 |
| Political Kombat '12: Obama vs. Romney |
STEPHEN COLBERT: Are you tying to put pundits out of work? Cuz CNN doesn't need any more help
(audience laughter)
NATE SILVER: I'm just trying to explain to people that pundits can be very entertaining but...
COLBERT: What's you opinion on Pundits? C'mon shoot from the hip
SILVER: I'm not very pro-pundit I have to say. I would vote against it... I think a lot of people get on TV and they don't really have a lot of conviction behind them. It kinda becomes a game to entertain the audience or the other half of the audience or whatever else right...
COLBERT: That is the longest possible way of calling him [Joe Scarborough] a bullsh*tter
 |
| (16m 12s) Challenger Romney harangues President Obama in regards to his handling of local oil production |
 |
| (1h 4m) Romney challenges Obama on his own "Chinese Investments", questioning if he's checked his pension of late |
 |
| Joe Biden laughing off Paul Ryan at the Vice Presidential Debate |
The Dennis Miller Show: Give Biden a 10
BIDEN: I do think he was perfectly emblematic of contemporary liberals... that's how I see them, how I saw Biden last night - protective of their time, covetous of yours. Constantly laughing, grinning or throwing their hands up when you're making your point and expect that you'll sit there and act like you're in cyclical when you're speaking. And usually to pull that off they need a magician's assistant (Debate Moderator Martha Raddatz)...
MSNBC on suicide watch, admits they are Obama propaganda machineIts common in the fight game for a fighter to conceal any injuries before entering a fight to not expose possible weaknesses. Sometimes mild illnesses before battle provide for good psychology. Its never used as an excuse for defeat but on the flipside can create a narrative that a sportsman has an imposing will to win, the most famous example being Michael Jordan's "Flu game".
GLENN BECK: By the way did anyone else notice that Romney had kinda of like a pink upper lip. It looks like he's been sick. I don't know if he was sick but I bet you that he was a sick. This was a performance with him not feeling well... Did you notice the upper lip with it being a little pink from tissue. I think he's got a cold, if this is a guy on Nyquil I'm in. "You had me at Hello"
 |
| Jim Lehrer as the hapless referee of the 1st Presidential Debate |
Coming this Fall | 2 Men | 2 Podiums | 1 Air-conditioned Auditorium | O'Reilly VS Stewart | The Rumble in the Air-conditioned Auditorium | It's On! | The Internet! | Live Streaming | October 6th 8PM ET | It's why | It's why Al Gore invented the internet | www.therumble2012.com
Conservative pundit Mark Levin links to a Vanity Fair piece on his Facebook page, taking a dig at fellow APF pundit Joe ScarboroughWhen you thought it couldn't get any worse, the Morning Schmoe wants to be president?- Mark Levin on Facebook
MSNBC's Hot Ticket... After the presidential inauguration in January, Joe (no fan of Mitt Romney’s—"I've been very critical") plans on publishing a memoir that will serve—no joke—as a vehicle to test the waters for a presidential run in 2016. Take that, Mr. Romney.
NARRATOR: (8m 50s) This game is based on something called WWE, which stands for World Wrestling Entertainment. Extreme violence cheered on by Americans baying for blood. They know the names of each one of these actors and yet they don't know where Britain is on the map despite the efforts of the British to be their best friends
CHAEL SONNEN: (1m 2s) I've been writing this book in my head for a decade. For a decade I had this idea I could explain everything you need to know about Government if I can get you to understand Professional Wrestling. You have to understand Professional Wrestling was sanctioned within 38 different States in this Country, which means it passed the Senate, it passed the House and was signed by Governors into law to oversee and regulate as a licensed referee watches a licensed athlete with a folding chair while he pretends to be unconscious with an earpiece in his right ear.
