"Bullies don’t laugh with because they have no compassion for other people. They don’t know how to laugh with others because they don’t know how to connect with others."
They also don't know how to laugh at themselves. I have a suspicion Kamala can laugh at herself; she doesn't take herself too seriously--but she takes her policies and the future of the US very seriously indeed. She's got her priorities straight. I just hope she's got all her policies straight, too.
She looks like she's having so much FUN campaigning that people want to join her.
The Dems have a new Happy Warrior--Happy Days Are Here Again! VOTE BLUE!
This is a wonderful set of comments, Maureen. I think you’re 100% correct about Harris’ ability to laugh at herself. That’s an indication of humility and humanity. She’s exactly what America needs now. We’re so fortunate to be able to look work for a winning ticket- whoever she chooses for her running mate!
A Supreme Court decision about what constitutes porn made the following definition: Porn has "no redeeming social value." That's how I think of Trump. He's pure porn -- not one redeeming quality about him.
Absolutely, Abraham! I'd have to look up psychopath and sociopath to see what the distinctions are, but I wouldn't be surprised if he qualified for both.
Hate, revenge, anger, narcissism, arrogance, division and much more horrible stuff is the name of the game for TFG. In my opinion, TFG doesn't have a clue of how to laugh! He is an utterly horrible person that is obsessed with himself and only his sorry self!
Maureen, the problem for Trump is that we have heard everything he has to say, for the past 9+ years. There is nothing new, just the names have been changed and the adjectives put in front of people's names. I think his newest one is "Crazy Kamala." The problem is that when people see and listen to Kamala Harris, they don't experience crazy as they do when watching and listening to Trump himself. Funny how that works!
You're so right, Ruth! Aside from tacking his usual denigrations onto different issues, Trump hasn't had one new thing to say since 2016. Another sign of mental deterioration and stagnation.
If I remember correctly, Trump called her "Lyin' Kamala" the day Biden withdrew. Imo someone pointed out that he'd been saying "Lyin' Biden" for years and should use a different adjective for Harris. Hence "crazy" which has the benefit of being alliterative.
Spot on, Maureen! I live alone so I feel very uninhibited to talk back to the radio. If Trump's voice comes on, I tend to drown him out by chanting " Yada, Yada, Yada...." It's very therapeutic!
Lark, I keep the remote handy when watching the news so I can hit mute as soon as Trump's image comes on screen. I'm tired of his voice, let alone the screed that spews out of his mouth.
My hope is that this changes the political landscape and how politicians treat each other. The attacks are not working. He's only ramped up his vile comments and it's not working. He single handedly has changed the culture of this country. Since he walked down those steps announcing his candidacy I've noticed a change in humanity (increased aggression, lack of respect, lack of manners). It's felt like the wild west. Biden started to move us back. Kamala will show that we can be tough, kind, and decent and still have a good time addressing tough issues. HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT
Add to that, the odor that he emits from the adult diapers he wears and is too lazy to change them. I can well remember how bad that odor was as i fathered 4 children and i changed their diapers when they were babies. I cannot fathom how bad TFG's soiled diapers smell. i don't even want to think about that!
John, and concentrating totally on himself has got to be depressing because there is nothing there but a sometimes loud voice and all the negative emotions about everyone else, including those who have cleaved themselves to him, not realizing that self-absorption leaves nothing for connecting with anyone else except very superficially.
Yes, Donald Trump is a narcissist. But so is Joe Biden. Even today, he refuses to resign, and in the process of staying U.S. President, he is making things very awkward for Kamala Harris. Biden is power hungry, a control freak - like Trump. When will he bough out, let Harris have her turn, and let her maximise the advantage he has over him and Trump in the 100 days left? Time is of the essence, and Harris needs every minute of it!
Gunnar -- if Biden were to resign today...Kamala would be hard-pressed to spend the next 3 months campaigning, she'd be up to her eyeballs in the dreary, day-to-day business of trying to keep our adversaries at bay and our allies in line and feeling secure because "America had their back". And what of the MiddleEast, the world's oldest forever conflict, thousands of years old and still smoldering, ready to break out into conflagration at any moment.
No, Kamala should be allowed to get her total focus on Job 1: Winning the election. Let Joe handle the wildfires and the missiles and the arms shipments and the peace negotiations. She has this brief respite before it becomes HER mess, and Joe has this time to leave his mark on history.
R. - So, you're saying that "Job 1: Winning the election" is more important than the policies? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse? In order to submit an informed vote, we need to know what each party's policies are - that's what democracy means: acting on information, not acting on pure guesswork.
Why should he resign? He's the elected President, and those who could remove him for incompetence seem to think he's doing fine. Just because many in his party did not think he could win the 2024 election does not mean they think he is incapable of serving as president.
Do you live under a parliamentary system? If so, I can understand why you would think he should step down; it's what a prime minister would do if his party voted him down.
But the US is not a parliamentary system. The president is elected for a fixed term, and he serves it out (no matter what his party thinks of him) unless he is incapable of doing so. If he stepped down, it would taint his legacy and force Kamala to spend much of her time defending his legacy (which, as she was his VP, is also her legacy) instead of attacking Trump. See R. Hodson's reply to you for more detail.
To reiterate what Maureen said, Biden isn't withdrawing because he's now incompetent to do his job. It's that he's unlikely to maintain his ability to govern throughout the next term, so it would be irresponsible to run again for that reason, but he should be able to finish out his term no problem. But if it is a problem, he can retire at any time & Harris can take over.
Trump is actually partially possessed by adversarial beings who serve the AntiChrist. It is correct to speak of demonic possession in his case.
The arrival of these spiritual beings on the scene of human affairs is a new phenomenon, less than a hundred years old. So we are facing a whole new set of challenges. That's why people are feeling things are getting worse.
A key characteristic of these beings—technically known as Asuras—is that they attack the human ego directly, aiming to destroy our earthly self. They directly oppose Christ, who is our higher self.
I suspect that if Trump ever attempted a genuine laugh, his orange make up would become craquelured like a medieval painting. He might even break his jaw.
Trump does not laugh, because he claims that the country is near collapse, and that he alone can save it. This is no laughing matter. He has to be met with sarcasm and ridicule--then voters might laugh.
In 2016 or 2017 he was speaking somewhere and got booed. He actually chuckled and said "Well, that wasn't the response I expected, but ok..." and moved on. I was shocked -- I didn't know he could roll with a punch or have a comeback. And I bet 8 years of aging means he can't now.
Jan, I must have missed that chuckle because ever since he has been running for office, he has talked hate, distrust, anger, fearmongering, resentment of everyone, and has lied nearly incessantly. I don't see how he could have had energy for a chuckle. You're probably right that he could not do a real chuckle now if he tried.
Donald Trump does indeed have a sense of humour - he speaks tongue in cheek all the time! His detractors either don't see it or choose to take him literally. The real problem with Trump's light touch/off-the-cuff remarks is that he forgets to shape policies and stick to them. This was his problem during his first term 2017-2021. Like Kamala Harris, he too needs to become serious and focus on policies.
Gunnar, keep thinking that way. Trump is not doing anything like "tongue in cheek" or maybe it's his tongue gets stuck in his cheek. He has no clue about policy, just who he resents, hates, and wants to get revenge on. That is in no way light-hearted or anything else. It is narcissism, total self-absorption. He might have once had a lighter side, but that deteriorated as his money evaporated.
Ruth - No, his tongue doesn't get "stuck in his cheek". Not at all. In fact, as President, he was flexible, not at all 'stuck'. He was the first U.S. President to meet and talk with a North Korean leader. He broke with the stuckness of all previous presidents since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
Also, after Iran had shot down an American spy drone, he was urged to retaliate militarily. This would have meant automatically to follow previous U.S. Presidents' policy inclinations towards Iran: rage and revenge! On reflection, Trump realised that there was nothing to gain by following previous policies of beligerence. He opted to change American approach in the face of 'provocation' from Iran. That's neither narcissism nor self-absorption. Nor is it blind, unthinking nationalism.
Ah Gunnar, a dictator wannabee talking with a full-blown dictator is nothing to brag about. I think Trump was looking for pointers from someone who currently had the power in his country that Trump wanted over the people of this nation. That does not make Trump flexible, unwise, perhaps!
Mockery and snide comments are not humor. Humor collapses one's seriousness about oneself, something he lacks the humility to risk. He is a brittle narcissistic personality disordered character.
Yes, Jan ... all the books that I've read about Trump's presidency and character suggests that he had difficulty anticipating his opponent's next move and completing his own policy move. John Bolton describes this, time and time again. The good thing about Trump was that he sought Bolton's advice, they discussed things. Trump sacked him when he realised that Bolton was an old-time Washington hawk who didn't share Trump's vision of Make America Great Again. In essence, Bolton wanted Trump to make America 'great' by insulting and provoking other nation states and sirring up international trouble. Trump regarded that as a waste of time; he wanted disengagement - from NATO, for example.
Gunnar, of course Trump "had difficulty anticipating his opponent's next move..." That's not FORGETTING. He's stupid.
His mental limitations are both shaped and exacerbated by his narcissism and his stunted emotional/psychological development which makes him about the effective age of an average. 4-yo.
No matter WHY Trump had trouble formulating policy, the fact that he did is proof that he's not fit to be president of anything more important than his own dinner table.
Today one of the most significant peacetime prisoner swaps of all time was announced. What did Trump do? Blustered about how it was poorly done. Putin's warming up the bus in case he decides Trump needs to go under it.
And PRESIDENT Biden proved once again that whether he's a good campaigner or not, he's doing one heck of a job in the job.
You're kidding, right? I was 21 when I migrated to Australia in 1963 - from Norway. - Are you one of those who, by your silence, defends America's military support of Israel's genocide until after the November election? Silence means consent, Susan.
Gunnar - What EXACTLY are Israel's choices in dealing with Hamas? And What exactly are Americans able/willing to do about effecting a change? It is a dangerous illusion to believe that America can control the actions of other states to conform to our own notion of right and wrong.
