September 26, 2017

A year ago today.

"Survived the presidential debate. Man, that was stressful. They both went aggressive. Nothing was kind and gentle or humorous or nice. Hillary smiled quite a few times, but that was just the implementation of a good idea. Trump decided to go ahead and be Trump. He has reason to think that works, but man, what an ordeal!"

From "Your Memories on Facebook" ("Ann, we care about you and the memories you share here. We thought you'd like to look back on this post from 1 year ago.")

ADDED: Here's how that morning after looked on the blog, complete with a poll asking who you thought won.
That was intense. Those 2 faces on the split screen for 90 minutes was quite the ordeal. How many times did Trump lean into the microphone and say "wrong" while Clinton was speaking? There was plenty of interrupting from both candidates, and it almost turned into the event that Trump had proposed: No moderator. Not that Lester Holt didn't attempt to fact-check Trump a few times.

Trump brought a lot of stress to the event, and Clinton certainly stood up to him. She even managed to flash a smile a number of times — even though there was never a thing to smile about (and really no humor whatsoever). Clinton never coughed, and there was no flagging of energy. It was Trump who needed to drink water and wipe the sweat from his upper lip with his finger a few times. Clinton was a bit artificial, but she never got dead and robotic the way we've seen elsewhere.

Substantively, it's mostly a blur now. Trump seemed strong talking about law and order and, later, blaming Clinton for the rise of ISIS. Clinton got very severe accusing Trump of racism early on (over the issue of whether Barack Obama was born in the U.S.A.) and, at the end, sexism (letting fly with a prepared list of misogynistic things Trump supposedly did or said).

Overall, I'll just say that was very unpleasant and I'm glad it's over.

27 comments:

Tari said...

HA! Mine today was "My children are watching the debate and the dogs and I are hiding upstairs. Does this thing have commercials? If not, how will I get more wine when I run out?"

I'm starting to feel this way every time the news is on.

Henry said...

From "Your Memories on Facebook" ("Ann, we care about you and the memories you share here. We thought you'd like to look back on this post from 1 year ago.")

That does suggest a new form for the epistolary novel:

Signed on to the Pequod. Should be a good job. I'll post when I can.

F said...

I cringe every time I read that "we care about you. . ." stuff. Facebook doesn't care about me -- I am a cipher to them, a cipher who represents potential clicks. And clicks are money. Frankly, I don't want any internet entity to care about me.

Michael K said...

Facebook "cares about me" a week after I was banned for a day for posting a link to a story about how one member of the ANTIFA groups arrested in Spain is an American Transexual.

Krumhorn said...

Every presidential election is an ordeal. And now I look back and am furious that I voted for and defended McCain. Apparently, the ordeal doesn't end. The lefties are nasty little shits, but the establishment Republicans are utterly useless liars.

- Krumhorn

rehajm said...

I’m not on the SnapFaces: is this innocent reminiscing or is Facebook trying to regain some control of narratives through algoritmic gusses about personal shame and regret?

Infinite Monkeys said...

And now I look back and am furious that I voted for and defended McCain.

Me too! But, to be fair, I only voted for him because he had (what I thought was the good sense to add) Palin as his VP. Sometimes I wonder if he's a wee bit bitter over the thought that a lot of his voter turnout was due to her.

MadisonMan said...

My Facebook memory today is a pic of my son from 7 years ago.

Sebastian said...

"I'm starting to feel this way every time the news is on." Me too, thought I rarely watch "the news." Example: I happened to click through one of the MSM national news broadcasts, NBC I think, right after Trump's UN speech. After a quick summary, the "reporter" editorialized that he failed to say anything about the Russian interference in the US election.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

I'm not on Facebook, but a year ago I was dead certain Hillary would be POTUS. But the universe bends towards justice, or some such shit, and I wake to another delightful day of Hillary not being President and the whining butt-hurt of her apologists.

Krumhorn said...

fair, I only voted for him because he had (what I thought was the good sense to add) Palin as his VP. Sometimes I wonder if he's a wee bit bitter over the thought that a lot of his voter turnout was due to her.

