usa una máscara. Tengo una correa nueva y juguetes para mi cumpleaños de seis meses. Mi mamá cree que es mejor que cancelemos nuestros 10 días en septiembre en Nación Navajo y nuestro mes de estancia en mi tierra natal de Santa Fe. Ella esta muy triste. Cavamos en la tierra hoy.

  94. 94.

    Duane

    Classy as always, President Obama. What a contrast to the blabbering bag of bile. Whoever said it was damn right. Black people gave this country their best, white people gave it their worst.

  96. 96.

    Another Scott

    @Jo Jo las Orejas:Hola jojo Ellie aquí. También me gusta cavar en el patio, yendo tras esas ardillas malvadas. He hecho varios agujeros de casi un pie de profundidad. ¡¡Es divertido!! Pero a mi papá no le gusta cuando hago eso … :-(

    Woof-woof,
    Ellie.

  104. 104.

    sralloway

    @zhena gogolia: Me too. It so reminded me of post 9.11. And I was in Manhattan that day. With the piano/guitar piece, I really flashed back. Old guy here. 70.

  105. 105.

    WaterGirl

    Like many of us, 3-4 years of Trump has been dragging me down.  Barack Obama is like a balm for the soul.  Five minutes with Barack makes me want to be a better person.

  106. 106.

    JMG

    Any one of the 43 other former Presidents could have substituted for Obama and done at worst OK. Warren Harding, James Buchanan, Chester A. Arthur, any of ’em. Only the current occupant couldn’t do it. There’s bound to be a toilet tweetstorm tomorrow morning.

  108. 108.

    WaterGirl

    I had no idea who Bad Bunny is, but I found his speech very moving.  Second only to Barack Obama.

    Am I the only person who plans to keep this on their DVR and go back to it?

  109. 109.

    Another Scott

    @JMG:

    Kayleigh McEnany @PressSec
    5m
    Thank you President @realDonaldTrump!

    It’s an honor to work for you and be a part of the unprecedented achievements of your administration!

    un·prec·e·dent·ed
    /ˌənˈpresədən(t)əd/
    adjective
    never done or known before.

    Well, yeah, because they have been just about impossibly bad.

    (sigh)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  112. 112.

    Jeffro

    @TaMara (HFG): I was really pleased at all the shout outs to teachers in the whole of this program…

    …lord knows, we are going to need them now more than ever!

  113. 113.

    Kay

    Oh, that was nice. I worry about them. They’re all so hopeful which right now just breaks my heart. Cynical and surly I can handle. When they kill me is when they’re so hopeful and therefore vulnerable.

  117. 117.

    Cameron

    @JMG: I’m sure it’s already started.  You know he must have watched the whole thing and is in the process of dumping a continent’s worth of butt-hurt on the intertubes.

  118. 118.

    WaterGirl

    @Jeffro: I have been so easily frustrated and short-tempered for the past 2 weeks, it’s like I don’t even recognize myself.  It started 2 weeks ago yesterday.

  122. 122.

    HumboldtBlue

    @WaterGirl:

    I’ve been that way for eight months. I even told a clerk at the Suddenlink office to sit his silly ass the fuck down in an outburst in April (I was provoked) but still, I never talk down to people doing their job but he pushed and I allowed myself to lose that instant control.

    Now I’m not shy and I speak in the real world they way I comment, I will call a motherfucker a motherfucker, I just felt like shit the rest of the day.

    @JPL:

    I’m down the rabbit hole, they are all so good.

  123. 123.

    Jeffro

    @WaterGirl:

     

    @HumboldtBlue:

    I hear you guys, I have been really sour after reading the news each late night/morning…going to try and turn it into positive action in the future, and still give myself a pass when that’s not possible.

  124. 124.

    khead

    Obama actually made a joke about how he looked in a graduation cap because of his ears.  Can you imagine the current douchebag making a joke about how he looks?

  126. 126.

    WaterGirl

    @Jeffro: Yeah, there were some words of wisdom in Graduate Together tonight, good reminders that it’s not just what happens to you, but how you handle it.

    I am going to have to watch that again this week.  I REALLY liked what Bad Bunny had to say, and I want to listen to that again.

    @HumboldtBlue:

    Okay, you kind of have me beat with your outburst, except that I am giving my sisters and BIL (who appear to still support Trump) a piece of my mind and calling them out when what they say isn’t true.

    It’s like i’m in this battle with myself – I don’t know how to reconcile these people who are basically good people that I have loved for decades with people who could support what he does.  I don’t want to give up on people that I love, or lose my family, but it’s getting intolerable.  I suspect that internal struggle is getting to me, and coming out sideways.

  127. 127.

    HumboldtBlue

    @WaterGirl:

    I’ve always been mystified by people I genuinely like and respect who are right-wing dead-enders, it boggles and there is no cure, it’s on them, not us, to address reality. We see that happen when the terrible things hit them close, many a road to Damascus moment has happened so we can always hope.

    I’m fortunate that the one glaring bigot in our large clan is someone with whom none us engage with.

  128. 128.

    Kay

    @khead:

    We don’t have to imagine what Trump would say-there’s a record:

    “By the way, what do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero?”
    As Trump was saying this, CNN was showing shots of the crowd.
    “By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?”

    Incredibly enough, he gave a mean-spirited and nasty “speech” (some disjointed rambling) to a gathering of Boy Scouts. At the speech he also pointed to one of his low quality bootlickers and threatened to fire him. Showing off in front of the 10 year olds, trying to impress them.

