I have to go with Franklin on the Republic idea.

I have a bad feeling that he's correct.

@rainmanjr He usually is.

We shall find out. Zen would dictate nothing else but my guess is fighting and degeneration of the global order. I'll also guess that Civil War will keep us from sending troops to the European/Russian theater. In the short order it will be investigations and impeachments for POTUS Joe and VP Harris. It will be a replay of 45's impeachments but with the added attraction of VP. I doubt they'll have enough Senators to remove them from office but, if they do, Speaker Kevin becomes POTUS. This is all a charade, since it's born from criminal enterprise, so it's an illusion within an illusion but a powerful one. I can only hope that when I close my eyes, for the last time, this all simply ceases to be so nobody really gets hurt.

"Long ago I heard someone say something 'bout Everyman."

I disagree with you on this one, dude. He's trying to be fair and help Dems see their faults which cause what is likely going to happen on Tuesday (because they admit there's something off but won't accept anything they do as possible reasons).

I agree with you on Scarborough. He did his best to get Dump elected in the first place, then "changed his mind" for ratings.

I have not paid close attention to Maher over the years, but what little I've seen does not match up to what you've said here. There's a line between being independent (which I am, and as far as I know, Maher is) and being predominantly on the side of the worst party. As far as I know, Maher has been following the practice of giving both credit and discredit where he thinks they are due, which is what I practice.

Do you have any examples of a time when Maher sided with the Republicans on something that was outrageous?

@Organist1 I concur about Morning Joe. He's a real scumbag but got a hot Dem woman to marry him. Many Dems love that Con-red sex for some reason.

@kmaz Maher has repeated Republican nonsense about the vaccine being able to prevent catching Covid, and that the masks have no effectiveness, or are pointless outside. That a million people died had no impact on him. Also, he occasionally gave credence to the repeatedly discredited propaganda that Covid came from the Chinese lab.

@racocn8 He skirts the line and sometimes gives the Right too much leeway but I wouldn't say he's lost his credibility. Just the opposite. I mostly agree with his end points but mostly think he's put in the hard work to be wrong (when he is).

@racocn8

Hi - taking a look around, yes it seems he was quite the anti-science jerk on flu vaccines, for many years.

[sciencebasedmedicine.org]

I don't agree with him on his stridency about outside masks, but it hardly seems like a firing offense.

I don't know what you're referring to as to him allegedly saying a million people dead having no impact on him.

I haven't followed the issue closely, but I'm ok with keeping an open mind as to whether the covid-19 virus came from a Chinese lab. It doesn't mean I believe it, but I am ok with keeping it under consideration as a possibility..

Anyway, I don't think these lead me to be dismissive of Maher as a zero-credibility hack. On the contrary, most or all of what I've heard from him lately has been worth the listen if not fully on the mark.

@racocn8

but yes i have to slightly agree. i vaguely recall there was a period of time where i did not want to listen to what he' said. part of it was having four guest voices on his show (too much for me). i do remember at the time a media business person said something to me about him trying to get attention with sone of his views, something like that.

anyway you may have a better handle on it than i do, but so far what i know of his past views does not cause me to dismiss him entirely as having zero credibility in the here and now

@kmaz going from 3 to 2 guests helped the conversation.