I don’t mean to step on AL’s post, but Yamiche Alcindor from The New York Times has just reported out the following news:
Source also says that RNC officials likely can't oust Trump from the ticket and that Trump would likely have to quit on his own.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) October 8, 2016
I’m honestly not sure that anyone at the RNC actually understands strategy from what I’ve observed over the past several years. They were in favor of the Citizen’s United case, which resulted in every billionaire conservative being allowed to basically fund their own equivalents to the RNC. In terms of funding candidates, up and down the ballot, the RNC is superfluous. But it goes beyond that. In the last two presidential election cycles the RNC has been unable to exercise any control over the primary process, which is why in both 2012 and now in 2016 they have had over a dozen candidates contest for the nomination. Trump’s genius was recognizing this, and recognizing the importance of TV news coverage and how similar it all seemed to reality TV. And, as a result, he was able to walk right through the scrum to daylight and take the nomination with minimum effort. And since its very unclear if anyone at the RNC can develop strategy, it is also unclear if they can also do crisis action planning. It is clear, based on the repeated attempts by elected Republican officials seeking reelection this year to straddle the issues that Trump has created, that they do not have a strategy for dealing with him either aside from condemning what he says and does, immediately providing a pro forma reiteration of support for him, and then trying to get away from the reporter asking the questions. This inability to develop strategy or develop contingency plans in case of a crisis, that, regardless of what does or does not happen with Trump over the next several days, does not bode well for the future. Wounded political movements, just like wounded animals, are dangerous.
Steve in the ATL
Maybe they should try racism, sexism, class warfare, and vote suppression
Rhoda
The GOP is stuck with their pig in a poke.
@chucktodd
GOPers looked at the ballot rules on replacing Trump during the Khan meltdown. Bottom line: if he didn’t vacate by Sept 1, they were stuck
Princess (now General) Leia
How much did he say it would take? I think he quits, counts the cash, and we are stuck with 3 weeks to take on the “winner” of the VP debate.
PigDog
Well, if he pulls out we’ll never have to hear about Eagleton again.
Feebog
Remember that picture of Eric Trump holding the sawed off elephant tail? Trump is deader than that tail.
Trentrunner
Trump’s name is on ballots now being cast. And his ego will not allow him to withdraw.
But will happen is that now that his numbers have gone south again, the rest of the GOP will distance itself from him (no Trump appearance at Ryan’s GOP hoo-ha tomorrow).
Not one GOPer running has withdrawn support for Trump yet. McCain Ayotte Priebus Ryan have all “condemned” Trump. But they’re all still voting for him.
NickM
I think it’s getting close to the time that Hillarys strategy should be to retreat to a concrete bunker and await the election.
Betty Cracker
Enjoy that shit sandwich, GOP. Have a Tic Tac after!
RAM
Excellent post, Adam, mostly because I think you’re right.
Also, I’m wondering if this all took place in California, which it seems to have. Because California just abolished the statute of limitations on sexual assault crimes, which might have some interesting implications.
lamh36
It’s OVER!
Betty Cracker
@Trentrunner: They are cowards, but my guess is many of them will withdraw their endorsements.
gf120581
I’m not sure this is going to be a strategy meeting as much as a bunch of guys getting completely smashed together.
PPCLI
@Feebog: I am imagining Hillary in the same pose, holding up something that looks like the pelt of a wet orange muskrat.
gf120581
@lamh36: Holy shit, Trump has lost his Boswell!
I think I knew it was bad for Trump when even Ann Coulter was mocking him over this (saying it looked like he got his audio fixed).
Anoniminous
@Betty Cracker:
They can’t. They’d hemorrhage Trump voters which are a large part of their base.
RepubAnon
@NickM: No, Hillary’s strategy should be pushing the down-ticket races – and making sure they’ve got video of Trumpski’s speeches for use in TV spots and YouTube videos.
There should be lots of video about how Trumpski always blames others for his own failures – and video of Trump lobbying in 1995 for massive tax cuts (which he later used to shelter $1 BILLION dollars in losses) to counter the Trump campaign’s vague “tax cuts for everyone” meme. Could throw in some Paul Ryan stating that the Republicans will make massive cuts in social programs as well – and privatize Social Security.
JPL
As long as the Don went after the birth certificate.. they didn’t care… As long as they went after Clinton.. they didn’t care… I’m shocked this blew up.. Is it because he said the word with cats.. If they wanted to get rid of Trump, the time would have been eight years ago, but they didn’t.
Francis
Tom: “I don’t mean to step on AL’s post”
yes, actually, you do, and the “I don’t mean to … but” line has always grated on me.
What do you think of this formulation: “I try to avoid stepping on fellow host’s posts, but this is too good to let sit. So I apologize for stepping on what AL just posted.”
(I know that comments about tone suck. But I think that you’re too good of a writer not to own up to when you’re being rude.)
Omnes Omnibus
@Princess (now General) Leia: Stop Chicken Littling. A person like Trump won’t walk away on his own. Assuming arguendo that he does, Clinton would thrash Pence.
raven
I get annoyed at people whining about MSNBC. Lawerence is not fucking around.
lamh36
@PeterAlexander
JUST IN: Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, was “beside himself,” per @AP, & his wife was furious.
Jeffro
@Betty Cracker:
too long for a bumper sticker, but a great t-shirt!
(hopefully Tic Tac’s social media game is as good as Skittles’ was!)
raven
@Francis: If you are going to run off at the mouth with this bullshit you should figure out who you are taking about.
lamh36
Hell…muthafuq’n yeah!
schrodinger's cat
@PPCLI: Its Navaratri (nine nights) after all, which celebrates Durga’s victory over Mahishasur. The celebration of the female form of the divine, or Shakti. (shakti == power, strength)
lamh36
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@lamh36: Who had they been watching when they got on the SS RacistMisogynistPig?
Jeffro
@RepubAnon:
hey GOP, here’s a “pivot” for you: watch as the Clinton team takes their anti-Trump ads using his own words, shortens them up by 10 seconds, and tacks on footage of all your Senators and Representatives who’ve been so busy “supporting the nominee” this election. Pivot THAT.
GregB
I think this is the weeked the Trump Hindenberg crashes on to the deck if the Republican Titanic.
Seanly
Way too late for Trump to bail. Not to say he won’t coz he’s insane or senile or both. I’m sure someone has talked to him about what the consequences of dropping out are. It’d ruin the Republican’s chances for keeping the House & Senate I think…
Omnes Omnibus
@Francis: 1. It’s Adam not Tom.
2. I am sure that we all appreciate the fact that you know a better way of phrasing a simple acknowledgment for bigfooting.
3. Who actually gives a fuck about bigfooting? I usually have two to four threads open at once.
Adam L Silverman
@Trentrunner: That’s the question going forward. Is this a smart tactical move – trying to finesse the issue by condemning it, providing pro-forma support/endorsement, and moving on? Or is this a strategic failure?
A question for the other side is going to be whether the DNC, the DCCC, and DSCC can tie this around the necks of every Republican that is being challenged for office in the House and Senate and, as much as possible, at the state level elections for governorships and state legislative seats. Even in the deepest red districts, this kind of talk, this type of behavior, is exceedingly off putting to devout Christian (white) women. Peel enough of them away from the GOP candidates by successfully linking them to Trump and things could get very, very interesting a month from now.
lamh36
Kay
No way. No backsies. They have to keep him as punishment.
mdblanche
Gawd, this is pathetic. They’re still going to be fantasizing about how to dump Trump on November 9.
Keith P.
@Feebog: Remember when Ivanka straight up said “He’s not a groper”? Yeah, the next Ivanka interview is going to be interesting.
lamh36
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: right…the lust for power can always tumble the “righteous”
p.a.
Those cell tower explosions aren’t a terrorist attack. They’re just any RNC members not in fetal position trying to create a tweet-free zone around Der Gropenfuhrer II (wasn’t Ah-nold the original Gropenfuhrer?)
Adam L Silverman
@Francis: 1) My name isn’t Tom. So if you want to give me grief, maybe, just maybe you get my name right…
2) I wrote that not for AL’s benefit, but for the handful of commenters that can’t seem to handle more than one post at a time – or at least just like bitching about it.
3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OnpkDWbeJs
lamh36
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Also too…I’m sure the GOP folk had opp research on Trump but his supporters are virulent…so you get Trump to pick a VP candidate that can play Cheney-like pseudo-President. Pence let that cat out the bag about Cheney being his “model” for VP.
Now you see any number of the #NeverTrumpers talking about Trump dropping out and GOP putting Pence on the top…
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman:
Agree at #28. This is not hard to do, and all the DNC and other groups have to do is take the ads that were ready to run against Trump, shorten ’em up a bit, show a quick clip of GOP Senator X or GOP Congressman Y either endorsing Trump or refusing to withdraw support, STILL, and then another quick clip of Trump’s latest fiasco.
Here ya go, Senator X, have an anchor! Hey Congressman Y, step right over here into this bucket of concrete!
lamh36
oh…so when is was promoting hate speech, racism, xenophobia, and general misyogny…they were like SURE OK…SMH
Adam L Silverman
I think it is also important to remember that Ivanka and Jared are off the grid through sundown tomorrow night for the Jewish sabbath. And this is, in fact, Shabbat Shuva, the last sabbath before the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), which is from sundown Tuesday through sundown Wednesday. So for the next 18 hours or so two of the best handlers of Trump are unavailable.
Jeffro
@lamh36: Reid has been a blessing even when he WAS holding back a bit…he’s going to be incredibly helpful this month, I think…
Schlemazel
NO, they are getting poked by a pig. A pig they created, a pig they nurtured & brought to candidacy. They are taking it the hard way from their very own pig, it is glorious justice, may they never recover and may the piglets that have made it all possible die a swift, horrible death
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Katy Tur: A source says that Donald Trump is genuinely contrite.
