It’s truly not my intention to cover Donald Trump every single day from here to election day. But I think that’s going to happen regardless, just because the 24-hour news cycle cannot contain all of the insanity going on in this, the final month. FOUR WEEKS. That’s all we have left. Four weeks until election day and I find myself… disturbed by how many people are still falling back into false equivalencies. It’s one thing to support Donald Trump because you’re a racist misogynist too (birds of a feather). It’s quite another to think Trump and Hillary Clinton are equally terrible. No. They are not. One is an unhinged lunatic and sexual assailant. The other is a sane, steady workhorse who needs to clarify her positions on some issues. So here are some of the stories that I find interesting today:
The poll numbers. Not only did most instant-polls of Sunday’s debate show that HRC “won” the debate decisively, but now NBC News has a new poll where Hillary has a double-digit lead nationally. In a four-way race, HRC has 46% to Trump’s 35%. The numbers are even better when the third-candidates are taken out. Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight predictions now have HRC with a 82.9% chance at winning the election.
Exposing misogyny. Please read this truly excellent, thought-provoking and brilliant piece by NY Mag’s Rebecca Traister – go here. I’m not even going to summarize it, you just need to read it. It’s a must-read this week.
Paul Ryan is a sucky baby. Poor Speaker Ryan, he’s no longer “defending” Trump, except Speaker Ryan didn’t rescind his endorsement of Trump so what is the point? The point is that the GOP is in shambles and every Republican candidate for office needs to be asked if they support Donald Trump or any sexual predator holding higher office.
Gloria Allred is here. Allred is famous for signing on to represent women who have been mistreated, abused or worse by famous men. Allred says that women have been coming to her about Donald Trump. I’m sure there’s more to come in these final four weeks.
Mark Burnett is awful. It’s been said that Burnett has been holding back the outtakes from The Apprentice in which Trump harasses and degrades female contestants. Burnett says he doesn’t own the outtakes so it’s not up to him to release them. Guess we’ll have to wait for someone with a soul to “leak” them to the Washington Post again.
Athletes and locker room talk. This is one of my other favorite things this week: athletes coming out to slam this idea that Trump’s brags about sexual assault are somehow able to be dismissed as mere “locker room talk.” Trump said that in his first apology, and he said it again at the debate. Beyond the fact that Trump and Billy Bush were NOT IN A LOCKER ROOM, they were in a workplace, professional athletes have been coming out in droves to slam the idea that this is just how men talk to each other and brag about sexually assaulting women.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
“Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight predictions now have HRC with a 82.9% chance at winning the election.”
I can’t believe that percentage is still that low. It’s quite sad. That number should definitely start with a nine AT LEAST.
IKR?
As has been repeated many times around here, this election has formed a permanent stain on American politics, one that will take years to wash out.
I just hope with all my heart that, after this is over and we HOPEFULLY (please Jesus, Jah, Yahweh, Mother Nature, Father Time, Ganesh, The Universe) have our first female president, we can see this f*cking MESS as a good thing. Maybe it’s good that we’ve finally exposed the absolute darkest, nastiest place in the collective heart of our country, so we can finally start to heal. I feel like crying.
Totally agree. It has been a shambles, Shambles. As well as considering the scary insight into some people’s mindset, I think there should be a look at the nomination processes (the bloody thing goes on far too long for one thing). It is hard to stay postive – a quick trip to the Daily Mail website reveals the most popular post to be “Go Trump”; but I believe Hillary will be POTUS.
AnneTommy,
It IS so hard to stay positive right now. It physically hurts to know that there are still people supporting a presidential candidate who hates people who aren’t white, straight, and with a penis so much. It’s painful. But our positivity is so crucial right now. We can use these feelings as fuel to fight even harder. Just visualize Hillary celebrating once the numbers are in (sipping champagne out the bottle a la Kate McKinnon), see it with all your heart, mind, and soul.
I believe she will be POTUS as well, because I have to. Sending love. ❤️
Are you kidding me? If it’s true, I’m thrilled! After months and months of seeing 50-60, I think almost 83 is fantastic!
Hallelujah! People are seeing the light!
Evangelical and conservative women are fleeing this burning ship. I read two great articles about it today. They’re disgusted by their party’s reluctance or refusal to disavow that piece of garbage Oompa Loompa. I think a lot of them feel this endorsement directly assaults their values and faith. It’s not just about conservative or GOP dogma. And for those that have been victims of sexual assault themselves, it has gone way too far.
Many of us saw through this excuse of a man from the start. Some of us are taking longer to get there. But get there we are! For the first time in this campaign, I’m not terrified. I know it’s not over, but that anxiety in the pit of my gut finally got some relief today. Trump thrives on the media circus, it’s what got him here. But that same media will not shut up about his assault remarks, this is not going away. And there’s no spin his surrogates can use to make this ok.
So not only did he fail to grow his base on Sunday, he’s actually losing ground. When Glenn Beck says he can’t vote for Trump…I have no words. Just HAHAHAHAHA!
Also:
TODAY IS THE VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE.
Please make sure you’re registered to vote, and please please please vote
This comment is not regarding this thread (sorry for the hijacking) but @Shambles: I wanted to say “Thank you” for your comment last week in a thread where you said “we are waaaaaay past the point of “I’ll still respect you no matter what your political views are…” I posted it on my FB and people came out in droves to tell me what a jerk I was and how insensitive I am. It really helped me clean up my friends list 🙂
Jennifer Jones-
I saw your comment on yesterday’s thread!! Life got too busy and I figured you wouldn’t see it if I replied, but I’m so glad it helped you with the almighty facebook cleanse. Any time I see someone post something pro-trump, I delete them immediately. No second thoughts. I’m really happy to online-meet someone who shares my thoughts, so thank you so much for reaching out! Good luck staying sane this month!
Thank you! I went onto my state’s website since I recently moved & they had some info wrong!!!!!! I corrected it and it took 30 seconds.
Little Darling: Although I find that tweet storm by republican female blogger a little helpful to the discourse, I really hate that she is being characterized as “brave”, especially by JK Rowling. Basically that woman was totally fine with accepting a GOP that was blatantly racist, xenophobic, anti-Islam, anti-LGBTQ, etc. (including anti-WOMEN even before TrumpTapes), but the moment the bigotry affects her personally as a white woman, that is where she draws the line. That’s far from brave in my book and underscores she really is a Republican at heart. Her politics = her self interest alone and nothing else.
