It looks like we could use an open thread and nothing seems to be happening in the back room, so I checked to see if I had started any posts that were still in draft mode. This is the only one that fit the bill, and I had only gotten as far as the title.
So we all know the convicted felon behaves like a whiny toddler. But I am sick of him, so instead of talking about the whiner himself, how about if we list the ways that your random 10-year-old would make a better president than the dumpster fire?
Or, if that doesn’t grab you, totally open thread.
dmsilev
A random ten year old would probably blow the entire White House discretionary budget on a truly awesome array of Lego sets.
I’m not really seeing a huge downside here.
WaterGirl
I’m thinking your average 10-year-old would be able to actually read the Presidential Daily Briefing materials.
sukabi
@dmsilev: that would be the first 18 months ….after that the 11 1/2 yo boy president would blow the budget on porn and shoes…
sukabi
@WaterGirl: that’s true…
jayne
A random ten year old is probably better at lying convincingly than Donny Dollhands, or at least better at keeping their story straight. They would probably also have a better grasp of science, history, their native language, and math.
WaterGirl
@sukabi: What if the president was a 10-year-old girl? Sight unseen, I would definitely vote for her over the former guy, no matter what she blew the budget on.
WaterGirl
@jayne: A random 10-year-old would probably be telling the truth when he said he had never had sex with a porn star.
WaterGirl
Would a random 10-year-old president declare every Monday a holiday? And would that be a bad thing? I think not!
Another Scott
Random 10 year old knows how to play and enjoy life without hurting others.
Meanwhile, … MarylandMatters.org:
Good, good. Go Alsobrooks!
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@Another Scott: Did they do any polling about the NC governor’s race, where the Republican candidate is a black man who is bat shit crazy and awful?
3Sice
https://naacp.org/articles/naacp-reflects-first-2024-presidential-debate
Splitting Image
@WaterGirl:
Beat me to it. A random 10-year-old is halfway likely to be a girl.
But any 10-year-old would be 14 by the end of their administration, and therefore capable of learning something about the job by the end of it. The orange one ain’t gonna learn shit.
sdhays
I’m guessing a random ten year old probably wouldn’t throw ketchup at advisors and the walls of the Oval Office and need to be calmed by the sound Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Memory”.
ETA: This anecdote still floors me. If I were a Democratic operative, I’d look for ways to bring it up weekly. It’s just so bizarre and…silly.
sukabi
@WaterGirl: same lol
WaterGirl
@3Sice: I googled “Trump black jobs” and found this lovely article from the AP:
Trump’s debate references to ‘Black jobs’ and ‘Hispanic jobs’ stir Democratic anger
Just Democratic anger? That should read:
Another Scott
@WaterGirl: I don’t see anything recent in the polls that PPP shows.
I did find this from NCNewsLine.com (from April):
HTH!
Cheers,
Scott.
Mart
Our five year old twin godson’s whine and throw fewer fits than the convicted felon, rapist, and serial fraudster; and their vocabulary is much more advanced.
WaterGirl
@sdhays: Wowser, I had never heard that, so I googled. Bizarre and frightening man-child. shudder
Van Buren
Since I teach 10 year olds, I feel safe in saying the majority of them would be happy to play Minecraft or watch TikTok and leave everything up to the staff.
WaterGirl
@Mart: Two 5-year-olds = one 10-year-old, right? They could share being president!
@Van Buren: How much “executive time” would they need for that?
Nukular Biskits
What did I miss today?
WaterGirl
@Nukular Biskits: la la la I can’t hear you!
sdhays
@WaterGirl: It’s loony tunes.
Kristine
@WaterGirl: Two five-year-olds in a trench coat.
Redshift
@Another Scott: Good. It’s what I would hope for, but it’s nice to have some confirmation. Hogan has been running ads since the primary reassuring voters that he’ll support measures to protect abortion rights if they elect him to the Senate. I suspect that loses him some Republicans, and doesn’t gain him any Democrats, because one, like with TCFG, the question is not whether you want a ban, it’s what you’ll do when your party brings one up for a vote.
And beyond that, it fundamentally misunderstands the lesson we all learned Dobbs and its aftermath, which is not that banning abortion is unpopular, it’s that no compromise offer from Republicans is ever in good faith, they’ll treat any move in their direction as a stepping stone.
Ruckus
@WaterGirl:
OK, I laughed out loud at that.
WaterGirl
@Kristine: Literal LOL !
