Our heroic Athletics defend the honor of America against invaders from the north as the Toronto Blue Jays come to the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. Canada, known primarily for maple syrup, universal health care, and the McKenzie Brothers will send their best to battle our boys. I’ve posted the starting pitching match ups in invisible ink so just rub some lemon on your screen if you want to see who’s pitching.
Go A’s…and God Bless America!
Oops…did two game threads get posted? I’m sorry. Do you want me to delete mine?
No, I deleted mine. I didn’t get a Lee Greenwood reference into mine.
Heh…okay, you can have the next one.
Life in Canada
Are there any positives when it comes to Twitter? As someone who doesn’t use it all I hear about are people getting in trouble on it or whatever dumb ass thing our President has said in the last ten minutes.
its a good news and comedy organizer
I use the Apple news app and Flipboard.
Currently watching hockey like some kind of Canadian.
Next you’re going to tell us you’ve become a socialist and that all you eat now are jelly donuts and gravy fries.
Please stop with the cultural appropriation, Bed.
When I grow up I want to be a Quebec academic.
alright, who’s the cultural owner of hypocrisy? because they and barbara kruger both might want to have a word with the wolf-cryer pictured there.
When I grow up I want to be a cultural owner of hypocrisy.
I can only afford to rent hypocrisy.
Mulder is doing the entire homestand it would seem.
Mulder is scheduled to work about two series per month, so it makes sense for him to make the series consecutive.
It’s Ken and Ray only on radio tonight. I knew Vince was off but thought Roxy might be there. This raises the possibility of the ear-stabbing pain of Ray’s play-by-play.
I just don’t like baseball on radio anymore. I grew up with it with Bill King and then I listened to a ton of Royals games in college but now it just doesn’t hold my attention.
Oh, man, I dunno, radio baseball is perfect. Especially when your team sucks.
I was at the troughs just now and Ray’s pxp burned me like the hot stabbing knives of regret, if yaknowhatimean
Didn’t Zappa have a song about that?
At least he is forced to talk mostly about baseball when he’s doing PxP. I’m glad I have the TV picture to accompany it though. And, sure, I could just listen to Kuiper and Mulder, but somehow as a longtime A’s fan I feel obligated to endure Ray, for one night at least.
i’m listening to the canadian radio feed. they are great
Friends and family only crowd…and it looks like our guys don’t have many friends.
They will get over 10,000 announced attendance tonight by including the seagulls.
If the A’s can monetize those seagulls they’ll be rich.
I put it at 3,800 humans and maybe 40 seagulls.
Officially announced as 12,890.
That Donaldson guy looks familiar.
Wait…did Davis just overthrow somebody?
Khris Davis “doesn’t have the strongest arm.”
Well who would’ve thunk it.
After decades of screwing around with other countries elections, especially during the cold war, it would seem karma has come back to bite us. It’s going to be interesting to see where this all goes.
Indeed – especially if Drumpf knew (which would be consistent with his modus operandi of pre-emptively falsely accusing opponents of doing what he is actually doing)
Karma would be the people who fked with other countries’ elections being harmed by other countries fking with ours. This is (more or less) the same people benefiting.
Sad!
the hack, or that young woman’s name?
I was thinking about the hack, though the name is spectacular.
What’s depressing is that it’s the leaking that’s trending on FB, not the foreign government hacking voting machines.
to be fair it’s not just social media. i cycled through my top afternoon papers and only got the first part. wasn’t till i mistakenly went to sf gate that i saw the second. and didn’t fully trust it till i went to the intercept to verify.
there’s probably some journalistic integrity issue there, but that was way too many clicks to get to such a scandal.
I feel overwhelmed by all the information. It feels like Trump has been President for 12 years or so.
are we still talking about this story?
dammit
666 5th Ave? I knew these people were evil, but I had no idea how much.
In the state of Alaska it’s illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they are hunting moose.
I just wanted you all to know that.
Thanks, and go As.
Those damn liberals and all their nanny state laws.
Ryon Healy = Hope
“Healy seems like a confident guy…I bet his girlfriend is at least a 9.” A movie version of a scout watching this game.
manaea seems to be losing stikes inside to righties
@bed: wait, how many ” is Healy’s gf?
Sexual, Healy!
