June 21, 2024

Philippe Reines did not call Joe Biden a "malfunctioning appliance."

I'm trying to read "Debate advice from the man who played Trump for Clinton’s prep" (WaPo)(free access link).

Phillippe Reines, the "longtime aid [sic] to Hillary Clinton" asked whether, in the debate, Joe Biden should "appeal to persuadable voters or engage his base." He says:
You can’t think in those terms. You’re just onstage with a malfunctioning appliance. I mean, you can’t. You can’t assume that you’re going to get done what you want to get done unless you do it in the context of using the malfunctioning appliance to make your point.

I know Joe Biden has had trouble walking and talking lately, but that's nasty. I mean, it's too true and put too humorously. I mean, I know the "malfunctioning appliance" must be the debate. Right? I hope! If Joe Biden is a malfunctioning appliance that must mean he's been a tool all along. That's not something Phillippe Reines would say.

The debates are a moment where everyone tunes in more, but they’re not distinctly that different from the rest of the campaign. The debate is an opportunity to do a few things. One is to talk to a much larger audience than you will at any other point. It is the most acute opportunity to provide an actual visual contrast to your opponent.

Yikes. So, Joe, don't malfunction on camera while standing right next to Trump, who might look strong and capable. Don't provide that "visual contrast."

Phillipe Reines has offered his debate expertise before. Here's my post from July 30, 2019, "Ludicrous Assertion of Expertise of the Day," based on a Philippe Reines column in Politico called, "I Played Trump in Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Debate Prep. Here’s What It Takes to Beat Him." I said:
Let me read this. It's possible that Reines will soul search and admit that he failed to figure out what Trump was doing that worked and that his contempt for Trump led him to portray a beatable Trump and caused Hillary to practice the wrong way....

And here's my post from September 24, 2016, "Philippe Reines is playing the part of Donald Trump in Hillary Clinton's debate preparation sessions."

Remember him? He's a longtime Hillary Clinton confidante, most famous for coming up with the "reset" button that Hillary Clinton gave to the Russian Foreign Minister to symbolize our supposed new relationship with Russia in 2009. Reines is responsible for getting the word "reset" wrong and making it say (in Russian) "overcharged."... According to Hillary's own memoir, the "bright red button on a yellow base... had been pulled off the whirlpool in the hotel" — the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva....

Ah! The old reset button! You know when you need a reset button? When you've got a malfunctioning appliance. 

114 comments:

Mr. Forward said...

When you try to wash a pair of stability shoes and the washing machine wanders across the laundry room.

Dave Begley said...

Hillary is so stupid. She should have fired Phillipe for not using the correct Russian word for “reset.”

Breezy said...

Isn’t he suggesting Trump is the malfunctioning appliance?

wendybar said...

Better than being called a RACIST or Nazi like they call Trump and his supporters. Progressives can't handle the truth...it is THEY that are the RACISTS and Nazi's...and Joe Biden is not malfunctioning...he is broken down. Blame the elder abuser for making him the laughingstock of the world.

Achilles said...

Most of the people who hate trump don’t even understand themselves enough to know why much less understand trump.

Most aren’t even smart enough to understand what he is doing or what he is trying to accomplish with the things he says.

This leads to a lot of category error.

Danno said...

Phillipe???

Is he a cheese-eating surrender monkey?

Achilles said...

Breezy said...
Isn’t he suggesting Trump is the malfunctioning appliance?

I thought Ann’s title made it clear that was the point of the post.

But the comment does seem contradictory in places.

narciso said...

Yes reines the reset goof that buried the benghazi evidence

rehajm said...

Isn’t he suggesting Trump is the malfunctioning appliance?

Yes. Trump is the malfunctioning appliance but it’s more than a suggestion.

doctrev said...

Most drones of the oligarchy have zero awareness of interpersonal dynamics. They're trying to influence societies when they were the student council kids in high school.

Ironically, they would have had the best chance against Candidate Trump by developing prosperity and equality while in office. Their failure to do so is how President Trump began dialing back wars and renegotiating trade deals. The collapse of the oligarchy in trying to boost wars in Ukraine is why the establishment left is dying throughout the West. Except in the UK, where the establishment right is currently taking all the blame for modern austerity.

rehajm said...

Jeez. Talk about forever dining out on your failures. Good for Reines for pulling off the long con. He’s so good there’s nobody willing to try and compete for his territory…

Kate said...

He'd have been more clever if he'd referenced that masterpiece of filmmaking, "What about Bob?" and called Trump an inoperable telephone.

Extra points if he brought out a Trump puppet and insisted he couldn't hear Biden unless he talked to the puppet.

Jamie said...

What? People think he's talking about Trump?

I'm so confused.

rehajm said...

How large could the audience of ‘persuadable’ voters be? Seems goofy…

…and have you seen Joe lately? His debate handlers to be banking on terminal lucidity and the ability of the propaganda to con…

tim maguire said...

It's not clear what he meant, but since he was asked what advice he would give to Joe Biden, it does not make sense to interpret "malfunctioning appliance" as a reference to Biden.

