Landsnark

Nailed it, Ladyrain. For fun (fun?), just watch her. Only her. Put it on mute and hold up a hand so you only see her face. She is ODD. Her weird ticks and eye rolls and embarrassed glances down and pompous smugness are amazing to observe out of context. It's such an uncomfortable energy. The segment on the newest dump of Clinton's emails was SO much nothing. It's now devolved into gossiping about gossip. Did you know!?? Did you know!? Clinton has advisors who write her emails!!!!!!! THEY DO! They discussed crises when crises arose!! Some people had one opinion and other people had other opinions!!!! AMAZING! This just proves, um... something! OFC Joe got mad. He instantly became an expert on her personal staff, their roles, and what they do wrong... and everything they do is wrong. Mika had this to offer (Christ, she's stupid), "They should've just said, "don't use a server!" Why would you use a server? Never use a server!" What dumb Mika doesn't understand is that the server isn't the issue. The issue is the series of decisions to choose to use it, and the series of decisions to not cooperate with an antagonistic media. And of course Barnicle says, "I can't believe we're talking about her email server still. It's still in the news. If she'd addressed this before, it wouldn't be in the news." A fascinating comment, really. Truly meta. He put the story in the news, then comments how it's in the news and he's tired of it, especially because the emails aren't newsworthy or illuminating, and, it's all her fault for... something. Her apologies weren't enough, the FBI investigation wasn't enough, her constant addressing of the issue wasn't enough, it's fascinating. I also like how they all are tired of the minutia of campaign politics, but... their entire professional careers are designed around daily gossiping about process politics.

So, if there is a whiff of Trump being fraudulent with donations, why isn't every journo and ambitious DA investigating this at breakneck speed? The shitty thing here is that Trump knows that if he did lie, cheat, steal, and break every law... no AG is going to go after him. It will seem like payback, or retribution. It will become the manifestation of "get even" politics. Even though it's what ought to happen. It will split the country further, and his fucking idiot supporters will add it to their ever-growing list of imaginary grievances.

He seemed smart.

Right around the 7am mark Joe and Mika did their usual reading of social media and mock people critical of them. I hate that schtick. Smug and dismissive is an ugly look for a TV host. Especially for Mika.

What is "bigly?"

I think the reason these topics are in this thread because, yes, they are Hillary's fault. She's so evil and corrupt, she controlled the release of the Billy Bush tape, probably faked it, had scads of fake "victims" ready to appear, made Trump say he didn't do anything, made Trump Tweet, and made Trump claim he'll sue. She controls everything on earth. Everything you see is a cynical plot. Anything you don't see is also a cynical plot (to wit: despite the absolute lack of proof that her investments in the 70s were illegal, they MUST be because others repeat others, and when there's smoke there's fire, and coincidence, and so on and so on and so on).

I'm going to agree in thinking that O'Donnell is not right for the slot. He's a biased ideologue. There's a spot for that, but not at 6am. There's no need to create a super-serious analogue to Fox'n'Friends. O'Donnell needs to dial it back by like a million. I don't think Joy Reid is right either. I view her more as an issues-based analyst. More of a panelist or issues magazine format host than morning chat show host. She's too serious for a morning show. Maybe Alex Wagner and Heilemann?? Meh. Maybe too light and silly. Dreamy McRoberts & Sara Silverman? Steven Colbert & Hallie Jackson (maybe?), Katie Tur (nah), Kasie Hunt (maybe?) It's an equation, right? The two sides of the equation have to balance... (Smart + Funny / Large Personality) = (Traffic Cop x Connections - Ego) or something like that. Or, how about Bill Mahr and KellyAnne Conway? Katrina Pierson? Rudy Giuliani?

The difference between her timid behavior next to Joe and her outspoken energetic persona when he's not there is crazy. I don't want to dislike Mika. But I do. I don't like outspoken Mika. She's shrill and sanctimonious and can be suddenly very mean for no discernible reason. I don't like spineless Mika either. It's sort of gross to watch. Mika is not cool. She needs to relax, and, she needs to curate a sense of humor. And she needs a LOT of therapy. Her childhood experiences have done a real number on her. I prescribe a month away from Joe and TV and everyone in her life, at a high-end hippie dippy desert spa with no drugs, no booze, no coffee, no media... Just exercise, therapy, relaxation, clean food, therapy, massages, and therapy.

