The segment begins with John's recounting of the weekly news. Of course, the biggest news of last week was the announced retirement of Republican Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. As the only swing vote regarding Roe v. Wade, Justice Kennedy has played an important part in keeping the long-standing legislation intact. Justice Kennedy is also responsible for a lot of bad stuff too. He's a staunch vote for corporate power and against workers' rights as well as a key member in gutting the remainder of the Civil Rights Act. I had hoped John Oliver would discuss the nuance of Justice Kennedy's departure, but instead took the opportunity to hose his viewers with a cold dose of "BUT HILLARY THOUGH!"
Yes, just keep nailing that dead horse of a talking point and I'm sure we can change the results of the 2016 election. I swear, it's become a rallying cry of some kind for those with power or a media presence to blame voters for their choice of candidate. I voted for Hillary. I get it. Donald Trump continues to be the worst thing all the time forever. I would've preferred the slow burn of another do nothing president like Clinton to the damnable inferno that is DJT. However, this continued denial of who was ultimately responsible for the loss of the 2016 race is doing more harm to the Democratic cause than to help it.
Speaking personally, I know several people who changed their votes from Obama to Trump. I have friends who were bolder than me and refused to vote for Clinton. One wrote in Bernie's name and another switched to the Green Party. Not one of these people needed to be "inspired" as John Oliver put it so plainly. No, the Democratic candidate was the most reprehensible shills for corporate power and so utterly tone-deaf to the needs of the working man that they turned on her. They turned to a conman with no core beliefs who promised them everything they asked for. My friends revolted out of disgust for her handling of the primary and her subsequent alienation of progressives to appeal to so-called "suburban moderates." It frustrates me to no end how someone who is so smart like John Oliver relies on tiresome criticism and kneejerk, reactionary non-solutions like blaming non-voters.
I would honestly love to meet and speak with Mr. Oliver, even for a few minutes. I think he's done a great job of pushing for activism on topics that would otherwise go unspoken for such as Net Neutrality, Chicken Farmers, and predatory auto lending. I want to know what he thinks of the ongoing Trump investigation and where he thinks it is going. Thing is, I would also need to discuss his rather dismissive attitude toward the anger and frustration I get to live around everyday. I don't think he 'gets' it. It being the apathy and disaffection that leads people to think the system is rigged and what the point of even voting is. I want to come to understand why he believes the things he believes and I want to hear him out, even if I don't agree with him. I just want us to walk away a bit wiser like all good conversation should end.
