From Hope to Hopeless and not Thinking about Tomorrow

‘Helluva Campaign Message’: Stephen Colbert Torches Trump’s ‘Bizarre’ New Video (msn.com)

“I will bring darkness upon the Earth, blocking out all the life-giving warmth, driving the animals to stark madness.”


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Author: patd

“But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked. "Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad." "How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

62 thoughts on “From Hope to Hopeless and not Thinking about Tomorrow”


  1. Pets, zoo animals, political candidates and cable news anchors all exhibited odd behavior related to the solar eclipse, Stephen shares the details of his earthquake experience, an Italian volcano is blowing smoke rings, and the former president claims he raised $50 million in one night.

  2. kimmel’s take

    We had a Total Solar Eclipse today, people were lining up all across the country to buy viewing glasses, Biden put out an official White House message warning us not to look up, Team Trump used the Eclipse to make a point on Truth Social, Marjorie Taylor Greene posted about the earthquake in New York and eclipse, Trump accepted an award on behalf of his wife Melania who was too busy to attend, he is working hard to reimagine his official stance on abortion, there is a new app that uses A.I. to determine if you have an STI, and we headed out to Hollywood Blvd to ask people “What is an Eclipse?”

     

  3. campaign messages from 1840 to 2024 proclaimed by the various political parties and candidates at the time from

    List of U.S. presidential campaign slogans – Wikipedia

    [for example looking back 20+ years how things have changed]
    2000
    “Leadership for the New Millennium” – Al Gore presidential campaign
    “Prosperity and Progress” – alternative slogan of the Al Gore presidential campaign
    “Compassionate Conservatism” – George W. Bush presidential campaign
    “Reformer with Results” – George W. Bush presidential campaign
    2004
    Republican Party candidates
    “A Safer World and a More Hopeful America” – George W. Bush presidential campaign
    Democratic Party candidates
    “A Stronger America” – John Kerry campaign
    “Let America Be America Again” – John Kerry presidential campaign alternative slogan
    “Dean for America” – Howard Dean campaign slogan
    Libertarian Party candidates
    “Lighting the fires of Liberty, one heart at a time” – used by Michael Badnarik’s campaign
    2008
    Democratic Party candidates
    “Yes We Can” – Barack Obama campaign chant, 2008
    “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” – 2008 U.S. presidential campaign rallying cry of Barack Obama during the Democratic convention in Denver.
    “Change We Can Believe In.” – 2008 US presidential campaign slogan of Barack Obama
    “Change We Need.” and “Change.” – 2008 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Barack Obama during the general election.
    “Fired up! Ready to go!” – Barack Obama campaign chant, 2008
    “Hope” – 2008 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of Barack Obama during the general election.
    “Ready for change, ready to lead” – Hillary Clinton campaign slogan, also “Big Challenges, Real Solutions: Time to Pick a President,” “In to Win,” “Working for Change, Working for You,” and “The strength and experience to make change happen.”[22]
    Republican Party candidates
    “Country First” – 2008 U.S. presidential campaign slogan of John McCain
    “Reform, prosperity and peace” – 2008 U.S. presidential motto of John McCain.[23][24][failed verification]
    Independent candidates
    “People Fighting Back”, and “We’ll fight back” – Ralph Nader campaign slogan
    Libertarian Party candidates
    “Liberty for America” – used by Bob Barr’s campaign

  4. Everyone on the right and the left wanted it overturned. I call BS. His Pilate impression will be roundly panned by the critics. Charlie Sikes is doing a good job of discussing it. 

    Now I gotta go see the Dumbass as the moon blotting out the light of the sun. Is it some kind of Tim Burton Sleepy Hollow campaign ad?

  6. My first read this morning is on a topic that I’ve always thought should matter — Trump’s chaotic Cabinet turnovers.

    Washington Post: “Former president Donald Trump saw more turnover in his Cabinet than any other recent president, and it’s not close. About three-quarters of Trump’s initial Cabinet picks were gone by the end of his four years in office, while only a handful have left Biden’s almost 3½ years in. Only five officials have left Biden’s so far, whereas more than 20 departed Trump’s.”

