September 4, 2018

Visions of 2020.


ADDED: I'm just checking over Trump's Twitter feed for the last week, and I don't think he took any of the bait that was thrown out from the days of McCain memorializing. Since Trump was banned from the funeral, he couldn't be criticized for failing to attend, but there was such an intense desire to attack him, and he wasn't doing anything at McCain.

So many shots were taken at him, presumably with the expectation that he'd tweet something that could be denounced as awful. Oh! The unforgivable disrespect, they could have cried.

Trump is so often portrayed as impulsively tweeting and so narcissistic that he just can't help himself. His Twitter feed from the last week shows that's not really true. And believing it's true can lead to missteps... like, perhaps, using a funeral as a platform for making political attacks.

AND: I wonder what kind of funeral events we'll see when John Kerry dies. We're treating Senators now the way we've treated Presidents? Not all Senators, of course, but some. McCain, at least. So... Senator + military hero + major party presidential nominee. That's Kerry, isn't it (depending on how you fiddle with military heroism, but he served in Vietnam and there was the heroism of opposition to the war)? It's certainly Bob Dole. And then why not Al Gore too? And you can't give all them the full McCain and not extend equal solemnities to Hillary Clinton, despite the lack of military service.

How are we going to do this? It can't be that what matters is the proximity to the next election and the usefulness of the casket as a soapbox. If McCain is to be regarded as unique — excluding Kerry, et al, from the full-scale theater of national mourning — then there must be some other reason for his uniqueness — that he was not retired from the Senate at the point of death? that he was a prisoner of war? that he was tortured? that he was bi-partisan?

RELATED: The eulogy given by Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. at Aretha Franklin's funeral offended her family:
Singer Stevie Wonder yelled out “black lives matter” after the pastor said, “No, black lives do not matter” during his eulogy. Williams had minimized the Black Lives Matter movement because of black-on-black crime. “Black lives must not matter until black people start respecting black lives and stop killing ourselves.” He also said “there are not fathers in the home no more” and said that a black woman cannot raise a black boy to be a man. Some people suggested that was disrespectful of Aretha Franklin, a single mother of four boys. His eulogy “caught the entire family off guard,” Vaughn Franklin said. The family had not discussed what Williams would say in advance, he said. “It has been very, very distasteful,” he said.

197 comments:

Ralph L said...

Reporting for deux tea.

rhhardin said...

Trump is the opposite of impulsive. He's a cool insult-contest artist, takes nothing personally.

rehajm said...

Good points from Ann but Trump should watch out for the rooting for weak opponents. Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American electorate, or something like that...

bbkingfish said...

you're hallucinating.

mesquito said...

Any has-been political figure, when asked about Presidential aspirations, really has no choice but to answer coyly in the affirmative, regardless of their real intentions.

Discuss.

tim maguire said...

Trump is so often portrayed as impulsively tweeting and so narcissistic that he just can't help himself. His Twitter feed from the last five years shows that's not really true. And believing it's true can lead to missteps

FIFY

TrespassersW said...

Any has-been political figure, when asked about Presidential aspirations, really has no choice but to answer coyly in the affirmative, regardless of their real intentions.

I doubt that Kerry thinks of himself as a has-been. In fact, I doubt that any has-been political figure thinks of him- or herself as a has-been.

But if you want to talk truth-in-labeling, Kerry is more of a never-was.

Tommy Duncan said...

Given the critical and condescending press coverage and relentless political attacks I think Trump has shown remarkable control, particularly since he has been criticized as out-of-control. Particularly impressive is his ability to get things done while the DNC/Media cabal creates distractions and chaos.

Robert Cook said...

I doubt Kerry will run again, and the Dems would be fools to pick him as their candidate again.

Uh-oh.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

That he was convenient.

The rule will be if a big funeral helps the establishment fell better about itself.

Ralph L said...

Someone at JOM posted a link to the matrix for who's entitled by law to what kind of funeral. It appeared that POTUS had to approve the level that McCain got as a mere Senator.

tim maguire said...

The claim regarding McCain's pomp and circumstance is that he was a sitting Senator. Presumably the rules are more relaxed for retired Senators. That may change depending on liberal storylines when the next D Senator dies.

chuck said...

That he was an NeverTrump Republican probably covers it, so you can rule out all the Democrats who might expect big, political funerals.

Ralph L said...

I'd heard the Sunday doo at USNA was private, but they dragged at least part of the Brigade of Midshipmen into the Chapel. Three public services is a bit much.

traditionalguy said...

The Tories hoping to hang George Washington and his friends and re-establish Empire ownership in King of Great Britain would have put on this exact pomp and circumstance at their Anglican Cathedrals for the heroic Benedict Arnold. It's as deep a hate as Alabama/Auburn.

rehajm said...

“Black lives must not matter until black people start respecting black lives and stop killing ourselves.”

Very, very distasteful. Very.

Clyde said...

It's impossible to help people who don't first want to help themselves.

Mary Beth said...

AND: I wonder

My first thought was not, "I hope we find out soon." Really. It didn't even cross my mind.

Chuck said...

Wait; who is presuming that persons who were memorializing McCain, and who criticized Trump in the process, were in fact trying to goad Trump into a self-embarrassing Twitter replies?

Althouse states that it was “presumably” their goal, to bait Trump.

Why “presume” that? What is in it, for McCain’s admirers to get into a Trumpishly-ugly Twitter war? Why is it not “presumably” true to say that McCain’s whole life stood for something that is diametrically opposed to what Trump’s life and presidency represents? And that McCain himself wanted to say as much in the last weeks of his life? Why is it “presumably” the case that it was all to provoke a Twitter reaction, instead of a genuine expression of some considered thoughts and feelings?

This post gets our “Trump Derangement Syndrome Derangement Syndrome” tag.

MayBee said...

Kerry was just on CBS this morning. He's written a book with all of his wisdom, and he says Republicans are post-truth. So yeah, he's thinking of running.


Hahhhahahhaha!

Kevin said...

It can't be that what matters is the proximity to the next election and the usefulness of the casket as a soapbox.

It can. It is.

MayBee said...

Chuck- the people memorializing McCain have a new found respect for him, a respect gained for his hatred of Trump and his criticism of Trump voters You are welcome to look at my Facebook friend feed if you don't believe me.
I don't know what McCain actually wanted to do, or if provoking a Twitter response was precisely what they wanted, but sticking it to Trump is what they want. That'w what is considered principled these days.

gspencer said...

What he said was truthful. And that is what caused the furor since the left deals in too many fantasies, not the facts of human behavior.

Bay Area Guy said...

So, John Kerry ran for Prez and lost in 2004.

Now, at age 74 he is mounting his political comeback?

Run, John, run! Because nothing screams of change like an old, rich, liberal, privileged white guy trying to cling to power, he no longer has.

Gahrie said...

But having Farrakhan at Franklin's funeral in a place of honor was perfectly OK.

Kevin said...

Why “presume” that?

Why presume Trump is guilty of crimes for which we have no evidence and no charges have been brought?

Big Mike said...

What the Rev. Jasper Williams Jr. said in his eulogy may have been distasteful to the Franklin family, but it needed to be said. No one is going to listen, of course.

Hagar said...

Why are they all so old?

tim maguire said...

It can't be that what matters is the proximity to the next election and the usefulness of the casket as a soapbox.

It can be, it will be, and it is.

Sebastian said...

"His Twitter feed from the last week shows that's not really true."

True. So what?

"And believing it's true can lead to missteps... like, perhaps, using a funeral as a platform for making political attacks."

What did the missteps miss? Deplorables deplored it. You noticed the solid display. But the anointed had their party and for them it was a useful maneuver in the ongoing war, solidifying their solidarity at least, and reinforcing the exclusion of the deplorables from the public sphere.

"How are we going to do this?"

