April 6, 2020

"I sometimes find President Trump’s voice reassuring. Not what he says. Not the actual words..."

"... (although once in a while one of his 'incredibles' reaches inside my chest cavity and magically calms the tachycardia). Trump’s primitive syntax, imperfectly designed for the young foreign woman he married, always dismays. But during a coronavirus-task-force press conference, when one hears him on the radio, from another room, his voice has music. Sorry. It does. A singer’s timbre; it is easy on the ear. Trump’s is a voice you use to calm down people you yourself have made furious. (His foremost mimics—Alec Baldwin, Stephen Colbert—have not captured its pitch, its air, its softness, which they substitute with dopiness, which is also there.) For the first ten minutes, before his composure slackens and he becomes boastful and irritable, he actually just wants to be Santa Claus in his own Christmas movie, and the quality of his voice is that of a pet owner calming a pet. I hear it!"

From "The Nurse’s Office/Desiring only to be Santa Claus in his very own Christmas movie, Donald Trump has a voice like that of a pet owner calming a pet" by the very highly regarded writer Lorrie Moore (in The New Yorker).

143 comments:

RNB said...

Why do so many leftists seem to have this dysfunctional love / hate / worship relationship with government functionaries?

Francisco D said...

Donald Trump has the voice of an owner calming a pet

Well, if you have a pack of howling hyenas as pets, he does a good job. That is particularly true with the NPR and CNN reporters.

Fernandinande said...

Suddenly, from out of the Synthetic Music Box a Voice began to speak. The Voice of Reason, the Voice of Good Feeling. The sound-track roll was unwinding itself in Synthetic Anti-Riot Speech Number Two (Medium Strength). Straight from the depths of a non-existent heart, "My friends, my friends!" said the Voice so pathetically, with a note of such infinitely tender reproach that, behind their gas masks, even the policemen's eyes were momentarily dimmed with tears, "what is the meaning of this? Why aren't you all being happy and good together? Happy and good," the Voice repeated. "At peace, at peace." It trembled, sank into a whisper and momentarily expired. "Oh, I do want you to be happy," it began, with a yearning earnestness. "I do so want you to be good! Please, please be good and ..."

n.n said...

Journolism in the age of selfie-ishness.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Trump’s primitive syntax, imperfectly designed for the young foreign woman he married

Isn't that racist or sexist or something? I know lots of young foreign people (old ones too), women and men, whose 1st language isn't English and they speak perfectly grammatical English. There is no need to use a primitive syntax with them. We don't speak pidgin with each other, we communicate about highly technical matters relating to computers, software, and networking. We also occasionally shoot the breeze about SEC football or even that incomprehensible sport beloved by Englishmen and Indians, Cricket.

bagoh20 said...

I find his voice simply correct.

"Dr. Anthony Cardillo, an ER specialist and the CEO of Mend Urgent Care, has been prescribing the combination of drugs to patients experiencing severe symptoms of the disease after contracting the novel coronavirus.

"Every patient I've prescribed it to has been very, very ill and within 8 to 12 hours, they were basically symptom-free," Cardillo said in an interview Sunday with KABC-TV. "So, clinically I am seeing a resolution....

Trump called the drug a possible "game-changer" at a White House press briefing on March 19, arguing that prescribing the drug is worth a try since it is considered generally safe to use. However, the FDA advises against taking any form of the drug unless it has been prescribed by a doctor."

eric said...

She's about to be cancelled and will soon apologize.

Two-eyed Jack said...

Trump rhetoric frees us from the writerly. He conveys his thoughts in a tangle, a tangle perfectly understandable in the moment, but difficult to work through from a transcript. Before writing people accepted that communication and comprehension is in the moment. Now we expect the speaker to prepare as a writer, communicate with organized and charted purpose, and then be studied at a remove.
Most people do not talk that way.
Most people do not think that way.
Maybe Lincoln did, but I remember just how confusing and inarticulate George H. W. Bush could be in answering questions in his press conferences.

Owen said...

This what PSP* looks like, people. Get used to it. It’s Louis C K in pure text.

*PSP = Progressive Self-Pleasuring

chickelit said...

Ron Winkleheimer said...Isn't that racist or sexist or something?

I sense resentment and primative female jealousy.

RMc said...

the very highly regarded writer Lorrie Moore

Lorrie Moore is the kind of writer who writes things that makes book reviewers feel good about themselves. It's a good way to get good reviews.

Known Unknown said...

"Trump’s primitive syntax, imperfectly designed for the young foreign woman he married"

How many languages does Melania speak? Six?

bagoh20 said...

Florida has seen a precipitous drop in new cases over the last 3 days, droping much faster than they increased. Deaths are also slowing down, and being a lagging indicator, that should get much better very fast.

Achilles said...

There is a reason Trump still lets ABC and NBC and CNN and the NYT's and all the other reporters be in the same room with them despite their obvious antipathy to him and lack of good faith.

tcrosse said...

Ike was no Cicero when it came to answering questions from the Press. He was also no idiot.

chickelit said...

RNB said...Why do so many leftists seem to have this dysfunctional love / hate / worship relationship with government functionaries?

Spiritual void?

Achilles said...

bagoh20 said...
Florida has seen a precipitous drop in new cases over the last 3 days, droping much faster than they increased. Deaths are also slowing down, and being a lagging indicator, that should get much better very fast.

