Althouse: "Facts are simple and facts are straight/Facts are lazy and facts are late/Facts all come with points of view/Facts don't do what I want them to..."

September 26, 2016

"Facts are simple and facts are straight/Facts are lazy and facts are late/Facts all come with points of view/Facts don't do what I want them to..."

"... Facts just twist the truth around/Facts are living turned inside out/Facts are getting the best of them/Facts are nothing on the face of things."

Lyrics from "Crosseyed and Painless" by Talking Heads, presented as a comment at New York Magazine on a long, tendentious piece titled "How Will Voters Separate Fact From Fiction at the Debates?"

"Facts don't stain the furniture/Facts go out and slam the door/Facts are written all over your face/Facts continue to change their shape/I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting... I'm still waiting...I'm still waiting..."

40 comments:

Michael K said...: All the big left wing newspapers have delivered helpful lists of Trump's "lies" this morning. Interesting enough, they all seem to be identical in source.

Guess where.; 9/26/16, 10:13 AM
PB said...: A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on.

Facts don't matter to the ideologue who believes in their truth.; 9/26/16, 10:18 AM
MayBee said...: This whole dance shows how much Hillary campaign operatives run the narrative.; 9/26/16, 10:21 AM
Anonymous said...: When a problem comes along, you must whip it...; 9/26/16, 10:21 AM
Henry said...: Talking Heads sure brought in great musicians for their live shows.; 9/26/16, 10:23 AM
Nonapod said...: When will people learn? Facts don't actually matter much to the white middle class swing voters in battleground states, it's all about emotions. How does the candidate make you feel? Do they seem like a good person?

This presidential debate may as well be a Reality TV show akin to Survivor or the Apprentice. It just needs to be interrupted by talking head confessionals from both Hillary and Trump throughout the night.; 9/26/16, 10:24 AM
viator said...: “The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.”
Orwell; 9/26/16, 10:24 AM
damikesc said...: All the big left wing newspapers have delivered helpful lists of Trump's "lies" this morning. Interesting enough, they all seem to be identical in source.

Remember, Journolist was nothing. Really.

"We can't prove Trump was opposed to Iraq. LIE!"
"We can't prove Hillary didn't know that sending classified intel was illegal. FACT!"; 9/26/16, 10:25 AM
Brent said...: Hillary may win the debate tonight or she may lose. But the fact that she cannot possibly win without her liberal lying media supporters redifining what a debate is, means they know deep in rheir souls that "the most qualified candidate ever" is incapabke of winning it on her own.

Panicked Liberals shitting all over themselves these last 3 weeks has been the most joyful political period for me of the last 10 years. Serious prayers it continues.. .; 9/26/16, 10:26 AM
rehajm said...: All the big left wing newspapers have delivered helpful lists of Trump's "lies" this morning. Interesting enough, they all seem to be identical in source.

Clearly they believe she's behind.; 9/26/16, 10:27 AM
Virgil Hilts said...: Both are liars, but Hillary has been such a total congenital liar for over 40 or so years that I think she wins the debate on who has lied the most while in the arena.
Ala the late great Michael Kelly 18 years ago (summarizing Clinton lies from the prior 15 or so years) in February/March 1998, "I believe!"
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-1998-02-05/html/CREC-1998-02-05-pt1-PgE107-2.htm
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1998/03/18/i-still-believe/3f96aae6-3442-41e7-9928-1b096936e88c/; 9/26/16, 10:34 AM
320Busdriver said...: I've had "Crosseyed and Painless" in my "Heard on RP faves" Spotify playlist for months now.
Where RP = Radio Paradise.

You can definitely groove to it!; 9/26/16, 10:40 AM
Amexpat said...: When confronted with "facts" he did't like, my dad would say "liars figure and figures lie".; 9/26/16, 10:41 AM
Freder Frederson said...: "We can't prove Trump was opposed to Iraq. LIE!"

Actually, we can prove that Trump initially supported the invasion of Iraq and changed his mind after Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld screwed it up. His claim that he was opposed to the war from the beginning is a bald faced lie backed up by documentary evidence (e.g., tapes of him on the Howard Stern show).; 9/26/16, 10:42 AM
Matt Sablan said...: Eh, swapping positions on the Iraq War is a wash. Both of them did it, so it's pretty much whatever. If they really want to fight that battle, then sure, go ahead. It's the wrong hill to die on since Trump was a private citizen at the time and Clinton was not. Her back and forth and lying about it has actual policy implications; his are relatively meaningless comparatively.

