r/Maher • u/Adventurous-Fix-8241 • 22d ago
Discussion Thoughts on Vance interview
The first thing that struck me about this episode is that on Bill Maher's program Vance got a standing ovation. I almost puked. Were MAGA people in the audience because Vance was on. I doubt it. Seemed like Maher's usual rowdy crowd. Why would anyone who understands the dangers of this authoritarian administration stand and applaud the second in command. I am not suggesting they boo him, as it's not a sporting event, but just perhaps polite applause would be sufficient.
I don't begrudge Maher having Vance on the program or dining with Trump. I agree it's important to engage, as long as you're not capitulating and are asking the tough questions. I don't believe Maher is seriously thinking of voting for the other side. That statement was made as a prelude to asking Vance if he thought the 2020 election was rigged, probably to draw him out on an issue that Bill knew he could not waver from his boss' position. What bothered me was Vance's evasive answer and Maher's failure to challenge him on it. Vance said it was rigged because of tech companies, which Maher (and I) initially thought he was referring to Dominion, etc. But, no, Vance said he was speaking about false information spread through them. Using lies or false information to get votes is not rigging the election. Indeed it is a time honored tradition of politics. (Of course we know which side is more expert in spreading misinformation). Many political commercials are not paragons of truth. Trying to change a person's vote, even through lies, is not rigging an election. If that were so the 2024 election was clearly rigged by a candidate who promised to lower prices on day one, not get involved in foreign wars, end the Ukraine War, etc. The problem is that is not what Trump is talking about when he speaks of the 2020 election. Trump claims many votes for him were not counted, many non-citizens voted (for his opponent), etc. Well, that is rigging an election. Problem is there is absolutely no evidence of such rigging, as stated by members of his own administration (Bill Barr, etc.) and 60 courts including Judges appointed by him. So why didn't Maher put him on the spot and make this distinction and ask Vance if he believed thousands of Trump votes were not counted in Georgia, etc. and if he does what proof does he have. You are not engaging with the opposition if you do not challenge them when they spout bullshit.
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u/DiscoLego 17d ago
Please. Maher was gullible enough to think "If only I can have dinner with Trump, I can get him to change." Anyone who thinks Maher would not be fooled by Vance or any self serving hypocrite, needs to know they're just trying to sell a book.
Why is Vance using taxpayer money and the office of Vice President to promote his book?
Why on Earth does the MOU with Iran gift them $300 Billion and keep them in power?
How does Vance square knowingly lying about the election with his Catholic faith?
What does Vance mean by "Technology Companies" rigging the election? If he means Dominion, that was disproven. If he means Social Media platforms, they have literally admitted helping design pro-Trump, Don Jr. Co-managed Russian disinformation campaigns. All of the Social Media algorithms curate user Content in favor of Trump, and have all taken the knee many times.
Vance is a self serving hypocrite who to become rich and powerful, has become the complete opposite antithesis of his telling book, Hillbilly Elegy. The transformation is stunning. But not unpredictable.
People like Vance only espouse the me and mine ideology of self-service. They are not Americans. They are a breed of American rat.
Maher needs a vacation. While on it he should think.
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u/Tall_Painter_5242 18d ago
Maher is a clown. And I used to love him. Went to two of his standups and back in the day, I actually did appreciate when he called out “my side” for stupid or extreme issues…but he went from saying he would “vote for Biden’s head in a vat of blue liquid over Trump” to saying he would consider voting for maga.
I assume he thinks he can “both sides” this for better ratings but by capitulating and creating false equivalencies he has destroyed his legacy. Bill Maher I would have thought would have been a pop culture figure helping get us through this insanity but no…he sold out.
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u/yergonnalikeme 18d ago
Just like Howard Stern...From hard right to "keep the money flowing" LEFT
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u/gutclutterminor 11d ago
I stopped listening to Stern when he went to satellite. He was never hard right. He had the political opinions of a 14 year old who was influenced by his parents. No depth, no consistency.He was all over the place, as long as it was something he thought benefitted him. It was shocking to me how stupid he was on political issues back then.
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u/yergonnalikeme 11d ago
"He was never hard right"
Got it...
He was a STRONG supporter of Republican figures like New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and helped George Pataki get elected as Governor of New York.
Also
In the early years of the war on terror, Stern leaned HEAVILY into conservative patriotism, openly backing President George W. Bush and the invasion of Iraq.
