Random Opinion of the Day

Corollary to Johnson's Law ("Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"): Hypocrisy is the favorite refuge of the politician.

Random Opinion of the Day

I don't think that Ruth Bader Ginsburg will return to the Supreme Court at this point - - too frail and ill - - but she'll refuse to resign because she doesn't want to give President Trump the satisfaction of hearing those words from her lips. She's probably still hoping to make it through 2020 so as to have a chance at a Democrat president naming her replacement.

Not To Put Too Fine a Point On It, But...

...running on the following agenda seems sort of counter-intuitive, unless you're a Godless commie Democrat:

1. Speaker Nancy Pelosi!

2. Impeachment!

3. Raise taxes!

4. Gun confiscation/repeal the 2nd Amendment!

Restless President Polk

Born just down the road here in North Carolina, but unable to find permanent rest in Tennessee.

Chris Matthews Has a Moment of Lucidity

Via Gateway Pundit:

“Ever since we started this Archie Bunker thing in the early ‘70s, making fun of white working people, we kissed them goodbye. You make fun of people, you look down on them, they get the message. You call them ‘deplorables,’ they hear it. You bet they hear it.

“You say they cling to their guns and religion? Oh yeah? I cling to my religion. OK. I’m a little person, and you’re a big person. Thank you, I’ll be voting for the other guy this time.”

Probably Supports Single-Payer Health Care

Irony alert:

"‘It’s Too Expensive:’ Alabama Democrat Doug Jones Comes Out Against Trump’s Border Wall."

If the Progs Are Going To Call Trump's Supporters "The Deplorables"...

...can we call Queen Hillary's supporters "The Insufferables?"

Quote of the Day

"Just like the Republican primaries managed to select the only candidate who could possibly get beaten by the Lizard Queen from Zeta Reticuli, your unDemocratic Superdelegate Logrolling Festival managed to turn up the one candidate in your party who might lose to Cheeto Jesus."

h/t Tam.

The Perfect Trumpian Nickname for Obama

Donald Trump is well-known for giving his political opponents derogatory nicknames: "Crooked" Hillary Clinton, "Lyin'" Ted Cruz, "Little" Marco Rubio, etc. Now President Obama is injecting himself into the campaign, so Trump needs to come up with a nickname for him. How does this sound?

Imam Obama, the Defender of Islam.

That's How Anti-Venom Is Made, You Know

Do you know how anti-venom for snakebite and other venomous creatures is made? A sub-lethal dose of venom is injected into a subject animal - - a horse or sheep, usually - - and, over a period of weeks, the dosage is increased. The animal manufactures antibodies to cope with the venom, and after a while, the animal becomes totally immune to the venom, at which point blood is drawn from the animal to manufacture into anti-venom. Herpetologist William Haast did the same thing by injecting himself with a cocktail of sub-lethal snake venoms until he became immune to most snakebites (he lived until nearly 100, also, which might say something about the therapy).

Why am I mentioning this? Because it's the approach that the MSM is mistakenly taking in attacking Donald Trump. It's been well known that the MSM is sitting on plenty of dirt that they have dug up on Trump, and teams of journalists (the Washington Post alone has assigned 50 reporters to dig up dirt) busy 24/7 digging up more. They intend to trickle this dirt out a little at a time, thinking that Trump will suffer from an extended attack, rather than release it all at once. Well, think about it. All they are really doing is making Trump, and the voters, immune to the venom (stories) that they have dug up. Will it work? We'll see on Election Day.

It's Better Than the Hairbrush

The people who are dumbfounded at Trump's success continue to bitch and moan. Why, they ask. Why did you pick this phony?

Let me explain. No. It would take too long. Let me sum up: Trump put himself forward. The Republican field, although well populated, wasn't composed of world-striding, instantly recognizable individuals. Although there was some competence there, there wasn't any excitement. They were oatmeal, and Trump was Lucky Charms. You know in your heart that Lucky Charms are candy and not real food like oatmeal is. Now, who eats oatmeal? Old folks do, and children with strict parents do. For some kids it's a choice between eating the oatmeal or being whipped with a hairbrush by your mother. After you reach adulthood, the threat of the hairbrush isn't there, so you choose the Lucky Charms. To Hell with the oatmeal. And that is what the non-Trump candidates were: oatmeal, and bad memories of hairbrushes.

