The Politics Thread

[marceline]

 

I think the point is that attacking SNL is something Trump considers a priority and can't move past. Just like attacking Meryl Streep He's a thin skinned idiot who can't control himself and he considers going after SNL just as important as destroying NATO.

[DRW50]

 

I don't think he actually does. It's easy enough to make a tweet. We haven't heard about him badgering NBC about SNL or anything like that, which we will soon if it truly rattles him. I think he's a thin-skinned and dangerous man, without any doubt, but I think the media and a lot of celebrities are oddly desperate to keep pushing the big battle with Trump vs SNL and vs Hollywood, etc. maybe because it makes them feel more important. But there's so much dangerous material going on that we don't hear about because people want to talk about how he got upset that SNL made piss jokes. 

Edited January 19, 2017 by DRW50

[Khan]

To me, it always seemed as if JFK Jr. was fighting against a career in politics because everyone had expected him to follow in his father's and uncles' footsteps, and the prospect of having to live up to JFK and RFK (and possibly coming up short) was unappealing.

 

As Rick Perry would say, "Oops."

Edited January 19, 2017 by Khan

[marceline]

 

I think we aren't hearing about the more dangerous stuff because if Trump follows his master's lead he's going to start trying to jail and/or kill journalists. The SNL stuff is a safe way to troll him while they see just how bad this is about to get. The canaries in the coal mine to keep an eye on are Farenthold and Eichenwald. They've both already had to hire private security. Over the next few months journalists (real ones, not broadcast) are going to have to figure out if they are willing to put themselves at risk. Frankly, anyone thinking of ways to oppose what's coming need to ask themselves the same thing. A lot of people are going to get killed and the best we can hope is that most of them go down swinging.

 

Also, Trump is a narcissist. Making fun of him is a good tactic because he can't let anything go. That's why we are still talking about his tiny hands because someone made a remark about that in 1988 and Trump spent the next 25 years refuting it.

Edited January 19, 2017 by marceline

[DramatistDreamer]

I look at it two ways,

 

If I weren't able to joke, I probably would have tried to pop open a vein by now, that is not a joke, by the way.

 

If only the people with power, the Les Moonves types, the media outlets that have the world's ear had taken this seriously instead of looking to late night comics and social media for cues on how to report the news. That is an aspect of wagging the dog that I hadn't seen before.

I really do see it differently when a handful of folks on a messageboard may tell a joke to try to cheer themselves up and a whole entire media empire not reporting facts, or choosing to air one side's 'dirty laundry' all the way back 25-30+ years but not her opponents very 'dirty laundry'.

 

To be honest, I had been feeling sentimental mostly but today, but I've been trying to shield my heart from what is going to take place by noon tomorrow. 

Today has been kind of a dreary day, I'm a bit stressed and sleep deprived and as I was watching a livestream of the morning news, a wave of sadness hit me as I saw a commercial for network inaugural coverage (which I won't be watching). Hours later sadness clings to me still. I don't like the feeling.

I try not to think of how it will feel tomorrow but sometimes trying to think of a little humor in the midst of a stomach churning, bitter, sad feeling is the only alternative one can grasp.

 

Out of regard for others though, if I feel like saying something sarcastic or something resembling gallows humor, I will definitely refrain from posting it here.

 

 

[marceline]

 

They did take it seriously. They seriously didn't give a [!@#$%^&*]. They seriously cared only about profits because they have nothing to fear. Their employees are going to be the target (see: James Acosta) but the people who own the networks and cable outlets have no regrets as evidenced by NBC hiring Megyn Kelly and Greta Van Whatsit.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

One of the most depressing aspects of all. And you're right, they didn't treat it as a joke when clearly profits were at stake.

They were invested in skewing coverage to make one candidate look like a bete noir and the other to look like a normal person.

[DRW50]

 

Good points. Ideally there will be some way to find focus. I read that David Brock is swooping in with his own organization and some are wary, as they should be IMO. 

[Vee]

 

Even for your compulsive need to post hot guys because you're horny, this is tired.

[Roman]

and ID Channel here I come.....for the next 36 hours. 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Me too. After soaps ended, I turned my TV right back on ID. I'll be watching Joe Kinda and the rest of ID until Saturday morning. 

[JaneAusten]

Good but not good.

 

Frankly as a women in her early 40's, I've never seen this kind of desire to get involved. No I wasn't around or remember enough about what happened years ago - my family who were around then tell me, not the same. My dad talked about Watergate and he said he's seeing a lot of similarities except that Nixon was obviously a more seasoned and effective politician. But even with the divisiveness of the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, the turmoil that started with the Kennedy assassination, there was still a sense that there was some level of unity across political parties. He believes that was due to the fact that you had people involved who were from the WW2 generation and still remembered the war that united many Americans.

 

One of the local progressive radio station hosts was giving a talk on resistance efforts at a local library in the North Suburbs of Chicago last week. Lily white area. Normally he said these types of events draw maybe 25 to 30 people. THat event. 350 people. The fact is I think a lot of people want to get involved and help yet have no idea what to do or how to go about it.

 

Leading to leadership and the leadership gap. We don't really have that gap in Illinois on the democratic side. But there is a gap nationally. I like Keith Ellison but I watched the DNC debate last night and I have to say Tom Perez is impressive and was on fire. If people could give him a chance he could turn out to be an effective leader for the DNC. The problem he faces and it's the same with Ellison is both are likely considered bearers of who they supported. The Bernie people won't like Perez and the Hillary/Obama may not like Ellison.  Both are right. I like the approach ELlison laid out in re-executing a 50 state strategy, but the passion in which Perez talked about fighting back and their first priority being tackling voter suppression was kind of inspirational. I also think there is a bench of potential leaders now that I have seen more of these people during the hearings. Impressed with Booker, Hassan, and Franken in particular. I know the hearings are an exercise in futility but it does provide a chance to get a closer view of the democrats who go on to serve.

 

I'm trying to stay positive. Today was hard and I cried for 15 minutes this morning after I read that farewell President Obama wrote to the American people.  But tomorrow is another day as is the day after and so on.

 

 

OT:

Anyone who wants to watch an inauguration. Decades TV is running nonstop the inaugurations of the last several presidential inaugurations starting with Eisenhower ending with Obama's second, nonstop today and tomorrow and continuing to re-run them both days.

Edited January 19, 2017 by JaneAusten

[Soapsuds]

Like I give 2 sh!ts what you think....

[Vee]

You've been over 14 for a long time, act like it.

 

Now then, good news everyone:

 

 

[dragonflies]