Why would he tell Joe Biden to think of Joe Biden as a malfunctioning appliance?

Quaestor said...

"According to Hillary's own memoir, the 'bright red button on a yellow base... had been pulled off the whirlpool in the hotel' — the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva..."

Here's all you need to know about conservatives and progressives. When a conservative has a brilliant and innovative idea, he either fabricates it himself -- chipped from small rocks 3 million years ago to additive 3D printing today or pays someone to do that for him -- with mastodon steaks 3 million years ago to a heap of small green slips of paper today.

A progressive just rips it off a 5-star hotel along with the towels and ashtrays.

Achilles said...

rehajm said...
How large could the audience of ‘persuadable’ voters be? Seems goofy…

Persuadable voters in a two party system usually don’t vote. Especially when both parties are essentially the same.

Trump expanded our choices and this is why participation exploded in 2020.

Dave Begley said...

Just looked at my comment from 2016. I’m consistent. See below.

David Begley said...
I always thought the person who got that Russian reset button spelling wrong was fired. More bad judgment by Hillary.

9/24/16, 6:38 PM

rehajm said...

If Trump is not the malfunctioning appliance the challenge is circling the Trump insult in the WaPo paragraph. Every paragraph in WaPo must include a Trump insult. It is in their style book and their subscribers demand it…

Big Mike said...

@Althouse, have you considered the possibility that Reines might want to undercut Joe Biden in the hopes (expectation?) that the Democrats would turn to Hillary for their candidate?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

'He's been a tool all along.'

We think so!

narciso said...

The word was peregruska if you dont know it , find a competent linguist now they are probably doing their nails at dni

Leland said...

Ah yes, the reset button. That time when Hillary Clinton claimed that the Republicans had so destroyed the relationship with the Russians that her husband Bill had created after the fall of the Soviet Union, that she, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, was the one to reset and repair the relationship with the Russian government.

Then 7 years later, Hillary claimed, without evidence, the Russian government preferred Trump over her.

donald said...

That’s the best part Breezy.

Jamie said...

since he was asked what advice he would give to Joe Biden, it does not make sense to interpret "malfunctioning appliance" as a reference to Biden.

Why would he tell Joe Biden to think of Joe Biden as a malfunctioning appliance?


You thought he was talking to Joe Biden? It sounded to me as if he's talking to those who will be responsible for getting Joe Biden onto that stage: you're dealing with a malfunctioning appliance. It's not productive to talk about strategies beyond "how am I going to make any point using this malfunctioning appliance? What do I have to do to work around or minimize the malfunction?"

That's how it instantly appeared to me, and I was shocked that he'd say it on an open mic, so to speak. So maybe everyone here is right and he's talking about Trump, and "using the malfunctioning appliance to make your point" is "letting Trump keep talking until he digs himself a hole," which there's a considerably greater than nonzero chance he'll do.

Quaestor said...

Phillippe Reines? Fill-Leap? Is he French? Is he Guianese? Is he fucking Canadian?

No. He's a fucking native Nooyawkah, the son of other native Nooyawkahs with a name chosen to impress. Allo? I am ze obviously superior candidate's cosmopolitan amanuensis, you filthy Américain. Ici, have some vin blanc -- in truth ze dish wah-tere, but you know not the diff-ere-ance, non?

narciso said...

Man doesnt have the presence of mind to know who laken riley was to respect ghe fallen in afghanistan he enabled to show the right attitude after october 7th those are moral as well as intellectual failures

Iman said...

Biden’s has had required maintenance performed on his processor at least twice before.

So there’s that.

Quaestor said...

"More bad judgment by Hillary."

Too fucking arrogant to ask a genuine Russian.

Quaestor said...

Have we forgotten Hillary's major malfunction?

The SUV test. Gets 'em every time.

Iman said...

And nuttin’ from nuttin’, but Reines has always been a fat, greasy actor.

narciso said...

And then they wonder why putin chose to jnvade twice on their watch

Bob Boyd said...

This wouldn't be the first time Biden was compared to malfunctioning appliance. Joe Rogan said Biden was like a flashlight with dying batteries and a flickering bulb.

Ralph L said...

He must be subconsciously worried about Biden's earpiece going haywire. "Salute the Marines!"

It will be fun if Trump's people bring a detector and frequency jammer.

n.n said...

Biden has been determined to be nonviable perchance a "burden"... uh, burden, to Democratic progress.

Rt41Rebel said...

Gutfeld has pointed out that if the Dems indeed believed that Trump is as evil and as dangerous as they say, they wouldn’t be sending a Roomba in against a Sherman tank.

tim maguire said...

Jamie said...You thought he was talking to Joe Biden? It sounded to me as if he's talking to those who will be responsible for getting Joe Biden

He says "you're just on stage with a malfunctioning appliance"

In the most sensible reading of that sentence, the "you" is Joe Biden. Biden's handlers aren't on stage during the debate.

John henry said...

bright red button on a yellow base..

I've mentioned it before and I know that I am a voice crying in the wilderness. But this is like fingernails on a blackboard.

