January 24, 2016

I watched 5 — 5! — of the Sunday morning shows and ended up with not one thing I wanted to blog.

It was all crushingly dull. The pundits really don't seem to have anything more to say. The closest I came was wanting to say one thing was especially stupid. On "State of the Union," the Jake Tapper CNN show, Amanda Carpenter, a former communications director for Ted Cruz, said:
But I do think Trump is running out of runway. I mean, if you look at the polling he's up by double digits. He reads those polls every day at his rallies and say, look how impressive I am. He's throwing the kitchen sink at Ted Cruz, gone after his evangelical faith, the Goldman Sachs loans, the birtherism anything he can think of.... If Cruz beats him in spite of that, Trump is out of tricks to pull in New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Trump, out of tricks?! Trump will never be out of tricks.

It's pretty bad watching all the shows and coming away only remembering one thing because it was so bad. 

Well, let's see there's this from David Brooks on "Meet the Press," where they'd just heard at interviews from Hillary Clinton and then Bernie Sanders:
If I didn't know anything about the race until I saw these back-to-back interviews today, I would think wow Sanders really has honed his message, and he's captured both authenticity and joy, and Hillary Clinton hasn't honed her message. There's a lot of Chinese menu stuff: A, B, C, D, and so you can see why he's doing well. You've got to pick that message, hone it, deliver it, velocity.
He's right about that.

And I did learn that Michael Bloomberg's idea is to run as a third party candidate if and only if Sanders gets the Democratic Party nomination. Asked on "Meet the Press" about Bloomberg's possible candidacy, Hillary said: "He's a good friend of mine. And I'm going to do the best I can to make sure that I get the nomination and we'll go from there." Sanders said:
Well, my reaction is that if Donald Trump wins and Mr. Bloomberg gets in, you're going to have two multi-billionaires running for president of the United States against me. And I think the American people do not want to see our nation move toward an oligarchy where billionaires control the political process. I think we'll win that election.
And Trump said:
Well, Michael has been a friend of mine over the years, I don't know if we're friends anymore, frankly. But Michael has been a friend of mine. I would love to have Michael Bloomberg run. I would love that competition. I think I'd do very well against it. I would love to see Michael Bloomberg run.
ADDED: It's been a long time since I've seen the Chinese menu metaphor. How many people around today even remember the old "1 from column A, 2 from column B" type menus they used to have in American family-style Chinese restaurants and the kind of jokes they inspired?

63 comments:

wildswan said...

We're pretty close to the actual horse race - to an actual vote. So the pundits are running out the clock with slow safe remarks so as to maintain a perfect pundit score.

The candidates meanwhile are starting to look like one of those fights in a strip cartoon of the old days where its just a whirling mass of bodies and !!!###$$!!##!. And the bystanders like Bloomberg are being sucked in. Donald Trump is Popeye " Iyam what Iyam". Bernie Saunders is Dennis the (Red) Menace. Ted Cruz is Wiley Coyote. Hillary is Bagdad Bob - "no one is catching up with me" as Sanders tanks roar past to the airport. Bloomberg will end up looking like and being treated like that matron in the Groucho Marx clips several blog entries below. And who will be President of the United States? Tune in again tomorrow.

Fritz said...

I spent the morning digging out.

mccullough said...

Bloomberg is basically urging Dems to vote for Sanders.

Martha said...

Stupidest —because it is so unbelievable— was this statement by Hillary! On MEET the Press:

Clinton claimed, “I’m not concerned because I know what the facts are. I never sent our received any material marked classified.”

pm317 said...

Hillary's campaign is run by Obamabots. If Hillary had run a Sander's like campaign and taking on Obama (like some Hillary sites want), she would have been run out of the race by now.

traditionalguy said...

What about Trump's campaign saying that unless Fox removes Kelly from the panel on the next debate Trump will not attend, but Trump hold his own Town Hall broadcast on a neutral network at the time slot.

Roger Ailes meets a NYC Values fighter. Will he blink first?