These are the same guys that though Professional Wrestling was real. That's why they did it. These are the same guys that are in charge of Healthcare, your Social security, your Education, teaching the Children, the military. These same guys. So when Vince McMahon goes to trial in 1989 and has to admit under oath the whole thing is a play. This is the most embarrassing thing that's happened in American Politics. Very quickly, State by State did away with their Wrestling commissions because they were embarrassed they fell for it. Our best and brightest, our elected officials fell for it and passed laws. But not all of them...Unfortunately as Chael explains he was never able to properly organise his concept to make the book.
If I can get you to understand that then I can get you to not just accept things like Bird Flu or Global Warming or the War in Iraq or Party lines. These are the same guys that fell for Professional Wrestling.
SONNEN: Now with that in mind, do you wanna hear the bad news for me? So I've been working on this for 10 years. The whole concept, get the whole thing written out. I got 20 some pages and that's it. I've got nothing . In my head I've got this whole, I've got book after book. I've got nothing!Find previous Chael Sonnen Punditfight posts here:
MAD AS HELL Intro. Episode 4
SHAUN MICALLEF: What's all the whooing there. Are you out of your minds? Your sounding very American. You know I don't like that. It's crazy, its the start of the show. Its completely uncalled for reaction in my view. I'm sorry about starting the show in this way. Gun's down, the gun's down. I'm sorry I've never pulled a gun on an audience in my life
I'll be honest with you, I'm very angry this week and I'm not sure why. I feel a certain way about something but when I actually think about it I get just as angry but for a completely different reason and that makes me mad. So my anger this week is unfocused and double what it would be normally. So when how we feel and what we think are on the same road but are traveling in opposite directions you're on a collision course with blind fury and I don't like blind fury. It makes me furious! That's right I'm talking about...
 |
| @danilic "I'm at The Chaser's Empty Vessel it is like an intellectual gang bang #tcev #swf" |
Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis' Political Battle in "The Campaign"
A new political satire starring comic super cast Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, The Campaign is bound for theaters this year. Indulging in his known penchant for George W. Bush impersonation, Ferrell plays a Southern politician running for office opposite Galifianakis in a congressional comedy making fun of American politics. A strong supporting cast include Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, Brian Cox, John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd and Sarah Baker. This hilarious Warner Bros spoof preempts the real presidential elections with its August 10 release.
 |
| WrestleMania: White House XLV Romney VS Obama Wallpaper |
 |
| Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney with Wrestler John Cena |
IFC greenlights Marc Maron show straight to series (Exclusive)
MARON explores a fictionalized version of Marc's life, his relationships, and his career, including his incredibly popular WTF podcast, which features conversations Marc conducts with celebrities and fellow comedians. Neurosis intact, Maron is uniquely fascinating, absolutely compelling and brutally funny.
Produced for IFC by Fox Television Studios and Denis Leary and Jim Serpico's Apostle, MARON (wt) is directed by Oscar® winning director Luke Matheny (God of Love) and executive produced by Marc Maron, Denis Leary, Jim Serpico, Olivia Wingate, and Duncan Birmingham, who also serves as the series' writer.
Newt Gingrich Looks to Hulk Hogan for Inspirational Georgia WinCheck out Talking Points Memo's tongue-in-cheek gallery - Newt Gingrich, Real American: An Anthem In Pictures
What do Republican Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich and the "Immortal" Hulk Hogan have in common? Well, they're both "Real Americans." Newt Gingrich bounced out to Hulk Hogan's epic 80s theme song when he was introduced to a crowd of supporters in Georgia on Monday. Apparently Gingrich is hoping that, much like the theme song helped inspire "Hulk-a-Mania" in the mid 80s, the song will inspire "Newt-a-Mania" on Super Tuesday in Georgia.
Professional wrestling and American politics make strange bedfellows...
Mar. 11 Edition of The LAW w/ Steve Austin, Vader
JASON AGNEW: As the story of the Hogan sex tape was breaking, US Politician Newt Gingrich used the Real American by Rick Derringer to come out for his Post-Primary win in Georgia on Tuesday night. What a - just not informed.
