Patterico's Pontifications

5/13/2016

When The GOP’s Presumptive Nominee Turns Out To Be A Sock Puppet

Filed under: General — Dana @ 3:44 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Oh, God, just make it stop…

So now we learn that the presumptive GOP nominee is not only a businessman and reality television star, but his resume also includes that of professional sock-puppet:

A recording obtained by The Washington Post captures what New York reporters and editors who covered Trump’s early career experienced in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s: calls from Trump’s Manhattan office that resulted in conversations with “John Miller” or “John Barron” — public-relations men who sound precisely like Trump himself — who indeed are Trump, masquerading as an unusually helpful and boastful advocate for himself, according to the journalists and several of Trump’s top aides.

In 1991, Sue Carswell, a reporter at People magazine, called Trump’s office seeking an interview with the developer. She had just been assigned to cover the soap opera surrounding the end of Trump’s 12-year marriage to Ivana, his budding relationship with the model Marla Maples and his rumored affairs with any number of celebrities who regularly appeared on the gossip pages of the New York newspapers.

Within five minutes, Carswell got a return call from Trump’s publicist, a man named John Miller, who immediately jumped into a startlingly frank and detailed explanation of why Trump dumped Maples for the Italian model Carla Bruni. “He really didn’t want to make a commitment,” Miller said. “He’s coming out of a marriage, and he’s starting to do tremendously well financially.”

Miller turned out to be a remarkably forthcoming source — a spokesman with rare insight into the private thoughts and feelings of his client. “Have you met him?” Miller asked the reporter. “He’s a good guy, and he’s not going to hurt anybody. . . . He treated his wife well and . . . he will treat Marla well.”

“Actresses,” Miller said in the call to Carswell, “just call to see if they can go out with him and things.” Madonna “wanted to go out with him.” And Trump’s alter ego boasted that in addition to living with Maples, Trump had “three other girlfriends.”

For the record, well at least the current record, Trump has denied the allegations:

In a phone call to NBC’s “Today” program Friday morning after this article appeared online, Trump denied that he was John Miller. “No, I don’t think it — I don’t know anything about it. You’re telling me about it for the first time and it doesn’t sound like my voice at all,” he said. “I have many, many people that are trying to imitate my voice and then you can imagine that, and this sounds like one of the scams, one of the many scams — doesn’t sound like me.” Later, he was more definitive: “It was not me on the phone. And it doesn’t sound like me on the phone, I will tell you that, and it was not me on the phone. And when was this? Twenty-five years ago?”

Except in 1991, he admitted to being “John Miller”.

Mostly, though, he’s just annoyed that members of the press are degrading themselves by digging into his personal history:

“You’re going so low to talk about something that took place 25 years ago whether or not I made a phone call?” Trump said. “Let’s get on to more current subjects.”

Because Trump (the real Trump) would never use a false report about a supposed event that took place in 1963 as a brutal weapon of attack to win a race, would he? No. He would only want to debate and discuss subjects that were current, relevant, and directly impactful to the American people.

P.S. As of this posting, neither John Miller or John Barron were available for comment.

–Dana

UPDATE BY PATTERICO: This is the funniest Trump story, maybe ever. The recording has to be heard to be believed. I know nothing ever hurts Donald Trump, but I think maybe this hurts Donald Trump. You can hear him pretending to be someone else, with your own ears. It’s pathetic and desperate and needy and . . . beta. And it’s right here:

UPDATE x2 BY PATTERICO: Update to the WaPo story:

Friday afternoon, Washington Post reporters who were 44 minutes into a phone interview with Trump about his finances asked him a question about Miller: “Did you ever employ someone named John Miller as a spokesperson?”

The phone went silent, then dead. When the reporters called back and reached Trump’s secretary, she said, “I heard you got disconnected. He can’t take the call now. I don’t know what happened.”

If he can come up with a stunt wacky enough to distract the media from this, he truly is a media master.

204 Responses to “When The GOP’s Presumptive Nominee Turns Out To Be A Sock Puppet”

  1. Unbelievable. And yet, so very believable.

    Dana (0ee61a)

  2. It finally happened. Trump’s spokesman says The Wall is just meaningless words and a suggestion, because only Congress can build a wall:

    In an appearance on Erin Burnett’s OutFront, Bennett called Trump’s controversial proposals no different than “a suggestion to Congress.” Senor hit Bennett for Trump’s varying stances on numerous issues and wondered if any of his campaign promises, like banning Muslims from entering the U.S. or building a southern border wall, would ever come to fruition.

    “Can be build it without Congress’ approval? No,” Bennett said. “So he has to persuade Congress to do it.”

    “So we can now caveat every policy proposal as it’s just a suggestion,” Senor said.

    “Dan, you’ve been around Washington long enough that it takes Congress to go along,” Bennett said. “All he can do is try to persuade Congress to go along with him. You know that as well as I do.”

    “I do, but typically words matter when political leaders—” Senor said.

    “Oh please, this ‘words matter’ stuff, I mean, this is ridiculous,” Bennett said. “You are looking desperately for a reason not to vote for him. I don’t care. Don’t vote for him.”

    Trump will undoubtedly walk this back, as he does with everything, but you Trump supporters have been conned. He won’t fight against ObamaCare or for tariffs or a wall. He will only fight for Trump.

    DRJ (15874d)

  3. Read those words and weep, Trump supporters:

    “Can be build it without Congress’ approval? No,” Bennett said. “So he has to persuade Congress to do it.

    DRJ (15874d)

  4. They don’t care, DRJ, they’ve seen what Obama thinks of Congressional approval. And that justifies it in their minds.

    Dana (0ee61a)

  5. Hate. He claims to hate the same people they do. Out loud while they’re afraid to say it.

    nk (9faaca)

  6. At some point in time, I would think that even Trump supporters would begin to have misgivings about electing yet another narcissist, let alone be aghast at the pathology of all that is Trump.

    Dana (0ee61a)

  7. except sockpuppets lie, like gleenwald, or that guy from the dog trainer, hilzik, so when they tell the truth, what would you call it,

    narciso (732bc0)

  8. Linda Stasi, now of the New York Daily News, says it happened to her (he recorded a message which her brother played for her) and Donald Trump was well known among reporters for doing this. She said this both on WOR 710 radio this mrrning and on the CBS Evening News. CBS says Trump hung up the phone when he was asked in some interview whether he had ever employed anyone by the anme of John Miller.

    I actually read this story a few weeks or months ago.

    Sammy Finkelman (6b5229)

  9. All will be revealed when Trump refers to Hillary as– pee stank.

    Danube River Guide (76b104)

  10. Perhaps we should ask the Man on the Street what he thinks of Trump not building the Wall. So, let’s ask Greg Packer, who happened to be standing here, and he said “Well, like my friends John Miller and John Barron have said, ‘Who cares, so long as Trump will make America great again.'”

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  11. where did mrs carswell end up by the way, the puffington host, and the illustrated kos, vanity fair, the pleces that have employed trig denialists, antisemites, and other ephemera,

    narciso (732bc0)

  12. So the rush to latch on to the WaPo teat has begun… why did these d-bags wait until now to put it out there? If that doesn’t piss you off more than this ridiculous crap, maybe it should?

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  13. specially coming from this, is the word, schmendrick,

    http://www.newsbusters.org/people-organizations/max-fisher

    narciso (732bc0)

  14. UPDATE BY PATTERICO: This is the funniest Trump story, maybe ever. The recording has to be heard to be believed. I know nothing ever hurts Donald Trump, but I think maybe this hurts Donald Trump. You can hear him pretending to be someone else, with your own ears. It’s pathetic and desperate and needy and . . . beta. And it’s right here:

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  15. Clinton’s Global Initiative funnels millions to a crony, over $2B has been raised by CGI, where has it gone?… racist Chicago can’t stop the gang violence that’s murdering its young black men and little black boys, and we have to read and hear about this happy horsesh*t about Trump sock puppets. Shameful tools.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  16. the lesson was to point and laugh at bobby voxxers like fisher, yglesias, a well paid fool, and the one with ‘the local story’ fix,

    narciso (732bc0)

  17. UPDATE x2 BY PATTERICO: Update to the WaPo story:

    Friday afternoon, Washington Post reporters who were 44 minutes into a phone interview with Trump about his finances asked him a question about Miller: “Did you ever employ someone named John Miller as a spokesperson?”

    The phone went silent, then dead. When the reporters called back and reached Trump’s secretary, she said, “I heard you got disconnected. He can’t take the call now. I don’t know what happened.”

