Saturday’s Forum

This is what we've waited for.

FILED UNDER: Open Forum
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. Mikey says:

    Who’s got two thumbs and insomnia? This guy! Ugh. Hopefully a warm cup of herbal tea will help.

    2
  2. OzarkHillbilly says:

    @Mikey: No insomnia today, that fact being a lot rarer than I’d like..

  3. Teve says:

    @realDonaldTrump

    3 years ago, after Jeff Sessions recused himself, the Fraudulent Mueller Scam began. Alabama, do not trust Jeff Sessions. He let our Country down. That’s why I endorsed Coach Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville), the true supporter of our #MAGA agenda! secure.winred.com/tommytubervill…

    @jeffsessions

    .@realdonaldtrump Look, I know your anger, but recusal was required by law. I did my duty & you’re damn fortunate I did. It protected the rule of law & resulted in your exoneration. Your personal feelings don’t dictate who Alabama picks as their senator, the people of Alabama do.

    11
  4. Pete S says:

    @Teve:

    It’s hard finding yourself nodding and thinking, just for a second, Jeff Sessions is right. The feeling passes quickly and he throws a lie about exoneration in there to help the feeling go away even quicker.

    I guess I need to watch them feud the same way I watch a Yankees – Red Sox game, wishing there were a way for both teams to lose.

    11
  5. Teve says:

    Amazon angles to grab back customers

    Amazon’s order fulfillment got so incompetent in the last two months that I reluctantly switched to Walmart, and I’m not the only one.

    1
  6. Joe says:

    @Teve:
    Cheering for injuries.

    3
  7. CSK says:

    @Teve:
    Jeff, please. It doesn’t matter if recusal was required by law. What matters is…you were disloyal, as he sees it, to that pig-eyed bucket of human lard hunkered down in the Oval Office. And that’s all that matters.

    8
  8. Tyrell says:

    “Teaching t cells to fight cancer” (Harvard)
    This is interesting. They train certain cells to locate and fight cancer cells. This could be also used against infections and viruses.

    7
  9. sam says:

    Donald J. Trump
    @realDonaldTrump
    Many will disagree, but @FoxNews is doing nothing to help Republicans, and me, get re-elected on November 3rd. Sure, there are some truly GREAT people on Fox, but you also have some real “garbage” littered all over the network, people like Dummy Juan Williams, Schumerite Chris Hahn, Richard Goodstein, Donna Brazile, Niel Cavuto, and many others. They repeat the worst of the Democrat speaking points, and lies. All of the good is totally nullified, and more. Net Result = BAD! CNN & MSDNC are all in for the Do Nothing Democrats! Fox WAS Great!

    Whine, whine, whine – what a pussy.

    12
  10. OzarkHillbilly says:

    @sam: They repeat the worst of the Democrat speaking points, and lies.

    If they just stopped quoting trump the number of lies would plummet.

    2
  11. OzarkHillbilly says:

    Tara Reade got dumped by her lawyer. But he still totally believes her story, he just needed to spend more time with his belly button lint.

    6
  12. Teve says:

    @jesselehrich

    HALF of Fox News viewers believe Bill Gates is plotting to use a mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 to implant microchips in people & track their movements.

    only 26% say that’s false.

    A FoxNews viewer is born every minute.

    8
  13. CSK says:

    @sam:
    “Niel” Cavuto? Trump spells it “Niel”?

    3
  14. Jen says:

    @CSK: What’s even more irksome about his issue with Cavuto is that it is born out of Cavuto’s clapping back at Trump over hydroxychloroquine.

    Cavuto, of course, knows a bit about what he’s saying–unlike the President.

    As cable-news hosts go, Cavuto is in the vanguard when it comes to disease and drugs. It comes from personal experience, as he beat Hodgkin’s lymphoma when he was in his 20s. In his 30s, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and he had open heart surgery in 2016. “I have a progressive disease,” Cavuto told NPR in 2018. “I’m not naive about it. It can compromise your voice. The nerve endings that feed your esophagus on up will close. I can’t worry about it. I mean, I’ll know when I know.”

