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DL Open Thread Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021
Today’s media freak-out is over the Committee of GileadU.S. Supreme Court upholding a Texas abortion ban by a 5-4 vote. The real test will be when it’s put into practice, because the state won’t enforce it — it’s relying on private citizens to file lawsuits against providers and patients, and SCOTUS acknowledged it’s constitutionally questionable. […]
Speaking of the Media Favoring Conservative Narratives…
Here are two HUGE conservative narratives that the media has fully internalized in-spite of the fact that they are pure bullshit:
– The Courts are liberal,
– The Media is liberal
One thing Republicans did for years, electeds and certainly the broader conservative moment, was to demonize portions of the judiciary. There was no 9th circuit, just THE LIBERAL 9TH CIRCUIT, and news reports generally reflected this, making all their rulings sound somehow illegitimate (The 9th circuit is no longer liberal).For whatever reasons, Dems don’t do that, preferring to maintain happy illusions about an increasingly corrupt and illegitimate system. – via Eschaton
Isn’t it strange how Democrats never push back in that nonsense? We are both too clean to take part in that dirty stuff and too busy speaking about the merits of bipartisanship at Notre Dame University.
Song of the Day 9/1: Tom T. Hall, “(Old Dogs, Children and) Watermelon Wine”
Songwriter and country singer Tom T. Hall died last month, and the world lost a wise old soul when he did. Hall wrote more than 20 No. 1 hits on the country charts, and sang several himself, but he’s mainly known through his only No. 1 on the Hot 100, the 1968 crossover smash “Harper […]
DL Open Thread Wednesday September 1, 2021
All of yesterday’s Open Thread stuff still holds so you can re-read that for today’s news. Just a couple of updates. For example, Joe Biden still won our 20 year war by leaving Afghanistan but now he is pushing back on dishonest wingnut critics who set the media narrative. Also..an arrest warrant for a MAGA-asshole and a little Social Security news.
‘Bulo’s Fave Tunes: August 2021
There’s so much to enjoy (and possibly to be offended by) this month. In other words, my kind of list: CATBITE!! “I’m good, I’m veryvery good.” BONUS: Videos Only. Watch ’em back to back. What punk and politics should be. And how every one of their vids should end: That’s all I got. I ain’t […]
How Democrats lose seats during mid-terms:
Media narratives typically favor conservatives. (eg. “Biden Debacle!” Instead of “Biden Successfully Ends 20 Year War!” Eg. “Biden Fails to Reach Vax Goal!” Not “Conservatives Literally Killing Themselves to Frustrate Biden’s Vax Goals!”)
Many Democrats allow the media narrative to influence their level of engagement.
Republicans play Democratic “moderates” against the base to drive down engagement.
Dem “Moderates” and campaign “consultants” propose timid and mostly useless tinkering with the tax code polices that appeal to conservatives but are impossible for Dems to run on.
As Dem losses begin to appear likely, Democratic “moderates” take part in vilifying the Democratic base for not supporting the timid and mostly useless agenda.
Republicans with no rational or popular policies, but a highly engaged base, win mid-term elections.
Song of the Day 8/31: Little Feat, “Dixie Chicken”
Now that the Dixie Chicks have dropped the “dixie” from their name, I got to wondering. They named themselves after the Little Feat song, not the Confederacy, so if the word dixie is tainted, should we call the song “Chicken” going forward? Maybe we should, since a restaurant sign inspired the lyrics. Lowell George wrote […]
In Praise Of State Rep. David Bentz
You may have missed it, but in typical low-key fashion, Rep. Bentz announced he would not seek reelection in 2022. During his relatively short legislative career, Bentz has passed a lot of significant bills, and he has been a consistent supporter of progressive initiatives in Dover. Bentz earned his MPA from the University Of Delaware, […]
DL Open Thread Tuesday August 31, 2021
#We_won! Of course “winning” is relative. Biden brought Cheney and W’s ill-conceived, misbegotten adventure in Afghanistan to an end and we aren’t going to be in there for another 20 years. That’s my benchmark for wining. YMMV. #Oh_Snap! Wildfires are now threatening the homes of rich people in Lake Tahoe. We should see some […]
Song of the Day 8/30: Haim, “Strong Enough”
Everybody has their favorite bands, and these sisters are one of mine. The radio studio is a perfect setting for this stripped-back version of one of Sheryl Crow’s earliest hits, and it shows off the ladies’ musical dexterity — Este, normally their kick-ass bassist, plays the drum while Danielle shows off both her guitar chops […]
DL Open Thread Monday August 30th 2021
Here are a couple of Delaware headlines (and a song) to start off your week: Delaware Takes in Climate Change Refugees: Over 100 shelter pets from Louisiana airlifted to New Castle County as Hurricane Ida looms On the Covid front – Its like DejaVu all over again. Delaware’s COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations continue to rapidly […]
Song of the Day 8/29: The Clovers, “Love Potion No. 9”
If it smells like turpentine and looks like India ink, Trumpers would probably take it before they’ll take that commie socialist vaccine. Though it’s been covered by scores of groups, the best version remains the first. The Clovers debuted this Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller classic in 1959, when they took it to No. 23 […]
DL Open Thread Sunday, August 29, 2021
We can now definitively state that Joe Biden was wrong when he predicted that the Republican fever would break once Trump was out of office. A nation in which Republican governors push experimental antibody treatments but shun vaccines and masks and the public responds by consuming large-animal dewormer, causing an enormous spike in poison control […]
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