Stephen Colbert Reviews the RNC Convention That He Didn’t Watch

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1. GregB says:

   August 28, 2020 at 2:13 pm

   This was very good. Couldn’t watch the freak show either.

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2. Bob Shepherd says:

   August 28, 2020 at 2:15 pm

   Many outlets have published the Trump Acceptance Speech. Unfortunately, they have published the official transcript, provided by the White House, rather than a verbatim transcript of the speech itself.

   THIS IS A PROBLEM. Why? Because the most telling stuff happens when the Idiot veers from the written speech into his typical Toddler English for a line or two. I recommend that people watch the actual thing in its full Stalinesque/Hitlerian grotesquery.

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   • Laura H. Chapman says:

     August 28, 2020 at 4:01 pm

     You are correct about available transcripts. They are all official, but i find the official text useful because Trump’s vitriol has been recorded for posterity. The text version also allows me to find the toddler departures in the speech as delivered. Most of these additions were designed to extract some extra “we love you” applause from his adoring audience.

     Also I am fascinated by the word searches I can do in a text version. How many ways is Biden mentioned, with what prejudicial language. Same for Democrats.

     There is also a whole section that resembles text from a 1950’s social studies text. Trump wants schools to indoctrinate students to this never true but “patriotic” the view of America. That is also a featured policy for “education” on his website.

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     • carolmalaysia says:

       August 28, 2020 at 4:07 pm

       Laura H. Chapman: “How many ways is Biden mentioned, with what prejudicial language.”

       AMY GOODMAN: During Trump’s acceptance speech, he mentioned Joe Biden’s name, oh, about 41 times. He attacked him repeatedly, claiming he was a Trojan horse for socialism and a threat to the American dream.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 4:13 pm

       The deviations from the text were more sinister than that. At one point, he points to the White House and says, “And what color is it?” A racist dog whistle. At another, he gloats, “We’re here, and they’re not.” At another, he goes off script and says of the pandemic, accidentally telling the truth, “We have pioneered the fatality rate.” When he goes off script, it doesn’t take but a moment or two for him to say something ignorant or extremist or sick or dangerous or some combination thereof.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 4:15 pm

       Yes, he specifically said that he has an agenda to advance the teaching of patriotism. What’s next, an official Rasse und seele textbook?

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3. Robert Rendo says:

   August 28, 2020 at 2:16 pm

   Do not agree at all . . . Keep your enemies closer.

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   • Bob Shepherd says:

     August 28, 2020 at 2:43 pm

     agree

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     • GregB says:

       August 29, 2020 at 12:22 am

       And, wait for it…Anderson’s straight man schtick at the end of this is, as Gollum would say, the precious!
       https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/08/28/daniel-dale-fact-checks-trump-speech-2020-rnc-fourth-night-vpx.cnn

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     • carolmalaysia says:

       August 29, 2020 at 6:25 am

       Thank you for the link. It is now on its way to friends who can’t stand Trump. [Australia, Canada, Malaysia and all over the U.S.] It’s not going to a lot of people but Trump is widely despised.

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   • Linda says:

     August 28, 2020 at 2:59 pm

     Lou Holtz, slotted between a police association and a nun who advocated forcing pregnancies on women.
     From his state of grace (sarcasm), Holtz declared Biden wasn’t a Catholic. We can speculate what the intent of that was.

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     • GregB says:

       August 28, 2020 at 3:18 pm

       Holtz is a putz. He also recently said to go ahead with college football because Covid was a hoax. Would love to see some of his former players set him straight.

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     • Linda says:

       August 28, 2020 at 3:44 pm

       Seems likely that a jerk like Holtz would have baggage. I hope it’s exposed.

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     • GregB says:

       August 29, 2020 at 6:53 pm

       Check out Jim Gaffigan’s tweets, all great, very succinct about Holtz:
       https://crooksandliars.com/2020/08/comedian-jim-gaffigan-breaks-silence-and

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     • Linda says:

       August 30, 2020 at 2:17 pm

       Thanks

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   • retiredbutmissthekids says:

     August 28, 2020 at 5:27 pm

     TAGO! Also, although I certainly did not watch the whole thing (but even a little was too much), the parts I did watch (between watching the original Perry Mason w/Raymond Burr–the very last episode was finally rebroadcast last night, & Erle Stanley Gardner played a judge {& a fine job of acting it was!} when the commercials “for the elderly” were on–they are quite lengthy}) I watched on MSNBC, because Rachel Maddow was, between speeches, refuting every lie that was told in each liar’s speech.
     On the radio today, someone commented that, during the debates, the network should put a “runner” underneath, doing the same thing that Maddow did–great idea!
     For the record, I usually don’t watch R.M. either (am missing Lawrence O’Donnell), but the coverage w/the correction of lies was excellent.