Deep dish pizza is Chicagoan. And yukky. But what does bacon wrapped scallops and apple pie mean? Apple pie because he's super-American? Cheese plate because Ryan is cheesy or from Wisconsin? We need instruction and direction!!

WRT trade agreements, what exactly are his proposals? That they'll be "better?" Ok. How? Manufacturing and coal are industries that are just done. They're gone. Forever. There is no "bringing them back." Some trade agreements, y'know, are good for say Northern California while simultaneously being a drag on Eastern Ohio. So when you say you'll make "better agreements," it's simply pandering for votes. Additionally, the world's economy is a real thing. If the US demands goods be purchased from us at higher rates and we purchase goods at lower rates, well, then... it has direct, immediate results. It's not theoretical. The world markets react immediately. Tourism, real estate, security, terrorism, poverty, the environment, dictatorships... all of this is tied to the quality of trade agreements being fair on all sides. It's not simple. Certainly, it's not bumper-sticker Trump-voter simple. But, hey, there is social media and Yahoo Comments so the deplorables know all about TPP and NAFTA and they are experts. I find his business bona fides to be hilarious. Because, you see, up until last September, not one American states person was smart. Not one of them gave a fuck about strong trade agreements. Nobody knew about business. But... now! NOW, we have Trump! It's all going to be different. He's the smartest person in the world. I wonder who his favorite American economist is/was? Certainly there must have been one or two he admires back when America Was Great, right?

It's likely that if he does get elected, which is unlikely, he'll be impeached and Pence will be President before the end of the spring.

"Sympathy For the Devil?" Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name.

Like when he tries to be Cool Dad and self-consciously leans on his elbow on the lectern and puts on that act? Not smarmy, eh? Yeah. That's so fucking self-aware and forced, it produces eye-rolls. He has affectations aplenty that aren't sincere.

A porn actress has come forward claiming Trump groped her against her consent. Because of course. Bet ya he doesn't lose 1 evangelical vote. #'Murica!

No, and what difference would it have made? Clinton would have won no matter who was in the primaries. That people apply unfair baggage to women isn't Clinton's fault. That she's had to battle 35 years of lies is not only not her fault, but a HUGE fucking credit to her. That people hate her for being a powerful, connected, lifetime public servant is their issue, not hers. By any objective measure, she's the best candidate by far. And if you need your President to supply you with soaring rhetoric, then what is it you actually want in the chief of the Executive branch? A celebrity? Ted Cruz? And, to her credit, she's not an ideologue. She's a pragmatist.

I suppose this is off-topic a bit... I'm watching "With All Due Respect" and Donnie Deutsch is on. He's great there. He has really found his voice somehow as time has gone on. He and Heilemann are terrific. Ok, maybe not "terrific" but good. I have to say that I HATE Donnie's collars. The precious rounded collars, "club collar." I HATE it. It's so affected. It's jarring. Also purple doesn't suit him. There. Now you know. I feel so much better.

Our neighbors heard us laughing at Hillary's jokes. She delivered them well. Does it matter in the grand scheme? No. Know what matters? She was fucking prepared for a silly roast at a silly dinner. She fucking nailed it. She hired extraordinary joke writers, she was absolutely familiar with the room, the attendees, the tradition, she owned it. If you don't want that sort of organization from the leader of your government, then... I just don't know. It's a throwaway event and she was completely prepared. Also, and it means nothing, she's miles funnier than Bernie. Bernie couldn't make me laugh in a year of trying. He couldn't inspire me to cross the street. She's funnier than every other Republican who ran in the primaries. Imagine being amused by Jeb Bush? Rubio? Ben fucking Carson? Fiorina? It is literally impossible for Carly Fiorina to be charismatic. Kasich? Kasich would tell a joke and make me sad, not laugh. MAYBE Rand Paul is in possession of a sense of humor. He's cynical and wry, and self-aware. And all that aside, I want a consensus-builder in the office who can get things done and can move a pile of papers from the in box to the out box efficiently and professionally without waste. That's it. I don't need to be friends with this person. I don't need her to be my coach, or my yogi, or my inspiration. I don't want an ideologue. I want a clear eyed career professional politician who is experienced and capable. Guess what? There's one on the ballot.