"We" aren't going to do this. Our overlords will decide, based on political convenience. Maybe Dole will be an exception, but he was a nice GOPe-er, so will be useful for quite some time.

"It can't be that what matters is the proximity to the next election and the usefulness of the casket as a soapbox."

Why not? What evidence do you have that your sensitivities and good taste matter in any way to the deciders?

narciso said...

He has been a fellow traveller for 30 years, in Vietnam in Nicaragua in Iraq, he should be Pete's with rotten fruit.

tim maguire said...

Chuck said...Althouse states that it was “presumably” their goal, to bait Trump.

Why “presume” that?


Common sense and a passing familiarity with recent history?

WisRich said...

Of course the MSM, needing to keep the racial flames burning, conveniently left out the rest of Steve Wonders comment: Black lives matter. All lives matter".

Unknown said...

> what kind of funeral events we'll see when John Kerry dies.

French.

McCain is celebrated by leftist/Dems/Press (but I repeat myself) as a

reliable sell-out to press opinion,

JM bit that hand that feeds him for for the hand which pats him - good optics

Kerry will be seen as someone who did not do enough - a mouse of the Senate, and not a Lion capable or Borking

McCain was a
useful idiot,

especially now, where Kerry remains a

useless idiot

Unknown said...

Kerry's tombstone will say

"Don't you know who I am?"

Sebastian said...

“Black lives must not matter until black people start respecting black lives and stop killing ourselves.”

Not sure he'd have to say it at a funeral but the resistance to the obvious says a lot about black leadership and their prog enablers.

"“It has been very, very distasteful,” he said."

By contrast with the gathering of Bill, Al, Jesse, and Louis for a single picture. That was very, very tasteful. It gave us a full taste of prog misogyny and antisemitism--and of their utter contempt for ordinary moral standards.

But what taste, exactly, did the organizers show by inviting Bill, of all people, to express r.e.s.p.e.c.t. for a woman? Exhibit #3098 that progs don't believe their own BS.

DKWalser said...

Why “presume” that? What is in it, for McCain’s admirers to get into a Trumpishly-ugly Twitter war? Why is it not “presumably” true to say that McCain’s whole life stood for something that is diametrically opposed to what Trump’s life and presidency represents? And that McCain himself wanted to say as much in the last weeks of his life? Why is it “presumably” the case that it was all to provoke a Twitter reaction, instead of a genuine expression of some considered thoughts and feelings?

McCain may have wanted to believe that his life was diametrically opposed to what Trump's life and presidency represent, but those of us who knew him well will never believe it. McCain was a lot of things -- many of them were very similar to Trump. McCain betrayed his friends and party with regularity -- not out fidelity to some principle -- but frequently out of personal pique. (This is the best explanation of why he voted against the repeal of Obamacare at the last minute.) McCain's career is littered with broken promises. He demanded loyalty from others but gave it to none. His treatment of his V.P. candidate, both during the campaign and after, was abdominal. What was her sin? She had more star power then he did! In personal interactions he was often crass and crude, but this was forgiven because of his charm and military background. And, his personal life, while not as sordid as Trump's, wasn't saintly, either. So, I doubt there will be a move to canonize John McCain anytime soon.

None of this is to say that he wasn't a better than average senator. It's only to say that in his mind's eye he thought he was always right and that differing with him -- if you were supposed to be on his side -- was a moral failing that he could not forgive. He'd much rather carouse with the other side than spend time building up his own team. Nor do I think he would have made a great president. He just would have been better than the person he was running against.

AllenS said...

“there are not fathers in the home no more” and said that a black woman cannot raise a black boy to be a man. Sorry, Jasper, but black men want to marry white women. Where you been?

Wince said...

It should be noted McCain orchestrated the whole thing himself in advance while still clinging to office, perhaps for that very reason.

Even the most egotistical politicians won’t have the temerity much less opportunity to do that.

Big Mike said...

Why is it not “presumably” true to say that McCain’s whole life stood for something that is diametrically opposed to what Trump’s life and presidency represents?

@Chuck, good to see that you agree with the rest of us that”McCain’s whole life” was all about giving ever more power to the rich and well-connected, going back to the Keating scandal, and all about putting his foot in the face of the little guy — the assembly line worker, the small business owner, the plumber, the cashier at the supermarket check out line.

The two men have a lot more in common than you may want to believe. Both men cheated on, and divorced, their first wives. Both men would give the rough side of their tongue to political opponents. Trump can and does use Twitter, while McCain, unable to use a keyboard thanks to the torture he received, used friendly newscasters to broadcast his thoughts, but neither ever bothered to hide their thoughts.

traditionalguy said...

Equal time for Black Guilt purveyors. Sounds fair to me.

Bay Area Guy said...

While McCain was a colorful, honorable figure in life, his funeral was hijacked a bit too much by the "Get Trump" squad, who spend most of their waking hours obsessed with Trump, trying to figure out the next way to poke a finger in his eye.

But Trump will outlast these gnats.

I hope Trump will campaign his butt off the next 2 months to preserve the House. It will make his 2020 reelection campaign much smoother, if he can sidestep the bogus effort to impeach him.

M Jordan said...

Ann, you get it. Trump’s tweets are tactical, not impulsive. The left and its cohort, the media, will never get this. This is Trump’s greatest ruse and greatest joke. And it’s what will get him elected again in a landslide.

Balfegor said...

How are we going to do this? It can't be that what matters is the proximity to the next election and the usefulness of the casket as a soapbox. If McCain is to be regarded as unique — excluding Kerry, et al, from the full-scale theater of national mourning — then there must be some other reason for his uniqueness — that he was not retired from the Senate at the point of death? that he was a prisoner of war? that he was tortured? that he was bi-partisan?

I think what's unique about him was that he was actually a person of consequence in the Senate, despite never having been majority leader. I suppose this is sort of in the "bi-partisan" bucket, but he was successfully bipartisan. At least as successful as one can be in the sphere of purely legislative matters. There's McCain-Feingold, of course, but also his leading role as a member of the Gang of 14 (protected filibuster in 2005, only for Reid to nuke it in 2013) and the Gang of Eight (failed immigration bill, 2013). It's a somewhat sorry record, since he lived to see his compromises fall apart in a matter of years, or (in the case of immigration) fall apart immediately because of massive public opposition to what he wanted to do. But he was a leading voice on the losing side of a lot of matters of great public interest in a way that Kerry, for example, never was. People paid attention to him, when he was alive.

Mr Wibble said...

Trump is like a fencer who is brilliant at feeling out his opponents. Twitter works beautifully at this because it allows Trump to throw out these little probing attacks and see where he gets a response. If it is a response that he likes, he follows up, if not he moves on.

Browndog said...

Step away from American media and see how the world viewed this funeral.

From Asia Times:

Senator John McCain’s funeral was the most ostentatious that Washington has accorded except for a president, and much grander than the 2006 funeral of Gerald Ford, for example. The American Establishment took the opportunity to mourn a world that it imagined but never inhabited.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

McCain’s funeral was just a spasm in the Establishment’s death throes. It may be repeated a couple of times, but even the enthusiasts know what tired old bullshit this is. Anecdotally, I’ve done a lot of socializing in the last week and not one person has made a reference to McCain or his funeral. What happens when the governed become conditioned to viewing the government as so much distant, irrelevant, flatulance?

narciso said...

he did everything to curry favor with the establishment, he chose amnesty as his flag, and he went broke, and he was to say underappreciated for his efforts, he gave the press a license and they buried him with it, his only sin was in picking palin, and he pointedly refudiated that indeed,

DanTheMan said...

>>Senator John McCain’s funeral was the most ostentatious that Washington has accorded except for a president


Well, there were at least three services. Are they done yet, or is this still going on?


mockturtle said...

Ann, you get it. Trump’s tweets are tactical, not impulsive. The left and its cohort, the media, will never get this.

