I'm shocked that anybody is answering yes to this poll. Have we learned nothing?
Presidential elections are a referendum on the incumbent. That does not change if you change the candidate. In fact, if you change the candidate after one term, that is perceived as admission that the first term was a failure.
Everybody has a theory about why Clinton was a bad campaigner in 2016, but her #1 mistake was that she distanced herself from what had been a very strong 8 years of Obama. Instead of crowing about 20+ straight quarters of economic growth, all she talked about was how we "could do better," and how we had to focus on the people who'd been "left behind." Trump ate that up.
This election will be about Joe Biden, whether we like it or not. So I recommend borrowing from the Trump playbook, and crowing about how good things are.
I agree. There is exactly ONE person who has beaten Trump (2 if you count E. Jean Carroll), Biden. To believe anyone else MAY beat Trump is wishful thinking that may or may not be true.
Came across this from the estimable Baltimorean, John Waters. Sort of sums up my worldview (at least one of them --- for today...). "My idea of rich is that you can buy every book you ever want without looking at the price and you’re never around assholes. That’s the two things to really fight for in life."
I find both polls impossible to answer, though Noodles & Cabbage may have decided me on the Biden poll. Sure, if there were some new generational talent out there behind whom Biden could somehow graciously throw his support, maybe that would be better. But I don’t know of anyone else capable of beating Trump at this time, and at least he’s done it.
As for the second poll, I think the article may be fair to publish, BUT why did the Post grant anonymity to this “Republican operative” who sent them the information? Also, we’re probably going to have to get used to candidates with salacious but not illegal histories.
As for the shifting polling results away from Biden, I blame the medias obsession with polls (and specifically with polls that are not actually about policy issues).
They keep asking " do you think Joe Biden is too old to be president?" Then they make the inevitable answer headline news -- bigger news than the actual ongoing accomplishments of the administration.
Re Nate Bargatze John and Jane Doe story: yes I do get the point that when you google those names you get anonymous murder victims, but I still don't think it's funny.
I think this is legitimately debatable. I tend to extend leeway to comedians, and I think b/c these victims are not specific people, there is no harm done. I can see how a reasonable person would disagree.
I think you all missed the humor in this. Bargatze was illustrating that he is STILL dumb--so dumb that he assumed that the murdered John and Jane Doe he found were the couple he had conversed with and so dumb that he didn't know these names are used for unknown victims.
I (the author of the original commentary as well as the comments above) did not fail to grasp this. I understand this. I just don't think it's really funny. I do think everything else Bargatze says is funny. That's all I meant.
How sad that someone's private sex life has been made public. Live streaming with consenting adults is not illegal. How sad that it has overtaken important issues, and I disagree that it is something the voters have a right to know.
It's done by invite only, not available to general public. Just FYI. I understand people may not like it, but I don't ask anyone about their sex life as a qualification for office. Consensual.
Don't let me be misunderstood. The only time someone's sex life factors into qualification is when there is hypocrisy, lying or cheating. Your personal life is your bidness, and no one else's unless you're living a lie to screw over/stigmatize someone. As indicated in a previous comment, this outing was reprehensible, though legitimate news for a candidate for office. Voters are entitled to complete knowledge about for whom they're being asked to hire.
Still not agreeing with that last. Do you want to ask everyone what kind of sex they have? Maybe you think certain acts are taboo? I don't care. Complete knowledge is not really necessary unless it affects their job, and this is a private matter, IMHO.
First off, thanks for allowing us to keep abreast of Rachel. Her two framed pay stubs, remind me both of Val's solo from "A Chorus Line" and the theater of the absurd performance formally called the third presidential candidate debate for acknowledged losers of the party formerly known as Republican. "(Song and) Dance 10, Message: 3"
Re: Biden. I like the guy, but he's too old, and Kamala is extremely unpopular. Many people, not irrationally, fear that if something happens to him, we'll be stuck with her. And we need the people who are in the middle, or who would normally vote GOP but can't stand Trump, to vote DEM, but they won't because of this fear. I think this is the worst possible ticket against Trump at this point.
This raises an interesting, if unfortunate point. Those of us who've been paying attention know that Biden is doing a good job and Kamala is certainly competent. But the right's messaging has made it sound as if the current administration is a dumpster fire. Is it fair? Absolutely not. But you know the adage about a lie getting halfway around the world. At this point the safest bet would probably be a new ticket with a candidate who's got the goods and has no black spots in their past. Sadlly, this is unlikely to happen, and I'm deathly afraid of what will happen if Trump is reelected (and conservatives have made no secret of what they're going to try to do if he does). If he thinks that the debates will make him look bad due to his increasing cognitive impairment, he'll just skip them, and his base will be none the wiser.
