o The Police: There was a really nice story locally. I mentioned the other day that my mother baked a cake for the police. Well, it turns out that she was not alone. The police reported this weekend that so many people have brought them food that they can't even eat it all, so they've been giving massive amounts to charity. It's great to hear that so many people in my community wanted to show their support for the police in this way. I love Americans. :)
o End Times: Tennis ball sized hail can rip the siding off of homes, shatter windows, and make cars look like they were riddled with 50 caliber rounds. If I were an idiot, I suppose I might conclude that this bitch-slap from mother nature means we've sinned and Jesus is coming. If I were an idioter, I would suppose that it's global warming. Since I'm neither of those things, I realize that this is par for the course on Earth and is much more sedate than what is happening on other planets. It also shows that American society is very good at cleaning up and moving right along. Good for us!
o Sharknado 4: The end times have come. That is all.
o Wah Wah: No surprise here, the "Trump's so dangerous" campaign has racheted up tonight with an "insider" claiming Trump is a "sociopath" who will destroy the world if he gets his hands on the nuclear codes. Yawn. Heard that about Reagan too. And of course, it started with Goldwater and the daisy commercial. I'm surprised they never tried it with McCain, but I guess they didn't need to. He came across as bat ship crazy enough on his own. The fact they would trot this out shows desperation.
As an aside, this is a mistake. When you go nuclear, there isn't any higher you can go (unless you want to claim Trump will suck out our eternal souls, which I suspect some want to believe). It's like making the president the villain in your movie. There's just nowhere to go from there. You just can't go back to having normal villains after that because it feels like a letdown. This is a mistake. They should have started smaller: "Trump will get a major city destroyed by rogue white male activists who want to lower the capital gain!" Then you gradually go nuclear in the sequels. Right now, when they whine about whatever he's done, people can just say, "Well, at least he didn't blow up the planet." //remove tongue from cheek
o Put Yo Money Where Your Mouth Is: As predicted, Hillary's pantsuit did not sell out. Not even close. What did start selling was the pocket constitution that Muslim dude whipped out to whine about his son... no, I don't care or respect that line of attack. If that's the best Hillary can manage, a $1 pamphlet moving into the Top 100 at Amazon, then that's pretty pathetic. In fact, I read that the venders at the Democratic convention were furious that no one was buying. Apparently, Democrats weren't too excited. What did excite them was Tinder. Tinder is basically for gays and people looking for quickie affairs, and it did gangbusters at the DNC. Maybe the venders should have sold condoms with Hillary's picture on them, and the slogan, "Hard to Believe."
Oooooooh, that was funny! :D Enjoy!!
Not to toot my own horn, but I don't think I've ever made a sex joke with more nuance! I'm exceedingly proud of that one! :D
ReplyDeleteAndrew, they're coming really close to saying Trump will suck out our eternal souls. The most common headline I've seen about that Khan guy is, "Trump has a black soul." Now, maybe I'm reading that wrong, but I'm thinking a quote like that could give Trump inroads with the African American demographic. Also, I wanted to make a Star Trek II reference, but I got nuffin'.
ReplyDeleteIf the rumors are true, rather than condoms, they ought to have sold scissors.
ReplyDeleteA Star Trek II joke... nice! :D Khhaaaaaaan!
ReplyDeleteI've seen that too making the rounds. It's funny how unified the left can be on talking points. They must all share a brain. The speed at which they whip out the same phrases at cameras all over the country is amazing.
Good point on the black thing. Let me add, that it's racist to equate black with evil and it's anti-atheist to claim that humans have a soul. I think liberals need to apologize for their offense.
In all seriousness, by the way, trying to paint Trump as anti-Muslim is a stupid strategy. You might as well accuse him of hating criminals and commies too. The American public is none too happy with Islam at the moment.
LOL! Wouldn't surprise me. Most of their delegates are chicks from the teachers unions.
ReplyDeleteStill, "Hard to Believe!" What a great slogan, right? :D Absolutely, right? AmIright?