@Shambles: I am afraid that if HRC gets elected (which I fervently hope she does), the GOP will do everything in its power to stonewall her through Congress. Glenn Beck (a Cruz supporter) has said Hillary is the “ethical” choice for Repubs, but that if she gets elected, they will fight her. Just like they did with President Obama (and then went on to blame him for not reaching across the aisle).
People have said it before, but the down-ticket elections are super important too. And thanks for reminding everyone to vote – I got my voter registration card, but I still checked online to make sure I was registered (and I am).
Sadezilla, you’re 100% on it with the downticket candidates. As soon as I’m home from work I’m doing as much research as I can so I can be an informed voter in that respect as well.
It’s so damn sad to me that the branches of our government, originally designed to keep a balance within the whole entity itself, have resorted to crossing their arms and ignoring each other like 4 year olds.
Well, that is why I am raising my first toast to Trump for turning on the entire republican party (I never thought I’d giggle over his tweets before). Trump may be the best thing that happened to this country for getting progressive laws actually passed- he is not helping any republican ticket right now & I hope it continues.
VOTE FOR HILLARY!
I’m glad that more men are openly saying this is not typical locker room banter.
If there is one positive out of this election, it may be sorting out both in public and private life who is a decent person.
Yeah, one of the rare postives about this election is how many issues have finally got full mainstream attention.
Check this OUT! A Republican blogger(?) denouncing her party over Twitter in an EPIC way. And our man Mark Ruffalo tweeted his support back. This gave me hope today. God I love this woman for taking the stand we wish everyone would.
https://mobile.twitter.com/MBGlenn/status/785641236392660994
yes absolutely 🙂
Definitely.
I was feeling very – everything is hell, people suck
Hearing from other guys how unacceptable this is, it’s a tiny bright spot of hope.
Detritus; me too. I’ve been pretty worked up and feeling desolate and scared for our country and for my kids if this is the way we view women and people.
Hearing so many men speak up and say NO and stand up for our safety and our rights and who are willing to take a public stand to debunk this theory that locker Talk is okay…it’s refreshing and it does help.
Exactly. When I read that last night it made my whole day. It’s not enough for women to say you can’t talk to us that way. MEN need to say you can’t talk to women that way as well. Hooray for every one of those men who stepped up!
Added to all this, they call it ‘Locker Room talk’, but they were not in a locker room. They were doing something for work!
Billy Bush was there for his show and so was Arianne Zucker. And yet he tried to give her as a present to a man who had just said such vile things about abusing his power to grope women.
Billy Bush is an enormous creep who abused his position of power at his job and should be fired (and never rehired anywhere where he has contact with people).
Billy Bush is a smarmy a-hole. I always hated him. It was rumored that Nancy O’Dell left because of him.
It was Nancy O’Dell that they were originally talking about. It adds an extra level of gross to the whole thing. It wouldn’t surprise me if he were a factor in her leaving.
I totally agree with your assessment of Trump @Kaiser.. I won’t call him a pig, because pigs are sweet, intelligent animals. He has none of their strength of character. He is a monstrous, stupid sociopath. HRC, on the other hand, is a perfect example of “savvy”. She has been in the game for decades. Her greed and lack of scruples is astonishing. She and Trump are the same in that regard. But I do admire her game playing skills. That will fit in perfectly in the White House with those who have gone before her-Reagan, Clinton, and the Bushes. I am one of those people who have been shocked to the core by the two choices presented to us. I have already started working from my state’s local ballot on up to try to get more candidates and parties represented so there will be more choices next time around.
“Her greed and lack of scruples is astonishing.”
Greed? How long until female ambition isn’t maligned?
I do agree with you about pigs. They are the sweetest.
I am not equating greed with women. It’s a human flaw. That is what equalizes them. They are both greedy. Their gender has nothing to do with it. Just about all of our politicians, male and female, seem greedy to me. It’s almost as if they change once they get a taste of power. It’s not gender specific, and for you to try to make it seem like that was what I was saying is unfair.
Greed and ambition are not the same thing.
Are we not allowed to say anything we don’t like about a woman in the public eye? Isn’t that treating women differently too?
Greed does not equalise them whatsoever. Talk about reducing something to an absurdity. Also, arguing that “all politicians are greedy and therefore Hillary is greedy just like Trump is greedy” is a logical fallacy of massive proportions. You’re setting up the usual false equivalency and are just as likely to vote for Trump as anyone else.
All you’ve done is throw one dimensional shade at Clinton and completely dismissed her record of achievement and reduced her to a caricature. It also sounds like what a fanatical Bernie supporter might say. A course in civics and critical thinking might help.
Certain words have a heavier meaning depending on the target. Greed is a loaded term when it comes to ambitious women. Are there greedy female politicians, sure. Sarah Palin is an obvious example. But I don’t see the greed in Hillary. And I don’t understand the comparison of Hillary’s scruples and supposed sense of greed to Trump as being the same.
I am curious about who you consider not greedy. Russ Feingold is an exception amongst politicians. Do you like him or who do you like?
hmmm, very well said. The only real criticism I’ve heard about Hillary can indeed be boiled down to “one dimensional shade.” People are mindlessly repeating talking points, some of which have been out there for decades.” Some simple research into actual facts would be very enlightening. Which brings me to my conclusion about many Trump supporters, which I’ve said here before — they are willfully ignorant.
@Hmmmm-I’d like to borrow you or can I keep you on retainer (?) for the next fight I get into on social media.
@hmmm and esmom-I’m sorry to reply here but I didn’t see another area-Palin is a sterling example of greed as well. I am not repeating mindless talking points-I just feel that HRC is may have enriched herself and used her position as senator and secretary for her own private gain (but I feel that way about most pols both parties and genders). I have never liked Clinton, and I question her foundation. That’s all. I looked at Bernie, Jill Stein, and Johnson. I just wanted to see more choices for all of us, instead of a clearly broken, nestled-down 2 party system. And I hope you aren’t calling me a Trump supporter or willfully ignorant. I am neither. He is sickening. I don’t know how I can be any clearer.
