Three-Dot Thursday
I haven't done one of these types of column in a while, but figured it was a good time to do so, since I punted on writing yesterday to get interviewed on HuffPost Live and since tomorrow is our annual Hallowe'en column, with a scary nightmare story for both left and right. Because of all this, there's been a lot of political news made this week and I have nowhere else to talk about it all than here.
"Three-dot" is, as always, an homage to the late, great Herb Caen's column about San Francisco (which he charmingly called "Baghdad By The Bay" -- this was before our recent wars there, I should mention). The format is simple: short commentary separated by ellipses (...) -- hence "three-dot journalism." So with no further explanations necessary, here we go...
...So there was a Republican debate last night, and everybody wound up hating the moderators and the network which hosted it. Out of all the clamor against CNBC, nobody could quite agree on why the awfulness level was so high, but everyone agreed it was a Titanic-level disaster. Some decried what they called "gotcha" questions, and they do have a point when one of the questions (to Donald Trump, but even so...) was: "Is this a comic-book version of a presidential campaign?" Trump missed a great comeback to this, which would have been: "No, but this sure seems to be a comic-book version of a presidential debate"...
...Some tried to complain that the network was part of that vast liberal media conspiracy, but that doesn't really square with reality. CNBC is where the call to arms which created (and named) the Tea Party happened, after all. It's relentlessly conservative in its financial outlook and has never met a tax it didn't want to see cut. CNBC is not NBC or MSNBC, in other words. If these guys are too liberal, soon Republican debates will all have to be moderated by Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter. Or Attila the Hun, maybe...
...Others complained that the questions weren't "substantive," which is pure balderdash because the questions that spurred the candidates to directly attack the questioner were pretty much all very substantive questions (that the candidates just didn't want to answer). With the exception, at the end, of the fantasy football question, all the rest were serious policy questions. So this complaint is just not valid at all...
...Still others complained that the candidates weren't allowed to interact with each other much, and it is true that the moderators did a pretty terrible job of, you know, moderating the debate. However, the previous debate (held on CNN) was entirely designed to spur candidates to address each other directly, and a lot of Republicans hated that format, too. So it's hard to know what could make the debate better for them, really...
...My own final take on debate problems is that one of the biggest problems -- in all of these debates -- is the "celebrity journalists" asking the questions. The journalists are, in fact, in direct competition with the candidates themselves for coming up with the most memorable soundbite of the evening. "Aren't I clever?" scream these zingers from the moderators (such as that "comic-book" quip, above). My recommendation for making the debates better: get some wonky questioners who aren't egotists up there to ask some serious questions. But maybe that's just personal bias or something, I dunno...
...As for who won and lost, the pundits' verdict is in: Jeb Bush is toast. As one columnist put it (I think Greg Sargent of the Washington Post, but I am too lazy to look it up): "That clattering sound you hear is the chorus of Bush donor checkbooks slamming shut." Heh. Pretty much sums it up, don't you think? Even more brutal was what I read in a "Jeb Is Toast" article's comment section (too lazy to look this one up, too), where someone quoted Monty Python's Holy Grail: "It's just a flesh wound." Ouch...
...The debate only pulled in 14 million viewers -- higher than previous years, it is true, but way down from the 20-plus million the first two debates managed. Is the public losing interest?...
...And one final thought on the debate itself -- while the pundits are all having fun with the whole "winners and losers" listicle thing, the final verdict is not yet actually in. What the Republican voters thought of the debate won't become apparent until next week, which gives the pollsters enough time to measure the public's reaction. Pundits can pour love on a candidate all they want, but if the voters don't feel the same way, it doesn't matter. So I'm waiting for the polls to see who really "won" and "lost" last night. Except for the bit about Jeb! having to turn in his exclamation point -- that one sure feels right...
...We now have a new Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan. Good luck to him and all of that, but we are going to have to refuse his request to, from now on, refer to him as "Paul D. Ryan." Pretentiousness is not the way to start a new job, to put it simply. As one late-night comic pointed out (again, too lazy to look it up), this means we could instead call him "Pauly D" -- which I don't think is what he was really going for. We'll be sticking to the pedestrian "Paul Ryan," thank you very much...