    Turnover creates enormous amounts of disruption, said Max Stier, CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “It’s not just a single person turning over, but a large number of other people as dominoes fall from the boss leaving,” Stier said. “That means that the people inside the organization don’t have clarity around what the priorities are to achieve because leadership is setting the strategic direction.”

  7. The Independent did a nice little piece on the Pumpkin head eclipse ad. I particularly like this part:

    Trump posts bizarre solar eclipse ad – with his head blocking out the sun, plunging US into darkness

    On Sunday night, Mr Trump posteda bizarre campaign ad onTruth Social where his own head takes on the role of the moon – blocking out the sun and plunging America into total darkness.

    The video begins with the words “the most important moment in human history is taking place in 2024” emblazoned over an image of the flaming sun, while dramatic music plays in the backdrop.

    Most important moment in human history?  Please. Apparently he was the Dumbest son of a bitch in his history classes, too.

  9. So Dumbass lost another attempt to delay the NY hush money election interference case yesterday in a one sentence order. Bwahahahahahah. 

  10. Poor Hunter is table scraps compared to this guy…

    NYTimes: As Kushner’s Investment Firm Steps Out, the Potential Conflicts Are Growing

    NYT: “There is no precedent for a government official leaving office and starting an investment firm that would immediately receive billions of dollars from foreign governments with which the official had been working while serving in government. His $3 billion fund is financed almost entirely from overseas investors with whom he worked when he served as a senior adviser in the Trump White House. He has taken money from government wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Mr. Kushner’s firm, Affinity Partners, is collecting approximately $40 million a year in management fees from those investors even before any share of profits earned on investments.”

    “Jared’s success with foreign funds leads to the question of what dealings he was having with them while he was still in the administration,” former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton said.

    free link..
    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/us/politics/jared-kushner-affinity-partners.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jE0.kPXe.P5VRhdKSVXzn&smid=em-share

     

  13. It is like he was trying to do blackface. Another racist dog whistle? The campaign pays $14,000 a month for Melania’s wardrobe and makeup, you’d think he could do pumpkinhead on the side

  16. From Politico: Trump’s abortion moving target:

    In 1999, on NBC’s Meet the Press: “I am very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion,” he said. “I just believe in choice.”

    In 2011, while considering a White House run, he told CPAC that he was pro-life.

    In 2016, while running for president, he told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that there should be “some form of punishment” for the women who get abortions.

    In 2018, he vowed to overturn Roe v. Wade and advocated for a 20-week national abortion ban.

  18. Bink… Sturg….  LMAO!
     
    The eclipse was fun.  It was 94% here.  What surprised me was how much sunlight there was.
    I have twin nieces… one lives in northern NH… the other on Lake Champlain just north of Burlington Vt.  A bunch of relatives made the trek to the Vt house.  They all posted some fantastic pics on FB.
     
    Yeah… I thought trump looked more orange than usual yesterday… his face looked like baby shit.

  21. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/08/politics/rfk-jr-new-york-biden-trump/index.html

    “A New York-based campaign official for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pitching Republican voters to support his independent presidential bid by arguing that Kennedy will help Donald Trump defeat Joe Biden if he’s on the ballot in New York.”
     

    And…RFKJ wants to help plunge the world into tRUMPsky’s dark hellscape.    

    “The only way that Trump [has even a] remote possibility of taking New York is if Bobby is on the ballot. If it’s Trump vs. Biden, Biden wins. Biden wins six days, seven days a week. With Bobby in the mix, anything can happen,” Palma said in a video of the meeting with Republicans in New York viewed by CNN.”

    “Rita Palma, who has identified herself as the Kennedy campaign’s state director in New York, has repeatedly made the case, including in a meeting with Empire State Republicans, that efforts to put Kennedy on the ballot in New York will help “get rid of Biden,” which she called her “No. 1 priority,” and make it easier for Trump to win the historically Democratic state.”

    “Palma confirmed to CNN the legitimacy of the video.”

    “In a statement to CNN, Kennedy campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear downplayed Palma’s role in the campaign and said her comments do not reflect the campaign’s strategy.” <— Fried baloney!

