Tag Archives: politics

Stephen Colbert, Herman Cain Stump For Votes in South Carolina

Newt, Schmewt. Mitt, Schmitt. Herman Cain dropped out of the presidential race months ago, but that won’t stop Stephen Colbert from rallying for him in advance of today’s primary. The Comedy Central host hit the campus of the College of Charleston Friday, joined by over 3,000 students, a marching band, cheerleaders, and Cain: Stephen Colbert-Herman Cain Rally Colbert, who toyed with running in the South Carolina GOP primary himself, was waylaid by the technicality of not getting his name on the ballot in time. Cain, who abandoned his bid in the fall after a brief surge to the top of the polls, happens to still be on the ballot, so Colbert threw his support to Cain . A gospel choir sang “This Little Light of Mine” before Colbert delivered an address at the “Rock Me Like a Herman Cain: South Cain-Olina Primary Rally.” “Do not sit down!” Colbert said. “There are no chairs. Partly for budgetary reasons, but mostly because I’ll take a standing ovation any way I can get it.” He zinged the frontrunner as such: “The only difference between Mitt Romney and a statue of Mitt Romney is that the statue never changes in position.” Before introducing Cain, he also zinged Rick Santorum. “A Her Man is not the same as a She Male,” Colbert said, according to reports, adding. “I don’t want to frighten any Rick Santorum supporters.” “I have believed in the message of Herman Cain for several days now. I want you to vote for Herman Cain because Herman Cain is me… and he possesses the one thing I don’t think I possibly will ever have: a place on the South Carolina ballot.” Fight on, Stephen and Herman. Fight on.

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Stephen Colbert, Herman Cain Stump For Votes in South Carolina

SOPA Blackout: Help Stop Internet Censorship!

A key bill currently before the U.S. Congress, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and its companion bill in the Senate, the Protect IP Act (PIPA), need to be torpedoed ASAP. At THG, we normally refrain from such overt political messages, but the fact is these bills would censor content and impose harmful regulations on millions of people. Legions of Internet users and entrepreneurs oppose SOPA and PIPA, and for good reason. They would enable the government to – indiscriminately – regulate the web. If these bills pass, which is a real threat, the web will be transformed dramatically. Not only are the livelihoods of sites like THG at risk, but behemoths like Google. Google! Check out their SOPA “blackout” logo today in defiance of the legislation: In a nutshell, the bill would enable easy, and unnecessary blocking of entire sites. Small ones won’t have sufficient resources to defend themselves against corporate giants. Big media companies may seek to cut off funding for competitors, even if copyright isn’t infringed. Millions will be suppressed, strong-armed and blacklisted – LEGALLY. Combating piracy of intellectual property is a worthwhile goal, but there are fair, effective means of achieving it without broad government overreach into our lives. SOPA and PIPA are not it. In fact, they will do just the opposite, quashing the innovation of small businesses everywhere while rewarding a select few arbitrarily. The only PIPA we like is Pippa Middleton . The only SOPA we care about is … we have no joke for that one. It hits so close to home, we can’t even think straight. Follow this link to make a call to your U.S. representative . It only takes a minute, they connect you immediately. Or follow this link to join Google’s effort . Stand up for individual liberty or the Internet as you know it may be altered forever.

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SOPA Blackout: Help Stop Internet Censorship!

South Carolina Republican Debate: Schizo Crowd Cheers Lots of Harsh Sound Bites!

Jon Huntsman may have gotten out just in time. In front of by FAR the most raucous crowd of any Republican debate held thus far, the five remaining GOP hopefuls squared off in South Carolina last night. Ostensibly, everybody not named Mitt Romney angled to knock the frontrunner off his pedestal. In reality, it became a game of rhetorical one-upmanship. South Carolina GOP Debate The crowd cheered their support of U.S. soldiers urinating on dead Afghan bodies and their condemnation of the Obama administration’s condemnation of it. Newt Gingrich earned a standing ovation for this quote: “Andrew Jackson knew what to do with his enemies – he killed them.” How professorial he can be. Even Romney, the most vanilla of all candidates, got into the act, saying “The right thing for Osama bin Laden was the bullet in the head that he received.” No one here’s missing Osama, but really Mitt? The audience then jeered Ron Paul for suggesting that “we should practice the Golden Rule in foreign policy.” Nice to see we boo NOT bombing people. The yelled their approval of Rick Perry saying America should “go to zero on foreign aid.” They booed Juan Williams for questioning Newt’s big janitor idea . The South Carolina primary has a reputation for being a bloodbath, and last night’s rancor showed why. Just imagine if this race were in any way close.