     Hope Fox had Chris Wallace on during the 4 days. (Nah!)

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     • retiredbutmissthekids says:

       August 28, 2020 at 5:28 pm

       My previous comment was a reply to Robert Rendo up at 2:16 PM.

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4. bpollock42 says:

   August 28, 2020 at 2:36 pm

   Actually MSNBC was live fact checking led by Rachel Maddow. I was able to hear them while turning down most of the BS from the Trump Party Convention, especially PINO’s stuff.

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5. Michael says:

   August 28, 2020 at 2:36 pm

   It’s interesting that a blog dedicated “to discuss better education for all” spends so little time discussing education and so much time attacking those who do not share the authors current worldview

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   • dianeravitch says:

     August 28, 2020 at 2:45 pm

     Michael Brennan,

     We cannot have “better education for all” so long as the people in power do not believe in any education other than indoctrination.

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   • Bob Shepherd says:

     August 28, 2020 at 2:58 pm

     Michael, the only truth I can remember ever being utter by Donald Trump was when, at his fascist Trumpian apotheosis fest, he said, “This is the most important election ever.” If this vile, amoral, racist, sexist, pathologically narcissistic, utterly corrupt, profoundly ignorant, treasonous criminal has four more years, we will have even more basic things to worry about, like the utter destruction of any semblance of democracy and decency. It’s a matter of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 2:59 pm

       cx: uttered, ofc

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   • Linda says:

     August 28, 2020 at 3:08 pm

     Michael-
     Troy University in Alabama, are you the same guy?

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   • GregB says:

     August 28, 2020 at 3:21 pm

     Because education exists in a hermetically-sealed vacuum? And not all of us share the author’s current worldview. We respect it and often disagree. We’re even disagreeable at times–at least speaking for myself.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 4:33 pm

       GregB, step outside and say that to my face.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 4:34 pm

       As the old expression goes, is this a private fight, or can anybody join in?

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 6:00 pm

       GregB. My brother from another mother.

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     • GregB says:

       August 28, 2020 at 8:36 pm

       Only if I get more in the will!

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   • bethree5 says:

     August 28, 2020 at 6:24 pm

     If you’re not a regular reader here, Michael, you may have missed our frequent discussions about ed in general, & pedagogy in particular. [Heck, in the last 24 hrs alone we debated ways to teach math, discussed how teachers are feeling about in-person instruction during pandemic, & read of theft by a charter school leader.] But mostly the theme is “better education for all”– the “for all” or equity element leads us straight into politics. You will find most regular commenters are strong supporters of public education, the only K12 ed “for all.” That doesn’t mean we’re all public school teachers (e.g. my 22 yrs are all in private ed & tutoring)—or that we’re all teachers: many comment from the POV of parents &/ or taxpayers.

     But the pro-public-schools position leads quickly to discussion of public goods in general, their dwindling support in recent decades, how to change that. That means we’re going to be jumping on other attempts to grab away public goods [recent USPS discussions]. Also leads to the role of the Dept of Ed, & state depts of ed, & the effects in the classroom of Congressional updates to the ESEA law like NCLB & ESSA, & of state standards married to aligned assessments w/funding & personnel stakes attached. Both Reps & Dems take heat in these pages for their part in that. Which leads inevitably to discussions of how big $campaign donors buy ed [et al] policy.

     People w/concern about better ed for all—i.e., K12 pubsch as a public good—find little to admire in a Rep Party which has strayed so far into anti-govt libertarian territory in the last dozen years. As for “attacking those who do not share the authors current worldview,” Diane just kicks off conversations, feel free to participate. Your statement is not, however, a response to the posted video, nor to “liars whose lies go uncontested.”

