Debate moderators

sleepless

Who watches the debates?

“Why are the Democrats’ debates on at such weird times?” they ask, and “Why aren’t there more of them?” “And who watches them, anyway?” they wonder.

Back in ‘08 a younger friend dropped by for coffee. In the course of our conversation she was lamenting some policy or other, and I responded by asking who she’d voted for. She blithely informed me that she’d never bothered because it didn’t make any difference. I, of course, asked how she knew that if she’d never tried it, going on to explain that, at the very least, voting grants the right to complain with greater effect. We talked for a couple more hours, and she left promising to think about what we’d discussed.

The next time I heard from her was when she called during the final minutes of the Republican convention. She was in an absolute swoon over McCain and Palin, and told me that she had finally registered — as a Republican. Oh, well. Anyway, in the course of her burgeoning political awareness she found it necessary to inform me that, unlike her, I lack the necessary “people smarts” to choose the right candidates; this proved her mother’s comment, years earlier, that whenever she found something new she became an instant expert on it for a while. Her kids, both registered Democrats, just roll their eyes while muttering the obligatory five-syllable “Mommm!”

So a couple a weeks ago she stopped by for coffee and cribbage. And right there, smack dab in the middle of the afternoon, she up and says “That Trump guy is awful!” Hello?? She followed that up by casually mentioning that she’d watched the Democratic debate. “I just don’t like the Clintons,” she said, “and that old guy was all percent this and percent that. But I like that O’Malley guy, he makes a lot of sense.” Hearing that beat the heck out of my 16-point hand. And she asked when the next debate was.

Who watches?

Door . . . Open.

Moving violation

A few years ago a friend and I were heading out for a day in the mountains. As we got to the edge of town he glanced in the rearview mirror, scowled, and began cursing as he slowed and looked for a place to pull over. Turning around, I saw the flashing lights behind us. He handed over his license and insurance card to the officer who explained that driving 12 miles over the limit constitutes speeding. To my shock and embarrassment, my friend launched into that nasty diatribe about how “real criminals” were getting off scot free because the (expletive deleted) cops were too busy hassling the citizens who pay their wages. I touched his arm to get his attention, thinking to suggest that his joke wasn’t funny; he turned and glared at me, then told me I could get out and walk if I had a problem. So I did.

About Katrina Pierson, Donald Trump’s spokesbot --

If her ignorance is real, it speaks volumes about Trump's supporters. Again, we may be watching the GOP reap the harvest of their decades long anti-education campaign. And more's the pity for all of us.

Ecdysiast

Chorus Line

saaaloooot!

Tomorrow morning

republicans will be all over the media claiming that Obama makes real debate impossible.

That includes John Cornyn, who opens every Senate day with a diatribe in which he blames Democrats for every congressional failing and Obama for everything up to and including the crucifixion of Christ.

Done. Wimped out.

Made it through an hour. Stomach is churning, and muscles are tired from clenching. This isn’t a debate, it’s a celebration of massive and unrelenting untruth.

Ye gods, watching Palin wasn't this painful.