Hump Day Tab Clearing
Steven L. Taylor
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Wednesday, August 21, 2024
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6 comments
- Via the AP: George Santos pleads guilty, acknowledging lies and blaming ambition for conning his way to Congress.
- Via the NYT: During Ukraine’s Incursion, Russian Conscripts Recount Surrendering in Droves.
- Via Semafor: A friendly media grows grumbly in Chicago.
- Via NBC News: Sen. Lindsey Graham: ‘Trump the provocateur, the showman, may not win this election’. But is there any other kind of Trump?
- Meanwhile, via WaPo: Trump escalates gendered personal insults against Harris, defying GOP pressure. “I’m entitled to personal attacks,” he told reporters on Thursday. “I have to do it my way.” (When I person tells you who they are, believe them).
- Paul Campos at LGM: The ultimate identity politics.
- From the VFW: VFW Admonishes Former President for Medal of Honor Remarks. “These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation’s highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty.”
- Via the AP: Ex-University of Florida president gave former Senate staffers large raises, report finds. “Overall, Sasse’s office spent $17.3 million during his first year compared to the $5.6 million spent by his predecessor Ken Fuchs in his final year.”
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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Of course there is:
The grifter, the conman, the sexual predator, the moron, the fool, the incompetent, the lazy, the ignorant, the idiot, the lover of dictators, the bully, the misogynist, the clueless, the narcissist, and I’m sure I’ve missed many others.
Can none in that huge multitude win this election?
Re Ben Sasse. He was widely touted as one of the good Republicans. Perhaps there’s a flaw in the concept of “good Republican”.
Re the Semaphore piece on journalists in Chicago not feeling they’re being properly kowtowed to, yesterday Kevin Drum noted a Politico “West Wing Playbook” piece about a reporter cutting line at the convention then apologizing ’cause she didn’t really. “Lynn got backsies in the playground line—that’s not even middle school. It’s second grade. What the hell is wrong with these people?” A highly cogent question. And why the hell does everybody have to have their own reporter there? Have they never heard of press pools?
NYT, particularly Kid Sulzberger, is miffed at not getting a one-on-one interview with Harris. I’ve come to feel getting a big interview is like getting a pet, it’s a big responsibility. Perhaps FTFNYT should first show they can handle it responsibly.
There are types of person who seem to confuse may and shall at will. Because one has the right to say something, everything that can be said must be said by someone. And many of those sorts also seem to think criticism is interference.
@gVOR10: Ya think???
That LGM piece reminds me of how happy I am that Tim Wallz is now the poster boy for old white dudes like me. Not some other guy. I mean, Biden was ok in this role, but in a previous generation, and held it differently.
I’m comfortable with old white guy being a marked category. I’m just unhappy that some of the people who also are in that category are held up as characterizing it. Those guys are on their way out.
And I’m every bit as tweaked by some sort of imputation that Democrats don’t care about family. I just spent the weekend making pancakes for about 30 or so cousins from all over the NW, who gathered together at a site of familial origins to celebrate our family and see all the new spouses, partners and babies.
So yeah, this old white dude loves kids and is good with them, just like his father and grandfather.