    If he can come up with a stunt wacky enough to distract the media from this, he truly is a media master.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  18. Colonel Haiku,

    The difference between you and me is that I don’t care who the person is that is lying: If they want my vote and have been proven to be a liar, habitually so, then I am going to say something about it. And quite likely, I will also deny them my vote. Because my vote is worth something to me. My conscience is worth something to me as well. It may not matter to you, and that’s fine, but because you choose to ignore any shortfalls of your guy, don’t take me to task for speaking out about it.

    For the record, I wanted a solid, principled candidate to be our nominee. You didn’t. Live with it, and all that comes with it. Just as I have to.

    Dana (0ee61a)

  19. Clinton’s Global Initiative funnels millions to a crony, over $2B has been raised by CGI, where has it gone?… racist Chicago can’t stop the gang violence that’s murdering its young black men and little black boys, and we have to read and hear about this happy horsesh*t about Trump sock puppets. Shameful tools.

    Colonel,

    Have you listened to the call? Go ahead and listen. I’m not kidding. You should.

    I predict you won’t. But you should.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  20. One of the names he used — John Barron — makes this story even more believable because Barron is the name of his youngest child. Trump has probably liked that name for decades.

    DRJ (15874d)

  21. PFFFFFT.

    WHEN HE WAS A RADIO ANNOUNCER, A GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (WHO WAS ELECTED TWICE BTW) NAMED RONALD REAGAN WOULD FAKE PLAY-BY-PLAY ACTION ON THE RADIO TO LISTENERS -SOMETIMES FOR 15 MINUTES OR MORE– WHEN THE WIRES WENT DOWN. HE’D LITERALLY MAKE UP THE GAME.

    DCSCA (a343d5)

  22. Rove, booshes, kristol, clinton, mittens, traitor ryan and the no trumpers. The Washington Generals would be proud.

    mg (31009b)

  23. Wrong, Dana. Trump is not “my guy”. It’s simple… as I said before… I. Won’t. Be. A. Part. Of. Anything. that facilitates the election of Hillary Clinton to the office of POTUS. Or Sanders, for that matter. Can’t be said any plainer than that. Trump is a buffoon. But he’s not a criminal. Both of the Clintons are evil criminals.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  24. gotta love that madonna

    happyfeet (831175)

  25. cause you a superstar

    yeah

    that’s what you are

    you know it

    happyfeet (831175)

  26. he trolls the feckless idiots in person, obama uses axelrod, when you care enough,

    narciso (732bc0)

  27. Col.: Trump is as much a grifter as the Clintons. That they operate globally and an order of magnitude greater than he does not render him less unfit than her.

    kishnevi (31ba4e)

  28. Hilarious, but somehow the joke is on us.

    Dustin (9b6cdf)

  29. Wrong, Patterico. I’ve listened to it. Reminded me of the Phil Hendry Show. Funny stuff. Newsflash!!! Trump’s a buffoon!!!
    But he seems to be a far better person than Hillary Clinton, at least to my eyes and ears. And I trust that – if push comes to shove and he’s elected – he will surround himself with much better advisors than Clinton would. I hope – by some miracle – Cruz is the nominee, but I’ll be prepared to vote for Trump if he’s not. And live with the choice.

    Clinton had a hand in and was a prime instigator of a series of moronic actions that have literally cost billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives while at the same time destabilizing most of Europe and all of the Middle East and most of North Africa. And there is so much more baggage and so many evil deeds that could be recounted, but I don’t feel like raising my blood pressure on a beautiful Friday evening… the Sun is out, the camellias and sweet jasmine are in bloom, precious granddaughter continues to delight us and life is GOOD.

    Sent from my iPhone

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  30. yes, phil hendrie, he turned out to be a real earnest pain after 2008,

    narciso (732bc0)

  31. For the record, I wanted a solid, principled candidate to be our nominee. You didn’t. Live with it, and all that comes with it. Just as I have to.

    Dana (0ee61a) — 5/13/2016 @ 5:14 pm

    ====================================

    Better check that record, Dana. I’ve supported Cruz nearly from the get go, on these pages and with donations of time and money. I still hold out hope that he is the candidate. But I’m a bit of a realist.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  32. Getting the messaging straight: Josh Earnest is now saying that schools shouldn’t view this White House “guidance” as a threat… and that the WH “won’t say schools opposing bathroom guidance will not lose federal funding, but points to “established process” for litigation,” at the same time as “No student is forced to use shared facilities” .

    Further, he tells the ignorant flat-earthers and fanatics that value Judeo-Christian beliefs protesting this overreach: “This administration makes policy decisions that are rooted in evidence that are rooted in science.”

    Who are you to object?

    Dana (0ee61a)

  33. well not so earnest, is like a parody of what a press secretary should be, as is everyone in this administration, bizarro eleventy,

    narciso (732bc0)

  34. Colonel,

    I don’t want to argue with you. Suffice it to say, we have parted ways with Cruz’s bowing out. And that’s a-okay. We’ll just have to say our prayers and see what happens next.

    Enjoy your little granddaughter and such a lovely evening. I can’t remember where you are, but here where I am, it’s a warm, breezy evening. Just perfect.

    Dana (0ee61a)

  35. remind me who cruz is again

    happyfeet (831175)

  36. drop a tailgate down on a turn row

    watch the corn grow

    happyfeet (831175)

  37. Glenn Greenwald: Second Look At Trump?

    Mitch (bfd5cd)

  38. gotta love that trump

    happyfeet (831175)

  39. Trumpkins can’t hear you, Patterico. Their ears are shut, and their mouths are superglued to Trump’s nether regions.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  40. This is stunning: Sue Carswell, the People magazine writer who interviewed Trump, or John Miller in 1991, just said on the Megyn Kelly show that she lost the original tape recording of the interview about 20 or 25 years ago when she moved to another apartment. She never found it. Kelly asked her who could have leaked i then, and the Carswell said the person who had the only other existing copy of the tape was … Donald Trump.,

    Dana (0ee61a)

  41. Full transcript of “John Miller,” for those (like me) who can’t listen to the b*stard’s whiny voice without wanting to stab themselves in the eye with knitting needles.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  42. Mr. Trump please help us

    don’t let the criminal pee-stank do her dirty bidness on us

    thank you kindly

    happyfeet (831175)

  43. Col. H: You’re debating the relative wickedness of Himmler & Heydrich. On the RGB color chart, this is the difference between #174 & #175, Clinton & Trump, Trump & Clinton. I reject the comparison unless you’re willing to compare both to actual human beings. If Trump’s a fraction of a shade better, it’s only a guess — nobody including him has a blooming clue what he’d do as POTUS, whereas we know full well what Hillary would do. I despise them both without an ounce of my soul left over.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  44. hatefulfeet, you are really getting boring.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  45. PFFFFFT.

    WHEN HE WAS A RADIO ANNOUNCER, A GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (WHO WAS ELECTED TWICE BTW) NAMED RONALD REAGAN WOULD FAKE PLAY-BY-PLAY ACTION ON THE RADIO TO LISTENERS -SOMETIMES FOR 15 MINUTES OR MORE– WHEN THE WIRES WENT DOWN. HE’D LITERALLY MAKE UP THE GAME.

    THAT SOUNDS LIKE TOTALLY THE SAME THING

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  46. Colonel,

    Did you hear Trump threatening Jeff Bezos with the IRS and DOJ on Hannity last night?

    I may do a separate post about it. It is truly stunning thuggery. I will not lift a finger to help a man who openly and brazenly suggests that he will sic the IRS and Antitrust Division of the DOJ on a man who owns a newspaper because they dare to tell the truth about him. Yes, I know, Hillary Hillary Hillary Hillary. Don’t care.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  47. Beldar’s odds that something Trump does between now & July will end up depriving him of an all-but-certain GOP nomination: One in four.

    Beldar’s odds that something Trump does between now & November (assuming he’s the GOP nominee) will be too much for Beldar to hold his nose in casting a meaningful vote against Clinton, despite Beldar’s strong belief in the two-party system as the only existing reality and Beldar’s multi-generational affiliation with the GOP: One in two.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  48. Put it this way: The best way for Trump to secure my vote in November would be to put himself into a six-month medically induced coma.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  49. yeah the endless litany of trump hate around here isn’t exactly shondaland either pooperbutt

    happyfeet (831175)

  50. this is me squishing jeff bezos’s widdle iddle biddle head

    but not after thanking him for my same day prime pajamas

    i am SO ready for whatever this night may bring

    happyfeet (831175)

  51. Hmmm, if the Fox News article is relatively accurate, I would call this one in Trump’s favor.
    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/13/trump-says-washington-post-owner-bezos-has-huge-antitrust-problem.html

    Unless the Post is going to run 20 stories using actual reporting on Hillary.

