Regarding Will Selber's comments about the efficacy of Israeli intelligence in regard to Hezbollah, and its failure in regard to Hamas and the Oct. 7th horrendous attack, I find it difficult to believe that they didn't have advance information about Oct. 7th.
Last year, after the attack, I remember reading that some mid-level intelligence officer(s) did report signs that Hamas was planning something big, but the word apparently was not passed up the chain. This raises a lot of disturbing questions in my mind as I am totally gobsmacked by Israel's ability to somehow intercept and load explosives onto pagers distributed to Hezbollah (and very likely also to innocent Lebanese), and their subsequent attack on walk-talkies along with their super-accurate targeting of Hezbollah leaders for assassination. How could they be so incompetent in regard to Hamas?
How much of Vance's "Maga" behavior is only to get into office, and keep his boss on his side? Right now, he must toe that line. Just like John Kelly and so many others before him - he either thinks he can "tame" Trump, or is he lying in wait to take over the role of Presidential candidate/President if something happens to Trump.
Vance certainly polished his own political bonafides, surely making some Republicans wonder if they could flip-flop Trump and Vance for the race. But this was merely a DEBATE....which Vance was clearly polished and professional for, since he spent twice as much time at Yale Law School than at actually governing, as a rookie, second-year senator in Ohio. By contrast, Walz was not even close, being on his heels and furiously writing notes, but Walz has 12 years as a congressman, in his second term as governor. The role of a VP is to help GOVERN. In office, an actual VP is not a debater.
Worry not, Worriers. The political sorting was completed weeks ago. It's all about GOTV now. Neither veep candidate fired up their respective bases with this debate, so it neither hurt nor helped with GOTV. If you insist on worrying, worry that Harris' vaunted swing state GOTV ain't as good as touted.
Let us hope that Republicans Voters Against Trump ad and billboard campaign for this last month will help Harris get the vote out. That is what matters at this point. Whose voters will go out and vote for them is going to make the difference.
I have already voted from abroad, so has my Gen Z daughter. We are firmly team Harris-Walz. In our Democrats Abroad chat groups, people are weighing in with questions and advice on voting for everyone. I am going with a colleague to do tables in coffeehouses to answer questions. I live in a Northern German city. We have been doing action where we let people know that they can vote. Many new voters have been recruited, but only 10 percent of the 800,000 Americans living in Germany voted in the last elections. We are hoping to get that percentage up this time. I have to say that we have a monthly social dinner, although we invariably talk politics, and this month we will have television coverage.
In what sane world does an "absolute security failure" on the Israelis part in any way justify killing 40,000 non-combatants??? Why is only Israels security ever trumpeted while apparently any other civilian in the region is acceptable collateral damage?? Why is Netenyahoos political and legal survival never mentioned when clearly this scale of destruction would never have happened without the right wing zealots keeping him in power???
In case you haven't heard: "BREAKING NEWS A partially unsealed brief in Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 case provided the fullest picture yet of what prosecutors found in their investigation. Wednesday, October 2, 2024 4:31 PM ET When Mike Pence was rushed to a secure location on Jan. 6, an aide alerted Donald Trump in the hope that he would take action to ensure Pence’s safety. Instead, according to grand jury testimony, Trump looked at the aide and said only, “So what?”"
Our October surprise - This is what we're fighting against! And Sarah is on MSNBC right now! Arguing because of the above, Rs like Romney need to get off their duffs and actively oppose him and endorse Harris.
Wikipedia tells me that a total of 69 soldiers were awarded a Purple Heart as a result of the attack on Al Asad. "Because the bombs never hit the fort" is yet another bald-faced perversion of a reality Trump knows perfectly well. He persists in diminishing service he would never dream of because he isn't a "sucker". Gut-churning sick.
Don't you remember when they started making Band-Aids with a purple heart on them to make fun of John Kerry? Those soldiers who were awarded the Purple Heart will soon start getting accused of being crisis actors.
I think it unfair to criticize Walz's debate performance. He answered questions effectively throughout. What kind of world do we live in when JD Vance can just lie throughput and get away with it? And then brag that the rules do not allow fact checking. Ok, I know that this is the awful world we find ourselves in. I do wish Walz would have pointed out the lies. I like Micheal Steele's analogy of a boxing match where the fighter's traded jabs for 8 rounds until the knockout punch came in the last round. Walz asked the only question that matters, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election? Vance's answer clearly disqualifies him and Trump. In three debates, the moderators, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris failed to ask the only question that matters. Only Tim Walz managed to land the knockout punch.
