The jury in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge case were not charged with adjudicating 400 plus years and continuing of racial oppression, or of leveling White Privilege, or on sending one message one way or another on enactments of future protests of any group.

At best the “message” is to the Federal Government to remember to cross their “t”‘s, dot their “i”‘s and consider their charges carefully.

So, feel free to broaden the scope of meaning on the acquittal all you want, I will tend to try to narrow it down.

And try to figure out what the precise analogue would be with any of the confluence of lefty protest movements.  Most of the ones being bandied about don’t quite fit.  It does strike me, as I ponder the “armed” angle, that some luxuries exist out in the rural hinterlands, where you can shoot a gun in the air and have a better than even chance of it not landing on a human as against in the enclosed city where you can’t.

I do find it comical, however…

Supporters call Thursday’s acquittal of seven Oregon refuge occupiers a victory for protest movements of all kinds, even if the affinity that patriot groups claim isn’t returned by activists of other banners.

The patriot groups voiced sympathy for such diverse potential allies as the Standing Rock Sioux, who are challenging federal land use decisions in North Dakota, and Black Lives Matter activists in Baltimore, who have taken on law enforcement’s abuse of authority.

All of whom go from rolling their eyes to putting themselves in the shoes of the Bundy-ites and coming up short.  It’ll be a while before Democracy Now covers their cause with any type of sympathetical approval, that’s all I’m saying.

Scott Woods, a West Virginia militia leader, said he would consider going to North Dakota if a militia called for help and he had permission to come with a gun.

Mm hm. …

A spot question hereabouts…

McKelvey said protesters were, in part, promoting their campaign to write in group leader Teressa Raiford for Multnomah County sheriff and continuing to demand Mayor Charlie Hales’ resignation.

Feeling free to assume the absolute worst you can imagine and then some about Charlie Hales… what’s the point of ousting him about ten weeks before he will leave anyway?  Where’s that “Impeach Obama” racket when you need it?

A peculiar admission.

In the kind of potential turnabout rarely if ever seen at this late stage of a presidential race, Donald J. Trump exulted in his good fortune. “I think it’s the biggest story since Watergate,” he said in a brief interview, adding, “I think this changes everything.”

I think this changes everything.

What was there that had to be changed in Trump-land?

Before this, which … has had a quick turn-around on conservative opinion on James Comey, at the very least…

… before this, what the hell was Donald Trump saying about the election?

… Granted, there was a small sniveling of possibility poking through his ultra-confident demeanor, but the message doesn’t much trickle down to his core of support.

“Given that we don’t know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails, I don’t want to create a misleading impression,” he wrote, adding that his desire to keep the public abreast with developments superseded that concern.  

Skip to the bottom line: its Anthony Weiner sending Hillary Clinton photos of his private area, and … er… defending Dr. Who.

Donald Trump ruined the Al Smith Dinner.

Or so goes the consensus.

It’s interesting, but looking at the selection of jokes tossed about, we do begin with ones which seemed — oh, maybe risque only in terms of the venue, where the politicos are required to stick to nothing more outre than what Bob Hope might have lobbed at us.

This transcript is annoying.  After the line… After listening to Hillary rattle on and on and on, I don’t think so badly of Rosie O’Donnell anymore, we ought see “Smattered Boos”, not “laughter”.  Then again, the line of “boo”ing is intentional and a good crowd reaction.

But then… the problem with these…

Hillary is so corrupt, she got kicked off the Watergate Commission.

(BOOING)

That’s not a joke.  It’s a very insular, feedback loop of right wing demogaugery, which makes no sense to anyone not in this loopy world.

See too…

and a totally different policy in private. That’s okay. I don’t know who they’re angry at Hillary, you or I. For example, here she is tonight, in public, pretending not to hate Catholics.

A wikileaks – related politicking, needing to get this meme out there.

What’s weird is the canned response from Hillary Clinton.  Yes, I know, the idea is to just smile and nod, but the gracious laughter routine was such that the response was just the same no matter what Trump threw out there — whether funny or inflammatory.  And maybe there is comedy to be gleaned by the latter, in the sense of “Wow.  My opponent is really self-immolating here” — but it doesn’t do much to dispel the robotic / micromanager conception of her.

Well la de freaking da.

Utah is about 60% Mormon, and Trump is not the favorite of Mormons in any state, as far as we can tell. McMullin is only on the ballot in 11 states, but among those is heavily Republican Idaho, which has the nation’s second-highest percentage of Mormons (the state is about a quarter Mormon). The only recent poll there did not include McMullin, but it showed Trump at only a weak 40% of the vote, up 10 points on Clinton. McMullin is moving into Idaho as well, holding two well-attended rallies in the state over the weekend. We’re pushing Idaho from Safe Republican to Likely Republican just as a way to flag that the McMullin conservative insurgency has spread there as well. Trump is a much clearer favorite there than he is in Utah, however.

