I've always classified Mencken as a (much) more bigoted version of Clemens, that distinction likely being attributable to early upbringings in very different social classes. Both are a pleasure to read, but Mencken in the guiltier of the two pleasures. Both knew what NOT to publish in their lifetimes...which is often some of their best and most incendiary stuff. ;-)

The problem I have with the early massive debates is that they play into all the worst aspects of modern niche media driven by algorithms that maximize revenue streams by ginning up audience prejudices and the emotions they produce. It's like the worst aspects of 19th century media only much worse because it's basically too cheap to meter and the cycle time is hrs rather than days. Getting notice because of your achievements is great, getting notice because you knocked an easy pitch out of the ball part just elevates mediocrities like Trump into positions they shouldn't be anywhere near. What, other than being born rich and tall, has Trump ever done right in is life?...and cue crickets.

The other problem I have with mass "debates" is that they just move soooo slowly. Part of this is the naturally slow cadence of human speech compared to processing of the written word, and part is just the information bottleneck of one moderator herding 10 cats. I always feel I have wasted my time watching one of these affairs. The later, winnowed down debates are better, but that's not saying a lot.

I think a bracket system of debates would be much better, if seeded entirely by the parties, rather than the networks. The Two parties really need something to do besides fund raising to finance ad campaigns. As things have devolved, the Parties are two Nells tied to the railroad tracks, waiting for Dudley or Snidely to show and save them...or not. We already have one bright idea crank pointlessly filling up the comments, so I'll just leave it at that.

Sadly, the media will do their collective part to make sure that doesn't happen.

what do you think [Biden's] chances in the primaries are?

Ha!

Oh, was that a serious question?

At least until the situation changes, eh?

Another excellent observation because "all things being equal" is ever so rare, and the one thing that never changes is that things constantly change.

Did you ever think you'd observe a majority of "conservative" legislators allowing the systematic dismemberment and disemboweling of the "Grand Old Party" by a panic tweeting, pathologically lying con artist who routinely states "I take him at his word" when speaking about dictators such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jung-un? But here we are. :)

I thought I had written about this before:

http://www.chrisweigant.com/2007/05/23/presidential-campaign-free-for-all/

Has a few excerpts from Mencken, but alas, no link.

-CW

Nice! And I'm not just referring to the sentiment...

I haven't seen ASCII art done so well in decades!

:-)

I remember the early days of computing... brings back memories...

So I have to say, well done to you!

nypoet22 [2] -

Wouldn't a small pie be a tart? And we've had all SORTS of tart problems in the past with candidates...

Heh. Couldn't resist.

James T Canuck [3] -

I've been thinking similar things. Their overconfidence seems not to have been dented a bit by the midterms. In fact, I'd tell all of them it's so in the bag they don't even need to bother to vote in 2020.

Heh.

TheStig [4] -

Couple of things. First, dig up and read some of H.L. Mencken's reporting on the (?) 1932 Dem convention. Chaos! Sounds like fun, though. The big split then was between the "wets" and the "drys".

Second, I know 10 on a stage is a lot, but for the 3rd tier it's their only chance at national exposure and the chance to break through. Some actually manage to do so. So I wouldn't deny them the chance, personally.

These are just the FIRST debates, mind you. There'll be time later (MANY debates are planned, this time around) for weeding out and getting down to actual debating. But at the start, it'll just be "can I make an impression in my two-minute answers?"

That's kind of necessary, especially for those without mountains of funding.

RE: flags on stage -

Yeah, Trump gets a pass on this like he gets a pass on everything -- remember "flag-pin-tergate" with Obama?

What makes me laugh is that on-stage flags now apparently need a "spreader bar" in the middle, so they present an unnatural but perfectly symmetrical triangular image. When did we get so shallow we couldn't let an innocent flag drape itself naturally from a flag pole? Check the images -- almost every display flag these days is unnaturally stretched to provide that "perfect" silhouette. Bizarre...

JohnM [8] -

You're right about Buttigieg, although I have seen Castro more than once.

Speaking of CPAC and late-night, from last night's Colbert: "... attended the Conservative Political Action Conference, or, as it's known, 'D-BAG'."

Heh.

C. R. Stucki [9] -

Oh, I beg to differ. It's the Republicans who are already talking about 2024, for obvious reasons. Win or lose, that's the first open shot for people like Nikki Haley.

Mezzomamma [10] -

Now there's an idea! I personally couldn't vote for someone who answered "pumpkin"... but maybe that's just me...

TheStig [11] -

(b) is better:

The flag should never touch anything beneath it

I believe Trump qualifies for that one...

Oh, hey, and your example seems to say that the "spreader bars" are disrespectful! Imagine that!

:-)

Paula [14] -

That would depend on how big the victory was, and what the 2022 Senate election map looked like, I would think. "How many Republicans would be worried?," in other words.

