S17.E15: Michael Lewis, Tim Ryan, Van Jones, Nayyera Haq, and Matt Lewis

[Guest]

Airs May 10, 2019

Guests:

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Michael Lewis, Tim Ryan, Van Jones, Nayyera Haq, and Matt Lewis

[Caseysgirl]

I don’t agree with Bill Maher all the time; in fact, I frequently disagree heartily with him, but tonight his frustration over everything that is going on was just the way I’m feeling. Hopeless and powerless.  I’m tired of hearing talking heads tell me that it’s only a matter of time before karma will do Trump in, but I fear by that time it will be too late to save ourselves.

[angelamh66]

I wish Bill would not have interrupted the first guest so much. I felt like he had interesting things to say that we didn’t get to hear. Other than that, I thought it was a good show.  

[Kenz]

Bill was so belligerent with Tim Ryan at the beginning of their discussion. True, Ryan doesn't have much of a chance for pulling ahead of the pack, but he had some good things to say, and at least the audience and Van Jones gave him some positive responses. i know Bill is frustrated, but he was downright rude.

[ganesh]

The woman was brilliant. 

I don't know who the dude was sitting on the left, but he needs to live in objective reality. A subpoena is a subpeona. 

[GoldenGirl90]

I kind of identify with Maher’s frustration when it comes to the House holding Barr in contempt. Okayyyyyyy. So, what’s next?

 

[Mystery Author]

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True, Ryan doesn't have much of a chance for pulling ahead of the pack, but he had some good things to say

Did he? I thought he merely spouted platitudes. And why didn't Bill ask him about the 11-year-old child who was raped and is being forced to carry the baby to term? According to Ohio's new law [which, btw, is unconstitutional] they will force this child to bear her rapists child! I would have liked to hear Ryan's response to that!!!

[meowmommy]

13 hours ago, Kenz said:

Bill was so belligerent with Tim Ryan at the beginning of their discussion.

I thought he was trying to play devil's advocate, and testing him to see if he could tolerate harsh questioning.  It is hard, when there are 22 candidates, to identify that one person who can manage the balance between policy and electability.  Not that Tim Ryan is that person.  

I'm sick of hearing about how we have to go talk to rural people.  I've lived rural, I've lived suburban, and I've lived urban.  Rural's not any better or more deserving than anyone else, their issues are not more important than anyone else's, and if they want to be assholes and vote against their own interests, let them suffer.  

And Bill, STFU already about how we are "quasi-socialist."  We aren't.  Eventually he might learn the difference between socialism and programs that benefit societal interests.  

It's just sad that the numbers aren't 100% who think we're "ready" for a gay or female or black person to be elected president.  The only demographic requirement for prez is and should be 35+ year old natural born citizen.

5 hours ago, ganesh said:

I don't know who the dude was sitting on the left, but he needs to live in objective reality.

Maybe he should have rethought his line about 45 making it easier for people to vote for people who aren't like them...and that the good side is that now they vote for the best person with the best policies and the best temperament.  Huh???

Has Bill ever before just flat out asked a guest to start spouting on their pet project and plug their show?

New Rules was pretty lame.  As for the hotel channel, how many times do we watch a show on TV and one of the commercials is for that same damn show we're already watching?  Why would Melania cut off 45?  She's getting what she wanted from the relationship.  And he would just replace her with a newer, younger, slimier model.  Same for Jerry Hall.

"How Melania lost 200 pounds of flab."  More like 300.

[GoldenGirl90]

2 hours ago, Mystery Author said:

Did he? I thought he merely spouted platitudes. And why didn't Bill ask him about the 11-year-old child who was raped and is being forced to carry the baby to term? 

They talked about it during overtime, starting at 4:53.

[ganesh]

3 hours ago, Mystery Author said:

Did he? I thought he merely spouted platitudes.

Came to say the same. He literally repeated Biden (stock market doing well, you're not). It's way way too soon for candidates. I also think Iowa and NH have zero credibility in saying who should be the nominee, so all of this is pushing papers around the table. 

I thought Bill was appropriately pushing back on him, and he didn't have much to offer. 

2 hours ago, meowmommy said:

I'm sick of hearing about how we have to go talk to rural people.  I've lived rural, I've lived suburban, and I've lived urban.  Rural's not any better or more deserving than anyone else, their issues are not more important than anyone else's, and if they want to be assholes and vote against their own interests, let them suffer.

How many times have we said that here? No, we don't need to go talk to them. We need to get the "both are just as bad" people's head out of their ass and drag them to the voting booth. 

Your 'rural' voter is going to make excuses and vote for Trump again, especially if the nominee is a woman. Farmers took it on the chin because we bounced out of TPP. They don't care. 

I'm not a blame the media type of person, but the whole line of 'are we ready for a ________ president' is just lazy journalism. I could give a fuck if the next nominee eats ass for breakfast if they have a legit shot of pounding Trump into the ground. You basically know what their policies are going to be. I want them to be like, "I'm a responsible adult. That's why." 

It also amazes me how the whole 'lost 1 billion dollars' isn't more of a story. 

I loved how the woman absolutely cackled at the Bush doctrine joke. 

Edited May 11, 2019 by ganesh

[sistermagpie]

3 hours ago, meowmommy said:

Maybe he should have rethought his line about 45 making it easier for people to vote for people who aren't like them...and that the good side is that now they vote for the best person with the best policies and the best temperament.  Huh???

It was such a dumb line because no, they DIDN'T vote for somebody not like them. They consider Trump to be exactly them. They don't care that he doesn't really read the Bible, they care that he says Christianity is the best religion and he's going to put judges on the Supreme Court to stop abortion. His whole campaign is that he's an old white straight guy who wants to put all these uppity women, gay people, trans people, non-Christians and people of color etc. back in their place. He's the "blue collar billionaire" who's exactly like them, only with the money they all think they deserve. He couldn't be more clear that he's working for them and *against* the people they hate, which is everyone else.

A person who calls themselves Christian and cheats on his wife is hardly foreign to the conservative white evangelical church.

[ganesh]

26 minutes ago, sistermagpie said:

they care that he says Christianity is the best religion and he's going to put judges on the Supreme Court to stop abortion.

That's all it is. Ralph Reed literally said as much on this exact show when he was the mid-guest.

[UYI]

8 hours ago, meowmommy said:

I'm sick of hearing about how we have to go talk to rural people.  I've lived rural, I've lived suburban, and I've lived urban.  Rural's not any better or more deserving than anyone else, their issues are not more important than anyone else's, and if they want to be assholes and vote against their own interests, let them suffer.  

5 hours ago, ganesh said:

Your 'rural' voter is going to make excuses and vote for Trump again, especially if the nominee is a woman. Farmers took it on the chin because we bounced out of TPP. They don't care. 

I'm from rural Southern Maryland, an area with a LARGE AA population (although I myself am a white woman). My main issue with the "talk to rural voters" spiel is that I think there actually IS a way to reach rural voters--but almost NO ONE talks about the RIGHT way or the right PEOPLE to reach in these areas (which--to stay on topic--includes Tim Ryan). I cannot personally just ignore or spit on rural voters--because technically, I AM a rural voter, that's what I know best. But the key is to reach out to those who are the most likely to listen--those who run local Democratic clubs/organizations/chapters, those in rural areas who are minorities (and this is ESPECIALLY key in the South, but hell, there are those out there in the Midwest, too), and young women. FIND those young women, like me, who are from rural areas and care about these things. And of course, prioritize voter registration, both among the young and in general.

*ahem*

Anyway, I just had to put out there. I only wish Tim Ryan and others would, too. 🙂