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August 08, 2014 10:40 PM UTC

Weekend Open Thread

  • 100 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

"When a man's knowledge is not in order, the more of it he has the greater will be his confusion."

–Herbert Spencer

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100 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”

  1. It's primary election day in Hawaii (results here). In the general election I think my mom could beat Santa Claus [D]. But it's the Republican primary in an overwhelmingly Democratic district. You can vote in either primary, but not both. And there is a close primary on the Democratic side for both Governor & U.S. Senator.

    So my mom's race could have under 1,000 votes. And the anti-gay marriage people will vote for her opponent as that matters more to them than anything else. It's going to be a looooong day.

    1. Good luck.

      Republicans have been known to shoot themselves in the foot in primaries.  I hope it doesn't happen to your mother.

      On the Fed side, this year it seems the Dems turn to perform self-destructive behavior in the primaries.  Harry Reid's chosen candidate in Montana dropped out this week and the Congessman running for Senator in Iowa seems to be giving that state away.

      1. First, keeping Montana was a long shot for Democrats to begin with. Second, the race in Iowa is close but the republican has made some recent gaffes that have gottenstatewide play – oh well. Finally, talk about shooting yourself in the foot – look at Mississippi – what a clusterfuck for the gop and it is on going. Plus kentucky and georgia are two states that the gop did not expect to have to spend money in. McConnell looks like a loser -good riddance and in Georgia the gop looks to loose the Senate and Governorship – Deal's crooked dealings have caught up with him. As McConnell stated the other day , if he looses the gop will not retake the Senate.

        1. DC, my take is Montana was likely to go Republican anyway, but now it is a walk.  Iowa was supposed to be a walk for the Dems but now it is a toss-up.

          Mississippi, Kentucky and Georgia Senate seats, when all is said and done, will be not very close and Republican.

          I see R+7 maybe 8 in the Senate.  Right now RCP has it R+7.

          1. RCP also had romney winning in a landslide. Kentucky and Georgia are very competitive and are now considered tossups with latest polls showing Nunn and Grimes leading. The gop was not prepared for this at all. Mississippi may still go republican but it has become an embarrassment for the gop nationally. Nate Silver rates the Senate a tossup at 50/50. I will take his view over RCP anyday – he was 100% in 2012, RCP wasn't even close. And if you think this won't hurt the Georgia gop in both the senate and governors race http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/08/03/attempted-cover-up-of-georgia-republican-governors-corruption-costs-taxpayers-millions/

              1. Nate's actual statement is likely to pick up six give or take a couple.  Gardner has shown no movement it looks like.  

                Never underestimate the ability of a Republican candidate to start talking about magic ladyparts and uncontrollable libidos driving the need for birth control.  

                Oops.

              2. 60/40 a toss up right – LOL- gardner's grand entrance has fizzled – people are getting to know him and don't like what they see. For a wave year that you keep bragging about – 'most likely to pick up six seats"  isn't very exciting especially when you get into what Nate actually said: But the Republican Party remains a poor alternative in the eyes of many voters, which means it may not be able to exploit Obama’s unpopularity as much as it otherwise might.

                Generic congressional ballot polls — probably the best indicator of the public’s overall mood toward the parties — suggest a relatively neutral partisan environment. Most of those polls show Democrats with a slight lead, but many of them are conducted among registered voters, meaning they can overstate Democrats’ standing as compared with polls of the people most likely to vote. Republicans usually have a turnout advantage, especially in midterm years, and their voters appear to be more enthusiastic about this November’s elections. Still, the gap is not as wide as it was in 2010.

                The gap is not as wide as it was in 2010. That year the gop was supposed to take back the Senate – oops. You basically are hoping for a miracle – keep dreaming AC – that is all you have.

                1. When his guy is the 40 it's a toss up. 

                  Gallup today has Obama approval up to 44%. When it slipped from 42% to 39% for a day, AC was happy dancing about a downward trend. Now that it's 44%, the highest in a long time, you think AC will say that's a trend or just one meaningless poll?  A rhetorical question, of course. Note… I'm not saying it's a trend. Yet.