Yes, Kellyanne. Keep telling yourself that as you open that third box of Francia Blush when even your “Jesus Loves Me” footie pajamas aren’t giving you the usual comfort.
ETA: Listening between the lines of her report, they’re telling themselves he’s going to apologize, I suspect they know that’s the best they can hope for.
Keith P.
Ahh, interesting…TMZ is reporting that the “Nancy” that Trump tried to hook up with via furniture(!) is Nancy O’Dell.
SiubhanDuinne, liberal mob enforcer bitch
@Keith P.:
I’m beginning to think Tiffany was very smart to refuse to be interviewed for that puff piece on her in the NYT.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: He’s been very good for a while now.
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: That’s at least one Mike Pence too many.
Betty Cracker
@Anoniminous: I guess they’ll have to decide which constituency is more important, women or the neo-Nazi frog tweeters.
hovercraft
Who thinks he’s showing up on Sunday?
I’m of two minds, on the one hand right now he’s pissed as hell, he would love to be on with BillO right now defending himself and accusing the Clinton media of victimizing him. But Kellyanne and Roger convinced him to lay low while they plot. He wants to show up at that debate and attack Hillary by putting her and Bill on trial.
On the other hand he knows that this will continue to build all weekend, and Hillary, the moderators and probably the audience will ask him about this, and he hates to answer to anyone, so he will not show.
Matthew let him down. it didn’t severely damage Mar a Lago, and give him the perfect excuse not to go.
Adam L Silverman
@raven: Do I get a cut of some of Tom’s prize money and his advance and his royalties? If so, I’m in.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@SiubhanDuinne, liberal mob enforcer bitch: I never payed close attention, but I feel a newfound respect for Marla Maples, even if she didn’t leak the tax returns.
tsquared2001
The GOP is a grift, with grifter parents and grifter grandparents and they spawn little grifter kids all the time.
p.a.
Probably nudges the Senate Blue (any Blue Dogs helped? Bayh? Bayh?…) But unfortunately I think the House is so fixed even if some of the pig people sit the election out, it stays Red. Their ministers will point out the importance of voting, and fascists follow orders.
Matt McIrvin
What did they think this man was?
PPCLI
Marshall at TPM noted the coordinated feel of all the brief professions of shocked, shocked, outrage and then silence. As if there was a conference call and a plan: condemn the words, then shut up for a day or two, then go on as before.
But the big trouble is that there are many women out there who have complained about Trump groping them, Trump hitting them with unwanted kisses (Miss Utah 1997, who said he did it to several contestants), etc. They have been in limbo, but this reinforces them and it will pull the reports into public debate.
Lizzy L
@Adam L Silverman: Shabbat Shalom!
debbie
Anyone else feel a Twitter storm coming on?
gf120581
@lamh36: In other news, Republicans also profess to being surprised that water is, in fact, wet.
Adam L Silverman
@Keith P.: Was that before or after this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtvK1Biaq9Q
Face
@lamh36: Yup. I thought it would take a ritual sacrifice of goats to lose Hannity (and Mickey Kaus). Turns out its dissin chicks. Whoda thunk Hannity’s love could be so crushed?
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: We can probably get you a share of Tom’s Balloon Juice salary and bonus.
Nom de Plume
@lamh36:
Oh no. Bill “always wrong” Kristol is making sense. I cannot figure out how to feel about this. Having.existential.crisis.
TaMara (HFG)
@Francis: Lighten up (it had to be said). There’s not a FP here who hasn’t stepped on someone at one time or another or been stepped on…but we’re adults and behave as such.
We secretly meet in dark alleys, like characters from West Side Story, and dance it out.
Kay
Why don’t congressional and Party leadership hold a press conference and withdraw their support?
They don’t have to kick him off. They’re playing helpless victims again. No one is stopping them from standing up to him. They’re still trying to weasel out of this.
hovercraft
@Jeffro:
Erin Burnett said tonight that when a friend of hers saw the tape, she said that he had done that to her, with the Tic Tac’s and all. He tried to kiss her and invited her into his office. When she saw it she says he is absolutely describing his MO from about five years ago. So any talk about 11 yrs ago is also bullshit.
Adam L Silverman
@Jeffro: It is, now lets see if they can pull it off. One party that couldn’t organize a one car funeral if you spot them a hearse and a driver is bad enough.
PhoenixRising
I saw it otherwise, earlier: The hurricane missed his gold-plated palace AND displaced this news story for any FL voter whose power is out.
But it’s starting to look like this crude straw is the one that…there’s a camel joke in this but I’m not anything like rude enough to try to figure out how to make it.
Keith P.
Another thing that is cracking me up in all of this is that Trump surrogates are trying to dodge by changing the topic over to Hillary Clinton. But they’ve gone to that well so many times, the hosts aren’t falling for it any more and are calling them out on it. I love it.
lamh36
So if this sinks Trump and the GOP’s hope…great.
But it also has the added benefit of me NEVER having to see Billy Bush on my tv screen EVER again…right?
Brother Maynard
Don’t forget, Senate Repubs are holding a Supreme Court vacancy open for Trump to pick.
lamh36
Harry Reid for the win!
REID STATEMENT ON CONTINUED REPUBLICAN SUPPORT OF DONALD TRUMP
debbie
@Adam L Silverman:
You don’t think they’d set Shabbos aside to help him?
Kay
@Matt McIrvin:
None of them knew anything bad about him although 16 people ran against him and all of those people had campaign staff who “tried to win”.
The real question is what did the hundreds of people who were paid by 16 Republicans to “beat Donald Trump in the primary” did all day for a year? They had to be actively avoiding Trump scandals.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
I would’ve said no, but if he’s watching MSNBC (and probably CNN) he may not be able to help himself. Ana Marie Cox just dropped the “short fingered vulgarian” line on him.
lamh36
hovercraft
@Jeffro:
The word has gone out to the party, every republican in the country must answer for him, they must be asked if they support him and if so how they can. They must all be forced into a Kelly Ayotte moment. Make them own him and sink with him, or make them run and piss off his “movement”, and go down in flames that way.
jl
@BIG410: Today’s not very surprising, but very sad and pathetic, gotcha is just the thing to discourage GOP voters who were holding their noses. Now they gotta forget that with Trump they have to hold their pocket books, their paychecks, their stomach, AND their junk. Might just be a little too much to hold. People only have two hands, you know.
PPCLI
@Face: Hannity will be back on the Trump train, and soon. He will profess shock at *the words*, just like the Republican party as a whole agreed to tut-tut, demur with “the words chosen” and speak of Rush’s 3-day spittle-flecked rage-gasm at Sandra Fluke as if it were just a matter of his using the word slut once or twice, and we’ll be back talking about Making America Great Again.
lamh36
Wow…
“More than 100,000 people read it simutlaneously…”
Felonius Monk
@Nom de Plume:
Ha. Shows how much Kristol doesn’t know.
Keith P.
We now have groping victim #3. This is going to be brutal for Trump, and all he can do is say “What about Bill Clinton?” Except he just said earlier in the week he wasn’t going to go there, so he looks even more erratic. Except Bill isn’t on tape talking about going on pussy patrol. Except Bill isn’t on video groping his own daughter.
lamh36
PhoenixRising
@Keith P.: Yeah, I’m a little…confused by the Both Sides Do It on this one.
If someone had audio of Bill Clinton bragging about assaulting women, from any decade, it would have led the news for 1998 and he’d have been removed from office. So I’m thinking there’s some confusion about what the offense is here. As usual, the media is taking the side of BothSides at the expense of recognizing that as usual, the problem is that Republicans as a group don’t understand consent.
The Dangerman
Trump ain’t dropping out over this…
…but today felt like a good body shot in boxing; this softened him up. Trump best watch out for the haymaker that’s coming (and this fucker loves to talk about his conquests; you just know there’s something else out there).
Frankensteinbeck
@lamh36:
I guess now we know that Reince is a paid lackey of Chump, and that the only good advice is to redouble debate prep.
lamh36
Adam L Silverman
@p.a.: Give this a read. If the women that Sarah Posner is writing about defect down ballot or just stay home, the GOP is in a lot of trouble. I don’t think its a lock, the Clinton campaign, DNC, DCCC, DSCC, etc have a lot of work to do, but if they can hang this on everyone they’re contesting against things could be interesting:
https://twitter.com/sarahposner/status/784543614399635457
dmsilev
@Kay:
Because they need him, or rather they need his supporters. If the Trumpenvolk feel betrayed by the GOP, they’ll sit out the election and then not only will Hillary be President but the Senate will be Democratic and the House could be wobbly.
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman: Yup, that has been the history. I have to think that the team that put the Khans on stage at the DNC and laid the “Machado trap” might be able to slap something together and have it out in the correct media markets & social media in short order.
Make Quiet Competence Matter Again!
Pogonip
@Francis: Is it rude to attribute Adam’s bigfooting to Tom? And, if so, to which of them is it rude?
We are putting up Halloween decorations this weekend. We got behind this year, especially this is a very Halloweeny area and people usually start decorating in the middle of September. I’m thinking of the focal point being a monster with very large feet. Not really sure what gave me the idea…
CZanne
@Adam L Silverman: I wonder if someone with a calendar isn’t precision timing these releases.
Kay
@lamh36:
Oh, she’ll regret that. 50 bucks women come forward and say he did it to them. The former Miss Utah is already saying it.
It’s who he is.
jl
@lamh36: Thanks for posting that. I’ve been following Reid recently. He does love to review things..GOP things. GOP things n detail. Harry has diligence and a work ethic. He says it very straight, right between the eyes.
Adam L Silverman
@Lizzy L: Gezundheit!
hovercraft
@Adam L Silverman:
Can they get an exemption for a family emergency from their Rabbi?
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: WTFF?
dmsilev
@The Dangerman:
Yeah, this. I’m guessing the timing of this wasn’t any sort of accident but rather a definite push at making sure that Angry Trump shows up to the debate on Sunday (or that Coward Trump backs out. Win-win).
