DRW50

Speaking of the above: There's no way this isn't going to end in wide-scale violence. There have been too many narrow escapes recently. The PA stuff from Gingrich reminds me of 2012 when the GOP tried to claim Philly cheated and that's how Obama won. I guess they know how the setup goes. The Texas info is interesting as pundits (admittedly they are somewhat right-leaning) like Dave Wasserman have mentioned how the early vote numbers are much stronger in Trump 2016 counties, and also there are articles about Beto and Julian Castro being angry Biden isn't doing more. I never thought Texas would flip, but I hope that the rush of Trump support we're seeing that was inevitably coming through much of the country as we get closer to Election Day doesn't mean there is no chance they take back the Texas house.

How awful can one paper get???

Marco Rubio is a loathsome grifter who is still paraded around as some kind of sympathetic conservative hero for a new age by the press.

Thanks for all these updates and photos. Jo Weil is as handsome as ever. It's interesting to hear more about the precautions taken. I was watching some clips from a non-German soap, Rantabaari, and they still seem to have graphic sex scenes. I guess maybe that was pre-COVID, unless their country was never hit hard.

I could post so many others from publications that were once worth respecting, like the man who runs Mother Jones. These people need Trump so much and the narrative of their flawed but fascinating hero becoming a Real President. If he loses, they are going to do anything they can to kneecap Democrats for ending their gravy train.

Those were also Frank Luntz's talking points - people are disappointed and don't like anyone. Those are Republican talking points (most of his undecideds were Trump voters), but they register. So do a lot of the other tricks on display (CNN talking about how Biden will be mocked for looking at his watch, Politico saying this was the Trump we should have had in the first debate and he came out strong, the obsessive press focus on the oil issue, the press reminding Bernie voters that Biden distances himself from the left, etc.). Debates don't win or lose elections, but if some of the snap polls had about 41% supporting his performance and 7% undecided, that's probably not far off his level of support in voting. It's going to be a full court press for the media these last two weeks; ideally Biden can eke out a narrow win and Democrats can somehow win or tie the Senate.

Let me guess - they are still undecided, or they support Trump. Here we are with the media trying to help Trump with ideas (again). This will likely help Republicans in the House and Senate (I've been wary of Democrats picking up the Senate anyway), but Trump doesn't give a damn about this type of stuff.

Welker was actually highly praised by Republicans until the last week when they decided to dogpile on her and attack her parents to give excuses for Trump's poor performance in advance. Is it me or does that "pillows and sheets" sound like some Qanon code? Thanks for the synopses, @Vee . I can't imagine the media hot takes...

Enraging. (and this is not an isolated incident lately)

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/30/iranian-film-chess-of-the-wind-reborn-mohammad-reza-aslani-bfi-london-film-festival

I agree Fooliani has always been loathsome...but I don't have much use for Sacha Baron Cohen yet again playing these attention whore games with right wing grifters, sucking up media space for tricks that can inadvertently make them seem like victims of a setup or gotcha. He did this with Sarah Palin too a few years ago. He is just too exhausting and feels like he should have been left back to 15 years ago.

As you said, the premiere would have been a nice idea. Or one of the 30th anniversary episodes, if they wanted to use a large cast. I don't want to be ungrateful, it's wonderful to see these legends again...but...that was not an episode to go out on.

I'd rather watch the cast read the script for Showgirls than that finale.

Eerie how this has been two a day several times now this year.

Thanks for the clips @Forever8 You and @I Am A Swede might be interested in this. I'm going to tag @vetsoapfan and @NothinButAttitude @All My Shadows as well. It's the episode where Jackie Merrick dies. Other than the Pete/Rachel material, which isn't awful, but still grosses me out and feels like the real shift toward more needlessly melodramatic times, it's a slice-of-life episode with a lot of warmth and light alongside melancholy, and a slight unease in the air leading up to the final scene. That scene is impeccably done - a world away from what you get on soaps like EastEnders now with an emo woe chorus blaring from the skies. (in case anyone is curious, this was that strange year or two year period where Clive Hornby [Jack] had left the show) https://m.facebook.com/groups/410762128980321?view=permalink&id=3463775230345647&_rdr#_=_

Chloe Fineman and Alex Moffat are very very funny (with Mikey Day as their straight man). Probably the only thing of worth out of this Presidency.

I wonder if Roberts has any regrets over his monstrous destruction of the VRA.

I know some on the right have claimed the early numbers are good for Republicans - I haven't checked as they always lie, but I imagine Democrats will have an advantage in that vote which is then matched by Republicans on Election Day. My main worry is how many of those mailed in votes are going to disappear. I hope most people, if they can, are voting on the day, but I am not one to make those proclamations as I am voting by mail this year. It's bad for Trump, good for Senate Republicans. They can claim they are the party of austerity (with various outlets like NYT already pushing stuff about the deficit again), crash the economy, and blame Biden for it if he wins, setting up a comeback narrative in 2022. I just hope Democrats can win the Senate because if they don't then Republicans will do nothing, other than investigate Hunter and wait for the clock to run out.

Let's hope. Flop sweat alert. They're lucky Biden is so into bipartisanship as that's the slim chance they have of this not happening if Democrats win the Senate - a decision they created and they are wholly responsible for.

Greenwald is still pushing this nonstop, trying to create outrage over the Ukraine prosecutor. I'd say I hope this makes people finally see through him, but if going on !@#$%^&*] Carlson's show over and over won't do it, what will.

I think it's going to be very close. Right now if I had to guess I'd say a narrow Biden win, with a lot of litigation and street violence, and a tied or R+1/2 Senate. I hope I'm wrong and it's better for the Democrats but I think there's just too much boiling under the surface.

The NC stuff feels like Trump's people trying a psy-op...it's going to be very close. It's disappointing and depressing, if not surprising, how much the message of just give up about COVID and let it happen has resonated. The one that bothers me most is people who say, "Who cares if cases are going up? People are dying less, so the treatment has improved!" Yes, who cares about incredibly expensive treatment that still leaves someone with longtime health problems. We are such a callous, heartless country. I'm also not surprised that Trump is pivoting to trying to drive up hate against Fauci, hoping it will egg up more base turnout. Whether it will work depends on how successful the voter suppression efforts are. The sooner the Democrats don't need Florida to win, the better. Trends are not good there and it is not worth the time or money.