I disagree about the Khan thing. It won't cut into Trump's base but it will blunt his growth. Or, rather, Trump will blunt his growth by sticking on this darn issue.
ReplyDeleteAll he had to say was, "I respect this man's sacrifice but we have a problem" and stopped there. Instead he keeps sticking himself in it.
My Dad, who is voting for Trump, compared him to a kid who kicks an ant bed over then keeps coming back and kicking it. He just cannot let things go.
Tinder all the rage at the DNCC? Swipe lefty!
ReplyDeleteKit, The people I've seen mention it see Khan as a plant, nothing more. Right now, the Dems are pushing hard to incite their base and the resulting noise is canceling the various attacks out.
ReplyDeleteThey are also using too many hypocrites. They've been using people who lived off of Trump but who now are attacking him -- game show contestants, upset former partners, former employees, and "secret sources." Long-time Clinton supporters who feel the need to smear Trump (particularly generals). And leftist actors who are trying to claim independence.
The result is that it sounds like a Democratic whine fest. And the public doesn't trust these people.
Eric, LOL! Nice! Yet another good slogan for Hillary!
ReplyDeleteAndrew; "Hard to believe". An instant classic. try this one. Remember the X-Files? condoms with Bill and Hillary on them that say "I want to believe". How 'bout that?
ReplyDeleteGypsyTyger
Kit,
ReplyDeletePeople who stick with Trump are unfazed by his KKK statements, his calling Ted Cruz's father a communist agent involved in a secret conspiracy to kill Kennedy, his attack on a judge for being Hispanic, etc. Going after the Muslim soldier's family rather than ignoring them isn't going to hurt him with those people.
As for the wider pubic, a steady stream of murders by Islamic terrorists has given many Americans qualms about Islam, so I doubt the Khan thing will hurt Trump much there either especially since the family attacked Trump first.
Clinton and her admirers have similarly gone after families of the dead (including Benghazi families) who attacked her. Similarly, Clinton is claiming the FBI stated she has been perfectly honest about e-mails.
Both candidates are utterly awful and would be toast if they weren't facing each other.
"Hard to believe," ha ha! Well played Andrew, well played. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for Star Trek 2: Yeah, no direct quotes come to mind, however...
The left is always up for another Khhaaannn! job (oh great, now You got me playing the sexual nuance game).
Commentarama Politics: come for the politics, stay for the sexual nuance.
Hey, don't blame me, Andrew started it!
Kit, you wouldn't be making these "play nice" demands with a candidate you liked. You're asking for the W strategy. Besides, all the headlines show Khan on the attack and none too sympathetic. The public doesn't sympathize much with whiny soldiers' parents, anyway. Everyone knows what soldiers risk. It's degrading to everyone to act shocked. You think it will be hard for Trump to gather some gold star families who support him and repudiate Khan? Democrats only sidle up to the military when they're desperate.
ReplyDeleteAnthony, the reason Trump supporters are unfazed is because they listen directly to Trump and not the media's version of him. Though I must say, props to the news outlets; it's not easy to invent a caricature of a living caricature. (See also: Milo)
ReplyDeleteEven listening to Trump only works if one is willing to forget/ignore that the thing he just told you contradicts the thing he said five minutes ago.
ReplyDeleteSometimes its hard to tell whether his comments reflect deliberate lies or merely ignorance of some of the issues he has staked out positions on, though he has spoken about Crimea and Russia often enough you'd think he'd be familiar with the issue.
http://fortune.com/2016/08/01/donald-trump-accept-russia-annexation-crimea/
On the topic of Putin and Ukraine, the Republican said: “He’s not going into Ukraine, OK, just so you understand. He’s not gonna go into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down. You can put it down. You can take it anywhere you want.”
ABC’s George Stephanopoulos said, “Well, he’s already there, isn’t he?” Trump replied, “OK. Well, he’s there in a certain way.”
