College basketball didn't have a shot clock. It had the Four Corners offense, a stall tactic to run down the game clock so the trailing team couldn't catch up. The stall only worked if there were no turnovers. It was boring to watch, and the college game now has a shot clock. The Four Corners offense is still used in hockey, a game played with pads, and politics, a game … [Read more...] about Clinton, Kaine and the Four Corners Offense
Sorry, Was that Your Bump I Stepped On?
While Hillary Clinton introduced Tim Kaine as her new running mate, he sat upstage, beaming past the TV camera and out into the firmament. He clapped when the crowd did, out of habit, even when clapping for himself. Then he stepped forward to greet the crowd. "Bienvenidos a todos," -- Greetings to you all. A roar arose from the Miami audience. The aftershocks can be felt in … [Read more...] about Sorry, Was that Your Bump I Stepped On?
Washington Post op-ed disses Trump, ignores media complicity
DONALD J. TRUMP, until now a Republican problem, this week became a challenge the nation must confront and overcome... The party’s failure of judgment leaves the nation’s future where it belongs, in the hands of voters. I have such mixed feelings about this Washington Post editorial, some of it because of the "mired inside-the-Beltway" mentality. Most of it rests in the … [Read more...] about Washington Post op-ed disses Trump, ignores media complicity
Disinformation and Its Guzzlers
There's an old saying in journalism: if something is too good to be true, it probably isn't. Bernie Sanders Campaign Chief Says Someone Must Be ‘Accountable’ for What DNC Emails Show MaryAlice Parks / ABC News! — Bernie Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said his team was “disappointed” by the emails from the Democratic National Committee leaked through WikiLeaks, … [Read more...] about Disinformation and Its Guzzlers
Military Weekend: On Military Family Separations
The year was 1962. I had just been selected to attend Officer Candidate School (OCS) at an Air Force base in Texas. I knew it would be a very tough six-month course -- it turned out to be even tougher -- but there was one bright spot. After three months, I would get a one-week break and would be able to witness the birth of our first child in Florida. An event that … [Read more...] about Military Weekend: On Military Family Separations
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
Josh Marshall explores the disturbing relationship between Donald Trump and the regime of Russia under Vladimir Putin on Talking Points Memo. Over the last year there has been a recurrent refrain about the seeming bromance between Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. More seriously, but relatedly, many believe Trump is an admirer and would-be emulator of Putin's … [Read more...] about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
Lessons from the Trump-a-Thon
The four day Trump-a-thon, sometimes noted as the Republican National Convention, ended this week in Cleveland, with the Republican party still divided and Donald Trump’s ego inflated larger than a Macy’s parade balloon. Trump was all over the convention hall, the hotels, and in the media, chatting, arguing, scowling, and boasting. It was Trump’s convention, and he knew it. … [Read more...] about Lessons from the Trump-a-Thon
If You Love “Harry Potter,” You Probably Dislike Donald Trump
J.K. Rowling has made no secret of her dislike for Donald Trump, but for "Harry Potter" readers, it would seem Trump is basically a real life version of Lord Voldemort. This would perhaps go a long way in explaining the findings of a new study published in the latest edition of the journal PS: Political Science… … [Read more...] about If You Love “Harry Potter,” You Probably Dislike Donald Trump
Cartoon: The Trump Family Pressures Donald
Mike Slosberg is a cartoonist and novelist. He lives with his wife and hundreds of drawing pens on the Upper Westside of Manhattan, New York. You can see more of his cartoons and learn about his books by going to: mikeslosbergbooks.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: The Trump Family Pressures Donald
On Human Rights, California is Better than Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, and Texas!
On Human Rights, California is Better than Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, and Texas! by Stephen Cooper Speaking in favor of Proposition 66, the ballot initiative that seeks to speed up executions in California to Texas-like levels of lethality, Los Angeles deputy district attorney Michele Hanisee told legislators during testimony before the Public Safety Committee in … [Read more...] about On Human Rights, California is Better than Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, and Texas!