When Ryon Healy walks into a room women want to be him and men want to be with him.
Now that God has created the perfect being in Ryon Healy he plans to retire to Tampa and take up bocce ball.
manaea is getting jobbed according to blue jays tv
Traitor.
i am listening to an authentic bay area treasure
i am listening to an authentic bay area treasure
jerry howarth
Hey FSU…if you yell Free Kraut rules I bet we could hear you.
carrerra was struck out
donaldons just too strike 3
Rajai is to bring back face sweat bands?
Uh….four?
I was gonna run on the field bare-chested but a vision of Phil Collins told me no.
Wait, Ryon’s hashtag is #Healyeah? Perfect
I notice on the ribbon boards they still want us to #RaiseThePlouffe for the All-Star Game.
tulowitski is not a short stop anymore. I think 47 year old me throws harder
So, just turned in. We have the lead, so nothing to worry about, what with the stellar defense our guys are playing and the bullet-proof bullpen, right?
Not crazy about Axford facing their good hitters.
But not really crazy about any of our other relievers facing their good hitters either.
Wait till it’s Casilla vs. Donaldson and Bautista in the ninth.
I’ll be too blinded by rage at the leadoff walk to Darwin Barney to see that.
Oh, Barney was already out of the game. That’s a relief.
Normally, when I see 9.00 ERA next to a reliever, I go – oh, sure, one inning, one run.
why not chapman herer?
Who?
canha didn’t get the memo about staying in the box
this is a terrible strike zone according to rsn. i think its mostly going against the a’s. is martin a good framer and phegley a poor one?
ec?
Phegley: This pitch is going to bounce and there’s nobody on base, so I’ll just let it go.
Plate umpire: OUCH. Goddammit Phegley.
Matt Joyce, defensive replacement. Sigh.
Olson is an actual good outfielder as I recall.
something about this guy. i should hate him because he is an ass, but…
He is a charming ignoramus.
blame canada, but the A’s are outsouurcing the final three innings to immigrants!
blame canada, but the A’s are outsouurcing the final three innings to immigrants!
Suck it Russell Martin
A 1-2-3 inning from Casilla is not a possibility, so Donaldson is, at minimum, the tying run.
And we have an upset.
That was an all around acceptable performance.
I AM that kind of lawyer, and I don’t see anything wrong with this
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, since everything my client ever says is a provable lie, how can you use his statements against him?
He’s a libel-proof plaintiff, a judgment-proof defendant, and an impeachment-proof president.
‘The guy won’t pay and he won’t listen’
Trump needs guys like Ted Olson and Paul Clement so much more than they need him. It’s absurd to think they would sign up for this assignment.
can confirm. Clients that don’t listen are awful. I have a guy threatening because (some inside baseball stuff) after getting his 3 count felony case dismissed. looking at 6 years 4 months mandatory prison. judges hands would be tied on the prison thing.
he adamantly told me several times that he is a trump supporter.
MikeV approves:
Good starter size
Thanks, and go As.
To be fair, 1600 Penn isn’t in the suburbs.
“The president’s lawyers and aides…hope to keep him busy Thursday with other events meant to compete for his — and the news media’s — attention.”
Syria? North Korea? A Russian or Chinese fighter jet? Something’s getting bombed.
shade aside, this is ultimately what insulates trump, although it shouldn’t respondeat superior and all.
Khris Davis tweaked his hamstring last night, so naturally the A’s sent down the fifth outfielder instead of the eighth reliever.
k davis
r davis
m canha
m joyce
any outfielder the A’s have is the 1rst one, yeah?
Hahn and Cotton in an 18 hour span, gonna need some bullpen arms.
That thing in your rearview mirror is getting larger, Trevor.
any argument for not promoting? cn he strick out MORE than the current team?
He’s not on the 40-man.
This is a pathetic TV sports day for the home-bound. So I’m watching Major League.
Oklahoma beat Florida yesterday in game 1 of best-of-three women’s softball World Series on a walkoff homer in the 17th inning (regulation is 7 innings). Now they’ve playing again and its 5-4 heading to the top of the 4th. Gals be slugging.
why is rajai?
WTF???
Has to prove himself worthy of Brandon Phillips’ old number.
