Khan

This much, I'm sure about: barring any more seismic shifts in this country or in Mike Pence's character, I don't believe he could run for the highest office in the land and win. Not even the most die-hard Donald Trump supporters would turn up at the polling places for that man. Perhaps. On the other hand, I think even Barack Obama would agree that "her turn" was back in 2008, when Benghazi and Hillary Clinton's email servers weren't even gleams in the GOP's eyes. I'm not suggesting (anymore) that I blame Obama for the messes we're in today, but I do wonder where we'd be as a nation if Clinton had been the nominee in the 2008 election.

I'm not sure Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar would listen. To anyone. Not even to Barack Obama. Four years ago, when Joe Biden considered running for the Democratic nomination, Obama advised him not to. In retrospect, Biden shouldn't have taken Obama's advice, as that (the 2016 election) was probably his best chance to become president. (True, Biden was still in mourning over his son's death. But, you know, few things tug at people's heartstrings more than witnessing someone grieving over a dead child or spouse). If Obama were to go to Buttigieg and/or Klobuchar now and advise one or both to pull out of the race and endorse Biden or Bloomberg instead, they might replay Biden's 2016 decision in their minds and accuse Obama of attempting to sabotage their chances. Both Buttigieg and Klobuchar see Biden as vulnerable. Ergo, neither's leaving the stage 'til they carried off. Agree. Of course, if/when Tom Steyer were to drop out, there's no doubt in my mind that he would run as an independent instead. (Same goes for Tulsi "I'm Not a Russian Bot!" Gabbard. Everyone knows she's in bed with the Russians, and everyone knows she's going to run as a third party candidate, too. She might as well just admit it.) What's happening to Bernie Sanders is what would happen to anyone whom the media pronounces to be the "second coming" of anything. If you hype someone loudly and often enough, sooner or later, even those who were cynical and/or dismissive at the start will jump on the proverbial bandwagon eventually. If you don't believe me, just look at what happened to Donald Trump during the last election. I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Joe Biden might be a terrific politician, but he is a TERRIBLE campaigner.

Mike Pence is precisely the kind of soulless brown-noser a demagogue like Donald Trump would want as his number-two. IA that if Trump were going to replace Pence, then he needed to do so (and would have done so) a long time ago. I really wonder how his left-leaning extended family members view Pence these days. No doubt, they see an individual they no longer recognize.

At this point, I worry more about how a potential Bernie Sanders nomination might affect down-ballot races. Sanders proved two years ago that his name and endorsement mean nothing, as all the candidates he'd backed lost in their respective contests. Plus, the fact remains, we still don't have the Senate, and our hold on the House is shaky, too. If Bernie were to become the nominee, there's a strong chance the Democrats could lose not just the Senate again, but also the House and the presidency as well; and if/when that happens, the party will be over, in more ways than one. Which is why I can't take seriously Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar's claims that they are concerned about the direction this country has taken under the Donald Trump administration. If they're as genuinely worried about this country as they say they are, then they need to exercise some common sense and get out of the damn race. They've built up their respective brands enough to write their own tickets from here on out -- gubernatorial and senatorial races, network political analyst gigs, perhaps even future runs at the WH, you name it -- but this is so not their fight anymore. The longer Buttigieg and Klobuchar stay in this game, the more they split the moderate vote, making the battle even tougher for Joe Biden, but more importantly, creating a path to the nomination for a divisive man (Sanders) who, I guarantee you, would not win against Trump in a general election. In many respects, I like Buttigieg and Klobuchar, and I would gladly support either of them, if either of them had a real shot at becoming our next president. However, I don't want to be sitting where I sit this time next year, looking down the path at a second Trump administration, where the GOP once again control all branches of government, and blaming those two in part(icular) for putting us there.

More and more, I see a scenario where the independents and moderates break away entirely from the Democratic Party to form a party of their own. Meanwhile... “I have absolute confidence we can create a government based on compassion, based on love and based on truth, not what we have now of greed, corruption and lies.” You know, that Bernie Sanders is nothing if not ironic!

Not necessarily. There's still South Carolina and other Southern states to consider. And the South is VERY important for the Democratic Party, because that is where a significant number of African-Americans live and show up for primaries and elections. (Which is why the GOP's never-ending voter suppression efforts are always concentrated in that area of the country.) So, no, Bernie Sanders doesn't have this sewn up yet. But, I think we should know more for sure after Super Tuesday, which will be on March 3. Stop.

Because, Frannie would've looked like the dumbest woman in the world for falling for ANOTHER psychotic person.

Don't quote me on this, but I think I've read somewhere that Victoria Wyndham developed that strange accent out of boredom, and the fact that neither the directors nor "the suits" called her on it proved her point about how neglected the show had become.

Well, at least they didn't play "Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum, In a Dish." Meanwhile, the AP projects Bernie Sanders to be the winner of the Nevada caucuses. Make of that what you will.

I believe it to be desperation on the part of Joe Biden and his campaign staff. IIRC, Biden's performances in the IA caucus and NH primary fell below even their own meager expectations. That, along with the media's CONSTANT touting of Bernie Sanders as the new frontrunner, while emphasizing over and over again how Biden's campaign is "on the ropes," has them running scared. Unfortunately, in their determination to course-correct, they're now in danger of losing the part of Biden's base that the Democrats need most to win against the GOP -- and all before that part has even had a real opportunity to make their voices heard in this primary season, too! In a way, it reminds me of how Brian Williams' lie-telling ultimately cost him his job as anchor of "NBC Nightly News." Even after Williams had ascended to the post and became the most-watched network news anchor, there was still lingering sentiment within the NBC News organization that he was a lightweight and also-ran to his successor, the esteemed Tom Brokaw. Ergo, I think Williams began his truth-stretching game largely as a way to prove he was, indeed, qualified to be the virtual face and voice of NBC News -- a move that, in the end, banished him right back to cable news. (Of course, Williams didn't help his cause any by yukking it up on late-night shows and "30 Rock." When the audience loves you more as a comedian than they do as a news anchor, you're in trouble. But, I guess that's beside the point, lol.)

