By now, you know how it works: Our BEL "Conclave" has assembled to review the news of the year and agreed upon the Top 16 political buffoons from government, media, celebrities, pseudo-celebrities, internet infamy and more. They will now go head-to-head in a tournament where YOU will decide who the bigger buffoon was until one is left standing as the one and only undisputed 2018 Buffoon of the Year!
We take buffoonery very seriously, so much so that we have made a "science" of studying it. Just check out Matthew Fairley's The Sharpton Scale™
As we wanted this to be the most competitive class of buffoons in our history, we did eliminate three people from consideration for fear that their high visibility and polarizing partisan nature would skew the results - after all, we are looking for buffoonery, not a partisan measuring contest! So President Trump and Hillary Clinton are out. As is the reigning 2017 Buffoon of the Year, Maxine Waters, who was not eligible this year for fear that her "victory" last year would unduly influence voters (but fret not, she may make a comeback next year... who knows!) Finally, any recent buffoonery (staring right at you, Tom Arnold) didn't make the cut, but will be factored into our consideration for next year.
OK, enough of the nonsense, here are our finalists for the 2018 Buffoon of the Year!
Oh, and here's this week's show.
No. 1 Michael Avenatti vs. No. 16 Roy Moore
Who else could have been the Number 1 overall seed other than the Creepy Porn Lawyer. Attorney Michael Avenatti really put in the work for his Buffoon of the Year nomination. From representing porn star Stormy Daniels to her financial detriment to going from lefty media darling taking on President Trump to pariah blamed for introducing the world to Julie Swetnick and the world of "rape trains", Avenatti was seemingly everywhere. His rise to prominence and talk of a Presidential bid was as fast as his fall, which included losing millions to an associate in unpaid wages, getting evicted from his law office and getting arrested for alleged domestic violence. Oh, what a wild ride!
He takes on Judge Roy Moore. Moore had his own share of controversy as a failed candidate for U.S. Senate that lost a special election... as a Republican... in Alabama. No, really. That happened. And he did so in spectacular fashion, as decades-old allegations of sexual misconduct (a theme you will see throughout BOTY) surfaced, complete with signed yearbooks (another theme you'll see!) and fiery denials. He literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
No. 8 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vs. No. 9 Michelle Wolf
The eyes! The eyes! Political neophyte Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez burst upon the national political scene after a shocking primary upset over entrenched Democrat Joe Crowley (who himself just missed out on being a BOTY finalist - once a loser, always a loser!) An unabashed socialist, AOC has since been a bountiful supply of googly eyes and cray, including tons of political double speak that confused CNN's Jake Tapper, complaints about finding an apartment in D.C. because her congressional pay hadn't yet kicked in, to specious claims that lost Pentagon funds could fund Medicare for all.
Other than her appearance reminiscent of Carrot Top, there is literally nothing funny about comedienne Michelle Wolf. The observational comic seemed to make all the wrong observations at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, going in on White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other women in the Trump administration that had lefty journalists like Andrea Mitchell cringing. And who can forget her short-lived Netflix series, complete with a raucous song-and-dance number touting abortions? The answer to that is, thankfully, everyone. Until we brought it up. Sorry.
No. 4 Don Lemon vs. No. 13 Dianne Feinstein
While one can argue that the entirety of CNN would merit individual and collective nominations, we decided to limit the choices to two doozies. CNN's Don Lemon made the cut for a whole slew of reasons. His incessant liberal-splaining is by now well known, accusing President Trump of racism, comparing Kanye West's meeting at the White House to a "minstrel show", cutting off guests who had the temerity to disagree with him, and tons more examples to mention, Lemon has tried to build a career on unreasonable and wild accusations against President Trump.
He is up against the main ringmaster of the debacle that the Kavanaugh hearings devolved into, Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Her buffoonery is a bit more insidious that some of the more playful instances discussed thus far, as she intentionally waited to disclose Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's allegations until the most politically opportune moment at the absolute last minute. It turned out that she knew of the allegations for months, or did she? She'd have to ask her staff, which she hadn't done. Or did she?
