Friday, June 14, 2019

The coming debates...

"Political debates are sort of like stock car races --- no one really cares who wins, they just want to see the crashes.  If there aren't any crashes, everyone votes the event a total bore."  Molly Ivins, 1986.

The Democratic Party's first presidential primary debates are headed for chaos.  The two debates of 10 candidates each are obviously unwieldy.  A mixed bag of journalists will be running the events, and apparently the news reader Lester Holt will be on both panels, moderating one of them.  There is no single moderator for the second debate.  The ability of those assigned to these roles to make themselves invisible facilitators is highly questionable.

On top of that, it is not impossible to imagine that those potential candidates that did not make the cut will do something elsewhere on another network.  They will be pitched, and why not.  Fox would enjoy making that contribution.  The enormous potpouri of comments coming out of this will be a gift to Republican editors of Trumpian advertising.  In the meantime, other Democrats that have not yet jumped into the fray of chances for publicity will come out of the woodwork subsequently.

Is this too cynical?

Other news today is that Sarah Huckabee Sanders has decided to resign.  Her persistent lying on behalf of Trump will not be missed.  Her family will now be stuck with her.  Kellyanne Conway has been cited for violating the teethless Hatch Act, not a rule, just an act.  Louise Linton, Steven Mnuchin's wife, said yesterday that "it sucks being hated."  I will not attempt to comment on that other than wonder what she expected.

Trump continues to have trouble with the truth, while some Democrats talk about impeachment as a viable alternative.  Opinion here is that would only strengthen Trump's hold on his supposed base and be something that he would enjoy ranting about.  They should instead smother Trump with kindness, and constant concerns about his mental health.  He is clearly not a stable individual and his handling of foreign policy is ruinous.  Many commentators seem to have given in to the view that it is all just Trump's way of negotiating, art of the deal blah blah... "stable genius" in Trump's words, "unstable minimally educated narcissist" in the view of some observers.

Meanwhile, back at the pass, the professional hate advocate Stephen Miller and Trump's personal attorney Barr seem to be the two voices that Trump hears.  At least two more former Trump girlfriends have come forward or been unearthed for their 15 minutes.  We learn now that Hunter Biden was hired for his legal skills not only by Ukraine but also China. Melania's heel collection grows.  I need a scorecard...

Eventually there will be "crashes".






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