Waltz did interject a couple of times “that’s a lie”, one when JDV was lying about the State restoring women’s reproductive rights in line w the original Rowe vs Wade ruling 50 years ago; JDV was repeating in some fashion t-rumps claim Minnesota’s law allowed born living babies to be killed if Mother had died which he said in the Harris/Trump debate and also repeated at several rallies. Trust me, women know the truth loud and clear that both he and the TFG are lying.
Today, many feel wounded that JD was able to be quite the mighty slick hillbilly. And more or less shyster the American people into thinking maybe the DT/JD team are OK after all. But over the next few days, it might also begin to look like whatever his flubs, Tim has a heart the size of Mt Everest. While JD is a robotron, something not human. Think Blade Runner synthesized 'person'.
I did hear a funny line earlier today: JD looked like he was wearing eyeliner and Walz look like he'd just seen a ghost. And you're right- Walz did accomplish the most important part of his mission, to expose Vance for the demonic power hungry climber he is. Ready to do in our constitution. I find it hard to imagine, but he actually seems to be an even greater sociopath than DJT.
Vance is able peddle dishonesty with great skill. The word "oleaginous" comes to mind. Walz is not a great debater, but he has excellent command of the facts, is an experienced legislator and executive, and is a good and decent man. He reassured all those who were a little wobbly on Harris, and hopefully put to rest some of the misogyny that we know is out there.
I am not so sure Vance won the debate, first of all, and commentators seem to be missing the good lines. So, for example, in his answer about his time in China, Walz fumbled a bit, yes, but then he turned that fumble into some very good info, info that no one is reporting on, including his taking all kinds of students to China and wishing that Donald Trump could have taken one of those trips, because if he had, he wouldn't be cozying up to Xi! That seemed like an excellent recovery to me, yet no one has reported on it that I have seen.
Second, Walz spoke with passion and with details about several specific programs in Minnesota. Those details and that passion mattered to me. So much for the media wanting specifics, I guess! I also thought he connected a couple of important dots in Harris's housing initiative: he was able to buy his first home because of a veteran-sponsored loan. Huh! Fancy that. A leg up . . .
And third, Walz was very good on gun violence. Sometimes, it's just the guns. And he tied it to a question about his changing his mind. The young people viewing the debate mocked Vance for saying stronger windows and better locks on doors would do the job!!
Finally, Walz communicated knowledge, competence, and sincerity. Along with a deep understanding of how government works. I agree, no real zingers, until the end. But I didn't want that from him. I wanted what he gave: a grasp of reality from a real human being who cares about his fellow human beings. He LIVES his faith, and it shows.
Yes! Plus his state’s early legislation codifying Women’s reproductive rights as in Rowe vs Wade.
Commentators were weirdly oblivious ignoring what many listeners heard. Also, other than new or young voters, I think alleged “GOP” fence sitters are just being coy, and most definitely not courageous.
I believe JD Vance clearly "performed" better, but it was transparently a performance, and that doesn't mean it lands better with the voters - especially since most will see it simply via clips.
He was an excellent actor. However, we're not casting someone in a play/movie, we're looking for a human person... Well I suppose at least some - and i HOPE most - of us are...
Thinking back to how Vance made me feel during that debate:
He's always been off-putting and disgusting - like Vincent Donofrio's bug wearing a man's skin as a disguise in Men in Black.
Last night it was more like the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits, when the person seems almost "too normal" and the contrast of the words and tone cause a chill down your spine.
Apparently America's education system has managed to completely extract from citizens is their bullshit meter. Vance did three things very well in the debate: he was cordial; he wouldn't answer questions honestly; and he lied constantly. Why are so many Americans blind to this? Answer: because they are stupid, ignorant and evil, in their own ways.
America as a country would not be taken seriously were it not for the giant and threatening footprint of its economy and military. Otherwise, it's becoming a laughingstock.
Trump claims that America is a laughingstock when he's not in charge. Actually, America is a laughingstock when someone like him is vaulted into power and then has a chance of getting back in power despite his obvious psychopathy and ignorance and his assaults on the rule of law.
I like your response. It brings to mind the Anna Karenina principle: Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. And as there are many ways to be an unhappy family, there are many ways to be deplorable. How many varieties of deplorability are there in Hillary’s basket of deplorables? We need a typology: techno bros, the denizens of Wall Street, narrow minded racists, party ideologues, Fox News addicts, unprincipled news hosts, people who think reality TV is real, misogynists. Not sure, however, that being stupid qualifies as deplorable, unless stupidity is one’s choice.
Regarding Will Selber's comments about the efficacy of Israeli intelligence in regard to Hezbollah, and its failure in regard to Hamas and the Oct. 7th horrendous attack, I find it difficult to believe that they didn't have advance information about Oct. 7th.
