Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Baby steps, because the Republican Party is full of angry babies.

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

In my day, never was longer.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

He really is that stupid.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

Fucking consultants! (of the political variety)

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / Bird Song (Open Thread)

Bird Song (Open Thread)

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Everything I’ve observed and read about Gwen Walz so far tells me she’s an empathetic, courageous person who has changed the lives of countless students. She may also quietly be as funny as her spouse.

Anecdote I read recently: Gwen Walz’s surname before marriage was Whipple. She considered going by a hyphenated last name — Whipple-Walz — but decided it “sounded too much like a bird call.”

Did I mention she was an English teacher? I already love her and hope we’ll have eight years to get to know her better.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

248Comments

  3. 3.

    Leto

    She’s an English teacher? Oh man. I did really enjoy the top she wore last night. The sequined flowers. Thought it looked nice, and it was just a different appearance than everyone else.

  5. 5.

    piratedan

    with the Walz family being of modest means, I’m hoping that she’ll really be a connection to all of those women in the workforce.  Not that MVP isn’t exceptional (she is) but the whole supposed construct of an American ideal family can be seen in them and I look forward to hearing her speak and her ideas.  I suspect she may well be a not-so-secret weapon.

  9. 9.

    Dan B

    Seattle Meet-up:

    The Meet-up post us in the sidebar and in the “hamburger” (three horizontal dashes at top right in Mobile)  in case we need to be in touch.  (In case there’s a T-storm on the floating bridges…)

    OT, apologies, but may be timely since the weather has gotten suddenly dicey.

  10. 10.

    BR

    The one thing I hope all the DNC speakers do this week is speak faster — would be a bad thing if Harris’s speech gets pushed to 11:30pm Eastern because speakers pause for every bit of applause instead of talking over it.

  11. 11.

    Bagel J

    My sister knew Gwen (Whipple) Walz at Gustavus Adolphus College, a little Swedish Lutheran school in MN. Says Gwen was very nice and has a lovely singing voice, which given the strength of the choir at Gustavus is saying something.

  15. 15.

    Scout211

    Yes, Gwen Walz seems like the real deal and someone I’d love to have a cup of coffee with.

    She has clarified that she did have fertility treatments but did not have IVF. She had intrauterine insemination.

    Like so many who have experienced these challenges, we kept it largely to ourselves at the time – not even sharing the details with our wonderful and close family. The only person who knew in detail what we were going through was our next-door neighbor,” she said in the statement.

    “She was a nurse and helped me with the shots I needed as part of the IUI process. I’d rush home from school and she would give me the shots to ensure we stayed on track,” she continued.
    . . .
    During intrauterine insemination, known as IUI, sperm is placed directly in the uterus. The process is sometimes combined with ovulation induction, where medication stimulates the release of eggs. People experiencing infertility often start with IUI and move on to IVF if needed.

    Tim Walz did say it was IVF and he’s getting some criticism for saying it, so I’m glad she clarified it.

    If you’ve known anyone who has had to take those shots for fertility treatments, you know how awful that can be. And waiting month after month with disappointment after disappointment when it seems like everyone else is having babies is agonizing.

    And no matter which method is used, Republicans are still trying to control women’s bodies.

  16. 16.

    EarthWindFire

    I didn’t hyphenate, in part, because my maiden and married names rhyme. So, mad respect for Gwen Walz. She seems just as likeable as he is.

  17. 17.

    rikyrah

    But somehow, this isn’t leading the news on every cable channel.

     

    on Filipkowski

    @RonFilipkowski

    On US peace negotiations between Israel and Gaza: “The reporting is that former President Trump is on the phone with the PM of Israel urging him not to cut a deal right now because it’s believed that would help the Harris campaign.”
    x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1825934511038939515

  20. 20.

    karen marie

    @Leto:   I did not see Ms. Walz’s blouse but I was taken with Jill Biden’s dress.  I thought it was very flattering with just the right amount of glitz and a great color.

  26. 26.

    rikyrah

    Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) posted at 1:14 PM on Tue, Aug 20, 2024:
    Biden’s emotional speech was fantastic, but people aren’t talking enough about what he said about Kamala in particular. Biden subtly rebutted some of Trump’s sleazy, racist attacks on her in a very artful way, and that’s essential to winning.

    My take:

    Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) posted at 1:31 PM on Tue, Aug 20, 2024:
    It was a beautiful thing when Biden said he was proud he’d picked a cabinet that is diverse as America itself, and talked about Kamala Harris’s role in making that history — and what’s coming next:

    Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) posted at 1:39 PM on Tue, Aug 20, 2024:
    When Trump says Kamala isn’t really “black” and Rs call her a “DEI hire,” they’re saying she’s pulling a big race hustle. The answer to this is that normie voters will see racial progress as a reason to feel good about our country. Speak to that.

    t.co/weTej4Hb2m t.co/8TZOXLG8ir
    (x.com/GregTSargent/status/1825965845421371699?t=aYZZ7Lu9Lo_EGwVMSczSbw&s=03)

  27. 27.

    Belafon

    @Baud: It wouldn’t change the protesters’ minds because they believe all Biden has to do is cut off weapons supplies to Israel.

  28. 28.

    Brad the Grim

    It’s not leading the news because it’s believed that would help the Harris campaign.

    NObody does meta like Baud!

  29. 29.

    BellyCat

    The cognitive dissonance from the GOP — demanding reproduction of all women, while vilifying assisted fertility methods — is something to behold.

  30. 30.

    Scout211

    @Leto: . I did really enjoy the top she wore last night. The sequined flowers

    It was really pretty.  WWD reports on the designers.

    Gwen Walz blossomed in Carolina Herrera on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The wife of vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz selected a fit and flare jacquard frock by the Venezuelan designer, which features a purple rose print. She completed her look with diamond studs.

