Nader
I don't think it matters that Ralph Nader's running. It didn't matter in 2004. How many people even remember he ran in 2004? So it's silly to make a big issue of it. At this point, Ralph's just in it for the chicks... or the dudes... always hard to tell with him. But, there can be no doubt, he's got a point about how narrow our presidential debates have become. He's the wrong messenger, because even most of the people who used to like him now hate him, but no candidate is talking about single payer health care, which 59 percent of doctors support. No candidate dares talk about cutting the bloated military budget. Gun control. A carbon tax. Gay marriage. Cloning supermodels. We won't have a debate about any of these things. That's bad for the country, isn't it? In fact, isn't Ralph Nader's platform still the best one? Couldn't Barack Obama, with all his political gifts, be borrowing more from Nader's platform? That would be real change.
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Truth of the matter is that Nader has been reduced to a joke. Nader’s problem is that nobody pays any attention to him unless he is running for President. And, it’s a shame because he does have important ideas to offer. Too bad for us.
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Bill is basically right, but it doesn’t matter. Bill is only really posting on Huffington Post to boost his ratings. Whenever he is trying to promote the show, we get a bunch of posts from Bill.
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That being said, I used to really like Bill. But this season he has sucked.
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Every week he’s introducing Frank Luntz (Republican and professional liar) as an honest to goodness independent pollster. Frank ”I love the way Orwell used language in 1984” Luntz. Frank “the death tax” Luntz. (Previously known as the inheritance tax – now a giant loophole for the super wealthy to avoid paying taxes altogether) Frank “global warming is good” Luntz. You know it will be good because “who doesn’t want to be warmer?”
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Frank Luntz has spent his entire career attacking Democrats and teaching Republicans how to lie more convincingly. Bill just trots this guy out like he is legitimate and he has something to offer the discourse.
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Last week he had former Bush speech writer David Frum. David, who not so incidently has never been right about anything (look it up for yourself), Frum and Jack Kingston, who is currently leading the crusade against Barack Olbama because he doesn’t wear a flag lapel pin…. These guys are put on a panel with some brain-dead beltway mute who does not get word in edgewise all night and most of their bull$#i+ goes unchallenged.
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I was a registered Republican for 20 years. I am not now. If I wanted to see this kind crap I would watch the Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity. I cannot stand these guys, and I am not alone. If you’re trying to get their audience, forget it you do not stand a chance. They are way out of the mainstream and you can never win them over. They will never like you. Keep this crap up, and we won’t like you either…
Totally agree. About the only reason I have HBO is because of Maher, but I can get that crap for free on AM radio. Luntz asked his focus group on FOX if they wanted to see Hillary and Obama do it, such insight! Please quit refereing to this guy as independent too Bill its disengenous. I like the show better when theres an actual discussion not just another media stop to dispense this weeks heritage foundation talking points.
I only tune in for the wisdom of guests like Jack Kingston and the honest words of Frank Luntz. I see Turd Blossom getting some Real time with Bill real soon.
I agree that the show with Frum and Kingston was sorely lacking in balance -- no one was there to counter/correct the blatant lies spewing forth from Kingston, no one there to tell Frum how stupid he was. The woman between them was pretty meek and didn't seem to have the will or stomach to engage the other two. Bill was not on his game.
Get some real panelists, Bill! While I don't expect your show to be a partisan bitch-fest, at least you could screen out the obvious hacks who approach each issue with maximum spin supplied by the Neocons.
How about getting Al Gore and Ralph Nader on the same show and watch the fur fly. ;)
The fact is 'T1M' is 100% right. I used to look forward to seeing the show. I actually pay an extra $50 a month for the extra channels (movie) channels and of the 2 shows I thought I liked, the other is quite stale now. The other show is, Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, but he's passe. Maybe, he produces a half dozen of them. I guess when you get that rich, you have a Prius to amuse you year round? I guess, that shows how desperate we are for entertainment. I'm a retired gov't analyst an oxymoron I guess, but most of my knowledge is in areas that people don't understand. I was very good at what I did. There are actually a few of us out there. Most retired, after we went into Iraq. Also, going 20+ years without discussing work, made me a recluse. My humor is more aligned with the 'Far Side' cartoons by the late Gary Larson.
I made a slight joke below about the Nader bumper sticker, but it was only intended to amuse my Wife. I know that's a dirty word (Wife) for you Bill, but she's the greatest person in my life and after 35 years. I wouldn't trade 1 minute with her, for Hugh Heffner's life. I wouldn't think twice. She was my nurse when I returned from Vietnam and now that she's sick, it's my turn to return just one little bit of my life she gave to me. I'm sure as the devils advocate, you'll find it impossible to believe there's a happily married soul out there.