    Of course, that leaves the other 999 reasons not to vote for Trump.

    kishnevi (28fa9f)

  52. maybe had maverick pulled something like this, one would have a little respect for him, certainly wenner, and carlos slims, and the graham clan, all weaponized their publications, against a worthy candidate,

    narciso (732bc0)

  53. Hmmm, if the Fox News article is relatively accurate, I would call this one in Trump’s favor.
    http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/13/trump-says-washington-post-owner-bezos-has-huge-antitrust-problem.html

    Let’s put aside the fact that antitrust is complete bullshit. Let’s pretend it’s legitimate, for a laugh.

    What in the linked article convinces you to call this for Trump? I see ZERO facts in that article suggesting Amazon has an antitrust issue. I see nothing but Trump’s thuggish statements.

    Please set forth in a blockquote in these comments the portion of the Fox News article you linked that convinces you to “call this for Trump” on antitrust. Alternately, if you provided the wrong link by accident, please provide the correct link. Otherwise, what you have said makes no sense to me, and anyone who clicks your link will agree with me.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  54. amazon take all my monies

    but jet.com is way easier for groceries and sundries

    it just is

    too many scammers on amazon

    my name is happyfeet and i approve this alleged message

    happyfeet (831175)

  55. jet wholesale is awesome like a possum on a blossum

    happyfeet (831175)

  56. het ready for a surprise,

    http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/obamacare-fla-insurers-seek-average-177-hike-amid-/nrMC3/

    gruber trolled us on the scheme creamer and co conjured out and roberts signed off on, rhodes did that on foreign policy,

    narciso (732bc0)

  57. Hey, Patterico! If you think Hillary Clinton will get you any closer to your ideals – smaller government, less regulation, job growth, a smart foreign policy, American self-interest, adherence to constitutional principles – knock yourself out. I think there’s at least a chance with a candidate even as flawed as Trump. And Jeff “Dr. Evil” Bezos can kiss my mamah-jammin’ ass and he can do it ten times on Sunday.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  58. There I go, raising my blood pressure again. A good evening to all, peace out…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  59. hillary lol she smell like that old shankhound we had to put down

    kept pissin herself

    bless her heart

    happyfeet (831175)

  60. If you print that, Jeffie Bezos’s gonna get his tit caught in a big fat wringer.

    Donald John Trump-Mitchell (bfd5cd)

  61. senorita mas fina

    who’s that girl

    happyfeet (831175)

  62. Patterico, I see an open declaration by the WP that they are going after Trump. Unless they go after Hillary in the same way, Trump is right to be angry with them.

    I agree antitrust is silly here, but what Trump is claiming is that Bezos is playing the system to protect Amazon…an example of the corruption when corporations climb into bed with politicians.

    kishnevi (28fa9f)

  63. Hey, Patterico! If you think Hillary Clinton will get you any closer to your ideals – smaller government, less regulation, job growth, a smart foreign policy, American self-interest, adherence to constitutional principles – knock yourself out. I think there’s at least a chance with a candidate even as flawed as Trump. And Jeff “Dr. Evil” Bezos can kiss my mamah-jammin’ ass and he can do it ten times on Sunday.

    Nope. Neither candidate will. Hence my despondence. On what basis is there a chance with Trump other than the R after his name?

    I guess if you don’t like Jeff Bezos then we can all applaud a threat to use the resources of the federal government to threaten him for his speech? I will not stand with anyone who holds such a repugnant view. I hope it is not truly your view.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  64. if you think that whole newscorp bugging scandal, what happened to that, wasn’t held as leverage over rupert, these last few years, conrad black knows what it’s like to be railroaded because your politics clash with the left objectives, look at the carp adelson was put through,

    narciso (732bc0)

  65. The Daily Caller is reporting a new poll out today showing Trump up 10% among Hispanics.

    ropelight (bff1e7)

  66. @48.

    IT IS.

    WHEN PROMOTING HIMSELF AS WELL AS HIS AGENDA, NEWT GINGRICH WOULD ADDRESS AN EMPTY HOUSE CHAMBER FOR HOURS ON END AS IF THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE– KNOWING FULL WELL IT WOULD HAVE TO BE TELEVISED ON C-SPAN.

    DCSCA (a343d5)

  67. only one candidate has an interest in burnishing food stamp’s sick sad penetrative agenda

    hint it’s not Mr. The Donald it’s the putrid old woman that smells like pee-stank

    happyfeet (831175)

  68. gotta love them hispanics

    happyfeet (831175)

  69. Patterico, I see an open declaration by the WP that they are going after Trump. Unless they go after Hillary in the same way, Trump is right to be angry with them.

    I agree antitrust is silly here, but what Trump is claiming is that Bezos is playing the system to protect Amazon…an example of the corruption when corporations climb into bed with politicians.

    You are blind. He is threatening Bezos.

    The Washington Examiner piece says they are assigning reporters to both candidates. But I would never expect Bob Woodward or the Washington Post (or any major newspaper) to actually be nonpartisan about their investigations. They are leftists.

    That does not justify threatening Bezos with the IRS and DOJ.

    Fuck Donald Trump. Fuck Hillary Clinton. Fuck Barack Obama. Fuck all these people who use government power as a club against their enemies. I hate them. I hate them all. I will not defend any of them. I will not pick and choose between them. From now on, the only people who get my support OR MY VOTE are the good people. That ain’t Hillary and it ain’t Trump.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  70. How about this.

    I will never ever ever ever support Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.

    Nobody here is trying to convince me to support Hillary. You can stop trying to convince me to support Trump.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  71. what do you think the journolist was about, you do recall that, fisher might have been too young then, the peter parker to all this foolishness, the dems played favorites with mccain, firing a warning shot with Iseman, to see how irresponsible they could be, and then they really went to town after Aug 29th,

    narciso (732bc0)

  72. @48. IT IS. WHEN PROMOTING HIMSELF AS WELL AS HIS AGENDA, NEWT GINGRICH WOULD ADDRESS AN EMPTY HOUSE CHAMBER FOR HOURS ON END AS IF THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE– KNOWING FULL WELL IT WOULD HAVE TO BE TELEVISED ON C-SPAN.

    NEWT GINGRICH IS A DIPSHIT BUT THAT STILL SOUNDS A LITTLE DIFFERENT TO ME GO FIGURE

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  73. The Daily Caller is reporting a new poll out today showing Trump up 10% among Hispanics.

    So he got that 10th one finally?

    nk (9faaca)

  74. well I don’t think so, newt has his faults, but breaking through the nearly comatose gope codominium wasn’t one of them

    narciso (732bc0)

  75. Congresscritters talk things into the record with nobody but a few staff around all the time. I think Senators can compel a quorum but I don’t know that they do.

    nk (9faaca)

  76. Amazon has no significant antitrust problems, IMHO as someone who believes (with our host) that antitrust law is BS, but who nevertheless has practiced antitrust law (as American courts still enforce it) for 36 years.

    By contrast, Apple has antitrust problems — they’re an adjudicated price-fixer, the leader of an international price-fixing conspiracy to gouge consumers in the e-book market in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, as found in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, affirmed by the Second Circuit, and certiorari denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. Apple’s defense was: “Amazon is big!” Unsurprisingly, the courts refused to immunize Apple for violating Sherman Section 1 (conspiracies in restraint of trade, including price-fixing) based on some unproved, unprovable argument that Amazon was violating Sherman Act Section 2 (attempt to monopolize).

    But yeah, that’s the kind of crap that some unprincipled and legally ignorant moron like Trump might spout, copying the Apple PR department and fanboys.

    Beldar (fa637a)

  77. Colonel, Illegitimi non carborundum! Prior to the suspension of Cruz’s campaign you were every bit as rabid a supporter as the others here afflicted by TDS. You insulted Trump and his supporters with all the same energy and enthusiasm as those who now condemn you for abandoning the holy crusade.