    Gwen and Tim Walz were accompanied by their children, Hope and Gus, as well as the Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris, who sported a custom tan suit by Chloé.

  31. 31.

    BR

    @Dan B:

    Exactly — AOC (and other good speakers) know that you have to keep talking and just raise your voice, and it actually sounds even better when they do that.

  33. 33.

    Baud

    @Belafon:

    Protestors aren’t coming around. But a real ceasefire would be a boost simply because it takes a difficult topic out of the headlines.

  35. 35.

    prufrock

    @BellyCat: If you require assistance, it means you are not favored by God and therefore must suffer his wrath.  Any attempt to subvert his will is a sin.

  37. 37.

    EarthWindFire

    @BellyCat: It’s another way of ranking women by their reproductive value. Those who can’t be “blessed” with children are condescended to and lesser than but they can help with their better’s children. You know, like post-menopausal women.

  39. 39.

    Tony Jay

     Did I mention she was an English teacher?

    Being English isn’t something you can teach. It’s a state you can only achieve through suffering, mortification and sufficient heart-breaking despair to whittle down the average human soul to a burnished nubbin of apathetic numbness.

  43. 43.

    R'Chard

    ‘Chuck-will’s-widow’ and ‘kis-ka-dee’ leap to mind, for bird calls… I can see why she did that. (Those are the eponymous calls of 2 North American species, for those who don’t partake…)

  45. 45.

    sukabi

    @The Kropenhagen Interpretation:  trump is so dumb he does it in the open….unlike Reagan who conspired with the Iranians in secret….

     

    betraying your country for personal gain and power seems like it’s standard procedure in the repub party…

  46. 46.

    David 🐝KHive🐝 Koch

     Harris will hold a rally tonight at the Milwaukee arena where Trump accepted his party’s nomination just last month.

     

    ► Hillary was hilarious last night on Stephen Colbert (video)

  47. 47.

    Scout211

    @Leto: when she stood up you can see that it is a dress. Like WWD reported, “a flared frock.” The flowers go all the way down her dress.

  51. 51.

    Dick Woodcock

    I work for a plumbing company.  My boss’ last name at the time was Whipple.

    Our company had some sort of promotion going on with Charmin.  We’d give out a free roll of it to our customers.  So, we got like a dozen cases of Charmin sent to us on UPS.  When our driver unloaded the first box, she pointed at the label and said “Really?”

    These cases of Charmin were all addressed to “Mr. Whipple”.  :-D

  52. 52.

    hueyplong

    @Trollhattan: Seems like one way to play this is to say – loudly and repeatedly – that if there is no deal, regardless of why, it’s all Trump’s fault.

    And if a deal is struck, Trump is an evil but buffoonishly incompetent cartoon villain.  And laugh at him over it.

  53. 53.

    KatKapCC

    @cain: …huh

    Editing: Ok nevermind, now I recall those ads. At first I could not make heads or tails of your question and reread the post three times thinking I missed a reference to toilet paper :p

  54. 54.

    Trivia Man

    @sukabi: A long cherished republican tradition. I called it months ago – DonOLD and Bibi conspiring on foreign policy. What is the Act that forbids free lance diplomacy? Nobody mentioned that when Bibi  openly visited MAL and they both bragged about “working on the issues” or whatever phrase it was.

  55. 55.

    Rusty

    @Bagel J: Singing in a choir is a nice antidote to our hyper-individualistic American culture.  Choir singing is not about standing out, but blending your voice with others, singing your part while others sing theirs, it’s about the whole not the singular.  Not a big surprise she has turned out a balanced individual.  I too hope we have many years to get to know her better.

  56. 56.

    Baud

    @hueyplong:

    How solid is the reporting? Trump’s efforts to scuttle the border deal are well documented. Can’t do much with a lazy piece by a single outlet.

  59. 59.

    Tony Jay

    @zhena gogolia:

    It’s true. The more colossal screw-ups we make the more English we become. If we keep our record up we’ll evolve natural bowler hats and start every morning failing to conquer France.

  60. 60.

    Kristine

    @Scout211:

    as well as the Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris, who sported a custom tan suit by Chloé.

    I wonder if she picked tan on purpose. We know her shade-fu is strong.

  62. 62.

    Ken

    @Tony Jay: I can’t decide whether you’re talking about “people who teach the subject English”, or the “English citizens who are teachers” — in the latter case, it’s a much grimmer assessment.

  64. 64.

    lollipopguild

    @Kristine: She looks good in tan, but there could be a little “up yours” in there as well. After Obama got dinged for his tan suit I wanted him to wear a different shade of tan suit every day.

  68. 68.

    hueyplong

    @Baud: Well, you could hardly hide the public about-face the GOP senators did by voting against a bill they helped to draft.  That’s a standard I don’t think we should be held to w/r/t Bibi and Donold.

    But the existence of the border deal tanking – standing alone – gives sufficient credence to the Netanyahu story to wonder aloud or “just ask questions” about whether Trump is acting to keep the Gaza death count on the uptick as a campaign strategy.

  69. 69.

    Tony Jay

    @sukabi:

    Glenn Kessler has looked into these claims and concluded that, because Israel is the name given to both a modern country and a bronze-age hill-kingdom, no one can say conclusively which one Trump was talking about in his conversation with the Prime Minister of modern Israel.

    Therefore he rates these claims at Five Pinocchios and calls neener-neener.

  70. 70.

    KatKapCC

    @rikyrah: I’ve seen a few people comment that as far as Kamala’s Blackness, one marker we can use is: “Would Trump have rented an apartment to her back in the day?”

    Of course the other marker is the fact that her father was Black, but you know…conservatives have always hated many aspects of science, so I guess they’ve added genetics to that list.