But Hillary may have? Or she definitely did and here’s how…. The first woman to actually get this close to the presidency could never be allowed to get here without intense efforts to smear her. I just think it’s important to have specific reasons.
Bernie and Jane Sanders are both problematic because of Sierra Blanco. Gary Johnson is straight-up disingenuous. And Jill Stein is an opportunist who courts anti-vaxxers.
kri, I’m didn’t mean to make it sound as if I was calling you willfully ignorant, especially if you’re not a Trump supporter. It’s just that Trump supporters to tend to fall back on talking points and false equivalencies rather than offering anything substantive about why Trump would make a better president than Hillary and I was reacting to that. Citing “greed” didn’t seem like a valid reason to choose Trump over Hillary. But I see now you weren’t doing that.
Hillary and Bill both came out of law school just around the time when corporate oligarchy was unfettered by The Reagan administration. And they were both outstanding students. I have always found it interesting that they did not go directly into corporate law firms and get their money that way. I know attorneys who did that, and they were making a killing starting in the 80s and still are. I mean real bank. It’s also common knowledge that being in the government is a low paying proposition. I guess my point is that even if people try to claim that the Clintons siphoned off a pile of bribes or favors over the years, believe me it would never have added up to the kind of money and glam perks a corporate law career will bring in if you’re in the right practice. Not to mention you aren’t in the public eye doing it. I have read many bios of them both, and what I think is that they really are idealistic children of the 60s who had poor to middling class parents they saw struggle, and so they just gave a damn and wanted to improve society.
YES NATALIE!!!!!!!
@kri
“I just feel that HRC is may have enriched herself and used her position as senator and secretary for her own private gain (but I feel that way about most pols both parties and genders).”
Feelings are not facts. Regarding any party or movement. It means nothing in terms of argument.
“I have never liked Clinton, and I question her foundation.”
Well, there ya go. Feelings override facts? I suggest you educate yourself.
“I just wanted to see more choices for all of us, instead of a clearly broken, nestled-down 2 party system.”
My guess is that undecideds feel themselves superior to the rest of us in thinking and feeling and could never be satisfied no matter what reasonable argument was proffered. This happened with the undecided Muslim woman at the debate who didn’t care for either of the nominees’ response.
“And I hope you aren’t calling me a Trump supporter or willfully ignorant. I am neither. He is sickening.”
So? You argue for false equivalence. Consequently if Trump mouthed the right words especially for you, he could convince you and sicken you no more. I still suggest you take a course in reasoning/logic and civics.
adastraperaspera, Very nice assessment of the Clintons, I agree. They are both extremely brilliant and could have done very well in corporate law, and been a lot less stressed. Their hearts have always been in the right place.
Kri- you really need to read more about the Clinton Foundation, how it started, how it grew, and how well respected it is among those who pay attention to how charities are run. It’s a public foundation and so its books are open. Their overhead is remarkably low for a charity (only 11%, so 89% of donations end up actually helping people directly). There is simply no evidence of improper use of the funds to enrich the Clintons personally. They have actually donated millions themselves to the Foundation. They are rich now, but that’s from the books they’ve written and speaking engagements. Their finances were quite low by the time they left the White House but those speaker fees allowed them to recover quickly, as has been true for other ex-Presidents and any well-known, articulate people with interesting things to say. When not in a position that precludes such speaking, Hillary has routinely received $225,000 per talk, and that is at the low end of the fees for the speakers bureau she works with. I imagine Bill was able to get more because he had been President.
You don’t have to assume the worst without evidence just because you personally don’t like someone. I dislike Bill Gates and Microsoft for many reasons, but the Gates Foundation actually does good work. I don’t think Gates is plagued by the “love of money” virus like Trump. We do have evidence that the Trump Foundation is a scam, but everything that man touches is a scam… Many other people who have accumulated money (or in the Clintons’ case, are good at convincing donors) do use that money for many good purposes. They aren’t all like Trump.
There is also no evidence that donating to the Clinton Foundation gave anyone more access to Secretary of State Clinton than they would have had simply because of the organizations they worked for or their political positions. Many of the Foundation’s projects are in countries outside the US, such as healthcare and farmer support projects in Africa. Bill Clinton has drawn on his contacts from around the world to pry money for such projects from rich foreigners as well as rich Americans. This is why they have had so many foreign donors. But while she was Secy of State, she was no longer involved in the Foundation and they also limited foreign donations to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest. Now they are planning to transfer the foreign projects and donations to other organizations if Hillary becomes President, and focus only on their projects in the USA.
In contrast, Trump doesn’t even seem to understand the conflicts of interest problem. He vaguely thinks having his kids run things will be enough. But even if Trump were as pure as the driven snow and as honest as the day is long in the summer, it would be an extraordinarily difficult or even impossible task to disentangle him from his businesses and creditors in a way that would make him clearly independent and conflict-free as President. The Clintons have never had even a tiny bit of the problems faced by Trump in eliminating conflicts of interest while in office. But they have dealt with theirs in reasonable ways.
You also need to look at Hillary’s work in more detail. She has chosen projects since law school that are not really ones that a lawyer would choose if aiming to make the most money. For example, working to make healthcare accessible (which is what really started the smear campaigns against her, the status quo in medical insurance was so profitable that the companies could afford to spend a lot to stop her) doesn’t sound like a good source of bribes to me. Working to stop health care reform could bring in the bribes, because the money flows in that direction.
The real money is in those WMDs – the military industry is so profitable that at one point just one company (General Electric, making half their profit from weapons) had so many lobbyists that each one could focus on just a few Congressional Representatives. My Congressman said that he knew one colleague who was offered a million dollars for a single vote on a weapons system..
VOTE FOR HILLARY!
I wouldn’t say pigs are sweet, though I do love them. They’re pretty close to humans in terms of willingness to be violent.
Has anybody seen that video of Hilary and Trump ‘serenading’ each other with the song ‘The time of my life’?
My first giggle of the day. Please go watch it!
His comments are so insulting to men. So there you go, he’s insulted freakin everybody in the American population.
