Once again, it’s a busy day here in the CatBox. Monday almost always is, as the weekends tend to be somewhat slow for news. Finding stories for you takes more time. OGIM!!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:05 (average 4:56). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From YouTube (Vox Channel): How the Republican Party went from Lincoln to Trump (published 7/2016)
Almost 2.5 years later, the leaders’ choice is revoltingly obvious. Republican voters have two choices. They can goose-step with the Republican Reich or they can leave it. RESIST!!
From Huffington Post: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said there’s “no question” President Donald Trump is a racist, citing in an interview that aired Sunday the White House’s response to white supremacist groups and ongoing rhetoric about migrant communities.
“The president certainly didn’t invent racism. But he’s certainly given a voice to it and expanded it and created a platform for those things,” Ocasio-Cortez told “60 Minutes” correspondent Anderson Cooper during the segment. When asked if she believes Trump is a racist, she replied: “Yeah. Yeah, no question.”
I appreciate this woman’s straightforward honesty more and more: RESIST!!
From NY Times: Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is in the final stages of deciding whether to run for president and has told allies he is skeptical the other Democrats eyeing the White House can defeat President Trump, an assessment that foreshadows a clash between the veteran Washington insider and the more liberal and fresh-faced contenders for the party’s 2020 nomination.
Many Democratic voters, and nearly all major Democratic donors, are keenly interested in Mr. Biden’s plans because of their consuming focus on finding a candidate who can beat a president they believe represents a threat to American democracy. But there is also a rising demand in the party for a more progressive standard-bearer who reflects the increasingly diverse Democratic coalition.
Mr. Biden would instantly be the early front-runner if he ran, but he would have to bridge divides in a primary that would test whether Democrats are willing to embrace a moderate white man in his 70s if they view him as the best bet to oust Mr. Trump.
As much as I love Joe personally, I consider him a bad choice politically. His progressive credentials need bolstering, and he suffers from foot-in-mouth disease. RESIST!!
Cartoon:
Would a volunteer please give a BJ to both Pence and Trump?
16 Responses to “Open Thread – 1/7/2018”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
5:23 Certainly seasonal.
VOX – This is an excellent and well illustrated representation of what happened. As having lived through the process since 1945, though, I must say it seems a pity that the colors changed sides. In the fifties, sixties, and into the seventies, “red” was the color of the left, and “bkue” od the right (anyone besides me remember “The Tamarind Seed,” in which the high-placed Tory was revealed to be the double agent because he used the code name “Blue”?) Even though I actually prefer blue as a color in a vacuum, I kind of miss those days. Of course, the silver lining is that now, WE can say “Better dead than red!”
AO-C – She is indeed straightforward – and SMART. “Because I think he’s a symptom.” Good reason not to give him any more attention than he already gets!
NYT – I agree with you … and I think there are enough other people who agree, and I think they are well-placed enough, that even if he does decide to try, he’ll be out before the primaries.
Cartoon – Does it have to be the same volunteer? There’s a limit to what one person can take. Even a professional.
Your Comment WRT the Cartoon of Clinton impeachment trial anniversary lost me:
I probably should have left out the “Even a professional” part. I didn’t have anyone in mind. I only meant, that, even if someone were a professional, doing those two would be cruel and unusual.
No, you can pick just one. For which are you volunteering?
Oh, I wasn’t volunteering. I just thought it might help with recruiting to be able to assure someone, no, not both.
Hmmmmmmmmm – who was the last world leader who won by harping on the people’s resentment and bigotry?
I am no big fan of Biden, either. OK, everybody, thinking caps on: Who’s your choice for the Democrats in 2020?
Warren/Merkley… subject to change.
I suggested Merkley/Schiff more than a year ago. I still like the ticket, but it won’t happen. Am I wrong to suggest that just maybe getting too attached to one person too soon and then not being able to accept someone else was a big part of our problem last time?
