JOE LIVES!

Despite attacks from all sides, Biden slurs his way to safety
PX3 RECAP PODCAST

It wasn't anything you'd like to post on Joe303030 about, but Biden survived. 

And that will likely be the only takeaway from what was otherwise a lackluster debate billed as Biden vs. Harris 2.

Here are my notes:

Biden starts strong, sounds old, survives

When you expect someone to die, they get credit for living. That's the Joe Biden story. He withstood hits from Kamala, Castro, Gillibrand and De Blasio and didn't melt down like in Miami. That being said, he still sounded really old and still has a very curious habit of taking the bait on discussing issues from 20 years ago in intricate detail.

But he was feisty, alert and even threw a bomb back in De Blasio's face on a NAFTA gotcha.

Hell, he even dusted off a "Mularkey" for old time's sake.

On his last night as a television debate candidate, Bennet suggests our border issues should really be about comprehensive immigration reform

Perfect timing considering Bennet 2020 is likely seconds away from oblivion. 

But seriously, why is every border discussion about decriminalizing or lamenting the current state of things. We have candidates pitching ambitious 10 year plans on health care and the environment... why so short sighted on immigration?

Castro not as good without a Beto to knife

Julian acquitted himself well and continued to own the immigration issue... but.... it just wasn't the same without him sucking the soul out of the sullen wispy corpse of Beto.


Tulsi flexes her military might and continues to make a good impression

She called Kamala a cop and owns any kind of discussion about military intervention. Who knows where it goes but it might be enough to move Tulsi into the next round of debates.

Yang improves by 1000% in a month

He was funny, broke the fourth wall and did a good job of explaining why the $1000 a month Freedom Dividend isn't just a massive welfare expansion. That's pretty much all you could hope for considering he was a wall flower in the Miami debates.

I WENT 3-3 IN MY NIGHT TWO PREDICTIONS

My Night One Debate Predictions Video

Elaborated a little more on my predictions for night one.

Playlist Links for the episode "Making fun of candidate playlists on Spotify - Px3 Interview with Colin Dabkowski"

The completely nonsensical playlists published by candidates are mocked in this episode. But if you want to sample the tasty grooves yourself…

Gillibrand 2020

Senator Klobuchar’s Playlist

Buttijams

Corey Booker’s Music

Kamala’s Summer Playlist

Detroit Debate Night One - PREDICTIONS!

So what do we know for sure about the debates tonight?

We know that by Thursday and Friday almost half of the campaigns of the candidates on stage will be over. We know that the biggest poll movement after the last debates came from candidates who sparred with less prepared competitors.

We know the debates take place in Detroit and begin at 8 p.m. ET on CNN.

We know these are the people on stage:

Marianne Williamson
Tim Ryan
Amy Klobuchar
Pete Buttigieg
Bernie Sanders
Elizabeth Warren
Beto O'Rourke
John Hickenlooper
John Delaney
Steve Bullock

So with that in mind, here are the ROCK SOLID, LEAD PIPE LOCK PREDICTIONS!


Elizabeth Warren will sneak diss Bernie Sanders

I haven't been shy about my prediction that there is a coming war between these two candidates. I bet on Bernie to reintroduce himself the last debate and he didn't so now I'm betting against him. I am classifying a sneak diss in this context as any Warren statement that draws a line between her and Bernie as candidates. For example, "I am not just repeating the same ideas from the past, I am applying the lessons I've learned in the new plans I've put out."


Amy Klobuchar will announce herself as the Not A Socialist candidate

The moderate lane is still more open than it should be at this stage. Amy needs a boost, why not do while standing next two the progressive champions in Warren and Sanders.


Beto will try to claim the newly vacated gun control corner

Swalwell is gone. The issue will be a focal point thanks to Gilroy. This of course makes NO SENSE for Beto since his worth is as a candidate that can flip Texas and you can't flip Texas while being hardcore anti-2A... which is why I am predicting he will do it. It's the perfect short-sighted move for a short-sighted candidate.

-

Those are the only predictions I feel strongly about.

Well, that and Marianne Williamson being kooky.

Mueller Kills Impeachment

Democrats succeed in highlighting the obstruction elements of the report. Cool. The only problem is that all those facts were already known and didn't move the needle then and it won't now.

Here is what focusing so hard on obstruction does reveal: what a waste of time almost solely talking about Russia was. 

Honestly, was there no voice in the room suggesting that an impulsive rookie under immense pressure taking a step beyond the line was more likely than PROOF of an INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACY that happens to offer a CONVENIENT EXPLANATION for why the second most unpopular person to run for president LOST an election. 

At the end of the day, the Dems got two quotes:

"Trump was not exonerated by the report."

"Trump could be prosecuted when he leaves office."

We knew the first one based on previous Mueller comment. But any Democrat celebrating the second should be ashamed. 

A week ago, a congressman sought to bring impeachment to a vote in the House. In case anyone needs a refresher course, that is the process by which a sitting president would be removed from office immediately. Several of the frontrunners in 2020 agree that this should happen. Now the Dems are breaking their arms high fiving because they'll get him in 2021 or 2025. 

The sudden rush of air you feel on your face are the goal posts being moved back two to six years. 

