2016 archive
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Yet another unload of politeness:
If you point a gun at someone and pull the trigger, that is not an accident. If you neglected to check whether the gun was loaded, it is at the least negligence, because you pointed a gun and someone and pulled the tri–oh, never mind. Just remember, every time something like this is called an accident, ammosexuals have a little thrill go down their legs.
And, in more news of the polite . . . .
“An Armed Society Is a Polite Society” 0
Be polite when exchanging information after the collision.
Afterthought:
Sounds more like a “shoot and run” than a “hit and run” to me. One wonders whether the shooter was the hitter or the hittee.
Trump: “You Can Take That to the Bank” 0
Josh Marshall: “Oh, no, you can’t.”
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.