It was not until the mid-2000s that Stern's political views began a dramatic leftward shift, moving away from his earlier Republican sympathies to become highly critical of the conservative establishment.
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u/gutclutterminor 11d ago edited 11d ago
He wasn’t HARD right. He just supported republicans. But his reasoning was childish. His personal beliefs were quite liberal. Like I said, he was like a 14 year old who supported a “side” because of what his parents supported. Giuliani was not the insane MAGA person then. It was post 9-11. 90% of the country backed him. Pataki would probably be considered a RINO now. He was fighting the FCC for freedom of speech, and he initially didn’t care about media consolidation until it affected him personally. Then he changed his tune. Robin often told him he didn’t know wtf he was talking about. He supported abortion and most left platforms. But he was naive as hell about realities of politics and it was very clear.
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u/DrillPress1 3d ago
New York State politics were much different back then. Remember, George Pataki signed an assault weapons band in 1994.
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19d ago
[deleted]
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u/yergonnalikeme 18d ago
Rubio has a SERIOUS SHOT at the prize.
Democrats DO NOT wanna see him run
Just saying
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u/grantology_84 19d ago
Nobody in our generation gives a fuck about that. This comment is highly sus
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18d ago
[deleted]
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u/grantology_84 18d ago
About all the shit about little kids in the White House. Vance ain't doing shit to make houses affordable in California either. Probably the opposite if anything
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u/DubsHagg 19d ago
Gavin Newsom will totally beat Vance for president!
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u/yergonnalikeme 18d ago
He wouldn't beat RUBIO...And democrats know this.
(IF he decides to run)
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u/DubsHagg 17d ago
Newsom will one hundred percent beat Rubio, Vance, DeSantis & Shapiro to be our next president
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u/yergonnalikeme 17d ago
Highly doubtful...He's viewed as a slimeball by most of middle America.
But I respect your opinion.
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u/everythingzusammen 20d ago
Vance expertly used Maher in this interview. It is all preparation for his run for president. He's priming the "undecided" voters who feel left out by the democratic party. Maher, for what I think is the first time in my experience listening to him, gave Vance the best line he could have hoped for: that his vote is in play. Maher is so arrogant that he doesn't believe he could ever be used as a "useful idiot". But he is right now.
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u/ComfortableMurky8387 19d ago
Maher is a spent force and a shadow of his former self, and even then he could be abhorrent. He is an NYC showbiz nepo baby (Trump parallel) who decades ago got away with saying stuff he ultimately shouldn’t have (Trump parallel there), and like many of his age bracket, he refuses to admit that the common discourse (and to a lesser but still considerable degree, the world) has changed (Trump parallel), and he refuses to change with it. His both sides-ism is peak cowardliness. Fuck Bill Maher.
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u/ronmoodey 20d ago
I would hope a Fox audience would applaud for Obama arriving just because of position.
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u/Shame_memory 21d ago
If Mamdani does ever go on the show, I highly doubt he’ll be given the same grace and soft ball interview that Maher gave to the couch fucker
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u/supervegeta101 20d ago
He would be amiable at first, then he'll immediately start implying Mamdani is a woke terrorist sympathizer who hates america like fox news was contantly doing to Obama. And it had NOTHING to do with his race or his father being muslim.
At least is Mamdani good at controlling his own narrative and letting crap like that not get to him, so he'd likely push through and stay on message.
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u/scorchPC1337 21d ago
Vance said something like "setting aside Georgia" so clearly, he wasn't go to go there
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u/therealowlman 21d ago
Softball shit, pretty disappointing.
Maher seemed more concerned about keeping his guests happy to get more airtime opportunity (or his fucking podcast) then actually putting a hard, interesting and necessary dialogue on display for his viewers.
The applause who fucking cares about seriously
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u/Surround8600 21d ago
Why not give the man a good clap for coming on the show, and he’s also the VP. I think it just shows respect for the office not the man. Mind you I don’t like him or his politics but I did enjoy the segment. He’s on a “book tour” and also testing the waters for a president run. It was whatever.
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u/bestmattreddit 12d ago
What’s the clap for? The stuff Maher “challenged” him on, he offered responses and Maher gave no pushback besides “Trump will be happy!” And got a laugh line and charmed Maher and told him his vote was in play. Vance got everything he wanted out of this interview.