Israel-Hamas is not the only disaster that is killing innocent people, it's just the one that gets the headlines today. America can do more good in preventing needless deaths -- by providing food aid to nations suffering the collapse of their agricultural economies due to climate disasters or war; by increased trade with less developed countries; by developing and distributing vaccines for the various diseases afflicting populations living in tropical areas where malaris and guinea worm, etc. are endemic.
What we have not been able to do is produce peace in the Middle East. My personal opinion is that it is an intractable problem, and that there will be some segment of Arab nations and the state of Israel forever at war with each other. I am not arguing that we should stop trying to make peace and just accept perpetual hostility as "normal", But I do wish that well-intentioned people (in the US and in other countries) who are rightly concerned about the terrible destruction of Israel's war in Gaza would drop the pretense that America could stop Israel from doing whatever the hell it wants if we just applied enough pressure.
The difficult conundrum of American Middle East policy (in my opinion) is that American presidents/slash/American voters will never -- I repeat, NEVER -- countenance the destruction of the State of Israel, any more than they would abandon western Europe to Russian aggression. This is not to say that American policy and Israel's are in lock-step with each other.
Irna Gadd, I think you are right. I hope the person Kamala picks can also laugh and help her lighten things up. There is nothing funny about Trump, but there is a joy in knowing after 248 years we are still here and trying to keep our democracy alive despite a bunch of would-be dictators and tyrants, the thing we escaped back then.
I agree with you, and appreciate all your comments on this post. Yes, we're still here, working to keep democracy (as we know it, even with its flaws) alive and improving all the time.
I hope she chooses Pete Buttigieg! He’s a great communicator, articulate, smart and a good sense of humor. I love his rebuttals to ignorant gop and Maga morons.
The real problem, Ruth, with American democracy was the two main parties' relative neglect of blue-collar from Reagan onwards. The Republicans were busy 'liberalising' trade by importing good on a massive scale from cheap-labour countries, especially in Asia. This led to the closure of American factories inside the U.S. and to unemployment, under-employment, low wages and degarded neighbourhoods with underfunded school. Over the decades this created an angry under-class of lumpen-proletariat who eventually discovered in Trump someone who seemed to share their hatred.
While this was going on, the Democratic Party was focused on assisting minority groups and women. This was admirable, but they, too, forgot blue-collar and instead embraced 'free trade' and cheap imports from Asia. As a foreigner I wondered whether both parties were in cohot with each other, both regarding taking care of the U.S. working class as somehow a 'Marxist' policy?
Anyway, whatever the reason, the important thing is for the Democratic Party to learn from its mistakes and stop thinking of blue-collar as a basket of deplorables. One way would have been for Biden last year to introduce a neo-New Deal economic package - something I suggested at the time. This would have reduced blue-collar anger and turned some borderline Tumpist voters towards the Democrats. But Biden's brain was too addled by then, and he did nothing substantial, and now it's touch and go who will win in November. One lesson to learn from the the 1980s onwards is not to neglect blue-collar; one-third of U.S. voters are blue-collar - and can only be ignored at your party's peril.
Yes, Kamala has to make it absolutely clear that she is laughing at herself, because this is what Republicans will accuse her of laughing at Americans.
Maureen - While laughing at Trump and Vance, isn't it time the Democratic Party got its own house in order? What can possibly be more reactionary than the military aiding and abetting of genocide in the face of appeals by the International Court of Justice in The Hague? Or the alienation of America's friends and NATO allies by destroying the European gas pipeline in the Baltic?
I'd suggest you raise your gaze from domestic policies to current U.S. foreign policies under Joe Biden. They are a basket case.
Gosh, Sean ... you sound like a proponent of genetic engineering ... eugenics. May I remind you that university professors are not always progressive. Back in the day - 1967 - Noam Chomsky wrote "American Power and the New Mandarins", a book in which he complained about the tardy response by American university staff to the ever-expanding American-stoked war in Vietnam by LBJ - a Democrat president. Something similar is happening currently, with universities trying to clamp down on pro-Palestinian protests by students.
Yes, Trump is a narcissist, but so is Biden. Not only that, but by refusing to resign, Biden is making it awkward for Kamala Harris to campaign on a policy shift - away from Biden's stiff and sterile support of Israel's genocide by food restriction and destruction of hospitals in the Gaza Strip. It seems to me that the Democrat party machine is just as inflexible and inhumane as it was under LBJ. Please explain!
Interesting to me that extremists of every stripe don't know how to laugh. Somehow laughter opens the door and lets a little more truth in, a little more sunshine.
Trumpet 🎺 Political Theater plan is to Collect All the money possible on the Table and Under The Table ; Then Be loud and Audacious as Possible; Select a Vice President willing to Sprout Crazy Talk . Then Deliberately Lose The election ; Pocket all the Money the Rubes have been Fleeced for and Go Away a fat, orange sad old man with all the money too Demented to Go to Jail .
It’s the plot of THE PRODUCERS AKA “Spring time for Hitler” think about it…
Citizen J, I thought that was the plot 8 years ago when Trump ran, but alas, he actually got the office he didn't really want and did a lot of damage to our nation and now claims he wants to do it all over again, only this time with even more hateful sycophants and project 2025. We have to take him very seriously this time while laughing along with Kamala Harris as she tries to bring in some joy, while sending Trump and the rest of them home!
So true, Michael. Extremism precludes humor -- it requires seeing everything through the lens of your personal "ism," which is VERY SERIOUS STUFF. That's why I'm suspicious of extremists.
Trump's own nephew said his uncle is a maladjusted, unstable old man. He stated Donnie often used raciest remarks that indicated his prejudice toward people of color. Fred C. Trump III has firsthand information concerning Trump and his declining mental state. President Biden shows mild signs of confusion while Trump's mental state indicates a sever level of insanity. I'll take unsteadiness over crazy any day of the week.
Donald, remember the book his niece Mary, a trained psychologist, wrote a few years ago saying the same things? "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," Mary L. Trump.
As a lot of us know (and say) "When Trump tells you who he is and what he plans to do, believe him."
❤️Reich❤️[and me]:"Laughing together is one of the important signs of [my ability to see my faults, aka "death of the ego"]. Contrast this with [endless exaggerations of anxiety cured by the morphing placebos of] anger, hate, and grievance."🤔🙈🙉🙊🫣🤯
❤️Scientist on the laughter required to kill my ego and see my exaggeration of threats:
The top scientist of a top science of ❤️EMOTIONAL MATURITY ❤️(Cognitive Behavior techniques, aka CBT) has developed CBT2.0 which is a much faster (10X?❤️) treatment that YOU WILL NEVER EXPERIENCE because it requires therapists to kill their ego, which they will "never" do:🤔🙈🙉🙊🫣🤯
Laughing at themselves, or laughing any time, shatters their truly defensive tough guy persona and makes them seem weak (which they are, but don't want to reveal it) and vulnerable.
I was going to say something similar. She looks like she's having a great time - and she's balanced. She knows when to be serious, and when she can be humorous - she can read the room!
When she is allowed to be more humorous, she literally makes me smile. I'm going through some stuff right now, and her enthusiasm gives me so much hope. It is absolutely the bright spot in the political tunnel right now.
King Trumpet 🎺 is serious as a Heart Attack , Trumpet 🎺 is more like his Hero Herr Hitler. The Orange Jesus is serious about Two Things Money where his Heart is And Not being Accountable For Jan 6 The Attempted Coup of Our Government.
There is also an art to making authoritarian gestures (which accompany the grim facial expressions). Most of these tend to resemble the fist salute that Trump made after the shooting and the ones he makes while everyone is shouting "fight, fight, fight."
This art could be called "Hitler Posing," (although Mussolini likely started it), and we have these photos from 1925 showing exactly how Hitler practiced the poses. He actually did smile once in these photos, but learned to eliminate those expressions from his public appearances.
Trump is devoid of the empathy and remorse gene - he has no use for others that can’t give him something in return and he shows no remorse for hurting people… like his many wives and girlfriends or THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
What comes to mind, reading Robert’s Reich’s inspiring column today, about tfg’s inability to laugh, is he’s so Deadly Serious about his driven news for rabid retribution, revenge, has poisoned his entire system. So “drained of any sense of affection, joy, happiness, pleasure, gratitude, perhaps body chemicals that affect the muscles in his face are incapable of even producing normal emotions that lead to the facial to smile, and eyes to crinkle & twinkle with delight. It’s true, these are never seen in the myriad of photos.
This is such a good point. I saw James Comey (I know, ew 🤢 ) speak about his book years ago and he told an anecdote about being Trump not having any sense of humor about himself, whereas every other President he served under did, especially George W Bush and Obama. You can take yourself very seriously and be able to laugh at yourself -- think the more confident a person is the more they CAN do that.
You make a great point about the importance of compassion and connection in genuine laughter. It’s refreshing to see a leader who can balance seriousness with a sense of humor.
Kamala’s ability to enjoy the campaign trail while focusing on important policies is inspiring. It’s true, people are drawn to positivity and enthusiasm.
Actually, the point about the importance of compassion and connection in genuine laughter is Reich's, but I wholeheartedly agree. Trump's attempts at "humor" fall flat because they are mean-spirited.
Absolutely astute observation! America is a country that’s just dying to laugh again. It’s so sad that the only things many people laugh at anymore are contrived for them on a television screen or a cell phone. Kamala’s cackle is good for the soul.
Trumpet 🎺 Political Theater plan is to Collect All the money possible on the Table and Under The Table ; Then Be loud and Audacious as Possible; Select a Vice President willing to Sprout Crazy Talk . Then Deliberately Lose The election ; Pocket all the Money the Rubes have been Fleeced for and Go Away a fat, orange sad old man with all the money too Demented to Go to Jail .
It’s the plot of THE PRODUCERS AKA “Spring time for Hitler” think about it…
I actually thought that was his plan in 2016, until the media decided to throw him the crown. He’s trying to stay out of jail now, and he loves the attention, which he won’t get on a golf course in, of all places, Saudi Arabia, if he loses.