                  As for real questions AC is too much of a coward to answer any of those. It's been crickets, crickets, crickets.

                  Still think he should apologize for the phony anti-Obama rally pic that was really an anti-Bush rally pic or be banned for being a misinformation propagandist SOB.

                  2. BC, I am glad you liked the picture.  I posted it with a question: Dems to Impeach Obama?  Here is the picture again.  

                    It was taken at the time Dems were rallying to impeach Bush.  A bill was even introduced in Congress to impeach the President.  Personally I am in favor of the air strikes and believe we should have done more earlier, but better late than never.  But I am not a Dem.

                    The picture was about Dem hypocracy.  If we should have been on the sidelines then, why not now?

                    View image on Twitter

                    1. 1.)  People who say "personally" to refer to themselves show a distinct lack of self esteem. Are your other feelings impersonal?

                      2.)  Getting caught in a lie and then accusing others of hypocrisy is called projection, another sign of low self esteem.

                      3.)  May I suggest counseling rather than buying another big gun to feel better about yourself?

                      4.) Go back under your bridge, AC.

                    3. well…you can't see the apostrope or the "y", but I think the sign on the young lady reads, "I'm peachy"…

                    4. AC, you are a worthless coward who ads nothing to any discussion. You can't put even a short string of words together without lying. Example: I never said I liked the picture. Not a terribly important lie. Just shows you're such a compulsive liar you can't help yourself. You lie like most people breathe. Is it some sort of disorder?

          2. Actually Andrew, Mitch Mcconnell is a goner. His wife is anti-coal

             

            Results show that 51,000 more Democrats went to the polls Tuesday, and Grimes got about 95,000 more votes than McConnell, who had to split the Republican vote with Bevin.

            Even though Kentucky is seen as a red state, Democrats have a 54 percent registration advantage to 39 percent for registered Republicans.

            McConnell may also be nervous because on ; Tuesday night he received the lowest percentage of the primary vote the Bluegrass State’s last 22 incumbent senators have ever pulled in.

          1. Gerrymandering: the calcification of congress, The Doc who is pro choice when its his GF or wifey. When winning handsomely in his primary, (posturing for stump jumpers in his district), its pro life!  Read Gail Collins, "Its a Can't Lose Year",NYT

      2. Thanks. The big problem is a lot of voters just aren't aware. When I went door to door with her, most of the respondents said "well of course you always win re-election." They just figure it will naturally happen. So the biggest effort she and her team have made is to get the word out that this time it's a very competitve race.

        And then you have to educate the voters where they get a ballot for all party primaries and you first select which party, and then fill out the section for that party only. So all these people who've voted the Democratic primary their entire life are being asked to vote Republican this once. We were talikng to one guy, absolutely loves her, and when we explained all this he said "wait, you're a Republican???" On the good news side, he then promised to vote for her (and leave the rest of the ballot blank).

        I hope she wins in a landside because this is one of the two primaries that are a referendum on Hawaii passing gay marriage (the other against a Dem who voted for it). If the Republican primary goes in a landside for the pro gay marriage legislator, that's a giant message to the haters that they're in a very small minority.

      3. Yes, Walsh resigned. But a replacement will be still the Senator from Montana.

        And Iowa is still a tossup. Braley will come back and win it and become a Harkin Senator.

         

        1. dustpuppy: in Montana, only Schweitzer has a ghost of a chance. Anybody else is toast. It's too bad, but the Dems run of 100 years of U.S. senators had to end sometime.

           

    2. David – I'm on Maui this week and your Mom's name comes up regularly.  Fingers crossed for a successful outcome today.  She is a great woman.

        1. If you don't mind me asking – I'd like to read a little about your mom, David.

          I have friends in Hawai'i. Hopefully your mom will be successful in her race.

          Good luck there.

          The other David T.

