Very cogent analysis of the Trump strategy. It is extremely depressing to see everyday the evidence that something like a third of the electorate wants to return this infantile narcissist to the leadership of America. Warnings that we may have the last free election fall on their deaf ears. Acknowledgement of the consequences of entrusting immense power to a fascist with a 7 year-old's emotional maturity is non-existent by that cult. Tell me they're different from those who were in thrall to a mustachioed European hate monger in the 1930's. Tell me they're not seething with grievance and victimhood and paranoia like those people a century ago in the "old world". Because, honestly, I don't recognize them anymore.
Addendum. I think of those people in the Trump cult as people who have become "infected", much like those who were sickened by a virus. There is no other explanation for their loss of common sense, their inability to judge a character with such obvious and proven flaws. I think of the disease as DONALD-16, and our once mostly effective vaccine for this kind of virus, the press, has gone out of business.
Your comment is spot on!! I, too, feel very sorry for these people. DONALD-16 is killing them. Our media needs to wake up and stop feeding him! I don't want to hear how he is making them money. At some point, the press needs to stop allowing him any exposure.
Peggy, the problem is that the ultra right own almost ever media out there. So they will not suddenly turn honest. We need to dismantle the monopoly hold but that won’t happen soon enough.
I would LOVE to see far less attention to his every grimace and intake-of-breath, but he IS a legitimate topic for coverage, and to keep us apprised of his machinations is also responsible journalism.
It’s the balance that is gone — plus the nature of the coverage is more “Wow! Check out what he’s doing now! Check out how he influences a crowd! Check out what his minions are up to! Amazing that he can do all this, even though he’s supposed to be behaving himself, even though he’s not that smart …” {And actually, other than being the trained monkey attracting attention for the schemers who use Trump as their tool, he is not the one making all this happen. He and his supporters aren’t in control — they are the actual minions of oligarchs and powers behind the scenes hoping to “blow it all up,” as Steve Bannon put it. Trump is really just the Big Floating Face that keeps us from noticing the guys behind the curtain who are the real power behind this threat to our democracy.]
I’d love more actual news coverage of the man and the people orchestrating a move to oligarchy in America. There is some good journalism out there — it’s just not fair to pretend we get no actual news and analysis of this man — but there is far too much of the other.
And the dancing maniacs inspire too much of the “Wow” response …
It seemed evident, after all this time …I think we need to recognize what is afoot, or we’ll pay too much attention to Donny and not see the guys carrying off our democracy under our very noses.
We do most certainly need to defeat Donnie, but right now, NONE of the Republicans can be trusted to resist the oligarchs, white supremacists, and Unitary President crowd …
Pat, your analysis is spot on. The oligarchs here in the U.S., in Hungary, in Saudi Arabia and Russia are laughing all the way to the bank. Many believe tRump has been a Russian agent for at least a decade. The extremists in state legislatures and congress are being funded by corporatists i.e. oligarchs who have funded candidates in congress, state legislatures and the SC. They have brought us the Dobbs vs, Jackson decision, gutting the Voting Rights Act, striking down gun control legislation and thwarting efforts to limit fossil fuels. We're on the brink of no return, and still we have Manchin and Sinema using their leadership to defeat Biden's climate agenda. As a result we have state sponsored terrorism in communities of color, ten year old rape victims carrying to term unwanted pregnancies, the leading cause of death in children is now gun violence The majority of people are not in favor of this legislation, but voter suppression, gerrymandering and bribing SC judges has kept these scoundrels in office. Where democrats have fought back, democrats have won in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania They should be out there in red, white and blue states, differentiating themselves from their rethuglican opponents. Breaking the extremist threat in state legislatures like Tennessee should be job number 1 for Biden and the Democratic party. IMHO, Biden could lose unless he and democrats start defining their goals and pointing out to voters all over the country what their state legislatures are doing and why their vote can make the difference in whether we continue as a democracy or are governed by fascists masquerading as White Christian Nationalists and Evangelicals. When democrats fight back, they win!
I’m not sure what’s driving the Left these days Dems are so feckless. It’s like the leadership doesn’t care — they’re happy to be close to the halls of power, happy to decide who gets to run on the Dem tickets, and completely satisfied to let Republicans make a mess of our democracy, as long as the paychecks keep coming.
If the Left loses this presidential election, the ramifications will be extreme — think of what happened when Dubya and Cheney got in, and how that has resonated down through the past few years. But the R’s have been staging their long-game coup since at least Reagan. McConnell helped immeasurably with packing the SCOTUS. Donnie has served their purpose in destabilizing a functioning government and instilling massive distrust in our electorate, but now any Republican who gets in may possibly cement the anti-democratic, permanent-Republican electoral majority they are trying to install across the country — not a majority of voters, just a majority of electors. They scare the hell out of me.
And you would be surprised {yeah, I know you would, because you appear to be vaccinated against seeing it} at how much actual good reporting IS done in the MSM. It’s huge — the MSM is — and some of it’s fine. But, for example, you can’t just say The New York Times is a good source, because a lot of it isn’t, but some of it is. You need to read A LOT in A LOT of different places — and try reading some source material like papers on government sitees that lay out rules and regs and studies, and many news sources, not just the ones that repeat each other — and apply your thinking cap to the details.
Too hard for some people? Yeah, it was easier to listen to Edward R.Murrow and Walter Cronkite and trust them. But they’re dead and Dan Rather is tarnished {unfairly, I think, but he should have realized he was being played, even though he told the truth at the time}.
So, we get blanklet statements about how there’s nothing out there.
The problem is us, who click on the bait under the guise of “news”. WE are funding the MSM machine each time we click on an article or interview with the x-president’s name attached. We defund the x-prez msm money-machine by sticking with reliably un-clickbait information like Professor Reich’s newsletter. Resist The Clickbait. MSM is a business making money where the money is to be made easiest. It is NOT a public service.
Totally agree, Peggy. Grabbing attention is Trump's raison d'etre. Like a hot air balloon, the more air pumped in by the media and his crazed cultists, the fatter and more volatile he becomes. I can just imagine the ghost of the Hindenburg smirking...
Trump cultists only follow the media that reinforce their already insane views. Truthfully, speaking only for myself, I do the same thing without the insanity. Now, it's becoming difficult to do because of the degradation of the so-called MSM. We seem to be badly out numbered.
Peggy, I HIGhly disagree. We should always remember that most of America does not follow the news like those of us who are likely to post on threads like these, or even pay any attention to any news, at all. Truth is, our numbers are falling, and so its not even remotely possible that tfg is getting too much exposure. I feel ya, I couldn't possibly be more sick and tired of the orange blob, either, but we can always step away and give it a rest when we become overloaded by it all.
But. The coverage of what tfg is doing to our country, (and with a lot of help), if anything, needs to be ramped up to the hightest degree possible, because some experts are saying that roughly 75% of Americans became so overloaded by the news in the days of covid, that they just stopped paying attention, and are missing out on the tragedy that is now unfolding before us.
I never thought of it like that. Yes, we should continue to tell everyone what Donnie Three Chins is doing to our country. When you read about the various crimes committed by the person in the White House throughout history, you also read about those that were brave and strong enough to stop it. I am so very disappointed in the republicans holding office that simply were not brave or strong and refused to stop this man before he became what he did. Thank you for pointing this out to me. I will continue to enlighten my friends and neighbors with the truth and hope that everything will work out.
Thanks for that Peggy, but I should've pointed out that those polls from the Knight Foundation are now pretty stale, coming from 2021 I believe, and since then I think that our Dem friends have become more and more motivated by the abortion issue, tfg's criminality, etc., but that poll just shocked me when I read it. I mean I had no idea, that our numbers were getting to be so much worse, at that time ! So I think my point still stands; that we absolutely cannot not let up now, but for that matter, I've been greatly losing respect for polls over the last two years or so because they've now been wrong so often that its laughable. But STILL my point stands, ( I know, I'm starting to sound like a blithering idiot ), because if we can no longer put any faith in polls, then for all we know, things could now be worse than we think ! (sigh)..
So I share your frustration with the feckless R's that witnessed what the tfg and his Posse of fools were doing to our country on a daily basis, and did NOthing, about any of it. They should have spoken up on day one, when tfg moved his children into our WH and gave them top jobs there, (a little nepotism in the office of the most powerful man on the planet? Anyone?), and even after people in our IT agencies told him it was a bad idea, he said, "Well I want them to have top secret clearance, so do that." And thus the clearly apparent lack of competance, or even garden variety sanity, in tfg, reared its head for all to see, and yet no one, as you pointed out, did one damn thing about it, leaving the fool free to pick more rules, laws and traditions to tear up daily, as if those things were all just McDonalds' wrappers that he could and should just toss into the wind, in one of our National Parks. "Some little person will clean that up." , he might well have said. . I'm still, so angry, I could spit on my own floor.
Anyway, let's just keep on pluggin' Peggy! Spread the word. Our country is now in mortal danger of Authoritarian rule, and only people like us, can save her.
Kerry, I am glad you also see Trump's behavior as infantile. I suspect every single person who has spent any time with Trump knows he is not functioning and that he is being steered by unscrupulous people who want power but know they could never be elected to anything. I suspect they would not be willing to do the honest work if they were elected. You are right about the European insanity of a century ago and the constant injection of grievance and resentment Hitler and his crew administered to a people just dying to participate in something big where they could actually hurt the people who had something they wanted or whom they just hated on principle, good Christians that they were. The parallels to today's Republican party are startling but because most of the Trumpers and Trumpettes are not exactly history buffs they don't know much about the past except what their family, community, friends, and chosen information sources feed them. Can we find an antidote in time to stop the poison spreading in this nation? I sure hope so. I hope the increased decent-paying jobs and repaired local infrastructure may help, but with Republicans who never supported any of it claiming they are responsible, it is hard to see much improvement. I am sad the press can't be that antidote, but they have been bought and paid for. Their desperate desire to be loved has let rich white donors control what is put out here and slant it just enough to be sure the poison keeps moving. It is actually pretty cleverly done, certain kinds of questions to Democrats and others, far less relevant ones to Republicans who get few if any follow-up questions or comments. And, the media rarely uses the word lie when lies are coming every day. Even fact-checking organizations feel they have to balance the intense lying about everything done by Republican leadership with the small misstatements by Biden and other Democrats. I am not saying Democrats never lie, but that the lies covered and "balanced" are not of equal weight, although, somehow they look as though they are. We need to wake up!
Years ago, we journalists were not allowed to call disinformation “lies.” The word was anathema, as it characterized the teller as a liar, and I’m not sure that publications weren’t afraid of defamation lawsuits, or what it was. But the word “lie” was NOT used.
With Trump, though, the move toward calling a spade a spade has changed that — Trump IS a liar, and he’s not the only one. It’s about time we started to use the word when it’s accurate!
Pat, I find it so interesting that we have "freedom of the Press" yet the press has been permitted to be maligned, mis used, and prohibited from telling the truth about people in ways that would be meaningful for the less informed but with same voting ability as the rest of us. When someone stands there on stage and lies about someone or something, it is not an untruth or a misquote, most of the time, it is a bold-faced lie. It's time the press uses, but does not over use the word!
Absolutely. If people WANT a responsible and responsive press, they have to make it happen. We paid for newspapers and magazines for a long time. We put up with commercials to receive TV news. But then it became more than the social benefit that broadcasters had to provide to qualify to license airwaves. It became a profit center. TV media became a coompetition for eye-balls. Print media was scoffed up by Big Money.
There are non-profit media outlets these days, and we should know about them and patronize them and hopefully allow THEM to prosper … but if we want a free press, we have to stop gobbling up the crap that is really “click bait” and not journalism.
Agreed. Common sense is not so common and to RW's, empathy is seen as a weakness only experienced by girly-men and bleeding heart liberal women who oughta be in the kitchen, with a bun in the oven, making me a GD sammich tuh drink with muh BudtheKingofBeers!!!
Wait! We must have empathy for policemen who beat the life out of unarmed minority shoplifters and religious believers who are offended by women who don’t wish to deliver newborns fathered by rapists or family members.
I want to make a joke in extremely poor taste about how lively it is at Hooters and all but I better not on account of I don't want to get in any trouble and would prefer not to be excoriated by the wonderful ladies in this community/forum.
Tell ya what. A year and 1/2 ago, l was a dead man in all respects due to an extreme case of COPD that had me weeks, maybe a month or 2 of life left in me, when my lung transplant came through.
I joked and smiled all the way through this and I would have died smiling had that been my time.
In this world, one must exercise one's sense of humor to keep one sane.
Thank you for telling me Jerry. Stick around, I got a few more funnies in the hopper.
I think of it more like those who got entangled in the Manson group - he was their inspiring leader, they followed in some kind of euphoric ridiculous single-minded glue-pot. When asked most of them cannot even tell you why they support him, it's a CULT.
The free press still exists, as we Robert Reich listeners know, but the alt right owns 100% of SPONSORED media. The slight exception is MSNBC sometimes.
corrupt, self-serving, greedy leaders are being collaborating with the oligarchs/plutocrats to exploit the majority (the followers). We and the planet are being exploited for Money & Power. too many ppl are chasing the money/power definition of success and following the lead of corrupt examples of how to get there. Accepting that corruption is the catalyst to success as defined by wealth & power over others. Even the "church'/"evangelicals' are collaborating with racist (southern strategy) and corrupt politicians, all selfishly chasing money & power. All being manipulated by a few at the top, who are the ones with the most money & power, and who are gaining the most money & Power from their con.
A video guy with TYT or MTN took a microphone asking pre Trump rally people, “Why?” He found some normal-type people offering reason.
One said, “Trump is flawed,” but alternatives were no better. Another that, “Divisiveness is sown and unnecessary,” with a sense Democrats are doing the sowing. Another said, “Given 30 years in politics to get money out of politics,” Hilary didn’t couldn’t wouldn’t (and Trump appealed to those, saying, I will). It’s not America, or Republicans--it’s slowness, and being answerable to money.
The Koch brothers financed Trump’s campaign thinking he would be grateful and favor them--he ignored them. They are now never-Trump Republicans--but the results--they want to influence!
Trump supporters choose his brand as the lesser of 2 evils. There are crazy one’s but Trump audiences include people who seem reasonable, and desire to be a part of change. They’ll listen, and at least SAY they are not fanatics but pragmatists. Democrats sneer and scorn (not just Republicans). Trump rally-attendees found a home.
Mission is to separate frail-on-Trump Republicans from influence of the diseased (Trump). Silence Trump, put him in detention, so better people prevail.
Virality and infection are partially accurate metaphors, particularly if they help us see others as possible victims whom we might give in to hating or judging (neither of which will help us beat Trump). It's gracious and appropriate.