Legally, under us federal law, most international law, most state law and the National Electrical Code, a "reset" button may be any color on any color background

EXCEPT

Red on yellow

Red on yellow is reserved ONLY for "emergency stop" switches which kill all power to a machine or system. Stopping it dead in its tracks in mid-cycle.

Which is a better metaphor for the Clinton-Putin exchange anyway.

John Henry

W

Paul Zrimsek said...

"Let me show you how to double your wealth overnight," says the guy wearing a barrel.

Heartless Aztec said...

The malfunctioning appliance is the Democratic Party and Biden is just stuck inside the dryer in a never ending spin cycle.

Ann Althouse said...

"Isn’t he suggesting Trump is the malfunctioning appliance?"/:I thought Ann’s title made it clear that was the point of the post."

As I say in the post, I think he meant that the debate itself is a mechanism and it can be used but it's limited in what it can do. It doesn't really work right, and you have to take that into account when you set out to use it.

The question asked, to quote it in full, was: "This debate is earlier than any general-election debate. What should the goals be? Should Biden appeal to persuadable voters or engage his base?"

That is, how to use the debate. The debate is the thing asked about.

But there certainly is room to wonder what it means to say "You’re just onstage with a malfunctioning appliance." Who is the "you" here? It could be generic: How does anyone use a debate?

How would "appliance" be the word selected to refer to Trump? He may seem awful and monstrous, but he's very much a human being. That's why he's attacked as a narcissistic and a sexual predator and so forth. He's not robotlike.

If "appliance" refers to a human being and not to the mechanism of the debate itself, then all I can think of is Joe Biden, who seems emptied out inside.

Big Mike said...

Too fucking arrogant to ask a genuine Russian.

Hillary didn’t have to ask a “genuine Russian.” Gosh, you hicks from the sticks have not the faintest clue about the US government, do you? Many of the best translators in the effing world work for the US State Department, and it’s a mark of the paranoia of Hillary Clinton and the people with whom she surrounded herself that they chose to do the translation themselves instead of trusting the State Department employees to do their job. She was only the Secretary of State, after all. They worked for her but she couldn’t bring herself to trust them.

narciso said...

He cant nail down his base because they are insane and hes ticked off most persuadables with his performance in office

Jamie said...

He says "you're just on stage with a malfunctioning appliance"

In the most sensible reading of that sentence, the "you" is Joe Biden. Biden's handlers aren't on stage during the debate.


You're right, if he's thought his metaphor through to that extent.

rehajm said...

oh fer fucks sake- he’s making the point Biden does not have the luxury of reciting talking points and make appeals to reason as to why Biden is the superior candidate when a live uncensored Trump is only predictable in his unpredictability.

There is also an element of the Mike Tyson saying Everyone has plan until you get hit in the face. If they coach Joe with talking points he’s doomed is what he is saying…

Trump is the malfunctioning appliance. You all need to stay after school…

Breezy said...

Another interpretation is that he figuratively means a malfunctioning appliance. In other words you need to make your points regardless of what the other person says or does because they’re not going to be helpful. Who you’re trying to reach is secondary to being able to say what you need to say on any issue.

John henry said...

I like malfunctioning appliance. It is a perfect metaphor for Brandon.

He is obviously malfunctioning and he is probably just an appliance for those running the show.

Pedjt should should grab it with both hands, work it into a couple of speeches. Then, in the debate, pedjt can say something like "gee, I hope he doesn't malfunction tonight"

Or perhaps in response to some point "I think he is malfunctioning again"

John Henry

Michael Fitzgerald said...

The whole story of the reset button is a lie. Shrillary supposedly stole it right off the "whirlpool" in the 5 star hotel she and her band of traveling thieves were staying in. First off, what kind of loose fools would be vandalizing equipment in a fancy hotel, then tell everyone as if they had done something clever? And a button on a "whirlpool" that says: "overcharged"? Anyone ever seen an appliance that had an "overcharged" button? And finally the button itself: it was a giant, self-contained gag prop exactly like the big red buttons Home Depot sells that say: That Was Easy. That thing they gave the Russian didn't come out of any appliance, whirlpool, whatever. The embarrassing thing is that the incompetent clowns of the Clinton campaign conceived this smarmy and douchey idea to make up this big,red, button and that would show how super smart Hillary was not like dumb Bush. So they went to all the trouble to mock-up the button and stage it in a ceremony in front of everyone, and then they look like the assholes that they are because they were so thrilled with themselves and their sophomoric brainstorm that they didn't bother to make certain what they were doing. Vindman or Nuland probably gave them the wrong Russian word, and smug people don't bother to check their work.

AMDG said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
narciso said...

They could have gone with phillips who voted for every piece of this ruinous agenda but now sort of apologizes

AMDG said...

Blogger Achilles said...
Most of the people who hate trump don’t even understand themselves enough to know why much less understand trump.

Most aren’t even smart enough to understand what he is doing or what he is trying to accomplish with the things he says
This leads to a lot of category error.

