Quotable Quote of the Month

What does it take for Republicans to take off the flag pin and say, 'I am just too embarrassed to be on this team'?".- Bill Maher

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Lawrence O'Donnell Pulls the Wheels Off the Romney Bandwagon


Leading up to the 2012 presidential election, I had planned on doing some gloating if President Obama won. Some would argue I should be bigger than that and it's a fair point. However, after all the shit President Obama has taken from the right over the last 4 years, they deserve to have their noses rubbed in it! On his show last Friday, Lawrence O'Donnell put together an awesome montage of the various conservative pundits  who predicted a Romney victory. Some of them were right in one regard: they predicted 300+ electoral votes for the winner. They just picked the wrong candidate. Just to recap, here is a tally of the electoral votes for each candidate:

President Barack Obama- 332
Mitt Romney- 206

Don't worry conservatives/Republicans. Just turn back the clock to the night after the first debate when you were all smug and self-satisfied because of Romney's "victory". Like I said back then, a poor performance in the first debate by President Obama would likely be irrelevant. If the conservative media's colossal failure in predicting the 2012 presidential election doesn't make it's followers pissed, it should.

Here is the Lawrence O'Donnell clip I mentioned earlier. Liberals/progressives/Democrats, enjoy!

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

President Obama Defeats Mitt Romney: Four More Years!!!


Four more years, four more years! Come on righties, say it with me!! Although it was touch and go for awhile, President Obama managed to defeat Mitt Romney. Although it wasn't a blow out, I thought the electoral college tally would be closer than it was.

Outside of the obvious, I can understand why righties are pissed off because President Obama was beatable. Even though I think the president deserved a 2nd term, this was a winnable election for the GOP.

Here are some of the reasons I think Romney lost:
  • Alienating Hispanic voters, the fastest growing demographic in the country. The number of Latinos who voted for President Obama in the 2012 election was over 70%, while Romney got less than 30%! Unless Republicans want to keep losing presidential elections, they better come up with a new game plan to woo Latino voters. 
  • Four words... Let Detroit Go Bankrupt. Although Romney didn't choose the title of the op-ed, he echoed its sentiments. The fact that President Obama saved the auto industry while Romney was content to kiss it off virtually guaranteed that Michigan and Ohio would go to O. 
  • 47%... need I say more?!

Besides the obvious, there are two other reasons I'm glad President Obama won a 2nd term. Had Romney won, it would give license for future candidates to constantly change positions and brazenly lie about it. Romney went back and forth and back so much, he probably lost track of which "Mitt was Mitt" himself! An Obama defeat would also have sent a message to the GOP that obstruction is a winning strategy. Since there is work to be done to get this country back on track, being the "party of NO" isn't going to cut it.

Hopefully, the GOP will do some serious soul searching and get their act together. If they don't, this could prove to be the beginning of the end for them. Since right-wing pundits and bloggers aren't likely to realize that moving farther to the right is not the way to go, it'll be up to one of the GOP politicians to take the reins and be the proverbial adult in the room.

While the right stews in its own juice, please enjoy President Obama's victory speech.


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Fox and Friends Epic Fail Over Phony Obama/Pirate Controversy


On Fox and Friends this week, Steve Doocy, Gretchen Carlson, and Brian Kilmeade made a big deal out of a photo President Obama tweeted in honor of "Talk Like a Pirate Day" (which was Wednesday, September 19th). However, as Al Sharpton points out in the clip below, there's a bit of problem with Doocy, Carlson, and Kilmeade's critique of the president. If these three weren't so stupid, they might be embarrassed by their clownish antics.


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Righties Are Getting Desperate!


In the latest polls,  President Obama has been increasing his lead over Mitt Romney in the race for the White House. Although anything can happen between now and November 6th, members of the right-wing noise machine are clearly getting nervous.

