Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Compromise? There is no middle ground between a firefighter and an arsonist.

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Their shamelessness is their super power.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

T R E 4 5 O N

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

“But what about the lurkers?”

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

This is dead girl, live boy, a goat, two wetsuits and a dildo territory.  oh, and pink furry handcuffs.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

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

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

You are here: Home / Elections 2024 / Drizzly Sunday (Open Thread)

Drizzly Sunday (Open Thread)

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I made a lemon drizzle cake today. I’m not much of a baker, but the recipe is mostly foolproof.
Drizzle (Open Thread)

It’s pretty good! But Paul Hollywood would probably say something unkind about the crumb structure.

It’s a good weekend for cocooning, featuring gloomy skies and frequent drizzle. Our dirt road is so bad that only the hardiest vehicles can get through.

Just saw my first Harris-Walz ad in the wild while watching the Dolphins vs. Jags. It was economics focused and featured Harris speaking directly to camera, sounding impossibly coherent and reasonable.

She contrasted her approach to Trump’s anti-freedom, pro-plutocrat agenda, and an orange-tinted photo of the deranged shit-sack flashed onscreen briefly.

The ad seemed effective to me, but I’m not the audience. It captured the visual contrast — the weird old shrieking yam vs. the normal, competent woman — about as well as possible.

That contrast will be unmistakable in the upcoming debate. Will y’all watch?

I’m undecided — maybe I’ll just catch the highlights. I know who I’m voting for, and limiting exposure to the toxic orange sludge pit in semi-human form seems a healthier choice.

Open thread!

Reader Interactions

95Comments

  6. 6.

    Mr. Bemused Senior

    I wrote before, I’m looking forward to seeing Kamala Harris’ approach to handling Trump’s blather.  I expect it to be enlightening.

  8. 8.

    Matt McIrvin

    I don’t generally watch debates any more–the cringe/anxiety/dread factor is just too high. I generally already know who I want to vote for. I also know that even if my candidate does well to my eyes, there’s a good chance it’ll be framed afterward as a loss and everyone will just go along with that.

  9. 9.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    Trump is hard to debate because he’s so incoherent and untruthful. You could spend the whole time rebutting his lies and trying to figure out what he said. That’s not useful. I hope Harris has worked out better ways.

    Maybe a quick dismissal that more or less ignores him, and then on to saying what she wants to say.

  10. 10.

    catclub

    Our dirt road is so bad that only the hardiest vehicles can get through.

    Is that usually called ‘mud’?

  11. 11.

    Scout211

    Will y’all watch?

    No.  I mean, hell no.

    I will, however follow the jackaltariat comments for an accurate not at all biased play by play.  Thanks, all you jackals who have strong stomachs and can tolerate watching and listening to the nasty person who will be on stage with Kamala Harris.

  12. 12.

    trollhattan

    Poke-poke-poke “Underproofed, isn’t it.”

    My Paul Hollywood imitation.

    Hot here. Again. This summer has no end.

  14. 14.

    eclare

    US Open tennis is happening now.  For the first time since 2006 an American is in the final.  Go Taylor!

  17. 17.

    scav

    Paul Hollywood has sous-chefs.  And earns his lsd by being fussy when cameras are running.

    Pish.

    Pass the cake!

  18. 18.

    BellyCat

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: This will not be a debate. A debate is where two people exchange differing thoughts on various topics. Rather, this will be two staggered stump speeches (possibly) with linkage attempts to questions posed. Please let Kamala shine in comparison to the sludge which will be spewed by Trump.

  19. 19.

    Ohio Mom

    I have all of my emotional well-being riding on Harris being able to rein Trump in and leave him sputtering.

    I don’t think he’ll stalk her like he did Hillary and even if he did, Harris and her folks have gamed that out.

    He will most certainly do that verbal fire hose of nonsense but again, I am confident that has been considered by the Democratic team and strategies developed and practiced.

    I worry there might be backlash against the optics of a Black woman besting a white man but would that lose us votes? I don’t think those people would have voted Blue to begin with.