6/21/24, 7:03 AM

———————

Please enlighten me on what your Lord & Savior was trying to accomplish last night when he proposed issuing a Green Card to any foreign national that graduates from an American university?

Bob Boyd said...

"appeal to persuadable voters or engage his base."

Basically, Reines was asked if Biden should move to the center or not.

you’re going to get done what you want to get done

What Biden wants to get done is both motivate the base to turn out to vote and to gain as many dubious center-left voters as possible.

Reines' answer was that to do this Biden should focus on Trump's negatives rather than his own policy prescriptions. Make the base hate Trump more than ever and make the middle fear Trump more than they fear Biden's age and to not think about Biden's first term, but about what they imagine Trump's 2nd term will look like. There will be plenty of talk about Trump's convictions, about his supposed planned revenge and about dictatorship.

In 2020 they sold Biden as the candidate of normalcy. That is apparently still the basic strategy.

Dave Begley said...

Classic Althouse post. Not only does she correct the spelling of WaPo, she linguistically deconstructs the entire story.

Amadeus 48 said...

Donald Trump and Dr. Jill should have the same objective: to do whatever it takes to be sure that Joe Biden is the Demmie nominee. Why? Because Dr. Jill will have no platform if Joe leaves office, and Trump will find himself on suspect terrain if Joe is replaced by someone new, fresh, and middle-aged. Consider the problem if the Demmie nominee is someone appropriately low profile so that the slavering MSM can elevate him or her on flights of honeymoon fantasy. If it is a governor of appropriate non-Washington obscurity (Whitmer-MI, Shapiro-PA, Pritzker-IL, or Moore-MD), the press can immediately elevate the person to "greater than Obama" just as any GOP alternative would immediately become "worse than Trump."

Let us pray that Slow Joe's joy juice gets him though the night so the press can write about Joe's remarkable energy and fighting spirit. In fact, Joe is worse today than he was two weeks ago, and he'll be worse two weeks from now. He'll crack up in the course of the campaign. A lot of people will stay home rather than vote for that shambling, incoherent husk.

RideSpaceMountain said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
narciso said...

The problem is the last four years are the obstacle all of those candidates would make the country even worse

gilbar said...

serious, though COMPLETELY RHETORICAL question..
if/WHEN resident Biden dies (possibly next week.. Maybe on TV)..
Will there be an autopsy?

It's a serious question because it'd be important to find out what and how much drugs they were using..
It's a COMPLETELY RHETORICAL question, because; Of COURSE they won't allow an autopsy.
You DON'T pump an old man full of speed, until his heart fails; and Then allow an autopsy!
Not if you can stop it.. and Dr Jillie and the DNC have more than enough power to stop it

MadTownGuy said...

Ann Althouse said...

"The question asked, to quote it in full, was: "This debate is earlier than any general-election debate. What should the goals be? Should Biden appeal to persuadable voters or engage his base?"

That is, how to use the debate. The debate is the thing asked about.
"

The debate has been built in such a way to give Biden every advantage. Is Philippe saying that's not enough?

AMDG said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
M Jordan said...

Scanned the comments so fat and glad to see I’m not alone in wondering, Do people read this that Biden is the malfunctioning appliance? I think Althouse did. That’s not the read I got at all.

Bob Boyd said...

Please enlighten me on what your Lord & Savior was trying to accomplish last night when he proposed issuing a Green Card to any foreign national that graduates from an American university?

My interpretation is Trump's showing he's not "anti-immigrant" but thinks we should be taking immigrants who bring something to the table, who will be economic assets to America, not an additional burden on government assistance programs or criminals. That we need and want immigrants, but not open borders. He judges this will appeal to his base as well as the middle ground voters and immigrant voters who came here the through the legal pathway as well as their descendants. He's working to overcome the media slander that Trump and his supporters hate immigrants.

lgv said...

I, too, read it as Trump is the malfunctioning appliance. I think the confusion is that the malfunction appliance is the perfect metaphor for Biden.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

AMDG - you are unable to file a logical argument against the army of Trump-is-Perfect adoration club.
Their One Tru god /chess king/ His Excellency is perfect greatness... You fail to understand that all Trump-moves are impeccably god-like and purposeful. Even the run-on-sentence dick-stepping.

n.n said...

Characterize your opponent as a "burden"... burden on political progress, perhaps a carbon deposit, and you are the spinning scalpels or radiating blacktop of a Green solution. All's fair in lust and abortion.

MadisonMan said...

If you have to explain that someone is not calling your candidate a malfunctioning appliance, then I think you've lost the election.

Dave Begley said...

Michael Fitzgerald:

Reines is a Columbia grad. Hillary is Yale Law. Our betters.

AMDG said...

Blogger John henry said...
I like malfunctioning appliance. It is a perfect metaphor for Brandon.

He is obviously malfunctioning and he is probably just an appliance for those running the show.

