This column accurately describes the current Republican Party and provides an excellent explanation of what drives the nasty, mean spirited , even evil people, yes evil people, both leading it and in it. Thank you Professor Reich for identifying and articulating this menace so clearly.
The people you mention are about 1/3 of voters, who want it to be 1861 again, and can be relied upon to vote Republican, against their economic interests.
About 1/3 of voters can be relied upon to vote Democrat, like most people on this blog. This leaves 1/3 in the middle, who could vote either way.
In 2016, this middle third looked at their 401Ks, held their noses, and voted for Trump, or stayed home. After the four year horror show, they voted for Biden in 2020. And this time, in 2022, they decided that, despite inflation and a massive decline of their 401Ks, some things, like Roe, democracy, social security, and Medicare, were just too important.
If the 2024 Democrat platform comes from the left on these issues, I believe this middle third will vote overwhelmingly for it.
Hey, there might even be universal healthcare, something not available in 1861.
First, there is a generation gap. Statistics show that on average, younger people are less prejudiced and IMHO fewer hear the call to the collective racist subconscious. Had we been able to harness this, Democrats would have targeted their audience to hold both houses of government. We left too many votes on the table.
Second, we have a greater rural/urban divide than anything else. One size does not fit all and IMHO culture trumps economics. Don't pardon the pun.
As I have been preaching about economics, transactional analysis works with individuals and not so much with mass psychology. On an individual basis even cult MAGAts need government benefits to survive.
Daniel, many, many cult MAGAts need government benefits to survive. How many of them need Social Security and Medicare to survive? Reagan told his "welfare queen" story, but the truth was most welfare recipients were white. The performative politicians give the frightened MAGAts someone to look down on. The wealthy who purchase their politicians want a return on investment. They have been fighting against the social safety net since the 1800's. These wealthy people think they are special and
what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine also.
JennSH: The wealthy are the new welfare queens. What else is not paying your taxes but welfare for the rich? Welcome to the new age of socialism, not for the common man, but for the billionaires.
I’m from central NC. I’m so devastated about the 6-2 Republican Supreme Court in NC with a republican super majority In the senate and 1 seat short super majority in the house. When I hear MSNBC talk about how relieved they are their focus on how historic it was, that elections were free and fair it boils my blood because they are all gerrymandered outcomes...so not “fair”. Listening to them reminds me of football teams celebrating a scoring play as if they’ve won the game when it’s only the first quarter!
I know the feeling. I am originally from SC, but I have lived on the west coast since 1978. I am continuously astounded and disheartened at the way folks vote against their own best interests there. I wish I knew why. It feels like they are brainwashed into voting for a crazy ideology that makes no sense. I still do not understand their rejection of federal money to expand Medicaid.
Did you read what mchoiniere wrote? Most people in NC are not voting against their own best interests. The state is gerrymandered so that the Republicans stay in control despite being a minority ... and then they rig the elections even more. Numerous states with GOP legislatures are like this. And it's because the right wingers on U.S. Supreme Court set things up that way with their rulings on the Voting Rights Act and on gerrymandering.
mbchoiniere, I do agree that what is currently known about election results shows that a red bloodbath did not happen overall. BUT NC election results are HORRIBLE. If you live in Michigan (I did for 10+ years.) things look pretty good. The NC GOP is out to grind everyone else but their EXTREME selves into the dirt. I saw that little sleazy interloper Phil Berger at a university event on Saturday before Election Day. It was a sports event, not a political event of any kind. He was not campaigning; he was not trying to see any constituents. He did not need to; he and the other regressive R's have the state all rigged up in their favor. Now my congress weasel is a seditionist and so is the newest senator, sleazy lying Ted Budd. These Republicans think they are entitled to be elected, don't do a damn thing for the average person, just rich donors. I could just cry, but crying wouldn't help; it wouldn't even make me feel better.
Jen, wow! Are you right about the rich MAgAts! They know they have made it, don't think they need anyone because, of course, they are so brilliant and talented they don't need any of the rest of us or Social Security and Medicare either. That, of course, is near-sighted because when disasters happen, as they will even more regularly due to global warming, they will be impacted. They will blame everyone else, and make even more demands, but what happens when they won't be able to maintain their lifestyle any longer? They won't even have the support of the legislators they bought because those guys will be worrying about their own downfall.
Miami-Dade County went Red this election. We had been a small blue island in this sea of Red Floriduh, but the Hispanic vote drank the Kool Aid of the tRump Cult. Local news ran some fool talking about voting against communism. Old Cubans here have never left the cold war crap of 1959, but unfortunately, like the racist bigots in Dixie, the next generation seems unable to break from their mythology. They haven't learned that Communism/Socialism vs Capitalism are Economic systems, not related to Democracy vs Autocracy which are governing systems. Also, they ignore that the Dems have nothing to do with the worldwide post COVID inflation and the damage of Putin's war on Ukraine that is affecting everyone around the world. They only comprehend dog-whistle catch phrases fed to them by the political gamers, then vote against their own best interests.
In other words, they bought the messaging. We as Democrats have a general messaging problem with a few exceptions. Money is part of the reason. But did you see D polls go up when Obama stepped on to the scene? He knows how to explain the realities to people on a level anyone can understand. We need more of that!
YES re Obama's appearance, at last! I felt such a lift inside! Those were the days -- and it gave me such a wonderful feeling that we can have our nation back again, the way it was under Obama.
Rob, I think there is an additional piece to the Hispanic puzzle in Florida. The white Cubans want to be seen in this country as white and despite rich white people claiming they have no privilege, they do have privilege, and the white Cubans want that. I suspect they think if they vote along with the privileged white folks they will be included as the Irish, Italians, and Eastern Europeans were a century ago. They probably will be because the white population is increasingly becoming a smaller and smaller majority. I think the white Cubans are making a mistake going in the direction of supporting the DeSantis crowd, but as you say, they are stuck in the 1950s and can't get past it and DeSantis and friends are very willing to exploit it, and everyone loses.
When the communists ousted Batista in 1959 a bunch of white Cuban's fled to Miami, which was SEGREGATED at that time. Of all the Cubans I know here only one was black (and I met him thru his Puerto Rican wife). I have been to crumbling Havana a few years ago and that's where all the black Cubans are. BTW, I have encountered racist Cubans when I lived in Hialeah in the '70s. Tho Hispanic, it appears they are the same as all the other Southerners in Dixie.
Rob, to let you know how ignorant I was until I was grown, I didn't even know about Black Cubans. I had never met one although I had met many white Cubans. How is it I didn't know when I knew slavery was big on the island. We gave haven to the white Cubans, but not so much to the Black Cubans. And, I have heard white Cuban racism is as well entrenched as that of the confederates. Just pay attention to Ted Cruz. How sad to come to a country so you can put all your hometown racism to work here too.
Rob. These people who "drank the Kool Aide" are the same folks that fill up their cars with fuel to go to work, that go to the grocery stores and try to purchase food for their families. Say all you want. Biden and his team have made things from COVID and the Ukraine war worse NOT BETTER. Most intelligent people can see that. Get out of your bubble. Many good hard working citizens are not STUPID as Democrats seem to think!!!
Sorry Cecelia, there are a lot of us intelligent people out here who know what you and conservatives claim is not true. Biden did not cause the inflation nor the rise in gas prices. Oil corporations saw a chance to raise prices even though not needed, as Dr. Reich has pointed out. Years ago, to increase their profits. We ceded the making of the equipment to achieve leadership in renewable energy to China because having it here would offend the fossil fuelers. The war in Ukraine was a fantasy war by Putin to recreate the Russian empire of yore. It would not have stopped with Ukraine and we have obligations to our allies, Ukraine being one of them to provide support if they were to be invaded. Conservatives worry more about immigrants coming through our southern border, calling it an invasion while not wanting us to support a real invasion of an ally. I am not sure how that works for them, but the message really gets out to those Conservative Republicans, who are disgruntled about everything, thinking they are somehow owed something. They don't even want to pay taxes for all the stuff they want and whine about regularly. What a mess!
Intelligent people also "fill up their cars...", etc. They don't see what you think they see, and Kool-Aid isn't on their grocery lists.
Whatever you think "Biden and his team have done," one thing they have NOT done is push white supremacy as the Emerald City at the end of the US Yellow Brick Road.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be able to support oneself. That is one reason they are against "welfare". But they blame politicians, especially the Democratic Party, which for so many years stood up for them, as being responsible for their job losses. And while Republicans had a big helping hand in this process, fundamentally they are correct: the Democratic Party of Bill Clinton bought into globalism without providing a safe landing for these people. Almost ALL of their anger is economically based, as Prof. Reich has been telling us all along. Look at history: while anti-semitism had been around for a long time prior to the rise of Hitler, the Great Depression following on the back of very (overly) harsh sanctions against Germany at the end of WW1 allowed Hitler to direct their ECONOMIC angst against the "invaders" who were "stealing" their welfare. So if we are to have a chance of reaching these people, we must address the economic disparity which they face.
David, yes, it is right that people should be able to support themselves, but alas, some can't for a variety of reasons, and there are a lot of folks in the “red” states and others who are intergenerational complainers. They elect people who care nothing about their plight, then blame others when nothing happens to help them. Globalization was well underway before Clinton took office and continues. Job losses are part of that. In addition, Clinton did not cause the problems with welfare. The “welfare to work” bill was a compromise. Republicans under Gingrich wrapped in their racist, misogynistic ideas of welfare queens wanted to ditch welfare altogether. Before complaining, people everywhere need to think about what their real challenges are and what first, they are doing to keep them challenges, then what others are doing to contribute to keeping those challenges in place. Most people do not take that much time to consider, and are often willing to be scooped up by the complaint distorters and magnifiers like Trump and Kump and will follow them anywhere.
The minimum wage hasn't been raised since 2009. Which party votes against it religiously? Which party supports more tax cuts for the rich?
Of course there's nothing wrong with wanting to support oneself. Greedy and/or selfish people don't just want to support themselves. They want everything they can get their hands on regardless of who gets hurt on the way. No political party has a lock on that.
Daniel, I like your points. Both are critical for understanding how people vote. For some reason, we focus on our differences far more than what we have in common. I think that is because we have a lot in common and make groups based on how we are different from others. The future requires us to reach across the divides you mention because with global warming and the other challenges we face, we are going to need everyone involved in finding solutions rural and urban, all racial/cultural groups, all genders, etc. Republicans are trying hard to pretend that our differences define us completely and that global warming isn't happening. That will change as each one of us is forced to face the reality of a desperately sick planet.
Daniel, I think you underestimate the power of "generational" politics. A family which suffered job loss years ago due to globalism is going to feel ripple effects for generations, along with the hatred felt towards political decisions which led to their loss of income. Young people voting differently
don't just appear out of thin air, their belief systems are greatly influenced by their parents and, without interventions which give them help (namely education and then job
opportunities) may never veer far from their parents' prejudices. I say this as a long time teacher. Yes, it is possible to break the cycle, but not easily.
And you don't have to live in a rural area to be affected by this. I have a good number in my neighborhood. One family is leaving our very urban area for a rural area because of their disgust with perceived issues with public schools here.
David, I am sorry your neighbors are leaving because of their discontent with the schools, but what are they doing to help things get better? I am a retired teacher in a very disadvantaged school district: wonderful kids, caring families, a friendly community, but the goal of everyone is to get out and go somewhere else where they deposit all the problems they ran away from because they were never actually addressed. What makes your neighbors think a rural school will be better? They are the complainers who want and want but can't seem to take it past that wanting. I hope they find what they are looking for, but I doubt they will. Maybe, they will learn to adapt because I suspect they won't have the resources to make another move to find their dream.
David, Yes, the ripples of globalization are going to be passed down in families, but blaming others for that two or three generations past is unproductive and keeps people voting for loud-mouthed mostly men who promise anything and produce nothing for those folks. It's like a disease that never gets treated because there are members of the politics industry who want to be sure there are always folks with that disease they can use.