You are so right! Kamala is a refreshing sight and candidate. It is nice to see a person who is able to laugh and see the light in a situation. I am so sick of seeing trump ridicule and call people names, lie about them, yet try to make himself look like the "savior". He is anything but the savior. He is a menace that we must not let back in our White House! Kamala and whoever she picks, will be a great president!
No surprise, it’s Kamala’s delightful, freeing laugh, that of a happy, fulfilled woman that triggers tfg so terribly. His reaction to this is way, way out of proportion. A giant clue, to something disturbing Off within the pathetic excuse of a person.
Her laugh is some kind of nervous tick. She does it at inappropriate times and in circumstances when laughing is not the usual response. It doesn’t make her a bad person. Her laugh may be joyful and exuberant when done in appropriate circumstances, but it’s weird when she laughs at inappropriate times.
Trumpet 🎺 Political Theater plan is to Collect All the money possible on the Table and Under The Table ; Then Be loud and Audacious as Possible; Select a Vice President willing to Sprout Crazy Talk . Then Deliberately Lose The election ; Pocket all the Money the Rubes have been Fleeced for and Go Away a fat, orange sad old man with all the money too Demented to Go to Jail .
It’s the plot of THE PRODUCERS AKA “Spring time for Hitler” think about it…
So did I read your ChatGPT correctly, 1-hyenas don’t laugh (it sounds like a laugh) 2-Harris’ laugh sounds like a hyena to some people 3-people that don’t laugh can’t analyze laughter. 4- if you can’t take a joke and laugh [at yourself] you have no reason being POTUS because you really don’t get people.
I didn't think Biden needed to step aside. I still don't think he needed to step aside. But my God, the enthusiasm for Harris is amazing. I stand with her. You say you haven't seen exuberance like this since JFK. I say the last time I saw excitement even close to this was for Bernie. I know some on the left don't like Harris because of her history as a prosecutor, because they believe ACAB, but I don't believe that. I would rather have a prosecutor as president than a felon. And I absolutely love that she's not pulling any punches, that she and her team are not afraid to play offense. #ImWithHer
I think the enthusiasm for her is light-years beyond Bernie. It may be a similar kind of enthusiasm, but for her it's broad and deep, energizing people of all ages, all stripes. That's what makes this different than any politician or campaign of my lifetime. Bernie energized a lot of people and performed an extraordinary service, but Kamala Harris is energizing a giant swath of the nation. We're witnessing something transformational here.
I didn't say it was the same amount of enthusiasm. I said it was the same kind. Bernie energized people of all different demographics too. But yes the enthusiasm for her is simply amazing. I just think the last time we saw anything like this was with Bernie and we don't have to go as far back as JFK.
Trumpet 🎺 Political Theater plan is to Collect All the money possible on the Table and Under The Table ; Then Be loud and Audacious as Possible; Select a Vice President willing to Sprout Crazy Talk . Then Deliberately Lose The election ; Pocket all the Money the Rubes have been Fleeced for and Go Away a fat, orange sad old man with all the money too Demented to Go to Jail .
It’s the plot of THE PRODUCERS AKA “Spring time for Hitler” think about it…
Bernie’s age, would also be an issue. How wonderful it could and needs to be when our country values the wisdom of our Elder Statesmen. As the National Treasures they Must be to Guide us into fully become A Mature Country.
I didn't want President Biden to step aside either, Jamie, but he wants the absolute best for this country. I believe he knew Kamala Harris being younger would be the person that would pull the party together and beat the orange man. That is what President Biden wants most of all - to keep the orange stain away from the oval office! Those on the left that don't like Harris need to understand, we are fighting like hell right now for our Democracy. Her history is her history and they certainly cannot change it; however, they can put that behind them and get involved in getting her elected president. If they choose to go with a third party candidate, they will in essence be voting for the orange man. If they choose to sit out the election, they will in essence be voting for the orange man. I would hope that anyone on the left would do whatever it took to have their votes count for Democracy. Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
Between the way cops have indiscriminately killed Black people, how they violently put down peaceful protests and protect protesters using violent rhetoric, and how much the system sucks, some people see every cop as being bad just because they're a cop. The system sucks, yes, a lot of cops are awful, yes, but being a cop in and of itself doesn't mean you're a bad person.
Jamie ; Yes, I agree being a cop does not mean you are a bad person ; I believe that it is wrong to label a group so broadly. I have known law enforcement officers who do their sometimes difficult and dangerous jobs well and with integrity. It's like being racist or sexist or prejudiced against certain faiths or nationalities. the acronym is hate speech.
No it's not like being racist or exist or anything like that and while I don't subscribe to the idea, it's not hate speech. Being in law enforcement is a profession that people choose. People don't choose their ethnicity or gender. It's not the same thing. That's like saying "blue lives matter" which is ridiculous because there's no such thing as blue lives.
We are seeing the rise of a new generation of Black public prosecutors, who unlike the Tim Scott's of the world don't feel a need to cozy up to power. Kamala Harris was one. Bragg in NY is another. Wesley Bell in St Louis is another, running ahead of a "squad" incumbent in the primary for MO 1st congressional district (which includes Ferguson.)
Jamie Diamond : I have not used the phrase "blue lives matter" . Please do not put words in my mouth. I am not erasing or negating "Black lives matter". But I am disagreeing with the acronym 'ACAB'.
Jamie Diamond ; "In order to be ridiculous, a thing must first be ridiculed". I wonder what it is like to live in a place like, say, Haiti? No law enforcement except for the warlords with their automatic weapons. It is not a crime to decide to be a peace officer, or law enforcement officer. It IS a crime to abuse the authority or power of the job though. What does the word ; 'bastards' reinforce? That a child born to an unmarried woman is illegitimate and bad? Some talk is not helpful. Words matter.
I didn't say it was a crime. I said it's a choice and not something you're born with. I didn't come up with the thing and as I said, I don't subscribe to it. I just wouldn't call it hate speech. And yes "blue lives matter" is ridiculous. I'm not saying the lives of cops don't matter. It's the slogan that's ridiculous. "Blue lives matter" and "All lives matter" are racist responses to "Black lives matter" as the first two are intended to negate the third.
I didn't doubt Biden's mental or organizational ability at all, but agreed With RR that his greatest skill was not public speaking, especially extemporaneous, in a debate or a press conference. But he with all his kindess, and other great qualities, hasn't an ounce of charisma, which I had no idea Kamala has in spades. JFK had it, likely FDR did too. Stepping down was a genious move, wonder if Biden knew it would be? Agree with Heather Cox Richardson that the timing was perfect.
Cindy: Did you delete the "lol" at the end of your question or were you really being serious? Don't wanna start a war - just curious. Anyhow, can't keep straight which primary the Dems are being accused of rigging - there are so many to contemplate.
Hey Cindy - Not to worry. Sometimes the written word is quite ambiguous which has its positives and its negatives. Also, sometimes when writing on the spur of the moment one says things in a way one wouldn't if one were let's say face-to-face speaking. And we could modify or 'edit' our words instantaneously if we saw we were on the verge of creating an incident and weren't quite ready for the consequences. So whatever I said, let's be friends and enjoy the rest of the day. It's been a rough few months and we're all still recuperating. 😉
What is asinine is not understanding the meaning of the word rigged - to manipulate by deceptive or dishonest means that may or not be unlawful. Convincing someone to withdraw their candidacy based on reasoned argument is not deceptive, dishonest, unlawful or 'rigged'. Using a threat to get someone to withdraw would be considered rigged. The last line of your reply exposes an arrogance in you that is unbecoming.
We’ve just embraced hope again in the UK, and France turned away from hate at the last moment. Now it’s your turn, America, to join the fight against the dark forces (even within your legal system) threatening your democracy and prevent The Handmaid’s Tale from coming true!
There you go again Tom. Keeping it real. You must be watching AlJazeera - all those dead kids bodies and amputated-without-anesthesia limbs getting to you. Bodies of relatives being dug outta the rubble with bare hands. People trying to make their way to the next safe area only to be bombed out by the IDF then told to scramble to the next safe area only to be bombed out by the IDF. Hey Tom - lighten up. Olympics Paris 2024.
I have an optimistic state of mind when I am listening to Vice President Harris! I won’t even watch or listen to the FPOTUS ANYMORE because he is sickening and unpatriotic!
Did you originate the witty and apt "Donald downer?"
Prof. Reich's insights this time made me think, Yes! A prosecutor, not a persecutors! (I have long marveled that litigious T would jump into vigilante "Lock her up" with no reference to any legality like a trial or finding of guilt beforehand--messy trivialities for the man who demands loopholes for himself?)
Elizabeth Banwell: I thought about "Debbie downer" and realized that "Donald downer " is appropriate these days. Not sure I'm the first, but it fits so well! Thanks! A variation is "Donnie Downer" ; similar to Debbie.
I’ve been eating the purple berries for six or seven weeks now; haven’t got sick once. But you have to be brave, how many is it they’ve shot down? Please come to Chicago … we can change the world!!
Great! Thank you. I like Kamala's laugh and could not understand the Trump response. But of course it was not to be taken seriously and I shouldn't have for one second. Three cheers for Kamala and her capacity for joy.
Fantastic. The simplest answer is to be joyous, pleasant and laugh, smile and make the poor behavior of the other a small matter to be minimized. Treat the former President as if he were a misbehaving youngster. Go Kamala!
FOLKS, PLEASE LISTEN UP—the Joy and Enthusiasm of the past week are great BUT there is something that could put Donald Trump in the White House no matter how many people want Kamala to win: VOTER SUPPRESSION! VOTER SUPPRESSION on a vast scale never seen before! Trump could win if it‘s not stopped! Hundreds of thousands of “VIGILANTE VOTER CHALLENGERS” are being deployed by MAGA to all states (especially swing states) to purge voter rolls of any and all likely Democrats, especially Blacks, People of Color, elderly, youth and many others.