Pedjt should should grab it with both hands, work it into a couple of speeches. Then, in the debate, pedjt can say something like "gee, I hope he doesn't malfunction tonight"

Or perhaps in response to some point "I think he is malfunctioning again"

John Henry

6/21/24, 8:12 AM

——————-

It is a good term, however, it is not a good way to describe Biden. He is not malfunctioning, he is failing. He is like an old iPhone battery. Every day its maximum charge keeps the phone going for less and less time.

A malfunctioning appliance is one that occasionally suffers a glitch. Think of a computer that freezes but can be fixed by a simple reboot. This metaphor better describes those who believed that the best nominee for an election that should be an almost certainty to win is the guy that has a 50% chance of beating the failing appliance.

Rocco said...

AMDG said...
“What was your understanding of what Trump trying to accomplish last night when he proposed give it all immigrants who graduate from college green cards?”

Innovators and creative leaders come up with new ideas all the time. The best innovators are quick to recognize bad ones and move on. Trump has stuck with some good ideas, like the Abraham Accords. He has also stuck with bad ones far too long, like Fauci. We’ll see if he gives this idea legs. I hope not; I think it is a bad idea.

We want immigrants who will add to America. But a college degree is a poor proxy for that. A better idea for immigration reform is needed.

Amadeus 48 said...

Can you imagine Joe Biden riding a bicycle right now, something he did in Delaware in June 2022 (although his landing was a little rough)? Impossible. His physical decline is apparent, although not unusual. He wants to run up those steps to the airplane, but he can't.

There is a way to make this point without appearing cruel (less is more), but Team Trump should save it until after Joe is renominated.

Rich said...

To be honest, this is all just gas. We already know the narratives:

Biden does badly — told you so
Biden does well — he's on medication (that somehow cures Alzheimer's for two hours)

Trump does badly — biased CNN, rigged questions, unfair
Tump does well — unrivaled raconteur and leader of the free world

No matter what the outcome, 50% of America will feel miserable

rehajm said...

…and now my content is deleted. When the shooting starts I want none you next to me in the fix hole…

narciso said...

He vouched for this rhumba now we got on three fronts perhaps four you destroyed the dollar emptied the critical energy reserve have crippled the energy grid

AMDG said...

Blogger Bob Boyd said...
Please enlighten me on what your Lord & Savior was trying to accomplish last night when he proposed issuing a Green Card to any foreign national that graduates from an American university?

My interpretation is Trump's showing he's not "anti-immigrant" but thinks we should be taking immigrants who bring something to the table, who will be economic assets to America, not an additional burden on government assistance programs or criminals. That we need and want immigrants, but not open borders. He judges this will appeal to his base as well as the middle ground voters and immigrant voters who came here the through the legal pathway as well as their descendants. He's working to overcome the media slander that Trump and his supporters hate immigrants.

6/21/24, 8:39 AM

————— —-

You do realize that a core of the leadership of anti-American groups like SJP are made up of foreign born students don’t you?

What is the more likely scenario. That Trump impulsively came up with this idea after meeting with tech billionaires who want to replace American tech workers with cheaper imported worker's or it is some 4D chess move that will convince all the people who hate Trump that he is not a bad guy?

Frame it how you want but anything that muddies the water on one of your two best issues is retarded. Not quite as retarded as proposing that tariffs replace the income tax but still retarded.

John henry said...

And finally the button itself: it was a giant, self-contained gag prop exactly like the big red buttons Home Depot sells that say: That Was Easy.

Nope.

I've been working with industrial controls since the 60s. It is an absolutely dirt standard "E-Stop switch found on tens of millions of systems around the world for the past 75-100 years.

$9.99 via Ann's Amazon portal, including the jic mounting box.

https://tinyurl.com/4a3szfkw

It seems like a pretty obvious lie that they took it off a whirlpool washer in Switzerland

1 the hotel would not have allowed them to put a washer out of commission

2 the switch would probably have been mounted in the machine panel, not in a jic box

3 it would have required an electrician to take off

4 the box Hilary gave Putin had all knockouts intact so was unused.

Above speculation on my part except 4

John Henry






Aggie said...

Geez, a lot to unpack here.... A top former strategist for Hillary puts together a political-prop 'Reset' button, for a pubilicity stunt in International Diplomacy - except in the only color combination that such a thing can't have, and then mis-translates 'Reset' into the wrong Russian label, to make the political prop a failure all the way 'round.

This is the genius that introduces the words 'malfunctioning appliance' into his discussion of debate strategies, when Joe Biden is in close proximity within the context, almost providing instructions on how to jump to a damaging conclusion - and he does all of this, ostensibly as a Democrat strategist.

If I had any respect for Republicans, I would say he has to be a Republican mole.

Yancey Ward said...

I often joke that Biden's brain has been stolen and is running a Roomba on Sigma Draconis Six but the fact is you couldn't even use Biden's brain to run an electric can opener.

Rich said...

