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July 22, 2016 04:30 AM UTC

Friday Open Thread

  • 84 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“Every morning I jump out of bed and step on a landmine. The landmine is me.”

–Ray Bradbury

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84 thoughts on “Friday Open Thread”

  1. Do you feel safer now than you did eight years ago?

    That's going to be the short-fingered vulgarian's entire campaign theme between now and November. There will graphic (because graphic is one thing Drumpf does well) photos of Brussels, Paris, Nice, San Bernadino, Orlando, and all the other places but you're going to hear that tag line a lot as well as a reminder that all of this happened when the Dems were in charge.

    Oh, and if any of you have any doubts about how using fear and public safety as a winning issue works, check out the finale episode of Season Four of House of Cards.

    I'm not planning on voting for Herr Drumpf but on a more personal note, I must say that was the most LGBTQ-friendly GOP convention acceptance speech I've seen in the 40 years I've been watching them.

    1. LGBTQ-friendly

      That may be, but the rank and file (and I mean those every way possible) didn't boo only because they were catching their breath to boo something else. 

      I'm looking forward to WWIII, myself.

    2. The speeches I saw last night had one gay rich man saying a number of social issues don't matter and another rich man saying he'd protect the LGBTQ citizens from religious people's assaults. Did I miss something that has you seeing this as LGBTQ-friendly or is the judgment bar that low?

      2. Stubby threw the fundies a bone by saying that he would support their religious right to preach politics from the pulpit without risking their tax exempt status.  Religious Freedom (aka Discrimination) will be the law of the land.

        1. He threw them a great big meaty bone by choosing Pence. Economic damage to Indiana from the “turn away the gays” law be damned. BTW, the NBA announced today that the All-star Game is leaving Indiana.

              1. The NBA will be using a questionnaire for prospective cities from now on to ascertain whether or not all athletes and attendees will find a welcoming atmosphere free of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Safe to say cities in Gov. Ayatollah Pence's state won't fair any better than Charlotte. 

    1. Colorado continues to be a turd in Trump's punch bowl.  But when push comes to shove will the Denver Post do a repeat of their Bush is terrible but we're endorsing him anyway endorsement circa 2004?

  3. Jon Stewart comes out of retirement to lay down the hypocrisy of Republicans in their new love for the TelePrompter Reading Donald Trump:

    1. Oh, here's an interesting e-mail chain.  The DNC snapping into action to ensure that Bernie's supporters had a chance to vote when Rhode Island was opening a reduced number of primary voting centers.

      Was thinking a letter so that if press asks us about it, we can show we are responsive and active. If we're crying foul in AZ, we might need to do the same – at least nominally – in RI so we don't look like hypocrites

    2. Well, this is a decidedly less pleasant discussion among DNC staffers.

      It might may [sic] no difference, but for KY and WVA can we get someone to ask his belief. Does he believe in a God. He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.

      Had Hillary already clinched the nomination on May 5th, when that was sent around? I can’t remember.

      1. Whenever, the HRC campaign apparently never went there and can't be blamed for every suggestion from DNC staffers. It's the staffer's job to look for things to use. This wasn't. And it's not like we had this kind of thing going public all over media among HRC supporters, winning thumbs up from David Duke with HRC claiming she didn't know who David Duke was and wouldn't denounce it or anything like that. Really a stretch to turn this into anything.

        The staffer, BTW, was probably right about his Southern Baptist peeps and it was probably pointed out to him that few of them would be voting in Dem contests or for a Dem in the general anyway. 

        1. None of this is about HIllary, it's about the DNC.  The reason I asked is that the DNC should have still been pretty neutral if Hillary wasn’t the presumptive nominee.

          That person saying "AMEN" at the top of the e-mail chain to this scheme? That's the CEO of the DNC. Oh, and the dude who offered the suggestion? He’s not some random. He’s the DNC’s CFO.

          1. We all know the DNC wasn't neutral. Under DWS and the Clinton juggernaut the DNC has been pretty single minded  in clearing the field for HRC for years. And doing a great job of it until Bernie happened. Not much of a revelation there either and, BTW, not much daylight between HRC and the DNC.

            All I'm saying is that the atheist slant wasn't used against Bernie so not much of a revelation there either. And why would they? Atheists, Agnostics and Jews are much more likely to support Dems than Southern Baptists are.

              1. You showed me that a staffer suggested something. You didn't show me that the DNC followed through with this in any way. So I suggest that if you want to find evidence of rat fucking you have plenty to choose from. This is a big nothing. 

              2. Oh Please.

                The Democratic Party gave 'Drive By Democrat' Bernie Sanders an unprecedented opportunity to reach millions of people that he couldn't have if he had run as a Socialist.  He got famous and made a ton of money because of the Democratic Party and these memo's didn't cost him the nomination.  His prickly and pessimistic personality did him in more than an conspiracy plotted against him in the elitist halls of power in the Democratic Party.  Sanders would have never gotten as far as he did without the Democratic Party so who used who?

