Why does politics always suck so much in the summer? I understand the August recess, but it just seems like every summer politics takes a turn for the worse.
Open Thread
by John Cole| 96 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
by John Cole| 96 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Why does politics always suck so much in the summer? I understand the August recess, but it just seems like every summer politics takes a turn for the worse.
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4tehlulz
I blame air conditioning.
Cheryl from Maryland
It’s the humidity.
Amanda in the South Bay
Isn’t it time for another left wing blogospheric freak out?
Yutsano
Don’t look two threads down. It’s already happening.
Xecky Gilchrist
What? I can’t hear you over all the wailing and sobbing.
El Cid
Max Baucus did what he could to help entertain us with Stalin Summer while the health care bill remained imprisoned in his committee so he could come up with his awesome Democratic-Republican bipartisan support.
4tehlulz
If Obama only ruled by fiat like FDR, this would never have happened.
kdaug
You don’t introduce new products in August.
September’s war inbound.
slag
For the same reasons that Woody Allen movies could never really be set in Southern California.
ruemara
It’s really too hot to think and we all just want a
beerjob.Edited to account for reality.
PeakVT
Why does politics always suck so much in the summer?
A lot of people tune out (even more), so our so-called liberal media cranks up the crazy even more in order to get people to pay attention.
El Cid
If only everyone realized their main responsibility was to shut up and organize local Democratic voting, none of this would ever happen.
Nemesis
Just wondering…
Why is there an ad with a woman felating a sizeable vegetable on the left side of my screen here at BJ?
Oh, I get it. Clicking the ad is part of BJ initiation.
Here I go…
stuckinred
slag
I dunno, the LA part of Annie Hall was pretty good.
cleek
well, i blame Obama.
murbella
its the crazie-days, the hot season.
look at the atheoskeptic community.
They are at war.
its just like Matt and Trey prophesied.
jeffreyw
lunch is served
Yutsano
You didn’t click the ad, did you?
You clicked the ad.
Sigh.
Another good one gets lost in the PETA rabbit hole.
kdaug
Might just be me, but out of the corner of my eye I seem to have seen a Reply button… Probably just wish-fulfillment…
TheOtherWA
It’s as if everyone’s brains go on vacation for the summer, both politicians and media. And you know, voters, too.
Most summers are merely annoying in the political world, but this one has very important issues we all need to pay attention too. Unemployment and the debt limit/hostage crisis for starters. This isn’t a normal summer and I don’t like it.
stuckinred
Isn’t it ‘why DO politics suck. . . “?
The Moar You Know
It’s hot and I hate everything and everyone.
TheOtherWA
Jeffrey @17
I’ll be right there.
priscianusjr
You don’t unveil a new product in August, that’s why.
celticdragonchick
I think it must be something like that old Ray Bradbury story Shopping for Death.
Facebones
No football to distract us. So, get ready for more of the same come autumn.
Xecky Gilchrist
Isn’t it ‘why DO politics suck. . . “?
I don’t think so; “politics” is this sort of mass entity, like water or sand, rather than something you can count. Otherwise we’d be discussing whether this or that politic sucks in particular.
ruemara
You know, it’s all about this
jeffreyw
@TheOtherWA:
Gimme a minute…I done ate that one.
Yutsano
@celticdragon:
Link no work. U fix.
stuckinred
It’s a cruel, cruel summer. . .
Cris (without an H)
Not enough shark attacks.
Brian R.
Simple. During the rest of the year, the pinheads who make their living as reporters and pundits are distracted by their favorite shows on TV — Jersey Shore, Two and a Half Men, really smart stuff like that.
When the networks go to reruns in the summer, though, they don’t have those shiny objects to distract them so they have to gin up fake drama in politics.
stuckinred
Yutsano –
what up Y?
James E. Powell
It just seems like politics suck more in the summer because there are fewer Big Media distractions.
stuckinred
Cris (without an H)
Wailing Souls
It’s a New World Order
Lolis
Remember when Senate Dems were making noises about putting stimulus into the debt ceiling negotiations? Whatever happened with that? Spend now, cut later.
