S03.E23: Election 2016 Scandals

[Athena]

The show will be back September 25. Please check other threads or the Youtube channel for bonus materials.

Quote

Main segment: Hillary Clinton's controversies and Donald Trump's controversies
Segments: Shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, Wells Fargo account creation scandal

 

[KerleyQ]

So happy John's back tonight.  He's such an important part of my Sunday night that something is just missing when he's not there.  

[movingtargetgal]

I will never look at raisins again without laughing my ass off.  John Oliver can make a shriveled up grape a political metaphor.  He is brilliant and showed how much he deserved that Emmy.    

Edited September 26, 2016 by movingtargetgal

[Victor the Crab]

Ollie did a great job in comparing the scandals between the two candidate. But I think a more apt description would be that Drumph has a Mt. Everest of scandals, while Hillary's is a molehill. Yet, the so-called liberal biased Mainstream Media have managed to make a mountain out of Hillary's molehill because... ratings! Which is why the polls are so tight and these upcoming debates could be the make or break point for her.

They might not be as visually effective as raisins, but it's just as potent.

[revbfc]

The rasin analogy worked especially well for me.  Those fuckin' grape mummies aren't welcome anywhere near where I exist.

[peeayebee]

Yes, I just finished reading Politifact's breakdown of a statement from Trump about it.

[Primetimer]

Oliver walks through the candidates and their scandals, to help voters who are still undecided.

View the full article

[atomationage]

5 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I hope they find a way to reuse those raisins that's a lot of dried fruit that could be put to better use.

I hope those weren't real raisins.  I dread the debates tonight.  The questions on the Clinton Foundation are always NOT about what the donations were actually used for.  I don't care if they got donations from SATAN, and used the money to help people.  A Canadian guy donated to the foundation, and GMA says it was a  Russian donation.  Say What?  The made up Swiss File Transfer was an apt comparison to most of what we're stuck hearing about since the mainstreaming of Drumpf's whackjob supporters.   Now I have to go to the 7-11 and get my Democratic cup of coffee. 

[iMonrey]

Hey, I like raisins. 

The problem is that people who are going to vote for Trump don't care about any of his scandals, whereas the people who might otherwise vote for Clinton keep getting pummeled with the reports that she "isn't trustworthy," so they're actually the ones making the false equivalency that one candidate is just as bad as the other. That means they'll either sit out the election altogether or throw their vote away on a third party candidate. Our best hope is that enough reasonable Republicans will do the same to cancel each other out.

[cattykit]

When I was four years old, I got hold of a giant box of Sunmaids.  I ate the entire box and from that day to this the thought of a raisin disgusts me.  I avoid anything with raisins or pick them out when I can't avoid them.  So perhaps it's an apt comparison, given that we're being inundated with tabloid scandals instead of policy debates, because even though I was a poli sci major so long ago, I'm about sick of the whole process.  I can only imagine how it must be to people who have no interest in politics and live in a reality show universe.  You know, the deplorables.

[atomationage]

For breakfast, I had an asiago cheese bagel, and a chocolate bar with almonds, hazelnuts and RAISINS.   I haven't had my Democratic coffee yet. 

[attica]

8 hours ago, revbfc said:

grape mummies

This delights me. Or haunts me, I'm not sure. I'll have to wait until I can't sleep tonight to be certain.  My personal feelings about raisins (not that anybody has asked or cares, but, hey: Internet!) is that they do not belong in already-sweet baked goods, as their high sugar content creates overload. (and dude: anybody who believes the proper pairing in an oatmeal cookie isn't a chocolate chip needs remedial education.) But they do all right in less-sweet things, like scones. Or alone coated in dark chocolate.

It's a little frustrating that John was able to pile his desk with pounds of paper of research into Clinton 'scandals', but has only Farenthold and Eichenwald to cite on Trump's. That's the disparity that rots my socks.

[LoneHaranguer]

12 hours ago, Victor the Crab said:

But I think a more apt description would be that Drumph has a Mt. Everest of scandals, while Hillary's is a molehill.

There's a political joke that attempts to make light of Hillary's scandals, but fails because the list goes on too long, without even getting into the ones from back when she was co-President, so saying she just has a molehill or a cookie's worth isn't really true. Let's not forget that she went to Yale Law to learn how to skirt the rules and cover her tracks, while Trump is a businessman big on delegating everything to staff (who apparently haven't been doing a very good job), so her mountain is covered in clouds that keep you from seeing just how big it is.