“So I said, let me ask you a question and he said, nobody ever asked this question and it must be because of MIT, my relationship to MIT. Very smart. He goes, I say, what would happen if the boat sank from its weight? And you’re in the boat and you have this tremendously powerful battery and the battery is now underwater and there’s a shark that’s approximately 10 yards over there, by the way, a lot of shark attacks lately, do you notice that a lot of shark? I watched some guys justifying it today. Well, they weren’t really that angry. They bit off the young lady’s leg because of the fact that they were, they were not hungry, but they misunderstood what who she was? These people are. He said there’s no problem with sharks. They just didn’t really understand a young woman swimming now. It really got decimated and other people do a lot of shark attacks. So I said, so there’s a shark 10 yards away from the boat, 10 yards or here, do I get electrocuted if the boat is sinking? Water goes over the battery, the boat is sinking. Do I stay on top of the boat and get electrocuted or do I jump over by the shark and not get electrocuted? Because I will tell you he didn’t know the answer. He said, you know, nobody’s ever asked me that question. I said, I think it’s a good question. I think there’s a lot of electric current coming through that water. But you know what I’d do if there was a shark or you get electrocuted, I’ll take electrocution every single time.” ~ Donald Trump

That my friends — is some high test gibberish....

I still believe Trump will very publicly back out of the debate on the *day* of the debate because it's *rigged* and steal the news cycle.

Rich said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
CJinPA said...

Trump has the better policies, but he's never demonstrated the ability to defend them without sounding overly defensive. (As opposed to confident and assured.)

"Debates" are TV shows that don't move the needle much anymore. But to the degree they do, people prefer "confident and composed" to "defensive and insecure."

I can't watch candidates argue my positions poorly. It's soul-sapping. I'll record it and decide later whether to watch it.

Ralph L said...

I'd swear I typed a comment about Biden's earpiece that seems to have disappeared. Did I malfunction and forget to hit publish?

tommyesq said...

I think the "malfunctioning appliance" is the Democrat party (or perhaps the entire United States government).

Narayanan said...

Reines is responsible for getting the word "reset" wrong and making it say (in Russian) "overcharged.".
==================
could it have been code/decode template for secret messages after her election win and not misspelling at all?

Ann Althouse said...

"The debate has been built in such a way to give Biden every advantage. Is Philippe saying that's not enough?"

It's a 3-step process:

1. Structured the debate for the best advantage.

2. Lower expectations.

3. Claim victory.

We're in Step 2 now.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Okay, John Henry, tell us what "whirlpool washer" has a giant button that says: "overcharged"?
Also, the link to your supposed proof of the prevalence of giant overcharged buttons on whirlpools around the world just goes to a dead domain.

Narayanan said...

in case of FJB instead of 'reset' button will say 'overdosed'

can Trump bring props to debate for show and tell?

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

I was trying to reconcile the headline with the story. Much as I dislike the slimy Phillippe when he appears on TV (I solved my disgust by stopping most TV watching), the quote could be credibly interpreted as him saying that Joe is onstage with Trump, who is a malfunctioning appliance. I mean the Clintonites have called Trump and his voters everything else in the book, why not make up a new phrase to label him (or us)?

Substitute "Trump" for "malfunctioning appliance" and read it for yourself. It works, even the part about using it (him) to "make your point."

Narayanan said...

Reines is responsible for getting the word "reset" wrong and making it say (in Russian) "overcharged.".
==================
could it have been code/decode template for secret messages after her election win and not misspelling at all?

in case of FJB instead of 'reset' button will say 'overdosed'

can Trump bring props to debate for show and tell?

Iman said...

Blogger Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves…

Philip Reines just ate your in-kind contribution.

John henry said...

Blogger Bob Boyd said...

Please enlighten me on what your Lord & Savior was trying to accomplish last night when he proposed issuing a Green Card to any foreign national that graduates from an American university?

Three thoughts:

1) Most foreign nationals who attends a US university is going to be here legally. So it is not as if he is extending green cards to illegal aliens.

2) How are foreign governments going to feel about us "stealing" (as they might view it) their best and brightest? Ghana sends someone here to study medicine, or engineering or whatever. The govt of Ghana may pay for this out of their limited funds because they need more and better trained doctors etc. The student gets a taste of life in America and decides not to go back. Ghana has lost the money and still does not have the doctor. I'd be pissed if I were president of Ghana. I would not send anyone else to US schools.

3) In general, I don't have a problem with the idea. Other than the diplomatic issues it may cause, it seems like we benefit.

I have no problem with immigration. I am wholly for a robust US immigration program. I suspect we could easily absorb 1mm every year. (Maybe more, maybe less. I could be convinced of a different number)

But, we need to be able to control how many, who they are and where they come from. I suspect that there are few Americans who would disagree with this as a general statement.

John Henry

Narayanan said...

by any chance could 'malfunction' be referring to audience/target of persuasion? considering that this guy mis-selects words to convey his intentions?

Narayanan said...

by any chance could 'malfunction' be referring to audience/target of persuasion? considering that this guy mis-selects words to convey his intentions?

John henry said...

Blogger Michael Fitzgerald said...

Okay, John Henry, tell us what "whirlpool washer" has a giant button that says: "overcharged"?
Also, the link to your supposed proof of the prevalence of giant overcharged buttons on whirlpools around the world just goes to a dead domain.


