The Debate: How tiresome and non-productive

MoonHowler

short fingers

Washingtonpost.com:

It’s highly questionable whether anyone emerged as the winner in Thursday’s Republican presidential debate in Detroit, though the candidates’ spinmeisters would all quibble with that. There was one clear loser: the Grand Old Party.

The 11th debate of the Republican campaign tested the patience and the limits of viewers and voters. Insults and interruptions overwhelmed sober discussion. The raucous audience, now a staple of the GOP debates, only added to the sense of game-show politics.

Can anyone credibly suggest that the Republicans put their collective best face forward on Thursday night? At a time when the party is in crisis over the possibility that Donald Trump will become the nominee, the debate did next-to-nothing to make Trump or his three remaining candidates look or sound presidential.

Designed to define candidates’ differences, the debates have become tedious and repetitious rather than enlightening or illuminating. No new information was imparted, no truly new arguments advanced. Even the insults were tiresome.

At what point are they going to stop with these debates?  The GOP is going to run itself into the ground.  The debate was boring, exhausting, and accomplished nothing.

Read More

Mitt Romney joins the fray

MoonHowler

Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney joined the fray today and made an impassioned speech against Donald Trump.  Is Romney the last hope to speak to sane Republicans?

I think most people respect Mitt Romney, even if they don’t agree with his policies.  Romney spoke directly and firmly.

Trump’s response was to suggest that when Romney ran,  he was all but down on his knees.  Given the double entendre of that statement, Trump should be ashamed of himself.  That remark was the crowning blow in the land of low-class.

Will Republicans listen to Romney?  My guess is his speech will do no good.  Those who agree with him already wouldn’t consider voting for Trump.  The Trump-followers wouldn’t have voted for Romney in the first place.  The angry, the lewd, the bullies, are all right where they want to be and proud of it.

The death penalty: a very useful tool

MoonHowler

Cavalierdaily.com:

Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr. pleaded guilty to the murders of then second-year College student Hannah Graham and Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington at the Albemarle Circuit County Court Wednesday. Matthew’s trial for Graham’s murder was originally set for July 5. The trial for Harrington’s murder was set for Oct. 24.

Matthew was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences for the murder and abduction of Graham and the murder and abduction of Harrington. The capital murder charge in Graham’s case was nolle prosequi.

As part of the plea bargain, Matthew waived his right to apply for conditional release, early release and parole, including geriatric release.

At a press conference following the hearing, Matthew’s lead counsel said his client took the deal to avoid the death penalty.

Prior to his plea, Matthew was charged with capital murder and abduction with intent to defile in the murder of Graham, as well as with the charges of first-degree murder and abduction with intent to defile in the murder of Harrington.

The death penalty became a useful tool in these horrible cases.  Albemarle County played this one very smart and very craftily.   Matthew deserves to die.  He and his lawyers knew he deserved to die and that the state of Virginia was more than willing to oblige him.   He also had victims’ parents who had the wherewithal to make that happen.  So he bought his life.  He will probably live out his days with the worst of the worst, at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County.

Had Virginia not had the death penalty firmly in place, it would have cost a great deal more to prosecute this monster, not once but twice.  Additionally, there is always the remote chance that something can get overthrown on a technicality.

Hopefully, the victims’ friends and families can now get the closure they deserve.  They have survived the nightmare.

Trump rally violence continues

MoonHowler

Talkingpointsmemo.com:

A black protester was jostled and shoved by white Donald Trump supporters Tuesday at a rally in Louisville, Kentucky, according to local news station WLKY.

Video published by the news station showed the black protestor, whom it did not identify, being confronted and pushed by white rally attendees until she left. The protester told WLKY on Tuesday night that she was doing well but trying to “process everything.”

Blogger and Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King later identified the protester as University of Louisville student Shiya Nwanguma. Nwanguma alleged in a Facebook video that the rally attendees called her “a n***** and a c***.”[ED. Note:  expletives redacted by admin. @Moonhowlings.net]

“I just got escorted out by the police,” she said in the video. “The people at the rally, they were pushing and shoving at me, cursing at me, yelling at me, called me every name in the book. They’re disgusting and dangerous.”

Read More

CNN dust up on Super Tuesday night turns into a meltdown

MoonHowler

Washingtonpost.com:

On the night of a primary, CNN is known for its comprehensive coverage of who won what, flashy graphics, stalling for time, and open speculation about what the heck will happen next. Moments of passionate exchange are, perhaps, less common.

Yet, during CNN’s Super Tuesday coverage, such a moment came when former Obama staffer Van Jones took on former Reagan staffer and Donald Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord in a heated debate about race, the Democratic Party and the Ku Klux Klan.

The trouble began when fellow contributor S.E. Cupp, a conservative, accused Trump of “crazy, dog-whistle policy proposals” to curry favor with prejudiced voters.

“Donald Trump has tried to otherize every other candidate in this race,” Cupp said, “… to sort of scare this very small part of the electorate who thinks that all of their problems are the fault of people who don’t look like them.”

 

Read More