Personally I thought the Khan thing was very compelling and a stroke of genius by the Dems. And inside the DC bubble its all my fellow beltway repubs are talking about is how the DNC really played it well this time and gave solid 1-2-3 punches with their speakers. Polling is also showing the same.
ReplyDeleteKhan's wife's op-ed and Trump's nasty remarks towards Mr. Khan also sent everyone in a tizzy this weekend.
But outside the bubble, I'm guessing no one is paying attention. The old themes of patriotism, honor and "fair play" no longer apply. That went out the window with the passing of obamacare.
Tyranmax,
ReplyDeleteI'm not asking Trump to play nice. I'm asking he not behave like an arrogant boor who gets himself into needless fights.
There are some fights you don't pick. Picking a fight with a Gold Star Family is one of them. Sure, the base will love it but the undecided will be repulsed by his behavior. TRUMP is the one keeping this story alive, not Hillary and not the Khans themselves.
I'm telling you, Trump is blowing this election. The only question is how many Rs he drags down with him.
Oh, and right now Trump is saying that Russia never invaded Ukraine (who does he think is in Eastern Ukraine, Little Green Men?). This is the talk of someone who is dangerously uninformed about the world. His surrogates are promoting that view as well.
ReplyDeleteThis would be like Reagan AND HIS SUPPORTERS in 1980 saying that the Soviets never invaded Afghanistan.
Anthony, you've perfectly illustrated the media's problem when it comes to Trump. They seem incapable of maintaining focus on Trump's gaffes that show he is ignorant of current affairs. Instead, they keep slipping into the tired drumbeat of what an awful person Trump is. It's so very boring. Now, I'd like to suspect this has something to do with how badly their own candidate comes across in similar regards, but really, I think they are just following their playground instincts. As to the self-contradiction, haven't we seen enough Democrats stroll across the national stage to understand how little that matters?
ReplyDeleteSince when did the Dims start respecting the Constitution? The Heritage Institute will send it to you for free..
ReplyDeleteOk, I've calmed down a bit.
ReplyDeleteThe problem Trump has is perfectly illustrated by the Khans. This was a trap, an obvious trap that any politician with a lick of sense would've avoided. Trump, instead, walked right into it.
And every moment he spends focusing on the Khans is a moment he isn't focusing on Hillary Clinton. Yes, the media is trying to crush him but Trump is helping them do it.
The only reason this election is anywhere close to being tight is because Hillary's negatives are also high.
Andrew, that's really awesome what your mom and community are doing for the police!
ReplyDeleteOur community is very supportive as well, and the cops really appreciate it.
I comcur, Kit. Trump seems to think je is still in the primary. If he continues to fall for these obvious traps it will hurt his chances to win.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy to push his buttons and the left will take advantage of that.
TRUMP is the one keeping this story alive,
ReplyDeleteI disagree. I came to this story late, and here's what I see in order of what's most common:
1. Prominent Republicans criticizing Trump - this only serves to solidify Trump's standing as the uncola of GOP candidates.
2. Khan says Trump has a black soul - I can't begin to describe how weak this is as a political attack. It also instantly decimates the idea that the Khans are apolitical and above the fray.
3. Discussion of the optics - This is the mark of a dying story. It's a signal to audiences that you missed it, better luck next time.
4. Lefty outlets chiming in about what an a-hole Trump is - The predictable is inherently uninteresting.
4a. John Oliver Britsplaining - just kill me.
5. Melania's nude photos - Uh, what were we talking about?
6. #TrumpSacrifices - hashtags are the boundaries of echo chambers. The only people seeing this are the people looking for it.
15. What Trump actually said - One actually has to work to find this, which means a lot of people won't. They'll take their cue from whoever they are inclined to believe. So be it. But one claim you can't base off of this is that Trump is the one keeping things alive.
Did Trump fall for a trap? A YUGE part of Trump's strategy has always been to put as much light between himself and the GOP establishment as possible. I don't think that part of his strategy needs to change at all for the general. If anything, Trump has been remarkably canny. He's made a couple mild statements and sat back while the media goes hyperbolic.
