Saturday, July 16, 2016

Mike Pencil-Case



A small container for carrying around someone else's ambitions.

From the NYT:
Donald Trump Delivers a Long, Passionate Speech. He Introduces Mike Pence, Too.

If ever there was a moment for Donald J. Trump to share the spotlight, his formal announcement of his running mate on Saturday was it.

Instead, his introduction of Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana was a remarkable reminder that ultimately, the Trump campaign is about one person.

He called Mr. Pence his “partner,” but before the governor took the stage, Mr. Trump stood there alone and talked for 28 minutes, delivering a long and improvised riff that emulated his rallies instead of a traditional vice-presidential debut.

Looking away from his notes, he talked about Hillary Clinton, terrorism, his primary victories, his crushing of a “Stop Trump” movement. Donald Trump, Mr. Trump said, understands infrastructure and how to build a border wall. He even got in a plug for his new hotel in Washington.

After roughly 20 minutes, Mr. Trump reached for his notes. “Back to Mike Pence!” he declared, turning to Mr. Pence’s record of job creation in Indiana. Then he used the reference to the Hoosier State to remind the 150 people in attendance that he had trounced Mr. Pence’s endorsed candidate, Senator Ted Cruz, in the primary there.
...
Best case scenario, Donald Trump will pull at least 40 percent of the vote in November.  Of the Americans who can be bothered to haul their asses to the polls and vote, no matter what you or I say or do and no matter what Trump says or does, at least four in ten voters will affirmatively choose a fascist thug and a theocrat goon to lead this county.

Something to chew on.

14 comments:

Edward said...

I know you remember Pence serving as Obama's punching bag because I can recall you and bg discussing the President's visit to the Republican retreat back in 2009 -- something which was hardly covered by the news when it happened, and which Republicans quickly tried to cram down the memory hole once it was over:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5vOMIN673A

In subsequent histories of the Obama years, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this incident was a watershed for the relationship between Obama and the GOP. We know now that they planned obstruction from day one, and certainly we know how they've weaponized partisan politics since the Gingrich era, but there's a deeper wellspring of hostility by Republicans towards Obama -- the kind that 60 years ago would have an outlet or discharge in a lynching, but which now induces a kind of septic lunacy since it must remain confined to the host in these days of Political Correctness.

I think there were quite a few Republicans in that audience in 2009, who all they could hear/see was some uppity ni**er talkin' sass to them. And it made their blood boil.

Paul W said...

Thing is, I know a good number of Republican voters and conservative-minded people - unavoidable, sitting in the middle of Central Florida - and for the most part they're genuinely not racist or idiotic. And some of them just say "Trump" and then shake their heads in disgust. But they've been so warped by the constant BS from the Far Right media about the "dangers" of libruls and that Kenyan in the White House that they are horrified by Hillary and are still thinking of supporting Trump *even though they understand* exactly what Trump represents...

trgahan said...

Other things to chew on:

That 40 percent will only demand another, louder, "purer" Trump in 2020.

Micro-Trumps have already won (and will continue to win) in down ticket races. To the GOP base, this is proof of concept.

Like under Obama, the conservative oligarchs will prosper under a Clinton Presidency. They don't need/aren't interested in internal reform. They just want to get the rubes back under sufficient control before the Judicial Branch is ALL Democratic appointees.

And the Media accountants will show 2016 was their most profitable year yet. We'll likely witness full wing-nut employment as every TV outlet continues to turn into AM radio. There may not be a single liberal on TV by the 2018 midterms.

Jim from MN said...

During that embarrassing George Stephanopoulos ABC "This Week" appearance in 2015, instead of taking responsibility for signing his disastrous "Religious Freedom Restoration Act” Pence flapped and flailed. He was also repeatedly offered the chance to clarify that the law does not legalize discrimination against members of the LGBT community, Pence reverted to his best Ralph Kramden "humina--humina--humina."

bowtiejack said...

If we're doing nickname nominations, I would like to submit:
"Dense" Pence.