No. 5. Kanye West vs. No. 12 BBQ Becky, et. al.
If there was a more surreal episode of buffoonery from this past year than Kanye West's "awakening" in politics, please let us know, because we were hard pressed to find it. The... let's call him unpredictable performing artist became an outspoken advocate for the President, donning his Superman cape-like MAGA cap and publicly exalting all things Trump. He even made it to the White House for a meeting with the President that left the media questioning everyone's sanity. But it was his moment on TMZ discussing his comments that slavery was "a choice" that left every political observer scathing their heads. Ultimately, Kanye left the political arena in a huff after claiming he was being used by political opportunists, but we sincerely hope that we haven't seen the last of him.
Speaking of the crazy quotient, we selected a whole basket full of it for your consideration. There were a ton of "triggered" people that attained internet infamy in 2018. There was "BBQ Becky" calling the cops calling the police on black teens barbecuing in an Oakland park. Also, there was "Permit Patty" calling the cops on a little black girl selling water on the sidewalk outside of her apartment. Not to mention "Target Theresa" harassing black customers in a department store. And who can forget "Cornerstore Caroline" calling the police on a nine-year old she thought grabbed her posterior! All in all, it was not a good year to be a racist person in the age of phone cameras.
No. 2 Jim Acosta vs. No. 15 Mazie Hirono
He's the poster child of the mainstream media disdain for all things Trump. He is the moral compass of an angry liberal media fighting for the right to explain why everyone but him is wrong. Here is Jim Acosta. Whether he is pushing the envelope of decorum at the White House, or lamenting that Trump rallies feel like he is not in America, no journalist was more self-involved than Acosta, who took every opportunity to make himself the story instead of reporting the story. His righteous indignation culminated in him coming into physical contact with a White House intern who tried to get between Acosta, the President and a microphone while he was trying to explain how the migrant caravan seeking to illegally enter our country was not an invasion, resulting in the temporary revocation of his press credentials.
Speaking of moral superiority, Sen. Mazie Hirono may be a more offensive culprit than Acosta. He gained infamy during the Kavanaugh hearings when he boldly proclaimed that all men should "shut up" when a woman claims sexual misconduct at a press conference where she graciously allowed male Senators to agree with her, and made the rounds on cable news explaining to us why now-Justice Kavanaugh was not entitled to the presumption of innocence. But she's well meaning in her superiority, claiming that it's merely because Democrats know so much more than the average American that they tend to alienate voters. Yeah, sure. Maybe that's why she had to be corrected by an ICE official explaining that illegal immigrants are actually breaking the law.
No. 7 Cory Booker vs. No. 10 Robert De Niro
Spartacus. Need we say more? In a failed dress rehearsal for the 2020 Presidential race, Booker claimed he was releasing "confidential" emails about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that would get him kicked out of the Senate. It turned out that the emails had already been cleared for release and there was no risk to him. Woopsies. Booker also gets extra points for hypocrisy when his defense of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford belied his past admissions of his own clumsy attempts to grope a teenage paramour.
Booker is up again some stiff f***in' competition in foulmouthed actor Robert De Niro, who took every opportunity he could to colorfully express his unabashed hatred for Donald Trump. His "Trump Derangement System" was so acute, that it apparently cost him his marriage, as Ebony magazine reported a rumor that his estranged wife, Grace Hightower, is a Trump supporter, which put De Niro into a tizzy. Talk about renting space in someone's head!
