Open Thread for Monday, May 2, 2016

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So, did you have a good May Day, comrades? Well, if not, don’t come crying to me. Nichevo. It can’t be helped:

  1. Terrible, awful, horrible news out of Indiana — Did you see the poll results showing Trump with a double-digit lead? Yep. It’s just getting harder and harder for the Republicans to avoid nominating this bizarre character. Which leads to such cringe-inducing stories as this one: What would Trump be like as the Republican nominee? Meanwhile, the candidate’s latest gem: “Trump accuses China of ‘raping’ US with unfair trade policy
  2. Should your workplace have a nap room? — Absolutely. One of the few nice things about our steadily decreasing staff those last few years I was at the paper was that we had an empty office in which we kept a couch. Sometimes, along about 4 in the afternoon when I needed to concentrate on proofs, I’d get this debilitating sinus headache. So I’d go into that room, set my phone to wake me in 12 or 15 minutes, and drop off immediately. I’d wake up feeling great and ready to work hours more — which is great, because I had to do just that. I highly recommend it if you can swing it.
  3. CIA ‘Live Tweets’ Bin Laden Raid On 5th Anniversary — Fortunately, the raid itself was well thought-out. This Twitter stunt, I’m thinking, not so much. Look, we killed the guy; it was a thing that needed doing. Let’s not invite the country to celebrate each moment of the experience, OK?

Or maybe you’ve run across something more interesting, which wouldn’t be all that hard. If so, please share…

31 thoughts on “Open Thread for Monday, May 2, 2016

  1. Jeff Mobley

    If Kasich really believes he has a chance at a contested convention, then he should be loudly and repeatedly instructing his supporters to vote for Cruz in Indiana. It is very, very simple to explain to voters: If you want Kasich to have a miniscule chance, vote for Cruz, and if you want Kasich to have no chance whatsoever, do not vote for Cruz.

    The fact that Kasich isn’t doing this leads me to the inescapable conclusion that Kasich has actually already given up on his own chances (possibly quite a while ago), and that he himself prefers Trump to Cruz.

    Here’s someone else’s take.

    1. Jeff Mobley

      I don’t know how I keep getting the link thing wrong. I occasionally get it right, so I know it can be done. *sigh*

  2. Jeff Mobley

    In other news, now that I’ve made a modest contribution to the Cruz campaign, half of the emails I get from the campaign now address me as “Jeff”, instead of “Bill”. The other half still call me “Bill”.

  3. Juan Caruso

    Regarding the CIA’s celebratory Tweets on Bin Laden’s assassination, the POTUS, who appointed CIA Director Brennan wants to underscore a significant legacy item. No Republichan could question the “Twitter stunt”, as you have, without being called out as racist.

    Nice to see your freedom of expression exercised while it still exists in the world’s most tolerant nation!.

      1. Mark Stewart

        Another case demonstrating why grey hair matters.

        Some Millenial in his (definitely a his) first position of autonomy.

        The goal in leadership is to give people enough rope to hang themselves pushing their careers; but not enough to strangle the organization.

      2. Bryan Caskey

        It’s certainly in poor taste. It also seems counter to the ethos of the CIA not publicly celebrating its successes.

    1. Scout

      I heard that on the radio on the way home. And he was also endorsed by Bobby Knight, the basketball coach known for physically abusing his players, I think. I didn’t have a ton of respect for Lou before, but now there is less.

          1. Doug Ross

            It’s not like he’s some meathead coach, though. Degree in history from Kent State plus a masters degree from Iowa and honorary doctorates from Notre Dame, South Carolina, and Franciscan University of Steubenville. Devout Catholic and member of Augusta National. Seems like his opinion might be more valuable than Joe Blow, Fox News viewer.

            1. Mark Stewart

              We’re counting honorary doctorates now?

              That’s even weirder than counting political endorsements by coaches.

              1. Doug Ross

                I wasn’t counting them highly but they surely reflect SOMETHING.

                Are we discounting advanced degrees in history and a lifetime of interactions with people at the highest level of the business, political, and sports world?

                Personally, based on his background, I’d value Holtz’ opinion more than I would the Old Ball Coach Spurrier – a guy who never seemed to demonstrate any interest in anything besides football.

                1. Doug Ross

                  “any interest in anything besides football”

                  Sorry, AND being a quitter.

            2. Bryan Caskey

              The main reason I’m endorsing him: I have played his golf course and stayed in his hotel. He does nothing but go first class on everything. He wants his country to be first class as well.” -Lou Holtz (endorsing Trump)

              This is about the dumbest basis for a political endorsement I’ve ever heard of. He has nice hotels and golf courses?

