Charles Pierce...

[babylonsister]

Found on FB.


"In my life, I have watched John Kennedy talk on television about missiles in Cuba. I saw Lyndon Johnson look Richard Russell squarely in the eye and and say, "And we shall overcome." I saw Richard Nixon resign and Gerald Ford tell the Congress that our long national nightmare was over. I saw Jimmy Carter talk about malaise and Ronald Reagan talk about a shining city on a hill. I saw George H.W. Bush deliver the eulogy for the Soviet bloc, and Bill Clinton comfort the survivors of Timothy McVeigh's madness in Oklahoma City. I saw George W. Bush struggle to make sense of it all on September 11, 2001, and I saw Barack Obama sing "Amazing Grace" in the wounded sanctuary of Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

These were the presidents of my lifetime. These were not perfect men. They were not perfect presidents, god knows. Not one of them was that. But they approached the job, and they took to the podium, with all the gravitas they could muster as appropriate to the job. They tried, at least, to reach for something in the presidency that was beyond their grasp as ordinary human beings. They were not all ennobled by the attempt, but they tried nonetheless.

And comes now this hopeless, vicious buffoon, and the audience of equally hopeless and vicious buffoons who laughed and cheered when he made sport of a woman whose lasting memory of the trauma she suffered is the laughter of the perpetrators. Now he comes, a man swathed in scandal, with no interest beyond what he can put in his pocket and what he can put over on a universe of suckers, and he does something like this while occupying an office that we gave him, and while endowed with a public trust that he dishonors every day he wakes up in the White House.

The scion of a multigenerational criminal enterprise, the parameters of which we are only now beginning to comprehend. A vessel for all the worst elements of the American condition. And a cheap, soulless bully besides. Watch him again, behind the seal of the President of the United States. Isn't he a funny man? Isn't what happened to that lady hilarious? Watch the assembled morons cheer. This is the only story now."

– Charles Pierce / Esquire

[malaise]

1. He nailed it

Everyone should read this

Rec

[flotsam]

8. As always-a cheap shot at a good man

perhaps not on purpose but democrats should refute this shit:
"How did the “Crisis of Confidence” speech become known as the “malaise” speech?
It was the media that first tagged it as a speech about malaise. In fact even before the speech was given a number of media outlets said that Carter was going to talk about the country’s malaise. Of course, in the speech, Carter never uses the word. But the media uses the term and bandies it about in op-ed’s, giving it the title we know today.

The first person who took advantage of the word “malaise” was Teddy Kennedy. He used it in his announcement that he was going to run against Carter in the Democratic primary. But the individual who does the best job of using “malaise” to attack Carter was Ronald Reagan. Reagan’s handlers advised him that he could use the idea that Carter had given up on the American people to present himself as the optimistic alternative.

But it was a mischaracterization. If you actually go back to the speech and read it, Carter never said that Americans were corrupt, or that there was something fundamentally awful about the American people."

The media was as big an enemy to him as the GOP...

http://failuremag.com/article/jimmy-carters-malaise-speech

[malaise]

10. I think I was the first person to post Carter's speech on DU

My handle is not connected to his speech.

[flotsam]

14. I often wondered

But I really feel we need to break the habit of using GOP or even opposition framing. And the media should be ashamed of having created this nascent meme...

Past your name, if you write it or recommend it, I read it. Cheers

[Dave in VA]

19. Thank you!

n/t

[riversedge]

2. whow. just whow. Wish it could fit in a tweet.

[onit2day]

23. So sad to watch this PINO embarrass the nation daily. A vile vindictive petty man

[Hermit-The-Prog]

24. "And now comes this hopeless, vicious buffoon."

[spanone]

3. Thanks! K&R...

[Scarsdale]

4. Perfect description

of the truly repulsive, not-too-bright man/child in the WH. Putin must be having a good laugh at the destruction tRump has brought to this country in such a short time. The gop is just as guilty.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Link to full article (about Christine Blasey Ford)

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23579738/donald-trump-mock-christine-blasey-ford-sexual-assault/

[leftieNanner]

7. Thank you for posting this

I wasn't sure who was being referenced. Dr. Ford and IQ45's treatment of her seems like so long ago. Isn't that a terrible commentary about what has become of our nation? That such abuse could be wiped from our consciousness so quickly? Every day is a challenge but we will stand strong and get this evil man out of OUR HOUSE!

[leftieNanner]

6. To which woman is he referring here?

I completely agree with his characterization of IQ45. He is a sick and soulless man.

[lunatica]

9. See post #5 with a link.

[leftieNanner]

15. Thanks

I spotted it after I posted my question. I sent a note to Dr. Ford at her college telling her how much I appreciated her courage.

[keithbvadu2]

11. "and what he can put over on a universe of suckers"

Drives libruls crazy

[calimary]

21. Another cartoon that cuts like a knife.

Brilliant and tragic and infuriating at the same time.

[Honeycombe8]

12. This is all so unbelievable and unbelievably sad. This has been America's nightmare for two years.

Will no one remove him from office?

[Lonestarblue]

13. We have had our ups and downs with the country's leaders,

but never have I thought we had a leader bent on destroying democracy itself, as we have with Trump. He is an ignorant, amoral psychopath who is doing Russia’s bidding and trying his best to exacerbate already existing divisions to drive people further apart and weaken the country. He has succeeded far beyond my expectations.

[leftieNanner]

16. Agreed

And this is all with Mitch McConnell's blessing. Some day, I hope we finally learn who is holding Mitch's leash.

[mcar]

17. ...

[bronxiteforever]

18. Pierce is just so insightful. Kick and recommend.

This is just a perfect description of the creature in the WH. Brilliant.

[ALBliberal]

20. Love it except for the Carter comment. This nation

Never deserved the likes of Jimmy Carter IMO. Pearce could have found some words to reflect more graciously on him. He had so many accomplishments and saw (and continues to see) such a bright future for all of us.

[Cheviteau]

29. Agree

Pierce could have referenced the peace accord that Carter helped bring about between Egypt and Israel that still holds today. Don't know if it was a cheap shot by him or just plain laziness. Either way, he needs to be called out on his nerve to print such a thing.

[ffr]

22. The crazy headlines every day can be overwhelming.

It's hard to overcome, but we will overcome, because we are the majority.

[Javaman]

25. unless we enact laws to prevent this kind of bullshit to continue, either now or in the future...

we, as a nation, are done.

if out of this mess rises a shit phoenix. a shit phoenix, worse that the orange asshole, who thinks they are well above the law because no laws were enacted to prevent another nut job from inhabiting the office, we deserve all the misery coming to any failed empire.

and for us; that downfall will be ugly and rapid.

the very worst of this is: it can all be prevented, but because the repukes put party before nation, I seriously doubt anything they will do anything to prevent it.

given the current orange assholes panicked disposition to keep the government closed, (mostly I think for him to prevent the investigation from issuing the report), he will not budge.

the the metaphorical bombs are reigning down around him, in his mental bunker, yet he honestly believes he will still win the war.

now who does that remind you of, in not such a subtle manner?

[Zoonart]

26. That... is practically poetry.

[Ginger Snapped]

27. This describes as good as a picture.

I am an old woman, I have lived thru many personal tragedy's, But this cancer on us, now, has bought more tears, sadness, and yes as hard as I try not to hate, I hate this Trump and Mitch and this treasonous group of people with so much hate its making me sick. May God forgive me.

[Hekate]

28. Thanks as always for bringing us Chaz Pierce

[UTUSN]

30. K&R

Last edited Sat Jan 12, 2019, 07:39 PM - Edit history (5)