      1. SHE WON! SHE WON!! SHE WON!!!

        OMG, it was an epic ass kicking. She won 1,119 (56.7%) to 824 (41.7%). This was in a Republican primary where the election was a referendum on my mom's support for gay marriage.

        And almost 60% of the Republican voters backed my mom!

        Also, I think it would have killed my mom to lose. This is her life and she is working for her district year round. It keeps her alive and active and energetic. (At the end of a day walking door to door I'm ready to die, and she's more charged up than at the start.)

        It's a wonderful day.

    6. In additional Hawaii political news (we really should have had a seperate diary for the Hawaii primary):

      • Everyone there can't believe that Abercrombie lost. And by so much. People thought Ige might come close, but this was everyone in the state was voting against him.
      • Schatz/Hanabusa is very close and 2 precincts have not voted yet (because of the storm). Those 2 precincts are on the big Island and Hanabusa did a bit better than Schatz outer island while Schatz is presently ahead. So this one is unknown until they figure out when to hold that vote. And the politicing over there by both campaigns is going to be intense.
      • Governor is still an open race because Mufi is running as an independent and no one gave any thought to how it will play out with Ige as the Dem.
      • Takai had an easy win over Kim for CD-1. Takai was expected to win, but by a little.

      And this goes to show once again – polling in Hawaii sucks.

  2. How does voting work if you live overseas? My youngest daughter heads out to The Netherlands for 2 years for grad school. Can she vote using our address or does residence outside the country mean you can't vote?

    3. If she can make the time and get there, she should be sure to attend the AmCham and/or US consulate/embassy Fourth of July party in any given election year.  There will be people there signing up and helping expat voters.  Probably the easiest way to do it because (in my experience, anyway) a real live human in a somewhat festive atmosphere will hold your hand and talk you through the paperwork.  And early July should give you plenty of time to get your ballot and return it to your home precinct before November.

  3. Good morning ,Polsters. I am sitting on a rock, high up in a pocket canyon in the Book Cliffs overlooking the Grand Valley, posting a reminder to GET OUT THERE! Enjoy our beautiful state …and remind yourself why it is worth fighting for. 🙂

    1. I think the Dems should throw a ton of money on Wendy Davis.

      She has a snowball's chance in Hell at winning, or more precisely according to Silver, a 2% chance.

      I like it when Dems waste their resources.

       

          1. Actually, Wendy Davis will be the next Governor of Texas. Everyone's getting bored of Abbott and the Repubicans.

            And there will always be a Democratic Governor in Texas after Wendy Davis retires. Republican Governors have not served Texas well. 

            And Abbott will be up for first degree murder if he does kill Ms. Davis.

             

      2. Actually, Wendy Davis will be the next Governor of Texas. Everyone's getting bored of Abbott and the Repubicans.

        And there will always be a Democratic Governor in Texas after Wendy Davis retires. Republican Governors have not served Texas well. 

         

    2. That's sharp, MamaJ! As you know, I've been tracking the marriage equality saga very closely and I've been flabergasted by Abbott's vociferous but extremely LAME defense of Texas' law."Marriage is all and solely about breeding." Not love, not property rights, not responsibility for another's well-being; just breeding. This ad just paints the "idiot" lable a little darker on Abbott..

        1. puppy, that's not how logic works. Just sayin'.

          If you start with a faulty premise like, "All Republicans are idiots", (I don't agree, BTW), then you could say, "__a___is a Republican —-> therefore, __a__ is an idiot."

          1. I don't agree either. I have some Republicans in my family, and I love them. Even if I don't agree with their politics. We just shut up and be nice to each other…

             

             

            1. But I'll tell ya, AC is definetely the exception to the rule…

               

              I'm nobody's sockpuppet, I'm me. I'm David. Just a deaf guy who's active in politics.

               

              1. Does it not strike you as at least a bit odd that your leftie comrades push back and even assume that you are AC's sock puppet?

                I am positive that last is not true. Though I do wonder if you are for real and sincerely believe what you post. But Dwyer is just as disconnected from the world I observe, and no one seems to doubt his realness. 