PhoenixRising
@Kay:
The winning candidate has the worst payment history in political consulting. But the other 16 are slow pay or partial pay too. GOPers pretend to pay them, they pretend to work.
hovercraft
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Bullshit, he’s contrite that he got caught. This is who he is and has always been.
Kay
@dmsilev:
But that’s been the calculus all along. So this changes nothing for them. They’re still afraid to stand up to Donald Trump. They haven’t done ONE THING to stop him or distance themselves. We just watched the governor of Indiana lie for 90 minutes in an effort to pretend Trump doesn’t exist.
Cowardice isn’t working. They should try something else.
debbie
@Kay:
Kay, this will cheer you up about Ohio: In my 16-block neighborhood, I’ve counted 46 Clinton and 3 Trump signs.
sigaba
@RAM: Talking Points Memo had a post saying that Access Hollywood had identified the woman in question as one of their correspondents at the time.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: If you multiply by zero does it have the same effect as dividing by zero?
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2643/3764890244_dd1f77bf52_z.jpg?zz=1
Omnes Omnibus
@Kay: B roll from The Apprentice.
lamh36
Adam L Silverman
@TaMara (HFG): Speak for yourself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAykOz1gWi4
Omnes Omnibus
@Adam L Silverman: Let’s not find out.
hovercraft
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Megan Kelly who he hates spent almost 15 minutes hitting him too.
Adam L Silverman
@Kay: They are afraid of their base/his supporters.
dmsilev
Via Josh Marshall’s Twitter feed:
Jeffro
@hovercraft:
That’s pretty much what I’m hoping for, yup. They need to get away from trying to game out the outcomes and do an “honor check”. Many of us saw this coming this back in March…Trump is who he is and was always going to lead them to this moment. It’s tough to make the right call when you have no principles, but when you do have principles and stand by them, whatever comes, comes.
In a better world, the media would vent itself fully on these Rs starting on Nov 9th: “I understand it was the heat of an election cycle, Senator, but Donald Trump was sliming Gold Star families and POWs…” If not, then let’s hope President Clinton’s ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’ brings all this nasty dolt-Right, Koch and Mercer-funded, crazy, un-American stuff to light.
jl
@lamh36:
‘ Washington State Republican Party Chair Susan Hutchison defends Trump comments, says they “were made when he was a Democrat” ‘
Someone needs to remind her that when Donnie tried out as a center-conservative Democrat, he was quietly told to take his political career ambitions elsewhere. Wasn’t needed. Probably one of the sources of his bitterness, which exploded into rage when a certain type of Democrat person, in many ways the person he would like to be but did not have the inner resources to be (self-discipline and focus being two) became one of our more successful presidents (and because of what he did, not only because of who he was). But I digress.
Keith P.
What’s the over/under now on Kelly Conway quitting the campaign? Some anonymous senior advisor was going off on him to CNN, and I figured it has to be her.
Waldo
Strategy? When your king is put in check by your opponent’s queen and you have no other pieces on the board, it’s a little late for strategy.
lamh36
@Omnes Omnibus: she’s not the first actually, I literally read tweet response to the story that said the same thing…smh
Lizzy L
@lamh36: Nice, Harry. Especially nice because the Republicans really can’t do anything. I think they’re stuck with Trump unless/until he decides to withdraw.
lamh36
Gin & Tonic
FSM bless the NY Daily News.
jl
@dmsilev: Some of their politicians, we asssumed, were good people.
Edit: that was a joke, we knew very few of them are worth assistant trash bin collector at the dog catcher’s office, but I digress. Enough evidence that assumptions are irrelevant.
Adam L Silverman
@debbie: I don’t know. From what I understand they are very observant and shomer shabbat (they “guard” the sabbath).
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Keith P.: “advisor” doesn’t necessarily mean paid. My money’s on Christie.
lamh36
Hey Adam, did you see ur girlfriend Joy Ann Reid hand Michelle Bachmann her azz on Hardball?
Jeffro
@Kay: @lamh36:
WOW. So it doesn’t matter that he’s the nominee of the Republican Party…he “made the comments when he was a Democrat”. WOW.
Helen
Lis Smith on Lawrence says that Hillary should walk out on the stage Sunday, walk towards Donald in the middle of the stage and not shake his hand.
I think that is brilliant. It will shake him to the rafters.
debbie
@lamh36:
The best is, “Let’s review…”
Omnes Omnibus
@Waldo: Upend the board?
Kay
@Omnes Omnibus:
They’re just warming up:
This was the key all along, Omnes. We needed the entertainment press, not the political press! That’s who covered him! They know all about him.
lamh36
@psddluva4evah
@tedcruz Um…except your own wife…Trump sure did say some bad things about her…and you still endorsed him
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: Yep. Notice, as with Ryan’s and Priebus’s and McCain’s and Ayotte’s and all the other statements not one word about “can no longer support” or “am withdrawing my endorsement” or “have lost confidence in his ability to serve as President”. The plan appears to be straddle, pro-forma continuation of endorsement, get away from the press as quickly as possible, hope it blows over. Hope is not a strategy.
mike in dc
I’m betting that he will be pushed by his campaign to step on camera and make a public apology that at least appears to be sincere and unambiguous.
The problem is that there are probably a lot more stories like this out there. So it won’t go away with an apology.
Prescott Cactus
deleted. Caught stealing another man’s bread.
hovercraft
@Keith P.:
She can’t quit until her bankrollers quit. She’s stuck till the Mercer’s say she can go.
Sean
@RAM: My guess is that change is going forward. You can’t retroacitvely make that change. Also looks like NY maybe if it is a soap thing?
PPCLI
@Kay: Don’t forget Jill Harth:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/20/donald-trump-sexual-assault-allegations-jill-harth-interview
I think her 1997 lawsuit may be due for a re-examination.
Corner Stone
WTF can even happen next? I feel like a crazy man in Real Genius where he flips out and runs around pulling his hair out and screaming in peoples’ faces for minutes on end. And no one seems to give a shit. They all just flip the page and pick up their pencil again and continue.
sukabi
@lamh36: Hannity is looking to protect his “brand”, there is likely even more crap about to drop that’s WORSE than this latest bit…
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@lamh36: Tweety was such an ass, telling JR she couldn’t mention the fact that Bachmann had claimed god sent us Trump. If she can’t discuss politics without talking about her idea of god, then she can’t be protected from how utterly absurd it makes her, not god, look.
lamh36
Trigger warning… but read this tweet TL…THIS is why NO ONE should let Trump get away with this…it’s rape culture masked as “lockeroom” boys will be boys talk…smh
@kellyoxford
Women: tweet me your first assaults. they aren’t just stats. I’ll go first:
Face
@lamh36: Thats their line? He’s excused because back then, he was a Democrat? I cant wait for them to clear this up with Donnie.
Kay
@Jeffro:
It’s just lame. They should pull her too. She’s a disaster.
Ken
@lamh36:
Highlights of his scenes from those Playboy videos?
Temporarily Max McGee (Soon Enough to Be Andy K Again)
@jl:
Trump ran for the Reform Party’s nomination in 2000.
Corner Stone
Some anon PAC should cue up a video of Trump slapping Ivanka’s butt on stage at the RNC convention and have her dubbed over saying “He’s not a groper.”
Can you imagine having to be a full grown woman with kids and defending your 70 year old dad about not being a groper?
Percysowner
I think once this plays itself out, the Republican party will develop a new rule. Forget the Hastert Rule. Forget the 11th Amendment. From now on the first rule of being a Republican is “know when the tape is running and SHUT UP when it is. It will be the Trump/Nixon rule AKA the Trumpon Rule.
Adam L Silverman
@CZanne: Don’t know. There’s this from Rick Wilson:
https://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/784540066488147968
PhoenixRising
@mike in dc: It’s being shot as we speak. All the networks are going to run it for free, of course, because it’s ‘news’.
So then the broken paper bag’s remaining contents will come raining onto America’s shoes and they’ll say ‘it’s been aired & we’re moving on’. Unless there is more video of him threatening or carrying out assaults, the apology will work.
Betty Cracker
So any guesses on what Trump’s video statement will be? Gyad, I am embarrassed about how much I am enjoying this!
Adam L Silverman
@hovercraft: I’m not sure there’s a work around for “my perv Dad is running for President and I have to keep him from destroying my inheritance, so would you please let me out of my religious ritual obligations not to drive, not to use electronics, etc? Kthanksby!”
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Adam L Silverman: why the hell didn’t he? Wasn’t he the one fired when the primaries were still somewhat up for grabs? Looking at it from his perspective (and I think he was a Cruz guy), weren’t wee Marco and feeble Jeb better than Trump?
ETA: I looked at his twitter and he’s not who I thought he was. The Cruz guy who was fired is the one who looks like his mother was working in a diner when Jack Nicholson blew through town while filming Easy Rider. But Wilson worked for one of the establishment primary candidates, didn’t he?
jl
Grift the con long enough and sooner or later the con grifts you. That is the GOP problem now.
Unclear that the RNC can do anything anymore than dream up dishonest con games, and that has blown up in their face.
? Martin
@mike in dc: Trump is incapable of making an honest apology. He can say the words, but there will be no remorse there. I’m guessing he’s depressed right now because his ability to control how others see him is slipping away (the whole reason he said these things was to control how others saw him – in a different context) but he is incapable of empathy. He is incapable of understanding why people are offended of why his words were hurtful. Narcissists can put on a good show, but they are entirely inwardly facing. If they ever appear to be considerate of others, its only because they believe it serves them.
Baud
@Adam L Silverman: Yahweh runs a tight ship.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: Now we know what legalized marijuana can do to political officials.
captnkurt
@Prescott Cactus:
I’m Uncle Hulka, and I approve this message.
Gin & Tonic
@Percysowner: Just follow efgoldman’s rule from his radio days: every mike is always hot.