    The problem is that you’re quicker on the uptake and they just ain’t ready yet.

    ropelight (bff1e7)

  78. The WaPo picador picked a decent lance this time, the timing and placement is excellent and Toro Trump’s reaction is all any leftist could ask for. Bezos now has additional justification for inflicting as much damage as possible based upon Trump’s threats. He was definitely going to do it anyway but it was very kind (and stupid) of Trump to provide a personal rationale to cloud the issue of progressive bias. Access is critical to the WaPo and personalizing the attacks on Trump is a strong indication they are unconcerned about being locked out of the White House by a vindictive jerk.

    Rick Ballard (1e7f0c)

  79. That was not Trump, that was me, his trusted spokesman.

    Good DAY, sir!

    Rick Ellensburg (435b87)

  80. it does feel like we’re ‘over macho grande’ again,

    narciso (732bc0)

  81. Patterico (86c8ed)

  82. in the fullness of time, our foolishness will be made manifest, the judgement rendered in toto, the interim period does not look promising,

    narciso (732bc0)

  83. in the fullness of time, our foolishness will be made manifest

    That’s for sure.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  84. Has anybody else been feeling a little of non-directed irritability with maybe some generalized anxiety in the last little while or is it just me?

    nk (9faaca)

  85. Ok, I hit the submit instead of the delete. Ignore it, please.

    nk (9faaca)

  86. when you ride with red queen, as much as one denies it,

    https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2016/05/13/its-inclusive/?singlepage=true

    narciso (732bc0)

  87. unlike seth moulton or tulsi gabbard, your candidate, nk, hasn’t seen much wrong with the ‘best of all possible strategies’

    narciso (732bc0)

  88. Col. – Agree on the couple Clinton. I did my time for Cruz as well, and would continue if he comes back. Where was the hate for Romney after Candy Crowley exposed him as a no nothing air head?

    mg (31009b)

  89. Well, give her time. A lady can be capricious. She might change her mind on a whim or stay stubborn on the same whim. Maybe if we sent her some candy and flowers, sweet-talked her a little? I can tell you happyfeet is not helping.

    nk (9faaca)

  90. mg just wants to burn it down, baaaaaby!
    French Revolution styyyyyle!
    (LOL)

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  91. at the time, mg, the considered opinion, was this tomato can, was going to be better than maverick, like chicken pox is better than small pox, this belief proved mistaken,

    narciso (732bc0)

  92. Col Haiku is for Trump. He has always been for Trump. He was never for Cruz. And doubleplus un-ever for Romney.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  93. Me, I am still hoping that Trump proves too embarrassing even for people like McConnell and Cochran, and the convention is thrown open in disgust.

    I don’t care if it’s Cruz or Kasich or Jeb or even Huckabee, just so long as it isn’t this clusterturd.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  94. we’re trolled all the time,

    http://uproxx.com/filmdrunk/money-monster-limp-satire-jodie-foster/

    he played a vain shallow fellow in hail caesar, too close to type,

    narciso (732bc0)

  95. mcturtle ‘you are our only hope’ snorfle @rachel lucas,

    narciso (732bc0)

  96. #95 Kevin M,

    Come on, Kev, Colonel seems like a good conservative. He’s trashed Trump as we all have. But now the primaries are over, and so we need to pivot toward the general election against effing Hillary. It’s a binary choice.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  97. Kevin, I doubt it, because a lot of the downticket will not get re-elected without the Trumpkins. That’s why so many of them are snuffling up to him.

    nk (9faaca)

  98. Col Haiku is for Trump. He has always been for Trump. He was never for Cruz. And doubleplus un-ever for Romney.

    Kevin M (25bbee) — 5/13/2016 @ 8:29 pm
    =======================================================

    Back away from the yayo, Kevin. I’ve supported Cruz for many months now, and Leviticus will tell you that not only did I support Romney (Ed. Note: financially and with my time, as I have Cruz), he was my goddam Robot Overlord.

    And you can kiss my ass too, you yuppie motherf***er. Insult for an insult, good sir!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  99. it’s striking how there wasn’t a #neverdemocrat, much less #neverobama,

    narciso (732bc0)

  100. Must have their sh*t together, narciso… Playing for keeps, as they say.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  101. Yes, there was, it was called PUMA*. Then Obama gave Hillary first choice as VP or State.

    Party unity my ass.

    nk (9faaca)

  102. He sounds like a damn sociopath on that tape. There is separation from him self which is also reflected when he talks about himself currently–on the campaign trail– in the third person.

    Really interesting how The Washington Post comes out with that now. How long have they been sitting on that?

    It will have no effect on Trump supporters–they will think he is a genius. One of the things his fans like best about him is how he manhandles the media. Quite frankly this is the smartest he’s ever sounded. However, and more importantly, there is something wrong with him and it is reflected in this tape–that should be the main take away.

    Danube River Guide (76b104)

  103. a sociopath would tell their daughter the truth, while she lies to the whole world, or would say ‘you can keep your doctor’ or assure us, the iranians will be disarmed,

    narciso (732bc0)

  104. Col Haiku is for Trump. He has always been for Trump. He was never for Cruz.

    “The man [Ted Cruz] is head and shoulders above his competition. He needs ALL of our support.”

    — Colonel Haiku, 4-16-2016

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  105. However, and more importantly, there is something wrong with him and it is reflected in this tape

    Pathetic man-baby.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  106. In the interests of fairness and accuracy, I do need to point out that sock-puppetry didn’t exist prior to the Internet (1993 and on) … and, no, dear hearts, Lamb Chop (and Shari Lewis) doesn’t count, entertaining though she is/was/may well be …

    In the interests of the well-being of the Constitution which many people on here support and wish to defend, our highest priority should be to ensure that as many elected Democrats/Progressives are no longer in office while ensuring that as many non-Democrats/Progressives *do* get elected …

    Can we be man (or woman )or other)) enough to pursue that goal ?

    Alastor (2e7f9f)

  107. From now on, the only people who get my support OR MY VOTE are the good people.

    To behave otherwise it to reward indecency and to promote further and greater indecency.

    Who would have it otherwise? (I guess that question answers itself).

    ThOR (c9324e)

  108. It astounds me that we now live in a world in which character doesn’t matter. No good will come of it.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  109. and the solon accused an innocent man of causing the accident that killed his first wife, as for lurch (redacted)

    narciso (732bc0)

  110. oh yes Mr. Trump

    you nailed it my brother

    good job

    happyfeet (831175)

  111. uh oh

    I maybe shouldn’t have been buttsnuffling poopstank so much.

    he seems needy and shouty and maybe should drink some Trumpwater along with some tasty Trumpsteak.

    hairdye and spraytan can’t cover up daddysboy richy rich issues.

    peestank and poopstank sitting in a tree, lyin’ to the e-l-e-c-t-o-r-a-t-e.

    no no no.

    this was obvious to anyone willing to do the analysis, except for me.

    brb; need to buy some Depends.

    worriedfeet (dee3a6)

  112. F–k Donald Trump. F–k Hillary Clinton. F–k Barack Obama.

    The problem, Pat, is the pecking order of your disgust and anger. The person currently in the Oval Office, who has had the most negative influence on this nation since January 2009 because he is, after all, the president — and, most crucially, is symbolically, emotionally and philosophically the most leftwing person to ever lead this nation — should be listed first, not third.

    Unfortunately, I don’t think your placement of those three names is pure happenstance since you did say yesterday that you felt good to finally do a bit of Obama bashing (over the topic of either uni-sex bathrooms or Obamacare—don’t recall which), with your acknowledging you’ve been less disgusted by him over the past year or two (out of the past 7) than you’ve been towards other public notables—-some of them or only one of them apparently being registered to the Republican Party.

    Mark (12cf35)

  113. Haiku always preferred Cruz. His support of Trump is clearly based on his opposition of Hillary and his view of Trump as a lesser of two evils. He’s wrong on his choice, but let’s not pretend he has views he doesn’t. Only an idiot actually likes the idea of Trump being the leader of the free world.

    The problem, Pat, is the pecking order of your disgust and anger.

    No Mark, there are real problems and it’s ungood that you think the order of words in a sentence would be one of them.

    You haven’t come up with anything Pat’s said that isn’t truthful. You’re just trying to complain that the truth has been spoken.

    Dustin (2a8be7)

  114. I really don’t understand this obsession with electing Hillary Clinton. Surely, despite his many obvious faults, Trump is still preferable to her?

    gahrie (12cc0f)

  115. “Really interesting how The Washington Post comes out with that now. How long have they been sitting on that?”

