Ted Cruz Reconnects With the People of Texas

Austin, Texas. The fourth-largest city in Texas, and the fastest-growing, a fact that always created an uneasy tickle in the lower part of Ted Cruz’s abdomen. Like now. Ted Cruz was thinking about it (the fourth-largest city in Texas thing, and also the fastest-growing bit) and feeling that unpleasant pit below his (Ted Cruz’s) stomach. But this was no time for reflection. Ted Cruz had work to do.

Ted Cruz took a deep breath. This was not going to be fun. But it was part of his (Ted Cruz’s) duties as a Senator from Texas, the largest state by area in the contiguous United States (among other distinctions too numerous to mention here). His (Ted Cruz’s) advisors had recommended a trip here, to a part of Texas he (Ted Cruz) normally didn’t visit, in order to get a feel for his (Ted Cruz’s) constituents and their mentality ahead of his (Ted Cruz’s) reelection campaign (for the United States Senate) in 2018. (more…)

Lose (“Wolves” Parody)

[Hook: Reince Priebus]
He’s down, she’s up
Losin’, polls found
There must be, some way up
Don’t don’t lie, polls polls lie
Down and she’s up
Polls found, losin’
There must be, some way up
Polls can’t lie, polls don’t lie

[Verse 1: Reince Priebus]
Lost and, found out
Turned out, how we feared
They all, found out
What Trump’s about, what Trump’s about
If Ronald knew now
How we’d turned out, he’d go wild (more…)

Winners and Losers from the Final Presidential Debate

Last night we saw—at last—the final debate of this [prolonged/torturous/entertaining, but in the same way a car crash is entertaining/highly arousing, though that may be because I am a masochist] presidential season. It was a [fascinating/miserable/refreshingly policy-orienting/disappointingly policy-oriented/extremely sexy] affair that left viewers [tearing their eyes out/tearing their clothes off/blackout drunk/yelling the wrong racial slurs at their television/slipping into a blissful fantasy realm of denial/rock hard/soaking wet]. Here are the winners and losers. 

Nobody: The total absence of people was big winner from the night, and not just because Trump conceded it has more respect for women than he does

Hillary Clinton: With three commanding performances in three debates, accomplished a clean sweep of the sort the Chicago Cubs are desperately wishing they could muster right about now (more…)

Predicting Tonight’s Presidential Debate

Tonight is the third and final showdown between Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. With less than three weeks to go until election day, the stakes have never been higher. Here’s how the night will go down:

Hillary Clinton will once again control both the debate and the narrative around it

Hillary has some significant flaws, but she’s been able to get through two debates without really being exposed. This comes down to two things: One, her poise and indifference has contrasted beautifully with Donald Trump’s blustering interruptions. Without saying a word, or indeed doing much of anything during these moments, she comes across as calm while Trump comes across as an unhinged loon. Two, her campaign has a stockpile of incriminating material on the Donald, which they are strategically releasing both to force Trump on the defensive during and after the debates and to draw attention away from Hillary’s foibles, such as her Wall Street transcripts. You can bet they already have another Alicia Machado-type story just waiting for Hillary to mention during the debate. (more…)