Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) - 5/1/20

[Rhiannon12866]

Monologue: Different Sh*t, Same Day

Bill recaps the top stories of the week, including the president's sagging approval ratings and the decision by some states to reopen public spaces.




Eric Holder on the 2020 Elections

Former Attorney General and current Chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee Eric Holder joins Bill to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on America's elections.




Bret Stephens: Lives vs. Lives

New York Times columnist and MSNBC contributor Bret Stephens joins Bill to discuss his recent controversial op-ed.




24 Things You Don't Know About Joe Biden

Bill shares a few fun "facts" about former vice president and 2020 Democratic nominee Joe Biden.




Matt Taibbi: Return of the Vampire Squid

Rolling Stone contributing editor and "Useful Idiots" podcast co-host Matt Taibbi joins Bill to discuss the potential for fraud and abuse of the government's economic bailout.




New Rule: Immunity Booster

In his editorial New Rule, Bill argues that people should fight the coronavirus by strengthening their immune systems, rather than by sanitizing the universe.

[mountain grammy]

1. Thank you.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Thank you!

I'm just pleased that they included all the interviews this week!

[mountain grammy]

10. I kind of like this format.

and I love the "audience" vids for the laugh track, sometimes funnier than Bill.

[Hoyt]

3. Enjoyed it. Thanks. I'm sure it will be controversial.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. Thanks! And of course it will be.

And I don't always agree with what he says, either, but I try to keep in mind that - first and foremost - he's a comedian.

[Warpy]

4. Matt Taibbi keeps tapdancing around the 2 major GOP fallacies.

First, that the ends justify the means, which is why they lie, cheat, steal, and quite possibly kill to get power--then they screw everything up because the realize the ends are now unattainable.

Second, that economies work from the top down. No, dimwits, you have that exactly backward, the flow of money, goods, services, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship and everything else is bottom up. No rich guy ever employed anyone unless a bunch of poor guys had enough money to buy what that job would produce. Money at the bottom has a multiplier as people add labor to it as it goes through the economy. Money at the top is just a numbers game.

Also, good New Rule. What will ultimately flatten the curve is the number of people out there who have had it and recovered from it. As yet, we don't know how long immunity lasts. With any luck, it lasts for many years, giving at least partial immunity to any mutated virus. Short term, it will be the 80% of people who get mild cases who will no longer be capable of spreading it who will help. Shorter term, that 80% number might be statistically comforting if we knew which group we were in, the lucky 80%, the less lucky 15%, or the deathly ill 5%.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. Thanks, good points.

The major thing that's unique about the current way that they're running the show is that each guest is able to put their ideas forward without any of the others arguing or shouting them down. And I'm guessing that Bill - and I've seen him do this with his regular opening interview guests - isn't about to get into heated arguments, especially now, since he's just grateful that they made the effort to show up. Without that effort, there would be no show, and I sure appreciate this over repeats.

[Paladin]

7. Maher doesn't have to waste time shitting on Joe Biden.

Last edited Sat May 2, 2020, 09:33 AM - Edit history (2)

Bret Stephens and the rest of the NY Times editorial page are doing that for him, this morning.

(Self-edited to remove needless flame-bait.)

[rzemanfl]

8. Bookmarking. n/t

[smirkymonkey]

9. Thanks for posting Rhiannon!

[Rhiannon12866]

12. Thanks!

I'm just grateful that he's making the effort to do a show since it can't be easy - for anyone!

[Merlot]

11. Brett Stephens: are you a medical professional?

Because all I'm hearing from you is opinions based on...nothing

Maybe the difference between LA and NY rates of infection have to do with California instituting a lockdown?