The Greatest Week

A debacle in Iowa, a triumphant State of The Union speech, a rip-off, a socialist, a small town mayor with a big win — you name it, we discuss it on this week’s edition of The Big Show, aka The Ricochet Podcast. To help us sort through it all, we’ve got the great Deb Saunders, White House correspondent for the Las Vegas Review Journal, and Mr. New Hampshire himself, Michael Graham (listeners, please send him some decaf– he needs it). Also, come on down, Ricochet member @nohaaj! You’ve got the highly coveted, much sought after Lileks Post of The Week.  Finally,  a White House speechwriter reviews the SOTU speech, another Long Poll Question®,  and we close with another edition of What Are You Watching? What are you watching? Let us know in the comments.

Music from this week’s show: My Generation by The Zimmers

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There are 112 comments.

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  1. Norm McDonald Inactive
    Norm McDonald
    @Pseudodionysius

    No honorable mentions?

    Post image

    • #1
  2. Goldwaterwoman Thatcher
    Goldwaterwoman
    @goldwaterwoman

    Rob, this may come as a bit of a shock to you, but we don’t all think Trump is a disgusting pig and find that description of him most offensive. It is true that we aren’t always happy with some of his rhetoric, but as a Republican for some 50 years, I can honestly say there isn’t a single president that I can remember who said various things of which I totally approved. The last time I checked to call someone a disgusting pig is against the Code of Conduct. 

    • #2
  3. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Rob and others shouldn’t be playing the “my vote doesn’t count anyway” game again this time.  It would certainly be helpful if Trump could get a majority of the popular vote this time.  That means Rob, Peter, and others like them need to get out and vote!

    • #3
  4. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    I don’t care for Bond movies but wasn’t the furnace-under-the-boardroom thing actually more parody from Austin Powers?  Or did a Bond movie actually do it first?

    • #4
  5. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    On the other hand, “42 rods to the hogs-head” could be a measure of gas mileage…

    • #5
  6. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    Goldwaterwoman (View Comment):

    Rob, this may come as a bit of a shock to you, but we don’t all think Trump is a disgusting pig and find that description of him most offensive. It is true that we aren’t always happy with some of his rhetoric, but as a Republican for some 50 years, I can honestly say there isn’t a single president that I can remember who said various things of which I totally approved. The last time I checked to call someone a disgusting pig is against the Code of Conduct.

    Yes and Trump had, by his standards, a very good life prior to June 2015. The fact that Rob can’t conceive that Trump was motivated to run by love for America is unfortunate.

    • #6
  7. JuliaBlaschke Lincoln
    JuliaBlaschke
    @JuliaBlaschke

    Rob, I completely agree with you and I believe there are many who feel the same. I’m still waiting for Trump to control himself for long enough for me to be able to hold my nose sufficiently to vote for him. He would win that majority of the popular vote easily if he would simply cut out the disgusting behavior.

    • #7
  8. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I don’t care for Bond movies but wasn’t the furnace-under-the-boardroom thing actually more parody from Austin Powers? Or did a Bond movie actually do it first?

    Sort of. In Thunderball the seat is wired to electrocute the SPECTRE executive who failed his job. 

     

    • #8
  9. Scott R Member
    Scott R
    @ScottR

    Say it, Rob. Say you’re going to vote for the disgusting loathsome pig. Then a hug from Peter and a good cry and we can all move on. :)

    • #9
  10. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Scott R (View Comment):

    Say it, Rob. Say you’re going to vote for the disgusting loathsome pig. Then a hug from Peter and a good cry and we can all move on.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85QRkos630g

    Because, after all, if Trump is a disgusting loathsome pig even after the judges and justices and tax reform etc, then what does that make Bernie?  Or Biden?  Or Warren?

    • #10
  11. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    The point Rob is missing about the “Big Government Republicans”, as he calls them, is that their tax cuts act as a restraint on the growth of government.

    Call them “Stealth Limited Government Republicans”.  They are reluctant to fall on their swords and enrage too many of the special interest groups feeding at the public trough, for all that this would gratify conservative purists.