...John Boehner's final legacy will be saving the Republican Party from several very ugly situations before the next election. His compromise two-year (until after the election, in other words) deal managed to hammer out a budget, avoid all the poison-pill nonsense from the Tea Party, and raise the debt ceiling. Boehner, in fact, spectacularly achieved his final goal of (as he put it) "cleaning out the barn" so Ryan wouldn't be faced with multiple government shutdowns his first day in office. For this gigantic gift to the party, he will be excoriated by Republicans for months to come, of course...
...Over in the other side's presidential nomination race, Hillary Clinton's campaign took umbrage at a comment from Bernie Sanders's campaign, which the Clintonistas said was sexist. The comment was, in essence, that Bernie would give Clinton more respect than Obama did because they'd consider her for veep. Now, the comment was certainly snarky, definitely insulting, and perhaps even downright condescending, but it truly had nothing to do with her gender. So the moral of the story is that the Clinton team will be playing the "sexism card" early, and often, throughout the campaign...
...Bernie seems to have locked up the marijuana vote. This subject is indeed worthy of an entire column, which I will likely write next week. Bernie is about to (he's leaked the idea, but I don't think he's given his big town hall speech on it yet) come out in full support of the federal government removing marijuana from the entire "scheduling" system. In the marijuana activist world, this is known as "descheduling" (as opposed to the half-step of "rescheduling") marijuana. What this would mean is that marijuana still wouldn't be legal by federal law -- but it also wouldn't really be illegal. This would leave the issue up to the states, at least for now. Even now, almost a century after Prohibition, there are still "dry" counties in the United States where you cannot buy alcohol. Marijuana legalization would follow the same path -- some places would allow it, some wouldn't, but it would not be a federal crime anymore. In any case, as I said, this is worthy of an entire column, but for now it looks like Bernie will completely own the single-issue marijuana vote. Which might turn out to be bigger than anyone now realizes...
...And, finally, we had a gigantic bag of hot air (helium, actually, but "hot air" sounds better...) break loose from the D.C. area and threaten people as far away as Pennsylvania. Boy, the jokes just write themselves on that one!
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
My recommendation for making the debates better: get some wonky questioners who aren't egotists up there to ask some serious questions.
That's a great idea and I know the perfect guy for the job. Heh.
Seriously, you are the perfect guy for the job!
The next time you get interviewed - and every time, thereafter - I suggest you keep repeating "this is the question I'd like to ask the candidates" ... etc. etc. And, then enumerate all the serious questions, with elaboration, that you can in the time given to the point where people everywhere will be saying, 'What would Chris Weigant ask?' and, eventually, you will be on the panel of a future debate!!!
Until then, I simply cannot watch another one ... debate, that is. :)
Regarding Spkr. Ryan's ascent this week: there was a time, not so long ago, when Paul Ryan was seen as a member of the far-right. To that point this reader comment, in its entirety, was seen on Gawker today:
(found here, retrieved 10/29/2015)
All the more reason to refer to the Speaker as Paul D. Ryan.
Sorry, the link reference didn't make it in for #2 above: http://gawker.com/rep-paul-d-ryan-elected-speaker-of-the-house-god-hel-1739396191
The Democrats now have their choice for Speaker Of The House..
I wonder how long it takes til the Dems start whining that they can't work with this guy...
A week?? Two??
Michale
This is the best coverage of the debate so far.. :D
Marko Ramius Rubio
http://ramblingmanblog.com/marko-ramius-rubio/
Michale
...Some tried to complain that the network was part of that vast liberal media conspiracy, but that doesn't really square with reality. CNBC is where the call to arms which created (and named) the Tea Party happened, after all. It's relentlessly conservative in its financial outlook and has never met a tax it didn't want to see cut. CNBC is not NBC or MSNBC, in other words.
I find it difficult to believe that ANY component of NBC would be considered conservative..
Being a flaming hysterical Left Winger seems to be a job requirement at AND faction of NBC...
Michale
Being a flaming hysterical Left Winger seems to be a job requirement at AND faction of NBC...
Grrrrr....
Lysdexia strikes again...
Being a flaming hysterical Left Winger seems to be a job requirement at ANY faction of NBC...
Michale
Oh carp!!
I'm going back to bed!!