    It’s been well known since Trump/Miller/Barron’s first performance. It’s not “news” in any sense, it’s just a goad to elicit Trump’s typical reaction (lie, threaten, hide in a closet) and then use the reaction to soften his consolidation bounce. The media will use his conditioned responses to expose the clown coward throughout the campaign. He’s a very soft target and he is certain to continue to provide ammunition.

    Rick Ballard (1e7f0c)

  116. no no no mr worried
    poopstank failmerica will be Meghan’s coward daddy i think

    ima lifeydoodle tranny what make foodstamp tasty

    ima write a pop song lyric here what make me edgy

    scooby and scrappyfeet (3274d3)

  117. I will only vote for Trump if the presidential race is close here and California, which I don’t foresee happening. Not in a state that elects a state legislature that is nearly 2/3 Democratic — and I don’t mean Scoop Jackson Democrats, either, I mean far lefties who mentally never left college campuses.

    If it’s NOT close, I’ll probably vote for Douchebag Johnson.

    Mitch (bfd5cd)

  118. I heard it said, in conjunction with this, that Trump had a relationship with the wife of a past/present/future president of France…
    Is that true?
    Even if dueling is not legal in the US….

    I agree with Kevin M’s point that it is still May, and if as much damage as can be done to Trump by the Dems and media is done before the convention maybe we will be spared, though I think it may need to be someone that hasn’t been running,
    Who needs to be outside of the GOPe
    But yet a reasonable person

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  119. Any one get that book by “Congressman X” yet?

    MD in Philly (f9371b)

  120. I hear a rumbling in the distance…
    it’s…
    Stampeding Feet!!!!!!

    Painted Jaguar (a sock puppet) (f9371b)

  121. Maybe P will need another ancillary site just for feets of various persuasions…

    Painted Jaguar (a sock puppet) (f9371b)

  122. I really don’t understand this obsession with electing Hillary Clinton. Surely, despite his many obvious faults, Trump is still preferable to her?

    gahrie,

    I am not interested in electing Hillary or fighting her. I have explained this in other places, but I think Trump would be better on judges and worse regarding other policy (not because his own big government policies are independently worse or more numerous, but because 1) Congress is more likely to enact them and 2) he will destroy the main refuge for limited government conservatives if he is allowed to redefine the GOP.

    So I am just an observer. I think Trump is so erratic that Hillary is probably slightly less awful. That does not make me want to help her.

    Patterico (46eeea)

  123. He will commit several impeachable offenses but will not be impeached by our cowardly Congress and so the solidification of the Presiident as Emperor may become final under Trump.

    I actually suspect partisanship is causing me to understate how dangerous he is.

    Patterico (46eeea)

  124. I still have a hard time seeing him winning, but I will make no more predictions that assume a level of competence, knowledge, or common sense among our electorate. If this primary taught me anything, that’s it.

    Patterico (46eeea)

  125. This recording is absolutely hilarious and meta-funny.

    Here is an article about how Trump used his dad’s clout and money to start the real estate empire. Dad guaranteed the loans, lobbied for the tax breaks, introduced him to the NY politicaeven bought 3.5 million dollars’ worth of casino chips, which was deemed an illegal loan by the feds.

    carlitos (902498)

  126. I still have a hard time seeing him winning, but I will make no more predictions that assume a level of competence, knowledge, or common sense among our electorate.

    The Trump candidacy isn’t about competence, knowledge or commonsense. It is about anger…anger at an Establishment that has taken them for granted and taken advantage of them. The base has fought their hearts out for the Party, bringing in electoral landslides everywhere but the presidency for the last sixteen years. We gave control of Congress and the vast majority of the States to the Party and what have they given us? Continuing resolutions that lock in Democratic spending levels and priorities. When McConnell finally does pass an appropriations bill through the Senate this week…it has MORE spending then even Obama requested. A Supreme Court Chief Justice that tortures language and logic to award the Left victories. (funny how that keeps happening to Republican presidents) The Establishment actually thought they were going to be able to push Jeb Bush through over the objections of the base.

    The Republican establishment needs to realize that they can’t take for granted and take advantage of their base…if they could, the base would be Democratic voters.

    gahrie (12cc0f)

  127. He will commit several impeachable offenses but will not be impeached by our cowardly Congress

    See, the base thinks this pretty much describes the last seven and a half years……which is one of the reasons they are so angry.

    gahrie (12cc0f)

  128. Obama pretended to be a uniter of men and non leftist hack. Oh well, how is he different than Trump? Both are liars and serial misrepresenters. No one was flipping in 2008 when they should have been. So Trump is to magic white boy like Obama was to magic negro.

    #123 LOL, what melodrama. Hillary less awful? Pretty clear you don’t understand the Left yet. You need to go live Cuba, Venezuela for a few years with your family then Signapore — might teach you something about the difference between totalitarians on the Right versus the Left. I’d tell you Chile but he passed.

    Rodney King's Spirit (e2dd8e)

  129. If only somebody had stood up in Congress and actually fought against all this, huh, gahrie?

    Patterico (46eeea)

  130. Conservatives are more angry at Trump in 6 months of doing nothing to hurt them than they are at Obama for 8 years to destroying the Country.

    Rodney King's Spirit (e2dd8e)

  131. #129 Other than Cruz or Lee in the Senate who has fought on Team (R)? Sessions sort of?

    So, this is all Team R fault. They destroyed the brand which allowed the Trumperism to come through. So now take the medicine and try to learn from it.

    Rodney King's Spirit (e2dd8e)

  132. If only somebody had stood up in Congress and actually fought against all this, huh, gahrie?

    If you are talking about Cruz, I pushed for a Cruz/Carly ticket from the very beginning. But the fact that the Establishment hates and fears Cruz more than Trump has doomed us all.

    My fantasy is that the convention is brokered, and that someone nominates Condi Rice, who proceeds to win by acclamation.

    gahrie (12cc0f)

  133. See Patterico..I mostly agree with you. Except I think the problem is with the Republican “leadership” while you think the problem is the Republican base.

    And I definitely think Hillary is worse than Trump.

    gahrie (12cc0f)

  134. You haven’t come up with anything Pat’s said that isn’t truthful.

    Dustin, you still don’t get what I’ve been pointing out. I’m not talking about facts or figures, I’m talking about visceral reactions. For example, several days ago I noticed your rationalizing away the sleaziness (or struggling not to) of Bill and Hillary Clinton. For some reason those two grifters trigger a bit of your touchy-feely side. Why that is, I’m not sure.

    However, I have noticed over the months that a percentage of people who are very indignant about Donald Trump also have tidbits of liberal bias in their way of thinking. I don’t have any confidence in those people’s way of judging good and bad.

    Truly conservative people will not just be extremely wary of and turned off by Trump, they’ll also be so wary of and disgusted by Hillary, the idea of her being “less bad than” won’t even cross their mind.

    Mark (c7fa43)

  135. RKS – why do you insist on conflating conservatives with Reoublicans? Or act like Trump is even remotely conservative?

    JD (ceff4c)

  136. Mark, you are just precious.

    JD (ceff4c)

  137. Scene: Nottingham, 13th Century

    Commoner 1: “I want someone who will steal from the rich and give to the poor!”

    Commoner 2: “But you voted Trump over Robin Hood!”

    Commoner 1: “He fights!”

    Patterico (46eeea)

  138. Truly conservative people will not just be extremely wary of and turned off by Trump, they’ll also be so wary of and disgusted by Hillary, the idea of her being “less bad than” won’t even cross their mind.

    Frack off.

    I have explained my thinking regarding Congress’s enabling one candidate’s big government policies and fighting the other’s, as well as Trump’s frighteningly erratic personality. You can disagree but save your psychoanalyzing.

    Patterico (46eeea)

  139. My visceral hatred of Trump comes primarily from my conviction that he has robbed us of the best chance we have had in ages to actually fix the rot that is at the root of the problem in Washington.

    But mostly I am mad at the voters. And at the system that gives them this power over me and my family.

    Patterico (46eeea)

  140. Turns out Mark is kind of a pinko, on account of how the leftist Trump does not trigger a visceral reaction in him. I blame Mark’s inner Peggy Noonan. (She’s been criticizing the anti-Trumpers lately, you know.)

    Patterico (46eeea)

  141. He will commit several impeachable offenses but will not be impeached by our cowardly Congress and so the solidification of the Presiident as Emperor may become final under Trump.

    Patterico (46eeea) — 5/14/2016 @ 9:36 am

    If he does something that’s in a conservative direction I think the Democrats would try to impeach him, if they gain control of the House, even though he contributed $ to Nancy.

