The Closer with Keith Olbermann: Trump Must Now Be Compelled to Withdraw

Keith Olbermann tears the lid off of the Trump campaign. Boy, I miss him.

Watch this video on The Scene.

Trump Supporters Rig Online Polls Post-Debate

This was obvious to anyone with a functional, working brain, eyes and ears. Donald Trump didn't merely lose the first 2016 Presidential Debate to Hillary Clinton, he lost badly. He was a sniffling, incoherent mess. But immediately after (in fact, before it was even over), online polls started to show Trump to be the winner. In some cases, as in The Drudge Report's poll, the skew was so lopsided as to be preposterously obvious.

Thank you! CNBC #DebateNight poll with over 400,000 votes.
Trump 61%
Clinton 39%#AmericaFirst #ImWithYou https://t.co/c8rB0iSj7c pic.twitter.com/lgu6tOkYCP

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 27, 2016

I'm familiar with the "FReeping" of polls. Named for the practice honed by the denizens of FreeRepublic.com, members are given links to open online polls they wish to skew. And thousands of "flying monkeys" descend upon the polls, making the FReepers' wishes seem more represented than they really are. The practice is widespread, and goes beyond Right Wing World these days. That's why online polls are generally regarded (except by low-info voters) as interesting but worthless. But the problem is, while the practice can be merely a prank, more often it is done to influence public opinion. In this case, to make it seem as though Trump won the debate, in order to cement that idea into the public consciousness. In effect, to rewrite history.

Ironically, conservatives--who are supposed to be "law and order" good guys, moral and just, and all about fairness--think nothing of getting a lie cast as the truth if it benefits them. They really don't care how they win, whether it involves cheating, disenfranchising voters, whatever the means, if the end is: they win. So, even though I know I've let this blog run fallow lately, I see it as my duty to expose this sort of thing whenever I run across it. Please read.

[Excerpt]

4chan and Reddit bombarded debate polls to declare Trump the winner

You may be getting trolled right now without even knowing it.Donald Trump supporters artificially manipulated the results of online polls to create a false narrative that the Republican nominee won the first presidential debate on Monday night. The efforts originated from users of the pro-Trump Reddit community r/The_Donald and 4chan messaged boards, which bombarded around 70 polls, including those launched by Time, Fortune, and CNBC. . .

Read more at: The Daily Dot

Donald Trump vs. FOX "News": Which Side is More Ridiculous?

This is a "good" picture of Donald Trump. I still can't understand his
cult of personality. Image from source, AJC.com

You'd think that when the Republican GOP front-runner for president is in a war with the media arm of the Republican Party, a moonbat liberal like me would be ecstatic. And yeah, some of it amuses the shit out of me. On the other hand, there's something very depressing about a lot of this stuff. I think I might be getting laughed-out as we get closer to the real deal election process.

We have Donald Trump, a man manifestly not qualified for the highest office in the land. He's a juvenile, crass, uncivil, uncouth, undiplomatic, unserious embarrassment. And he's representing essentially half the country, for our most important political office. On those rare occasions when Trump himself won't appear on a news program to explain his latest tantrum, one of his spokespeople will turn up (as Trump does, often on the phone), and is just as abrasive and inappropriate as Trump himself.

I could tick off a list of things that might not fit in a blog post (which are virtually infinite) that would disqualify any other candidate on either side, that Trump's fans ignore. More than that, there is nearly as long of a list that would cause any other conservative candidate to be ejected by conservatives. He's changed parties at least eight times, has held both positions on most hot-button issues, and is squishy on bedrock conservative issues. As I said before, he has a cult of personality, but his personality sucks. Hence, my combination of amusement and dismay. [Story continues below]



So, initially, when I heard that Trump was boycotting the FOX "News" debate on Thursday night, I was as giddy as Nelson Muntz at an Andy Williams concert. But the more I read about it, the stupider it seemed, and I realized this will just tickle Trump's fans all the more. And I got a little bummed out again. And when FOX getting a thumb in its eye can't amuse me, there's really something askew.

How utterly bizarre, this war between crybaby Trump and Roger Ailes, a man more responsible for the existence of candidate Trump than anybody, and over Megyn Kelly, a conservative water-carrier. Kelly shows flashes of actual journalism, it can be argued. But her rightward leanings have been eminently obvious since long before she got her evening show opposite Rachel Maddow. She's only as biased against Trump as a conservative-leaning moderator could be, which is, not very much. Until, of course, Trump started this war.

Naturally, his manufactured battle has made further debates with her much more sticky. But honestly, why does the candidate get to pick his moderators, the questions, what will be discussed and when? And in such a public, childish way? And to see FOX itself behaving in just the same manner? It's funny, but it's also sad.