But unlike a virus, in this case, we have people profiting from spreading the "disease" of untruth. They do so carefully enough so as to avoid criminal liability (we just reported what people said...!) - but without the slightest concern for anything beyond how much profit they get for their story.
Of the 75 million Trump voters, most were infected by thought viruses. But the people producing and spreading viruses...and profiting from them...are an entirely different sort of problem, and one we don't have good vaccines to handle.
At least not yet. I think Prof Reich may be on to some ways of containing the infections and symptoms...worth studying.
Interesting that you bring up the concept of a "mind virus". I too have noticed something similar. I live in "enlightened”, affluent, educated Palo Alto, and am involved with several spiritual communities. A number of my otherwise intelligent, compassionate friends are starting to echo the Fauchi/ vaccine/ Hunter Biden/ big bad government/ strong borders/ anti-woke/ etc themes. It DOES seem like an infection of a sort.
Respectfully, when I hear “both sides” I am now not listening as you might wish. Perhaps I am wrong, but my perception of what ails our political culture is a toxic ignorance and malevolent disregard for our national history and norms of opposition, entirely on the part of the Republican Party. The racist reaction to Obama, personified by none other than Trump, started us on this path. There are no Democratic officeholders who have shamed themselves like their Republican counterparts. Actually, it takes adults to see things as they are, and call out misbehavior and fanaticism when they see it. A Democratic majority continues to seek compromise with a Republican majority that spits in its face, impugns its patriotism, and dehumanizes its members. Saying Obama was born in Kenya and delegitimizing his candidacy is the perfect expression of my point.
Okey dokey. Here's a question for you. Trump has clearly and unmistakably acted and spoken as a racist. His characterization of Mexicans entering the US. His dogwhistle support for the "good people" in Charlottesville spewing antisemitic chants. The Obama delegitimization, as I mentioned. He's been endorsed by every antisemitic, racist, and White Nationalist group in America. Why? Because he is one of them. So, here's the question. If you support this guy, as nearly every Republican in Congress does, you are supporting racism and antisemitism, as well as misogyny, because he's a confessed pussy-grabber and convicted sexual assaulter. What does that make you? Or, gee whiz, racism and antisemitism and misogyny just aren't deal breakers, is that right? Well, of course not, not if you're a white Christian nationalist. Don't both sides me anymore.
I agree that the Dems have a LOT to answer for, going back to Clinton (the examples you mention, Janet, along with other things). I also think the current administration could do much better on numerous issues; climate change and healthcare, most notably. It does the country no good to refuse to acknowledge the Dems' flaws. It's true, as well, that both the DNC and RNC are deep in the pockets of Big Corp donors.
All that said, aside from cultural issues, I do think there's a fundamental difference between the parties: unlike the Dems, the GOP leadership is willing to burn it all down to get what it wants. I believe that's been a behind-the-scenes possibility for them for decades.
While generalizations and name calling ARE off-putting, it's important to call a spade a spade. I use the term, "MAGA" when I refer to the racists, misogynists, homophobes, and religious fanatics who follow the orange, because they're all of a piece---they've proved that. I'll allow that there may be GOP members who don't support the MAGA mindset, but I feel they have two choices: either publicly repudiate what the bulk of the GOP stands for, OR leave the party. Silence equals complicity. I think remaining in the party and hoping to effect change from within will no longer cut it, and the motives of those who do so are suspect, in my book.
I agree with you on most points, but not about the main emphasis. I think it lies with climate change. If we don't do something fundamental about it, everything else is moot. Of course, changing our paradigm with respect to the factors causing climate change would create innumerable jobs along the way.
Halon's razor: never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
I'm not a physician, but in the acute stage, Trump cults act like they have the St. Vitus dance. :
Sydenham's chorea is characterized by the abrupt onset (sometimes within a few hours) of neurological symptoms, classically chorea, which are non-rhythmic, writhing or explosive involuntary movements. Usually all four limbs are affected, but there are cases reported where just one side of the body is affected (hemichorea). Typical chorea includes repeated wrist hyperextension, grimacing, and lip pouting. The fingers can move as if playing the piano. There may be tongue fasciculations ("bag of worms") and motor impersistence, for example, the "milkmaid sign" (grip strength fluctuates, as if hand milking a cow), or inability to sustain tongue protrusion (called jack-in-the-box tongue[3] or serpentine tongue,[4] as the tongue slides in and out of the mouth), or eye closure."
Occupational therapy and physiotherapy is useful for maintaining function and muscle tone.
Daniel, thank you for this one. I can't think of a better way to explain the manifestations of the Trump cult members. I can't see them, but I can remember people acting in those ways and had to chuckle a bit. I keep thinking "if only they could see themselves." Then I think, "hey, they would think it was the rapture they are experiencing!" They'd love it.
Yes, trump supporters are an even greater concern then trump. What are they thinking? How can they believe in him? They are happily swallowing his disgusting drivel in the face of overwhelming evidence and even the basic common sense. America has problems, that should be fixed, but not with trump.
My god people, you are eating waste and believing it is food.
Our democratic leaders have been asleep at the switch. They have not gone out and made their case. When they do, they win. Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania are examples. Democrats need to go to red, blue and white states and point out our differences and what Biden has been able to accomplish. Biden should be out there breaking the extremist threat and what they stand for. We can't take for granted that people are following the news as those on this thread are.
A cult? Yes. But there seems to be a lot more to the story. Although ostensibly about ol' Tweety having already broken his bail conditions, it identifies what is arguably the foundation upon which that cultish behavior rests, which comes to a climax in Olbermann's anecdote about Linsey Graham: https://youtu.be/KDYeRQtKCbE
ABSOLUTELY, more happening! It’s been afoot since at LEAST the Reagan era. We had his destruction of unions, his schemers in the basement. Bill Barr. We had the Project for a New American Century. We have the Republican Unitary Presidency. We watched the Cheney Administration shred international law and human rights, and subvert our constitution with Gitmo, which is STILL there …
Oh, yeah, Trump is their tool. But there’s way more going on ….
I'm >really< pleased you've come to the same conclusion that I've banged on a bit about for months. ol' Tweety isn't the disease; ol' Tweety's the >symptom!< 👍
Thats an ugly story. Thank you for that. Its fully believeable. I dont dare to ask those questions to some of the MAGA or ex-MAGA I know...because I already know the answers they will give. That type of ignorance is not appealable by logic or reason only emotion. If there are actually 25% of americans. Or 84 million people in similar circumstances. There is a loaded powder keg for the next autocrat that comes too town.
What's sad, to the point of heart-breaking is that those folks are giving, to the very last measure, everything in this world they have to give - their unflinching loyalty. It breaks my heart to see that kind of loyalty pissed away by those to whom it's given, as if those pissing it away are >entitled< to it. Even sadder is that it's so goddam misguided.
My experience with a malignant narcissist is that they feel very entitlted to their graft and theft. Towards the MN final days in my life he constantly droned on about what he did for everyone how generous he was and how everyone owed him and werent doing the right thing. This MN stole tons of peoples money in the form of a pyramid scheme involving a business that repair cars and built race cars. All of us the victims he appealed too individually (isolated) with the same shpiel and countless times we gave to him. He then turned it around and appealed for more money saying other people werent doing the right thing. Once he was so in hock to everyone that he couldnt keep the game going anymore most folks wisened up to the gimmick. He spent everyones money, got divorced, lost his house to the wife and son and now is a drug addict somewhere. His graft went on for decades. He burnt a lot of people. Some folks STILL to this day feel bad for him. Such is the draw he had. He was a schmuck like us who got caught. If he was a rich man like Trump he'd still be doing the graft. Trump without Russian or Billionaire bailouts is going under. This is his come to jesus moment. His base still gives to him, they just dont have much money left (he saw to that). I myself gave my house tax money to the MN twice before I wisened up. I think a lot of the donors are kinda getting it now. I am not saying they have become nice people. They are beginning to stop believing in Mr Trump is all. All the other MAGA shit, jeez yeah, most but the most self examining will still carry that torch. (Sorry for the lengthy message).
Speak your piece, bro. 👍 You've had a relevant experience to relate. We've banged on out here about malignant narcissism for months! Sorry you were burned.
You aint kidding and thank you. I am thankful that I was conned and done before 2018. It gave me a lot of insight into Mr Trump and also so much of the gaslighting the Republicans do. I have one regret and that is carrying water for the MN. I brought customers too him and convinced people he was on the level when in the back of my mind I knew something was wrong. By now I've read enough about it to not feel guilty for what happened. Its part of the MN manipulation. To be honest I would still apologize profusely to the others who were in the same boat as me. There are some in the victims group who have or would commit violence against the MN given the opportunity. Mr Trumps grift cuts the same way. He will be lucky he only goes to jail. By Trumps same stochiatiric terrorism method there are going to be a small percentage of that 84 million MAGA that really want him dead.
Outstanding commentary, DZK. Thanks for the link. Reich and a few others have voiced the same things Olbermann says about locking him up, but Keith is more forceful about it.
Yes, Dr Reich has split no hairs about ol' Tweety being locked up, and I agree. But that wasn't my focus. I was attempting to present a little background, that Olberman provides, on the question of cultish behavior in the remark I was responding to - agreeing, in fact that the behavior is cultish. But what I was >really< trying to highlight is the anecdote about Linsey Graham, what he learned about those cultish followers that day, and what we do now, as well. >That's< what underpins and expresses itself as cultishness. Wholesale ignorance, arrogant and blind. It also shows the towering cynicism of Graham, ol' Tweety, as well as all the elected officials who speak for them, as well as the >utter contempt< for them it must take to realize their political goals on that kind of grassroots support.
Well, TFG said early on that he loves the poorly educated. The dumbing-down has gone on for over 40 years, with book banning being the latest, most blatant phase.
While I don't think ignorance is confined to the MAGAs, I do think it's necessary to be fundamentally ignorant to be a true MAGA believer. The top MAGAs---Graham, McCarthy, Cruz, etc.---are merely cynically exploiting the cluelessness of their followers, as you say. Devastatingly, contemptuously using them.
Then you see why I was making the issue. They can send ol' Tweety to Guantanamo for the duration if they like, for all the good it will do concerning the >real<, fundamental issue. Although I want to see ol' Tweety burned down to the ground, there are others who are more quietly dangerous, who represent the cult mob, who's mentality is fully exposed in the Olbermann piece. Ol' Tweetys can come, and ol' Tweetys can go, but these morons will continue to rise up from the very dirt they were planted in on into the foreseeable future.
Oh, they've been there in this country for generations at least, more often behind the curtain, but sometimes in full view. TFG is merely the only President to fully, openly embrace them. I don't see a way to be rid of them for good---the Machiavellis and Rasputins will always exist. All we can do is resist them as they come.
I think trump has (like Hitler) tapped into the fact that these people feel small inside for whatever reason. They’re damaged and ripe for the picking. Especially since trump foments violence. They really are hooked on his every violent word.
Gaslighting and a description of the Democrats who want to control our entire lives. Who we can like, what car to drive, what we can cook with and destroying the country through massive illegal immigration and destruction of the rule of law with no enforcement. Weaponizing the Supreme Court concerning abortion that was left up to the states. Denying that there are issues with the elections and no respect for the voter and integrity.
Insult to 7 year olds to compare their emotional intelligence to the former loser president. (I am speaking as a retired teacher when I say that.). I would consider him having the emotional intelligence of a petulant two year old.
It would be depressing how many people still support Trump IF we expected logical rather than psychological processes to govern human behavior.
Try thinking of his hard core supporters as "depressed" - getting a steady feed of anger directed by FoxNews etc, a daily feed of fury that helps them feel alive.
Today's Trump faithful are quite different from the Fascists of the 1920s and 1930s - different inputs driving their thoughts, different outputs driving behavior. We are still seething with victimhood and grievance and blame - BUT whereas the Fascists needed to invent someone to blame through vile absurdities, today the purpose 9d blame is much simpler - the people who profit from exploration pay henchmen to blame someone other than the guilty for all of the problems most people face. All those Blacks and Witches and...
That's not a new American problem: it goes back to slavery and more. But it's a DIFFERENT sort of problem than Fascism...at least for now.
I agree with you. But describing Trump as having a 7-year old’s emotional maturity makes me think when I was a seven year old and the other seven year olds I knew. I cannot think of a one that would behave as selfishly or as despicably as he does. Any child who behaves that way would be pitied at best and ostracized.
Also, red states tend to not want help if it comes from "woke" sources; i.e., states where the preponderance of citizens don't think the same way they do. This mindset explains why orange people so often vote against their own interests.
I periodically listen to one of the right wing talk radio stations in my area (Lynchburg, VA) to find out what the "other side" is thinking and doing. More and more I am hearing words like "if Trump is convicted, I won't vote for him, and his campaign is over" and "people need to begin selecting a "backup Republican candidate" to support if Trump is convicted". This gives me some hope that Trump's hold on America's right wing is beginning to crumble! Convicting him of his multiple crimes as soon as possible is vitally important. By the way, Vikram Ramaswamy seems to be making a big impression and gaining ground with these people. Possible "backup Republican candidate" to Trump?
If Trump gets forced off the ballot from the 14th amendment after being convicted the Republicans are losing all the marbles in 2024. Vikram still defends Trump. His whole purpose is as a "not biden" candidate for independents. Thats how Republican propaganda has been spinning him. I dont know why anyone would want a big Pharama exec as president. Unless of course they wanted unfettered price hikes for their meds and opiods in every home. Quote from wikipedia..
"Ramaswamy's campaign denied attempting to "scrub" his Wikipedia page and argued the edits were revisions of "factual distortions"."
Starting out as rewriting history does not bode well.
Donald Trump is just one man, and contrary to what he believes...one OLD man, who will eventually be out of the picture. It's his sick, hateful, vicious legions that are scaring the hell out of me. I'm afraid, if given power once again, our country is lost!
Barb that is certainly true though unlikely. Unfortunately as his Trial(s) near his rhetoric is going to get worse and worse the closer he comes to encarceration. Think of a petulant 3 year old kicking and screaming because they dont want a time out. The more extreme he gets the father away from elective office he becomes.
If he keeps up the stochiatric terrorism he is going to jail sooner than the trial. The big timeout is coming for him.
That’s probably true, but as much as Trump is scary, the people BEHIND Trump {and I don’t mean the dopes in the crowds, I mean the guys pulling Trump’s strings by praising him and manipulating him to bring about the policies they want], THEY will be here for a lot longer … They have been here for forty or more years — maybe since the Nixon debacle — and they’ll be here still when Mr. Orange is pushing up daisies.
We need an educated population with a modicum of understanding of history AND of our actual form of government to resist the pull back to an age of Kings and Serfs, by any other name. ‘Cause that’s where we’re headed … Unitary Presidency, my ass … KING.