Paula [15] -

fixed your link... you needed a space before it, that's why it didn't register as a link...

Balthasar [18] -

You may be right, but it's still early days. Plenty of time for movement within the tiers... we'll see who catches on with the voters...

To beat Trump, you've got to beat a whole bunch of Democrats first, don't forget...

LizM [20] -

I know you're a big Biden fan, so I have to ask: what do you think his chances in the primaries are? His poll #s are impressive as hell right now. Do you think he can ride that all the way? I haven't decided how I feel on that question, which is why I'm asking you...

Kick [24] -

I have to agree. Oprah is a force of nature, especially on the Democratic side of things.

Apropos of nothing, here's my one Oprah joke:

If Oprah Winfrey married Deepak Chopra, she'd be Oprah Chopra!

Heh.

Sorry, couldn't resist...

OK, that's it for now... don't forget to tip your waitress...

-CW

At least until the situation changes, eh?

I wouldn't rule out Michael Bloomberg as a potential running mate for whomever emerges atop the primaries.

Well, you should. :)

LL&P

Funny, I see it all differently:

We KNOW who Repubs WANT to run against: Bernie. The idea of running against a bona-fide socialist is just too mouth-watering for Repubs.

Not so funny, but I see it all exactly the same way.

Then you've got women, blacks - sorry, but Trump would love to run against any of them, too. Wouldn't have to lift a finger.

Unless Oprah herself were to run -- which she isn't -- but, however, nevertheless, I believe Oprah could throw some huge roadblocks into the plans of the GOP.

So Dems have a choice to make: do they want progressive policies, or do they want to beat Trump? The answer is what this is all about.

You have questions? I have answers. They want to beat Trump.

Excellent observations. :)

Today's news brings three announcements from people who will NOT be running:

Hillary Clinton
Sen. Jeff Merkeley
Michael Bloomberg

The first one doesn't surprise me, she had essentially already said this. The second one would have been an interesting candidate. But the third one was somewhat of a surprise, as I thought he might be considering jumping in.

Anyway, I'll get to answering comments later (still reading today's news), but just wanted to update the column a bit.

-CW

It wouldn't be a waste of time for the Dems to put equal focus on the Trump administration's policies.

I think the Democratic presidential nominee will also have focused on how Trump policies are hurting the country and most of its people.

It's going to take an extremely savvy political leader to emerge victorious from the Democratic primaries AND beat Trump in the general.

I don't think that sort of candidate has announced their intentions yet.

Biden may not be your guy if you think being a decent human being is not the way to go to beat Trump. But, remember, being a decent guy doesn't mean you don't understand what the problem with Republicans is or how to forcefully deal with it.

As you say, we see how Biden stacks up. But, if he can't find that balance between progressivism and beating Trump, it may not be doable.

Today Quinnipiac released a poll showing:

Trump approval: 38-55 Committed crimes before becoming president: 64-24 Committed crimes while president: 45-43 Believe Cohen over Trump: 50-35 Congress should investigate Cohen claims: 58-35 h/t Greg Sargeant

Poll results at: https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2603

And historian Kevin Kruse notes that Nixon hung onto high approvals until the hearings began. (He posted charts depicting the change.)

As Dems really get busy highlighting Blotus crimes and the larger public starts to learn what only political junkies have been paying attention to, Blotus will be further hurt.

Meanwhile "progressive policies" are very popular. I reject the idea that Dems can't win unless they pander to repubs/deplorables.

Biden isn't running yet - if/when he does we'll see how he stacks up. Inslee got my attention - Hickenlooper quickly lost it by yapping about "getting things done by explaining them to McConnell". NOPE.

First DNC debates are in June - that's when we'll start to get a sense of how the candidates rank against each other and how their positions go over with Dems.

We KNOW who Repubs WANT to run against: Bernie. The idea of running against a bona-fide socialist is just too mouth-watering for Repubs. Makes them hard.

Then you've got women, blacks - sorry, but Trump would love to run against any of them, too. Wouldn't have to lift a finger.

I think the guys that you've put at the bottom of the pile have the stuff to beat Trump. Biden, the Governors, and Brown are the stiffest competition, because any can catch fire among the Trump base.

Now, unfortunately, the Trump base votes last, so these guys will have to hang through some pretty horrible primaries (then again, the first few primaries aren't that good for progressives) to get to the 'good' part.

So Dems have a choice to make: do they want progressive policies, or do they want to beat Trump? The answer is what this is all about.

Pfeiffer, by contrast, said that Democrats need to realize who they are dealing with, without mirroring their opponents’ tactics.

“This is not to say that Democratic voters or Democratic activists demand that we become like McConnell and Trump,” he said. “It is that we recognize who McConnell and Trump are and adjust our strategies as such.”