My husband is very enraged, he was more enraged than me when he heard the tape. I was more sad and not at all surprised. My husband was shocked and so angry, and even angrier with the “locker room talk” excuse. Most men would never ever speak this way, and for Trump to say that this is just how men are is so incorrect, rude and insulting. That’s a low fu**ing bar for our potential president to be setting!
I can’t believe the amount of support Trump still has. Truly terrifying. “But but… Bill Clinton!”. So if what Bill did was wrong does that make what Trump did NOT wrong?! Makes no sense.
Sadly we really need some evidence of his actions against women. All I read from his crazies is “those are just words those are just words”.
Although he could probably be caught committing rape on film and they would still defend him. Supporting Trump is, at this stage, some form of heretofore unknown mental illness. It really is.
But words do matter. Such words matter especially coming from the person who would be responsible for administration of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The president appoints the person who directs that agency. The president decides the regulations for that agency. Under the current statutes and regulations governing that agency and all employers, words can show discrimination; words can show harassment; words can show retaliation; words can inflict emotional distress and other harm; words can result in punitive damages triple the amount of actual damages; words can be extremely costly.
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE with every word you said. But his supporters choose this bullshit line of reasoning to defend him.
It makes one wonder what the point of speech is if words don’t matter. Oh, wait, neanderthals don’t need speech, they just grunt.
Light purple, thank you! Words have incredible power, always have, always will. If they didn’t why else would we be here? Why do candidates, movie stars and companies have advertising and PR firms?
A cough is a symptom of pneumonia, “grab them by the p—y” is a symptom of misogyny.
Because that’s all Trump-supporters have left. Benghazi has been investigated into oblivion with HRC being found not responsible. The email “scandal” isn’t any worse than Rove erasing 22 million emails at the height of the US Attorney scandal and everyone ignoring it.
All that’s left is her husband’s transgressions and pant suits.
Of course, her husband isn’t running for president, but again these people are not critical thinkers.
They run on baseless hatred and rage. That’s all they’ve got.
On NPR this morning a Republican strategist was talking about Paul Ryan no longer defending Trump and the split in the party. He said that Trump supporters are “literally face down in the Kool-Aid”, in regards to their blind allegiance. Pretty apt description!
@Tiffany-I hope you don’t mind but I just stole that quote as a reply to someone on FB. I’m going down guns blazing lol. F*ck my ban on politics on social media.
I’m going IN on Trump and all his supprters.
I don’t mind at all, share it far and wide! I wish I had the name of the guy that said it.
I wish I could see your posts on FB! His supporters deserve to be held accountable for their choices, which include empowering a dangerous bigot.
Here’s the source!
“Speaking to NPR’s Morning Edition, Florida GOP strategist Mac Stipanovich, who says he’s voting for Clinton, described Trump’s supporters as “literally face-down in the Kool-Aid.”
http://www.npr.org/2016/10/11/497487335/shackles-off-trump-goes-hard-on-the-trail-and-twitter
Thank you Tiff!
Patricia- same! My husband was more upset than I was. He’s in the military and admits that sometimes jokes can be pretty vulgar, but says he crossed the line. He was outraged.
Can I ask you if he’s a Trump-supporter? I’m curious because I had a person on social media get all angry at me for supporting HRC because her husband is currently deployed in Afghanistan and “Benghazi!” etc.
I just assumed that generally-speaking, military people are very anti-HRC.
@ Kitten
My husband is a vet and currently in federal law enforcement, which is a pretty right-leaning crowd, but this year they’re pretty much all terrified of a Trump presidency. There is legitimate fear he would order them to do things that amount to war crimes, or violate international treaties, and there is a deep anxiety about what his ties to Russia could mean, should he be president. My guy doesn’t think Trump and Putin are actively colluding at this stage, but Putin is *definitely* trying to affect the outcome of our election, and as my guy says, “America shouldn’t be in the business of giving Putin anything that he wants.” He worries about what Trump’s business ties to Russia could mean, and we’re already dealing with huge virtual invasions from Russia; how much worse would that be if our president decides not to do anything about hacking because the Kremlin doesn’t want him to and he owes Putin’s closest allies billions in loans? I’m sure there is a lot of anti-HRC sentiment, but my experience with higher-up federal agents and military officers has been that this is the year they make an exception and vote for a leader who they at least understand and know how to deal with.
@Kitten: I was in the military for 15yrs, and military definitely skews to the right. My best friend is extremely liberal (and one of the smartest and well-read people I know) and she LOVED to get in political debates with fellow soldiers who were Republican but didn’t really know why except “patriotism and our constitution.” Most of my more educated Army buddies are Libertarian or (quietly) Democrats.
Oh thanks for that, Algernon. You just reminded me that my mom (who has NEVER put any bumper sticker on her car EVER, much less a political one) just sent me pics of two that she slapped on the back of her SUV: Dump Trump and “Trump/Putin 2016: Making Tyranny Great Again” lol
But yeah, his ties to Russia and his fondness for Putin isn’t funny.
So he’s voting for HRC then and not Johnson?
Interesting to see how traditionally-Republican voters are moving away from the GOP this year. I hope that’s a trend that sticks.
@ Kitten
I got one of the more liberal feds, so he’s voting HRC because he supports democratic policy (although he did vote for the republican governor of our state who is doing a crap job). It’s really a terrible generalization, but my experience has been that the more educated members of the military/security agencies are, as Scarlet Vixen says, either libertarian or closet Dems. It’s hard in that world to be openly democratic because people just expect lapel-pin patriotism, but there are more there than people think. Although, my guy’s boss is republican because, as he says, “When they’re in power we get more money.”
Ah I see…so Undercover Democrats 😉
Thanks for the replies…was always curious about that.
My husband is 20 plus years on the military so far and he’s a really liberal guy. I think depending on the branch, career field, etc you get a variety of political opinions. I know two of our extended military family who are voting Trump–one Army, one Navy.
The fact the he calls this normal, every day male talk is offensive.
Don’t.👏🏼 Even. 👏🏼Go. 👏🏼There. 👏🏼
Do not presume to speak for the men in my life. Do not compare them to you.