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6. Bob Shepherd says:

   August 28, 2020 at 2:40 pm

   I watched most of this convention. Know your enemy, I say. My takeaway: this was really, really frightening. I suspect that the parallels with events staged for Hitler and Stalin, even if drawn, would not have the same power with young people today that they have for me. In my youth, these were still very much alive in people’s memories. But to me, those parallels, watching the Trump convention, were terrifying. Trump’s convention had the same choreography. The endless patriotic jingoism, the marble and flags shot from below to increase their grandeur, the sycophantic apotheoses of Great Leader, the staged events of Great Leader extending kindness to ordinary people. The impassioned speeches about a return to a mystical, mythical greatness and the need to crush the enemy within. Terrifying. It can happen here, folks. It is happening.

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   • retired teacher says:

     August 28, 2020 at 3:51 pm

     You must have a great deal of intestinal fortitude. I watched key scenes on MSNBC. Today’s take away is the Trump is bouncing back in some polls. Some whites are getting turned off by violence in the BLM protests. Trump messaging is to continue to play on the notion that Biden is weak.

     Biden is going to visit the Midwest, and he will skip Michigan. Michael Moore is begging him to change his mind as he believes an in person visit is essential.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 4:14 pm

       Michael Moore?

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     • retired teacher says:

       August 28, 2020 at 5:01 pm

       Moore, the film maker and activist, is from Flint, Michigan. He predicted Trump’s win in 2016. He does not want Democrats to repeat the mistakes of the past by ignoring middle America. Moore is begging Biden’s campaign to do some in person visits to an area that Hillary overlooked.

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     • retiredbutmissthekids says:

       August 28, 2020 at 5:31 pm

       Michael Moore is absolutely correct. Don’t know/understand why Biden would skip Michigan. I believe Bill had urged Hill to go to Michigan, but her campaign managers nixed it. He was right.
       Not going there would be a really stupid mistake. Who is advising Joe? The DNC? Rahm Emanuel?

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 5:56 pm

       Yes, I saw Moore’s Roger and me.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 5:57 pm

       Biden absolutely should go to Michigan. You and Moore are completely correct about that, of course.

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     • Linda says:

       August 30, 2020 at 2:20 pm

       CAP is advising Joe-
       It’s funders may not have been sorry that Hillary lost. After the loss, the person in charge of CAP is still there and CAP continues to promote charter schools.

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     • Linda says:

       August 30, 2020 at 2:24 pm

       CAP was founded by John Podesto. In Michael’s Moore’s movie, Moore asks Podesto who advised Obama to betray the people of Flint. John appeared reluctant to answer.

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7. carolmalaysia says:

   August 28, 2020 at 3:35 pm

   I didn’t watch the RNC either. A friend told me that Trump’s speech the last night had 21 lies…all identified by CNN after he was finished. Who wants to watch liars and grifters?

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   • Bob Shepherd says:

     August 28, 2020 at 5:57 pm

     That’s generous.

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8. carolmalaysia says:

   August 28, 2020 at 3:48 pm

   Historian Rick Perlstein on the RNC & Trump’s Dangerous Propaganda Driving People to Violence
   AUGUST 28, 2020

   President Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican Party’s nomination on Thursday before a crowd of about 1,500 on the South Lawn of the White House. In defiance of social distancing guidelines, attendees sat shoulder-to-shoulder with few people wearing masks. Trump spoke as the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus neared 180,000 — by far the highest total in the world — and repeatedly defended his administration’s handling of the pandemic. Trump warned of chaos and violence if Joe Biden becomes president, but made no reference to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, or the killing of two protesters in Kenosha by a 17-year-old Trump supporter. We speak with historian Rick Perlstein, who says Trump paints a “picture of the world that bears no resemblance to reality” and that he has driven people to act violently.

   https://www.democracynow.org/2020/8/28/rick_perlstein_rnc_trump_fascism

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   • Bob Shepherd says:

     August 28, 2020 at 4:44 pm

     Fascinating, shocking documentary about how the U.S. federal government created segregated black communities. This is a history that is generally unknown:

     https://www.segregatedbydesign.com/

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 4:45 pm

       The story is told even more fully here:

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 5:03 pm

       This is an extremely important video (Segregated by Design). I beg any readers of this blog to watch it. I think that one cannot understand what’s happening right now with the BLM movement, cannot understand systemic racism, without knowing the story that this video tells. I think it should be required viewing in all U.S. schools.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 5:18 pm

       Another link to that video:

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     • LisaM says:

       August 28, 2020 at 6:42 pm

       PBS was running something similar last night. If you force all the black people into a certain area of housing, you never have to worry that black folks will be allowed to go to the same pool, school, store, movie theater etc as the white folks in their section of town. It sure made the Fed Gov’t look good on the outside….but rotten through and through.