Corner Stone
@lamh36: JFC
lamh36
Donald Trump recorded a video at Trump Tower and it will be released today.
If/when it happens, Dems need to bury them ALL!
And to anyone to says “well he apologized” ask them then…okay…do they accept HRC apology about emails…or BC about Monica
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh36: Locker room/frat house talk as I have experienced it is people bragging that they totally did X with Female A. Often exaggerated, but ordinary gossip stuff. Bragging about sexual assault does come under that banner.
ETA: The link? Horrifying. I worry for my niece.
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: There is a reason she took her baby daughter all the way across the continent to raise her when she could have stayed in New York. She clearly didn’t move to Los Angeles for career purposes. She wasn’t modeling anymore. She wasn’t trying to make it as an actress.
Adam L Silverman
@Omnes Omnibus: Agreed!
Corner Stone
@Betty Cracker: I’ve got dibs that he mentions at least one of his properties or other businesses.
schrodinger's cat
@Adam L Silverman: You can’t divide by zero. If you multiply by zero you get zero back. But you already know that.
Schlemazel
@debbie:
Traveled into batshit Bachmann’s land(now Tom Emmer, just as awful but quiet). Only saw 2 Trump signs. Using the offical modo sign polling methodology that means Trump is dead meat maggots.
Kay
@Corner Stone:
Her father fires pregnant women because he doesn’t like how they look. That must have been a great household for a girl to grow up in. Fabulous. The best.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@lamh36: heh, that’s a beautiful thought. Everybody thought Ivana was the smart one.
hovercraft
@Adam L Silverman:
David Brock also claims to have more sleaze and he has been soliciting more.
Adam L Silverman
@lamh36: I did not. Unfortunately. Reid is a national treasure toughest interviewer on MSNBC/NBC if not all the broadcast and cable news networks.
amk
gop – gang of pusillanimous
lamh36
What da fuq?
Adam L Silverman
@Helen: I think its back to 50/50 that the he shows up to the Town Hall. And this format is not conducive to trashing one’s opponent. Clinton and her people are smart enough to get out of the way when their opponent is self destructing.
Baud
@lamh36: IT’S IN THE BIBLE!!!
God I hit Trump goes with this defence.
Matt McIrvin
@Kay: I think that was a collective-action/Prisoner’s Dilemma situation. Trump rapidly got a lot of support, usually almost as much as the rest of them combined. They all figured Trump was going to self-destruct eventually, or that somebody else would do it for them. And they needed the Trumpists–they figured whoever was the nicest to Trump would be the one who got his supporters when that meltdown happened. So they just attacked each other instead.
The one who doesn’t have that excuse is Ted Cruz, the next-to-last one standing. But even he needed Trump’s supporters in the general election.
There’s only one candidate who doesn’t need Trump’s supporters in the general election. And she was evidently biding her time.
Corner Stone
He was fucking almost 60 when he said this and admitted to assaulting women!
? Martin
@Percysowner: Republican party may well be over. After this is done, a LOT of GOPs are going to have to defend why they insisted that Trump, who stated he felt he should be able to assault women based on his power, should be given dramatically more power.
We’ve been talking about the GOP losing Latinos for a generation or more, but we might be entering the territory that the GOP loses women for a generation or more. My daughter watched the segment on Maddow and went upstairs and cried. She doesn’t understand why 40% of the country approve of this behavior toward women. This is genuinely frightening to her because she knows that at least some boys (upwards of 40%) will see this as approval to treat her that way. She’s 15. I doubt she’ll ever forget this.
Baud
@Baud: *hope*
CaseyL
So the GOP is gonna pass the hat and come up with $5 billion? That’s the price Trump set to get him to drop out, and I don’t imagine he’d settle for less since his brand is thoroughly trashed, no one wants to do business with him, and FSM only knows what he owes the Russians.
Thing is, they could probably do it – $5B is pocket change for the Kochs, and probably not much more of a bite for Adelson.
Wonder if they’re that desperate….
Corner Stone
What in the fuck is it going to take?
Adam L Silverman
@PPCLI: WaPo pulled up their Sunday piece rereviewing the Harth case to late this afternoon.
Lizzy L
@lamh36: Wait, what? Sean Hannity is comparing Donald Trump to King David? Okay, we’re officially in Bizarroland.
sigaba
@lamh36: I’m going to a midnight screening of “A Clockwork Orange” tonight. Remember that Alex’s favorite part of the Bible was the Old Testament, and how everyone was either killing each other or bedding concubines.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
How in the hell did things ever need to get to this point?
Gin & Tonic
The Twitter machine is telling me that Jason Chaffetz has retracted his endorsement of Trump. Probably quaking in his shorts that the Mormons will desert him in droves if he doesn’t.
Corner Stone
This is like the Mayor in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. What in the fuck is it going to take to stake this MFer?
Adam L Silverman
@PPCLI: I fixed your link. It had captured the reply button.
Omnes Omnibus
@Thing Three: You tell us.
Tom Levenson
@debbie: No. Definitely not. Shabbos is serious, and this particular one, between Rosh Hashanah and the most solemn day in the ritual year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is especially reserved for rest and contemplation. They’re out for Tuesday late aft. Through Wed. evening as well. Sukkhot will also break their campaign rhythm in a week.
Jeffro
@Gin & Tonic:
Assumes a self-discipline not in evidence, your honor. Trump just can’t stop talking about himself and his (air quote) “achievements”
Adam L Silverman
@Corner Stone: As long as you don’t wind up living under the closet in your pajamas.
dmsilev
@Corner Stone: The Mayor at least had a plan. That puts him a long step ahead of Trump.
Jeffro
@lamh36: Here, lemme translate that: “My god-king is about to be flushed down the tubes for the kinds of things that used to be, and still should be, HIS DIVINE RIGHT!!!”
only slight hyperbole there…
debbie
@Tom Levenson:
I was raised Reform. Exceptions could always be made.
Jeffro
@Matt McIrvin:
Patience + a large knife collection = look out
Baud
I wonder if Trump will sexually assault any women at the town hall debate.
Gin & Tonic
@Adam L Silverman: I thought that was Kristof’s NYT piece.
RK
Other than providing cover to those supporting him (which itself may not work) no one’s going to buy an apology. And the Clinton campaign should emphasize the sexual assault angle. What Trump boasted about is beyond boorishness.
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I don’t think Wilson was working for anyone this cycle. He’s currently backing the not on more than ten states ballots, former CIA analyst Evan McMullin’s NeverTrump bid.
As for the Cruz guy: if you’re talking about Jason Miller, he’s now Trump’s official campaign spokesman.
lamh36
@thedailybeast 2h2 hours ago
NEW: Donald Trump allegedly tried to fire Nancy O’Dell after she rejected his sexual advances:
The reports are that the married woman Trump was talking about was Billy Bush’s coworker and co-star Nancy O’Dell.
Said it before I’ll say it again…Fuq Billy Bush too for daily and even right afterwards…smiling and grinning in Nancy’s fan, and he didn’t even have the balls to say…”hey man..don’t talk about her that way…”
sigaba
@? Martin: It’s a two-party system, obviously they’ll still own state legislatures for the near future and just because they all got behind Hair Fuhrer that doesn’t suddenly mean all those people don’t want the Ryan Budget or to “Kill Obamacare.”
They could easily pretend this was all a big mistake and they learned their lesson. The question I have is, will Breitbart/Trump Channel let them? How big a force will Trumpism be in 2018?
The Republican Party lost California after Prop 187, and the national party won’t let the California pols run away from it. Will Trump and the Deplorables allow the Republican Party to run away from Trumpism? How big a factor will it be in 2018 and 2020? Fox News would let them run away from it, but I think we’re beginning to see Fox News diminish.
Adam L Silverman
@Baud: So I’ve been told.
Joel
@Francis: almost no one cares. It’s a blog.
P.s. Tom didn’t write this post.
? Martin
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Clinton is history’s greatest monster. She killed Vince Foster. Left our ambassador to die in Benghazi. She controls the media and will get millions of illegal Mexicans to vote. If you are going to take down a monster, gentle policy proposals aren’t going to cut it. You need a fighter, an animal.
amk
gop: our next line in the sand = rape of 13 year old.
Kay
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
The creepy photograph that came out early was enough for me.
I loathe the Trump sons but I’m to the point where the Trump daughters just make me sad. That weird NYTimes piece w/Tiffany where they won’t let her talk, and Ivanka’s frozen face and relentless salesmanship, like if she’s just “upbeat!” enough she can make this horrible person into some kind of “family friendly” boss – ugh. Just sad.
lamh36
@BenWinslow
“I’m out,” @jasoninthehouse says of pulling endorsement for Trump. He won’t vote Clinton, doesn’t know who he’ll vote for. @fox13 #utpol
Mike J
@Tom Levenson: They’ll build the yuuugest, the classiest sukkah…
Jim, Foolish Literalist
MSNBC: Trump surrogates have been asked to stay off TV
Translation: Boris, shut the fuck up, and somebody tell Katrina Pierson thanks but no fucking thanks!
Mary G
This is Doug Applegate’s first commercial against Darrell Issa.
Now Issa is down in the polls already, but just a little bit. After today’s news is digested, it’ll be by a lot. Every Den candidate should have something like this out.
gf120581
@Gin & Tonic: So did Utah’s Governor as well. Remember how earlier this year Utah was looking competitive? We may be in that situation again.
Hey, it sounds far-fetched, but apparently there was a poll recently done for Lisa Murkowski in AK that had Hillary only back by 3 there. This could really open the floodgates everywhere.
sdhays
Seriously? THIS is what brings down Donald Trump? I mean, not that I don’t think it’s worthy of bringing him down (it most certainly is), but it’s just that I thought everyone already knew that this was Trump. I’m genuinely shocked at how surprised people seem to be (not people here – I don’t think anyone here is surprised – the people who are “shocked, just shocked” that that nice man Donald Trump could have said such a
“vulgar” thing). It’s not like he’s been pretending to be the perfect gentleman all this time – “Mr. Roger’s with a private jet”; no, he’s always been very explicit about how he viewed women. I assumed this was already “baked in”.
