Gus Walz

I can only imagine what the "suburban women" demographic is thinking about MAGA's attack on a kid like Gus. I suspect any one of those women who were once on the fence no longer are. And that's not good news at all for Trump's electoral prospects.
 
I knew as soon as I saw that - it would be the viral meme of Walz’s speech and maybe even the convention. And there isn’t a better selling point for Walz (and the ticket) than seeing the genuine emotion of his son (and really his entire family) at this moment.

It says everything about Walz as a dad. And who he is when the cameras are off. And a stark reminder that this is not the silver spoon ticket. This is the culmination of a life of hard work from a prosecutor and daughter of immigrants. And a teacher football coach and Guardsman. And his family couldn’t be more proud.

It’s a beautiful moment. Don’t get caught up in the bottom dwellers because they’ll always be there. The more people send around the clip. The better in my mind. Because in many ways (whatever snark such folks try to add) the clip speaks for itself.
 
SnoopRob said:
I'm still adjusting to how much younger than me you are, but I was the equivalent when I was in HS as I had both Rush Limbaugh books proudly on my bookshelf.
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OK. Confessional time. Early 90's: I got a Limbaugh book one Christmas, appreciated it and read it. I also had a book about the leftward lean of the media, written by an ex-reporter at CBS. I enjoyed it as well. By the time I got the 2nd Rush book for Christmas, I had gotten tired of his childishness.
 
8992Tiger said:
OK. Confessional time. Early 90's: I got a Limbaugh book one Christmas, appreciated it and read it. I also had a book about the leftward lean of the media, written by an ex-reporter at CBS. I enjoyed it as well. By the time I got the 2nd Rush book for Christmas, I had gotten tired of his childishness.
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My confessional time. When I was a kid, there was something known as "Freedom of Choice" as to what school kids went to. As in, if the kid and his or her parents wanted to go to the black school, they could, regardless of their race. And if another kid and his or her parents wanted to go to the white school, then they could, regardless of their race. This seems to me, in the 3rd grade, to be a perfectly reasonable way to handle the issue of integration while simultaneously respecting the wishes of the individual. When I mentioned this to my older brother, he took me aside and explained the flaw in my reasoning. He explained how our father and our father's uncle owned the store where my father worked. He explained in the economy of our small Southern town, most black people worked for white people, one way or another. And if black parents exercised their "Freedom of Choice" to choose to send their children to the white school there very possibly could be retaliation by the white people for whom the black people worked. He explained that unless there was some sort of economic equality, "Freedom of Choice" was largely an illusion useful only for maintaining segregated schools.

Several years later, when both my older brothers were in the Navy, one of my older brothers was in Vietnam, rotating--four weeks at a time--between DaNang and various Marine firebases near the DMZ as a weatherman. A choir from some college came to sing at our church. And in groups of about 3, after church they went home to have Sunday dinner with families. Our family got three very attractive young women. As we were sitting around after Sunday dinner, my parents told them about their kids, introduced the ones who were present and told them about the ones who were away. One of the away ones, was my older brother in Vietnam. And a discussion about America's role in Vietnam ensued. My father was a combat veteran of WW2 of the South Pacific. At the time, he supported what America was doing in Vietnam. But these three college girls really engaged him on what the United States was doing, how it was doing it, what the end game was, and what were the adverse consequences if America failed. It was a very polite conversation on both sides. But as the conversation continued, I could see doubt start to creep into my father's side of the discussion. He was never the same on Vietnam after that Sunday afternoon. I gradually came to understand what happened that Sunday afternoon and came to admire my father even more. Not because he changed his mind on Vietnam, but because he was the sort of person who would listen to a reasoned argument, try to understand it, and if it made sense, would change his mind on an issue.

All of which is to say two things to those of you who admired various conservative icons in the past. 1) Some of those conservative icons are still worthy of admiration. 2) It speaks well of your cognitive skills that you are able to re-examine your beliefs and disregard those that you find wanting. Or in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
 
The closest I ever got to subsidizing the crazy right wing was reading newt Gingrich's alternative civil war books. I remember enjoying them. He was a history professor so it made sense he could be plausible in his writing. I did feel quite dirty and burned them after reading.

True story, some of you may remember my fossil collection thread for the old zzl. My friend from whom I inherited most of them from was an avid collector and had a truly remarkable (probably best outside a museum) collection. When they decided to sell a select few casts of the T Rex skull Sue, my friend was first in line to get #1. He was very excited. Then fucking Newt Gingrich claimed it for his speakers office and my friend got pushed to #2 which took a few months to create. Needless to say he was screaming bloody murder and has never forgiven him.

He offered to sell to me but it was just too big. So it's now the Sue Skull in the Smithsonian.

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SnoopRob said:
I'm still adjusting to how much younger than me you are, but I was the equivalent when I was in HS as I had both Rush Limbaugh books proudly on my bookshelf.
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I’m still adjusting to how much younger than me you are, but I was the equivalent when Ronnie Raygun was re-elected in 1984 and I sold my car, quit my job and left the US with $500 in travelers checks, a guitar and a $99 one way ticket to Europe on People’s Express. The books I left behind are the same ones Rush and Coulter want to ban. “Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now”. Google young bucks and teach your children well.
 
Igs149 said:
I knew as soon as I saw that - it would be the viral meme of Walz’s speech and maybe even the convention. And there isn’t a better selling point for Walz (and the ticket) than seeing the genuine emotion of his son (and really his entire family) at this moment.

It says everything about Walz as a dad. And who he is when the cameras are off. And a stark reminder that this is not the silver spoon ticket. This is the culmination of a life of hard work from a prosecutor and daughter of immigrants. And a teacher football coach and Guardsman. And his family couldn’t be more proud.

It’s a beautiful moment. Don’t get caught up in the bottom dwellers because they’ll always be there. The more people send around the clip. The better in my mind. Because in many ways (whatever snark such folks try to add) the clip speaks for itself.
Click to expand...
Truth . . . !
Well said . .
 
“Mississippi Goddam” I’m an old motherfucker.

I guess one had to be a little older during the Rush Limbaugh Newt Gingrich years to see through all that bull shit and not get caught up in it. Of course I was older then… listening to Nina Simone and John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Max Roach… Thelonius Monk.

Glad to know a couple of you youngsters saw your way clear of that Rush mess and grew a pair. And now you reside here. Unfortunately there are about 70 million others who fell victim to Rush, Newt, Hannity, O’Reilly, and trump. Bless their hearts.
 
Those of you posting about having Coulter, Limbaugh... books in HS, how did that come about? Were your parents/family heavy into politics and got you into it at an early age or was it something you decided to explore on your own?

I don't think my 14-18 year old self had a real political thought/interest unless it was something that made the national headlines, like Reagan getting shot and then that would only last about a day or two.
 
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