  71. 71.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Tony Jay:

    Being English isn’t something you can teach. It’s a state you can only achieve through suffering, mortification and sufficient heart-breaking despair to whittle down the average human soul to a burnished nubbin of apathetic numbness.

    Perfect.

  73. 73.

    Betty Cracker

    Boneheaded subhead in WaPo article on Ashley Biden:

    Ashley Biden is a social worker and the only child of President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden.

    Only child? Nope. Joe is the biological father and dad in every sense to all three, and Jill is mom to them.

    Maybe I’m sensitive to this because my brother and I have different dads, but he’s my brother, even though he listens to Joe Rogan and will probably vote for Trump. (That makes me want to thrash him like the old days, but no one dares call him “half” in my presence.)

  74. 74.

    Trivia Man

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Sukabi says Logan Act, i think that’s right. Hatch Act prohibits campaigning with government resources or on the clock.

    Caught your edit, the Logan Act is specifically getting involved in a USA dispute with a foreign government. I call this a dispute for sure.

  75. 75.

    KatKapCC

    @lollipopguild: I always thought Obama looked fly in the tan suit. I didn’t know what the dang problem with it was!

    And Harris is one of those ladies who looks amazing in every color.

  76. 76.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @sukabi: trump is so dumb he does it in the open….unlike Reagan who conspired with the Iranians in secret….

    Trump has had a pretty good run criming out in the open and not being held to account. To some, the logic works “he did it in the open = he doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong = it isn’t illegal.”

    Terrible logic but it seems to hold for Trump. Noteworthy that his criminal convictions are behavior he made every effort to conceal.

  78. 78.

    BR

    President Trump will visit 4 battleground states next week:

    Monday: York, Pennsylvania
    Tuesday: Howell, Michigan
    Wednesday: Asheboro, North Carolina
    Thursday: Border-Phoenix, AZ
    Friday: Glendale, AZ

    Why THOSE places?

    I didn’t realize that *all* of the places Trump is stopping this week are Klan hotspots:

    techhub.social/@rayckeith/112990906414796903

  81. 81.

    KatKapCC

    Sheesh, every day it feels like my brain reminds me one more time that I’m nearing the end of my 40s. It just took me a solid minute to convert CDT to PDT in my head to figure out when the main festivities begin today.

  84. 84.

    Baud

    @KatKapCC:

    I think it’s not age. It’s like road navigation. Technology has allowed us to turn off that part of our brains because we can rely on our devices.

  86. 86.

    BellyCat

    @BellyCat: While on the topic, wonder if one of these “reproductive sins” was committed by friends of mine a couple of decades ago. And, if so, I’ll surely be “held accountable” for my role.

    My friends had been trying for several years to have children, including using some assistive methods; however, nothing was working. The husband was told he had “weak swimmers”.

    Hmmmm….. I asked whether he ever tried “helping them along”. Husband: “How? We’ve spent a fortune trying to ‘help them along’.” Me: “Well, this might sound crazy, but it’s free. Immediately after your next effort, maybe your wife could position herself to take advantage of the benefits of gravity? And, the more the slope, the better this might be for your swimmers!”

    (There was much hilarity in this conversation, which involved too much wine, but husband is also an architect and wife is an engineer. Not a shred of medical knowledge among us, but ya’ got a practical problem — why not try a practical and free solution?)

    A few months later, I got a call from my friend: “IT WORKED!!!!”  Me: “What worked?” Him: “Your gravity idea! My wife spent several hours afterwards, upside down on the couch, with her torso pretty much vertical and her legs draped over the back. Only problem is that it worked a little too well.  WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TWINS, YOU BASTARD!”

    (They eventually forgave me…. I think).

  87. 87.

    TBone

    Scott MacFarlane xit:

    Judge Tanya Chutkan has sentenced Capitol riot defendant Matthew Honigford of Ohio to 19 months in prison Feds argued Honigford pushed a flagpole into the chest of a DC police officer.. and “grabbed a metal bike rack barricade & used his body to push it against the police line”

    Another decorative plate added to my commemorative collection! 🎉

  90. 90.

    Soprano2

    @Rusty: It’s every bit as much of a team effort as playing on a sports team. It teaches you to work well with others. Same for band and orchestra. It’s also a sublime experience.

  93. 93.

    delphinium

    @Betty Cracker: While not a bird call, a former co-worker’s last name was Green and she married a guy named Pickles, so of course she went with the hyphenated name of Green-Pickles.

  94. 94.

    hitchhiker

    @Scout211:

    Our daughter was on her third round of IUI when she got pregnant; their plan was to give it four tries, and then move on to IVF if they had to.

    They didn’t.

    They had boy-girl twins on Jan 6, 2021, delivered by c-section just as the first insurrectionists were breaching the capitol.

    These twins run around barefoot most of the time. At 3 and a half, they love to race, shouting, straight into Port Townsend Bay. They eat raspberries by the bucket.

    They’re why I get weepy every time I see Kamala Harris striding into an arena to the sound of Beyonce’s Freedom. Kamala could be the president they associate with the word — the person who was running the country while they were growing up.

    Whether fertility treatments are IUI or IVF, Team Weirdo is still going to find reasons to sneer at people who need them. Fuck those guys.

  95. 95.

    HumboldtBlue

    They must have Trump on horse tranquilizers. This extra-low-energy, even for his stupid ass.

    Trump: There’s been a report that the job numbers over the last period of time were fraudulent. I understand that because I know how the job numbers go. You want to be a bad person in high office, you can be a bad person but the numbers are going to be revised

  98. 98.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @KatKapCC:

    Sheesh, every day it feels like my brain reminds me one more time that I’m nearing the end of my 40s. It just took me a solid minute to convert CDT to PDT in my head to figure out when the main festivities begin today.