In the video below, TYT host Cenk Uygur presents clips featuring Bill O'Reilly, Sarah Palin, Laura Ingraham, and Rush Limbaugh in which they discuss strategy, vent their frustration, and unwittingly admit their plan to throw Romney under the proverbial Greyhound if he loses. Like I alluded to in the last paragraph, it's still early yet. However, I am enjoying watching the righties sweat over the prospect of a 2nd term for President Obama!


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Chris Matthews and Alex Wagner Respond to Mitt Romney's Birther "Joke"



While on a campaign stop in Commerce Twp, MI last Friday, Mitt Romney made a so-called joke about President Obama's place of birth. Stay classy Willard!

In the first clip, Hardball's Chris Matthews takes RNC chairman Reince Priebus apart during a segment on Morning Joe. In addition to confronting Reince on Romney's birther "joke", Chris also called him out for the Romney ad which falsely claims President Obama ended the work requirement for welfare. Since I cannot stand Priebus, it was a pleasure watching Chris gut him on live TV.

In the second clip, Alex Wagner (the host of MSNBC's NOW with Alex Wagner) took her turn addressing Romney's alleged attempt at humor. As one of the most congenial political pundits on TV, Alex usually keeps her anger in check. However, you could see she was pissed about what Romney said. Still, she handled it with her customary class and intelligence. 

Ever since President Obama was sworn in, some on the right have been directing race-based jabs at him (both overt and covert). And every time they do, it's the job of the media to call them on it.  Props to both Chris and Alex!


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Monday, August 20, 2012

The Hypocrisy of Paul Ryan


On the Sunday 8/19 installment of Up with Chris Hayes, the host revealed a devastating 2002 clip of Paul Ryan giving an impassioned plea for stimulus. You're not likely to see this clip air on Fox "News".



This is yet another case of IOKIYAR. The stimulus was OK under then-President Bush, but it's not now that President Obama is in office. I don't see how even the most ardent Ryan supporter can spin this one. If any of you want to give it a try, I'm all ears.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Rachel Maddow Busts Rush Limbaugh Over His Bain Conspiracy Rewrite


Tuesday on his radio program, Rush Limbaugh put forth his conspiracy theory that the release of the film The Dark Knight Rises was an orchestrated plot to undermine the Mitt Romney campaign. According to Rush, it's no coincidence the new Batman movie features a villain (Bane) with a name that sounds like the private equity firm which is causing Romney some problems (Bain Capital). Of course, that conspiracy theory falls apart when you consider two things: The character Bane was created back in the early 90s and the decision to use him as the villain in The Dark Knight Rises was made long before we knew Mitt Romney would be the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

After being roundly mocked for his idiotic conspiracy, Rush attempted a rewrite on Wednesday. In addition to calling him out for it, Rachel Maddow also explains why it's important to keep an eye out on the nutty conspiracies coming from the right.


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Saturday, June 23, 2012

The Cycle Set to Premiere Monday June 25th on MSNBC

The hosts of The Cycle (l-r)- Steve Kornacki, S.E. Cupp, Krystal Ball, and Touré
As some of you may have heard, The Dylan Ratigan Show ended its 3 year run on MSNBC on Friday June 22nd. To fill the void at 4 pm EST, Martin Bashir's self-titled program moves up an hour on Monday June 25th. Replacing Martin at 3pm EST will be a brand new program titled The Cycle, a panel ensemble show hosted by MSNBC contributors Steve Kornacki, S.E Cupp, Krystal Ball, and Touré. With a format that looks to be similar to Fox's The Five, all four hosts will take turns facilitating the discussion. With the inclusion of Cupp, there are some who have misgivings about a conservative hosting a program on a left-leaning news channel like MSNBC. In the first clip below, The Young Turks discuss the topic. Please note this clip is from June 18th and at that time, MSNBC hadn't finalized the details of the upcoming program.