    4
  15. CSK says:

    @Jen:
    Speaking of medical issues–and certainly Cavuto would be far better informed about them than Trump–NBC News is asking why Trump has not yet completed the physical exam he started six months ago. The White House won’t say.

    6
  16. Sleeping Dog says:
  17. Mister Bluster says:

    @ 95South:..What’s your goal?

    Tear Down the Wall!

  18. CSK says:

    @CSK:
    FWIW, my guess about Trump’s failure to complete his physical is that he’s terrified his doctors will find something seriously wrong with him, physically or mentally. And I’m not altogether convinced–to put it mildly–that that episode last November when he was taken to Walter Reed was the first part of a routine physical. I strongly suspect he had some sort of episode; I don’t know what kind. Perhaps cardiac. It may have turned out to be a false alarm.

    3
  19. sam says:

    Trump’s Press Secretary Displays One of His Checks in a Little Too Much Detail

    The $100,000 check was made out to a government agency. This time his account and routing numbers were clearly visible.

    Somewhere in Russia:

    “Boris, Yuri, get in here”
    “What’s up Chiefski?”
    “Look at this.”
    “Jesusski. A fucking goldmine.”
    “Da. The man’s a billionaire. We got it made. Get on it. I want it hacked like yesterday.”

    Later.

    “Uh, Chiefski, we hacked the account, but, uh, there’s a problem.”
    “What kind of problem?”
    “Well, there’s not much in the account. And what there is is apparently locked and dedicated to monthly payments to a company.”
    “What company?”
    “Lessee. Ah, da. West Palm Beach Instatan, Superlock Hair Fixit, and Derriere Suppression. He’s been making payments for years.”
    “Bummerski. Well, back to the salt mine. How we doing on the bots?”

    5
  20. CSK says:

    @sam:
    I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a fake check. Donald Trump is a man who charged his son’s seven dollar Boy Scout initiation fee to his now-shuttered-by-court-order charitable foundation. There’s no way he’d give away a hundred grand of his own money.

    6
  21. Tim says:

    @sam:

    I don’t know why, but “Bummerski” made me laugh out loud (and scare my dog). I’m definitely gonna have to work that into my vocabulary.

    2
  22. 95 South says:

    @Mister Bluster: Context:

    @95 South:

    @Mister Bluster: I responded with a thumbs down vote as I said. Then I responded to KM’s question.

    I can’t figure out why I’m responding to your comment though. Your recent comments to me have been attempts to make me look bad, but so petty they’re probably hurting you. Why would someone care if I said I didn’t think something was worth responding to but merited a thumbs down vote, and you found it contradictory? What’s your goal?

    The same question here: what’s the point of your comment?

    1
  23. 95 South says:

    @95 South: I can’t edit the prior comment. It should have a link to the original comment under “Political Dialog in the Age of Trump” but I don’t think it’s working. The last sentence should be close blockquote. The question is, what are you trying to say? I wasn’t talking about the wall or about Jefferson Airplane. If anyone wants to see the original exchange they can. Are you just trolling?

    1
  24. Mister Bluster says:

    @95 South:..I can’t figure out why I’m responding to your comment though.

    Beats me…

    1
  25. CSK says:

    @Mister Bluster:
    She dragged this business over from one of yesterday’s threads. Damned if I know why. It has nothing to do with anything in this thread, even though this is an open forum.

    1
  26. 95 South says:

    @CSK: No, Mister brought it over by quoting me without context like he likes to do.

    @ 95South:..What’s your goal?

    Damned if I know why either. If I posted “@CSK … this is an open forum” tomorrow, would you understand why?

    2
  27. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    “This is it, boys this is war.” (And 99 red balloons go by, too. 😉 )

    (This one was easy for me, I used the song for comment at the time that Trump was saber rattling about NK–and got the most downvotes I’ve ever had, IIRC. A red letter day!)

    5
  28. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @CSK: Well yeah–it’s pronounced “knee” “el,” how else would you spell it?

  29. CSK says:

    @95 South:
    I’d probably recognize it as something I’d said on the previous day. But I can’t see why I’d disinter it and repost it.

    1
  30. Mikey says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker: Haha…I thought the lyric sounded familiar. But I never listen to 99 Luftballons auf Englisch.