The Steve Bannons and Roger Stones will look for their next dictator. I agree with what you said. Additionally as Robert Reich has said we need to stamp out inequality. That is the main reason so many tortured souls are responding to these folks vial BS. Progressive tax the rich and the corporations and fight against union busting/raise federal minimum wage.
I agree with you, Bill. I think Trump's minions are only going with him because they've been riding the Trump train for so long they're afraid to get off. To them, change is bad, but as Dylan said, the times are a'changin. It may be slow at first, but then it'll come like a whirlwind with no turning back.
Do we Dems have to be watchful and aware? Of course! Fascism is trying to creep up on us.
We also need to build a prioritized plan based on two possibilities: keeping our current minority/majority in the House/Senate, as well as-- if it turns out like I think it will--if it turns out we achieve a majority in both houses. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Republicans will fail because their only agenda is the "no" agenda of revenge, vindication, and hate. It is the anti-agenda, and eventually voters who've been on the Trump train will get tired of this and disembark. Contrary to what some say, no one wants to be associated with a whining criminal.
It feels like the Dems are Ukraine fighting Putin and Putin is just trying to wear us down. Like Ukraine we are making incremental gains and the stakes are all or nothing. Unfortunately I have come to understand that being, at times, necessarily quiet, about strategy means the side with the most propaganda "appears" to be winning when they are not. I will say yes the Dems have a communication deficit. Some of that is most assuredly due to main stream media. When I actually listen to what Biden is doing I am pleased. Even on "pro" dem mainstream media reporting on the good Dem stuff is NOT the main focus. I dont know if thats because it doesnt get good ratings or main stream media is full corporatiom intrests first and ours second.
I'd be really wary of Ramaswamy. He's smarter than the rest, more soft spoken, puts a kinder face on it, but what he offers is still extremism, fascism. And he's slowly catching on. I fully expect him to surge ahead of DeSantis, & replace Trump when the latter falls.
Execs only get one thing. Develop a monopoly and squeeze. Would that monopoly in government be power? And the squeezees...wouldnt that...as it always is...be us?
After the Republican debate last night, I'm a lot less confident in this assessment. It's hard to say what goes on in MAGA people's minds. What seems disastrous or nonsensical to us sounds clever & sensible to them, but based on last night's performance, I would predict that the race got a lot tighter in positions 2-6. The 2nd & 3rd place candidates, DeSantis & Ramaswamy, did terribly, whereas Pence, Haley & Christie all did relatively well, the former two surprisingly well.
I agree with you, but Vikram has a sharp mind and a "silver tongue", great political gifts, compared to DeSantis who is a dud, so he may continue to do well in the 2024 polls and maybe beyond, unless they discover more "skeletons in his closet" like what you mentioned in your comment.
The skeleton in his closet that had been erased was having dealing with a George Soros relative. He would only remove that from his history if he wanted to statt attacking Soros (Antisemite dogwhistle) and appeal to the MAGA base. Silver tongued...Well if thats what you like. The person who tells you everything you want to hear is lying to you.
He can also rap to Eminem songs. HACK!!! That was me coughing up a hairball at the very thought of this scumbag being anywhere near the office of the presidency.
His son, Jerry Falderal Jr., resigned from Liberty University due to a sex scandal involving a "pool boy" and is suing the school over the 8.5 million dollars that he claims the school owes him and trademark violations! Certainly not the Christianity of the Bible! My neighbor owns a gun shop and loves Trump. Yes, it's an adventure!
Well if this isn't scary as hell I don't know what is?!! What's it going to take for these MAGA's to Wake UP and realize that Trump gives a damn about nothing but himself and gaining power back again?! Do you honestly think anything can shake them out of their stupor at this point Professor?!...I live in very RED Indiana and I am not very hopeful. Thank you for expressing his plans so succinctly altho I'm more depressed and scared than ever. Putting all my hopes and prayers on Jack and Fani!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Lisa, those people who were Trumpers and Trumpettes then saw the light were only tools he could use. Once they are no longer useful, they are either forgotten (most common) or used as examples of what Trump can do to anyone who is not a total loyal lapdog for him. What he knows, without those guys on his "team," Trump can do very little. He needs the new lines to spew at rallies, the names of people he needs to threaten if they don't give him what he wants, the adulation fix he needs to survive. Trump has been lucky because most of his troops have been extraordinarily loyal despite his treatment of them. That may not last if some of them realize he not only will throw them under the bus but will have the bus run back over them to protect himself. None of these are good people, people worthy of being trusted with our nation's life..
"None of these are good people, people worthy of being trusted with our nation's life!"
Exactly. None of them are good people. NONE of them. If they support this un-American BS artist/con-man/outright thief and liar, they are just as guilty and deserve punishment and ostracization from our larger society.
Its a frightful thing to contemplate Trump back in power. Hitler not only murdered everyone who had been his enemy, he knocked off those who put him in power as well, so he would have no rivals, and terrorize anyone who would even think of betraying him. Trump does that now with character assassination and lack of loyalty to his sycophants. What will he do to appease the his base-minded mob—I am so counting on the judges to act justifiably. He needs to be figuratively bound and gagged for the safety of the world so Phase 4 will show the truth and his own lies will throw him in the pit of his own devises. And GET Roger Stone in with him. He’s the mastermind puppet master behind Nixon too.
The ACTUAL masterminds of the Trump debacle are hanging out behind the curtain, most of the time. Guys like Stone can’t resist coming out for a taste of the spotlight, but Oligarchs are funding the chaos and manipulating the Orange Narcissist, and his fawning crowds.
This is SO disheartening. I wanted to believe we’d be better than this. I hope we still manage to be.
You nailed it big time!! Should trumpie boy regain power, there will be no stopping him. We live in Montana where he has quite a few supporters. Wonder if they will see through his subterfuge.
I do Vote Blue of course and try to do my part as much as I can. I help with local Dem fundraisers, I donate to state and local candidates when I am able, I sign petitions and do my part on Social media as well. And I an never afraid to speak up about how awful Trump is. To anyone. Even if they're my own GOP family members. 😔 #RiseResistRepeat
Lisa, the MAGAs want everyone scared out of their wits so they can do even more damage (power-grab). They hope we will be so scared we will become despondent and do nothing to stop them in our helplessness. Well, I hope we will not do that and will use this fear to empower each other to do better and to stop this insanity. One thing we can do is stop being scared to talk with family members who are MAGAs. If those MAGAs are too obnoxious, just don't invite them to family events and tell them why, sop pussy footing around them. They are in training to be hateful people and we don't have to go along with their hateful BS. Then, we need to get involved where we can: signing petitions to our representatives, phone banking and protesting if those are your abilities, post card writing (yes people do pay attention to snail mail), read up on what is going on (people here already do a lot of these things, but encouraging friends and family, as well as other contacts to get involved will help too. In short. We can't get dragged down by people who are so wrapped up in their cult they can't connect effectively with anyone but their cult members. Some of these are people who would love to do harm to us if they don't like what we look like, how we worship, how we live, etc. We can't let them win anything, so voting at every level is essential, even in this off-year election. We need good local people and state officials. We can't give up our rights to a bunch of people who have chosen to stop thinking clearly if at all.
I encourage everyone to call or write to the election officials in your state to keep trump off the ballot as per the 14th amendment. Which states that :” No person shall hold office under the United States who has previously taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States who shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
They don’t have to be convicted of a crime. Trumps own lawyer stated in his presence that just because he broke his oath doesn’t mean he committed a crime.
We don’t have to wait until the election is over nor should we.
Trump is using his run for president as a means to escape justice.
Currently he is rallying his mob stating that he is being persecuted because he is running for president, that this is a ploy by the democrats to keep him from being elected. If he does happen to be elected, (shudder the thought) he will have immunity as president for the State charges and he will pardon himself of all federal crimes.
He is a great admirer of Putin who has made himself president for life. After all of the illegal things he’s done I’d bet my life that that is a part of his plan.
Please call, write, and or petition the election officials of your state to keep trump off the ballot.
Sadly, I am sure my letters go in the trash can because my state is run by republicans. The governor is republican and the state legislators are predominantly republican. I can ask the Secretary of State; however, he is a republican, too!
According to former Federal Judge Michael Luttig and legal scholar Lawrence Tribe, if the Secretary of State gets it wrong and allows DJT to be on the ballot, it will go to the Supreme Court. We have the facts, we all saw the insurrectionists on Jan 6 and we now have the evidence DJT and his co-conspirators planned beforehand to overthrow our government by the fake elector scheme.
I don't understand why this is not being debated in our congress and especially in our judicial branch of government. Are the lawyers of the citizenry calling for citizens to implement amendments to our constitution? Is it such a murky, messy, "unprecedented" process that our elected officials don't know what to do? Or, i suppose our elected officials (at least over a 100 of them) are in on the coup attempt and should also be thrown out on their asses.
I have had a hard time understanding why this wasn’t being implemented and would bring that up in comments hoping someone who was in power would do something. I finally realized we have to tell our election officials to follow the 14th amendment and keep trump off the ballot. This is still a democracy and it’s up to “we the people” to demand that our government uphold the Constitution. Otherwise we might not have a democracy anymore.
Of course. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Just seems like it should be easier. But then i look around me and see loud, obnoxious maga cult members (white suburban women) and simply do not understand what happened to them!
I will keep talking, keep writing and keep the faith that we will overcome.
Thanks for encouraging all to wield the 14th Amendment with their Secretaries of State which is what I have also been doing with mine in MN & those nearby in WI, MI & IL. Let the Blue Wall of the upper Midwest continue to help stop Trump & the MAGA Cult! 🇺🇸💙💙💙💙⚖️
Trump needed to be. arrested Jan. 7th, 2021 and locked up without bail. Seeing as that didn't happen, we're now living in very dangerous times. Him and his minions won't stop until they either "win" or they're behind bars. Let's all hope really fucking hard for the latter🤞
Well said!! He should have been in prison until his trial from January 7th, 2021 on. Then whatever happens to traitors who want to overthrow this country....
Now there is a concerted effort to see that he gets back in to the presidency. China and Russia would like nothing better. Tommy Tuberville is doing his part in keeping the military from being where it needs to be - probably so trumpie boy can manipulate them to his advantage should he get back in office. He was not able to get them on his side the first time. If he does, heaven help this country.
In quite a number of other countries around the world, this attempted coup would have been treated with enormous firepower wiping out all of those involved. All of those involved, including members of Congress, should be indicted and removed from office with prison terms.
Amen!!! I am hoping many more Indictments are coming...Including those Members of Congress who were involved in January 6th!! Traitors every single one of them.
I can't understand why Judge Howell's finding that Trump is a flight risk is not discussed, at least by a Motion for Judicial Notice in the Miami and DC federal cases.
The lower court stated that “The district court found that there were ‘reasonable grounds to believe’ that disclosing the warrant to former President Trump ‘would seriously jeopardize the ongoing investigation’ by giving him ‘an opportunity to destroy evidence, change patterns of behavior, [or] notify confederates.'”
It could be tat the Georgia prosecutors know about this finding. They couls=d at a minimum, ask Trump whether he will abide by the $2000,000 bond. I am not a Georgia lawyer, but this makes that amount a joke.
Given that he has attacked Willis personally, already besmirched the court and the process, and that grand jurors are receiving threats, Trump should be ordered to show cause why he will not continue to harass.
BTW some of those members of Congress are potential witnesses FOR the prosecution in the DC case and could be added to the witness list,.
It is concerning to see such discrepancies in bail amounts for individuals who have been charged with serious crimes. Martha Stewart reportedly paid $250,000 for her bail, while Wesley Snipes paid $1 million for his tax evasion charge. However, it is shocking to see that the bail amount set for DJT was so low, especially considering the potential damage he may have caused on Jan 6th and if re-elected. It raises questions about the formula used by his lawyers to convince the court to set such a low bail. It is important that the justice system remains fair and consistent in its treatment of individuals who have been charged with crimes.
Wow, i wonder why Wesley Snipes bail was so high?? and for tax evasion? There is no telling to how many counts of tax evasion TUMP would have if the IRS would do some investigating. I was shocked at how low TUMP's bail was set at. In my opinion, TUMP should have been jailed pending trial, but i suppose that cretin is some kind of privileged character or something. I fail to see what some think is so great about that corrupt, career criminal. To me, he is worst living thing on the face of the earth. To his followers, he is their God and savior.
The billionaires waiting for another handout from our treasury would gladly pay more to help him out, because of what they will get in return if he regains the White House.
I agree. He is getting away with murder as usual. He will keep pushing and pushing the boundaries. The Lawyers are barely keeping him in check. I pray they lock him up with no internet. Heck at this point I'd even settle for House Arrest long as he shuts his mouth!! 😆
Got this from Lisa Rubin: "Among the conditions of Trump's release in GA are his obligation to make no "direct or indirect threat of any nature," whether through his own social media posts, reposts, or otherwise, against any co-defendant or witness in the GA case--or *any* victim or even "against the community"
But who counts as a victim, especially given that the wording is not limited to "victim in this case"? And what about the community? Who is a member of the community against which Trump may not make direct or indirect threats?
Given that Trump's bond order was negotiated and agreed upon by both sides, these are questions I would have expected his counsel to ask and insist either on more clarity/more precise language
Daniel, yes, and there is a GA state representative who is proposing to try to remove Fani Willis, a duely-elected DA from office to stop the proceedings. How can that be legal? I see that Florida has the provision too and DeSantis is working to remove anyone who won't do exactly what he, fascist that he is, wants them to do. He has already ditched two prosecutors, again, properly chosen by voters. This is serious and our DOJ needs to address it quickly before it gets out of hand. State legislatures proving their loyalty by getting rid of anyone who would question their Baby Donnie or anyone else. It is outrageous!