Michale
Until then, I simply cannot watch another one ... debate, that is. :)
Aw com'on Liz.. Debates are fun..
Democrat Debate Question
"Do you like puppies?"
Republican Debate Question
"When did you stop beating your wife?"
How can that NOT be fun?? :D
Michale
You make a good point, Michale ... no, you make a very good point.
Heh.
Thank you..
I have my moments, few and far between though they may be.. :D
Michale
Everyone,
I just listened to an impassioned speech delivered yesterday at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace by Secretary of State John Kerry on US policy in the Middle East, just before he traveled to Vienna for talks today on Syria with Russia, Iran and others in an effort to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
Here is the link if you'd like to listen to the whole speech which is about an hour long ...
http://carnegieendowment.org/2015/10/26/u.s.-secretary-of-state-john-kerry-on-future-of-u.s.-policy-in-middle-east/ik9g
I look forward to further discussion ...
Michale (9):
The poor Repubs had hard questions? And the Dems had easy questions? What kinds of whiny crybabies are these guys? I mean really. This is just sad.
Meanwhile, of course, Hillary endures 11 hours of extremely hostile questioning by a rotating group of inquisitors and she walks away unscathed.
Who do I want in the White House? Certainly not people who cry that a bunch of CNBC corporate toadies are pickin' on them! Whaaaaa!
Having said that, by all means, Repubs, keep it up! Do everything you can to alienate the MSM and to portray yourselves as thinskinned, ignorant serial liars. Keep it up, keep it up, keep it up!
To be fair, it wasn't MY point... I have seen it on several COMMENT sections and thought it was funny as hell...
"It's funny 'cause it's true.."
-Homer Simpson
:D
Michale
Meanwhile, of course, Hillary endures 11 hours of extremely hostile questioning by a rotating group of inquisitors and she walks away unscathed.
You're comparing a campaign debate with a hearing on why 4 Americans were brutally murdered because Hillary was too busy raking in donations TO DO HER FRAKING JOB and why she lied about it afterwards??
To quote you, "That's just sad.."
Who do I want in the White House? Certainly not people who cry that a bunch of CNBC corporate toadies are pickin' on them! Whaaaaa!
Who do *I* want in the White House??
Certainly not someone who over 60% of Americans think is a liar, dishonest and untrustworthy...
Michale
Having said that, by all means, Repubs, keep it up! Do everything you can to alienate the MSM
Like that matters..
The MSM is already in the pocket of the Left Wingery in toto...
It's not that they could be ANY MORE Left Wing than they are now..
Michale
Just out of curiosity, have the wars that the US is involved in these days ever come up at any of the presidential debates, in any way?
Liz,
Not really.. At least nothing substantive..
Democrats fawning over how awesome Obama's "LEAD FROM BEHIND" aka COWARD OF THE COUNTRY strategy is...
Republicans trying to out-RAMBO each other on how they can single-handidly take down ISIS..
Same ol, Same ol....
Michale
Who do I want in the White House? Certainly not people who cry that a bunch of CNBC corporate toadies are pickin' on them! Whaaaaa!
Who do *I* want in the White House??
Certainly not someone who over 60% of Americans think is a liar, dishonest and untrustworthy...
Put it another way..
A whiny wimp can learn bravery and courage..
A liar and a cheat???
THAT's for life...
Michale
Put it another way..
A whiny wimp can learn bravery and courage..
"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? "
-God, EVAN ALMIGHTY
:D
Michale
And, apropos of nothing...
"The way things are going, if he gets any crazier, we might end up in the White House."
-Rita, EVAN ALMIGHTY
Simply because it's funny as hell!! :D
Michale
Certainly not people who cry that a bunch of CNBC corporate toadies are pickin' on them! Whaaaaa!
Hillary Clinton. There is some circumstantial evidence that indicates you had a hand in the murder of Vince Foster. Are you a comic book villain running for President??
Now, tell me honestly, Paula...
Your brain would have exploded and you would have screamed hysterically to high heaven if Hillary was asked a question like that..
Don't bother denying it because you and I both know it's true..
So, would it be fair to criticize Hillary's reaction to such an obvious attack "question" as "whining" and "complaining that corporate toadies are picking on" her??
That's the point that you never seem to get..
