Sunday, July 26, 2015

We Couldn’t Help Ourselves: The 2016 Candidates As Game of Thrones Characters

Scott Walker, Ramsay Bolton

July 25, 2015 / by  / 0 Comment

The 2016 presidential election is underway, and you know what that means: editors hastily searching for metaphors to explain the bacchanal of intrigue, money, and women-bashing we’re about to experience. And what better metaphor for the 2016 campaign season thanGame of Thrones?
Here’s our guide to who on Game of Thrones each candidate’s supporters think they should be, opponents think they should be, and who they actually are.
Cersei Lannister Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton

Who she should be: Cersei Lannister. She can be a polarizing figure, but there’s no debating that she’s whip-smart and highly driven. She may have come into power by way of her husband, but it’s clear she’s capable of running things on her own. Yet she can also be perceived as scheming and calculating, protecting no one but her own family.
Who her supporters think she should be: Daenerys Targaryen. A battle tested queen with a proud name and a vision for social justice, Khalinton will soon come sweeping across the Potomac on her flying, fire-breathing coalition of minorities and young people.
Who her opponents say she should be: …Cersei Lannister. A scheming villain willing to crush anyone in her way, this Queen Mother just doesn’t know how to let go of power. She’s rich, out of touch and corrupt to no end. SHAME. SHAME. SHAME.
Jeb Bush Stannis Baratheon

Jeb Bush

Who he should be: Stannis Baratheon. Yeah it seems too obvious, but it’s true. He believes the throne is his by birthright and he’s increasingly likely to do whatever it takes to get there. He appears at times honorable, yet his dark nature can come out in cruel ways.
Who his supporters think he should be: Jon Snow. He’s willing to compromise and let the people from across the wall stay here when necessary, but only if it serves his people. He’s not much like his dad or siblings, and he’s proud to be his own man.
Who his opponents think he should be: Alliser Thorne. He’s not nearly as smart as he thinks he is, and his foolishness just might doom us all. He’s worked his way into a position of power and prestige, but that doesn’t mean he’s a skilled leader.
Marco Rubio, Arya Stark

Marco Rubio

Who he should be: Arya Stark. Young and ambitious, he was a breath of fresh air when he first struck out on his own. Now he’s become a bit frightening, but we still have hope he could prove to be a voice of reason.
Who his supporters think he should be: Renly Baratheon. Young and full of ideas, he represents a break from the corrupt families of power. But as so often happens with honorable leaders, he’s been stabbed in the back once or twice.
Who his opponents think he should be: Oberyn Martell. Full of promise and hope, he rode into town as one of the few good ones. But when he actually took on a tough fight he failed spectacularly, scaring everyone in the process and ensuring no future progress.
Scott Walker, Ramsay Bolton

Scott Walker

Who he should be: Ramsay Bolton. He seems to take joy in inflicting pain on others, torturing and beating his rivals and low-income voters just for sport. He’s taken on more powerful armies and won, but he’s made many enemies along the way. So far he’s had an impressive streak of victories, but when it ends he’s unlikely to be in such good shape.
Who his supporters think he should be: Ned Stark. Always willing to die for what is right, he stood up in the face of corruption and lies. The only difference is — Walker’s won his fights.
Who his opponents think he should be: Joffrey Lannister. Perhaps the only character more hated than Ramsay, Joffrey had significantly more power and used it to similarly evil ends. The key common feature may be that Joffrey came to power fresh-faced and kind — much like Walker’s promise of bipartisanship and reform in 2010 — before showing his true colors.
Mike Huckabee, the high sparrow