We seem to still have the problem we had after the Mueller investigation - too many pols who just don't want ANYTHING to sully their party's reputation if they can squash it or otherwise hide the evidence ! How many are secretly just slow-walking their jobs or minimizing what happens in order to protect 'their guys' ? I always suspected Chris Wray & I still worry about Republican behavior ! Let's face it they would much rather this whole thing just went away - their comments to the press about an actual insurrection tell you they will NEVER admit to what happened & what the plot was !
vcragain, I am concerned about the general denials by Repubs, particularly after the Mueller Report. I read it through (as much as we were able to see), and knew he was presenting guilt, but Barr thought he was being cute when he pretended there was no guilt or only the few people he named. He lied, of course because that is what Republicans do these days instead of facing hard facts like that Trumpe is a criminal and always has been one. Then, there's the people who hang around Trump and "advise" him. They too are criminals, maybe even more so than Trump. I am guessing the members of Congress who participated in the coup attempt will never be held accountable because like Trump, possibly until now, they are coated in teflon and charged and accusations slide right off while they continue to work their task of undermining our democracy. Why are we allowing it? I am guessing it is because in the red states nearly all dissent has been blocked. In Tennessee, Democratic legislators who have been properly elected by their districts are silenced if they say anything the Speaker does not like, possibly indefinitely. Maybe some of the government money We the People send to the red states needs to be held back until they start acting like a democracy in the states rather than the Confederacy. That would be a good start since our nation gives more money to the red states than they pay into this nation through taxes. Maybe a set of regulations needs to be prepared by the various agencies that dole out money to the states that require the minority party to have a say and that being silenced in any way in the legislature must bve reserved for only serious crimes like robbery, murder, personal threats, etc. That would be a problem since Republican legislators do the threatening thing all the time. We need our democracy on track and it looks like it will be Democrats who will have to do it. The Republicans have checked out in favor of their own rich white cupremacist, christian nationalist world. That is unacceptable here and we need to demonstrate that at the polls, in every single election.
Michael Moore published a list of those traitors who were involved. In my view, it is incomplete as there were several US Senators who are not on his list who should be disciplined for their activity.
Michael, I think your assessment of Tupperville's role is accurate. However, Biden needs to step in and give the ranks to the people with the responsibilities, at least temporarily until Tupperville is called out for what he is, a traitor who is trying to undermine our military for his own personal misogynistic, racist views. He needs to be called a racist and a misogynist. Then Schumer needs to remove him from any committee that would permit him any power. The Democrats could do that. Where is Schumer in all this? We need a Nancy Pelosi running the Senate. No first-year senator or congressperson should have enough power to disrupt a chamber of Congress as Cruz did in 2013 and Tupperville (a coach who never served, for God's sake) now. They know nothing and are in power only to soothe powers that be that they will have someone they can control (if they are from a red state). The newbees are important, but should not have so much power.
I’m not AT ALL interested in the fire power. I am interested in the people power, our right to speak to our legislators and those in office, and our VOTE.
Let us not forget Moscow Mitch McTraitor, who could have solved, resolved and prevented all of this. Instead he gave us the GOP kangaroo court and a badly fractured country that faces another 4 or more years of this absolute nonsense.
Michael, I have not forgotten hypocrite McConnell. He too is a jerk who cares only for money, power, and himself, I think in that order, although I suspect they are actually the exact same thing. He also broke his oath when he voted to acquit Trump when he admitted afterward that he knew Trump was guilty. That means he lied to the American people and did not defend our Constitution from a usurper. He has also wielded the filibuster with impunity to stop anything positive that the Senate could do to help anyone. Fortunately sometimes, the filibuster has been overturned on rare occasions which is how anything got done. The Republican Party has collected a band of brothers (and a few sisters) who are not worthy to serve anywhere, but have bamboozled anough people in their home states to get them elected. Their constituents whine that they are getting nothing from our government but blaming the wrong people. It is a master scheme and we had better break it open soon or we will have a nearly impossible task to come back from the damage the Republican Party will cause and for nothing but power and money for themselves. Gag!
The down ballotage races for secretary of state were very important for the GOP. Probably to interfere with the upcoming Election. And let's expect many rants and posts on how the upcoming election will be rigged by Democrats before the first ballot is cast. Past will be prologue ...
I'm concerned about this strategy of using Secretaries of State this way. Are the definitions of insurrection and rebellion going to stay the same? I don't like this slippery slope and don't trust it. There are only 50 Secretaries of State who need to be controlled. If a conviction is not required, the S O S subjectively decides which oath is not supported by whom. I'm skeptical.
The Perfect Phone Call to Zelenskyy Digging up dirt on Biden, his presumed rival in 2020. Usurp Congress’s approval for military aid to Ukraine, concealment of the read out, suggesting foreknowledge or coordinating timing for Putin’s 2021 invasion. Fire the Ukraine ambassador destabilizing Zelensky administration. Undercut the FBI in Helsinki. Dispatch Guiliani to Ukraine Multi-pronged strike against Biden
"Everyone who cares about American democracy should be duly warned — and prepared for Phase 4."
Let's hope that includes the broadcast media, who proclaim they've learned the lessons of 2016. Can they really not shine the spotlight on Trump's every move?
First test will be tomorrow when he tries to upstage the Republican debate. We'll see.
Trump is ineligible for elected office. I look forward to the day when various secretaries of state refuse to put Trump on the ballot--it will, of course, go to the Supreme Court, and the conservative constitutional originalists will be forced to concur. The Republican Party will scramble to put someone else on the ballot, and Biden will win. Democracy will prevail.
It's easy to see that Trump has "held the course" all along. And despite mountains of evidence of just what a loathsome, unscrupulous person he is, ***74 million people*** voted for him in 2024. What scares me is that that 74 million hasn't really diminished all that much -- possibly not any at all. It may even have grown. If all of Us in the anti-Trump faction figure, "We beat him in 2020; We will most likely do it again," We may be done in by Our complacency. While I see/hear many people raising the alarm, I'm not seeing/hearing _enough_ of them. And if anything, you can be certain that the GOP and MAGA will be pulling out all the stops and dirty tricks they can find to boost their ballots counts while diminishing Ours.
We need to expand OUR base by adding young voters. Demographically we can swamp them.
"In order to spite the Democrats for their partisan prosecutions, GOP voters would be doing exactly what Democrats and the press corps want them to do. Democrats want Republicans to nominate the man who has shown over the last three national elections that he is the greatest voter turnout machine for the Democratic Party since Franklin Delano Roosevelt."
The real question(s) should be: In lieu of Trump, WHO _should_ the Republicans nominate? (And contemplate the likelihood that the sulking MAGA crowd would assure his loss by not voting.) And in lieu of Biden, who is charismatic enough to pull together the voters to defeat the GOP candidate?
The underlying voting dynamic at this point is the (slight) majority of voters determined to vote _against_ Trump. They WILL vote for whoever the Dems put up for President. Meanwhile, on the other side, half (the MAGA crowd) WILL vote for Trump -- or possibly no one if Trump isn't on the ballot. The other half WILL vote _against_ whoever the Dem candidate is.
The BEST thing that could happen for the Dems would be to keep Trump off the ballot. And most every Republican knows it. Those in Congress will be pulling every string possible to keep Trump eligible. Delay, delay, delay. Meanwhile, the Dems are just praying Biden doesn't keel over dead. Because the Dems don't have an alternative candidate charismatic enough to unify the anti-GOP segment of the voting population.
2024 is without a doubt the suckiest election over the course of my half-century of political participation. And no matter who wins, the losers are likely be VERY outraged.... and capable of making January 6th look like a rehearsal.
Democrats have a number of strong, attractive candidates. I think Jamie Raskin may be the strongest candidate, but most of the leading names should do at least as well as Biden.
This is the main problem with Dem candidates: Most of them have _niche_ appeal: Like the popular band of the moment, each band has avid fans, but the different niche groups hardly know each other. What is needed/required is a candidate that EVERYBODY knows and likes. At the moment, everybody knows Joe Biden; not so many like him (but he's better than the alternative). If he drops out of the picture, who is the candidate EVERYBODY knows and actually likes?
Raskin is well enough known to draw interest & support from the beginning in a normal multi-candidate race. He was involved in at least 1 of the impeachment trials & the January 6th Committee hearings. He's very smart, his reasoning is impeccable, he's very good at facing down his opponents & shaming them. He's drawn a lot of admiration & sympathy for how he's faced & apparently overcome his bout with cancer.
I remember a Twitter feed about who people would most like to see as the next President, & many names were mentioned, but Raskin's name came up by far the most. Sheldon Whitehouse was second. Elizabeth Warren was up there & Bernie got quite a few mentions, too, & I think Hakeem Jeffries did pretty well, too. Probably Gavin Newsom, too. A few votes for Cory Booker, & some for Adam Schiff & also for his rival Katie Porter. Even the governor of Illinois -- I forgot his name -- was mentioned quite a few times among lesser known names. I remember Kamala Harris was surprisingly far behind. Oh, there were some Republican names, too -- it wasn't all Democrats -- but they were far down on the list. Just an anecdotal example, but interesting.
Personally, I would prefer Bernie Sanders, but if people are concerned about Biden's age, they will definitely be concerned about Bernie's age as well. Furthermore, after seeing how the Dem Powers That Be sabotaged Bernie in 2016, I wouldn't put it past them to do it again if Bernie was again a frontrunner. The only other candidate I would be drawn to is Gavin Newsom, but that's because I was living in CA for much of his governorship and I felt he was doing a decent job of it.
Professor Reich: do you think trump is actually deliberately acting to plan? by this, i mean, the plan you outlined here is logical and very easy to follow, but is trump actually consciously DELIBERATELY following this plan? if he's not consciously following this plan, do you think trump's handlers are (somehow) keeping him "on message"?
Girl Scientist, I am not as well-versed as Prof. Reich, but through observation and hearing Trump talk, it is not clear that he understands a whole lot. He has phrases and whines that he constantly pumps out, all of them against people he thinks harmed him. Resentment is strong with Trump and his cult. I have not heard one positive thing Trump has offered this nation in years, except at first pushing to get a vaccine for COVID, which he bragged over, but was ambivelent about recommending when it was available. He has no vision for this country because he can't see one himself or perhaps even see a need for one. His handlers are so busy with their own quest for power they have no positive vision either. The Steves want to be "the power behind the throne" and Trump is willing to let them be since he needs them and their words to get him started on his rants. The media is always looking for things to play from Trump speeches and interviews that make him sound rational and like a leader (remember when during his presidency they kept telling us when they saw him doing something presidential? It wasn't often and it is less often now. Like a toddler, Trump likes the adulation, but not the work of being a president or anything else. He was a lousy businessman, a problematic manager, a terrible president, yet a bunch of people want him in office again. When asked (on the rare times they are), they say they like that Trump stands for the same things they do. I am waiting for one of the reporters to ask, which of the things he is for do you like, is it white supremacy, misogyny (OK, they won't know the word misogyny, so the reporter will have to say something like "taking away women's rights). Or, is it racism you like about Trump? Maybe it's his whining, blaming, and resentment that gets you to love him. Except for hurting immigrants and giving a huge tax cut to the already rich, what did he do that made you love him? How did you benefit from having Trump in office? None of these questions are ever asked, yet they are asked of Democrats all the time during and after Obama's administration and now during Biden's. Fortunately, we have actual meaningful answers, not that there were no problems in the administrations. Then, there's Trump who can't answer the simplest questions without resorting to the tried and true whines and repetitions. It reminds me of when my mother was moving into dementia. She was older and it came on more quickly for her, but the signs are there. This is a dilemma!
Why are people so hypnotized by these series of fraud & conspiracy to defraud to just let them takeover as we describe the illegality all the way down? No, social mores and decency gatekeepers can stop him with shame alone if they just would do it.
Timothy, one can only shame someone who first of all has a moral compass to guide their words and actions; Trump and his friends have none. Then, the person must feel shame and want to do something to avoid it; Trump feels almost nothing unless he sees it as a personal attack, then instead of changing his behavior toward a more positive community minded action, he doubles down to do as much harm to the offending person as he can. There is no shame to use for any kind of course correction. Besides, by now, Trump knows what has worked for him and he continues to use it for his personal benefit. He is a toddler-man and will never be anything more than that. He could be a destructive toddler-man, and even more destructive one than he has been, but there is no adult present within Donald Trump.
The media is a huge part of the blame here. Demanding we pay attention to his criminality . Covering everything about him for click bait and continuing on with the dumbing of America . They are tearing down every institution in these USA only to take over the power and leave us as minions. The media is now owned by right wing magats not covering all the good happening with Dem policies . You have to search for that info. The avg American does not have time for that ! The DNC and celebrities need to compete for airwaves. We need monthly ads on TV ! Now and always !
Very cogent analysis of the Trump strategy. It is extremely depressing to see everyday the evidence that something like a third of the electorate wants to return this infantile narcissist to the leadership of America. Warnings that we may have the last free election fall on their deaf ears. Acknowledgement of the consequences of entrusting immense power to a fascist with a 7 year-old's emotional maturity is non-existent by that cult. Tell me they're different from those who were in thrall to a mustachioed European hate monger in the 1930's. Tell me they're not seething with grievance and victimhood and paranoia like those people a century ago in the "old world". Because, honestly, I don't recognize them anymore.
Addendum. I think of those people in the Trump cult as people who have become "infected", much like those who were sickened by a virus. There is no other explanation for their loss of common sense, their inability to judge a character with such obvious and proven flaws. I think of the disease as DONALD-16, and our once mostly effective vaccine for this kind of virus, the press, has gone out of business.
Your comment is spot on!! I, too, feel very sorry for these people. DONALD-16 is killing them. Our media needs to wake up and stop feeding him! I don't want to hear how he is making them money. At some point, the press needs to stop allowing him any exposure.
Peggy, the problem is that the ultra right own almost ever media out there. So they will not suddenly turn honest. We need to dismantle the monopoly hold but that won’t happen soon enough.
how "to dismantle the monopoly hold..." ?
I would LOVE to see far less attention to his every grimace and intake-of-breath, but he IS a legitimate topic for coverage, and to keep us apprised of his machinations is also responsible journalism.
It’s the balance that is gone — plus the nature of the coverage is more “Wow! Check out what he’s doing now! Check out how he influences a crowd! Check out what his minions are up to! Amazing that he can do all this, even though he’s supposed to be behaving himself, even though he’s not that smart …” {And actually, other than being the trained monkey attracting attention for the schemers who use Trump as their tool, he is not the one making all this happen. He and his supporters aren’t in control — they are the actual minions of oligarchs and powers behind the scenes hoping to “blow it all up,” as Steve Bannon put it. Trump is really just the Big Floating Face that keeps us from noticing the guys behind the curtain who are the real power behind this threat to our democracy.]
I’d love more actual news coverage of the man and the people orchestrating a move to oligarchy in America. There is some good journalism out there — it’s just not fair to pretend we get no actual news and analysis of this man — but there is far too much of the other.
And the dancing maniacs inspire too much of the “Wow” response …
Really sharp observations here, Pat.
It seemed evident, after all this time …I think we need to recognize what is afoot, or we’ll pay too much attention to Donny and not see the guys carrying off our democracy under our very noses.
We do most certainly need to defeat Donnie, but right now, NONE of the Republicans can be trusted to resist the oligarchs, white supremacists, and Unitary President crowd …
Spot on!