  129. 129.

    Gin & Tonic

    So the four top countries in terms of COVID-19 count are the US, UK, Russia and Brazil. What an incredible coincidence that all four are led by right-wing nationalistic assholes.

  131. 131.

    WaterGirl

    @Kay:

    Showing off in front of the 10 year olds, trying to impress them.

    Ugh.  Of course, 10-year-olds would be his cohorts, emotionally, so it’s no wonder he was showing off for the other boys.

    What a sad specimen he is, and he is president of the fucking united states.  He is the symptom, the loud screaming alarm,  of a fucked up world view, because he couldn’t have been elected otherwise.

  132. 132.

    Feathers

    @TS (the original): The Presidential M&Ms have been around for a while. My mom volunteered at the White House and we often had some around. I’d always try to snag Obama ones, because they made the best gifts. People would freak out when they realized what they were.

    Looked it up on wikipedia and learned that it was Nancy Reagan who started the tradition. Apparently, there used to be packs of cigarettes with the presidential seal on Air Force One for guests to take. Nancy banned smoking and decided on M&Ms as the replacement for the cigarettes. But, yeah, not surprised that Obama had them on hand to give out to kids. IIRC, he doesn’t care for them himself, but kept up the tradition.

    BTW the M&Ms are red, white, and blue.

  133. 133.

    WaterGirl

    @Duane: No kidding.

    As I was watching, i was thinking, okay, so now we need one of these for the little kids who can’t see their friends, and the 20-somethings who are in the phase of going out every night, and another for the 60-somethings and older who are wondering how much life is left for them if their best years left will keep them inside or away from family and friends, etc.

    I thought this one was very well done.

    I would love to hear from young pups, though, to see if the choices of performers were inspired or lame, from their perspective.

  134. 134.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Kay: Funny you should mention that, because just as you can look at the seven deadly sins and see Trump in every one, you can look at the Scout Law and see Trump’s absence in every single one. Trustworthy? Loyal? Helpful? Friendly? Jeez, 0 for 12 there.

  137. 137.

    khead

    @Kay:

    Not quite the same.  I am talking about making fun of his own personal appearance as Obama did.  See, ears. Having said that, I was as embarrassed as you were over Trump’s antics at the Boy Scout Jamboree.  I mean, I know people who were there.

  139. 139.

    Duane

    @WaterGirl: Far from pup status, but the Jonas Brothers had  Billboard #1, #4, and #22 songs last year and have just released a new album.

  141. 141.

    WaterGirl

    @Gin & Tonic: No, I just wanted to be reminded of what they all were.  Sorry if it sounded like I was checking your work.  It’s really stunning that he has no redeeming qualities, and all of the deadly sins.  I mean, not even one good one out of 12?

    That should be nearly impossible, but not for that piece of shit.

  142. 142.

    Ruckus

    @Baud:

    So, an improvement…..

    The video at the top does not play for me so I had to find President Obama’s video and I just watched it.

    One word.

    Damn.

    That was a great speech, for both graduates and for the rest of us. Did we do well in electing him or what? I expected longer but as usual he didn’t need 30 or 60 minutes to say everything and say it well. Less than 7 1/2 minutes. Damn.

  144. 144.

    Richard Guhl

    The class of 2020 might have gotten cheated out of their own personal graduations, but I think they will never forget this one. How many of us got Alicia Keys, Lebrun, Chicka, Megan Rapinoe, H.E.R., and the rest at our graduations?

    Also, too, President Obama?

    The thing I remember about mine was the endless droning of Pomp and Circumstance, until we all processed and got seated, and wanting it to be over so my friends could sign my yearbook.

    I definitely didn’t get as emotional at mine as I did at this one.

  145. 145.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Kay: I think he literally talked about hookers and blow in that rant

    stuart stevens @stuartpstevens · 42m
    Still remember when Trump addressed the national Boy Scout Jamboree and talked about an orgy on a yacht, so, yeah, kind of refreshing to hear Barack Obama talk to kids.

  147. 147.

    Ruckus

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    @HumboldtBlue:

    These two comments really bookend the worst and best of our country. shitforbrains® couldn’t be a worse human to represent us and in my lifetime I can not remember one better than Barrack Obama. There have been good presidents, there have been very few great presidents because it seems there are very few great men who aren’t full of themselves to a degree.

  150. 150.

    Mike in NC

    Won’t anybody shed a tear for nobody who ever graduated from Trump University?

  151. 151.

    Jo Jo las Orejas

    @Another Scott:
    ¡Hola! Me fui por un momento. Necesitaba caca en el patio. Está lloviendo. Mi mamá dice que es una producción completa para hacerme cagar bajo la lluvia. Hora de acostarse. Buenas noches.

  152. 152.

    Trollhattan

    Senior daughter liked it. IDK if it will have a lasting positive effect but it was earnest and spoke from the heart. An Amazon truck pulling up with all the gifts would have been a nice coda. LeBron?

  153. 153.

    WaterGirl

    @HumboldtBlue: In the Ireland video, they started playing U2’s City of Blinging Lights when Barack and Michelle came out.  That song always makes me tear up, even if it’s just on as muzak because it takes me back to Iowa when I was volunteering for Barack in Dec 2008 / Jan 2008.

    I am taken right back to all the rallies I worked, the snow I trudged through, working the caucus on the final night, waiting in the massive crowd of volunteers for his victory speech in Iowa, everything.

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