                    1. All I said, dwyer, was to correct JBJK16 on your gender. You have told us many times that you are a woman.

                2. Leftie Comrades? You forgot "godless", I guess. winkThis is amazing….how are you managing to access the Internet from 1965?  

                  As to DP, it's my opinion that he's AC's straw man; he makes wild predictions of Democratic victories specifically so AC can "shut him down", and "thinks" the way the GOTP thinks a LIberal thinks.  Except when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where he's parroting a very similar Right-Wing ideology. 

                  1. @DC

                    No, I speak to my age and my former religious afflication.  But I make it a practice not to comment on my gender or my sexual orientation…although others speculate on my gender and my medical conditions as opposed to speaking to any issue I raise.

                    1. I think you are misremembering Dwyer. I also remember your making clear that you are a woman. 

  5. Just for the record.

    I have submitted my name as a candidate for a seat on the 18-member "Blue Ribbon" panel being selected by the governors' office to talk about oil and gas issues. If I were a betting man, I would lay odds against me being slected…but, you never know.

      1. I think they have recieved hundreds of applications and will be narrowing it down to a smaller number next week.  Your support letter will probably be most useful after that 1st cut–and I believe you could send it to the Governr's office directly.  I can email you a specific contact if you tell me how to do that.

  7. Dumbest Tweet ever.

    Apparently the ages and sexes of the dead in Gaza are now becoming know.  The executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth ,a Hamas appologist, tweeted the following:

    Kenneth Roth        ✔ @KenRoth

    Young men over-represented among Gaza dead: unclear if Hamas won't acknowledge fighters or Israel targets young men. http://trib.al/UkKu8z4

     

     

    Israel was targeting young men?

    Like the young men shooting rockets and guns?

     

    1. What the F**k do you care about dead people, young or old? Chickenhawks only see them as propaganda tools to make themselves feel brave. 

      Why don't you post another phony picture, troll?

      1. Just wanted to see what Hamas propaganda that ACHole might post…

        I have some things that should be seens that Hamas doesn't want you to see.

        Including fake murders, fake dead people, and the fact that Hamas ARE using human shields..

            1. I think it's the Likuds vs Hamas war. Not Israel vs Gaza.

              I know some people didn't want war. Saw this recently at a friend's FB page that broke my heart: 

              I am of the opinion that Nentanyu needs to let Livini implement the plan she has put out. It does sound solid, and does protect and help rebuild Gaza in many ways and allow the blockade to end as long as Hamas gives up their power to PA, and lay down their arms.

              It makes sense. Israel is giving a hell of a deal to Gaza and helping rebuild the state at the same time. 

              One thing interests me though, West Bank, run by Abbas, has not been involved in any way or form, and that is where my sister lives, in a settlement that is considered illegal. Yet, there is no cooperation from Hamas to give them an opportunity. 

              The Israelis have withdrew and kicked out the settlers out of Gaza in a complete withdrawal, and what have they really done? Just build not much of an infrastructure but a lot into terror planning.

              The Hamas charter calls for destruction of Israel, and it's time to end the Hamas threat.

              Currently the Hamas leader, interestingly enough, is in Qatar, and has made ZERO effort to return to Gaza to support their war. Hamas get their money from Qatar. It's time to end that alliance between those two.

              1. Let me explain the pic up there a bit.

                My friend, who lives in Israel n the West Bank area (to be specific, the Gush Etzion area, where the three teenagers were kidnapped and killed by Hamas [note: there is confirmation of a Hamas relationship with the murderers as they financed it all (source here – JTA). It was her daugher that drew up the image while on one of the many rocket attacks in their area in their reinforced room,

                 

                1. I never thought you were a sockpuppy. We share some irrational optimism about electoral outcomes.

                  Interesting ideas on the mideast conflict. I don't know if Hamas needs to be wiped out or not, but I do know that wholesale slaughter of 1000 or more Palestinians, most of whom are children, plus denying all access to water, electricity, travel, medical care, and hope, for many years, is not any kind of pathway to peace.