    I’ve almost talked myself into being brave enough to watch. I didn’t watch the other debate and I’m glad I didn’t. The recaps were excruciating enough.

  20. 20.

    Chris T.

    I will probably watch, and unlike last time (the Biden one) I probably won’t pour an alarmingly large glass of Scotch for it…

  21. 21.

    HeleninEire

    @WaterGirl: It’s a cake where, when it is done, you poke holes in it and drizzle in simple syrup.  Makes the cake super moist.

    I don’t cook or bake at all, but I absolutely love to watch cooking and baking shows.

  22. 22.

    mrmoshpotato

    It’s a good weekend for cocooning, featuring gloomy skies and frequent drizzle.

    Only a thunderstorm would be better.

    That contrast will be unmistakable in the upcoming debate. Will y’all watch?

    Nope.  No more time for the orange shitstain.  It should give late night shows some good material though.

  24. 24.

    sukabi

    @trollhattan:  apparently the mics will be mute except during candidates answer / response so no crosstalk will be heard by viewers… and chances are that cameras will be focused on the current speaker only…. that’s a distinct plus in Trump’s favor as his rudeness, incoherent retorts and body language  will be kept from view.

  26. 26.

    mrmoshpotato

    @zhena gogolia:

    I’ll probably get the BJ commentary, although I’m not sure even that’s safe. 

    It’ll save you from Dump’s disgusting, orange, fascist face – and disgusting voice.

  28. 28.

    wjca

    @trollhattan: Hot here. Again. This summer has no end.

    Hot here, too.  But it’s September,  after all.  And early September at that.  Summer doesn’t end in these parts until early to mid-October.

  32. 32.

    SuzieC

    I can’t watch the “toxic orange sludge pit” (good one) under any circumstances.  Bad for my mental health, digestive tract, and blood pressure.  I’ll follow along some online commentary, maybe here, then maybe watch highlights.

  33. 33.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Mr. Bemused Senior:

    I wrote before, I’m looking forward to seeing Kamala Harris’ approach to handling Trump’s blather. I expect it to be enlightening. 

    “Can we have your response in intelligible English?”

  34. 34.

    Josie

    The weather is strange. Usually here in Houston, September is almost as miserable as August. In contrast, it is occasionally drizzly and almost cool at this point. This morning it felt like a real fall day, so we wondered if we really were in Houston.

  36. 36.

    BellyCat

    Kamala’s dismissal of the “R U BlackittyBlack” question on CNN was definitely promising.

    For the (so-called) debate, first words out of her mouth, after flashing her amazing smile, should be something like: “Consistent with my values and the belief that Americans deserve honesty and good faith behavior from their leaders, here are my rules for tonight’s debate. I will respond to all questions posed by Mr. Trump which are based upon truth. Queries and claims based on falsehoods will be identified as such and dismissed without comment. Let’s do this….”

    ETA: (Why, yes, I’d like a pony also too…)

  37. 37.

    Ishiyama

    @BellyCat: A debate is where two people exchange differing thoughts on various topics. Rather, this will be two staggered stump speeches (possibly) with linkage attempts to questions posed.

    The format puts the candidates at the mercy of the moderators by giving them the power to select the topics. Overriding that framework to get to the issues that one seeks to present is a challenge. The style of debate where there is only one question, and each candidate speaks at length, is closer, in my mind, to the prototype of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. But the media would never let themselves be sidelined like that.

  38. 38.

    wjca

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Maybe a quick dismissal that more or less ignores him, and then on to saying what she wants to say.

    I’m envisioning something like “Well, that was a pretty pathetic excuse for an answer, wasn’t it?”  Followed by actually speaking to the topic.

    Possibly interrupted by howls of outrage from TCFG.  Being labeled “pathetic” (i.e. weak) is far worse to him than merely “weird.”  Right up there with being laughed at, for him.

    He’s desperate for respect.  Always has been.  And never has gotten it from the people who he thinks really matter — which aren’t his marks, nice as he finds the adulation.  Being reminded that he isn’t respected hits a very raw nerve.

