33 Comments

October, 2020: Sure, Trump is and has been horrible. I mean, just look at the thousands dead of coronavirus. And the fact that Russia took back Alaska without any challenge from American forces. And his raping and strangling that school girl on live TV. But Joe Biden once said something I didn't quite understand, and we can't have someone THAT unhinged with his hands on the levers of power. So, thanks to the Democrats' poor choice, I have no choice but for vote for Trump.

Expand full comment

January 20, 2021: The sad image of the Bidenistas cheering for their new Communist leader depressed me even more than the dismal Winter weather here in DC...

Expand full comment

January 22, 2021: When the pro-Trump militias ran through the blue-city streets wearing masks and gunning down women and minorities by the hundreds, I thought "Well, the specifics are a smidge over the top, but they certainly have a right to be angry." Biden's promise to prosecute the killers "to the full extent of the law" has me dispirited. Here was a chance to display his alleged moderation, yet only 36 hours into his presidency, Biden and his Democrats seem hell-bent on fomenting civil war...

Expand full comment

You’d really think they’d be rooting for Bernie, it would make their jobs so much easier. Since they’re all about 120 years old themselves, twisting themselves into pretzels at their age can’t be easy.

Talk about a week being an eternity in politics, apparently 72 hours is an eternity also. Even I’m surprised at the sheer speed with which everybody is consolidating behind Biden. I mean, up until now there was no indication Biden’s team, and certainly not Biden himself, had any kind of clear *survival* strategy let alone a strategy for how to win.

I’m disappointed, but looking on the bright side at least I won’t have to face the horrific choice of whether to vote for Bloomberg, and his spending millions and millions of dollars to win American Samoa (where only 300-400 people voted) is really very funny.

Expand full comment

Agreed on the last. Every time the radio voice winds up the results summary with "...And Mike Bloomberg won American Samoa" it's like a Monty Python routine.

Expand full comment

This is a little reminiscent of the 2008 cycle, in which McCain had been left for dead, so to say, early in the season, but ended clinching the nomination. However, I’d advise all the campaigns (not that anyone’s asking me) not to break out the champagne just yet.

Expand full comment

Great. Extra points for the Tsongas reference. Looking forward to part two.

Expand full comment

All I can think of when I hear that name is Rush Limbaugh callling him "Paul Tax-on-gas" back about 1991 or so.

Expand full comment

And more for "lattes with cow's milk as God intended"

Expand full comment

Potential subject of a paper, say early 2021--"Recidivism Among Ex-Con Servatives During The 2020 Presidential Campaign"

Expand full comment

The spacing on my phone broke up the third word into "Ex-Con" and, you know, it's still largely appropriate.

Expand full comment

Bernie is the greatest President America will never have.

Expand full comment

The ghost of Adlai Stevenson rises to disagree.

Expand full comment

The ghost of Samuel Tilden rises to say, "I would have been -- eh, just different, I guess."

Expand full comment

I thought that was Hillary.

Expand full comment

She and Bill would be a mighty team for Goldman Sachs et al

Expand full comment

Effing brilliant and hilarious. You've got the Crazy Jesus Lady down so perfectly one would think you'd spent the last 20 years writing about her columns. I look forward to the unattributed quote that everyone will think she wrote, the comment from her local liquor store owner who amazingly agrees with everything she says, and the letter to Biden from heaven that begins "Dear Dad, I love you and miss you, but John McCain is upset with you..."

Expand full comment

I may steal that Beau Biden letter idea, I feel it only fair to warn you. I will link to this: https://web.archive.org/web/20030101134151/http://alicubi.com/nycrfd/crank_30.html

Expand full comment

That's the thing! You must have linked to it before from alicublog. So 20 years was pretty close. Noonan may play the concerned, impartial observer but she's really a nasty piece of work, and an ugly soul despite all the Crazy Jesus-ing.

Expand full comment

The linked piece includes accounts of her by a couple of Noonan’s high school classmates. Spoiler/tl;dr: they didn’t care for her.

https://insightanalytical.wordpress.com/2008/11/01/the-queen-of-2008s-sell-out-punditsmeet-the-real-peggy-noonan-my-high-school-classmate-with-hs-yearbook-pic/

Expand full comment

Is that a bandolier of needle bullets around her neck? Also: I peer into my crystal ball and see a piece about Donnie being caught in bed with the American flag.... Finally, mentioning Tsongas is like bringing up the name of an old flame in a marital spat.

Expand full comment

Absolutely what the arc will turn out to be. Why, because, even for Never Trumpers, there are no good Democrats, in reality. Pretty funny: "decency, sanity and decency": back to the country club, lady!

Expand full comment

Everytime I'm prepared to ignore H.L. Mencken's about whether or not one should underestimate the American people (or where you should throw a rotten egg) something like last night happens.

Expand full comment

LOL I see what you're nooning.

Expand full comment

The motto of the Never Trumpers: "What, never? Well, hardly ever..."

Expand full comment

I polished it so carefully

I spend my ev'ry Sunday morning on TV

Expand full comment

Though “Bother it” I may

Occasionally say,

I _always_use a big, big D –

Expand full comment

I though it was 'Never mind the "Why?" and "Wherefore?".'.

Expand full comment

Peggums is advocating moderation now? Has New York banned Big Gulp Vodka Tonics?

Expand full comment

Yes, those with great incentive to enact Shaft Trumpism (regardless of what they say) and a doctorate in rationalisation will find a way, but I think the more general run of centrist voter would react differently to Biden than to Sanders.

Expand full comment

In light of his surge, today I am trying very hard to remind myself that in 2008-2016, I utterly loved Joe Biden. And to avoid thinking about how we are positioning ourselves to elect grandpa's older friend from the golf club, the one who wears lime-green pants with the belt built in and does not seem like he will be viable near stairs this time next year.

Expand full comment

Nice work. All those moderate crossover Republicans are really energized about voting for Joe! I fully expect all these folks (if there are actually any, riding unicorns somewhere no doubt) right up until actually casting their votes to swear up and down how they can't stand Trump anymore. In my part of town there are lot of older guys (i.e., about my age) who would never say they are these closet fascists they obviously are because they'd never have a date let alone get laid again. They wear their swastikas on the inside.

Expand full comment

Cronkite signed off 39 years ago today. When's last time you watched the nightly natl news? Me either. We get instead Chuck Todd, Drinky Lady, screeching gargoyles, other types as well, all in various permutations across TV, cable TV, radio, internet. And then there's out and out ratfucking and fakery, and a few media people who are reliable, plus truthtellers, artists and comedians, such as you, Roy (Thank you). People are smart and adaptable, by and large, We are becoming a public better capable of discernment in a news and political environment that is vicious as well as stupid. Now we shrug, no longer surprised at the disinformation. We expect it. The game is slowing down. Bernie unfortunately is a candidate who requires additional discernment at a time when people are too exhausted to do more than just try to beat a terrible incumbent, even when, as here, Biden's politics, not to mention is declining cognitive abilities, can't hold a candle to Bernie's. Driftglass just posted that it is trump who has made Biden a viable candidate. I think that's a good point. In a sane world, it would be Bernie. But this is not a sane world.

Expand full comment