ReplyDeleteAlso, remember the time Trump committed treason by telling the Russians to hack Hillary Clinton? No? Sucka!
Right now, my money is on Trump doesn't start campaigning until October.
Tyranmax,
ReplyDelete"my money is on Trump doesn't start campaigning until October."
Back in late-June there was an article quoting Trump's senior aide Karen Giorno stating Trump's campaign "We'll be able to execute by July 1... Mr. Trump insists on hard deadlines."
Well, July 1 came and went so then it was "he'll be ready to campaign after the convention."
And now the convention has come and gone...
If that is his strategy then I would not be surprised if in October we are hearing about how he'll be ready to campaign on November 1 (7 days before election day).
ReplyDeleteThen in the second week of November we'll hear "it wasn't about winning but about sending a message to Washington."
Trump's initial interview with George Stephanopoulos (no idea if I spelled that right and I don't care) was okay except for two statements: "Gazela Khan was probably forbidden from saying anything because of Sharia" and "I've made lots of sacrifices."
ReplyDeleteA disciplined campaign would've made sure he never said those two things but when he did the thing blew up and he, being Trump, doubled-down so now it's likely going to be the story of the week.
Here is what I would've said if I were Trump:
"Listen, the Khans seem like a great family and I thank them for their sacrifice. I am sure there are many Muslim-Americans like the Khans who love their country and who, like their son, would die for it. But we have a problem in that we aren't quite sure who is coming over here and until we can properly vet them we need to be more careful."
G. Stephanopoulos: "What about their claim you've never made a sacrifice."
"I've done very well in this country and now I want to give back. I want to give back in whatever small way I can."
And then you shut up and don't talk about it again except for boiler-plate "I thank/respect them for their sacrifice" statements.
But Trump cannot shut up.
Kit -
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's my OCD but I had to check and you did spell "Stephanopoulos" correctly. :-)
A funny idea appeared on my Twitter feed: someone suggested we should start taking bets on when Trump bows out, claiming the system is rigged and that he's just not interested anymore.
P.S. Kit - are you on Facebook? You can find me here.
Scott,
ReplyDeleteI have an upside-down cat on my profile picture.
Kit -
ReplyDeleteYeah, I saw that. I didn't expect you to find me, like, right now. :-)
Thanks GypsyTyger! I liked it! :D
ReplyDeleteAs for an X-Files slogan, that would be pretty appropriate for Hillary all right.
Anthony, It's hard to see how Trump slamming a guy who was playing politics with his son's death will matter any more than Hillary attacking the mothers of the Benghazi victims.
ReplyDeleteThanks Allena!! "Khhaaannn! job" That's fantastic! :)
ReplyDeletetryanmax, The Democrats are really good at being aggrieved and shocked. That doesn't work for them with voters though.
ReplyDeleteThis guy went to an ultra-partisan political convention and attacked Trump in the name of a religion that seems to be determined to destroy America and Europe. Then he whined when Trump fired back. Big whoop.
Critch, They only care about the Constitution when it looks good in the ads.
ReplyDeleteAllena, I agree. I think it's great that the public seems to be spontaneously showing their support. None of this is manufactured like protests on the left are.
ReplyDeleteOne point on Trump, sort of, I find it amazing that anyone buys the "what sacrifice" line. The left no only routinely dismisses the sacrifices the military makes (and instead warps them into sins of a love for violence), but they are the MASTERS of turning bullshit into sacrifice. Didn't kill yourself when you got cancer? Survived bullying? Took the trouble to wear a pink ribbon? Wow, such heroic sacrifices you've made.
ReplyDeleteThis is just more blatant hypocritical manipulation.
And seriously, I'm not getting enough love for that condom thing. Come on, people. ;)
ReplyDeleteKit, you've taken yourself out of the conversation. Trump never said a word about Sharia in regards to the Khans. Just as many critics interpret Trump's comments as suggesting the DNC shut Mrs. Khan up, so you can't even say the implication is obvious.