Mike Huckabee

Who he should be: High Sparrow. A seemingly kind and humble man, he gains prominence by proclaiming his devout religious beliefs for all to hear. He rides this surge of support to some unlikely wins, and it is only later that those in power realize he meant all the dangerous things he was saying.
Who his supporters think he should be: probably still the High Sparrow. But let’s not forget that the people the High Sparrow is punishing are murderous, incestuous, corrupt power-brokers and brothel-goers. Finally we have a presidential candidate of that same moral fiber. Also, the gays are gross.
Who his opponents think he should be: we all agree he’s the High Sparrow. As the only candidate to accuse Beyonce of poisoning young minds with her sexy dance moves, it’s not hard to imagine that the Huckster and the High Sparrow would get along well.
2016 Presidential Election, Game of Thrones

Ted Cruz

Who he should be: Petyr Baelish. He’s always scheming, with no regard for how his plans impact others. His plans don’t usually work out as well as he expects and he seems incapable of learning. He’s got some strong backers and he’s undeniably bright, but karma will probably get him in the end.
Who his supporters think he should be: Tyrion Lannister. He’ll say what others won’t, and though he’s viewed as an outsider, he always has a plan. He hates the very government he serves in, but he’s one of the few good ones.
Who his opponents think he should be: Ellaria Sand. Yeah, he’s always plotting. But to what end? And when has he ever had success? He’s nothing more than a powerless instigator kicking sand (lol) in the eyes of others to get attention.
2016 Presidential Candidates as Game of Thrones characters

Rand Paul

Who he should be: Ygritte. He’s a rebel with a cause and a penchant for fiery antics. He’s never been one to back down from a challenge, but he’s made some strange allies along the way, and those uncomfortable alliances could hurt him in the long run. He believes in what he’s fighting for, but strategy does not appear to be his strong suit.
Who his supporters think he should be: Ser Davos. Surrounded by corruption and greed, he may have some pretty big differences with those he’s sworn allegiance to. But that doesn’t stop him from fighting for what’s right and marching forward.
Who his opponents think he should be: Jorah Mormont. He’s not as loyal as he likes to pretend, and his advice doesn’t really work out all that often. He’s arrogant and obsessive, and honestly I’m not sure why he hasn’t stayed banished.
2016 presidential candidates as Game of Thrones characters

Donald Trump

Who he should be: Tywin Lannister. Old, mean, conniving and not as rich as he’d have us think. The world has passed this man by and his bigoted views haven’t aged well, yet he somehow clings to his empire. He’s got more staying power than you’d expect, but his days of true power are over.
Who his supporters think he should be: The Mountain. He’s the biggest, classiest, most successful fighter in the world. He’s huge. A lot of people have said he’s incredible. And he is.
Who his opponents think he should be: Joffrey Lannister. He’s a smug little fuck who’s gonna get what’s coming to him.
2016 Presidential Candidates as Game of Thrones characters

Rick Perry

Who he should be: Hodor. No, he’s not the brightest of the bunch. And yes, he’s kind of at the periphery of relevance. But goddammit, he’s trying. And honestly he’s doing better than people give him credit for. Obviously he’s not going to sit on the Iron Throne, but he’s doing his best, ok?
Who his supporters think he should be: Brienne of Tarth. He failed in the past, but things were really out of his control. Now he’s faithfully doing his duty, bound by honor and loyalty. He’ll never be the most charismatic or relatable, but he’s one of the few trustworthy people.
Who his opponents think he should be: Podrick Payne. The ultimate “me too” player, he’s probably harmless and occasionally well-intentioned. Even when his incompetence is showing he’s hard to hate. But it does seem like one of these days he’s gonna screw things up too much to fix.
2016 presidential candidates as Game of Thrones

Bernie Sanders

Who he should be: Maester Aemon. Long a source of advice and intelligence, he’s really come into his own late in life. He’s not afraid to take on powerful interests or speak truth to power, and he sees big issues coming from a distance. But he’s never been one to play the game well, and as a result he won’t ever see more power than he has now.
Who his supporters think he should be: Bran Stark. He sees what others can’t, and he may be our only hope for survival. Others don’t take him seriously, but they underestimate his potential. Don’t sleep on this gifted outsider.
Who his opponents think he should be: Grand Maester Pycelle. If he seems old and slightly deranged, it’s probably because he is. And while he’s done a lot over the years to get himself into a position of power, he’s never really done much for the people he helps rule.
2016 presidential candidates as Game of Thrones characters

