Reason Staff Live Tweets the 2012 Democratic Convention Now!

Pour your cocktails or crack open that beer and join us as the Reason staff tweets about the first day of the 2012 Democratic Convention. The day's schedule is here. Highlights include a Jimmy Carter tribute video in the first hour and Michelle Obama speaking in the 10 o' clock hour.

Comments

[Mike M.]

I'd rather drink hemlock than spend two minutes watching these scumbags.

[heller]

The Democrats or the Reason Staff?

[Longtorso]

Yes.

[Lucy Steigerwald]

+1

[SIV]

I think the Suderman family has an Obama/Biden sign in whatever passes for their front yard in DC.

[Jerry on the road]

Just so the Postal Service doesn't stop delivering the mail.

[Fist of Etiquette]

LIVE BLOG!

[sage]

Pig pile on Fist!

[heller]

Why take sleeping pills when you can watch the DNC?

[Brutus]

I just want to watch to see what the First Lady will be allowing us to eat for the next four years.

[Archduke PantsFan]

Has this been posted yet:
Asked by Parade magazine, "What do you hope to accomplish in your second term?" First Lady Michelle Obama said she wants to "impact the nature of food in grocery stores" ...
http://cnsnews.com/news/articl.....ery-stores

[Brutus]

I pine for morning calesthenics in front of the Telescreen.

[Xenocles]

To be fair, you generally want to receive more from your insurance than you pay in.

[John Thacker]

Err, no. Because that means that you had a terrible accident or other misfortune, and insurance doesn't really make you whole.

[Corning]

OMG i don't know if i can watch this.

I think I would rather go on a guy's night out with Tony and Shrike.

[John]

And Steve Smith.

[Corning]

Teh republicans had all this shit on youtube live...do the dems have that? i can;t find it.

[Longtorso]

Fuck off; I'm watching "49 up".

[Corning]

"Republicans have done nothing but sit around and blame it on Buuuuss... I mean obama."

[Corning]

Jesse Walker

Do you remember the "no robot" signs the Kennedy delegates were waving?

Wait what?!?!

That happened?

[SIV]

Nancy Pelosi told David Brooks( History BA UChicago 1983) the Dems were going to fight mano a mano for control of the House and the great spokesman for our ruling class had no fucking idea what she was talking about. Nancy had to explain at length what "hand to hand" meant to the New York Times writer.

[John]

When you make Pelosi seem knowledgeable.

[SKR]

You're fucking kidding me? What a maroon.

[Jerry on the road]

In Brooks' defense, he was sitting right next to her and was probably transfixed by her face.

[Brutus]

Waiting for it to burst like in some lousy remake of "Scanners?"

[A Serious Man]

Who's speaking tomorrow? I want to know who will be being ignored while 2/3rds of the country watches the Cowboys and Giants play football.

[Auric Demonocles]

All I know is not Obama. That's why the game isn't on Thursday, like it is supposed to be.

[A Serious Man]

Really, that's why it's on a Wednesday? The thought really never occurred to me.

[Auric Demonocles]

Yup. The NFL rescheduled it because they didn't want to conflict with Obama's absolutely pointless DNC speech, and in doing so earned some hatred from me.

[Corning]

I believe in small government but i no longer consider myself a Republican....

What the fuck is she doing at the dem convention when she should be at the Libertarian one!!!

Reason staff at the convention!! Converge converge converge!!

[Blueman]

^This (although I suspect she doesn't REALLY mean small gov't)

[Corning]

I suspect she doesn't REALLY mean small gov't

I do.

There are small government independents who do not know who Gary Johnson is.

[Corning]

"We believe rape is rape"

Well only Rape rape right?

[SIV]

"Taxpayer-funded abortions to 9+ months" Woooooooooo!

"Safe, Legal and a Right-of-Passage"

[Brutus]

She chooses, you loses.

[SIV]

Lucy Steigerwald@LucyStag
You guys are so certain on abortion, why don't you care in the slightest about drug rights, sex work rights, and immigrant rights? #dnc2012

non sequitur Lucy. Those other "rights" don't have anything to do with eugenics.