    I’m nearing the end of my…my…oh my…let’s just say a bigger number and I’m sorry to inform you that the brain freeze/fart fun is just beginning. Would that we could pick the things we forget.

  100. 100.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @HumboldtBlue:

    You want to be a bad person in high office, you can be a bad person

    Trump would know all about that.

    Also, he doesn’t understand that government economic data often gets revised and always has been, including when he was in office

  103. 103.

    BellyCat

    @eclare: My friends eventually got even.

    My first (and only) child was born eight years ago, less than one month after I turned 50. His Mother conceived at age 45. No, we did not tempt fate with the ‘gravity method’ but…. HE IS VERY ENERGETIC.

  104. 104.

    West of the Cascades

    Probably been said, but I hope we have 16 years to get to know Gwen Walz (8 during the Walz-AOC administrations).

  108. 108.

    JPL

    @Scout211: yup   Someone on CNN said my husband would get that wrong, and criticizing it will only open the door to real problems with fertility.    It was the republican.   I guess Vance wants to outlaw that treatment

  111. 111.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @rikyrah:

    Kay had an interesting comment about this from below:

    Judy Woodruff must not listen to Blinken. He’s moved the goalposts again- today he said their objective since October 7th has been defending Israel and diplomacy to avoid a wider war.

    Not a word about a ceasefire and (as usual from him) not a word about civilian casualties.

    Does anyone in media listen to the actual Biden officials? The coverage never has any connection to what the Biden State Department says.

    The State Department speaks on this nearly every day and so does Netanyahu. US journalists could just read the coverage of actual events in the foreign press instead of exclusively looking at this as about the US election.

  112. 112.

    BellyCat

    @Belafon: If she had been the architect, the back of the sofa would have been too low and too uncomfortable to pull off this feat. LOL

  113. 113.

    Barry

    @KatKapCC: “: I always thought Obama looked fly in the tan suit. I didn’t know what the dang problem with it was!”

     

    It was on that ‘surprisingly articulate boy’, if you catch my drift.

  116. 116.

    MazeDancer

    Gwen Walz’s face listening to Hillary last night was so identifiable. Admiring, happy, near rears, shaking her head back and forth like,”oh, what we missed”.

    And knowing that she is on her way to the Big Show, too.

    Video.

  117. 117.

    hitchhiker

    @BellyCat: It really was. I was bouncing off the walls of our house, watching tv and waiting for news and photos.

    They live near, but this was before we could be vaccinated & no one was allowed into the hospital. So there was nothing to do but stare in disbelief at the news.

  118. 118.

    rikyrah

    VoteHeaux™; A creole banjee bitch from  (@voteheaux) posted at 2:51 PM on Tue, Aug 20, 2024:
    What’s stopping all the “Abandon Biden/Abandon Harris” ppl from carrying their asses over to Palestine, organizing, & starting an “Abandon Netanyahu/Abandon HAMAS” movement?

    Their goal isn’t saving Palestine, it’s saving the American GOP. That’s what.

    t.co/FuDV7TVYyt t.co/RhktnlS4tJ
    (https://x.com/voteheaux/status/1825983917549302006?t=EvOeUXgdUBDT_X568uWlZQ&s=03)

  121. 121.

    Dan B

    @Rusty: This “blending in” is true, unless you’re me in seventh grade choir.  At our recital in the 500 seat auditorium there were 20 sopranos, 28 Altos, a dozen basses and four tenors.  I was one although I’m a baritone.  We came to the Hallelujah Chorus and I realized it was time to carry the tenor section.  My father’s parents were soloists with the Chicago Symphony, including with Arturo Toscanini.  My mother had a Masters in music including undergrad at Oberlin.  Singing strong and on key was in my DNA.  I went for it.  I got a 100 from the music teacher.

    So, there are exceptions, and I love Gwen.

  124. 124.

    Scout211

    @HumboldtBlue: Trump: There’s been a report that the job numbers over the last period of time were fraudulent.

    So let me get this straight.  He’s accusing the government of fraudulently reporting jobs numbers and then the (very common) revision of those numbers is proof that the original numbers were fraud?

    This guy is not even very good at lying.  He’s so weird.

  129. 129.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @Scout211: This guy is not even very good at lying. He’s so weird.

    It’s impossible to tell at any given moment whether he is deliberately lying or just plain ignorant.  Those must intersect for some statements as well.

  131. 131.

    rikyrah

    Magdi Jacobs (@magi_jay) posted at 1:14 PM on Tue, Aug 20, 2024:
    Stray observation + some mild speculation: Beshear is technically a conservative Democrat in a hard-won Governorship in a red state. For him to have focussed so strongly on abortion at the DNC is note-worthy. It says something about where the party is. More importantly, it says something about where the *country* is.

    Last night, it was *safe* for a conservative Dem from KY to speak on a national stage about abortion. That would have been unfathomable in, say, 2010.

    Now some speculation: my thinking, as Beshear was speaking, was that Democrats must have their hands on some truly devastating numbers for Republicans re: white women & the post-Dobbs world.

    Again, it is *wildly* contrary to the conventional wisdom of the past to specifically highlight Beshear, from a red state, on the issue of abortion. I believe that Democrats have analyzed the polls & have determined that Beshear’s speech would not be a political risk for the party or for Beshear himself. That’s meaningful.
    (x.com/magi_jay/status/1825959653060026480?t=Ut9XZoW1kodOFm70SozzBg&s=03)

  132. 132.

    Citizen Alan

    @Dan B:  I remember our speech/debate teacher showing us the video of Mario Cuomo’s speech at the DNC in 1992. He did a masterful thing where he would hold up his hands to tap down on the cheers as his speech built to a crescendo to maximize the impact when he hit the punchline of the point he was making.