Now you are just rubbing it in.

Temujin said...

I'm feeling a strong need to read opinions from other parts of the country now. Too much New York spilling over into everything stated on TV, radio, blog links and the other media. Isn't there a writer from California we can read? Australia? Nebraska? Just to get out of stuck-in-close New York framing on everything?

It's all sounding the same. The articles are reading the same. And there is such a large world outside of those who view the stage at Carnegie Hall as "the very throat of civilization." Please. Get out of your neighborhood once in awhile.

And while I always loved the song "This nearly was mine" and the play 'South Pacific' there's no way I'm going to fall in love with the guy in her You Tube video. I think I'm just very up to my eyeballs on NY city publications as the source material. I know, I know- it's your blog and it's what you like to read. I'm looking out west.

I will say this about her essay. She did get it right when she states, "...he actually just wants to be Santa Claus in his own Christmas movie,". I've seen that in him for a long time. That's who he wants to be and what he'd like to be able to do. But the press and the world won't let him just do that.

Yancey Ward said...

I hope Lorrie Moore is set for life because her career just ended.

Skeptical Voter said...

Temujin you might have gone into projectile vomiting reading Peggy Noonan's column in the Saturday WSJ where she declares that New York City is the epicenter of the world. In her mind it clearly is. For other sentient beings, maybe not so much.

I caught a bit of the White House press conference last night. It reminded me of nothing so much as bear baiting. Trump needs the voice to "soothe a pet" since he's faced with a snarling pack.

Meantime even the Los Angeles Times television critic is getting into it this morning. His piece is entitled "The Voice of Reason" with a subhead "Trump has the big microphone but people are listening to governors and mayors with rapt attention".

Well okay--the "Orange Man Bad" virus has permeated the entire staff of the LA Times.

Bad doggy! Bad doggy!

chickelit said...

It's all sounding the same. The articles are reading the same. And there is such a large world outside of those who view the stage at Carnegie Hall as "the very throat of civilization." Please. Get out of your neighborhood once in awhile.

These writers are all self-quarantining at home so it's not surprising that they're just "reporting" what they can gather at home, online, and from friends.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

he actually just wants to be Santa Claus in his own Christmas movie

For some reason that reminded me of this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmeADBKm8_c

Tyrone Slothrop said...

I've noticed many times how similar Trump's voice and Dr. Fauci's are.

sykes.1 said...

Trump is among the most gifted public speakers I have heard, right up there or even better than JFK, RFK, and Clinton. He is especially good at off-the-cuff, ad lib talks. He also connects with his audience, much like Clinton.

His performances during this epidemic are extraordinary. He is cementing in place a landslide reelection.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Trump has a Queens accent. Not something I find soothing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5p2wxnN6SQ

rcocean said...

Primitive syntax. I don't get this at all. Trump is talking to the American Public, he's not talking to a bunch of Fortune 500 execs in a private meeting. Members of the chattering classes always think talking in a certain way, means you're smart and sophisticated, an anyone who doesn't - is a rube and a boob.

Sadly, this smart/sophisticated way with words has zero to do with real accomplishment in the real world. Ike was supposedly a "Dumb General" who couldn't talk. JFK was supposedly the witty, sophisticated, man of words. Lets just assume that fake incorrect image propagated by the liberals was correct. What did it mean in practice? Zero. Ike - who read cowboy stories - was 10x better at foreign policy than JFK - the witty charming sophisticate.

Lucien said...

But Trump’s voice is angry and full of hatred . . . Isn’t it?

rcocean said...

Look, no one believes the people at the New Yorker are objective. If you ever praise Trump in the New Yorker, it'd better be faint praise, or paired with an insult.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Piers Morgan is generally a Trump apologist:

PIERS MORGAN: In just five brief minutes of calm empathy, fortitude and history, the Queen inspired her people to overcome this coronavirus crisis better than President Trump has rallied Americans with 50 hours of rambling, self-promoting twaddle

wild chicken said...

Trump's got a good voice. I've always liked it. I'd watch the briefings but I can't bear the spouse's TDS.

The hate is so boorish.

rcocean said...

To the chattering classes Trump is guilty of one thing:

Talking while Republican.

Bill Peschel said...

"very highly regarded writer Lorrie Moore"

By whom? And why should we care? Appealing to authority is one of the most common mistakes made by loserthinkers (to borrow Adams' nomenclature).

The second? Mind-readers.

The reaction to Donald Trump brings to mind the book critics slamming popular fiction in favor of literary fiction.

They praise a well-written story, and its politics, even if the story is not that entertaining. And they're despise a story that reaches its readers if its not well-written.

We saw that with "The DaVinci Code," which was a smash hit, despite the fact that its prose is flawed.

Nor is this new: Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories get taken apart over mistakes in fact, impossible plots, and other sins; yet they're readable and rereadable and Holmes has endured as a cultural archetype for more than a century.

The same thinking drives them bananas about Trump. They hate the way he talks, but he's an effective deal-maker and he connects with the public. They loved the way Obama talked, and he reached his public, but he was one of the worst presidents in history.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Lorrie herself has a very pleasant voice, mellifluous enough to fall asleep to, as one can verify by listening to the New Yorker fiction podcasts. Although ironically she reads Antonya Nelson’s story in the most recent podcast she was on, and Ms. Nelson herself has the absolute BEST voice for my ear, especially when she read’s Tom Drury. Can’t even tell you how many nights I’ve fallen asleep to Accident at the Sugar Beet!