Vox: Great video to show how it all happened. The gop has no spine now, (MM- thinking of you), and the others, who bow down to dt, are who are complicit to his obnoxious, and demented whims. I have little to no faith, with them speaking up against him either.
AOC: Fresh off the plate and into the fire. Love this young lady, and she certainly is going places. A refreshing piece of truth and reality sent to republicans.
NYT: I’m with you on this TC, (and others) while I do love Joe, I think he needs to sit this one out.
Cartoon: To echo George Takei’s famous line: “Ohhh! Myyyy!!!
I’m hoping that you got your desk fixed better for you to work on. It’s a slow day here too, hope that you have a good evening, take good care, and Thanks, Tom.
*This just in: The Trump administration appears to have gone out of it’s way to keep the attraction in the federally owned building that houses the Trump Hotel open & staffed with National Park rangers, even as other federal agencies shut down all but the most essential services down.* USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/06/old-post-office-open-shutdown/2495664002/
HP: Like that Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks truth. Totally opposite than the leader. I like her style and pray that with other new ones in office they can change the current negative trends into positive directions.
NYT: I also agree with you, TC. He certainly has the experience, but with all of the other candidates, feel he won’t make it through the process.
VOX: No, Drumph was not a “businessman,”, but posed as one! I’m surprised that the video made no mention of Citizen’s United, that allowed the GOPIGGIES to other sooooo much actually tainted money. But, that may only be tangentially related to the story line.
HP: The right is after her BECAUSE she poses such a threat to their hegemony! She rocks!
NYT: From the current vantage point, it is hard to either “know” or predict the impact of a Biden run. I would love to see Pres.* Grifter run to the ground by any Democratic opponent, emotionally, by a female one. How about Warren and Beto? Of course, reportedly, some GOPIGGERS are claiming Beto is unfit, as h has no experience. What, does being a life-long con man give one the proper experience??
‘Toon: Man did HE blow it!
Um…. He didn’t. She did!
3:29 (average 4:56) Absolutely no use for it here.
Vox: When I first started commenting here and after seeing the movie Lincoln, I was completely befuddled by American political history and when friends here started to explain it, I got the sense that I wasn’t the only one. This video explains well how the two parties have both switched places on the political spectrum over the years but also how each adopted a whole new set of doctrines of their own. For example, Republicans before Lincoln didn’t oppose slavery for humanitarian reasons, but because more slaves didn’t make economic sense and would cost white men their jobs. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Makes one wonder if there ever was a time that politicians could be trusted and to what time Drumpf is referring with his MAGA.
HP: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is right on both counts: Drumpf is a racist, but he certainly didn’t invent it. Because he abused his position he just gave racism a whole new platform. And the extreme right isn’t going to let go of this gift that landed in their laps without a fight.
NYT: Lovely man, Joe Biden but picking him for presidential candidate would repeat the mistake Democrats made with Hillary. She needed a lot of progressive bolstering too, and Bernie made sure she kept on shifting to the left. But bolstering isn’t the same as being a progressive at heart and many voters felt it was fake and were sensitive to her being badmouthed, even by that of the Drumpf campaign. Biden, a moderate white man in his 70s will suffer the same fate even if he isn’t a millionaire.
Thanks and ZZZ counting hugs to all.
Puzzle — 4:18 Have fun in the sand box!
Vox — Excellent vid which filled in some gaps for me. Republicans like to remind everyone that Republicans are the party of Lincoln. What they don’t say is that if Lincoln were alive today, he might very well be standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Bernie.
Huffington Post — Unfortunately the video is not available in Canada. Having said that, AOC is 100% correct — Trump is a racist and a few not so nice other descriptors.
NY Times — Biden has some baggage — association with Obama. Don’t get me wrong, I like Obama and would have him again, imperfect as he is, but what I like is not important. There needs to be someone clearly focused on We the People who can bring people together; someone who can kick Trump in the ass!
Cartoon — Sorry my calendar is full!
A.O.C. is fantastic & is already feared & attacked by the GOPs!!!