Excellent
(at trevor plouffe)
Grandpa Lew had to stop by at some point to pick up his tarps, so tonight’s the night.
Is Lew wearing his Dodgers cap?
looks like george lucas behind the blue jays dugout
Rajai overslid the bag there just for practice.
I know anytime I manage a Major League game I must have at least 7 right handed relief pitchers.
That might be the best play I’ve seen Healy make at third.
it didn’t happen
You Lie!
Ms. Dolan seems to have an entire section to herself.
Ugh.
Safe, apart from the British people whose human rights she’s taking away.
So lock the entire country up to keep them safe.
Just the brown people.
No, you kill them. I’m talking about making sure white people are safe. Gotta lock them up and bubble wrap their buildings. No communication either. You wouldn’t want trouble makers making plans or anything.
Is it winter in Oakland?
It’s winter in America.
Things are pretty fucking bad when I miss Ronald Reagan.
I deleted all the news apps on my phone and I’ve decided to get all my news from old Sacramento Bee’s from 1991.
Can you give me updates on the war in iraq?
Not the Bee, but:
And people think I dig up old threads.
I will say this…Lew has great hair.
Way to leave your bat in the way, Josh.
Often the umpire will get rid of it, but sometimes they don’t think of it when the ball doesn’t leave the infield. Carlos Gomez got hurt trying to avoid a bat against the A’s and hasn’t played in almost a month.
@sammiller
Oh wow.
I miss him on the BP podcast so much.
Interesting stuff, I wonder if any big league ump would ever call interference on a bat left in play. I doubt it. For the same reasons most of the big leaguers said they’d never think of it in the instant. I can’t see an ump (or replay) discerning the intent.
Two games in a row!
Heads up play by Alonso…put that one in the trade video package.
Goins runs the bases like he wants to be an Athletic some day.
Lew must be in the loo.
If ignorance is bliss I feel like I should be happier.
Lew is a foot taller, 40 years younger, and covered in A’s gear.
not for nothing, but lew is a six footer. he just slouches like mr. burns
You Lie!
The A’s likely won’t have to worry about handing out too many Gold Glove bonus checks.
Replay in Baseball…making an already slow game even slower.
Worse than the replays are the pauses where the manager is considering asking for a replay but ultimately doesn’t. Those annoy the hell out of me.
Lew is back…he saw that an A’s fan was in his seat and that seat is for Dodgers fans only.
Things are pretty fucking bad when I miss Frank McCourt.
Things are so bad I miss OakFoSho.
Jesse Hahn is one of those A’s starters that I will forget ever existed within a year or so.
sean gallagher is hurt
How’s Trevor Cahill doing?
A Marcus Semien action figure…that’ll pack the stadium.
Does rigor mortis count as action?
The hot stiff kind…or perhaps the cold stiff kind.
clay foot bobble head
Not having my guy Khris Davis in the field is taking away a lot of my enjoyment of this game…thankfully Lew is there.
Just to fuck with everybody I think I’m going to talk like a valley girl tomorrow all day at work.
about a year ago, I started wearing bow ties on friday only. I would encourage people to follow suit, saying “Bow tie Friday, get on board.” If someone said “yeah, I should!” I would pull out a bow tie out and put the lie to their words.
anyway a few months ago I started doing on thursday to fuck with people.
I was bold today…my tie had stripes.
Hmmm….perhaps wide shots of the Coliseum not the best idea ever.
The Blue Jays are kinda dumb on the base paths.
Lew now sitting alone with his thoughts…remembering that time that Bud made his move and they made sweet, sweet love in their dorm room.
I can’t understand how anyone can drink a Red Bull in the bullpen in the 5th inning of a night game, and then get enough sleep to come back for a 12:30 game tomorrow.
I’ve never had a Red Bull just in case anyone was wondering.
Same way people can drink coffee all day.
Thanks, and go As.
Midnight espresso and sleep the sleep of the just.
I endorse this
I give all the blame on that one to Chip Hale.
That’s a Rosey line drive right there.
Lew now eating some ice cream…bringing back memories of the sundae he had at the World’s Fair in 1914
Perfect.
I can’t imagine sitting near those people who play drums the entire game.
shoutout EM, tho.
I love checking Twitter for the opposing team’s fans complaints about us.
me too… but someone musta took his samsung PDA away from him as he went into the war room, because he hasn’t twitted in hours!
