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

Infighting is Fun: Ted Cruz vs. Mitch McConnell

I have an overwhelming urge to smack them both. Image from
source, TPM

Vaguely creepy-looking Senator Ted Cruz is apparently having a feud with extremely turtle-looking Senator Mitch McConnell. Given that I can't much stand either of them, I just say, "keep it up, fellas!"

[Excerpt]

Infighting: McConnell-Cruz Feud Intensifies Ahead Of 2014 Election

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was forced to spend the long weekend defending his debt limit vote and talking up the importance of compromise to being a good leader. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) did the exact opposite: he publicly torched his own party's leadership for walking the plank and portrayed Republican senators a bunch of liars and cowards who think Americans are "rubes. . ."

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

Pre-Pre-Pre-Campaign 2016: Rand Paul Makes Fun of Rick Perry

Let 'er rip, boys! I thought the last two rounds of GOP presidential candidates were like a clown car opened up, but it looks like we're going to get  a new batch (with a lot of the same faces) next time too. Better stock up on popcorn.

[Excerpt]

Rand Paul mocks Rick Perry: Can’t remember third good reason for him to be president

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) on Monday night lampooned the idea of Texas Governor Rick Perry running for president again. “Well, I don’t know about what I’ve decided yet, but if Governor Perry decides to run for president, I think there are three good reasons he could be president,” he said on Fox News’ Hannity. “You know, Texas is a big, successful state; he’s a long-term governor — I can’t remember the third one, but, uh. . .”

Read more (with video) at: The Raw Story

Karl Rove Pisses Off Conservatives With New Anti-Tea Party Initiative

Don't pull it! Image from Washington Post

In my previous post, I mentioned people who should not be asked for their opinion on news shows. I forgot an entire category of individual: the always wrong pundit/pollster/political operative. Nobody had more egg on his egg-shaped face than Karl "Turd Blossom" Rove, after his disastrous election night, in 2012. Not only did Karl spend hundreds of millions of other peoples' dollars, it was almost entirely without return on investment. Add to that fact that he'd been predicting GOP wins almost across the board, and was so convincing to conservatives, they all convinced themselves he was right. Karl himself had a bit of a meltdown, right on camera, on FOX "News."

So--you would think--Rove would be washed up, washed out, wrung out, hung up, left to dry out, right? No, for some reason, his American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS organizations still exist, and apparently still suck up money somehow. And now, Rove has started a new initiative, the Conservative Victory Project, which has as its goal, to de-crazy and de-tea-bag the GOP. Which is hilarious, because it was Karl himself, and the movement he was a part of that birthed all of the looniness! They riled up the rabble, and the rabble took over. Karl is now trying to put the teabags back in the wrapper. Good luck with that, tubby!  'Cause the rabble isn't digging it! I may not have gotten my frog-march, but I love, love, love any Rove-related schadenfreude I can get.

[Excerpt]

Karl Rove’s new ‘Conservative Victory Project’ earns conservative ire

The news that former Bush administration adviser Karl Rove is launching an effort to keep less-electable conservative Republicans from winning primaries has stirred up anger on the right. . .

Read more at: Washington Post