Quick Hits, State of the Union Edition. Settle in with a beverage of choice and enjoy the ride.
1) Those hoping that Old Joe would show up and deflate the momentum of the speech wound up disappointed that Energetic Joe showed up instead, putting the sizzle on the steak. He was sharp, clear, and reassuring in his delivery -- perhaps a bit …
Quick Hits, State of the Union Edition. Settle in with a beverage of choice and enjoy the ride.
1) Those hoping that Old Joe would show up and deflate the momentum of the speech wound up disappointed that Energetic Joe showed up instead, putting the sizzle on the steak. He was sharp, clear, and reassuring in his delivery -- perhaps a bit over-the-top a few times, but considering the alternative, we can live with that. As for his few verbal slips, it was within the margin of error – I misspeak or trip over my tongue more times during a typical 50-minute class I teach than Biden did last night, and nobody is saying that I’m too old to do my job.
2) The flash polls about how successful the speech was maybe offered a few minor insights on overall opinions, but in general seemed to parallel what people already think going into the event. Those who like Biden and his agenda already came away mostly happy, those who don’t came away displeased, and those in between pretty much stayed there. But, hey, pollsters gotta eat too, so it was a success for those who rely on such things for their job and their relevance. That counts for something. I guess.
3a) The Republican response was … a teenage angst-driven high school drama production? Fright night at the local storytellers’ meeting? Both, sharing the same small space? Gawd … I literally had to turn it off after just a few minutes, it was such an overblown melodrama trying to take itself too seriously. If it was her coming out party, I hope she goes back into the egg. Just. Too. Overplayed. On every level.
3b) Said GOP huckster tried to tell us, with something of a straight face, that “it’s been a minute since Joe Biden pumped gas, ran a carpool or even pushed a grocery cart. Meanwhile, the rest of us see our dollar and we know it doesn’t go as far. President Biden just doesn’t get it – he’s out of touch.” The jokes write themselves as to how a similarly old man who is the GOP presumptive nominee, yet again, never has been photographed that I can recall behind the wheel of a car, pumping gas himself at the Quik-E-Mart, in line at a fast food restaurant of your choice (or the post office, or the grocery store, or anywhere else you and I frequent), and getting his hands dirty spending cash money and counting the change to make sure that it is accurate.
4) I heard a post-debate spin doctor … er, analyst, claim that there was nothing in Biden’s speech for Haley supporters who might consider crossing lines to vote Democratic. Excuse me? Cutting prescription drug prices does them no good? Freezing credit card fees when our nation is carrying record personal credit card debt? Rebuilding and upgrading roads, bridges, and other vital infrastructure while expanding broadband access and otherwise bringing rural America more into the 21st century? And on and on and on. We get it that those people are trying to tell us what they want for us to hear, and to think. But sometimes what they say is just so silly that you have to think that they willfully look past everybody who actually watches the news in search of as many low- to no-information voters as they can find. In my world they call that scraping the bottom of the barrel.
5) Speaking of that world … employment remains down, job opportunities remain high, restaurant parking lots remain full or nearly so on Friday nights, attendance at ball games is up, a predicted recession continues to stay at a distance, interest rates are falling, airplanes and airports are packed as people enjoy personal travel, a pandemic continues to disappear over the horizon as new medicines and expertise-driven medical practices continue to make us safer, people of diverse backgrounds are more welcome and included than before, and other democratic nations have (much) more respect for us that they did four years ago. There’s more. You get the idea. We’re doing quite well in a lot of ways – still work to do, still room for improvement, but that’s normal.
Summary: do we want to continue to go forward, with a rising tide that seeks to float all boats? Or do we want to go back to a dark past which mostly is about one person and his own legal issues and his attempts to stay out of jail, mindless of what happens to the rest of us as long as he gets his way? Easy call, where I sit. All others: choose wisely, not quickly, and try not to listen too closely as the drama queens and spin doctors strive to convince you that what they think, largely fueled by their own self-interest, outweighs what you see with your own eyes. And vote accordingly.
I had the same thought (your 3b note). Pretty sure the former guy has never, ever pushed a cart around the grocery store or pumped his own gas. He does, however, seem to think people are sitting around their kitchen table eager to pay $399 for hideous basketball shoes, and most likely knows where to get the best deal on a gold-plated toilet (assuming he actually pays the contractor who installs it).
If he did push a cart around a grocery store, it likely was in youth, one of those tiny kiddie carts that children use, and his father (another certifiable Bad Man, and who did a heckuva job on his boy) admiringly watched him do so and said, "That's what the little people do, son. Don't ever become one of them."