The problem is … he is the Mormon Candidate ™, and his support appears to be stuck with Mormon Republicans looking for a way out of Trump and …

Utah Republicans – particularly those who are members of the Mormon Church – have been rejecting Trump in large numbers, led by Gov. Gary Herbert and two GOP members of Congress. That’s provided an opening for McMullin, in a state where 63 percent of the population is Mormon.
In Idaho, 27 percent of residents are Mormon.

… Still.  Fun if two states flip to some designated color not red or blue.  (Or, for that matter, if Utah somehow goes ‘blue’ here.)

This does give us an interesting question.  To certain Utah residents.  If it looks like McMullin has consolidated a vote mass and Hillary Clinton lags behind, should Hillary Clinton voters leap over to McMullin to try to deny Trump these electoral votes?

Uh. Huh.  The high? Low? Light of the debate.  Memed to oblivion, and beyond.

TRUMP: …  from everything I see, [Vladimir Putin] has no respect for this person.
CLINTON: Well, that’s because he’d rather have a puppet as president of the United States.
TRUMP: No puppet. No puppet.
CLINTON: And it’s pretty clear…
TRUMP: You’re the puppet!
CLINTON: It’s pretty clear you won’t admit…
TRUMP: No, you’re the puppet.

I want Donald Trump to finish this thought.  The puppet to whom?

I.  Arizona.  John McCain, running into trouble keeping Trump’s support but distancing himself in his race against Ann Kirkpatrick, pivots to the time-heeled manner Incumbent Politicians go to when they have trouble: I bring in federal money.

II.  Florida.  Sizing up Marco Rubio’s campaign.

And that’s what Rubio’s current race is all about — giving Rubio a platform from which to pursue the presidency. He will not even promise to serve the full six years if voters send him back to the Senate. In fact, he wouldn’t even truly serve the four years before the 2020 election. As he did in advance of the 2016 election, expect Rubio, if elected, to quickly blow off his Senate duties to run full time for president.

Sure.

Why is he presidential timber?

III.  Georgia.  Johnny Isakson, trying to get to 50 percent plus one because otherwise he would have to do so in January.

His Democratic opponent apparently has decided Bernie Sanders’s rhetoric will sell in Georgia.

IV.  Hawaii.  Brian Schatz comes out swinging against the racist Jesse Waters “people on the street interviews in China Town New York” bit.

V.  Louisiana.  David Duke is running his campaign, essentially as Trump’s running mate.

Harsh comments:  As a former resident whom left upon the election of Piyush Jindal, and as someone with family still there.
Louisiana deserves David Duke, the man does, represent the majority of white opinion in that state.

VI.  Illinois.  Mitt Romney is trying to serve as an emblem of an alternative Republican political party in stumping for candidates — and here he is campaigning for Mark Kirk.

Romney endorsed Kirk on Wednesday, calling the Republican an “independent voice” who’s willing to work across party lines.

He doesn’t hold out any hope for Trump.

VII.  Indiana.  The US Chamber of Commerce does a flip-flop with Evan Bayh.

VIII.  Missouri.  Assessing how the Democratic challenger is coming up strong in a reddening state, I can’t help but note the unofficial comment’s reason.

Jason Kander has the best ad of 2016 which is the blindfold assemble machine gun ad.

Amateur Hour with … hm… “Donald J Trump for President Inc”.  Behold.  The Oregon voter’s pamphlet entry for Donald Trump.

Donald J. Trump wants to Make America Great Again. He wants to reestablish our place in the world by steering our government away from special interests  … And etc. etc.

Hillary Clinton.

I’ve dedicated my career to making a difference for children and families. From working with leaders in both parties to help pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program to standing up for human rights abroad … And etc. etc.

And then there’s the vice presidents.  Tim Kaine.

In my more than two decades in public service, I’ve never met anyone more qualified to be President than Hillary Clinton. That’s why I’m so humbled and grateful to be her running mate.

After these flourishes putting attention on the top of the ticket, Tim Kaine jumps over to a biography…
And then there’s Mike Pence. … And, er?

Donald J. Trump wants to Make America Great Again. He wants to reestablish our place in the world by steering our government away from special interests and

A duplicate of Trump’s.
Maybe Pence really isn’t this?

Curious to note the photographs.  Clinton and Kaine are gazing up and to the left .  Trump and Pence are not as in sync, but are both vaguely profiled right-ward.  And once again, it doesn’t really look like Pence is into this one — just a weirdly scattershot photo.