They are nothing like you. You are not fit to wipe their asses. And certainly do not generalize them as being the same misogynistic piece of shit asshat that you are. The men in my life, the ones who spent half
of their lives in locker room, would NEVER talk about a woman in this manner. EVER. First of all, their coaches wouldn’t stand for it. It just wouldn’t happen. Secondly, they have more respect for the women especially those who have played an important part in their lives. Third, and most important, they have the upmost respect for themselves.
I am so glad pro althetes are speaking out against his vile comments and his pathetic excuse for them. Trump’s comments were NOT ok and his repeated behavior towards women is NOT ok. What he was describing was sexual assualt, plain and simple.
Preach, LD. It WAS sexual assault and he lied as usual when AC tried to call him out on it. Neither he nor Pence are fit to wipe the asses of most men I know.
F yes Little Darling. I have plenty of guy friends, not ONE would ever talk like this. It’s not a sign of comfort in your masculinity, it’s a sign of pathetic male posturing.
Yes, I can just see Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer sitting in the locker room at Wimbledon talking about grabbing women’s puss@ies. Not.
Trump tweeted that if any new videos come out exposing him, he will go after Bill. Because apparently, women bears all responsibility for what men say or do with their genitals.
Well then where is Melania being hung to dry? She better leash her man up!
I saw her blouse, she has the ties at the ready.
Get on it Melania!
@Detritus; I needed that I feel I have just been super cranky and triggered and Ragey lately. very unlike my normal then self and I’m sad that this election is doing that to me.
Donald should focus more on not being The Manchurian Candidate for Putin
Donny — We get it — don’t vote for Bill!
Desperation is going to get uglier until Nov. 8.
100. All of a sudden, he forgot which Clinton he’s running against! The more desperate he gets, the deeper the grave that he is digging for himself. He is making history for all of the wrong reasons. This can never happen again……I pray.
He wants to beat Bill because he can’t beat a female. Ha!
It’s also a way to be dismissive of her and her stature and reduce her to a mere extension of the Big Dog. He’s trying to put her in her place.
hmmm: Spot on!! This is a person who hates to lose, but to a woman is unthinkable. Can’t wait for November 8th…..gonna party like it’s 1999, all over again….lol
Chris Kluwe, the American football player, wrote a brilliant letter to Cheeto Mussolini:
http://www.vox.com/first-person/2016/10/10/13230346/donald-trump-locker-room-talk-chris-kluwe?0p19G=c
I am appalled at the GOP for once again disavowing Tiny Hands’ WORDS but NOT HIS CANDIDACY. The message they are sending to women and girls – in addition to the vile falsehoods they have already spread about immigrants, Muslims, and non-white people – is disgusting.
Amen, BCL. Anyone who’s not disavowing his candidacy is a coward and can go eff themselves. The rationalizations are mind boggling.
This morning I was behind a car in the high school parking lot with the bumper sticker “Hillary for prison 2016.” It might as well just say “I’m ignorant and obnoxious.”
And filled with baseless hate. It’s all about the hate. Scary.
Great letter to Trump.
Thanks for that link BCL. It encapsulated that the way this disgusting person chooses to behave is hideously divisive, and not in the least bit akin to the “locker room talk” he tries to excuse his vile behaviour as representing. Chris Kluwe (I have no idea who he is, I am not a football person) wrote such a thoughtful and excoriating exposure of what happens in actual locker rooms, and how there is a respect for fifty percent of the population, and not just because they are some man’s wife or daughter, but because they are part of the human race.
I am so tense over the unthinkable possibility that this buffoon may actually make it to the While House. I am having flashbacks to an electorate who thought it wise to elect GWB TWICE. I have all my fingers and toes crossed that reason will prevail and it will be a landslide for our Madam President. From my lips to the Gods ears!
I remember being absolutely floored that Bush was re-elected. I was convinced that he was leading all of us right into WWIII. I was almost delirious when Obama was elected, and I am going to join you all feeling the same way when celebrating Hillary’s victory. Partly because she would be the first female president, but mostly because the alternative is ghastly.
I agree. After my country betrayed me by voting for GWB the second time, I don’t trust that we will always do the right thing.
Cheeto Mussolini!
While I’m sure most athletes don’t agree with him, when you hear how some of these athletes treat groupies, or women in general, it’s not so outlandish to think that this really is locker room talk. Fame and money do weird things to people.
Actually, the conditions in the locker rooms of professional sports teams have been highly litigated because of women sports reporters and women working for the teams. The leagues now all have very strict rules about what actually is appropriate in the workplace that is a locker room.
I din’t mean physically IN the locker room. But it’s good to hear that.
Loving your posts Lightpurple! Locke! Seriously ladies. (:
@Locke, I’m with you on this one. I’m rolling my eyes so hard at all these athletes acting like misogyny & sexual harassment are sooo foreign in their line of work. I’m not buying any of it.
Do they get this indignant when their athlete buddies get slaps on the wrist for rape or domestic violence?
Not to excuse any athletes for misogyny or crude talk about women….BUT they are not running for President of the United States. They are not claiming to be in any way, shape, or form to be worthy role models or to make tough decisions that could affect potentially everyone on the planet.
My god thank you! Also. The rights saying but but RAP MUSIC! So the men in locker rooms can change while listening to Jay Z and Kanye who say bad words about women but all of a sudden what Trump says isn’t okay.
WT Actual F is THAT????
Seriously? They’re bringing up Jay Z and Kanye’s behavior to excuse Trump’s? Neither one of them is currently on any ballots to bd President. Neither one of them is seeking to administer the EEOC. I find Kanye and his work offensive but I have the option not to buy it and not to listen to it and yes, to hold it against him should he run for political office. Just as I will continue to hold Trump’s behavior against him. And I fully support any woman who has experienced bad treatment from any of the three of them in the workplace.
@lightpurple This is not what I was talking about specifically, but it shows the gist.
https://www.google.com/amp/www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/news/amp49481/trump-comments-clinton-beyonce-cnn/
All I gotta say is God Bless John Oliver and Seth Meyers for getting me through this campaign with their sharp, insightful humor. Otherwise, I’d be banging my head against the wall.
Check out last night’s Colbert. The show itself was a repeat, but Stephen taped a special opening to cover the Trump tape/debate. It was good.
