Singing in public is a high-risk proposition unless you are a professional singer. Much as I dislike Carly Fiorina, I cannot help but cringe when I see the clip of her singing because I hate to see people make fools of themselves in public. I wonder who thought that singing a lullaby to Ted Cruz’s daughters was a good idea since even putting her with a roomful of puppies failed to make her seem more human.
Stephen Colbert finds her performance cringe-worthy too, like Disney giving one of its patented wicked stepmothers a song with which to woo her victims.
What is it with conservatives and decades-old Broadway tunes?
I’m not 100% sure, but I think the tune she was singing is from Call Me Madam, which is weird even for a conservative to choose.
Yep, the tune is called You’re just in love from Call me Madam.
Much as I dislike Fiorina, what struck me about Colbert’s bit was how easy it is to demonize the people you don’t like or agree with. More and more, I’m finding Colbert’s smug self-satisfaction cringeworthy. Samantha Bee is much better at combining mockery with substance, IMO.
Off-Topic: The Southern Poverty Law Center released a report talking about how Trump’s candidacy is having a serious impact on schoolchildren around the country with bullying and fear: The Trump Effect: The Impact of the Presidential Campaign on Our Nation’s Schools.
Rob Grigjanis@#3:
I agree. He’s getting decidedly unfunny.
There’s a lot of political critique that’s involving Trump’s hair, and now Carly’s voice. I feel that there’s a whole lotta things worth criticizing -- substantive things -- about their political views. It’s a waste of breath to make fun of Trump’s hair when Trump’s nuanced understanding of Syria is a bigger, better target. The problem is that comedians (including Colbert) aren’t funny enough to make what’s happening in Syria giggle-worthy so they have to go for cheap shots. There’s a reason they’re called “cheap shots.” It’s weird to me that people will critique Trump for his inappropriate remarks about Fiorina’s appearance and then turn around and laugh about his hair.
My respect for certainly formerly funny political commentators has been another casualty of this election season. I expect that by the time it’s over I’ll have lost respect for everything, including myself.
Rob Grigjanis @ 3:
You make a good point … but … the Republican ticket was nowhere near as diverse as it may have seemed. All of the candidates have signed onto the GOP dogma about government being the problem, of cuts to taxes and social services, of free markets being self-cleaning, about the desirability of privatizing government functions, higher defense spending. A philosophy built around the idea that all the problems come from the simple fact that the rich are not rich enough and the poor are not poor enough.
Yes there are differences. Kasich wears the mask of a kind uncle. Cruz brings dominionism and a mask of self-righteousness to the table. Trump has a ringmaster’s outfit and a carnival barker’s voice. Bush was the shit stain that has been there so long you have developed a fondness for it.
All of them add their special brand of odiousness to the Republican dogma but, underneath it all, because they all have the same basic core beliefs they are all malignancies looking to take up housekeeping and impose their specific flavor of cancer upon this nation.
Yes, it is a bit unfair to focus on presentation. It also overlooks the central fact that the main problem with these people is not their particular style and set of defects, it is their core beliefs as demonstrated by their desire to lead a party primarily characterized by its backwardness, callousness, and immunity to fact and reason.
Once we all accept that, the momentary focus on the presentation can be seen as an entertaining diversion. Like the movie showing on an airliner with both engines on fire.
Sometimes I need to laugh to keep from screaming and scaring the horses.
Geez, a bunch of wet towel comments today apparently.
On the up side Ted’s excellent adventure in fantasy Veepsville does win the news cycle for one day and does deprive the Donald a bit of momentum.
It also makes me think Ted is practicing a bit of primitive religion. The idea is that if you prepare for and set up conditions as if an even t has already happened you have made it more likely to happen. Like buying a fancy new briefcase and nameplate for the corner office job you will never, ever, get. As if by arranging things to be like they would be if you did get the job you have magically made getting the job more likely.
Of course it smacks of desperation and looks like a throw-the-gun move. The sort that never works. More a gesture of frustration than anything else.
Perhaps Ted is sure there is a big move planned by the big money to set him up as the alternative to Trump in the convention. perhaps a ‘deus ex machina’ plot twist in the convention with the Koch brothers reaching down from on high at the last moment and snatching him from the jaws of defeat.