DramatistDreamer

Trump is on par with Palin right about now, except it worse because Palin wasn't running for President. Trump claiming that Putin won't go into Ukraine, he seems unaware that Russia has already gone into Ukraine and annexed Crimea.

Many who have also expressed interest in voting for Donald Trump are delusional and believe that they can turn back the hands of time when White men felt they had more social and economic mobility, enough to be the sole breadwinner, and everyone else knew their place. For many of these people America was a better place and when they claim to want to 'take back the country', they essentially want to take America back to the 50s before the 'turbulent' years of Civil Rights, the Women's Movement and Gay Rights movements. So many have claimed that back then, a White man knew where he stood...basically at the top of the socio-economic hill. Any doubts, look at the demographic core of Trump voters and who constitutes his largest part of his voting constituency.

Corbin Bleu got married. http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Broadway-HIGH-SCHOOL-MUSICAL-Alum-Corbin-Bleu-Ties-the-Knot-20160725?platform=hootsuite

Dear God. Does this man never intend to actually know what is going on in America? Or does he plan to continue 'winging it'?

I saw this online the day before and I laughed so hard!

Boy, it's really a shame that some factions of Congress refused to President Obama's request for proper funds regarding fighting/preventing Zika: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/30/health/zika-virus-florida-case.html?_r=0

Although, I do think that Hillary will arrive at the debates fully prepared to demolish Trump, it's hard to wrap my mind around the possibility that Trump could "duck the debates" how would that even be possible? http://www.aol.com/article/2016/07/29/mark-cuban-i-bet-this-is-donald-trumps-biggest-debate-fear/21440871/

True, she's not the most natural of public speakers but she was proficient and when she started to talk about her upbringing, her parents, you could actually see her body relax into it and she became more conversational, her words started to flow for the rest of the speech. I was glad that she talked about her Mother because the fact that her Mother was pretty much abandoned, left to fend for herself at a shockingly young age, it provided a window into what drew HRC to children's advocacy and her desire to help the most vulnerable, particularly when she talked about imagining her Mother as a little girl walking to a café with coupons, all by herself at four years old! I had read that she had been reluctant to talk about her Mother's childhood in the past but I think it provides so much insight into HRC's motivations. Also, her recounting how her Mother pushed her to deal with bullies (perfect allegory for dealing with Trump!) And HRC really launched into taking Trump's bluster apart piece by piece in a very methodical way. And the part about how a man who can be baited with a tweet cannot be trusted with the nuclear arsenal. That is definitely a reusable line and kind of brilliant. Her speech was an effective mix of the personal and the policy.

It doesn't even occur to these people what lame attempts at a snap back this kind of thing is. Pathetic and desperate but he tried it anyway.

I see President Obama being like Jimmy Carter in that he becomes gets even more done as a private citizen who no longer has to conform to the strictures and constraints of the office. Yes, I will miss the self-affirming image of he, Michelle and Malia and Sasha (and Bo and Sunny) at the White House but I look forward to what moves they will all make in the future. First, though, I have this image of President Obama, post inauguration, somewhere on a beach, drinking directly from a coconut, relaxing at some tropical destination. Speaking of our current President, this interesting tweet from Nate Cohn:

What can anyone say about that dress? Speechless. Obama's speech was brilliant. Too tired to say much more now, though.

Trump goes back on his promise to release his tax returns? Trump is also basically trying to commit treason now? How desperate is he to show how unfit his is for office! With his base, though, him possibly committing treason won't stop them from voting for him. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/07/donald-trump-asks-vladimir-putin-to-help-him-win.html

I agree, it was definitely a speech where Bill Clinton the husband was describing someone who he described as his equal and someone who has spent a lifetime in public service while simultaneously being a best friend, a loyal wife and a top-notch mother. You just knew when Bill mentioned how Hillary didn't quit on people, there was a hint that he included himself in that group of people that Hillary didn't quit on despite backlash. I think his job was less as a politician and former Commander-in-Chief and more about someone who speak to his wife's committment to fighting for people who needed it the most. I admit that there was a section where I was getting quite restless but I perked up when he got to her Senate run because I knew the speech was winding down (lol) and also, it brought back memories of when she ran for NY Senate, where I lived at the time, she was my Senator. Some people said he looked frail but he's been thin for years since his bypass surgery and since he became a vegan. People also need to remember that Bill is also in his 70th year of life and the primary season was a bruising one where he had to do a number of speaking engagements and rallies. It was definitely effective in humanizing HRC and her motivations in committing to public service. It also presents her as something of an over-achiever and worrier-someone who is constantly looking to problem solve. Bill's speech was effective of filling the Surrogate-in-Chief role. I heard some of her childhood friends will be speaking. Hopefully someone will talk about Hillary's mother Dorothy who has a very poignant story and may provide more insight into the person, not just the candidate. I know in U.S. elections, personality is given more weight than perhaps in other elections in many other industrialized countries, so this could be another way to give a more complete personal portrait.