Several excellent sources of info about this are:
gregpalast.org (website of investigative journalist Greg Palast)
Very few people are aware of the scale of this so i am posting this info everywhere i can, including WRITING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR of my local newspapers. I strongly encourage everyone to do likewise!!
By November 10th if we VOTE like hell the plurality of the win will be obvious as will the gumming up of the works by Weird DonOld’s minions. A clear clean analysis of the counties where the minions are holding up certification will show that if disregarded those counties will not affect the state outcome. We will have winner.
At that point Biden resigns Harris is the new POTUS (given she won) and steps in to declare herself the winner both with electoral votes (states gummed certifications be damned) and popular vote. A page right out of Weird DonOld’s play book.
This Christian Nationalist Network “Ziklag” Aims to Purge Voters in Battleground States
Transcript of interview from “Democracy Now”
ANDY KROLL: Ziklag calls this “Operation Checkmate”, putting money into mobilizing conservative voters in key counties — not just states, but the counties — so Maricopa County in Arizona, Fulton County in Georgia, the other battleground counties in the country, and then trying to put money into knocking more than a million voters off the voting rolls in these states. And you see this in a couple of ways. But what’s so interesting is how the Christian right, Christian nationalism is fusing here with the election integrity or, really, the election denial movement that grew out of the 2020 election. We didn’t have a lot of evidence of that before this reporting on Ziklag. But you see this bridge, again, between the Christian right and the election deniers in a really big way going into this election.
AMY GOODMAN: And how effective can they be in knocking voters off the rolls?
ANDY KROLL: A little bit of money goes a long way when you are trying to get people knocked off the eligibility list for voters. That’s what the experts, the political consultants, the folks that know these worlds, told us in the reporting for this story. You know, Ziklag is putting, say, $800,000 or $1 million into something called EagleAI, an artificial intelligence software that makes it easier to challenge the eligibility of voters en masse. So, you’re not doing it one by one; you’re doing it by the hundreds, by the thousands. You don’t need tens of millions of dollars, the experts told us, to be able to make those challenges and to sort of turbocharge the effort to make voters ineligible. You only need a few hundred thousand dollars, maybe a million dollars. That’s what this group, Ziklag, appears to be doing. So, it could have an effect. And we’re talking about margins again in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, margins that are a few thousand, a few tens of thousands of voters.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Andy, how does the election officials in every state, especially in the battleground states, their cooperation with these efforts, how might that turn out in the coming election?
ANDY KROLL: Well, you have two different camps here. You have the election officials in these states and in these counties who are just trying to run a free and fair election. What we’ve heard from those officials is that these efforts, like EagleAI or the work of the group True the Vote, another, quote-unquote, “election integrity” group — these mass challenges to the voter rolls make an already difficult job, an already stressful job, a time-consuming job, even more difficult. It’s putting just more stress on the work of these local election officials, the ones who are trying to do a good job.
And then you have the officials who have sort of bought into the election integrity claims, who have bought into Donald Trump’s election denial for 2020 or 2022 even. And for them, they are, in some places, encouraging these mass challenges. And so you might see confusion. You might see chaos. You might see voters unaware that they’ve been removed from the rolls in these kinds of places. So, it’s just creating either more stress on good officials, or it’s creating more chaos with officials who buy into these baseless claims about election fraud.
Kamala’s joy is the necessary antidote to Trump’s fear-mongering and apocalyptic threats.
That said, I’d like to see the Harris campaign start every message about Trump with, “Trump is a liar, a rapist and a felon.” Every message: #LiarRapistFelon.
(This is a revised version of my original comment - I revised it after reading several responses to my original.)
I would like to ask EVERYONE to encourage mainstream media outlets to refer to VP Harris as Harris, not Kamala. Few such outlets refer to men in politics repeatedly by their first names. Inadvertently it’s a dismissal of a woman to use her first name. I know that for many people, the intention is meant as to convey a sense of connection, and I get that. Women, in particular, are socialized to foster and strengthen connections, and the use of first names is part of that. In male-dominated media, though, using women’s first names underscores a long-standing misogyny that had never been called out and so has become habit. Thanks for reading this and understanding.
I find your comment thought provoking because I am a life long feminist committed to the equality of women in every aspect of life. I do think a sense of connection is important because it expresses how comfortable people feel with her candidacy and their gut feeling that she is one of them. Using her first name doesn't mean that they don't hold her in high regard. It's that they can imagine sitting down with her over a cup of coffee as one does with a friend where your views will be taken seriously. I still think of Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy as Bobby. On the other hand, I would never think to call Mike Johnson Mike because he does not deserve that expression of familiarity. We have nothing in common. Aristocats for Kamala.
I call him Mike as a sign of disrespect. If I respected the Arschloch I'd call him Michael. Much of Ms Harris' campaign material refers to her as Kamala so I infer she's OK with that.
Point well-taken. I think mainstream media outlets don’t ever call men by their first names. Maybe by their initials, whereas they often refer to women by their first names. THERE it’s misogynistic, in my opinion. I’ll restate my comment to apply to media outlets.
Her campaign chose “Kamala” rather than “Harris”— given the attempts to denigrate her and the generational shift toward addressing people, even bosses by their first names, it’s not a slight. FYI, I’m a retired woman who grew up in a family with both parents integrally involved in the civil rights and feminist movements.And in both my careers (law and clergy) I was well aware of misogyny and how women are denigrated “politely.”
smile? you noticed though that the TV talking heads, Fox included, are heavily populated by 30 something women with medium/shoukder length straight hair, very wide eyes and a fixed half smike?
"Bullies don’t laugh with because they have no compassion for other people. They don’t know how to laugh with others because they don’t know how to connect with others."
They also don't know how to laugh at themselves. I have a suspicion Kamala can laugh at herself; she doesn't take herself too seriously--but she takes her policies and the future of the US very seriously indeed. She's got her priorities straight. I just hope she's got all her policies straight, too.
She looks like she's having so much FUN campaigning that people want to join her.
The Dems have a new Happy Warrior--Happy Days Are Here Again! VOTE BLUE!
This is a wonderful set of comments, Maureen. I think you’re 100% correct about Harris’ ability to laugh at herself. That’s an indication of humility and humanity. She’s exactly what America needs now. We’re so fortunate to be able to look work for a winning ticket- whoever she chooses for her running mate!
Thank you.
I can't even IMAGINE tfg laughing at himself.
He is utterly devoid of any sense of humor (or any other redeeming quality, such as honesty, decency, compassion or honor).
A Supreme Court decision about what constitutes porn made the following definition: Porn has "no redeeming social value." That's how I think of Trump. He's pure porn -- not one redeeming quality about him.
EXCELLENT observation, Jan!
well-said
He's also a psychopath:
I score his 7 out of 7 on this forensic assessment tool:
https://kamala4prez.substack.com/p/is-donald-trump-a-psychopath
Absolutely, Abraham! I'd have to look up psychopath and sociopath to see what the distinctions are, but I wouldn't be surprised if he qualified for both.
Agree 💯 percent
I really can't think of a single redeeming quality. Whenever I think he may be close - he ruins it by speaking again.
Hate, revenge, anger, narcissism, arrogance, division and much more horrible stuff is the name of the game for TFG. In my opinion, TFG doesn't have a clue of how to laugh! He is an utterly horrible person that is obsessed with himself and only his sorry self!
And, ultimately, compared to Kamala, he's BORING.
Maureen, the problem for Trump is that we have heard everything he has to say, for the past 9+ years. There is nothing new, just the names have been changed and the adjectives put in front of people's names. I think his newest one is "Crazy Kamala." The problem is that when people see and listen to Kamala Harris, they don't experience crazy as they do when watching and listening to Trump himself. Funny how that works!
GOP-ers always project their sins on their opponents. It's so predictable that it's a virtual confession of what they're up to.
You're so right, Ruth! Aside from tacking his usual denigrations onto different issues, Trump hasn't had one new thing to say since 2016. Another sign of mental deterioration and stagnation.
If I remember correctly, Trump called her "Lyin' Kamala" the day Biden withdrew. Imo someone pointed out that he'd been saying "Lyin' Biden" for years and should use a different adjective for Harris. Hence "crazy" which has the benefit of being alliterative.
Spot on, Maureen! I live alone so I feel very uninhibited to talk back to the radio. If Trump's voice comes on, I tend to drown him out by chanting " Yada, Yada, Yada...." It's very therapeutic!
Lark, I keep the remote handy when watching the news so I can hit mute as soon as Trump's image comes on screen. I'm tired of his voice, let alone the screed that spews out of his mouth.
With Trump, same !💩 different day
Seeing him lose, and go to jail, now THAT'S therapeutic.
SO true!!! Another good point for people to ponder.
My hope is that this changes the political landscape and how politicians treat each other. The attacks are not working. He's only ramped up his vile comments and it's not working. He single handedly has changed the culture of this country. Since he walked down those steps announcing his candidacy I've noticed a change in humanity (increased aggression, lack of respect, lack of manners). It's felt like the wild west. Biden started to move us back. Kamala will show that we can be tough, kind, and decent and still have a good time addressing tough issues. HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT
Compared with mold on the wall, he's boring.
he's running 2016 campaign again; same old same old.
They know they're losing and all they can do is hurl insults.
And same old same old is boring.
True!
Not to mention body odor and halitosis
#trumpstinks!
And he hates dogs!
I think he hates animals; which really scares me. If you don't like animals, if you hurt animals, or if animals don't like you...something is wrong.
Peggy, a sure sign that he's unfit to hold any elected office. <not sarcasm, I'm serious>
LOL …
What's even worse, his running mate hates cats apparently! That is just not a winning ticket!
Add to that, the odor that he emits from the adult diapers he wears and is too lazy to change them. I can well remember how bad that odor was as i fathered 4 children and i changed their diapers when they were babies. I cannot fathom how bad TFG's soiled diapers smell. i don't even want to think about that!