    Gerald A (7c7ffb)

  142. But mostly I am mad at the voters.

    Exactly.

    But you should be mad at the “leaders”.

    gahrie (12cc0f)

  143. If only somebody had stood up in Congress and actually fought against all this, huh, gahrie?

    Patterico (46eeea) — 5/14/2016 @ 10:01 am

    Trump trained his voters to lump all Republicans office holders together. McConnell, Boehner, Cruz – they’re all Republicans office holders! The training worked very well. Maybe there is something to Trump University.

    Gerald A (7c7ffb)

  144. 123 LOL, what melodrama. Hillary less awful? Pretty clear you don’t understand the Left yet. You need to go live Cuba, Venezuela for a few years with your family then Signapore — might teach you something about the difference between totalitarians on the Right versus the Left. I’d tell you Chile but he passed.

    You’re…saying your prefer totalitarians on the right to those on the left.

    Hard pass on both.

    Patterico (46eeea)

  145. But mostly I am mad at the voters

    I’m mad at them too. Or, more precisely, I’m mad at all those voters who are non-liberal, if not somewhat conservative, who nonetheless are one of the reasons Hillary has received rather high ratings in opinion polls for over 20 years and also allowed the current president to be treated with a more positive score in those same polls in his last few years in office than that which was given to Bush in 2007-2008.

    I’m mad at all the people who are fully aware of these trends yet react as though Trump is somehow a new phenomenon in the leftward-leaning degradation of America. Even more so since his most vocal opponents in public demonstrations and the media are lashing out at him not because he’s a squish — a tricky chameleon — but because he’s perceived by them as a rightwing meanie. But they merely illustrate just how ridiculously liberal this society has become.

    Mark (c7fa43)

  146. Turns out Mark is kind of a pinko

    Pat, I’ve noted that liberal biases are embedded in most humans, including me. It’s the ones who don’t recognize or care about that quirk who are more likely to get tripped up by them. Ronald Reagan got screwed up by his inner-liberal when the specter of bereaved families of Americans held hostage by Iran finally got the better of him. That inner-liberal, in effect, made him a fool.

    nytimes.com, January 1987: A retired Central Intelligence Agency official has confirmed to the Senate Intelligence Committee that on the secret mission to Teheran last May, Robert C. McFarlane and his party carried a Bible with a handwritten verse from President Reagan [and also a key-shaped cake—to symbolize the opening of a door] for Iranian leaders.

    Mark (c7fa43)

  147. 7. Jehoshua’ ben Perachia and Matthai the Arbelite received from them. Jehoshua’ ben Perachiah said, Make unto thyself a master; and possess thyself of an associate; and judge every man in the scale of merit.

    (Pirke Avot Chapter 1)

    Mark would probably call Jehoshua ben Perachia a commie sympathizer.

    Incidentally, this same ben Perachia is the man whom the Talmud says was the teacher of Jesus (almost certainly untrue, since ben Perachia lived about 150CE).

    kishnevi (28fa9f)

  148. You aren’t being logical, Mark, you are making decisions based on emotion. If you are right that America is tilting left and the only decision is “Which choice is least left?” … then the logical decision is to give up on America.

    DRJ (15874d)

  149. I graduated high school in 1984. While I was a high school student, I said Ronald Reagan was to the Left of me. Because it was true.

    I was never much for Big Government, but I’m even less so now.

    I will never, ever vote Trump. Ever.

    Mark, ropelight, papier mache tiger are all Trump worshipers and have lost their minds. Haiku, while not a Trump worshiper per se, has also lost his mind.

    And DRJ is right, as usual.

    John Hitchcock (957620)

  150. Patterico believes Trump could nominate less Leftist judges and justices than Hillary. I don’t see any evidence in Trump’s history to suggest that would be the case.

    John Hitchcock (957620)

  151. I think that, John, because I think Trump doesn’t care about or understand the Court. So he might just do what people tell him to do. We know what Hillary will do.

    Patterico (89b937)

  152. Yes, yes, Trump doesn’t meet your requirements. Okay, got it.

    In Jan 2017, either Hillary or Trump will be the new President. Not Ted Cruz, not Gary Johnson, not Ronald Reagan. Neither your nor my preferred people will be up there.

    Hillary or Trump. One. of. them. will. be. President.

    If you don’t care which one, then why bother talking about it and writing distribes?

    Because hatey-hating Trump won’t keep him out, unless Hillary gets more votes. Which she may, if all you guys who hate Trump sit on your hands.

    You won’t keep one of them from being President by moaning that you hate them both. They are the only candidates on offer.

    Look, voting for X doesn’t mean that you love X and want to have his/her baby. It just means that you’d rather have that one than the other one.
    The choices are shit sandwich vs. shit sandwich sprinkled with cyanide. There is no option which doesn’t have a shit sandwich in it.

    fred-2 (ce04f3)

  153. Yes, yes, Trump doesn’t meet your requirements. Okay, got it.

    In Jan 2017, either Hillary or Trump will be the new President. Not Ted Cruz, not Gary Johnson, not Ronald Reagan. Neither your nor my preferred people will be up there.

    Hillary or Trump. One. of. them. will. be. President.

    If you don’t care which one, then why bother talking about it and writing distribes?

    I’m glad you asked.

    Because I am interested in banding together people who reject the paradigm of two shit choices and are willing to accept that the only way to make progress is to band together and take steps that do NOT involve voting for one’s preferred flavor of con artist.

    I do not know what form this progress will make. But it is important to be clear that we reject the paradigm, so we focus our energy properly. Those who agree with me (and that’s clearly not you, fred-2) can sign up to be part of the Constitutional Vanguard here. We’re 9 subscribers from an even 500!

    It’s important for another reason. When (not if) Trump crashes and burns, the People are more likely to turn to the People who loudly warned about Trump and never backed down. When that time comes, those of us who never succumbed to the suck will have increased credibility, and hopefully people like us can show the way forward.

    Oh, also because I am a writer and it entertains me to mock both Trump and Hillary, seeing as how I hate both.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  154. Look, voting for X doesn’t mean that you love X and want to have his/her baby. It just means that you’d rather have that one than the other one.

    You don’t need to explain that to me, fred-2. I’m not a baby. I voted for Romney. I voted for John Freaking McCain, for God’s sake!

    Here’s the part you don’t seem to get. I. Don’t. Care. Which. One. Wins. That means I would NOT rather have one than the other. I. Don’t. Care.

    Get it now?

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  155. Fred2
    Both sandwiches are laced with cyanide. The only difference is that Hillary has a different flavor of hot sauce than Trump.

    Suppose you were captured by ISIS and as a gesture of good will, offered a choice between being beheaded or being thrown off the roof of a tall building. Your logic says you should be grateful for being allowed to choose the manner of your death. Patterico’s choice is, in essence, to deny they have any right to kill you.

    kishnevi (28fa9f)

  156. I disagree with Patterico (and most of the rest of you I guess). I think Trump cheated me out of the chance to have a decent President for the next four, maybe eight, years. So I want Trump to lose, too. To have gone through all of this for nothing. To slink off a bitter and disappointed Badgerhead. And for the Surgeon General to declare his hair a communicable disease and quarantine him indefinitely. No matter who becomes President — Hillary, Bernie, or Angela Davis.

    nk (9faaca)

  157. Completely off topic, but just for you, nk:
    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_sb_27?tag=patterspontif-20&link_code=wsw&_encoding=UTF-8&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Skalkottas&Submit.x=16&Submit.y=9&Submit=Go

    If you like 12-tone music, go for the concertos. If not, go for the Greek Dances.

    kishnevi (28fa9f)

  158. Yes, yes, Trump doesn’t meet your requirements. Okay, got it.

    Well, apparently not, because you keep trying to convince us that Trump is our final choice, and that we should all fall in line like good little bots.

    In Jan 2017, either Hillary or Trump will be the new President. Not Ted Cruz, not Gary Johnson, not Ronald Reagan. Neither your nor my preferred people will be up there.

    Ronaldus Maximus is dead, I haven’t a clue who Gary Johnson is, and to belabor your point, Ted Cruz has dropped out. I don’t know who your preferred candidate is, nor do I care very much. It seems you don’t, either.

    Hillary or Trump. One. of. them. will. be. President.

    Thanks for the clairvoyance. I never would have guessed it.

    If you don’t care which one, then why bother talking about it and writing distribes?

    Maybe because it’s titled “Patterico’s Pontifications”, not “Fred’s Farts”?