As someone not known as a good speaker,Joe really surprised me with his fire, vigor and energy.Out with the "sleepy Joe" meme and in with a fiery Dark Brandon.
Wouldn't it have been great if right before the close, he pulls out a pair of sunglasses and says, "And yes, I AM Dark Brandon!" Then, "God bless the troops", etc. That would have been good for a week's worth of news cycle..
I would just love that! I also just love it when Steven Colbert pulls out his aviators and does Joe Biden although it could be Dark Brandon.I'd also like to see Biden go on Colbert and come out in his Aviators!
Yep, Papa Joe is committed to taking care of the entire nation, not just his rich friends. The comment about Biden offered nothing to attract Haley voters is true enough, and we heard similar comments from Charlie, Sarah, etc that they want to be wooed. The GOP paints our politics as live or die, good or evil, working with the other side is traitorous (?). In this climate, if Biden did something to attract conservatives, such as deep spending cuts, the GOP would go crazy painting that as evil as well, and bothering many Dems in the process. How on earth can Joe attract these voters other than talking about democracy & our allies?
It's hilarious that the party led last night by a bleach blonde jeer leader decked out like a political convention delegate is now screaming that Biden's speech was too political... .
Also, Ironically MTG blames Biden for the death of a nurse at the hands of an undocumented immigrant, yet all we hear are crickets when it comes to mass shootings in schools….:)
Or all the sexual assaults on children I'm seeing from pastors and cops. It's interesting the blinders MAGA put on so they can't see what their friends are doing.
Admittedly I cheated and started last night, while the impulses were fresh in mind. Sleeping on them allowed for a few suitable refinements and additions. Please don't report me to the Bulwark headmaster for punishment. I enjoy sitting in class here.
You would be amazed at how often I do that,anticipating what Morning Shots will say in the morning.And thinking of quotes I will use. I'm in good company,Deutsch!
Quick Hits, State of the Union Edition. Settle in with a beverage of choice and enjoy the ride.
1) Those hoping that Old Joe would show up and deflate the momentum of the speech wound up disappointed that Energetic Joe showed up instead, putting the sizzle on the steak. He was sharp, clear, and reassuring in his delivery -- perhaps a bit over-the-top a few times, but considering the alternative, we can live with that. As for his few verbal slips, it was within the margin of error – I misspeak or trip over my tongue more times during a typical 50-minute class I teach than Biden did last night, and nobody is saying that I’m too old to do my job.
2) The flash polls about how successful the speech was maybe offered a few minor insights on overall opinions, but in general seemed to parallel what people already think going into the event. Those who like Biden and his agenda already came away mostly happy, those who don’t came away displeased, and those in between pretty much stayed there. But, hey, pollsters gotta eat too, so it was a success for those who rely on such things for their job and their relevance. That counts for something. I guess.
3a) The Republican response was … a teenage angst-driven high school drama production? Fright night at the local storytellers’ meeting? Both, sharing the same small space? Gawd … I literally had to turn it off after just a few minutes, it was such an overblown melodrama trying to take itself too seriously. If it was her coming out party, I hope she goes back into the egg. Just. Too. Overplayed. On every level.
3b) Said GOP huckster tried to tell us, with something of a straight face, that “it’s been a minute since Joe Biden pumped gas, ran a carpool or even pushed a grocery cart. Meanwhile, the rest of us see our dollar and we know it doesn’t go as far. President Biden just doesn’t get it – he’s out of touch.” The jokes write themselves as to how a similarly old man who is the GOP presumptive nominee, yet again, never has been photographed that I can recall behind the wheel of a car, pumping gas himself at the Quik-E-Mart, in line at a fast food restaurant of your choice (or the post office, or the grocery store, or anywhere else you and I frequent), and getting his hands dirty spending cash money and counting the change to make sure that it is accurate.
4) I heard a post-debate spin doctor … er, analyst, claim that there was nothing in Biden’s speech for Haley supporters who might consider crossing lines to vote Democratic. Excuse me? Cutting prescription drug prices does them no good? Freezing credit card fees when our nation is carrying record personal credit card debt? Rebuilding and upgrading roads, bridges, and other vital infrastructure while expanding broadband access and otherwise bringing rural America more into the 21st century? And on and on and on. We get it that those people are trying to tell us what they want for us to hear, and to think. But sometimes what they say is just so silly that you have to think that they willfully look past everybody who actually watches the news in search of as many low- to no-information voters as they can find. In my world they call that scraping the bottom of the barrel.