    Meanwhile the Democrats are eager to raise taxes to pay for their grandiose programs — and because they think raising taxes is good in itself.

    • #11
  12. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    I liked the “Scott, go vape” at the end.

    I find it funny that you gents think the SotU with all of the melodramatic flourishes was great and that the post-acquittal speech was so bad. I find the opposite. I really do not like the gallery mentions. Yes, they are wonderful (and tawdry) political tools. Yes, Pres. Trump does them well. And J-Lo and Shakira did their performance well at Half Time. What dancing! What singing! What athleticism! Sure was tawdry, though.

    As for the post-acquittal speech, would you rather have Trump being Trump at the SotU or in a speech that few people watched? Yes, he used a term for masculine bovine excrement. He wasn’t wrong. A lot of us like the fact he’s willing to call things out as masculine bovine excrement. Maybe it would be nicer if he used a term like “horsefeathers” or “balderdash,” but this ain’t President Saint Honeytongue here.

    • #12
  13. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    The Republican Party has never been for limited government, when you net it out. That is why you are getting socialism and populism shoved down your throat. 

    They do what they can between asset bubbles breaking.

    • #13
  14. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    You guys nailed Romney. It is so unfortunate that the never Trumper’s believe in that guy. 

    I don’t agree with all of Steve Deace’s policy positions, but he is insanely smart.

     

     

    • #14
  15. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    I live in Minnesota and I cannot believe that Klobuchar really wants the job.

    • #15
  16. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    I live in Minnesota and I cannot believe that Klobuchar really wants the job.

    If she gets too far up in the polls, maybe she’ll do a Howard Dean Scream so people will think she’s crazy.

    • #16
  17. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I don’t care for Bond movies but wasn’t the furnace-under-the-boardroom thing actually more parody from Austin Powers? Or did a Bond movie actually do it first?

    Sort of. In Thunderball the seat is wired to electrocute the SPECTRE executive who failed his job.

    Well that has to be less expensive than a furnace deal, so give them credit for that economizing step, at least.

    The Bond movies just never appealed to me.  But I still watch the Matt Helm (Dean Martin) and Derek Flint (James Coburn) movies on occasion, and enjoy them a lot.

    • #17
  18. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    And re: Speaking French…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwODwwgE6rA

    • #18
  19. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Eight million views. lol

     

     

    • #19
  20. Norm McDonald Inactive
    Norm McDonald
    @Pseudodionysius

    kedavis (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    I live in Minnesota and I cannot believe that Klobuchar really wants the job.

    If she gets too far up in the polls, maybe she’ll do a Howard Dean Scream so people will think she’s crazy.

    Is that Poll dancing?

    • #20
  21. Norm McDonald Inactive
    Norm McDonald
    @Pseudodionysius

    Romney without a toupee and money:

    • #21
  22. Norm McDonald Inactive
    Norm McDonald
    @Pseudodionysius

    kedavis (View Comment):

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I don’t care for Bond movies but wasn’t the furnace-under-the-boardroom thing actually more parody from Austin Powers? Or did a Bond movie actually do it first?

    Sort of. In Thunderball the seat is wired to electrocute the SPECTRE executive who failed his job.

    Well that has to be less expensive than a furnace deal, so give them credit for that economizing step, at least.

    The Bond movies just never appealed to me. But I still watch the Matt Helm (Dean Martin) and Derek Flint (James Coburn) movies on occasion, and enjoy them a lot.

    Don’t forget Get Smart

    • #22
  23. Norm McDonald Inactive
    Norm McDonald
    @Pseudodionysius

    WWFRD – What Would Fred Rogers Do?

    Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, possible text that says '"If they send one of yours to the hospital you send six of theirs to the morgue." Fred Rogers Mr. Rogers gave the best advice.'