Back to your show. I thought when your writers returned that things would improve, because that mail segment sucked. The 'New Rules' was the high light of your show. The gag gifts and inflatable dolls, etc. wasn't very humorous. Whoever on your staff and or interns, helps you pick guests, fire them now lickity split! You are also getting too close to being like Arianna Huffington and the HuffPost a predictable BO delegate, which is why this will probably be my last time posting and reading it. They've become a political tool for BO and I want balanced writing. Chris Matthews has crossed that line too.
Frank Luntz, is a Fox noise irritation. He is so irrelevant and off base, he's painful to watch and listen to. Matt Taibbi, the Rolling Stone political correspondent, happens to be funny and smart, he just is so damn camera conscience that he gets tongue tied. He also gives your camera crew a hard time figuring what angle to shoot. He's a low talker, and hard to follow. When you have guests like Kay Bailey Hutchison, I'm ready to nod. Why not bring out Bay Buchanan, and really throw away your ratings. Some of these right wing hacks are really boring. Some actors also poop out, because they're so self absorbed, I recently had to square off at a state meeting in front of the Governor with a lot of cameras and I started rambling. I realized I was starting to sound like Bill Clinton, recently stumping for Hillary. My Wife loves me too much to be objectively honest with me, but I could see the pain in the eyes of the governor and the board. I decided to continue, because she (Governor Blanco) was on her way out and was such a horrible Governor after Katrina, I thought she deserved to be tortured. Maybe a bit more, like waterboarding but it's not allowed Stateside. Gitmo, should be reserved only for politicians that betray our trust. They're worse then the horrible Islamic fascist terrorists! Thanks, GOP for a coining that expression.
Bill, we'll always love you! Please believe me, I'm not Larry Craig writing under a pseudonym! Though, I'm sorry that you and the media are so hung up on Obama. I hate BS posturing and fluff. You know the old expression, when I'm being screwed I like to be kissed. Putting it politely. What I saw in his real background truly concerns me, but I guess your options are limited. Good luck, Bill!
Well, you're right about Nader...ab
As for real change...r
I think the last real attempt to change the way we do things was communism. That didn't work out so good. Except in Cuba. But the cubans can't use the Internet so we'll never really know what the people think there. What you are railing against is a real dictatorship of the proletariat "in all their infintie wisdom." Good luck to you too.
Hey Bill, I agree, gun control should be a definite issue discussed often, no one is doing it, but with the Republicans and their constant fear campaign, anyone who spoke of cutting the military, would be dead in the water. I am an Obama girl, after being turned off by Hilary's underhandedness (trying to count Michigan and Florida votes) to her bitchy " do it my way or the highway" tone. Even a dinosaur like McCain could beat her. Sadly, to her dismay, she is NOT her husband.
On a lighter note, Bill, I must say you have looked more handsome than ever on your show this season, i like the new duds, very becoming, the more I see you, the more I'll be coming....
Michelle
Actually no Bill, the guy with the best platform was Ron Paul. You blacklisted him along with the rest of the media, remember?
I watch Bill Maher's show now for the same reason I watch Bill O'Reilly..
Amen
Ron Paul.
Yep, he would have been great for public schools. For the poor. For the unemployed. He was the one shooting for single payer universal health care. For a tax system that closed loop holes on big business.
Oh, wait, I was mistaken. Ron Paul is a libertarian conservative republican. He's a "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" , "government is evil" guy.
That's all we needed.
Um yeah, its called freedom.
The funny thing is, that a day before Nader announced he was running, I found an old bumper sticker of his in my garage. I put it on my trucks bumper, and my wife said I was nuts, when she saw it. She said even in Louisiana, it's an embarrassment. Like David Duke wasn't bad enough, and no I don't have that morons stickers laying around. I still see some of his stickers fading away on the backs of old stop signs. The following day when Nader announced his candidacy and I look like a genius.Now she's calling me Uri Geller and expecting me to bend forks with my mind! Now, that's going too far. An Irish Uri Geller, we do know how to bend our elbows though! So, I guess I had last laugh.
Bill, you and I think alike sometimes. I think they should bring Ralph to the floor of the Democratic Convention and just let him talk for an hour. Everyone that matters will say how bold and confident the Dems are to allow this. Then we go home and vote Democrat.
KUCINICH is NADER personified but a legitimate elected legislator doing something about common sense for the people. He is an authentic proven real democrat, small d as they say, and thus of the people and for the people one hundred percent as proven by his legislative records. As Mayor of Cleveland holding back from turning over the City Utilities to private interest fronted by the bankers, for that matter. Puts his principle always before his own safety. KUCINICH is an elected man. Elected. And been practicing legislation for all the people since he got into politics. And elected. Time after time. Elected. A man knows that for us to clean up seriously that it is necessary to IMPEACH our heads of state criminals. Put a resolution before the House for that to happen. Went nowhere. Kucinich populism is right here doing right now in the HOUSE for the peoples most progressive best interests. Who needs a man like that as President?
