S17.E32: Chris Cuomo, Zach Galifianakis, Donny Deutsch, Elissa Slotkin, and Dan Carlin

[Guest]

Airs October 25, 2019

Guests: 

Chris Cuomo, Zach Galifianakis, Donny Deutsch, Elissa Slotkin, and Dan Carlin

[bobbyjoe]

One thing that I took away from tonight’s episode was that Bill blames transgender rights for everything.  Seriously, how many times did he keep coming back to x-candidate has voiced support for some type of transgender right, the Democrats are doomed?  Almost every example in his closing monologue was centered on this.  Just guessing, but I’m imagining that had Bill singled out another minority in this much of a repetitive fashion we might just begin to suspect he has a serious problem toward that group.

Say, Bill, when’s the last time you actually had anyone, anyone at all, who’s actually from the trans community on to give any genuine perspective to these issues, you brave soul you?  The last— and incredibly rare— example I believe was Janet Mock... in 2015.  Odd that, since Bill feels obliged to talk about trans issues— and how bad he feels they are for Democrats— all the time. His “listening to other voices” thing he likes to trumpet so much apparently doesn’t extend to certain minorities.  

Constantly dissing a certain minority’s rights issues while never allowing a representative of that group on your show is not being daringly “politically incorrect,”  it’s just acting like a genuine bigot.

[DEL901]

Like Cuomo pointing out Bill was telling Italians what they should/shouldn’t be offended by.   Also, at first I thought Cuomo was fanning, but then I realized he was sending Bill up and Bill was too big headed to realize it.   
 

Pleasantly surprised by Zack.   Often he does interviews in character, but he came across as intelligent, thoughtful and not afraid to disagree with Bill.  

[Milburn Stone]

1 hour ago, DEL901 said:

Like Cuomo pointing out Bill was telling Italians what they should/shouldn’t be offended by.

I also thought (not that this should matter) that Cuomo looked better than he does on CNN. So I guess HBO's hair/makeup/styling/lighting people are better than CNN's. Or maybe it's just that his face was more relaxed or something because he was having a good time. Or maybe it was just that I could tell how tall he was, which I can't on CNN. In any case, his physical appearance created a more positive impression than I'm accustomed to from him.

[DoctorAtomic]

I don't care enough about Cuomo to hate him, but how in the hell can you be friends with Conway? 

[DoctorAtomic]

5 hours ago, DEL901 said:

Like Cuomo pointing out Bill was telling Italians what they should/shouldn’t be offended by.   Also, at first I thought Cuomo was fanning, but then I realized he was sending Bill up and Bill was too big headed to realize it.   

I'm Italian American and Fredo isn't a thing. Certainly not equal to the n word by any stretch. Even if it was, a public figure like Cuomo should have the situational awareness to not flip out in public. 

Also as a fairly well off middle aged white guy, it's just not a good look for other well off middle aged white guys with big family connections to whine about being called a character in a movie. Sure, you have the right to be offened. I also have the right to suggest you get the fuck over yourself. 

I do like the congresswoman. 

I don't necessarily think it's just young people who are all complaining about everything. It is more people with too much time on their hands. Before social media we called them busy bodies. It's ok to tell them to shut the fuck up sometimes because you're too busy for their bullshit. 

I don't know how I feel about Facebook determining what constitutes free speech or not. How about not being stupid? 

Edited October 26, 2019 by DoctorAtomic

[Caseysgirl]

Watching Chris Cuomo ( who I’m only tepid about) school Bill about not telling people how they should feel about certain “ insults” was worth the hour. And then, watching Bill get all squishy because Cuomo flattered him. I liked the panel but Bill’s fan boying over Zack slowed the entire flow down. I think the mid show guest does NOT work, it only interrupts.

[DoctorAtomic]

Candidates should just be saying 'vote for me because I'm an adult.'

Also to Bill's point - this is why the election cycle is too long. All these candidates have to say something about something because they only have 45 seconds to talk and it's six billion years to the election she there's air time to fill. 

Completely agree that networks should not be handling debates. 

Edited October 26, 2019 by DoctorAtomic

[b2H]

1 hour ago, DoctorAtomic said:

Candidates should just be saying 'vote for me because I'm an adult.'

Also to Bill's point - this is why the election cycle is too long. All these candidates have to say something about something because they only have 45 seconds to talk and it's six billion years to the election she there's air time to fill. 

Completely agree that networks should not be handling debates. 

Have been a big supporter of keeping the entire campaign within the calendar year.  Like, nothing starts before 1/1 of the election year (so we're another two months away from a legitimate campaign period).  

[DEL901]

1 hour ago, b2H said:

Have been a big supporter of keeping the entire campaign within the calendar year.  Like, nothing starts before 1/1 of the election year (so we're another two months away from a legitimate campaign period).  

We just had a federal election in Canada.  40 day election campaign period.  Felt like forever.  (Longest I’ve experienced 42 days.  Shortest 28 days for a provincial election ).    I don’t know how you guys handle it.  
 

Btw, on a related note since voter registration seems to be a big deal... in Canada, it is a line on your tax return...Do you want to register to vote, yes or no.   

[b2H]

26 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

We just had a federal election in Canada.  40 day election campaign period.  Felt like forever.  (Longest I’ve experienced 42 days.  Shortest 28 days for a provincial election ).    I don’t know how you guys handle it.  
 

Btw, on a related note since voter registration seems to be a big deal... in Canada, it is a line on your tax return...Do you want to register to vote, yes or no.   

Some States have a Motor Voter rule in place - when you re-up your drivers' license, you can check off whether that can serve as your voter registration.  Back in the day, when family member was a town registrar, it just caused a whole lot more work because many were already registered.  That was a couple of decades ago, when purges were done legally and with strict oversight, not like today.