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     • Bob Shepherd says:

       August 28, 2020 at 7:42 pm

       Utterly horrific

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     • GregB says:

       August 28, 2020 at 11:01 pm

       The Color of Law is next on my reading list, got it cued up. Reading Stuart Eizenstat’s bio on President Carter and the first 100 pages are starting to shame me for being such an Anderson supporter. But it was my first election as an adult (sort of), so I’ll give my former self a little slack. Have The Half Has Never Been Told after that. So much to read, so little time.

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9. JP Smith says:

   August 28, 2020 at 6:06 pm

   The Color of Law is next on my reading list, once I finish reading Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow. And, yes, institutionalized racism very much affects the quality of education in our country.

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10. carolmalaysia says:

    August 28, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    Trump and Biden are scheduled to debate for the first time on Sept. 29.

    I’ve been reading comments about how Biden wouldn’t show up for the debate, if there was one, or that Biden would be too demented to speak. It shows that the loyal crowd is making up nonsense, the usual stuff.

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    • Roy Turrentine says:

      August 28, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      I was around a group of trump chumps recently. The consensus was that Biden has altzheimers.

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      • dianeravitch says:

        August 28, 2020 at 8:45 pm

        Roy, that’s pathetic. Biden makes a lot more sense than Trump. And unlike Trump, he is not a narcissist.

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      • Linda says:

        August 29, 2020 at 9:08 am

        Trump supporters-
        Falwell who threw his wife under the bus and Chris Christie who threw Bridget Kelly under the bus,”Falwell’s ‘Blame the Woman’ Strategy Goes Back to Eden”. “Trump Fanboys Gear Up to Smear Kamala Harris and Jill Biden” (both articles at Daily Beast)

        Trump supporters want an entitlement culture as reflected in 13 GOP women in the U.S. House and 186 GOP men, all white. Most of the women voting GOP were groomed in patriarchal religions.

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11. Callisto says:

    August 28, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    You have another thing in common with Stephen Colbert Diane. You’re both national treasures.

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    • dianeravitch says:

      August 28, 2020 at 8:41 pm

      Awwww

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12. carolmalaysia says:

    August 28, 2020 at 7:26 pm

    N.Y.C. Tenants Say They Were Tricked Into Appearing in R.N.C. Video
    Friday, August 28, 2020

    “I am not a Trump supporter,” one of the tenants said, adding that she was furious that her interview with a government official was used for the convention.

    It started with an unexpected call last week from Lynne Patton, a longtime Trump associate who oversees federal housing programs in New York.

    Ms. Patton told a leader of a tenants’ group at the New York City Housing Authority, the nation’s largest, that she was interested in speaking with residents about conditions in the authority’s buildings, which have long been in poor repair.

    Four tenants soon assembled in front of a video camera and were interviewed for more than four hours by Ms. Patton herself. They were never told that their interviews would be edited into a two-minute video clip that would air on Thursday night at the Republican National Convention and be used to bash Mayor Bill de Blasio, three of the tenants said in interviews on Friday.

    “I am not a Trump supporter,” said one of the tenants, Claudia Perez. “I am not a supporter of his racist policies on immigration. I am a first-generation Honduran. It was my people he was sending back.”…

    The public housing clip was the second instance of the Trump campaign’s misleading participants in an event involving the federal government that was filmed for the Republican National Convention. On Tuesday, the convention showed a video of five new American citizens being sworn in at a naturalization ceremony by Mr. Trump. Some of the five said they did not know that they were being filmed for a political event.

    Three of the four tenants in the public housing video were interviewed on Friday by The New York Times. All three said they opposed President Trump and were misled about the purpose of the video.

    In the video, the tenants raised concerns about conditions in the housing authority’s buildings, attacking Mr. de Blasio’s housing record. Ms. Perez, one of the tenants, said in an interview on Friday afternoon that she stood by her criticism of the authority but was furious about being tricked into appearing in the video…

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13. Linda says:

    August 28, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    Whole Foods shoppers should read Vice’s article about a N.C. company, No Evil (8-28-2020), that has shelf space at the grocer and brands its products to attract political progressives.Vice reported on an investigation into the company’s actions relative to employees unionizing efforts and the indicators that the internet is being scrubbed of evidence.