Chris Christie

Who he should be: Robert Baratheon. Maybe he could have been a good leader. Maybe if he’d ever listened to anyone else’s advice it wouldn’t have ended like this. But he let his ego get the best of him and now, his days of power are over. Also… fat.
Who his supporters think he should be: Tyrion Lannister. He says what he wants, he doesn’t take shit from anyone and he’s smarter than you. Make fun of his appearance all you want, but he’s gonna get shit done.
Who his opponents think he should be: Jaime Lannister. This former golden boy has seen his time come and go. He relied on his charisma more than his intellect, and eventually things were always going to come crashing down on him. And of course, there’s that little scandal hanging over him.
2016 Presidential Candidates as Game of Thrones characters

Ben Carson

Who he should be: Melisandre. He literally might be a witch doctor. Can we prove he’s not a witch doctor? Whether it’s using fire-smoke-kingsblood monsters to kill enemies or using hands to separate conjoined twins, there’s no telling what this monster can do.
Who his supporters think he should be: Lancel Lannister. He has seen the light and he will guide us on our way. His personal story is compelling and his sincerity is beyond doubt. He’s not the stereotypical leader, but he is virtuous and true.
Who his opponents think he should be: Lord Varys. Seriously what is he even doing? Why is he here? Is he evil? I can’t really tell, but I feel like he is?

[VIDEO] Clinton to testify before House committee on Benghazi

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will testify in October before the House committee investigating the killing of four Americans in a 2012 terror attack in Benghazi, Libya, the Clinton campaign said Saturday.
Clinton was secretary of state when the attacks occurred.
Campaign spokesman Nick Merrill said Clinton will testify publicly before the House’s special Select Committee on Benghazi, after months of negotiations about the terms of her appearance.
A tentative date of Oct. 22 has been set. Clinton has already testified before Congress on the issue.
Committee Chairman and GOP South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy initially requested a private interview.
The announcement that Clinton will testify comes one day after the release of a letter from intelligence investigators to the Justice Department stating secret government information may have been compromised in Clinton's private server that she used when secretary of state.
Clinton used the server and private email for official business including some exchanges about the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on a U.S. outpost in Benghazi.
The investigation into the deaths of the U.S. ambassador and the three others has grown into a political fight over Clinton's emails and private server. It's likely to shadow Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
“Friday began with the printing of a story that was false,” Merrill said in a statement. “Entities from the highest levels of two branches of government have now made that clear. … We want to ensure that appropriate procedures are followed as these emails are reviewed while not unduly delaying the release of her emails.”
The inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community on Friday alerted the Justice Department to the potential compromise of classified information arising from Clinton's server.
The IG also sent a memo to members of Congress indicating that "potentially hundreds of classified emails" were among the 30,000 that Clinton had provided to the State Department -- a concern the office said it raised with FBI counterintelligence officials.
The memo also made recommendations for changes in how the emails are being reviewed and processed for public release.
Though the referral to the Justice Department does not seek a criminal probe and does not specifically target Clinton, the latest steps by government investigators will further fuel the partisan furor surrounding the 55,000 pages of emails the State Department already has under review.
Merrill also said the agency is slated to make public more of them next week.
“We hope that release is as inclusive as possible,” he said.
Select committee spokesman Jamal Ware said Saturday that Clinton's campaign should contact the candidate's lawyer, David Kendall, because as of last night he was still negotiating conditions for her appearance. Among the key issues apparently is whether Clinton will answer questions about her emails. 
“The committee will not, now or ever, accept artificial limitations on its congressionally-directed jurisdiction or efforts to meet the responsibilities assigned to the committee by the House," Ware said. 
A spokesman for Democrats on the Benghazi committee told Fox News on Saturday that Gowdy's staff proposed to Clinton's attorney hearing dates in October and that on Friday the attorney accepted the Oct. 22 date. 
"However, all we can confirm at this point is that the date was offered and accepted, not that the Republicans will stick to it," the spokesman said.
Fox News’ Doug McElway, Ed Henry and Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