I don't have a problem with the selection of S.E. Cupp as one of the hosts of The Cycle. I think having opposing viewpoints helps enliven the discussion. It may come as a surprise to some, but I've mellowed on S.E. over the past several months. This is due to her appearances on another MSNBC program, NOW with Alex Wagner. For the most part when S.E. guests on NOW, she represents a fairly reasonable conservative point of view. However, when compared to the nonsense spewed by such conservative pundits as Sean Hannity and Andrea Tantaros, calling S.E. a reasonable voice from the right may be akin to terming Moe "the smart stooge".  At any rate, I'm looking forward to checking out The Cycle. In the clip below, Dylan Ratigan introduces the four hosts during the final telecast of his program and has a discussion with them about how their show will bring a fresh take to cable news.




Sunday, June 17, 2012

Political Silliness In Michigan: The Vagina Dialogues


While speaking last Wednesday against a bill requiring doctors to ensure women aren't coerced into ending their pregnancies, Rep. Lisa Brown (D-MI) told Republicans, "I'm flattered you're all so concerned about my vagina. But no means no." As a result, Rep. Brown was barred from speaking in the House on the grounds she violated decorum. Since when did using the medically correct term for a body part become an offense?! To really offend the GOP, maybe Rep. Brown should have said "Keep your stinking paws off my pussy, you damned dirty Republicans!"

Mich. lawmaker barred for "vagina" comment in abortion debate 

Rep. Lisa Brown's op-ed piece on the controversy

On last Friday's installment of The Ed Show, guest host Michael Eric Dyson had on Rep. Brown to discuss the controversy.




In an awesome postscript, Rep. Brown will take part in a performance of the play "The Vagina Monologues" along with the writer of the play (Eve Ensler) on the state capitol steps on the evening of Monday, June 18th.

Sunday Funnies: Week Ending 6/16/12

Below are some of my favorite recent political cartoons. Enjoy!




Monday, June 4, 2012

Headquarters of New Orleans Women's Advocacy Group Set on Fire


On 5/24, Women With A Vision, a New Orleans-based advocacy group for sex workers, low-income women, women with substance abuse issues, and other at-risk populations, was broken into and set on fire. While no arrests have been made in connection with the fire, it appears to be politically based. Also, the NOFD has classifed it as arson. You can read more on the story at the NOLA Defender

In the first clip below, Deon Haywood (Exec. Director for WWAV) talks about the incident and how it will not stop her group from continuing with the work they do. 



Props to The Young Turks because I probably wouldn't have known about this story if they hadn't covered it. In the following clip, hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian talk about not only the WWAV fire, but also how this type of domestic terrorism is downplayed in the media.



Cenk and Ana make some excellent points in this clip, but I especially love the fiery passion Ana exuded. If you're wondering about her disparaging reference to Bill O'Reilly and Lila Rose (the founder of the pro-life group Live Action), she had a good reason.

Think Progress story on domestic terrorism

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Sunday Funnies, the Late Edition: Bob Beckel Drops the F-Bomb on Fox "News"


Although this incident happened in April (I meant to post it then, but was too busy), I still wanted to share because it's funny and timeless. During the "Great American Panel" segment of a recent installment of Hannity, Fox "News" personality Bob Beckel (who appears on various programs on the network as the token liberal), apparently didn't realize he was on live TV when he told fellow panelist Jennifer Stefano what he thought of her opinion on whatever it was they were discussing during the break. Although I don't know what Stefano said that got Beckel heated, I'm willing to bet he was right in his assertion that she didn't know what the fuck she was talking about.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Final Results of the Recent President Obama/Same-Sex Marriage Poll



In the poll where I asked readers if President Obama's stance on same-sex marriage will affect him politically, nearly half of you thought it would have a negative impact. Here are the final results:

It will hurt him- 46%
It will help him/It won't matter- 26% each

Thanks to everyone who participated.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Fox Legal Analyst Hopes Gas Prices Stay Close to Five Dollars!


