The Politics Thread

[Khan]

My fear: whether or not he wins in November, Trump has lit a fuse with his politics of fear and hate; and if he does end up losing the election, those constituents, who believe Trump has given them their voice, will not go away quietly.

[Roman]

Breaking news....Debbie Wasserman Schultz OUT as DNC Chairwoman. THANK GOD!!!!

[Roman]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/michael-bloomberg-hillary-clinton_us_5794f220e4b0d3568f8396f0?section=

 

[JaneAusten]

  She should have been out ages ago. Can we get Howard Dean back?

 

Edited July 24, 2016 by JaneAusten

[Khan]

Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a rather...polarizing figure.  Could someone explain to me, though, why she is that way?  I'm not familiar with her record.

 

No doubt, Trump will use this scandal against Hillary in the run-up to Election Day.  But I wonder how it will affect her chances.  Will this hurt her in the voting booths or will voters be able to look past it?

[DRW50]

She's very strident, which isn't popular in female politicians, and very tin-eared. She also burned a lot of bridges before she became the scapegoat of the Sandernistas. Here's one example - her big campaign against a marijuana initiative in Florida and the personal feud with a former backer that followed:

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/behind-wasserman-schultzs-marijuana-feud-115442

[JaneAusten]

Someone needs to explain to me why HRC has now hired her on.

[DRW50]

She's a Clinton loyalist and that's what always matters most to them.

[Vee]

To their credit, despite the multiple attempts at hashtag revolution from some corners the Sanders campaign has pretty much called the DNC leak a non-issue and told their followers to focus on Trump and unifying the party. So most of that has landed with a damp squib despite a lot of hot air on Twitter. I don't think it will really hurt Clinton beyond the people who were already Bernie or Bust or independents determined to never vote Democratic.

[DRW50]

More on the lengthy efforts to let DWS go.

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/debbie-wasserman-schultz-dnc-226100

[DramatistDreamer]

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" 

 

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[DRW50]

 

That clip is the first I've seen of any of the convention - I know football players and athletes go on the public speaking set for decades, but how sad that Fran Tarkenton (I wasn't even sure he was still alive - I remember seeing his SNL episode on DVD and enjoying it - another memory ruined) was the only one who could actually speak in that entire "highlight" reel.

 

I know not to take polls too seriously but a poll came out today showing that Trump got a bounce from the convention. That anyone watched that convention and said "yes please" bewilders me, unless they are a sadist. 

 

It looks like the usual suspects are already working to make this convention as messy as the GOP's was.

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/chaos-erupts-as-wasserman-schultz-speaks-to-florida-delegates-226113?lo=ut_a1

 

Speaking of John Oliver, he really sounds very different when he's not "on."

 

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Edited July 25, 2016 by DRW50

[Roman]

I wish he would have taken over The Daily Show. 

[Khan]

Yeah, I think Oliver would have been better at the gig than Trevor Noah, who (IMO) just isn't intelligent enough.

[DRW50]

They don't have the freedom they have at HBO, and I think he works better without correspondents. 

 

Oh look, more of Democrats doing what they do best - helping Democrats lose.

 

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/california-delegates-boo-over-uniting-clinton