So Trump won, and we're given a choice of the Lucky Charms candidate, or the hairbrush candidate. Yah, we know that Trump is bad for us. We know he's P.T. Barnum, who'll promise us the Feejee Mermaid and deliver a shriveled sea creature made of sewn-together parts. The alternative, though, is the mean woman with the hairbrush who wants us to eat our fucking oatmeal.

What's that, Mr. Trump? This way to the egress? Cool, I've never seen one of those before!

For All Of You Out There Losing Your Minds...

this song's for you:

I Finally Figured Out the Perfect Metaphor For the 2016 Election

It's between the Great and Powerful Humbug (Trump):

And the Wicked Witch of the West (Hillary):

Then there's Bernie, who hasn't got a clue...

The Protected and the Unprotected

Peggy Noonan gets the dynamic at work in the rise of Donald Trump:

But I keep thinking of how Donald Trump got to be the very likely Republican nominee. There are many answers and reasons, but my thoughts keep revolving around the idea of protection. It is a theme that has been something of a preoccupation in this space over the years, but I think I am seeing it now grow into an overall political dynamic throughout the West.

There are the protected and the unprotected. The protected make public policy. The unprotected live in it. The unprotected are starting to push back, powerfully.

The protected are the accomplished, the secure, the successful—those who have power or access to it. They are protected from much of the roughness of the world. More to the point, they are protected from the world they have created. Again, they make public policy and have for some time.

I want to call them the elite to load the rhetorical dice, but let’s stick with the protected.

They are figures in government, politics and media. They live in nice neighborhoods, safe ones. Their families function, their kids go to good schools, they’ve got some money. All of these things tend to isolate them, or provide buffers. Some of them—in Washington it is important officials in the executive branch or on the Hill; in Brussels, significant figures in the European Union—literally have their own security details.

Because they are protected they feel they can do pretty much anything, impose any reality. They’re insulated from many of the effects of their own decisions.

Read the whole thing. Along the way she invokes - - possibly inadvertently - - a Warren Zevon song title, bonus points for identifying it.

Headline of the Day

"Trump: I’ve Never Asked God For Forgiveness For Anything."

Given Trump's ego, I'm sure he feels that God is required to ask The Donald's forgiveness, I expect.

I Wonder If His Golf Opponents Let Him Win...

...so as not to incur a Presidential snit-fit?

"Obama’s rude snub of Netanyahu"

Unlike Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and British Prime Minister David Cameron, who, as heads of state of friendly countries are expected to do, offered personal congratulations to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his victory, President Obama has not.

First, an aide was dispatched to say the administration was giving Netanyahu “space” to form a government. (There is virtually no chance he won’t be able to, with a margin of victory this large.) Netanyahu’s main rival Isaac Herzog called Netanyahu to congratulate him and has told his followers they are going into opposition. But Obama still isn’t giving up.

Next, we heard Obama might call in a few days — exactly when is not clear. And besides, unlike other heads of state, Obama had his secretary of state make a call to congratulate Netanyahu, a deliberate insult. The press secretary did say they would be calling to complain that Netanyahu issued a warning that the Arab list was turning out big (it was) and his supporters better get to the polls. (Understand that, unlike most of its neighbors, Israel has a parliament that matters, allows Arab citizens to vote and even allows parties that call for the dismemberment of Israel.) Always time to criticize and snipe.

Frankly this is how poorly raised children behave. It's not how the President of the United States of America is supposed to behave.

To provide contrast, here's a story of a Republican politician reaching out to a Democrat politician:

"Capitol Hill Buzz: Reid Thanks Paul for Medical Advice."

WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid thanked likely Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul of Kentucky for dispensing "expert advice" on Reid's injured right eye.

"I really appreciate it very, very much," the Nevada Democrat said to Paul, a Republican senator and opthamologist who was taking his turn presiding over the chamber Wednesday.

"I want the people of Kentucky to know that, how thoughtful, considerate and kind you've been to me over these months," Reid told Paul.

Yet another reason why I'm supporting Rand Paul for President.

Oh, About That Election?

Not To Put Too Fine a Point On It, But...

...if all the liberal tears on Twitter last night could be collected, they'd be enough to end the drought in California.

If 2010 was a "shellacking," last night was an old-fashioned ass-whipping.

It's Election Day

And in Chicago, the Voting Dead rush off to the polling places:

Election 2014: Return of the Son of Angry White Guy

Gee, whenever Republicans win these days it's laid at the feet of angry white guys.