Oso Negro said...

"Trump’s primitive syntax, imperfectly designed for the young foreign woman he married, always dismays." Never heard of her. Correctly deduced from this sentence alone that she was an older white female, probably with a divorce in her wake.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

The Queen gave a five minute address full of platitudes and is considered beyond the affray, Trump faces a hostile press answering questions dealing with the actual relief efforts underway. In other words, I don't care what Piers Morgan has to say. Also, a lot of Trump critics are simply not rational. They are irrational. If you think that Trump needs to be tried before the Hague for crimes against humanity because you don't think he handled the response to the pandemic the way you think he should have, then you are a nut. Nothing Trump could do would placate such people.

narciso said...

damning with faint praise what is the name of the moon on their world,

prairie wind said...

Tyrone Slothrop said...
I've noticed many times how similar Trump's voice and Dr. Fauci's are.
4/6/20, 1:04 PM

I came here to say the same thing. I was half-listening to a press conference and realized that I couldn't tell the difference between their voices without looking.

chickelit said...

Oso Negro said...Correctly deduced from this sentence alone that she was an older white female, probably with a divorce in her wake.

Bingo. This puts into words what has been obvious to me for some time now: The uniquely female disdain for Donald Trump.

Skippy Tisdale said...

"Why do so many leftists seem to have this dysfunctional love / hate / worship relationship with government functionaries?"

There is a segment of the population that is blinded with hatred. Everything, and I mean everything is political to them. They make their hateful comments for the sake of self-satisfaction. It is the opposite of productive. It's analogous to a group of people who find themselves in a burning building and rather than working together in order to find a way out of the burning building, they devote their time to arguing about who started the fire. With great passion. And then they burn to death. They are not the kind of people you want around in the event of an emergency. But it's a good idea to keep aware of their psychoses .

rhhardin said...

Some of us listen only for the zingers.

WK said...

Had the Saturday press conference on in the background and mostly listening to audio. The thought that flashed through my mind was the scene in the Jim Jones movie when he was calmly encouraging his followers to drink the kool aid. Calm, encouraging, somewhat repetitive.

Limited blogger said...

What a bunch of garbage. It's now how he says it, or what he says. It's what he's doing.

WK said...

Had the Saturday press conference on in the background and mostly listening to audio. The thought that flashed through my mind was the scene in the Jim Jones movie when he was calmly encouraging his followers to drink the kool aid. Calm, encouraging, somewhat repetitive.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

When he started in television someone gave Trump the advice news writers used to follow: speak using an 8th grade vocabulary. It works in mass communication. It works for Trump. He is very easy to listen to and understand, although at times he’s repetive when I think phrasing it differently would work. I find him honest and direct. I’ll take that any day over eloquent and full of shit. His best asset is NOT being fluent in bureaucratese. He doesn’t sound like a politician. He sounds human. The others don’t.

bagoh20 said...

Yea, imagine the Queen being treated like Trump is by the press.

Did the Queen call for banning travel when it would have made a huge difference? Did she call for the use of drugs that we now know will save thousands of lives, despite strong criticism against it by every self-important asshole with a keyboard?

No, but she talked some nice words.

bagoh20 said...

I bet when this is all over, we'll find what we usually do: Trump was right about most things, except when he listed to "experts." I don't know how he does it, but even when I think he's wrong, I'm the one who ends up wrong. If I was playing roulette, I'd have him sit on my lap and wispier numbers in my ear, or maybe Melania could do it. Yea, Melania would work.

bagoh20 said...

"Now you are just rubbing it in."

I know. When I have good news, I'm excited to pass it on, but I feel like I'm being rude or something when I do. Not just here in the comments, but even with people around me who have been traumatized by this whole thing. I expect it would them feel better, but they fight it, poo poo it, and act like there is something wrong with anything not scary.

Sebastian said...

"Trump’s is a voice you use to calm down people you yourself have made furious."

No: TDS is self-inflicted.

But it is interesting to see a "highly regarded" (by whom?) writer try to think of one odd image after another to come to terms with the fact that Trump is acting like an adult who makes sense. Next, let her address the panicky panic of the panickers. Who, exactly, needs to be "calmed"?

Sebastian said...

"The Queen gave a five minute address full of platitudes and is considered beyond the affray."

Imagine if Trump just gave such short speech a couple of times. Don't be afraid! Thanks to everyone who's helping! We're in this together! We'll meet again!

Then the MSM would howl that he doesn't answer questions, refuses to explain decisions, spouts meaningless bromides, and fails to take responsibility.

Has any president answered more questions about anything than Trump? Explained his decisions in greater detail, with more staff on hand to provide data, than Trump?

Michael K said...

This puts into words what has been obvious to me for some time now: The uniquely female disdain for Donald Trump.

It's not just Trump. There is a species of divorced female that hates anything male, even dogs. I was walking my male dog one time when this angry looking 50 year old female said, "Do you just let him pee on the grass !!?" I asked where he should pee. Then I commented on how happy I was not be be her ex-husband.

If looks could kill...

Lucien said...

