Party Tonight!

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The virtual debate party begins here tonight at 8:30 eastern time, for the pre-debate warmup. BYOB. I’m taking suggestions for drinking games.

There are a number of articles out now that claim debates make no difference to elections, but Nate Silver’s analysis says that they often help the challenger. However, it could be argued that the post-debate spin was what made the difference, not the debate itself. For example, the numbers show that the Clinton-Dole debates in 1996 helped Dole just a little, and there’s no way. Dole was awful. I was embarrassed for him.

On the other hand, Nate’s numbers say that if the election were held today, Mitt’s chance of winning would be 2.7 percent. heh.

I’m not too worried about the spin. Why? Because righties are so out to lunch they couldn’t spin a dreidel on a turntable on a carousel. Right now they think they have a BOMBSHELL video of President Obama in 2007 telling an audience of black ministers that the federal government did not do enough to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Seriously. That’s their idea of a controversy. I guess we’re supposed to remember that Brownie did a heck of a job.

Righties say Obama’s remarks were racist because he ties the not-rebuilding of New Orleans to racial discrimination. Um, yeah, that was pretty obvious. Although I suppose it could be argued that it wasn’t so much racist as an attempt to finesse Katrina for political gain by making a Democratic governor look bad. And that the federal dollars eventually offered to New Orleans mostly went into the pockets of contractors with ties to the Republican Party and were not spent on, you know, rebuilding. And that was just good old-fashioned corruption. But it’s still not likely the Bushies would have played games like that if the neighborhoods that were destroyed were mostly white. I think anyone but a white racist can see that.

See also “Breaking: Obama Is Black” and “Right-wing Racial Panic.”

19 thoughts on “Party Tonight!”

  1. “And that the federal dollars eventually offered to New Orleans mostly went into the pockets of contractors with ties to the Republican Party and were not spent on, you know, rebuilding. And that was just good old-fashioned corruption. But it’s still not likely the Bushies would have played games like that if the neighborhoods that were destroyed were mostly white. I think anyone but a white racist can see that.”

    Agreed. The President just stated facts.

  2. But, but, he gave a “shout-out” to that black Jerimiah Wright!!! He’s shouting, and he’s BLACK! Quick, hide the wimmen folk!

    They really have lost it.

  3. I don’t know any drinking games, but I would become a very happy drunk if I could just hear Obama use the word ‘zinger.’

  4. “Free market” – take a swig.

    “Obamacare” – take a swig.

    “Upside-down mortgage” – take two swigs.

    “When I was governor” – take two swigs.

    “Our [grand]children’s future” – take three swigs.

    Too many swigs, turn teevee over to PBS Create and watch show about Napa Valley wines. Then fall asleep.

  5. The safest drinking game, would be to wait for an effective Mitt-zinger, and have a liter of vodka – don’t worry, you’ll be as sober as a Mormon Judge.

    The only things that worry me now, is if they find that “Whitey Tape.”

    But what Whitey Bulger, who’s in prison, and Whitey Herzog, who’s retired from baseball, can have recorder to make Michelle Obama look bad, is beyond me.
    What?
    Bulger tells her how to steal-away from the police, and Herzog tells her how to steal second?

  6. I love this. It’s from HuffPo, and I call it “When two idiots get into a slap-fight.”

    Hannity’s day-long hyping of the video drew a rebuke from guest Juan Williams later in his show.

    “I love coming on your show Sean, because I’ve been here now for all these conspiracy theories,” Williams said. Hannity said there was no conspiracy, that Obama was pushing racial divisiveness by talking about the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and the lack of federal money for black-owned business, and that he seemed like a different person because of his accent.

    “He was speaking to an elite audience of young black people,” Williams said. “He was relating to them directly … politicians do this repeatedly.

    “You guys are playing a race card now,” he said.

    “Why are you protecting what should be condemned by everybody?” Hannity asked.

    “Are you kidding me? I would condemn it in a second if I saw it in the way you are describing,” Williams said. “When I see that you guys throw dirt and see what will stick. All you do is hope something’s going to stick this time.”

    “You guys?” Hannity said.

    Williams pointed out that George W. Bush himself had said that Katrina was rooted partially in racial discrimination.

    I also love where Hannity says Obama “seemed like a different person because of his [more black-sounding] accent.” Apparently Hannity was really upset by that.

    Here, Sean, let me respond in a way you’ll understand: Faith and begorrah, me auld son, but yeh’re a blinkered arse-hole.

  7. Right now they think they have a BOMBSHELL video of President Obama in 2007 telling an audience of black ministers that the federal government did not do enough to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

    I thought that was common knowledge, at least among anyone paying attention. The wingnuts’ excitement over this parallels their non-story of Elizabeth Warren’s native American heritage. Anything to stroke their sense of unfairness over some out-group supposedly getting a break at their group’s expense. Anything to stroke their precious sense of victimhood.

    I’m going to pass on the debates. I’ll read about it in the morning.

    Speaking of Katrina, I saw Ron Fricke’s new film, Samsara (Fricke previously did Baraka (no relation to the president), and was cinematographer for Koyaanisquatsi). Gorgeous visuals and music, no dialog. Completely meditative movies. Samsara was shot all over the world, with lots of footage of the remains of civilizations that have disappeared. Scenes of the devasation in New Orleans were brilliantly cut into this mix.

  8. I’m not going to watch. I’m so thoroughly disgusted with what this country has become and I can see no way to keep it from crashing into the oblivion of ancient history.

    Talk about failed systems (if we were a space craft we would have crashed long ago) – a failed health-care system, education system, economy, form of government, political system, a failing infrastructure, failing social-security system, medicare system…………we’re beyond rescue.

    Besides, who wants to listen to 90 minutes of what will be empty sophistry.

  9. wait…Obama is black??? Why didn’t someone tell me this before? Holy crap what a bombshell! Was he black before? Or is this just something we discovered? How could this have happened? Can he stop being black before the debate tonight? Good grief it is just a good thing someone in the media caught this before it was too late! And he spoke to other black people like a black person?? You grab the crosses and I will round up some sheets! We can’t have a black president on tape before he was even president sounding” black”..our nation would crumble!
    And the nerve of a black man to talk to other black people about the way the government responded to Katrina! Only us pure white folks had a right to comment on that! Didn’t he get the memo from KKKLANITY about knowing his place?
    And this from a group of people who just last week were upset about the administration “apologizing” for free speech(our nations values mittwitt proclaimed). When a anti muslim movie causes problems we stand behind that with proud defiance but when some upitty black dude speaks his mind 7 years ago THATS a problem.
    Notice too how they failed to air the part of the speech where Obama say wright introduced him to GOD – because that might suggest that he is NOT a muslim and that just doesn’t fit the image they are trying to portray.
    No one care about the Rev wright nonsense..they already threw that turd at the wall and it didn’t stick but with nothing else to do they act like the primates they are and throw it again anyhow.Shame on them.

  12. wait…Obama is black??? Why didn’t someone tell me this before? Holy crap what a bombshell! Was he black before? Or is this just something we discovered? How could this have happened? Can he stop being black before the debate tonight? Good grief it is just a good thing someone in the media caught this before it was too late!

    Ohhh… wonderful! Thanks for the laugh, justme! I am wiping tears right now.

  13. cund – you got it. Unfortunately, the computer continues to be a wonderment to me so I have no idea why or how even commenting on this site actually works – let alone referencing an article at another site.

    “Devastating” is the appropriate adjective.

  14. JoanR16, if I knew how to use emoticons, I’d probably use a few for my reaction to your comment above. It is spot-on!

  18. Drink a shot or take a hit for every time the words freedom or liberty gets mentioned from either candidate. Then see if you’re still able to stand by the end of the debate.

    If you really want to get shitfaced take a swig every time Romney tells a lie or distorts the truth as you understand the truth to be. Have fun in spin city, bring a barfbag!

  19. Drink a shot or take a hit for every time the words freedom or liberty gets mentioned from either candidate.

    I don’t think I’d make it to the first station break.

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