Wuerker On Civil Rights Martyr* Kim Davis

* Well in her head no doubt.

Wuerker on the Zombie Hillary E-mail 'Scandal'

Personally, I still think this e-mail-crap is all bullshit, but then, I think Mister Trump is at best a stand-in stooge competitor for the presidency, so what do I know ?

Wuerker: On Hillary's Delayed Coronation

I'd feel guilty re-publishing everything Ted/Bors/Tomorrow et al. came out with, and the stuff from the British papers is probably a tad parochial, so...

...here's Matt Wuerker !  I guess he must be on some sort of retainer at Politico ?  Actually, the guy's not bad at all, just not quite in the same league as some of his more risk-taking colleagues.  Which, in this shitty risk-adverse media-environment is understandable.

The Iowa Straw Poll

So no more Iowa Straw Poll in American Presidential elections ?  Well although far less welcome news than actually ditching the 'tradition' of small states like Iowa & New Hampshire having disproportionate influence on elections by running caucuses & primaries ahead of everyone else, that's good news I guess.

Although it means perhaps no more delightful images like these of candidates (& S/O's) guzzling corn-dogs and the like.

Actually, on that basis alone, thanks Iowa Republicans !  You just can't unsee that can you ?



And how's the media covering this ?


Time ?

The Iowa Straw Poll that measured the intensity of the state’s most conservative activists and their love of free ice cream—and little else—was declared dead Friday at the age of 36. The cause of death was irrelevance.

HuffPo ?

R.I.P. Iowa Straw Poll, 1979-2015

NPR ?

A once important political event, which has seen its influence diminished by pay-to-play allegations, breathed its last breath Friday morning.

State Republicans voted to kill the Iowa Straw Poll in a unanimous vote — reversing themselves from a unanimous vote in January to continue it.

Politico ?

The Iowa straw poll — which gave life to Ron Paul, stole it from Tim Pawlenty and offered hope to Rick Santorum — was pronounced dead Friday. It was 36 years old.

Mother Jones ?

The Iowa Straw Poll, a fundraising event for the Republican Party of Iowa that advertised itself as a pivotal proving ground for the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, died on Friday. It was 36.

Daily Beast ?

The Iowa Straw Poll was taken off life support on Friday after losing its battle with relevance.  It was 36 years old.

Hmm...I'm sensing a theme here...  So, what the hell...

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to Americans for Prosperity.

Yes, I Clicked on Stupid Fucking Clickbait from Politico...

I don't even like Hillary, but WTF is this ?  Is it her fault that her party (well, the one she ended up with, via Bill) is so complacent and flaccid ?  That they haven't the imagination to come up with an alternative to the last election's choice between Barry & Hill ? That they have failed so utterly in encouraging young talent to rise up through the ranks and become established in the media and in the public imagination ?  That they, like the Republicans with McCain & Romney, are so willing to accept the idea that a name-brand politician should be somehow entitled to the nomination, because it's 'their turn' ?

What exactly should Hillary do, instead of 'un-running' for President ?  (I'm assuming here I guess that not running at all, and contributing to society in a way more fitting her talents is not an option...)  And as for 'the press must now cover the Clinton 2016 slow lane the best they can', well fuck them.  The press doesn't have to do shit.  How about having their anchor (if such a position still exists) going on camera during prime-time (again, if such a thing truly still exists), and reminding the public that it is still more than eighteen fucking months till the election, and trying to find actual meaningful non-horserace news to cover in the interval ?  What other country runs or covers elections this way ?  But then, what would the likes of Politico do ?  How would they survive ?

And fuck whatever editor chose the picture of Hillary above.  a) For the bleeding fucking obvious, and b) for the criminal waste of blank space.