I just saw Trevor Noah on CBS This Morning and I wish he would bring some of that insight to the Daily News because he was so good! All I can think of is that with a bevy of writers, perhaps his unique sensibility is not truly coming through. I disagree with the notion that he's not intelligent enough to do the show, but I do think that he's not bringing enough of himself and his global perspective to the show- he's too safe and guarded. By the way, in the early years of the Daily Show, John Stewart wasn't very impressive (and he definitely wasn't that funny) himself. Somewhere around the 3rd or 4th Season, he truly hit his stride and the show caught fire. We're not comparing John's early years but Stewart as his height to a fledgling New-Look Daily show. I'd like to see Noah, if/when he breaks free of the constraints and delivers the easy insight that he just did this morning. Even his Aussie accent was spot on!

I watched a combination of CSPAN.org (which has pretty poor streaming quality but no interruptions, no talking heads) until PBS. org (which had crystal clear streaming quality), which is basically the PBS Newshour You Tube infrastructure embedded on their website until their window of coverage closed at 10pm, then I clicked on CBS News website, which also had strong livestream quality but too much talking between their correspondents- thankfully the 'big speeches' went uninterrupted. I guess I could've watch the last few speeches on an actual TV since I get CBS but the TV was in the other room and I was already comfy in bed with my laptop desk pulled over my bed. For some reason, I trusted that Sanders would not go rogue and he didn't. Some complained that he didn't mention HRC enough but considering the nature of his campaign's supporters, who I believe he didn't want to aliennate, I think had he done much more, it would've risked been seen as disingenuous, I thought that this was the best he could do without coming off as being 'bought' to his supporters.

FLOTUS was awesome! Pretty much the best made case for the I'm With Her message that I've heard so far. Man, I will miss her!

I sometimes cringe at Sarah Silverman's comments but I think she hit the right notes tonight yet she completely renained herself throughout the speech. Is it just me or does Cory Booker sound kind of screechy tonight? Probably because he's so amped, his voice is sounding like it is. I want him to slow down and take a breath.

I don't know whether this has been posted but Renée Goldsberry is due to star with Oprah Winfrey in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. For those who may not know who Henrietta Lacks was, let's just say the world of science and medicine and medical, specifically cancer research owes her a debt of gratitude, unfortunately Henrietta Lacks never saw that gratitude in her lifetime, but a part of her still lives on. http://deadline.com/2016/07/renee-elise-goldsberry-cast-hbo-films-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-oprah-winfrey-1201792421/

Black Twitter is warning people not to try to boo Michelle Obama.

Some of these people at the convention are, simply put boorish! They are chanting loudly for Bernie and the revolution but since many of the speakers have been minorities, it has the effect that they shouting down minorites- mainly women and blacks. It looks truly distasteful!

I probably would be more outraged if Wikileaks didn't link themselves to Breitbart and that Twitter troll Milo Yiannopoulos. It is appropriate and right that Wasserman-Schultz step down as well as any staffers who were behind this 'brain-storming'. OTOH, I recognize that is is realistic that the DNC did not want to back a candidate that is not a Democrat, yet used the Democratic apparatus, while also calling them corrupt- who promised to raise money for other candidates yet did very little to help all but 1 or 2 'down-ticket' candidates. It's all politics, even from the machinations of the Sanders side- no one is pure in this. Anyhoo, John Oliver's take on the 2016 RNC and no one is spared. He refers to Antonio Sabato Jr. as "IMBD awarded actor"

Actually Trump and the RNC convention rated lower than Mitt Romney and rated worse than John McCain in their perspective years. To me that says ratings flop.

Kaine's involvement in anti-housing discrimination issues has garnered him praise, particulary among Black legal scholars, he's also fluent in Spanish and has the potential to connect better with the Latino community (his pronunciation is certainly better than de Blasio's , who is also sorta fluent). Trade issue aside, he's probably seen as more liberal than the vanilla guy that he appears to be. The video in this article provides a pretty good summary as to why HRC picked Kaine: Hillary Clinton Selects Tim Kaine, a Popular Senator From a Swing State, as Running Mate

Doesn't Castro have some sort of simmering controversy with HUD? He seemed to be an early contender but his name began to fade little by little and I kept hearing other names before his. HRC seems to want to stay away from even the least bit of excitement since she's often associated with drama. Though, I think she did well in the South, Dems also seem to want at least one Southerner on the ticket. VA is not the deep South but it is the South. Some of my friends flat-out think HRC think 2 minorities on a Presidential ticket would be considered too risky.so HRC opted for the safe route. Personally, I'm fine with HRC and Kaine (although he is not the most interesting choice) if it means we can have the real transformation in Congress (rid ourselves of enough intransigents and obstructionist) and get some consensus builders who can pass actual legislation that helps people as well as a diverse Cabinet and if we can get that, perhaps either get Garland confirmed or a more liberal pick (which I'd honestly prefer).

Perception vs. Reality is such an interesting concept.