[JeremyR]

Yup. Progressives love eugenics

[Longtorso]

The Dems are sexist unless they let me get an abortion too.

[Lucy Steigerwald]

Abortions for some! Miniature American flags for others!

[SKR]

Thank you

[Longtorso]

Lucy, can I get you preggers so you can become a True Woman by getting an abortion?

[Corning]

@Habanero871

@mleewelch They're not going broke. Japan is 120% of GDP, yet has one of the most productive economies in the world.

You missed the best quote Matt.

[Corning]

By the way is @Habanero871 shrke?

[Corning]

@Habanero871

read this:

http://www.ecb.int/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecbwp1399.pdf

yes 100% debt to GDP ratio does matter.

1st year = 150 billion total loss
2nd year = 450 billion total loss
3rd = 900 billion total loss
4th = 1500 billion total loss

should I show you 4 more years?

5th = 2250 billion
6th = 3150 billion
7th = 4200 billion
8th = 5400 billion total loss

[SIV]

Who the fuck is

Emily Eakins@emilyeakins
in a get shit done kinda mood

?

And what did reason do with
the REAL https://twitter.com/emilyekins

[Bee Tagger]

Lincoln Chafee remembered his Yahoo Serious haircut.

[SIV]

Lincoln Chafee can't help it. He was dropped on his head as a child.

[Bee Tagger]

Didn't he seem high? His eyes even looked bloodshot.

[SIV]

He's functionally retarded, seriously.

[Bee Tagger]

What are you guys doing watching this?
Pirates are on and they're actually winning. If they keep this up they might beat the worst team in the last 25 years of baseball.

[Brutus]

You mean the Pirates aren't the worst team in the last 25 years of baseball?

[Bill Foster]

Only the last 20.

[SIV]

So Mitt Romney wasn't satisfied with killing that guy's wife, now he wants this speaker's child.

[A Serious Man]

Come to think of it, where was Mitt the night JonBonet Ramsay was murdered?

[SIV]

I wish they'd bring back that retard from 2008 who said Barack Obama would bring the cathode ray tube industry back to America. If you don't believe me it's still on youtube.

[CuriousGeorge]

citation please, i did not find this immediately (because google considers "cathode ray tube" to be "crt" and that is also Critical Race Theory, so a bunch of Obama/Derrick Bell shit comes up first).

[SIV]

Barney Smith. The retard said America needs a President who will put Barney Smith ahead of Smith-Barney. He worked at a RCA CRT factory that went overseas and said Obama would bring it back.

Needless to say, the CRT was in full buggy-whip status by 2008.

[Milquetoast Dave]

Found it.

[SIV]

The host has disabled reader comments.

There are so few of us watching/reading you should let us in.
Shit you let in some broad just because her name is "Emily Eakins" https://twitter.com/emilyeakins who doesn't work for reason and is no relation to "Emily Ekins".

[PapayaSF]

"Government is the only thing we all belong to." Seriously, Democrats, what the hell? The Founders are spinning in their graves. The government belongs to us. We do not belong to the government.

Way to write a GOP ad on the first day of your convention!

[John]

No kidding. It is as if Karl Rove is choreographing this thing to confirm every known prejudice against Democrats.

[Ed]

I've maxed out on Twitter. How is this even possible?

[sage]

1400 characters adds up fast.

[A Serious Man]

Anyone else having flashbacks to that horrible MoveOn ad that accused John McCain of wanting to send some liberal woman's toddler to Iraq?

[John]

"Not my little snowflake!!" That was the worst most annoying ad ever. That ad made me want to start the big one with China provided that woman's brat was the first to go.

[SIV]

"Dog-mom" Kelly Maher https://twitter.com/okmaher get's retweeted
You're quoting someone who calls herself a "Dog-Mom"

[John]

She looks pretty cute for a mom.

[Heroic Mulatto]

You're quoting someone who calls herself a "Dog-Mom"

Well, that's just a euphemism for "bitch", yes?

[Corning]

Rahm Emanuel

"let me tell you about the president i served."

'and then jumped like a rat from a sinking ship.'

Note: This is the first timeIi have heard Rahm speak.

[sage]

You guys are actually watching this? I'd rather have a prostate exam performed by Dr. Hook.

