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This week on the podcast, we got the full contingent back on the bus to break down all the news in a busy week. We parse that Buzzfeed article claiming the President instructed his attorney to lie to Congress, we get granular on the all the shut down machinations, including the “If I can have my SOTU, you can’t go to Europe on a government plane” brouhaha. Then, our friend Chris Scalia joins to discuss his newest passion: TV theme songs. Think Rob Long and James Lileks have a few opinions on this topic? Nahh.
Music from this week’s episode: As Long As We Got Each Other by B.J. Thomas
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No.
I’ll stipulate to every bad thing the NT’s want to say about Trump.
He’s still better than Hillary.
The stock response to this by Jonah – in particular, but others too – is “comparisons to Hillary are irrelevant. The election is over.”
My stock response to that stock response is, “You know what, Jonah? In November 2016, the primaries were over.” It was Trump, or Hillary. Cruz, Rubio, etc. were no longer options. You did nobody any favor then by not voting at all. And you do nobody any favors now by making everything about how loathsome you think Trump is. Remember, Jonah, “The Election Is Over.”
Until the *next* election, it’s relevant that Hillary didn’t win, and is not sitting in the Oval Office.
AT LEAST until the NEXT election. That seems like a good formulation, wish I’d thought of it.
I don’t think Jonah can bring himself to admit that, had even a relatively tiny number of people in key states followed his example, we’d have President Hillary NOW. The “my vote in my state didn’t matter anyway” excuse doesn’t hold water.
We used to be the party of character and personal responsibility. Now we’re the party of jihad against anyone who believed a completely plausible story about Trump coaching his minion to lie.
Have any of you folks looked at any of the information about Trump’ character and modus operandi over the last four decades? Could any of you have been shocked, shocked! that Trump would do such a thing?
If our party acquiesces in renominating this man in 2020 everything we have said we stood for has been a lie. It breaks my spirit to see this at this stage of my life. I fear for my children’s future.
You know what breaks my heart? The people that I used to consider allies in the left right battle appeared to be wishing and hoping it was true.
It was Buzzfeed for God’s sake. To see Jonah and D French not only jump on the band wagon, then mock people like Mollie who were simply saying -hang on a wee minute here.
Then further mock people like me who had a Wait and see attitude – apparently no full throated denial proves that we figured it might be true.
Of course had we been full throated in the beginning it would have been proof of the Trump cult.
Leaving Trump out of it – it was Buzzfeed! If they said it was raining I’d look out the window to confirm
Give me a break.
Buzzfeed put out the first reports on the Steele dossier too, when no one else would tell the public about it despite it floating around Washington for six months. I’m old enough to remember when the Drudge Report became famous because none of the established respectable publications would tell the public what they knew about Monica Lewinsky. Maybe they were wrong, but that doesn’t mean it should be taboo to discuss.
@annefy, you are the only person in two years that has made me sit back and reconsider my opinion of Trump. I still think he’s the north end of a horse headed south, but you did get me to think about your Oskar Schindler comparison. Do you still think Trump would be a better nominee for the Republicans than someone like Larry Hogan, the governor of Maryland that’s going to Iowa this week?
link
I can’t speak of Any other candidates with any knowledge.
But I will say two things –
1 the swamp is a lot deeper and stinkier than I ever imagined and four years of trump will not be enough
2 it could have been enough if he didn’t have so many enemies on both sides of the aisle, not to mention a sizable majority of the media
The foolishness of so many to refuse to take advantage of such a unique opportunity has me convinced that they didn’tbelieve what they’ve been shoveling all these years
Government Is How We Steal From Each Other™
I agree McCain betraying his supporters out of pique was a disgrace, but can you give me any other instance where NeverTrump stopped an opportunity to accomplish what Trump promised? I know Paul Ryan was a Fred Cole style libertarian on immigration, but if Trump had gotten behind the Goodlatte Bill we could have passed it. I’m open to persuasion, what opportunities have been missed due to something other than Trump’s lack of focus and mismanagement?
The RNC handled a 17 man field poorly. Cruz or Rubio would have won a two step primary. So Trump is what we’ve got. He’s better at some things than any other Republican has been.
Maybe the Republicans should ask why populism and socialism are popular now.
Dennis Prager uses SIXHIRB- sexist, intolerant, xenophobic, homophobic, Islamophobic, racist, bigoted. Seems to cover most of the usual slurs.
I agree. Dont replace Jame Lileks.
I want people of principle who’ll honestly editorialize the news of the day. Start firing people for having variable opinion, you’ll end up like the Atlantic magazine.
Just take away his access to the company plane until he shapes up.
The plane is in the shop.
Would you really fly on a plane named “Ricochet”?
I appreciate the question and I’ll need to give it some thought
In my comment I was referring to pundits ; this after a few days of watching NRO and Catholic hierarchy elbowing each other out of the way to apologize or decry something that needed no apology
Hours prior to that watching and listening to David French and J Goldberg and members of Ricochet wringing their hands; tentatively believing and appearing to hope for the veracity of a buzzfeed – buzzfeed! – story.
And if there is another Supreme Court nominee – and DT doesn’t have the support he needs to get that nominee through – my list of who to blame will be long and comprehensive
For the first time we have a president who is impervious to criticism and political winds. You literally can’t embarass the guy
And people are willing to throw away everything we’ve fought for because he’s not a worthy standard bearer ?
I am speechless in my disdain .
Considering how… “flawed”… the Steele Dossier turned out to be, this, by you, is supposed to support your argument? I’m not sure that it does.
Was Drudge ever in such ill repute as Buzzfeed?
As an aside, what makes Rob Long think that long term tax strategies are unique to real estate developers?
I know a lot of people who use such strategies and none of them are in real estate. But you know what they all are?
Rich
Condolences, Rob.
Rob – My condolences to you and your family. Glad to hear your mother has such a strong support network.
Easier to remember and also sounds like a fried chicken recipe.
Larry Hogan wanted us to stay in the Paris Accord and opposes Fracking for oil. He stated he would decline the endorsement of the NRA if offered and did not support Brett Kavanaugh. These are the things I know I don’t like about him. All I know about him that is positive is that he was elected in Blue Maryland as a Republican.
The positions that he takes to stay popular as a Republican in Maryland will not do him many favors in the Red States that he actually needs to win.
“There were no DVRs. You couldn’t record it.” Um, we had VCRs…
A lot depends on timing. I had a VCR in the early 80s. They were very expensive – you could easily spend over $1000 for a rather basic one, with simple wired remote (some offered a wireless remote OPTION for maybe an additional $200 or more) – and I remember spending $20 EACH on tapes.
I think he was using this sub-set as an example because that’s where the Trump’s come from. These guys largely support democrats – higher taxes etc… Take as much money as the government can from as many people as it can – yet will also structure their entire lives to minimize their own tax burden.
Look at Warren Buffet, in 2012 he was famous for going around saying his secretary paid more income tax than he does. Its was completely because she’s not in control of her income – she cant structure it in such away as to minimize her taxes.
It should almost be thought of as a lifestyle.
Hogan is against fracking in Maryland because the water table is pretty durn close to the Chesapeake Bay – a lot different than being against fracking.
He said he would postpone a vote on Kavanaugh – something that actually happened and helped Kavanaugh and the Republicans in the long run.
If support from the NRA and the Paris Accords are more important than your objections to statements like the following I can’t change your mind, but if we want to win in 2020 going down with the ship with Trump is not what we should be doing:
https://youtu.be/lAT61aXRid8
Is it really?