DRW50

I've never thought the Republicans would lose Congress. That's one of the reasons this is one of the few political forums I post in - because in places that are too devoted to politics, people are more likely to blindly believe in a "blue wave," or too likely to believe it will never happen and use that to viciously attack the Democrats and Democratic leaders because of their own agendas (anarchy, Berniebro-ing, being a secret Republican plant, what have you). The media has been greasing the "it's a comeback!!!" wheels for a while now, as they do around this time every two years, because the media would sell every vital organ they have to keep Republicans in power. This is a very recent article, which lays out why the Republicans are on the comeback. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/18/midterms-republicans-house-913906 I resent that so much focus is being put on Kavanaugh, because I think they were likely going to come back no matter what. They have over and over and over again. (I'm aware one of the big reasons for the eventual wins is voter suppression - I'm talking more about the enthusiasm that happens before voting) I feel like the press already has their "Men Strike Back" articles ready for the day after the elections, as I imagine the debates and anguish over abuse and harassment of women has upset them as much as it has upset the GOP (we certainly know how much it has upset CBS and NBC). They desperately want Kavanaugh to be the reason because it suits the agenda that not only keeps their Republican friends in power, but also keeps them in power. You can see how confident the Republicans are, thanks to increased base frenzy as well as knowing that thanks to voter suppression and intimidation, they already have many races locked down. You can see it because their goals for next year, announced to get votes, are pure red meat for the base. The days of throwing out token items to appeal to some alleged "swing voter" are long gone. These voters don't matter - and in many cases, they still end up voting for poverty, hate and bigotry anyway. I have a great deal of respect for Nancy Pelosi, but I do wonder if numbers would improve if she would announce she won't run for Speaker. There are so many talented candidates who have plans and goals, but it doesn't matter, because all the average sees is Speaker Pelosi and many, many investigations of Trump. I knew all the outsized media focus on how much time would be spent on investigations (which many people can't relate to and likely feel uneasy about) would hurt their numbers, and it looks like it probably has. The Democrats presumably have lots of detailed items on what they will do to help people if they are elected, but unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, absolutely none of that has broken through. 2018 is 2016 is 2014, and so on and so forth.

I think they are obsessed with the idea of the "heartland." Joe Sixpack. NASCAR dad. Flyover country. To them these people are just the newest strand. They can cluck their tongues yet secretly yearn for what they believe is the average male identity of today. Beyond that, NBC News is run by conservative white men. They likely share more of the views of these men than we realize.

Thanks for finding that.

Larry said he was at the hospital when he heard Ed was going so he went along. I was a bit surprised at that heavy psychoanalysis from Larry as I didn't think OLTL was written that way by 1981 - it seemed more like Agnes Nixon's type of writing. Maybe they were trying to help explain to fed up viewers why Viki had ever gotten with Ted. This is one of the strongest examples I've seen of the Viki/Larry relationship - the bond between them is so clear. Christine and Michael Storm work very well together. I think part of the reason may be because Erika Slezak was more like Michael Storm in her performances, so there wasn't as much of a contrast as we got here. I could actually see this Viki and Larry as a couple, oddly enough. This is the most I've ever seen of Christine Jones as Viki (and it's more than I ever thought I'd see). She's doing a lot of her Janice Frame, as Janice was so mentally broken by the time she died. It's certainly interesting to watch, although I have a feeling months of this would have been exhausting. I think Erika ended up taking the right time for her maternity leave as this type of material would not have suited her - can you really see her Viki being drugged and being a shell of herself, etc.? I see this is back when Bo still had an accent. Lovely scenes with Asa in Clint's room. It's so nice to see a beauty shot at the end. And that closing theme - I've never heard that version. Lovely.

I still wish they could have worked something out like McTavish and Broderick both writing (although McTavish may not have wanted that), but watching some early 1995 I can see why they moved on to Broderick. One episode I watched, every single story in the episode was about a woman losing a child or wanting to get pregnant, with the exception of a story with Julia keeping watch over a young gay man dying of AIDS. That story was surprisingly good (the guy was a good actor, and it was oddly rare for a soap to actually say that yes, a lot of gay men were dying of AIDS, even in 1995), but very bleak.

Their original story was much more negative. The EW one also had negative framing, focusing on being down from last season's premiere. I get the feeling the press wanted it to be an outright flop as it fit their narrative. EW's site is so cheap and ugly and feels irrelevant these days, but still, I was shocked that 99% of the comments in the comments section were just right wing talking points.