              Hey, I draft some pretty classy appellate briefs. I go first class on all my mail, when I send them, too. I love ol’ Lou for the good thing he did for the Carolina football program, but yeah, I don’t really care what Lou Holtz thinks about anything that isn’t football related. He’s out of his element.

              1. Doug Ross

                Trump is perceived by many as someone who can GET THINGS DONE. GTD means a lot to successful people like Holtz and Bobby Knight. GTD means a lot to people who have watched Republicans and Democrats do nothing in Congress and the White House for 16 years.

                Perception becomes reality. Trump builds skyscrapers. Cruz makes speeches. Kasich eats pancakes. Hillary deflects blame. There is a growing segment of the country that is desperate for action. Trump can sell that image all day long.

                1. Bryan Caskey

                  I don’t disagree with any of that in that is what people think. Thing is, they’re wrong.

                  Trump believes that this large administrative leviathan we call “The Government” simply needs a new leader, rather than a reforming and limiting the involvement of the government. He’s a reality TV star who’s famous for being famous, and his pitch is that he (and he alone) will fix everything wrong. Sure, that sounds nice, but it’s a con.

                2. Doug Ross

                  “Sure, that sounds nice, but it’s a con.”

                  No bigger con than “Hope and Change”, “Compassionate Conservatism”, “A Shining City On A Hill”, or “I Did Not Have Sex With That Woman”.

                  Whoever you pick is a con man or woman. They all tell grandiose stories about what they will do. Trump’s no different – just better at it than everyone else in the field.

                3. Doug Ross

                  I read this after posting the GTD theory.. from Slate, here’s quotes from two of the coaches who endorsed Trump:

                  Here’s more from Knight’s interview with Fox:

                  I think that in any endeavor there are about three requirements to reach success. One is being smart. The second one is being tough. The third one is being ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
                  Trump is smart. He is tough. He does whatever it takes. He will lead America to victory in the Big Game, because he knows how to get things done.

                  Digger Phelps echoed that sentiment:

                  You know and I know, coaches know how to get things done. Donald Trump is one of the great coaches in this country and we’re all tired of what has not gotten done for us the last eight years in this country.

                4. Brad Warthen Post author

                  Wow. Those coaches are profoundly deluded. Of course, they’re coaches — not people we should expect to have great insight into politics or government.

                  As for “Trump’s no different – just better at it than everyone else in the field.”

                  No, he isn’t. His snow job works on a segment of the population that is big enough to win GOP primaries. Most Americans see through him and see him as foolish and dangerous.

                  Which means he can’t become president — UNLESS Hillary Clinton blows her lead, which she is perfectly capable of doing. Which is why it is ESSENTIAL that this dangerous blowhard not obtain the Republican nomination, which would put him in position to win by default if Hillary self-destructs.

                5. Doug Ross

                  Mike Dukakis got 111 electoral votes and won 10 states in 1988. John McCain got 173 with 22 state wins in 2008.

                  Are you suggesting Trump will do worse? Care to place a small wager on Trump beating McCain? I don’t think he’ll win but which of McCain’s states will he lose?

                  I guess you’re hoping the American public sees through Trump as they did with McCain.

        1. Doug Ross

          Trump is getting all the big names in Indiana. If you get Knight and Keady (the legendary coaches of IU and Purdue basketball), you have it made. Add Lou Holtz and it’s a lock. All he would need now is Larry Bird and Trump would get 70% of the vote.

  4. bud

    1. It looks like Trump will win tomorrow but it just blows my mind how much the MSM is making out of this single poll. I find that to be journalistic malpractice. Other polls are much closer and one even has Cruz ahead. Let’s hope this poll is correct and Trump wins big but this just goes against the prevailing science of statistics to essentially declare it so based on a single poll.

  5. Doug Ross

    Trump plus 34 in California in latest poll. It’s over. First ballot nominee.

  6. Phillip

    Yep, Doug, I agree– Trump as first ballot nominee. It’s going to be an extremely entertaining convention, and general election as well.

    But Bob Knight’s three ingredients for success “One is being smart. The second one is being tough. The third one is being ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done” is ridiculous. I mean, c’mon, those attributes could apply to Putin, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, you name it. Not saying Trump is the same as those people but the point is that those attributes by themselves are worthless in and of themselves unless they are put in the service of worthy goals. Plus (and this should be obvious to a libertarian), the Chief Executive is not (and should not be) constitutionally allowed to “do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

    These coaches are in a non-democratic business, where they are granted pretty much dictatorial powers until such time as they are “overthrown in a coup” (i.e., fired). From these kinds of comments one gets the impression that it’s messy democracy itself that is rather annoying to these (and many other) Trump supporters. The factors that make our national politics dysfunctional go way beyond the shortcomings of Obama or his predecessor, and way beyond the simplistic and mostly ill-informed bluster of Trump.

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