So you’re saying that it would be a lot more fun to work for them in the White House.
Splitting Image
@Van Buren:
From what I’m given to understand about previous holders of the job (who may or may not have gone on to higher office…), these kids would be well-qualified to be Governor of Texas.
SiubhanDuinne
@WaterGirl:
Every day is somebody’s birthday!
Redshift
I couldn’t stand to watch the debate (as I expected), but I turned on the TV when it was supposed to end and it was running over, and caught a few minutes then. I was very pleased with Biden calling TCFG a whiner who can never admit that he lost.
Ruckus
@Splitting Image:
The orange one ain’t gonna learn shit.
That’s OK, he’s already so full of shit that in reality he both can’t learn any more and he’s so dumb that he can’t recognize that he’s full of shit.
Jay
Just for Tony Jay,
Ireland is part of the EU.
Ruckus
@Mart:
Well most five yr olds are a lot smarter than shitforbrains.
Redshift
Low bar. Almost all random ten-year-olds are capable of admitting when they’re wrong. Maybe not immediately, but they don’t have a pathological need to always be right and always win.
WaterGirl
@Redshift: Yay for that!
Do we think a random 10-year-old would whine more or less than the toddler felon?
edit: I’m thinking less.
Jackie
Nevermind.
WaterGirl
@Jackie:
There is that. shudder.
A random 10-year-old wouldn’t need to come with a warning label.
I mean, seriously, if social media has to come with a warning label, shouldn’t the toddler felon have to come with a warning label, also?
What would the warning label say?
WaterGirl
@Jackie: There should be a way to peek and see what a deleted comment previously said. Inquiring minds want to know!
edit: (oops, that was the comment I replied to, and quoted!) I guess I got my wish. Do you want me to edit mine.
Ruckus
@WaterGirl:
Well most 10 year olds are a lot smarter and more grown up than shitforbrains.
Jackie
@Another Scott: I don’t believe polls. But having said that… GOOO Alsobrooks!
M31
the mayor of Baltimore today: “I had a great day at my BLACK job today! Or is it my DEI job? I can’t keep up with the latest racist term. Nevertheless, it was a great day across Baltimore. #BlackJob”
hahahahah
from the Baltimore Banner
(as soon as fucking Sinclair bought the Baltimore Sun I canceled my subscription and went to the Banner, it’s still growing but pretty good)
mrmoshpotato
A random 10-year-old would not suck Putin’s ass hole.
Or suck any other dictator’s ass hole for that matter.
WaterGirl
@M31: I love that!
smike
@3Sice: Hear! Hear!
Kristine
@WaterGirl:
The prank texts to other world leaders might cause an issue or two.
Radio-controlled car races in the corridors!
Secret Service drew a hard line on drones. Killjoys.
mrmoshpotato
@Ruckus: Agreed.
WaterGirl
PSA: I don’t want to do another fundraising post for the Leadership School, so I’ll just let you all know that we are not exactly matching in this last go-round.
But as soon as the thermometer hits $13,500, the “$500 bonus” Angel from earlier this week will add the final $1,500 – taking us to the $15k goal. So we are looking at less than $1,500 in donations to get us to our goal.
No need to add your donation in the comments, unless you want to help inspire other folks to donate, too.
WaterGirl
@Kristine:
Isn’t that the truth! I mean, what if they sent a text about wanting to buy Greenland? Or sell it, either way.
Jackie
@WaterGirl: No, I like your reply and it fills in the blank I left.
I didn’t catch the 10 yr old president when I replied, so deleted as it involved a slightly different scenario.
WaterGirl
Oh my gosh, can you imagine the pardons from a 10-year-old president?
Everyone who talks back to their parents is immediately pre-pardoned. No consequences!
edit: Little boys pinching their sisters, immediately forgiven! (unless the president is a girl, in which case more subtle and devious ways to annoy a sibling would be forgiven.
eclare
@M31:
Great comment from the mayor.
WaterGirl
@eclare: Yes, that was awesome!
I saw a mocking list of “black jobs” on twitter. Have we seen a list of “hispanic jobs”?
edit: Obama needs to make a public wisecrack about his “black job” as president of the fucking united states. (not in those words, exactly)
Kristine
@WaterGirl: Head of state visits—sleepover night! Blanket forts on the Lawn.