[Excerpt]

Donald Trump is skipping the Fox News debate

For the first time in this very long election cycle, we may have a Donald Trump-less Republican presidential debate. The presidential candidate has been threatening to skip Thursday's Fox News Debate for at least a day now. "Nothing's 100 percent," Trump said in an interview with CNN on Monday. "I'm not 100 percent. I'll see. If I think I'm going to be treated unfairly, I'd do something else. . ."

Read more at: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Impressions: 2016 GOP Debate #2

Embarrassing.

Fascinating. Entertaining. Baffling, Crazy. Boring. Interminable. Endless. And ultimately, still embarrassing.

The GOP/conservative/Republican/Tea Party contingent is a confounding, self-contradictory mélange of mostly crap with the occasional flash of wit or inspiration, dashed with horrifying lack of self awareness, anti-American and anti-constitutional (but simultaneously allegedly patriotic) fervor, and crazy religiosity. Impressions:

Image from source,
Washington Post

- Carly Fiorina acquitted herself nicely, and was unquestionably the winner. She's awful, but for this crowd, she was terrific.

- Donald Trump hurt himself with thinking people (who he was already not doing well with), and hopefully with some less fervent supporters. If he goes up in popularity, it's not for any reality-based reason from this debate.

- Ben Carson came off slightly better and a tiny bit more animated than he has in the past, though could get a job voicing Winnie the Pooh.

- Ted Cruz was just as creepy and face-punchable as ever. Jesus and meanness and creepy facey-ness.

- Marco Rubio was smart (-ish), and articulate, but oddly juvenile, while also bearing huge old man ears.

- Chris Christie managed to be more amiable and dickish.

- John Kasich looked like he woke up after a long slumber with his face pressed against a pillow, and bed head. He made sense (sometimes) but looked like hell.

- Ron Paul looked extra-weasely, and landed few punches, though he tried. He actually sounded a little reasonable. . .too often to make me comfortable.

- Mike Huckabee is a Dominionist prick who should never, ever be near the levers of power.

- Scott Walker was sleepy-eyed, but occasionally reared his head and made a semi-coherent point.

- Jeb! Bush was mostly reasonable, but not above pandering. I can't imagine he'll budge an inch.

From the kiddie table, you had two Jesus freaks (Jindal and Santorum) and two sorta-kinda normals (Pataki and Graham). They arguably got more airtime than they every would have otherwise, particularly without Rick Perry, but fit the tone of this clown show pretty well.

Embarrassing is still my assessment.


[Excerpt]

Fiorina emerges in GOP debate, but Trump still dominates conversation

The second Republican debate, a three-hour affair that veered from sophomoric insults to policy to late-night silliness, ended after 11 p.m. Wednesday, with an outsider candidate — former tech executive Carly Fiorina — challenging front-runner Donald Trump in a way few rivals have.
 . .

Read more at: MSN

The First 2016 GOP Debate Gets the Bad Lip Reading Treatment

Very funny!

 

The First GOP 2016 Debate, Songified

They used to call this stuff "Auto Tune the News," but now it's "Songified." If you don't know what that means, watch the attached (or the opening theme to The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). This one's kind of cute, some real effort put in to make it a song with a chorus and everything. And I love the little bobble-head action from Jeb! Bush.

FOX "News" Culls GOP Herd

Image from source, Wall Street Journal

Get the popcorn ready folks. Lots of it. The first GOP primary is on Thursday, and FOX "News" has finally announced how it's going to do it. Faced with an unprecedented number of "top tier" candidates, and apparently unwilling to use my game show idea, FOX will have a main debate and a kiddie table debate. They probably should have basically drawn straws and left it to chance, but instead made the controversial choice to pick a "top ten," using selected poll averages. Which means, essentially, they could crunch the numbers (depending upon which polls they used) and let anyone in--on the low end--that they wanted on stage.

We're having a party in our family. Not sure if we'll do a drinking game. If you use any Trump key words or phrases ("by the way," "huge," "biggest," "rich") you could find yourself very, very drunk. We're packing a bag.

[Excerpt]

Fox News Announces Prime-Time GOP Debate Lineup; Rick Perry Out

Setting the stage for the first formal debate of the 2016 presidential primary season, Fox News on Tuesday announced the lineup for its Republican debate Thursday in Cleveland—dealing a blow to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry by denying him a coveted slot on the main prime-time stage.

Fox gave a boost to the late-starting campaign of Ohio Gov. John Kasich and the flagging candidacy of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie by giving them both a place in the debate, which the network limited to 10 of the 17 announced candidates based on national poll rankings. . .

Read more at: The Wall Street Journal

That Bizarre Florida Governor's Debate

Our first contestant, a former Florida Governor Charlie Crist. Crist, more convincingly tanned than John Boehner, changed parties since the last time, and acquired a wife, though that hasn't put a stop to the rumors about his sexuality. Our next contestant, is the impossibly creepy, oily, borderline-scary Rick Scott, he of the massive payout for Medicaid fraud.