In my first book, "The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death" I told a long story about my childhood doctor. He was an excellent doctor, and the opposite of a hypochondriac. He died of a cold, because he refused to treat it and it became congestive heart failure. His name was Dr. Herbert Katzev. This reader knows my oeuvre.
Here is a sign of how beloved Dr. Katzev was. I was living in East Lansing at the time, and when Mom called to tell me, she was crying. And as you know, our ma did not cry.
Whenever I've read articles about crafting your resume, they always say that if you list a college but not a degree, it's understood that you didn't graduate. You don't have to (and shouldn't) spell it out. So I don't think Gene is being deceptive at all.
Overlooked in the Gibson story is the uh..."token" husband. Strikes me, what's "unfair" is him. Negotiating for the appropriate number of tokens likely raised the issue of sustainability.
How timely ! Previously seen only as a rare collector's item --- thanks to a new agreement with the manufacturer, Weingarten's Original Fart-In-A-Can (Accept no substitutes) is now available to all in a limited edition --- but only for this holiday season. The perfect gift for fans who just can't get enough of the celebrated wordsmith. Memories of his columns linger on ? Wait'll they open one of these babies. Four unforgettable (even if you wanted to) redolences captured at the peak of perfection: "Road Kill," "Curry (Simulated)" "Huevos de toro (With a bottom note of refried beans)" and the indescribable by words alone,"Cowabunga!"
"Q: Expanding on a comment posted Tuesday, I wonder how close a person has to be for you to hold a door open at the entrance to a store or public building. This needs a scientific study. I'd guess 10 feet for the average person, 20 feet for elderly or handicapped, and if you're male, half a block for an attractive young woman."
"A: The end of your suggested is funny, but gross. But funny. Also, I don’t think that the distance should increase for the elderly or handicapped. It puts an undue burden on them, and reeks of condescension."
Just let me say that this actually happens. Others may find it condescending but I'm usually grateful because there are a lot of very heavy, non-automatic doors out there...
It’s a Seinfeldian question, worthy of thought. I’m relatively fit, and if someone is starting to be in a questionable range behind me, I’ll just throw the door open a bit and the person can choose to hurry to catch it, or not, no obligation. If it’s farther, they can let it close, same. I’m of the age range where young people at the gym, even frailer techs who are cleaning, not lifting, will hold the next door open for an interminable amount of time. As I’ve come off my 70-lb. one-armed pull-ups and don’t have any problem with doors. A partner still laughs at the memory of me trying to pull an apartment front door snugly closed, and I instead pulled the door handle and the mechanism off the door and had to go replace it. I’m not boasting just indicating irony.
Back to the Hasan Minhaj question, this is a really interesting conversation between Roy Wood, Jr., Canadian comic & host Ali Hassan, and Elamin Abdelmahmoud. They draw some interesting lines, one of which is exaggerating or falsifying for humor is one thing, while lying for emotion is something else entirely. The two comics seem to have some sympathy and forgiveness for Minhaj, though Roy Wood also notes that these kinds of accusations hit different when Minhaj is the leading candidate to host the Daily Show. (And must be extra complicated given that he himself may have been a front-runner for the same job!)
How much does the truth really matter when it comes to comedy? In this episode of Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks to former The Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. and comedian Ali Hassan about Hasan Minhaj’s efforts to justify his approach to comedy following a profile in The New Yorker detailing instances where he stretched the truth in his stand-up routines. Every day, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud brings you the most urgent, joyful, captivating discussions in all of arts, pop culture, and entertainment. Commotion is where you go for a thoughtful and vibrant chat working through the big culture stories. More episodes of Commotion are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/2GHec2s5
I'm shocked that anybody is answering yes to this poll. Have we learned nothing?
Presidential elections are a referendum on the incumbent. That does not change if you change the candidate. In fact, if you change the candidate after one term, that is perceived as admission that the first term was a failure.
Everybody has a theory about why Clinton was a bad campaigner in 2016, but her #1 mistake was that she distanced herself from what had been a very strong 8 years of Obama. Instead of crowing about 20+ straight quarters of economic growth, all she talked about was how we "could do better," and how we had to focus on the people who'd been "left behind." Trump ate that up.
This election will be about Joe Biden, whether we like it or not. So I recommend borrowing from the Trump playbook, and crowing about how good things are.