Every complaint, every whine, every attack that you level at the Right can be turned RIGHT AROUND and made to stick against yer precious Hillary...
Hillary is EVERYTHING you hate about the Right and so much less...
Michale
And what's REALLY funny, what's REALLY hilarious...
"I'm sorry... I think it's funny, I think it's a hoot..."
-Tony Stark, AVENGERS, AGE OF ULTRON
... is that practically EVERYONE here **AGREED** with me about Hillary Clinton...
Right up to the time that her coronation was assured...
Now THAT is a hoot... :D
Michale
There’s No Evidence In Clinton White House Documents For Clintons’ Story On Anti-Gay Law
http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/how-the-clinton-white-house-handled-doma-in-1996-in-their-ow#.xiZWgB5D2Z
Hillary Clinton's lies laid bare for all to see.....
Michale
Michale,
Not really... At least nothing substantive ...
So, we don't know what Hillary or the Republican nominee would do about the Islamic State, in particular, or about Middle East policy, in general?
When do you think we'll find out about all of that?
When do you think we'll find out about all of that?
If we're lucky, soon after their sworn in...
Plans before?? Not really pertinent...
NO military plan survives contact with the enemy
-Old Military Axiom
Michale
When do you think we'll find out about all of that?
If we're lucky, soon after their sworn in...
Plans before?? Not really pertinent...
NO military plan survives contact with the enemy
-Old Military Axiom
Michale
Don't get me wrong..
I am not knocking the idea of prior planning..
But what you are talking about are POLITICAL plans.. Plans that change based on the whim of a focus group or partisan poll..
I am talking about MILITARY plans... Granted, military plans change as well.. But those changes are based on logical and rational circumstances... A change in weather.. A new enemy commander.. etc etc...
Michale
That's not what I'm taking about Michale ... oh, forget about it!
That's not what I'm taking about Michale ... oh, forget about it!
No, com'on! I seriously want to have this discussion..
What do you mean by "plans" from the candidates??
I'm here for ya.. :D
Michale
I want to know about their foreign policy philosophy. And, by foreign policy, I don't mean use of military force.
Although, I would like to know if any of the candidates believes that the only way you beat ISIS is through direct and overwhelming use of military force, since military force is all you seem to think about.
ANOTHER of Hillary's lies exposed..
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/proof-hillary-sent-classified-info_1055964.html
She DID send classified intel thru her homebrew insecure bathroom closet email server..
There is a perp-walk in Hillary's future.. :D
Michale
I'd like to know what the candidates think about the talks going on now in Vienna Re. Syria.
Michale (22): That's pretty much the nature of the questions she was given during the inquisition and her response was to answer them.
The Repubs crying about "unfair questions" make themselves look like wimps who need Mommy to come and make the big meanie-question-asker leave him alone!!!
Trump could have made a joke or done any number of things with the comic-book question and come out ahead. Whining about the questions is, I think, the worst way to respond, especially for people who constantly assert how tough they are.
However, as I say, I'd just a soon they keep it up. Now they're blowing off NBC altogether. They're taking their ball and going home. So there! That'll convince America they should be in charge of the most powerful country in the world.
Paula,
Michale (22): That's pretty much the nature of the questions she was given during the inquisition and her response was to answer them.
Why do you insist on comparing the debates to the hearing?
You are comparing apples and alligators..
However, as I say, I'd just a soon they keep it up. Now they're blowing off NBC altogether. They're taking their ball and going home. So there! That'll convince America they should be in charge of the most powerful country in the world.
As opposed to Democrats whining and crying that they won't even debate on Fox News?? :D
Once again, you prove that everything you throw at the Right can be thrown right back at the Left.. :D
Michale
I'd like to know what the candidates think about the talks going on now in Vienna Re. Syria.
The fact that Iran is part of Vienna tells me all I need to know about what's going on in Vienna...
Michale
Now THIS is interesting..
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/clinton-boosted-benghazi-security-for-libyan-pm-emails/article/2575364
Hillary was apparently involved in Libya enough to increase security for the Libyan Prime Minister in Benghazi, but apparently NOT involved enough to save the lives of 4 Americans in Benghazi, including her own ambassador..
The GOP is going to have a field day with this.. The political ads practically write themselves...
Michale
I'd like to know what the candidates think about the talks going on now in Vienna Re. Syria.