    Because hatey-hating Trump won’t keep him out, unless Hillary gets more votes. Which she may, if all you guys who hate Trump sit on your hands.

    Newsflash, Bunkie: I, Pat, Dana, Rev., Herr Oberst, hell even Happyfeet understands that. What YOU don’t get is Trump’s support isn’t above 35 or so percent. There’s several pretty good reasons for it. You might want to look into them.

    You won’t keep one of them from being President by moaning that you hate them both. They are the only candidates on offer.

    No, really? So that whole write-in thing is just a myth?

    Look, voting for X doesn’t mean that you love X and want to have his/her baby. It just means that you’d rather have that one than the other one.
    The choices are shit sandwich vs. shit sandwich sprinkled with cyanide. There is no option which doesn’t have a shit sandwich in it.
    fred-2 (ce04f3) — 5/14/2016 @ 1:40 pm

    Oh, you’re damn right it means I don’t have to love the candidate. But I am fed the fu*k up with not only having to vote for the lesser evil, but I am just so tired of people like you telling me that I shouldn’t vote my values. I voted McCain, I voted Romney. I AM NOT GOING A THIRD ROUND.

    Screw it. Cthulhu 2016. When evil just isn’t enough.

    Bill H (971e5f)

  159. No matter who becomes President — Hillary, Bernie, or Angela Davis.

    nk (9faaca) — 5/14/2016 @ 3:37 pm

    That’s an interesting choice. We can have black, Communist, female, gangster and professor all in one package.

    Bill H (971e5f)

  160. And she has better hair than Trump!

    nk (9faaca)

  161. have you read angela davis’s memoir, the fate is like ted stryker’s next seat, on airplane,?

    narciso (732bc0)

  162. I now what Angela Davis is. She is there for emphasis, because she is so rotten.

    AS LONG AS TRUMP LOSES!

    nk (9faaca)

  163. #154 Bill H wrote,
    But I am fed the fu*k up with not only having to vote for the lesser evil, but I am just so tired of people like you telling me that I shouldn’t vote my values.”
    ——–

    Bill, this is how every Presidential election goes. It’s a binary choice—candidate X or candidate Y.
    Does the Constitution guarantee you a right to vote for a candidate who shares your values? No, of course not. The people on the ballot are the people on the ballot. The winner gets to govern. None of us is exempt from that.
    I wish Cruz, Rubio, Jindal, Walker, or Fiorina was the nominee. But they all got their rear ends kicked.
    So, yeah, we do have to choose which candidate is the lesser of two evils. All I know is, Hillary already allowed 4 Americans to die in Benghazi. Trump is certainly a jerk on a lot of levels, but I don’t think he would have allowed that to happen.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9a)

  164. At this point in time I support Trump.
    Saw the writing on the wall months ago.
    I think this site harbors and encourages people who smear people like me as racist idiots.
    OK so I’m a borderline idiot and a full time idiot sometimes, but not on this. I harbor no ill will to anyone due to race, religion, sexual orientation etc.
    Jesus, I thought I was done with this in Jr Hi, but no, bunch of highly educated people reduced to name calling and insults… behaving like Trump at his worst and then complaining.
    Jesus Christ, human beings are irreparable. Go ahead and withhold your vote from Trump and then when we are ruled by Elizabeth Warren, John Kerry, leftist judges throughout all the appellate courts and Van Jones, suck it up and don’t complain…

    Turning back the clock is the hardest political maneuver… you can’t unring the bell without a guy like Trump or Cruz. They would choose different methods and different targets, but I’m currently fine with Trump over Hillary

    steveg (fed1c9)

  165. Why not just the John Birch Society?

    gahrie (12cc0f)

  166. Sorry…

    Why not just join the John Birch Society?

    gahrie (12cc0f)

  167. “It is a binary choice” is Stage One thinking. I.e., short-term.

    Agree or no, I am taking a longer-term view: towards the future of the GOP, the future of constitutionalism, and all the ways that Trump will corrupt both.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  168. If you are right that America is tilting left and the only decision is “Which choice is least left?” … then the logical decision is to give up on America.

    DRJ, I’d say it’s a given that (1) the US is tilting left and (2) that, similar to fully alert people on the Titanic — while there’s not a great difference between trying to position oneself on the top deck or in one of the lower cabins — desperate situations will cause such people to do desperate things. For example, prompt them to at least scrutinize who’s more intrinsically, emotionally leftwing, who’s intrinsically, emotionally less leftwing, and draw certain conclusions accordingly.

    The current president was able to sit in Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years and not only didn’t shudder and grimace at “goddamn America!,” he wanted to make the pastor one of his major advisers in 2008. Hillary probably wouldn’t want to sit in that same church for two straight decades, but she likely would happily pay her respects on a regular basis, smiling broadly, tapping her feet to the choir music, and putting on her fake southern/black dialect in the process. Trump probably — probably — wouldn’t mimic the other two and perhaps wouldn’t even visit that church to begin with.

    Mark (c7fa43)

  169. thats so not so

    mr the donald is a huge church-goer

    he goes to church even when its not church-day

    it’s a beautiful church just great a tremendous church

    he loves church stuff 2 corinthians 3 for the money 4 for the show

    he thinks the salmon on the mount is just tremendous almost as good as the salmon at the trump grill he is going to put loaves and fishes in every school lunch

    Sorry, happyfeet. It’s contagious. And who was it that said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

    nk (9faaca)

  170. The current president was able to sit in Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years and not only didn’t shudder and grimace at “goddamn America!,” he wanted to make the pastor one of his major advisers in 2008.

    Well. I do not care for Jeremiah Wright, and I think it is a strike against Obama that he attended Wright’s church and was a supporter. However, just a few facts (sorry, facts, I know). There is no evidence Obama attended the week of the “goddamn America” sermon. And Obama did say: “It’s as if we took the five dumbest things that I’ve ever said or you’ve ever said in our lives and compressed them and put them out there — I think that people’s reaction would, understandably, be upset.” Was that a politically motivated denouncement? You bet it was. But it’s a little different from the dishonest way you portray it, which is this mythical thing where Wright screamed GODDAMN AMERICA every week and Obama learned of this and said”HEY THAT’S AWESOME.”

    I enjoy having this same fucking conversation with you so much, Mark, that it’s back to moderation with you.

    If you come up with something new to say, it will be released. Otherwise, you and Peggy Noonan can do your Trump loving in the moderation filter, you droning one-note bore.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  171. I frankly don’t think Mark is capable of commentary that avoids the one topic that he loves to beat on, day in and day out and day in and day out and day in and day out.

    I think we are all better off without that crap.

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  172. My new resolution is to try to avoid having the same arguments over and over and over and over and over and over and over

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  173. We’ll see how long that lasts

    Patterico (86c8ed)

  174. I’m not sure the public is “tilting left.” Maybe. What is true is the power of social media to shape narrative, especially to folks who want to feel that they themselves are smart and good people.

    It may be paranoid, but I have long believed that there is a concerted effort to shape narrative by the progressive Left in media and education.

    Take for example the silly “bathroom” discussion.

    The real issue isn’t the bathrooms in high school. It will be the showers and locker rooms.

    Notice how the pundits avoid that. I wonder why?

    Of course, the goal is to make people who don’t agree with the narrative feel like (and look like) crazy awful people.

    The Trump phenomenon is part of this, as a way to clear the decks for HRC.

    Simon Jester (7b192a)

  175. Oh, and Patterico: your blog, your rules. This is like a cocktail party that you are paying for. The least people can do is follow your rules…or find another party.

    Simon Jester (7b192a)

  176. of course, peter bean and his analogue down under has been pushing this for years, romans showed us this would be the result of our folly, much as the arab sheikhs have funded the no fracking movement, what else is new,

    narciso (732bc0)

  177. Bill, this is how every Presidential election goes. It’s a binary choice—candidate X or candidate Y.
    Does the Constitution guarantee you a right to vote for a candidate who shares your values? No, of course not. The people on the ballot are the people on the ballot. The winner gets to govern. None of us is exempt from that.

    CS, I also took high school civics. I understand it’s a choice of “X” or “Y”. What I don’t get is why I’m being …..encouraged, if you will to make a choice that is guaranteed to put my country in a death spiral. Politically speaking, that is. I really don’t get why I’m being lobbied so hard to choose Trump against my better judgement. I’m with Patterico: it does not matter who wins, we will all surely lose. Can someone explain to me why I’m supposed to accept that?