          2. One of the reasonsI feared Bernie would lose a general election is because of his apparent atheist/agnostic philosophy.  The Repubs would have gone wild with it.   It's OK to be a Jew if you are conservative and observant, a la Lieberman, though Blue Cat can attest that even that can still draw attacks.  Poll after poll shows atheists as the one group voters still hate.   I don't hold that against Bernie, since I have been an agnostic since I was 18 (I'm 71.)  But facts is facts and Bernie's agnostic/atheist beliefs as well as his former membership in the Trotskyite Socialist Workers Party would have been real weaknesses in a general election.

            1. And… and I think this is the important part here… there is no evidence that the DNC mounted any kind of "he's an atheist" whispering campaign against Bernie. So somebody said something.

              So did I. I told anyone who asked my opinion that, as a card carrying old lefty Jewish lady, I didn't think that, in 2016, an old Jewish socialist (you don't have to practice to be Jewish. Just ask all the secular assimilated Jews in Germany in the 30s and 40s) had a snowball's chance in the general.

              I've said so here. It's on the intertubes. There's a big difference between discussing what a candidate's potential negatives are and concocting an evil plot.

              It's still hard to elect someone in the US who doesn't come from a religious background that gives a crap about Jesus. Even harder to elect someone who doesn't give a crap about any perception of God, prayer, etc.

              However it's also stupid for a Dem candidate to alienate Jews, agnostics and atheists who do vote for them to appeal to conservative Christians who don't. Once again…. probably why the DNC didn't want to have anything to do with attacking a Jewish or Atheist or both candidate on those grounds to help HRC who is going to need all those people in the general.

              2. It's even harder to find a politician who understands the Gospels as a message of peaceful relations and acts on that understanding in a compassionate sphere of influence.  I can think of one (I'm looking at you Barack Obama).

                1. Agnostics?  Atheists?  It's also hard to find a politician who understands Article VI of the US Constitution. News flash for all the far righties: there's a lot more to the Constitution than Amendment 2 regarding guns. 

                    1. 3rd amendment and craft beer; that's the approach taken by low information voters for Trump.   😉   Actually, if one reads the 3rd carefully, I think that's the one with an implied right to privacy in your own home.

  5. How Donald, how?

    How are you going to destroy ISIS?  How are you going to give us the biggest tax cut of all the candidates?  How are you going to rebuild the decimated military?  How are you going to rebuild our infrastructure?  How are you going to eliminate the 18 trillion dollar deficit?  How are you going to end all violence on January 20, 2017?  etc., etc.

    It took 1 1/2 hours on Morning Joe this morning before anyone asked even a couple of those questions.  If I had been participating in a drinking contest last night where you slam a shot after each unicorn fairy dust promise was made, I'd be dead.   Can you imagine the detailed budget analysis if a Dem had given that speech? 

    The Dems have to rehabilitate Hillary next week.  After enduring decades of shit thrown at her, nearly all of which has been debunked, there is a stench on her.  Then, we will have to put our faith in Lincoln: "You can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but not all of the people all of the time."

    PS, did you notice that the song played at the end of Trump's speech was about a guy trying to convince a girl that his intentions are pure, and he really does love her? Maybe someone can help me identify that song and its lyrics.  It was a perfect analogy, if unintentional, for Trump.

     

      1. The Dems have to rehabilitate Hillary next week.  After enduring decades of shit thrown at her, nearly all of which has been debunked, there is a stench on her.

        This is a monumental job, but I agree it should be attempted. There will be some success, but Hate Radio and Fox "News" – Home of the Sexual Assault, have applied Pavlov's lessons to far too many citizens who can be triggered with any of "Benghazi", "Death Tax", "Email Server", "IRS", "Bill Clinton", "Radical Islam" and several others.

      1. That was the theme song at the R convention. Trump mocking his detractors? He also played it for the big Pence presentation, which was frankly insulting.

      2. The Stones' song was played second   I was thinking of "All Right Now" by Free which was played right after he spoke.

        Here are the lyrics I found, uh, ironic:

        I took her home to my place, watching every move on her face
        She said, "Look, what's your game, baby?
        Are you tryin' to put me in shame? "
        I said, "Slow, don't go so fast
        Don't you think that love can last? "
        She said, "Love, lord above, now you're gonna trick me in love"

  6. "We don't have to worry about future generations because the lord is coming soon"  (James Watt in congressional testimony, circa 1983). Same applies for Trump. All must worship at his feet.

    1. Sorry, CHB, that's the opposite of what Watt really said, which was "We don't know how many generations it will be before the Lord returns."  He was referring to the Biblical command to be good steward of the land.   I knew Watt well and thoroughly approve of the notion of stewardship of your land, air and water.   There is no reason to criticize what James said.   There is a great deal to criticize for what he

      did, however.  In the end, he was just one more corrupt Washington insider peddling access and influence for private good.  

      The actual quote,from Congressional testimony:
      I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns, whatever it is we have to manage with
      a skill to leave the resources needed for future generations.