DAN LOVRANSKI: I thought that was pretty funny yes
What Just Happened? Punditmania 2012
I will test this conclusion against a line-up of guests from the Daily Mail's Toby Harnden, to Michael Barone and Conn Carroll of the Washington Examiner, AEI's James Pethokoukis, Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard, Chris Cillizza and Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post, Commentary's John Podhoretz, and the original dynamic duo of on-air blogging and punditry show-downs, Glenn Reynolds and Mickey Kaus.
A PunditFight conversation with Dean Barnett
APF: It seems to me that Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson had the most compelling conservative credentials but there was a disconnect somewhere personality wise.
DB: One of the things that still irks me, is I don’t think the true Mitt Romney ever really came through to the electorate. If it did, this is a guy who worked for a big Company. Everybody who worked with him, everybody that did business with him loved him. Universally respected, universally liked.
I remember I was in Washington during the Primary season having lunch with another conservative writer and the name Mitt Romney came up, he’s question about Mitt Romney was "how come nobody like him". The people who know him like him but its true – and I’ve overstated it a lot – bur Mitt Romney didn’t quite connect with the electorate. Part of it was Mitt’s an idea guy. Mitt’s not a pound the lectern kind of guy. He’s an idea guy. He’s a thinker. He’s not a technocrat in that he’s also warm and outgoing and engaging guy. He is at his core an idea guy, I think if ran a campaign that communicated that side of his nature rather than what he did I think it might have gone differently. I hope he stays involved in public life because he has a lot of ideas and especially with the economic problems we’re having right now. He has a lot of ideas that should be heard, it’d be nice to have someone in politics who understands something about economics.
APF: It was certainly more pronounced in the case of Fred Thompson and we’re seeing the opposite with Palin. Do you think that kind of deficiency in the minds of voters can be overcome.
DB: To use your wrestling analogy, on the one hand you’re born with what you’re born with. On the other hand there’s a craft of getting through to people. You look at some wrestlers who get so much better – look at Hulk Hogan in his initial incarnation didn’t go over at all. But in his latest incarnation after Rocky III he was the biggest thing since sliced bread. They can develop their craft to become better and better. I think the same is true of politicians. They can learn what works, they can learn what doesn’t work they stay away from their weaknesses, they can emphasize their strengths. As you point out there is no substitute for - if you’ve got someone who can deliver a speech like Barack Obama, if you’ve got someone with the charisma and personal appeal of Sarah Palin. That’s being born on third base in a political sense with that kind of talent.
 |
| 'The Atlantic' Promotions presents: Rachel Maddow VS Rush Limbaugh |
Rush Limbaugh Should Be Shamed Into Debating Rachel Maddow
... Instead of apologies, why not demand that future Limbaughs submit to a public debate? Let the object be to hash things out, not to signal contrition that most people are going to doubt anyway.
In this case, I'd nominate Rachel Maddow as his interlocutor. She's smart, informed, and adept enough at the broadcast medium to hold her own on a stage with one of America's most technically proficient communicators. She'd need to be prepared, for this wouldn't be a one-sided inquisition.
 |
| Mitt Romney headlines the Super Tuesday 2008 poster |
 |
| Judgement Day for Rick Santorum: Michigan Primary |
What is your definition of a Mark and a Smark?The nuance of discourse would be lost on observers who see wrestling as mindless entertainment for gullible people. In fact most times when American Politics is viewed as wrestling, its meant in a dismissive patronising way. This blog acknowledges the manipulation, hyperreality and framing found in both. With that said there is a threshold that can be crossed, where storylines can become cartoonish even by the standards of wrestling or politics.
A mark is someone who enjoys the show for what it is. They are able to suspend their disbelief and watch wrestling for what goes on [onscreen and they don't care] what goes on backstage. A pure mark is unaware of the scripted nature of the program and believes that wrestling is a legitimate competition.
A smart mark (Smark) is someone who is aware of the staged nature of the show but can still suspend their disbelief to a certain extent... A smark is someone who thinks they know everything about the business. They tend to put down marks and others who can suspend their disbelief while watching the show...
Santorum Will Have to Answer on Satan
SANTORUM: The Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies, Satan, would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country -- the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age?
