CNN/ORC poll results: Hillary won the debate 52% to 39% for Donald Trump

Trump's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, was incoherent and blubbering during her post-debate interview with CNN's Dana Bash. She got so flustered, she walked out on the interview. First she said Donald Trump would respect the results because he is going to win. It went downhill from there.

The media is unanimous: Trump blew himself up like a suicide bomber in refusing to say he will accept the results of the election.

Bye, Bye Mr. Carnival Barker. Even NBC and the Apprentice won't take you back. May your brand sink like quicksand.

CNN's Van Jones: "You cannot polish this turd."

Channel changer time: Some blonde in a strawberry colored dress with a high-pitched whiny voice is rattling on like a speed-freak. Bye CNN.

This story is one told by criminal defense lawyers to juries during opening argument when a snitch is going to testify. In our version, the story is not about a female, but a Rocky Mountain former, who lets in a snake to protect it from the cold. I've written about it a few times.

There was a Rocky Mountain farmer. He loved all God's creatures. One time, as he was out clearing the snow from his long driveway he found a mostly frozen snake. He brought him inside and put him in front of the fireplace so he'd thaw out. He and the snake developed a relationship. A few nights later, he bent down in front of the fireplace to stick another log on the fire. As he bent down, the snake jumped up and bit him in the as*. The farmer, knowing he was going to die, was crushed and said to the snake, "How could you do that to me, after all I've done for you?" To which the snake responded, "You knew what I was when you brought me in here."

[More...]

Rudy Giuliani, the most contemptible Republican ever (ok, maybe along with Dick Cheney), wants Trump to bring up Monica Lewinsky in the next debate. Seriously? Rudy, whose alleged extra-marital dalliance with his ex communications director Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas was cited by his wife Donna Hanover as a principal reason for their divorce?

A state psychologist has concluded that Robert Lewis Dear Jr., accused in Colorado's Planned Parenthood shootings, is incompetent to stand trial (unable to assist in his own defense and understand the nature of the charges and consequences.)

Dear faces 179 counts — including eight charges of first- degree murder — for the Nov. 27, 2015, attack at the Colorado Springs clinic. The 57-year-old is accused of killing University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Police Officer Garrett Swasey, Ke'Arre Stewart, 29, and Jennifer Markovsky, 35.

If the Judge agrees, Dear, Jr. will be sent to the State Hospital for treatment to restore his competency. At an earlier hearing, Dear, Jr. announced his guilt.

Bernie Sanders and his wife Jane seem to think that the Democratic nomination isn't about nominating a Democrat. (scroll down to 7:45 am entry.) They think non-Democrats should be allowed to dictate who the Democratic nominee should be:

In an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Thursday, Jane Sanders noted that Bernie Sanders won Rhode Island on Tuesday, which was an open primary, allowing independents as well as Democrats to vote for her husband.

"If you close the primary and you only have people who have been in the Democratic Party for years, what you are doing is effectively shutting the door on the millions of people that Bernie has brought in to the political process during this election," she said.

This isn't rocket science. There's a Democratic nominee and a Republican nominee. The Democrats nominate a Democrat and the Republicans nominate a Republican. If an outsider wants to participate, he can run as a third party candidate after being nominated by that party. [More...]

Hillary Clinton today said Donald Trump may start a fire he can't control.

Clinton is also using Trump’s slogan Make America Great Again as a vehicle for her message, which aims to take the high road by preaching political unity.

“You don’t get the chance to make America great by getting rid of everything that made America great,” Clinton said.

A protester in Ohio today crashed a barricade, resulting in the Secret Service intervening. It was a false alarm. Here's Donald taunting the protesters. He finally trashed John Kasich today in his speech and again said the protesters are Bernie Sanders' supporters.

The Trump opposition forces are in full swing mode. Now they say his asking rally goers to raise their right hand (as if in a courtroom) and swear to vote for him is an intentional play on the Nazi salute.

Michael Bloomberg has joined the Anti-Trump forces:

"I have known Mr. Trump casually for many years, and we have always been on friendly terms," Bloomberg said in his Monday announcement. "But he has run the most divisive and demagogic presidential campaign I can remember, preying on people’s prejudices and fears. Abraham Lincoln, the father of the Republican Party, appealed to our 'better angels.' Trump appeals to our worst impulses."

[More...]

David Bowie has died after a long bout with cancer. He was 69.

My favorite David Bowie song:

R.I.P.

Looking back at the news during 2015, it was a year that sucked big-time, around the world.

Here's a few examples, with just a few of the dozens of graphics I used throughout the year. Feel free to add your own events (mine is just a partial list), or disagree. Just stay on topic -- it's a list of bad things that happened in 2015, not a place to debate specifics or rehash evidence. [More...]

I'll be gone for several days. Here's an open thread. Hopefully BTD can put up a new one if it gets full.

I have had little interest in Planned Parenthood shooting suspect Robert Lewis Dear from the get-go, as it was apparent the main legal issue in his case would be his competency and mental health, while the issue for the media would be gun control.

Today in court Dear declared himself guilty, complained his lawyer (a highly respected, experienced and dedicated public defender who was one of the two main lawyers for Aurora shooter James Holmes) was out to drug him and was conspiring with Planned Parenthood, and called himself a "warrior for babies." Facing 179 criminal counts, he told the judge he wanted more charges, saying more babies had been killed that day by Planned Parenthood.

According to observers in the courtroom, he had about 20 outbursts during the hearing. I thought this one was interesting: [More...]

Here is a new open thread. All topics welcome.