RALPH NADER never been elected to anything! In his public life far as I know. He is his own business. An entrepreneur. His own tax writeoff. Never had toe to toe parlimentary face off, dealt with any aisle, either side, but his own street leading only to him and his American Consumer Advocate throne. Has he ever led anybody? Other than a staff maybe? My gosh, how come nobody ever seems to make a point of that? He is the least able, capable, experienced, proven man, having done nothing but service his business niche in consumer activism. He's got a spoilers mind set and he will use it to agrandize his righteous ego if he has to prove he can destroy a government to save it. To make his points. Pft.
Bill Maher--I've always wanted to ask you something. Why do you choose certain people to be on your show? If you were really interested in the issues that you cite in this article shouldn't you have people who are directly affected by those issues? I've seen your show a couple of times and the guests seem pretentious,shallow and out of touch with the common man. Could you please have some commonersd on?
There's the Bill Maher I know and like. Kudos!
Sorry Bill. Not buying it. Ralph's an egomanical ass. His presense in the race can have no positive impact and it certainly could have negative consequences as it did in 2000.
It probably feels good to call Ralph Nader an egomaniac, but I question your understanding of the term. Someone who is well aware that he's a scapegoat who faces bile and scorn at every turn is certainly not acting at the behest of his ego.
Ralph Nader has lived his life in service of the public good. We don't have to agree with every one of his actions. But the least we owe him is the understanding that personal profit has never been his aim.
i must agree. all those who scream "egomaniac" are doing so because nader is not doing what they themselves want/demand him to do: surrender his freedoms, surrender his right to run for office, and give in to the corporatists.
it seems the nader-haters are projecting their own egomania on him.
Ya know. It does kinda feel good. Think I'll do it again. Nader is an egomaniacal ass. Just because he knows he'll be vilified doesn't mean his motives are altruistic. Maybe he likes being a martyr. Wants to be crucified so he can look down from the cross and forgive all us sinners that don't understand his great wisdom.
But guess what. I live in the real world. And in the real world, Ralph was a huge factor in giving us 8 years of Chimpy McFlightsuit with all the joys and wonders that has brought the planet. So Ralph, you want to save the planet, then come down off your cross and campaign for Obama or Clinton. Because that's the best shot we have right now.
I agree that it doesn't matter if Nader is running - no one really cares any more. Nader is a jerk, an ego maniac, and sometimes a little wacky, but is that any different than many of the leaders out there. I don't blame him for costing Gore the election in 2000 or 2004; the only person I blame is Gore and Kerry (their campaigns and the DNC).
Nader has some good points and we all know there are a lot more problems in this country than the candidates are talking about (and the candidates probably realize that too). But I just have this to say, if Nader ever was going to be viable and run a serious campaign, to some extent he would have to take special interest money as well.
I'm sure I will get yelled at on here for saying this, but:
It's not the money that is the entire problem, it's people in office who lack the will to tell the special interests no. Some special interests are sometimes good, clearly people who like pro-labor laws enforced don't mind union money being donated, those who are for gun rights don't mind the NRA donating money, and so on. People complain about special interests, but its never THEIR special interest they are complaining about.
I do agree that money has become too much of an issue for candidate, but the fact is that if you really want to make serious change to the current political system, support candidates and push for measure/in
The practice of raising money from business and community interests has been going on for over 100 years in this country, beginning with President McKinley. Since then we have had some pretty good Presidents. It's about integrity, not money.
You are right on and as a libral centrist. It sickens me to see the democrats constantly lie down and roll over for this administration and the corporations.
what do you blame gore for doing,other than winning the popular vote?
Rumpled Ralph is soooo yesterday, I don't expect much other than some useless legal wrangling trying to get on ballots and debates. The electorate is energized and there just isn't any room for Ralph this time around.
"Yes he can"
This just in Bill - Ralph Nader's pick for the Supreme Court, the corporate schill, JOHN ROBERTS, seems to be siding with ExxonMobil. Nice Job Ralph -- and you to Bill!
Ralph Nadir. Hard to believe that once, he was a hero. Now he's an egomaniacal jerk.
Nader has sterling ideals, but unfortunately, that will not win him the White House. In all our history as a nation, has there ever been a statesman that could walk on water . . . besides Nader, I mean?
Maybe we should just support Nader or Gravel or Cynthia McKinney instead of just HOPING that Obama or Clinton or McCain will abandon their corporate donors get what the American public actually wants done!
Most Democrats don't have the balls to put principles above party.
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