...
RUSH: Okay, so he said it. Can we take you back to the United Nations? What was it, 2000... I don't know, three or four or five or six. Hugo Chavez shows up, he speaks either the afternoon Bush spoke earlier or the next day, but he gets to the microphone at the United Nations and the General Assembly and starts sniffing around. (Sniffing) He says, "I can still smell the sulfur. The Devil was here," and he had accused Bush of being the Devil...
Hugo Chavez can show up and call George W. Bush Satan. "Hey, hey! You know what, that's right! That's great. Let's laugh about it. Let's applaud it." Santorum gives a speech in Ave Maria, Florida, back in 2008. "Oh, my God, we're dealing with a nutcase! Oh, wow, what a fanatic weirdo. What are we gonna get next, an exorcism?" So the double standard does exist.
 |
| Rick. Flair? Santorum has ties with the WWE. Does it hurt him or just make him more interesting? |
Rick Santorum’s slimy WWE pastand
In the late 1980s, as investigative reporter and pro wrestling chronicler Irv Muchnick (no relation) has written, Santorum served as a WWE (then WWF) lobbyist while a lawyer for the Pittsburgh firm that the McMahons still keep busy.
Rick Santorum, Family Values Candidate and Pro Wrestling Advocate?- Linda McMahon rolls out wrestling superstar Triple H to help in her Senate campaign
The future candidate helped the WWE elude athletic regulators in Pennsylvania—which opened the door to a wave of steroid abuses and other unintended consequences.
 |
| Sarah Palin has "Linsanity" |
 |
| The parallels between Palin and Obama |
 |
| Elimination Chamber: The WWE meets the Republican Primary debates |
WWE Raw: Elimination Chamber debate (Feb 13, 2012)- Republican Primaries - Flashback 2008
CM PUNK: To you the WWE audience. I give my word, I promise you that this debate will not end in violence...
VICKIE GUERRERO: Excuse Me! [Moderator] Jerry, I think there should be no booing allowed...
DOLPH ZIGGLER: Everyone knows I'm a better wrestler than CM Punk. I'm better than anyone in the ring at everything including the audience. That's kind of my deal. Except I back it up every single night and then there's people like R-Truth who don't even know what State we're in
R-TRUTH: Is that right? Well if I'm elected. The first thing I'm going to do is trade Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler to Smackdown for Hornswaggle and a box of spiders
ZIGGLER: We're not running for office you idiot! How do you even work here? King! (pleading to moderator)
Moderator JERRY 'THE KING' LAWLER: Its OK, continue..
R-TRUTH: Thank you your honor...
Moderator LAWLER: You were in the main event of last year's Wrestlemania?
THE MIZ: Correction Jerry! I wasn't in the main event of last year's Wrestlemania. I WAS the Main event of last year's Wrestlemania! I made history when I retained my title not once but twice...
*buzzer sounds*
Moderator LAWLER: Miz you're time is up...
KOFI KINGSTON: Miz why don't you shut up. An Afterthought? You called me an afterthought. I'm sure most of the people in this ring probably agree with you because I have been overlooked for far too long. That's alright though because that's the beautiful thing about the Elimination Chamber is that in the course of one night everything can change...
CHRIS JERICHO: Its obvious that I'm surrounded by neophytes in this ring, surrounded by neophytes in this entire arena. All of you need to quiet down because the true "Best in the World" at everything I do is about to enunciate...
President Obama watching Jeremy LinLin like Obama is superficially a story of race and overachievement. As Obama has found out approaching the end of his first term, with the Tea Party movement and his approval rate declining. The same light that shines is the same light that burns. Eventually performance does trump novelty but this is nothing new for Lin as he has had to defy "haters" doubting him from the beginning:
Meanwhile, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer told ESPN.com that President Barack Obama has been following Lin this past week and watched Lin hit the game-winning 3-point shot that beat the Raptors Tuesday night in Toronto. "That's great. That's a great story," said Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni. "(Obama's) a basketball fan. He might even think he can take (Lin), I don't know."