Daniel, you are spot on with your observations and I believe that we all have a responsibility to build up, not pull down, you can't help yourself if you won't help yourself 24/7 365 days a year, it's not where you are, its who you are. Pain, anger, resentment, revenge, they are raw emotions, fine tourists but lousy guides!
If the Democrats seek to pull up then we need to start with who before we get to the why! How often does FEAR get in the way of what we want to do? Far more often than anyone would care to acknowledge.
Michael, I believe you are right about the 2024 election and the Democratic platform needing to be progressive. Many people need better health care than they now have. By then, global warming will be even more problematic than it is now, yes, in just 2 years. Better regulation of corporations and their monopolies or near monopolies needs to be front and center because so much of our economy is tied to that. If we could come up with a platform that all or most Dems around the country can run on, we have a good chance to move our nation away from the fascist elements.
The question is, why should "those in the middle" have to rely almost solely on their 401k's to get ahead, rather than increases to their salaries? Why is an increase in the stock market now almost ALWAYS attached to Republican rather than Democratic control? The reasons have all been addressed by Prof. Reich in "The System". The reason is corporate power which is now in the hands of fewer and more monopolistic corporations, and who hold sway over our democratic process.
What is so sad is both parties are sick and corrupt and many people sit in "their bubble" and only see one side. That is what is wrong with America. Get out of your bubble. Quit being the "problem" and try looking for solutions. There are good hard working people in the USA doing great things.
Cecelia, I respectfully disagree. Both thirds on either side of you in the middle are not the same and you do know that. There are a lot of Dems as well as independents who are looking for solutions. No, we don't have the full progressive agenda yet, but we have moved well along the path. People are better off than before the pandemic in many ways and it is not in any way due to what Republicans have done. You all in the middle know that too. The folks in the middle can play a really important role, offering solutions that the other thirds haven't noticed for a variety of reasons. Then, like Bernie Sanders, you can speak for them with force so that people, at least Democrats, can hear and begin to act. I am still waiting for someone to name one thing Republicans have done in the past 40 years to help anyone but rich white men and corporations. They may have supported the actions of others but have done nothing to improve life for ordinary folks that I can see. Maybe you all in the middle can identify those things for me.
I can think of nothing the Republicans have done for ordinary people in the last 40 years. Indeed their signature policy is based on Ayn Rand bullshit: cut taxes on the rich. Yet they still get elected.
As Adam Smith pointed out in the same year as the US Constitution - and don't forget, Smith was the father of capitalism - you have to tax the rich at rates that are higher than the less wealthy, otherwise the truly wealthy will take over the government and distort the market, rendering capitalism inefficient. There is little doubt that Smith was in favor of redistributing wealth. By doing so, the wealthy could not become rapacious, the market would be protected by strong government, and those lower down the food chain would have money to spend on the products the capitalists were producing. An 18th Century win-win.
To paraphrase John Stuart Mill, "I will never say that anyone voting Republican is stupid, but I can say that all stupid people vote Republican." Of course Mill was talking about Victorian Britain, and about the Tories, not the Republicans. But the point is the same. The masses then and now were manipulable because they are religious, and because they are taught to believe that only conservatives know how to run an economy.
Michael, It is hard watching Republicans keep collecting voters when they have no intention to pay attention to Adam Smith or anyone else who actually understands how economies work. They are addicted to money and power and it won't matter how they get it. They will steal, manipulate, cheat, and more while blaming everyone else for the results of their bad behavior. Religions that espouse conservatism are designed to tell people who are suffering through the bad behavior of others that they don't have to worry since when they die, they will go to heaven for their suffering (it worked to keep many enslaved persons in line along with the violence done to those people) or be reincarnated as one of the haves. That is such a clever way to take from the poor and give to the rich, reverse Robin Hoodism and there is a lot of that around. Why people don't rise up more often is a surprise until one realizes that keeping people malnourished, resentful, and angry deprives them of the energy to protest or bring about any meaningful change. We, at least do have the vote, but when people are cowed to the extent the "real" Americans have been, Republicans don't have to worry because they have their votes locked up along with their whining, resentments, fear, and hatred (OK, not very Christian, but they will be forgiven, right?)
Agreed. But Smith pointed this out when he admonished: Never let corporations get together with other corporations or with the government, for it is inevitable that they will collude against the public interest.
And what do we see in modern America? The corporations have colluded to rig prices, and the corporations have bought the government. Hence "corporate welfare" as you so aptly put it.
Ironically, the way back to a working form of Smithian capitalism comes from the left.
KD, I am not sure that it matters whether salvation is based on deeds or something else because this new brand of believers thinks whatever they do is forgiven with no questions asked and that really, god is OK with what they are doing because it is "for the greater cause," whatever they say that cause is. Heck, they believe Donnie is a kind of Messiah or savior like Xerxes and other absolute nonsense, but there are a bunch who are really into it. Now, DeSantis is trying to get people to believe he is anointed by god to rule. Hogwash, but again, look at the election results in Florida and you'll see how many people believe that or at least big parts of it. Not at all Christianity as I understand it, but then, I am not a white male trying to prove his connection to god to get "god" to let him do whatever he wants and convince followers they should go along with it.
I disagree as well. The difference between the parties could not be clearer, and Democrats--to the fury of many progressives--have repeatedly tried to work across the aisle to find solutions for ordinary Americans. It is the Republicans who are so focused on their fear, and roiling with hate, who are looking out only for themselves.
Karla, I have been trying to figure out how so many Americans have been bamboozled for so long by a political party that has nothing to offer anyone. I just keep wondering what is the enticement. Maybe, they just like to wallow in their misery and love complaining because it helps them feel like they have some kind of power. It is an illusion, but it might act like a baby's binky. It distracts them from thinking about their own contributions to the situation they are complaining about. So many of the Republican and Independent complainers are doing better financially than many other people, but they don't think so because they believe they deserve sooooo much more.
Why are the insurrectionists not being kept from taking office--like Taylor-Greene? There was a law suit in Georgia against her running, but I never heard the outcome. Clearly she ran.
Amendment 14, Section 3 says insurrectionist--or those who violate their oaths to the Constitution--should not ever occupy state or federal offices.
If this is not enforced, mayhem will ensue. We might see Trump as Speaker of the House, as some as some Republicans have suggested.
As long as the Dems continue to pussyfoot around the whacked out, abhorrently churlish behavior of the lunatic element I refer to as the alt-right, what can we expect? Oh, that’s right…another run by the Donald! Just imagine what that will look like. As they continue to ride roughshod over our landscape, building their special neo nazi brand of subterfuge and mass confusion, the masses will continue to be motivated by dark, cartoonish head games until their goal for autocratic rule is complete. So now Garland has to get tough with trump and anyone else found at the capital on Jan 6 (instead of voting them into office!). Another building block towards ending neofascism might be to quell a few of the sycophantic morons on fox, ending their hate speech (not freedom of speech, Murdoch…) coming from their airwaves. God knows if they win the house and senate they will impose much worse on the country. Fear, lies and autocratic rule will keep the serfs in their place. Why should we wait for that?
Kate, I think it’s a question of showing up, frankly. Look at Fetterman. He went to red counties as well as blue and increased HIS margin of votes beyond Biden’s. We need to be “fired up, ready to be strategic”. I also saw this to a lesser degree with Tim Ryan. He engaged. He needed more money. The Rs gerrymandering has afforded them a machine throughout our state. We will keep fighting and engaging here, for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
I think it's more than that. If you listen to Fetterman, he had a "gloves off" approach yet wasn't rude--he just leveled with people. Other D candidates and office holders (especially) must do the same.
David, remember that Fetterman nearly lost. He did speak directly to all kinds of people, had experience, and really cares about the people of PA, but the ads accusing him of releasing hardened criminals to terrorize the people, and innuendos of his inability due to his stroke convinced a whole lot of people to vote for Dr. Oz, a man with a dubious background, who was not even from PA and couldn't even mention Pennsylvania in any of his primary ads, and talked to very few people who were not pretty well off because he couldn't really connect with them. I don't know the answer, but I suspect We the People could work on solutions together to find ways to reach people who need the kinds of help the people they vote for won't provide for them.
You're right Ruth, as usual:). Politics is so wound up in tribalism, fear, and ignorance much of the time, I feel like banging my head against the wall, and this is coming from an educator:(.
It is also crucial the prejudicial Electoral Vote be dismantled -formed ,after the Emancipation Proclamation from their
fear, anger and corruption.
We also - must of course- refuse to be bullied by the violent terrorists manning the polls for the sole purpose of promoting the “ Big Lie “, (defending their previous Dictator) which some of them truly believe, along with the ones that really don’t believe it or really don’t give a damn ( and many of them haven’t ever voted in any election) but just want to join in the “Reindeer Games” , and proof their right to flaunt their beloved guns, AND
prove they have more testosterone than the Liberal Democrats, and each other .
They’re rough, tough , and wear their diapers low…
This is yet another example that Genius, evil and corruption can often go hand in hand.
I will, though,,refuse to wear a blue star on my clothing for the purpose of my being identified as their idea a of “socialist” and needing be eliminated according to
their definition of a dangerous enemy.
Please forgive me for my long rant , but it does make all of this horror more real to me.👊
Kate, I liked your long rant. Most people have no idea of what socialism or any other ism is and generally don't care much. They are told to expect that government classes will be boring, so treat them that way and learn as little as possible. They don't realize that any government who cares about the quality of life of all its citizens has an element of socialism. Republicans/conservatives depend on their followers' short attention spans, so throw out words like "socialism" with no explanation as though they are cursing. The people get swept up and never check out or even think about how the term is being used, and how they are being duped for the benefit of the Republican candidate. Education could be the cure but even that is being undermined by Republicans these days. They want to knock out the pillars that are holding up our democracy before they push it down. We the People need to stop their efforts.
I think Texas is closer than the race indicated. But Abbott is perceived by many here as a "sensible guy" who changed tactics to please the MAGA crowd. On the other hand, D's are so used to getting beaten and Beto previously lost against Cruz, so I think many stayed home. Expectations were too low. Beto would be SUCH a great leader!!! I'm crying:(.
Justice is in the service of money, paid to politicians, that's why. Constitution itself is violated when a sitting president "cannot be indicted" - why? Then courts all of a sudden have to cede their authority to a Senate, i.e. a political body, i.e. to money again. Not charging because a case is hard to win shiuld be treted as a dereliction of duty and charged as such, including Garland and Biden. That's why democracy loses. Because no one as a duty to fght for it, that itself must be enforced. Will the Jan 6 commitee pass their resuts to JD now? Fascism in the government dkes not need decisive victories. This slow creep to lawlessness in states is enough. Let's not pretend we are winning. Let's not pretend that a fight against lies is winnable by love. These neo-fascist literally create hatred and rage, not just channel it, by lying to those who are selfish, stupid and willing to hate.
I don’t believe for a hot second that we are winning the fight against fascism. No one is speaking about love here. They wage war with democracy each and every time they spew their hatred, fear and lies…and a slow cook it is, been simmering in earnest since the Obama years, bubbling over into the crevices of America. If we continue to stupidly stand by with the occasional criticism that will only fuel their efforts towards the end of this wonderful experiment.
Mary, I wish this simmering were only happening since the Obama years. Alas, it has been going on at least since Nixon and his cheating and lying to get either what he wanted or to escape prosecution, and he did. Ford refused to allow the indictment of Nixon to proceed and pardoned him. Reagan is seen by many as almost a saint, but broke the law when it suited him and his crew and pretended he "new nothing." Daddy Bush was pretty racist and started the "Willy Horton" brand of racist advertising in which Black criminals were said to be coming after "white" victims. Bush Jr., well, let's just say, his ignorance led to a lot of wrongs that set up a recession, massive property foreclosures, and the "Tea Party" (a bunch of ignorant white people whose hatred of taxes but love for what taxes pay for caused them to act out. Then when Obama was elected, it became OK for racism to shine. Trump just added a whole collection of people for the now prepped haters to hate. How Democrats won anything this election is a marvel and gives me hope.