I agree. There is exactly ONE person who has beaten Trump (2 if you count E. Jean Carroll), Biden. To believe anyone else MAY beat Trump is wishful thinking that may or may not be true.
Well, it appears that George Lakotf disagrees with me. How embarrassing.
https://open.substack.com/pub/framelab/p/why-bidenomics-failed
Came across this from the estimable Baltimorean, John Waters. Sort of sums up my worldview (at least one of them --- for today...). "My idea of rich is that you can buy every book you ever want without looking at the price and you’re never around assholes. That’s the two things to really fight for in life."
I find both polls impossible to answer, though Noodles & Cabbage may have decided me on the Biden poll. Sure, if there were some new generational talent out there behind whom Biden could somehow graciously throw his support, maybe that would be better. But I don’t know of anyone else capable of beating Trump at this time, and at least he’s done it.
As for the second poll, I think the article may be fair to publish, BUT why did the Post grant anonymity to this “Republican operative” who sent them the information? Also, we’re probably going to have to get used to candidates with salacious but not illegal histories.
The future of the Democratic party may be Hakeem Jeffries.
As for the shifting polling results away from Biden, I blame the medias obsession with polls (and specifically with polls that are not actually about policy issues).
They keep asking " do you think Joe Biden is too old to be president?" Then they make the inevitable answer headline news -- bigger news than the actual ongoing accomplishments of the administration.
Re Nate Bargatze John and Jane Doe story: yes I do get the point that when you google those names you get anonymous murder victims, but I still don't think it's funny.
I think this is legitimately debatable. I tend to extend leeway to comedians, and I think b/c these victims are not specific people, there is no harm done. I can see how a reasonable person would disagree.
I agree that there's no harm done; I just think it's not funny, because belabored, in sharp contrast to almost everything else I've heard him say.
I think you all missed the humor in this. Bargatze was illustrating that he is STILL dumb--so dumb that he assumed that the murdered John and Jane Doe he found were the couple he had conversed with and so dumb that he didn't know these names are used for unknown victims.
Agree - I think that's funny.
I (the author of the original commentary as well as the comments above) did not fail to grasp this. I understand this. I just don't think it's really funny. I do think everything else Bargatze says is funny. That's all I meant.
Sorry about Gibson. Though extremely damaging, the story was legit. The Republican operative was definitely The Asshole.
How sad that someone's private sex life has been made public. Live streaming with consenting adults is not illegal. How sad that it has overtaken important issues, and I disagree that it is something the voters have a right to know.
Live streaming is hardly private.
It's done by invite only, not available to general public. Just FYI. I understand people may not like it, but I don't ask anyone about their sex life as a qualification for office. Consensual.
Don't let me be misunderstood. The only time someone's sex life factors into qualification is when there is hypocrisy, lying or cheating. Your personal life is your bidness, and no one else's unless you're living a lie to screw over/stigmatize someone. As indicated in a previous comment, this outing was reprehensible, though legitimate news for a candidate for office. Voters are entitled to complete knowledge about for whom they're being asked to hire.
Still not agreeing with that last. Do you want to ask everyone what kind of sex they have? Maybe you think certain acts are taboo? I don't care. Complete knowledge is not really necessary unless it affects their job, and this is a private matter, IMHO.
First off, thanks for allowing us to keep abreast of Rachel. Her two framed pay stubs, remind me both of Val's solo from "A Chorus Line" and the theater of the absurd performance formally called the third presidential candidate debate for acknowledged losers of the party formerly known as Republican. "(Song and) Dance 10, Message: 3"
Gene actually referenced "A Chorus Line" when he wrote about this before, which he actually did (to put your mind at ease, Gene).
Too late to post during the chat, but there was a recent deep dive into the DAK mail order catalogs for electronic devices: https://cabel.com/2023/11/06/dak-and-the-golden-age-of-gadget-catalogs/
Re: Biden. I like the guy, but he's too old, and Kamala is extremely unpopular. Many people, not irrationally, fear that if something happens to him, we'll be stuck with her. And we need the people who are in the middle, or who would normally vote GOP but can't stand Trump, to vote DEM, but they won't because of this fear. I think this is the worst possible ticket against Trump at this point.
Also, Trump is only 3 years younger than Biden, and of the two, I'd judge the latter to be in significantly better health.