LYNNDH said...

What, you don't like Chinese food? Restaurants around here (CO)have the A/B/C menus.
I take it that nothing was mentioned about the SAP emails of Hillary's. I have been watching CBS Evening News (so you don't have too) and so far not a word about them, not even on the local CBS news.

Irene said...

I did like it when Chuck Todd said to Hillary, "And save me the, 'We always knew this was going to be a close race,' answer."

Fabi said...

I watched one for a moment until -- I think it was David Brooks from The Church of the Immaculate Trouser Crease -- said that the American people wanted a president who could work with both parties.

Uh, no.

retail lawyer said...

Ann, I honestly sincerely appreciate you reporting on the Sunday shows, and your dedication to blogging stuff in general. Not everyone can do this. And even on a good day, more than half the Sunday shows are filled with blow hards, yet I need to know I didn't miss anything.

Jupiter said...

"How many people around today even remember the old "1 from column A, 2 from column B" type menus they used to have in American family-style Chinese restaurants and the kind of jokes they inspired?"

Hmmmm....

Racist.

Etienne said...

Bloomberg was giving Clinton a shove. He's saying to get her campaign together, or he will end it for her. At age 75 he has no chance of winning.

She dutifully responded that she will get her campaign together.

Neither of them think she will be charged with a crime like Petraeus was. Which may be correct, as Obama would pardon her the day after.

David Begley said...

Todd should have spent all of his precious few minutes on her email. There is so, so much there. A praticed liar like Hillary can easily handle one question.

Question: Did you direct Jake, Cheryl and Huma to take classified info from the secure government server and put it on your insecure private server?

Question: Does it bother you that 150 FBI agents are investigating you?

Question: Can our enemies blackmail you based upon the information on your server?

Question: How confident are you that Jake, Cheryl and Huma won't rat you out to avoid jail?

Etc, etc.

Etienne said...

"I never sent our received any material marked classified.”

I believe her. That's what I would do, cut off the top and bottom classifications, and FAX or email the center part.

Now, there are classified messages that have a classification for each paragraph, but these are easily covered with white-out and then FAX'd.

A lot of stuff is actually FAX'd these days, and shows up in your email. You don't have to print it. It just shows up as a PDF file.

Martha said...

Unfortunately Todd is less interested in and a whole lot less knowledgeable about the email scandal than Althouse commenters.

Martha said...

In totally unrelated news, will the Patriots pull out a win!???

Etienne said...

Martha said...In totally unrelated news, will the Patriots pull out a win!???

Depends on their balls.

Whether they are inflated or not...

Martha said...

not this time!

rhhardin said...

Trump's trick is demonstrating how to defeat media PC.

I don't see how he can run out of it.

jr565 said...

at least Bloomberg is having the decency of running as a 3rd party candidate, and not putting up the pretense of running as a republican.

Titus said...

The NYTimes had a huge article about Des Moines, the city, being white hot.

The city now has lofts! And the rent is like fucking cheap.

I was excited that flyover cities are trying.

Until, I read the last paragraph. There is only 1 restaurant open on Sunday after 9....so red state and not fab.

tits-what do u think of the pic of my Iranian Harvard med student grindr trick?

jr565 said...

"What about Trump's campaign saying that unless Fox removes Kelly from the panel on the next debate Trump will not attend, but Trump hold his own Town Hall broadcast on a neutral network at the time slot.

Roger Ailes meets a NYC Values fighter. Will he blink first?"

Aww poor Trumpy Wumpy. Doesn't like being asked about calling women names. He wont attend if the mean woman asks him about it again.

Michael K said...

I usually watch and flip back and forth but they were so dull today I gave up. Todd was really lame with Hillary. I wonder if he has marching orders ? He seems OK when he is interviewed on Hugh Hewitt's radio show but he clams up on MtP.

It's interesting that I tried to log onto NRO today to send an email to Jay Nordlinger, who I like and have met. They have never heard of me. I guess they cancelled my own damn subscription as Buckley used to say.