Since the Obama years? Anyone here old enough to remember George Lincoln Rockwell? Or the All-American Sen. Joseph McCarty and his buddy Dick Nixon? They have always been with us.
Yeah yeah, Pepperidge farm remembers. But let us face facts, during the Obama campaign and administration there was overt, in your face disrespect and ridicule towards Mr, Obama and his family. We didn’t have the Internet in Joe McCarthy’s time, in Rockwell’s time or any other time in our country’s sullied past. Every citizen with malice and hate in their hearts easily got into the act once they found they could, fueled and embraced by racist barkers like Donald Trump and his birther rubbish, Joe Wilson’s admonishment during President Obama’s state of the union address…countless other slags too numerous to mention. These ingrates opened the door in earnest to what we see now.
Mary, it does make me wonder why so many people want to be serfs. That role was never a popular one, but a whole lot of people were forced into working to survive for the benefit of the rich and powerful. How is that a positive for anyone but the very rich, yet that is the promise of Republicans who are using middle-class and working-class white people to make them serfs?
When the wealthy use their minions to confound, confuse, manipulate and make it seem as though they really care and want to help, offering them a better way of life, that’s how it happens. The rich have something the weary, beaten down working class want and are promised over and over. It’s the old carrot on a stick routine.
I like how you put that, Ruth, & I've noticed it, too. I am pretty sure the majority of them have no idea that those they support will lead them to serfdom. And we're a lot closer to that reality than most people realize.
My cats say that when they "pussyfoot," they are HUNTING, not running away. Are the Dems hunting, or have they just stepped in their own shicken chit?
Why won't the Dem "leadership" (I use the term loosely) show some backbone and call out the Repooplickins for their open fascism? There is no such thing as "semi-fascism."
Mary, look on the bright side. DeSantis will be the Republican nominee for 2024. Trump will never go away, and could yet play the part of useful idiot, by Naderizing DeSantis.
Michael Hutchinson : I looked up Naderizing just for kicks and got anodizing, tenderizing and a few more, but no Naderizing. Fascinating that someone actually had a term for what happened to Ralph Nader when he attempted to get on stage at a Boston rally to campaign and was 'disinvited' off the stage. He met the requirements for number of signatures to qualify as a candidate.. I always wondered what that was all about. He did not have 'star power' or the gift of gab; but his "Unsafe at any speed" was cool.
The outcome of that lawsuit was the judge's ruling that she would remain on the ballot. I watched that hearing on C-SPAN (national treasure for political coverage and book discussions and under duress because of its being supported by cable TV companies but now the decline in cable TV use) in which Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly said, "I don't remember..." as a default response to almost any question. It was shameful, yet typical. I don't recall the exact context now, but I do remember at the time wondering why the plaintiffs didn't bring up the time when she staged an episode of cruel bullying for cameras on the sidewalk in front of the Capitol: she literally chased the young fellow who had survived the Parkland school shooting, yelling at him, bullying and mocking him. The judge in the hearing listened, did not seem at all serious and seemed to be grandstanding himself, and after a short period of time - a week maybe - ruled in Greene's favor. It was held in Georgia.
Annie Cross : I wonder why the judge's ' reasoning' has not been explained for going against decency and the 14th amendment. Or is it a rationalization using some technicality? I'm sick of this! WHY do these judges GET AWAY WITH THIS??!!!
Exactly! Why are these laws not being enforced? She's not the only one, either. Boebert, Briggs, Gosar, Gaetz, Brooks, even McCarthy should've all been expelled by now.
Jaime Ramirez ; They have been legitimized!!! There should be a massive class action lawsuit against the judges who allow this travesty against the very rule of law this country is experiencing.
Not the judges. Nobody prosecuted these cases. Blame the Pelosi controlled House. Could have held hearings. Blame the justice department.
If they could have obtained standing there was an argument that those who sought a pardon from Trump should have been disqualified. Same goes for any who were active in the Green Bay sweep and the fake elector scheme.
Daniel Solomon : It's never too late! I will not forget (they keep doing this so it's impossible to forget), and I know I'm not the only one not forgetting. And I know I'm not the only one who is angry and sick and tired of it! We, the real people should demand that our leaders, lawmakers and judges stop pretending to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. The Emperors have no clothes! They do not merit the respect they demand and earn what they are handsomely paid. I'm tired of paying. I am tired of seeing my children paying and paying and paying!!!!!!
The moral compass of our country has/is changing, but there are millions of us working endlessly to push the pendulum of the universe back to center .
Many of us believe that what we put out to the universe comes back to us, and there are now millions of us putting our messages out for the purpose of achieving the highest good for our Democracy, and Humankind.
For many of you that may sound contrite, and naïve, but I’ve chosen to work hard to achieve that goal, no matter what it takes to get that pendulum back to center.
Greg DeCowsky : what ever happened to a requirement that a candidate be loyal to our country and patriotic ; upholding the flag and all it stands for? Is that only for high school marching bands?
LOL. Better ask the Extreme Court and Cheap Just-Us Roberts.
My HS marching band was hired to play a Nixon rally in 1968. That did not go well for Nixon. We horn players put peace signs on the bells of our horns with masking tape while the entire drum line played a rousing cadence for chants of “Peace now!”
After that they made us stick to football games.
BtW that was the year I almost got suspended for refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
"As of this morning, the Democrat, Adam Frisch, had won by something like 65 votes. That automatically triggered a curing of ballots with mistakes"
This is badly confused. Frisch was at one point ahead by 64 votes, but only 93% of the votes had been counted. And even if the election had been over at that point, it would have triggered an automatic recount but not automatic curing--that takes effort by the candidates and so Frisch was asking for funds to do it. Now, Boebert is ahead by 1122 votes with 99% of the votes count--that's more than the .5% that triggers an automatic recount. She has almost certainly won the election and kept her seat. (Barf.)
I agree, Terry Barber. How the election deniers can run for office mystifies me. Perhaps they have already won when such traitors can be considered legitimate candidates who could actually make an oath to uphold the Constitution and follow the rule of law. Crazy times!
I’m gonna go out on a limb here, but I believe that many of the politicians running for office are not really election deniers, but rather, they’re using that “big lie” as their platform to keep the voters drinking their proverbial Kool Aid , thus filling the heads of their voters with chopped brown paper.
Yes, I do of course, agree that there are many, many election denying politicians who really do believe, and feel it is their duty, and an honor to continue defending their true leader- Adolph Trump.
We all know how all that worked out for Hitler, so we must -in anyway possible-eliminate these dangerously insane politicians who are either in fear of, or blindly enamored by trump and his wingmen/wingwomen.
Keeping in mind all of the horrific destruction inflicted on the world by Germany in WW11, I am truly concerned-no terrified-about how much destruction, and collateral damage we will be subjected to before the ending of this horrific regime which is killing our Freedom, and the morale in our country.
Everything, and Everyone has an expiration date., so I’m going count on that coming soon.
I believe it’s very true that Pain Is The Best Motivator For Change, and we are working endlessly to eliminate our pain.
Terry, I agree with your call to stop the insurrectionists from holding office. How can we get our Justice department to move on this. It is, after all, in the Constitution. Those in power seem to pick and choose which parts of the Constitution they will follow and which they will either ignore or warp to their own purposes. This statement is very clear unlike many of the other statements in the document. Maybe it's because it is an amendment and therefore can be ignored like the 15, 19th, and 27th (the voting rights amendments). There should be NO voter suppression anywhere because the Constitutional amendments forbid it, but we see how well that argument works even for our Supreme Court which is really bad in its warping of our Constitution.
Exactly what I demand of my DOJ. Take a tip out from the Judge in Texas who stood up for the Law of the land and for all the citizens who adhere to these laws.
Trump will not be allowed to seek office. He broke the law in many ways. Get clear about that and demand as citizens of the United States that we do not allow crooks or gangsters to seek office. That would be slapping our own face! We are much better than that!
Oh Jean, I so hope you are right about Trump not running again because of all his crimes. However, now, we have DeSantis, the man who would be god preparing to run. The pathetic people of Florida voted him back into office by a landslide. He is despicable but rich, white, "straight," probably, male, and pseudo-Christian and that seems to be all one needs to be president in Republican eyes. He lacks integrity, empathy, compassion, respect for others, understanding of anything but his need for power and money, and will use anyone he can to get what he wants, a better-looking, better-spoken, more disgusting version of Trump. We all knew Republicans were looking and they seem to have found the right guy. Oh yes, he also lies through his teeth with no worry that lying is one of the things in the Ten Commandments one is not supposed to do. Oh I guess he is OK ignoring them just as he does our Constitution and human rights.
DeSantis kidnapped people and sent them across state lines. He also lies like a professional liar. He too should be blocked from running for any office- federal or state.
Yesterday I contacted Randy Rainbow through his website and urged him to add a new character, the famous drag queen Rhonda Sanctimonious. When you contact him you also have to specify the song you want: I chose "Ballad of the Green Berets"... not sure why.
IMO Randy is a powerful force for good and was instrumental (and vocal) in saving us from tRump 2.0. Tell him you want to see Rhonda on YouTube.
Robert: Thanks for your very creative and constructive energy! While I know that you far prefer to interact in person with students in large lecture halls at University of California, Berkeley, because that format allows you to engage in spirited dialogue rather than monologue, I just want to assure you that you, like Heather Cox Richardson, are doing a GREAT JOB using this format. THANKS!
Yes, for me too. My subscription just renewed, And it is a kind of peace of mind to have it. I know someone who wants a subscription. Perfect present for her too.
Thank you, Professor. I am in total agreement with you about the current state of the parties today. Unfortunately, the Republicans are taking the low road, mocking Nancy's husband, denying the results when they don't win, and refusing to look for the best in people. I always appreciate your comments, now and in your classroom a few years ago. Please keep it up.
I blame the ‘main stream’ media like ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and National Public TV and radio for treating the Republican Party as if it is still a legitimate political party. It’s not and they need to be called out loudly and clearly. I live in TN. We had a fantastic candidate on the Democratic Party ticket running for Governor. Not only were there no debates, there was no TV coverage of his candidacy. Why didn’t the ‘main stream’ media insist on holding a debate? Why isn’t a critical election seen as news, and not simply an opportunity to charge for advertising? Until, and unless, elections are treated by the main stream media as important civic functions I fear the voters of this country will continue to be fooled into believing the Republican Party is legitimate.
Vote with your remote! If they are not delivering news or interested in keeping viewers informed, find another media source that does it better. They have a product ; the news. If they can't deliver, let the best competitor win; even if it's a podcast.
I live in Biggs’ AZ CD5 district and am despondent. I will keep up the good fight but it is exhausting. Weird to live among people who voted for Biggs. So far 102,000+ to Javier Ramos’ 75,000+ I will continue to drive for democrat candidates in my legislative district. I didn’t even know what an LD was until 2016. I had many yard signs on my lawn this election: for Katie Hobbs for governor, for Adrian Fontes for secretary of state, for Javier Ramos for the US house, For my local state representative Jennifer Pawlik and senator Cindy Hands. Some of these election outcomes are not decided yet because there are still votes being counted from late early ballots turned in on the day of the election.
What amazes me is that 2/3 of her voters voted for MTG. She hasn’t done anything positive for her constituents. Is she an example for their children? It is scary that she is so popular among her constituents.