[tenativelyyours]

I loved the fact that John simply mentioned the raft of dubious and unethical doings on the part of the Angry Moldy Yam that go back even before he took over from his father and then compounded with his Atlantic City crook-ery.  What a huge Fraud he is.   And I love how Fucktard and his Fucktard son tried to play off the Blind Trust.  I think they have a general idea and simply think their snake oil salesman history makes them so much smarter than everyone else and they can do whatever they want.  Again it shows how simpleminded in the end the Spoiled Canned Ham is in how he thinks the office of the President works.  He really does not understand that it is not the ultimate game of The Apprentice.  Though a small part of me wants to see the day he tries to fire Paul Ryan when the House doesn't deliver what he wants.  It will be interesting to see just how low the bar is for the Disaster in Chief to "win" the debate.  Though as John points out it is so silly to think that there are really that many voters still undecided or that the polls truly have flipped and flopped.  For those that will get out and vote in November no matter what, I think their minds were made up pretty much even before the conventions.  Rather it is the apathy that both have to fight against and the scandals play a big part of that. 

What was missing from the equation is that if scandals worry a voter, I have to wonder what their own mindset is in regards to what the job of President is that they somehow think a person who has never served the public in any way and still openly admits to wanting to work the system to his own benefit and his children's benefit?  Where does the line start just in terms of this bloviating tool even being qualified let alone them pacing off their demerits thanks to previous bad behavior.

The Russian deal was overblown but it also shows me a troubling tendency on Bill Clinton's part to think he can simply do what he wants with no foresight as to how things look with his wife running for office.  I think he is going to create another mess for her when she is in office -- not a law broken, but one ignored by spirit and bent and twisted.   I wish Tim Kaine was someone I had a little more faith in because it is getting to the point that I actually wish the health conspiracy theories were true!  But then Hillary could drop dead tomorrow and be all weekend at Bernies and I'd still vote for her over a blithering yammering misshapen left over gourd from last year's Thanksgiving. 

Loved the "Fuck You" to eight year old Ron Howard.  Couldn't said it better.  The chairman of Wells Fargo needs someone to go all Mr. Robot on his ass. 

Loathe raisins in baked goods.  I hope his rant against raisins takes a huge sweep in social media and the likes of Trader Joe's stops putting raisins in their cinnamon bread.  Stop.  They are heinous.  If people are misguided enough to want raisins with their baked goods they can pop a couple in their mouth before taking a bite of cinnamon baked goodness like I shove a worm pill in my dog's mouth the same time I slip him a little ball of ground beef.  Yes I'll go farther than John and say raisins are akin to worm pills.  But in this case no one has worms.

This was a nice compact episode that flew by and felt much more timely than those two odd Predatory Car loans and Charter schools shows.  I thought the schools show was a bit more on point since Charter Schools have played into the elections both national and state.  But looking back I think it would have been nice to tie it into the fall election.  Since there was a focus on PA, where does Toomey and McGinty stand on the issue?

[dusang]

I'm more speechless regarding the NC congressman Robert Pittenger's comments.  I mean... no, I'm literally speechless.

[atomationage]

11 minutes ago, tenativelyyours said:

And I love how Fucktard and his Fucktard son tried to play off the Blind Trust. 

I was worried they were going to show the fucktard's son with the severed elephant trunk, like on SamBee, but maybe that was the other 80s serial killer.   Your post was hilarious. 

[vibeology]

1 hour ago, atomationage said:

I was worried they were going to show the fucktard's son with the severed elephant trunk, like on SamBee, but maybe that was the other 80s serial killer.   Your post was hilarious. 

No, it was that son. I think technically the other one has done it too, but the famous picture is of Don Jr. and I hate that I know that!

It was nice to have John lay out some of the bigger scandals for us. I follow the news, but it honestly has gotten to the point where reporters just repeat the things they see on twitter rather than actually fact check and provide viewers with information. Having Hillary's "scandals" spelled out by someone I actually can trust tells me that her judgment isn't dynamite but she isn't that bad. Trump's issues seem, unsurprisingly, far worse to me but I'm sure to those who back him, they don't matter.

