The Politics Thread

[DRW50]

I saw a few articles blasting him for not calling Trump out on the Iraq war lie. I'm glad he's getting the drubbing he always deserves. 

[JaneAusten]

Frankly I think the MSM is clueless that people are finally TIRED of hearing about Hillary's emails. It reminds me of Bill Clinton circa late 90's again. People got tired of hearing from Ken Starr and his stupid investigation at a point also. I think most are satisfied or never will be and are just tired of hearing about it. It's getting to the point where it comes across as bullying now. Lauer was awful.

Edited September 8, 2016 by JaneAusten

[Vee]

I think this may be the tipping point on the emails, actually. Week after week they have breathlessly covered it trying to shore up the race, and week after week there is nothing there. Matt Lauer wasting over half the American public's time in a foreign policy debate with more of the emails and then letting Trump babble has hit him hard tonight, and according to one reporter at the forum the live crowd was very pissed he opened on them as well.

 

Lauer's incompetence and Trump's nonsense have become the story of the forum, while Hillary walked away mostly undamaged. But what I think this may accomplish for her is finally putting the emails in the ground because this episode was a flashpoint of how tired everyone is of it other than the Beltway elite.

Edited September 8, 2016 by Vee

[Ms. Quartermaine]

Good to see Lauer being called out. But is NBC Politics any better with this headline? Trump Praises Putin; Clinton Defends Emails?

 

 http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-praises-putin-clinton-defends-email-n644621

 

They're making it sound like Hillary is just as bad imo. (I didn't read the article though). 

[Vee]

They always do that. But it's not the impression left by tonight.

[Ms. Quartermaine]

I'm thinking most outlets do, right? False equivalence. Making it look like a horse race for ratings. But whether it's NBC or some other network, it still frustrates me. 

Edited September 8, 2016 by Ms. Quartermaine

[DRW50]

This article sums up the fear I've had for a while, which is that Trump will win because the media just makes it so very easy for him, as they did again tonight. 

 

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/09/lauers-pathetic-interview-made-me-think-trump-can-win.html

 

All he has to do is not take a dump onstage.

 

I saw people going on about polls showing he could win Rhode Island and New Jersey. Are these solid polls or is this the usual fakeout to try to get the Democrats to waste time and money there?

I imagine the media will be going wild over this.

[Vee]

I think Chait is mostly venting about Lauer and the media. I think most even-handed people in the media - including him when he's not so upset - know Trump can't win. And even as Lauer took it mostly easy on him (but for a few moments where he did engage, and Trump became very upset), the news takeaway has been that Trump was making no sense and said several shocking and stupid things.

 

I also think they will be all under much more pressure after tonight (and the last few weeks) to take it to Trump in a fair way during the debates. After Trump's seemingly endless post-RNC flameout they've spent weeks trying to rig the scale to make the race even, hammering away at every bit of Clinton minutiae in the hopes of making the polls equalize while letting Trump skate and allowing him to try to recover. But he hasn't, and the polls aren't equal and won't be. What the weeks of Emailgate and now Lauer's bumbling have done is put the onus on the media to stop coddling Trump and banging on Hillary and start getting serious. I believe that is the narrative that's been forming for a week or so and I believe that is the narrative we will see going into the debates. Whether the networks bow enough to it is another story, but if there's one thing they believe in it is narrative.

Edited September 8, 2016 by Vee

[Juliajms]

I saw that Trump said HRC doesn't look presidential. I think she really does though. It's unfair that appearances matter so much in our culture, but they do, and I feel she has that certain something I expect to see in a leader. Maybe it's just confidence, I can't put my finger on it.

 

One ad I'm seeing that's really effective is the one where someone asks Trump what he's sacrificed for his country and he says something like "I've built businesses and had a lot of success" and the interviewer says "Are those sacrifices?".  If he had the humility to just say "you're right, compared to the Khan family and others who have lost children, I haven't sacrificed", he'd be like the majority of us. He's incapable of that though, so the Clinton campaign has another excellent ad. Whoever came up with the idea to keep making ads using Trump's own words hit the mark.

[DRW50]

Nauseating yet typical and expected spin on the night - both struggled, but it just doesn't matter with Trump because he has such presence! 

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/clinton-and-trump-are-not-ready-to-debate-227868

[Vee]

Nobody's really buying that, though. I'm not even sure that piece is.

 

Adieu, Gary Johnson.

 

And yes, "What is Aleppo" is trending.

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

Amusingly, Mark Halperin followed Johnson out into the hallway to try and salvage something, possibly hoping Friend Gary could still cut into Hilldog's lead!

 

 

Edited September 8, 2016 by Vee

[Juliajms]

I love it when President Obama drags Trump. He does it so well.  "Outright wacky"

[DRW50]

I have to admit I didn't know what Aleppo was either, but then I'm not running for President.

[Chris B]

I was so excited for this and for the debates, because we know (as she showed last night) that Hilary can handle that and it would be Trump's undoing. What I didn't realize is that they would softball Trump so much. I expected Lauer (or any moderator) to go HARD on both candidates. Especially after how he did Hilary I was so ready, but nope. Let everything Trump say slide. It amazed me and also leads me to believe Trump could win and that he will do just fine in the debates. Nobody is going to take him to task for anything. It's going to be a Hilary pile-up regardless of how many candidates are actually debating. It'll be Trump and the moderators vs Hilary. It won't be a real debate. That was so disappointing to see last night. So disappointing. I could literally go on and on about all the things Trump said that were shocking and made no sense, but what is even the point?

[DRW50]

It's going to be Gore vs Bush all over again. We just have to hope the public doesn't fall for it again. We know the media will do anything for Trump.