Will wonders never cease?
Face
@Baud: Thats a question Hillary should ask him right out of the gate. Right to his face.
Matt McIrvin
@Percysowner: In hindsight, that WAS the Hastert Rule.
sukabi
@lamh36: the thing about the GOP having oppo research on trump, is that they should have been putting together a file for at least the last 2 years, if not longer. They should have started using it 15 months ago to keep trump from actually getting a foothold, and dropped the hammer on him by March of this year at the latest.
THEY LET him become the nominee without much of a challenge…
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Adam L Silverman: Rick Tyler is the Cruz guy, I think still NeverTrump, who looks like Jack Nicholson’s long lost son playing Dracula in a student film.
Corner Stone
@Kay: I thought Margot Robbie nailed Ivanka dead cert on SNL last weekend during the Family Feud sketch. That was creepy good, even just the couple of sentences she uttered.
lamh36
Adam L Silverman
@Kay: She, and her two brothers, were raised by Ivana:
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/10/ivana-trump-says-she-raised-donald-jr-ivanka-and-eric-without-any-help-from-donald/
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: I know, but it pisses me the fuck off. Today was a bang-up day for our side and some people are shitting their pants about how it could go wrong. If /when HRC wins, it will point to dangers in 2020. I am tired of it.
lamh36
And why a videotaped apology…a coward to the end!
Kay
@Baud:
He’s such a coward, Trump. His first impulse was to say Bill Clinton has said worse things privately. He’s not just a 7th grader. He’s the biggest asshole in the 7th grade. He’s that kid.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
In other news, Cubs and Giants scoreless in the top of the 8th, two out.
Make that three.
Baud
@Kay: I hated that kid.
Lizzy L
@? Martin: I hadn’t thought about it that way before. The Republicans created the ClintonMonster, and Fox sold it to a bunch of frightened and gullible people who then needed a monster-killer. That’s Trump. Godzilla vs. Mothra, or Kong.
schrodinger's cat
@Omnes Omnibus: Are you talking about the people that are afraid of the tub of shortening that’s Mike Pence?
Adam L Silverman
@Gin & Tonic: You’re right, my fault. Got my reporters who’s names start with K confused!
sigaba
@sdhays: I think it’s the P word that seems to actually be pushing it over the edge. One thing about Trump is that he says really disgusting things all the time but he’s never scatalogical. Hearing him codeswitch is jarring to people.
It sounds stupid but I think it’s just one of those weird things.
lamh36
Omnes Omnibus
@Face: Hillary should not raise this at all. If asked, she can respond with horror and disgust. She just shouldn’t be the person to raise the issue.
? Martin
@JPL: It’s because he effectively bragged about committing a crime.
PPCLI
@lamh36: He also peeping Tom’ed Bathsheba while she was bathing naked and had such a godly boner for her that he got her pregnant. To cover his tracks he arranged for her husband Uriah the Hittite to come back from his military service in the hope that Uriah would do Bathsheba and the pregnancy would be credited to him. But for some reason having to do with military vows, Uriah remained chaste. So David arranged for Uriah to be sent on a suicide mission and upon Uriah’s death married Bathsheba.
So yes, King David was quite Trumpian, it must be said.
Corner Stone
I am *loving* MSNBC having almost all female guests on for this!
lamh36
Punchy
So Jason Chaffetz wont vote for Trump, but wont vote for Clinton? Chickenshit worthless fuck he is. Going the “too fuckin high” Johnson or “Needles are Icky” Stein route?
Adam L Silverman
@Mike J: You should see the etrogs on that one…
? Martin
@Lizzy L: Everything the last decade at least has been leading to this moment. Rush Limbaugh and Drudge have been driving the GOP away from policy and toward the politics of personal destruction. Who better to represent the party in their end-game than the master of personal destruction?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Omnes Omnibus: “Mr Trump can speak for himself, as the tapes do.”
ETA: @Corner Stone: Elise Jordan strikes me as very smart. Except for the part when they say she worked for the Rand Paul campaign.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
Republicans, 31 days out from the election, are groping around in the dark for their missing testicles. CNN is standing by for the video statement from Trump Tower, while Clinton is watching Trump and the media wrapping his tape around all of their axles.
Too many white men have opinions on this show, Jason Chafetz ‘is out’, and Dana Bash looks like she hasn’t slept in days, and no one can imagine what Trump says that makes any difference.
I’m drinking to this epic FAIL.
hovercraft
@lamh36:
More control, even with his friends Hannity and Billo, they would have been risking awkward questions. The video lets him talk directly to the camera without a filter.
amk
@lamh36: And hence the birther crap, which the gop fully embraced and endorsed.
Percysowner
@? Martin:
But mostly she’s a competent, confident female. We can’t have THAT.
Give your daughter a hug. The only way to kill an infection is to lance it and to bring it into the sunshine. The Republicans have hidden behind a veil of platitudes and winks. Trump pulled that veil aside. Maybe now, we can actually face what the Republican Party has wrought, bring it into the sunlight and start destroying the infection.
Hey, I’m an optimist.
Kay
@sdhays:
It’s never just one thing. Political media like “the thing that brought down the candidate” stories and “turning points” but it’s always more like “tipping points”. It’s cumulative. He becomes radioactive because it’s a series of hits.
sukabi
@hovercraft: If he gets too worked up they could have him
committedbreak a leg and be unavailable for a week or six.Mandalay
@Gin & Tonic:
And here’s another one:
? Martin
@Corner Stone: I thought Ana Marie Cox was awesome. She somewhat admired Trump more for only being interested in one woman’s genitals compared to Pence who was interested in all women’s genitals.
lamh36
Good question…Rachel kinda raised this a bit, but of course she’s likely NOT allowed to ding the parent company
Kay
@lamh36:
I agree. They all endorsed him for President of the United States.
It can’t happen. This person cannot be President.
SiubhanDuinne, liberal mob enforcer bitch
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has just pulled his support of Trump. When you’ve lost the odious Jason Chaffetz….
gf120581
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: Heard via CNN that the RNC and other party leaders have given downballot Republicans permissions to distance themselves from Trump without fear of repercussions.
Translation; they’re going full 1996, cutting Trump loose and focusing on salvaging what they can of this shit show. Fuck the Senate, that’s gone now. I think it’s about saving the House at this point.
amk
@Face: She is too smart to do that.
Omnes Omnibus
@schrodinger’s cat: Among others. This was a good day for us. I am annoyed at pretty much anyone who won’t unclench and enjoy the moment. All the “What if…” people.
gogol's wife
@Betty Cracker:
I said to my husband, “This has been a great day.” He said, “Yes, the weather was beautiful,” and I said HAHAHAHAHA
Adam L Silverman
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Okay, because Jason Miller, another of Cruz’s guys, is now the official Trump campaign spokesman/communication’s director.
Punchy
Cubs (gunna) win! Cubs (gunna) win!
dmsilev
Putting everything else aside, it appears that Mr. “I hire the best people” isn’t exactly providing a masterclass in crisis management.
debbie
Colbert is gonna kill on this tonight.
Dog Dawg Damn
The buzz on the news is completely different than past instances of Trumpian meltdown.
Mark Halpering reporting that RNC is deciding whether they’d rather go down with dignity with a write-in candidate. Ben Ginsberg reporting that people have been attempting to figure out the maze of laws about removing a nominee. Jason Chaffetz unendorsing. Utah Republican governor unendorsing. Paul Ryan disinviting. Etc.
This has legs, and in a big way. (Pardon the pun).
Keith P.
@Punchy: They’re so screwed since they’re all-in on this election. Everyone knows that a President Clinton will get at least 3 SCOTUS picks, so they can’t appear to help that cause, but at the same time, they’re screwing up their chances to have some control over the Senate (or at least have the margins to) But given that they don’t believe in compromise (see: Limbaugh CPAC speech for reference), they either win it all or lose it all. But now that they’re on the verge of the latter, it’s starting to sink in how fucked they are. This is a generational disaster for them.
Look for that Merrick Garland confirmation hearing pretty damn soon, cuz that’s the best deal they’re going to get.
? Martin
From the sounds of it, they’re stuck with Trump/Pence on the ballot – Obama voted today. You going to invalidate the vote of the President by changing the ballot after the fact?
But it sounds like Pence might be out. His only 2020 chance now might be to drop out of the ticket, renounce Trump with lots of Bible quotes, and campaign on being willing to act his conscience. Everything you hear from here out is just calculus for 2020. 2016 is over for the Presidential race. I don’t know if this helps downticket Republicans to now renounce him, or helps Democrats dump all their energy on downticket races. What a mess.
Comrade Scrutinizer
One thing these geniuses need to do: confirm Garland.
Mike J
Percysowner
@lamh36:
I’m betting his advisors are terrified that if he does it live, he’ll go off. This way they can keep retaping until he gets it right. Can they get him to sound contrite? I doubt it, but they are going to try. The longer it takes, the more I think he’s fighting his people on what they want him to say.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Butler left out birther racism, but we’ll chalk that up to so much shit, 140 characters
also he retweeted Yglesias
lamh36
The Trump camp is gonna release a video as close to midnight as possible…see how it goes over and then issue another “better” one…smh
hovercraft
When even Mr. Good News for John McCain is saying this is not survivable, barring an extraordinary performance. He is done. Tiny hedge but when even Halpern…..
Talk of everyone needing to go the Chafetz route, and not the Paul Ryan route is funny. A write in candidate is just stupid.