  39. 39.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Ohio Mom:

    I don’t think he’ll stalk her like he did Hillary and even if he did, Harris and her folks have gamed that out. 

    What was up with that debate?  Seriously.

    Whose idea was it not to put them behind lecterns – and tell the pu##y-grabbing POS to stay there?

  40. 40.

    Msb

    Not going to watch live; I know how I will vote and the debate will take place in the middle of my night.
    Will read about it here and elsewhere. The main thing is for MVP to “look strong” – not to be verbally or physically dominated by trump. Physically, I imagine they’ve gamed that out. Verbally, she’s been laughing/brushing him off for a while, and is well able to put her own points across. I’m a bit concerned about MSM sane-washing trump, though heartened at the increasing number of journalists calling that out.
    What people remember about the 2020 debates were Biden saying, “Will you shut up, man?” Much more memorable than any policy points. Anything memorable this year will likely be similar.
    Rick Wilson says the Lincoln Project has a pool on when trump will publicly use the n-word. Trump is obviously decompensating and the debate is just one more piece of pressure. Good luck to those who will watch it live.

  43. 43.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @WaterGirl: Yes. First time, she could say something like “I believe there will be fact checkers operating after this event. I’ll leave it to them to identify all the lies in that answer. If I did it, I wouldn’t have time to answer the question. Which is…”

  44. 44.

    KrackenJack

     Will y’all watch?

    Nope. The formats, moderators and questions have been overripe garbage. It’s not going to change my vote. My only interest is in how it shapes public opinion and that is all post-debate spin. I’ll just wait to see how they hold the Dem to an impossible standard. Thanks.

    I did a news blackout the day of the Biden debate and came back to an absolute sh*t storm. Stayed away for another two days.

  46. 46.

    BellyCat

    @Ishiyama: Agreed. Without any type of dialogue, a debate is pretty much worthless other than gaff generation. Each party is not seeking to prevail but to damage the other.

    If the press is asking questions, I’d prefer much shorter response times and more iterative exchanges for each question.

  47. 47.

    TBone

    I just now made a torte de melanzana.  Sauteed eggplant slices in olive oil, layered in a casserole and seasoned with thyme, salt & pepper. Then a layer of thinly sliced local tomatoes (lightly seasoned), covered in a layer of finely minced local red pepper and onion, then a layer of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella.  Pour over the layers a custard of 3 egg yolks beaten into 1 and 1/2 cups milk with some freshly grated Parmesan. Voila!

    Just took it out of the oven and it smells like I believe heaven should smell.

    I will watch every minute of the debate with relish because I believe that Kamala Harris was born for this moment and will, with the precision of a sharp scalpel, drain the putrid pus out of that orange carbuncle growing on our nation’s ass.

  50. 50.

    Scout211

    @mrmoshpotato: What was up with that debate?  Seriously.

    That was a “town hall” format with an audience. It wasn’t a debate.  They’d done those before and the candidates were allowed to move around to better connect with the audience.  The candidate not answering questions was supposed to sit on their stool and politely wait for their turn to answer audience questions.  It had worked many times before.

    Another “who could have known” moment (involving Trump) that took the media by surprise but shouldn’t have.

    ETA for clarity

  51. 51.

    trollhattan

    @M31: ​
    A world in which the One Weird Trick is being a kind human being.

    Clearly, somebody who needs to be crushed.

  54. 54.

    M31

    @trollhattan: and the Republicans have managed to raise up and elect a whole slate of people who are unable to muster the humanity to say “donuts are good, give me some of those and some of those, yum”

  58. 58.

    trollhattan

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Have a vague idea of Harris keeping a Katie Porter white board at her lectern, and put a hash mark down with each Trump lie. She can intermittently hold it up with the current tally. Doesn’t even need to announce what she’s doing, it will become obvious pretty quickly.

    She can focus on answering the moderator questions and not spend all her time noting lying Donny just lied eleventy times, again.