John, and concentrating totally on himself has got to be depressing because there is nothing there but a sometimes loud voice and all the negative emotions about everyone else, including those who have cleaved themselves to him, not realizing that self-absorption leaves nothing for connecting with anyone else except very superficially.
His voice is like fingernails on a blackboard
Yes, Donald Trump is a narcissist. But so is Joe Biden. Even today, he refuses to resign, and in the process of staying U.S. President, he is making things very awkward for Kamala Harris. Biden is power hungry, a control freak - like Trump. When will he bough out, let Harris have her turn, and let her maximise the advantage he has over him and Trump in the 100 days left? Time is of the essence, and Harris needs every minute of it!
Gunnar -- if Biden were to resign today...Kamala would be hard-pressed to spend the next 3 months campaigning, she'd be up to her eyeballs in the dreary, day-to-day business of trying to keep our adversaries at bay and our allies in line and feeling secure because "America had their back". And what of the MiddleEast, the world's oldest forever conflict, thousands of years old and still smoldering, ready to break out into conflagration at any moment.
No, Kamala should be allowed to get her total focus on Job 1: Winning the election. Let Joe handle the wildfires and the missiles and the arms shipments and the peace negotiations. She has this brief respite before it becomes HER mess, and Joe has this time to leave his mark on history.
R. - So, you're saying that "Job 1: Winning the election" is more important than the policies? Isn't that putting the cart before the horse? In order to submit an informed vote, we need to know what each party's policies are - that's what democracy means: acting on information, not acting on pure guesswork.
Wow - you missed the info boat
Why should he resign? He's the elected President, and those who could remove him for incompetence seem to think he's doing fine. Just because many in his party did not think he could win the 2024 election does not mean they think he is incapable of serving as president.
Do you live under a parliamentary system? If so, I can understand why you would think he should step down; it's what a prime minister would do if his party voted him down.
But the US is not a parliamentary system. The president is elected for a fixed term, and he serves it out (no matter what his party thinks of him) unless he is incapable of doing so. If he stepped down, it would taint his legacy and force Kamala to spend much of her time defending his legacy (which, as she was his VP, is also her legacy) instead of attacking Trump. See R. Hodson's reply to you for more detail.
This is actually advantageous for both. He can concentrate on governing, & she can concentrate on campaigning.
I hope Biden will take care of the tricky, controversial things he must do to correct our course as much as he can before Kamala takes over.
To reiterate what Maureen said, Biden isn't withdrawing because he's now incompetent to do his job. It's that he's unlikely to maintain his ability to govern throughout the next term, so it would be irresponsible to run again for that reason, but he should be able to finish out his term no problem. But if it is a problem, he can retire at any time & Harris can take over.
unless he is thinking of some evil he can do.
Orange antichrist!
Trump is another billionaire anti-Christ using religion to protect the billionaire class.
Trump is actually partially possessed by adversarial beings who serve the AntiChrist. It is correct to speak of demonic possession in his case.
The arrival of these spiritual beings on the scene of human affairs is a new phenomenon, less than a hundred years old. So we are facing a whole new set of challenges. That's why people are feeling things are getting worse.
A key characteristic of these beings—technically known as Asuras—is that they attack the human ego directly, aiming to destroy our earthly self. They directly oppose Christ, who is our higher self.
If he did, I would seriously question if it was maybe a body double!!
Either that, or the Invasion of the Body Snatchers has started.
I would suggest an exorcism. Try dousing him with holy water and see if he maintains that crocodile semblance of smile or starts writhing and smoking.
Excellent suggestion!
Besides all the other evil he manifests, he lapses into unintelligible gibberish unknown to any human.
Steve, maybe he'll melt.
Ha ha ha ha ha
Good one!
Thanks.
I don’t think he can be spontaneously authentic about anything enough to laugh.
A body double? THAT'S a scary thought!
Do you think there is one?
Not sure, Peter, but if I ever saw a smiling, laughing trump, I sure would question it!
Peggy, a smiling Trump would have to be AI generated!
I think they would have had plastic surgery by now
He is one of an unkind. (Ihope).
I suspect that if Trump ever attempted a genuine laugh, his orange make up would become craquelured like a medieval painting. He might even break his jaw.
Maureen, heck, I can't even imagine Trump laughing at all. I can't imagine what it would sound like and what he would look like doing it! Bad images!
Hitler never laughed either
Trump does not laugh, because he claims that the country is near collapse, and that he alone can save it. This is no laughing matter. He has to be met with sarcasm and ridicule--then voters might laugh.
In 2016 or 2017 he was speaking somewhere and got booed. He actually chuckled and said "Well, that wasn't the response I expected, but ok..." and moved on. I was shocked -- I didn't know he could roll with a punch or have a comeback. And I bet 8 years of aging means he can't now.
Jan, I must have missed that chuckle because ever since he has been running for office, he has talked hate, distrust, anger, fearmongering, resentment of everyone, and has lied nearly incessantly. I don't see how he could have had energy for a chuckle. You're probably right that he could not do a real chuckle now if he tried.
Sean, that wasn't a question for me in 2016 (excepting the "Daughter of..." part), and it isn't now.
I told someone in another of Dr. Reich's Substacks that I'd vote for the commenter's dog before I'd vote for Trump.
The Daughter of two University Professors with a sense of humor!
I prefer not to imagine him at all, but I agree with you, Maureen. 🙂
If he did laugh at himself, the smile would convey that he isn’t seriously laughing at himself.
Trump idea of a joke involves "Hannibal Lector, sharks, boat batteries, and windmills. ;o)
Donald Trump does indeed have a sense of humour - he speaks tongue in cheek all the time! His detractors either don't see it or choose to take him literally. The real problem with Trump's light touch/off-the-cuff remarks is that he forgets to shape policies and stick to them. This was his problem during his first term 2017-2021. Like Kamala Harris, he too needs to become serious and focus on policies.
Trump only has one goal - greed and power for himself -
Gunnar, keep thinking that way. Trump is not doing anything like "tongue in cheek" or maybe it's his tongue gets stuck in his cheek. He has no clue about policy, just who he resents, hates, and wants to get revenge on. That is in no way light-hearted or anything else. It is narcissism, total self-absorption. He might have once had a lighter side, but that deteriorated as his money evaporated.
Ruth - No, his tongue doesn't get "stuck in his cheek". Not at all. In fact, as President, he was flexible, not at all 'stuck'. He was the first U.S. President to meet and talk with a North Korean leader. He broke with the stuckness of all previous presidents since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
Also, after Iran had shot down an American spy drone, he was urged to retaliate militarily. This would have meant automatically to follow previous U.S. Presidents' policy inclinations towards Iran: rage and revenge! On reflection, Trump realised that there was nothing to gain by following previous policies of beligerence. He opted to change American approach in the face of 'provocation' from Iran. That's neither narcissism nor self-absorption. Nor is it blind, unthinking nationalism.
Good on him!
Ah Gunnar, a dictator wannabee talking with a full-blown dictator is nothing to brag about. I think Trump was looking for pointers from someone who currently had the power in his country that Trump wanted over the people of this nation. That does not make Trump flexible, unwise, perhaps!
Mockery and snide comments are not humor. Humor collapses one's seriousness about oneself, something he lacks the humility to risk. He is a brittle narcissistic personality disordered character.
Trump has only one policy: whatever works for him.
"The real problem... is that he forgets to shape policies and stick to them."
The President of the United States FORGOT to shape policies? Seriously, Gunnar?
Yes, Jan ... all the books that I've read about Trump's presidency and character suggests that he had difficulty anticipating his opponent's next move and completing his own policy move. John Bolton describes this, time and time again. The good thing about Trump was that he sought Bolton's advice, they discussed things. Trump sacked him when he realised that Bolton was an old-time Washington hawk who didn't share Trump's vision of Make America Great Again. In essence, Bolton wanted Trump to make America 'great' by insulting and provoking other nation states and sirring up international trouble. Trump regarded that as a waste of time; he wanted disengagement - from NATO, for example.
Gunnar, of course Trump "had difficulty anticipating his opponent's next move..." That's not FORGETTING. He's stupid.
His mental limitations are both shaped and exacerbated by his narcissism and his stunted emotional/psychological development which makes him about the effective age of an average. 4-yo.
No matter WHY Trump had trouble formulating policy, the fact that he did is proof that he's not fit to be president of anything more important than his own dinner table.
Today one of the most significant peacetime prisoner swaps of all time was announced. What did Trump do? Blustered about how it was poorly done. Putin's warming up the bus in case he decides Trump needs to go under it.
And PRESIDENT Biden proved once again that whether he's a good campaigner or not, he's doing one heck of a job in the job.
You’ve a real problem Gunnar - did your family escape from Nazi germany and move to Australia in the 1940s?
You're kidding, right? I was 21 when I migrated to Australia in 1963 - from Norway. - Are you one of those who, by your silence, defends America's military support of Israel's genocide until after the November election? Silence means consent, Susan.
Gunnar - What EXACTLY are Israel's choices in dealing with Hamas? And What exactly are Americans able/willing to do about effecting a change? It is a dangerous illusion to believe that America can control the actions of other states to conform to our own notion of right and wrong.
Israel-Hamas is not the only disaster that is killing innocent people, it's just the one that gets the headlines today. America can do more good in preventing needless deaths -- by providing food aid to nations suffering the collapse of their agricultural economies due to climate disasters or war; by increased trade with less developed countries; by developing and distributing vaccines for the various diseases afflicting populations living in tropical areas where malaris and guinea worm, etc. are endemic.
What we have not been able to do is produce peace in the Middle East. My personal opinion is that it is an intractable problem, and that there will be some segment of Arab nations and the state of Israel forever at war with each other. I am not arguing that we should stop trying to make peace and just accept perpetual hostility as "normal", But I do wish that well-intentioned people (in the US and in other countries) who are rightly concerned about the terrible destruction of Israel's war in Gaza would drop the pretense that America could stop Israel from doing whatever the hell it wants if we just applied enough pressure.