I mean, I'd prefer our candidates NOT lie as frequently as these two. But, hey, that's not what we got this time around.; 9/26/16, 10:52 AM
Darrell said...: Fuck the Left.; 9/26/16, 11:00 AM
Darrell said...: Hillary is fast approaching Mondale territory. Media lies will help her get there.; 9/26/16, 11:01 AM
Bob Boyd said...: Look at that picture!

The caption is, "Who can help you trust?" Not, "Who can you trust?", but "Who can help you trust?"

It's like a headline you'd see on a Cosmo cover for an article about getting over bad breakups.
Right next to, "10 shocking political positions that will drive your boyfriend crazy!"; 9/26/16, 11:18 AM
damikesc said...: Actually, we can prove that Trump initially supported the invasion of Iraq and changed his mind after Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld screwed it up. His claim that he was opposed to the war from the beginning is a bald faced lie backed up by documentary evidence (e.g., tapes of him on the Howard Stern show).

Did he vote for the war?

No?

She did.

It also ignores all the lies she told in regards to her email. How EVERY SINGLE STORY she's said about it was false.

1) She didn't erase any work-related emails? False.
2) She only deleted yoga routines and info on her daughter's wedding? False.
3) She didn't send classified info? False.
4) She was authorized to use the server? False.
5) She has been upfront on the server? False (it took a hacker hitting noted sub-human Blumenthal to make it public)
6) All other Secretaries of State did it. False --- approximately none set up their own private server.
7) She didn't know about classified info? She's gone through multiple trainings in regards to it, including at least one while in the Senate --- so false.

All of the lies about her 9/11 collapse (who gets medical treatment at her daughter's apartment as opposed to hospital? Under HIPAA laws, the hospital couldn't discuss her condition without her permission).

8) She was overheated? False.
9) She had pneumonia? Treatment at your daughter's apartment doesn't indicate pneumonia to me. False --- if it was true, she'd have gone to a hospital.

Her lies about what she told the families of the people killed in Benghazi.

Donations to the Clinton Foundation donations didn't lead to meetings and benefits with the State Dept? False.

...so, which lies seem more important?; 9/26/16, 11:23 AM
traditionalguy said...: If what you said was true, then you would be right. Rinse and repeat.

The debate is unnecessary. This election has been over since she showed us her brain damage on the 9/11 freeze up and going helpless event.; 9/26/16, 11:38 AM
Charlie said...: Remain in Light and Fear Of Music are the two best Heads albums. Recorded within a year of each other.; 9/26/16, 11:47 AM
Pianoman said...: I was thinking about this exact song this morning on my way to work.

Serendipity!; 9/26/16, 11:54 AM
mockturtle said...: I don't think viewers are really looking for 'facts' at this point. We're not electing an encyclopaedia. What we want to see are leadership qualities and fresh ideas.; 9/26/16, 11:58 AM
Steve M. Galbraith said...: It's fascinating how the progressive left insists that our identity determines the world - that there's a black POV and a gay POV - and that if you're not of that identity then you cannot challenge that worldview. But now they insist that their truth is the only truth and Trump MUST BE STOPPED.

They've spent all of this time destroying the concept of an agreed upon truth and then turn around and insist that there's one truth: theirs.

This identity politics, and white privilege this and that is utter nonsense. It's destructive nonsense and the liberals - the handful of real ones - who let this illiberalism continue will be sorry they did so. Jonathan Chait realizes this but he's too worried about the illiberal right to do much about the illiberal left.; 9/26/16, 12:00 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Is there anyone left in the country who believes either of these candidates tell the truth about anything?; 9/26/16, 12:31 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: I would say, however, that lying about your previous opinions as a private citizen doesn't fall into the same category as lying directly to the American people about your illegal handling of classified material.; 9/26/16, 12:36 PM
GWash said...: if the point here is that facts don't matter than trump is way ahead since almost every statement he makes is a lie or so malformed it takes a blog like this to interpret it for the rest of the world... i guess there is no use listing his lies - just to be fair and balanced? i've seen lots of lists from both candidates... not sure why you are so sensitive to trump's lying...; 9/26/16, 12:45 PM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Or lying to the American people about the reason for a terrorist attack when you are the SoS.; 9/26/16, 12:48 PM
Bill Peschel said...: Imma let you speak, but I have to say that "Stop Making Sense" is my favorite Heads album / movie. It's a fabulous film, because they brought their aesthetic sense with them, not just on stage, but into the making of the movie.