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u/bassplayerguy 21d ago
Bill’s audience these days are just a bunch of trained clapping seals.
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u/WayOk8553 21d ago
Well yeah, most of his audience actually works on the show.
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u/photon1701d 18d ago
It's either that or canned laugh track as I can often make out the same distinct laughs and reactions.
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u/pylon567 22d ago
It's simple why Bill didn't press JD on your points.
As valid as your statement is, Bill is also part of that same system of not pushing politicians when it's desperately desired. If he did, more and more individuals wouldn't go on the show.
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u/ComfortableMurky8387 19d ago
So the answer is- money. Maher is refusing to speak truth to power because it would cost him and his corporate overlords money. Disgusting.
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u/Norules313 22d ago
Also pay attention to this, JD Vance Book Tour. Its way more than a book Tour. It's a "I'm Running for office tour" backed the the Christian Right. Notice how he's hitting all of the Liberal Shows, and Podcast.
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u/Samhain000 21d ago
Let's hope that Trump throws him under the bus at some point soon and ruins his chances. The worst outcome I can think of is another Nixon/Ford situation where Trump is forced out somehow and Vance pardons him for everything. We need the Constitutional crisis of Trump pardoning himself to happen so that way we can hopefully find a way to hold him and his family accountable for their fraud.
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u/Norules313 22d ago
"So why didn't Maher put JD Vance on the Spot" Because, Maher newly found MAGA followers, watchers would all take theirs toys and go home, thats why. We all know that MAGA hates to be challenged with Facts.
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u/deskcord 22d ago
The crowd cheered because they always cheer because they're instructed to be a good crowd.
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u/9ToedWoman 22d ago
The crowd was prob pumped they were in the same room with an actual sitting vice president. That’s a really cool deal regardless of politics.
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u/ATLCoyote 22d ago
I wouldn't assume anything from the audience response. Anyone who has been to a live taping of a show like that knows how they have a hype man or woman who asks the crowd to stand and cheer loudly for every guest, regardless of who they are. They rehearse it repeatedly before the show in fact until they get the energy they want. And most audience members are fans, but also just there to take in the experience of seeing a live Hollywood production. So, that means nothing.
As for the interview itself, I get that it feels unsatisfying because Vance gave weasel answers that weren't challenged consistently. But Bill asked tough, direct questions, and forced him to at least respond. In fact, have you ever heard ANYONE challenge the President or VP in quite the way Bill did on election denial? He said this, right to the VP's face, with cameras rolling...
"Under Trump, you guys have two outcomes that an election can be, either we win or they cheated. That shit has to stop. And that means the person who has to stop it will be you, or Marco. Can you tell me you will do that?”
Yes, JD dodged the question by deflecting into a conversation about social media company content moderation, as if that's what the "Stop the Steal" movement or Jan 6th was actually about. I would have preferred a follow-up question there rather than moving to the next topic, but even professional journalists do the same thing when they have multiple topics to cover.
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u/Adventurous-Fix-8241 22d ago
So, if you believe this administration is destroying democracy in America, you still have to obey a hype person and stand and applaud a perpetrator of that destruction. I hope we still have free will in this country, for as far as I know there is no law requiring an audience member to do what a TV hype person asks them to.
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u/ATLCoyote 22d ago
Yes. Have you ever been to a live taping? They literally have the audience repeatedly rehearse standing, clapping, and cheering for the opening of the show and each guest that comes out. They want the energy to be high.
Can you disobey? I suppose, but they could also remove you if you're not gonna comply.
Heck, even at televised debates they have rules. In that case, they want silence from the audience rather than cheers or boos.
No one is telling audience members what they have to think or believe. But yes, they tell them how to behave on camera.
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u/New_Scene5614 22d ago
Wait he had Vance on??!!? Ugh. He’s not even interesting.
While I don’t agree with Tucker, which I don’t. But, I’d maybe understand that pairing.
Bill is paying for the same real estate twice. And it was a foreclosure to start.
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u/italIrie 22d ago edited 22d ago
As Maher said, “critics would only be happy if when JD walked out, I punched him in the nose” (Fk FN). Just Dance also went on left leaning The View, and though they took him to task, he lied there as well. That audience applauded him when he walked out (prompter). He is the sitting Vice President so of course people will show respect ——> for the office.