The difficult conundrum of American Middle East policy (in my opinion) is that American presidents/slash/American voters will never -- I repeat, NEVER -- countenance the destruction of the State of Israel, any more than they would abandon western Europe to Russian aggression. This is not to say that American policy and Israel's are in lock-step with each other.
tfg = the f*ing genius?
That would be the evil f***ing genius.
efg lol
the former guy
Irna Gadd, I think you are right. I hope the person Kamala picks can also laugh and help her lighten things up. There is nothing funny about Trump, but there is a joy in knowing after 248 years we are still here and trying to keep our democracy alive despite a bunch of would-be dictators and tyrants, the thing we escaped back then.
I agree with you, and appreciate all your comments on this post. Yes, we're still here, working to keep democracy (as we know it, even with its flaws) alive and improving all the time.
I hope she chooses Pete Buttigieg! He’s a great communicator, articulate, smart and a good sense of humor. I love his rebuttals to ignorant gop and Maga morons.
The real problem, Ruth, with American democracy was the two main parties' relative neglect of blue-collar from Reagan onwards. The Republicans were busy 'liberalising' trade by importing good on a massive scale from cheap-labour countries, especially in Asia. This led to the closure of American factories inside the U.S. and to unemployment, under-employment, low wages and degarded neighbourhoods with underfunded school. Over the decades this created an angry under-class of lumpen-proletariat who eventually discovered in Trump someone who seemed to share their hatred.
While this was going on, the Democratic Party was focused on assisting minority groups and women. This was admirable, but they, too, forgot blue-collar and instead embraced 'free trade' and cheap imports from Asia. As a foreigner I wondered whether both parties were in cohot with each other, both regarding taking care of the U.S. working class as somehow a 'Marxist' policy?
Anyway, whatever the reason, the important thing is for the Democratic Party to learn from its mistakes and stop thinking of blue-collar as a basket of deplorables. One way would have been for Biden last year to introduce a neo-New Deal economic package - something I suggested at the time. This would have reduced blue-collar anger and turned some borderline Tumpist voters towards the Democrats. But Biden's brain was too addled by then, and he did nothing substantial, and now it's touch and go who will win in November. One lesson to learn from the the 1980s onwards is not to neglect blue-collar; one-third of U.S. voters are blue-collar - and can only be ignored at your party's peril.
Yes, Kamala has to make it absolutely clear that she is laughing at herself, because this is what Republicans will accuse her of laughing at Americans.
She's not laughing at Americans, but she is often laughing at Trump, Vance, and other wing-nuts & their ideas.
Maureen - While laughing at Trump and Vance, isn't it time the Democratic Party got its own house in order? What can possibly be more reactionary than the military aiding and abetting of genocide in the face of appeals by the International Court of Justice in The Hague? Or the alienation of America's friends and NATO allies by destroying the European gas pipeline in the Baltic?
I'd suggest you raise your gaze from domestic policies to current U.S. foreign policies under Joe Biden. They are a basket case.
Gosh, Sean ... you sound like a proponent of genetic engineering ... eugenics. May I remind you that university professors are not always progressive. Back in the day - 1967 - Noam Chomsky wrote "American Power and the New Mandarins", a book in which he complained about the tardy response by American university staff to the ever-expanding American-stoked war in Vietnam by LBJ - a Democrat president. Something similar is happening currently, with universities trying to clamp down on pro-Palestinian protests by students.
Yes, Trump is a narcissist, but so is Biden. Not only that, but by refusing to resign, Biden is making it awkward for Kamala Harris to campaign on a policy shift - away from Biden's stiff and sterile support of Israel's genocide by food restriction and destruction of hospitals in the Gaza Strip. It seems to me that the Democrat party machine is just as inflexible and inhumane as it was under LBJ. Please explain!
Interesting to me that extremists of every stripe don't know how to laugh. Somehow laughter opens the door and lets a little more truth in, a little more sunshine.
: )
Trumpet 🎺 Political Theater plan is to Collect All the money possible on the Table and Under The Table ; Then Be loud and Audacious as Possible; Select a Vice President willing to Sprout Crazy Talk . Then Deliberately Lose The election ; Pocket all the Money the Rubes have been Fleeced for and Go Away a fat, orange sad old man with all the money too Demented to Go to Jail .
It’s the plot of THE PRODUCERS AKA “Spring time for Hitler” think about it…
Citizen J, I thought that was the plot 8 years ago when Trump ran, but alas, he actually got the office he didn't really want and did a lot of damage to our nation and now claims he wants to do it all over again, only this time with even more hateful sycophants and project 2025. We have to take him very seriously this time while laughing along with Kamala Harris as she tries to bring in some joy, while sending Trump and the rest of them home!
Trump needs to be locked in a padded room - he’s very dangerous - as dangerous as Hitler would have been had he survived the war
Wow … it would work, since he’s well on his way to making it real. Hah! … Let’s hope the “lose the election” part carries through…
Vote Blue.
I'm sure that's Plan B.
So true, Michael. Extremism precludes humor -- it requires seeing everything through the lens of your personal "ism," which is VERY SERIOUS STUFF. That's why I'm suspicious of extremists.
Laughing when voters are angry?
Bot
Trump's own nephew said his uncle is a maladjusted, unstable old man. He stated Donnie often used raciest remarks that indicated his prejudice toward people of color. Fred C. Trump III has firsthand information concerning Trump and his declining mental state. President Biden shows mild signs of confusion while Trump's mental state indicates a sever level of insanity. I'll take unsteadiness over crazy any day of the week.
Donald, remember the book his niece Mary, a trained psychologist, wrote a few years ago saying the same things? "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man," Mary L. Trump.
As a lot of us know (and say) "When Trump tells you who he is and what he plans to do, believe him."
❤️Reich❤️[and me]:"Laughing together is one of the important signs of [my ability to see my faults, aka "death of the ego"]. Contrast this with [endless exaggerations of anxiety cured by the morphing placebos of] anger, hate, and grievance."🤔🙈🙉🙊🫣🤯
❤️Scientist on the laughter required to kill my ego and see my exaggeration of threats:
http://books.google.com/books?id=XX0VFH7TXvoC&pg=PA216
The top scientist of a top science of ❤️EMOTIONAL MATURITY ❤️(Cognitive Behavior techniques, aka CBT) has developed CBT2.0 which is a much faster (10X?❤️) treatment that YOU WILL NEVER EXPERIENCE because it requires therapists to kill their ego, which they will "never" do:🤔🙈🙉🙊🫣🤯
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10sB0fqSY4fbyuRvWeSvif6HXW1gDFXru/view?usp=sharing
Bot
Laughing at themselves, or laughing any time, shatters their truly defensive tough guy persona and makes them seem weak (which they are, but don't want to reveal it) and vulnerable.
I was going to say something similar. She looks like she's having a great time - and she's balanced. She knows when to be serious, and when she can be humorous - she can read the room!
When she is allowed to be more humorous, she literally makes me smile. I'm going through some stuff right now, and her enthusiasm gives me so much hope. It is absolutely the bright spot in the political tunnel right now.
King Trumpet 🎺 is serious as a Heart Attack , Trumpet 🎺 is more like his Hero Herr Hitler. The Orange Jesus is serious about Two Things Money where his Heart is And Not being Accountable For Jan 6 The Attempted Coup of Our Government.
Exactly, Maureen!
Thanks.
There is also an art to making authoritarian gestures (which accompany the grim facial expressions). Most of these tend to resemble the fist salute that Trump made after the shooting and the ones he makes while everyone is shouting "fight, fight, fight."
This art could be called "Hitler Posing," (although Mussolini likely started it), and we have these photos from 1925 showing exactly how Hitler practiced the poses. He actually did smile once in these photos, but learned to eliminate those expressions from his public appearances.
https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/hitler-rehearsing-speech-front-mirror-1925/
Thanks for the link.
Trump is devoid of the empathy and remorse gene - he has no use for others that can’t give him something in return and he shows no remorse for hurting people… like his many wives and girlfriends or THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Check out Mary Trumps substack on the legendary mashed potato story:
https://www.marytrump.org/p/the-legendary-mashed-potato-story?utm_source=%2Fsearch%2Fmary%2520trump&utm_medium=reader2
What comes to mind, reading Robert’s Reich’s inspiring column today, about tfg’s inability to laugh, is he’s so Deadly Serious about his driven news for rabid retribution, revenge, has poisoned his entire system. So “drained of any sense of affection, joy, happiness, pleasure, gratitude, perhaps body chemicals that affect the muscles in his face are incapable of even producing normal emotions that lead to the facial to smile, and eyes to crinkle & twinkle with delight. It’s true, these are never seen in the myriad of photos.
This is such a good point. I saw James Comey (I know, ew 🤢 ) speak about his book years ago and he told an anecdote about being Trump not having any sense of humor about himself, whereas every other President he served under did, especially George W Bush and Obama. You can take yourself very seriously and be able to laugh at yourself -- think the more confident a person is the more they CAN do that.
You make a great point about the importance of compassion and connection in genuine laughter. It’s refreshing to see a leader who can balance seriousness with a sense of humor.
Kamala’s ability to enjoy the campaign trail while focusing on important policies is inspiring. It’s true, people are drawn to positivity and enthusiasm.
Here’s hoping her policies match her spirit! 💙
Actually, the point about the importance of compassion and connection in genuine laughter is Reich's, but I wholeheartedly agree. Trump's attempts at "humor" fall flat because they are mean-spirited.
My hopes line up with yours.
Great points ,thank you Maureen.
Thank you!
Well said!😃 What a great change of pace! Just what the country needs!💙💙💙💙💙💙
From a University of Michigan Grad...Vote blue and GO blue
Absolutely astute observation! America is a country that’s just dying to laugh again. It’s so sad that the only things many people laugh at anymore are contrived for them on a television screen or a cell phone. Kamala’s cackle is good for the soul.
I love her laugh!