    Bobby-the-baby is ticked off because he couldn’t be on the Dem ballot. His ‘roid rage is showing.

  23. Turkey Turd Tan Adolf (thanks Sturg) must be too cheap to hire a decent graphic artist.  
    That was the cheesiest-looking ad, despite the nasty threat behind it. 

    Who was responsible for creating it? Does dil-Laura have another sideline in addition to siphoning money from the RNC, and calling the hogs in for slop with her singing?

  24. It was a good eclipse, not a great eclipse, but good enough to enjoy.  

    Glad everyone had a good time yesterday. We’ll be ready for the next one in Iceland. 

  27. https://www.axios.com/2024/04/09/america-politics-divided-polarization-data
    Yes, deep divisions exist on some topics. But on almost every topic of monthly outrage, it’s a fringe view — or example — amplified by the loudest voices on social media and politicians driving it.

    No, most Christians aren’t white Christian nationalistswho see Donald Trump as a God-like figure. Most are ignoring politics and wrestling with their faith.
    No, most college professors aren’t trying to silence conservatives or turn kids into liberal activists. Most are teaching math, or physics, or biology.
    No, most kids don’t hate Israel and run around chanting, “From the river to the sea.” On most campuses, most of the time, students are doing what students have always done.
    No, most Republicans don’t want to ban all abortionsstarting at conception. No, most Democrats don’t want to allow them until birth.
    No, immigrants who are here illegally aren’t rushing to vote and commit crimes. Actual data show both rarely happen — even amid a genuine crisis at the border.
    No, most people aren’t fighting on X. Turns out, the vast majority of Americans never tweet at all.
    No, most people aren’t cheering insults on Fox News and MSNBC in the evening. Turns out, less than 2 percent of Americans are even watching. 

    Reality check: But our politics are hopelessly divided, Jim and Mike! You’re naive!

    Yes, current politics, and particularly the House, seem hopelessly dysfunctional. But this flows in part from majorities so narrow that fringe figures can hijack institutions, again particularly the House, and render them dysfunctional.
    The actual dysfunction runs much deeper for structural reasons, such as redistricting, low voter turnout in off-year elections and geographic sorting (Democrats in cities, Republicans in rural areas).

    What has changed is political activism invading everything, from football to beer to Target. Here, too, most normal people just drink, watch football, and shop —without giving a damn about the politics of it all.

    This fringe nonsense plays out in the social media bubble before oozing into our lives.

  28. Ivy, I vote Iceland, too!
    Maybe some northern lights action and possibly some lava flow in addition to the August 2026 total solar eclipse. 

  29. Ivy… thank you for that Axios article!
    I too am tired of how everything has turned political…  and I’m a political junkie.  
    I can only imagine what the average person feels about it all at this point.

  30. Add Arizona For Biden. 

    Arizona Supreme Court Revives 160-year-old abortion ban.

    Voters will have a chance to weigh in on the issue, as abortion rights groups place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/arizona-supreme-court-ruling-abortion-ban-rcna146915?s=03

    UVA Prof. Larry Sabato: “Back to 1864! Arizona just became a bit less of a swing state this fall. Maybe a lot more than “a bit”. Big plus for Biden and Dem Senate candidate Ruben Gallego.”

  32. Make that trip to Iceland if you can. I’ve chased natural phenomena before and can tell you that it is worth the effort.  I led a group of Outward Bound students up to a high meadow on Mt. Cadillac (Mount Desert Island, ME) to watch the Perseids meteor shower when I lived in NH/ME in the late 80s and went up Northern NH when I lived there to see the Aurora Borealis on one of those rare occasions when they were visible that far south. I never got to see the Northern Lights anymore but do go out during the more dramatic meteor shower peak nights in August and December and look up to see “stars” fall. Shit like that stays in my memory and makes me happy I got off my otherwise lazy ass and went to see that stuff.

  33. Can’t wait to see how Kari Lake tries to spin that shit positively.  She’s really going to endear herself to women in AZ or to the Dumbass nuts there, but certainly not to both.