Pat, your analysis is spot on. The oligarchs here in the U.S., in Hungary, in Saudi Arabia and Russia are laughing all the way to the bank. Many believe tRump has been a Russian agent for at least a decade. The extremists in state legislatures and congress are being funded by corporatists i.e. oligarchs who have funded candidates in congress, state legislatures and the SC. They have brought us the Dobbs vs, Jackson decision, gutting the Voting Rights Act, striking down gun control legislation and thwarting efforts to limit fossil fuels. We're on the brink of no return, and still we have Manchin and Sinema using their leadership to defeat Biden's climate agenda. As a result we have state sponsored terrorism in communities of color, ten year old rape victims carrying to term unwanted pregnancies, the leading cause of death in children is now gun violence The majority of people are not in favor of this legislation, but voter suppression, gerrymandering and bribing SC judges has kept these scoundrels in office. Where democrats have fought back, democrats have won in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania They should be out there in red, white and blue states, differentiating themselves from their rethuglican opponents. Breaking the extremist threat in state legislatures like Tennessee should be job number 1 for Biden and the Democratic party. IMHO, Biden could lose unless he and democrats start defining their goals and pointing out to voters all over the country what their state legislatures are doing and why their vote can make the difference in whether we continue as a democracy or are governed by fascists masquerading as White Christian Nationalists and Evangelicals. When democrats fight back, they win!
I’m not sure what’s driving the Left these days Dems are so feckless. It’s like the leadership doesn’t care — they’re happy to be close to the halls of power, happy to decide who gets to run on the Dem tickets, and completely satisfied to let Republicans make a mess of our democracy, as long as the paychecks keep coming.
If the Left loses this presidential election, the ramifications will be extreme — think of what happened when Dubya and Cheney got in, and how that has resonated down through the past few years. But the R’s have been staging their long-game coup since at least Reagan. McConnell helped immeasurably with packing the SCOTUS. Donnie has served their purpose in destabilizing a functioning government and instilling massive distrust in our electorate, but now any Republican who gets in may possibly cement the anti-democratic, permanent-Republican electoral majority they are trying to install across the country — not a majority of voters, just a majority of electors. They scare the hell out of me.
Vote blue.
Maybe right here, Boyo.
And you would be surprised {yeah, I know you would, because you appear to be vaccinated against seeing it} at how much actual good reporting IS done in the MSM. It’s huge — the MSM is — and some of it’s fine. But, for example, you can’t just say The New York Times is a good source, because a lot of it isn’t, but some of it is. You need to read A LOT in A LOT of different places — and try reading some source material like papers on government sitees that lay out rules and regs and studies, and many news sources, not just the ones that repeat each other — and apply your thinking cap to the details.
Too hard for some people? Yeah, it was easier to listen to Edward R.Murrow and Walter Cronkite and trust them. But they’re dead and Dan Rather is tarnished {unfairly, I think, but he should have realized he was being played, even though he told the truth at the time}.
So, we get blanklet statements about how there’s nothing out there.
Ppppssshhhh!
The problem is us, who click on the bait under the guise of “news”. WE are funding the MSM machine each time we click on an article or interview with the x-president’s name attached. We defund the x-prez msm money-machine by sticking with reliably un-clickbait information like Professor Reich’s newsletter. Resist The Clickbait. MSM is a business making money where the money is to be made easiest. It is NOT a public service.
You are right … though I know it is not ALL MSM that is destructive, it is too much of it.
Totally agree, Peggy. Grabbing attention is Trump's raison d'etre. Like a hot air balloon, the more air pumped in by the media and his crazed cultists, the fatter and more volatile he becomes. I can just imagine the ghost of the Hindenburg smirking...
Trump cultists only follow the media that reinforce their already insane views. Truthfully, speaking only for myself, I do the same thing without the insanity. Now, it's becoming difficult to do because of the degradation of the so-called MSM. We seem to be badly out numbered.
I have come to believe the press will do anything to make money. Yellow journalism is alive & well & selling our nation down the river.
Peggy, I HIGhly disagree. We should always remember that most of America does not follow the news like those of us who are likely to post on threads like these, or even pay any attention to any news, at all. Truth is, our numbers are falling, and so its not even remotely possible that tfg is getting too much exposure. I feel ya, I couldn't possibly be more sick and tired of the orange blob, either, but we can always step away and give it a rest when we become overloaded by it all.
But. The coverage of what tfg is doing to our country, (and with a lot of help), if anything, needs to be ramped up to the hightest degree possible, because some experts are saying that roughly 75% of Americans became so overloaded by the news in the days of covid, that they just stopped paying attention, and are missing out on the tragedy that is now unfolding before us.
Check this out:
https://knightfoundation.org/articles/americans-attention-to-national-news-lowest-in-four-years/#:~:text=Among%20independents%20who%20lean%20Democrat,steady%20at%2036%25%20in%202021.
I never thought of it like that. Yes, we should continue to tell everyone what Donnie Three Chins is doing to our country. When you read about the various crimes committed by the person in the White House throughout history, you also read about those that were brave and strong enough to stop it. I am so very disappointed in the republicans holding office that simply were not brave or strong and refused to stop this man before he became what he did. Thank you for pointing this out to me. I will continue to enlighten my friends and neighbors with the truth and hope that everything will work out.
Thanks for that Peggy, but I should've pointed out that those polls from the Knight Foundation are now pretty stale, coming from 2021 I believe, and since then I think that our Dem friends have become more and more motivated by the abortion issue, tfg's criminality, etc., but that poll just shocked me when I read it. I mean I had no idea, that our numbers were getting to be so much worse, at that time ! So I think my point still stands; that we absolutely cannot not let up now, but for that matter, I've been greatly losing respect for polls over the last two years or so because they've now been wrong so often that its laughable. But STILL my point stands, ( I know, I'm starting to sound like a blithering idiot ), because if we can no longer put any faith in polls, then for all we know, things could now be worse than we think ! (sigh)..
So I share your frustration with the feckless R's that witnessed what the tfg and his Posse of fools were doing to our country on a daily basis, and did NOthing, about any of it. They should have spoken up on day one, when tfg moved his children into our WH and gave them top jobs there, (a little nepotism in the office of the most powerful man on the planet? Anyone?), and even after people in our IT agencies told him it was a bad idea, he said, "Well I want them to have top secret clearance, so do that." And thus the clearly apparent lack of competance, or even garden variety sanity, in tfg, reared its head for all to see, and yet no one, as you pointed out, did one damn thing about it, leaving the fool free to pick more rules, laws and traditions to tear up daily, as if those things were all just McDonalds' wrappers that he could and should just toss into the wind, in one of our National Parks. "Some little person will clean that up." , he might well have said. . I'm still, so angry, I could spit on my own floor.
Anyway, let's just keep on pluggin' Peggy! Spread the word. Our country is now in mortal danger of Authoritarian rule, and only people like us, can save her.
Kerry, I am glad you also see Trump's behavior as infantile. I suspect every single person who has spent any time with Trump knows he is not functioning and that he is being steered by unscrupulous people who want power but know they could never be elected to anything. I suspect they would not be willing to do the honest work if they were elected. You are right about the European insanity of a century ago and the constant injection of grievance and resentment Hitler and his crew administered to a people just dying to participate in something big where they could actually hurt the people who had something they wanted or whom they just hated on principle, good Christians that they were. The parallels to today's Republican party are startling but because most of the Trumpers and Trumpettes are not exactly history buffs they don't know much about the past except what their family, community, friends, and chosen information sources feed them. Can we find an antidote in time to stop the poison spreading in this nation? I sure hope so. I hope the increased decent-paying jobs and repaired local infrastructure may help, but with Republicans who never supported any of it claiming they are responsible, it is hard to see much improvement. I am sad the press can't be that antidote, but they have been bought and paid for. Their desperate desire to be loved has let rich white donors control what is put out here and slant it just enough to be sure the poison keeps moving. It is actually pretty cleverly done, certain kinds of questions to Democrats and others, far less relevant ones to Republicans who get few if any follow-up questions or comments. And, the media rarely uses the word lie when lies are coming every day. Even fact-checking organizations feel they have to balance the intense lying about everything done by Republican leadership with the small misstatements by Biden and other Democrats. I am not saying Democrats never lie, but that the lies covered and "balanced" are not of equal weight, although, somehow they look as though they are. We need to wake up!
Years ago, we journalists were not allowed to call disinformation “lies.” The word was anathema, as it characterized the teller as a liar, and I’m not sure that publications weren’t afraid of defamation lawsuits, or what it was. But the word “lie” was NOT used.
With Trump, though, the move toward calling a spade a spade has changed that — Trump IS a liar, and he’s not the only one. It’s about time we started to use the word when it’s accurate!
Pat, I find it so interesting that we have "freedom of the Press" yet the press has been permitted to be maligned, mis used, and prohibited from telling the truth about people in ways that would be meaningful for the less informed but with same voting ability as the rest of us. When someone stands there on stage and lies about someone or something, it is not an untruth or a misquote, most of the time, it is a bold-faced lie. It's time the press uses, but does not over use the word!
Absolutely. If people WANT a responsible and responsive press, they have to make it happen. We paid for newspapers and magazines for a long time. We put up with commercials to receive TV news. But then it became more than the social benefit that broadcasters had to provide to qualify to license airwaves. It became a profit center. TV media became a coompetition for eye-balls. Print media was scoffed up by Big Money.
There are non-profit media outlets these days, and we should know about them and patronize them and hopefully allow THEM to prosper … but if we want a free press, we have to stop gobbling up the crap that is really “click bait” and not journalism.
Agreed. Common sense is not so common and to RW's, empathy is seen as a weakness only experienced by girly-men and bleeding heart liberal women who oughta be in the kitchen, with a bun in the oven, making me a GD sammich tuh drink with muh BudtheKingofBeers!!!
S/
(I think?)
Wait! We must have empathy for policemen who beat the life out of unarmed minority shoplifters and religious believers who are offended by women who don’t wish to deliver newborns fathered by rapists or family members.
…and apparently we must have sympathy for the doctors who’d be denied the joy of delivering those babies, if the women were to abort them ..
Yep. We must certainly prioritize their feelings above the needs of what are really just "listless vessels".
"Listless vessels?"
I want to make a joke in extremely poor taste about how lively it is at Hooters and all but I better not on account of I don't want to get in any trouble and would prefer not to be excoriated by the wonderful ladies in this community/forum.
Adam, Many thanks for a laugh is this SAD situation.
We aims to please mister.
Tell ya what. A year and 1/2 ago, l was a dead man in all respects due to an extreme case of COPD that had me weeks, maybe a month or 2 of life left in me, when my lung transplant came through.
I joked and smiled all the way through this and I would have died smiling had that been my time.
In this world, one must exercise one's sense of humor to keep one sane.
Thank you for telling me Jerry. Stick around, I got a few more funnies in the hopper.
Adam, CONGRATS on beating the odds of that nasty disease. Have to ask - were you a smoker?
My wonderful wife of 41 years passed two years ago from COPD ++. She had quit smoking 10 years prior, but the damage was done.
And YES, I will stick around for a few more SMILES. You do the SAME!
Wait!! Wasn't Bud excoriated for it's ties to a Trans woman.
But "Kid Rock" brought them back!!!
I think of it more like those who got entangled in the Manson group - he was their inspiring leader, they followed in some kind of euphoric ridiculous single-minded glue-pot. When asked most of them cannot even tell you why they support him, it's a CULT.
Jim Jones, Manson, David Koresh and trump will all be lumped together in our nation’s history.
“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one.”
― Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
The free press still exists, as we Robert Reich listeners know, but the alt right owns 100% of SPONSORED media. The slight exception is MSNBC sometimes.
corrupt, self-serving, greedy leaders are being collaborating with the oligarchs/plutocrats to exploit the majority (the followers). We and the planet are being exploited for Money & Power. too many ppl are chasing the money/power definition of success and following the lead of corrupt examples of how to get there. Accepting that corruption is the catalyst to success as defined by wealth & power over others. Even the "church'/"evangelicals' are collaborating with racist (southern strategy) and corrupt politicians, all selfishly chasing money & power. All being manipulated by a few at the top, who are the ones with the most money & power, and who are gaining the most money & Power from their con.
A video guy with TYT or MTN took a microphone asking pre Trump rally people, “Why?” He found some normal-type people offering reason.
One said, “Trump is flawed,” but alternatives were no better. Another that, “Divisiveness is sown and unnecessary,” with a sense Democrats are doing the sowing. Another said, “Given 30 years in politics to get money out of politics,” Hilary didn’t couldn’t wouldn’t (and Trump appealed to those, saying, I will). It’s not America, or Republicans--it’s slowness, and being answerable to money.
The Koch brothers financed Trump’s campaign thinking he would be grateful and favor them--he ignored them. They are now never-Trump Republicans--but the results--they want to influence!
Trump supporters choose his brand as the lesser of 2 evils. There are crazy one’s but Trump audiences include people who seem reasonable, and desire to be a part of change. They’ll listen, and at least SAY they are not fanatics but pragmatists. Democrats sneer and scorn (not just Republicans). Trump rally-attendees found a home.
Mission is to separate frail-on-Trump Republicans from influence of the diseased (Trump). Silence Trump, put him in detention, so better people prevail.
Virality and infection are partially accurate metaphors, particularly if they help us see others as possible victims whom we might give in to hating or judging (neither of which will help us beat Trump). It's gracious and appropriate.
But unlike a virus, in this case, we have people profiting from spreading the "disease" of untruth. They do so carefully enough so as to avoid criminal liability (we just reported what people said...!) - but without the slightest concern for anything beyond how much profit they get for their story.
Of the 75 million Trump voters, most were infected by thought viruses. But the people producing and spreading viruses...and profiting from them...are an entirely different sort of problem, and one we don't have good vaccines to handle.
At least not yet. I think Prof Reich may be on to some ways of containing the infections and symptoms...worth studying.
Interesting that you bring up the concept of a "mind virus". I too have noticed something similar. I live in "enlightened”, affluent, educated Palo Alto, and am involved with several spiritual communities. A number of my otherwise intelligent, compassionate friends are starting to echo the Fauchi/ vaccine/ Hunter Biden/ big bad government/ strong borders/ anti-woke/ etc themes. It DOES seem like an infection of a sort.
Respectfully, when I hear “both sides” I am now not listening as you might wish. Perhaps I am wrong, but my perception of what ails our political culture is a toxic ignorance and malevolent disregard for our national history and norms of opposition, entirely on the part of the Republican Party. The racist reaction to Obama, personified by none other than Trump, started us on this path. There are no Democratic officeholders who have shamed themselves like their Republican counterparts. Actually, it takes adults to see things as they are, and call out misbehavior and fanaticism when they see it. A Democratic majority continues to seek compromise with a Republican majority that spits in its face, impugns its patriotism, and dehumanizes its members. Saying Obama was born in Kenya and delegitimizing his candidacy is the perfect expression of my point.