I wasn't sure about watching the premiere, but was finally pushed to do so by all the whiny bitches and trolls going on and on and on about how the cast had stabbed Roseanne Barr in the back and how the whole thing deserved to fail miserably. (I also have no time for this idea being pushed that this death was degrading or demeaning...if you want that, go watch Aunt Fran's death on Mama's Family). The ratings seem decent considering they were going to be declining anyway, with or without Roseanne. I have seen people say these ratings are artificial because people wanted to know how she died. That's somewhat true, obviously, but the audience was highly polarized (online, anyway) compared to most situations like this, so I think a lot of the people who watched may want to stick around. We'll see, I guess. Overall I liked it and I think it has great potential. The show is creaky and there is an uneasy mix between the creaky older cast and the polished, TV-friendly younger cast (my main issue with Darlene's kids and why I never quite believe them, although there were some great scenes with Darlene/Harris and Dan/Mark last night [I have to admit I didn't really know if Dan would have been so completely supportive about Mark, but it was still a nice set of scenes that had good work from John Goodman]). I have had lots of issues with Jackie since somewhere around 1994, and I feel like the character mostly exists through Laurie Metcalf, not much else, but on the positive side, the last scene with Darlene and Jackie was great and a real hint of what Jackie was in the earlier seasons of the show. John Goodman really does vary from scene to scene, to put it kindly, but he had some strong moments here. The highlight for me was the material with Becky and Darlene. If the relationship between Jackie and Roseanne was a strong point for the best years of the original show, Becky and Darlene carry the same torch. Sara Gilbert continues to be the best at both comedy and drama in the cast and Lecy Goranson has killer comic timing, along with some dramatic chops here and there (the scene where she said she couldn't help with the bills because she'd already done all of this with [her] Mark was one of the most powerful). Their relationship feels so real and rolls right off the screen. I also liked the little scenes with DJ giving them crap and their bantering back with him. I really like the woman who plays DJ's wife, and the little jabbing between her and Darlene about religion. I do hope in future we get more believable moments with her and DJ as an actual couple, because it kind of feels like they just grafted her and the child onto him. Last night's episode at times seems to almost deliberately downplay their relationship (even cutting away when they were going to kiss). The pill story was skillfully written. I could see Roseanne hoarding pills and still keeping her addiction a secret, telling herself it was to help her family (and part of it was probably was). The scene with Dan, Darlene and Marcy was extremely well done, although if I'm being honest, as talented as Mary Steenburgen is, I would have rather seen as a lesser known actress in the role. Beyond the bits with Darlene and Becky, and of course seeing Crystal again (and Chuck), my favorite scene was with Darlene and Harris, when Harris was talking to her mother about whether Roseanne knew she loved her, and Darlene punking her about the the goodbye letters Roseanne had written everyone. It was one of those moments that I've felt in my own life, and then the joke at the end was a great way to relieve the pit in my stomach - old school Roseanne humor at its best.

I could see Nancy returning for Mark's story. I didn't watch last season bar one or two episodes so I'm not sure what their role was there.

Old films on McGovern and Nixon. I don't know who made the McGovern one but it was extremely well put together - too bad it didn't move any votes.

Here is the article. I posted it a few years back.

I missed most of this as I didn't get the time right. I did see the last 4-5 minutes. It was a nice touch to recreate the Roseanne opening for the scene around the kitchen table (and rightfully, they didn't have anyone take over the moment of Roseanne laughing).

@Bright Eyes

More efforts to dismantle Medicaid: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/15/medicaid-head-lepage-mary-mayhew-901461

Somebody was telling me about the reasons that are used in these types of situations to throw out a ballot. Let's say if somebody lives on Bannerman Road. If the info says they live on Bannerman Road, the ballot goes through. If the ballot says they live on Bannerman Rd, then the ballot is rejected. That's just insane that people can get away with this. Yet they will, and continue to do so.

That's great they're doing a book for China Beach. And hopefully we will get another TP season... How old was that second photo of Sherilyn?

I was trying to read a bit about this 2030 climate report (which is probably just too depressing to even think about) and stumbled onto this CNN 'discussion.' I barely ever watch CNN so I'm amazed at how vapid this is and how even the host struggles to get words out. They have fallen so far. I guess I should be happy they didn't have some idiot on to tell us there's no such thing as climate change. https://madison.com/video/featured/experts-climate-catastrophe-could-hit-by/video_b5b5b7d1-f03d-56b7-ab5a-3cefefad1d0a.html

Welcome back @Max . I often think of your #1 Billboard hits post. I wish you could revive it. Anyway, this has nothing to do with the topic, but I saw this article talking about how Latinos aren't motivated to vote. I'm not Latino, but I can't help thinking - if they aren't motivated this year, when will they be? https://www.politico.com/story/2018/10/13/latino-turnout-democrats-midterms-898556

I'm glad to hear it is a good episode. I may give it a try now that Barr is gone. I know the ratings are going to crash but I hope it does well as I think TV needs shows like Roseanne, probably more than ever. (I'm not sure I will ever be able to not call it Roseanne)

I think Cher said that songs like One of Us were hard for her because she wasn't expecting ABBA to have such complex songs. To me that means she never quite connected to ABBA, as she herself said she wasn't exactly a fan when they were popular. I wish she'd done a few lesser known numbers like Thank You For the Music or Put On Your White Sombrero (although someone probably would have said she was culturally appropriating...).

I'd never heard of it either. No soap then was ever going to have a gay character on regularly but I do think they could have recast him in later years. * * If Ron Carlivati and Dena Higley were not headwriters. Now I'm thinking about Andrew and Marty again. Trying that romantic angle in late 1994, when he and Cassie had just gotten River back, was not good timing. If they'd tried again in late 1995, after Todd "died," I think it could have worked. (and of course if Patrick had not existed) Now I went to watch this scene again, for the first time in years. This could have been pure camp, and if I'm being honest it is still camp, but by this time Gottlieb had learned to ground these moments enough to where it didn't go too far. If only future producers had done the same.

Andrew and Cassie got married in late 1992 or early 1993 didn't they? When Cassie lost her baby she was nearly full term. It had to be early 1993 because Marty crashed it, didn't she?

No. I do too. I should probably do it more, really.

Threatened him with various punishments in Congress and from the White House, and so on, not with kneecaps. Schumer is too passive but this just seems very convenient to me, especially after all the bruising high-profile fights the GOP has already had over nominees. I guess maybe the handful of red state Democrats who actually have any chance of winning reelection could have also asked him to agree.

To me it's a bum deal. Most of the Democrats who are going to lose will lose even with extra time to campaign. My guess is McConnell threatened them.