On the 5/12 edition of the Fox "News" program America's News Headquarters, one of their legal analysts openly wished that gas prices stay close to $5.00 a gallon in November. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it myself, but here she is:



I suspected that some on the right secretly wished economic woes would hit the U.S. and as a result, turn voters against President Obama. However, I didn't expect any of them to admit it on camera. This legal analyst probably considers herself a patriot, yet she wishes for Americans to take a hit financially. Her comments are revealing for a couple of reasons. For one, this just shows you she doesn't give a damn about the regular people. Republicans regaining power is her top priority. Secondly, if this analyst is wishing gas prices stay around $5.00 a gallon in November, she's basically saying any sitting president has no control over gas prices. I wonder if the Foxbots will be able to connect the dots on that one.

I'd like to think most would consider this woman's comments fucked up regardless of their political viewpoint. However, if anyone wants to defend what she said, I'm listening.

Note: I don't know the name of this analyst so if anyone does, please feel free to share it with me.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Tamron Hall Shuts Down Guest Tim Carney


On 5/11 during a segment of her MSNBC program NewsNation with Tamron Hall, the host had on guests Jimmy Williams and Tim Carney to discuss Mitt Romney's reaction to a recent story in The Washington Post which revealed a 1965 incident that occurred while he was a student at Cranbrook. Carney tried to flip the script and Tamron wasn't having it! The fun starts at about the 5:20 mark, but the entire segment is worth watching.


Tamron was absolutely right in the way she handled Carney. This is what all hosts should do when guests come on to these types of shows and try to set the agenda. What do you think?

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Please Take a Moment to Vote in the President Obama/Same-Sex Marriage Poll... Thank You


In an interview with GMA's Robin Roberts, President Obama confirmed something many of us believed for awhile: that he supports same-sex marriage. The announcement was historic because it marked the first time a sitting U.S. president ever publicly supported same-sex marriage.

In light of President Obama's announcement, the debate has begun regarding how his stance on same-sex marriage will affect him politically. Will it help him, hurt him, or not even matter? In addition to voting in the poll, please feel free to share your thoughts on why you voted the way you did in the comments section of this post.

Obama Affirms Support for Same-Sex Marriage | Video - ABC News

Final Results of the Recent Mitt Romney/VP Poll

In the poll where I asked readers who they felt Mitt Romney would select as his running mate in the upcoming election, 3/4 of you picked U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH). Here are the final results:

Rob Portman- 75%
Bob McDonnell- 25%

Thanks to everyone who participated.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

The Obama Campaign's bin Laden Ad: Fair or Foul?


Last week marked the one-year anniversary of bin Laden's death (5/2/11). To coincide with this historic event, President Obama's campaign released the following ad featuring Bill Clinton:



In the latest round of IOKIYAR, many on the right have hypocritically accused President Obama of "spiking the football", politicizing the death of bin Laden, etc.  Because the raid which killed bin Laden happened under President Obama's watch, he effectively took away one of the GOP's biggest talking points against Democrats: their alleged softness on terror. Outside of the fact they weren't able to do it, I don't see why the right is upset with President Obama for touting this accomplishment. If a Republican president had ordered the raid which took out bin Laden, do you think the right would have been low-key about it? Please!

In the clip below from Hardball with Chris Matthews, he discusses the GOP's phony outrage over the ad with David Corn of Mother Jones magazine and Ron Reagan.



The ad also drew criticism from the left, including Dana Milbank and Arianna Huffington. Their beef was with the portion of the ad which asked if Mitt Romney would have done the same thing if he were president. While I think the criticism is valid,  I also feel the question posed in the ad is fair as well. After all, the ad did use Romney's own words.Speaking of Romney, I think he lost any sympathy points the ad may have generated for him by taking a cheap shot at one of the Right's favorite punching bags, Jimmy Carter.


What are your thoughts on the Obama campaign's bin Laden ad?