The president discussed the shot with aides on Marine One earlier Wednesday on the way to Andrews Air Force Base, before flying to Milwaukee. White House spokesman Jay Carney said Lin's success is "just a great story, and the president was saying as much this morning."
It's a story that "transcends the sport itself," Carney added.
Lin said he is, "very honored, very humbled" over the attention from President Obama. "I mean, wow, the president. Nothing better than that," he said after scoring 10 points and handing out 13 assists in the Knicks' 100-85 win over Sacramento on Wednesday night.
Harvard's Hoops Star Is Asian. Why's That a Problem?Ultimately its what the "haters" want - for their targets to get caught up in the emotion. Its up to the heroes of the story to 'Rise Above Hate' and leave it all on the floor. At least that's what would happen in wrestling.
Some people still can't look past his ethnicity. Everywhere he plays, Lin is the target of cruel taunts. "It's everything you can imagine," he says. "Racial slurs, racial jokes, all having to do with being Asian." Even at the Ivy League gyms? "I've heard it at most of the Ivies if not all of them"...
In the face of such foolishness, Lin doesn't seem to lose it on the court. "Honestly, now, I don't react to it," he says. "I expect it, I'm used to it, it is what it is." Postgame, Lin will release some frustration...
 |
| Rise Above Hate: President Obama, John Cena, Lebron James |
Interview with Henry Rollins: Punk Rock World Traveler- Marc Maron's WTF podcast Ep 23: Wyatt Cenac talks pundits and professional wrestling
WORLD HUM: So how does an experience like that color the way you consume mainstream media about, say, Iran and U.S.-Iran relations?
HENRY ROLLINS: Good question. It occurs to me that CNN, as neural and sometimes milquetoast and mediocre as they can be, and they’re the nicest, and FOX news, they’re the professional wrestling, and MSNBC, they’re a blog that’s a TV show, all these outlets ultimately are pro-war—some people might argue with me—and pro-corporate bottom line. Whereas Al Jazeera, to me, that’s news. Where you get to hear the full soundtrack of what an Iraqi hospital sounds like full of people with no anesthesia, when you just hear nothing but human screams. That’s bringing it home...
VIDEO: Adam Carolla Glenn Beck Interview GBTV 01-17-12 (TheBlaze.com)
GLENN BECK: (5m 34s)... I said on the air we probably disagree on a lot of stuff but good for him. Listen to him. I know because I heard a clip from you later saying that people were like "How can you be friends with Glenn Beck?". We're not friends.
Why can't people who may or may not disagree with each other on a lot (I don't know what you think about everything), it didn't matter to me. Why can't we have a dialogue like we're having right now without you being in bed with a bad guy like me or me selling out because [of your] language... Why can't we have a normal conversation and come together on big things?
ADAM CAROLLA: I'll tell you why. I think people are in such a hurry to put you in a box that they cannot take the time to peel your onion and they cannot realise that there are shades of grey. We may disagree on religion but we may agree on border policy or raising the taxes and we may disagree on other topics but ultimately we're both family men.
For me I don't really care what your religion is or what you pray to or what colour you are. You're either part of the problem or part of the solution.
BECK: (mild sarcasm) You're not saying content of character?
CAROLLA: I am. I'm just saying there's a big bicycle we're all on. You're either pedaling or your dragging your feet and what you do after you get home is your business. I'm interested in finding the guys who pedal and praise them and I'm not interested in talking about what our differences are in religion. I'm interested in finding the guys dragging their feet and throwing them off the bicycle.
BECK: (impressed) I love you man
ADAM CAROLLA (13m 2s): Ultimately all you have is your voice, especially when we do what we do [Punditry for Beck, Comedy for Carolla] and if you just speak the truth. The truth as you know it, the truth as you feel it and speak your voice. You'll get a certain amount of people who love you and a certain amount of people that hate you.
But I'd rather have a bunch of people that love me and bunch of people that hate me than a bunch of people in the middle who went "Eh, he's alright". That's what I want.
