Last night’s debate
No, I didn’t watch.
Actually, that’s not true. I watched – that is, I was on an airplane the whole time, and the person next to me was viewing the debate on her little TV screen, listening to it with earphones. Even the basic tedium of the airplane ride (wonderfully smooth and without a hitch, even to the extent of arriving early) could not motivate me to turn on the sound to my own TV and actually listen to the Democratic candidates. But every now and then I would glance over to her TV and notice the facial expressions and body language of the candidates.
A few observations on their body language. Sanders looked a bit more subdued than usual but otherwise none the worse for wear. Tulsi is attractive, but of course you already know that. Without the sound on, Kamala Harris looks like an actress playing a DA on a TV series. But new front-runner Elizabeth Warren was the most interesting, watched in that manner. She looked like a cartoon character.
I don’t mean that to be funny. I mean that she had a sort of snub-nosed Disneyesque freshness that defied age, and her body movements and expressions conveyed the gee-whiz impatience and energy of certain gym teachers or camp counselors I’ve known. Does this appeal to people?
A personal note – I am now on the west coast for a while, visiting family and friends for various occasions. Blogging is planned to continue, however, so never fear.
I think Elizabeth Warren is much more energetic than Greta Thunberg, but without the likability.
I am not a big fan of TV baseball games but the one last night was a lot better than the debate would have been. I still think Hillary will swoop in to save the loonies.
With the Iowa Caucus approaching we began being bombarded with Democrat candidates 3 months ago rushing around the state and filling the airwaves promises of everything to everyone. The landline goes to voicemail. On our cell phones are subjected to robo calls. And it will intensify daily until attention is directed elsewhere.
Tulsi Gabbard is going to hold an informal meet and greet at a popular bar in Iowa City. I plan to attend. But I’m no Cornhead so don’t expect a lengthy report from me.
I’ve seen them all, being a registered Dem. Though my not screaming about impeachment will eventually blow my cover.
Watching the debate while following Stephen Green’s drunkblogging is hilarious. Not so hilarious if one of them wins though.
The highlight for me was Julian Castro on gun control. Naturally I can’t find a text transcript of the debate yet. That would interfere with the media spin.
Paraphrasing Castro from the video replay I just watched:
There are two problems with mandatory buybacks. You can’t define “mandatory,” and second, it’s not really mandatory if you aren’t sending cops door to door. I don’t know about the neighborhoods the rest of you grew up in, but I grew up in a neighborhood where we didn’t need another excuse for cops to come banging on our front doors.
And a couple days ago y’all saw what happened to Atatiana Jefferson in Fort Worth. (applause) A cop showed up at 2AM at her house, when she was playing games with her nephew, didn’t announce himself, and within 4 seconds shot her dead through the window of her own home.
—
I’m not going to give these police officers another reason to go door to door in certain communities, because police violence is also gun violence.
________
I’m not anti-cop, but there are definitely some cases of trigger happy and/or careless police actions. There was a case in S. Carolina a couple months ago, similar to the Fort Worth one, without fatality, and no reprimand or sanction on the cop. I agree with Castro’s bigger point of mandatory gun confiscation being a non-starter.
If anyone cares, here is a link to the debate videos. The Castro bit is about 12:30 into video #3.
Tommy Jay said:
“I’m not anti-cop, but there are definitely some cases of trigger happy and/or careless police actions.”
I am a cop and there are probably more cases than you can imagine of trigger happy and/or police actions. My co-workers might tell you I am the most anti-cop cop they know.
I work in a very small, rural area now and I am largely content. But that wasn’t always the case. When I worked in the Armpit of My State, I worked with some officers (and attempted to train some of them in the field) who could be the poster children for people who should be allowed to wield the authority of law and carry a firearm.
I did my best to run them out but that became harder and harder as the years went by. More protections, harder to fire people.
Beto and Klobuchar both said America has been invaded by Russians on US soil. If they believe that is true, why do they want to disarm Americans?
Um, “…should be…”?
“If they believe that is true, why…”
For heaven’s sakes, have a bit of pity. “The Narrative” made them do it.
IOW, it doesn’t matter what they “think” and/or say—or the process that led them (or didn’t lead them) to “think” or say it.
That is truly the amazing thing about the current crop of barking madmen (oh, and madwomen…no, I guess that should be “madpersons”—heck, just make it “insufferable liars”—yelpers?) that believe they should be the Democratic presidential candidate.
Best way to measure “who is the frontrunner” is the # minutes they talk.
Warren is way winning.
I’m already way tired of her and the Dems. Hoping for a Rep “Silent Majority” sweep, and then some real swamp draining.
Also hoping for indictments for some, any, deep state criminals.
A few months ago, a neighbor called me in the middle of the night to tell me that he had called the cops because he’d noticed some “youths” on my property, heading toward the house. Long story short, I apparently spooked one of the cops when I opened the front door — he *told* me that he almost pulled his gun. Lucky for me, my “white male privilege” works even in the dark.
Thinking about this Russian invasion on American soil narrative. According to this story, Russians, (must have been a lot of them,) voted or tampered with voting booths across the country during the 2016 election— which means an enemy invasion and attack occurred during Obama’s administration. Well, yikes.
But, the Dems want open borders and say illegal aliens and felons can vote (except you can’t call them that) and that no one should be in jail for non violent crimes anyway, so what’s the problem with Russians invading, tampering or voting?
Neo flies right over Nebraska. Thanks a lot!
/s/
Cornhead
Deplorable flyover plebeian
Esther, the sad part is that apparently a lot of ill-informed people actually think that Russians tampered with votes or vote counts in 2016, although there is absolutely not evidence for that.
Cornhead,
Be grateful for living in flyover country. I wouldn’t mind newneo landing for a quick lunch, but 90% of the coastal folks are probably the people I would mind landing. Part of what makes me grumpy is the run up to the Caucus. I like Iowa best is when no one in the other 49 is paying attention to Iowa.
I am a fan of splendid isolation. 😉
ive always thought that turning the sound off was a good way to judge acting.
I remember the “hispanic” news reader Elizabeth Vargas would over act with her facial expressions.
Neo: Come over for dinner! Bring your family!
Where on the West Coast? Wish we could have set up a “meet and greet!”
The falling viewership for the Dem debates may be a clue that the average Dem voter isn’t on board with their program..
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cnn-debate-ratings-fall-fourth-democratic-face-1248171
yeah. West Coast meet ‘n greet, as March Hare says.
Neo’s description of camp counselor Warren exactly matches the SNL actress that portrayed her a couple of weeks ago.
Camp counselors and gym teachers are people who cheerfully tell other people what to do. I think you have hit on something here. “Line up for mandatory gun confiscation! Count off by threes! Great! Now let’s have a loud Camp Cherokee cheer, so they can hear you on the other side of the lake!”
Completely off topic, but about our hostess (tangentially):
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/did-you-know/40plus-famous-paintings-and-the-stories-behind-them/ss-AAHgfEx?ocid=spartandhp#image=40
Just to underscore what other posters have said:
Imagine You’re a police officer, and you’re ordered to disarm somebody. You already know he has a weapon, and you DON’T know how cooperative he’s going to be. Are you going to go in with your hands empty, or are you doing to draw your weapon before confronting him ?
Now imagine you’re the “suspect”, and people with drawn weapons are pounding on your door.
How do you think this situation is going to end ?