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the "Mitt Romney's VP Choice" Poll... Thank You


Now that it's become certain Mitt Romney will be the GOP's choice to face off against President Obama in the upcoming election, speculation has increased about who Romney will select as his running mate. Several names have been tossed around (see the accompanying poll in the sidebar). All of them have strengths and weaknesses. The question is, will Romney take the predictable route (for example, McDonnell or Portman) or will he attempt to move the needle by selecting a "game changer" along the lines of Jeb Bush or Nikki Haley? Let the vetting process begin!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Sunday Funnies: The 2012 White House Correspondents' Dinner


On the evening of April 28, 2012, the 93rd annual White House Correspondents' Dinner took place. The highlights of these events are the monologues by the sitting president and the featured entertainer.  Both President Obama and Jimmy Kimmel were in fine form. I thought the jokes they delivered were edgy without being mean-spirited. Also, neither side of the political spectrum was spared.






Thursday, April 26, 2012

Karma, Meet Marco Rubio


One of the dumbest GOP criticisms of President Obama is his use of a teleprompter. If you were to believe the GOP, you'd think President Obama was the first politician to use teleprompters. Even if he does rely on teleprompters when giving a speech, is it any worse than reading a speech that's on paper or index cards?!

One of the main critics of President Obama's teleprompter use is Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). In the clip below, Sam Seder (host of the Majority Report) talks about Rubio's teleprompter cracks directed at the president and Rubio's mishap during a speech he gave on foreign policy at Brookings Institution on Wednesday.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

My Thoughts on the Ted Nugent Controversy


Because I had a lot of proverbial plates spinning on poles last week, I was unable to post about rocker Ted Nugent's controversial comments about President Obama at an NRA convention in St. Louis. His remarks were pretty much what I've come to expect from the draft dodging nutcase. The following comment is the one that has earned the most scrutiny:

"If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year." 

What exactly does Ted mean? Does he think his death or imprisonment will come at the hands of  the Obama administration? Did his statement refer to what will happen to him if he takes violent action against President Obama?

I will say that people have overreacted to his comments where he encouraged voters to "chop [Democrats'] heads off in November." He was just using a metaphor (I think). Even if he was, there's still a chance some of Ted's rabid followers are sharpening their axes in preparation.

The left's reaction to Ted's comments are yet another example of how we generally don't go overboard en masse when a celebrity says something controversial ala the Dixie Chicks. Sure, we rightfully condemned Ted's comments. However, we didn't take to the streets for a bonfire of old Ted's 8-tracks, LPs, etc.

Predictably, most of the right failed to come out against Ted for his remarks. Because he sought Ted's endorsement, Mitt Romney in particular was called out for not making a public statement about Ted Nugent. I didn't expect him to though. Even he wanted to wash his hands of the Motor City Madman, he can't without pissing off the NRA/Tea Party crowd. Whether he likes it or not, Mitt is stuck with Ted.

On the 4/19 installment of NOW with Alex Wagner, the host and her panel discussed Ted Nugent's controversial comments and Mitt Romney's lack of a response.



Final Results of the Recent Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman Poll


In the recent poll in which I asked people to give their thoughts on the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case, nearly half of you felt the latter would be found not guilty. Here are the final results:

Zimmerman will be found not guilty: 48%
It will never go to trial: 24%
Zimmerman will be found guilty: 20%
There will be a mistrial: 8%

Thanks to all of you who participated in and commented on this poll.

In recent developments,  Florida State Attorney Angela Corey, the special prosecutor, announced that George Zimmerman had been charged with second-degree murder. In Florida, that charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a minimum sentence of 25 years.

A bail hearing was held on April 20 and the Judge ruled that Zimmerman can be released on a $150,000 bond.  He was released on bail from jail at 12:05 a.m. April 23, 2012. He was fitted with a GPS device which can reveal his whereabouts in real time. The terms of his release require him to report his whereabouts every three days.

On April 23, 2012, Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara waived Zimmerman's right to appear at an arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf. According to O'Mara, Zimmerman has gone into hiding and will likely remain so until the trial next year. 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Cenk Uygur: Not A Millionaire? You're A Jackass If You Vote Republican



Republican opposition to The Buffett Rule has Cenk Uygur of the Young Turks fired up! As you may know, the Buffett Rule (which failed Monday in the Senate) is the tax plan proposed by President Obama that would apply a minimum tax of 30 percent to individuals making more than a million dollars a year. The clip below features Cenk discussing the Republican's stance on The Buffett Rule interspersed with comments made by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) on Fox. 