Trumpet 🎺 Political Theater plan is to Collect All the money possible on the Table and Under The Table ; Then Be loud and Audacious as Possible; Select a Vice President willing to Sprout Crazy Talk . Then Deliberately Lose The election ; Pocket all the Money the Rubes have been Fleeced for and Go Away a fat, orange sad old man with all the money too Demented to Go to Jail .
It’s the plot of THE PRODUCERS AKA “Spring time for Hitler” think about it…
I actually thought that was his plan in 2016, until the media decided to throw him the crown. He’s trying to stay out of jail now, and he loves the attention, which he won’t get on a golf course in, of all places, Saudi Arabia, if he loses.
Interesting theory. Loved that film, not sure I care if he is gone.
Me too!
You are so right! Kamala is a refreshing sight and candidate. It is nice to see a person who is able to laugh and see the light in a situation. I am so sick of seeing trump ridicule and call people names, lie about them, yet try to make himself look like the "savior". He is anything but the savior. He is a menace that we must not let back in our White House! Kamala and whoever she picks, will be a great president!
You said it so well, Kerry!
No surprise, it’s Kamala’s delightful, freeing laugh, that of a happy, fulfilled woman that triggers tfg so terribly. His reaction to this is way, way out of proportion. A giant clue, to something disturbing Off within the pathetic excuse of a person.
Her laugh is some kind of nervous tick. She does it at inappropriate times and in circumstances when laughing is not the usual response. It doesn’t make her a bad person. Her laugh may be joyful and exuberant when done in appropriate circumstances, but it’s weird when she laughs at inappropriate times.
Trumpet 🎺 Political Theater plan is to Collect All the money possible on the Table and Under The Table ; Then Be loud and Audacious as Possible; Select a Vice President willing to Sprout Crazy Talk . Then Deliberately Lose The election ; Pocket all the Money the Rubes have been Fleeced for and Go Away a fat, orange sad old man with all the money too Demented to Go to Jail .
It’s the plot of THE PRODUCERS AKA “Spring time for Hitler” think about it…
So did I read your ChatGPT correctly, 1-hyenas don’t laugh (it sounds like a laugh) 2-Harris’ laugh sounds like a hyena to some people 3-people that don’t laugh can’t analyze laughter. 4- if you can’t take a joke and laugh [at yourself] you have no reason being POTUS because you really don’t get people.
And T. Winey here did not let us down. Every accusation is still a confession with your lot, eh Timothy?
Nope. It's the same old story, same old song & dance with your lot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6C_nyZLQR8&ab_channel=AerosmithVEVO
Does a hyena actually laugh? or does it make a similar sound?
I think we know a hyena makes a cry that sounds like a laugh to us.
But I also know that Kamala Harris is no hyena! and we have no idea if the hyena is amused at all, when making that sound.
Only a lioness can keep hyenas at bay.
You’re gonna cry in November and continue to receive two likes for your ChatGPT “analyses.”
Just looked at your garbage "newsletter" and reported you for being a troll and for the offensive, insulting, and at times cruel bile you spew.
Thank you, Barak. He needs to go back to his cave along with all the other Neanderthals.
Nope. Just rejecting you on a personal level.
Oh my, i am sooo scared.
And I, Winey, doubt that you can spell "doubt" correctly. Care to make a wager?
Oh drat! You've lost the contest before it began.
What is your real name? Bubba the baboon?
what the fuck is IT? IT is part of musk’s simulation. IT only sends linked auto-replies.
A MAGA moron who’s very scared
I think he's more of a UK conspiracy theorist who'll eagerly offend anyone (including trump for his bleeding ear).
Just another attention seeker - anything goes as long as it’s about him.
Wow weee,
Wow weee!
Save your energy for your two subscribers.
Wow weee, i will sleep better at night knowing that... WOW!
Wow weee,
I didn't think Biden needed to step aside. I still don't think he needed to step aside. But my God, the enthusiasm for Harris is amazing. I stand with her. You say you haven't seen exuberance like this since JFK. I say the last time I saw excitement even close to this was for Bernie. I know some on the left don't like Harris because of her history as a prosecutor, because they believe ACAB, but I don't believe that. I would rather have a prosecutor as president than a felon. And I absolutely love that she's not pulling any punches, that she and her team are not afraid to play offense. #ImWithHer
I think the enthusiasm for her is light-years beyond Bernie. It may be a similar kind of enthusiasm, but for her it's broad and deep, energizing people of all ages, all stripes. That's what makes this different than any politician or campaign of my lifetime. Bernie energized a lot of people and performed an extraordinary service, but Kamala Harris is energizing a giant swath of the nation. We're witnessing something transformational here.
I didn't say it was the same amount of enthusiasm. I said it was the same kind. Bernie energized people of all different demographics too. But yes the enthusiasm for her is simply amazing. I just think the last time we saw anything like this was with Bernie and we don't have to go as far back as JFK.
100% agree. Bernie’s rallies were energized by hope! So good to feel it again 🇺🇸
Trumpet 🎺 Political Theater plan is to Collect All the money possible on the Table and Under The Table ; Then Be loud and Audacious as Possible; Select a Vice President willing to Sprout Crazy Talk . Then Deliberately Lose The election ; Pocket all the Money the Rubes have been Fleeced for and Go Away a fat, orange sad old man with all the money too Demented to Go to Jail .
It’s the plot of THE PRODUCERS AKA “Spring time for Hitler” think about it…
Bernie’s age, would also be an issue. How wonderful it could and needs to be when our country values the wisdom of our Elder Statesmen. As the National Treasures they Must be to Guide us into fully become A Mature Country.
I didn't want President Biden to step aside either, Jamie, but he wants the absolute best for this country. I believe he knew Kamala Harris being younger would be the person that would pull the party together and beat the orange man. That is what President Biden wants most of all - to keep the orange stain away from the oval office! Those on the left that don't like Harris need to understand, we are fighting like hell right now for our Democracy. Her history is her history and they certainly cannot change it; however, they can put that behind them and get involved in getting her elected president. If they choose to go with a third party candidate, they will in essence be voting for the orange man. If they choose to sit out the election, they will in essence be voting for the orange man. I would hope that anyone on the left would do whatever it took to have their votes count for Democracy. Vote blue through and through! Lotus for POTUS!
Jamie Diamond ; What is ACAB?
All Cops Are Bastards
Between the way cops have indiscriminately killed Black people, how they violently put down peaceful protests and protect protesters using violent rhetoric, and how much the system sucks, some people see every cop as being bad just because they're a cop. The system sucks, yes, a lot of cops are awful, yes, but being a cop in and of itself doesn't mean you're a bad person.
Jamie ; Yes, I agree being a cop does not mean you are a bad person ; I believe that it is wrong to label a group so broadly. I have known law enforcement officers who do their sometimes difficult and dangerous jobs well and with integrity. It's like being racist or sexist or prejudiced against certain faiths or nationalities. the acronym is hate speech.
No it's not like being racist or exist or anything like that and while I don't subscribe to the idea, it's not hate speech. Being in law enforcement is a profession that people choose. People don't choose their ethnicity or gender. It's not the same thing. That's like saying "blue lives matter" which is ridiculous because there's no such thing as blue lives.
We are seeing the rise of a new generation of Black public prosecutors, who unlike the Tim Scott's of the world don't feel a need to cozy up to power. Kamala Harris was one. Bragg in NY is another. Wesley Bell in St Louis is another, running ahead of a "squad" incumbent in the primary for MO 1st congressional district (which includes Ferguson.)
Jamie simply defined the acronym when someone asked. His post didn’t promote the acronym
*Her
Sorry Jamie. Thanks.
Jamie Diamond : I have not used the phrase "blue lives matter" . Please do not put words in my mouth. I am not erasing or negating "Black lives matter". But I am disagreeing with the acronym 'ACAB'.
Jamie Diamond ; "In order to be ridiculous, a thing must first be ridiculed". I wonder what it is like to live in a place like, say, Haiti? No law enforcement except for the warlords with their automatic weapons. It is not a crime to decide to be a peace officer, or law enforcement officer. It IS a crime to abuse the authority or power of the job though. What does the word ; 'bastards' reinforce? That a child born to an unmarried woman is illegitimate and bad? Some talk is not helpful. Words matter.
I didn't say it was a crime. I said it's a choice and not something you're born with. I didn't come up with the thing and as I said, I don't subscribe to it. I just wouldn't call it hate speech. And yes "blue lives matter" is ridiculous. I'm not saying the lives of cops don't matter. It's the slogan that's ridiculous. "Blue lives matter" and "All lives matter" are racist responses to "Black lives matter" as the first two are intended to negate the third.
I didn't doubt Biden's mental or organizational ability at all, but agreed With RR that his greatest skill was not public speaking, especially extemporaneous, in a debate or a press conference. But he with all his kindess, and other great qualities, hasn't an ounce of charisma, which I had no idea Kamala has in spades. JFK had it, likely FDR did too. Stepping down was a genious move, wonder if Biden knew it would be? Agree with Heather Cox Richardson that the timing was perfect.
Please tell me you aren't accusing Democrats of rigging the Democratic primary.
Cindy: Did you delete the "lol" at the end of your question or were you really being serious? Don't wanna start a war - just curious. Anyhow, can't keep straight which primary the Dems are being accused of rigging - there are so many to contemplate.
I must have misinterpreted your comment. I read it as you making the claim that the primary was rigged. Sorry about that.
Hey Cindy - Not to worry. Sometimes the written word is quite ambiguous which has its positives and its negatives. Also, sometimes when writing on the spur of the moment one says things in a way one wouldn't if one were let's say face-to-face speaking. And we could modify or 'edit' our words instantaneously if we saw we were on the verge of creating an incident and weren't quite ready for the consequences. So whatever I said, let's be friends and enjoy the rest of the day. It's been a rough few months and we're all still recuperating. 😉
Thank you. Agree entirely. For me, it's one of those rare times when I'm glad I made a mistake. LOL
I disagree.