    Hast du etwas Zeit fuer mich? Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer dich, von 99 Luftballons, auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont…

    3
  31. Jen says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker: I was living in West Germany when that song came out, and it was years before I heard it in anything but the original German. It’s still only “real” to me when I hear 99 Luftballons auf Deutsch.

    4
  32. Jim Brown 32 says:

    @Teve: They need a new Soros-like figure in RW land. This is a test phase to see if he can resonate in the same fashion

    3
  33. Mikey says:

    Here’s another indicator of just how terrible America’s response to COVID-19 has been.

    https://twitter.com/JeremyKonyndyk/status/1263685616576999425?s=20

    Been playing around with FT’s data for an article I’m working on.

    This stat blew my mind.

    Italy and Spain had among worst outbreaks in Europe. But by day 80, Italy was down 80% from peak, Spain was down 93%.

    US (top line in chart) at same point is down only 28% from peak.

    1
  34. Sleeping Dog says:

    The future of flight: Immunity passports, unexpected border closings, and no carry-ons

    You get to the airport four hours before your flight is scheduled to depart.

    When you arrive, an airport security guard checks to make sure you’re wearing a mask and that you have tickets for a flight before allowing you inside the terminal. Once inside, you’re taking the stairs or an escalator (unless you’re disabled) because it’s impossible to stay 6 feet from others in the confined space of an elevator car.

    In the departures hall, thermal imaging cameras are scanning the crowd to determine whether there are any individuals with abnormally high temperatures walking about. Counter agents are all behind plexiglass, and facial recognition technology is used as much as possible to keep person-to-person contact at a minimum.

    When I retired, I decided that except crossing an ocean or a family emergency, there was no reason for me ever to take a commercial flight again. If I need to go to LA for a wedding, no problem, take a couple of weeks and visit points of interest along the way. I have the time.

    1
  35. Mister Bluster says:

    @CSK:..@Mister Bluster:
    She dragged this business over from one of yesterday’s threads. Damned if I know why. It has nothing to do with anything in this thread, even though this is an open forum.

    I confess. I did drag this over into this thread see 10:23. I do attempt to provide context but sometimes I fail.

    Mister Bluster says:
    Monday, May 18, 2020 at 14:33
    Context
    95 South says:
    Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 15:20
    Right, of course there’s nothing wrong with Nightcrawler. I made it all up.

    But you know, I’m a Republican, and I sometimes walk around thinking how many people want me dead, and I will treat them no better than they treat me. I’ve always known that the End Times would occur within my life, one of the many reasons I never had kids. I knew, I knew, I knew. People tell me I have a bad attitude, but they say it as a defense shield because the End Times are here. I don’t care if I die. The liberals can kill me but they’ll never defeat me, because one day they’ll die too.

    Do you see it now?

    Mister Bluster says:
    Monday, May 18, 2020 at 15:20
    @95 South: ..ETA – I just noticed you edited around my original comment to make it look worse. So you knew what I was saying.

    I have provided context so now what you stated does not look worse, as you say, it just looks bad.
    I never know what you are saying.

    Mister Bluster says:
    Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 10:50
    95 South posts here to whine about not being noticed.

    Don’t you notice I said things I’ve never said before, paraphrasing or even quoting word for word the earlier comment I was complaining about?

    For context go to Monday’s Forum thread at 15:53…

    I do not think that I have assigned gender to 95South. After all 95 South is an Interstate Highway.
    A slab.
    When the early Interstates were being built in these parts we called them Super Slab!

    Mister Bluster says:
    Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 00:36
    @95 South:..@KM: That one was me. “95 IQ” didn’t seem worth responding to…

    But you respond anyway. Must be in furtherance of your stated agenda “to find the truth, and to help people who have gotten off-track in their thinking.”

    (for context see this thread at 14:02 and 13:27)

  36. @Just nutha ignint cracker: Well done. I thought this one would run for at least two days!

  37. 95 South says:

    @Mister Bluster: Was there something in that conversation you wanted to fininsh?

    1
  38. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    Just a lucky happenstance, I assure you. It’s a song that’s been on the radio a lot where I live.