[John]

I never watch these things. I didn't watch the Republican convention except for Eastwood's speech. But God, this is such a train wreck. I can't turn it off.

[sage]

If they keep up such gems as "We all belong to the government" it can only go uphill from there.

[John]

There is a reason why Hillary Clinton is as far away from this as humanly possible. I don't like or agree with Hillary about much. But I would never call her stupid. And she clearly knew what was coming.

[John]

Romney already has an ad people are putting up on facebook that says

We don't belong to the government
The government belongs to us.

Can they make it any easier?

[sage]

This could down as the democrats snatching a crushing ass kicking defeat from the jaws of just barely getting beat.

[John]

What dope thought that was a good idea?

[Corning]

Meme poster idea:

All you are belong to us.

[image of Obama]

- Government

[Corning]

http://qkme.me/3qrq0c

here you go

[geo1113]

"We all belong to the government"

Why does that make me think of the commercial where the Stepfords say "We all bundle."

[John]

From Althouse commenter Titus, who is a flaming queer and quite funny.

Titus said...

This convention is one big gay marriage abortion.

Why not show fags and dykes making out and getting married on one screen and abortions and aborted fetuses on the other?

I will be shocked if someone doesn't pull out a late stage abortion right on the stage and the place will go crazy.

[A Serious Man]

DNC 2012: Hey, you got your nationalism in my socialism!

[John]

+100

[Caleb Turberville]

National socialism?

[Brutus]

Don't be shocked, Tom Daschle in his 2000 DNC speech specifically pointed to the fasces as the symbol of the Democratic Party.

[Caleb Turberville]

"That bundle is family. That bundle is our community. We are stronger together than we are alone."

[Brutus]

Next stop: Strength through joy!

[Sevo]

"Work makes you FREE!"

[Caleb Turberville]

OT: But I'm pretty sure I was unfair to Moby's Play when it was first released.

[Caleb Turberville]

Speaking of whom,

"I'm sort of a libertarian. People should be able to do what they want. I ultimately defer the wisdom to an adult to make their own choices. If someone wants to do drugs, I think it's their own business and not the business of the state." - Moby

[John]

Good thing he plans to hold the Democrats responsible for continuing the drug war.

[Teaching Student]

"Forward not back! Forward not back!" Polly want a cracker?

[Caleb Turberville]

Get straight, go forward.

[Teaching Student]

Actually it's funny because I did the exact same exercise with my Kinders today.

[Gilbert Martin]

Now that would make a good GOP ad as well.

Put up audio of their chanting with a picture of Wrong Way Corrigan on the screen.

[Ted S.]

We must move forward, not backward; upward, not foward; and always twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom!

[John]

My God O'Mally is a fucking moron.

[Gannicus]

Yeah, really. Jesus, who keeps electing that guy? He's 2016 presidential material?

[John]

Maryland is just brain dead. And it is also one of the most corrupt states in the union. As bad as Obama is, the Dems in 2016 may be worse.

[CuriousGeorge]

Cuomo and HRC.

[wef]

Apropos John above.

Flamingly queerly speaking, I am not sure if this convention would appeal at all to my demographic, such as it is.

And the appeal to the non-sterile appears limited.

The appeal to the non-servile, non-sterile is nil.

[SIV]

San Antonio looks like the "America of Tomorrow"?
It's like 70% Hispanic and without the military bases it would be less than 5% Black. I love the place but I'd hope the "America of Tomorrow" is a bit more "diverse

[John]

We just need to build two air force bases and a medium army post in every city. Then place said cities in a state that has a small government. And poof, prosperity.

And it is interesting to know black people have no place in the America of Tomorrow.

[Gannicus]

If I understand tonight correctly, the US dream was built upon free shit, government spending and abortions for all.

[John]

And gay marriage. This country was built on gay marriage.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben agrees with you.

[Auric Demonocles]

My ancestors came to this nation in the pursuit of gay marriage. For generations they lived and died in their gay marriages. Without them, I wouldn't be here today.

[Brutus]

And how can anyone listen to this without visions of the endless trains of conestoga wagons heading west, filled with those yearning to breathe free and set up tasteful salons and Perry Ellis boutiques?