So true, M Jordan! They are engaging Fast Eddie Felson in a game of pool and think they are winning.

SeanF said...

Ralph L: Someone at JOM posted a link to the matrix for who's entitled by law to what kind of funeral. It appeared that POTUS had to approve the level that McCain got as a mere Senator.

I would guess that there was a limit to how much government money could be spent on McCain's funeral, not a limit on what kind of funeral he could have.

Nonapod said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Why is it not “presumably” true to say that McCain’s whole life stood for something that is diametrically opposed to what Trump’s life and presidency represents?

Because we have eyes that see and ears that hear! His "whole life?" Like during the Keating scandal? Like disinviting everyone who worked on his 2008 campaign? He was a petty, vindictive, mean-spirited jerk for much of the last decade. He could have put country above his ego and retired last year or this year, but he wanted to hobble Trump by clinging bitterly to his office, as if he owned it instead of being elected to fill it. And going all "Wellstone" at the funeral as Meghan and others did is disgusting. Her real bitch is that Trump achieved in his first try what her dad couldn't do in several, ascend to the office of Chief Executive. Her comments belittled herself, not Trump. He demonstrated a higher honorable feat by resisting the counterpunch.

Now you are defending the flamethrowers. How funny!

stevew said...

Good post. A quibble: McCain's passing did not result in "national mourning".

-sw

Nonapod said...

If Trump didn't exist I get the impression that McCain's funeral wouldn't have been a tenth as Big a Deal as it ended it up being.

Evidently Trump is making funerals great again, as long as they're prominent never Trumpers anyway.

And how Trumpian is it to treat 2020 as if it's a Wrestlemania event? He's all ready to shoot some promos with Mean Gene, he just needs his Heel.

Eleanor said...

Aretha Franklin did not die unexpectedly. The report is that she chose the pastor who gave her eulogy. If her family was disappointed, they could have overstepped her wishes and chosen someone else.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

Chuck said...

Why is it not “presumably” true to say that McCain’s whole life stood for something that is diametrically opposed to what Trump’s life and presidency represents?

I'd heard of damning with faint praise. This is the first time I've seen praising with faint damnation.

stevew said...

RE: Franklin's funeral and the Rev's "distasteful" commentary. Was there some context for inviting those remarks? I think he was quite clear and had good, positive things to say, but I wonder how he came to believe that the funeral of Aretha Franklin was the appropriate place and time to deliver them?

-sw

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Kerry was just on CBS this morning. He's written a book with all of his wisdom

That's got to be one tiny book.

MadisonMan said...

I can't think that any Democrat older than 75 will be the nominee. And be successful. At some point, mustn't Baby Boomers step down?

A better contrast to Trump, who is old (but energetic), would be a youngster. Say, someone born after 1960, not before 1950 like Kerry! I would never in a million years vote for Kerry! This is a person who chose Edwards for a running mate. What horrible judgement!

narciso said...

Like the ones in the cracker jack boxes, he was meeting with three Iranian official in his favorite venue of treason, Paris, shortly after we pulled out of the Iran deal.

mockturtle said...

I've been to a couple of funerals where the pastor used the occasion to mount the bully pulpit. In both cases he was spot-on but it left much of the 'audience' uncomfortable.

BTW, does anyone know how Franklin's sons have turned out?

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

A.A.: that [McCain] was bi-partisan?

Not the correct descriptor. You are too kind. Try "loose cannon" or "obtuse asshole."

AllenS said...

Oct 22, 2004

Mr. Kerry’s Ohio hunting adventure started last Saturday, when the senator, campaign entourage in tow, went into a grocery store and asked the owner: “Can I get me a hunting license here?”

Why, he's just like any normal rube from Ohio!

Curious George said...

"...here was the heroism of opposition to the war"

Oh god. It was treason. The fucker should have been put up against a wall and shot.

Browndog said...

his only sin was in picking palin

McCain's campaign was in the tank until Palin gave her acceptance speech. It was only then he came within striking distance of Obama. Never mind her two handlers now work for MSNBC.

Further, you can attach any name/face to McCain's running mate and that person would have been destroyed also.

Seeing Red said...

Kerry was just on CBS this morning. He's written a book with all of his wisdom, and he says Republicans are post-truth. So yeah, he's thinking of running.

Did his magic hat tell him to say that?

Nonapod said...

Yeah, blaming McCains loss on Palin is absolutely ridiculous. Due to a confluence of circumstances, back in 2008 Obama was pretty much unstoppable. He probably would've beaten a reanimated Abraham Lincoln.

ken in tx said...

About Hillary's military experience, she once claimed to have tried to join the Marines. She said she was turned down because she was a woman. That's not credible because there have been BAMs for as long as I can remember.

Seeing Red said...

The reason we have McCain-Feingold is because McCain was duped by the press we wanted limits cos of planted stories.

Fernandinande said...

BTW, does anyone know how Franklin's sons have turned out?

Apparently they're all functioning musicians. The first one was born when Franklin was 12, and either his father or her father was a Baptist minister who ran orgies at his church, according to Ray Charles.

Mr Wibble said...

A better contrast to Trump, who is old (but energetic), would be a youngster. Say, someone born after 1960, not before 1950 like Kerry! I would never in a million years vote for Kerry! This is a person who chose Edwards for a running mate. What horrible judgement!

My dark horse candidate for the Dems is Tulsi Gabbard. Young, attractive, military experience, and progressive but seems to veer towards the blue-collar vote more than the rest of the pack. I think she'd play well in the upper midwest.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Tulsi Gabbard

Never heard of her, so I looked her up. At 37 she might be a little young, but I could definitely see her as the Democrat pick for vice-president.

mockturtle said...

My dark horse candidate for the Dems is Tulsi Gabbard. Young, attractive, military experience, and progressive but seems to veer towards the blue-collar vote more than the rest of the pack. I think she'd play well in the upper midwest.

She's a very bright woman who doesn't always dance to the Progs' tune [which is why they don't like her]. I like her and could see her candidacy up the road a ways. Not 2020.

rhhardin said...

Senators don't get eternal flames.

Levi Starks said...

No one but Trump could have afforded Mc Cain the level of honor and recognition bestowed upon him last week.

Mr Wibble said...

She's a very bright woman who doesn't always dance to the Progs' tune [which is why they don't like her]. I like her and could see her candidacy up the road a ways. Not 2020.

It's a very unlikely event, to be sure. I think the most likely situation would be that Trump looks unbeatable in 2020, so none of the bigger Dems wants to risk their political career. A run for her, at her age, would likely have minimal damage to her career if she lost.

readering said...

kerry is not thinking of running but is thinking of how to sell his autobiography

Squints said...

It is exactly "that what matters is the proximity to the next election and the usefulness of the casket as a soapbox."

The Crack Emcee said...

While I'm pretty sure I was right about The Macho Response - that what the West needed was a "Man" at the helm again - I obviously had (and have) no clue how people would react to it. That's now my only concern. Not that they'll take power again.

I don't think they have it in 'em.

Levi Starks said...

Someday Trump will wake up and tweet “I hate dog shit” and the next day all of New York’s finest restaurants will be serving dog shit sandwiches.

brylun said...

Kerry moon suit photo

AllenS said...

Pretty sure that you'll never find Trump wearing a moon suit.

Mr Wibble said...

Trump brand Moon suits are available where fine men's clothing is sold.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Ann Althouse said...And you can't give all them the full McCain and not extend equal solemnities to Hillary Clinton, despite the lack of military service.

The hell I can't! Watch me.

Aside: Sen. Daniel Inouye died in 2012. He was a Medal of Honor recipient--unquestionably an American hero. He was the first Japanese-American Senator and was for a time the president pro temp of the Senate (making him 3rd in line of Presidential succession). He was in the House or Senate for more than 50 years--he was a big deal.
When he died his body was laid (lain? placed to lie?) in state in the Capitol and he had a large funeral at the National Cathedral. Does anyone remember wall-to-wall coverage of that funeral? Does anyone remember the kind of Media attention Sen. McCain's funeral received? No, of course not.