I couldn't agree more. She was electric! I went to a campaign appearance of hers in SW Fl that was held in a large arena. There were thousands outside who couldn't get in. When does the VP candidate ever get that kind of response? But it was the leftie white women who were insistent that we not vote for the girl. As I recall, that one leftie white lady thought that she didn't read the right papers when Sarah was on the crapper.

- Krumhorn

Bad Lieutenant said...

I thought of something for McCain to do. He could be in the remake of Black Sunday. Playing the Bruce Dern character.

Gahrie said...

And now I look back and am furious that I voted for and defended McCain.

I've had to hold my nose and vote every time since 1988.

Michael K said...

A year ago, I was my medical school class's 50th reunion and we watched the debate on TV at a cocktail party.

I doubt I would have watched if I'd been alone.

Unknown said...

everything is fun and games until you elect a president cnn doesn't like

Yancey Ward said...

The thing I remember most about that debate night was how Trump was winning according to almost all the on-line polls, even those on sites that are pretty far left of center in readership. In retrospect, like his rallies, it was evidence that his voters were more motivated to cast an effective vote- much like we saw on November 8th.

Big Mike said...

But it was the leftie white women who were insistent that we not vote for the girl.

@Krumhorn, surely your memory is playing tricks on you! Haven't lefty white ladies always been telling us how there's "a special place in Hell" for women who don't support women?

I don't recollect seeing as many comments from you lately compared to times past. Have you been okay?

Krumhorn said...



@Krumhorn, surely your memory is playing tricks on you! Haven't lefty white ladies always been telling us how there's "a special place in Hell" for women who don't support women?

I don't recollect seeing as many comments from you lately compared to times past. Have you been okay?


Been doing fine, but very busy. It takes time to digest Ann's post-retirement posts. Thanks for asking, Big Mike.

- Krumhorn

Left Bank of the Charles said...

I would score that debate as the high water mark of the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Dust Bunny Queen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dust Bunny Queen said...

I'm not on facebook, however a program that seems to be wanting to cozy up to me, Real Player, has been creating memory shows out of photos that I have stored on my computer.

I have to laugh because the program seems so proud of making a "special" show just for me. Remember when with a date and comprised of photos that I took on that date. Something that I can fondly look back on...ahhhh.

The last one was a slide show of a 1968 Ford Country Squire Station wagon (Might have been another year..can't remember) that we took photos of in order to resell the car for parts after we removed the 429 big block engine and a few other pieces for a hot rod project we were doing. Lots of pictures of the various parts that were going to be for sale.

The "show" was of this scabby rusted station wagon. Ripped up seats. Decaying headliner. Rusted undercarriage. Cracked dash. And of course the 'piece de resistance', the 429....which was really very nice and had no real problems other than needing to be cleaned and gone through by our mechanic buddy. We transplanted into a 1962 International Travelall....what a sleeper that car was :-)

So the fond memories of this skanky old Ford Wagon....um not so much. Sorry program. You tried.

Matt Sablan said...

"I wake to another delightful day of Hillary not being President and the whining butt-hurt of her apologists."

-- The only way it could be better if Trump could also not be president. Not sure who I want, but I know who I didn't want.

Sammy Finkelman said...

Lean into the microphone maybe, but stalking her? (as she now claims) She made tghat same claim about Rick Lazio in 2000, but then during the election campaign.

stlcdr said...

"Overall, I'll just say that was very unpleasant and I'm glad it's over."

Political bantering has nosed its way into everything, today. Everything is part of politics.

tim in vermont said...

My Facebook memory today is a pic of my son from 7 years ago.

My Facebook memory today is that I de-activated my account some time ago (You can't delete them) because I was tired of making excuses for how I didn't know about somebody's new puppy on account of I had blocked their feed for the incessant politics in it.

Instagram is going the same way, often by the same people.

Brando said...

It's never over. It's permanent campaign, forever.

" The only way it could be better if Trump could also not be president. Not sure who I want, but I know who I didn't want."

Early prediction--Dems will find a way to nominate someone who can lose to Trump. 2020 will resemble 2004.

MacMacConnell said...

"Overall, I'll just say that was very unpleasant and I'm glad it's over."

But it's not over, Hillary's still talking.