The worst thing anyone can say about you, I mean back in High School you wanted the Head Cheerleader to either or love you or hate you. The worst answer answer would be "Glenn who? I don't think I know that name".
STEPHEN COLBERT: Anyone who shares my values can show it by voting for Herman Cain. Independents, Democrats, college kids, viewers of my show, people who attended my rally, my Twitter followers, my good friends on Reddit. Young people of the Internet, stand up and shout! Because you are legally eligible to go down to the polls and tell the world how much you love Herman Cain.The mischief doesn't end there as Colbert's SuperPAC helmed by Jon Stewart has begun airing tongue-in-cheek attack ads levelled at frontrunner Mitt Romney. Things are getting real!
 |
| Colbert Super PAC's Herman Cain Ad |
via Glenn Beck's Facebook
Tonight I finally get to meet one of the bravest Americans ever – no, not George Washington... Adam Carolla! Remember his EPIC rant against Occupy Wall Street where he called out the protesters for their out of control sense of entitlement?! Don’t miss my interview with Adam tonight at 5pm ET on GBTV!
BILL O'REILLY: So once he [Ventura] said "You deserve to lose a few guys" you popped him? (punching motion)
CHRIS KYLE: Yes Sir
O'REILLY: Did he fight back?
KYLE: He went down, The cops were there. I took off running.
JESSE VENTURA: I have never supported the Iraq War. And let me say this clearly. Wars are not cause by the soldiers, the sailors or the airman. Wars are caused by politicians. Politicians take us to war and I have been so critical of the politicians that took us to the Iraq War...
I have all the sympathy in the world for the soldiers having been one and anyone who questions my patriotism, that I would behave in this manner that is a direct insult to me, my family. Its a direct insult to my mother and father. My father had 6 Bronze Battle stars in WWII, my mother is a WWII veteran, a nurse in North Africa... my entirely family are veterans, we were all enlisted men. We were at the bottom rung...
So for someone to state that I would take joy and pleasure -and especially one of my SEAL teammates would die - that I would enjoy that? Is despicable, its wrong and this never happened...
KURT ANGLE: Yeah I mean, Jesse had his own viewpoint. I don't-- I love Jesse Ventura, he's a great guy but his choice of words and what he said I think was wrong so I don't blame this SEAL sniper for what he did. But with Jesse Ventura you never know how tough he really is. I'm glad the guy ran (laughter)
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Indecision 2012 - South Carolina's Fresh Face | ||||
| ||||
@StephenAtHome
SUPER HUGE BIG TIME ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE REPORT TOMORROW @ 11:30 PM EST! TUNE IN!!! ALSO, MY CAPS LOCK IS JAMMED!
 |
| US Presidential Primaries 2008 |
UFC 141 Results: Jacob Volkmann Trolls President Obama After Beating Efrain EscuderoIn a post match interview with Ariel Helwani, Jacob Volkmann seemingly gives up on his feud with with President Obama but interestingly calls out Joe Rogan for being a leftist sympathiser
UFC lightweight Jacob Volkmann dominated Efrain Escudero for a ho-hum decision at UFC 141, but things got interesting-ish after the fight. Volkmann received a visit from the Secret Service in January of this year after saying he'd like to fight President Obama because, "someone's got to knock some sense into that idiot."
Volkmann attempted to follow up on that notoriety last night by donning a "Volkmann for President" t-shirt and launching into a terrible joke about Obama when UFC announcer Joe Rogan interviewed him after the fight.
"I'd like to give President Obama a glassectomy. Ask me what a glassectomy is Joe," Volkmann said to a groaning Rogan. "A glassectomy is when you cut a hole in the belly button and put in a glass window so you can still see with your head up your ass."...
ARIEL HELWANI: Are you disappointed in him [Joe Rogan]? Maybe he didn't want anyone doing the comedy thing next to him?
JACOB VOLKMANN: I think he's a Democrat even though I know he's not. He's a more independent kind of guy. I think everyone knows where he stands...