Learn the simple heuristic that will explain 98% of Media decisions. "Will it hurt the Republicans/Right and/or will it advance the Progressive/Liberal cause?" That's it. Let's not pretend there is any deeper reason behind what the Media chooses to cover, chooses to highlight, chooses to make important.
Republicans correctly pointed out that the whole "separating children at the border/keeping kids in cages" story was falsely premised (as something Trump started) since the same thing happened for a long time under the Obama admin. True, but pointless: highlighting the story at that time would not hurt Republicans. Why make Sen. McCain's death and funeral so much bigger of an event than any other recent Senatorial death? It is supposed to hurt Trump so it must be pushed, hard!
This explains, too, why the networks who now say Trump is a threat to democracy itself were all too happy to give him BILLIONS of dollars worth of airtime back when he was fighting it out through the primaries--the Media believed (and we have Wikileaked documents to prove the belief was shared by the DNC muckity-mucks & their Media contacts) that Trump would be the easiest candidate for Hillary to defeat. He got eyeballs and giving him coverage to boost his chances was supposed to help Hillary.

The answer to the question "why does the Media do X" will almost always be most convincingly answered by assuming their goal is partisan in nature and that they act to further that goal.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Ann's point that Trump's Tweets are almost always well thought out and well targeted( a few faux pas are to be expected). Trump's actions last week align with the quote attributed to Napoleon ‘Never interfere with an enemy while he’s in the process of destroying himself.’

Chuck Grassley should take this into consideration given the Dems performance at the Kavanaugh carnival.

JPS said...

Mr Wibble,

"My dark horse candidate for the Dems is Tulsi Gabbard. Young, attractive, military experience, and progressive"

Also her staff seems to be on the ball. As far as I know she was the first official in Hawaii to officially put out the message, "No, there are no missiles inbound" during the big scare.

Demonstrated competence, even in small things, can mean a lot these days.

Mike Sylwester said...

When McCain was informed that he had brain cancer, he should have resigned from the Senate.

Tarkwell Robotico said...

Hi Ann,

I think you aren't totally correct here - re: his impulsive tweeting.

While he has postured closing a trade deal with Canada as not that important - emphasizing (wrongly) that Mexico is the much bigger trade relationship - he spent a few too many tweets slamming Canada and threatening congress about "interfering" with NAFTA negotiations.

If Canada wasn't important, then why invest any time on us? It betrays that his negotiating position is not as strong as his tweet-bluster suggests.

I think he should have stayed silent. Then we Canadians would remain scared that our closest allies really are going to throw us under the bus for a larger game against China. We would be ready to concede a la Mexico on almost every point. But he pushed it too far this weekend and in so doing revealed that closing a deal with Canada is actually critical for the US. Not as mortally important as it is for Canada but critical nonetheless.

So, his does over-tweet or impulse-tweet. It happened this weekend.

Cheers

Chuck said...

I'm not interested in arguing McCain with most of you. I voted for him in 2008. If you didn't vote for McCain in 2008, and you're now a Trumpist Obama-hater, then shame on you.

And please don't keep berating me about how the mainstream media loved McCain except for when McCain was running against Obama; I already knew that.

I am addressing myself to Althouse here. Althouse claims that the motivation of the McCain eulogies was "presumably" to draw Trump in a Tweetstorm. It is doubtlessly true that McCain's friends and family hate Trump. Why shouldn't they? But to suggest that it is "presumably" the case that they wanted to draw Trump into a Twitter-fight, and that they failed to do that is as weird as it is NOT "presumable."

I think McCain's family and friends wanted to say, "John McCain was better than the strange turn that the Republican party has taken," and leave it at that. Having made that point, I don't think they cared one bit about what Donald Trump did with the rest of his Labor Day weekend.

I think it is some real Althouse weirdness that she was thinking about warring Twitterfights in that context.

exhelodrvr1 said...

"She's a very bright woman who doesn't always dance to the Progs' tune"

Which is why they either won't nominate her, or if she wants to be considered she will start backtracking

exhelodrvr1 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Levi Starks said...

Based only on age differences, there’s a chance I may still be alive when Trump is buried.
What kind of a funeral do you suppose the deplorables will give him?
It’s a safe bet that no one who attended the McCaine funeral which specifically excluded Trump will attend, so who will be in attendance?
And how what will the msm coverage of the millions of deplorables mourning the loss of their standard bearer look like?

readering said...

Trump writes batshit crazy tweet about indictments of first 2 reps to endorse him and althouse writes praising his restraint on twitter. Her blindspot gets worse and worse.

William said...

The casket as soapbox is a deft turn of phrase. It sticks in the mind and accurately describes the phenomenon.........For the dead pool, I'd pick the elder Bush and Kissinger as next up. The Bush family is classy. I don't think they'll bar Trump or use the casket as a soapbox. I guess Kissinger has outlived the rancor that surrounded him. His funeral will not be an occasion for electioneering.......I look forward to Jane Fonda's funeral, but I dread hearing the fulsome eulogies. Those will take all the fun out of the occasion.

Professional lady said...

Didn't follow either funeral. Re McCain - I take it the Keating Five scandal was never mentioned by anyone. Re Franklin - the truth hurts (but maybe this was not the place to bring up the subject - perhaps the pastor took the opportunity to reach a large audience with his message).

Matt Sablan said...

To be fair, I think Trump's idea of the DoJ is that it would serve to protect his cronies as it did Obama's. He thought he'd benefit from the same rules as his predecessor.

William said...

Aretha Franklin was treated very badly by her father, mother, boyfriend, husband and many of the people in her immediate orbit. Her life was to some extent a triumph over family dysfunction but also a continuation of that dysfunction. There's no excuse for woman of her wealth and stature to die intestate or to have someone like Louis Farrakhan as an official mourner.

n.n said...

Trump is cosmopolitan, tempered in New York City.

grackle said...

Trump is so often portrayed as impulsively tweeting and so narcissistic that he just can't help himself. His Twitter feed from the last week shows that's not really true.

Every Trump tweet is carefully crafted and calculated for its effect. I think Althouse already knew this. Or did she? Was Trump’s Twitter feed part of the Trump “chaos” that she worried about in a previous post?

Singer Stevie Wonder yelled out “black lives matter” after the pastor said, “No, black lives do not matter” during his eulogy.

Some funerals make a better platform for making political attacks than others. It monkeys up everything when someone, however well-intentioned, wanders off the plantation.

But he pushed it too far this weekend and in so doing revealed that closing a deal with Canada is actually critical for the US. Not as mortally important as it is for Canada but critical nonetheless.

Actually … no. The opposite is true. Canada is MUCH more dependent on the USA and Canada is in no way “critical” to the economy of America. Trump has picked the issue of high Canadian dairy tariffs, which is an important constituency of Trudeau’s, as a deal-breaker. I’m thinking Trump may want the Canada negotiations to fail so that he will have a good excuse to use tariffs against Canada’s auto industry. Why? To revitalize the auto industry in America would be one motive. Another would be to humble Trudeau for future interactions.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

We were hurt by the pastor's decision to grandstand and preach a message we didn't approve but we were happy to give Minister Farrakhan a prominent seat of honor on stage (and thereby implicitly endorse some number of his offensive beliefs & statements).

Sure, ok; sorry for your embarrassment.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

I'm still laughing about Althouse describing the McCain funeral and the media's obsession with it as Death-o-Rama

The Democrats would be crazy to choose Kerry for their candidate. Trump should BE so lucky.

Ralph L said...

If Canada wasn't important, then why invest any time on us?