“We are still on the brink.” Professor, Gratitude to you for helping us see the critical parts of the wins and losses of this and all election cycles. In the end, we will have to celebrate not just a W in the column, but enough changes in policy and behavior. A sociocultural shift from cruelty to compassion and social responsibility. Just as in Joseph McCarthy’s era and his extreme cruelty that not only ruined political careers, but lives, we are in that place now. The question that changed the course of history “The army hired Boston lawyer Joseph Welch to make its case …At June 9, 1954, McCarthy charged that one of Welch's attorneys had ties to a Communist organization. As an amazed television audience looked on, Welch responded with the immortal lines that ultimately ended McCarthy's career: "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness." When McCarthy tried to continue his attack, Welch angrily interrupted, "Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency?". https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/mccarthy-hearings/have-you-no-sense-of-decency.htm. Decency. Let that sink into Repubs and all politicians.
As usual, your comments are to the point... but I wish I could share your optimism about the future for the USA (as you reported on the eve of the mid-term elections). I don't see that Progressives have much chance of becoming the dominant political force in America in the foreseeable future, absent fundamental legal reforms (e.g. financing of elections) which are simply unachievable, and a fundamental change in the composition of the Supreme Court, which could take a generation or more.... not to mention Constitutional changes that are also impossible.
i'd also add that another fundamental shift is necessary for this country: exploding the toxic celebration of "rugged individualism" that is deep-seated in the core of US national mythology and replacing it with acceptance of shared responsibility for the planet and all its inhabitants, present and future
Yes: I just finished reading "Fantasyland; How America Went Haywire--a 500 Year History" by Kurt Andersen. It is a thorough exploration of how the "ideal" of "American exceptionalism and rugged individualism" got started, nurtured and eventually celebrated. Very interesting pov and also some interesting insights.
Great point. This "individualism" was subdued for decades due to a generation affected by Great Depression and WW2, but that generation is now gone. But it is a natural reaction to perceived fear at the national level to pull back to state, local, and neighborhood levels. People are trying to "insulate" against changes they don't understand or like. Ironically this fear has been exacerbated on a national level by social media and national right winged media. It's basically a rural vs urban divide. Those in rural areas are most afraid of what they don't have experience with; meanwhile, urban areas prosper while rural areas continue to get left behind. These are the issues, in addition to urban blue collar grievances, MUST be addressed IMO by the Democratic Party if there is any hope.
Yes! to all you said. Kari Lake is a carbon copy of Russian Media Monitor's M. Simonyan and Kabeeva. Vile, cruel, debased of humanity. Not hard at all to see russian influence on our country, the trauma of generations of repressed russian peoples is well seeded among our shadows. If you follow comments on social media, maga disciples arguing for MTG or Jim Jordan to be house speaker, mtg reminds one of 'margaret thatcher'. Its 100% upside down when the state of Georgia's 'christian nation' votes for a violent lying CTE packing man over a Reverend- the epitome of christian values ! Those voters have as much cognitive impairment as he does, cult gaslight learned helplessness. The midterms marked the beginning of our rough road to a more balanced grounded soul of a nation. There is a way somehow, i was just hoping it could be done before its up to GenZ to pull it off later IF we can keep the critical thinkers in the lexicon.
This is such a generous post, Prof. Reich, so full of heart. Thank you especially for your insight on bullying and abuse as sources of the hatred spewing from the MAGA cult. I write this as someone who was bullied.
Let me suggest that another source may be a more subtle kind of bullying. People who grow up in very strict households, who are taught to obey, these folks also trend conservative. Fundamentalist religious households raise children in that atmosphere in keep all members of community in line and require allegiance to a literal reading of the Bible. This demand to obey easily degrades to spiritual bullying. I write this as someone who is a believer but with an open mind and a belief in love as fundamental. No wonder so many of these folks believe that they are patriots and anyone who doesn't think like them are traitors.
This correlation with fundamentalist religiosity is one of the findings of retired Prof. Bob Altemeyer in The Authoritarians. Prof. Altemeyer also has co-authored with John Dean of Watergate fame. For anyone seeking his book, buy it directly from the publisher very inexpensively, or is offered for a free download here. https://www.evcforum.net/DataDropsite/TheAuthoritarians.pdf (Bob Altemeyer generously offers free downloads from his site, but last time I looked some of those files were not working.)
To fight back against the "America First" MAGA movement, we need to be aware of their precinct strategy that's relentlessly pushed by Stephen Bannon. That strategy is to fill all vacancies in local party politics and government so that you are in charge of mobilizing people in your community, you decide what is taught in schools, you can legally challenge voters, etc. This is CNN's article on Bannon's efforts. https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/07/politics/steve-bannon-us-democracy/
Bannon directs people to a primer that you can buy cheaply as a Kindle download. It's Taking Back Your Government: The Neighborhood Precinct Committeeman Strategy, by Daniel Schultz. We need to read this to see what is coming at us. It misrepresents what Democrats stand for and presents a creed of (self) righteous conservatism and activism. That creed is well-fitted for fundamentalists and for people who haven't fully matured emotionally and practice all-or-nothing thinking (my way or the highway). Only a mature mind can hold two or more incompatible ideas in mind while mulling them through.
What's the needed response of people who love democracy and who want citizens to solve our real-work problems together? We must also be active at the precinct and local level, knock on doors, meet our neighbors, do deep canvassing to find out what people want and need and update our voter information. And, we must confront right-wing votes with our votes.
For the mid-terms, we were mostly successful in our local area and are hoping for success in our congressional district, which may flip from red to blue. The votes are still being counted. We also just sent $100 to Senator Warnock's campaign. Republicans work hard. Let's match that and then some.
My husband and I attended a Kristallnacht Remembrance last night at a local synagogue. That we remember these terrible acts, especially now, remains critical. Our dear friend, calmly told the story of her father, a Jew from Poland. He was the ONLY survivor in his family from Birkenau. To hear his story...and hers as his daughter, was a completely different personal view. We are Christians, and part of the Greek Orthodox community, through my husband. His family fought Nazis in Crete during WWII, and he found out just a few years ago, that his family has Arabic, Jewish, and Caucuses ancestry too! Our takeaway...America is a young country. We didn’t invent democracy...the Greeks will always tell you that. Hahaha. And, all of what happened in Europe in WWII could happen anywhere in the world, again. Look at what these people want to do to women...and have. Fired up, ready to strategize then ACT! I helped at our early vote center here. Bannon isn’t anything new, and neither is that dude Spencer Rhodes, the disbarred Yale Law grad. They do not reflect America. We do. So thank you Gary S. for the citations above from which we can learn more about their cockeyed thinking and help them make strategic blunders. Love over Hate.
Professor, As with nearly every other country, we’re not impervious to a fatal weakening of our civic institutions or to a Presidency eager, and under the right circumstances, able to consolidate power, wherein the rule of law could be subjugated to an individual. Still, for the past 24 hours, I increasingly have sensed the import of building on the outcomes of the 22 midterm election that, in my view, include a renewed definition of ourselves as citizens—something closer to the nation of active stakeholders that leaders like Thomas Jefferson had in mind.
Quoting a fellow subscriber albeit from an entirely different context, “We can’t take our foot off the gas pedal on this one.”
I strongly believe ridicule's our most potent weapon against the fools and their Murdoch et al support system. Here's another ❤ Like for our 90some -thousand-year-old man, Mel Brooks.
Was Hitler a bully? Of course. But one would not stop at calling him that,. He was a degenerate, insane, hate filled mass murderer. Everything Trump is, or
aspires to be. Have you listened to a Trump rally lately? (I follow David Pakman on You Tube, who streams Trump rallies with appropriate voice over of commentary). Trump spends a considerable amount of time openly fawning over authoritarian dictators of the world who can kill people on command. "King" Xi of China, (Trump says he called him by the title during their meetings), who holds a one hour trial and executes drug dealers. Kim, of North Korea, who executes his own family members. "I like him," says Trump. "We fell in love." And of course Putin, who sIngle handedly started the war in Ukraine displacing 40 million people, and killing tens of thousands. Q Anon believers think that Trump will return to power in a blaze of glory, executing their enemies on live TV. One can only assume this would include, in their fevered minds, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden. Let's not diminish what we are facing here. A lunatic, with millions of deranged followers. Even if only one in 1,000 is willing to take up arms for him you have 75000 lunatics wreaking havoc on the US. How many did it take for the 9/11 attack? I really hesitate to post this, because I dont want to sound extreme, or alarmist, but this is not "something that couldn't happen here." Remember January 6th? It has happened here. And there are thousands, who, with Trump as their leader, want to overthrow our government completely. This is why I believe it is so imperative to prove that our DOJ is applying the rule of law equally to all citizens by immediately arresting Trump and throwing the book at him. It may appear from the outcome of the midterms that the country is ready to move on from Trump, and to a certain extent, that may be true. But one should not underestimate the fervor of Trump himself, or his lunatic followers. We are still on the brink. And DeSantis, and the more rational and intelligent leaders of the slow moving coup, want to achieve the overthrow of our government no less than Trump. Here endeth the lesson, and my rant for the day. Act, Garland and DOJ.
This column accurately describes the current Republican Party and provides an excellent explanation of what drives the nasty, mean spirited , even evil people, yes evil people, both leading it and in it. Thank you Professor Reich for identifying and articulating this menace so clearly.
The people you mention are about 1/3 of voters, who want it to be 1861 again, and can be relied upon to vote Republican, against their economic interests.
About 1/3 of voters can be relied upon to vote Democrat, like most people on this blog. This leaves 1/3 in the middle, who could vote either way.
In 2016, this middle third looked at their 401Ks, held their noses, and voted for Trump, or stayed home. After the four year horror show, they voted for Biden in 2020. And this time, in 2022, they decided that, despite inflation and a massive decline of their 401Ks, some things, like Roe, democracy, social security, and Medicare, were just too important.
If the 2024 Democrat platform comes from the left on these issues, I believe this middle third will vote overwhelmingly for it.
Hey, there might even be universal healthcare, something not available in 1861.
Not the economy, stupid.
First, there is a generation gap. Statistics show that on average, younger people are less prejudiced and IMHO fewer hear the call to the collective racist subconscious. Had we been able to harness this, Democrats would have targeted their audience to hold both houses of government. We left too many votes on the table.
Second, we have a greater rural/urban divide than anything else. One size does not fit all and IMHO culture trumps economics. Don't pardon the pun.
As I have been preaching about economics, transactional analysis works with individuals and not so much with mass psychology. On an individual basis even cult MAGAts need government benefits to survive.
Daniel, many, many cult MAGAts need government benefits to survive. How many of them need Social Security and Medicare to survive? Reagan told his "welfare queen" story, but the truth was most welfare recipients were white. The performative politicians give the frightened MAGAts someone to look down on. The wealthy who purchase their politicians want a return on investment. They have been fighting against the social safety net since the 1800's. These wealthy people think they are special and
what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine also.
JennSH: The wealthy are the new welfare queens. What else is not paying your taxes but welfare for the rich? Welcome to the new age of socialism, not for the common man, but for the billionaires.
Michael, yep, the new age of socialism. I like the term "corporate welfare" and would like to expand it to include "one-percent welfare."
I’m from central NC. I’m so devastated about the 6-2 Republican Supreme Court in NC with a republican super majority In the senate and 1 seat short super majority in the house. When I hear MSNBC talk about how relieved they are their focus on how historic it was, that elections were free and fair it boils my blood because they are all gerrymandered outcomes...so not “fair”. Listening to them reminds me of football teams celebrating a scoring play as if they’ve won the game when it’s only the first quarter!
I know the feeling. I am originally from SC, but I have lived on the west coast since 1978. I am continuously astounded and disheartened at the way folks vote against their own best interests there. I wish I knew why. It feels like they are brainwashed into voting for a crazy ideology that makes no sense. I still do not understand their rejection of federal money to expand Medicaid.
