Make the White House Correspondents Dinner Great Again

[sheshe2]

... it can and should be a two-hour roast of an empty chair–which would be extremely appropriate under the circumstances



http://washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/

Make the White House Correspondents’ Dinner Great Again

I have always hated the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Its cozy mix of journalists and the powerful politicians they’re supposed to be holding to account has embodied every populist critique of the relationship between the press and political power. The best thing that ever happened to the dinner was Stephen Colbert’s humiliation of George W. Bush at the 2006 dinner, an event that simultaneously appalled the attendees and became a viral sensation that propelled Colbert to new heights. When Donald Trump came to power, it began to be clear even to many of the dinner’s regular attendees that the whole affair was inappropriate: Trump is famously humorless, does not take well to criticism, and his relationship with the press has been abysmal. Yesterday CNN said it might sit out the dinner this year.

But today changed everything, because today Donald Trump also announced that he would be skipping the dinner this year. Trump’s motivations are obvious: his joke of an administration is in freefall, he’s a recipient of constant brutal satire on every comedy show, and he has taken an aggressively totalitarian approach to news organizations and comics who challenge him. He is incapable of the sort of self-deprecating humor that makes for a good stand-up routine of his own, as he embarrassingly demonstrated at the Al Smith. The thought of spending two hours smiling while being mocked by the very press establishment he hates surely seemed intolerable.

I’m sure there’s nothing Trump would like better than to see the entire thing be canceled permanently. But while I might have agreed with him in the past under normal circumstances, that’s precisely why the dinner should go on as planned.

Because Trump won’t be attending, the dinner won’t a chummy confab between the press and its targets of accountability. Instead, it can and should be a two-hour roast of an empty chair–which would be extremely appropriate under the circumstances.

[guillaumeb]

1. An empty chair?

Clint Eastwood should be invited.

Perhaps Mr. Baldwin also.

[sheshe2]

2. The more the merrier.

[NNadir]

6. Baldwin definitely. It will drive the nut in chief even nuttier.

[guillaumeb]

9. Is even nuttier possible? eom

[NNadir]

11. One would think not, but this losers insanity seems to know no bottom. n/t

[sheshe2]

12. Another Saturday night...

[lastlib]

18. To see *how it's done*!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

23. Maybe Rosie ODonnell could sit in for the Minority President much like Melissa McCarthy. nt

[guillaumeb]

36. Agreed.

I believe she is also a Republican.

[JustAnotherGen]

27. Oh! I would

LOVE it if Alec Baldwin showed up! Extra points if he comes in character!

[Danascot]

29. He should definitely come and play Trump

nt

[guillaumeb]

37. Agreed.

And answer in character.

Trump loves humor, except when he is the object.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

3. No one has ever roasted Trump better than President Obama. I wish they'd invite him to do an encore.

[sheshe2]

4. That would be a hoot!

[LisaM]

5. I like the idea of inviting Hillary and treating her like the President.

That would make Trump EXPLODE.

[RainCaster]

7. Hello? Alec Baldwin? Can you do dinner theater?

We need the whole SNL crew to show up and do their best. That would make the event great.

[RandySF]

8. Invite Hillary or Obama.

[Volaris]

10. Hillary should to get to sit in trumps chair and Barrack should deliver the keynote

Trump thinks this is just some cutesy little social thingie that he can insult the Fakenews peeps by skipping. It's not and he should be raked over the coals for it, if for no other reason because Fuck You if you can't take a joke.

[George II]

22. Invite Hillary AND Obama, and Biden, and Baldwin, and even Bush. I'm sure they would ALL show up.

[jmowreader]

28. Invite Hillary AND Obama

[C_U_L8R]

13. Vanity Fair can have their party again !!

That would be so awesome.

[Buns_of_Fire]

32. ...and Bloomberg, and the New Yorker...

Wouldn't THAT chap him raw? Like saying, "If Dorko McDouchebag is going to be there, don't look to US to foot any of the bill! Oh, he's not coming? Okay, then, party on!"

[Marie Marie]

14. You just know that he will be watching.

Hope they ridicule the crap out of him. Whether he is there or not, it will be a bad night for Trump. I can't wait.

[sheshe2]

15. The twit will be tweeting his thumbs off!

[Marie Marie]

16. And with his tiny hands, he can't afford to lose his thumbs.

Hey sheshe!!

[sheshe2]

17. Marie Marie!

How sweet it will be!!!

Love ya!

[murielm99]

19. I hope no one is considering cancelling this dinner.

They really need to have this event, and rake trump over the coals.

[roamer65]

20. Dump just made this event hotter than an old Dean Martin roast.

It will be the hottest ticket in town. It would be stupid to pass up a chance to speak at it.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

21. He'll be there. This is just hype and self-promotion.

He'll say "they begged me to come."

[George II]

24. Obama could dust off this speech....it would be huge:

[sheshe2]

30. Perfecto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pluvious]

34. Many suspect that one needling little taunt is why we have the BLOTUS today

And why the petulant Groper in Chief is now tearing down all things Obama, like a tantrum enraged toddler.

Sad.

[0rganism]

25. hire Alec Baldwin immediately

have him stand in for POTUS at the dinner
serious missed opportunity if this doesn't happen

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. He probably thinks they'll cancel it now

because HE won't be there.

[ecstatic]

31. How about a chair with an empty suit that was made in China

And a poorly made wig

[lamp_shade]

33. They shd have President Obama to do the comedy monologue. There are none better.

[lindysalsagal]

35. I hope a string of comedians take turns being fRump. Yellow wig, and all.

Either way, he needs to be roasted.