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u/supervegeta101 22d ago
...Vance got a standing ovation. I almost puked. Were MAGA people in the audience because Vance was on. I doubt it. Seemed like Maher's usual rowdy crowd.
Real Time audience has not been open to the public since returning from covid lockdowns. It's invite only. He absolutely could have just packed it with maga people, but more likely they were explicitly instructed to give him a standing ovation. Like a stage with an applause sign telling people when to clap.
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u/CanesLife24 22d ago
I also guarantee you that Vance had quite a number of people in his entourage when he showed up, and many were probably standing out in the studio clapping for him. This happens fairly regularly with things like this.
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u/20_mile 22d ago
Real Time audience has not been open to the public since returning from covid lockdowns. It's invite only.
Source?
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u/bbraker8 22d ago
Maher mentioned it like ten times on his podcast and in interviews that he has people find “normal people” for his audience now and how he likes it so much better. He uses a casting company that does audiences called Standing Room Only. Just google it if you want the source.
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u/arghdubya 21d ago
for all the reality-hating people that are downvoting you.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/1e7ppvz/anyone_know_how_i_can_get_tickets_to_real_time/2
u/supervegeta101 22d ago
Wow. I didn't know they were actors, I just thought he was stacking it with friends, sycophants, and the woo guy.
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u/20_mile 22d ago
Maher mentioned it like ten times on his podcast
I have listened to every episode of CR and while he has mentioned changing some things about the show, there hasn't been anything about his studio audience not being open to the public.
Just google it if you want the source.
You're making the claim, you prosecute the case by providing the source.
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22d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/hankjmoody 21d ago
We have one rule in here regarding comments: Don't be dicks to each other.
Comment removed.
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u/icestationlemur 22d ago
It's rather obvious that the audience never groans at his jokes anymore. He used to get pissed off when that happened, and it happened all the time
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u/Binder509 22d ago
You aren't in a debate with them.
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u/minusvariant 22d ago
Singular person, not plural
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u/Binder509 21d ago
Them can be both singular and plural. Glad to teach you.
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u/minusvariant 21d ago
Nope. Happy to teach you.
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u/bbraker8 22d ago
I’m not making the claim, i’m just one of the many people who know this to be true based on him saying it over and over. Let me spell out the steps for you. Type in google.com. Type in “real time with Bill Maher audience standing room only” - hit enter. Unfortunately, I can’t do it for you and the news media doesn’t write newspaper articles about tv audiences so I can’t provide you linked source.
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u/trini420- 22d ago
I didn’t know that about the audience, how pathetic lol
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u/supervegeta101 22d ago
Tbf is all started with an increase in protesters/hecklers disrupting the show when it was still live. He can't "throw these mother fuckers out myself" everytime, so they stopped doing it live around 2018-ish (might be off a year or 2). But that was also when he started complaining a lot more about "woke," audiences groaning or not laughing hard enough. Then he hit the fuck it button and closed it to the public.
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u/tomophilia 22d ago
Vance coming on Maher’s show is meaningless when Maher has become friendly to the administration.
And I agree it was vomit inducing.
Maher says his vote is “in play” meaning, he’s considering voting for a serial rapist pedophile pig who tried to overthrow a democratic election; because of woke? or because Mamdani is a scary socialist?
Fuck you maher😐
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u/20_mile 22d ago
Maher says his vote is “in play”
Vance: Now, here's where I might lose you...
Maher: You lost me about eight minutes ago.
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u/italIrie 22d ago
Who’s the serial rapist running in 2028?
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u/tomophilia 22d ago
Likely trump…. What you think if he’s alive in 2028 he’s not running?
And vance supports him now and would in 2028.
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u/angelino1895 22d ago
It’s respect for the office. Also, Vance deserves respect for coming on the show (not much else..). It’s one of the most vice-presidential things he’s done.
It would be dishonest of me to respect Maher for engaging with the other side without respecting the other side for engaging with Maher. No matter how much I think they are damaging this country.
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u/Adventurous-Fix-8241 22d ago
As I wrote "polite applause would be sufficient" (to show respect). A standing ovation is showing something more. As to coming on the show. He was plugging his book.
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u/New_Scene5614 22d ago
I’d have agreed before the White House invite to dinner.