Did you read what mchoiniere wrote? Most people in NC are not voting against their own best interests. The state is gerrymandered so that the Republicans stay in control despite being a minority ... and then they rig the elections even more. Numerous states with GOP legislatures are like this. And it's because the right wingers on U.S. Supreme Court set things up that way with their rulings on the Voting Rights Act and on gerrymandering.
mbchoiniere, I do agree that what is currently known about election results shows that a red bloodbath did not happen overall. BUT NC election results are HORRIBLE. If you live in Michigan (I did for 10+ years.) things look pretty good. The NC GOP is out to grind everyone else but their EXTREME selves into the dirt. I saw that little sleazy interloper Phil Berger at a university event on Saturday before Election Day. It was a sports event, not a political event of any kind. He was not campaigning; he was not trying to see any constituents. He did not need to; he and the other regressive R's have the state all rigged up in their favor. Now my congress weasel is a seditionist and so is the newest senator, sleazy lying Ted Budd. These Republicans think they are entitled to be elected, don't do a damn thing for the average person, just rich donors. I could just cry, but crying wouldn't help; it wouldn't even make me feel better.
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Exactly my thoughts....I live in Texas, which has been gerrymandered "to death", along with new voter restrictions.
Jen, wow! Are you right about the rich MAgAts! They know they have made it, don't think they need anyone because, of course, they are so brilliant and talented they don't need any of the rest of us or Social Security and Medicare either. That, of course, is near-sighted because when disasters happen, as they will even more regularly due to global warming, they will be impacted. They will blame everyone else, and make even more demands, but what happens when they won't be able to maintain their lifestyle any longer? They won't even have the support of the legislators they bought because those guys will be worrying about their own downfall.
I suspect if they tried to mess with Social Security or Medicare, their own parents would be banging on their head to knock it off.
Touche'.
Miami-Dade County went Red this election. We had been a small blue island in this sea of Red Floriduh, but the Hispanic vote drank the Kool Aid of the tRump Cult. Local news ran some fool talking about voting against communism. Old Cubans here have never left the cold war crap of 1959, but unfortunately, like the racist bigots in Dixie, the next generation seems unable to break from their mythology. They haven't learned that Communism/Socialism vs Capitalism are Economic systems, not related to Democracy vs Autocracy which are governing systems. Also, they ignore that the Dems have nothing to do with the worldwide post COVID inflation and the damage of Putin's war on Ukraine that is affecting everyone around the world. They only comprehend dog-whistle catch phrases fed to them by the political gamers, then vote against their own best interests.
In other words, they bought the messaging. We as Democrats have a general messaging problem with a few exceptions. Money is part of the reason. But did you see D polls go up when Obama stepped on to the scene? He knows how to explain the realities to people on a level anyone can understand. We need more of that!
YES re Obama's appearance, at last! I felt such a lift inside! Those were the days -- and it gave me such a wonderful feeling that we can have our nation back again, the way it was under Obama.
Rob, I think there is an additional piece to the Hispanic puzzle in Florida. The white Cubans want to be seen in this country as white and despite rich white people claiming they have no privilege, they do have privilege, and the white Cubans want that. I suspect they think if they vote along with the privileged white folks they will be included as the Irish, Italians, and Eastern Europeans were a century ago. They probably will be because the white population is increasingly becoming a smaller and smaller majority. I think the white Cubans are making a mistake going in the direction of supporting the DeSantis crowd, but as you say, they are stuck in the 1950s and can't get past it and DeSantis and friends are very willing to exploit it, and everyone loses.
When the communists ousted Batista in 1959 a bunch of white Cuban's fled to Miami, which was SEGREGATED at that time. Of all the Cubans I know here only one was black (and I met him thru his Puerto Rican wife). I have been to crumbling Havana a few years ago and that's where all the black Cubans are. BTW, I have encountered racist Cubans when I lived in Hialeah in the '70s. Tho Hispanic, it appears they are the same as all the other Southerners in Dixie.
Rob, to let you know how ignorant I was until I was grown, I didn't even know about Black Cubans. I had never met one although I had met many white Cubans. How is it I didn't know when I knew slavery was big on the island. We gave haven to the white Cubans, but not so much to the Black Cubans. And, I have heard white Cuban racism is as well entrenched as that of the confederates. Just pay attention to Ted Cruz. How sad to come to a country so you can put all your hometown racism to work here too.
That is very interesting! I have been trying to understand the Latino vote in Florida, but haven't made any sense of until now.
And DeathSantis cheated like crazy.
Rob. These people who "drank the Kool Aide" are the same folks that fill up their cars with fuel to go to work, that go to the grocery stores and try to purchase food for their families. Say all you want. Biden and his team have made things from COVID and the Ukraine war worse NOT BETTER. Most intelligent people can see that. Get out of your bubble. Many good hard working citizens are not STUPID as Democrats seem to think!!!
Sorry Cecelia, there are a lot of us intelligent people out here who know what you and conservatives claim is not true. Biden did not cause the inflation nor the rise in gas prices. Oil corporations saw a chance to raise prices even though not needed, as Dr. Reich has pointed out. Years ago, to increase their profits. We ceded the making of the equipment to achieve leadership in renewable energy to China because having it here would offend the fossil fuelers. The war in Ukraine was a fantasy war by Putin to recreate the Russian empire of yore. It would not have stopped with Ukraine and we have obligations to our allies, Ukraine being one of them to provide support if they were to be invaded. Conservatives worry more about immigrants coming through our southern border, calling it an invasion while not wanting us to support a real invasion of an ally. I am not sure how that works for them, but the message really gets out to those Conservative Republicans, who are disgruntled about everything, thinking they are somehow owed something. They don't even want to pay taxes for all the stuff they want and whine about regularly. What a mess!
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Amen.
Please explain to us how Biden has made things economically worse. We're open here. Tell us.
Intelligent people also "fill up their cars...", etc. They don't see what you think they see, and Kool-Aid isn't on their grocery lists.
Whatever you think "Biden and his team have done," one thing they have NOT done is push white supremacy as the Emerald City at the end of the US Yellow Brick Road.
You're the one in a bubble.
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Yes you are. You support price fixers, price gougers and ultimately Putin.
Why are you even on Robert Reich's page with all those lies?
Marcel. Hoping some people will step out of their bubble and look at both sides of the issues!!
Do not agree.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be able to support oneself. That is one reason they are against "welfare". But they blame politicians, especially the Democratic Party, which for so many years stood up for them, as being responsible for their job losses. And while Republicans had a big helping hand in this process, fundamentally they are correct: the Democratic Party of Bill Clinton bought into globalism without providing a safe landing for these people. Almost ALL of their anger is economically based, as Prof. Reich has been telling us all along. Look at history: while anti-semitism had been around for a long time prior to the rise of Hitler, the Great Depression following on the back of very (overly) harsh sanctions against Germany at the end of WW1 allowed Hitler to direct their ECONOMIC angst against the "invaders" who were "stealing" their welfare. So if we are to have a chance of reaching these people, we must address the economic disparity which they face.
David, yes, it is right that people should be able to support themselves, but alas, some can't for a variety of reasons, and there are a lot of folks in the “red” states and others who are intergenerational complainers. They elect people who care nothing about their plight, then blame others when nothing happens to help them. Globalization was well underway before Clinton took office and continues. Job losses are part of that. In addition, Clinton did not cause the problems with welfare. The “welfare to work” bill was a compromise. Republicans under Gingrich wrapped in their racist, misogynistic ideas of welfare queens wanted to ditch welfare altogether. Before complaining, people everywhere need to think about what their real challenges are and what first, they are doing to keep them challenges, then what others are doing to contribute to keeping those challenges in place. Most people do not take that much time to consider, and are often willing to be scooped up by the complaint distorters and magnifiers like Trump and Kump and will follow them anywhere.
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The minimum wage hasn't been raised since 2009. Which party votes against it religiously? Which party supports more tax cuts for the rich?
Of course there's nothing wrong with wanting to support oneself. Greedy and/or selfish people don't just want to support themselves. They want everything they can get their hands on regardless of who gets hurt on the way. No political party has a lock on that.
Daniel, I like your points. Both are critical for understanding how people vote. For some reason, we focus on our differences far more than what we have in common. I think that is because we have a lot in common and make groups based on how we are different from others. The future requires us to reach across the divides you mention because with global warming and the other challenges we face, we are going to need everyone involved in finding solutions rural and urban, all racial/cultural groups, all genders, etc. Republicans are trying hard to pretend that our differences define us completely and that global warming isn't happening. That will change as each one of us is forced to face the reality of a desperately sick planet.
Daniel, I think you underestimate the power of "generational" politics. A family which suffered job loss years ago due to globalism is going to feel ripple effects for generations, along with the hatred felt towards political decisions which led to their loss of income. Young people voting differently
don't just appear out of thin air, their belief systems are greatly influenced by their parents and, without interventions which give them help (namely education and then job
opportunities) may never veer far from their parents' prejudices. I say this as a long time teacher. Yes, it is possible to break the cycle, but not easily.
And you don't have to live in a rural area to be affected by this. I have a good number in my neighborhood. One family is leaving our very urban area for a rural area because of their disgust with perceived issues with public schools here.
David, I am sorry your neighbors are leaving because of their discontent with the schools, but what are they doing to help things get better? I am a retired teacher in a very disadvantaged school district: wonderful kids, caring families, a friendly community, but the goal of everyone is to get out and go somewhere else where they deposit all the problems they ran away from because they were never actually addressed. What makes your neighbors think a rural school will be better? They are the complainers who want and want but can't seem to take it past that wanting. I hope they find what they are looking for, but I doubt they will. Maybe, they will learn to adapt because I suspect they won't have the resources to make another move to find their dream.
David, Yes, the ripples of globalization are going to be passed down in families, but blaming others for that two or three generations past is unproductive and keeps people voting for loud-mouthed mostly men who promise anything and produce nothing for those folks. It's like a disease that never gets treated because there are members of the politics industry who want to be sure there are always folks with that disease they can use.
Daniel, you are spot on with your observations and I believe that we all have a responsibility to build up, not pull down, you can't help yourself if you won't help yourself 24/7 365 days a year, it's not where you are, its who you are. Pain, anger, resentment, revenge, they are raw emotions, fine tourists but lousy guides!
If the Democrats seek to pull up then we need to start with who before we get to the why! How often does FEAR get in the way of what we want to do? Far more often than anyone would care to acknowledge.
Calling someone stupid is beneath you, I think; not sure...
Daniel Solomon - we are not related, but I really appreciate your comments.
Well stated.
Michael, I believe you are right about the 2024 election and the Democratic platform needing to be progressive. Many people need better health care than they now have. By then, global warming will be even more problematic than it is now, yes, in just 2 years. Better regulation of corporations and their monopolies or near monopolies needs to be front and center because so much of our economy is tied to that. If we could come up with a platform that all or most Dems around the country can run on, we have a good chance to move our nation away from the fascist elements.
The question is, why should "those in the middle" have to rely almost solely on their 401k's to get ahead, rather than increases to their salaries? Why is an increase in the stock market now almost ALWAYS attached to Republican rather than Democratic control? The reasons have all been addressed by Prof. Reich in "The System". The reason is corporate power which is now in the hands of fewer and more monopolistic corporations, and who hold sway over our democratic process.
Well stated Michael. I am that one third in the middle.
"The worst of the bullying
I later learned, came from kids who
were bullied at home, often by abusive parents."
.
Generational meanness
handed down thru iron fists
succumbing to fear and loathing
taking it out on the weakest & handiest
...
that's a recipe ripe for fascism weaponized
by the Cruel and Powerful amassing
great quantities of Wealth
perpetuating Dynasties
living off the blood
sweat & tears of
the Citizenry.
.
what a way to
run a Country.