Thursday, April 12, 2012

More Inanity From Sean Hannity

Damn, Fox "News" is predictable! Just the other day at a family get together, me and some of my relatives were talking politics as we often do. I was telling them about one of Fox's favorite tricks in their worn out playbook: have black guests come on to spout "fear of a black planet" type rhetoric in order to give it some credibility. Almost on cue, GOP waterboy Sean Hannity has on Deneen Borelli and David Webb to whip up fear over President Obama's "ties" to the New Black Panthers. These two should be ashamed of themselves. But hey, as long as those Fox checks keep rollin' in, why worry about such minor things as honor and integrity.

Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks breaks down the silliness that is Fox "News" in the clip below:

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

TYT Talks About Mike Wallace and the Passing of Hard-Hitting Journalism


As you probably know, legendary journalist Mike Wallace died last weekend at the age of 93. In the clip below, Cenk and Ana of The Young Turks talk about Wallace and how today's media fails to emulate the hard-hitting style of interviewing he used during his illustrious career.




Thursday, April 5, 2012

The GOP and Their Feminine Mistake

Over the past several weeks, the GOP has seemed hell bent on pissing off one of the key voting blocs needed to win a presidential election... women. As a result, President Obama's lead over Mitt Romney among women voters has continued to grow.

On the 4/4/12 installment of his MSNBC program Politics Nation, Al Sharpton and his guests (NOW president Terry O'Neill and HuffPo writer Laura Bassett) discuss how the GOP has alienated many women voters and whether or not the likely Republican presidential nominee (Mitt Romney) can turn it around by November.You can watch the segment below.

Do you think the GOP can win back women voters in time for the 2012 presidential election?


Sunday, April 1, 2012

Rick Santorum Say What?!


Having yet another controversial moment on the campaign trail (remember his "blah" controversy earlier this year?), GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum appears to have almost called President Obama a "nigger".  Santorum was speaking at a rally in Janesville, WI last week when the incident occurred.

In the clips below Sam Seder (host of "The Majority Report") and The Young Turks give their takes on what Santorum may have said.





After listening to the clip several times, I think Santorum caught himself just in time before he completely derailed any chance he might have of becoming POTUS. Although a part of me finds it hard to believe he could be so stupid as to come that close to making a racist remark in public, I can't come up with another word that he could have intended to say that makes any sense. Also, the nervous transition leads me to believe he's guilty. Because the evidence isn't conclusive, Santorum will be able to remain a thorn in Mitt Romney's side for at least a couple more months.

Do you think Rick Santorum almost called President Obama a "nigger"?

Friday, March 30, 2012

CTFD: Right-wing Outrage Over the Casting of Jane Fonda As Nancy Reagan

According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda will portray Nancy Reagan in the upcoming bio The Butler. The film is a biopic of Eugene Allen, a butler who served in the White House from 1952 to 1986. Because the film will cover a long time period, Fonda's role will be a supporting one.

The casting of a liberal icon to play the wife of the most popular conservative president in U.S. history has gotten some people on the right in an uproar. In various spots on the Internet, conservatives have voiced their outrage. Below are some of the comments left on Michelle Malkin's Twitter curation site Twitchy:

"What a Slap in the face to Nancy Reagan, I for one will not pay to see this Hollywood Trashing of a Great Lady How Sick."

"A Liberal playing a Conservative. How F***ed is that."

"Liberal activist???  You mean liberal traitor!  America's Tokyo Rose.  She should be in jail with her comrade kerry."

You can read more by going to the Twitchy link I included earlier.

All I can say is ctfd! Should performers only portray people who share their political beliefs?! It's called acting for a reason.