This raises an interesting, if unfortunate point. Those of us who've been paying attention know that Biden is doing a good job and Kamala is certainly competent. But the right's messaging has made it sound as if the current administration is a dumpster fire. Is it fair? Absolutely not. But you know the adage about a lie getting halfway around the world. At this point the safest bet would probably be a new ticket with a candidate who's got the goods and has no black spots in their past. Sadlly, this is unlikely to happen, and I'm deathly afraid of what will happen if Trump is reelected (and conservatives have made no secret of what they're going to try to do if he does). If he thinks that the debates will make him look bad due to his increasing cognitive impairment, he'll just skip them, and his base will be none the wiser.
What was the interior humor regarding the heart murmur story? Come on Gene, don't leave us in the lurch.
In my first book, "The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death" I told a long story about my childhood doctor. He was an excellent doctor, and the opposite of a hypochondriac. He died of a cold, because he refused to treat it and it became congestive heart failure. His name was Dr. Herbert Katzev. This reader knows my oeuvre.
Well, either that, or I was just talking about my childhood doctor, who, unsurprisingly, was the same as yours.....
Here is the Dr. Katzev story, excerpted in the Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/1998/08/16/hypochondria-and-its-discontents/31196cf8-3323-40b3-83ec-8c450a5bf106/
Here is a sign of how beloved Dr. Katzev was. I was living in East Lansing at the time, and when Mom called to tell me, she was crying. And as you know, our ma did not cry.
Whenever I've read articles about crafting your resume, they always say that if you list a college but not a degree, it's understood that you didn't graduate. You don't have to (and shouldn't) spell it out. So I don't think Gene is being deceptive at all.
Overlooked in the Gibson story is the uh..."token" husband. Strikes me, what's "unfair" is him. Negotiating for the appropriate number of tokens likely raised the issue of sustainability.
How timely ! Previously seen only as a rare collector's item --- thanks to a new agreement with the manufacturer, Weingarten's Original Fart-In-A-Can (Accept no substitutes) is now available to all in a limited edition --- but only for this holiday season. The perfect gift for fans who just can't get enough of the celebrated wordsmith. Memories of his columns linger on ? Wait'll they open one of these babies. Four unforgettable (even if you wanted to) redolences captured at the peak of perfection: "Road Kill," "Curry (Simulated)" "Huevos de toro (With a bottom note of refried beans)" and the indescribable by words alone,"Cowabunga!"
"Q: Expanding on a comment posted Tuesday, I wonder how close a person has to be for you to hold a door open at the entrance to a store or public building. This needs a scientific study. I'd guess 10 feet for the average person, 20 feet for elderly or handicapped, and if you're male, half a block for an attractive young woman."
"A: The end of your suggested is funny, but gross. But funny. Also, I don’t think that the distance should increase for the elderly or handicapped. It puts an undue burden on them, and reeks of condescension."
Just let me say that this actually happens. Others may find it condescending but I'm usually grateful because there are a lot of very heavy, non-automatic doors out there...
It’s a Seinfeldian question, worthy of thought. I’m relatively fit, and if someone is starting to be in a questionable range behind me, I’ll just throw the door open a bit and the person can choose to hurry to catch it, or not, no obligation. If it’s farther, they can let it close, same. I’m of the age range where young people at the gym, even frailer techs who are cleaning, not lifting, will hold the next door open for an interminable amount of time. As I’ve come off my 70-lb. one-armed pull-ups and don’t have any problem with doors. A partner still laughs at the memory of me trying to pull an apartment front door snugly closed, and I instead pulled the door handle and the mechanism off the door and had to go replace it. I’m not boasting just indicating irony.
Back to the Hasan Minhaj question, this is a really interesting conversation between Roy Wood, Jr., Canadian comic & host Ali Hassan, and Elamin Abdelmahmoud. They draw some interesting lines, one of which is exaggerating or falsifying for humor is one thing, while lying for emotion is something else entirely. The two comics seem to have some sympathy and forgiveness for Minhaj, though Roy Wood also notes that these kinds of accusations hit different when Minhaj is the leading candidate to host the Daily Show. (And must be extra complicated given that he himself may have been a front-runner for the same job!)
How much does the truth really matter when it comes to comedy? In this episode of Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks to former The Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. and comedian Ali Hassan about Hasan Minhaj’s efforts to justify his approach to comedy following a profile in The New Yorker detailing instances where he stretched the truth in his stand-up routines. Every day, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud brings you the most urgent, joyful, captivating discussions in all of arts, pop culture, and entertainment. Commotion is where you go for a thoughtful and vibrant chat working through the big culture stories. More episodes of Commotion are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/2GHec2s5
https://chrt.fm/track/52291/cbc.mc.tritondigital.com/CBC_LAUGHOUTLOUD_P/media/laughoutloud/laughoutloud-4zOQ7EhH-20231108.mp3