Persuasion

“One reason it’s so hard to reach across the ideological divide is that people tend to present their arguments in a way that appeals to the ethics of their own side, rather than that of their opponents,” says Atlantic writer Olga Khazan. “If you can’t reframe your argument, just get off Facebook.”

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Nasty Woman Is Winning Bigly

“Nasty woman.” — Donald J. Trump, October 19, 2016, Las Vegas

That was the most coherent statement made by the Republican presidential candidate at Wednesday’s pseudo-debate, the last such spectacle before Election Day ( vote on November 8th for Clinton, November 28th for Trump).

Within an hour of Mr. Trump’s comment, a quarter of a million tweets mentioned it, as women everywhere embraced “nasty woman” as a rallying cry for Clinton. Bigly.

More:

“‘Nasty woman is probably the coolest thing Hillary has ever been called,'” Fred Barbash, Washington Post

“’Nasty woman’ becomes the feminist rallying cry Hillary Clinton was waiting for,” Liz Plank, Vox

“‘Nasty woman’: Trump’s insult unites women across social media,” Martha Ross, Mercury News

“For Trump, the Election Is Rigged If a ‘Nasty Woman’ Can Win,” Amy Davidson, The New Yorker

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That Mexican Thing

Former talk radio host and Indiana Governor Mike Pence has a way with words, but during his prime-time smirk-a-thon with over-caffeinated Senator Tim Kaine he out-did himself. Although he chastised Mr. Kaine for repeating talking points —  “pre-done lines” — Mr. Pence had one of his own. When Tim Kaine referred to Donald Trump’s smear of Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals, Mike Pence, in a clumsy attempt at Reagan’s “There you go again,” replied “Senator, you whipped out that Mexican thing again.”

“That Mexican thing” will be all anyone remembers about Tuesday’s so-called debate.

More:

“‘That Mexican thing’: Mike Pence’s defense of Trump’s rhetoric goes viral,” Nicole Puglise, The Guardian

“‘That Mexican Thing’ Takes On Life After the Debate,” Katie Rogers, New York Times

“‘That Mexican Thing’ Is Your New Favorite Meme,” Jack Holmes, Esquire

“Cartoon: Whip out that Mexican thing,” Lalo Alcaraz, Fusion

Bernie vs Trump: Epic Kvetch-Fest Called Off

Last Wednesday night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel goaded tax cheat, mob associate, and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump into agreeing to debate the issues with Democratic contender Bernie Sanders. Trump later specified a condition: a $10 million contribution to charity. His bluff was called by Cenk Uygur of Young Turks and tech CEO Richie Hecker, who offered to donate the cash.

So much for “promises kept.” Trump reneged.

In a voluminous press release of 116 whole words — several of them over 2 syllables long — Mr. Trump declined to debate Senator Sanders, saying he won’t debate a loser.

More:

“Donald Trump Says He Won’t Debate Bernie Sanders,” Janet Hook, Wall Street Journal

“Trump says he’s no longer open to debating Bernie Sanders,” Sean Sullivan, Washington Post

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Republican Debate: Race to the Bottom

At the 6th Republican Presidential Debate in Charleston, South Carolina, it was difficult to identify the real Donald Trump. All seven participants seemed to be angry and irrational, apparently the chief requirements for the GOP candidacy this year.

More:

“Fact Checker of Republican Debate Hospitalized for Exhaustion,” Andy Borowitz, The New Yorker

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Arizona: Talking Heads

Arizona Governor Janice Kay Brewer, one of the keenest minds ever to come out of Glendale Community College, seemed oddly confused and distracted during a recent televised debate:

“Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer stopped speaking during an interview and stared blankly at the camera for 30 seconds. The good news is, she’s now eligible to be governor of Alaska.” —Jay Leno

When she did speak, Governor Brewer rambled on about a scenic Arizona landscape littered with heads from decapitated bodies. The widely publicized claim, without any factual merit, is of understandable concern to Arizona’s large tourism industry.

There have also been questions about the mental health of the Arizona chief executive, especially given her family history. When a 66-year-old begins to spin wild tales and have memory and attention lapses, voters may have doubts. On the other hand, Governor Brewer may be making a sophisticated play for the Sun City sympathy vote.