Many,many folks forgot about Ellis Island
Okey dokey. Here's a question for you. Trump has clearly and unmistakably acted and spoken as a racist. His characterization of Mexicans entering the US. His dogwhistle support for the "good people" in Charlottesville spewing antisemitic chants. The Obama delegitimization, as I mentioned. He's been endorsed by every antisemitic, racist, and White Nationalist group in America. Why? Because he is one of them. So, here's the question. If you support this guy, as nearly every Republican in Congress does, you are supporting racism and antisemitism, as well as misogyny, because he's a confessed pussy-grabber and convicted sexual assaulter. What does that make you? Or, gee whiz, racism and antisemitism and misogyny just aren't deal breakers, is that right? Well, of course not, not if you're a white Christian nationalist. Don't both sides me anymore.
I agree that the Dems have a LOT to answer for, going back to Clinton (the examples you mention, Janet, along with other things). I also think the current administration could do much better on numerous issues; climate change and healthcare, most notably. It does the country no good to refuse to acknowledge the Dems' flaws. It's true, as well, that both the DNC and RNC are deep in the pockets of Big Corp donors.
All that said, aside from cultural issues, I do think there's a fundamental difference between the parties: unlike the Dems, the GOP leadership is willing to burn it all down to get what it wants. I believe that's been a behind-the-scenes possibility for them for decades.
While generalizations and name calling ARE off-putting, it's important to call a spade a spade. I use the term, "MAGA" when I refer to the racists, misogynists, homophobes, and religious fanatics who follow the orange, because they're all of a piece---they've proved that. I'll allow that there may be GOP members who don't support the MAGA mindset, but I feel they have two choices: either publicly repudiate what the bulk of the GOP stands for, OR leave the party. Silence equals complicity. I think remaining in the party and hoping to effect change from within will no longer cut it, and the motives of those who do so are suspect, in my book.
I agree with you on most points, but not about the main emphasis. I think it lies with climate change. If we don't do something fundamental about it, everything else is moot. Of course, changing our paradigm with respect to the factors causing climate change would create innumerable jobs along the way.
Halon's razor: never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
I'm not a physician, but in the acute stage, Trump cults act like they have the St. Vitus dance. :
Sydenham's chorea is characterized by the abrupt onset (sometimes within a few hours) of neurological symptoms, classically chorea, which are non-rhythmic, writhing or explosive involuntary movements. Usually all four limbs are affected, but there are cases reported where just one side of the body is affected (hemichorea). Typical chorea includes repeated wrist hyperextension, grimacing, and lip pouting. The fingers can move as if playing the piano. There may be tongue fasciculations ("bag of worms") and motor impersistence, for example, the "milkmaid sign" (grip strength fluctuates, as if hand milking a cow), or inability to sustain tongue protrusion (called jack-in-the-box tongue[3] or serpentine tongue,[4] as the tongue slides in and out of the mouth), or eye closure."
Occupational therapy and physiotherapy is useful for maintaining function and muscle tone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydenham%27s_chorea
Your comment explains the behavior I have observed in some of the MAGA Republicans that I know! 😀
Daniel, thank you for this one. I can't think of a better way to explain the manifestations of the Trump cult members. I can't see them, but I can remember people acting in those ways and had to chuckle a bit. I keep thinking "if only they could see themselves." Then I think, "hey, they would think it was the rapture they are experiencing!" They'd love it.
Oy, vey iz mir. Now the mental images multiply …
Yes, trump supporters are an even greater concern then trump. What are they thinking? How can they believe in him? They are happily swallowing his disgusting drivel in the face of overwhelming evidence and even the basic common sense. America has problems, that should be fixed, but not with trump.
My god people, you are eating waste and believing it is food.
Ick, but true
Our democratic leaders have been asleep at the switch. They have not gone out and made their case. When they do, they win. Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania are examples. Democrats need to go to red, blue and white states and point out our differences and what Biden has been able to accomplish. Biden should be out there breaking the extremist threat and what they stand for. We can't take for granted that people are following the news as those on this thread are.
A cult? Yes. But there seems to be a lot more to the story. Although ostensibly about ol' Tweety having already broken his bail conditions, it identifies what is arguably the foundation upon which that cultish behavior rests, which comes to a climax in Olbermann's anecdote about Linsey Graham: https://youtu.be/KDYeRQtKCbE
Listen from the beginning to 14-1/2 minutes in.
ABSOLUTELY, more happening! It’s been afoot since at LEAST the Reagan era. We had his destruction of unions, his schemers in the basement. Bill Barr. We had the Project for a New American Century. We have the Republican Unitary Presidency. We watched the Cheney Administration shred international law and human rights, and subvert our constitution with Gitmo, which is STILL there …
Oh, yeah, Trump is their tool. But there’s way more going on ….
I'm >really< pleased you've come to the same conclusion that I've banged on a bit about for months. ol' Tweety isn't the disease; ol' Tweety's the >symptom!< 👍
Great historical context, Pat. It's important to consider all that when looking at the current MAGA mindset.
The Olbermann piece is a beauty. Thanks for posting it.
Olbermann is right on. Break the law, go to prison. Period.
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Wow
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Thats an ugly story. Thank you for that. Its fully believeable. I dont dare to ask those questions to some of the MAGA or ex-MAGA I know...because I already know the answers they will give. That type of ignorance is not appealable by logic or reason only emotion. If there are actually 25% of americans. Or 84 million people in similar circumstances. There is a loaded powder keg for the next autocrat that comes too town.
What's sad, to the point of heart-breaking is that those folks are giving, to the very last measure, everything in this world they have to give - their unflinching loyalty. It breaks my heart to see that kind of loyalty pissed away by those to whom it's given, as if those pissing it away are >entitled< to it. Even sadder is that it's so goddam misguided.
My experience with a malignant narcissist is that they feel very entitlted to their graft and theft. Towards the MN final days in my life he constantly droned on about what he did for everyone how generous he was and how everyone owed him and werent doing the right thing. This MN stole tons of peoples money in the form of a pyramid scheme involving a business that repair cars and built race cars. All of us the victims he appealed too individually (isolated) with the same shpiel and countless times we gave to him. He then turned it around and appealed for more money saying other people werent doing the right thing. Once he was so in hock to everyone that he couldnt keep the game going anymore most folks wisened up to the gimmick. He spent everyones money, got divorced, lost his house to the wife and son and now is a drug addict somewhere. His graft went on for decades. He burnt a lot of people. Some folks STILL to this day feel bad for him. Such is the draw he had. He was a schmuck like us who got caught. If he was a rich man like Trump he'd still be doing the graft. Trump without Russian or Billionaire bailouts is going under. This is his come to jesus moment. His base still gives to him, they just dont have much money left (he saw to that). I myself gave my house tax money to the MN twice before I wisened up. I think a lot of the donors are kinda getting it now. I am not saying they have become nice people. They are beginning to stop believing in Mr Trump is all. All the other MAGA shit, jeez yeah, most but the most self examining will still carry that torch. (Sorry for the lengthy message).
Speak your piece, bro. 👍 You've had a relevant experience to relate. We've banged on out here about malignant narcissism for months! Sorry you were burned.
You aint kidding and thank you. I am thankful that I was conned and done before 2018. It gave me a lot of insight into Mr Trump and also so much of the gaslighting the Republicans do. I have one regret and that is carrying water for the MN. I brought customers too him and convinced people he was on the level when in the back of my mind I knew something was wrong. By now I've read enough about it to not feel guilty for what happened. Its part of the MN manipulation. To be honest I would still apologize profusely to the others who were in the same boat as me. There are some in the victims group who have or would commit violence against the MN given the opportunity. Mr Trumps grift cuts the same way. He will be lucky he only goes to jail. By Trumps same stochiatiric terrorism method there are going to be a small percentage of that 84 million MAGA that really want him dead.
Exactly! 👍
Outstanding commentary, DZK. Thanks for the link. Reich and a few others have voiced the same things Olbermann says about locking him up, but Keith is more forceful about it.
👍
Yes, Dr Reich has split no hairs about ol' Tweety being locked up, and I agree. But that wasn't my focus. I was attempting to present a little background, that Olberman provides, on the question of cultish behavior in the remark I was responding to - agreeing, in fact that the behavior is cultish. But what I was >really< trying to highlight is the anecdote about Linsey Graham, what he learned about those cultish followers that day, and what we do now, as well. >That's< what underpins and expresses itself as cultishness. Wholesale ignorance, arrogant and blind. It also shows the towering cynicism of Graham, ol' Tweety, as well as all the elected officials who speak for them, as well as the >utter contempt< for them it must take to realize their political goals on that kind of grassroots support.
Well, TFG said early on that he loves the poorly educated. The dumbing-down has gone on for over 40 years, with book banning being the latest, most blatant phase.
While I don't think ignorance is confined to the MAGAs, I do think it's necessary to be fundamentally ignorant to be a true MAGA believer. The top MAGAs---Graham, McCarthy, Cruz, etc.---are merely cynically exploiting the cluelessness of their followers, as you say. Devastatingly, contemptuously using them.
Then you see why I was making the issue. They can send ol' Tweety to Guantanamo for the duration if they like, for all the good it will do concerning the >real<, fundamental issue. Although I want to see ol' Tweety burned down to the ground, there are others who are more quietly dangerous, who represent the cult mob, who's mentality is fully exposed in the Olbermann piece. Ol' Tweetys can come, and ol' Tweetys can go, but these morons will continue to rise up from the very dirt they were planted in on into the foreseeable future.
Oh, they've been there in this country for generations at least, more often behind the curtain, but sometimes in full view. TFG is merely the only President to fully, openly embrace them. I don't see a way to be rid of them for good---the Machiavellis and Rasputins will always exist. All we can do is resist them as they come.
7 year olds do not behave anything like this. A disturbed 7 year old might, though.
Seven year olds can be petulant, whiny, and lack impulse control. Because they’re seven. I fathered a few.
I would say a 7-year-old's intellectual ability, but that would be insulting to most 7-year-olds
Mine were pretty smart. 😂
Because you don't recognize them as Republicans or Americans, anymore...
Frankly, I'm having a very hard time recognizing them as 21st century human beings.
I think trump has (like Hitler) tapped into the fact that these people feel small inside for whatever reason. They’re damaged and ripe for the picking. Especially since trump foments violence. They really are hooked on his every violent word.
Gaslighting and a description of the Democrats who want to control our entire lives. Who we can like, what car to drive, what we can cook with and destroying the country through massive illegal immigration and destruction of the rule of law with no enforcement. Weaponizing the Supreme Court concerning abortion that was left up to the states. Denying that there are issues with the elections and no respect for the voter and integrity.
some people -- it doesnt require a majority to get one -- want a dictatorship and they want the dictator of their choosing (Trump).
Insult to 7 year olds to compare their emotional intelligence to the former loser president. (I am speaking as a retired teacher when I say that.). I would consider him having the emotional intelligence of a petulant two year old.
It would be depressing how many people still support Trump IF we expected logical rather than psychological processes to govern human behavior.
Try thinking of his hard core supporters as "depressed" - getting a steady feed of anger directed by FoxNews etc, a daily feed of fury that helps them feel alive.
Today's Trump faithful are quite different from the Fascists of the 1920s and 1930s - different inputs driving their thoughts, different outputs driving behavior. We are still seething with victimhood and grievance and blame - BUT whereas the Fascists needed to invent someone to blame through vile absurdities, today the purpose 9d blame is much simpler - the people who profit from exploration pay henchmen to blame someone other than the guilty for all of the problems most people face. All those Blacks and Witches and...
That's not a new American problem: it goes back to slavery and more. But it's a DIFFERENT sort of problem than Fascism...at least for now.
It's a mind control cult,Steven Hassan wrote 'The Cult of Trump',he deprograms and is sharing his method w/ other clinicians.
I agree with you. But describing Trump as having a 7-year old’s emotional maturity makes me think when I was a seven year old and the other seven year olds I knew. I cannot think of a one that would behave as selfishly or as despicably as he does. Any child who behaves that way would be pitied at best and ostracized.
Helping is usually an answer, yes. However, red states, overall, already suck up much more than their share of federal funds.
https://apnews.com/article/north-america-business-local-taxes-ap-top-news-politics-2f83c72de1bd440d92cdbc0d3b6bc08c
Also, red states tend to not want help if it comes from "woke" sources; i.e., states where the preponderance of citizens don't think the same way they do. This mindset explains why orange people so often vote against their own interests.
This entire Trump debacle over the past eight years is surreal. It’s heartbreaking to see how gullible millions of Americans show themselves to be.
I periodically listen to one of the right wing talk radio stations in my area (Lynchburg, VA) to find out what the "other side" is thinking and doing. More and more I am hearing words like "if Trump is convicted, I won't vote for him, and his campaign is over" and "people need to begin selecting a "backup Republican candidate" to support if Trump is convicted". This gives me some hope that Trump's hold on America's right wing is beginning to crumble! Convicting him of his multiple crimes as soon as possible is vitally important. By the way, Vikram Ramaswamy seems to be making a big impression and gaining ground with these people. Possible "backup Republican candidate" to Trump?
If Trump gets forced off the ballot from the 14th amendment after being convicted the Republicans are losing all the marbles in 2024. Vikram still defends Trump. His whole purpose is as a "not biden" candidate for independents. Thats how Republican propaganda has been spinning him. I dont know why anyone would want a big Pharama exec as president. Unless of course they wanted unfettered price hikes for their meds and opiods in every home. Quote from wikipedia..
"Ramaswamy's campaign denied attempting to "scrub" his Wikipedia page and argued the edits were revisions of "factual distortions"."
Starting out as rewriting history does not bode well.
Donald Trump is just one man, and contrary to what he believes...one OLD man, who will eventually be out of the picture. It's his sick, hateful, vicious legions that are scaring the hell out of me. I'm afraid, if given power once again, our country is lost!
Barb that is certainly true though unlikely. Unfortunately as his Trial(s) near his rhetoric is going to get worse and worse the closer he comes to encarceration. Think of a petulant 3 year old kicking and screaming because they dont want a time out. The more extreme he gets the father away from elective office he becomes.
If he keeps up the stochiatric terrorism he is going to jail sooner than the trial. The big timeout is coming for him.
That’s probably true, but as much as Trump is scary, the people BEHIND Trump {and I don’t mean the dopes in the crowds, I mean the guys pulling Trump’s strings by praising him and manipulating him to bring about the policies they want], THEY will be here for a lot longer … They have been here for forty or more years — maybe since the Nixon debacle — and they’ll be here still when Mr. Orange is pushing up daisies.
We need an educated population with a modicum of understanding of history AND of our actual form of government to resist the pull back to an age of Kings and Serfs, by any other name. ‘Cause that’s where we’re headed … Unitary Presidency, my ass … KING.
