S17.E03: Bill de Blasio, Jon Meacham, Will Hurd, Jennifer Rubin, Peter Hamby

[Guest]

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Guests: Bill de Blasio, Jon Meacham, Will Hurd, Jennifer Rubin, Peter Hamby

[Guest]

Thread will unlock February 1st at 10:00 PM ET.

[Iguana]

I really wish New Rules had been funnier, but climate change isn’t a joke. It’s one of Bill’s issues that I don’t mind him constantly bringing up, cause it’s getting very close to the “we’re all very fucked” stage.

The congresscritter fron the massive Texas district with 800 miles of border seemed to have a practical and reasonable position on the border security issue. I wish Bill had gotten into that more deeply rather than confronting him about how could he be a Republican, and then not really letting him respond. All of the other guests were fine although Deblasio needs to stop talking so much in sound bites and slogans. 

[iMonrey]

Overall it was a pretty good show. Bill actually just sat back and let the panelists speak without interrupting too much. One thing I have to say, and I hate to be that guy, but Jennifer Rubin has one of the most unpleasant speaking voices I have ever heard. If she could just write everything down I'd probably agree with 99% of what she's saying but listening to her voice was irritating as hell. 

I agree DeBlasio needs to stop talking in sound bites and slogans, Iguana. I was also struck by how much he looks like Al Gore now. (Or, conversely, how much Al Gore looks like him.)

Good New Rule on climate change. But I kind of wish he'd gotten into why Republicans are so resistant to climate science. That's really the problem.

[GoldenGirl90]

I liked last night’s show and the New Rule on climate change was excellent. Scary but everything he said was true. 

Also, very good panel. Jon Meacham is always a riot. I liked pretty much everything Bill De Blasio said. 

Edited February 2, 2019 by Alexis2291

[Victor the Crab]

Good New Rules sermon. It's good when Bill talks about things that are important, like climate change, instead of things that are not, like political correctness and adult comic book fans.

[ganesh]

11 hours ago, Iguana said:

The congresscritter fron the massive Texas district with 800 miles of border seemed to have a practical and reasonable position on the border security issue.

He is consistently practical, but I agree with Bill. That's just not what his party is. He's GOP because that's what's being him elected. 

Bill is at his best when he's talking about issues like climate change. I like that he pointed out AOC isn't afraid to talk big. 

[MadLove]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/bill-maher-makes-racist-popeyes-chicken-remark-to-black-congressman-will-hurd

 

I didn't even realize he said this. Guess I have to pay closer attention, but seriously Bill? Wtf?

[scrb]

53 minutes ago, ganesh said:

He is consistently practical, but I agree with Bill. That's just not what his party is. He's GOP because that's what's being him elected. 

Bill is at his best when he's talking about issues like climate change. I like that he pointed out AOC isn't afraid to talk big. 

I think Hurd barely won re-election in November.

Yeah small govt. sure.  Meanwhile, the CIA sent you to outposts all over the world to maintain the interests of the empire.  Bet he has no problems with the defense budget or the CIA budget.

 

There was news from TX this week that the Republicans are trying to purge 95000 voters who voted in November.  They are trying to claim these aren't citizens and Trump seized upon it to claim voter fraud.  But a lot of the people on the list are Hispanic and they are citizens, who have every right to vote.

Either Bill didn't know about this or didn't really want to put the screws to his guest on this.

But Republicans lost a lot of congressional seats and barely held on in the Cruz vs. Beto Senate race so they're trying to get whatever edge they can.

 

The ironic thing is, Republicans in TX do better with Latino voters than Republicans in other states or nationally.  You'd think they'd wise up but so far Republicans get enough of their votes to dominate state govt. as well as the congressional delegation there.

[atlantaloves]

Very good show, and Jennifer Rubin looked nice with professional makeup. Meacham was very witty, I could watch his expressive face all day. Bill, you need to shut up about chicken honey!