No. 3 Elizabeth Warren vs. No. 14 Eric Swalwell
Oh, Pocahontas. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's very public war of words with President Trump would be reason enough to merit a spot this year. But she earned a higher seed for going into business for herself that led to an epic fail. At a time when Democrats were gearing up for the final stretch of the 2018 midterm elections, Warren apparently thought that it was a good time to make news for a possible 2020 bid and to respond to President Trump's skepticism towards her claimed Native American heritage, which she proudly claimed entitled her to identify as a minority. She released a video that proudly featured the revelation that Warren was... 1/1024 Native American - to the hilarity of all. Even the Cherokee Nation released a statement rebuking the whiter-than-white Warren. So much for that.
Taking on Warren is the not-so-distinguished gentleman from California Eric Swalwell, who is probably best known for getting constantly "pwned" by Tucker Carlson on national cable news. From Russian collusion and FISA memos, to calls to oust the President from office, there was no limit to how wrong Swalwell has been. Swalwell is no stranger to crossing lines, as he one mockingly tweeted in response to Sen. Susan Collins receiving death threats for her vote to confirm Justice Kavanaugh, which he was shamed into deleting. He has even advocated for the confiscation of legally owned firearms, catching the ire of many pro-2A advocates, including the NRA's Dana Loesch. Swalwell went as far to invoke the use of the government's nuclear armaments in responding to angry tweets decrying the Congressman's gun grab. Yep, he actually went there.
No. 6 Peter Strzok / Lisa Page vs. No. 11 Don Blankenship
Finally, what list of buffoonery would be complete without the star-crossed FBI lovers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who texted not only their love for each other, but their disdain for President Trump during the 2016 election and thereafter while the FBI was conducting investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian collusion. Strzok and Page were eventually called before Congress this summer, where Strzok especially made an ass of himself on live TV smirking and smiling throughout his testimony. There isn't enough time to detail every instance of wrongdoing and corruption contained in these texts, but feel free to look it up yourself.
Don Blankenship is not so well known, but the phrase "Cocaine Mitch" may be. The former coal baron and Kentucky native decided to run for office in West Virginia, ultimately losing in a primary. But while running as a Trump-inspired candidate, Oh wait, we should mention that he had spent time in um... "federal custody" after being convicted for one of the largest coal mine explosions in history back in 2010. And decided to run in a state known for coal mining. But anyways, Blankenship dubbed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell "Cocaine Mitch" in ads during the campaign, n in reference to allegations a shipping company run by the father of McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, transported drugs. Ultimately, the joke was on him, as McConnell got the last word after Blankenship lost, hilariously tweeting a shot at the failed buffoon. Thanks for playing, Don!
***
OK, time to vote. You have one week to choose who will advance to the next round. Click on your choices in the bracket below.
So WHO YA GOT, AMERICA? Vote Now!
Oh, and here's this week's show.
No. 1 Michael Avenatti vs. No. 16 Roy Moore
Who else could have been the Number 1 overall seed other than the Creepy Porn Lawyer. Attorney Michael Avenatti really put in the work for his Buffoon of the Year nomination. From representing porn star Stormy Daniels to her financial detriment to going from lefty media darling taking on President Trump to pariah blamed for introducing the world to Julie Swetnick and the world of "rape trains", Avenatti was seemingly everywhere. His rise to prominence and talk of a Presidential bid was as fast as his fall, which included losing millions to an associate in unpaid wages, getting evicted from his law office and getting arrested for alleged domestic violence. Oh, what a wild ride!
He takes on Judge Roy Moore. Moore had his own share of controversy as a failed candidate for U.S. Senate that lost a special election... as a Republican... in Alabama. No, really. That happened. And he did so in spectacular fashion, as decades-old allegations of sexual misconduct (a theme you will see throughout BOTY) surfaced, complete with signed yearbooks (another theme you'll see!) and fiery denials. He literally snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
No. 8 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vs. No. 9 Michelle Wolf
The eyes! The eyes! Political neophyte Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez burst upon the national political scene after a shocking primary upset over entrenched Democrat Joe Crowley (who himself just missed out on being a BOTY finalist - once a loser, always a loser!) An unabashed socialist, AOC has since been a bountiful supply of googly eyes and cray, including tons of political double speak that confused CNN's Jake Tapper, complaints about finding an apartment in D.C. because her congressional pay hadn't yet kicked in, to specious claims that lost Pentagon funds could fund Medicare for all.