Amanda in the South Bay
I suffer from depression, and yeah, the constant left wing
freaking out over everything really gets me depressed. I know how serious the debt limit is, how unemployment and the economy will impact the 2012 election, etc. Its just that lately there’s been a lot of unnecessary freaking out and despair. Seriously, its waaaay too early to start freaking out about stuff.
Suffern ACE
My hypothesis is that the democratic establishment and limoseean librals who are supposed to push back actually take off on the weekends to their summer houses, whereas the professional minions on the right hate their families and actually work through the summer months and holidays.
I have more thoughts on this, but gotta go. I’ve been invited to my friend’s house in P-town and want to beat the traffic. Can’t be too worried about that mosque they’re building downtown or the dumb death panel tweet from Sara.
Yutsano
I just broke one of my cardinal rules of Balloon Juice blogging. I touched a toxic thread. I may be a hopeless case, but learn from my mistakes and save yourselves.
artem1s
I blame the War on Christmas
IrishGirl
I remember as a kid how much I loved Summer and now as an adult I hate it. My daughter is out of school and bitches about the summer camps she’s enrolled in. Its way, way too damn hot to do anything outside, including swimming! After my family vacation I always need a personal vacation. AND politics suck.
El Cid
FWIW, (even though I as extreme leftist as imaginable — in ideology) I have to remind people that the left has always been on a constant freakout. Well, at least since no more disciplined Communist-like and union-based leftism existed.
The difference is now you can hear it and see it on blogs, instead of having to subscribe to certain magazines and newsletters and be in certain groups and hang out at left-wing bookstores or have a local radical radio station and/or show.
Mike Goetz
Do yourselves a favor and go read Michael Tomasky’s piece in The Daily Beast.
He thinks Obama should not have become President and that his true calling is…college basketball coach!
Does Tomasky quote New Liberal Hero David Frum in his piece? Why, yes he does. Is it possible that I hate liberal commentators more than I hate Louie Gohmert himself? Why, yes it is.
stuckinred
Yutsano
Some rants going down fo sho.
Woodrowfan
I’ve lived in DC for a couple decades now and I understand. Maybe we should send Congress and the executive branches north from June-September. Summer in DC sucks and makes everybody cranky.
Yutsano
And never fear JC: soon you’ll be bitching about winter and snow soon enough.
trollhattan
Republicans want everybody not in the top percentile to be permanent luckie duckies and in this shiny future, mere banking can become a Portal to Adventure!
http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/91605/man-jailed-cashing-check
slag
@stuckinred: It was ok. But it was only ok in juxtaposition to the rest of Annie Hall in New York. Could you imagine the entire movie set in SoCal?
stuckinred
slag
course not, Paris was good though.
Cassidy
Nothing on TV.
slag
@stuckinred: Agreed. Paris was amazing!
cleek
@El Cid:
… and if you spend all your days on political blogs, all you hear is partisan dingbats spouting partisan bullshit at each other.
in other words: selection bias.
Yutsano
I’m not a summer type person anyway, so wake me when the white stuff starts falling from the sky please.
@ stuck: please save me from myself. The emo may be overwhelming me.
Dean
Maybe global warming has an inverse effect on republicans. The higher the temperature, the dumber they get. Maybe that’s why they don’t want to believe that it’s happening.
MGLoraine
“…it just seems like every summer politics takes a turn for the worse.”
It seems to me like every DAY politics takes a turn for the worse. No Hope in sight.
Legalize
I think it’s because Americans pay less attention in the summer months. So, GOP lies and misinformation can sprout from little seedlings without anyone really noticing. By Labor Day, those sprouts have turned into noxious weeds, and Americans only then get around to noticing.
stuckinred
Yutsano
Back to Woody from Love and Death: FLEE!
gocart mozart
Its not the heat, its the stupidity.
mk3872
This is much more a problem of economics than politics.
Clearly our political system is not structured in a way that it can quickly solve macro economic problems.
Yutsano
Which is why I’m going to work even though I feel like hell gently warmed over.
gbear
Wonkette has got the best photoshop of Michele Bachmann ever!!