  34. in case you missed jon stewart last night here’s a critique of it and other late night shows last night:

    Jon Stewart on US support of Israel: ‘America knows this is wrong’ | Late-night TV roundup | The Guardian

    During his Monday night guest-hosting slot on the Daily Show, Jon Stewart did a “wellness check” on the war on Gaza, and noted that “as the war has grinded on, justice is beginning to look like cruelty”.

     

    Stewart listed internationally accepted standards of conflict violated by Israel, such as weaponizing food, using Russia’s conduct in Ukraine as an example. “Weaponizing food in Ukraine is not kosher nor halal,” he said. “Sorry if I’m both sides-ing this. Speaking of which, there is a literal famine in Gaza caused by the war. I assume America will also consider this unconscionable?”

    Stewart presented a series of clips featuring Biden administration officials John Kirby and Karine Jean-Pierre expressing only “concern” about Israel’s efforts to stifle the press in Gaza. “More journalists have been killed in Gaza in six months than anywhere else in the world, and a new Israeli law says they can ban media outlets they consider a threat,” he noted before another clip of Jean-Pierre expressing more “concern” over reports that the Israeli government was seeking to ban the news outlet Al-Jazeera.

    [continues]

    and here’s the show

    Jon Stewart checks in on the war in Gaza and interrogates how America’s purported values stack up against its support of Israel. Plus, Ronny Chieng and Grace Kuhlenschmidt report from the eclipse’s path of totality with startling different reports

  36. Trump’s “state’s rights” abortion policy now includes Arizona’s 5-year prison sentence for doctors.

    Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ): “This is going to criminalize doctors for doing their jobs. It’s going to have a devastating effect on the health and freedom of women in Arizona. It’s going to put lives at risk.”

  37. “So, when — what’s his name — said what he said yesterday, he either is stupid or he thinks the rest of us are stupid,” Pelosi continued, referring to Trump.  [from the hill]

     

    both, madam speaker emerita 

  38. Saw that ad this morning.  “Trump Did This” – it’s a great ad.  Direct, pithy, powerful.

  39. Whatever Trump does or fails to do, it causes someone, somewhere, to lose their life.

  43. This was the Speaker of the House for AZ when their abortion law was passed, which is now in effect. 3 days after the legislative session ended, Jones married a 15 year old girl. He was 49. From the grave, he has decided reproductive rights for women in Arizona, thanks to Trump.

  44. Wow this was quick…

    Craig, can you rush $10 to help us pass a Constitutional Amendment to protect and expand abortion access in Arizona?  

    The Arizona Supreme court just upheld a near TOTAL abortion ban dating back to 1864. 

    𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 $𝟏𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐚. 

    Please, rush anything you can spare right now: https://accessaz.org/3mdtBv

    – Arizona for Abortion Access 

  45. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/09/ted-cruz-campaign-finance-complaint-podcast/

    “U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is facing a formal campaign finance complaint over money sent from the company that syndicates his podcast to a political action committee supporting his reelection bid.”

    “The complaint, filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission, alleges Cruz may have improperly directed radio distribution and marketing firm iHeartMedia to send over $630,000 to the Truth and Courage PAC, a group dedicated to Cruz’ reelection effort. The amount would exceed the $5,000 limit an officeholder is permitted to solicit for a super PAC.”

    “End Citizens United and the Campaign Legal Center filed the complaint and are seeking a formal FEC investigation into the payments.”

    “The complaint also asserts the payments were improperly reported as “other receipts” rather than campaign contributions. “Other receipts” is generally reserved for interest or income on assets already owned by a PAC.”

    “By soliciting or directing $630,850.08 of iHeartMedia’s corporate funds to or on behalf of TCP in connection with his 2024 election, Cruz appears to have brazenly violated these federal campaign finance laws,” the complaint reads.

    “The Campaign Legal Center filed another complaint against Cruz in 2022 when iHeartMedia picked up his podcast, asserting it violated rules barring lobbyists from giving gifts to senators. The company, headquartered in San Antonio, spent over $4 million in lobbying that year.”