Other than her appearance reminiscent of Carrot Top, there is literally nothing funny about comedienne Michelle Wolf. The observational comic seemed to make all the wrong observations at the White House Correspondent's Dinner, going in on White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other women in the Trump administration that had lefty journalists like Andrea Mitchell cringing. And who can forget her short-lived Netflix series, complete with a raucous song-and-dance number touting abortions? The answer to that is, thankfully, everyone. Until we brought it up. Sorry.
No. 4 Don Lemon vs. No. 13 Dianne Feinstein
While one can argue that the entirety of CNN would merit individual and collective nominations, we decided to limit the choices to two doozies. CNN's Don Lemon made the cut for a whole slew of reasons. His incessant liberal-splaining is by now well known, accusing President Trump of racism, comparing Kanye West's meeting at the White House to a "minstrel show", cutting off guests who had the temerity to disagree with him, and tons more examples to mention, Lemon has tried to build a career on unreasonable and wild accusations against President Trump.
He is up against the main ringmaster of the debacle that the Kavanaugh hearings devolved into, Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Her buffoonery is a bit more insidious that some of the more playful instances discussed thus far, as she intentionally waited to disclose Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's allegations until the most politically opportune moment at the absolute last minute. It turned out that she knew of the allegations for months, or did she? She'd have to ask her staff, which she hadn't done. Or did she?
No. 5. Kanye West vs. No. 12 BBQ Becky, et. al.
If there was a more surreal episode of buffoonery from this past year than Kanye West's "awakening" in politics, please let us know, because we were hard pressed to find it. The... let's call him unpredictable performing artist became an outspoken advocate for the President, donning his Superman cape-like MAGA cap and publicly exalting all things Trump. He even made it to the White House for a meeting with the President that left the media questioning everyone's sanity. But it was his moment on TMZ discussing his comments that slavery was "a choice" that left every political observer scathing their heads. Ultimately, Kanye left the political arena in a huff after claiming he was being used by political opportunists, but we sincerely hope that we haven't seen the last of him.
Speaking of the crazy quotient, we selected a whole basket full of it for your consideration. There were a ton of "triggered" people that attained internet infamy in 2018. There was "BBQ Becky" calling the cops calling the police on black teens barbecuing in an Oakland park. Also, there was "Permit Patty" calling the cops on a little black girl selling water on the sidewalk outside of her apartment. Not to mention "Target Theresa" harassing black customers in a department store. And who can forget "Cornerstore Caroline" calling the police on a nine-year old she thought grabbed her posterior! All in all, it was not a good year to be a racist person in the age of phone cameras.
No. 2 Jim Acosta vs. No. 15 Mazie Hirono
He's the poster child of the mainstream media disdain for all things Trump. He is the moral compass of an angry liberal media fighting for the right to explain why everyone but him is wrong. Here is Jim Acosta. Whether he is pushing the envelope of decorum at the White House, or lamenting that Trump rallies feel like he is not in America, no journalist was more self-involved than Acosta, who took every opportunity to make himself the story instead of reporting the story. His righteous indignation culminated in him coming into physical contact with a White House intern who tried to get between Acosta, the President and a microphone while he was trying to explain how the migrant caravan seeking to illegally enter our country was not an invasion, resulting in the temporary revocation of his press credentials.
Speaking of moral superiority, Sen. Mazie Hirono may be a more offensive culprit than Acosta. He gained infamy during the Kavanaugh hearings when he boldly proclaimed that all men should "shut up" when a woman claims sexual misconduct at a press conference where she graciously allowed male Senators to agree with her, and made the rounds on cable news explaining to us why now-Justice Kavanaugh was not entitled to the presumption of innocence. But she's well meaning in her superiority, claiming that it's merely because Democrats know so much more than the average American that they tend to alienate voters. Yeah, sure. Maybe that's why she had to be corrected by an ICE official explaining that illegal immigrants are actually breaking the law.