Back when he was in Congress one staffer observed there were salads in the Congressional Dining Room with a higher IQ.

Unknown said...

trgahan is right.

It doesn't matter if liberals have been right all along.

Driftglass, I love you, but please, to paraphrase the Bill Clinton 1992 campaign mantra
IT'S THE LONG GAME, STUPID

Print that and paste it to the screen of your computer. Make bigger versions for your refrigerator and bathroom mirror.

You think the GOP is really focusing on the 2016 presidential race? No, it's doing what trgahan describes, across all three branches of government. If bloggers like you aren't covering that, who will?

Forget Brooks and both-siderism and liberals were right all along. That's where the GOP wants you to wallow while they build powerful political farm systems under the radar.

Robt said...

This is some nasty chew.

I need a spittoon, and can a patron get a tooth pick? this crap is getting stuck between my teeth.
Trump's nomination of Pence defies any logic Spock could analyze.

Let me see;

-Trump will hire the best people? Pence?
-Trump values loyal people? The same Pence that supported Ted Cruz?
-Trump will unite? Pence passes legalized discrimination law?
-Trump is the popular outside candidate? Picking an all time insider ?
-Trump and Pence are both media exploiters.

Ask yourself,
Who made themselves available to Trump to choose from?
Which void(s) in the political void(s) of Trump was he trying to fill with Pence?
Does Pence give Trump Indiana? Does Pence help Trump in Florida, Ohio or elsewhere?

Pence's resume includes being a Right wing hate espouser host. Can we look at some of his old air time? I mean, Trump has gone back to HRC murdering Vince Foster?

In other words, let the rest of America vet Pence. To correct vetting Indianians did poorly

Unknown said...

Various reports are circulating now about how sitting guvs campaigning for higher office now (as of 2010) face restrictions on raising campaign funds from much of the financial sector.
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/07/pences-pay-to-play-problem/

Oooops

Skeptic Rising said...

My horseback guess is that about 15 of the 40 will vote for Trump based on Democrat Derangement Syndrome. The other 25 are actually aware and in support of the fascism. That's what they, in fact, want the country to be.

Unknown said...

I agree with the notion that Trumps ceiling is about 40%. Tops. When you subtract the heavy wins he'll have in the racist states, that leaves an embarrassingly small number to spread over the other 44. Biggest landslide loss since Goldwater. To rub salt in the Yams wound, if the Dems had a normal white male candidate they might run the table.

bt1138 said...

It's true 4 in 10 will vote for Trump. Sad.

And in a similar, funny way, there are those surveys of Latinos v Trump, and they seem to break 70/30 or so quite often. This always prompts me to ask myself, who are these 3 in 10 who would vote from Trump? Have they actually been watching this thing? Are they mental?

It should be like 99/1.

However, I did see a story that a recent survey among black voters in Ohio and PA did score something close to 0% for Trump. That's more like it.

Bob Harrison said...

He will lose at least two states from the old Confederacy, maybe more.

Robt said...

There is a lot of comments about Trump losing tremendously. But then he does everything great. Even lose.

Yet, is there a bubble on the left?

A bubble that is so sure he can only lose?

I have heard too many declaring that "IF" they were in a strong Democratic voting state they would assuredly vote third party or not at all to make a "statement" A purist statement at that.
So if enough of those folks follow through with their Tea Party light purism and those in swing states where every vote counts embraces this notion. Trump is not that far away from appointing David Duke to the Supreme Court.
Which is AM radio's big fear mongering threat to their dittoheads.

Don't forget, this is an election for Americans. A profitable horse race for the media. Which direction will Americans agree to go?

Unknown said...

Robt, BINGO

HRC is widely disliked. Her disapproval ratings in recent polls are nearly as bad as DJT's. And it's not mere disapproval, it's emotion-laden hatred.

It's way too early to guess what the nose-holders of both major parties or independents will do. The media, pundits, PACs, superPAC's, pollsters, and ground games have barely gotten started.

Pass the popcorn.