For those who are still upset over Fonda's July 1972 trip to Hanoi, she's already apologized more than once. Since Fonda can't hop into a customized DeLorean and change what she did 40 years ago, I don't know what else she can do. 

If the right-wing really wants to get revenge on those evil liberals who have the audacity to besmirch the reputation of Nancy Reagan by casting Jane Fonda to play her, they should make their own film and cast either Janine Turner or our favorite "Politichick" Victoria Jackson in the role of Hillary Clinton. I'll bet those two could use the acting gig. Here's an idea! Turner and Jackson can go head-to-head in a real-life "Celebrity Deathmatch" to determine who gets the role. However, Jackson isn't allowed to pluck her prized ukelele or sing with that golden throat of hers because doing so would give her an unfair advantage.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the "Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman" Poll... Thank You


In addition to taking part in the poll, please feel free to explain why you voted the way you did in the comments section of this post.

Final Results of the Recent Game Change Poll

In the recent poll in which I asked people to give their thoughts on the HBO film Game Change, it was a landslide in favor of the movie. Here are the final results:

Thumbs up: 64%
Thumbs down: 0%
I plan on watching it: 7%
I have no interest in seeing it: 28%

The movie was a ratings hit as well. According to Nielsen, Game Change was watched by 2.1 million people on its debut night, which marks the highest ratings for an HBO film since 2004's Something the Lord Made (which starred Alan Rickman and Mos Def).

Thanks to all of you who participated in and commented on this poll.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sunday Funnies: Will the Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up?


As you probably know, Mitt Romney's tendency to flip-flop has made him a frequent target for humorous jabs. The following video, which is a parody of the Eminem song The Real Slim Shady, was posted to You Tube on 3/19. Already, it has over 2 million views!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Sign Petition to Get Justice for Trayvon Martin



By now, you have probably heard and/or read about the shooting of Trayvon Martin. If you haven't, you can click on the preceding link. As of 3/21/12, George Zimmerman (the neighborhood watch volunteer who shot and killed Martin) has not been arrested. If you'd like to let your voice be heard over this travesty of justice, there are several online petitions. Below is the link to the one launched by Color of Change:

George Zimmerman petition

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Please Take A Moment To Vote In the "Game Change" Poll... Thank You

Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, and Woody Harrelson

Two nights after its 3/10 HBO premiere, I watched the movie Game Change. Based on the 2010 book of the same name, it details events of the 2008 presidential campaign. Although the book covers both the Democratic and the Republican sides from the primary races up to the election, the film narrows its focus by detailing the decision of John McCain (Ed Harris) and campaign strategist Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson) to select Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore) as the vice-presidential running mate.

Simply put, I thought the movie was awesome! In terms of great political movies, it ranks up there with the 1949 version of All the King's Men. For the most part, I thought the performances in the film were solid. However, the one which obviously has most people talking is Julianne Moore's uncanny portrayal of Sarah Palin. Moore has talked about the research she did on Palin in preparation for the role and it shows. The mark of a great performance is when you forget you're watching an actor and instead feel you are seeing the genuine article. When the Emmys and Golden Globes roll around, Julianne Moore's performance as Sarah Palin is going to be damn tough to beat.

One thing that may surprise people about Game Change is that it's not a hatchet job on Sarah Palin. Although the movie doesn't shy away from Palin's flaws, she comes off as a sympathetic figure at times. Credit for that goes to Moore's nuanced performance. Even when it's clear that Palin is in over her head, it's easy to feel a bit of empathy for her as she drowns in a sea of note cards prepping for interviews and the VP debate. The same goes for the scenes in which Sarah watches Tina Fey skewer her on SNL.

Whether or not you're a Palin detractor or a supporter, I think Game Change is a must-see film. However, I'm interested to hear what you think about the movie. In addition to voting in the poll (which is located at the top of the sidebar), please don't hesitate to share your thoughts about Game Change in the comments section.