    • #23
  24. Blondie Thatcher
    Blondie
    @Blondie

    Rob, don’t try to feed me the line that the Republican Party has ever been for small government. Before Trump we had 2 Bushes. Neither did anything to help curb spending. They only time there might have been an inkling of spending cuts was when Newt was speaker. The house could have tried to do things the first 2 years of Trump, but NO! We can’t work with that icky man and make him look good. Ok, end of rant. 

    • #24
  25. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Blondie (View Comment):

    Rob, don’t try to feed me the line that the Republican Party has ever been for small government. Before Trump we had 2 Bushes. Neither did anything to help curb spending. They only time there might have been an inkling of spending cuts was when Newt was speaker. The house could have tried to do things the first 2 years of Trump, but NO! We can’t work with that icky man and make him look good. Ok, end of rant.

    Reagan didn’t do anything either if your metric is spending. He won in the cold war.

     

     

    • #25
  26. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    Norm McDonald (View Comment):

    WWFRD – What Would Fred Rogers Do?

    Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, possible text that says '"If they send one of yours to the hospital you send six of theirs to the morgue." Fred Rogers Mr. Rogers gave the best advice.'

    • #26
  27. Bishop Wash Member
    Bishop Wash
    @BishopWash

    Arahant (View Comment):

    I liked the “Scott, go vape” at the end.

    I find it funny that you gents think the SotU with all of the melodramatic flourishes was great and that the post-acquittal speech was so bad. I find the opposite. I really do not like the gallery mentions. Yes, they are wonderful (and tawdry) political tools. Yes, Pres. Trump does them well. And J-Lo and Shakira did their performance well at Half Time. What dancing! What singing! What athleticism! Sure was tawdry, though.

    As for the post-acquittal speech, would you rather have Trump being Trump at the SotU or in a speech that few people watched? Yes, he used a term for masculine bovine excrement. He wasn’t wrong. A lot of us like the fact he’s willing to call things out as masculine bovine excrement. Maybe it would be nicer if he used a term like “horsefeathers” or “balderdash,” but this ain’t President Saint Honeytongue here.

    What about malarkey? 

    • #27
  28. Wolfsheim Member
    Wolfsheim
    @Wolfsheim

    As a French speaker, I can assure Michael Graham that, as much as I admire les trois mousquetaires, there is not one of them who comes so close to fluent French, at least to judge from their rare (self-deprecatory?) attempts at the language, as to endanger the republic…

    I remember Charles de Gaulle and his haughty attitude towards les Anglo-Saxons, who then, whether they are old enough to have any idea of such, somehow reciprocate the sentiment. It is unfortunate. And I say that as one who loathes French statism. But as ghastly as French politics may be, French culture is something quite distinct.

    Unlike the three, I myself am old enough to remember de Gaulle’s televised speeches, delivered without notes–and, of course, without  teleprompter. Trump is no master of language–nor are, it is clear, his speech writers. And “pretty beautiful” from a former presidential speech writer to describe what Trump delivered? Oh, please! I agree, however, that Mr. Trump did well in regard to content and earnestly hope that he is reelected in November, defeating whatever Mad Hatter the Democrats produce.

    • #28
  29. Wolfsheim Member
    Wolfsheim
    @Wolfsheim

    kedavis (View Comment):

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I don’t care for Bond movies but wasn’t the furnace-under-the-boardroom thing actually more parody from Austin Powers? Or did a Bond movie actually do it first?

    Sort of. In Thunderball the seat is wired to electrocute the SPECTRE executive who failed his job.

    Well that has to be less expensive than a furnace deal, so give them credit for that economizing step, at least.

    The Bond movies just never appealed to me. But I still watch the Matt Helm (Dean Martin) and Derek Flint (James Coburn) movies on occasion, and enjoy them a lot.

    I have a good (and clearly useless) memory for films. I saw Thunderball (albeit dubbed into French) not long after it first came out well over 50 years ago and can remember why the “SPECTRE executive” is riddled with bullets, discharged from the back of his chair, which then sinks to the lower floor before returning empty: The man has apparently embezzled funds from #1. 

    • #29
  30. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Now where would I get decaf? Huh? Where?

    • #30
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