What is so sad is both parties are sick and corrupt and many people sit in "their bubble" and only see one side. That is what is wrong with America. Get out of your bubble. Quit being the "problem" and try looking for solutions. There are good hard working people in the USA doing great things.
Cecelia, I respectfully disagree. Both thirds on either side of you in the middle are not the same and you do know that. There are a lot of Dems as well as independents who are looking for solutions. No, we don't have the full progressive agenda yet, but we have moved well along the path. People are better off than before the pandemic in many ways and it is not in any way due to what Republicans have done. You all in the middle know that too. The folks in the middle can play a really important role, offering solutions that the other thirds haven't noticed for a variety of reasons. Then, like Bernie Sanders, you can speak for them with force so that people, at least Democrats, can hear and begin to act. I am still waiting for someone to name one thing Republicans have done in the past 40 years to help anyone but rich white men and corporations. They may have supported the actions of others but have done nothing to improve life for ordinary folks that I can see. Maybe you all in the middle can identify those things for me.
Ruth:
I can think of nothing the Republicans have done for ordinary people in the last 40 years. Indeed their signature policy is based on Ayn Rand bullshit: cut taxes on the rich. Yet they still get elected.
As Adam Smith pointed out in the same year as the US Constitution - and don't forget, Smith was the father of capitalism - you have to tax the rich at rates that are higher than the less wealthy, otherwise the truly wealthy will take over the government and distort the market, rendering capitalism inefficient. There is little doubt that Smith was in favor of redistributing wealth. By doing so, the wealthy could not become rapacious, the market would be protected by strong government, and those lower down the food chain would have money to spend on the products the capitalists were producing. An 18th Century win-win.
To paraphrase John Stuart Mill, "I will never say that anyone voting Republican is stupid, but I can say that all stupid people vote Republican." Of course Mill was talking about Victorian Britain, and about the Tories, not the Republicans. But the point is the same. The masses then and now were manipulable because they are religious, and because they are taught to believe that only conservatives know how to run an economy.
Michael, It is hard watching Republicans keep collecting voters when they have no intention to pay attention to Adam Smith or anyone else who actually understands how economies work. They are addicted to money and power and it won't matter how they get it. They will steal, manipulate, cheat, and more while blaming everyone else for the results of their bad behavior. Religions that espouse conservatism are designed to tell people who are suffering through the bad behavior of others that they don't have to worry since when they die, they will go to heaven for their suffering (it worked to keep many enslaved persons in line along with the violence done to those people) or be reincarnated as one of the haves. That is such a clever way to take from the poor and give to the rich, reverse Robin Hoodism and there is a lot of that around. Why people don't rise up more often is a surprise until one realizes that keeping people malnourished, resentful, and angry deprives them of the energy to protest or bring about any meaningful change. We, at least do have the vote, but when people are cowed to the extent the "real" Americans have been, Republicans don't have to worry because they have their votes locked up along with their whining, resentments, fear, and hatred (OK, not very Christian, but they will be forgiven, right?)
Agreed. But Smith pointed this out when he admonished: Never let corporations get together with other corporations or with the government, for it is inevitable that they will collude against the public interest.
And what do we see in modern America? The corporations have colluded to rig prices, and the corporations have bought the government. Hence "corporate welfare" as you so aptly put it.
Ironically, the way back to a working form of Smithian capitalism comes from the left.
It depends on whether you view salvation as based on deeds, as opposed to superficial (generally not real) "faith".
KD, I am not sure that it matters whether salvation is based on deeds or something else because this new brand of believers thinks whatever they do is forgiven with no questions asked and that really, god is OK with what they are doing because it is "for the greater cause," whatever they say that cause is. Heck, they believe Donnie is a kind of Messiah or savior like Xerxes and other absolute nonsense, but there are a bunch who are really into it. Now, DeSantis is trying to get people to believe he is anointed by god to rule. Hogwash, but again, look at the election results in Florida and you'll see how many people believe that or at least big parts of it. Not at all Christianity as I understand it, but then, I am not a white male trying to prove his connection to god to get "god" to let him do whatever he wants and convince followers they should go along with it.
Absolutely.
Well said, Ruth!
I disagree as well. The difference between the parties could not be clearer, and Democrats--to the fury of many progressives--have repeatedly tried to work across the aisle to find solutions for ordinary Americans. It is the Republicans who are so focused on their fear, and roiling with hate, who are looking out only for themselves.
Karla, I have been trying to figure out how so many Americans have been bamboozled for so long by a political party that has nothing to offer anyone. I just keep wondering what is the enticement. Maybe, they just like to wallow in their misery and love complaining because it helps them feel like they have some kind of power. It is an illusion, but it might act like a baby's binky. It distracts them from thinking about their own contributions to the situation they are complaining about. So many of the Republican and Independent complainers are doing better financially than many other people, but they don't think so because they believe they deserve sooooo much more.
Bothsidesism is ignorant and intellectually dishonest.
Why are the insurrectionists not being kept from taking office--like Taylor-Greene? There was a law suit in Georgia against her running, but I never heard the outcome. Clearly she ran.
Amendment 14, Section 3 says insurrectionist--or those who violate their oaths to the Constitution--should not ever occupy state or federal offices.
If this is not enforced, mayhem will ensue. We might see Trump as Speaker of the House, as some as some Republicans have suggested.
Or, perhaps Taylor Greene?
As long as the Dems continue to pussyfoot around the whacked out, abhorrently churlish behavior of the lunatic element I refer to as the alt-right, what can we expect? Oh, that’s right…another run by the Donald! Just imagine what that will look like. As they continue to ride roughshod over our landscape, building their special neo nazi brand of subterfuge and mass confusion, the masses will continue to be motivated by dark, cartoonish head games until their goal for autocratic rule is complete. So now Garland has to get tough with trump and anyone else found at the capital on Jan 6 (instead of voting them into office!). Another building block towards ending neofascism might be to quell a few of the sycophantic morons on fox, ending their hate speech (not freedom of speech, Murdoch…) coming from their airwaves. God knows if they win the house and senate they will impose much worse on the country. Fear, lies and autocratic rule will keep the serfs in their place. Why should we wait for that?
I couldn’t have said this any better.
It’s way past time that we take our gloves off, and stop being meek and scared to fight back.
As one political leader said,
“When dealing with gangsters, we must do gangster things”
It’s time for us: “the peasants “ to storm the Bastille...
Now!!!🤨😠
Kate, I think it’s a question of showing up, frankly. Look at Fetterman. He went to red counties as well as blue and increased HIS margin of votes beyond Biden’s. We need to be “fired up, ready to be strategic”. I also saw this to a lesser degree with Tim Ryan. He engaged. He needed more money. The Rs gerrymandering has afforded them a machine throughout our state. We will keep fighting and engaging here, for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
I think it's more than that. If you listen to Fetterman, he had a "gloves off" approach yet wasn't rude--he just leveled with people. Other D candidates and office holders (especially) must do the same.
David, remember that Fetterman nearly lost. He did speak directly to all kinds of people, had experience, and really cares about the people of PA, but the ads accusing him of releasing hardened criminals to terrorize the people, and innuendos of his inability due to his stroke convinced a whole lot of people to vote for Dr. Oz, a man with a dubious background, who was not even from PA and couldn't even mention Pennsylvania in any of his primary ads, and talked to very few people who were not pretty well off because he couldn't really connect with them. I don't know the answer, but I suspect We the People could work on solutions together to find ways to reach people who need the kinds of help the people they vote for won't provide for them.
You're right Ruth, as usual:). Politics is so wound up in tribalism, fear, and ignorance much of the time, I feel like banging my head against the wall, and this is coming from an educator:(.
I do very much agree with you.
It is also crucial the prejudicial Electoral Vote be dismantled -formed ,after the Emancipation Proclamation from their
fear, anger and corruption.
We also - must of course- refuse to be bullied by the violent terrorists manning the polls for the sole purpose of promoting the “ Big Lie “, (defending their previous Dictator) which some of them truly believe, along with the ones that really don’t believe it or really don’t give a damn ( and many of them haven’t ever voted in any election) but just want to join in the “Reindeer Games” , and proof their right to flaunt their beloved guns, AND
prove they have more testosterone than the Liberal Democrats, and each other .
They’re rough, tough , and wear their diapers low…
This is yet another example that Genius, evil and corruption can often go hand in hand.
I will, though,,refuse to wear a blue star on my clothing for the purpose of my being identified as their idea a of “socialist” and needing be eliminated according to
their definition of a dangerous enemy.
Please forgive me for my long rant , but it does make all of this horror more real to me.👊
Kate, I liked your long rant. Most people have no idea of what socialism or any other ism is and generally don't care much. They are told to expect that government classes will be boring, so treat them that way and learn as little as possible. They don't realize that any government who cares about the quality of life of all its citizens has an element of socialism. Republicans/conservatives depend on their followers' short attention spans, so throw out words like "socialism" with no explanation as though they are cursing. The people get swept up and never check out or even think about how the term is being used, and how they are being duped for the benefit of the Republican candidate. Education could be the cure but even that is being undermined by Republicans these days. They want to knock out the pillars that are holding up our democracy before they push it down. We the People need to stop their efforts.
So did Beto, though, and he lost.
Yes, I thought he ran a great campaign, but Texas appears hopeless.
I think Texas is closer than the race indicated. But Abbott is perceived by many here as a "sensible guy" who changed tactics to please the MAGA crowd. On the other hand, D's are so used to getting beaten and Beto previously lost against Cruz, so I think many stayed home. Expectations were too low. Beto would be SUCH a great leader!!! I'm crying:(.
Justice is in the service of money, paid to politicians, that's why. Constitution itself is violated when a sitting president "cannot be indicted" - why? Then courts all of a sudden have to cede their authority to a Senate, i.e. a political body, i.e. to money again. Not charging because a case is hard to win shiuld be treted as a dereliction of duty and charged as such, including Garland and Biden. That's why democracy loses. Because no one as a duty to fght for it, that itself must be enforced. Will the Jan 6 commitee pass their resuts to JD now? Fascism in the government dkes not need decisive victories. This slow creep to lawlessness in states is enough. Let's not pretend we are winning. Let's not pretend that a fight against lies is winnable by love. These neo-fascist literally create hatred and rage, not just channel it, by lying to those who are selfish, stupid and willing to hate.
I don’t believe for a hot second that we are winning the fight against fascism. No one is speaking about love here. They wage war with democracy each and every time they spew their hatred, fear and lies…and a slow cook it is, been simmering in earnest since the Obama years, bubbling over into the crevices of America. If we continue to stupidly stand by with the occasional criticism that will only fuel their efforts towards the end of this wonderful experiment.
Mary, I wish this simmering were only happening since the Obama years. Alas, it has been going on at least since Nixon and his cheating and lying to get either what he wanted or to escape prosecution, and he did. Ford refused to allow the indictment of Nixon to proceed and pardoned him. Reagan is seen by many as almost a saint, but broke the law when it suited him and his crew and pretended he "new nothing." Daddy Bush was pretty racist and started the "Willy Horton" brand of racist advertising in which Black criminals were said to be coming after "white" victims. Bush Jr., well, let's just say, his ignorance led to a lot of wrongs that set up a recession, massive property foreclosures, and the "Tea Party" (a bunch of ignorant white people whose hatred of taxes but love for what taxes pay for caused them to act out. Then when Obama was elected, it became OK for racism to shine. Trump just added a whole collection of people for the now prepped haters to hate. How Democrats won anything this election is a marvel and gives me hope.
Yes I’m aware….but the cauldron really began to overtly bubble over with the intro of the birther bs by the Don(ald).
Btw, the tea partiers, those wacky precursors to the Christian nationalists, would never have gotten as far if the Dems had done their job.
Since the Obama years? Anyone here old enough to remember George Lincoln Rockwell? Or the All-American Sen. Joseph McCarty and his buddy Dick Nixon? They have always been with us.