I'm not American so I'm counting on all of you Americans to vote because I don't get a say but I am certain my life will be impacted if Trump wins.

[peeayebee]

2 hours ago, tenativelyyours said:

Though a small part of me wants to see the day he tries to fire Paul Ryan when the House doesn't deliver what he wants. 

There is an ugly little part of me that wants to see what would happen if Trump gets elected so when things go up in flames I can join the "Told you so" chorus.

 

Quote

Loved the "Fuck You" to eight year old Ron Howard.  Couldn't said it better. 

 That seriously cracked me up. I don't always find someone saying "Fuck you" funny, but it was a great reaction to little Opie singing.

[movingtargetgal]

I have a disability that often leaves me being unable to leave my home.  I missed voting in the primary because of this.  After last night's show I looked up how to obtain an absentee ballot. I found a website called Vote.org and it helped me fill out a request for an absentee ballot.  It was easy to fill out and it had the local government information filled out for me.  I printed it out and all I have to do is check a few boxes and mail it.  The town will send me my ballot.  

So glad I did this because I really hate raisins and I don't want to be drowning in them in November. 

[ChelseaNH]

13 hours ago, placate said:

#GaryJohnsonforpresident because your two party system is so ancient.

Gary Johnson who thinks addressing global warming is pointless because the sun will eventually consume the earth?  What exactly is the case for Gary Johnson, beyond being a third-party candidate?  If all you want is someone who's not Trump or Clinton, there are some 1880 options nationwide.

[atomationage]

Gary Johnson is the Weed candidate, and it shows, IMHO.  I've already watched this episode twice and will probably re-watch again before the debate.

[The Crazed Spruce]

I love oatmeal raisin cookies, I hate shilling for Hill.  #GaryJohnsonforpresident because your two party system is so ancient.

A third-party candidate works here in Canada because (a) we vote for parties on the local level, and the leader of the party that wins the most seats in Parliament becomes Prime Minister, so the PM will actually have some support in the House of Commons, and (b) our elections aren't at a fixed four-year term, so if the party wins the election but doesn't have at least half of the votes, the other parties can band together and force another election if the PM does something politically unpopular or against the nation's interests. If America elected a third-party candidate, not only wouldn't they have any support in either the House or the Senate, but if they did something that proved that they were unfit to hold the office (like, say, oh, gee, I dunno, claiming that climate change doesn't matter because the planet's gonna be engulfed by the sun in a billion years anyway), you're stuck with 'em for four years.

[atomationage]

In the Wells Fargo segment, The Fraud Was Baked In, by Martha Stewart, was funny,  Also the Russian nesting dolls with her middle fingers up.   I also loved John's suggestion that they pay the CEO of the bank in millions of accounts with $10 in them.   I'm surprised he didn't do anything with Stumpf's last name.  I noticed it back when Elizabeth Warren was questioning him. 

Edited September 27, 2016 by atomationage
to make sense

[mojoween]

I like raisins, I used to eat them for snacks before I realized what I thought was healthy is not so much.  However, raisins do not belong anywhere near a chocolate chip cookie.  

I too was concerned about the waste of food and my husband wondered who had to clean that mess up.

[ebk57]

5 hours ago, mojoween said:

I like raisins, I used to eat them for snacks before I realized what I thought was healthy is not so much.  However, raisins do not belong anywhere near a chocolate chip cookie.  

I too was concerned about the waste of food and my husband wondered who had to clean that mess up.

The props department. They don't mind.   (Mr ebk is in the biz... The Business of Show... )

[withanaich]

I'm more speechless regarding the NC congressman Robert Pittenger's comments.  I mean... no, I'm literally speechless.

I was speechless back when I'd only heard HALF of his disgusting statement. I can't believe he said that out loud ... in public ... in 2016. It was a real HOLY SHIT moment.

[atomationage]

I've watched this episode almost as often as I watched the one on the Scottish Referendum, which was the one that got me interested in the show in the first place.  I'm still laughing at the raisin monsoon.  I had to go back to figure out who the heck Robert Pittenger was.  I don't pay much attention to idiots, whether out loud in public or in private.  Drumpf is the one that brought this stuff out loud in public.   He was talking the same way in the debate last night, and he probably doesn't even realize it. 

