Vox Populi – 9-2-2016

I am here early…..what can we do to get some more of the old gang here? I miss the diversity of views and the great depth of experience that the dozen or so of us brought here week in and week out…

MurphTheSurf3

Vox is unique and this software makes our conversation flow with lots of nice extras for posting.

MurphTheSurf3

I hope so. Are you still in contact with most of that gang?

MurphTheSurf3

Going ok. Tammy is doing well in Il. In Mo. Trump is only up by 1. Statewide, the Dem slate is a competent one. Several local elections have seen the right wingers go down in defeat especially in law enforcement.

MurphTheSurf3

I am generally so sour on our governmental structure that I embrace any effort to shake up the lockdown we now have.

MurphTheSurf3

Return the filibuster to its original form….the floor must be held by the Senator wanting to put himself on the line….have a means of stopping even that after a period of time…maybe the 60 vote super majority.

MurphTheSurf3

Agreed.

MurphTheSurf3

The sullen silence from the establishment GOP is stunning…an gin buzz is he only sanctuary.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad…still very unlikely….gerrymandering…but in a wave election they could close. I think that the GOP strategy has shifted to limiting the damage of a foregone Trump loss. The coverage of her “scandals” is a key to this. Today we revisit the FBI investigation as if it is new info. Last week it was the Clinton Foundation (which has now apparently blown over as the AP report was riddled with holes.)

MurphTheSurf3

I will give it a bit more time….but I had planned an early night….I spent the day at a nursing home helping friends deal with the need to change the level of care for their father. Bureaucracy!

MurphTheSurf3

Hey folks! What is this…tres hombres?

KillgoreTrout

i’d love one! Thanks!

KillgoreTrout

One report out tonight is that the FBI release was actually pushed by its lawyers who expect the GOP to release info from those documents in dribs and drabs intending to make things look as bad as possible.

MurphTheSurf3

Hi Glenn and KT…

MurphTheSurf3

Senora Glenn in da casa!

KillgoreTrout

Cuatro almas sabias!

MurphTheSurf3

Yo esta aqui! Como esta?

glenn

Ad….well, they can and will but there will be a quick comeback.

MurphTheSurf3

I can’t believe they’re still beating that dead horse. Mui loco.

KillgoreTrout

Murph–according to a few reports I read, the repubs had already started “leaking” from the FBI notes; which the FBI said would be a crime. I think the FBI released them to save their republican colleagues from having to face charges of releasing classified information

glenn

Side note: I was at a meeting for the election….and there were four black pastors there…ALL really angry at Trump’s upcoming appearances at “black” churches…and angrier with black surrogates speaking for him….

MurphTheSurf3

Glenn…another take on the release…hmmmm

MurphTheSurf3

I saw a black guy on MSNBC stumping for Trump. Sad, very sad.

KillgoreTrout

Murph–did you see trump’s scripted list of questions and answers for his church appearance? Plus, he’s not meeting the parishioners, just the pastor in a pre-scripted interview.

glenn

I think HIllary “the prosecutor,” will be there, come debate night.

KillgoreTrout

AND…one of the church’s he is appearing at….well, it’s the hall attached to the parish and he rented it…the pastor is tweeting that he and his congregation have nothing to do with it.

MurphTheSurf3

How Trumpian, Murph!

KillgoreTrout

Ad–the polls seem to be narrowing. I hope the debates turn them around again. If trump’s speech on immigration doesn’t change some minds of independents, I don’t know what will. I didn’t watch it; but the transcript is enough to make me sick!

glenn

Ad…yes that and more.

MurphTheSurf3

Hey, WADDYA GOT LOSE!

KillgoreTrout

KT–Let’s see, your dignity, your freedom, your right to exist in the U.S……

glenn

Trump’s “speech,” lost him a few Latino staffers. His own staffers. If that doesn’t tell anybody something about Trump, I don’t know what would.

KillgoreTrout

That’s about it glenn.

KillgoreTrout

Some people say America is a semi-police state. With Trump, we’d be a full blown police state.

KillgoreTrout

KT–hmmm…”some people say”. Isn’t it amazing how we have come to accept the absurd as normal?

glenn

well, it WAS normal, before the yammering circus peanut got hold of it.

