That Leadership Thing

The first two nights in Cleveland, the GOP speakers have tried mightily to portray Obama (and Hillary) as some kinda disaster when it comes to how the world views USAmerica Inc - like we're somehow flailing about and we're not where we should be and we're not doing what we're supposed to be doing etc etc etc.

Take a look at the numbers of people in various countries saying they have confidence in American Leadership:

Every day, in every way, the GOP just gets worse.

Today's GIF

Today's Podcast

Bob and Chez:

Today's Tweet

Fact Check: Here's what the FBI Director actually said about the so-called "marked" emails sent to Hillary Clinton.https://t.co/xs3tbrJb9e

— The Briefing (@TheBriefing2016) July 20, 2016

Ben Carson

It comes down to acknowledging that you're pushing for a Theocracy, Ben.  And so, in light of the fact that Government-by-Religion is expressly prohibited in our constitution, I have to ask: Why do you hate America, Dr Carson?

  

Yes Different

Congressional Interns, 2016 - Democrats:

Congressional Interns, 2016 - Republicans:

Questions?

About Last Nite

Some semi-random thoughts on The ShamWow Meeting in Cleveland.

The theme du jour yesterday was "Make America Work Again".  Let's leave aside the imagery invoked by that phrasing - Rich Rent Collectors and Forced Labor - and think for a short little moment about what the speakers had to say last night.

I heard an awful lot of the usual Hillary Bashing, but with the exception of two women who spoke pretty well about their own experiences in business (this is a 5-day bender celebrating USAmerica Inc's reigning champion of shameless self-promotion, so why would you not try to cash in?), there really wasn't much talk about jobs and opportunities for regular folk etc - it was all "fuck China" and "fuck Mexico" and "fuck the immigrants and poor people" and "your jobs were sent to other countries by The Kenyan Usurper while the noble wealth creators had nothing to do with any of that, so let's put Hillary in prison because email!"   

I caught a little bit of MSNBC's after-party thing, where one of the analysts said he Word-Clouded the text of the speeches, and the word "work" was so far down the list as to be nearly invisible.

I think Mr Priebus needs to shift the focus a little and maybe try "Make This Dog-Ass Convention Work." The attendance is sparse, and the "crowds" just aren't into it.  There were at least two speakers who used the standard Call-n-Response thing, and it was more than a little pathetic. When the speakers have to start the USA USA chant, and it runs outa steam before the middle-aged drunk ladies in the cute red white and blue cowboy hats can get on their feet - well, it's a problem.

I'll look for something good about Trump Jr's speech and get back to y'all later.

Slammin' Sam

Samantha Bee

Round Two

But before we get too crazy, I've heard one source saying the guy who wrote Trump Jr's speech is the guy who wrote the article.  Still doesn't look good, but it's prob'ly not a Melania-level fuckup.

👀 pic.twitter.com/QEftnTTwy3

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) July 20, 2016

Breakin' It Down

The media is calling out the Trump campaign for attempting to deny that Melania Trump's speech was plagiarized: pic.twitter.com/qk5YCLX4sG

— Media Matters (@mmfa) July 19, 2016

(UPDATE 3:10pm)

Maybe I've been hoping for it - and always being disappointed when it doesn't materialize - for so long that I'm just too skeptical, but some of the reactions on the part of these Press Poodles makes me think again that they might be ready (at long fucking last) to get up on their hind legs and call the bullshit for the bullshit it so obviously is.

If that's actually the case, then yay.  It'll be interesting to see how it goes from here on.

But - beware the resurgence of the Both-Siderists.