Yeah yeah, Pepperidge farm remembers. But let us face facts, during the Obama campaign and administration there was overt, in your face disrespect and ridicule towards Mr, Obama and his family. We didn’t have the Internet in Joe McCarthy’s time, in Rockwell’s time or any other time in our country’s sullied past. Every citizen with malice and hate in their hearts easily got into the act once they found they could, fueled and embraced by racist barkers like Donald Trump and his birther rubbish, Joe Wilson’s admonishment during President Obama’s state of the union address…countless other slags too numerous to mention. These ingrates opened the door in earnest to what we see now.
*McCarthy* d'oh!
Fox itself should be shut down as a subversive organization. Murdoch has done so much damage to our country.
Murdoch was welcomed to America and fast tracked for citizenship by Reagan.
Mary, it does make me wonder why so many people want to be serfs. That role was never a popular one, but a whole lot of people were forced into working to survive for the benefit of the rich and powerful. How is that a positive for anyone but the very rich, yet that is the promise of Republicans who are using middle-class and working-class white people to make them serfs?
When the wealthy use their minions to confound, confuse, manipulate and make it seem as though they really care and want to help, offering them a better way of life, that’s how it happens. The rich have something the weary, beaten down working class want and are promised over and over. It’s the old carrot on a stick routine.
I like how you put that, Ruth, & I've noticed it, too. I am pretty sure the majority of them have no idea that those they support will lead them to serfdom. And we're a lot closer to that reality than most people realize.
The truth hurts, but it will set so many people free ; if only they can know it!
Ruth Sheets : goes to show that ignorance may not be bliss: once the reality of 'serfdom' hits. Ignorance hurts. A lot.
My cats say that when they "pussyfoot," they are HUNTING, not running away. Are the Dems hunting, or have they just stepped in their own shicken chit?
Why won't the Dem "leadership" (I use the term loosely) show some backbone and call out the Repooplickins for their open fascism? There is no such thing as "semi-fascism."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_Hall_Putsch
Mary, look on the bright side. DeSantis will be the Republican nominee for 2024. Trump will never go away, and could yet play the part of useful idiot, by Naderizing DeSantis.
Michael Hutchinson : I looked up Naderizing just for kicks and got anodizing, tenderizing and a few more, but no Naderizing. Fascinating that someone actually had a term for what happened to Ralph Nader when he attempted to get on stage at a Boston rally to campaign and was 'disinvited' off the stage. He met the requirements for number of signatures to qualify as a candidate.. I always wondered what that was all about. He did not have 'star power' or the gift of gab; but his "Unsafe at any speed" was cool.
Yeah, always look on the bright side of life, dee doo, dee doo dee doo dee doo….
Useful idiot? Why not? He’s halfway there now.
If not Naderize, than maybe Newter him🙀
Halfway you say?
100% idiot, 0% useful.
The outcome of that lawsuit was the judge's ruling that she would remain on the ballot. I watched that hearing on C-SPAN (national treasure for political coverage and book discussions and under duress because of its being supported by cable TV companies but now the decline in cable TV use) in which Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly said, "I don't remember..." as a default response to almost any question. It was shameful, yet typical. I don't recall the exact context now, but I do remember at the time wondering why the plaintiffs didn't bring up the time when she staged an episode of cruel bullying for cameras on the sidewalk in front of the Capitol: she literally chased the young fellow who had survived the Parkland school shooting, yelling at him, bullying and mocking him. The judge in the hearing listened, did not seem at all serious and seemed to be grandstanding himself, and after a short period of time - a week maybe - ruled in Greene's favor. It was held in Georgia.
I watched part of it. You're right. The lawyer sucked.
Unbelievably disgusting!
Like button did not work. I remember!
Annie Cross : I wonder why the judge's ' reasoning' has not been explained for going against decency and the 14th amendment. Or is it a rationalization using some technicality? I'm sick of this! WHY do these judges GET AWAY WITH THIS??!!!
Exactly! Why are these laws not being enforced? She's not the only one, either. Boebert, Briggs, Gosar, Gaetz, Brooks, even McCarthy should've all been expelled by now.
Jaime Ramirez ; They have been legitimized!!! There should be a massive class action lawsuit against the judges who allow this travesty against the very rule of law this country is experiencing.
Not the judges. Nobody prosecuted these cases. Blame the Pelosi controlled House. Could have held hearings. Blame the justice department.
If they could have obtained standing there was an argument that those who sought a pardon from Trump should have been disqualified. Same goes for any who were active in the Green Bay sweep and the fake elector scheme.
Too late now.
Daniel Solomon : It's never too late! I will not forget (they keep doing this so it's impossible to forget), and I know I'm not the only one not forgetting. And I know I'm not the only one who is angry and sick and tired of it! We, the real people should demand that our leaders, lawmakers and judges stop pretending to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. The Emperors have no clothes! They do not merit the respect they demand and earn what they are handsomely paid. I'm tired of paying. I am tired of seeing my children paying and paying and paying!!!!!!
Amen to that !
The moral compass of our country has/is changing, but there are millions of us working endlessly to push the pendulum of the universe back to center .
Many of us believe that what we put out to the universe comes back to us, and there are now millions of us putting our messages out for the purpose of achieving the highest good for our Democracy, and Humankind.
For many of you that may sound contrite, and naïve, but I’ve chosen to work hard to achieve that goal, no matter what it takes to get that pendulum back to center.
And let’s not forget Hawley.
Paula B ; Ugh ! If only we could!
You never know, Laurie.
Don’t forget my congresscritter, Andy Gaspasser Harris in MD-01, head of the Viktor Orban Fan Club.
There were a whole bunch of them. I just mentioned a small proportion.
Greg DeCowsky : what ever happened to a requirement that a candidate be loyal to our country and patriotic ; upholding the flag and all it stands for? Is that only for high school marching bands?
LOL. Better ask the Extreme Court and Cheap Just-Us Roberts.
My HS marching band was hired to play a Nixon rally in 1968. That did not go well for Nixon. We horn players put peace signs on the bells of our horns with masking tape while the entire drum line played a rousing cadence for chants of “Peace now!”
After that they made us stick to football games.
BtW that was the year I almost got suspended for refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
That was the year of the violent Democrat convention in Chicago, I think. Intense times.
Democratic Convention, not "Democrat". And violence was instigated by mayor Daly and the police.
Yes Daly had a 'machine'. Terrible!
There was never any such requirement--how would you enforce it? And traditionally that sort of language has been used by the right wing.
"As of this morning, the Democrat, Adam Frisch, had won by something like 65 votes. That automatically triggered a curing of ballots with mistakes"
This is badly confused. Frisch was at one point ahead by 64 votes, but only 93% of the votes had been counted. And even if the election had been over at that point, it would have triggered an automatic recount but not automatic curing--that takes effort by the candidates and so Frisch was asking for funds to do it. Now, Boebert is ahead by 1122 votes with 99% of the votes count--that's more than the .5% that triggers an automatic recount. She has almost certainly won the election and kept her seat. (Barf.)
"We don’t know for sure if she has won the election. "
As I said on Nov 12, "She has *almost certainly* won the election".
"Anything can happen this week"
No, only a limited number of things can happen.
"This is up-to-date information from Adam Frisch himself that I received last night."
Frisch conceded and asked people not to send money for a curing or a recount, and to instead spend it on their own needs. He's a mensch.
Looks promising; but what a nailbiter!
Bummer! It would be great if a recount found an error in his favor after all. Stranger things have happened.
I agree, Terry Barber. How the election deniers can run for office mystifies me. Perhaps they have already won when such traitors can be considered legitimate candidates who could actually make an oath to uphold the Constitution and follow the rule of law. Crazy times!
I’m gonna go out on a limb here, but I believe that many of the politicians running for office are not really election deniers, but rather, they’re using that “big lie” as their platform to keep the voters drinking their proverbial Kool Aid , thus filling the heads of their voters with chopped brown paper.
Yes, I do of course, agree that there are many, many election denying politicians who really do believe, and feel it is their duty, and an honor to continue defending their true leader- Adolph Trump.
We all know how all that worked out for Hitler, so we must -in anyway possible-eliminate these dangerously insane politicians who are either in fear of, or blindly enamored by trump and his wingmen/wingwomen.
Keeping in mind all of the horrific destruction inflicted on the world by Germany in WW11, I am truly concerned-no terrified-about how much destruction, and collateral damage we will be subjected to before the ending of this horrific regime which is killing our Freedom, and the morale in our country.
Everything, and Everyone has an expiration date., so I’m going count on that coming soon.
I believe it’s very true that Pain Is The Best Motivator For Change, and we are working endlessly to eliminate our pain.
yes, excellent observation. Why haven't these folk already been booted? why isn't Trump in jail?
Terry, I agree with your call to stop the insurrectionists from holding office. How can we get our Justice department to move on this. It is, after all, in the Constitution. Those in power seem to pick and choose which parts of the Constitution they will follow and which they will either ignore or warp to their own purposes. This statement is very clear unlike many of the other statements in the document. Maybe it's because it is an amendment and therefore can be ignored like the 15, 19th, and 27th (the voting rights amendments). There should be NO voter suppression anywhere because the Constitutional amendments forbid it, but we see how well that argument works even for our Supreme Court which is really bad in its warping of our Constitution.
In her lawsuit, she was unrecognizably muted and "couldn't recall" anything she was asked to verify. The judge approved of her right to run.
Exactly what I demand of my DOJ. Take a tip out from the Judge in Texas who stood up for the Law of the land and for all the citizens who adhere to these laws.
Trump will not be allowed to seek office. He broke the law in many ways. Get clear about that and demand as citizens of the United States that we do not allow crooks or gangsters to seek office. That would be slapping our own face! We are much better than that!
Oh Jean, I so hope you are right about Trump not running again because of all his crimes. However, now, we have DeSantis, the man who would be god preparing to run. The pathetic people of Florida voted him back into office by a landslide. He is despicable but rich, white, "straight," probably, male, and pseudo-Christian and that seems to be all one needs to be president in Republican eyes. He lacks integrity, empathy, compassion, respect for others, understanding of anything but his need for power and money, and will use anyone he can to get what he wants, a better-looking, better-spoken, more disgusting version of Trump. We all knew Republicans were looking and they seem to have found the right guy. Oh yes, he also lies through his teeth with no worry that lying is one of the things in the Ten Commandments one is not supposed to do. Oh I guess he is OK ignoring them just as he does our Constitution and human rights.
DeSantis kidnapped people and sent them across state lines. He also lies like a professional liar. He too should be blocked from running for any office- federal or state.
Yesterday I contacted Randy Rainbow through his website and urged him to add a new character, the famous drag queen Rhonda Sanctimonious. When you contact him you also have to specify the song you want: I chose "Ballad of the Green Berets"... not sure why.
IMO Randy is a powerful force for good and was instrumental (and vocal) in saving us from tRump 2.0. Tell him you want to see Rhonda on YouTube.
CREW Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is on it. Here is the link: https://www.citizensforethics.org/legal-action/legal-complaints/crew-to-pursue-disqualification-if-trump-runs/
Thank you Donna. Was going to send the same info. Great job!!🥰
Robert: Thanks for your very creative and constructive energy! While I know that you far prefer to interact in person with students in large lecture halls at University of California, Berkeley, because that format allows you to engage in spirited dialogue rather than monologue, I just want to assure you that you, like Heather Cox Richardson, are doing a GREAT JOB using this format. THANKS!
Yes, for me too. My subscription just renewed, And it is a kind of peace of mind to have it. I know someone who wants a subscription. Perfect present for her too.
Speaking of mush for brains, Don, jr, let’s talk about Herschel Walker. 🙄
And Don Sr
Well the entire trump family it seems.
He’s anti-semantic.
😂🤣
Hahaha!