    Where do you stand, CS? It isn’t in my pay grade to hammer you now because (if) you switched sides and all of a sudden were supporting Trump. You’ve been vociferously supporting Cruz all along. I do get the idea- you’re placing your vote where you think it will do some good. I live in California. My Republican/Libertarian vote is as good as yesterday’s garbage already, and I REFUSE to turn my back on conservatism and vote Sir Hillary.

    Bill H (971e5f)

  178. All I know is, Hillary already allowed 4 Americans to die in Benghazi. Trump is certainly a jerk on a lot of levels, but I don’t think he would have allowed that to happen.

    Cruz Supporter (102c9

    You do know Trump praised Hillary after that event, right?

    He also praised her nomination before hey confirmation hearing, but what’s interesting is how he said she did great after Benghazi.

    So the evidence is not in your side of this one.

    Foreign policy is the most powerful reason to vote Hillary, actually. It’s why she has my vote should the gop actually go through with Trump.

    Dustin (5d64cf)

  179. I don’t have the balls to vote for a lesbian coke whore.

    mg (31009b)

  180. I don’t have the nuts to vote for a lesbian coke tramp.

    mg (31009b)

  181. It is not for the faint of heart.

    But the GOP has never been loyal to me and the stone cold truth is that Hillary has a better grasp of not nuking and spazing at the drop of a hair implant. Trump sees commies rolling over student protestors and thinks “f yeah”. Like a child.

    Dustin (b53a42)

  182. The adults have done one helluva job the last 16 years.

    mg (31009b)

  183. “133. Conservatives are more angry at Trump in 6 months of doing nothing to hurt them ….”

    You mean, other than embezzling away the only party they could vote for? Go ahead, Madoff victims, rant away. You really don’t seem to comprehend that it’s all water over the dam now.

    “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” – H. L. Mencken

    Luke Stywalker (8fe507)

  184. Luke… Luke… choose the form of your Destructor!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  185. Mr. Trump will do many helps for America and pee-stank will make all the problems more intractable.

    We’re very lucky he’s there to stop her.

    happyfeet (831175)

  186. Trump is a big government Republican who wants a crony capitalist government just as much as Democrats want one. The people who support him don’t mind big government as long as more government benefits flow to them than to Democratic constituencies. But this isn’t sustainable because taxpayers can’t afford to keep paying into the government at current rates.

    Conservatives can’t stop a President Trump from advancing his big government agenda because the GOP welcomes the opportunity for more graft and power. If Trump wins, the GOP will be empowered to claim the advocates of limited government lost and there won’t be a seat at the table for conservative principles.

    DRJ (15874d)

  187. Don’t be stoopid, be a smahty
    Go and join the Democrat Party

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  188. However, I accept that most Republican voters know this but they don’t care about conservative values. Values seem like a lost cause in today’s society, and their goal (and Trump’s) is to grab as big a share of money and power as they can get.

    DRJ (15874d)

  189. Don’t be stupid, be a smarty
    Come and join the Donkey Party?

    nk (9faaca)

  190. I’m not a Democrat but I could join a conservative party or a secession movement, if I decide I need a party affiliation.

    DRJ (15874d)

  191. nonono DRJ

    failamericans are not demoncrat or rethuglicans

    they have the attention span of a gnat binge watching those kardashians.

    so they are easy to fool into thinking a braggy yelly socket puppet spray tan orange hair pooper with daddy issues are interested in anything other than lining his brooks brothers pocket and looking for the next eurotrash hooker who works for him

    hatred of team R has blinded so many

    its a thing

    snarkyfeet (46554b)

  192. The people who support him don’t mind big government as long as more government benefits flow to them than to Democratic constituencies.

    this is a generalize

    personally i’d expect to do much better under pee-stank than Mr. Trump

    and i get no benefits at all not even any tax deductings

    but it’s not all about me it’s about America

    do we wanna stank it up or crank it up?

    happyfeet (831175)

  193. religions are a good thing

    but I leave that to Baby Jesus

    worshipping a pooper who hawk steaks and waters and sock puppeteer himself is problematic

    there is no history from spraytan orangehair yelly braggy moneybags about any of this

    plenty of history biff tannen will defend his magic book and lielielie while pooping up America and lining his overpriced pockets

    this is clear to anyone willing to do the analysis

    snarkyfeet (46554b)

  194. Patterico. The objectively pro-Hillary blog.

    Mr Black (3efb66)

  195. That statement makes you objectively dishonest.

    JD (7fd277)

  196. Monday, Monday

    Monday, Monday, no good to me
    Monday mornin’, it was all I thought it would be
    Oh Monday mornin’, Monday mornin’, I couldn’t even flee
    Though Monday evenin’ might be good but no guarantee
    Monday, Monday, just hate that day
    Monday, Monday, sometimes I wish it’d go away
    Oh Monday mornin’ you gave me no warnin’ of what was to be
    Oh Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me
    Every other day, every other day
    Every other day of the week is cool, yeah
    But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
    it always reminds me of my first full day at school
    Monday, Monday, so bad to me
    Monday mornin’, it was as fu*ked up as could be
    But Monday mornin’, Monday mornin’ couldn’t guarantee
    By Monday evenin’ I would write bad poetry

    Colonel Haiku (6047c1)

  197. Patterico. The objectively pro-Hillary blog.

    Mr Black (3efb66) — 5/16/2016 @ 4:01 am

    Do you have balls enough to start your own pro-Trump site, or are they still in mommy’s purse?

    Bill H (971e5f)

  198. 150. kishnevi (28fa9f) — 5/14/2016 @ 11:15 am

    Incidentally, this same ben Perachia is the man whom the Talmud says was the teacher of Jesus (almost certainly untrue, since ben Perachia lived about 150CE)[sic]

    That was the first Jesus, the one who had a follower named Matthew (Mattai) not the one who was executed by the Romans on Hoshanah Rabbah [yes Hoshanah Rabbah, not Erev Pesach] during the prefectship of Pontius Pilate. The first one is probably an important character in some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. There are two good candidates.

    Also, Jehoshua ben Perachia lived in the time of the king called Alexander in Greek and Yannai in Hebrew who ruled Judea from 103 BC to 76 BC. (not John Hyrcanus who ruled circa 134-104 BC, who is never called Yannai.) It would have been under the later king where Jehoshua ben Perachia was recalled from Egypt, unless maybe actually that incident was 20 or more years before we usually think. The history of those years is obscure. He would have been an elderly man, of course, anyway by circa 80 BCE.

    Jehoshua ben Perachia came back from Egypt along with his chief pupil or aide, a man called Jesus, with whom he had an exchange of words where Jesus misunderstood a word and thoughtJehoshua ben Perachia was talking about an innkeeper instead of an inn, after which ben Perachia rejected him, because such an idea shouldn’t come into his mind. And he wouldn’t accept him back, although at the end he would have but he was apparently immersed in prayer at that moment and only gestured toward him, which Jesus I misunderstood, and then that Jesus went on to form his own movement and led many people astray.

    http://www.angelfire.com/mt/talmud/jesusnarr.html

    See the excerpt that’s at Sanhedrin 107b and Sotah 47a in uncensored editions of the Talmud

    Jesus was actually a pretty common Greek version of a Hebrew name. There are like, what, 40 different people with that name in the Christian scriptures (in lists)

    A few years after the execution of the currently more famous Jesus, Pontius Pilate was recalled by the Roman Emperor Tiberius – or by his superior, Vitellius, Roman governor of Syria – for being too bloodthirsty. Pontius Pilate did not have the higher level title of procurator, as was thought until 1961 because that’s what he was called by Tacitus. He was sent to Rome maybe not for good, but just to be questioned, but Tiberius had died by the time he got there, and Caligula replaced him. There were problems from Caligula as well, and he wanted to put a statue of himself in the Temple, but then he died. It was only under Claudius that a Jewish king was restored to Judea, but he died after only 3 years, and Roman governors were put in charge again.

    Sammy Finkelman (643dcd)

  199. so they are easy to fool into thinking a braggy yelly socket puppet spray tan orange hair pooper with daddy issues .

    ********

    LOL!

    Danube River Guide (76b104)

  200. carlitos #128 – your link goes to what appears to be a rabidly-anti-Trump site which is using propaganda techniques that Scots kindergarteners would be embarrassed to be caught using … can we not find Constitutional and conservative reasons for making our decisions rather than the emotional appeals to prejudice so favoured at Politico ?

    Alastor (2e7f9f)


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