** 2016 Election Day Discussion **

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mike rowe from dirty jobs making sense

A woman named Carol Savoy sent Rowe a question on Facebook:

Hey Mike. You’ve been very quiet. Everything OK? I just wanted you to know that I voted for you. I was also hoping you might explain what the hell happened on Tuesday, and say something to make me feel better about my fellow man. Thanks...

Rowe first offered a metaphor:

Hi Carol,

Last Friday, my dog posted a video that featured a man licking a cat with the aid of a device that’s designed for the specific purpose of making it easier for people to lick their cats. I've been silent ever since, because frankly, I couldn’t think of a better way--metaphorical or otherwise--to express my feelings about this election cycle. The entire country it seems, has been preoccupied with finding a way to lick a cat without actually putting their tongue on it. Too oblique? Too weird? Ok, how about this analysis...

He then talked about the similarities between his hit show, and why Donald Trump was able to resonate so profoundly with millions of Americans:

Back in 2003, a very unusual TV pilot called Dirty Jobs, Forrest-Gumped its way onto The Discovery Channel and found an audience – a big one. For Discovery, this was a problem. You see, Dirty Jobs didn’t look like anything else on their channel. It wasn’t pretty or careful. It took place in sewers and septic tanks, and featured a subversive host in close contact with his 8-year old inner child who refused to do second takes. Everyone agreed that Dirty Jobs was totally “off-brand” and completely inappropriate for Discovery. Everyone but the viewers. The ratings were just too big to ignore, so the pilot got a green-light, and yours truly finally got a steady gig.

But here's the thing - Dirty Jobs didn’t resonate because the host was incredibly charming. It wasn’t a hit because it was gross, or irreverent, or funny, or silly, or smart, or terribly clever. Dirty Jobs succeeded because it was authentic. It spoke directly and candidly to a big chunk of the country that non-fiction networks had been completely ignoring. In a very simple way, Dirty Jobs said “Hey - we can see you,” to millions of regular people who had started to feel invisible. Ultimately, that’s why Dirty Jobs ran for eight seasons. And today, that’s also why Donald Trump is the President of the United States.

Further, Rowe noted that he's worried about the hate being thrown at Trump voters:

I know people are freaked out, Carol. I get it. I’m worried too. But not because of who we elected. We've survived 44 Presidents, and we'll survive this one too. I’m worried because millions of people now seem to believe that Trump supporters are racist, xenophobic, and uneducated misogynists. I'm worried because despising our candidates publicly is very different than despising the people who vote for them.

Last week, three old friends – people I’ve known for years - each requested to be “unfriended” by anyone who planned on voting for Trump. Honestly, that was disheartening. Who tosses away a friendship over an election? Are my friends turning into those mind-numbingly arrogant celebrities who threaten to move to another country if their candidate doesn’t win? Are my friends now convinced that people they’ve known for years who happen to disagree with them politically are not merely mistaken – but evil, and no longer worthy of their friendship?

He explained that this was simply a very dirty job, and someone had to come out on top:

For what it’s worth, Carol, I don’t think Donald Trump won by tapping into America’s “racist underbelly,” and I don’t think Hillary lost because she’s a woman. I think a majority of people who voted in this election did so in spite of their many misgivings about the character of both candidates. That’s why it’s very dangerous to argue that Clinton supporters condone lying under oath and obstructing justice. Just as it’s equally dangerous to suggest a Trump supporter condones gross generalizations about foreigners and women.

These two candidates were the choices we gave ourselves, and each came with a heaping helping of vulgarity and impropriety. Yeah, it was dirty job for sure, but the winner was NOT decided by a racist and craven nation – it was decided by millions of disgusted Americans desperate for real change. The people did not want a politician. The people wanted to be seen. Donald Trump convinced those people that he could see them. Hillary Clinton did not.

Lastly, Rowe offered the same promise to Trump as he did Obama in 2008:

As for me, I’m flattered by your support, but grateful that your vote was not enough to push me over the top. However, when the dust settles, and The White House gets a new tenant, I’ll make the same offer to President Trump that I did to President Obama – to assist as best I can in any attempt to reinvigorate the skilled trades, and shine a light on millions of good jobs that no one seems excited about pursuing.