Final Results of the Recent Jeremy Lin Polls

In the recent poll in which I asked people to give their primary reason behind the Jeremy Lin hype, almost half of you said it's due to the underdog factor. Here are the final results:

The "underdog" factor: 46%
His talent: 26%
His race: 20%
The fact that he plays in New York: 6%

Although I think Lin's race is the primary factor for the hype, I don't feel it's by an overwhelming margin.  If I had to break down the reasons behind Lin hype percentage-wise, I'd say it was 35% race, 30% each talent and the "underdog" factor, and 5% because he plays in NY.

I look forward to the day when seeing Asian stars in the NBA is a common occurrence. In addition to Jeremy Lin's success possibly being a gateway for more Asian players into the NBA, I think it'll also cause coaches to look a little closer at the end of their respective benches. For all they know, the next Jeremy Lin (regardless of race) could be riding the pine just waiting for a chance to shine.

Below are the results for the second poll in which I asked for your thoughts on ESPN's disciplanary actions against Anthony Federico and Max Bretos for their use of the term "chink in the armor" (on ESPN's mobile website and ESPNews, respectively):

Federico deserved to be fired:
  57%
Federico should have been suspended:
    0%
Bretos deserved to be suspended:
  14%
Bretos should have been fired:
    0%
No action should have been taken against Federico
:  28%
No action should have been taken against Bretos:
   28%

I wavered on the Federico portion of this poll. Although part of me thinks he deserved to be fired, I wouldn't have been up in arms if ESPN had just suspended him. On the one hand, Federico's actions could have been intentional. However, it's also possible that this was a simple case of ignorance.

As for Bretos, I think he got caught in the crosshairs of ESPN not wanting this to spiral out of control. Since he was speaking on live TV about a legitimate question regarding Lin's play, I think ESPN should have cut him a bit more slack. Bretos only has about a week left on his suspension. Best wishes to him for when he does return to the airwaves.

Thanks to all of you who participated in and commented on these polls.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

The Fallout From Rush Limbaugh's Comments About Sandra Fluke


In the aftermath of Rush Limbaugh's controversial comments about Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, several companies pulled their advertising from his radio program. On March 3rd, Rush did something I don't believe he's ever done when faced with backlash from any of the outrageous statements he's made... he offered an apology. At least it's the closest he could come to one.

Posted on Rush's website is his "apology":


"For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week.  In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.

I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit?In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone's bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.


My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."
 
Rush's apology rings false because after his initial Wednesday February 29th attack against Ms. Fluke, he hurled additional verbal bombs at her on Thursday and Friday. It was only after a number of advertisers started to abandon ship that he saw the error of his ways. Apparently, his "apology" hasn't stopped the bleeding because another advertiser, Carbonite, pulled their ads from his show. After dropping Limbaugh's program, Carbonite CEO David Friend said the following:

"No one with daughters the age of Sandra Fluke, and I have two, could possibly abide the insult and abuse heaped upon this courageous and well-intentioned young lady. Mr. Limbaugh, with his highly personal attacks on Miss Fluke, overstepped any reasonable bounds of decency. Even though Mr. Limbaugh has now issued an apology, we have nonetheless decided to withdraw our advertising from his show. We hope that our action, along with the other advertisers who have already withdrawn their ads, will ultimately contribute to a more civilized public discourse."
 
While writing this post, I learned that another company (Pro Flowers) yanked their ads from Limbaugh's show on March 4th. Props to all the companies who have finally had enough of Limbaugh's "entertainment". 
 
If you'd like to let the companies still advertising on Rush's program know that you don't approve of his misogyny, below is one of the sites where you can make your voice heard.
 
CREDO action
 
Let me close by saying that the Limbaugh/Fluke controversy isn't a left vs. right issue to me. Even if one disagrees with Ms. Fluke's stance that health insurance plans should cover the cost of birth control, I don't see how they can defend Rush's despicable attacks against her. As always, I like to hear from people with opposing viewpoints. I'd especially like to hear from any female conservatives who read this post. 

Sandra Fluke's testimony: