WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2022
The memorized and the glib: We tuned in a few minutes early to today's Morning Joe.
For that reason, we saw Jonathan Capehart—a good, decent person—offer this assessment of what happened in this year's elections:
The American people are a whole lot smarter than we give them credit for.
That's very close to an exact quotation. As we've noted down through the years. the children love saying that!
In fairness, Capehart's comment didn't come from the realm of The Crazy. It came from a nearby neighborhood—from the realm of The Memorized, Pleasing and Glib.
The same was true of Claire McCaskill's later comment on Morning Joe.
Why had Candidate Fetterman won Pennsylvania? According to McCaskill, Fetterman had been "the essence of authenticity, and comfortable in his own skin."
The essence of authenticity, and comfortable in his own skin! Those were the two key talking points of the Bill Bradley presidential campaign—in 1999! Mainstream pundits repeated them over and over again as they conducted their War Against Gore.
If we remember correctly, our research indicated that the pair of talking points had originated within the leadership theories of a highly-regarded USC business professor. But American pundits love those points, and they love to repeat them.
At any rate, there was McCaskill, still memorized after all these years! Regarding how smart we the people are, let us say this about that:
Simply put, we the people simply aren't especially smart. That doesn't mean that we're bad people. It means that we're people people.
Them the people in other nations aren't especially smart either. Being smart isn't the distinguishing characteristic of our war-inclined species, until you repair to the pleasing realm of The Memorized and the Glib.
Making matters that much worse, Morning Joe was performed today before a live studio audience. They applauded when Jonathan Lemire was introduced. As the 7 A.M. hour began, they applauded Mike Barnicle.
In the midst of all the applause, the pundits were acting as if the preferred blue tribe had enjoyed "a massive, massive night."
That's the precise formulation Joe Scarborough used. Let us say this about that:
In fact, as we type this very report, the GOP could still win control of both the House and the Senate! Regarding the Senate, it would only take wins by Adam Laxalt in Nevada, and by Herschel Walker. Also, Kari Lake could still win!
(Full disclosure! Back in the late 1990s, we used to do syndicated radio on a regular basis with the Nevada candidate's mother. She was cast as the sane conservative, as opposed to us as the sane progressive. By our lights, a very nice person!)
The GOP could still win control of the Senate! Unless you were watching Morning Joe, where the children were happily cheering last night's results.
Concerning how smart we the humans are, let us say these things about that:
Maggie Hassan was re-elected to the Senate from the state of New Hampshire. That said:
Concerning how smart we the people are, the guy who said that schools maintain litter boxes for kids who identify as cats got 44% of the Granite State vote!
Also this:
The Morning Joe gang was laughing about the way Dr. Oz had never lived in Pennsylvania. Also, about the way he gave himself away last weekend, with his bungled comment about a Steelers game when the Steelers had a bye.
Despite those facts, the carpetbagging candidate got 47% of the vote, in spite of the incredible authenticity of his opponent! How does that comport with triumphalist claims about how smart we the people are?
We the people aren't super smart, but that doesn't make us bad people. Meanwhile, the people you see on your TV shows are massively paid TV stars who are hired by corporate owners.
They've mugged and clowned for decades now. They were mugging and clowning on today's Morning Joe.
Here comes the sun, they seemed to be saying. in fact, to quote from sacred Chekhov:
And it seemed to them that in only a few more minutes a solution would be found and a new, beautiful life would begin; but both of them knew very well that the end was still a long, long way away and that the most complicated and difficult part was only just beginning.
That's the end of The Lady with The Lapdog. It's also the current state of play in our dangerous national politics.
The Crazy is still at play in our lives. Some of it's found Over Here.
As frequently noted, this is all anthropology now. According to reams of major experts, the study of anthropology is pretty much all we have left!
Still coming: To what species of The Crazy did Kyrie Irving link?
Also, what did Irving say, a few years back, when he was asked to explain his ideas about whether the earth is flat?
How did a scumbag like Vance win out over a mensch like Ryan? So discouraging.
ReplyDeleteTurns out normal people don't like deranged woke.
DeleteBut they LOVE abortion!
DeleteYou can't deny that.
ReplyDeletetl;dr
Congratulations, dear Bob, on your elitist cabal of warmongers not losing (apparently) as badly as expected. Or at all.
...state-wide (senate) races are still extremely suspect, though, in our humble opinion.
"In fairness, Capehart's comment didn't come from the realm of The Crazy."
Oh yeah? Are you saying that this good decent person does not believe in wimmin trapped inside men's bodies? That he's not a fellow liberal cult member?
Hmm. Sorry, but we find it unlikely.
...meh. If he wasn't, why would you classify him as "a good, decent person"?
The GOP has to start examining their popular governors and to talk to people.
DeleteThe Russians are withdrawing from Kherson.
DeleteThe GOP took the House and will cripple the Democrats. Probably will impeach Biden while they're at it.
ReplyDeleteAnonymouse9:12am, doing meaningless bullshite like that would be an utter waste of time.
DeleteInvestigate the political neutrality of the FBI and the intelligence agencies. Clean house there.
Yes, get rid of those Trump-supporting FBI agents, especially in upstate NY, who dug up Huma Abedin's laptop so that Comey could accuse Hillary of mishandling emails again, the week before the election.
DeleteThe Secret Service has entered the chat.
DeleteAnonymouse 4:42pm, down with it!
DeleteYes those flaming liberals of the FBI.
DeleteThe heart of the deep state. Take
your meds Cecelia.
I’m old enough to remember when flaming liberals were more than a little critical of the FBI.
DeleteWhat is it about Somerby that he won’t let his own tribe enjoy our victories?
ReplyDeleteWhere’s that red wave now, ha ha ha!
Yet another example.
DeleteBeing a bad winner is frowned upon in society.
Winning (in this case- not losing) with grace is another cultural imperative inspired by the foibles of human nature.
Pathetic Cecelia, even for you. Yes those Trump Republicans were humble and magnanimous in victory, right?
DeleteWho said that, Einstein? The point is that foibles such as being a bad loser or ungraceful winner ARE inherent in human nature.
DeleteHillary Clinton called Trump and
Deleteconceited the night of the election.
Trump blocked the peaceful transfer
of power, incited a riot and still
claims he won. That defines how
you and I approach fair play and
the truth, you sad baby child.
Hillary couldn’t make it out of her hotel room to go thank her disappointed followers in the banquet hall though, could she.
DeleteWell, Bob can’t deliver much more than sour grapes this morning. Lazy, mean spirited grapes at that.
ReplyDeleteOf course the Dems good night is a matter
of context. But Bob had bought into
the projected blood bath. Was there
a reason so many got it wrong? How
did they make such a sucker out of
Bob? Is Bob really saying people are
dumb because they didn’t do what
he expected? SHOULD the Dems
have actually done a little better
since some of the worst Republican
creeps did prevail?
Lots of good questions about the
press’s reporting that could be
explored. But what is the matter with
Baby Bob? And we’re having rice
pudding for dinner again….