Gloria DryGarden
To riff off the above:
Two five year olds, for sure. I work with them in ECE. They have a sense of fairness, they know how to put things where they belong, they’re creative, and like to help, and they take direction, if you invite them sweetly. Also, with a little support, they get through frustration at learning or doing new things. Frustration tolerance is an excellent quality. They are open to learning what to say to each other to smooth over hurt feelings. (By the time they leave Ece and continue on to kinder, some of them get a cocky attitude, too cool, know more than you. But not all of them.) They have a lot of great qualities, that would be effective.
My other thought: Qualities I prefer and admire in adults I’d trust to lead, teach or apply their expertise:
im thinking of jasmine Crockett, Katie porter, well informed, factual, and ask great questions, don’t put up w much bullshit, and care to represent their folks, the people. Also AOC, Elizabeth warren, Pete B. Able to make a stand. Knowledgeable, remain clear and poised, and they give a shit.
oh, what qualities? Truthful, as in not promoting falsehoods. Inclusive of women, and poc, and lgbtq+. Able to work as part of a team. Grounded, not ego driven.
really want to put my attention on good people, effective doings.
in my own experience w bullies and bluster, I’ve learned that there’s no point in debating or trying to get them to see, or admit, or soften; they act completely justified as they keep coming, verbally.
I learned all I can do is stand strong and centered, and keep my own light strong. That is hard enough. I recommend this.
Under different circumstances, I would have also learned to find Allies, to unite as a team, and stand together, working for a common goal. I think I’ll lean toward doing that where I can.
I’m going to write the words ‘shattered,’ and “divided,” on my paper with other words and qualities that I’ll burn.
eclare
@WaterGirl:
That would be awesome!
Jackie
@WaterGirl: I saw an article re Hispanic jobs on RawStory:
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-olivia-troye-hispanic-jobs-takedown/
Albatrossity
A random 10 year old would not have had sex with a pornstar
Jackie
@Albatrossity: Willingly. An important distinction.
Gloria DryGarden
@mrmoshpotato: they hardly ever throw ketchup at the wall in a tantrum or a fit of pique.
btw, 10 year old girls seem a better bet than the boys at that age
WaterGirl
@Kristine: I want to live and work in your White House with you as Chief of Staff to the 10-year-old.
Maybe we could have twins as president; it would be like the moving with the two twin boys, one of whom is a prince.
Gloria DryGarden
@Jackie: just so.
I was taking a break from thinking about all that, and the statistics. But yes. Willingly
WaterGirl
@Jackie: I would like to see all the black and hispanic people – who have worked for trump in the past – come forward and tell stories about him.
(I don’t know how you guys can stand to read Raw Story. It won’t let me read it in my browser with the ad blocker, and if I open it in Chrome (no ad blocker) there’s stuff flashing and moving around. I can’t stay on a Raw Story page for even a full minute.)
edit: Has the former guy ever hired a black person? I wonder if any of his secret service people have been black. Guessing the answer is no.
Gloria DryGarden
@WaterGirl: I love this.
I’ve just been watching clips of a prince and an American guy at the White House.
sweet wonderful delicious idea. Blanket forts, nerf gun fights…
Gloria DryGarden
@WaterGirl: I think Newsweek does it too. “I’m reading,” I shout at the screen, furious at the interruption, tapping the tiny x, to stop all that flashing and videos and pop up’s. It so makes it hard to follow the info. The x doesn’t always stop it, or not fast enough.
Jackie
@WaterGirl: Ben Carson. The famous Black brain surgeon TCFG accused of leaving a sponge in a brain during surgery – who later became one of his cabinet members. And might be on the VP list.
ETA I don’t have any major issues with RawStory. I’m on Safari.🤷🏼♀️
Kristine
@WaterGirl:
“We need to reschedule the State of the Union address. The President has a math test the next day.”
Heads of State the world over rediscovering their inner kid.
Except for Putin. No blanket fort for him.
Twins would be tricksy. They’d keep changing clothes/places. “No, I don’t want to go to France—you go this time and I’ll do the next big speech.”
Gloria DryGarden
@WaterGirl: registered sex offender
Bupalos
Having digested the cataclysm of two days ago, I feel oddly calm about the future.
maybe this is the point where people refuse to be spectators anymore.
maybe we remember it’s our government. Maybe we pick Biden up, carry him over the line. Maybe once that’s done we turn him upside down and shake and see what falls out that we can use.
Bupalos
@Gloria DryGarden: I for one really appreciate the poetry you’ve been spitting.
I feel the same way.