That was quite the A’s-like play in the outfield.
Beane just got wood thinking about trading for their left fielder.
The red hot Blue Jays came to Oakland and caught a nasty case of Athletics.
Doctor, Doctor give me the news I got bad case of A’s flu.
Things are pretty fucking bad when I miss Robert Palmer.
And FSU wins the thread.
So far the A’s have looked pretty good at the plate, in the field, and on the mound. They’re showing off to impress Lew.
Lew has morphed again…I’m starting to think he may be a member of The X-Men.
Glen pronounces people’s names differently than everyone else does. Does he drink during the games?
Don’t you?
Thanks, and go As.
I watch all these games sober…which just proves I’m crazy.
I have it on reasonably solid authority that at parties Glen gets drunk and does his announcer voice for laughs.
While Fosse just sidles up real close and asks “how great does does it feel?”
That poor bastard has to watch the A’s play everyday…he deserves to have to some fun.
Most of my friends are Rams, Chiefs, or 49ers fans and I’m getting sold on all three teams…I’m leaning towards the Houston Oilers though.
They’d never leave you. Also they have a catchy song.
Warren Moon did throw a pretty ball.
No epic poem, though.
The Summer Wind is an Oiler.
“No, those are just natural gas flares”
All time great color scheme/logo combination.
Well, if you want to live in 1991 again, the choice is clear. Niners!
Unlike him, she is unlikely to drop anything
Skimming the Instagram thing, if that’s the basis for an investigation it is pretty flimsy.
as i recall, she was a body builder, yeah?
So, teams sign their core players and keep them…what is this witchcraft you speak of?
Toronto’s a reasonable comp. They play in a wealthy area yet at times over the years have chosen to act like a poorer team, and bemoaned the fickle local fans. Now they invest in payroll and contend.
In comes the man with multiple names.
If I became a Los Angeles Chargers fan the great thing about that is I’d be the only one.
Bob Melvin. “I believe in you, Ryon…now take a seat.” Fuck off, Bob.
“Defense doesn’t really go in slumps.”
Coulda fooled me with this team, Mark
It’s not a slump if your everyday baseline is hideous.
Having a post game with both Shooty and Canseco must be the pinnacle of baseball coverage.
I’m enjoying the Jose Canseco Tank Top Experience.
They’re giving Castilla way more credit for being clever than I believe him to be.
IYCDTWB,BTWBS.
The name change was pretty clever.
casilla still hasn’t gotten a new glove
am ok with it. i like thrift and not being wasteful
Good win…banana daiquiris for everybody!
Really? A fishing net?
Jesus
Uhhhhh
Unfortunately nothing there is inherently criminal. Dumb and grossly inappropriate, but hard to pin down an actual illegal act. It’s too general.
You have to look at the overall picture of all of the interactions, and the fact that Trump then fired Comey and admitted he did so because of this investigation.
More to the point, assessing whether he did anything technically criminal is sort of beside the point. It’s inappropriate for a reason: it’s an abuse of power.
Anyway, the really crazy shit is Trump bringing up the “hookers” sua sponte, four months after Comey briefed him on the dossier.
Only matters if the GOP turns on him. If they support him, he doesn’t get impeached either way. If they don’t, he does either way.
It matters even if they don’t turn on him. The more they are seen as covering for his outrageous behavior, the more chance they get crushed in next year’s election.
I don’t see a grand shift happening. The polarization has created too much distrust for the middle to be swayed into one side or the other. And people still don’t think their own representative is the problem, but rather all the other representatives.
Waves still happen though. There was a lot of distrust in 2006, 2008, and 2010 as well, and that didn’t save the incumbents (though subsequent gerrymanding complicates things).
I expect a wave, but I don’t necessarily think it will break the current majorities. At least not in 2018. I’m expecting merely a tightening. All bets are off if undeniable proof is released on Russian collusion though. But I also see that investigation going on through 2018.
Even last year the Democrats picked up six house seats. Their majority is more precarious than it looks.
Today’s game is available on MLB-TV, not blacked out. Good consolation while home sick.
They are baseballing already.
I hope the A’s Defence is better than their Defense.
Chris Coghlan owes us a few, and paid one back right there.