Read the linked New Yorker piece. What a pile of crap. Like random Bulwer-Lytton sentences. In bygone years the New Yorker might have had Dorothy Parker review this: I’d pay to read that.

Lurker21 said...

Older, white and divorced. The trifecta. You may know her ex. He is a lawyer in Madison, WI.

There are a lot of "apples and oranges" comparisons now occasioned by Trump's daily press conferences. Different people with different functions, different audiences, different formats behave differently.

The Queen of England isn't giving daily press conferences about how the battle against the virus is going - though I for one wish she would, especially when she gets to the royal catch phrase, "Off with their heads!"

Francisco D said...

Piers Morgan is generally a Trump apologist:

Not quite. He is a lefty who calls out other lefties when they go batshit crazy.

That there are a lot of batshit crazy lefties gives the impression that Piers Morgan is defending Trump when he is actually defending common sense and reason.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...


What did Obama ever do to stop this?

Howard said...

Thanks ARM, that was priceless.

JAORE said...

ARM with the discredited story. Now in wide screen ultra-color.

Drago said...

ARM is here?

Why?

Did Xi issue new talking points?

Ron Winkleheimer said...

That Chinese propaganda ain't going to spread itself.

Drago said...

Joe Biden: “We cannot let this, we’ve never allowed any crisis from the Civil War straight through to the pandemic of 17, all the way around, 16, we have never, never let our democracy sakes second fiddle, way they, we can both have a democracy and ... correct the public health.” https://t.co/Ymz8JtQvjH

Spanish Flu and other pandemics wiped from the record book. A small "historical" price to pay to get rid of Trump and return the ChiComs to the position of advantage that they clearly deserve.

Drago said...

Ron Winkleheimer: "That Chinese propaganda ain't going to spread itself."

True. But ARM's continuous pushing of transparently and laughably false ChiCom propaganda was so over the top that It made even the ChiComs blush, so I thought he might decide to give it a rest.

I am especially impressed with ARM's ChiCom Talking Point discipline which precludes him from ever revisiting any of his previous and voluminous ChiCom lies.

Impressive really.

Big Mike said...

Lots of people who are not as smart as they may imagine pay attention to what the President says and even more attention to how he says it. But Trump’s predecessor, the village idiot from Hyde Park, taught me to ignore what the President says and how he says it, and watch what he does.

Churchy LaFemme: said...

Liz's speech was great, for a queen.

A President has to give the Prime Minister's speech too.

DavidUW said...

I can't remember the last time I actually listened to a politician speak.
I don't care how they speak. What they say is of limited importance except the unscripted moments. Like when Obama said the only sin was going against his own values, that was all you needed to know about his version of narcissism and opinion on any other religion outside of obama worship. Or that he would bankrupt the coal industry, o the bitter clinger comment. Ditto for Romney and his 47% comment, however true it is/was.

Beyond that, what matters is what the person has done with his life and their recent and ongoing actions.

I wish we'd stop electing presidents based on the ability to read off of a screen.

Ann Althouse said...

“ Older, white and divorced. The trifecta. You may know her ex. He is a lawyer in Madison, WI.”

I don’t know him, but she lived across the street from me in the 80s, when her first book came out. I knew her pretty well, have nothing but good to say about her, and I am even referred to in one of her stories... but I will not tell you where.

JackWayne said...

From "The Nurse’s Office/Desiring only to be Santa Claus in his very own Christmas movie, Donald Trump has a voice like that of a pet owner calming a pet" by the very highly regarded writer Lorrie Moore (in The New Yorker).

By luck I posted this just after you made a post. I couldn’t figure out if you were sardonic or complimentary while reading the post. I see that you are complimentary. Your definition of highly regarded and mine differ. Quite a bit.

Jamie said...

Oh, good Lord. My eyes just barely made it back into position from the violent eye-roll maneuver they executed, willy-nilly.

Also, "How many languages does Melania speak? Six?" Exactly.

robother said...

This from Lorrie Moore, and Joe Rogan today. is the Democrat Left at long last coming to Acceptance in their Kubler-Ross path? Perhaps Bunker Boy Biden has served a purpose after all.

n.n said...

I could listen to Sarah Palin. Everyone else, not so much.

Josephbleau said...

Well, you know, everyone is highly regarded by someone.

Kai Akker said...


Laurie Moore and the New Yorker are telling readers it's OK to move beyond TDS. After all, what does that moron DJT matter for, anymore? A silly figurehead ensnared in a pandemic that is a million times more powerful and deadly even than Truuummmmmppp. So let's move on, move on, move on, dotcommie. Into flights of fancy, fey and dancy....

Elsewhere on the good news front, Pennsylvania new cases down somewhat for two consecutive days. Not a trend yet. But something good.

Many people hiking and biking trails in the state park where we walked yesterday. So many it was sometimes difficult to find a way to give 6' clearance. And a band of Mad Maxers on the roads, driving insanely fast and weaving on the assumption it's a freeforall freeway now. Glad I didn't get too crazy when I finally realized a cop in an unmarked car was directly behind me.

narciso said...

they have no shame

narciso said...

had little sense

traditionalguy said...

The Amazing Mr Trump is a master communicator.:
Words and powerful English sentenced...A+
Visual body language...A+
Intonations and rythm...A+
Coining phrases...A++
Expressing love and respect...A+.