Omnes Omnibus
A random ten year old probably has bigger hands.
Kent
Nothing in the past month or so seems to have budged this race. Not Trump’s conviction and not Biden’s debate. So we seem to be just locked in at this point and it will come down turnout.
My on personal take (or call it cope) is that this isn’t actually the seminal election that will determine the long term future of the country. That one is coming in 2028. Second terms are usually ineffectual. Major legislation rarely happens during 2nd terms. And whoever wins will be an instant lame duck. In fact, within months of either Trump or Biden’s inauguration the press will already be handicapping the 2028 race for both the Republicans and Democrats.
I think the best we can hope for is a split Congress and hopefully we keep the Senate because nominations are crucial. But any kind of split Congress will put the brakes on any legislation either side wants to do. I expect 2025-2028 will basically be 3 years of gridlock no matter who wins. Especially if Democrats retain at least one house of Congress. The other thing that will quickly happen is that all the prima donnas in the Senate on both sides will start positioning themselves for 2028 which means they won’t be jumping up and down to carry water for ether Trump or Biden. Both of them will be spent forces by 2028. And herding cats when you are a lame duck is 10x harder than during your honeymoon.
Trump is, of course, scary for all the reasons. But I think the Heritage Foundation types who have all kinds of expert conservatives waiting in the wings to take over and destroy agencies are going to be disappointed. That is their agenda, not Trump’s. He isn’t a movement conservative. He’s more likely to put his business buddies and golf buddies into key positions than some Heritage Foundation expert from Yale. He will be laser focused on the DOJ but not so much other agencies. At least that’s my hope. No one has ever been able to control him yet. So I doubt the Heritage Foundation will be the first to pull it off.
Fast forward to 2028. I fully expect 2025-2028 to be 3 years of gridlock, government shut downs, and endless bullshit. Also we will probably be due for a recession at some point. Maybe a big on during an election year like 2008 or 1992. So I honestly think whichever party loses in 2024 will the inside track to take the White House in 2028 and that will likely be for 8 years. Four more years of a tired Biden and gridlocked Congress will have the general public completely weary of Democrats by 2028. And four more years of Trump will have completely destroyed the GOP brand for all but the most rabid MAGA cultists. So after 4 years of Trump I would expect Democrats to have the wind in their sails just like Labor currently in Britain. And vice versa if Biden wins.
So I don’t know. I try to take the long view. SCOTUS is obviously huge. Hopefully the 3 Dems stay healthy for 4 more years. But I think the 2028 elections are really for the future of the country. Will we get 8 years of DeSantis or Haley? Or 8 years of Harris, Whitmer, or Newsom? That will really determine what kind of country we become.
SFAW
A random ten year old — hell, even two random five year olds — would not need to wear a diaper all the time. Nor would he/she shit him/herself on a regular basis.
Omnes Omnibus
@SFAW: What if the random kid has dysentery? What about that? Try to think these things through.
prostratedragon
@WaterGirl: I use NoScript with an adblocker, and keep scripts turned off by default. That allows me to read many sites like RawStory without the folldeerol. Sites like this one can be enabled individually. There are versions for firefox and chrome, at least.
SFAW
@Kent:
On the other hand, if the ISCOTUS decides the president has immunity, it could afford (a hoped-for) President Biden the opportunity to have various persons — let’s say Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, Mike Johnson, Alito, Gorsuch, Gym Jordan, the Russian Stooge Senators, for starters — arrested for Treason or Insurrection or Hating America.
OK, I realize that AG Garland would take 12 years to make that happen, while he ensures that prosecutors have dotted all their Ts and crossed all their Is, and that they’ve “rolled up” all the lowest-level staffers first.
And the ISCOTUS would probably decide only Rethug presidents get immunity.
But outside of that …
SFAW
@Omnes Omnibus:
I was being realistic. The “random” kid won’t have dysentery, beri-beri, or that most dreaded of diseases, mogo-on-the-gogogo*.So stop trying to move the goalposts.
* Sometimes called “mogo-on-the-a-gogo.”
ETA: And my “on a regular basis” negates the dysentery BS.
Omnes Omnibus
@SFAW: Chronic dysentary?
Realism will get you nowhere in this world. Unless it is magic realism.
Gloria DryGarden
@Bupalos: thanks. Which poetry things?