Ahahahaha
He’s on the rapid debt reduction plan today.
Walks + home runs, this is a good way to get a ticket back to Nashville.
Ugh.
I am ready to conclude that Cotton ain’t ready.
look away, look away, look away, look away
Ploooooouffe
I had to run downstairs for a couple minutes and managed to miss Plouffe’s monthly moment of success.
The Blue Jays outfielders have caught Athletics’ Disease.
Dammit
It’s unfortunate how unstable the site is these days. If there’s anything I can do to help just let me know.
I need to switch hosts, but honestly the research into that is daunting and I don’t want to pay tons of money (our host, for example, would likely be fine at $25/month instead of $5/month.
I assumed the reason you have a 8 man bullpen is so that someone like Montas would never have to come into an important situation. I’m not even sure Bob is a checkers player at this point…his game might be more Candy Land. I’m starting to understand why he’s already been fired twice before.
I only caught the last couple of innings of the game. The Blue Jays announcers both sounded exactly alike and they’re over the top homers…I’ll take Glen and Ray.
radio guys are treasures, tv? meh
Buck Martinez isn’t terrible, but he has a pretty terrible voice.
I only caught the last couple minutes of the news. The American President and Vice President both sound exactly alike and they’re over the top homers…I’ll take Glen and Ray.
My prediction for the James Comey hearings tomorrow is that he ends his testimony with a musical number.
In The Air Tonight?
now i’m really looking forward to the air drum solo.
Such a disappointment.
it got close!
i can feel it
coming in the air
to-night…
oh lordy.
ASVDAV
So, in conclusion…it was Colonel Mustard, in the library, with a revolver.
Good basketball game
I don’t understand how the Warriors won that.
snagged it.
15-0
Klay is 30-0 since he signed that toaster.
Thanks, and go As.
That was incredibly odd. He hit that three and the Cavs seem to quit.
They just took everything Cleveland had, and then with a few minutes left said OK time to end it.
That was just completely fucking demoralizing. I love it.
Thanks, and go As.
KD!!!!!!!
I love a silent Q.
Silent Jeff Van Gundy is nice too.
/sarcasm on
It was nice to see how unbiased they were, and how they weren’t rooting for one team over another.
/sarcasm off
Yay Democracy
why doe they expect repayment? don’t they know who they are doing a solid for?
Yeah, I don’t think they seem to realize that Little D think *HE* is the one doing THEM a favor. So any expectation of quid pro quo is lunacy.
Why is Joe Manchin?
because West Virginia
I mean, he sucks but he is still obviously better than the Republican alternative
I don’t begrudge him being a conservative-ish Democrat, but he asked the dumbest question of the day, non McCain division: “If Hillary Clinton had won the election, do you think you would have been fired?”
I’ll forgive him anything until and unless he pulls a Nelson on something as important as the ACA.
The weirdest thing about the Republican legislative strategy this year is that they have done nothing at all to create tough votes for Manchin, Heitkamp, Donnelly, McCaskill, Tester, etc.
They can vote against the AHCA with no problem given where it is polling, and McConnell hasn’t even attempted to bring them in as bipartisan cover. In fact, he won’t even show them the bill or hold a damn hearing on it! Easiest “nay” ever.
He voted to confirm Jeff FKing Sessions.
As a practical matter, sure, his vote there wasn’t the difference maker, plus someone more progressive couldn’t even win a Democratic primary in WVa, let alone a general election.
But as a measure of his judgment, that’s still as awful a vote as I can imagine.
I think that was a reflection of West Virginia democrats being pretty cool with racism, but generally hostile to the GOP economic agenda.
Again, I’m ok with whatever pandering/non-decisive action he thinks he needs to keep the seat blue. Until and unless he single-handedly hijacks major legislation.
So you mean after the Democrats win the Senate back?
Right, which we won’t do unless we have some blue dogs.
kamala, I don’t think you ever tried a case as high as robbery
she is better than many of these dicks, but I can think of dozens of attorneys that wold be better at questioning.
I don’t know how good a prosecutor she was, but she does seem to be a pretty good politician.
yes, she is very corrupt.
here
It’s fairly amazing how bad some of these Republican senators are at this.
very very bad
Every one of them at some point asked a question that got Comey to say something terrible for them.