The fact that Iran is part of Vienna tells me all I need to know about what's going on in Vienna...
I don't mean to be so pessimistic, but I simply cannot see anything good coming from ANYTHING that Iran is associated with..
To put it into a context you can readily understand, it's the same idea as ya'all thinking that nothing good could come from ANYTHING the Republican Party is associated with..
Same concept.. :D
Michale
David, Mopshell....
Two of the lies ya'all said weren't lies have been exposed as.. ahem... well.... True lies... :D
Care to comment??
:D
Michale
Two of the lies ya'all said weren't lies have been exposed as.. ahem... well.... True lies... :D
I stand corrected...
Only one of Hillary's lies was a previously mentioned lie..
The other is a whole new Hillary lie..
Jeeezus, you need a playbill to keep track of all of Hillary's lies...
Michale
And just think!!
We have a WHOLE YEAR of this to look forward to! :D
I don't know about you, but I'm excited..
"This ship is exciting!"
-Scotty, STAR TREK 90210
:D
Michale
However, as I say, I'd just a soon they keep it up. Now they're blowing off NBC altogether. They're taking their ball and going home. So there! That'll convince America they should be in charge of the most powerful country in the world.
As opposed to Democrats whining and crying that they won't even debate on Fox News?? :D
And, if I recall correctly, Democrats used the EXACT same reasons that the GOP is using with NBC...
Gotcha... :D
Michale
And, if I recall correctly, Democrats used the EXACT same reasons that the GOP is using with NBC...
And if I further recall correctly, the Right made the EXACT same arguments against the Left that you are making against the Right..
Iddn't it funny how everything is the same, only the Party names are different. :D
Michale
Michale,
Have the candidates ever discussed the Asia-Pacific pivot in any of the debates, so far?
The fact that Iran is part of Vienna tells me all I need to know about what's going on in Vienna...
Does this explain why we are not hearing anything about how to solve the problem of Syria from any of the candidates and why it never comes up in any of the debates?
The debates have also not covered US drone policy - internationally or domestically. Why are critical topics such as these not covered in the debates?
If the candidates are not discussing these important issues during the debates or on the campaign trail, then how are Americans to assess the relative judgement of these candidates when it comes to developing sound strategies and policies to deal with them?
Of course, I am assuming that Americans actually care about these issues ...
Michale,
I would think that you would be very interested in the various views on these issues as expressed by the different candidates, if only because it may point up many, many differences between the two parties ...
Maybe we just have to wait for the real debates - the ones between the respective nominees for president - to find out where the two parties stand on the issues.
That may be too late but, what are you going to do ...
Chris,
Are you planning to attend the Democratic convention next year? It may be the most unpredictable such gathering in a very long time! To say nothing of the Republican convention ...
Maybe we just have to wait for the real debates - the ones between the respective nominees for president - to find out where the two parties stand on the issues.
Very true...
Any "plan" that is made during the Primary is nothing more than Red Meat for the base and has little to no bearing on actual plans...
80%-90% of what Primary Candidates say can be ignored...
Michale
The debates have also not covered US drone policy - internationally or domestically. Why are critical topics such as these not covered in the debates?
That's easy...
Because the GOP is all in for Drones...
The Dem side doesn't want to embarrass Obama...
PARTY UBER ALLES
Michale
That's not the kind of discussion of the issues I want to have, Michale.
It's not about whether the candidates are for or against drones ... it's about how effectively they are put to use. That's what I would like to see them discuss ...
It's not about whether the candidates are for or against drones ... it's about how effectively they are put to use. That's what I would like to see them discuss ...
Democrats won't have that discussion for the reason I outlined above..
Just as the can't have the discussion on how best to utilize domestic surveillance..
As far as the drones issue goes, I don't think any discussion is necessary...
The US is utilizing them in just the right manner..
One of the few things that Obama is actually doing right..
But the candidates won't have that discussion, as much as we would like them to...
For the reasons I outlined above...
Michale
It's actually funny, Liz..
Obama and the Democrats came into office promising to end the 2 wars in the Midddle East....
Obama is leaving office having THREE wars going on in the Middle East...
To paraphrase Toby Keith...
"How do you like {him} now???"
:D
Michale