Political Theatre category archive

How to make the grade in Florida.

In certain big northeastern cities, there’s an informal tradition that, if you clear your street parking place after a big snow, it’s yours. In the residential neighborhoods of Boston and Philadelphia, you will see trash cans, folding chairs, and other markers holding down the claim.

The tradition is illegal, as streets are public, but it’s strong.

Michael Smerconish takes a look at how various politicians might view this practice. This is my favorite; follow the link for the rest:

Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) emphasizes the individual’s God-given right to suffer an unnecessary heart attack while proudly doing a physically exhausting job: “Every American has the right to lead an unnecessarily difficult existence with as little governmental assistance as possible.”

Via Bob Cesca’s Awesome Blog.

In Wingnut World, it’s the words that count, not the thought. Steven M:

Wingnut Rumplestiltskin? We’ve been playing the post-9/11 version ever since Obama became a presidential candidate. Obama won’t say we’re at war with Al Qaeda and its ideological allies! He won’t say “jihadist” and “Islamist”! He won’t say “war on terror”! He’ll say “terrorism” and “extremism,” but he won’t say “Islamic terrorism” and “Islamic extremism”! It’s “wingnut Rumplestiltskin” because apparently the key to solving all global problems is using the exact booga-booga words right-wingers want to hear — say them and everything magically works out.

Attytood.

Moved below the fold because it autoplays on some systems.

Read more »

Via PoliticalProf.

The ACLU explores location data and its uses. From the blurb accompanying the video:

As long as it is turned on, your mobile phone registers its position with cell towers every few minutes, whether the phone is being used or not. Since mobile carriers are retaining location data on their customers, government officials can learn a tremendous amount of detailed personal information about you by accessing your location history from your cell phone company, ranging from which friends you’re seeing to where you go to the doctor to how often you go to church. The Justice Department and most local police forces can get months’ worth of this information, without you ever knowing — and often without a warrant from a judge.

Not that it does much good, but I keep the GPS turned off in my phone unless I actively need it, even though various apps keep nagging me to turn it on to “provide better service.”

John Romano finds a new blond bobblehead for Fox News.

His letter of recommendation is a gem.

Why do people pay Peggy Noonan to write stuff?

Chris Hayes and his guests wonder, just which one was the worst.

Part 1:

Part 2:

I’m so old, I remember when The History Channel was about history.

Professor Emeritus John C. Raines muses on an unholy alliance. A nugget.

There are a lot of people out there who want us to be afraid. Their lives and livings depends upon us feeling unsafe. Of course, I am talking about the terrorists, whose purpose is to make us feel afraid to be in public spaces we depend upon in our everyday life – malls, train stations, marathon races.

But, strange to say, I am also talking about the enemies of the terrorists. Yes, the National Security Agency, the CIA, the FBI, and the immense security systems of the military, local police, and private security firms. They all depend upon us feeling afraid.

An effort to bring recognition to the graves of enslaved Virginians was rejected Monday by a House subcommittee.

The measure, sponsored by Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, would have created a commission to oversee the work of trying to identify and mark the graves of Virginians who were enslaved at the time of their deaths.

The Committee seemed to fear that recognizing the graves of Virginia’s slaves would cost too much.

Aside:

It is rare that Bob Marshall is on the right side of an issue. This appears to be one of those times. However, he did wait until after the deadline for introducing new bills had passed . . . .

Via BartCop.

Joan Walsh struggles to understand where Chris Christie got a reputation as a “moderate.” A nugget:

I think there’s something else at work, something psychological, maybe, and harder to get at. I think the mainstream media and its dominant pundits are unable to take in exactly how far to the right the Republican Party has swung in the last decade, and so they need to invent “moderates” to keep from writing over and over about the party’s departure from political sanity. And when their moderates either show themselves as extremists, as Christie has repeatedly, or else as severely flawed politicians, as Christie has lately, those pundits either ignore it or rush to rescue them over and over.

I think something baser is at work.

The media, particularly the Washington media, loves the horse race; they don’t care about the outcome. IF they report the truth–that the Republican Party has devolved into a coalition of the New Secesh and the American Taliban funded by robber barons–the spectators might leave the stands.

Like old-style horse-fixers, they disguise one of the horses so they can jack up the betting and have their photo finish.