If you’re skipping Samantha Bee you are skipping the literal best of the commentary.
Apparently Burnett has a 5 mil clause for leaked video/audio on his productions. People are lobbying Mark Cuban to cough up the dough, apparently Trump drops the n-word on these tapes. Except I think the 5 mil goes directly to the Trumpster fire.
At this point its like beating a dead horse, the people who are supporting Trump are not swayed by bigotry, racism, incest style creepiness and paedophilia (12 years old is his lowest limit wtf), as well as generalized misogyny, rampant ego and entitlement and poor statesmanship.
I don’t know what else will convince people at this point. I swear if it was another man running it would be sitting at 95%.
Five million dollars for Trump saying the “n” word could really be put to better use. His supporters would probably cheer it and deride the rest of normal humanity as being too sensitive and “politically correct.”
Agreed. It won’t change anything, certainly not the current poll figures.
I just hope his campaign doesn’t have any last-minute tricks up their sleeves.
Paul Ryan’s refusal to campaign with Trump is really telling. I do believe the GOP is folding precisely BECAUSE they don’t have any ammunition left.
I sure hope so…
That’s kind of what I was thinking, that 5mil could be used for outreach. Support of communities, education, hell I’m sure Flint could use that 5mil. Or Haiti.
If it requires another cuss word to finally turn people against Trump, I just don’t get it. He’s been walking the racist walk for years, why is it one word that has the power to turn people? His wall comments, his islamaphobia, those aren’t cuss words, but the effects are far more wide reaching that him dropping the n-bomb.
Exactly, detritus. Just think what five million could do in Haiti. And I totally agree that many of Trump’s other comments are worse than the “n” word and if people are still supporting him this won’t make a difference at all.
I hope Cuban does buy the leaked audio. At this point, any leaked audio or video of Trump being vile isn’t going to harm his poll numbers. His supporters are “ride or die”. It just want his brand, the Trump organization to be dead on arrival.
I would also like to see his son-in-law’, Jared Kushner’s, business take a big hit. That smirking little weasel was behind flying in the Clinton accusers to the 2nd debate. I hope he never lives it down.
There is some Trump level shady business going on with the Kushner’s too.
I agree about hoping Jared Kushners business takes a hit.
Ivanka is friends with Chelsea, how could Kushner orchestrate having Bill’s accusers there?!
What is the deal with Kushner’s business dealings?
I read news articles that outline Trump’s tax plan to dramatically reduce the taxes paid by the wealthiest (47% to be precise). By contrast, the middle and lower economic strata get a mere 0.08-1% tax break. In some instances, the tax actually increased for the middle-class.
“While the top 1 percent would receive an average tax cut of $215,000, the top 0.1 percent would pocket an additional $1.1 million.” – Politico.com
I shudder to even think that Trump who evaded paying federal taxes for 18+ years may be elected into office.
🙁
Yeah it’s a waste of money because if laughing about committing sexual assault is considered “just words” and “we all talk like that at some point” (what I’ve seen his supporters write) tapes of him saying the n word will not stop his supporters. “It’s just words.” 🙄
Congratulations Kaiser, this time you were a real Kaiser. Great story! Really appreciate the links.
Thank you
YES good work, Kaiser. I shared that NYT link on FB and emailed it to my mom. It is an EXCELLENT read.
SUCH a great post full of lickity links. That was a FANTASTIC read.
Mark Burnett is a POS. Awful.
I hope I can share this here but with the news that the rape case against Trump is being reopened, I had to read the affidavit etc.
It is HORRIFIC.
Warnings for triggers, etc.
This guy is a monster..please share on social media.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/316341058/Donald-Trump-Jeffrey-Epstein-Rape-Lawsuit-and-Affidavits
Oh my God, Kitten. I am shaking. How can it even be possible that the media has not exposed this complaint? How can it be that HRC did not bring this up at the debates? I do not understand.
I read the affidavit a good while ago, it’s been available, though marginally publicized.
First, no matter how much I abhor Trump, I don’t want to jump to treating him as guilty before the any investigation. You know, that habeas corpus thingy. The facts do fit in a frightful manner with all we know about Epstein’s pyramid scheme of child prostitution, and Trump’s appreciation of Epstein is public and unreserved. But the first hearing is in December, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see, and hope the truth prevails.
Second, I can’t help but think that the cone of shade covering this allegation has a lot to do with ole Bill Clinton’s friendship with same pedophile Epstein. No, nobody accused Bill of having sex, adult or underage, with anybody on Epstein’s private island or his Lolita plain. Yet this relationship endured for years, and materialized in donations to the Clinton Family foundation (to be fair, Epstein was giving money left and right). As an aside, f-ck Bill Clinton, the rotten ball and chain.
@Lambda- “Second, I can’t help but think that the cone of shade covering this allegation has a lot to do with ole Bill Clinton’s friendship with same pedophile Epstein”
Yeah I kind of assumed that was partly why the Clinton campaign hasn’t been all over this. But she’s also been taking the high road in that she hasn’t been overly-focused on Trump’s personal misdeeds (to put it lightly) and has been focusing on policy during every debate. I do think a lot of that is strategic on both fronts: 1) she’s trying to highlight Trump’s political ignorance and utter lack of knowledge on the issues and 2) she probably doesn’t want to open that can of worms given her husband’s history.
As far as saying “innocent till proven guilty” well.. sure, but given everything we know about how Trump treats women and the fact that a judge seems to think that it’s worthy of reopening the case at the very least shows that there’s enough evidence to take a second look at it.
I also find it hard to believe that a 13-year-old would lie about being sexually assaulted by one of the most powerful businessmen during the 1980s.
That’s David going up against Goliath for what reason..? Money? Reading the horrific details it seems like that would be a LOT for one child to fabricate in an attempt to cash in.
On that note, the multiple allegations of rape against Bill Clinton also speak to an atrocious pattern of behavior that while maybe not all proven in a court of law, are hard to deny and easy for me to believe.
(good thing Bill isn’t running right?)
I also have to add that while you may have read the affidavit a long time ago, you are one of the few that have. I’ve been posting this like crazy and the responses I’m getting are almost all like Heather’s above. The media and press have shied away from reporting on this and have been noticeably silent.