Last year, after the attack, I remember reading that some mid-level intelligence officer(s) did report signs that Hamas was planning something big, but the word apparently was not passed up the chain. This raises a lot of disturbing questions in my mind as I am totally gobsmacked by Israel's ability to somehow intercept and load explosives onto pagers distributed to Hezbollah (and very likely also to innocent Lebanese), and their subsequent attack on walk-talkies along with their super-accurate targeting of Hezbollah leaders for assassination. How could they be so incompetent in regard to Hamas?
How much of Vance's "Maga" behavior is only to get into office, and keep his boss on his side? Right now, he must toe that line. Just like John Kelly and so many others before him - he either thinks he can "tame" Trump, or is he lying in wait to take over the role of Presidential candidate/President if something happens to Trump.
Vance certainly polished his own political bonafides, surely making some Republicans wonder if they could flip-flop Trump and Vance for the race. But this was merely a DEBATE....which Vance was clearly polished and professional for, since he spent twice as much time at Yale Law School than at actually governing, as a rookie, second-year senator in Ohio. By contrast, Walz was not even close, being on his heels and furiously writing notes, but Walz has 12 years as a congressman, in his second term as governor. The role of a VP is to help GOVERN. In office, an actual VP is not a debater.
Are you calling Tim Miller’s remarks a “cheap shot”? He was right on.
Why doesn’t anyone ask this guy what the powers and responsibilities of the vice president are?
Worry not, Worriers. The political sorting was completed weeks ago. It's all about GOTV now. Neither veep candidate fired up their respective bases with this debate, so it neither hurt nor helped with GOTV. If you insist on worrying, worry that Harris' vaunted swing state GOTV ain't as good as touted.
Let us hope that Republicans Voters Against Trump ad and billboard campaign for this last month will help Harris get the vote out. That is what matters at this point. Whose voters will go out and vote for them is going to make the difference.
https://youtu.be/D-I-DfSAry0?si=KbVbfJAKLcvwumaQ
I have already voted from abroad, so has my Gen Z daughter. We are firmly team Harris-Walz. In our Democrats Abroad chat groups, people are weighing in with questions and advice on voting for everyone. I am going with a colleague to do tables in coffeehouses to answer questions. I live in a Northern German city. We have been doing action where we let people know that they can vote. Many new voters have been recruited, but only 10 percent of the 800,000 Americans living in Germany voted in the last elections. We are hoping to get that percentage up this time. I have to say that we have a monthly social dinner, although we invariably talk politics, and this month we will have television coverage.
In what sane world does an "absolute security failure" on the Israelis part in any way justify killing 40,000 non-combatants??? Why is only Israels security ever trumpeted while apparently any other civilian in the region is acceptable collateral damage?? Why is Netenyahoos political and legal survival never mentioned when clearly this scale of destruction would never have happened without the right wing zealots keeping him in power???
In case you haven't heard: "BREAKING NEWS A partially unsealed brief in Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 case provided the fullest picture yet of what prosecutors found in their investigation. Wednesday, October 2, 2024 4:31 PM ET When Mike Pence was rushed to a secure location on Jan. 6, an aide alerted Donald Trump in the hope that he would take action to ensure Pence’s safety. Instead, according to grand jury testimony, Trump looked at the aide and said only, “So what?”"
Our October surprise - This is what we're fighting against! And Sarah is on MSNBC right now! Arguing because of the above, Rs like Romney need to get off their duffs and actively oppose him and endorse Harris.
Sorry but Israel is taking over the West Bank and Gaza by executing people.
Wikipedia tells me that a total of 69 soldiers were awarded a Purple Heart as a result of the attack on Al Asad. "Because the bombs never hit the fort" is yet another bald-faced perversion of a reality Trump knows perfectly well. He persists in diminishing service he would never dream of because he isn't a "sucker". Gut-churning sick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGP7hZQuTL0
Don't you remember when they started making Band-Aids with a purple heart on them to make fun of John Kerry? Those soldiers who were awarded the Purple Heart will soon start getting accused of being crisis actors.
I think it unfair to criticize Walz's debate performance. He answered questions effectively throughout. What kind of world do we live in when JD Vance can just lie throughput and get away with it? And then brag that the rules do not allow fact checking. Ok, I know that this is the awful world we find ourselves in. I do wish Walz would have pointed out the lies. I like Micheal Steele's analogy of a boxing match where the fighter's traded jabs for 8 rounds until the knockout punch came in the last round. Walz asked the only question that matters, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election? Vance's answer clearly disqualifies him and Trump. In three debates, the moderators, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris failed to ask the only question that matters. Only Tim Walz managed to land the knockout punch.