  39. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @Mister Bluster: @95 South: I just wish you two would just agree to disagree and put an end to all the obscure sniping on both sides. And no, I don’t care who either of you think started it.

    On the other hand, it’s easy to skip over the @bluster @95 posts because they’re in red, making them easy to ignore.

    2
  40. 95 South says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker: I consider it dropped.

    1
  41. CSK says:

    Well, nearly 100,000 Americans have died of Covid-19, Memorial Day observances have been canceled…and Trump goes golfing at one of his courses in Virginia. Way to go, you revolting sack of humanoid lard.

    5
  42. dazedandconfused says:

    @Sleeping Dog:

    We will look fondly back to the good ol’ days when all the TSA had to do was frisk us. Distances up to 1000 miles will be achieved faster by bicycle.

  43. Bill says:
  44. MarkedMan says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker: I hear you. I was just about to say “If I have to pull over you’ll be in real trouble!”

    1
  45. CSK says:

    In tones of grim yet noble resolve, Trump informed Sharyl Attkison that he has “a chance to break the deep state. It’s a vicious group of people.”

    2
  46. CSK says:

    @dazedandconfused:
    Road trip!

    1
  47. Bill says:

    Shocking event in my life today- Dear Wife found Charmin toilet paper at Costco today. She bought one pack for us and one for our 85-year-old neighbor we sometimes shop for.

    3
  48. Mikey says:

    The front page of tomorrow’s New York Times. Words fail.

    They were not simply names on a list. They were us.

    2
  49. CSK says:

    @Mikey:
    The epitaph following each person’s name is very moving.

    1
  50. Mikey says:

    @CSK: And those names represent just 1% of all those we know we’ve lost so far. It is crushing.

  51. Mister Bluster says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker:..@Mister Bluster: @95 South: I just wish you two would just agree to disagree and put an end to all the obscure sniping on both sides. And no, I don’t care who either of you think started it.

    On the other hand, it’s easy to skip over the @bluster @95 posts because they’re in red, making them easy to ignore.

    OK mom. I’ll take your scolding under advisement.
    Who started what? You brought that up. I know I never raised that issue.
    When anyone claims that they want to help people who have gotten off-track in their thinking
    I assert that they are arguing from a position of authority and I reserve the right to question their authority.

    I have never stated anywhere that my posts are required reading.

    (in red??? not what I see posted on my screen???)

    1
  52. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @Mister Bluster: Take a look at MY NAME on your screen and I think you’ll be able to suss out what I was referring to. (But maybe not. 🙁 )

    You probably don’t need to worry about it as much. With your Mr. Magoo on the phone (boy, is that ever ironic) avatar, you’re easy to skip over anyway.

  53. Mister Bluster says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker:…Take a look at MY NAME on your screen…

    I see YOUR NAME (Just nutha ignint cracker says:) at the beginning of posts 14:53, 15:00, 15:39, 15:44, 22:10. Each entry is IN BLACK.
    My name heading my posts are also IN BLACK.
    Same with @95 South.

    Apparently you see something else.

  54. Tyrell says:

    @Teve: Vaccine or not, I would not have anything that Gates has had anything to do with, even if he is giving away his “Spy phones”, smart watches, and other devices. I don’t trust Google any further than I can throw them. Do not use or install any government or health department tracking app. Your personal information and health records will be distributed to who knows where.
    Turn off all “smart” devices in your home.
    I threw Alexa out in the woods.
    Gates/government complex: it’s here.

  55. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @Mister Bluster: When I REPLY, what COLOR does my name appear in? (because that’s the only time that “@” is used by the format–t’s easy to skip over the @bluster @95 posts because they’re in red)

    And I see you changed your avatar. Coincidence? (Won’t help 🙁 )

    1
  56. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    ” Vaccine or not, I would not have anything that Gates has had anything to do with”

    This is the kind of stuff that keeps people coming back–rational opinions intelligently stated.

  57. Mister Bluster says:

    If there is a @Mister Bluster: in red it is not something that I posted. It is a reply by another commenter.
    I thought for sure I could trick you by changing the avatar but I see that you are just too slick for that.
    I guess I’ll just have to revert to my fallback position in this matter and state again that I have never stated anywhere that my posts are required reading.