  133. 133.

    rikyrah

    Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) posted at 11:55 AM on Tue, Aug 20, 2024:
    Democrats have only slipped into the danger zone when they’ve lost sight of the fact that Job One is assembling the anti-Trump majority. Kamala Harris recognizes this, and came prepared.

    Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) posted at 0:00 PM on Tue, Aug 20, 2024:
    If defeating Trump takes a backseat to factional infighting, radical reform, or machine politics, things can fall apart. This is why Harris has emphasized values over policy specificity. She’s not here to placate wonks or activists, but to beat Trump. t.co/ZqRl9me6rP t.co/VM7sLoUSxH
    (x.com/brianbeutler/status/1825941076714336335?t=VbkTn0vtcvQVFlyClf1nZg&s=03)

  137. 137.

    MCA1

    @hitchhiker: Totally would rather not burst that bubble, but our oldest and second were born 4 and 2 years, respectively, ahead of Obama’s first term.  I was so excited for the end of the W era and that that wouldn’t be the world they grew up in.

    Well, fast forward and turns out they barely remember Obama in the White House at all.  Worse, since Trump’s been on the scene for their entire runs as teenagers, I’ve had to remind them over and over again that he’s a complete anomaly.  Had to send my son to go watch Obama-Romney debate clips just to get a sense for how things were in the Before Times.

    Your grandkids will just have to settle for growing into political consciousness during the Buttigieg presidency :^)

  138. 138.

    The Kropenhagen Interpretation

    @rikyrah: What’s stopping all the “Abandon Biden/Abandon Harris” ppl from carrying their asses over to Palestine, organizing, & starting an “Abandon Netanyahu/Abandon HAMAS” movement?

    What people? So much energy to draw attention to a tempest in a teapot. It’s obvious the real goal of professional anti-leftists is to perpetuate Israel’s status as beyond questioning. They must not be challenged.

  139. 139.

    catclub

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): ​
     

    Also, he doesn’t understand that government economic data often gets revised and always has been, including when he was in office

    I listened to one of his speeches without watching, and when he said something along the lines of ‘This was the greatest employment chart ever’, that he was showing is work… and the chart. Silly me. just making it up as usual.

  140. 140.

    Scout211

    @KatKapCC:West Coast supremacy strikes again! Mwa ha ha.

    I like it!  LOL

    And there’s more! California represent!

    California Governor Gavin Newsom whose relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris goes back to their days as young officials in San Francisco, will speak from the convention floor on Tuesday, where he’ll deliver the delegates to ceremonially put her over the top for the Democratic nomination. The moment, which was carefully choreographed by Harris’ presidential campaign, is designed to promote the Golden State and Democrats’ unity behind Harris while serving as an emotional highlight for two politicians whose parallel trajectory and sibling rivalry has been the subject of decades of chatter and intrigue.

    The fork in the road for Harris and Newson came in 2016, when she launched her Senate run to succeed Barbara Boxer and he entered the governor’s race to follow Jerry Brown two years later. Both were early to endorse the others’ climb up the ladder of state and national politics. Along the way, many of the same California-based strategists formed their campaign brain trusts, and their respective careers were elevated by former San Francisco Mayor and powerful state legislative leader, Speaker Willie Brown.

  143. 143.

    Ken

    @MCA1: Worse, since Trump’s been on the scene for their entire runs as teenagers, I’ve had to remind them over and over again that he’s a complete anomaly.

    I might have gone with “No, honey, that’s what all Republicans are like now, which is why we don’t vote for them.”

  144. 144.

    Old School

    @KatKapCC: I guess it depends if they stay on schedule better tonight.  Biden was scheduled for the 9:00 hour, but as I recall it was about 10:30 (Central) when he came on.  So if Obama does start at 10:00, it’ll be an earlier ending time.

  149. 149.

    Dan B

    @HumboldtBlue: When I was Chasten and Pete’s age it would have been very risky for a white gay man to touch a young black guy.  It brings tears to see such a beautiful change.  At Chasten’s age it wasn’t very long since we’d been listed in the DSM.

  150. 150.

    MCA1

    @Scout211: Also: “Under Project 2025 we’re only going to provide information on things like employment, climate and government budgets when we feel like it, and through apparatchiks that I personally approve.  But that information and those people will be trustworthy.  Believe me.”

  153. 153.

    Leto

    @rikyrah: The talking bobble heads that have tried to say that abortion isn’t a main driver at the poles anymore… idk how fucking stupid you have to be to believe that. But there’s plenty of examples to be had. Do they honestly think women have forgotten they’ve had a right stripped? That their lives aren’t in clear and present danger? That their daughters/granddaughters/sisters/mothers/friends lives aren’t in continual danger with conservatives absolutely determined to implement a nation wide ban, as laid out exactly in Project 2025? That they won’t be left to bleed out and die in a parking lot, their home, or in any place that isn’t a medical facility?

    Absolutely GTFO of here with that horseshit.

  155. 155.

    eclare

    @Old School:

    Crazy!  I’m also disappointed that Jimmy Carter’s grandson got such an early slot.  He spoke so well at Rosalynn’s funeral, both funny and poignant.

  156. 156.

    Betty Cracker

    @Sure Lurkalot:

    Would that we could pick the things we forget.

    I often wish my brain had a “file delete” function so I could make room for more stuff when I temporarily lose a name or word. I don’t have much use for the lyrics of “Kung Fu Fighting,” for example.

  157. 157.

    eclare

    @scav:

    I couldn’t believe it when he walked in front of QEII during the inspection of the guards.  You’re never supposed to turn your back on her.

  158. 158.

    piratedan

    @rikyrah: it’s completely weird that pundits continually downplay this issue despite the results at the ballot box that say otherwise, restoring abortion rights is a huge motivator to get out the vote.  There are plenty of husbands, brothers, fathers and sons that have been impacted by it and the abuse that the GOP has brought to this very personal issue is now plain for everyone to see.  It’s not JUST a women’s issue.