What is asinine is not understanding the meaning of the word rigged - to manipulate by deceptive or dishonest means that may or not be unlawful. Convincing someone to withdraw their candidacy based on reasoned argument is not deceptive, dishonest, unlawful or 'rigged'. Using a threat to get someone to withdraw would be considered rigged. The last line of your reply exposes an arrogance in you that is unbecoming.
We’ve just embraced hope again in the UK, and France turned away from hate at the last moment. Now it’s your turn, America, to join the fight against the dark forces (even within your legal system) threatening your democracy and prevent The Handmaid’s Tale from coming true!
We are working hard at it, Richard! The UK and France are definitely a model for us! We want to see a blue deluge in November. Lotus for POTUS!
Absolutely! Laughter is contagious and world is finding joy again. Thank You Kamala!!!
There you go again Tom. Keeping it real. You must be watching AlJazeera - all those dead kids bodies and amputated-without-anesthesia limbs getting to you. Bodies of relatives being dug outta the rubble with bare hands. People trying to make their way to the next safe area only to be bombed out by the IDF then told to scramble to the next safe area only to be bombed out by the IDF. Hey Tom - lighten up. Olympics Paris 2024.
I have an optimistic state of mind when I am listening to Vice President Harris! I won’t even watch or listen to the FPOTUS ANYMORE because he is sickening and unpatriotic!
Keith ; Yes ; He is the "Donald downer". She is a breath of fresh air and the prosecutor we have been missing. Long overdue!
Did you originate the witty and apt "Donald downer?"
Prof. Reich's insights this time made me think, Yes! A prosecutor, not a persecutors! (I have long marveled that litigious T would jump into vigilante "Lock her up" with no reference to any legality like a trial or finding of guilt beforehand--messy trivialities for the man who demands loopholes for himself?)
Elizabeth Banwell: I thought about "Debbie downer" and realized that "Donald downer " is appropriate these days. Not sure I'm the first, but it fits so well! Thanks! A variation is "Donnie Downer" ; similar to Debbie.
Hahahahaha! I love that comparison, Laurie!
Oooo, I love it: Donnie Downer instead of Debbie Downer 😎
"If you smile at me, I will understand
'Cause that is something everybody everywhere does in the same language"
Wooden Ships
CSN
I’ve been eating the purple berries for six or seven weeks now; haven’t got sick once. But you have to be brave, how many is it they’ve shot down? Please come to Chicago … we can change the world!!
A great song. I pray that the next line never becomes harsh reality.
"I can see by your coat, my friend, you're from the Other Side
There's just one thing that I've got to know, can you tell me please
Who won?"
Great! Thank you. I like Kamala's laugh and could not understand the Trump response. But of course it was not to be taken seriously and I shouldn't have for one second. Three cheers for Kamala and her capacity for joy.
Putin and Xi don't laugh either. They both prefer Trump.
Fantastic. The simplest answer is to be joyous, pleasant and laugh, smile and make the poor behavior of the other a small matter to be minimized. Treat the former President as if he were a misbehaving youngster. Go Kamala!
Nothing a narcissist hates more than fighting a happy warrior who knows their game.
FOLKS, PLEASE LISTEN UP—the Joy and Enthusiasm of the past week are great BUT there is something that could put Donald Trump in the White House no matter how many people want Kamala to win: VOTER SUPPRESSION! VOTER SUPPRESSION on a vast scale never seen before! Trump could win if it‘s not stopped! Hundreds of thousands of “VIGILANTE VOTER CHALLENGERS” are being deployed by MAGA to all states (especially swing states) to purge voter rolls of any and all likely Democrats, especially Blacks, People of Color, elderly, youth and many others.
Several excellent sources of info about this are:
gregpalast.org (website of investigative journalist Greg Palast)
voteractionproject.org
(who just announced that 160,000 voters—mostly Black—are to be purged from voter rolls in Ohio) and fairfight.com(Suppression in Georgia).
Working on the ground to restore voting rights to people wrongly denied them are
commoncause.org
aclu.org, lwv.org and naacp.org
Please spread the word and support all these folks. They are working to save Democracy and they need our support!
Good point. I heard Greg Palast speak in our smallish town of SLO, CA some years ago. Thanks for these reminders, of folks to support.
Very few people are aware of the scale of this so i am posting this info everywhere i can, including WRITING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR of my local newspapers. I strongly encourage everyone to do likewise!!
By November 10th if we VOTE like hell the plurality of the win will be obvious as will the gumming up of the works by Weird DonOld’s minions. A clear clean analysis of the counties where the minions are holding up certification will show that if disregarded those counties will not affect the state outcome. We will have winner.
At that point Biden resigns Harris is the new POTUS (given she won) and steps in to declare herself the winner both with electoral votes (states gummed certifications be damned) and popular vote. A page right out of Weird DonOld’s play book.
MASSIVE NEW VOTER SUPPRESS CAMPAIGN!
This Christian Nationalist Network “Ziklag” Aims to Purge Voters in Battleground States
Transcript of interview from “Democracy Now”
ANDY KROLL: Ziklag calls this “Operation Checkmate”, putting money into mobilizing conservative voters in key counties — not just states, but the counties — so Maricopa County in Arizona, Fulton County in Georgia, the other battleground counties in the country, and then trying to put money into knocking more than a million voters off the voting rolls in these states. And you see this in a couple of ways. But what’s so interesting is how the Christian right, Christian nationalism is fusing here with the election integrity or, really, the election denial movement that grew out of the 2020 election. We didn’t have a lot of evidence of that before this reporting on Ziklag. But you see this bridge, again, between the Christian right and the election deniers in a really big way going into this election.
AMY GOODMAN: And how effective can they be in knocking voters off the rolls?
ANDY KROLL: A little bit of money goes a long way when you are trying to get people knocked off the eligibility list for voters. That’s what the experts, the political consultants, the folks that know these worlds, told us in the reporting for this story. You know, Ziklag is putting, say, $800,000 or $1 million into something called EagleAI, an artificial intelligence software that makes it easier to challenge the eligibility of voters en masse. So, you’re not doing it one by one; you’re doing it by the hundreds, by the thousands. You don’t need tens of millions of dollars, the experts told us, to be able to make those challenges and to sort of turbocharge the effort to make voters ineligible. You only need a few hundred thousand dollars, maybe a million dollars. That’s what this group, Ziklag, appears to be doing. So, it could have an effect. And we’re talking about margins again in Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, margins that are a few thousand, a few tens of thousands of voters.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Andy, how does the election officials in every state, especially in the battleground states, their cooperation with these efforts, how might that turn out in the coming election?
ANDY KROLL: Well, you have two different camps here. You have the election officials in these states and in these counties who are just trying to run a free and fair election. What we’ve heard from those officials is that these efforts, like EagleAI or the work of the group True the Vote, another, quote-unquote, “election integrity” group — these mass challenges to the voter rolls make an already difficult job, an already stressful job, a time-consuming job, even more difficult. It’s putting just more stress on the work of these local election officials, the ones who are trying to do a good job.
And then you have the officials who have sort of bought into the election integrity claims, who have bought into Donald Trump’s election denial for 2020 or 2022 even. And for them, they are, in some places, encouraging these mass challenges. And so you might see confusion. You might see chaos. You might see voters unaware that they’ve been removed from the rolls in these kinds of places. So, it’s just creating either more stress on good officials, or it’s creating more chaos with officials who buy into these baseless claims about election fraud.
Just what I said here about her smile and laugh bringing joy and lifting spirits last week! So glad we agree! What a difference this week has made!
MAGAts are steadily destroying themselves.
Kamala’s joy is the necessary antidote to Trump’s fear-mongering and apocalyptic threats.
That said, I’d like to see the Harris campaign start every message about Trump with, “Trump is a liar, a rapist and a felon.” Every message: #LiarRapistFelon.
Keep up the great posts, Dr. Reich.
(This is a revised version of my original comment - I revised it after reading several responses to my original.)
I would like to ask EVERYONE to encourage mainstream media outlets to refer to VP Harris as Harris, not Kamala. Few such outlets refer to men in politics repeatedly by their first names. Inadvertently it’s a dismissal of a woman to use her first name. I know that for many people, the intention is meant as to convey a sense of connection, and I get that. Women, in particular, are socialized to foster and strengthen connections, and the use of first names is part of that. In male-dominated media, though, using women’s first names underscores a long-standing misogyny that had never been called out and so has become habit. Thanks for reading this and understanding.
I find your comment thought provoking because I am a life long feminist committed to the equality of women in every aspect of life. I do think a sense of connection is important because it expresses how comfortable people feel with her candidacy and their gut feeling that she is one of them. Using her first name doesn't mean that they don't hold her in high regard. It's that they can imagine sitting down with her over a cup of coffee as one does with a friend where your views will be taken seriously. I still think of Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy as Bobby. On the other hand, I would never think to call Mike Johnson Mike because he does not deserve that expression of familiarity. We have nothing in common. Aristocats for Kamala.
I call him Mike as a sign of disrespect. If I respected the Arschloch I'd call him Michael. Much of Ms Harris' campaign material refers to her as Kamala so I infer she's OK with that.
Point well-taken. I think mainstream media outlets don’t ever call men by their first names. Maybe by their initials, whereas they often refer to women by their first names. THERE it’s misogynistic, in my opinion. I’ll restate my comment to apply to media outlets.
Her campaign chose “Kamala” rather than “Harris”— given the attempts to denigrate her and the generational shift toward addressing people, even bosses by their first names, it’s not a slight. FYI, I’m a retired woman who grew up in a family with both parents integrally involved in the civil rights and feminist movements.And in both my careers (law and clergy) I was well aware of misogyny and how women are denigrated “politely.”
smile? you noticed though that the TV talking heads, Fox included, are heavily populated by 30 something women with medium/shoukder length straight hair, very wide eyes and a fixed half smike?
I like the "smike". Good description
Would rather Reagan was left out of this because “trickle down” ruination, otherwise, yes, exactly