Peggy Noonan name-checked Reagan in the excerpt Joe read. Coffee nearly snorted out my nose. She shoe-horns that mfer's name into every. single. thing. she does. "I'll have a large iced coffee, please. Ronald Reagan." "Excuse me?" "Oh, I said I'll have an iced coffee. ... ... ... ronaldreagan ronaldreagan." Did you know? Joe Scarborough was an heroic Congressman straight out of a Frank Capra-esque American fable? Did you know that? Did you know that Peggy Noonan once knew Ronald Reagan? The best part of the Peggy Noonan 5 minute arc is that her asinine assertion was shot down by every panelist. "If Donald Trump weren't insane..." well, the reason he got to where he is is because of his aggressive, unsophisticated temperament and his pandering to the meanest anger among uneducated, conservative whites. They just want revenge and to see things burn, and to inflict pain on others, so a measured professional politician wouldn't have gotten their support and the campaign would have unfolded totally differently. Duh, Noonan. Ronald Reagan could've told you that.

That's crazy. I suppose we need to know how to define what a "Donald Trump supporter" is. A wingnut fanatic, or rank and file Republican moderates? I'd say roughly 15% of the electorate are true believing whack job Trumpers.

Yep. That happened. She was awesome. And Obama was also awesome yesterday in Florida speaking to the millennials.

When she called him out, my wife and I laughed. When they focused the lens on his face, we HOWLED! My sides hurt and there were tears in my eyes. That was hilarious. Christ, that was funny.

It's hard to believe that Joe is doing it again, and again his panel is looking at him dumbstruck. They have to explain to him why Trump's months-long fantasy of rigged elections, rigged media, rigged everything is qualitatively different than Barbara Boxer in 2004. (Really, Joe? How many interns and analysts had to work past midnight to pull a freaking Barbara Boxer story where she has questions about voting irregularities for four hours? Sweet false equivalency, too. You're gonna break an ankle with your frantic dancing around Trump's moronic statements.) Yesterday, when Trump "explained" his position on voting results and rigged elections, he prefaced his explanation with: "Crooked Hillary Clinton lied to Congress (she didn't), lied to the FBI (she didn't), destroyed 33,000 emails (fake issue), put her office up for sale (lie), and put her confidential information in the reach of her enemies (nope)... is a candidate who is truly capable of anything. Including voter fraud. Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt and dishonest person ever to seek the office of the presidency. So it's in that context I was asked whether I would agree in advance to accept the results of the election." He's explaining that his loss will be because she cheated. He's not walking anything back. He's making the case that any negative result is the direct result of fraud. In fact, that's precisely what he said.

Obama calls Trump a whiner at a state event with a world leader there. Good GOD, he's amazing! Hillary Clinton calls Trump a whiner at a roast dinner. She's a foul, mean, small, classless, graceless epitome of mediocrity. Yep. Seems legit!

The Washington Post article about Scarborough attacking Kristol is trending. Homepage of Yahoo, which isn't uncommon, but now it's on Facebook. It's on my Facebook feed and the hundreds and hundreds of comments beneath it condemn Joe at various levels of anger, sanctimony, and hilarity. Joe's an asshole. But, this will only go to embolden him and his masters, as this will really drive up ratings. People will tune in to glimpse the angry guy act. Know who was gracious in accepting defeat and quickly supporting the nominee? Bernie Sanders. Oh wait. No, he was an asshole.

He's not contending there will be a neck-and-neck miscount in a state. He's contending that Clinton is an illegitimate candidate. That the entire election process is rigged. That "media" has conspired against him so information is rigged. He's not pointing at a mechanical malfunction that may require a recount, he's pointing at how he's a victim of the entire system.