                  On the "settlers" issue, how would you react if someone came in to your house and backyard, blocked all your doors and built fences so high that you had no access to your former property, and told you that you now had no rights to any of it, and would be arrested and imprisoned if your tried to sneak through? Sorry about your sister, but she is part of an occupying force.

        2. DP, You mean using human shields as in their military headquarters is in the basement of a hospital or human shields as in they store rockets in UN schools?

          DP, we are on the same side on this one.

          1. Its one of the most densely occupied pieces of land on earth, I think everything is next to everything.  Bombing UN schools set up for refugees is unconscionable. Full stop.

            1. I'm sure it's just coincidence that DP and AC both share the exact same wading-pool depth of understanding of a conflict that's been going on for thousands of years. 

            2. Even if UN-RWA admitted to returning the rockets to Hamas.

              I'd be happy to provide sources… if it's necessary. But on the side of that the political parties needs to go. There is already an call from the center-right party – Labor for Nentanyhu to resign. I'm not sure if they are part of the coalition, but they need to leave so the elections can be called for ASAP as the coalitions are fragile enough as it is in Israel.

  8.  Eli Stokel on Colorado Inside Out, CPT-12, today at 10:00AM in which he corrects David Koppel, who typified the citizen’s concerns about Fracking as mindless anti oil, natural gas extremist tree fukkers. Another panelist (Colorado Independent?) further instructs David that the “lighting of the water valve” is not a hoax (Koppel says the film documentary “Gas land” is bogus), that she has seen it up close. It hard to imagine that Koppel teaches at a post K-12 institution, DU, a red neck refuge for dumb down debutantes, and hack lawyers

      1. Thx for the correction , never tire in promoting the seemingly only voice( Eli Stokel) in Denver metro media who cares enough to engage the devastated, dumbed downed denizens.  (Alliteration- H.L. Mencken). Just watched COPOLITICS (Eli) on TV 31, gas & oil Spokesperson(paid), v. unpaid environmentalist, IMO, the new commish, will be one more regulatory hurdle to be captured. Spokesperson hack portrayed the frack  impasse as “one man’s effort” (Polis), patronized those seeking information with “we all use energy” (so get in line or starve in the dark) & to the call for setbacks from Co streams and rivers, in view of last Sept floods that tipped the flimsy oil tanks (oopsie!) and were stranded in mud for days, leaking;

        her counter was “well we all live in Colo with children” so of course they are concerned with the environment. ‘cept they don’t live in flood plains.

  9. Montana Senate Dem announcement.  

    From the "you can't make this stuff up" department:

     

    MEMORANDUM
    TO: Interested Parties
    FR: Guy Cecil, DSCC Executive Director
    DA: Wednesday, October 23, 2013
    RE: John Walsh The Right Candidate, With The Right Team To Win In Montana

    Montana Democrats have had more electoral success in Montana than perhaps any other red state in the country. In fact, Democrats have won 21 of the last 23 Senate elections in Montana. Now, Democrats in Montana are confident they have found the perfect candidate to fill Senator Max Baucus’ seat: the former Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard and current Lieutenant Governor, John Walsh.

    Walsh is known and well respected for leadership defined by courage, selfless service, and responsibility. Moments after he announced the launch of his campaign, Governor Steve Bullock applauded the move, releasing a statement that said “I asked John to join me as Lieutenant Governor because of his personal character, his integrity and leadership abilities. These same qualities will make John a great U.S. Senator.”

     

  11. I'm sure that Fox 31 reporter, Eli Whatisname, appreciates everyone's good opinion of him, but like most of us he probably prefers to have his name spelled correctly.

    It's STOKOLS.

  12. Even if not everyone has a good opinon of him, the correct spelling is David KOPEL.

    I don't see eye to eye with him on various issues. But he did help to destroy a bill to recriminalize marijuana around 1989 or 1990.

    And his father–same surname–was a noted Denver Democrat in the statehouse.

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