KillgoreTrout

KT–I guess “some people say” has replaced “they” as the invisible voter.

glenn

Trump’s secret, underground horde of voters.

KillgoreTrout

Ad–I still can’t believe that 40% of the electorate believes that trump would make a good POTUS. It just blows my mind!

glenn

I want him to lose this election so badly that his cult followers have to hide back under their rocks.

glenn

i really have to wonder about 40%.

KillgoreTrout

The untettered electorate has the attention span of squirrel and the depth of reflection of a gnat…..

MurphTheSurf3

For sure, glenn. I also want the GOP to be thoroughly humiliated for allowing themselves to become what they are.

KillgoreTrout

Murph–but they sure remember Benghazi! and emails! Even though not one of them could tell you the results of any of the investigations! Just repeat the two! And throw in Vince Foster for good measure!

glenn

And now Trump has hired a Hillary Hating Hit Man for the 90’s as a Deputy Campaign Director.

MurphTheSurf3

Citizens United president David Bossie is the latest Donald Trump hire He has deep roots in the GOP’s anti-Clinton history beginning with a research-chief role in the 1990s congressional ‘Whitewater’ investigation Produced the 2008 anti-Hillary movie that led to a Supreme Court case that opened the door for unlimited fundraising by ‘super PACs’ Trump on Bossie: ‘Solid. Smart. Loves politics, knows how to win’

MurphTheSurf3

I think most Trump supporters, at this point in time, don’t care about the economy, jobs, the fight against Islamic terrorism, they just want to make America white again. Ser

KillgoreTrout

Ad–in my mind, that doesn’t explain all of it. I think “uneducated” is the wrong word. There are many people I know with only a high school education who are “uneducated”, but not like trump cult followers. I think a better word for them is “terrified”. They’re terrified of the “other” because they don’t know any better. You can say that they won’t educate themselves; so perhaps it should be “willfully uneducated”.

glenn

Hey, Trump gets only “the best people.”

KillgoreTrout

Murph–I read that; this is perhaps trump’s scariest hire yet. However there’s still time until the election, so he can probably come up with some other rwnj before then.

glenn

That’s a damn good question, Ad. Parties have disappeared before. I think the republicans were the whigs before they were republicans. I think Lincoln was one.

KillgoreTrout

Ad–I think Boehner is laughing his ass off about now. It appears lyin’ ryan wasn’t quite the “savior” he was supposed to be.

glenn

Ad, imagine how the turmoil will intensify if Trump loses by a landslide!

KillgoreTrout

I mean within the GOP!

KillgoreTrout

Ad–I think that is definitely an “open” question. I think there almost has to be a civil war, because I don’t think the baggers are going to “go quietly in the night.” The question attached to yours is, how will the press handle the civil war? Will we still have to put up with “false equivalency”?

glenn

KT–can they have an autopsy of an autopsy?

glenn

Yep!

KillgoreTrout

They’re going to need one, glenn.

KillgoreTrout

Post November……in the last month Clinton raised 40 million, Trump, it seems, raised less than half that. $$$ from big donors is drying up, even from the few who were with him. I think the establishment is going to work to reestablish itself which means massacres of the right wing. This is a Mafia war between different families.

MurphTheSurf3

“stupid-angry,” is a great descriptor.

KillgoreTrout

Isn’t Trump spending most of campaign funds on stupid shit like the hats, and signs and bumper stickers and such? He only has what, 2 TV ads?

KillgoreTrout

Murph–good description. What do you think will be the “collateral damage” to Congress, and therefore, the American public?

glenn

Oy Vey!

KillgoreTrout

KT–according to what I’ve read, trump is spending most of his money on trump hotels, reimbursing himself for use of his jet, his office headquarters (where he tripled the rent once the RNC started paying for it), and things like that.

glenn

That sounds like Trump.

KillgoreTrout

Speaking of ads, kudos to Hillary’s ad team. They have produced some powerful ads!

glenn

Spill the Wine, Spill the Wine, Spill the Wine…..

KillgoreTrout

Glenn…the collateral damage….a weakened GOP in the House willing to cut deals with the Dems to get things moving…..and in the Senate….a Dem majority but not a super majority….if things go as they should then they will be all about “acceptable losses.”

MurphTheSurf3

Using Trumps own words against him, in context, is devastating.