     

    Before, it was swaddled in concern for an unborn child, laudable on its surface and as soon as that toehold was established, the true intent, control of women was manifested.  Their actions in the statehouses across the US told a much different story than any actual concern for a child.

  159. 159.

    KatKapCC

    @Scout211: Looking forward to it! Although I bet some on the right are now convinced THIS is when the coup happens, that Newsom will sweep in and grab the mic and say “THE NOMINATION IS MINE, DAMN IT” and all the pundits will spontaneously orgasm in disarray glee.

  160. 160.

    Scout211

    Oh no, he did not!

    In a Twitter post Tuesday Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung posted video of Trump departing his private jet for a campaign event with law enforcement in Michigan. However, Cheung, chose to add Beyoncé’s song “Freedom” to his post, a song associated with the Kamala Harris’ campaign.

    Steven Cheung Twitter

  162. 162.

    RaflW

    @rikyrah: Or it may also be that the Democrats are breaking out of the prison of defensive crouch, and realize that sometimes risk is worth it for a bigger reward.

    This is what Anand Giridharadas wrote about yesterday. “We are witnessing the rise of what I’m calling the Brat Pack, and with it a new approach that elevates attention over restraint, storytelling over self-explanatory policy mindedness, fight picking over always taking the high road, and thrilling the base over diluting for moderates.”

    I encourage everyone to check it out (unpaywalled link up there).

  165. 165.

    Hoodie

    @Leto: I saw some gender gap numbers the other day with about a 14% advantage for Harris among women in comparison to a 9% advantage for Trump among men. Harris’s numbers were better than Biden’s.  Theory was that might be attributable to Biden having less open emphasis on abortion rights compared to Harris.

  166. 166.

    Dan B

    @rikyrah: Rep. Crockett is a brilliant storyteller in addition to her skill at fileting bullshit.  Stories that weave emotional content into the data points are very easy to remember and become part of our consciousness.  Such a brilliant woman.

  172. 172.

    Leto

    JD Vance Gets Social Media Side-Eye For Weird Joke At A Wisconsin Deli

    Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance went on a charm offensive in Kenosha, Wisconsin, but seemed to emphasize the offensive more than the charm.

    Donald Trump’s running mate was visiting Tenuta’s Deli for one of those politicians-meet-real-people-in-the-act photo ops that are common during the campaign season.

    Vance walked around the deli, talking with the owner, employees and customers, and also ordered some food, before asking the owner what Vance thought was an important question.

    “You have any food here you really don’t like? We’ll take some and feed it to the journalists on the plane,” he asked, according to a social media post by journalist Reese Gorman.

    …

    Making fun of journalists is an all-season sport for some people, but asking a restaurant owner what items he serves that are bad while in the presence of media probably isn’t the most emotionally intelligent thing a candidate for the country’s second-highest office could do.

    JV continues to show the intelligence/political instincts of a dung beetle.

    Edit: the article has a great collection of shits with people absolutely dragging his worthless ass.

  173. 173.

    lollipopguild

    @Scout211: There’s a line from an old movie where two people are arguing over whether a person they know has any scruples. The response is “If he has any scruples he must have stolen them from somebody”.

  174. 174.

    Ken

    @Scout211: My only fear is that after Beyonce and Taylor Swift get through with Trump, there won’t be enough for E. Jean Carroll to be paid. Otherwise definitely a popcorn moment.

  175. 175.

    Baud

    @HumboldtBlue:

    I’ll take it, but if tens of millions of Republicans just stayed home, the election would be the biggest blowout in history. So he’s lying for a good cause.

  177. 177.

    Trollhattan

    @Leto: In addition to lacking senses of humor or any anecdotes from strangers who had positive things to say about them based on chance encounters, Vance and Trump are incapable of self-deprecation. Probably physically, as in they’d go into spasms trying.

    There are times when poking fun at yourself is perfect, and crashing a diner is one such time. Nah. Gah. Happen.

  178. 178.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Leto:

    He’s the worst candidate to appear on the national stage in my lifetime. Everything about him is off-putting.

  179. 179.

    lowtechcyclist

    @rikyrah: ​
     

    But somehow, this isn’t leading the news on every cable channel.

    Ron Filipkowski

    @RonFilipkowski

    On US peace negotiations between Israel and Gaza: “The reporting is that former President Trump is on the phone with the PM of Israel urging him not to cut a deal right now because it’s believed that would help the Harris campaign.”

    That man is a fucking traitor. That’s all there is to it.

    No, that isn’t all there is to it. He wants people to die in order to possibly give him a better chance of saving his ass in this election. Because that’s what happens when you don’t have a cease-fire: the killing continues.

    So fuck any people identifying as Christian who support this amoral person because he is “pro-life.” He isn’t pro-life, he’s just “pro-life.” And same with his supporters.

  180. 180.

    Leto

    @Hoodie: possibly. Might be that some also refuse to let another absolutely amazing woman lose to an unmitigated lying, grifting, moronic, traitorous POS.

  181. 181.

    hitchhiker

    @Leto:

    The talking bobble heads that have tried to say that abortion isn’t a main driver at the poles anymore… idk how fucking stupid you have to be to believe that

    Two years ago I heard some smug pundit dude talking about how well the Republicans were going to do in 2022, because “women can’t stay mad forever” about Dobbs.

    Fuck that guy. Wanna bet?

  185. 185.

    Jacel

    @Rusty: There has never been a Lutheran US President. And the Lutheran Vice President was Hubert Humphrey. More walls are breaking!

  186. 186.

    eclare

    @hitchhiker:

    As my Irish-Italian friend says, “Never let go of a good grudge.”