Maybe I'm a cock-eyed optimist, but I do believe some people are out there trying to make sense of this campaign. They're open to a discussion of the issues. It's just not going to come from the media, which presents talking heads shouting at each other, or their own biased stories that stop making sense once you understand which way they're leaning.

Feel the Byrne.; 9/26/16, 12:49 PM
Bad Lieutenant said...: GWash,

not sure why you are so sensitive to trump's lying...
9/26/16, 12:45 PM

Curiously, not sure why you are so insensitive to Clinton's lying...

Moderation? Debate related? I bet the debate moderators would like to have moderation tonight.; 9/26/16, 1:11 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: The hype surrounding the debates leads me to believe that it will be a very meh event. no one hurt and no one helped. Hillary will claim victory and Trump will continue to inch up in the polls.; 9/26/16, 1:19 PM
GWash said...: it's not that i'm insensitive to clinton's lying... but this blog makes such an issue of it... we all lie and i don't think she lies any more than trump... while trump's lies here are virtually ignored... politicians lying is not really earth shattering news.. all sides do it for various reasons... as long as it is pointed out we can usually make up our minds about if it's a big milk bottle or little milk bottle (baltimore catechism); 9/26/16, 1:35 PM
traditionalguy said...: A surprise fact for October would be Obama ordering another air strike on the Syrian Army and the Russian Army to help support ISIS. That means we would be at war with Putin as Obama's parting gift to the USA and the Neo-Cons.; 9/26/16, 2:44 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: "politicians lying is not really earth shattering news"

Yeah, a couple of little white lies was all she did. No biggie.; 9/26/16, 3:21 PM
CJ said...: Another song with similar, relevant lyrics also by members of the Talking Heads is Wordy Rappinghood by The Tom Tom Club: "an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz"

(Most relevant lyrics excerpted)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hsGFH_Q7KMs

"What are words worth? Words

Words in papers, words in books
Words on TV, words for crooks
Words of comfort, words of peace
Words to make the fighting cease
Words to tell you what to do
Words are working hard for you
Eat your words but don't go hungry
Words have always nearly hung me

Words of nuance, words of skill
And words of romance are a thrill
Words are stupid, words are fun
Words can put you on the run

Concrete words, abstract words
Crazy words and lying words
Hazy words and dying words
Words of faith and tell me straight

Words can make you pay and pay
Four-letter words I cannot say

Words are trouble, words are subtle
Words of anger, words of hate

Words of wisdom, words of strife
Words that write the book I like

Say the right word, make a million
Words are like a certain person
Who can't say what they mean
Don't mean what they say; 9/26/16, 6:16 PM
gadfly said...: Limbaugh all but said on his show today that Trump doesn't lie. And that was after Kellyanne had to defend Donald for saying that Lester Holt was a Democrat. She said he didn't lie, he just spoke without knowing the truth!

Should be fun, because Trump is not capable of discerning fact from fiction.; 9/26/16, 6:50 PM
Moneyrunner said...: Here’s the quote that the Left is telling us is Trump’s “lie” about opposing the war in Iraq. It’s on shock jock’s Howard Stern show whose usual subject is bestiality and a wide variety of unnatural sex acts and venues.

“Yeah I guess so. I wish the first time it was done correctly. “ An obvious reference to Bush 1 deciding to let Saddam Hussein get away after driving him out of Kuwait.

So here we have a private citizen being asked about a theoretical war and giving an off-the-cuff answer and adding that Hussein could have been taken care of during the first war in the Middle East. To a guy whose stock-in-trade is nudity on radio.

OTOH we have a Senator who wholeheartedly supported invading Iraq only to turn against it when the pacification process ran into serious trouble. That’s not political leadership. I’m apt to give civilians a pass when the make casual statements that have no real world significance. I’m much less apt to do the same for prominent political leaders, especially those who tout their wisdom as a reason to make them President and commander in chief.; 9/26/16, 7:13 PM
Michael K said...: "i don't think she lies any more than trump... "

Wow! There is such a thing as willing disbelief after all.

I think the October surprise will be Obama's DoJ indicting Trump over something. Desperation makes people do strange things.

Clinton skates.; 9/26/16, 7:19 PM
gadfly said...: So Moneyrunner thinks it is OK for a future president to visit Howard Stern on air to discuss body parts of specific women? No character issues to worry about when down the road you even permit your wife-to-be to pose for nude pics on your airplane for distribution in a men's magazine. No character issues at all.; 9/26/16, 7:54 PM
Moneyrunner said...: I never realized Libs were such prudes.; 9/26/16, 8:06 PM