[Athena]

Talk about the show. Political and current news discussion is off-topic on these forums. While discussion of LWT's topics as it relates to the show is allowed within reason, it is not a springboard for your own political opinions and discussions. I understand that with the election this is difficult, but there are many other platforms on the internet to discuss these topics. Keep it to John Oliver and LWT. Thank you.

[Hanahope]

So while I appreciate the optics of thousands of raisins for Trump compared to 10 or so for Hillary, John still spent half his time on Hillary's alleged scandals and still called her out on them, almost as harshly as he did for Trump. I'm tired of this attempt at equivalency.  They are in now way even close to being the same.  Trump's scandals need significantly more detail and attention.

John really questions that Hillary, who's nearly 70, was honest that maybe she's not as much into technology as those decades younger than her?  Really?  My boss who's 63 barely knows how to email anything from his work computer, and rarely checks his phone for emails.  That Hillary is as good as she is with technology is impressive to me.  I'm completely sure she wanted to just use one phone, rather than accidently mix up two phones or worry about carrying two phones around.  There's been no evidence she was hacked, or than any real sensitive or classified information  ever made into the wrong hands.  Not a scintilla. The email scandal is completely bogus along with virtually every other alleged "scandal" against Hillary.

We need more attention on Trump's numerous ways to avoid legal actions, including scamming students, stiffing his employees and contractors, failure to pay taxes, laundering money with his charity, illegal tax deductions/failure to report income, racial, sexual, religious discrimination, numerous bankruptcies to avoid legal debts, etc.  A few mentions and an optic of raisins helps. but isn't nearly enough.

[alias1]

I had the same thought.  It felt like John spent way too much time on Hillary's made up scandals and not enough time on Trumps real (and very disturbing) scandals.  It did seem like a false equivalency.

Edited September 28, 2016 by SierraMist

[angora]

I was a little mixed on the format.  I agree that John spent a lot of time on Hillary's scandals, but part of that was BECAUSE of how much her emails and the Clinton Foundation get bandied around without a lot of actual detail of what's going on.  I thought his goal was to go over what we actually know, and in both cases, he came down on the side of "not good, but not as bad as it looks."  The problem is, by taking his time to separate facts from hyperbole on those two scandals, there wasn't much time leftover to give more than a cursory look to Trump's (numerous) scandals, making it look kind of like a false equivalency when I really don't think that's what he was going for.

[fastiller]

Perhaps they have something else planned for later in the season?  Something that'll delve deeper into DJT's scandals.

[atomationage]

This show is well researched, more so than the news nowadays.

Edited September 28, 2016 by atomationage

[cattykit]

I was actually paying attention to the running time when JO was enumerating Hillary's scandals and wondering if there'd be enough time to start on Drumpf.  In some ways though, as a non-HRC fan and Drumpf hater, I found it really helpful to get an objective assessment of what her scandals are, as opposed to the breathless, hyperbolic reporting I've seen all campaign season.  I already knew a lot about Drumpf's scandals, although they keep piling up daily.  Just the same it seemed like JO should have been given an hour to give full shrift to both sides.  It's HBO; can't they just change the running time as needed and move something else around?

[Victor the Crab]

If Ollie had to go into detail about all of Drumph's scandals, then LWT would end up running longer than Kevin Smith in a live chat session with his fanboys.

[dusang]

Also, he's already dedicated at least four segments to Drumph (the original Drumph piece, the Wall, the University, the Lawsuits... am I missing some?)

I'm very conflicted on Hillary -- on the one hand, I don't really fully agree with her politics; on the other hand, I think she's been the target of a Republican witch hunt for 27 years and if I give in to negative views of her trust-worthiness or honesty I've just succumbed to the right-wing media conspiracy to discredit her.

[OneWhoLurks]

Quote

 

His image reeling amid criticism that he made racist comments about Charlotte’s African-American protesters, North Carolina Rep. Robert Pittenger on Wednesday circulated testimonial letters from four black ministers who vouched for his character.

“I am not offering an escape for his statement,” the Rev. Charles E. Mack Sr. of the Progressive Baptist Church wrote. “As my mom used to teach her children, engage your mind before putting your mouth in gear.”

Mack said Pittenger failed to do that before commenting over the BBC-TV news program that the city’s African-American demonstrators “hate white people because white people are successful and they’re not.”

 

Black ministers vouch for Pittenger after racial fumble