No. 7 Cory Booker vs. No. 10 Robert De Niro
Spartacus. Need we say more? In a failed dress rehearsal for the 2020 Presidential race, Booker claimed he was releasing "confidential" emails about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that would get him kicked out of the Senate. It turned out that the emails had already been cleared for release and there was no risk to him. Woopsies. Booker also gets extra points for hypocrisy when his defense of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford belied his past admissions of his own clumsy attempts to grope a teenage paramour.
Booker is up again some stiff f***in' competition in foulmouthed actor Robert De Niro, who took every opportunity he could to colorfully express his unabashed hatred for Donald Trump. His "Trump Derangement System" was so acute, that it apparently cost him his marriage, as Ebony magazine reported a rumor that his estranged wife, Grace Hightower, is a Trump supporter, which put De Niro into a tizzy. Talk about renting space in someone's head!
No. 3 Elizabeth Warren vs. No. 14 Eric Swalwell
Oh, Pocahontas. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's very public war of words with President Trump would be reason enough to merit a spot this year. But she earned a higher seed for going into business for herself that led to an epic fail. At a time when Democrats were gearing up for the final stretch of the 2018 midterm elections, Warren apparently thought that it was a good time to make news for a possible 2020 bid and to respond to President Trump's skepticism towards her claimed Native American heritage, which she proudly claimed entitled her to identify as a minority. She released a video that proudly featured the revelation that Warren was... 1/1024 Native American - to the hilarity of all. Even the Cherokee Nation released a statement rebuking the whiter-than-white Warren. So much for that.
Taking on Warren is the not-so-distinguished gentleman from California Eric Swalwell, who is probably best known for getting constantly "pwned" by Tucker Carlson on national cable news. From Russian collusion and FISA memos, to calls to oust the President from office, there was no limit to how wrong Swalwell has been. Swalwell is no stranger to crossing lines, as he one mockingly tweeted in response to Sen. Susan Collins receiving death threats for her vote to confirm Justice Kavanaugh, which he was shamed into deleting. He has even advocated for the confiscation of legally owned firearms, catching the ire of many pro-2A advocates, including the NRA's Dana Loesch. Swalwell went as far to invoke the use of the government's nuclear armaments in responding to angry tweets decrying the Congressman's gun grab. Yep, he actually went there.
No. 6 Peter Strzok / Lisa Page vs. No. 11 Don Blankenship
Finally, what list of buffoonery would be complete without the star-crossed FBI lovers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, who texted not only their love for each other, but their disdain for President Trump during the 2016 election and thereafter while the FBI was conducting investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian collusion. Strzok and Page were eventually called before Congress this summer, where Strzok especially made an ass of himself on live TV smirking and smiling throughout his testimony. There isn't enough time to detail every instance of wrongdoing and corruption contained in these texts, but feel free to look it up yourself.
Don Blankenship is not so well known, but the phrase "Cocaine Mitch" may be. The former coal baron and Kentucky native decided to run for office in West Virginia, ultimately losing in a primary. But while running as a Trump-inspired candidate, Oh wait, we should mention that he had spent time in um... "federal custody" after being convicted for one of the largest coal mine explosions in history back in 2010. And decided to run in a state known for coal mining. But anyways, Blankenship dubbed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell "Cocaine Mitch" in ads during the campaign, n in reference to allegations a shipping company run by the father of McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, transported drugs. Ultimately, the joke was on him, as McConnell got the last word after Blankenship lost, hilariously tweeting a shot at the failed buffoon. Thanks for playing, Don!
***
OK, time to vote. You have one week to choose who will advance to the next round. Click on your choices in the bracket below.
So WHO YA GOT, AMERICA? Vote Now!
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