I know yesterday I wrote a long comment, and I was spitting mad.
well, anyway, thanks
the new epithet of the day is
alligator-assed alliums from Arkansas
wjca
But would Treasury Secretary Yellen similarly impede the use of the Secret Service (who work for her) to get the job done? What I’m saying is that there are alternatives.
Gloria DryGarden
WHY, UPON THE SUGGESTION OF 10YEAR OLDS, OR TWINS AGE 5, or Age 10, WHY DO SO MANY HERE THINK RIGHT AWAY OF BOYS?
I saw ONE Comment with multiple pronouns. Since we’re being absurd and or celebratory, why not for the biggest dream, and get some girls in the White House?
I’ve seen a lot of 5th grade boys down by the principal’s office.
John Revolta
@SFAW: “We ruled that the President has total immunity for all official actions. BUT, since the President that brought the suit was President Trump, the ruling only applies to Republican presidents. No backsies, neither.”
Odie Hugh Manatee
Today I punched a couple of holes behind Biden’s eyes and am now wiring up the LEDs and power supply. Dark Brandon will arise! My plot will be brought to fruition!
I’m talking about adding LEDs to my Dark Brandon 2024 yard sign I got from Amazon. They are going to be triggered by a motion sensor and will stay illuminated for 8 seconds. I opted for always on instead of flashing so it wouldn’t look like Joe is flashing his hazard lights…lol!
Got some Trumpers in the hood to piss off and this ought to do it.
@WaterGirl:
Waterfox or Firefox with U Block and No Script plugins. Done.
Jay
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Cover it with a good camera.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Jay:
I might do that. We’ll see how it goes. I’m almost always in the garage and can see/hear everything that is going on out front of the house.
I am looking forward to some fun, though!
lowtechcyclist
@Another Scott:
That’s good news – my nightmare has been that Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown manage to hold onto their Senate seats for another term, but solidly blue Maryland throws the Senate into GOP hands due to Hogan’s name recognition and general popularity after 2 terms as governor.
I can breathe a bit easier now, at least on that one.
Frankensteinbeck
@Bupalos:
We don’t have to. He won. The freak out is from people who were locked in to vote for him already. As badly as Biden performed, all the available voter feedback says uncommitteds decided they would vote for anybody over the monster they heard when they listened to Trump.
We do always have to carry the candidate over the line, because we’re the voters.
And really, Trump bragged about repealing Roe. You think that won’t hurt him badly when election time comes?
Baud
@Frankensteinbeck:
I feel that people today view themselves as consumers, not voters. They’re waiting for “value” for their vote.
Liminal Owl
@WaterGirl: Beau of the Fifth Column said something to that effect this morning. Anybody know if Beau is here?
Liminal Owl
@Liminal Owl: link to Beau: https://youtu.be/-2nD7s0eidA?si=b5FfsMh6Cp2xX_-Y
BellyCat
You owe me a new keyboard!
Betty
@sdhays: I believe the ketchup incidents were in the dining room. They must have been smarter than to let him have ketchup in the Oval Office.
Geminid
@lowtechcyclist: I always thought Angela Alsobrooks had the elements of a strong candidate, and it looks like she is putting them together.
Speaking of John Tester, I ran into an interesting internet ad featuring his opponent, Tim Heaphy(sp?). The Republican businessman is standing next to a smiling Tulsi Gabbard, who has endorsed him. This made me wonder how you say “Aloha” in Russian.
What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?
@Van Buren: As the parent of a 10 year old boy I can confirm this, except for him it’s Roblox. Other ways he’s better are that he has a sense of fairness and compassion. He can be a selfish little prick sometimes and he’s not always honest. But lying and being a prick aren’t, like, permanent conditions inherent to his personality. So much better overall than TCFG.
This is how fucked up the Trump family was and is…my son is adopted. He spent seven years in an orphanage in Soweto, South Africa. Still a much better person than TCFG and his spawn.
BellyCat
@Kent: Sage forecasting. Thank you.
WaterGirl
@Kristine: I knew you’d be the right person for the job!
WaterGirl
@Gloria DryGarden: Perfect.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Thanks for my first laugh out loud of the day.
Glidwrith
@Gloria DryGarden: My daughter was reading better than SFB in first grade as a five year old. Any random youngster would be better because of their sense of fairness, declaring no one should be hungry or homeless and want multiple puppies and kittens in the White House.
glc
@Van Buren: This resonates. More familiar with age 9 right now but close enough.
Ramona
@Bupalos: I second this motion!
Ramona
@Omnes Omnibus: hhehehe