To indulge the stupidity for a second, prosecuting a president as they come out of office would NEVER happen. No matter how unpopular the president is, no incoming Democratic president would willingly squander their First 100 Days political capital by getting behind a prosecution of an outgoing president. 
   
This was a demonstration for an audience of one: Nancy Pelosi. In fact, CNN should have had her on a split screen hooked up to a pulse monitor like a Twitch speed runner. If she saw a political imperative to change her strategy this would have mattered, instead (as her comments indicated) she was waiting outside the chamber with orange slices and Capri Suns telling everyone that no matter if they win or lose all that matters is they tried really hard. 

One last time, for posterity, let's run through the facts:

Impeaching and removing a president is a matter of momentum. Face-contorting, reality-shifting momentum. Since we are nowhere different today than we were yesterday, no momentum was created.

Nixon got got for obstruction and it needed tapes and a money trail.

Clinton got got for lying on tape and it only got him impeached but not removed.

The Mueller report found examples of failed obstruction attempts, which technically are obstruction, but we have no tapes and no money trail.

Trump survives. 

Can the Democrats resist Trump's siren song?

THE HILL

Quick satisfaction or disciplined messaging?

The Democrats know their best chance to beat Trump in 2020 is a steady mix of healthcare anxiety and taking advantage of the economy if it softens. And yet, there on the rocks sits a mermaid with a pilsner-blonde comb-forward singing a siren song.

"Something racist!" the merfolk bellows, voice soft yet powerful.

"The mermaid said something racist! We must make it pay!" bellows first mate Ocasio-Cortez to grizzled Captain Pelosi.

What will she do? She knows diverting from the path will almost certainly be to the mermaids advantage. And yet, the mermaid soon has a gaggle of seagulls barking the same objectionable phrase right back to her. Captain Pelosi knows for sure she'll be dragged on Twitter the longer she stays silent.

The #THREADS will see her hung as her silence becomes ever more deafening.

What will she do?

What. Will. She. Do?

Px3 Political Archive: Trump 2000

Kind of fell into this one. Took the beginning of the podcast this week and added video the clips. Would love to do a deep dive like this into different moments in political history. Welcoming any suggestions on other moments to dig into…

Exactly how bad is Beto's fundraising compared to his 2018 Senate campaign? It's an active tire fire

Trump doubles down on "go home" tweet, Squad gets center stage, everyone gets what they want

In moments like these I can’t help but think of a Truffle Hog.

Why does the fabled animal know where the famed fungi is? It just does.

Donald Trump knows media attention. Too much time is spent parsing exactly how much credit he is owned for being able to manipulate coverage. But I know exactly how much credit to give him… as much credit you’d give a Truffle Hog. It’s a rare skill that makes you more valuable.

Take this new dust up with Progressive cover girls The Squad (AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Talib and the fourth one whose name I always have to look up… Ayanna Pressley) wherein the sitting president of the United States said that at least one of them should “go back” to her native Africa. Three out of the four of them have become household names in political media for varied reasons. Trump got the scent for headlines and made a beeline.

The comments are reckless and ugly. They’ve also immediately reframed the political universe exactly how Trump likes it… orbiting around him.

Like the birth certificate.

Like Kaepernick.

One thing is for sure, Trump benefits the bigger AOC gets. Specifically in relation to the 2020 nominee.

AOC will likely be to the left of nominee and unlike a veteran like Pelosi you can legitimately cast her as the future of the Democratic party. Trump will refer to the nominee and AOC as if they are the same person and AOC will be the first one to clapback on Twitter or IG. Beyond that, it is questionable exactly how much of her own clout she’s willing to shed for a more moderate nominee like Biden. This could give progressive voters permission to sit home.

In a perfect world, Trump would argue with AOC over the nominees head until 2020. Because let’s be honest, none of the 2020 nominees can generate has much media heat.

And just like the Truffle Hog, that’s what Trump’s after.

DNA archives reveal Beto descended from slave owners

The article: GUARDIAN

Beto’s response: THE HILL

New Republic pulls "invasive" column critical of Mayor Pete

BUSINESS INSIDER

The column is written by openly gay novelist Dave Peck. It's very critical of Mayor Pete's worldview and politics but more controversially drives directly at his sexual orientation. Specifically, that Pete is sexually inexperienced and might be turned loose if he got the White House. It also almost exclusively refers to the candidate at "Mary Pete" which is the author's crowdsourced label for a gay Uncle Tom.

You can read the archived version here.

It speculates that Mayor Pete's judgement might be tested if he becomes the most powerful man on Earth only to realize he never got the be the "Lucky Pierre" in an Eiffel Tower.

It seriously uses the term Lucky Pierre.

Impeachment brigade hope Mueller testimony will jumpstart crusade

POLITICO

This article makes it seem like the politicians who want to impeach the president are in control of an impeachment push. That is stupid. Impeaching a president is not a farm bill. It's not a hearing. It's not a matter of vote wrangling.

Impeachment is a wave. A wave that has to begin with voters, filter through the media and crest in the government. If you try and force it, it will blow up in your face.

Can Mueller start that wave? If he did it would be a departure from his report and public statement. I will say what I've always said... either fight with the army you have or focus on things you can actually control.

Do you dare take the Perot Test?

Here’s the deal… listen to this six-minute edit of a 30-minute 1992 Ross Perot informercial and in the comments tell me which modern politician you think he sounds the most like.