[James Brancheau]

I disagree with that being a Trump plot, Janice. In a twisted way, it gives him too much credit. But even more, one of the parts plagiarized was addressing honesty. A pretty big screw up. On the other hand, you were right and I was wrong about how far Trump would get...

I wonder if there'll be Vegas odds on the chance of Trump walking off stage in the middle of a debate. I still think he'll blow himself up before he gets a chance to do that to the rest of the world. (Either way, my hundred and fifty dollar bet against him was a smart one.)

[Ann Drysdale]

La-la-la...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...al-convention/

[Max Goodman]

Intentional or not, Janice could easily be right that the controversy helps Trump.

Those who pay close attention to what's going on at the convention have probably, most of them, already made up their minds.

The undecideds got the big story that Trump's wife stole parts of her speech. That's unlikely to be anyone's reason for voting for Clinton (despite the valid point that it suggests Trump-campaign incompetence). If the big story had been some of the rhetoric of earlier speakers, Clinton might have picked up some votes. Trump kept his base fired up with minimal cost among other voters.

[James Brancheau]

That's a pretty big gamble, Max. And I don't see how that helps him with independents. I mean, if you're truly independent in the polarized US.

[Janice D. Soderling]

A speechwriter has come forward.

A fall guy.

Honorable minds cannot fathom how charlatans work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNo0BicRM8k

[James Brancheau]

As I recall, that was inspired by Clinton missing bin Laden. Oh the scandals we weave... But, sure, Janice. I'm not surprised by much anymore.

[Roger Slater]

Originally Posted by Janice D. Soderling

A speechwriter has come forward.

A fall guy.

Not exactly. They might have meant her to take the fall, but what she says puts it right back on Melania. She says that Melania read Michelle Obama's speech and admired it, so Melania then called up the speech writer and read her the passages on the phone. The speech writer took notes, then somehow ended up using those notes and incorporating them into Melania's speech. But how does this let Melania off the hook? It obviously doesn't, since Melania was the person who noticed and admired the words of Michelle Obama in the first place, so why wouldn't she have recognized them when they showed up in the speech? Why wouldn't she have realized she couldn't use them in her own speech? Why didn't she call up the speech writer and question them?

It seems to me that the speech writer's "confession" that she was responsible is actually an unintended accusation that Melania was responsible.

[Siham Karami]

Note to John W:
Trump may be ignorant and unprepared to be president, but he has very little in common with George W. The latter was herded into office and coached by his father and associated cronies. Trump is "acting alone." Bush II is not missing the part of the brain wherein resides the conscience; many would disagree, but he does take moral positions on issues, or did. More so than his father. Trump is missing that part of the brain and doesn't really get right and wrong. He cannot speak coherently on the subject of morals. It makes him seem sometimes tolerant or savvy or open minded. But the truth is he has no moral compass and cannot have one and never did and never will. This is a terrible terrible danger and very few realize it. He is at heart neither liberal nor conservative, but expedient and self-serving. He would make a good drone for something evil.

[Don Jones]

Siham,

Trump is missing that part of the brain and doesn't really get right and wrong. He cannot speak coherently on the subject of morals. It makes him seem sometimes tolerant or savvy or open minded. But the truth is he has no moral compass and cannot have one and never did and never will. This is a terrible terrible danger and very few realize it. He is at heart neither liberal nor conservative, but expedient and self-serving. He would make a good drone for something evil.

Well spoken.

What you say about the Bushies is interesting. I'm trying to figure out why you say Bush II does take moral positions on issues, or did. More so than his father. But both invaded middle eastern countries. Are they not, then, cut from the same cloth? Nuance aside, whether you invade to kick out Saddam or to overthrown him, look what both wars have wrought? A bitter harvest.

Don

[Andrew Mandelbaum]

GW simply used a systematic and reasonably consistent framework for justification of his actions because he was invested in a role and wanted to act with a certain amount of rubber stamping by the masses. An intelligence difference maybe, an appeal to a more moral side of the culture definitely but still ethically challenged.

Regarding Iraq, Bush Sr. larger crime than the invasion was the betrayal of the uprising afterward. He went on Iraqi airwaves and (adding to the speech as it was written by his handlers) called on the Iraqi people to take matters into their own hands. The Iraqi people had long bee waiting this and they answered the call. With a few days 14 out the 18 Iraqi provinces were in rebel hands. Saddam and his elite were on the tarmac ready to board a plane and escape. The scum suckers at the top of our nation decided the threat of Iranian involvement in the uprising wasn't in our interest and GAVE BACK the helicopter gunships to Saddam's Republican guard who then annihilated the opposition and saved the Baath. Many of the best of the North died at that time and certainly thousands that would have met the "liberation" in the streets with candy and petals. No bullshit. I talked to some of them. But after that betrayal and the loss of so many in the insurgent leadership the stage was set for the wreckage of 2003. I do think Bush Sr. actually believed in the liberation until someone set him straight and they closed out the Kurdish delegate from the White House and murdered the hopes an entire country.

Sorry to go off subject. That was one of the USA's more disgusting moments of the 90's and as I watch the Kurds in Rojava fighting for life because of it today it makes the hate rise.