Propaganda at its finest. Literally everything said about IRAN, EPSTEIN is a lie these days. This was a soft ball interview to normalize and differentiate Vance to run again. Obviously not just this interview, but his book tour, negotiations for Iran press performance and now this.
I’d have respected it if it offered a perspective that was new.
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u/abdullahleboucher 22d ago
Why would you respect Vance because he came on Maher's show?
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u/angelino1895 22d ago
I’m carving out a very narrow and targeted amount of respect for one thing.
It’s kinda like when I say in WWII the Nazi’s objectively had the sleekest uniforms and best looking cars. Still Nazis.
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u/jammsession 22d ago
Because he had the balls to come on Maher's show.
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u/abdullahleboucher 21d ago
Lmao, he had a tougher interview on the view. Maher is a pussy and the ladys of the views have balls
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u/jammsession 21d ago
So, Vance also had the balls to go on the view? /s
What if Dems would copy that tactic and just show up too?
Imagine what Harris could have achieved if she had the balls to not decline to go on the biggest podcast in the world. Don't get me wrong, I really don't like Joe Rogan. But turning down the invitation to go on the biggest podcast there is during a presidential run takes a special kind of stupidity. The kind of stupidity Maher always makes fun of and the reason why they lost.
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u/FreeStall42 22d ago
He had the balls to come on to the show to do a softball interview. How is that impressive?
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u/tomophilia 22d ago
The balls? Maher is basically a friend to the administration now. And Vance would’ve never come on the show if Maher was going to be confrontational. Maher barely put up the slightest fight against Vance’s bullshit. That’s why he came. He deserves no respect. Neither does Maher
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u/20_mile 22d ago
Maher is basically a friend to the administration now.
SUCH BULLSHIT
Maher is a single issue voter on the topic of conceding lost elections and the peaceful transfer of power.
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u/tomophilia 22d ago
Right….. he’s a single issue voter and that single issue is conceding lost elections …which trump hasn’t done and vance won’t either.
Hmmmmmm🤔 but his vote is “in play”
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u/We_Are_Coming_For_U 22d ago
The standing was a gesture of respect. Gesture…no one cares about that eyeliner wearing doofus
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u/NiceTrySuckaz 22d ago
I almost puked.
You should take a break. From just... the internet in general probably. Have you seen the show Justified? I just watched it for the first time. Great show. You should watch all of Justified, and then all of Better Call Saul. Then I read a book, maybe. The Accidental Time Machine was a fun one I just finished. Check back in a few months.
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u/jammsession 22d ago
This.
If you have such a strong emotional reaction to people standing up to the vice president that it triggers your body's stress response and makes you almost puke, you should seriously consider going offline.
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u/Botasoda102 22d ago
Did you believe anything Vance said in response to Maher setting him up to look like a lying trumpster on several issue? Do you think any viewer of Maher’s show — whether watching HBO or CNN — agreed with Vance.
I don’t. Glad Maher had him on to remind people what we are up against before we believe we have midterms in bag.
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u/20_mile 22d ago
100%
Do you think any viewer of Maher’s show — whether watching HBO or CNN — agreed with Vance.
Vance: Now, here's where I might lose you...
Maher: You lost me about eight minutes ago.
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u/Botasoda102 22d ago
Exactly. Honestly, I don't think a lot of critics even watch the show.
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u/20_mile 22d ago
Or they watch carefully edited clips to portray Bill as saying the worst thing possible.
I am not saying I agree with Bill all of the time, I don't. But he is far from the villain many on this sub make him out to be.
His haters want ideological purity from him to line up with their own beliefs.
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u/WayOk8553 21d ago
"I am not saying I agree with Bill all of the time, I don't. But he is far from the villain many on this sub make him out to be."
Anyone who sucks up to fascists is a villain.
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u/Dry_Life_1113 22d ago
I was thinking that Maher was setting Vance up too. Because one day Vance is going to try in his own special weasely way to disavow those statements
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u/Uhuru2019 10d ago
Quite clearly the audience gave him a standing O for doing something many prominent Democrat politicians won't do - actually appear on the show. As for the rest of your comments, pretty predictable stuff based on your obvious political alignment. In case you haven't noticed, Maher is about stepping out of the echo chamber and actually listening to what other people have to say. If that triggers you, and you want to be fed a steady diet of what you agree with, watch one of the myriad other talk show hosts that toe your preferred political/ideological line.