‘ANY OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION, WE WILL’

Patrisse Cullors is supposedly one of the founders of the “Black Lives Matter” hashtag along with two other women (yeah, it took THREE women to come up with a hashtag), and she’s is super angry about stuff and is gonna shut down the Republican convention. The threat was made on MSNBC this morning, and the hosts gleefully laughed.
Because they can’t persuade anyone of the rightness of their cause, they can only threaten violence.

[VIDEO] SEN. HELLER: JOHN MCCAIN ‘WOULDN’T ACCEPT’ AMENDMENT TO ARM TROOPS ON BASES BEFORE CHATTANOOGA ATTACK

During a July 23 interview on the Lars Larson Show, Senator 
Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV)
52%
 said that in June he “submitted an amendment” to the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) “to give military base commanders the authority to allow service members to carry personal firearms.”

That was weeks before the heinous attack on Chattanooga, but he says the amendment went nowhere because Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman 
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
43%
 “didn’t want the amendment as part of the bill and wouldn’t accept it.”

On July 21–just 5 days after the heinous attack in Chattanooga–Senator Heller re-introduced his amendment and asked “that National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conferees include [it]” so our troops can be armed for self-defense.
Heller sent a letter to Chairman McCain and the members of the Armed Services committee, saying:
I encourage all conferees to look at my amendment, along with the language passed by the House, as a reasonable and effective way to move forward on this issue and give our nation’s base commanders the authority they need to create a safer environment for our heroes serving across America.
Never should the men and women serving at home have to be afraid that the base they work, and often live, on is not safe.


What We Learned from Hillary Clinton’s Record at State

A majority of Americans don't think Hillary Clinton is honest or trustworthy, but it's no surprise. If history has taught us anything about the Clintons, it's that you can't take them at their word. 
So if you can't trust what Hillary Clinton says, take a look at what she has done. 
The facts there don't paint a much better picture. As RNC Chairman Reince Preibus details in a recent oped, Hillary's record as secretary of state is one of incompetence, a lack of accomplishment, and most notably, refusing to take responsibility for her failures: 
As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton dropped the ball on Embassy Security
"The tragedy in Benghazi is well known. But many other diplomatic posts that were potential targets for attack also did not meet security standards. Investigators discovered numerous security deficiencies in global hot spots, and Clinton’s State Department bureaucracy often slowed down funding requests or emergency planning."
And Failed to Take Responsibility 
"Clinton regularly denied that any of these lapses or shortcomings was her fault. Or in some cases, she insisted she was not aware of the problems.
It’s troubling that she acted as if not knowing was a good thing. Ignorance may be bliss, but it certainly isn’t leadership."
She broke her promise to tackle no-bid contracts
"As a candidate for president in 2008, she complained about no-bid contracting, and then in her confirmation hearings before the Senate, she said that contract oversight would be a top priority for her and her department.
Yet while she was secretary, the department gave out over $2 billion in no-bid contracts. That was more than the previous four years and certainly an astounding amount for someone who said, “[W]e must stop these no- and limited-bid contracts.”
And Interfered with Independent Government Watchdogs
"While she was secretary of state, the State Department lacked a permanent inspector general to guard against waste, fraud, abuse and other wrongdoing. And when investigations emerged, her department frequently interfered and undermined their independence.
Clinton’s chief of staff, Cheryl Mills, has become infamous for blocking investigations into wrongdoing or simple requests under the Freedom of Information Act. The department also failed to comply with investigations into such things as war-zone mismanagement and prostitute solicitation by an ambassador."
​If past is prologue, a Clinton presidency would be plagued with mismanagement and lack of accountability. 

​Which Begs the Question...

"...if Hillary Clinton couldn’t run the State Department in that manner, why would we trust her with the rest of the federal government?"

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