I gather you're being used to sell cheap Chinese steel to us. The changes with Mexico are more important to us because of the yuge labor cost and environmental regulation differences which are much smaller with Canada.

Leland said...

Good points Althouse on the treatment of a Senator. McCain did seem to arrange his funeral in a manner typically reserved for Presidents. I felt this way from the moment I heard he would lie in state at the Capitol.

I know some comparison was made to Barbara Bush's funeral, which had lots of coverage and also opens the question of what Hillary might receive. I didn't recognize, at the time, the national coverage for Barbara, because she was a very recognizable figure in Houston. So I kinda expected lots of local coverage, which is more enjoyable to watch than national.

I'm not a fan in general of grand coverage of funerals. I rather they be low key events. If there is truly a large outpouring of people wanting to pay respects, I expect it to be more organic like when Chris Kyle died. If you don't know the reference, see the end credits of "American Sniper".

I do think what happened with the McCain and Franklin funerals was to put on a show that painted Trump in a bad light. The McCains may have been fine with it, but it seems the Franklin's not so much.

readering said...

Surely Trump knew when he decided to run that if elected Woodward would write about his presidency critically and get the goods. It's what he does.

wildswan said...

Sounds as if the progs got an earful at Aretha Franklin's funeral. They were uncomfortable - that's the testimony. Her pastor described all the problems afflicting the black community and they had to sit in silence and listen. Now they're saying he shouldn't have politicized the moment. It's all the opposite of The Other Funeral. The difference is like black and white.

William said...

None of the men who endured captivity with McCain had a bad word to say against him, That's certainly not true of the men who served with Kerry in Vietnam. Contra McCain, I would say that if he was able to forgive the North Vietnamese for the sticks and stones they used against him, it would demonstrate decency to forgive Trump for the words Trump used against him.

Leland said...

A deal with Canada is only important in getting any deal ratified. Having a renegotiated deal with both Canada and Mexico will make it easier for Senators to approve a new treaty to replace NAFTA. Other than a few votes in the Senate, it likely won't make a difference of Canada deals with Trump or not.

n.n said...

The changes with Mexico are more important to us because of the yuge labor cost and environmental regulation differences which are much smaller with Canada.

Yes, exactly. Regulatory parity is one condition for an equitable market. Not to mention protections for labor and the environment.

Mary Beth said...

But he pushed it too far this weekend and in so doing revealed that closing a deal with Canada is actually critical for the US.

Because international trade is done in secret and without Trump's tweet, no one would know the value of the trade between the two countries.

n.n said...

This isn't the first time we have heard revelations when the bullhorns of the press and rackets were quiet. The people know the causes and treatments.

YoungHegelian said...

@Unknown,

RE: Franklin's funeral and the Rev's "distasteful" commentary. Was there some context for inviting those remarks? I think he was quite clear and had good, positive things to say, but I wonder how he came to believe that the funeral of Aretha Franklin was the appropriate place and time to deliver them?

Franklin's funeral lasted eight hours. In some black church traditions, such as the tradition that Aretha Franklin came from, the funeral is "directed" by a primary preacher who's usually local. But, not only is there much congregational participation (e.g. call & response, recollections of the deceased, etc), but visiting preachers each give a sermon.

In other words, there was a lot of time to say a lot of things, & lots of things were expected to be said. As was mentioned above, Franklin had some say in the choice of preachers, so maybe she had some sympathy with what the offending preacher said.

Personally, I think that such views as the preacher expressed are commonplace in the black community. Do you think black people are proud of their murder & single parent rates? It's just that it got reported in the "white press" & now the Franklins have to be outraged so that the baying white left mobs will go away.

Tarkwell Robotico said...

1) On the changes vis a vis Mexico, I agree: its huge and positive for Canada and the United States.

2) On the steel trans-shipments, to the extent this is being done, I agree: its a practice that should be stopped. Of course, its a bit silly for you to think there's a national conspiracy to ruin our own steel industry with cheap steel from China.

3) Agreed, the deal with Canada is only necessary in that it for legal purposes.

4) Agreed, Canada depends on the US much more than the US on Canada. To suggest that the US economy wouldn't be hurt by a return to pre-free trade days is silly.

My argument is not that you don't have the power to bully us into submission: you do. And I'm sure it feels great.

And if your foreign and trade policies are based on wanting to teach Justin Trudeau a lesson, well, that's very long-term thinking of you.

Myself, I'd make pretty much any concession Trump wants. As a consumer, I'm not big into paying more for milk than I need to. But it is revealing that so much tweeting had to happen. If you don't see that, well, good luck to you.


Trumpit said...

John Kerry's gangrenous big toe would be a better president than slimy Schlump. In his infinite stupidity Rump pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord. I blame hot days on Stumpy's hot air. Dumpy wants to go to war with Iran. Will his spoiled brat children enlist in the armed forces? Dishonest Dump's sons know how to brutalize wild animals in Africa, so they know how to use a gun to kill. Times up, Mr. Rump! Your fate is sealed.

Bay Area Guy said...

Althouse -- please liveblog the Kavanaugh hearings, so we don't have to watch it!

The Dems have gone full moron. It is painful to watch.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

My argument is not that you don't have the power to bully us into submission: you do.

That is called negotiating from a position of power. It isn't bullying. I'm sure that Canada has some positions of power as well to bring to the negotiating table. That is how it works in the real world. Not just politics. Haven't you ever bought a used car? Same dynamic.

And I'm sure it feels great.

Yes. Yes it does :-D

Francisco D said...

"I am addressing myself to Althouse here."

You may need to consider a restraining order at some point in time, Althouse. Chuckles is obsessed with you.

If you need recipes for boiled bunny rabbits, I might have a few.

Mr. D said...

George McGovern checks all the same boxes that McCain did – distinguished military record in wartime, long career in the Senate, losing presidential nominee. He died in 2012. I don’t recall anything approaching the hype McCain’s death engendered. Let’s see what happens when Bob Dole dies; I bet it won’t be anything like what we’ve just seen.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Matthew Sablan@10:37 That's Democrat party propaganda, cuck. The president ran for this office because he was dismayed and disheartened by the crooked and stupid people who have been elected to public office in this country, and the damage they've done with such things as trade deals that decimate our workers and cost our country billions every year, and deals made by crooks like Obama and Hillary with enemies like Iran and Russia to enrich themselves. Donald Trump has been talking about this for 30 years, you asswipe, and finally after the banana republic shenanigans of the Obama administration, he could take it no more and decided to disrupt the great and wildly successful life he was living to spend many millions of his own money and put his life and safety at risk to serve his nation in its hour of need.
Snide cucks and Democrat party piss-boys like you don't deserve this president. You don't measure up to this great man.

Ralph L said...

Powerline is live blogging the hearing.

Etienne said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Etienne said...

Franklin once said "..not because I believe in communism, but because she's a Black woman..."

In which she proved she was sexist, and racist.

One of the things that cause me to cuss under my breath, is for a commercial artist to squander their fame, by becoming a political whore.

Once I knew Franklin would never help me (a white male Catholic), I felt no sorrow in watching her eat herself to death. Eat faster! Eat more!

I hoped she would get a pastor at her funeral that would slam her lifestyle and upset the congregation. Clinton's mouth never closed the whole time.

Negro music is devil music. African voodoo music.

Drago said...

LOL

It took about 15 milliseconds out of the gate for LLR Chuck to go to "11" on his #StrongDemDefenderMode Dial!

A new world record!...which he will eclipse before this very day is out.

Etienne said...

The reason McCain didn't retire from the Senate was, that he knew he would get a state funeral if he died in office.

Tough luck for Arizona in only having one Senator...

Senators For Life™ don't get 500 million dollar funerals if they retire.

Trumpit said...

"Althouse -- please liveblog the Kavanaugh hearings, so we don't have to watch it!
The Dems have gone full moron. It is painful to watch."