[John]

Julian Castro

"how do we transfer that individual success to others?

Hey Julian why don't you keep your filthy paws off of my success, okay?

[T o n y]

Aren't you a government employee?

[Caleb Turberville]

A very poorly undercover one if I remember July correctly.

[John]

I spy on Reason for the government. That is when I am not posting as Tony.

[Caleb Turberville]

So, we need the government because the government is spying on us?

[John]

Something like that.

[Brutus]

Digging holes and filling them up is so 1930s.

[Gannicus]

He believes that government=society and community. These people have never heard of voluntary association.

[John]

Or individual responsibility.

[Auric Demonocles]

By making those others find their own ways to succeed?

[A Serious Man]

I'm going to channel my inner Sevo and say that shithead thinks that success and wealth is a zero-sum game and that we need to "spread it around" for people to be happy.

[Sevo]

'Way better put than Sevo ever has...

[Teaching Student]

Supporting Military Families. Now all I have in my head is college sports fans yelling, "Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!"

[Gannicus]

Simple joys, like Monday evenings at the Rezko's house.

[Dan's brother Jeff]

The First Lady is the walking definition of elegance, grace, and beauty of body, mind and soul.

[Brutus]

Just the sort of person I want running my life....[sigh!]

[Sevo]

Dan's brother Jeff| 9.4.12 @ 10:48PM |#
"The First Lady is the walking definition of elegance, grace, and beauty of body, mind and soul."

So
.
.
.
.
what?

[Generic Stranger]

Good god. I lasted until The Wookie started speaking, and then I had to leave.

[Gannicus]

He checked the girls cribs every few minutes. He then checked his drone kill lists.

[Alice Bowie]

You know, Michele/Obama might be a bit to black for today's america. I think there gonna be scared to vote for this guy.

They only voted for him four years ago out of the Drunk'n Stupor GWB left them.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

i saw this same silliness all over the leftist blogs (DU etc.) and sites before obama was elected.

liberals, who tend to be american exceptionalists, except in the reverse (we are the worst, not the best), many of them were convinced amerikkkkkka was just WAY too racist to elect obama

they were, as usual with people who hate ordinary flyovercountry (god, the liberal elitism sux) americans - wrong.

this idea is still wrong.

they also are convinced repubs are racist.; i wish condi rice had run for the repubs. they would have voted for her in droves, proving them wrong... again

then of course, we would hear how condi isn't AUTHENTICALLY BLACK (lol) because she's not a liberal

etc.

i have a good friend who is a "progressive". the first time i mentioned condi, she talked about how condi has "evil eyes". seriously

(rolls eyes)

[T o n y]

Why don't you go read the Drudge link to Michelle O's speech or some comments on this very thread if you think racism has all but disappeared on the right.

[Sevo]

T o n y| 9.4.12 @ 11:36PM |#
"Why don't you go read the Drudge link to Michelle O's speech or some comments on this very thread if you think racism has all but disappeared on the right."

Because, shithead, any recommendation from you is worthless.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

i have stated this many times before, but anybody who reads comment threads, especially at places like drudge, or here, or free republic or DU and think that (especially the loudest most extreme) these viewpoints are IN ANY way representative of how the bulk of people believe - is making a bogus assumption

i've said this OVER and OVER tony.

i mean look at feministing. back when the duke case first started, i pointed out some inconsistencies and some red flags

some were just obvious. others were obvious to ME, because of my special knowledge as somebody who has investigated many rapes, interrogated many rapists, and interviewed many victims

it was just like "this looks questionable from the start"

but nearly EVERYBODY there was convinced that THE DUKE BOYS DID IT

and EVNE IF THEY DIDN'T , since they are privileged white boys they deserve to see how the criminal justice system treats minorities every day

(seriously)...

even after the fucking AG came out and said not only were they dropping the charges, but that he was stating outright that they were INNOCENT (which almost never happens), those ideologues still refused to face facts.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

to this day, many still think "something happened" etc. and that darnit, they bought beer and hire da stripper so they were bad anyway

crap like that.

i could not give a flying fuck what people who post at drudge say. i can only imagine the absurdity. and i'm not saying there aren't racists. (Not that leftists haven't been caugfht many times FAKING racist posts by putative rightwingers, or even faking hate crimes to get controversy going).

drudge comments are far from representative

obama was elected, and the vast majority of people in this country cared FAR more about obama, than his race

[C. Anacreon]

"Mr. Pulitzer" Leonard Pitts' column today said there are only 15 or 16 black Republicans in the whole USA.

