Open Thread Nov. 27: Pressure Gonna Drop on You, GOP

Filed in National, Open Thread by on November 27, 2017

Democrats have one thing saving them in Washington: Their opponents are Republicans, and hence not very bright. Politico says the White House screwed up again by having billionaires like Steve “I Can’t Write” Mnuchin and Gary Cohn try to sell this as a cut for the middle class.

One more thing Democrats have in their favor: People really, really don’t like Donald Trump, and they’re showing it by voting against Republicans in places that have always elected Republicans. Election maven Charlie Cook has noticed, and he issued what amounts to a political hurricane warning that he says is already forming.

People should stop lamenting the death of legacy media, because before it dies it’s going to go through ugly convulsions. Time magazine, for example, has just been sold to a publisher backed by Koch Bros. money. If you’ve seen what happened to Newsweek, a now-worthless name with nothing but a legacy to sell it, get ready for a repeat.

Love him or hate him, Charles Barkley says what’s on his mind. Because he’s from Alabama, and has toyed with the idea of running for office before, someone asked him about the Roy Moore situation, and he didn’t hold back, pointing out that Moore’s racism should have disqualified him before we ever found out about the young girls. Will Saletan of Slate compiled all the evidence against Moore, along with his denials, to demonstrate that Moore’s “defense” is as phony as Donald Trump’s wealth.

A few people understand what few want to admit: Football is on a collision course with reality, and football is not going to win. Three professors at San Diego State introduced a resolution to the faculty congress that the school shoulddrop the sport for safety reasons. The resolution was voted down, but it’s not the last school that will go through this.

The fallout from politicizing sexual harassment continues, with Nancy Pelosi now on the hot seat over John Conyers, who was forced from his judiciary committee seat. Not that anyone asked, but this is part of the Democratic Party’s boomer problem — old farts like Conyers, who’s been in Congress since 1965, refuse to get off the stage, which is why the party is missing an entire generation of people who should be its leaders.

Lots more out there, so add anything else you want to talk about. I know I will.

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  1. Alby says:

    Remember that little shithead Anthony Scaramucci? He might be out of a government job, but he’s still quite the shithead. Now he’s threatening to sue the student newspaper at Tufts University because it printed an op-ed piece calling the Mooch “irresponsible, inconsistent” and “an unethical opportunist.”

    Scaramucci says that’s defamatory, as they are asserted as “facts” that the author had better be prepared to “back up.” It’s not easy for the pocket-sized Mooch to find someone smaller to beat up on, but here we are. This should serve as a reminder to all — don’t forget to flush.

  2. mouse says:

    I thought that little maggot was the perfect face for the 45 administration.

  3. jason330 says:

    Re Charlie Cook – the VA results give me some optimism. That said…VA is home to a great many Gov employees who are very locked into whatever “Trump is a fuck up” news that comes out. I can only image the total chaos Trump has unleashed on the lower department levels of government.

  4. RE Vanella says:

    Long live Toots! King of Ska!

    Rocksteady, sistern & bredren

    https://youtu.be/6rb13ksYO0s

  5. Arthur says:

    Football ina death spiral? Remember this is the same country that voted for trump.

  6. Alby says:

    @Arthur: You saw it here first.

    I posted that because getting taxpayers out of the football business, starting with high schools, is a high priority for me.

  7. Alby says:

    @REV: It was inspired by Charlie Cook’s “wave off the coast” metaphor, and the fact that I play it on youtube about 10 times a week.

    @jason: Virginia is the residence of choice for most conservatives in government service, too, but look at some of the places in Virginia that Democrats won. That area south of Richmond is getting bluer, and it’s not government workers.

  8. RE Vanella says:

    Toots wrote the song and the Maytals recorded it in 1969 (released 1970) I think Charlie Cook must have been a junior in High School. I think you may have that the wrong way round.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_Drop_(song)

  9. Alby says:

    I meant my use of the phrase was inspired by Cook’s metaphor. He doesn’t mention pressure dropping. I was the one who made that connection. I don’t know if Charlie even knows who Toots Hibbert is. It was hard to find Jamaican music in the states before Marley broke.

  10. RE Vanella says:

    Ha! Cool, man. I got you.