For the life of me, I can't understand how Scott was ever elected in the first place, as he really does look like a Hollywood special effect. But he did, and now he's trying to get reelected. He might win again too, because--you know--Florida. But I'm hoping for Charlie, if only by process of elimination. Either way, nobody could have expected how their debate would go down.

[Excerpt]

Rick Scott Almost Refused To Debate Charlie Crist Over Fan



Florida's second gubernatorial debate got off to a bizarre start Wednesday evening when incumbent Gov. Rick Scott (R) initially refused to debate his opponent because he had a fan under his lectern. Democratic candidate Charlie Crist, the former Florida governor hoping to unseat Scott in next month's election, had a small electric fan placed under his lectern. This, Scott's campaign claimed, violated the debate's "no electronics" rule. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Mitch McConnell: Kill ObamaCare! Keep Kentucky's Part of it! (WTF?)

Mitch McConnell is talking out his ass again, this time at his debate with Alison Lundergan Grimes. Yes, Yertle seems to think we should eliminate every "root and branch" of the Affordable Care Act, and yet leave Kentucky's Kynect (or just its web site?) intact. The problem, of course, is that Kynect is ObamaCare, it's what it was always supposed to be, one of 50 state-run exchanges. And it worked! And it's popular! So, it puts Mitch in this trick bag.

If Grimes is smart, she'll play this up big time: "Kentuckians, Mitch McConnell thinks you're stupid. He thinks you're so stupid, that you don't know that Kynect is part of the Affordable Care Act. He's hoping you're so stupid, that you'll vote for him, and let him take away your insurance."

I'm not particularly a fan of Grimes. I think she's a calculating, politics first, talking points-based candidate. I think she's hoping that Kentuckians are stupid enough to think she's anti-Obama, because they are stupid enough to vote against her for being an Obama supporter. I think there are better ways to play this, than posturing and fake-outs. But very nearly anyone would be better than Mitch McConnell. The fact that this is even close tells you that the "Kentuckians are stupid" gambit could very well work for either side.

[Excerpt]

McConnell Wants To Keep Obamacare 'Website' But Repeal Obamacare

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Monday night he wants to repeal Obamacare "root and branch" but keep the law's state-based insurance exchange in Kentucky, called Kynect. "I think it's fine to have a website. Yeah," he said during the first and only scheduled Kentucky Senate debate with Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, pressed on whether he wants to keep Kynect. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

Even Pat Robertson Calls Young Earth Creationism "Nonsense"

Methuselah Pat Robertson, image from source, Raw Story

As an atheist, it is unlikely I'm ever going to reach complete understanding with the devoutly religious. But it is interesting that there are levels of devoutness. See, I would have pegged Pat Robertson as a "Young Earth Creationist." But he isn't, and that's kind of interesting.

Young Earth Creationists believe in the literal creation story told in the Bible, complete with all of Genesis and all of the begets. Counting each day of creation as a literal day, believing that man was created in the first literal week of existence, and adding up all of the generations listed, YECs have calculated that the Earth (and also the universe) is only 6,000-or-so years old. This--to most rational people--is preposterous. There are things on earth (beer, trees) that are older than that. There are stars whose light couldn't possibly have reached us in that short a time. There are geological formations that couldn't possibly have formed so quickly. And on and on, and that's not even picking apart the very pick-apartable Genesis.

Well, ol' Pat surely does believe in talking snakes, the firmament and Noah's Ark. But he's having none of this young Earth nonsense. Even a nutcase like Robertson gets one right once in a while!

[Excerpt]
 
Pat Robertson implores creationist Ken Ham to shut up: ‘Let’s not make a joke of ourselves’

Pat Robertson responded to the recent debate between Young Earth creationist Ken Ham and Bill Nye, a.k.a. “The Science Guy,” by reiterating his disagreement with Ham’s form of creationism.

“Let’s face it,” Robertson said, “there was a Bishop [Ussher] who added up the dates listed in Genesis and he came up with the world had been around for 6,000 years. . .”

Read more at: Raw Story 

Meanwhile on Facebook: Romney's Confused Geography

There are moments in debates that require deciphering in the best case and spinning in the worst. Then there are other head-scratching moments that are just staggeringly ignorant. This was Mitt Romney's staggeringly ignorant moment:

Obama Cleans Up in 3rd Debate

The writing was on the wall fairly early in the foreign policy debate that President Obama was leading. By an hour in, I openly pondered on Twitter whether or not Mitt Romney could mount a comeback in the last third. He didn't. He won the coin toss for the last closing remarks, so he got the last word, but that was it. On every measure I could see, Romney--with his sweaty upper lip and his annoying half-smirk--lost. [Story follows below]

Was it a blowout like the first debate was, in the opposite direction? Arguably. It may not play out that way in the days that follow, as a narrative gels. After all the first debate started out as a lackluster loss for the President, which was later morphed into a spectacular, knockout win by Romney. But the snap polls--in particular, the CBS one that clinched it for Romney the first time--was a bigger blowout for Obama this time.