The Steve Bannons and Roger Stones will look for their next dictator. I agree with what you said. Additionally as Robert Reich has said we need to stamp out inequality. That is the main reason so many tortured souls are responding to these folks vial BS. Progressive tax the rich and the corporations and fight against union busting/raise federal minimum wage.
EXACTLY!
I agree with you, Bill. I think Trump's minions are only going with him because they've been riding the Trump train for so long they're afraid to get off. To them, change is bad, but as Dylan said, the times are a'changin. It may be slow at first, but then it'll come like a whirlwind with no turning back.
Do we Dems have to be watchful and aware? Of course! Fascism is trying to creep up on us.
We also need to build a prioritized plan based on two possibilities: keeping our current minority/majority in the House/Senate, as well as-- if it turns out like I think it will--if it turns out we achieve a majority in both houses. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Republicans will fail because their only agenda is the "no" agenda of revenge, vindication, and hate. It is the anti-agenda, and eventually voters who've been on the Trump train will get tired of this and disembark. Contrary to what some say, no one wants to be associated with a whining criminal.
It feels like the Dems are Ukraine fighting Putin and Putin is just trying to wear us down. Like Ukraine we are making incremental gains and the stakes are all or nothing. Unfortunately I have come to understand that being, at times, necessarily quiet, about strategy means the side with the most propaganda "appears" to be winning when they are not. I will say yes the Dems have a communication deficit. Some of that is most assuredly due to main stream media. When I actually listen to what Biden is doing I am pleased. Even on "pro" dem mainstream media reporting on the good Dem stuff is NOT the main focus. I dont know if thats because it doesnt get good ratings or main stream media is full corporatiom intrests first and ours second.
I'd be really wary of Ramaswamy. He's smarter than the rest, more soft spoken, puts a kinder face on it, but what he offers is still extremism, fascism. And he's slowly catching on. I fully expect him to surge ahead of DeSantis, & replace Trump when the latter falls.
Execs only get one thing. Develop a monopoly and squeeze. Would that monopoly in government be power? And the squeezees...wouldnt that...as it always is...be us?
After the Republican debate last night, I'm a lot less confident in this assessment. It's hard to say what goes on in MAGA people's minds. What seems disastrous or nonsensical to us sounds clever & sensible to them, but based on last night's performance, I would predict that the race got a lot tighter in positions 2-6. The 2nd & 3rd place candidates, DeSantis & Ramaswamy, did terribly, whereas Pence, Haley & Christie all did relatively well, the former two surprisingly well.
Romero's zombie hordes come to mind, though I'm sure there was a little more more going on in their heads
I agree with you, but Vikram has a sharp mind and a "silver tongue", great political gifts, compared to DeSantis who is a dud, so he may continue to do well in the 2024 polls and maybe beyond, unless they discover more "skeletons in his closet" like what you mentioned in your comment.
The skeleton in his closet that had been erased was having dealing with a George Soros relative. He would only remove that from his history if he wanted to statt attacking Soros (Antisemite dogwhistle) and appeal to the MAGA base. Silver tongued...Well if thats what you like. The person who tells you everything you want to hear is lying to you.
Silver tongued doesn’t mean honest — it means slick.
He can also rap to Eminem songs. HACK!!! That was me coughing up a hairball at the very thought of this scumbag being anywhere near the office of the presidency.
You're living at the religious ground zero of it all, in Jerry Falderal land! I have no doubt >that's< an adventure!
His son, Jerry Falderal Jr., resigned from Liberty University due to a sex scandal involving a "pool boy" and is suing the school over the 8.5 million dollars that he claims the school owes him and trademark violations! Certainly not the Christianity of the Bible! My neighbor owns a gun shop and loves Trump. Yes, it's an adventure!
I heard about Jr's little peccadillo. I had no doubt that klan was still there, but keeping a low-profile these days. Keep >your< faith, bro! 👍
O…M…G… [and the G stand for “goodness,” because, seriously …GOD?]
Heartbreaking and infuriating. Gullible and willfully ignorant. Why read HCR’s fact-filled letter when tweeted lies support their opinions?
Sad, and way too true
As well as the anger, despair and resentments fueling his ‘followers’.
Well if this isn't scary as hell I don't know what is?!! What's it going to take for these MAGA's to Wake UP and realize that Trump gives a damn about nothing but himself and gaining power back again?! Do you honestly think anything can shake them out of their stupor at this point Professor?!...I live in very RED Indiana and I am not very hopeful. Thank you for expressing his plans so succinctly altho I'm more depressed and scared than ever. Putting all my hopes and prayers on Jack and Fani!!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Very well spoken!! trumpie boy will throw everyone under the bus when they are no longer useful. Acts like a dictator. Wants to be one.
For sure!! He's already thrown so many under the Bus he's lost count. He won't even pay Guiliani's legal bills I heard. Hope they all flip on him!!!
Lisa, those people who were Trumpers and Trumpettes then saw the light were only tools he could use. Once they are no longer useful, they are either forgotten (most common) or used as examples of what Trump can do to anyone who is not a total loyal lapdog for him. What he knows, without those guys on his "team," Trump can do very little. He needs the new lines to spew at rallies, the names of people he needs to threaten if they don't give him what he wants, the adulation fix he needs to survive. Trump has been lucky because most of his troops have been extraordinarily loyal despite his treatment of them. That may not last if some of them realize he not only will throw them under the bus but will have the bus run back over them to protect himself. None of these are good people, people worthy of being trusted with our nation's life..
"None of these are good people, people worthy of being trusted with our nation's life!"
Exactly. None of them are good people. NONE of them. If they support this un-American BS artist/con-man/outright thief and liar, they are just as guilty and deserve punishment and ostracization from our larger society.
Its a frightful thing to contemplate Trump back in power. Hitler not only murdered everyone who had been his enemy, he knocked off those who put him in power as well, so he would have no rivals, and terrorize anyone who would even think of betraying him. Trump does that now with character assassination and lack of loyalty to his sycophants. What will he do to appease the his base-minded mob—I am so counting on the judges to act justifiably. He needs to be figuratively bound and gagged for the safety of the world so Phase 4 will show the truth and his own lies will throw him in the pit of his own devises. And GET Roger Stone in with him. He’s the mastermind puppet master behind Nixon too.
The ACTUAL masterminds of the Trump debacle are hanging out behind the curtain, most of the time. Guys like Stone can’t resist coming out for a taste of the spotlight, but Oligarchs are funding the chaos and manipulating the Orange Narcissist, and his fawning crowds.
This is SO disheartening. I wanted to believe we’d be better than this. I hope we still manage to be.
You nailed it big time!! Should trumpie boy regain power, there will be no stopping him. We live in Montana where he has quite a few supporters. Wonder if they will see through his subterfuge.
Vote (of course) and help get out the BLUE vote. Some 30% of eligible voters did not vote in 2020.
https://democrats.org/
I do Vote Blue of course and try to do my part as much as I can. I help with local Dem fundraisers, I donate to state and local candidates when I am able, I sign petitions and do my part on Social media as well. And I an never afraid to speak up about how awful Trump is. To anyone. Even if they're my own GOP family members. 😔 #RiseResistRepeat
Lisa, the MAGAs want everyone scared out of their wits so they can do even more damage (power-grab). They hope we will be so scared we will become despondent and do nothing to stop them in our helplessness. Well, I hope we will not do that and will use this fear to empower each other to do better and to stop this insanity. One thing we can do is stop being scared to talk with family members who are MAGAs. If those MAGAs are too obnoxious, just don't invite them to family events and tell them why, sop pussy footing around them. They are in training to be hateful people and we don't have to go along with their hateful BS. Then, we need to get involved where we can: signing petitions to our representatives, phone banking and protesting if those are your abilities, post card writing (yes people do pay attention to snail mail), read up on what is going on (people here already do a lot of these things, but encouraging friends and family, as well as other contacts to get involved will help too. In short. We can't get dragged down by people who are so wrapped up in their cult they can't connect effectively with anyone but their cult members. Some of these are people who would love to do harm to us if they don't like what we look like, how we worship, how we live, etc. We can't let them win anything, so voting at every level is essential, even in this off-year election. We need good local people and state officials. We can't give up our rights to a bunch of people who have chosen to stop thinking clearly if at all.
It's past time to face the fact that MAGA is never going to wake up.
Exactly. There will be no magic Disney moment in this story.
I encourage everyone to call or write to the election officials in your state to keep trump off the ballot as per the 14th amendment. Which states that :” No person shall hold office under the United States who has previously taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States who shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
They don’t have to be convicted of a crime. Trumps own lawyer stated in his presence that just because he broke his oath doesn’t mean he committed a crime.
We don’t have to wait until the election is over nor should we.
Trump is using his run for president as a means to escape justice.
Currently he is rallying his mob stating that he is being persecuted because he is running for president, that this is a ploy by the democrats to keep him from being elected. If he does happen to be elected, (shudder the thought) he will have immunity as president for the State charges and he will pardon himself of all federal crimes.
He is a great admirer of Putin who has made himself president for life. After all of the illegal things he’s done I’d bet my life that that is a part of his plan.
Please call, write, and or petition the election officials of your state to keep trump off the ballot.
All mention of Trump's candidacy should make reference to his clear/apparent ineligibility. It is significant.
Sadly, I am sure my letters go in the trash can because my state is run by republicans. The governor is republican and the state legislators are predominantly republican. I can ask the Secretary of State; however, he is a republican, too!
According to former Federal Judge Michael Luttig and legal scholar Lawrence Tribe, if the Secretary of State gets it wrong and allows DJT to be on the ballot, it will go to the Supreme Court. We have the facts, we all saw the insurrectionists on Jan 6 and we now have the evidence DJT and his co-conspirators planned beforehand to overthrow our government by the fake elector scheme.
I guess we have to do it anyway. I don’t know, but I hope that volume counts …
Please try, refer to the 14th amendment.
I don't understand why this is not being debated in our congress and especially in our judicial branch of government. Are the lawyers of the citizenry calling for citizens to implement amendments to our constitution? Is it such a murky, messy, "unprecedented" process that our elected officials don't know what to do? Or, i suppose our elected officials (at least over a 100 of them) are in on the coup attempt and should also be thrown out on their asses.
I have had a hard time understanding why this wasn’t being implemented and would bring that up in comments hoping someone who was in power would do something. I finally realized we have to tell our election officials to follow the 14th amendment and keep trump off the ballot. This is still a democracy and it’s up to “we the people” to demand that our government uphold the Constitution. Otherwise we might not have a democracy anymore.
Of course. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Just seems like it should be easier. But then i look around me and see loud, obnoxious maga cult members (white suburban women) and simply do not understand what happened to them!
I will keep talking, keep writing and keep the faith that we will overcome.
In 47 states, the Secretary of State defines who is on the ballot
https://ballotpedia.org/Secretary_of_State_(state_executive_office)
Thanks
Susan, if say 270 electoral votes worth of state legislatures cut Trump off any ballot, including write-ins, it would mean Trump could not be elected.
That’s the goal. He has disqualified himself.
Thanks for encouraging all to wield the 14th Amendment with their Secretaries of State which is what I have also been doing with mine in MN & those nearby in WI, MI & IL. Let the Blue Wall of the upper Midwest continue to help stop Trump & the MAGA Cult! 🇺🇸💙💙💙💙⚖️
Trump needed to be. arrested Jan. 7th, 2021 and locked up without bail. Seeing as that didn't happen, we're now living in very dangerous times. Him and his minions won't stop until they either "win" or they're behind bars. Let's all hope really fucking hard for the latter🤞
Well said!! He should have been in prison until his trial from January 7th, 2021 on. Then whatever happens to traitors who want to overthrow this country....
Now there is a concerted effort to see that he gets back in to the presidency. China and Russia would like nothing better. Tommy Tuberville is doing his part in keeping the military from being where it needs to be - probably so trumpie boy can manipulate them to his advantage should he get back in office. He was not able to get them on his side the first time. If he does, heaven help this country.
In quite a number of other countries around the world, this attempted coup would have been treated with enormous firepower wiping out all of those involved. All of those involved, including members of Congress, should be indicted and removed from office with prison terms.
Amen!!! I am hoping many more Indictments are coming...Including those Members of Congress who were involved in January 6th!! Traitors every single one of them.
Me too, Lisa.
I can't understand why Judge Howell's finding that Trump is a flight risk is not discussed, at least by a Motion for Judicial Notice in the Miami and DC federal cases.
The lower court stated that “The district court found that there were ‘reasonable grounds to believe’ that disclosing the warrant to former President Trump ‘would seriously jeopardize the ongoing investigation’ by giving him ‘an opportunity to destroy evidence, change patterns of behavior, [or] notify confederates.'”
https://jonathanturley.org/2023/08/10/federal-court-declares-trump-a-flight-risk-in-secret-subpoena-decision/
It could be tat the Georgia prosecutors know about this finding. They couls=d at a minimum, ask Trump whether he will abide by the $2000,000 bond. I am not a Georgia lawyer, but this makes that amount a joke.
Given that he has attacked Willis personally, already besmirched the court and the process, and that grand jurors are receiving threats, Trump should be ordered to show cause why he will not continue to harass.
BTW some of those members of Congress are potential witnesses FOR the prosecution in the DC case and could be added to the witness list,.
I agree, the bail amount is chump change to this crook. The bail amount should have been 100 million dollars, or maybe a billion dollars.
It is concerning to see such discrepancies in bail amounts for individuals who have been charged with serious crimes. Martha Stewart reportedly paid $250,000 for her bail, while Wesley Snipes paid $1 million for his tax evasion charge. However, it is shocking to see that the bail amount set for DJT was so low, especially considering the potential damage he may have caused on Jan 6th and if re-elected. It raises questions about the formula used by his lawyers to convince the court to set such a low bail. It is important that the justice system remains fair and consistent in its treatment of individuals who have been charged with crimes.
Wow, i wonder why Wesley Snipes bail was so high?? and for tax evasion? There is no telling to how many counts of tax evasion TUMP would have if the IRS would do some investigating. I was shocked at how low TUMP's bail was set at. In my opinion, TUMP should have been jailed pending trial, but i suppose that cretin is some kind of privileged character or something. I fail to see what some think is so great about that corrupt, career criminal. To me, he is worst living thing on the face of the earth. To his followers, he is their God and savior.
The billionaires waiting for another handout from our treasury would gladly pay more to help him out, because of what they will get in return if he regains the White House.