5) Speaking of that world … employment remains down, job opportunities remain high, restaurant parking lots remain full or nearly so on Friday nights, attendance at ball games is up, a predicted recession continues to stay at a distance, interest rates are falling, airplanes and airports are packed as people enjoy personal travel, a pandemic continues to disappear over the horizon as new medicines and expertise-driven medical practices continue to make us safer, people of diverse backgrounds are more welcome and included than before, and other democratic nations have (much) more respect for us that they did four years ago. There’s more. You get the idea. We’re doing quite well in a lot of ways – still work to do, still room for improvement, but that’s normal.
Summary: do we want to continue to go forward, with a rising tide that seeks to float all boats? Or do we want to go back to a dark past which mostly is about one person and his own legal issues and his attempts to stay out of jail, mindless of what happens to the rest of us as long as he gets his way? Easy call, where I sit. All others: choose wisely, not quickly, and try not to listen too closely as the drama queens and spin doctors strive to convince you that what they think, largely fueled by their own self-interest, outweighs what you see with your own eyes. And vote accordingly.
I had the same thought (your 3b note). Pretty sure the former guy has never, ever pushed a cart around the grocery store or pumped his own gas. He does, however, seem to think people are sitting around their kitchen table eager to pay $399 for hideous basketball shoes, and most likely knows where to get the best deal on a gold-plated toilet (assuming he actually pays the contractor who installs it).
If he did push a cart around a grocery store, it likely was in youth, one of those tiny kiddie carts that children use, and his father (another certifiable Bad Man, and who did a heckuva job on his boy) admiringly watched him do so and said, "That's what the little people do, son. Don't ever become one of them."
As someone not known as a good speaker,Joe really surprised me with his fire, vigor and energy.Out with the "sleepy Joe" meme and in with a fiery Dark Brandon.
Wouldn't it have been great if right before the close, he pulls out a pair of sunglasses and says, "And yes, I AM Dark Brandon!" Then, "God bless the troops", etc. That would have been good for a week's worth of news cycle..
I would just love that! I also just love it when Steven Colbert pulls out his aviators and does Joe Biden although it could be Dark Brandon.I'd also like to see Biden go on Colbert and come out in his Aviators!
Biden assuredly knows the cost of a cone of ice cream.
The ice cream cone would have melted in a hurry last night.
Yep, Papa Joe is committed to taking care of the entire nation, not just his rich friends. The comment about Biden offered nothing to attract Haley voters is true enough, and we heard similar comments from Charlie, Sarah, etc that they want to be wooed. The GOP paints our politics as live or die, good or evil, working with the other side is traitorous (?). In this climate, if Biden did something to attract conservatives, such as deep spending cuts, the GOP would go crazy painting that as evil as well, and bothering many Dems in the process. How on earth can Joe attract these voters other than talking about democracy & our allies?
They want to be WOOED?! TFB — at this point in the game, they know who TF Joe Biden is, and he ISN’T Trump. That SHOULD be enough.
Seriously? Horse-trading democracy for tax cuts is supposed to be why Americans hate politics.
It's hilarious that the party led last night by a bleach blonde jeer leader decked out like a political convention delegate is now screaming that Biden's speech was too political... .
Remind me, how many decades did he try bipartisanship first before he went there?
Five. And as recently as regards the Senate immigration bill.
Also, Ironically MTG blames Biden for the death of a nurse at the hands of an undocumented immigrant, yet all we hear are crickets when it comes to mass shootings in schools….:)
26,000 women in Texas were forced to give birth to children this year due to their rape. That many victims doesn't fit on a t-shirt, though.
What is your source for this? That’s a huge number of rapes.
Sure, but that isn't an unusually large number for rape at all. That's the Journal of the American Medical Association's figure for rape-related pregnancies for 1 year in Texas. https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/jama-study-says-more-than-26000-rape-related-pregnancies-in-texas-since-abortion-ban
Wow. Thank you.
Mass shootings don't either.
Or all the sexual assaults on children I'm seeing from pastors and cops. It's interesting the blinders MAGA put on so they can't see what their friends are doing.
I hate to say it, but the Boy Scouts of America is dealing with 82,000 cases of child grooming and molestation.
I'll just note that everyone with cancer did not get it from Roundup, but if you have cancer you may as well file a claim.
You must get this newsletter way before the rest of us. Excellent analysis…:)
Admittedly I cheated and started last night, while the impulses were fresh in mind. Sleeping on them allowed for a few suitable refinements and additions. Please don't report me to the Bulwark headmaster for punishment. I enjoy sitting in class here.
You would be amazed at how often I do that,anticipating what Morning Shots will say in the morning.And thinking of quotes I will use. I'm in good company,Deutsch!
You have great comments so we won’t hold it against you…:)
Neither will I!