Talent on loan from God.


RichardJohnson said...

tcrosse
Ike was no Cicero when it came to answering questions from the Press. He was also no idiot.
Eisenhower held first televised news conference in 1955.


"Don't worry, Jim; if that question comes up I'll just confuse them."

— President Dwight D. Eisenhower's response to presidential press secretary James C. Hagerty regarding the use of atomic weapons against China during the Formosa Strait crisis in 1955....
He took the first question from Robert E. Clark of the International News Service, who asked about the "seriousness of the latest Communist attacks on Nationalist islands in the China Sea, in light of our commitment to defend Formosa," as the cameras ground away.

Eisenhower concluded his answer by stating, "Now, exactly what is going to be the development there, I cannot foresee, so I won't try to speculate on exactly what we should do in that area.".....

Russell Baker, a former Baltimore Sun reporter, covered the Eisenhower administration for The New York Times and later wrote the nationally syndicated "Observer" column, retiring in 1998.

"I attended Ike's news conferences regularly," Baker recalled in a telephone interview from his Leesburg, Va., home the other day, but confessed he wasn't sure he was on hand that day in 1955.

"Ike was always afraid he'd say something, and he tried to be careful. He'd say something, and then in the next sentence he'd cancel it," said Baker with a laugh.

"He was an interesting guy, and when you left the press conference, you felt as though you had lots of good material, and when you got back to the office and opened your notebook, you had nothing. He was very canny in dealing with the press," he said.

"After the paraphrase rule was instituted, you didn't quote Eisenhower unless Jim Haggerty said you could. You just didn't put anything in quotes," he said.

Baker recalled that in news conferences, Eisenhower was very much in "command of the situation" and remained "extremely cautious."


Ike may have been no Cicero, but he was a Belichekian master at saying nothing in press conference.

tim maguire said...

wild chicken said...Trump's got a good voice. I've always liked it. I'd watch the briefings but I can't bear the spouse's TDS.

The hate is so boorish.


I know exactly how you feel. Boorish and boring. I'm not a very political person, but I enjoy talking about ideas. I can't talk to my wife about political issues because, while I'm trying to explore ideas, she's fixated on her Trump hate. It's disappointing, but more than anything, it's boring.

Jamie said...

You who are married to TDS sufferers have my deep admiration. I get itchy even when my husband is a little bit to the left of me. We've made it work for 26 years, but I have struggled at times!

(I will elide the question of what he's had to put up with from me.)

Nichevo said...

Bingo. This puts into words what has been obvious to me for some time now: The uniquely female disdain for Donald Trump.


Well, chickelit, that certainly explains Howard.

Hey Skipper said...

Bagoh20: Florida has seen a precipitous drop in new cases over the last 3 days ...

Idaho has also seen a precipitous drop.

Iman said...

I would imagine no one has as high a regard for Lorrie Moore than Lorrie Moore.

Narr said...

My wife's a congenital Dem, but over the decades I've been a good influence and she can accept some truths without much of a fight.

Her TDS is actually pretty mild, but it is definitely gendered. I can get her goat when she goes too far by speculating that the energy and passion she feels are sublimated crush-responses.

Narr
She was a Manhattanite for about two years

DavidUW said...

Like hilary reminded millions of guys of one of their terrible ex-wives or ex-girlfriends, DJT reminds millions of women of the bad boy they dated but got tired of his bluster/macho/whateverness.
Hence the unique hate put on him by women of a certain age.

RichardJohnson said...

"the very highly regarded writer Lorrie Moore."

She has held faculty positions while also writing. Could she have lived off her income from writing, or did the income from her faculty positions subsidize her writing?

Francisco D said...

Drago @3:09

The term for Joe Biden's speech problem is Aphasia.

He very likely has dementia and should be evaluated by a neuropsychologist. Some medications can delay the severity if they are taken early in the dementing process.

If he is not treated, his wife and colleagues should be sued for elder abuse. I am saying that as a psychologist, not a political partisan.

Johnathan Birks said...

Incredible job. Unbelievable job. Lorrie Moore is a very fine writer. Great writer. One of the best writers this great country has produced. In fact, I'm taking this opportunity to award her the Medal of Honor for the great, great, incredible job she did.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Richard, you know publishing doesn’t come with health insurance and pension plans. That takes a real job.

Kirk Parker said...

DavidUW,

Or what about the time he said he wouldn't want his daughter "punished with a baby". Imagine being his grandchild and getting old enough to read and understand that.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

How to tell when you are dealing with a pussy on China.

Trump's call with Xi was March 27. His last use of phrase "Chinese virus" was on March 26, first at that day's White House briefing and then on the Hannity program that night. After taking to Xi - Trump stopped it.

roesch/voltaire said...

My pets don’t like to be belittled and lied do no matter what voice I use, and my Japanese wife prefers standard English. But then Moore is a fiction writer.

Drago said...

Xi's Cuckholster: "How to tell when you are dealing with a pussy on China."

His user name is "ARM".

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

If Trump had been really serious about China he would have kept Bannon and kicked out his pussy son in law.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

The way I hear it, Xi bought up all Trump's debt and threatened to pants him in public. Or maybe Trump is just a pussy.

FullMoon said...

How to tell when you are dealing with a pussy on China.