[16] Liz: Adjusting/ending the filibuster is a start. Other tactics being considered: increasing the number of judges on the Supreme Court - which has been done before. Also Supremes currently are exempt from ethics rules judges below them must follow - change that. Consider term limits for Supremes too. Impeach bad judges.

Pass statehood for D.C.

House Dems are embarking on several investigations - see them through.

There will be more ideas - we have to see what the terrain is like when we get there. But it starts with a willingness to recognize damage already inflicted, and by whom. No more "let's look forward, not back". No more "I have lunch with this guy so I'll overlook the fact that he goes on the Senate floor and accuses all Dems of supporting infanticide" bullshit.

Apparently Jay Inslee came out strong on this - I now want to hear more about him. And Elizabeth Warren is "take no prisoners" which I love about her.

Bottom line: GOP has to be treated like the corrupt criminal-enabling institution it is - nothing less will be enough.

I'm going to file your link under 'tell us something we don't already know!'

So, what pray tell IS the answer to this legislative dilemma for a progressive - or even progressive-lite - agenda?

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/03/telling-reactions-tales-amy-klobuchars-rage/584104/

Discusses her alcoholic father in context of Minnesota culture. Leaves the impression AK has risen above a traumatic upbringing but with scars...

There are two things that will not happen between now and Inauguration Day, 2021: The Senate Republicans won’t become responsive to citizen pressure or presidential cajoling, and the Democrats will not get enough votes in the Senate to end a filibuster on their own.

Any presidential candidate who promises to accomplish anything legislatively needs to explain how they’ll go about overcoming this problem. They’ll need a better answer than the ones Sanders and Hickenlooper have provided thus far.

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2019/03/04/the-sanders-and-hickenlooper-fallacies/

I hear there is a "grab her by the tassels" tape out there. ..

4 U.S. Code § 8 - Respect for flag -

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.)

Like I said earlier, why aren't our SUPER PATRIOTS at CPAC (aka "The real Comic Con") having the vapors over Trump's habit of serial public flag mauling? If this is how Trump behaves in public, what other outrages is he subjecting poor old Gloria to in private? Oh, the horrors!

Given his history, has Trump bought the silence of The US Flag with a nondisclosure agreement? If so, how many digits are in that agreement? Congress should ask Cohen about this.

I cannot believe Old Gloria is a cheap floozy willing to accept a little "slap and tickle" from the Prez without resistance Old Gloria should get on the phone with Avenatti. She ought to perfectly capable of this because according to the US Flag code:

J) The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.

A living thing, or a care giver to a living thing, ought to be capable of phoning or texting legal council.

Just for the record, the Supreme Court has ruled U.S. Code § 8 to be unconstitutional, but that has never stopped any Super Patriot from making a fuss before.

I fully expect the Democratics to start discussing prospects for 2024 before the year is out!

[3] James T Canuck

"On the bright side, Trump and his adherent's are too smug by half. After Trump was done humping the flags at the CPAC redneck-a-rama..."

[6] ListenWhenYouHear

"I am fairly certain that the crowd at CPAC are the same people who get caught hosting “fight club” events between the mentally challenged patients in their care."

Did anyone else notice that CPAC this year was a virtual Who's WHO of White Supremacist attendees, including some of the most overt racist speeches ever given?

LL&P

I am surprised that flag didn’t set itself on fire after being assaulted.

And Trump only LIKES our flag... can you imagine what went on in Vietnam when he was with someone he LOVES and who loves him just as much!?!? Or worse, when he was alone with Putin — well, that brought back up a little of my Mexican dinner!

I am fairly certain that the crowd at CPAC are the same people who get caught hosting “fight club” events between the mentally challenged patients in their care.

You could sell small pies on a convention floor. A delegate's gotta eat, and pie is its own container.

James T. C.

What is the proper way to get grease and armpit stains out of a flag? I believe the correct answer is to burn it. Trump is a serial flag desecrator. Why are ultra conservatives not getting the vapors over this?

With twenty prospective candidates you could hold two games of pick up basketball...if you could just figure out how to dribble an idea down court and toss it into a hoop.

The more I think about it, the more I believe we should revive the idea of national political party conventions for national office. Politics is all about power brokerage, the making and breaking of alliances along political fault lines. Conventions did that pretty well, even if they were pretty raucous. Modern politics is more like a fight to decide who controls two big marketing agencies who will sell just about any product.

On the bright side, Trump and his adherent's are too smug by half. After Trump was done humping the flags at the CPAC redneck-a-rama, he went on a gibbering trope about how easy it will be for him to win in 2020, regardless of who runs. I do hope his automata-like rabble see him as a shoe-in, and remain at home on election day....shit, they seem to believe every other delusion he shares with them.

LL&P

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