I agree. He is getting away with murder as usual. He will keep pushing and pushing the boundaries. The Lawyers are barely keeping him in check. I pray they lock him up with no internet. Heck at this point I'd even settle for House Arrest long as he shuts his mouth!! 😆
Got this from Lisa Rubin: "Among the conditions of Trump's release in GA are his obligation to make no "direct or indirect threat of any nature," whether through his own social media posts, reposts, or otherwise, against any co-defendant or witness in the GA case--or *any* victim or even "against the community"
But who counts as a victim, especially given that the wording is not limited to "victim in this case"? And what about the community? Who is a member of the community against which Trump may not make direct or indirect threats?
Given that Trump's bond order was negotiated and agreed upon by both sides, these are questions I would have expected his counsel to ask and insist either on more clarity/more precise language
Argh. I hope all of this is not nibbled away through fecklessness …
Daniel, yes, and there is a GA state representative who is proposing to try to remove Fani Willis, a duely-elected DA from office to stop the proceedings. How can that be legal? I see that Florida has the provision too and DeSantis is working to remove anyone who won't do exactly what he, fascist that he is, wants them to do. He has already ditched two prosecutors, again, properly chosen by voters. This is serious and our DOJ needs to address it quickly before it gets out of hand. State legislatures proving their loyalty by getting rid of anyone who would question their Baby Donnie or anyone else. It is outrageous!
We seem to still have the problem we had after the Mueller investigation - too many pols who just don't want ANYTHING to sully their party's reputation if they can squash it or otherwise hide the evidence ! How many are secretly just slow-walking their jobs or minimizing what happens in order to protect 'their guys' ? I always suspected Chris Wray & I still worry about Republican behavior ! Let's face it they would much rather this whole thing just went away - their comments to the press about an actual insurrection tell you they will NEVER admit to what happened & what the plot was !
vcragain, I am concerned about the general denials by Repubs, particularly after the Mueller Report. I read it through (as much as we were able to see), and knew he was presenting guilt, but Barr thought he was being cute when he pretended there was no guilt or only the few people he named. He lied, of course because that is what Republicans do these days instead of facing hard facts like that Trumpe is a criminal and always has been one. Then, there's the people who hang around Trump and "advise" him. They too are criminals, maybe even more so than Trump. I am guessing the members of Congress who participated in the coup attempt will never be held accountable because like Trump, possibly until now, they are coated in teflon and charged and accusations slide right off while they continue to work their task of undermining our democracy. Why are we allowing it? I am guessing it is because in the red states nearly all dissent has been blocked. In Tennessee, Democratic legislators who have been properly elected by their districts are silenced if they say anything the Speaker does not like, possibly indefinitely. Maybe some of the government money We the People send to the red states needs to be held back until they start acting like a democracy in the states rather than the Confederacy. That would be a good start since our nation gives more money to the red states than they pay into this nation through taxes. Maybe a set of regulations needs to be prepared by the various agencies that dole out money to the states that require the minority party to have a say and that being silenced in any way in the legislature must bve reserved for only serious crimes like robbery, murder, personal threats, etc. That would be a problem since Republican legislators do the threatening thing all the time. We need our democracy on track and it looks like it will be Democrats who will have to do it. The Republicans have checked out in favor of their own rich white cupremacist, christian nationalist world. That is unacceptable here and we need to demonstrate that at the polls, in every single election.
Michael Moore published a list of those traitors who were involved. In my view, it is incomplete as there were several US Senators who are not on his list who should be disciplined for their activity.
Michael, I think your assessment of Tupperville's role is accurate. However, Biden needs to step in and give the ranks to the people with the responsibilities, at least temporarily until Tupperville is called out for what he is, a traitor who is trying to undermine our military for his own personal misogynistic, racist views. He needs to be called a racist and a misogynist. Then Schumer needs to remove him from any committee that would permit him any power. The Democrats could do that. Where is Schumer in all this? We need a Nancy Pelosi running the Senate. No first-year senator or congressperson should have enough power to disrupt a chamber of Congress as Cruz did in 2013 and Tupperville (a coach who never served, for God's sake) now. They know nothing and are in power only to soothe powers that be that they will have someone they can control (if they are from a red state). The newbees are important, but should not have so much power.
Hell yeah. Please and thank you. Lock them all up.
I’m not AT ALL interested in the fire power. I am interested in the people power, our right to speak to our legislators and those in office, and our VOTE.
Phase 4: You might add attempts to delay trials till after the election.
Let us not forget Moscow Mitch McTraitor, who could have solved, resolved and prevented all of this. Instead he gave us the GOP kangaroo court and a badly fractured country that faces another 4 or more years of this absolute nonsense.
Michael, I have not forgotten hypocrite McConnell. He too is a jerk who cares only for money, power, and himself, I think in that order, although I suspect they are actually the exact same thing. He also broke his oath when he voted to acquit Trump when he admitted afterward that he knew Trump was guilty. That means he lied to the American people and did not defend our Constitution from a usurper. He has also wielded the filibuster with impunity to stop anything positive that the Senate could do to help anyone. Fortunately sometimes, the filibuster has been overturned on rare occasions which is how anything got done. The Republican Party has collected a band of brothers (and a few sisters) who are not worthy to serve anywhere, but have bamboozled anough people in their home states to get them elected. Their constituents whine that they are getting nothing from our government but blaming the wrong people. It is a master scheme and we had better break it open soon or we will have a nearly impossible task to come back from the damage the Republican Party will cause and for nothing but power and money for themselves. Gag!
"Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."
Phase 5 is underway too....
The down ballotage races for secretary of state were very important for the GOP. Probably to interfere with the upcoming Election. And let's expect many rants and posts on how the upcoming election will be rigged by Democrats before the first ballot is cast. Past will be prologue ...
I'm concerned about this strategy of using Secretaries of State this way. Are the definitions of insurrection and rebellion going to stay the same? I don't like this slippery slope and don't trust it. There are only 50 Secretaries of State who need to be controlled. If a conviction is not required, the S O S subjectively decides which oath is not supported by whom. I'm skeptical.
COUP PLOT
PHASE 0: Smear Exponents 2017
The Perfect Phone Call to Zelenskyy Digging up dirt on Biden, his presumed rival in 2020. Usurp Congress’s approval for military aid to Ukraine, concealment of the read out, suggesting foreknowledge or coordinating timing for Putin’s 2021 invasion. Fire the Ukraine ambassador destabilizing Zelensky administration. Undercut the FBI in Helsinki. Dispatch Guiliani to Ukraine Multi-pronged strike against Biden
"Everyone who cares about American democracy should be duly warned — and prepared for Phase 4."
Let's hope that includes the broadcast media, who proclaim they've learned the lessons of 2016. Can they really not shine the spotlight on Trump's every move?
First test will be tomorrow when he tries to upstage the Republican debate. We'll see.
.
Trump is ineligible for elected office. I look forward to the day when various secretaries of state refuse to put Trump on the ballot--it will, of course, go to the Supreme Court, and the conservative constitutional originalists will be forced to concur. The Republican Party will scramble to put someone else on the ballot, and Biden will win. Democracy will prevail.
Michael Swartz ; That would be truly Great!
It's easy to see that Trump has "held the course" all along. And despite mountains of evidence of just what a loathsome, unscrupulous person he is, ***74 million people*** voted for him in 2024. What scares me is that that 74 million hasn't really diminished all that much -- possibly not any at all. It may even have grown. If all of Us in the anti-Trump faction figure, "We beat him in 2020; We will most likely do it again," We may be done in by Our complacency. While I see/hear many people raising the alarm, I'm not seeing/hearing _enough_ of them. And if anything, you can be certain that the GOP and MAGA will be pulling out all the stops and dirty tricks they can find to boost their ballots counts while diminishing Ours.
God help Us if they pull it off this time.
We need to expand OUR base by adding young voters. Demographically we can swamp them.
"In order to spite the Democrats for their partisan prosecutions, GOP voters would be doing exactly what Democrats and the press corps want them to do. Democrats want Republicans to nominate the man who has shown over the last three national elections that he is the greatest voter turnout machine for the Democratic Party since Franklin Delano Roosevelt."
- Wall St. Journal Editorial Board 8/20/23
The real question(s) should be: In lieu of Trump, WHO _should_ the Republicans nominate? (And contemplate the likelihood that the sulking MAGA crowd would assure his loss by not voting.) And in lieu of Biden, who is charismatic enough to pull together the voters to defeat the GOP candidate?
The underlying voting dynamic at this point is the (slight) majority of voters determined to vote _against_ Trump. They WILL vote for whoever the Dems put up for President. Meanwhile, on the other side, half (the MAGA crowd) WILL vote for Trump -- or possibly no one if Trump isn't on the ballot. The other half WILL vote _against_ whoever the Dem candidate is.
The BEST thing that could happen for the Dems would be to keep Trump off the ballot. And most every Republican knows it. Those in Congress will be pulling every string possible to keep Trump eligible. Delay, delay, delay. Meanwhile, the Dems are just praying Biden doesn't keel over dead. Because the Dems don't have an alternative candidate charismatic enough to unify the anti-GOP segment of the voting population.
2024 is without a doubt the suckiest election over the course of my half-century of political participation. And no matter who wins, the losers are likely be VERY outraged.... and capable of making January 6th look like a rehearsal.
Democrats have a number of strong, attractive candidates. I think Jamie Raskin may be the strongest candidate, but most of the leading names should do at least as well as Biden.
Jamie Who? Hasn't hit my radar yet.
This is the main problem with Dem candidates: Most of them have _niche_ appeal: Like the popular band of the moment, each band has avid fans, but the different niche groups hardly know each other. What is needed/required is a candidate that EVERYBODY knows and likes. At the moment, everybody knows Joe Biden; not so many like him (but he's better than the alternative). If he drops out of the picture, who is the candidate EVERYBODY knows and actually likes?
Raskin is well enough known to draw interest & support from the beginning in a normal multi-candidate race. He was involved in at least 1 of the impeachment trials & the January 6th Committee hearings. He's very smart, his reasoning is impeccable, he's very good at facing down his opponents & shaming them. He's drawn a lot of admiration & sympathy for how he's faced & apparently overcome his bout with cancer.
I remember a Twitter feed about who people would most like to see as the next President, & many names were mentioned, but Raskin's name came up by far the most. Sheldon Whitehouse was second. Elizabeth Warren was up there & Bernie got quite a few mentions, too, & I think Hakeem Jeffries did pretty well, too. Probably Gavin Newsom, too. A few votes for Cory Booker, & some for Adam Schiff & also for his rival Katie Porter. Even the governor of Illinois -- I forgot his name -- was mentioned quite a few times among lesser known names. I remember Kamala Harris was surprisingly far behind. Oh, there were some Republican names, too -- it wasn't all Democrats -- but they were far down on the list. Just an anecdotal example, but interesting.
I just checked a score of mainstream polls ranking potential Dem candidates -- e.g. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-top-10-democratic-presidential-candidates-for-2024-ranked/ar-AA14RgPB -- and Raskin didn't list on any of them. So Raskin may not be as widely popular as you believe. (And relying on Twitter anything should be suspect as we have learned from Trump-Twitter and Elon-Twitter.)
Personally, I would prefer Bernie Sanders, but if people are concerned about Biden's age, they will definitely be concerned about Bernie's age as well. Furthermore, after seeing how the Dem Powers That Be sabotaged Bernie in 2016, I wouldn't put it past them to do it again if Bernie was again a frontrunner. The only other candidate I would be drawn to is Gavin Newsom, but that's because I was living in CA for much of his governorship and I felt he was doing a decent job of it.
Professor Reich: do you think trump is actually deliberately acting to plan? by this, i mean, the plan you outlined here is logical and very easy to follow, but is trump actually consciously DELIBERATELY following this plan? if he's not consciously following this plan, do you think trump's handlers are (somehow) keeping him "on message"?
Girl Scientist, I am not as well-versed as Prof. Reich, but through observation and hearing Trump talk, it is not clear that he understands a whole lot. He has phrases and whines that he constantly pumps out, all of them against people he thinks harmed him. Resentment is strong with Trump and his cult. I have not heard one positive thing Trump has offered this nation in years, except at first pushing to get a vaccine for COVID, which he bragged over, but was ambivelent about recommending when it was available. He has no vision for this country because he can't see one himself or perhaps even see a need for one. His handlers are so busy with their own quest for power they have no positive vision either. The Steves want to be "the power behind the throne" and Trump is willing to let them be since he needs them and their words to get him started on his rants. The media is always looking for things to play from Trump speeches and interviews that make him sound rational and like a leader (remember when during his presidency they kept telling us when they saw him doing something presidential? It wasn't often and it is less often now. Like a toddler, Trump likes the adulation, but not the work of being a president or anything else. He was a lousy businessman, a problematic manager, a terrible president, yet a bunch of people want him in office again. When asked (on the rare times they are), they say they like that Trump stands for the same things they do. I am waiting for one of the reporters to ask, which of the things he is for do you like, is it white supremacy, misogyny (OK, they won't know the word misogyny, so the reporter will have to say something like "taking away women's rights). Or, is it racism you like about Trump? Maybe it's his whining, blaming, and resentment that gets you to love him. Except for hurting immigrants and giving a huge tax cut to the already rich, what did he do that made you love him? How did you benefit from having Trump in office? None of these questions are ever asked, yet they are asked of Democrats all the time during and after Obama's administration and now during Biden's. Fortunately, we have actual meaningful answers, not that there were no problems in the administrations. Then, there's Trump who can't answer the simplest questions without resorting to the tried and true whines and repetitions. It reminds me of when my mother was moving into dementia. She was older and it came on more quickly for her, but the signs are there. This is a dilemma!
Why are people so hypnotized by these series of fraud & conspiracy to defraud to just let them takeover as we describe the illegality all the way down? No, social mores and decency gatekeepers can stop him with shame alone if they just would do it.
Timothy, one can only shame someone who first of all has a moral compass to guide their words and actions; Trump and his friends have none. Then, the person must feel shame and want to do something to avoid it; Trump feels almost nothing unless he sees it as a personal attack, then instead of changing his behavior toward a more positive community minded action, he doubles down to do as much harm to the offending person as he can. There is no shame to use for any kind of course correction. Besides, by now, Trump knows what has worked for him and he continues to use it for his personal benefit. He is a toddler-man and will never be anything more than that. He could be a destructive toddler-man, and even more destructive one than he has been, but there is no adult present within Donald Trump.
That’s his toxic narcissism at work. 100%
The media is a huge part of the blame here. Demanding we pay attention to his criminality . Covering everything about him for click bait and continuing on with the dumbing of America . They are tearing down every institution in these USA only to take over the power and leave us as minions. The media is now owned by right wing magats not covering all the good happening with Dem policies . You have to search for that info. The avg American does not have time for that ! The DNC and celebrities need to compete for airwaves. We need monthly ads on TV ! Now and always !
Teres, I have believed this for so long. If it is so obvious to us, why isn't done? It's maddening to me. It is a desert of truth out here.