Adam L Silverman
@Punchy: Kind of hard to keep trying to force the DOJ to indict her for perjury if he endorses her.
lamh36
Aww… Mark Halperin…sounds like he lost his best friend on MSNBC…aww…
? Martin
@efgoldman:
Dubya’s cousin. Seriously…
dmsilev
@Dog Dawg Damn: Ballots are already being mailed out and in some states being cast. How do you remove someone when the state has already sent out umpteen million ballots with “Donald J. Trump (R)” on them?
Betty Cracker
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: Cheers! ?
Dog Dawg Damn
Halpering reporting that the video they recorded that they decided not to release because it was so awful.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!
Dog Dawg Damn
@dmsilev: You can only do it in certain states! YAY!
Jeffro
@sdhays: You’re right, it is surprising after everything that’s come up…we’ve all gotten used to it. It took a sustained bombardment and careful strategy by Team Clinton to do what 16 “deep benchers” could not (albeit for various and previously understood reasons).
GOP, y’all better take a long hard look and thing about getting some principles, seriously, or this is going to keep happening. You can start with supporting an amendment overturning CU.
Adam L Silverman
@efgoldman: He issued a real apology earlier this evening. Whether he’s really sincere or not, I have no idea.
jl
You read this stuff, and it is hilarious and disgusting:
Chris CillizzaVerified account
@TheFix
Republicans I talk to tonight are sort of stunned. They knew Trump was dangerous for the party. They didn’t know he was this dangerous.
https://twitter.com/joshtpm/status/784580394725367808
Violently groping women is bad and disgusting, as is bragging that you can do it and get away with it. But Trump clearly didn’t know how NATO worked and could easily blunder the world into a nuclear crisis, his headline campaign promises are human rights crimes. Trump IS a proven pathological liar. Ugly smears and insults to about every minority group you can name, and women. But jeez, he could be this dangerous to the GOP? Who knew?
Edit: well, their jerk is probably sunk for good. That’s all they care about. Win by any means necessary, don’t count the costs.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
No one (white male Republicans and pundits) knows what to say or do about this situation. Trump hasn’t tweeted for almost 24 hours. They’re trying to shit talk Clinton, but they’re hoping Trump opens up, apologizes, and bares his inner feminist sorry soul. LOL
Keith P.
@lamh36: No more rides on the Bangchopper for Marky!
dmsilev
@? Martin: Real testament to !Jeb’s campaign that this didn’t come out 8 months ago.
? Martin
@Comrade Scrutinizer: Yeah. McConnell is now holding an open Supreme Court seat for this guy to fill. He’s got to answer for that.
Dork
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: A sad Dana Bash walked into a bar. Bartender says “Why the long face?”
hovercraft
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: She was married to Michael Hastings, and he never struck me someone to suffer fools.
EDIT: And she worked for Condi back in the day, so she is smart. Also misguided but smart.
Omnes Omnibus
@Dog Dawg Damn: Halperin.
Kay
@Keith P.:
Every time I get disgusted with this election (happens a lot) I remember that.
Decades. A majority on that court. That’s the thing :)
dmsilev
@Dog Dawg Damn: And someone leaked that to Halperin? Wow. We’re really in “rats abandoning sinking ship” territory. Usually it takes until a week or two before the election to get to that stage.
Jeffro
@Percysowner:
And because of that competence and confidence, she’s had the GOP’s number…”the vast, right-wing conspiracy”s number…forever and a day.
? Martin
@Percysowner: Not that he’ll go off. That he’ll be unconvincing, because I don’t think it’s possible for him to show humility.
sigaba
@dmsilev: The party can reallocate electors any time before the electoral college votes, but the legalities of this vary from state to state- and obviously if they did it without Trump’s assent there’d be hell to pay.
Dog Dawg Damn
@Omnes Omnibus: Yes. Spelled correctly in the first comment I mentioned him in. “Halpering” is a verb that means “to brown-nose, to shill”. My apologies.
lamh36
Keith P.
@Kay: What makes it even sweeter is that the state GOP parties have been putting TONS of pet causes into the judicial pipeline with the expectation that they’ll win 5-4. Then Scalia died. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Also: I’m now watching someone on MSNBC bringing up Ivanka’s “He’s not a groper” statement. I’m going to OD on this shit soon.
Comrade Scrutinizer
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Asked by whom?
Jeffro
@Keith P.:
Would appreciate it if PBO would twist the knife on that and note that Garland’s nom is only good until Election Day Eve…after that, after all, it “wouldn’t be appropriate for me to step on the nominating prerogatives of the incoming President-Elect”
Dog Dawg Damn
@Dog Dawg Damn: OMG! I misspelled it in both comments! And then was a dick about it! Halperin of course.
Barbara
@efgoldman: Basically correct, with the following proviso in many states: that if the limitations period was extended before the prior statute of limitations expired for the offense in question, the longer period could apply. E.g., if state changes 5 year limitations to 10 years three years after offense occurred, offense might become subject to 10 year limitations. Not sure about California.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Tom Levenson: I suspected this dropping during the High Holidays was not accidental. On this Sabbath, with his best minders shomer Shabbos, a coincidence? Strains credulity.
Prescott Cactus
@Punchy: The one thing that could ruin this glorious day.
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus:
Agreed. I bet that Hillary is grinning through half the debate prep, and sleeps with a smile on her face – probably laughs in her sleep.
amk
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Kay: and to think we may need Tim Kaine’s tie-breaker and Evan Bayh to ensure that
ETA: @Comrade Scrutinizer: Kellyanne, Uday and Qusay, I would guess,
shortribs
I predict the RNC will “discuss what to do with Trump” for 48 hours, then they’ll just move on like they’ve done the other dozen times they’ve “discussed what to do with Trump”.
jl
@Dog Dawg Damn: God Lord! Hope this mess ends the careers of some fake news hacks, but that is too much to hope for I guess.
hovercraft
@Mandalay:
Utah is different, than the rest of the party because of the Mormon issue. They have a very recent history of being the victims of discrimination, so they have always been the most resistant to Trump. Electeds there have very low risk of a backlash from the base for not supporting him.
sigaba
@Jeffro: Sucks to be Merrick Garland, and using his nomination in that way is something PBO explicitly promised not to do.
lamh36
Halperin says it’s likely that the video WON’T be released…smh
lamh36
Omnes Omnibus
@seaboogie: Restraining the shimmy. This was such a horrible day for Trump. I think some people haven’t absorbed it yet.
Dog Dawg Damn
Chaffetz unendorsement is brutal. “I can’t look my daughter in the eye and endorse him.”
Wow.
PST
Today I stop trying to convince my Trump-loving relatives to switch to Clinton and start urging them to stay home. I want them sulking in their tents.
Adam L Silverman
@Jeffro: Reid will do it.
Prescott Cactus
@Percysowner: OK Donald lets try again. Rolling and take 223, Apology.
Omnes Omnibus
@sigaba: Garland is the chief judge of the DC Circuit. There are only nine more prestigious judicial positions. They are all on the Supreme Court. He is fine.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Cubs win! Cubs win!
I wonder if Alec Baldwin is taping and retaping Trump’s apology at the same time Trump is.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Betty Cracker:
I’m drinking for all womankind tonight, Betty. Wish we could be together on your patio under the tiki torches, enjoying the schadenfreude that my schadenfreude is jealous of.
JPL
@efgoldman: NBC used him on the Olympics. He defended Ryan Lochte
I must say what the hell is going on.. Trump is a proven racist and misogynist, so why is this different. The only thing I can think of is that he talked about kitties. If they were upset, it should have happened 8 years ago.
rikyrah
Bravo, Team Clinton.
Steve in the ATL
@efgoldman:
And this, my friend, is why you are an honorary member of the bar.
Bill E Pilgrim
Have another halpering of great noodles for McCain.
lamh36
My grandmother used to say…”God don’t like ugly” when we did something petty.
The GOP got the nominee they deserved all because they wanted to stick it to Obama…
Who’s laughing now?
Omnes Omnibus
@JPL: Straw that broke the camel’s back. Take it and run with it.
Mike J
@efgoldman: At a top 40 station for which I worked, we hired a new shit hot morning dj from a larger market. This guy was our tentpost, we’d be #1 in morning drive and just carry it through housewife and afternoon. First time I met him he told us how he never swore even off air because he was afraid he would slip on air.
The next week he said “motherfucker” OTA.
Jeffro
@sigaba:
It’s not “using” – it’s a heads-up.
Or if you prefer, another nail in their coffin.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@lamh36:
The reason the video release is taking so long is because Trump is resisting. I hope someone is secretly taping this event. I’d pay really good money to be a fly on the wall in his tacky gilded cage.
holy shit, nutjob surrogate Trumbot Scottie Neil Hughes is in total fucking nonsensical meltdown.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@efgoldman: Knees are sometimes anticipated. Fists often aren’t. Based on my background and experience.
ETA: Or, what Corner Stone noted.
Comrade Scrutinizer
@efgoldman: You know, in a real struggle that knee to the groin thing is: 1) easily deflected; and 2) not incapacitating. Just saying.
Jeffro
@Prescott Cactus:
Owen Ellickson’s almost up to take #223 on Twitter with the DJT “apology” and it’s killer
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@lamh36:
There’s such a delicious irony in the fact that Trump came to this place because of his birtherism. karma’s a cold bitch.
Prescott Cactus
@Adam L Silverman: 11th dimension chess. He voted for her as President in order to allow a vote to impeach her.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Jamelle Bouie has some thoughts that I wish I were hearing on my TV
MJS
@Omnes Omnibus: Agree 100%. A “that’s reprehensible, and let me remind you of the other reprehensible things he’s said” will suffice. Surrogates and the media can pick the remaining flesh off the carcass
Onkel Fritze
Just now on CNN:
Scottie Nell Hughes makes statement – Don Lemon: “So, Bob Beckel, what’s the reality here?”
Comedy gold.
lamh36
@JPL: Well…
White women are their mothers, daughters, etc…but those coloreds women…ain’t
Jeffro
@Adam L Silverman:
Great idea! Let’s make sure of that, somehow – call? Email campaign?