A few things here: I stand by my position of not considering anybody guilty before a trial and only based on a plaintiff’s, or several in this case, deposition. I don’t think I need to elaborate the point.
Then: it was not a child, but an adult who produced the affidavit. This plaintiff is in her 30s now, so, while a child may not lie, adults do. The reason might be exactly money, given that the woman and an acolyte were shopping the story around for a million bucks a year or so before filing federal charges. This part does not in itself invalidate the truthfulness of the complaint, I should add. Finally, unless I’m seriously missing something, the case was not re-opened because of new evidence, but re-filed. The case was initially dismissed technically, because it was not properly filed (the plaintiff did not have proper representation).
I wouldn’t be shocked if Trump was guilty, but I’m not scurrying for my pitchfork yet. What make me preemptively sad, if the story is true, is that the case is indefensible, even with one witness. Unless they manage to flush out other witnesses, I don’t see the case going anywhere.
I’ve been banging away on that case for months on Facebook. I dint know why it isn’t covered more.
As an (track) athlete myself, I’m appalled that people took this “locker room talk” excuse and ran with it. Granted I’m a female so I’m not exactly in the male locker room but I’ve been around male athletes enough to know that yea they’ll talk about their girl friends or having sex with women but I’ve never once heard the crap that Trump said. In fact, out of all my male friends, the athletes have always been the most respectable. Yea sure there’s a few bad apples in the bunch but not all athletes are jocks who are looking to score every night.
Trump wasn’t in a locker room when he made those comments. He was a “work” promoting the Apprentice. He is a pig.
I can’t wait for Trump to lose “bigly” to a woman. He and his supporters will never acknowledge that he was beaten fair and square by Hillary Clinton, but the rest of the world will know.
Rebecca Traister’s essay is brilliant – insightful, fierce, sickening, disturbing and depressing.
Thanks for link, Kaiser and it is, as you say, absolutely a must-read.
On NPR this morning a longtime Republican strategist/lobbyist described Trump supporters as “face down in the Kool-Aid.” I almost ran off the road I was laughing so hard.
Thank you for the Rebecca Traister article, Kaiser. So much to read on the election that it’s hard to sort it all out. Traister’s piece is brilliantly argued. I love that her rage is palpable but her writing and clarity are impeccable.
Echoing @Guesto and @Simpatico – thank you for the Traister article. Off to read it over lunch! Also, I highly recommend her book All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation.
Read this if you want total insight into and confirmation (I know very few here need it) of this man’s complete lack of intellect and deep deep insecurities…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-inside-story-of-donald-trumps-comedy-central-roast-is-everything-you-thought-it-would-be_us_57fbed42e4b0e655eab6c191
It would be laughable if we weren’t where we are right now.
Problem with the athletes coming out against the locker room talk is that quite a lot of them DO assault women. How come they haven’t made statements about their own?
True, however none of them are running for President. That’s the issue here.
Ummmm. Have you read Kobe Bryant’s statement on his sexual assault a few years ago?
“First, I want to apologize directly to the young woman involved in this incident. I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. Although this year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure. I also want to apologize to her parents and family members, and to my family and friends and supporters, and to the citizens of Eagle, Colo.
I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives of this young woman. No money has been paid to this woman. She has agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil case. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.
I issue this statement today fully aware that while one part of this case ends today, another remains. I understand that the civil case against me will go forward. That part of this case will be decided by and between the parties directly involved in the incident and will no longer be a financial or emotional drain on the citizens of the state of Colorado.
Wikipedia
Nate Parker should take a page from this book.
Wow. Thanks for posting that. Now that’s accountability. That’s how you show remorse, reflection and personal growth. I do hope that Kobe has educated himself further and is now fully versed on what it means to consent.
Wow I never knew about this. Even if it was soley written by a PR person just the idea that he signed off on this makes him a little less sickening to me.
Damn. That is one excellent apology. I never thought I would like Kobe, but that apology is taking the edge off.
I f*cking hate Kobe but that made me hate him a bit less. Doubt he wrote it but still..that statement was pretty much perfection.
So now trump is saying if more tapes come out on him he’s going after Bill. This sounds like blackmail to me.
Yeah he’s going after Bill if they leak more tapes but when are they going to get it through their thick skulls that Bill isn’t running for president!!!! And he said Bill has said worse on the golf course so he’s saying that he’s going to show the kind of person Bill is but that was apparently his locker room buddy. Does this make sense to anyone?!?
I just signed a petition for MGM to release those Apprentice Tapes. I posted a link if anyone’s interested.
https://act.credoaction.com/sign/apprentice_tapes?t=1&akid=20078.8974148.4IxJyp
Thank you SO much for posting a link to that NY Mag article. That is truly one of the best written articles that I have seen on this torrent of misogny that has been unleashed over the past week. I expected it from Trump. What sickens me are the other people, astonishingly including women, who have defended him and excused it as “locker room talk.”
Agree with everything you said, Kaiser. And while I’m living in terror these next four weeks (and am so scared/angry generally that so many people support someone as awful as Trump), I’m also glad that Trump’s awfulness has at least exposed more of the rape culture we live in.
My husband played football for nine years and has been in many locker rooms. He was completely appalled by Trump’s comment. He noted that none of the guys in any of the locker rooms he was in would ever talk about women the way Trump did. He also pointed out that not only would those comments not be tolerated but the offender would be called out to everyone. I truly think this would be viewed in a different light entirely if we were talking about a man running around and grabbing other men’s crotches. But because the offending action (and words) are about women, it is being dismissed, ridiculed, and ignored.
I have spent a lot of time working with men in male dominated environments. I have been described as an honorary man and as such I have heard a lot of talk that men usually keep from women. Boasting of grabbing a woman’s p***y or making a play for a colleague’s wife is not usual ‘locker room’ talk. I like men, I have a high threshold for their un-PC gender related banter, because I give as good as I get, but Trump’s comments are vile and all the men I have discussed this with agree.
I have also spent much of my working life working with all or mostly men. Some would “notice” women and make comments about their looks (ex: love those long legs, she has a nice a**, she’s hot), but never did they creep me out like Trump’s comments did. The only one that did creep me out with his comments ended up having child porn on his computer and went to jail for it.