Like those 3 million “shovel ready” jobs we heard so much about eight years ago, the kind of recovery that Donald Trump is promising will require a workforce that’s properly trained and sufficiently enthused about the opportunities at hand. At the moment, we do not have that work force in place. What we do have, are tens of millions of capable people who have simply stopped looking for work, and millions of available jobs that no one aspires to do. That's the skills gap, and it's gotta close. If mikeroweWORKS can help, we're standing by.

If not, I suppose we'll just have to find another way to lick the cat.
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Interestingly, if you followed the Wikileaks email revelations about Chelsea and Doug Band, Chelsea actually comes off pretty well.
It looks like she was trying to get rid of the sleazy influence peddlers making bank off her old man.
Although Band's criticisms of her are probably also on the money.
Pretty sure the Clinton brand is dead though.
 
Interestingly, if you followed the Wikileaks email revelations about Chelsea and Doug Band, Chelsea actually comes off pretty well.
It looks like she was trying to get rid of the sleazy influence peddlers making bank off her old man.
Although Band's criticisms of her are probably also on the money.
Pretty sure the Clinton brand is dead though.
I would agree if she didn't know her $3,000,000 wedding was being paid for out of the coffer of the foundation.
 
New York Times: We blew it on Trump


To our readers,

When the biggest political story of the year reached a dramatic and unexpected climax late Tuesday night, our newsroom turned on a dime and did what it has done for nearly two years — cover the 2016 election with agility and creativity.

After such an erratic and unpredictable election there are inevitable questions: Did Donald Trump’s sheer unconventionality lead us and other news outlets to underestimate his support among American voters? What forces and strains in America drove this divisive election and outcome? Most important, how will a president who remains a largely enigmatic figure actually govern when he takes office?

As we reflect on this week’s momentous result, and the months of reporting and polling that preceded it, we aim to rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism. That is to report America and the world honestly, without fear or favor, striving always to understand and reflect all political perspectives and life experiences in the stories that we bring to you. It is also to hold power to account, impartially and unflinchingly. We believe we reported on both candidates fairly during the presidential campaign. You can rely on The New York Times to bring the same fairness, the same level of scrutiny, the same independence to our coverage of the new president and his team.

We cannot deliver the independent, original journalism for which we are known without the loyalty of our subscribers. We want to take this opportunity, on behalf of all Times journalists, to thank you for that loyalty.

Sincerely,

Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.
Publisher

Dean Baquet
Executive Editor
 
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It put a sour taste in my mouth watch celebrities who have sway over the public do their best to try and influence the vote.

That shit should be illegal
 
It put a sour taste in my mouth watch celebrities who have sway over the public do their best to try and influence the vote.

That shit should be illegal
You could say the same about what Comey did. CNBC said that actually was illegal.

Only dumbshits make big decisions based on input from Jay Z, Beyonce, etc.
 
It put a sour taste in my mouth watch celebrities who have sway over the public do their best to try and influence the vote.

That shit should be illegal
I'm not sure what bother me more. That, or the type of people that are influenced and buy into the celebs really, really horrible ads.
 
I'm not sure what bother me more. That, or the type of people that are influenced and buy into the celebs really, really horrible ads.

I know. Its sad but its a fact if life that people are dumb enough to follow their celebs into the vote.
 
It put a sour taste in my mouth watch celebrities who have sway o

ver the public do their best to try and influence the vote.

That shit should be illegal

It ought to remain legal, and it ought to remain legal that I ridicule the hell out of their inane opinions.

They are not fine with the latter.
 
Trump did 60 Minutes. Will come out soon.

Apparently he wants to keep pre-existing conditions part of ACA. How is he going to do that without a) keeping the individual mandate or b) creating a new spending program that the Republicans will oppose?

I think he will most likely get into a big fight with the GOP very quickly.

I also predict Trump will be re-elected in a landslide.
 
Trump did 60 Minutes. Will come out soon.

Apparently he wants to keep pre-existing conditions part of ACA. How is he going to do that without a) keeping the individual mandate or b) creating a new spending program that the Republicans will oppose?

I think he will most likely get into a big fight with the GOP very quickly.

I also predict Trump will be re-elected in a landslide.

Hes gonna get into a fight with the gop trying to pass those anti lobbying bills
 
Hes gonna get into a fight with the gop trying to pass those anti lobbying bills
Who knows if the anti-lobbying thing is even part of his plan? It's too soon to tell
 
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