So, that's 1-Romney/Ryan, 3-Obama/Biden. Will it make a difference?

[Excerpt]

CHIEF IN COMMAND

President Barack Obama sharply challenged Mitt Romney on foreign policy in their final campaign debate Monday night, saying, "Every time you've offered an opinion you've been wrong." The Republican coolly responded, "Attacking me is not an agenda" for dealing with a dangerous world. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post 

Proof of Romnesia

Going into the last debate, I think it's incumbent upon all voters to examine the candidates' positions. I think after four years, most of us understand--whether we like it or not--President Barack Obama's positions. But has anyone nailed down where Mitt Romney really stands on anything?

Sen. Sherrod Brown Debates Twerp in Ohio

Is that a snarky headline? Sorry, just watch the clip below, and I think you'll see what I mean. If you thought that Paul Ryan looked a bit immature and outmatched next to Joe Biden, you haven't seen anything yet. Sherrod Brown has become something of a celebrity among freshman Senators, often making himself available for interviews, and coming across quite knowledgeable. He does so in the clip from Thursday's debate with twerpy challenger Josh Mandel.

You might wonder why I care, blogging as I do from Las Vegas. Part of it is that I've been impressed with Brown when I've seen him on television. Part of it is that I was born and raised in Ohio, and have seen far too many embarrassing politicians elected there (Jean Schmidt, John Boner Boehner, John Kasich, and apparently Mandel), or aspiring to be (Joe the Plumber, Mandel again). Plus, the clip is from The Columbus Dispatch, which was my first regular, paying job (newspaper boy), and is a decidedly conservative source, so you know this isn't some lefty, liberal, moonbat hatchet job.*

* I am not one of the conspiracy theorists who believe that the entire media is biased (except for FOX "News", naturally), it's just that I know many conservatives are.

Tagg Romney Wanted to Hit President Obama?

Tack Trick Flern Tagg Romney. Photo from Gawker.

Oh, Tagg. You don't sound a whole lot better than the stories we've heard about your dad in his youth. . .and his not-so-youth. I'm sure some folks find this kind of attitude to show loyalty to your dad. But I wonder. . .if President Obama had a son, and he said the same thing you said about Mitt Romney? How do you think people would take that? Think about it.

[Excerpt]

Tagg Romney Wanted to Punch Obama During Tuesday’s Debate

Not willing to let his dad hog all the petulant debate rage, Tagg Romney took serious offense when President Obama accused his father of being dishonest. In fact, he was so seriously offended that he wanted to punch the president. Really. . .

Read more at: Gawker

Autotune the News' Songify's Take on the Town Hall Debate

Fantastic!

"That's Not True, Governor Romney" Obama Montage

This is what we wanted two weeks ago. But we're happy to have it now!

The Second Debate in One Photo

I think you could subtitle this one: "Living rent-free in his head." Image from Huffington Post

Debate #2: Mitt a 1-Trick Pony, Obama Comes Out Swinging

Barry bringin' it. Image from LA Times.

There will be spin, and there may be a slightly different consensus after "conventional wisdom" and pundit-speak changes the perception, but my take immediately after the debate: Barack Obama cleaned Mitt Romney's clock. Romney was on defense most of the time, and in those times where he thought he had the ball, he fumbled it. He looked sweaty, sputtery and nervous.

My favorite part was when Mitt thought he had gotten a slam-dunk on the President saying "acts of terror," and he was nearly giddy. . .until Candy Crowley bopped him over the head with the facts. I FREAKING LOVED IT. Thank you, Mr. President for coming back with a vengeance. Two weeks ago, a legend was written: President Obama barely put out an effort, and Mitt Romney was masterful. That was half right. Romney was never masterful, only good by comparison. Tuesday night showed what happens when Obama shows up. Romney loses.

[Excerpt]

Energized Obama takes aggressive approach in second debate 


A newly energetic and aggressive President Obama went directly after his Republican challenger from the first moment of their second debate to the last, attacking Mitt Romney’s business record, his positions on issues and his truthfulness during a heated 90-minute encounter. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times

SNL: The Biden/Ryan Debate

I knew that the Vice Presidential debate would be irresistible to Saturday Night Live as a cold open, and I was right (yeah, hard call, right?). I've not always been a fan of Jason Sudeikis' Joe Biden, but he did a great job, as did Teran Killam as Paul Ryan.