Exactly! Some, but not all men do talk like that and I have been known to do the same about both men and women. It isn’t inherently creepy. I have known two men in who creeped me out. One was someone who always seemed to have a reason to brush past me; he was a family man and highly religious. The other was a professional man who was part of a very socially diverse group of men and me as part of an adventure sports group. This guy would join in with the racey banter, but with him there also seemed to be an edge to what he said. He the only one in the group who made me feel I didn’t belong and the only one cheating on his wife. The term ‘Bro’ is often use to dismiss men who enjoy being together as a group, but neither of those two would be dismissed in that way because they knew how to present themselves in an acceptable manner around most women. Most ‘bros’ are essentially decent human beings, some men who present themselves as shinning examples of the modern man are nasty pieces of work and Donald Trump is a scumbag.
Please give us daily updates of the election and fallout of the GOP. It keeps the Kardashians out if the news!!!!
What, a robbery? Who cares!!!!
Great post, Kaiser.
Please check more excellent points on Van Jones’ recent video re Tiny Hands the Thug:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNk3Jdck7nY
I imagine that Tiny Hands’ comments and Billy Bush’s titters (no pun intended) are common among a certain segment of the entitled male population who just don’t get what it really means and/or don’t care, such as Trump supporters, Leslie Jones’ lambasters, and the men who frequently send sexist, vulgar hate mail to just about all prominent women. The first step in demanding change probably is for them to imagine their daughters and wives in that situation, but for that to be the only point of understanding among politicians on the national stage shows you what an abysmal nadir we’re at on this subject.
Coconut, thanks for posting. Van Jones is speaking the truth, and being hilarious while doing so!
This man is despicable. He and Hillary have made a mockery of the US election process. The world is shaking their head wondering WTF!
There is only one candidate who has dragged this campaign into the mud and that’s Trump. Don’t put Hillary in the same category has that obese, knuckle-dragging gorilla.
In my opinion, she has missed several chances to slam back at him, and keeps trying to take a higher road.
He keeps mentioning her terrible ads against him. Does he mean the ones using his own words?
Funny, everyone In Australia that I’ve spoken to thinks Hillary has run her campaign like a pro.
I think she’s done great. She’s kept her cool under crazy circumstances. Imagine being her and having your opponent bring these women your husband allegedly raped. She kept calm, didn’t let him run her over and made good points. What her husband did has no bearing on her as a President, IMO. But seeing Trump vs her, you can really see the differences between them and how much more Presidential she is.
Holy cow, the Republican Party is imploding with Donald declaring war on his own party, those not defending him, and the shackles are off, he says.
This election is insanity.
So glad this cluster f@ck is almost over. The good news is that the xenophobic threat that is Trump will be put down. It’s a shame his movement stole the anti-establishment thunder of those rightfully upset with the top 1%. The bad news is that the establishment’s war on the working class and welfare dependant will roll on. Wall Street must be delighted.
Online polls are not actual votes however – so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE everyone get registered to vote & commit to going to the actual polls.
I am so fearful people will assume she’ll win they won’t go & actually vote.
Would love to see in the high 60s to 70 percent voter turnout this year.
The folks at the FiveThirtyEight Elections podcast (Nate Silver et al), call those insta-polls “clickers,” and yes, please disregard! They are not accurate at all.
Agreed. Complacency is the enemy.
Mark Burnett threatened to sue anyone who leaks the behind the scenes footage, I thought?
He said that’s not true. He doesn’t have that power, complete control over it. He has never publicly backed Donald or Hillary, but he reminded people he has backed Democrats before. I can’t remember his exact verbiage.
What do these athletes have to do with any of this though? Why did they see the phrase “locker room talk” and took it as a personal attack against themselves? Last time I checked, locker rooms were not strictly used by athletes. And I’m pretty sure that in that context, Trump meant it as a figure of speech.
This is shameless self-promotion at the expense of a serious issue.
Sad.
Yeah but don’t you think it’s nice that they used it as an opportunity to highlight sexism and rape culture?
They didn’t. None of them mentioned sexism or rape culture.
All their tweets just say something along the lines of “in MY locker room we don’t talk like that”. Which great, but did anyone really ask?
@ horror
I think it’s good for athletes to say this. It reinforces that type of talk is not proper. And that would not be acceptable. I think it’s pretty obvious the point they are trying to make. A lot of people don’t know what sexism of rape culture is, so those words would be lost on those people. I’m not sure what rape culture is. I could think of some examples but I would not be able to define it.
They still tackled it even if they didn’t use your preferred wording.
I’ve never seen sheeple like I see right now. I can’t even look at ANYONE right now. Ugh.
My favorite comment from a commentator’s review of the second debate:
“Trump is toast.”
Really… Hillary is running a bad campaign. She is a bad candidate, Trump is worse. That’s not misogyny.
I think she’s running a good campaign. The problem is that so many people hate her. I think that’s because of a mixture of irrationality and misogyny. Other people may feel it’s grounded in fact. But I don’t think it’s her campaign. The missteps have been very minor in comparison with the shi@t storm of the GOP campaign, largely because of the horrible candidate.
Donald Trump is a known quantity at this point. The folks who need to lay off the proverbial kool aid hardly seem to care as this is essentially the status quo.
I will add that Mr. Sparkle is a professional golfer and I’ve heard much worse on the golf course. Feels wrong agreeing with anything he says but it’s absolutely true.
I assume Mr Sparkle isn’t a Presidential candidate, who actually says those things himself. And one of the points rather lost in the furore is how STUPID Trump was to say those things when there was even the slightest danger of them being recorded. I’m glad the proof is there, but whatever Bill C may have said, he wasn’t stupid enough to have it put on tape.
I really, really can’t stand Donald and hope Hillary wins.
However let’s be real. If a Democrat like Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, JFK – that type of guy – had been recorded saying the same things Donald said (and I’m pretty sure Donald is correct that Bill has said worse stuff), then it would be Democrats defending what their guy said, and Republicans doing the moral condemnation.
It’s largely about defending “your guy”. It always will be. I wish it wasn’t true, but you can’t change human nature.