July, 2016 archive
A Picture Is Worth 0
Seen at The Fast Wok, Suburban Station, Philadelphia:
Afterthought:
Yep. I’m back in Philly for a few days. It’s a great city and it’s nice to be back, if only for a short time. (And, no, it has nothing to do with the Democratic Convention.)
A Trumped Up Reputation 0
At The Bangor Daily News, David Treadwell rounds up a list to Donald Trump’s con games. There’s nothing much new in it, but it’s quite impressive–one might even say yuge—to see it all in one place.
A Divot, Not a Pivot 2
A while ago, I unloaded on the concept of the “pivot,” which seems to be rather a fetish amongst the conventional political media.
Now Clarence Page finds himself wondering where that magickal mystickal Trumpian pivot may be. A snippet–follow the link for the complete article (emphasis added):
Quite the opposite, Trump sounded like he’s doubling down on his efforts to rouse the conservative and largely blue-collar and middle-class base that has turned out in huge numbers, as he puts it, at his rallies.
Frankly, in Trumplandia, there may be multiple divots, but there is not one pivot. Trump is temperamentally incapable of a “pivot.” A “pivot” requires discipline.
Aside:
As a news junky and someone who trained as a historian (I know that’s not parallel, but it’s my blog), I read a lot of stuff and Clarence Page’s commentary has earned my respect. Nevertheless, I find his contention that “Timing and managing your pivot as a candidate is tricky but crucial” to be laughable.
A pivot is “tricky but crucial” only if your message is a PR fabrication conceived in marketing, birthed in strategy, and schooled for maximum duplicity. If your message is correct and true, you need not pirouette away from it.
“The Lost Cause” 0
Once more, the next time you hear persons wax romantic about the “the Lost Cause,” please ask them to identify what precisely was the cause that was lost.
And, yes, in case you were wondering, I’m a Southern Boy. Some of my ancestors were slaveholders. The cause that was lost was their cause. I cannot repudiate my ancestors–as Todd says, it is what it is–but I can and must repudiate their cause.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Try as you might, you can’t keep politeness locked up.
The boy went by ambulance to Clear Lake Regional Hospital, where he was listed in good condition . . . .
The Voter Fraud Fraud 0
A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling upholding North Carolina’s gut-out-the-vote law. A snipped (emphasis added):
Sometimes even a court needs to point out the obvious.
More at the link.
The Also-Rans’ Lament 0
Music from Drumpf: The Musical, work in progress.
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 1
Another load of politeness . . . .
The subject then un-holstered and unloaded a pistol from his waist and began showing the victim the weapon’s custom made grips. Then, as the weapon owner attempted to reload and re-holster his weapon, he accidentally discharged it. The bullet struck the sidewalk and the victim’s foot was struck by bullet fragments.
(If it reads like it’s from a police report, that’s because it is. The full press release is at the link.)