Yeah, the general consensus is that, pre-Laura Collins' arrival, DARK SHADOWS was a dismal, dreary show to watch.

That's what I'd love to know. If you're running for president, because you believe Donald Trump is destroying the country, and you don't believe Bernie Sanders could win against him in the election, then show us the damn goods, Mr. Mayor, or STFU!

When you have a character like Vicky -- who could be a heroine, a bitch or both, depending on the circumstances -- you have to have someone like Bridget as a "talk-to" for her, in order for the audience to understand her motivations, as well to serve as a surrogate for the audience, giving her a shot of the truth when it's called for. Otherwise, there's the danger of her coming across as too arch or unsympathetic. Of course, once Jensen Buchanan's Vicky basically became all heroine, losing her edge from before, you no longer needed Bridget to explain her to the audience. (Same for Ada, I guess, as Rachel evolved from villain to the show's central character). Nevertheless, Bridget still served a purpose -- just as you've described, @Efulton -- as a constant presence in Vicky's life, and a reminder of how much she had evolved over the years.

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: the Donald Trump of 2000(-ish)-today is NOT the Donald Trump that I remember from my childhood in the 1980's. I'm not suggesting he became a racist, misogynist pig overnight. I'm sure those (and other) qualities were always there. In fact, Trump's history says they were, even before the success of "The Apprentice" emboldened him to unleash them on the American public. However, there was a time when Trump was not only able to camouflage better his worst ideologies and impulses, but also when he was just plain more cognizant and coherent as well. I mean, even The Great and Powerful Donald J. Trump cannot hide the fact that he no longer speaks in complete sentences, or that those "sentences" no logically follow one another. And the longer he stays in office, the worse that (and other) problems become. Make no mistake: there is something physiologically wrong with our current president. Just as there was when Woodrow Wilson had suffered a debilitating stroke (in October, 1919) and it was left up to his wife, Edith, to act covertly on her husband's behalf -- making her, essentially, our first female president -- while concealing, with his physician, the seriousness of his condition. Should Trump's health decline any further, I've no doubt in my mind that Mike Pence, Melania Trump and/or the rest of Trump's immediate family would collude in a similar fashion. Remember, though, African-American voters (and especially AA female voters) came out the strongest for Hillary Clinton four years ago; and Joe Biden is much more beloved by our community than Hillary ever was. Asians and Latinos might be the fastest growing ethnic and/or racial groups in this country; however, African-Americans remain the backbone of the Democratic party. (At least, that's what I tell myself, whenever I experience another panic attack over the thought of Bernie Sanders becoming the party's nominee.)

Agree. Not only because the story in question is likely untrue, but also because (to me) it comes across as pandering to POC. (Relax, Uncle Joe. We've got your back.)

I think the only thing missing from the promo with the disastrous music was the Juul Haalmeyer Dancers.

Maybe not, but the audience loved those actors (and others) very much.

I just keep hoping Bernie Sanders does not become the nominee. This country needs a Sanders administration like it needs another hole in the head.

And the sad part -- I mean the REALLY sad part -- is that we're falling for it AGAIN.

Meanwhile, what I love most about the Intelligence Committee's report on Russian involvement in the 2020 election is that, once again, allegations of foreign meddling are nipping at Trump's heels. He cannot STAND the implication that he didn't win in 2016 (and cannot win again in 2020) on his own; that he needed (and still needs) help from the outside to do it. So, just when he thought he could put both the Mueller Report AND the impeachment trial behind him, Trump is once again reminded that he's the Pinocchio to Vladimir Putin's Geppetto. And the thing is, he COULD try and prove everyone wrong by stopping this new interference in its' proverbial tracks, ordering Congress to revisit and pass bills aimed at tightening election security, and levying newer, tougher sanctions against Russia, too. But, if he does that, then he knows he can kiss his wet dream of Trump Tower Moscow goodbye. It's really something to think about the rock-and-hard place position Trump remains in with Russia. I love it.

Yeah, it'd actually make us question the legitimacy of the results of the IA caucus and NH primary. Aw, heck, let's do it anyway!

Same.

In a way, the far-left and -right are right: the country will have to burn to the ground before we get it through our thick skulls what is happening. I'm just worried whether there will be a country left when it's finally time to rebuild. And he will this time. That's something else the far-left and -right agree on. In their eyes, Russia is more of a help to their agendas than a hindrance. Either side will gladly serve us all over to Putin if it gets them what they want. Funny, but true. Also funny, also true. You mean, when he wasn't watching "Star Trek" reruns and wondering why girls don't like him? Bernie Sanders: "Some of the ugly stuff on the Internet attributed to our campaign may well not be coming from real supporters." (Normally, I wouldn't use Donald Trump .gifs. However, this one felt so right.)

Stephen Miller: "I don’t have a family. I don’t have anything else. [Restricting immigration] is my life." If this were a Hallmark movie, in the next scene, he'd meet an asylum-seeking Honduran single mom and her little boy, who gradually melt his heart and make him come around on Christmas, illegal immigration and true love.

Yup. I know a key part of the movie's plot turns on their characters' (alleged) resemblance to each other. But, I don't see any resemblance between Kathleen Turner and Kim Zimmer. I guess the movie's director, Lawrence Kasdan, was just a DOCTORS fan who got a kick out of seeing KT and her successor as Nola in the same movie?