    “Cruz is also the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees communications, media and broadcasting.”

    “Cruz contends that he makes no money from the thrice-weekly podcast and that he volunteers his time as would any guest speaker on network news. The Senate Ethics Committee informed the Campaign Legal Center last February that it had found Cruz had not acted improperly.”

    “But Cruz’s claim appeared to be contradicted earlier this year when Forbes and The Houston Chronicle reported on the company’s payments to the Truth and Courage PAC.”

    “Truth and Courage PAC states on its website that its “focus is ensuring that Ted Cruz is re-elected to the United States Senate in 2024.” The group has raised and spent over $7 million since its creation, including over $2 million raised in this election cycle. The group works independently from Cruz’ campaign and is legally barred from coordinating strategy with him.”

    “Cruz is facing a competitive race against U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, who has raised over $21 million in his bid to unseat Cruz.”

  46. This was the Speaker of the House for AZ

     
    omg, it looks like Plumpty’s punim. 
     
     

  47. Losing Arizona…

    When asked specifically about a response to the AZ Supreme Court abortion ruling, Trump Campaign National Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt said:

    “President Trump could not have been more clear. These are decisions for people of each state to make.”

  48. Now if Mikey Johnson was speaker of AZ way back when his choice of “son” would be interesting. He might not want to marry a fifteen year old girl.  He does want a “son” though.  Father and son do not need to remember age, does not matter. 

  50. David Axelrod: “This could not be more of a disaster for the Republican Party. At a minimum this takes AZ out of the battleground column and into Lean Democratic because there is going to be a massive turnout for the abortion-rights amendment” (CNN)

  53. Author of the Day;
    Another of “The Usual Suspects

    F. Scott Fitzgerald 

    THE PAT HOBBY STORIES,
    THE CRACK-UP,

    and then The Collected Short Stories, such as “Diamond as Big as the Ritz” and “The Birthday Party”. 
    For a story of the last few years of his life writing for the movies for peanuts in Hollywood from the lady who shared that time with him there is
    BELOVED INFIDEL,
    by Sheila Graham and Gerold Frank, which was also made into a movie in ‘59.

  54. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/09/politics/witnesses-secret-trump-classified-documents/index.html
     
    “A federal judge decided Tuesday that the names of potential witnesses in the classified documents case against Donald Trump will remain secret…”

    “After months of arguing over what pieces of information in court filings should stay redacted, Judge Aileen Cannon agreed with special counsel Jack Smith’s office that releasing names and other identifying information could put them at risk.”

  56. Greenland might be fun. Or Spain. Russia, nyet.
     

    But the next total solar eclipse won’t occur until August 12, 2026, said Amir Caspi, a principal scientist at the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. That eclipse will notably cross over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small portion of Portugal, and a partial eclipse will be visible in parts of Europe, Africa and North America.

     
    https://www.cnn.com/world/next-total-solar-eclipse-2044-scn/index.html
     
     

  57. Also to include with F. Scott
    TENDER IS THE NIGHT. 

    A lot of Zelda in there.

  58. The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum is located in the historic Old Cloverdale Neighborhood in Montgomery, Alabama, and is the only museum dedicated to the lives and legacies of F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald in the world.  The Fitzgeralds lived here from 1931 until 1932, writing portions of their respective novels, Save Me The Waltz and Tender Is The Night during their time in Montgomery.

    https://www.thefitzgeraldmuseum.org/

  59. Montgomery 🙄. F. Scott and Zelda lasted over a year there? Impressive. Been there …. 

  61. Arizona officials say no doctor, no patient, will be prosecuted under the Arizona draconian law just resurrected.
    What is going to happen to both Netanyahu and Trump, both desperately trying to avoid prison.  Netanyahu is more likely headed to prison eventually, as when he is thrown out of office he will face fraud and bribery charges which will be hard to dismiss.  Trump will be headed off to the stripey hole if he loses the election, which he SHALL!
    Joe Biden has been a great President but for still promoting the IDF’s civilian targeted bombings.  Soon this must end.  I am for Joe Biden for President all the way.  Trump really has no chance. Trump belongs in prison.

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