Laugh while you can, monkey boy... the 2024 GQP ticket is going to be Herschel Wanker and MAGAt Trailertrash Greene. You heard it here first.
Yes, his brain is literally mush..😏
Thank you, Professor. I am in total agreement with you about the current state of the parties today. Unfortunately, the Republicans are taking the low road, mocking Nancy's husband, denying the results when they don't win, and refusing to look for the best in people. I always appreciate your comments, now and in your classroom a few years ago. Please keep it up.
Bless the Tim Ryans and John Fettermans of this country. I doubt I could have been anywhere near as gracious were I in their positions.
I blame the ‘main stream’ media like ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and National Public TV and radio for treating the Republican Party as if it is still a legitimate political party. It’s not and they need to be called out loudly and clearly. I live in TN. We had a fantastic candidate on the Democratic Party ticket running for Governor. Not only were there no debates, there was no TV coverage of his candidacy. Why didn’t the ‘main stream’ media insist on holding a debate? Why isn’t a critical election seen as news, and not simply an opportunity to charge for advertising? Until, and unless, elections are treated by the main stream media as important civic functions I fear the voters of this country will continue to be fooled into believing the Republican Party is legitimate.
Vote with your remote! If they are not delivering news or interested in keeping viewers informed, find another media source that does it better. They have a product ; the news. If they can't deliver, let the best competitor win; even if it's a podcast.
People like Lake and Biggs will continue to remind us that the U.S. is still a deeply troubled place. We must persevere.
I live in Biggs’ AZ CD5 district and am despondent. I will keep up the good fight but it is exhausting. Weird to live among people who voted for Biggs. So far 102,000+ to Javier Ramos’ 75,000+ I will continue to drive for democrat candidates in my legislative district. I didn’t even know what an LD was until 2016. I had many yard signs on my lawn this election: for Katie Hobbs for governor, for Adrian Fontes for secretary of state, for Javier Ramos for the US house, For my local state representative Jennifer Pawlik and senator Cindy Hands. Some of these election outcomes are not decided yet because there are still votes being counted from late early ballots turned in on the day of the election.
Eileen G ; Hang in there! Maybe there will be some better outcomes, we will see what happens.
What amazes me is that 2/3 of her voters voted for MTG. She hasn’t done anything positive for her constituents. Is she an example for their children? It is scary that she is so popular among her constituents.
Jerry
She appeals to the "bottom of the gene pool" as my nephew says.
It certainly says something about the people in her district, and it’s not good!!
“We are still on the brink.” Professor, Gratitude to you for helping us see the critical parts of the wins and losses of this and all election cycles. In the end, we will have to celebrate not just a W in the column, but enough changes in policy and behavior. A sociocultural shift from cruelty to compassion and social responsibility. Just as in Joseph McCarthy’s era and his extreme cruelty that not only ruined political careers, but lives, we are in that place now. The question that changed the course of history “The army hired Boston lawyer Joseph Welch to make its case …At June 9, 1954, McCarthy charged that one of Welch's attorneys had ties to a Communist organization. As an amazed television audience looked on, Welch responded with the immortal lines that ultimately ended McCarthy's career: "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness." When McCarthy tried to continue his attack, Welch angrily interrupted, "Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency?". https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/investigations/mccarthy-hearings/have-you-no-sense-of-decency.htm. Decency. Let that sink into Repubs and all politicians.
As usual, your comments are to the point... but I wish I could share your optimism about the future for the USA (as you reported on the eve of the mid-term elections). I don't see that Progressives have much chance of becoming the dominant political force in America in the foreseeable future, absent fundamental legal reforms (e.g. financing of elections) which are simply unachievable, and a fundamental change in the composition of the Supreme Court, which could take a generation or more.... not to mention Constitutional changes that are also impossible.
i'd also add that another fundamental shift is necessary for this country: exploding the toxic celebration of "rugged individualism" that is deep-seated in the core of US national mythology and replacing it with acceptance of shared responsibility for the planet and all its inhabitants, present and future
Yes: I just finished reading "Fantasyland; How America Went Haywire--a 500 Year History" by Kurt Andersen. It is a thorough exploration of how the "ideal" of "American exceptionalism and rugged individualism" got started, nurtured and eventually celebrated. Very interesting pov and also some interesting insights.
I read it. A fabulous insightful book.
Thanks for the reference, I will read it
Straight talk, Alice. I love your reference to 'the toxic celebration of "rugged indivualism"
Great point. This "individualism" was subdued for decades due to a generation affected by Great Depression and WW2, but that generation is now gone. But it is a natural reaction to perceived fear at the national level to pull back to state, local, and neighborhood levels. People are trying to "insulate" against changes they don't understand or like. Ironically this fear has been exacerbated on a national level by social media and national right winged media. It's basically a rural vs urban divide. Those in rural areas are most afraid of what they don't have experience with; meanwhile, urban areas prosper while rural areas continue to get left behind. These are the issues, in addition to urban blue collar grievances, MUST be addressed IMO by the Democratic Party if there is any hope.
Yes! to all you said. Kari Lake is a carbon copy of Russian Media Monitor's M. Simonyan and Kabeeva. Vile, cruel, debased of humanity. Not hard at all to see russian influence on our country, the trauma of generations of repressed russian peoples is well seeded among our shadows. If you follow comments on social media, maga disciples arguing for MTG or Jim Jordan to be house speaker, mtg reminds one of 'margaret thatcher'. Its 100% upside down when the state of Georgia's 'christian nation' votes for a violent lying CTE packing man over a Reverend- the epitome of christian values ! Those voters have as much cognitive impairment as he does, cult gaslight learned helplessness. The midterms marked the beginning of our rough road to a more balanced grounded soul of a nation. There is a way somehow, i was just hoping it could be done before its up to GenZ to pull it off later IF we can keep the critical thinkers in the lexicon.
She reminds me of a cross between trump and MTGreene
This is such a generous post, Prof. Reich, so full of heart. Thank you especially for your insight on bullying and abuse as sources of the hatred spewing from the MAGA cult. I write this as someone who was bullied.
Let me suggest that another source may be a more subtle kind of bullying. People who grow up in very strict households, who are taught to obey, these folks also trend conservative. Fundamentalist religious households raise children in that atmosphere in keep all members of community in line and require allegiance to a literal reading of the Bible. This demand to obey easily degrades to spiritual bullying. I write this as someone who is a believer but with an open mind and a belief in love as fundamental. No wonder so many of these folks believe that they are patriots and anyone who doesn't think like them are traitors.
This correlation with fundamentalist religiosity is one of the findings of retired Prof. Bob Altemeyer in The Authoritarians. Prof. Altemeyer also has co-authored with John Dean of Watergate fame. For anyone seeking his book, buy it directly from the publisher very inexpensively, or is offered for a free download here. https://www.evcforum.net/DataDropsite/TheAuthoritarians.pdf (Bob Altemeyer generously offers free downloads from his site, but last time I looked some of those files were not working.)
To fight back against the "America First" MAGA movement, we need to be aware of their precinct strategy that's relentlessly pushed by Stephen Bannon. That strategy is to fill all vacancies in local party politics and government so that you are in charge of mobilizing people in your community, you decide what is taught in schools, you can legally challenge voters, etc. This is CNN's article on Bannon's efforts. https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/07/politics/steve-bannon-us-democracy/
Bannon directs people to a primer that you can buy cheaply as a Kindle download. It's Taking Back Your Government: The Neighborhood Precinct Committeeman Strategy, by Daniel Schultz. We need to read this to see what is coming at us. It misrepresents what Democrats stand for and presents a creed of (self) righteous conservatism and activism. That creed is well-fitted for fundamentalists and for people who haven't fully matured emotionally and practice all-or-nothing thinking (my way or the highway). Only a mature mind can hold two or more incompatible ideas in mind while mulling them through.
What's the needed response of people who love democracy and who want citizens to solve our real-work problems together? We must also be active at the precinct and local level, knock on doors, meet our neighbors, do deep canvassing to find out what people want and need and update our voter information. And, we must confront right-wing votes with our votes.
For the mid-terms, we were mostly successful in our local area and are hoping for success in our congressional district, which may flip from red to blue. The votes are still being counted. We also just sent $100 to Senator Warnock's campaign. Republicans work hard. Let's match that and then some.
My husband and I attended a Kristallnacht Remembrance last night at a local synagogue. That we remember these terrible acts, especially now, remains critical. Our dear friend, calmly told the story of her father, a Jew from Poland. He was the ONLY survivor in his family from Birkenau. To hear his story...and hers as his daughter, was a completely different personal view. We are Christians, and part of the Greek Orthodox community, through my husband. His family fought Nazis in Crete during WWII, and he found out just a few years ago, that his family has Arabic, Jewish, and Caucuses ancestry too! Our takeaway...America is a young country. We didn’t invent democracy...the Greeks will always tell you that. Hahaha. And, all of what happened in Europe in WWII could happen anywhere in the world, again. Look at what these people want to do to women...and have. Fired up, ready to strategize then ACT! I helped at our early vote center here. Bannon isn’t anything new, and neither is that dude Spencer Rhodes, the disbarred Yale Law grad. They do not reflect America. We do. So thank you Gary S. for the citations above from which we can learn more about their cockeyed thinking and help them make strategic blunders. Love over Hate.
Professor, As with nearly every other country, we’re not impervious to a fatal weakening of our civic institutions or to a Presidency eager, and under the right circumstances, able to consolidate power, wherein the rule of law could be subjugated to an individual. Still, for the past 24 hours, I increasingly have sensed the import of building on the outcomes of the 22 midterm election that, in my view, include a renewed definition of ourselves as citizens—something closer to the nation of active stakeholders that leaders like Thomas Jefferson had in mind.
Quoting a fellow subscriber albeit from an entirely different context, “We can’t take our foot off the gas pedal on this one.”
“I think you can bring down totalitarian governments faster by using ridicule than you can with invective.”
— Mel Brooks, on The Producers/Springtime for Hitler
I strongly believe ridicule's our most potent weapon against the fools and their Murdoch et al support system. Here's another ❤ Like for our 90some -thousand-year-old man, Mel Brooks.
Was Hitler a bully? Of course. But one would not stop at calling him that,. He was a degenerate, insane, hate filled mass murderer. Everything Trump is, or
aspires to be. Have you listened to a Trump rally lately? (I follow David Pakman on You Tube, who streams Trump rallies with appropriate voice over of commentary). Trump spends a considerable amount of time openly fawning over authoritarian dictators of the world who can kill people on command. "King" Xi of China, (Trump says he called him by the title during their meetings), who holds a one hour trial and executes drug dealers. Kim, of North Korea, who executes his own family members. "I like him," says Trump. "We fell in love." And of course Putin, who sIngle handedly started the war in Ukraine displacing 40 million people, and killing tens of thousands. Q Anon believers think that Trump will return to power in a blaze of glory, executing their enemies on live TV. One can only assume this would include, in their fevered minds, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden. Let's not diminish what we are facing here. A lunatic, with millions of deranged followers. Even if only one in 1,000 is willing to take up arms for him you have 75000 lunatics wreaking havoc on the US. How many did it take for the 9/11 attack? I really hesitate to post this, because I dont want to sound extreme, or alarmist, but this is not "something that couldn't happen here." Remember January 6th? It has happened here. And there are thousands, who, with Trump as their leader, want to overthrow our government completely. This is why I believe it is so imperative to prove that our DOJ is applying the rule of law equally to all citizens by immediately arresting Trump and throwing the book at him. It may appear from the outcome of the midterms that the country is ready to move on from Trump, and to a certain extent, that may be true. But one should not underestimate the fervor of Trump himself, or his lunatic followers. We are still on the brink. And DeSantis, and the more rational and intelligent leaders of the slow moving coup, want to achieve the overthrow of our government no less than Trump. Here endeth the lesson, and my rant for the day. Act, Garland and DOJ.