JC
For what it’s worth, Digby and Krugman, sometime Obama detractors, have been more accurate the past couple of years, in terms of the policies enacted and effects, of the policies, even those adopted by the Democratic Congress.
Digby today:
“And it’s a biiiig push.
Though the president and Congressional leaders did not close wide gaps on the issues of spending cuts or new tax revenues, officials briefed on the talks said, they emerged with a consensus to aim for the biggest possible deal — one resulting in up to $4 trillion in savings — and a recognition of the dire consequences of not acting before Aug. 2, when the government will lose its authority to borrow.
The good news is that the president and the Republicans have decided to do this hugely ambitious, complicated deal on a hard deadline that’s right around the corner. That way we don’t have to deal with all that messy “democracy” thing have a real debate or serious analysis before the Armageddon forces a vote.
Who says they don’t know what they’re doing, eh?”
What did Obama talk about today, in his press conference? Confidence, payroll tax cut, trade agreements, patent streamlining?
what?
Did you hear Sperling the other day? Talking in all the rightwing talking points, about confidence for businesses to invest?
What the hell is going on?
jwest
Some right-wing blogs are speculating that if the economy and unemployment situation remains relatively the same as it is now and Obama’s numbers continue their downward trend, it could become apparent that a Carteresque loss in the making.
Given that scenario, as the speculation goes, Obama would want to avoid an embarrassing loss and decline to run for a second term, leaving the candidate to be selected at the democrat convention. The theory being that with a fresh face unassociated with the Obama presidency, any loss would be minimized and with the right person, there would be an outside chance at a win.
The question is, who would be that “fresh face”?
MomSense
@Dean
The higher the temperature the dumber the politics explains those southern red states.
David Brooks (not that one) is a dickhead
If you think this is bad, just wait until next summer. If you thought the last campaign was awful, this one will break records and split families…
Sorry, didn’t check to see if someone else has made the same comment. It’s too hot.
Oh, wait, this is Seattle. It isn’t.
PeakVT
Attention West Virginians: more good news on fracking.
fasteddie9318
Paul Ryan.
WyldPirate
@Yutsano:
Got that “la-la-la-la-la I can’t hear you” playing constantly in your head, huh?
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
MomSense
@Mike Goetz
I couldn’t get past the little teaser on the home page. Politicians being reasonable would be transformational.
Some reasonable things:
Raising the debt ceiling
Ending corporate tax loopholes
A serious jobs program
Acting on climate change
Raising income taxes for millionaires.
WyldPirate
@mk3872:
Doesn’t help that a big percentage of the Congress appears to be–or are held in the thrall of–a bunch of nihilistic psychopaths and the “good guys” are bought off my the MOTU.
Sasha
Mad dogs and Englishman.
Moe
Obama usually takes a hit in the summer, too
cat48
Chuck Todd thinks it’s a regularly scheduled Event. Don’t try to fight it; just roll with it……..
Pat
Because they would rather be on the golf course. The people’s business can wait until whenever the hell they feel like it getting to it!
Mike Goetz
@momsense:
Good job stopping when you did.
I agree with your entire list of reasonable actions, and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Andrew
You know for all the wailing and moaning about Obama’s poll numbers, it actually seems that under the conditions they’re pretty good. He’s been averaging about 46% – not good, but with in near-zero growth and 9-10% unemployment that seems awfully high. Most presidents – Democrat or Republican – would have numbers in the 30s under those circumstances.
(And no, I’m not justifying inaction or trying to spin the numbers: they’re awful, and even taking into account what I said above, he’d probably narrowly lose reelection if conditions are like this in November of 2012.)
yeahyeahwhatevs (Studly Pantload, once upon a time)
@Cassidy 51
Netflix, dude. Old Columbo eps ftw!
Roger Moore
@jwest:
FTFY. Not that they’re wrong that a bad economy would make things tough on Obama. But if they expect him to fold in attempt to avoid an embarrassing loss, they’re stuck in la-la land. Whatever taint of failure clings to Obama is likely to cling to whatever fresh face the Democrats try to stick in his place.
kdaug
“Are we poor, Atticus?” Atticus nodded. “We are indeed.”
Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen
The abolition of slavery accelerated the unravelling of the family unit thereby causing politics to suck in the summer:
Curse you Lincoln!
cat48
@gbear
Want to know what is NOT funny about the Marriage Pledge that she signed?? Lots of black folks NOT HAPPY about this!
jl
This blog needs a summer project.
Cole could fix the blog problems, but sounds like he is not in the mood. And having everything working would wreck the broken down rustic charm of the place. Kind of like having a rustic B&B out in the country side with satellite TV dishes over every room.
I would suggest a lemonade stand, but Cole won’t tell anyone who he really is or where he lives, and we don’t really know whether he exists or not. So, hard to see how that will involve this joyful, mutually accepting commenter community.
How about Cole (or DougJ, assume Cole is really one of his spoofs) pitch a reality show about Balloon Juice? Innovative and novel? (yes) Interesting characters? (yes) Conflict and drama? (double yes) Cute anthropomorphic animals? (triple yes yes yes!)
Could be money maker! It will change history, is all.
Mike Goetz
I’ve long thought that two-parent households were the hidden upside to slavery.
stuckinred
yeahyeahwhatevs (Studly Pantload, once upon a time)
Watch Murder Inc, Falk got and Oscar nomination, and you’ll never quite see Columbo the same way. He was Keitel before Harvey was.
Dennis SGMM
@Roger Moore
Does this mean that Obama has learned to fold after the hand is dealt?
Suffern ACE
@ 70 MomSense-
Funny I keep thinking I voted for that. I keep voting for that and my people seem to win, but I don’t ever get that outcome. I tried hitting the damn political machine thingy that brings news into my home, but it still isn’t working.
Suffern ACE
@82 – WTF is the policy outcome that they are proposing in this pledge?
PurpleGirl
Woodrowfan @ 44: Actually you’re quite right. When the D.C. area was picked as the location for Congress and the President they didn’t anticipate it becoming a year-round city. They thought it would host the government during the congressional season and then everyone would go home. Who could/would have predicted that it would turn into a real city?
TheHalfrican
Sheeeeeeeiiit, considering his previous summers (as per Chuck Todd), I think this summer’s going absolutely fucking PEACHY for Obama. Peachy, fun, candyland times lol. Fuck your “anonymous source familiar with the President’s thinking”. Death panels, birth certificates & guns at town halls, and the rise of the Tea Party. That was bad. BP spill. Now that was *BAD*. In 07 his campaign looked like it would lose to Edwards in Iowa. Pretty fuckin bad. Trailing in polls to Grampa Simpson thanks to bullshit “celebrity” ads and a rapturous reception for Palin at the end of August. PRETTY FUCKIN BAD. This summer the issue is what? Republicans acting like assholes in congress? Ho-hum. Dog bites man.
Obama needs a sex scandal or something to really keep his awful summer streak going. Maybe punch a girl scout or two. Oh and I’m pretty sure 85% of Americans couldn’t find Greece on a map and don’t give a shit about its default, #justsayin
FormerSwingVote
This is hilarious:
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/07/08/the-matt-drudge-market-indicator/?iid=HP_LN
Synopsis: whenever the Drudge Report says the economy is terrible, start buying, because they are always, always, always wrong.
WyldPirate
@Thoughtful Black Co-Citizen:
This was also true up until the 1960s as well.
yeahyeahwhatevs (Studly Pantload, once upon a time)
@stuckinreed 85
Noted – thanks!
James E. Powell
@JC:
Leaving aside the problems that there is apparently no person to voice them and no Big Media to allow it, what are the left-wing talking points?
Legalize
@83jl – July 8, 2011 | 2:28 pm
My project is called drinking vodka-and-grapefuit juice and smoking cigarettes, while tending the deck garden and grilling.
I recommend it to everyone!!
IrishGirl
@Legalize @83jl: For some reason your quote reminded me of the Penguin (Jack Nicolson) quote (modified for BJ): “This blog needs an enema!” Oh, wait, that’d be a good one for the rotating snark in the site header….just sayin!
BTW, check out my blog snark….the GOP crusade against the light bulb change set me off on a rant, It’s called “A thousand points of dimness“