None. If it has an "E-Stop" it would say "Emergency Stop" or whatever the equivalent would be in Switzerland. The "overcharged" was not on the switch, it was on a label added to the switch.

I've never noticed "Whirlpool" brand washers having "E-Stop" switches though it would not surprise me if they did. If it was OEM to Whirlpool, I would expect it to be built into the panel like all the other switches and buttons. Not in a stand-alone box. It might be something added during installation to meet some local requirement, but it would probably be mounted on the wall on the main power to the washer.

I don't recall ever seeing a pushbutton labeled "overcharge" in the 10s of thousands of pushbuttons I've seen. Pretty much everything else, though, identifying a machine function.

I have never seen a machine with a red pushbutton labeled anything other than "Emergency Stop" or equivalent in different languages.

If I did, I would consider it a serious safety risk and would refuse to even be present with the machine. Not wanting to be at the scene of a potentially deadly accident. I also don't want to be with a machine I don't know how to stop.

Do you have any familiarity with Emergency Stop switches, Michael? Most people don't and that is fine, most people have no need. Two examples where you are likely to see them out and about are on the bottom of escalators (to stop the stairs) and at some gas stations (to stop the pumps) Take a look at them next time you see one.


14 years old but still a goody
https://www.daybydaycartoon.com/comic/april03-2010/

John Henry

Rusty said...

rehajm said...
"…and now my content is deleted. When the shooting starts I want none you next to me in the fix hole…"

You mean "fox hole"?
When the shooting starts I'm going to be in a lawn chair in my front yard because it is going to be hilarious.

John henry said...

Building on my idea of PEDJT calling Brandon a malfunctioning appliance, perhaps he should bring an e-stop to his Philly rally.

Hold it up and say "You know what this is? Hilary lied about it being a reset button. It is an emergency stop button. I'm going to use it to stop Brandon the next time he malfunctions"

I'm sure that could be improved on but that is the general idea.

John Henry

John henry said...

Michael,

My link works for me. It is a shortened Amazon link that takes you to Ann's Amazon page for

"Baomain Red Sign Emergency Stop Switch Push Button Weatherproof Push Button Switch 660V with Box (1PCS)"

Here is the full Amazon link. Apologies for the clutter

https://www.amazon.com/Baomain-Emergency-Switch-Button-Weatherproof/dp/B00NTT91Y0/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=1LLPXKIKOLEY7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KU17yQ3yLVYbD5Kg-pB8vmIfavKfdTnHN5H0ib53fX57nO7ydIqiCsRgZ2e3VVo0_fOWW6GiM814ek8il0SHY7d-8O0dg9dDEsdaJnwHOjkEInXhM68FNpI_0A4gO1azXX97eU4f12Ce8II8sb2RCa7hw-55Xcw-xMMLvJpyEnd6vORgUAQwgeSRE-RYL6-8oT-2iu9JguQdXeTeJG6kTA.BCwiJ9VCt1q59-2h3KGX_6p8jPo8g98dVfkENSQ_8Jg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Emergency+stop+switch&qid=1718977499&sprefix=emergency+stop+switch%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-3

John Henry

John henry said...

the link goes to the first switch with box on an amazon search and I'd never heard of Baomain brand.

It is made in China. Would there be further irony in using a Chinese kill switch to shut Brandon down?

Idle mind, devil's workshop, some assembly required.

John Henry

Joe Smith said...

"If Joe Biden is a malfunctioning appliance that must mean he's been a tool all along."

And that is the entire tragedy/farce.

Dems have known since before 2020 that Joe was incapable of doing the job of POTUS.

But they also knew that Obama would be running the show and they were OK with that.

Talk about cynical...

Bob Boyd said...

@ AMDG I made a good faith effort to answer the question you asked, 'What was Trump trying to accomplish with his proposal?' Like all of us here, I'm not privy to Trump's reasoning and can only speculate.

Whether Trump's idea is good or bad policy and whether it's good or bad politics are other questions and I offered no opinion on either.

You're obviously very emotional when it comes to Trump. Don't project that on to me. I don't love or hate Trump, but he's the only game in town.

Bob Boyd said...

@ John Henry re 9:55AM

I didn't ask that, AMDG did. But very good answers.

loudogblog said...

I'm pretty sure that he was talking about Trump as the malfunctioning appliance.

"You’re just onstage with a malfunctioning appliance."

If he had been referring to the debate itself, he would have said, " You’re just onstage in a malfunctioning appliance."

You're not onstage with a debate; you're onstage in a debate. What you are onstage with is your opponent.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Thank you for the follow up, John Henry! My point in chewing on this topic is that, there is no such thing as an "overcharged" button on any machinery anywhere in the world- does not exist. So our betters in the Clinton campaign went to all the trouble to have one made up so that they could have a widely dispersed photo op where they dunk on the previous administration, bitch Obama constantly did that crap. But, when the embarrassing moment arose and they were told that they put the wrong word on it, they make up a story how they found this on a "whirlpool", not that they put time, and thought, and effort into it and still fucked it up so fundamentally.