Mike J
BNO NewsVerified account @BNONews
Washington State Republican Party Chair Susan Hutchison defends Trump comments, says they “were made when he was a Democrat”
Gelfling 545
@Omnes Omnibus: I totally agree. If asked she should assume the facial expression of someone who has just noticed a foul odor and emphasize that in almost all ways he is intellectually, ethically and morally unsuited to the office.
amk
lamh36
Millard Filmore
@hovercraft:
God works in mysterious ways!
Adam L Silverman
@Prescott Cactus: I’m not sure he can count to 11 even if he takes his shoes off. He doesn’t seem to be that smart.
Jeffro
@lamh36: And that’s basically it, right? Hard to deny…
Keith P.
Halperin’s saying the new, improved apology sucked too much for them to use? Oh, man, that’s rich. Trump should have gone to a psychiatrist years ago. 70 year old man who is pathologically incapable of giving an apology.
SadPathetic!lamh36
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: I think Halperin and Costas saying that maybe a video was already done…and it was so bad…that they are now gonna release?
jl
@JPL:
” so why is this different ”
It is mysterious to me what the media considers an official gotcha that establishes something that has long been in evidence but ignored, but can now be taken seriously as a serious issue.
Lizzy L
@Omnes Omnibus: Agree. She doesn’t need to say a thing — everyone else will do it for her.
Origuy
@Tom Levenson:
Ivanka and Jared have a lot to atone for.
geg6
@Betty Cracker:
No reason to be embarrassed. How many years have these hypocritical GOPers been lording it over the rest of us for their moral integrity and our own lack of any moral virtue? Fuck it, I’m laughing my ass off. And I’m probably going to laugh in some Trumpster faces over the weekend. And I will feel no regret or embarrassment over it. I’m entitled to my glee at their downfall.
amk
any one hear from bob fucking dole? the complete coward.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
50 quatloos that Toomey is the first one to un-endorse, followed by Ayotte, Portman, McCain, Rubio, Burr.
jl
@Keith P.:When it happened I at frst thought Trump’s bizarre grudging non-apology admission that, yes, Obama was born in the US, was a staged ploy of some kind. But soon became apparent this guy really didn’t wanna, and he has some very serious psychological issues. Even more serious than I previous thought. And I previously thought he had serious problems.
dmsilev
@lamh36: I hope some disgruntled running-for-the-exit Trump staffer leaks that video to the Post.
hovercraft
Bill Maher, Trump says that when you are a star you can do anything you can grab them by the pussy, really, sounds like what Hillary did to him at the first debate.
CaseyL
I’m in danger of OD’ing on schadenfreude. I hope hope HOPE Trump takes the GOP down with him. I’ve been waiting and hoping for something to take the GOP down for… FSM, pretty near 20 years, ever since the Clinton Wars. (And won’t it be just delicious if the person who finally takes them down is another Clinton.)
Watching those asswipes run for cover just like cockroaches when you turn on the light is an utter delight.
Omnes Omnibus
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): I moved to Newtown, CT, in 6th grade and it did not go well. Given bus routes, I traveled with the few working class kids in Fairfield County, CT, I was seen as fancy and a violin player. I got in several fights a week. My dad, still a boxing fan, offered some advice. 1. Make sure you mark the other guy. A black eye works. 2. if you didn’t start it and the other guy is bigger, nail him in the nuts (just make sure you do it right) – a fight started by someone bigger than isn’t fair so why treat it that way? It worked.
Timurid
@lamh36:
Marla Maples = Catwoman
Jim, Foolish Literalist
hovercraft
Bill Maher, Trump says that when you are a star you can do anything you can grab them by the puzzy, really, sounds like what Hillary did to him at the first debate.
Corner Stone
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Republicans were looking for anything he said nasty against white folk.
And nobody grabs another white man’s woman by their p_ssy and gets away with it.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@lamh36:
It’s like asking Jeffrey Dahmer to produce a legit cooking video for the public as atonement for his misdeeds, that doesn’t evoke revulsion and disgust. Can’t be done.
Barbara
@JPL: He talked about grabbing pu**y without asking first. And if I had to guess, they all know that his habits did not change much over time and there are likely to be even more releases of the same general variety in store for us. Why they did not see this coming is beyond me.
Edited to sanitize the offending word.
Matt McIrvin
@Omnes Omnibus:
There’s a Bernie-diehard commenter on LGM who is taking the opportunity to scream at everyone else about how this proves once and for all that they fucked up their one chance for a real liberal president, because anyone could have beaten this idiot.
Omnes Omnibus
@Gelfling 545: She knows that. It’s good.
Prescott Cactus
@Adam L Silverman: I wouldn’t buy a car, new or used from him.
Corner Stone
Trump Video!
hovercraft
Why is Tweety back on? Haven’t they said they won’t be releasing the statement?
It would be stupid to release it in the middle of the night.
seaboogie
@geg6:
Speaking of which, this should make for a helluva Hitler Downfall meme….heeeeeee!
hueyplong
Chris Matthews is not even human. He just blathered in a way that seems oblivious to the actual issue at hand.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
VIDEO STATEMENT RELEASED NOW
sukabi
@Corner Stone: it will be an infomercial for trump tv, because all the other media outlets are out to get him.
Ruckus
This is a valid description of their entire idea of politics. Their inability to think beyond some soundbite, like what to do when elected, what to do with a government, a hurricane, an international non crisis, etc, on and on and on. There isn’t anything that they can’t turn into a complete mess, because they are believers, not in any way thinkers. And their list of candidates for the ultimate grift was proof of this.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
looks like a hostage video. Blaming Bill Clinton and Hillary. yeah, that’s not gonna work
Tom Levenson
@debbie: The Orthodox are different. Shorthand for the three main sects: Hazy/Lazy/Crazy.
Dork
I’ve never wanted to watch Hannity’s next episode as much as I do now. I expect either tears or profuse swearing.
Omnes Omnibus
@efgoldman: I think we are on the same page. More or less.
Corner Stone
Ooohhhh, that went off the rails very, very nicely.
Thanks, Obama…..I mean Trump.
hueyplong
Wow. Trump’s “apology” is actually an attack on Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Good. I want him to stay in this race.
Keith P.
@Corner Stone: “It happened 10 years ago, and everyone knows this is now who I am” HAHAHAH. This is funny, as his “apology” is a pivot over to the Clintons. Not going to go over well.
Eljai
MSNBC running the moldy yam’s “apology”. Low energy. Reading from a teleprompter. OMFG he just blamed Bill Clinton.
lamh36
@Corner Stone: I mean he even looks angry..doesn’t look sincere AT ALL!
Barbara
@Comrade Scrutinizer: Fingers in eyes is what I was told to do if you are really caught and trying to fight off an attack. Also, grabbing and squeezing testicles, which is more effective and more targeted.
lamh36
Corner Stone
He dropped it after midnight eastern time.
This isn’t going to do too much to help him get past this.
lamh36
Chris Matthews is an idiot..
hilts
Trump is out of his fucking mind if he thinks this pathetic, lame ass apology solves his problem.
hueyplong
Trump forgot to save some blame for Obama.
Corner Stone
You were fucking 60 years old, you fucking lech! You changed in the last year?!
hueyplong
Finally, The Pivot.
hovercraft
What the fuck, he’s still attacking Hillary and Bill. And who the fuck created this distraction. And what the hell do Gold Star families have to do with you demeaning and abusing women.
lamh36
@hueyplong: he’s an idiot…you can see he really wanted Trump to bring it to the Clintons.
He even talking about Trump is gonna bring up BC shit in debate and actually said it will bring up feeling from the progressive left…
WTF was he even talking about?
TS
@hilts:
It will as far as the political media is concerned – and then we have Bill Clinton – both sides and all that.
The GOP needs to pick up its shoes, collect the media – and leave the country.
lamh36
@Corner Stone: yep…called it…smh
Jim, Foolish Literalist
If he’s going after Bubba, I’m thinking the Clinton campaign may leak a few aftershocks between now and Sunday, still keeping the big reveals for… let’s say October 26, a Wednesday.
“We are losing jobs…” Didn’t unemployment hit a sixteen year old low last month?
Felonius Monk
@Punchy:
Just Chaffetz bullshit. Remember these fuckers all lie. And, unfortunately, we will never know. This is simply a PR statement to save his own campaign.
lamh36
hilts
@lamh36:
You’re too kind. Chris Matthews is a smarmy fucking scumbag and Hardball is a putrid steaming pile of excrement.
Mnemosyne
@Comrade Scrutinizer:
I’ve always heard that the heel of the hand to the nose gives a very spectacular result. And then the knee to the groin as a follow-up.
Have I mentioned lately that I have 4 older brothers? They told me these things.
amk
what, no I-blame-obama ?
pathetic pos.
? Martin
My theory is that Clinton has worse but she can’t put worse out there because she doesn’t want to burn Trump down too soon. The longer he hangs in there, the harder the GOP will have it to replace him or to protect down ballot. We’re still getting the soft stuff. Oct 19 is the last debate. We’ll get worse on the 17th and I’m guessing worse yet later in the month.
The Dangerman
Trump = Arsonist
the Conster, la Citoyenne
He’s trying to shore up his moron base of deplorables. Everyone else is out.
Fair Economist
@amk:
The V1*gra spokesman? Given how he could fit into the jokes I think he’ll be lying low for a while, if you’ll pardon the expression.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: ZOMG, that was stupider than I expected.
Obviously paraphrased but
SAD!
hovercraft
@hueyplong:
He was in there, not by name, but the economy and we are less safe are Obama’s fault.
Omnes Omnibus
@? Martin: Wow. You are a genius. No one else got there. Totally. Ever.
David ?▶️Hillary/Harley Quinn 2016▶️? Koch
Disastrous Trump apology! Low energy! Sad!
lamh36
Don Lemon finally says something smart Trump said it was “a decade ago” ok well then he mentions BC.. that was 2 decades…come on son
PST
Have you ever seen such anger on a face? No contrition, just blood coming out of his eyes.