ReplyDeleteFor my part, I'm just amazed by how many honest, hard critiques against Trump get left on the table in favor of this gotcha nonsense!
Here, I feel the need to prove my fairness by attempting to deflect a gotcha aimed at Hillary. I have to go back to March because I missed this at the time. Apparently Hillary was blasted for praising Nancy Reagan on the occasion of her funeral. The idea being that the Reagans didn't do enough to address the AIDS epidemic. That's silly. But my sympathy for Hillary is blunted as she issued an apology and smeared Nancy in the process. Sorry, that's the best I can do.
Andrew, I'm loving the condom joke! Never let it be said that Hillary received a flaccid endorsement. Although, one wonders about how much upper level support she requires. That's a bra joke, BTW.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Thanks! Nice addition with the bra joke.
ReplyDeleteLiberals are funny, when Margaret Trudeau was flaunting her body all over the news, she was a fiercely independent feminist icon...but somehow Melania Trump is bad..don't get it...liberals are invariably hypocrites..
ReplyDeleteBTW, the mental image of Hillary Clinton being tied to a sex joke makes me shudder..
Her cat Socks died when it jumped up in her lap and froze to death...
Wait, I didn't see any mental images so I want my money back!
ReplyDeleteActually not having a mental image is it's own reward 😏
ReplyDeleteMy mind blocked the image for being too obscene and dangerous. 😳
ReplyDeleteSee, it's conversations like this that get us blocked for "sexual content"! I'm shocked, SHOCKED, I say!
ReplyDeleteHeh, good jokes, though the most subtle one I've ever seen was in Mass Effect 2 and involved an alien admiral not realizing that he would, indeed, be worse off if he changed his ship designation from vas Qwib-Qwib to vas Defrahns or vas Iktomi. The dialogue people can come up with, huh? And I'll consider that one more reason to avoid Tinder, though dating sites and apps in general are considered pretty awful these days.
ReplyDeleteAs for Trump I'm getting whiplash trying to figure out how this campaign is going to go... On one hand he still seems to hit the verbal Ex-Lax too often and from my local observations you can safely call him Goldwater for Hispanics - I don't know a single one that doesn't completely and utterly despise him and they're all ready to vote Democrat to end Trump and his racist party. Yet Hillary can't keep herself out of corruption scandals and, as you've often pointed out, she's as grating and unlikeable as it gets. I'm still giving the edge to Hillary and the Democrats but this whole thing is a mess regardless.
- Daniel
Bev, Hmm. You might be onto something! LOL!
ReplyDeleteDaniel, Right now, there's a full court press against Trump. Every leftist in the media, every leftist blogger, and every leftist politician is turning anything into TRUMP IS SATAN!! Just ignore it. It's the same thing you get every election... seen it all before. It doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTyranmax,
ReplyDeleteThat is how many people took it; that he was implying she was silent because of Sharia.
Kit, I beat you to that talking point. The interpretations are ~50/50. Besides, that's not even being hammered on because it would remind the public about Sharia law. In other words, the implication would tie the concept to the DNC and become a positive for Trump.
ReplyDeleteInstead, the whole thing has been boiled down to pondering just how off-limits gold star families are. Are they completely untouchable? Or just mostly? That's shaky ground because it tips the hand a bit. The consensus of all good people (including yourself) is that Trump should not have said anything.
That's a good headline, BTW. Stephanopoulos stumps Trump on the Khans; can't answer for his 'black soul.' Point being, there was going to be a story here either way. Trump spotted it with his "who wrote that?" retort. I'm surprised you don't see that.
In any case, you claim Trump is the one breathing life into this. Absolutely not so. If Trump raised the Khans five fewer times, he'd have to mention them once just to get back to zero. At multiple campaign stops yesterday, Trump mentioned them not once. Hillary, on the other hand, had Warren Buffett doing her dirty work. BTW, Warren has never sacrificed anything. I say we all raid his home and take his ill-gotten gain. Maybe start a Change.org petition to dissolve Berkshire Hathaway, since it's all stolen anyhow.