    She and her husband once had an argument over who should fold up and put away an ironing board.  It stayed up for weeks.

  187. 187.

    RaflW

    @Leto: But a bunch of politics reporters will just ignore the clear contempt Vance has for them. Or what that likely signals for how their work will go if Trump is re-installed.

  188. 188.

    Leto

    @Trollhattan: again, a campaign of Joy. It’s such an obvious 180 to what the Orange Clown Show projects every day, and people want to be a part of that. They’re absolutely tired of his old, old, old schtick. It’s why we’re all tearing up when we see Biden’s daughter give his intro speech, and then he comes out with real tears in his eyes. It’s why we laugh when Biden jokes about his age in his speeches (too young to be a senator, too old to be a president). When Walz’s children give him bunny ears on tv… Kamala wearing Chucks, eating Doritos, and steppin’ with HBCU bands.

    Like you said, being able to poke fun at yourself, being able to laugh, being able to show genuine joy in the little things in life… it’s the basic signs of being a decent human. And that’s something people want right now.

  189. 189.

    KatKapCC

    @Scout211: So let’s see…they’re gonna have lawyers for Celine Dion, Taylor Swift, Isaac Hayes, and now Beyonce on their asses? Please proceed, dumbshits.

  190. 190.

    Leto

    @hitchhiker: @eclare: the old Fremen maxim comes in here: “Never forgive; never forget”

    #we’renotgoingback

     

    @RaflW: I would hope they remember this, and report on them accordingly. But I know they won’t, so… I’d suggest sending a cub reporter out to be the person on the permanent couch beat, but man that’s some type of cruelty there. Everyone needs to cut their teeth on tough assignments, but ugh. Not sure I’d wish that on a newbie.

  191. 191.

    Quinerly

    @rikyrah:

    I felt Beshear’s speech was very impt. Not as electric as most. But it said a lot for a Dem governor from a very Red state to give it.

  193. 193.

    Leto

    @KatKapCC: I honestly want them (listed artists) to all go after his broke ass. Make him sell his shit properties to help pay off the judgement. He’s a loser, treat him like a fucking loser.

  194. 194.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Leto: ​
    My dear wife, who has spent most of her life as a normie and has never donated to a political campaign, was asking today about the best way to donate to Kamala’s campaign. She is old enough that Dobbs isn’t an issue for her, but she has two daughters and one (for now) grand-daughter, and she is *pissed.

  198. 198.

    Miki

    My favorite uncle taught and conducted the band at Gustavus in the late 70s/early 80s. He loved it.

    The sculptor Paul Granlund has many pieces around the campus, including on the chapel doors. They’re awesome.

    Not surprised Gwen went to Gustavus given her Lutheran background. But her maiden name really brings me to the Episcopalian Bishop Whipple  who did quite a bit for Native Americans in the state. I was raised Episcopalian, and we all learned about Bishop Whipple at the church camp in Northern Minnesota I attended for 9 years in the 60s and 70s.

    Bishop Whipple was instrumental in convincing President Lincoln to commute the death sentences of all but 38 Dakota warriors in 1862. My Norwegian immigrant ancestors fought in the Dakota Wars, and were in Mankato for the hanging of the 38 (we have their diaries from the time, as well as of their fighting in the Civil War).

    Anyway ….

  199. 199.

    Steve in the ATL

    @lowtechcyclist: worked for both Nixon and Reagan so why not continue the tradition since there are no legal consequences for illegal acts?  See also Trump and the emoluments clause.

  200. 200.

    Gin & Tonic

    I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m fascinated by the story of British tech guy Mike Lynch, missing and presumed dead after the sinking of a large yacht he was on near Sicily. Lynch was a math guy who went on to found a software company that he sold to H-P for $11B (that’s “B”) about a decade ago. H-P eventually said he misrepresented its financial position, and he was indicted in the US on federal fraud charges shortly after the former CFO was convicted of fraud. He fought extradition for years, but eventually went on trial and in June he and his finance VP were acquitted of all charges. Lynch chartered the 183-foot yacht with a bunch of friends and business associates to celebrate. The yacht was named Bayesian (great for a math dude.)

    On Saturday, the acquitted finance VP was out for a run and was struck by a car and killed. On Monday night, the Bayesian was hit by a storm and sank. Six people missing and presumed dead, including Lynch and his daughter.

    This sequence of events tests the limits of probability.

  202. 202.

    Geminid

    @HumboldtBlue: I have wondered if there is a secret lab where some mad scientists creates Republican candidates. Ron DeSantis did not turn out as hoped, so the the scientist tweaked the process and came up with Vance.

  206. 206.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Gin & Tonic: my father who may or may not have worked for “the company” that may or may not exist advised me that when anyone of importance dies in an aviation crash, it was not an accident.

    Perhaps “aviation” was too specific.

  208. 208.

    Leto

    @Gin & Tonic: you mean it’s a funny “coincidence” just like all the Boeing whistleblowers who all of a sudden decided to commit suicide? Yeah, lots of straining going on.

  209. 209.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Geminid: ​ 

    It’s the toxic mix of arrogance and spite. He has no joy, he brings no smiles, he’s a scold, and nobody likes a smarmy scold. He’s not clever, he’s not funny and when he tries to be he comes across as stiff and usually, plain mean.

    He has no jazz, no verve, nobody looks at him, hears him speak and perks up to hear some more. He seems to think a lot of himself and others rightly wonder, why?

    I thought DeSantis was a charmless troll, but Vance edges him out with an extra helping of creepiness and weirdness.

  210. 210.

    Citizen Alan

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): People mock AI, But I truly believe our media would be greatly improved if the editors would just feed a press release from the democratic party and a press release from the republican party regarding any particular issue into chat gpt, and then just instructe it to “write something that’s fair to both sides.”