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South Carolina Republican Debate: Schizo Crowd Cheers Lots of Harsh Sound Bites!

Ron Paul: Actually Praised By South Carolina Senator!

Despite two strong finishes in as many races, Ron Paul has been derided as unelectable, even dangerous in his bid for the GOP presidential nomination by many critics. Such criticism of Paul stems not from Democrats, but from Republican pundits and political figures – something U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina is upset by. DeMint, whose state holds a critical primary Saturday, says it’s time to start taking Paul, his views and the contingent of supporters he has assembled seriously. This isn’t just lip service, either. In a series of interviews, including this one on the Laura Ingraham Show (below), DeMint mentioned Paul foreseeing certain crises . DeMint has said he’s not formally endorsing a candidate in the race, but from the sound of it, he’s endorseing some major component’s of Paul’s platform … Jim DeMint on Ron Paul

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Ron Paul: Actually Praised By South Carolina Senator!

Finally, Breaking Dawn Director Weighs in on Anti-Mitt Romney ‘Documentary’

Today in the NY Times , David Carr has an intriguing look at the notorious 28-minute “documentary” When Mitt Romney Came to Town , a piece of presidential-campaign propaganda so slick and evocative that it brings to mind the work of contemporary Hollywood pros. Perhaps most notably, Carr writes, the film implicates Romney in a kind of “vampire capitalism” — which calls for some perspective from the Oscar-winning director of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn , Bill Condon. Naturally . It’s precisely the cheeky antidote the piece needs to counteract the sniffling stridency of Michael Moore (“Those in power will appropriate the counterculture to their own ends,” he tells Carr), but it’s also a concisely nifty illumination of how choices behind the camera affect perceptions of those in front of it: “From a technical perspective, they were very effective of taking the imagery of [the 1984 Ronald Reagan spot] Morning in America and gradually turning it into an episode of America’s Most Wanted ,” Mr. Condon said. “In the film, Romney literally blocks out the sun and the weather seems to turn. You are always looking down at Romney, while they shoot the people who lost their jobs from below. And there is a literal money shot, where Romney is posing with money, that looks like it was captured from a surveillance video.” “The title in particular is very good,” he said. “It sets it up right away that this is the mainstream versus Wall Street. The populism of that message took me by surprise and represents a calculation that the white working class, who are everywhere in this movie, are a big part of the Republican electorate.” Indeed. Now if only it were factual ! Can’t have it all, I suppose. Check the film out below, FWIW…

Lana Del Ray Struggles Through Saturday Night Live Performance [Video]

Poor Lana Del Ray. The singer seems perfectly nice, and she clearly has some talent, but the artist was overwhelmed on her Saturday Night Live debut yesterday, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot during a rendition of “Video Games,” randomly rubbing her hip, lacking any and all energy or emotion. Del Ray mumbled in to the microphone and rushed through her lyrics, as the faces of her backup band members even look horrified on her behalf. See the trainwreck for yourself and join us in wishing Lana better luck next time. If there is a next time for her, that is… Lana Del Ray SNL Performance

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Lana Del Ray Struggles Through Saturday Night Live Performance [Video]

Stephen Colbert on Mitt Romney: Possible Serial Killer!