Trump's call with Xi was March 27. His last use of phrase "Chinese virus" was on March 26, first at that day's White House briefing and then on the Hannity program that night. After taking to Xi - Trump stopped it.


It was Xi's sobbing and pleading that did it. Very un-manly..

CNN reports Trump Xi phone call

Drago said...

I must say, at a time when DJT is squeezing the absolute snot out of Xi in terms of tariffs, new trade deals, strengthening the alliance of nations that border China, pushing back against Huawei "bigly" in Europe, increasing US naval patrols in the East and South China sea, (and this is huuuuuuge) ordering a complete change in US military doctrine strategy to emphasize a <confrontation with China in the future, and on and on and on, ARM (Xi's Happy Althouseblog Cuckholster) chooses this time to advance the idea that its Trump that is a "pussy" on China.

Yeah, ARM, after several months straight of advancing every single ChiCom talking point with passion, is literally trying to rewrite history on this one.

Astonishing in its brazenness....though maybe I should have expected it.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

FullMoon said...
Xi's sobbing and pleading that did it. Very un-manly.


Trump rolled over like a pig in a cesspool.

Eagle Ears said...

imperfectly designed for the young foreign woman he married

That speaks 7 languages

Drago said...

And need I even mention Trumps confronting ARM's beloved ChiComs in the Spratley Islands?

ARM doesn't even know where those are......but ARM does know that if he doesn't do something quickly to rewrite history, it might sink into everyone's memory just how much of a ChiCom boosting worm he was.

Remember, ARM pushed ChiCom lies on number of people with the virus, the number of Chinese deaths, Chinese propaganda on faulty equipment "donations" to western nations (almost all of which had to be returned due to shoddy and/or nonexistent capability", etc etc.

ARM even supported the ChiCom's when they started to push the lie that it was the US military who created the virus and and inflicted it upon the Chinese people.

The ChiCom's are still pushing that lie internationally and ARM has yet to make note of that pathetic lie.....probably because ARM is too busy concocting his own pathetic pro-ChiCom lies.

All in a days work for a cuckholster.

Here's a test for ARM the ChiCom Cuckholster: Let's see if ARM will now answer the following questions honestly (LOL, I know, I know):

1) T or F: The ChiComs lied about the number of people infected and deaths since the beginnint?

2) T or F: The ChiComs lied about the origin of the virus?

3) T or F: The ChiComs lied about human to human transmission for several months and got the WHO hack Tedros to parrot the lies?

4) T or F: The Chicoms sent shoddy equipment to European nations as "donations" as a PR stunt?

Don't worry dear readers, there is no way in hell ARM will ever address these questions.

Drago said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
FullMoon said...

Xi cried like a baby and bowed and begged. Not the first time, won't be the last.


Trump trade agreement with China showing immediate results.

Dollar store changed sign, now everything $.90.

Drago said...

ARM: "Trump rolled over like a pig in a cesspool."

Look at the little Cuckholster running away as fast as his squat little legs can carry him from his previous Bigly Tiananman Rose role.

Drago said...

The most notable aspect of ARM's sustained Cuckholsterism for the ChiComs was the clear glee with which ARM used the ChiCom propaganda to attack Trump.

Over and over and over and over again.

Just because all of ARM's previous Sham-peachment and hoax dossier lies for 4 years have already collapsed.

tsk tsk tsk

Michael K said...

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
The way I hear it, Xi bought up all Trump's debt and threatened to pants him in public. Or maybe Trump is just a pussy.


I see crazy TDS on Facebook. Strange to see it here with the other trolls banned.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

And yet he no longer says, 'China Virus'. Pussy.

narciso said...

The new vorrespondent for phoenix tv

Drago said...

ARM: "And yet he no longer says, 'China Virus'. Pussy."

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

That's just perfect, isn't it?

Before, Trump was xenophobe for using that term. And ARM was all over that ChiCom driven talking point!

But now the word has gone out from DNC-Central that talking point has to be retired and replaced with a new lie to attack Trump.....which helps the ChiCom's again!

And our ChiCom Cuckholster falls right in line...

....just as you knew he would.

Drago said...

narciso: "The new vorrespondent for phoenix tv"

Yep.

And whaddya know! Phoenix TV is indeed owned by a Chinese State Bank....or as ARM might say...the Most Wonderful And Generous Collection Of Bankers The World Has Ever Seen...cuz ChiComs....

Drago said...

You know what would be a fun contest?

Have everyone search the last 4 months of Althouse blog posts by Xi Cuckholster ARM to see who can come up with even a smidgen of criticism of ARM's beloved ChiCom's.

I would bet there might be less than .01% of ARM posts in that time period that would even suggest a mild and tangential criticism of the ChiCom's....and only offered up to create the barest of fig leafs against the charge of Xi Cuckhosterism.

And maybe not even that many.

narciso said...

Its like shooting womprats, the previous tack was bannon was working with dissident businessman miles guo, that was buzzfeeds gig.

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

narciso: "Its like shooting womprats, the previous tack was bannon was working with dissident businessman miles guo, that was buzzfeeds gig."

Oh, here's another New Hoax Charge by the dems/lefties/LLR-lefties: Trump is pushing HCQ as a solution because he secretly has some sort of investment in some firm somewhere that produces HCQ.

This newest conspiracy theory is in full swing as the Dems and LLR-dems move to Full Sham-peachment footing.

