OFFICIAL NOT WATCHING THREAD

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89. Welcome to DU, GatorDem82!

Had it on in the background. Not paying much attention except for noting what kind of response there was. I knew the CONS would be having orgasms and lighting incense. I wanted to see what the Dems did. A large swath of women reps wore white and sat together. That was good to see. Almost all of them on that side of the aisle sat there quietly and did not clap. Also good. There was one guy over on the far end who was clapping on occasion while everyone else around him sat motionless. Couldn't tell who it was but I'm wondering - Joe Manchin? Noticed some empty seats, too.

I'm interested in the "post-game show" that's going on as I write this, with Brian Williams and Rachel Maddow presiding, about 40 minutes until the Chris Matthews special with Bill Maher, Kathy Griffin, Michael Moore, and Rob Reiner. That's the one I'm really looking forward to watching.

I did notice Mike Pence looked almost as smug up on the dais as the obnoxious Hugh Hewitt did afterwards (I have the mute button on for his segment). I also noticed that both Pence and Paul Ryan were wearing blue neckties. Wondered if they think that's enough of a "gesture" to the Dems, and that they're set now - nothing more needed.

I noticed that Agent Orange almost spat out "radical Islamic terrorism" which was noteworthy mainly because his National Security Advisor pointedly told him he shouldn't be doing that. Well, that's a signal to some of his faithful. From what little I heard, I bet his trumpsters are all having orgasms. I didn't hear anything I trusted, including some so-called "tone change."

But then again, how can anybody trust ANYTHING he says? He's got such a long and consistent reputation for lying that I feel like I need a second opinion if he says his name is donald trump.

On edit - one thing I DID notice, and very painfully, too: The widow of that Navy SEAL who died in the failed Yemen raid. She got a LOT of applause. But after awhile, I started to feel bad for her. Dammit, people, let her be. QUIT making a spectacle of the grieving widow - who sat briefly but then stood as the applause continued, her whole face red, as she started to cry. Below her eyes it was all swollen, her nose as well, she looked Heaven-ward, several times, mouthing what looked like "I love you, baby." And it just went on and on and on and on and on. And then trump made some other comment and the applause started all over again, and once again went on and on and on and on. It really started to bother me. I felt terrible for her.

I felt as though all those trump-worshipping hypocrites assumed that if they just applauded a lot, that would somehow absolve them from any guilt or collusion with trump's piss-poor decision that he tossed out so casually while he was at dinner. And NO, folks, it won't. And you can clap all night long for her and make a spectacle of her grief to make yourselves feel all noble and altruistic and publicly compassionate and kind-looking. So are you gonna take away her health care then? How 'bout veterans benefits that she surely should have coming now that her husband's been killed in action? You gonna help her raise those kids alone? Or are you gonna nickel-and-dime her with all kinds of excuses about the burgeoning deficit from all those entitlements you don't want to have to pay for because you've just got to help those poor put-upon rich people get bigger tax cuts? You gonna pass any bills or maybe start a GoFundMe for her now, since she's left on her own with a family to take care of? I bet she'd trade all that phony-ass over-wrought, disgracefully maudlin, and ENTIRELY MEANINGLESS applause to be home watching the speech with her husband who was still alive.

THAT little episode just STUNK. I felt so bad for her. You could tell she didn't want the attention, especially having to stand there crying her eyes out on national television, so terribly vulnerable, looking upward to the spirit of her husband to help her find the strength, being used in front of all America to make these heartless scheming assholes feel better about themselves. What a disgrace. I found myself mumbling "leave that poor woman ALONE! She's not some reality show character to be trotted out as the object-du-jour for public pity."