Too bad nothing that anyone says or does seems to matter any more.
This pretty much sums it up.
I don’t know how much experience he has as a witness, but this is a cakewalk compared to many direct and cross examination
McCain is unfit to be in a position of leadership. The man couldn’t even put together coherent sentences.
Thanks, and go As.
It has not been my impression lately that coherence is a prerequisite for leadership in this country.
Seems like this was part of what she was driving at.
im shocked
the live comments on the live FB feed are at about the level of the live comments on a pirated live feed of an international club soccer game.
her emails.. JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA!!!!!!!
(please note the two-period ellipses.)
yeah, that is the best
Jesus Christ, McCain…the hell happened to you?
Seriously, is he OK? I can’t even follow what he’s talking about.
seriously, I think he has a pee tape as weel
Did it get stuck in your teeth? Mine always get stuck in my teeth. Did you ever lose a filling from it?
it’s very important to get to the bottom of this vince foster thing
Uh huh
Eric Sogard is batting .407/.536/.630
Don’t normalize this.
Things we already know, quantified
80 year old Senators, 70 year old Presidents, 113 year old Supreme Court Justices…dear old people it’s okay to retire.
We won the trade?
In all seriousness, if true, this is supremely shitty. Derek Norris is also facing similar allegations.
The British news media sure are willing to speculate and recriminate based on nothing but an exit poll.
Announcing the vote counts in each constituency live, with the candidates on the stage, is A+
how did tarquin fin-tim-lin-bin-whin-bim-lim-bus-stop-f’tang-f’tang-olé-biscuitbarrel do??
He’s running neck and neck with Mr. Hilter.
“Tooting” is my favorite constituency
Unless things are *really* close, they already know the result.
Thing that has always annoyed me: The “first past the post” metaphor makes no sense.
Honestly, if I was going to run pantsless onto a ballfield after a Giant I’d head for Brandon Crawford too.
His hair scares me.
Yay Florida! I will try to stay out of the Weird News stories for a week. (“Oakland A’s third baseman Trevor Plouffe and a fat little man identified only as ‘Soaker’ were arrested last night several hours after the Rays game against the A’s…”)
Actually, it’s a beautiful evening. St. Pete is a little like Eugene, OR, albeit somewhat bigger, some neat downtown bar and dining areas, mostly low-rise buildings and a strangely out-of-scale stadium. I had outdoor dinner at a brewpub about a mile west of the Trop and was encouraged by the “St. Pete Pride” rainbow banners hanging from the street light poles. Don’t know what Anita would make of that. Also, it was an optimistic sign that while I was in Publix buying beach beer for tomorrow, “Celebration” played on the sound system.
Lure Plouffe with craft brew then set him adrift. Celebration was a sign to do this.
Pulisic
bedbait
Getting old sucks.
Hard not to despair that the Penguins will again take the Cup.
Jerry Adams easily walks away with the award for the best party leader’s election night socks.
Three day weekend and you know what that means…Macrame!
The 90’s were a simpler time when a fella could get together with his buddies and go out in the backyard and Vogue.
I tell you what my Twitter feed is just blowing up right now and you can follow me at @jimbakker where you can join me as we do the Lord’s work.
Is your life in a rut? Do what I did…fake your own death and join the Merchant Marines.
Indian Jones and the Catheter of Doom
Indiana Jones and Early Onset Alzheimers
Indiana Jones and the Curse of Those Damn Kids Who Won’t Get Off His Lawn
Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford Needs the Paycheck Because He Crashed Another Plane
Indiana Jones and The Elders Getting Lost at the Park
Have Morgan Freeman and Morgan Fairchild ever been seen in the same place? I think not proving my Single Morgan Theory.
Ditto Joe Morgan and Morganna the Kissing Bandit
What’s the way to a better life? Simple, screw over the other guy before he screws you over.
For those keeping score at home I’m thinking about growing out my vacation beard early. I’ll make sure to keep everyone updated through the entire process on my Instagram page.
I feel like if the A’s started the game right now they’d catch the Rays off-guard.
Don’t Blame Me I Voted For Tony Blair.
Now you’ve gone too far.
You know I was thinking…I bet one of the reasons the site’s been a bit dodgy lately is because of Snapperhead’s posting random nonsense and overtaxing the site.