? Martin
So if the Giants and Packers play a football game and nobody watches, did it actually happen? Sunday’s debate ratings are going to be through the roof.
dmsilev
@lamh36: Was anyone seriously expecting anything better from him? Even given that his campaign staff was probably metaphorically pointing a gun at his head (or maybe not so metaphorically).
? Martin
@PST: out of his… whatever.
hueyplong
Chaffetz is just a rat. Having him on merely shows that some of them are surrying off the SS Trump.
Troy Aldrich
Newbie Here. Liberal….Liberal to the CORE.. I Live in Florida.. Matthew Left this State in a Mess. But I am ALIVE….LOL. I am a Politics and Sports Junkie. #I’mwithher
Corner Stone
Chaffetz just said the Clinton side is just as bad. Seriously.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q):
“I’ll be a better man tomorrow”.
He’s 70.
hovercraft
@PST:
Coming out of his wherever.
Sm*t Cl*de
@hovercraft:
[Climbs out of crashed jet. Confronts angry villagers]
“No Vietnamese should ever be victimised by this kind of inappropriate behavior. President Johnson alone bears the burden of his policies and alone should face the consequences.”
Renie
i think trump has just made the situation worse; what a narcissistic sociopath he is
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Gotta figure Reince and Christie and Conway were telling him to stay away from the Clenis stuff, Sessions telling him to go for it. I figure it was Uday and Qusay who outvoted the Outsiders.
redshirt
We are in Tbogg range as long as there’s not a new thread.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@PST: I’ve certainly seen only a couple apologies offered with such obvious anger. They were not successful.
hovercraft
@Corner Stone:
He’s a smarmy rat just as always.
SRW1
Donald was insufficiently medicated. Still way too angry to credibly sell contrition.
Lizzy L
Waiting for the transcript of Trumps’s “apology.”
Lyrebird
@lamh36: Oh you are more than 100% right. Wasn’t it Maya Angelou who said “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time”?
I can’t imagine the levels of denial present in the minds of people who were surprised by this, and NO WAY do I intend to watch the video — I mute his voice when watching newsclips — but if this is what it takes to awaken those individuals, I welcome it.
Barbara
@dmsilev: What else can he do without getting a personality transplant and without alienating his most ardent supporters? And who would believe him if he tried to do better? No, this leaked tape is who he is. He knows it, I know it, everyone knows it. Even the people who are eager to vote for him knew it, they were just lacking the raunchiest particulars. Nowhere to run. The only real question is how low Trump can go for Paul Ryan to cry uncle. I’m guessing he hasn’t even gotten to the third or fourth lowest rung for Ryan.
sigaba
@Corner Stone:
They have to use the locution “side” because if they can’t bring up Bill they literally have nothing. And even if they do bring up Bill they figuratively have nothing.
Anoniminous
A sprightly tune from Freddie Mercury seems appropriate
The Dangerman
@Renie:
Pretty amazing, really; where were the grown ups (meaning, not Donald) that let this happen? Whoever thought that was going to put the fire out is out of their f’ing minds.
hilts
@? Martin:
I think I read somewhere that in every election cycle, the 1st prez debate always had the highest Nielsen ratings. This election cycle might end that streak.
sigaba
@Barbara:
Ryan would vote for CancerAIDS HitlerStalin as long as he signed off on his budget.
? Martin
@Omnes Omnibus: Well, obviously every Republican hasn’t considered it. Do they think it’ll get easier to defend their endorsements from here? Do they think it’ll get easier to defend their votes? If you’re wavering but holding at this point you obviously believe this is the low point.
David ?▶️Hillary/Harley Quinn 2016▶️? Koch
Dog Dawg Damn
And the sniffing!!! I can’t wait to read the tell all book about his campaign. Going to be a blockbuster movie too.
hilts
@SRW1:
I didn’t hear any sniffles in this apology. I look forward to Hillary wiping the floor with this neanderthal on Sunday.
dmsilev
On the flip side, expectations for Trump at Sunday’s debate are now even lower than they were for the first debate, so …progress?
Corner Stone
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: He was fucking 60 when he was recorded saying this!
Barbara
@? Martin: Well, I will most likely watch the game and follow my usual on-line haunts for debate updates. I can’t tolerate the stress, I hate the town hall format even when neither candidate is insane and I just despise listening to Trump’s voice.
Mandalay
Another Republican (wo)mans up:
sukabi
@lamh36: why video? It can be edited to cut out incoherent ramblings and inappropriate content. Also, the knee breaker can ensure drumpf stays on script without being seen.
Nom de Plume
@hueyplong:
Just wanted to highlight this. That’s an underappreciated comment right there.
Mnemosyne
@lamh36:
Some people can’t see past the nose on their face.
I also think that some people are right and it really is about Trump’s “tone,” of all things. All of the nasty things he was saying about Black/brown/Muslim people were technically still within the bounds of polite discourse within asshole white people circles.
But he actually used the word “puzzy.” That’s a big no-no among the circles who still claim that William F. Buckley Jr. was a brilliant intellectual, not a run-of-the-mill racist who could correctly use fancy words in a sentence. In their world, it’s okay to be bigoted as long as you don’t use the rude words.
Now Trump has broken that rule, and Muffy and Bunny at the country club are aghast!
Corner Stone
@hilts: No. No. He sniffed hard core at least four times.
David ?▶️Hillary/Harley Quinn 2016▶️? Koch
Eljai
I hope every Democrat running for office this November does not let Chaffetz and his fellow ratbastards off the hook. We knew Drumpf was a bigoted, misogynistic sociopath long before this. Repubs should not get to pretend surprise, nor do they deserve any credit for only figuring this out now.
Temporarily Max McGee (Soon Enough to Be Andy K Again)
@Anoniminous:
Hmmm…I dunno. There’s always this.
Mary G
I missed it. Was it good and bad?
Dog Dawg Damn
@Corner Stone: yes. The sniffing was definitely there.
Omnes Omnibus
@? Martin: No. I don’t trust your vote.
hilts
@lamh36:
Don Lemon was right. Trump was grasping at straws with this hostage video apology.
I wish Larry Wilmore and Jon Stewart were still on the air to nail this cocksucker.
David ?▶️Hillary/Harley Quinn 2016▶️? Koch
David ?▶️Hillary/Harley Quinn 2016▶️? Koch
redshirt
I laugh when I think of GOP and strategy.
They are beyond strategy.
They are now pure ID.
NoraLenderbee
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Hillary’s birthday. And probably Christmas and July 4th all rolled into one.
Manyakitty
@Adam L Silverman: but such a tiny lulav…
Ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
Use the heal of the hand to the nose in an upward blow. It’s a stunner and not easy to see coming. If you have fingernails that are not just stubs, one in an eye really gets their attention. Strike fast and without any noise as that is a warning.
PST
@hovercraft:
By odd coincidence, I had surgery today to remove a bladder tumor, so I actually have blood coming out my whatever tonight. (Ewwww! TMI!) But with the irreversible implosion of the Trump campaign, I have to say that on balance, this was nevertheless a pretty good day.
Mnemosyne
@PST:
In an even odder coincidence, commenter workworkwork was also supposed to have surgery today (I think to remove a bad spleen).
ETA: I’m assuming that your surgery went reasonably well since you’re here and sound pretty perky. Either that, or the drugs haven’t worn off yet. ;-) Feel better.
Dog Dawg Damn
Farenthold noted that Trump’s apology didn’t contain any discussion of whether he was lying about being a sexual predator. He didn’t address the issue of whether he acted that way, and in fact, implied he didn’t by making the distinction between words / actions when referring Bill Clinton’s past transgressions.
Blood in the water. Women are going to come forward and show that this is who he was. (We know because he bragged about it in his book, but the media doesn’t care to report that.)
catclub
@Corner Stone: Henry Hyde claimed his affair was a youthful indiscretion. He was 43.
Millard Filmore
@Comrade Scrutinizer:
I do not know about the practicalities of this, or its liklihood, but it would be sweet if Garland said in his confirmation hearing that he refuses to be a pawn in political machinations and withdraws his name from consideration.
sigaba
@NoraLenderbee: She would be a Scorpio.
SFAW
@Omnes Omnibus:
But — for a change — not me. (At least, I don’t think I did.)
But the night is young …
Angrifon
@tsquared2001: Nice Miller’s Crossing reference!
Millard Filmore
@Mnemosyne:
If you can get some small items in your hands, coins, buttons, anything, fling those in his face first. That will get you 2 or 3 free seconds to do as you will.
Pest Bog Mummy, Frakensteinbeck
@Mnemosyne:
You’ve nailed it. Conservatives are superficial, and support most things that we consider deplorable. However, it is crucially important to them to be able to claim righteousness even while they’re being evil, mean-spirited, petty, bigoted assholes. Trump used profanity and described a physical groping action. Both are so crude, that layer of righteousness cannot be maintained. You would be amazed what it can survive. Telling blacks they need to be saved from their gun-popping street gangs sounds like ‘trying to help’ to a racist. But this? This is just crass.
Vhh
@gf120581: Bailey’s Cream on their cereal tomorrow!
Vhh
@David ?▶️Hillary/Harley Quinn 2016▶️? Koch: see Ailes, Roger.
Vhh
@Adam L Silverman: This may not be a coincidence, but rather Divine Intervention.
Vhh
@dmsilev: In the first debate, Hillary’s shimmy right before she mailed the Donald was compared to a cat settling her haunches before springing at the mouse. In the second debate, I reckon we may see the Hillary-Cat torment the Donald Mouse for quite a while before biting through his neck.
debbie
@Tom Levenson:
That is so brilliant! I remember the orthodox rabbi who moved next door being very angry about my dad’s placing the menorah next to the Christmas tree in the window facing the rabbi’s family room window.