These, our "leaders", are such smug and fragile egomaniacs that they present and cling to absurd deceits for years rather than admit to their own stupid mistakes. Very dangerous mindset for anyone in power to possess.

John henry said...

My point in chewing on this topic is that, there is no such thing as an "overcharged" button on any machinery anywhere in the world- does not exist.

One last note at the risk of belaborement. As I said, I've never seen a pushbutton labeled "overcharged" on any machine. On the other hand, I've seen buttons labeled everything else and I would be willing to bet $10 that somewhere out there is a machine built with some kind of overcharged function and a button to operate it.

I would be willing to bet a further $20 that if it does exist, it is green, blue, yellow, orange or any other color than red on yellow background.

It is important to me because anyone who works on, around or in the vicinity of machinery needs to have an absolute trust that in the event of any kind of problem at all, we can mash that red button and all power to the machine will be killed instantly. It will not be a cycle stop where the machine continues to the end of the cycle. No, it will stop in the middle of the cycle.

It pisses me off when people misuse such critical safety devices like this.

John Henry

Rabel said...

Unlike the NY Times free access links you give your readers, the Post demands that I give it my email address before it will allow me to read the article.

"The recipient of a gift article can read it for free for up to 14 days, without having to subscribe The Post. Gift article recipients will need to register for a Washington Post account."

My email address has value (not much, OK, but more than $0) so calling this "free access" is a lie by the Post.

stlcdr said...

I feel that Biden is going to fail to the point that it's going to look like Trump beating up an old man in the street.

Aggie said...

The best thing that Trump can do about Biden's senescence, is to not draw any attention to it whatsoever. That's not the same thing as not noticing it - but he's enough of a showman to understand that he gets no advantage out of reacting to it. The people watching, will have seen Biden's cognitive shortcomings very clearly, already. Trump will just be seen as a bully should he riff on it. All he has to do is think fast on his feet and have strong responses, to make a good impression as a better choice - as long as he's deft with his answers. My guess is that Biden will try to goad him into making fun of Joe's old-age fumbles & tumbles.

Biden has, in a way, played to his frailties over the past 4 years so that he can rally in the clutch situations. He'll be fully juiced-up for this debate, and this will surprise people that have been conditioned to think he's too far gone. He is too far gone, but tight control on appearances allow for him to be presented at his best for short durations.

It is telling that his condition has been gamed and then managed to the extent that it has been. A completely cynical approach to the Executive Branch. I would guess that not a single policy position has originated with the President in this administration.

Ralph L said...

I hope Trump's people jam the frequency of Biden's earpiece. Even better if they can hack and override his instructions. That will make the debate watchable.

Salute the Marines, Joe.

Rich said...

Is it too early to say that Trump won the first debate? But it’s never too early to say the debate was “rigged”.

Scott Patton said...

Gilbar at 8:34
"You DON'T pump an old man full of speed, until his heart fails; and Then allow an autopsy!"
They won't pump him full of speed. It will be a very precise "mama bear" dose in a timed release form that will last the entire debate with a very uniform desired effect. I'll bet testing that dose will be an essential part of the debate prep. Stomach contents will play a big part too.
Not that I know anything about such things.

Also, in my first read through the original post, it seemed obvious the malfunction appliance referred to was Trump. On reread, it seemed more like the "you" was Biden's mind and the malfunctioning appliance was his body (implied dualism).

Darkisland said...

How about PEDJT says, when talking about something else like immigration, "If I am elected president there will be no B-7 heavy bomber program."

Hopefully that will flummox Brandon who will say "There is no B-7 heavy bomber program" or ""how dare he promise no B-7 bomber" or something equally stupid

Then, after the debate when he has everyone stirred up about the B-7 heavy bomber program he can observe in a casual conversation "Bob DeNiro is a world class asshole but he made some fine films."

And see if anyone tumbles to the story of the president sniffing little girls hair, of "fucking a firefly girl in the oval office" or the B-1 program.

Wag the dog was such a great movie on so many levels.

John Henry

Bunkypotatohead said...

"May 22, 2024tv ratings. 5/22/24. The cable channel, which touts itself as "the most trusted name in news," drew just 83,000 viewers aged 25 to 54 during the week of May 13-19"

Nobody will even see this thing. It's why team Biden insisted it be on CNN.

Mr. Forward said...

Every damn thing I have purchased since Biden stole the election has been overcharged.

Rusty said...

"It pisses me off when people misuse such critical safety devices like this."
One of the companies I worked for use these as their on/off switch.
We rewired the machines with real on/off switches and wired to Estops to cut all power. Management was not happy. I din't last long there.

Old and slow said...

Ralph L, comments have been showing up and then subsequently vanishing for me recently.

Old and slow said...

Michael Fitzgerald, I know you are a disagreeable asshole, but now you have proven yourself to be a moron as well. Try saying the words out loud as you read them, it moght help you understand what John Henry was writing. It couldn't have been clearer, but...