      His final record:

      The HUD rigging scandal occurred when Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Samuel Pierce and his associates rigged low income housing bids to favor Republican contributors to Reagan’s campaign as well as rewarding Republican lobbyists such as James G. Watt Secretary of the Interior.[11] Sixteen convictions were eventually handed down,[12] including the following:

      James Watt
      James Watt, Reagan’s Secretary of the Interior was indicted on 24 felony counts and pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor. He was sentenced to five years probation, and ordered to pay a $5000 fine.[13]

      2. As a free-thinker, I can and will continue to criticize Watt for his excessive proselytizing.

        He also didn't want the Beach Boys to play the on the National Mall for 4th of July since they weren't "wholesome" in his eyes. Too bad for Mr. Watt that Nancy Reagan loved the Beach Boys.

        1. That's fine, but you misquoted Watt to make it sound as if he used the fact that he didn't know when the Lord would return to urge looting our natural resources.   In fact, he used that quote to support the idea that we should be good stewards.  In fact, he didn't live up to that standard.   So criticize him as a hypocrite, but don't twist the clear meaning of his words.

  7. I'm guessing Drumpf's All Star Cast of ag supporters are still trying to loosen up their sphincter muscle this morning over the China trade comments made by their candidate last night.  Did he not read the memo that about half of our grain production gets shipped to China? That the US pork industry is controlled by Bejing?  Will the trade-off for ending our biggest international grain and meat export market be safety in the streets of Otis and Punkin Center? Finally putting the death-knell in the Julesburg Jihad?

    Frankly this 'cast' of corporate characters has done quite well under Obama/Vilsack and would continue to flourish in a Clinton administration.  

    2. Good Lord.   Without exports, our grain markets would collapse.  And if Trump wants to play trade war with Japan, China and others, Aussie wheat and Aussie beef, (not to mention Canadian) can easily fill American markets.

      And the GOP platform urging splitting farm subsidies from SNAP is suicide for agriculture.  Why should urban Congressmen subsidize wealthy farmers if the bill no longer helps needy Americans.   The alliance between inner city Democrats and farm state sens. like Bob Dole has benefitted both.   Without it, let's see how much farmers really like the free markets they profess to support.   Just knocking off the corn/alcohol subsidy would probably knock $2 a bushel off the price of wheat by the time excess corn acreage was redirected.   

       

  8. Off topic…

    I'm always the last to know!

    Willie Nelson’s much-hyped marijuana brand Willie’s Reserve will debut in Washington state pot shops this month and in Colorado marijuana stores in August, Nelson’s team told The Cannabist exclusively.

  9. Back to the Future II – Biff Tannen takes over the world.  Giant gambling casino. Cheating on wife with bimbos. Corruption, destruction and lawlessness.  It is all there run by Biff Trump.  Trump wins it all and makes the world his oyster.  Put your tiny hand in the big hand of the DT and shake for all you are worth.  Maybe you get Snake eyes, maybe a snake.  But with  him in charge you get screwed no matter which way you bend.

    2. At least Biff was a self-made man.  Sure he used the almanac to amass his fortune, but he didn't use his daddy's money and didn't screw almost every creditor or small contractor he did business with. Biff ripped off the bookies and the sportsbooks (and maybe other gamblers). Trump does not even compare favorable to Biff. Sad.

  10. Trump shoots self in foot again:

    According to Bloomberg. Herr Drumpf launched a bitter attack on Cruz today, thus compounding the damage and division caused by Cruz's non-endorsement.   He just can't help himself!

      1. Consistently wanting to give his foes The Stubby as he said last night.  What a contrast to Obama who tried to win over his critics with conscious attempts at finding common ground.  Maybe he bent over backwards to a fault but he had to make the effort to meet folks half way and that is the mark of a statesman.

        1. Funny you refer to him as Stubby. Ever since Rubio made the observation last March, I can't look at Trump without my attention gravitating to his hands and fingers. 

        1. During his terms, Nixon signed bills creating the Endangered Species Act; the National Environmental Policy Act; and the Environmental Protection Agency. Somehow, especially considering the contents of the platform, I can't imagine Mr. Trump taking steps forward like Nixon did.

    4. Not thrilled and wish she'd reached out more to the Sanders/Warren wing but on the plus side NARAL loves him. He has 100% rating with them for his voting record as Senator.

      He's sunny as hell in contrast to the dark depressing angry Trump messaging.  

      He's so fluent in Spanish from his missionary days he can be interviewed in all Latino media with ease. 

      His position on banking doesn't matter nearly as much as VP as it does as Senator. The President's positions are the only ones that matter, not the VP's. He's already getting into his new role by changing his position on TPP to match hers.

      The Latinos mentioned were all short on governing experience. Other Progressive Senators had R Governors who would appoint R Senators. If we can win a majority in the Senate Sherrod Brown, Warren and Bernie will be much more powerful forces as Senators than any of them could be as VP.

      Kaine is very popular in Virginia and it's an important state for Dems to keep. He's very popular in Congress.

      In the end, I guess expecting Clintons to stop being Clintons was expecting too much. As long as she wins and Trump loses the VP pick doesn't matter all that much. In fact it's not a bad place to park someone who would be a less progressive legislator.

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