What will you do when your wet nurse runs out of milk? Will you run to mommy? You've sucked on the Althouse teat long enough. Give her a break!

h said...

If Hillary had won the presidency, McCain's funeral would have been smaller and "normal" for a prominent Senator. THe only reason that the McCain death was such a huge event, was that it served the purpose of bashing Trump for days on end.

Big Mike said...

“John McCain was better than the strange turn that the Republican party has taken," and leave it at that.

You may want to “leave it at that,” but I don’t. I like to see Republicans fighting back against Democrat aggression and hypocrisy and double standards. I love that the economy is booming, especially at the lower end of the wage scale. The middle class in general and the working class in particular have been shafted long enough. I am encouraged by developments with respect to North Korea and the Middle East. I am thrilled to see that terrible agreement with Iran terminated, and to see ISIS on the run.

AllenS said...

Me and you, Big Mike.

wwww said...


The US Congress will not approve a large agreement without Canada, for obvious trade reasons. Small tweeks, sure, nobody cares about that. Reality on the ground is new leader in Mexico in a few weeks & little time before November for the US Congress to approve anything.

The general perception of bullying has seeped into the wider Canadian cultural understanding of Trump's America.

Althouse missed this great-blog-worthy pop culture reference. The tariff stuff appeared on the TV show "Bachelor in Paradise" in a squabble between a Canadian man and an American man. It was hilarious, of course, to see it brought into that context.

Canadian man won the exchange and referred to Trudeau, "We are reasonable, we are polite, but we will not be pushed around."

wwww said...



Speaking of the millennials, and Bachelor in Paradise -- I wonder if Althouse is going to blog about Nike?

I've been seeing a wider & wider cultural & political split between the voting Boomers, and the not-yet-good-at-voting Millennials.

But the Millennials buy stuff like shoes and watch TV.

MayBee said...

Was Obama at Aretha's funeral?

wwww said...


RE: Dairy stuff. TPP was gonna help that. oh well.

Obvious political stuff: The Trump perception of bullying is making it almost politically impossible for any Canadian concessions. Lower tariffs on dairy would be popular in Canada -- even in Quebec. Trump's making change on this harder.


I'd be happy for something constructive, but I doubt anything of significance will get done.

walter said...

Chuck opined:
I think McCain's family and friends wanted to say, "John McCain was better than the strange turn that the Republican party has taken," and leave it at that.
--
Perhaps the extensive, arguably unusual media coverage influenced what was said there.

So..was Farrakhan and the rest of that sad lineup formally invited to Aretha's funeral?

wwww said...

On Trade:

Canada's hugely important. Biggest trading partner with most US States. Aside from dairy, trade with Canada is very good. The market is ignoring Trump at this point. They don't think he will succeed in disrupting major supply chains.

btw- we never talked about Trump's comments RE: Canadians coming to the US, buying shoes and scuffing them up to get them across the boarder.

WTH was that about? It's all entertaining, but so strange.

Yancey Ward said...

In 2020, the Democratic Primary debates will have to be held in a nursing home.....or the morgue.

Chuck said...

Mr. D said...
George McGovern checks all the same boxes that McCain did – distinguished military record in wartime, long career in the Senate, losing presidential nominee. He died in 2012. I don’t recall anything approaching the hype McCain’s death engendered. Let’s see what happens when Bob Dole dies; I bet it won’t be anything like what we’ve just seen.


The McCain memorial service was, more than anything, similar to Senator Edward Kennedy's memorial. Live national television. The presence of multiple presidents, representing both parties. A powerful eulogy, delivered by the Senator's child, but crafted by world class speechwriters. An international opera star's appearance in a musical tribute.

I have little doubt but that McCain recalled the Kennedy ceremony and modeled his own on that design. Additionally, the McCain ceremony was not unlike the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in musical choices.

McGovern had long retired from the Senate when he died. Dole retired from the Senate 22 years ago. Kennedy and McCain died while in office.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

rhhardin said...

Senators don't get eternal flames.

Where McCain's going he will...

Yancey Ward said...

There are appropriate times for the issuance of zingers, or, at least, the issuance of things you might think are zingers. The problem for the Never-Trumpers is that funerals are not one of those times. The inability of such people to understand that isn't surprising to me, though- the discipline to bite your tongue and not say the things you want to say is one that is hard to learn.

Donatello Nobody said...

Chuck: This post gets our “Trump Derangement Syndrome Derangement Syndrome” tag.

So Chuck is a co-owner of the blog now? Does Althouse know?

Kevin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wwww said...



I don't know if it was McCain, or NAFTA, or, Manafort, or what, but polls went to the left in the last week. Yet to be seen if it's a trend or if it bounces back.

"Generic ballot polls seem to have lurched towards the Democrats over the last week or so. No shortage of plausible explanations...
It will be interesting to see if it lasts.
It will also be interesting to see whether it survives (or grows?) with LV screens" .
-Nate Cohn

WashPost/ABC poll,
margins among key groups in race for House:
-non-college white men +10R
-college white women +38D
-all white voters +1R
-all non-whites +50D

Stating the obvious, but that non-college white men number is significant if it holds.



Sam L. said...

Trump's waaaay smarter than the lefties.

I'm with Rev. Williams. I'll believe Black Lives Matter when they stop killing each other and aborting their babies.

Kevin said...

I think McCain's family and friends wanted to say, "John McCain was better than the strange turn that the Republican party has taken," and leave it at that. Having made that point, I don't think they cared one bit about what Donald Trump did with the rest of his Labor Day weekend.

1. You don't think a stream of Trump tweets wouldn't have helped make their point?

2. The memorializing with shots taken at Trump Ann described was not limited to McCain's family and friends.

Kevin said...

I think McCain's family and friends wanted to say, "John McCain was better than the strange turn that the Republican party has taken,"

Whenever someone powerful goes down, the people who've been living off the successful person are required to defend their legacy out of self-preservation as well as honor.

Just wait until Hillary dies. Bill's funeral will look like a backyard children's party by comparison.

wwww said...



On younguns versus olds:

We're watching a generational shift. Nike and TV & commercials are oriented to the Millennials.

Boomers have a huge edge in politics because millennials don't vote at the same rates. But Millennials in some places are outnumbering the Boomers -- Pennsylvania.

In 2020, I think there will be some geriatric Ds running. I did not think Biden was going to run, but I have changed my mind. The R is gonna be in his 70s too. It's possible the generational shift comes in 2020 at the Presidential level, but it may wait until 4 years later. The generations will start to shift younger at the House level in 2018.

The age shift will be quick, when it happens. I would not be shocked if somebody the age of Beto O'Rourke runs for 2020.

Seeing Red said...

WTH was that about? It's all entertaining, but so strange.

Only if you haven’t bought shoes clothes jewelry scarves or purses wallets belts etc. in other countries.

Bates said...

Well when I die I want the option to purchase the lavish McCain or the frugal Dole experience with the twitter addon that allows me to sling a few remaining clods of dirt.

wwww said...

Only if you haven’t bought shoes clothes jewelry scarves or purses wallets belts etc. in other countries.



Correct. The great Canadian shoe shortage was a huge disruption to the ability to man the wall against the White Walkers.

J. Farmer said...

I agree with the reverend's sentiment, but a eulogy was not the appropriate venue for those comments.

Kerry was an atrocious choice in 2004 and would still be bad today. Plus, the notion that a white man could lead the ticket in today's Democratic Party is pretty laughable. Though given Kerry's pretty lackluster record, it's funny that Trump would choose to slam him on one of his few real accomplishments--the Iran deal. It would do Trump some good to have a realistic understanding of the deal instead of the histrionic Fox News caricature he has absorbed. Relying on cable news for ones' understanding of the region can be very hazardous. For example:

“When I came into here, it was a question of when would they take over the Middle East,” Trump said Thursday in an Oval Office interview with Bloomberg News. “Now it’s a question of will they survive. It’s a big difference in one and a half years.”