KillgoreTrout

Ad–Ryan is such a smug little prick–I hope the rw runs all over his ass!

glenn

Me too glenn. Just desserts and all.

KillgoreTrout

From Wi…a friend of mine who lives in Ryan’s district claims that Ryan has promised his supporters that he wants to restore the power of the Speakership which means being willing to spill blood and to pass out favors.

MurphTheSurf3

Murph–so you think the “establishment” pubs will cut deals with Dems? Doesn’t that come with the “death penalty” in pub land? Will we actually see Congress as a governing body again?

glenn

it’s the Art of the Deal, Murph!

KillgoreTrout

Ad….the establishment is going to be bankrolled by the Big Money folks….in the end that will turn the battle their way…

MurphTheSurf3

money talks, bullshit walks! Trite but true.

KillgoreTrout

Glenn….the establishment pubs need results to win back their control….they will do what they must….how about immigration reform?

MurphTheSurf3

Murph–if Big Money rules again, then aren’t we back to the same old shit? Lower taxes, less regulation, repeal Obamacare?

glenn

hA! McCain is acting like Hillary has already won the election. I think it’s time Crash “spent more time with the family.”

KillgoreTrout

No. Big Money is realistic and it will make deals…they have their priorities and their realities…..

MurphTheSurf3

Oh, I hope the senate loses McCain.

KillgoreTrout

KT…McCain will win easily in Az.

MurphTheSurf3

You think, even at 80? Then again, there was Strom Thurmond. Not from AZ, but still serves as a good example.

KillgoreTrout

MurphTheSurf3

Man, as if Palin wasn’t enough.

KillgoreTrout

Murph–Interesting news in GA. Seems the GA Chamber of Commerce has a task force in place to try to opt into Medicare to try to get some of those federal funds. Seems that too many rural hospitals in the state are closing, in addition to businesses complaining that the cost of insurance is going up, and the people have no subsidies to help them, so the employers are paying more for insurance. Of course, being that this is GA, they’re going to come up something that lets them accept federal funds keeping “conservative principles” intact!

glenn

Ad that is the usual pattern in Az…McCain wins in the long haul.

MurphTheSurf3

Gramps needs to go.

KillgoreTrout

Glenn…unless there are deep fixes to ACA it will be on life support before long….

MurphTheSurf3

Glenn…but good news about GA and Medicaid.

MurphTheSurf3

I think McCain is partly responsible for the Tea Party. Latching onto Palin was such a YUGE mistake, in so many ways.

KillgoreTrout

Ad..you are correct..Latinos are now the wild card…and if they are enraged and motivated and ignore McCain’s efforts to distance himself fro Trump, he could go down. Unfortunately his opponent is not a firestarter. Nice lady, competent legislator.

MurphTheSurf3

one would think so, Ad.

KillgoreTrout

i’m not wishing anything bad for Gramps, but maybe nature will intervene.

KillgoreTrout

What in the hell motivates these black and hispanic “leaders” to let themselves be used by the Trump campaign.

MurphTheSurf3

good question Murph. I think they crave acceptance among the rich and powerful.

KillgoreTrout

KT….probably…and not a few are looking for a seat on the gravy train.

MurphTheSurf3

Murph–what changes have to be made to Obamacare? Do you think we’ll ever get single payer?

glenn

for sure. I think it’s also an identity confusion thing. Maybe a bit of self loathing.

KillgoreTrout

Glenn…so many….most about expanding the markets to get the insurers back into the pools they dropped out of.

MurphTheSurf3

I mean really, what self respecting black person, or Latino person support, The Donald.

KillgoreTrout

KT–or maybe it’s “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em”. They just don’t realize that after they have served their purpose, they will be abandoned at the speed of light, just like Michael Steele.

glenn

Yeah, glenn, there probably some of that in the mix, as well.

KillgoreTrout

Ad…..90 percent return for incumbents and 40 percent voting.

MurphTheSurf3

It’s a possibility, for sur, Ad.

KillgoreTrout

Ad–I don’t think many of those voters will veer back to Hillary. They will just think that the “establishment” won’t let them have a seat at the table, which is the whole point of voting for one of them.

glenn

…the whole point of voting for Johnson or Stein.

glenn

Crazy, ain’t it glenn.

KillgoreTrout

KT–in a way, yes. In a way, they are making inroads. The latest I saw is that Johnson is polling at 12%, which is pretty good for a third party, I think.

glenn

BINGO, Ad!

KillgoreTrout

Ad…accurate comparison.

MurphTheSurf3

i’ll never see anything actually useful when it comes to “conscience voting.” I just think it’s such a waste.

KillgoreTrout

KT–It helps the smug and self-righteous sleep at night.

glenn

I hope so, glenn, they should get SOMETHING out of it. If they still have house to sleep in.

KillgoreTrout

KT….several people at our Dem organizing meeting suggested we propose support for another Democrat “as a matter of conscience” because of how “corrupt Hillary is”…..in a state like Mo where the margin could be razor thin such talk is the stuff of lemmings planning on a stroll to the beach.

MurphTheSurf3

Ad–I hope you’re right. Every time I think the public has gotten sane again, trump’s poll numbers seem to go up. We’ll see once the election gets closer.

glenn

A long walk off a tall cliff is more like it Murph!

KillgoreTrout

Hi, folks, just a quick visit for me. Fergie’s doing it tough right now with an infection. Seeing thesurgeon Monday

pinkpantheroz

One would hope, Ad. I do agree though.

KillgoreTrout

PPO – greetings to you.

MurphTheSurf3

KT–thanks to those of us who will vote for Hillary, they will still have that house. That’s the catch 22, isn’t it? They get to be smug and self-righteous while we save their asses!

glenn

Hi, Murph, ad glenn

pinkpantheroz

KT!

pinkpantheroz

Ah America, don’t cha love it. We’re C a razy!

KillgoreTrout

PPO–so sorry to hear about Fergie. Hope she can fight it!

glenn

Hey P. An ifection doesn’t sound good P. I hope Fergie is in no serious danger.

KillgoreTrout

KT, looks like staph. On mega antis right now

pinkpantheroz

Ad….I am embarrassed to say they were academics from two local universities.

MurphTheSurf3

Oh Murph, of all people.

KillgoreTrout

PPO….sorry…such a burden…..

MurphTheSurf3

apparentlye caught it in the hellhole of a rehab joint I took her out of after a day and a half.

pinkpantheroz

Man that sucks P.

KillgoreTrout

Murph–did you ask them to explain Hillary’s “corruption”? And explain to them that trump is the one paying the fine to the IRS for corruption?

glenn

PPO…earlier tonight I was writing about helping a family in a similar space and place.

MurphTheSurf3

So, sorry I can’t contribute anything this week

pinkpantheroz

understandable P.

KillgoreTrout

Glenn….academics can be every bit as nutty self righteous as those on the right.

MurphTheSurf3

Oh, ok, Murph. If I get the chance, I’ll check it out

pinkpantheroz

PPO–your just being here is fine. You need to take of your Fergie.

glenn

PPO…I gave you the jist….you seem to have done the right thing.

MurphTheSurf3

thanks, glenn. Ad, how to prove beyond….?

pinkpantheroz

PPO…I admire that you have shouldered the necessary burden out of love….bravo.

MurphTheSurf3

That’s a sticky point, P.

KillgoreTrout

Thanks, Murph. sometimes I wonder if she should have gone elsewhere and not have to rely on just me. Agonizing.

pinkpantheroz

Ad…yes….academics pretend the perfect is the only acceptable choice.

MurphTheSurf3

Navel gazing….from the inside, Ad?

KillgoreTrout

PPO–you are her best advocate. Keep up the good fight!

glenn

PPO…you can still look for alternatives but for now you were the only reasonable and caring choice.

MurphTheSurf3

Thanks all, listen, better go. See you all next week with hopefully better news. Cheers for now

pinkpantheroz

Cheers PPO! Take care of yourself as well as your Fergie!

glenn

PPO thanks for stopping by and saying hello. Cheers!

MurphTheSurf3

Best of everything for you and Fergie, P.

KillgoreTrout

Gentlemen, it’s time for me to take my leave as well. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. See you next week!

glenn

Later glenn. Hasta luego!

KillgoreTrout

I too am going to call it a night. Nite to Glenn. Nite to Ad. Nite to KT. Toodles!

MurphTheSurf3

Later Murph.

KillgoreTrout

yep. Have a good holiday weekend. Don’t labor too hard.

KillgoreTrout