  215. 215.

    Leto

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I’ll simply point you to the Trump v United States case, or the dismissed Trump Emoluments Clause case, or Trump tax returns case…

    Should we bring the case? We should, we shouldn’t be afraid to do that. At the same time, it’ll probably be decided 10 years from now, and with the current Supreme Court they’ll more than likely decide that the constitution specifically says that Trumpov can engage in foreign policy despite the fact he’s not president, even though black letter law says his dumb ass should be in jail.

  219. 219.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Leto:

    This SCOTUS has revealed itself to be illegitimate. If they act against our national interests, then we can just go:

    “The Six Conservative Justices have made their decision, now let them enforce it.”

  220. 220.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): this SCOTUS cares nothing for stare decisis, even though they are *theoretically* legally bound by it.  See, for example, Dobbs and Chevron. I weep, and not just because I’m in Iowa.

  223. 223.

    NotMax

    FYI.

    A Tesla Semi truck crashed into trees and caught fire off the side of a highway in California early Monday, causing road closures on I-80 for almost 16 hours. As reported by KCRA 3 News, Cal Fire crews first headed to the crash site near the Nevada border after 3AM local time.

    As reported previously by Electrek, firefighters doused the Tesla Semi with thousands of gallons of water to cool its lithium-ion EV battery pack down to a manageable target temperature of around 100 degrees Fahrenheit while waiting for its cells to burn out. Around 4PM the crew got the batteries to a safer temperature and began work to move what was left of the Semi to Tesla’s Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada. The highway was fully reopened after 7PM. Source

  224. 224.

    Steve in the ATL

    is it just me or does it seem like you guys are being mean to Watergirl’s open thread upstairs? Or are we going for a T-Bogg here?

  226. 226.

    Leto

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): as the adults in the room, we’re not going to do that. Even though I do share that sentiment. What we will do is judicial court reform, and relegate their Heritage Foundation asses into irrelevance.

  229. 229.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Leto:

    We have an uphill battle to keep the Senate this cycle, to say the least. If we were going to do judiciary reform, that should’ve been done in the last 3 years when we had the numbers. I know people like Senema and Manchin stood in the way, but it wasn’t only them. Apparently several Dem senators wanted to keep the precious filibuster.

    At some point, we’re not going to have a choice

  230. 230.

    Leto

    @NotMax: Not just firefighters there, but they had to get water air dropped in because of the 1k+ temps. They were also trying to prevent the rest of the wooded area there from catching fire, and then that spreading. One of the firefighters interviewed was talking about the batteries either went into thermal runaway, or were close to it. Idk, just a shit show. I know we have semi’s (lorry’s) that carry chemicals, and other foul crap, but this is just an extra special cherry on that poop pie.

     

    @Steve in the ATL: Idk, I think people are interested and engaged with the postcard idea, so aren’t trying to step on it via normal chatter. Even though it’s an OT.

  233. 233.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Steve in the ATL:

    my father who may or may not have worked for “the company” that may or may not exist advised me that when anyone of importance dies in an aviation crash, it was not an accident.

    So there’s some force that prevents actual random accidents from killing important people?

    This is the thing that always brings me up short when people claim “there are no coincidences.” Really? What keeps the background of coincidences from happening? Statistically you’d expect some.

  234. 234.

    Elizabelle

    @Gin & Tonic:  It’s the road accident that makes it so odd.  I went “whut?!?” when heard about that too.  Probably a coincidence, but strange.

    The head of Morgan Stanley International, and his wife, are among the missing.

  237. 237.

    Leto

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): you’re correct, but the idea of reform was started with Trumpov’s three appointments, then solidified with their wretched decisions these past 3 years. Papa Black Lung and Bait-n-Switch were the two biggest impediments to filibuster reform, as the rest of the hold outs have moved to the “it’s regrettable, but we need to reform the filibuster so we can have judicial reform.”

    Yes, it’s an uphill battle but these fucksticks have given us the best chance to keep the Senate, if not maybe gain 1-2 seats. Even if we don’t, we keep pushing this. It took women almost 80 years to gain the vote once the campaign started. It took black people almost a 100 years to do the same (Reconstruction to VRA). It took conservatives almost 50 years to get to this point regarding the judiciary, as a whole.

    Our part right now, in this moment, is deliver as many votes as we can to Dems up and down the ballot. This is the same strategy as running an ultra marathon. We’re gonna have blisters, occasional falls, some dehydration and chaffing… but we’re gonna do this.

  238. 238.

    HumboldtBlue

    GUYS? UMM… GUYS? The Fox news folks are going after Barack Obama’s birth certificate and THIS TIME THEY WILL RETURN WITH THE TRUTH!!! THE TRUTH I TELLS YA!!!!!

    Watters: Obama is still the godfather of this machine… That is why we will be sending Johnny to Hawaii to get the truth about the birth certificate. This time we will dig deep and find out what really happened.

  239. 239.

    Geminid

    I could imagine a drunken Whipoorwill calling out “Whipple-Walz” and then falling out of a tree.

  240. 240.

    Scamp Dog

    @rikyrah: …and it turns out that I live in one of them! I’ve gotten texts from the campaign, and will get in touch with them when I get back home. Right now I’m in Michigan, getting my late mom’s house ready for sale.

  242. 242.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Matt McIrvin: the Ian Fleming Postulate has been established here that it’s first time happenstance, second time coincidence, third time enemy action.  An example: that weird (!) plane crash that killed prolific democratic fundraiser Ron Brown.

  245. 245.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Bagel J: maybe ms whipple -walz can sing at the inauguration.. or In a duet w some famous singers at a press dinner. ..
    3 corrections to fix the multiple autocorrect on her name.

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