[ProudMary]

3 hours ago, MadLove said:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/bill-maher-makes-racist-popeyes-chicken-remark-to-black-congressman-will-hurd

I didn't even realize he said this. Guess I have to pay closer attention, but seriously Bill? Wtf?

Bill just can't seem to stop himself from racism in the guise of humor, can he?  Perhaps another visit from Ice Cube is in order here.  Or maybe HBO should just pull the plug once and for all.  What a great way to kick off Black History Month. 

Also, someone let Bill (and everyone else on the production team) know that Andrew McCabe has been out at the FBI for over a year now.  Chris Wray is the director who testified at the Intelligence hearing.  That's a pretty big blunder.

Edited February 3, 2019 by ProudMary

[ganesh]

It didn't even cross my mind that what he said was racist. I thought he was just saying a fast food restaurant. "So you hide behind *insert something here* at 4 am to meet CIs?" 

We certainly should call out people saying the wrong things as people have correctly called Bill out on occasions where he has said things he shouldn't. 

I agree that the "optics" (I hate that word) here don't look good, but it could also be just a case of "I said Popeye's because I ate there last night and it was the first place that came to mind."  

[ProudMary]

I guess he ate enough at Popeye's to qualify for two jokes because this was part of the monologue:
"It's Black History Month so he went into the Rose Garden and pardoned a bucket of chicken."

[ganesh]

I read that as a Trump being racist joke, like how on May 5th he tweeted out of pic eating a taco bowl, but I'm not going to plant a flag on that one. 

I didn't see the Popeye's joke to be anything than just a joke, but I can get why people might call bs on it. 

[DidISayThat]

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Perhaps another visit from Ice Cube is in order here. 

I agree.  I only watch Bill for his guests and it was a good panel.  I remember Hurd as Beto's road trip to DC buddy.  Bill is ignorant and arrogant.

[iMonrey]

Quote

I didn't even realize he said this. Guess I have to pay closer attention, but seriously Bill? Wtf?

I didn't catch it or make anything of it.

Quote

Perhaps another visit from Ice Cube is in order here. 

Oh God, please no.

Will Hurd was terrible on Overtime. Made all kinds of excuses and stumbled all over himself.

[teddysmom]

When Jennifer Rubin said the media picking apart the slight differences in 2020 Dem candidates as "doing anything to make it appear there is conflict and the old "Dems in disarray", and Meacham said "oh let's not get rid of conflict that's the whole basis of Homer".  Rubin replied, "yeah in fiction, not real life".

Stirring up shit just for a story isn't good journalism, Jon. It's click bait.   

[Milburn Stone]

11 minutes ago, teddysmom said:

When Jennifer Rubin said the media picking apart the slight differences in 2020 Dem candidates as "doing anything to make it appear there is conflict and the old "Dems in disarray", and Meacham said "oh let's not get rid of conflict that's the whole basis of Homer".  Rubin replied, "yeah in fiction, not real life".

Stirring up shit just for a story isn't good journalism, Jon. It's click bait.   

On the other hand, it did show us all how smart he is. :)

[ahpny]

Why can't we have more Republican politicians like Will Hurd? If I were more familiar with him, I expect I'd disagree with much of what he believes (and has apparently voted for), but he is undeniably reasonable, caring, informed and and, most importantly, reality-based. Contrary to trying to goad him into dumping his Republican status and questioning his choice to remain in his party, we should prop him up and hope he, and the glaringly few others like him, return the Republican's to some sense of normalcy and responsibility.

Having said that, I know all I need to know about Bill DeBlasio. Stay home Mr. Mayor. The rest of the country doesn't "need" you or your fatwa against moderate democrats. And lay off the Bloomberg bashing. The City ran far better with him than you. 

[ganesh]

I think it goes to show that people with a background like him in the CIA, or veterans, and the one scientist, are more 'let's get this done' and are more apt to rely on facts and reality.