I would have told him that this last issue is a suicide mission and Lowry is killing the magazine.

Oh well, I guess they don't want other opinions, even from 30 year subscribers.

CWJ said...

Althouse, thank you for your service.

Fabi said...

Butthurt creme is available through the Althouse Amazon Portal.

Ken Mitchell said...

"But I do think Trump is running out of runway."

Bad analogy. "Running out of runway" is only a problem if you're struggling to take off. Once you're airborne, you leave the runway behind. I think Trump is, for better or worse, climbing like a rocket.

I'm a Cruz supporter, but I'm going to paste in this tweet every chance I get:
Jeff @EmpireOfJeff tweets:
"You "conservative" "pundits" still don't get it: Trump isn't our candidate. He's our murder weapon. And the GOP is our victim. We good, now?
12:25 PM - 14 Aug 2015 "

traditionalguy said...

The Professor's reaction is the Story. That every one of the trained seal media pundits have suddenly been rendered irrelevant. They have no clout to threaten and to favor one and disfavor another. So what use are they???

Trump has all of the relevant cards and is playing them under Trump Rules at a fast pace.

Hagar said...

On the other hand, Obama has stated that he definitely does not want a third term, so that's a relief.

pm317 said...

@coupe checked your blog. I am a sucker for French music and movies. Hope you write more.

walter said...

Glad these shows were uneventful..not in mood to watch 'em.
However, I just heard a common tater refer to Trump as Orange Crush. Hadn't heard that one before..

walter said...

Maube he should drop Springsteen for that REM song.

pm317 said...

Trump is a disaster for Bloomberg like people. I believe what @coupe said above is right. She was sending a signal and her saying let me make sure I get the nomination shows how many knives are drawn out behind the curtain.

Mrs Whatsit said...

"I never sent or received any material marked classified.”

Well then what the hell were you doing all day? Assuming that's true - which, of course, I don't - why did we need a SOS who cut herself off from sensitive, classified or top secret information and made sure she never sent or received any such thing? Who, exactly, was running the State Department while you were nominally in charge but carefully, entirely, completely ignorant of anything that actually matters? The few aides you had who had government email addresses, not to mention the Russians and the Chinese, knew more than you did, and we're supposed to think that's just ducky and that intentional ignorance qualifies you for the presidency? Why, exactly?

Carl said...

Actually, the weekly Sunday morning shows aren't any different from decades ago. A reporter talking to a politician about issues of the day.

What's changed is that by the time Sunday comes around, everything they were going to talk about has already been discussed on blogs and forums. So the shows are boring because everything they talk about is old news. They still have an audience of people who don't read blogs every day.

I read that the cable show The Soup was canceled because that show was a compilation of the antics on reality shows from the previous week.

But Youtube and blogs meant that The Soup was old when it aired once a week. I suspect the Sunday news talk shows suffer from the same problem.

jr565 said...

Ken Mitchell wrote:
I'm a Cruz supporter, but I'm going to paste in this tweet every chance I get:
Jeff @EmpireOfJeff tweets:
"You "conservative" "pundits" still don't get it: Trump isn't our candidate. He's our murder weapon. And the GOP is our victim. We good, now?
12:25 PM - 14 Aug 2015 "

They are ron Paulians times 10.
Only at least Ron Paulians could be against conservatives because he was more libertarian. (with all the flaws that come with libertarians) Trumpbots either have no core and just want to see the GOP burn, even if it means Bernie Sanders takes over. OR they actually think big govt is hunky dory and they want to destroy the GOP because that's the opposition to it. Even though they don't really put up much of an opposition anyway.

" If we're going down anyway, I might as well be the one that pokes the holes in the life raft."

buwaya said...

Its because they haven't got Robert Novak.
And Mclaughlin has gotten old.
And the times have changed.
I think we are ready for Sunday Morning gladiatorial contests closer to the old Roman style.

MayBee said...

Titus- I don't think you should put a picture of a private citizen in your profile without his permission.

buwaya said...