I love a historical counterfactual as much as anyone, but I’m really having trouble following the logic of the “Corbyn’s loss proves that Bernie would have beaten Trump” hot take.
does this help?
I think that one went around a few years ago. It broke my brain to the point that I refuse to engage with it this time.
not an exact correlation, but saying corbyn’s loss proves bernie woulda beaten trump, as soon as you have that lined up, ie, having bernie be president of the US, the other thing falls apart, the (rational? fearful?) swing away from conservatism that trump causes in the middle voters, even if in another country.
I’m picturing an alternative universe where May held hands with Bernie and won a huge majority while Le Pen took over France.
bring it. we get single payer, the 1% is paying up, and i’ve already seen the eiffel tower.
I was going to post something along the same lines. People who are quick to dismiss Hillary’s large popular vote advantage or Dem gains in special elections as meaningless (fair enough…) seem awfully excited about Corbyn … exceeding expectations? forcing the Tories into a coalition with a far-right Irish party?
Closest I can find to actual logic are the observations that
a) a lot more young people voted in UK than in US
b) if more young people had voted in US, the Dems would win.
These are both true, in and of themselves.
But you have to make a bunch of huge assumptions in order to draw any real conclusions from that.
I don’t really understand their politics, but as far as I can grasp is that it would be like the Republicans falling short of control so they make a deal with the Tea Party to remain in power. If so, that may not be an outcome anyone actually wants and our fucked up system is proof of that idiocy.
I think there’s a plausible lesson that a party led by a true leftist won’t necessarily collapse in support. But it’s not really evidence that it can win, or even that it would do better than a party led by a center-left type.
People are definitely getting over-excited, but I think it’s a bit more than “won’t necessarily collapse in support”.
At the start of the election (on the back of a dismal Brexit performance by Labour as a whole) the Tories were 20 points ahead and everyone was predicting a landslide. A combination of a strong populist Labour campaign and a weak unpopulist Tory campaign turned that into a 2 point deficit in the popular vote, though thanks to judicious districting that’s a 9 point difference in seats. I don’t think a center-left party carrying the stench of Blair could have done that – it just wouldn’t have energized key demographics in the way Corbyn did.
Point taken, but there’s a lot of UK specific stuff there that makes drawing any US lessons pretty dicey.
Absolutely! From the differences in the Blair and Clinton baggage to the respective histories of socialism.
Exactly the two things I was thinking of (especially since our Blair equivalent is Bush). Also, snap elections just seem like a different animal than anything we have.
Also, the conservative in the UK and the center-leftist in the US who saw their support erode were both women, which maybe is an argument in favor of Bernie, but not one that anyone should really want to make.
Though in the UK you’re voting for your local MP, so May was only named on the ballot in one constituency (which she very comfortably won).
The key dynamics as far as I can tell were the surge in young voter registration, the asymmetric collapse of the UKIP vote, and the complicated Independence/Brexit dynamic in Scotland – only one of which is relevant for the US.
Sure, but if you’re making the argument that the party leader isn’t important because they’re not the one on the ballot, then it also kills the entire theory of Corbyn as difference maker (unless there were a wave of rookie socialist Labour candidates who were swept into office, which seems unlikely in a snap election).
(I’m not really arguing with you, as I think we mostly both agree with GM’s original point.)
talk about people who are not over an election
LET’S DO THIS
Lordy yes!
The lines of questioning would be fantastic. There are so many things he’s said that are demonstrably false. You could just wheel them out one after another after another, and each time ask him to either reaffirm them and lie in the present, or refute them and acknowledge habitual lying in the past.
Oh please. He’ll find an excuse to back out of it.
He probably thinks he could take the oath, answer a single question, and leave.
i have sad this before, but, yes, this. just like one of my client.
this morning, maybe because i’m still under that double dose of melatonin i had to resort to last night, i’m finding more humor out of you guys thinking he couldn’t than him thinking he could.
remember the health release? same thing.
reality show stage, retired former — say, divorce court — judge, a sealed envelope containing a single sheet of pre-typed testimony, the judge opens it, reads it to himself, declares trump to be in the truthfuliest condition he’s ever been in his life, conway et al standing in wings cheer and clap, roll credits.