So therefore, Condi couldn't win.

[Sevo]

Alice Bowie| 9.4.12 @ 11:04PM |#
"They only voted for him four years ago out of the Drunk'n Stupor GWB left them."

And we got stoned stupor in exchange.

[Dan's brother Jeff]

What's wrong with sacrifice for the common good?

[Heartless Bastard]

Nothing when it's done voluntarily. When it's forced by the strong arm of government, it's basically enslavement.

[Brutus]

Now this **has*** to be trolling.

[Heartless Bastard]

Dan, if you seriously can't get why this is a bad thing we should pass a law to make you give your paycheck to your neighbors. Not just the ones you like either. All of them because it will maximize the "common good" for more people to get your money.

[Dan's brother Jeff]

Translation: "I got mine, so screw you"

[Heartless Bastard]

Versus, you got yours and I want the government to take it? Yes, I guess so. There's a reason it's called "mine" and not "everyone's" or "yours."

Maybe if you weren't so dense you could have some of your own too.

[A Serious Man]

Translation: "Fuck you, you work and take care of me because I said so."

[Dan's brother Jeff]

Difficult how you can equate a tax rate 0% to be equal to 100%.

[Heartless Bastard]

What logic would you use to support any non-zero number of taking "mine" to give to "the common good?"

Now that you've justified this act, what stops it from continuing indefinitely until you hit 100%? If it's right at 1%, it's more right at 100% by whatever fucked up logic you used to justify the first 1%.

[Sevo]

Dan's brother Jeff| 9.4.12 @ 11:43PM |#
"Difficult how you can equate a tax rate 0% to be equal to 100%."

Difficult to accept such ignorance.

[Calidissident]

Translation: "Give me all your shit or go to jail!"

[Dan's brother Jeff]

You sound selfish.

[Sevo]

Dan's brother Jeff| 9.5.12 @ 12:05AM |#
"You sound selfish."

You sound stoooooopid.

[Dan's brother Jeff]

Sevo: Winning Hearts and Minds!

[Sevo]

Dan's brother Jeff| 9.5.12 @ 12:08AM |#
"Sevo: Winning Hearts and Minds!"

If you had a mind, I might win it, idiot.

[Dan's brother Jeff]

You are such a sweet talker.

[Sevo]

Dan's brother Jeff| 9.5.12 @ 12:15AM |#
"You are such a sweet talker."

Trying to convince ignoramuses isn't worth it; mockery, insults and sarcasm are indicated.
Idiot.

[Heartless Bastard]

Selfish has nothing to do with it. Liberals are some of the cheapest people around when it comes to their own money.

The argument has to do with government taking (i.e. sacrifice) not charity on general. Some of us just realize that it's a nasty business to get into because it enslaves people.

[Dan's brother Jeff]

Charity isn't sacrifice. Also, receiving charity is dehumanizing.

It's also not government taking, its everyone giving a portion back to help those who need a lift.

[Sevo]

Dan's brother Jeff| 9.5.12 @ 12:20AM |#
"Charity isn't sacrifice. Also, receiving charity is dehumanizing."
What a stoooopid set of comments! Got to be a spoof; even shithead isn't *this* dumb.

"It's also not government taking, its everyone giving a portion back to help those who need a lift."
Yeah, doffus, tell that to the IRS. Are you trying for the gold in stoooopid? You're the current leader...

[Heartless Bastard]

Ok, this is definitely trolling. Either that or you're denser than a brick wall.

[Sevo]

Heartless Bastard| 9.5.12 @ 12:24AM |#
"Either that or you're denser than a brick wall."

Certainly true, but I'm betting some sanctimonious twit probably sucking at the public teat already and justifying it as 'virtuous'.
IOWs, an adolescent ignoramus, in mind if not in body.