We see other avenues of attack such as this hack HHS Inspector General (obama fangirl) "letter" to Congress which is another Pure Ciaramella/Vindman ploy.

Naturally, the Dems have already lined up Romney in this endeavor as well.

All the Playbook pieces for Sham-peachment III are falling into place.

Drago said...

Of course, it would be a very simple matter for ARM to prove me wrong on that count and copy and paste post after post where he criticized his ChiCom heroes.........but of course, that "evidence" doesn't exist....so he can't.

So, what to do?

Pretend Trump is the "pussy" on China!!

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Truly, one of ARM's most pathetic ploys....and given that its ARM (he of the "Great Awakenings"), that's really sayin' something, isn't it?

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

And yet he no longer says, 'China Virus'. Pussy.

FullMoon said...

Not only has Xi begged for forgivness and sympathy, Joe Biden also called Trump and asked him to stop Corn Poppin' him.

Trump says they had a very nice call. Joe says very uplifting lecture from Trump and he recorded it so he can listen to it every time he has the sads.

Drago said...

ARM: "And yet he no longer says, 'China Virus'. Pussy."

He doesn't need to.

He's kicked their a** every way there is.

Which is why you and your ChiCom pals need him out of office ASAP.

But don't worry ARM. I promise to stick around here for eternity to always remind you that at the very moment the Chinese Communists inflicted mass death on your fellow Americans, you decided that would be a good time to become the Cuckholster Supreme for the ChiCom totalitarian leader.

Our very own Walter Duranty.

Truly, a role you were born to play.......with relish.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

And yet the great and mighty leader of our nation no longer says, 'China Virus'. Pussy.

Drago said...

But don't worry ARM. You are in solid Xi Cuckholster Territory along with you buddies at the NYT, who just today coughed up primo space for their ChiCom Ambassador to continue advancing the very same ChiCom lies you've been pushing!

So, good for you! The dem/lefty/LLR-dem Cuckholster Wagon is quite full!

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

More than half of Florida voters disapprove of Trump's coronavirus response

Drago said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

‘It's a shit sandwich': Republicans rage as Florida becomes a nightmare for Trump


Drago said...

Xi Cuckholster: "And yet the great and mighty leader of our nation no longer says, 'China Virus'. Pussy."

Precisely when did you go from opposing Trump calling it the China Virus to supporting Trump not calling it the China Virus?

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Let me guess! Right about the time the dems/LLR-dems decided they no longer opposed Trump's travel restrictions and actually started claiming credit for supporting it!!

Too funny.

The best part: not even the hackiest of dem/lefty/LLR-dem hacks on Althouse are going to buy it....and why should they? They don't want to align themselves with someone as exposed as you.

So congrats! You've created a "Great Awakening" alright! Just not one you had planned to create!

Which makes it all just that much more enjoyable.

Drago said...

Xi Cuckholster: "‘It's a shit sandwich': Republicans rage as Florida becomes a nightmare for Trump"

LOL

Run away little man.

Run away......

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Is there nothing Rudy can't fuck up?

Rudy Giuliani attempts to position himself as Trump's 'personal science adviser' as he pushes unproven coronavirus treatments

Drago said...

Xi Cuckholster: "Rudy Giuliani attempts to position himself as Trump's 'personal science adviser' as he pushes unproven coronavirus treatments"

LOL

You're gonna have to pick up the pace if you want to effectively change the subject.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Poll shows Biden with 6-point edge on Trump in Florida

And Trump is a pussy for rolling over after a single phone call from his handler.

Drago said...

Xi Cuckholster: "And Trump is a pussy for rolling over after a single phone call from his handler."

Faster boy.

Faster......

Drago said...

Here's the little secret Xi's Cuckholster ARM doesn't realize: He can't outrun his long, long history of Xi Cuckholstery 'cuz "Teh Interwebs" is FOREVER.

But only FOREVER.

So Xi's Cuckholster ARM has that going for him.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Anthony Fauci's coronavirus approval rating in Florida is almost double Trump's, according to a new poll

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Republican Senator David Perdue bought stock in company producing PPE after briefing


Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Outbreak hurts Trump's electability in Florida, poll says

Drago said...

LOL

Xi's Cuckholster ARM's desperation/meltdown is really something, isn't it?

I think we are getting close to an Xi Cuckholster ARM emotional collapse on the level of his most hilarious meltdown from a handful of years back.

I'm chalking it up to almost 5 straight years of the "Walls Closing In" failures combined with the realization that his ChiCom masters dreams of hundreds of thousands US deaths isnt going to happen.

I hope whatever medication ARM is on is in plentiful supply at his home.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Only hydroxychloroquine for me. I have it on the best authority - from our national snake oil salesman.

William said...

I don't know if you can see Trump's charm through his crassness or if his crassness is part of his charm. For whatever reason, he holds your attention. He used to play a decisive CEO on tv. It got ratings. Part of the subcontext of the decisive CEO thing was the wise and righteous father. He's not Santa Claus. He's the righteous authority figure--at least to those who dig his act.....Obama was slender, elegant, and articulate. He's read a lot of books. There were those who dug his act. To each his own, but I don't see Obama hosting a WWF event or talking his way out of a billion dollar bankruptcy. He has less range than Trump.