Stephen Colbert does not want to disturb you, but the leading candidate for the Republication Presidential nomination might be a serial killer. The Comedy Central host, who is actually running in the upcoming South Carolina Primary , makes this startling accusation in a new ad from his Super PAC, one in which narrator John Lithgow follows Mitt Romney’s own line of reasoning to its logical conclusion. If corporations are people, as Romney famously said at a campaign event last year, and if Romney gutted a number of businesses during his days in the private sector, well… what other conclusion can be draw? On ABC’s This Week today, Colbert was asked by George Stephanopoulos whether he truly believes Romney is a serial killer and replied: “That’s a question he has to answer.” Watch the commercial below and decide: Does it cross a line? Or is it a perfect form of satire? Stephen Colbert Primary Ad Attacks Mitt Romney

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Stephen Colbert on Mitt Romney: Possible Serial Killer!

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt Discuss Plight of Refugees With President Obama

Angelina Jolie has spent plenty of time in Washington, D.C., as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, but yesterday, she visited the White House with Brad Pitt. There, they enjoyed a private meeting with President Barack Obama! The leader of the free world and Hollywood’s most famous couple dissected the New Hampshire primary . Kidding. They discussed a cause dear to Angelina’s heart … The plight of women caught up in war zones – such as the one depicted in her film The Land of Blood and Honey – and how the U.S. can get involved combating mass violence against civilians in troubled areas was Brangelina’s reason for visiting. Pitt, who has consulted with Obama regarding his plans for the redevelopment of New Orleans’ hurricane-ravaged Lower Ninth Ward, talked about that as well. You have to respect the couple’s commitment to these causes. No word on whether Secret Service confiscated Brad Pitt’s cane before he met with Obama. [Photos: WENN.com]

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Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt Discuss Plight of Refugees With President Obama

Ron Paul’s Campaign Song Is… The Star Wars Imperial March

Candidates campaigning for the Presidential ticket usually opt for safe campaign songs carefully chosen to align themselves consciously and subconsciously with certain sets of values, but last night, Ron Paul went a different route: He and his supporters celebrated their second-place victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary to the sounds of “The Imperial March” from Star Wars . Yes, Darth Vader ‘s theme song. Most folks know the Imperial March is not your traditional signifier of wholesome, upstanding goodness. I mean, it’s Darth Vader’s personal theme , the ditty that warns of impending throat crushings and legions of Stormtroopers at the ready to exact all manner of evil for the dark side. But Paul, as the Telegraph noted , knows his demographic. And he gave a rally cry of a speech following his New Hampshire success that explained the song choice, kinda. “I sort of have to chuckle when they describe you and me as being ‘dangerous,’ Paul said to a crowd that reportedly cheered the loudest when the ominous Vader tune played over the loudspeakers. “That’s one thing they are telling the truth, because we are dangerous — to the status quo!” Sure? Over at NPR’s Morning Edition geek props are in order to Robert Smith for his amusing report on the random confluence of Star Wars and Ron Paul, which suggests that Paul is channeling more Skywalker than Vader: “Getting the nomination for Ron Paul is like hitting a 2-meter target from an X-wing fighter.” Which makes New Hampshire voters, perhaps, the womp rats? In any case, just another curious instance of pop culture co-opting after all that superhero chatter and Paul’s Bond villain-esque nickname, “Dr. No.” (He does kind of resemble an impish Joseph Wiseman…) [ NPR , Telegraph ]

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Ron Paul’s Campaign Song Is… The Star Wars Imperial March

Ron Paul Claims "Victory For Liberty" in New Hampshire Primary

Ron Paul may have finished second in the New Hampshire primary Tuesday, but to hear him tell it, he – and more importantly liberty – was a big winner. “I think the intellectual revolution that’s going on now to restore liberty in this country is on its way, and there’s no way they’re going to stop the momentum that we have started,” said Paul after his second strong outing in as many states. In an energetic speech to supporters, he laughed off criticism that he’s “dangerous” (except to the status quo, in which case he accepts the label) and thanked the Manchester Union-Leader for not endorsing him (the paper backed Newt Gingrich). Even on a night that saw Mitt Romney win , Paul showed why his campaign has caught fire, and showed no signs of slowing down heading into S.C.: Ron Paul Speech After New Hampshire Primary

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Ron Paul Claims "Victory For Liberty" in New Hampshire Primary