[Heartless Bastard]

Sadly, even though this has to be a troll, this is probably not too far off the typical Blue Team loyalist rationale.

[Sevo]

And I'll bet you didn't know your taxes were "giving a portion back to help those who need a lift.", did you?
I sure didn't, especially at the last audit.

[Heartless Bastard]

You know what's dehumanizing? Having to work until about May Every year to pay for other people to not work...

[C. Anacreon]

So, it's dehumanizing to accept charity, but a government handout is getting a lift? I'm confused.

[Sevo]

So is Jeff, but he doesn't know it.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

i've been in a situation to accept charity before. it is profoundly humbling and ego crushing, if not dehumanizing.

the thing about govt. handouts is they eliminate the (private) giver. one could argue in a sense that they make it "easier" to accept taking charity, because the charity is given impersonally, and generally privately.

incentives, how do those work?

i differ with some libertarians, in that i think there should be SOME govt safety net.

but in general, that net is LESS necessary now than in the past. people , even the poor, spend less as a %age of their income for food, for example.

the poor do not starve in this country. their problem is obesity

if you are poor and/or homeless in downtown seattle, it is nigh impossible to go hungry. there are TONS of private charities that provide ample food for a person in need.

it won't help you get housing, (although there are shelters too run privately), and those people who run those soup kitchens etc. are doing god's work

generally just wonderful selfless people

i strongly recommend people volunteer at food banks, soup kitchens etc. it's humanizing and imo ultimately uplifting. you see a lot of despair, but also hope and humanity at its most basic level

[Heartless Bastard]

Nothing inspires someone like receiving food stamps...

Sure beats the shit out of having to look that asshole who gives you something out of the goodness of their heart in the eye and thanking them.

[VG Zaytsev]

Dan's brother Jeff| 9.5.12 @ 12:20AM |#

Charity isn't sacrifice.

Charity is voluntary so no it's not the type of sacrifice that you want.

Also, receiving charity is dehumanizing.

But receiving money from the gubmint isn't?

It's also not government taking, its everyone giving a portion back to help those who need a lift.

If it's voluntary it's charity.

If it's not voluntary it's government.

[califernian]

Define "sacrifice".
Define "common".
Define "good".

[VG Zaytsev]

Define "sacrifice".

What you will do.

Define "common".
Define "good".

What benefits me.

[Sevo]

Dan's brother Jeff| 9.4.12 @ 11:05PM |#
"What's wrong with sacrifice for the common good?"

I'm common; give me everything you own.

[SIV]

Tuccille is for Romney. The Twitters don' lie.

kathykattenburg ?@kathykattenburg
@JD_Tuccille Ah,that's why you support Romney! He has no vision!

[T o n y]

Could Nick Gillespie's panties be more twisted? Must have been a good speech.

[Sevo]

T o n y| 9.4.12 @ 11:35PM |#
"Could Nick Gillespie's panties be more twisted? Must have been a good speech."

Gee, shithead, how would an ignoramus like you know?

[Corning]

Nick didn't like Romney's speech either.

Guess you think his was good as well.

[Death Rock and Skull]

"tweets about the first day of the 2012 Democratic Convention"

I would rather shoot my dog myself.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

i looked it up in one of my deadtree NHTSA publications, but i am sure an intrepid googler could confirm it on the web pretty easily

the rate for fatalities per mile driven is THIRTY FIVE TIMES as high for motorcycles vs. cars

that's ASTOUNDING.

as for "donorcycle", my friend who is an ER doc, and has a similar POV on a lot of stuff, since he sees the same stuff i see introduced me to the term, and supposedly it's a common one amongst emergency medical personnel.

but that is a pretty astounding stat.

35 X the fatality rate

[Dan's brother Jeff]

Piers Morgan just predicted a Castro Presidency.

[JeremyR]

He's set liberals hearts all a flutter, like Obama did when he gave that speech years ago.

[Archduke PantsFan]

Bob Mould can still rock.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

i saw him working with foo fighters recently in some documentary about them

agree

[Archduke PantsFan]

Quebec politics is crazy.
Breaking: Shot fired during Marois Montreal victory rally
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/.....fired.html