Drago said...

Xi Cuckholster ARM: "Only hydroxychloroquine for me. I have it on the best authority - from our national snake oil salesman."

Hmmmmmm.

HydroxyChloroquine rated most effective therapy by doctors globally:

"An international poll of more than 6,000 doctors released Thursday found that the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine was the most highly rated treatment for the novel coronavirus."

Hmmmm, why does Xi (as relayed to us by his Cuckholster ARM) not want us using HCQ?

Hmmmmmmm...

William said...

If you're looking for scapegoats for the present situation, why wouldn't you blame the Chicoms? Give a supporting award to the WHO. Trump may have been arguably wrong footed or slow footed, but the Chicoms were mendacious and fraudulent.

FullMoon said...

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Only hydroxychloroquine for me. I have it on the best authority - from our national snake oil salesman.



Despite its overwhelmingly negative reputation, snake oil may offer some legitimate health benefits. According to a report published in the Western Journal of Medicine, the oil of the Chinese water snake is an excellent source of the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 1⭐


This is a verified and trusted source
Western Journal of Medicine- Snake Oil
Goto Source
. This compound shows promise as a nutritional supplement and holistic treatment for several conditions.
Arthritis Relief

In traditional Chinese medicine, snake oil has been used for thousands of years to treat rheumatoid arthritis, burstitis and osteoarthritis 1⭐


This is a verified and trusted source
Western Journal of Medicine- Snake Oil
Goto Source
. Modern scientific studies have validated this traditional use. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA, can relieve symptoms of stiffness and joint tenderness in people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. However, EPA has not been studied thoroughly as a treatment for other forms of arthritis.
Blood Pressure

NIH reports that omega-3 fatty acids effectively reduce blood pressure. Practitioners of TCM may recommend snake oil as a holistic treatment for hypertension. However, EPA, found in snake oil, appears to be slightly less effective than its chemical cousin docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is found almost exclusively in fish fat. Most studies of omega-3 fatty acids have involved a combination of the two compounds.
Triglyceride Control

Omega-3 fatty acids are a popular and effective treatment for hypertryglyeridemia, or high triglyceride levels. The National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association both recommend EPA for the prevention and treatment of this common condition 2⭐


This is a verified and trusted source
American Heart Association- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Goto Source
. Chinese water snake oil can help to provide a reliable source for this critical nutrient.
Cardiovascular Health

Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for the prevention of cardiovascular disease 2⭐


This is a verified and trusted source
American Heart Association- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Goto Source
. According to the NIH, EPA in snake oil can reduce a person's of heart attack and sudden death. Additionally, the American Heart Association notes that omega-3 fatty acids can slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries and prevent cardiac arrhythmia 2⭐


This is a verified and trusted source
American Heart Association- Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Goto Source
.
Mental Health

Emerging evidence suggests that EPA in fish oil may treat several forms of mental illness. According to the NIH, early studies support the use of EPA as a treatment for schizophrenia, depression and emotional disturbances. However, there is not enough clinical evidence to conclusively demonstrate the product's efficacy.
Eczema

Snake oil is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for skin rashes from eczema 1⭐


This is a verified and trusted source
Western Journal of Medicine- Snake Oil
Goto Source
. NIH notes that some studies have evaluated EPA's efficacy as a treatment for eczema, but they have yielded inconclusive results.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

FullMoon makes a good point.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Any studies on snake oil and COVID-19?

FullMoon said...

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

FullMoon makes a good point.


Prove it, you dirty rotten ......oh, wait a minute, never mind.

FullMoon said...

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Any studies on snake oil and COVID-19?


Google it yourself , I'm not gonna do the work for ya..

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Of course it's Chinese snake oil. Trump will probably start calling it the Taiwan virus, to get some of that sweet, sweet Chinese snake oil.

Narr said...

I think we should have a free market in snake oil, and not just one national brand.

Caveat emptor!

Narr
(stuff'll kill ya)

Drago said...

You can really tell Xi's Cuckholster ARM is greatly bothered by how exposed his propagandizing for the ChiComs has become.

Not an attractive look, I must say.

DEEBEE said...

Thanks for that excerpt Ann. I liked most of including minor excursion into characterizations. It had a lilt. Except for

‘ Trump’s primitive syntax, imperfectly designed for the young foreign woman he married, always dismays’

That middle was a bit too much sort of like a speed bump driving through a suburban development. Got me thinking that I guess I like your take on things even if I agree/disagree with the minor excursions. But sometimes the become a bit much like above.

So apologies for harsh tones on my part.

Robert Cook said...

"There is a reason Trump still lets ABC and NBC and CNN and the NYT's and all the other reporters be in the same room with them despite their obvious antipathy to him and lack of good faith."

It is a reporter's (and a citizen's) obligation to be antipathetic to and skeptical of every politician--particularly those we conditionally support--and the more so the higher up in government they are. They all lie, but not necessarily all the time or about everything. However, given that they do all lie much of the time, we must always be suspicious they are lying in any given moment.We elect these people to represent us--to represent us--to act in our interests. We are foolhardy ever to "trust" they are doing the right thing, or to assume they are acting in our interest as opposed to their own and the interests of other parties to whom they are obligated or in service to.

In short, every politician should always be regarded as if he or she is a car salesperson, or worse, a used car salesperson.