I find the silliest things to be funny » « The poor media reaction to latest Trump assault accusation

Marianne Williamson: Democratic debate breakout star

If the success of a primary candidate’s debate performance is measured by the difference in interest and awareness by the political class from before and after the debates, then there is no question that self-described “bitch for god” Marianne Williamson is the easy winner even if, and maybe because, few had any idea of what she was doing there or what she was saying. She definitely got the attention of New Zealanders with her response to the question of what would be her first priority as president. Rather than the expected items of climate change or health care or gun control or relations with China, she threw down a challenge to their prime minister Jacinda Ardern.

“My first call [as president] is to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who said that her goal is to make New Zealand the place where it’s the best place in the world for a child to grow up,” she said.

“And I would tell her ‘girlfriend, you are so on’, because the United States of America is going to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up.”

A race to see which country is going to be the best to grow up in is definitely something I can get behind. Whether it might violate the ANZUS treaty is something that diplomats will have to figure out.

But her views on other issues as expressed in her past tweets collected by Andrew Kirell are … interesting. They are full of the kind of loopy musings that one would expect from someone described as a new age spiritual guru.

Her plans to deal with catastrophes seem a little optimistic.

Her knowledge of science is shaky to say the least.

This lack of scientific awareness goes hand in hand with her anti-vaxxer stance. She seems to be also fiercely opposed to treating depression with pharmaceuticals.

On the plus side, she seems to be against war, though it is a depressing sign of the times that such a stance is considered noteworthy

However, her plans for dealing with war seem less than practical.

Four writers at Rolling Stone rated the candidates’ performances and gave them the uusual letter ratings but for Williamson they had to invent a decidedly unacademic WTF grade which they explained thusly.

We’re not sure what to make of Williamson’s performance on Thursday night. Speaking with a lilting mid-century accent, the self-help guru made a series of bizarre points and references, ultimately arguing that love, not policy, will be the key to defeating Trump next November. Though some will dismiss her as too out-there to be taken seriously as a candidate, her first turn behind the podium got people talking, which is what any longshot campaign needs most.

But my personal favorite tweet, mainly for its surprise ending, is this one.

I mean, like, that’s really deep, man.

Since the second round of debates in July has the same criteria for qualifying as required in the first round, we can look forward to more deep thoughts from her.

I find the silliest things to be funny » « The poor media reaction to latest Trump assault accusation

Comments

  3. Jazzlet says

    Rob Grigjanis @#1
    The kind of accent you’d find on public information films from the fifties maybe? In the UK it would be RP (Recieved Pronunciation).

  4. larpar says

    I’ve been saying that any of the Dem candidates would be better than Trump. I don’t know if this changes my position. I’ll have to meditate on it.

  5. johnson catman says

    larpar @4: Maybe if you close your eyes and see some angels, they will help you with the decision.

  6. Pierce R. Butler says

    No doubt MW’s book and video sales have risen dramatically -- exactly as she visualized!

  8. Owlmirror says

    @Rob Grigjanis:

    This page refers to: “her husky, Southern-fried accent”.

    And this page claims that: “she has the accent of 1940s silver screen starlet”.

    This doesn’t really narrow it down for me. I am not familiar with 1940s silver screen starlets, with or without husky Southern-fried accents.

  9. Owlmirror says

    Hm.

    And this says: “On Twitter, people noted that it sounded “like someone who just dumped Humphrey Bogart”; some called her a “Grey Gardens escapee.” (Williamson was born in Texas, and has lived in New York and Los Angeles for most of her adult life, which gives us little insight into the source of her dreamy lilt.)”

    Also, a list of tweets:

    1) “Inexplicable 1940s Mid-Atlantic Accent. ”
    2) “almost like Moira Rose with an insane mid-Atlantic accent? ”
    3) “I’m convinced Marianne Williamson prepared for this by watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Who still has a mid-Atlantic accent?”

    So: ???

  10. Curt Sampson says

    It sounds to me as if they’re talking about a Mid-Atlantic accent, which was a thing in the 1930s and 1940s, and which you’ll probably find easily recognisable if you think “World War II newsreel.”

    (I didn’t see or hear any of the debate, nor do I have any desire to, so I can’t say if that’s the accent she’s actually using.)

  11. John Morales says

    I could not care less about her accent.

    But sure reads like vacuous woo.

    (Better than an Abrahamic religionist, I suppose)

  13. Holms says

    Let’s see angels surrounding the nuclear reactors, pouring cold water over them, keeping radiation from escaping into the atmosphere.

    Oh cool, a guaratneed highly radioactive steam explosion, easily the worst possible outcome for a nuclear reactor incident. Not even the Chernobyl disaster comes close to this.

    Jews believe the Messiah is coming; Christians say the Messiah came

    I’ll bet there’s a porn of this.

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