Needless to say, both of these assertions are completely wrong.

Yancey Ward said...

I am with J. Farmer here- I had seen the Reverend's eulogy had been rebuked by Franklin's family, but had not read any of what he had said- on reading it, I agreed with most of it, but it was the wrong venue. A eulogy should be about the person about to be buried, not whatever is on your mind.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

What's the backstory for Trump's tweet scourging of Sessions yesterday? I'm willing to think there's a plan there, but not sure what it would be..

Drago said...

LLR Chuck is just grumpy that his lefty/dem allies have not been able to thwart the progress that has been made in so many areas that LLR Chuck and his lefty pals said would be impossible to achieve.

Ann Althouse said...

“Althouse -- please liveblog the Kavanaugh hearings, so we don't have to watch it!”

Too boring.

I’m watching (while reading) but I don’t have anything to say beyond my earler post. Totally predictable. So far, just Senators talking.

iowan2 said...

Sam L. said...
Trump's waaaay smarter than the lefties.

I'm with Rev. Williams. I'll believe Black Lives Matter when they stop killing each other and aborting their babies.


I made this point yesterday. Choices are made. Conscience choices. I added the choice to rear children with out a father. That rest squarely on the shoulders of the fathers. They choose to ignore their own legacy. A conscience choice.

Kathryn51 said...

Mr. D said: Let’s see what happens when Bob Dole dies; I bet it won’t be anything like what we’ve just seen.

I didn't watch any of the McCain extravaganza, but my FB feed was full of "I rarely agreed with McCain but. . . .[insert diatribe against Trump]." Folks reveled at this glorious opportunity to trash Trump and they were sure frustrated that they couldn't point to a single thing said or done that helped their cause. Oh, except the golf game.

Lessons (1) if you are a sitting Senator and diagnosed with an incurable disease/illness, DO NOT resign. Die in office so that you can go out I the biggest political blaze of glory possible (see Chuck for reference).

Lesson (2) When Senator Dole passes, I will fly back to DC and show my respect for a man that I campaigned for in 1988. I've always regretted that I did not take time off from work to do the same for President Reagan.

Tarkwell Robotico said...

"btw- we never talked about Trump's comments RE: Canadians coming to the US, buying shoes and
scuffing them up to get them across the boarder.

WTH was that about? It's all entertaining, but so strange."

One moronic thing we do in Canada is we limit the amount you can buy in foreign countries for a < 48 hour stay abroad to < $20.

This is to prevent us consumers from driving to (in my case) Burlington, Vermont - having a wonderful day and buying stuff that sells so cheap in the US.

Trump wants us to raise this limit to $200 which is extremely reasonable especially in the age of internet shopping.

But as you see above, Trump's insane tweets about the dairy situation are being described as "bargaining from a position of power". And this rah-rah-rah stupidity is ruining everything.

People like the Dust Bunny Queen think they will create 100,000 jobs from selling more milk to Canada.

Mr. D said...

Chuck said:

The McCain memorial service was, more than anything, similar to Senator Edward Kennedy's memorial. Live national television. The presence of multiple presidents, representing both parties. A powerful eulogy, delivered by the Senator's child, but crafted by world class speechwriters. An international opera star's appearance in a musical tribute.

I have little doubt but that McCain recalled the Kennedy ceremony and modeled his own on that design. Additionally, the McCain ceremony was not unlike the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in musical choices.


In other words, an orgy of self-regard, on the taxpayer's dime.

Skippy Tisdale said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wwww said...

One moronic thing we do in Canada is we limit the amount you can buy in foreign countries for a < 48 hour stay abroad to < $20.


It is at $200 for a 24-48 hour visit$. Greater then 40 hrs is $800.

https://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/what-you-can-bring-home-to-canada

n.n said...

when they stop killing each other and aborting their babies
...
on the shoulders of the fathers. They choose to ignore their own legacy.


.. and mothers.

The fathers, for their part, have fulfilled their evolutionary function. The mother, if she chooses, and the State, will assure him a legacy, of some kind. He, and she, will likely repeat this achievement again, and again, and again. His decision is to ignore shared responsibility for a human life conceived by his and her choice. To be fair, perpetual smoothing functions are spiritually destructive, especially for men, and have wrecked havoc in many communities.

Fernandinande said...

Why are they all so old?

Cuz they were born a long time ago.

wwww said...


"Too boring."

Yeah, those hearing will be boring. nothing unexpected.

Request to blog Bachelor in Paradise. Was hilarious!

"but perhaps it’s best if I let Kevin speak for me: “Leo screwed up with Kendall and he’s looking for somebody to blame, but in the words of Justin Trudeau: Canadians, we are polite, we are reasonable, but we will not be pushed around. Leo, remember that, go f--k yourself.”


I can't paste in the Bachelor in Paradise twitter feed of it. Bachelor in Paradise @BachParadise

Comments on twitter:
Cindy: I’m Canadian and stood up and gave Kevin a standing o in my living room 🇨🇦

We both raised our fists up in the air and yelled Yes! That’s how you drop the mic 🎤 Canada 🇨🇦 style! So awesome! 😂


Link to newspaper article:
https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/review/2018/08/28/bachelor-in-paradise-gets-some-us-canadian-fireworks-as-things-heat-up-between-kevin-and-leo.html

wwww said...


Other bids for mass or pop culture Millennial blogging:

Nike stuff

Beto in a band w/ Cedric Bixler-Zavala.


rehajm said...

This post gets our “Trump Derangement Syndrome Derangement Syndrome” tag.

Not a thing to anyone except Chuck and the mouse he's got in his pocket.

Michael K said...

Tarkwell,, Canada is only important as a tool of China. That's what this is about.

Rick said...

I wonder what kind of funeral events we'll see when John Kerry dies. We're treating Senators now the way we've treated Presidents? Not all Senators, of course, but some. McCain, at least. So... Senator + military hero + major party presidential nominee.

If you add the Paul Wellstone example you'll perhaps see your list of triggering elements doesn't cover all events and thus is likely incomplete. You might think the Wellstone funeral was less extreme then but I suggest the media is more open about its cheerleading now than during the Wellstone era (2002). Thus that funeral and the more recent examples demonstrate the same theme. Partly this evolution due to Trump but it is also partly due to the Journolist which convinced the media (likely wrongly) it could act politically more openly because the media publications employing journolisters did not suffer credibility loss in the eyes of those they agreed with.

The addition of Wellstone shows the McCain funeral is the standard media template of creating whatever weapon is handy to advance the interests of the political left.

Tina Trent said...

It isn't just senators talking.

The protesters are literally obstructing our ability to witness the hearings. Why don't they empty the galleries? Also find and punish every Democrat staffer who enabled the protesters to disrupt the hearings.

Such behavior is not tolerated in courtrooms -- nor credible law school classrooms. Somebody with security access abetted these criminals. The should also be arrested and prosecuted.

If our participation is to honored and respected, this behavior must not pass without accountability. Otherwise, small groups of radicals are being permitted to literally shut down the democratic process for the rest of us.

And where are the Democrat Senators denouncing this behavior? They are mocking the American public by smirkingly approving thuggish mob behavior.

DanTheMan said...

>>“Now it’s a question of will they survive.

> Needless to say, both of these assertions are completely wrong.

There could be a revolution in Iran tomorrow that deposes the current government. It's happened before.
Or it might not happen for a century.

Predictions are hard. Especially about the future. :)

Howard said...

So, the Black community is not monolithic and Chuck's broken clock got one right today.

narciso said...


In other news:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1037013939215892481.html

J. Farmer said...

@DanTheMan:

There could be a revolution in Iran tomorrow that deposes the current government. It's happened before.
Or it might not happen for a century.