Mike Peters Guest Cartoon: Some final Republican convention thoughts
Some final Republican convention thoughts by Mike Peters OF RELATED INTEREST: --Analysis: The Republican convention as reality TV. Not in a good way --12 Most WTF Moments From a Very WTF Republican Convention --10 takeaways from Donald Trump's Republican Convention ---The RNC: Fear and Puking In Cleveland Mike Peters is recognized as one of our nation’s most … [Read more...] about Mike Peters Guest Cartoon: Some final Republican convention thoughts
Possible Vote Clinton/Kaine Strategy
Well, Hillary Clinton announced today that Virginia Senator Tim Kaine is her running mate for Vice President. I wonder what their strategy will be? This new www.voteclintonkaine.org website might give us a clue. Then again, it is getting harder and harder to tell what is a joke these days in the world of political theater. www.voteclintonkaine.org … [Read more...] about Possible Vote Clinton/Kaine Strategy
Trump’s acceptance speech: Seeking victory by scaring the country to death
CLEVELAND -- Perhaps you thought, or hoped, that Donald Trump would use his acceptance speech to offer a softer tone, to sketch a more compassionate vision of the nation, or to reach out to skeptics and former opponents. Trump chose a different path -- or, more precisely, the same path he has taken from the outset of the campaign. Trump will be running as Trump, the … [Read more...] about Trump’s acceptance speech: Seeking victory by scaring the country to death
Morning in America it wasn’t
CLEVELAND -- It was a grand old party at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday night. Delegates wore cowboy hats, straw hats, tricorn hats, stovepipe hats, cheesehead hats, evergreen hats and Uncle Sam hats. They bopped to the music of a seven-piece band and waved red, white and blue pompoms. There was a Donald Trump action figure here, a Donald Trump superhero cape there -- … [Read more...] about Morning in America it wasn’t
Cartoons: Republican Boogas
Republican Boogas by Clay Jones Damn I drew a lot of cartoons this week. I’m three days ahead of schedule with my syndication. Thank god this convention is over and after I draw cartoons on Hillary’s veep pick and Roger Ailes’ horniness, I can take a nap….oh wait. There’s another convention next week. Didn’t they used to take a month between these things? The Republican … [Read more...] about Cartoons: Republican Boogas
Hillary Clinton Picks Kaine – In Her Own Words (Updates)
Update II: As I indicated in the comments section, I thought Time Kaine did pretty well in his first joint appearance with his running mate, Hillary Clinton, in Miami today. He even spoke Spanish very well, saying among other that he and Hillary Clinton will be “compañeros del alma” y que “somos todos Americanos.” One reporter who was totally impressed with Kaine’s … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton Picks Kaine – In Her Own Words (Updates)
After the Republican Convention Make-Believe, Back to the Cruel Reality Called Trump
The balloons have been popped, the confetti has been swept up, the fireworks have fizzled, the lies have been told, the fear mongering has reached its climax and the thunderous, obscene “lock her up,” and worse, cheers and shouts have subsided -- for now. But even before all this happened, the still presumptive but already presumptuous Republican presidential nominee put his … [Read more...] about After the Republican Convention Make-Believe, Back to the Cruel Reality Called Trump
Trump used up his lifetime supply of self-discipline last night
Prior to Donald Trump's convention speech, I wondered, as I'm sure many did, if the GOP presidential nominee would we be able to stick to the prepared script or if he would veer off in ways unhelpful to his campaign's ultimate goal. I'm sure his team (his family?) insisted that he restrain himself, in particular because of how badly things had gone earlier in the week, and he … [Read more...] about Trump used up his lifetime supply of self-discipline last night
Scary in So Many Ways
By Andrew Feinberg Some smart commentators said Trump’s acceptance speech read better than it sounded. This is an important, if scary, thought. It suggests that if uttered more conversationally, with smaller dollops of rage and fewer Mussolini head bobs, the message could eventually prove more attractive to voters than it seemed to many of us last night. Michael Moore … [Read more...] about Scary in So Many Ways
Politix Update: GOP Is Left In The Gutter As Trump’s Lemmings March To The Sea
Let us begin this jeremiad with a couple, three acknowledgements: Despite the innumerable pre-mortems, the Republican Party is not dead, and despite the extraordinary spectacle of fear and loathing that low-crawled to a merciful conclusion last night in Cleveland, there always will be a place -- and should always be a place -- for conservatism in the America. Still, what we … [Read more...] about Politix Update: GOP Is Left In The Gutter As Trump’s Lemmings March To The Sea