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14. carolmalaysia says:

    August 28, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    It’s a sight I never before imagined: the South Lawn of the White House transformed into the stage of a political… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…—
      (@jonkarl) August 27, 2020

    ?ref_src=twsrctfw|twcamptweetembed|twterm1299136644143034369|twgr&ref_url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/journalists-condemn-white-house-rnc-social-distancing

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    • carolmalaysia says:

      August 28, 2020 at 8:55 pm

      This is coming from Fox?? Amazing things happen. They actually are speaking the truth for once? Nah, can’t be.
      …………………………………………………….
      Many members of the mainstream media criticized the staging of the White House event where President Trump was to accept the Republican Party’s renomination for president, citing concerns about its legality and the lack of social distancing. | Fox News

      “Trump wants people to see the White House as his, the presidency as his, and Biden as a usurper. It’s the power of incumbency taken to new levels — and it’s pretty obvious that multiple people must be violating the law in order to make this happen,” Washington Post national correspondent Philip Bump tweeted.

      “They’re using our tax dollars for their political campaign. They know it’s illegal but they don’t care—because they control the Executive Branch and Congressional Republicans won’t do anything about it,” Politico columnist Renato Mariotti agreed.

      https://fxn.ws/2Qtr0sx

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15. LeftCoastTeacher says:

    August 28, 2020 at 8:53 pm

    A friend in the DNC told me he wasn’t going to watch in order to avoid giving the RNC the ratings. I understand, but I couldn’t help it. I had to watch. It was like watching film of Hitler speeches, like watching film of natural disasters. I couldn’t turn away. If you didn’t watch the Current Occupant National Convention, you missed a train wreck. You missed all the salutes to police violence and unmarked border patrol agents dragging away citizens in unmarked SUVs without Miranda Rights. You missed— I can’t think of anything else. That’s all it was, a salute to fascism. FASCInating.

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    • dianeravitch says:

      August 28, 2020 at 9:31 pm

      LCT, I am so glad you watched so I didn’t have to.
      I can’t stand to see a crime in progress and to be unable to stop it.
      I only have one vote.
      I will be there in person to cast it to make sure it is counted.

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    • GregB says:

      August 28, 2020 at 10:54 pm

      You deserve a distinguished service medal. I only watched what Colbert cited and that was too much. I’m not a big fan of Corden–I’m a Seth fan, he’s my favorite on late night–but have to admit this provided some much-needed laughs:

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    • LeftCoastTeacher says:

      August 29, 2020 at 1:44 am

      The CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship spoke at the Convention. I watched a video of UFC fighting just now because I was looking for something to share in order to show the violence of UFC and the Current Occupant National Convention. Bad idea. That is not boxing. Do not watch that.

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16. Linda says:

    August 29, 2020 at 8:24 am

    A quote attributed to Lou Holtz – “I don’t want to become you. I don’t want to speak your language. I don’t want to celebrate your holidays. I sure as hell don’t want to cheer for your soccer team.”
    He was the perfect choice to speak at the RNC

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17. carolmalaysia says:

    August 29, 2020 at 10:00 am

    My middle finger salute is up and waiting to ‘salute’ the greatest president ever. I sometimes do it on things that he has said even though nobody is watching. Can’t waste a good salute.

    Just filed a rather unusual pool report – "One fingered salutes along Pennsylvania Avenue." https://t.co/PvwcjoFGsO—
    Hunter Walker (@hunterw) August 28, 2020

    ?ref_src=twsrctfw|twcamptweetembed|twterm1299452782676783104|twgr&ref_url=https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/protestors-greet-trump-on-his-way-to-nh-rally-with-one-fingered-salutes/

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18. Linda says:

    August 29, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    Arwa Mahdaw ranked the RNC speeches given by binders full of fascist women, based on level of terrifying. (Guardian 8- 29) 1. Nikki Haley 2. Ivanka 3. Melania 4. Cassie Graham Lynch 5. Abby Johnson
    Mahdaw described many of the other speakers as “having “long bottle blonde hair, same makeup, same dead look in their eyes”.

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19. carolmalaysia says:

    August 31, 2020 at 7:14 am

    @realDonaldTrump Sounds like you are asking for this https://t.co/JVuajz3zCy—
    Louise (@clwtweet) August 31, 2020

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20. Vikki Mammen says:

    May 19, 2021 at 11:45 pm

    He is one of the worst late night shows I’ve ever watched. Get over politics. It should be entertaining. He is not.

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