Waltz did interject a couple of times “that’s a lie”, one when JDV was lying about the State restoring women’s reproductive rights in line w the original Rowe vs Wade ruling 50 years ago; JDV was repeating in some fashion t-rumps claim Minnesota’s law allowed born living babies to be killed if Mother had died which he said in the Harris/Trump debate and also repeated at several rallies. Trust me, women know the truth loud and clear that both he and the TFG are lying.
Today, many feel wounded that JD was able to be quite the mighty slick hillbilly. And more or less shyster the American people into thinking maybe the DT/JD team are OK after all. But over the next few days, it might also begin to look like whatever his flubs, Tim has a heart the size of Mt Everest. While JD is a robotron, something not human. Think Blade Runner synthesized 'person'.
I did hear a funny line earlier today: JD looked like he was wearing eyeliner and Walz look like he'd just seen a ghost. And you're right- Walz did accomplish the most important part of his mission, to expose Vance for the demonic power hungry climber he is. Ready to do in our constitution. I find it hard to imagine, but he actually seems to be an even greater sociopath than DJT.
Non sevore und drütos es plâugern trac kin tíwìm von strônf est jitëlz, mon ftèrè.
Vance is able peddle dishonesty with great skill. The word "oleaginous" comes to mind. Walz is not a great debater, but he has excellent command of the facts, is an experienced legislator and executive, and is a good and decent man. He reassured all those who were a little wobbly on Harris, and hopefully put to rest some of the misogyny that we know is out there.
I am not so sure Vance won the debate, first of all, and commentators seem to be missing the good lines. So, for example, in his answer about his time in China, Walz fumbled a bit, yes, but then he turned that fumble into some very good info, info that no one is reporting on, including his taking all kinds of students to China and wishing that Donald Trump could have taken one of those trips, because if he had, he wouldn't be cozying up to Xi! That seemed like an excellent recovery to me, yet no one has reported on it that I have seen.
Second, Walz spoke with passion and with details about several specific programs in Minnesota. Those details and that passion mattered to me. So much for the media wanting specifics, I guess! I also thought he connected a couple of important dots in Harris's housing initiative: he was able to buy his first home because of a veteran-sponsored loan. Huh! Fancy that. A leg up . . .
And third, Walz was very good on gun violence. Sometimes, it's just the guns. And he tied it to a question about his changing his mind. The young people viewing the debate mocked Vance for saying stronger windows and better locks on doors would do the job!!
Finally, Walz communicated knowledge, competence, and sincerity. Along with a deep understanding of how government works. I agree, no real zingers, until the end. But I didn't want that from him. I wanted what he gave: a grasp of reality from a real human being who cares about his fellow human beings. He LIVES his faith, and it shows.
Yes! Plus his state’s early legislation codifying Women’s reproductive rights as in Rowe vs Wade.
Commentators were weirdly oblivious ignoring what many listeners heard. Also, other than new or young voters, I think alleged “GOP” fence sitters are just being coy, and most definitely not courageous.
I think this is a good take.
I believe JD Vance clearly "performed" better, but it was transparently a performance, and that doesn't mean it lands better with the voters - especially since most will see it simply via clips.
He was an excellent actor. However, we're not casting someone in a play/movie, we're looking for a human person... Well I suppose at least some - and i HOPE most - of us are...
Excellent analysis.
Thinking back to how Vance made me feel during that debate:
He's always been off-putting and disgusting - like Vincent Donofrio's bug wearing a man's skin as a disguise in Men in Black.
Last night it was more like the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits, when the person seems almost "too normal" and the contrast of the words and tone cause a chill down your spine.
I hope that's how he made the "undecideds" feel.
Apparently America's education system has managed to completely extract from citizens is their bullshit meter. Vance did three things very well in the debate: he was cordial; he wouldn't answer questions honestly; and he lied constantly. Why are so many Americans blind to this? Answer: because they are stupid, ignorant and evil, in their own ways.
America as a country would not be taken seriously were it not for the giant and threatening footprint of its economy and military. Otherwise, it's becoming a laughingstock.
Trump claims that America is a laughingstock when he's not in charge. Actually, America is a laughingstock when someone like him is vaulted into power and then has a chance of getting back in power despite his obvious psychopathy and ignorance and his assaults on the rule of law.
I like your response. It brings to mind the Anna Karenina principle: Each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. And as there are many ways to be an unhappy family, there are many ways to be deplorable. How many varieties of deplorability are there in Hillary’s basket of deplorables? We need a typology: techno bros, the denizens of Wall Street, narrow minded racists, party ideologues, Fox News addicts, unprincipled news hosts, people who think reality TV is real, misogynists. Not sure, however, that being stupid qualifies as deplorable, unless stupidity is one’s choice.
+ homophobia and xenophobia! At their core, most of these traits are based in fear and hatred of the other.