Predictions are hard. Especially about the future. :)


If we are going to entertain mere possibilities, you could say, "There could be a revolution in x tomorrow that deposes the current government."

It is not a question of what is possible but what is probable. Would you liquidate your assets and put all the money into a random penny stock on the chance that it makes you fabulously wealthy. After all, it is possible.

Howard said...

I'm waiting on the Professor to segway into Bob Woodwords new book Fear roll in TDS over-the-top responses and impact on 2020. The way Brit Hume describes it, an army of Chuck's is on duty to prevent the chaos from becoming catastrophe

Howard said...

The Mullahs are tight. No chance they fold

DanTheMan said...

>>It is not a question of what is possible but what is probable. Would you liquidate your assets and put all the money into a random penny stock on the chance that it makes you fabulously wealthy. After all, it is possible.

You didn't say "probable". You said "wrong". Which implies certainty.

>>> Needless to say, both of these assertions are completely wrong.

Just for the record, I think you are likely correct. But I think "wrong" was not the right word.

J. Farmer said...

@DanTheMan:

If someone said regarding the Japanese government, "Now it’s a question of will they survive," I'd say they were wrong, that there is not a serious question of whether the Japanese government will survive or not. That fact that it is possible that "there could be a revolution in Japan tomorrow that deposes the current government" does not change the assessment.

tim in vermont said...

We're watching a generational shift. Nike and TV & commercials are oriented to the Millennials.

Whoever produces the Deadpool movies sure seems to think so. I would have thought that Deadpool 2 went “full retard” as the saying goes, but it seems to be going over.

tim in vermont said...

He’s [Kerry] written a book with all of his wisdom, and he says Republicans are post-truth.

Is this the guy for whom the term “Swift Boating” was coined to characterize people who truthfully described what actually happened, and who were never actually refuted?

Mike Sylwester said...

I read all the comments about Bachelor in Paradise with great interest.

By the way, I think that Colton did the right thing by breaking up with Tia. It had to be done.

Ralph L said...

It would not surprise me if Colton ran off with one of the other bachelors from last season.

Rabel said...

wwww,

You might want to run a check on Beto's age. He's not a millenial by any definition.

Mike Sylwester said...

Colton has a mysterious problem with women. He should be the next Bachelor, so we will have more time to figure him out.

As for Canadian Kevin, he was brave to stand up to American Leo, but I think Kevin and Astrid eventually will break up.

MayBee said...

Kamala Harris is talking about not having enough of Kavanaugh's papers. "We only have 4%" she says, "that is four percent out of 100 percent". She repeats this with several different percentages, each one being out of 100%. It makes me think she is newly acquainted with math.

Gospace said...

Tarkwell Robotico said...

One moronic thing we do in Canada is we limit the amount you can buy in foreign countries for a < 48 hour stay abroad to < $20.


Wow. I spend more than that on a single bottle of Canadian Ice Wine every time I walk back from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

Tarkwell Robotico said...

wwww: fair enough. but practically speaking, its about how you prove to them that you were gone longer than 24 hours. They don't accept: we came in at 7 am and return 5 pm the next day.

Michael K: we may be tools of China, but you are tools of Russia. They don't need fake facebook accounts with Russo-philes like you. Your goals in weakening Canada is to make the arctic resources available to Russia. Even though in our control, Artic oil will flow south to the USA, you are happy to give it up to Russia just for the joy of seeing Trump re-elected.

Trade with Canada is fair and balanced right now. You Trumpians are not about fair trade. You are about helping Russia secure its next century of wealth. You aren't even interested in the best interests of the United States.

Tarkwell Robotico said...

Gospace:

You guys are allowed much more than us. That's the US argument and its fair.

We cannot go to the NH Liquor Store and return with a drop of alcohol unless we can prove we have been in the US for 48 hours.

n.n said...

Baby Lives Matter.

Bilwick said...

I was wondering if Kerry were planning to run again. CBS SUNDAY MORNING is usually a good bellwether of what the "liberal" Hive is thinking (if "thinking" can be applied to the Hive-Mind); and when I saw they were doing a piece on Kerry, I thought: Could it be? Are they trying to get a pro-Kerry buzz going to pit Johnny Doofus against Trump? We shall see . . .

grackle said...

And if your foreign and trade policies are based on wanting to teach Justin Trudeau a lesson, well, that's very long-term thinking of you.

Nothing wrong with a little long term thinking, is there? I think Trump may also want to use Trudeau as an object lesson to other leaders in addition to Trump’s desire to revitalize Detroit. Future trade negotiators need to know that they cannot monkey around with Trump.

Myself, I'd make pretty much any concession Trump wants. As a consumer, I'm not big into paying more for milk than I need to. But it is revealing that so much tweeting had to happen. If you don't see that, well, good luck to you.

Readers, ever notice that the anti-Trumpers are forever finding reasons that Trump shouldn’t tweet? For his own good, of course. This time it is the concept of ‘excessive’ tweets that are shoehorned awkwardly into the meme.

Tarkwell Robotico said...

Lol grackie:

I'm not anti-Trump. My statement was rather mild: he over-tweeted this weekend and showed his hand.

Detroit won't get revitalized by a NAFTA blow-up. That's fantasy talk from crypto-marxists who don't understand capital. Detroit will get gut-punched by anything less than a satisfactory conclusion to NAFTA.

And that's really the funny thing: the Trumpians who are so hostile to Canada and NAFTA are really crypto-marxists bent on saving Russia from its demographic and economic spiral.

Not all Trumpians are crypto-marxists - but in order to win he did have to take a whole bunch of them along for the ride.










wwww said...


Tarkwell,

Sounds like we generally agree. Didn't mean to be pedantic.

I thought Trump's show smuggling riff was so bizarre because he did not seem to be advocating to increase the exemption. It sounded as if he was criticizing Canadian tourists for purchasing items while abroad.

The Trump/American rhetorical war on Canada is beyond strange. I'm sure Congress won't go along, aside from some very small changes.

wwww said...

You might want to run a check on Beto's age. He's not a millenial by any definition.


Cedric Bixler-Zavala of Mars Volta did win a grammy about 2009 or so. Obv. this music does not appeal to all Millennials.


wwww said...

By the way, I think that Colton did the right thing by breaking up with Tia. It had to be done.



He broke up with Tia??? NOOOO! :(

Otto said...

Don't know much about Franklin, but what got my attention was that she had 4 kids out of wedlock! I then read where she had her first kid when she was 12 (1954)and that her father was a pastor!!This wasn't in the south prior to the civil war,it wasn't in a backward shanty in the south at the turn of the century, it was practically 100 years after the civil war, it was after a decade of seeing Jackie Robinson in a Dodger uniform, it was a year after Wilt Chamberlain was on the cover of Look magazine, it was the year Willie Mays made his over the shoulder catch, it was the first year Bill Russell started for USF,and it was in the decade when detroit was one of the most desirable cities in the world. What a sad commentary on post WWII black culture.

mockturtle said...

Trump tweets so he can communicate directly with the public. Why would he choose to allow hostile media to interpret his remarks?

Otto said...

@ mockturtle. Exactly. His words can't be misquoted or used out of context.He also controls the narrative with his tweets. All future presidents will use tweets to get their message out. Trump has set a precedent.

whitney said...

The only reason I know what the pastor said is because you put that quote into your blog post. I see a lot of headlines that I never read. So thanks for putting that in there. I'm glad I read it and good for him. The headlines I've read since then say he is not backing down as well he shouldn't

Bad Lieutenant said...

The age shift will be quick, when it happens. I would not be shocked if somebody the age of Beto O'Rourke runs for 2020.
9/4/18, 12:15 PM

Not for nothing but - Clinton was young. GWB was young. Obama was young. Can it be that, young Presidents haven't been so hot lately? Even young people will sometimes acknowledge that certain jobs are better done by older people. Presidenting may be one of them.