On show:  Loved Chris Cuomo; Zack, I could've taken or left.  The Rep from Michigan didn't get enough time; while what he had to say was on mark, Donnie Deutsch got too much time.  In the case of the rep from Michigan, I can see where the administration's denigration of the IC would just tear her up, having been career IC.

[Robert Lynch]

Bill Maher wants the Clintons to go away from the public limelight because he thinks they are toxic to the Democratic Party. I remember he was fawning over Hillary, but now he doesn't want them anywhere near the base at this point. Is he right?

[DoctorAtomic]

He has a point. All Trump has to do is start hammering away at how Clinton controls the party so a vote for the Democratic nominee is a vote for Clinton.

[Guest]

Haven’t seen the entire episode but did just watch this clip: 

Must be nice to be a powerful millionaire who thinks everyone else is a millionaire, too. 

He is such a dick. 

[DoctorAtomic]

Yeah, but Bill doesn't have the footprint big enough to adversely affect the election.

You don't think they'll take the 'deep state Clintons controlling the party' strategy if there's a heavy Clinton presence at the convention though? It's got nothing to do with them being well respected. The gop being able to run against Clinton again would be a gift to them.

Edited October 27, 2019 by DoctorAtomic

[Victor the Crab]

The GOP are the last ones to complain about a political party being controlled by one or two people, seeing as how their president has complete control over them. It could backfire on them.

[DoctorAtomic]

*could* backfire (hopefully will) - But, that's the tactic they likely would take.

Bill wasn't saying they shouldn't go, but that maybe not have them be keynote speakers. *Especially* with 50,000 candidates in case it goes to a brokered convention. You don't want to have any impression that Clinton is choosing the nominee.

I mean, honestly, after the next 'debate', anyone not in the top 3 needs to drop out. As Bill was saying, 12 people on the stage is ridiculous.

[meowmommy]

7 minutes ago, DoctorAtomic said:

I mean, honestly, after the next 'debate', anyone not in the top 3 needs to drop out.  As Bill was saying, 12 people on the stage is ridiculous.

I disagree strongly.  We are months away from even the first primary.  Polls at this stage in previous elections have often not been in the least reflective of the final nominee.

Bill was right that 12 people on the stage was ridiculous.  They should have split them up like they had promised to do in the previous debate if more than 10 people qualified.

[DoctorAtomic]

All right, but something needs to be done. It's kind of a farce. Bill is correct that having the networks air these debates is for only ratings and not anything substantive. It's not like anything anyone said in the first debate has any impact on what's going on now.

You can't have even 10 of them on the stage and have any one of them get more than a word in edgewise.

They've talked on the show about the requirements to qualify. So maybe they should have been more stringent.

Edited October 28, 2019 by DoctorAtomic

[Victor the Crab]

As far as Bill's New Rules sermon goes, does he really think that a couple of eye raising proposals from a few Democratic presidential candidates will make the party more crazy than the GOP? Because if he does, then he needs to find a stronger brand of weed to smoke. Because this is nothing more than an excuse by Bill to lash out at ideas and groups of people he doesn't like, such as the transgendered, and make liberals bend to his narrow minded hateful worldview.

Rowan Farrow is scheduled to be back on the next show. Here's hoping he doesn't put up with Bill's shit at him.

[deirdra]

Why'd they bother having the (presumably) bald guy on the panel?  I prefer to see peoples' eyes when they are speaking.

[meowmommy]

40 minutes ago, Victor the Crab said:

Rowan Farrow is scheduled to be back on the next show. Here's hoping he doesn't put up with Bill's shit at him.

Well, the last time he was there, trying to engage in a serious interview, Bill blindsided him with a Frank Sinatra snark, so anything's possible.

[suziespend]

Just watched this episode and was wondering if anyone else noticed Donnys face at the start of the show when he was introduced as “Danny” lol

[Milburn Stone]

4 hours ago, suziespend said:

Just watched this episode and was wondering if anyone else noticed Donnys face at the start of the show when he was introduced as “Danny” lol

I actually looked for any sign of miffed-ness and I didn't see any.

[BK1978]

On 10/26/2019 at 11:54 AM, DoctorAtomic said:

I'm Italian American and Fredo isn't a thing. Certainly not equal to the n word by any stretch. Even if it was, a public figure like Cuomo should have the situational awareness to not flip out in public. 

The majority of my friends are of Italian ancestry and when I told them about the Cuomo thing (when it happened) they all laughed about it.  Much like Bill when I heard people calling him Fredo I immediately thought that meant they were calling him an idiot.  My friends thought the same thing.

I just thought they were saying he was the dumb brother of a more successful brother.

[DoctorAtomic]

I thought Bill was getting to a point but didn't press it - no one walks back. I think he was giving him the chance to. 'Yeah I flipped out. I was pissed off and had a bad day. Not really the behavior someone like me should be exhibiting. He got under my skin. We've had to deal with all that mafia nonsense in our family, as you said, for so long. I'm just so sick of it.'

He doesn't have to apologize, but it is context. 

When he pulled the 'Oh, Bill I find it ironic you're telling an Italian what he can be offended about. Bill was like okaaaay and moved on. But Cuomo came of as petulant, and, yes, looking like the dumb brother. 

Which because, like you said, it's not a thing. 

[meowmommy]

11 hours ago, BK1978 said:

Much like Bill when I heard people calling him Fredo I immediately thought that meant they were calling him an idiot.  My friends thought the same thing.

I just thought they were saying he was the dumb brother of a more successful brother.

I agree.  The name gets used in that context all the time, irrespective of ethnic origin.  Using it to describe an American of Italian descent doesn't suddenly make it an ethnic slur.