'Twas the day before Thanksgiving and the media feasted on President Trump. Bill began Wednesday's No Spin News with that savory story, which started when the president gave a lukewarm endorsement to Judge Roy Moore in Alabama.
"Like him or hate him," Bill observed, "President Trump is an interesting man. What politician on the face of this earth would come out and say that he prefers that Judge Moore win the election because if he loses Trump's agenda is in trouble? Nobody else would say that because the press is ferocious in hammering Roy Moore and Donald Trump. After Trump says anything about Moore that isn't a condemnation, the press links him to Moore in vile ways. Most politicians would just sit this out, but he is not a politician, he's basically a gut fighter and he doesn't want another Democrat in the Senate." Bill noted that he would personally have a hard time voting for Judge Moore, but concluded that it's up to Alabama voters to decide.
On the subject of allegations being leveled against famous people, Bill heaped praise on conservative columnist and pundit Michelle Malkin. "She has the best take on all this crazy stuff," he declared. "Michelle Malkin says we are besieged every single day with these accusations against powerful men, and for every one you hear about, there are 500 you don't hear about. The press should be vetting all of these accusations, but they are not. I always say that every American should want justice in all these cases, but that is sometimes hard to find."
Meanwhile, a poll shows that only 22% of Minnesotans believe Senator Al Franken should remain in his seat, while 33% want him to resign immediately and the rest are content to wait out an investigation. "I think Franken's political career is over," Bill asserted. "He's not going to quit, but he may not run again."
Bill then welcomed his former Fox News colleague Greta Van Susteren, who surveyed the overall political landscape. "This is obviously a very polarized country," she began, "and we are learning new things every day about the workplace and politics. Let me take the easy way out with Al Franken and Roy Moore – the voters in Minnesota will get to decide on Franken and the voters in Alabama will get to decide on Moore. If the Moore case were in court, he would probably have eight separate trials, but politics is very different and most of these things are settled behind closed doors. We're all suspicious of anyone who has eight claims against him."
Bill pointed out that Roy Moore was a polarizing figure long before the recent allegations of sexual misbehavior. "He is a very controversial man and extremely right-wing. It's easy to get on the 'I hate Trump and I hate Moore' bandwagon, so I'm not surprised that there are a lot of people saying things about Roy Moore and even Bill Clinton. There are entire organizations trying to tear famous people to pieces."
Van Susteren also promoted her new book, which guides adults through the maze of modern social media. "You need this book," she told Bill, "because you are over 40 and you say you don't know anything about social media. Anyone who thinks he knows a little bit also needs the book because there is a lot more to learn, and people who are under 40 need it because they can give it to a parent or grandparent and not have to answer any more stupid questions!"
After bidding farewell to Greta, Bill ridiculed CNN for saying kneeling NFL players are engaged "in a civil rights protest." "That is propaganda," he said. "By labeling this a 'civil rights protest,' you are against civil rights if you criticize the protests. That's exactly what CNN did! The league is still hemorrhaging, the protests have hurt it, and now the NFL says it might keep players in the locker rooms until after the National Anthem."
On the eternal subject of campus craziness, Bill brought up Susan Harlan, an English professor at Wake Forest University, who has come out with a list of 'micro-aggressions' that have been aimed at her by male faculty members. While Bill found some merit in a few of the 'aggressions,' he ridiculed many others. "Someone said to her, 'You're always so dressed up.' That's not an aggression, it's an observation! Also, 'You always come across as cheery' and 'you're so energetic' are not aggressions, they're compliments. Stop with this!"
As for tomorrow, polls show that many Americans dread the thought of talking politics at the Thanksgiving table. Bill put forth some advice that may come in very handy: "There's nothing wrong with stating your case without trying to persuade anybody. Keep it tight, keep it pithy. But you also have to know who's at the table. If they're insecure and bitter and hate the other side, stay away from politics."
Premium Members, in their emails and message board comments, expressed widely divergent opinions on Bill's Skype conversation with Julie Alvin, a very liberal Trump-hater who oversees lifestyle coverage at Time, Inc. Bill complimented Alvin for engaging in a civil debate on the delicate subject of incivility.
Finally, your humble correspondent wished everyone a happy, contemplative, relaxing, and tension-free Thanksgiving. |