    His job is to vacuum up all the oxygen and break the process.

    My trepidation is whether the Harris questions will have preambles to make them gotchas, instead of, you know, questions.

  65. 65.

    Ishiyama

    @BellyCat: Drawing on my experience in another context, when one argues before an appellate court, the Judges or Justices will interrupt with their own questions, which may not be what you want to address. And, to prepare for appellate argument, one arranges one’s citations to the record to be available to respond to questions with accurate and precise quotations. (Skill comes into play in predicting what questions are likely to be raised.) I expect that Kamala’s preparation is something like that.

  71. 71.

    Harrison Wesley

    So Tuesday night two people will appear behind podiums on a stage.  This will be broadcast on the teevee.  One will give a synopsis of a comprehensive plan to assure Americans’ future health, welfare and security.  The other will give a bad imitation of Donald Duck getting a colonoscopy.  I’ll pass, thanks.

  72. 72.

    SomeRandomGuy

    But Paul Hollywood would probably say something unkind about the crumb structure.

    Actually, with a drizzle cake, it’s harder to tell specifics of crumb structure, due to the drizzle. That said, I’ll bet he’s the guest who gets more store-bought from intimidated bakers than anyone else :-).

  76. 76.

    Kathleen

    @Ohio Mom:  (Repeated from earlier thread) I usually don’t watch debates or go out after dark either but I registered for a watch party at Memorial Hall sponsored by Democrats. Even if I decide to bail the donation goes to a good cause – Dem candidates in Ohio.

  79. 79.

    lowtechcyclist

    Here in southern Maryland, it’s an absolutely sparkling early fall day – lots of sunshine, low humidity, totally comfortable temp for sitting outdoors on the deck, which is what I’ve been doing for the past hour, having finished the yard work that I’d intended to do today.

    I’ve finished and mailed 40 of my 100 VAAC postcards; I’ve stamped and labeled the other 60, so all I’ve got to do is jot down a short message on each, and get them in the mail this week.

  80. 80.

    Matt McIrvin

    @trollhattan: And yet, it’s Harris’s camp that wanted the uncuttable hot mic. It suggests a certain faith in the viewing audience that I wonder about the value of.

  82. 82.

    dexwood

    I read a story at the Google news page this morning that traitor Trump was objecting to any sort of box for 5’4″ Harris to stand on behind the lecturn because, says the man who wears lifts, it would be cheating. Same story said ABC is considering opening the mikes for some crosstalk near the end of the debate. No link, sorry.

  83. 83.

    MagdaInBlack

    Chicagoland is cool and clear and gorgeous and I haven’t done squat all weekend and your drizzle cake sound wonderful. 🌻

  88. 88.

    catclub

    @trollhattan:

    Hot here. Again. This summer has no end.

    I suspect you are not in New England, which has had (where I am) the most delightful past 4 weeks or so of summer with cool nights.​

  91. 91.

    A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)

    @WaterGirl: I think it started or is mainly a U.K. thing. I first encountered it on an episode of The Great British Baking Show (pace Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood), along with several other British baking specialties like Victoria Sponge.

    Of course the US has specialties too, like Boston Cream Pie. One of my mother’s old cook books had recipes for things like “Martha Washington Cake”.

  92. 92.

    trollhattan

    @catclub:

    Sounds grand. NorCal has had few breaks from triple digits after the hottest summer on record. September generally gives us 90s and 80s but noooo.

  94. 94.

    wjca

    @Matt McIrvin: And yet, it’s Harris’s camp that wanted the uncuttable hot mic. It suggests a certain faith in the viewing audience that I wonder about the value of.

    Did they want it? Or just want to make sure Trump wouldn’t demand it?  The guy is just so easy to manipulate.

  95. 95.

    MagdaInBlack

    @wjca: It is my understanding that he talked smack all thru the last debate, whenever Biden was speaking. We couldn’t hear it but Biden could.  If that is the case, then they want us all to know what he is saying while she is speaking.

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