To save these shows maybe they need fresh blood, people who can sting.
Up Titus' alley I think - I suggest they get Milo Yiannopoulos.
And Vox Day - there's a Prince of Darkness if ever there was one.
There's all sorts of talent out there.

narciso said...

well they could have spoken on this wonderful iran deal:

http://www.investigativeproject.org/4946/column-looks-at-notorious-terrorist-who-benefits#

and those immune from prosecution,

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

I saw Mclaughlin a week or so ago for the first time in a while. He really does look old.

I miss Novak. His book, Prince of Darkness, was really good.

narciso said...

well he's about as old as Max Von Sydow, yes that was a good tale,

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

Clinton claimed, “I’m not concerned because I know what the facts are. I never sent our received any material marked classified.”

Who removed those markings? Was that at your direction? Isn't that illegal?

Wince said...

"I saw David Brooks with a Chinese menu in his hand...

'His pant crease was perfect'."

Big Mike said...

@Althouse, thank you for watching so that we don't have to. Like Fritz, I spent the morning digging out. It wasn't quite so bad because I had gone out yesterday afternoon. Although I waited to start until after the snowplow came through, it came through again later this afternoon, maybe an hour before sunset, so I had to pick up the shovel one more time and clear the throat of the driveway.

@Martha, no.

Laslo Spatula said...

I read 5 — 5! — of the Sunday morning Althouse posts and ended up with not one thing I wanted to include anal sex comments about.

Wait. There was one.

Never mind.

I am Laslo.

narciso said...

one little glimpse, through one of those gitmo releases,

https://medium.com/@KyleWOrton/from-bosnia-to-guantanamo-94b804c467ea#.ui4zbbw30

now imagine what 20 of them can do,

David said...

It's a good reminder of how Obama was able to win.

David said...

K: "I miss Novak. His book, Prince of Darkness, was really good." Yep. And he was an excellent reporter. We miss the likes of him.

Mary Beth said...

How many people around today even remember the old "1 from column A, 2 from column B" type menus they used to have in American family-style Chinese restaurants and the kind of jokes they inspired?

Anyone who watches Archer.

Theranter said...

This is certainly interesting: http://laurenstephens.com/#sthash.hskWq0kP.dpuf
Ex-Wisconsinite's open letter to Mark Levin re Cruz. Discusses Scott Walker/Paul Ryan /Priebus link, and Trump.

Bay Area Guy said...

We need Bernie to beat Hillary in Iowa. This will cause panic and chaos within the Democrat Party.

We need Cruz to beat Trump in Iowa. This will slow down the Trump Express, although Trump will still likely take NH.

n.n said...

It is a poor billionaire who realizes their success with a small bag of tricks... or rather canned strategies and tactics.

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This comment has been removed by the author.
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Chris N said...

Who among us has perfect pant-creases?

You filthy animals. You pack of bobo-slobs and incurious jet-setting zombies.

Stay at home and read a fucking book!

David Brooks sends his regards.

chuck said...

5! = 120. That's a lot of shows...

Big Mike said...

@chuck, great mathematician joke. Amy Schumer is going to steal it.

wildswan said...

Maybe Obama is negotiating with Hillary - a plea bargain - you do X, Y Z otherwise I let Justice indict you. It's the opposite of pardons of an outgoing President. The sticking point is Obama wants to pick the vice-president.

cubanbob said...

Why waste time watching the lame shows when Althouse can do it for us and the resulting commentary here being infinitely more informative and interesting than anything these shows offer? Thanks Ann, thanks guys.

Jason said...

The slow news cycle this week is why the State Department was pulling for a delay in releasing Hillary's emails. They're hoping for a better distraction.

grackle said...

Roger Ailes meets a NYC Values fighter. Will he blink first?

“Winky” Ailes has already blinked. Awhile back Trump snubbed Fox and went on all the other Sunday AM shows. Result? Low ratings for Fox. Ailes called Trump and convinced him to stop snubbing Fox.

http://tinyurl.com/h3detct