This is your GOP America. They will do anything to win! It’s Par for the Course now because their leader has been Cheating his whole life and getting away with it! He’s their Role Model.
Following Tuesday’s election results,
Heather Cox Richardson wrote: Yesterday in Mississippi, where at least nine precincts in Democratic-leaning Hinds County ran out of ballots. The most populous county in the state, Hinds County is 70% Black and includes the city of Jackson, which is almost 83% Black. Officials rushed to print more ballots, but the lines ballooned. After a judge tried to remedy the situation by extending the voting hours in the county by an hour, the Republican Party of Mississippi fought that order. Needless to say, Jonathan Tate Reeves was re-elected Governor of Mississippi.
Really needed federal election bill to pass. Voter protection act would have been Biden’s landmark legacy. Its defeat was Joe Manchin’s legacy. If he runs he might as well run as a republican.
Manchin just announced he won't run for reelection as a senator. He may run to be the "No Labels" candidate meant to draw votes away from the Democratic nominee, likely Biden. He has colluded with Republicans to stifle democracy whenever he can.
Jaime, I am glad Manchin will not run again for Senate even though the Democratic margin is thin. Manchin did his best to sabotage whatever Democrats were trying to do for the American people. Somehow, though, he got his cut, far larger than he deserved or the number of people in West Virginia warranted so Dems could get anything passed. He and Sinema of AZ kept so much critical legislation from happening which led so many Democrats in places like New York and California from getting off their butts and voting, giving the House to the Republican mob that really cares nothing for the people of this nation, only the power and money they can personally accumulate. They have become a collection of cowards who are anti-democratic because their mob boss is even though their mob boss is losing his ability to know and understand much of anything. Ugh!!
I don’t “like” it , but, as usual, RR makes the most “logical” sense. That’s if anything affiliated with Trump has any logic whatsoever. This is terrible!
I have noticed a high correlation between ambition, widely considered a positive characteristic, & greed & corruption, generally considered quite negative.
Jaime--The two go hand in hand. The positives and the negatives are like forces and as such they attract. Not in the way magnets attract, negatives feel comfortable together, greed and corruption operate on the same negative plain, and it has Trump printed all over it.
Trump's second term will be a revenge filled extravaganza featuring a continuous stream of political figures attempting to find peace while sleep with the fishes. How do you placate a spoiled child that sees his own country as he enemy. He will find new and imaginative ways to increase the global temperature by burning vast quantiles of "Clean coal." Now the quest is on to find the elusive substance. Donald Trump is a human enigma, there is absolutely no classification that would describe an ecological snitch where he would be greeted with open arms. Like a true member of the swamp, Trump tries to blend in with his reptilian friends while warming himself in the Florida sun, when is the last time you saw the man taking a leisurely stroll in the snow with his dog? What kind of an individual dislikes snow, dogs, and has no visible sense of humor? Most likely not a good one.
Trump reminds me of a mentally dysfunctional mosquito. No matter how you assess his presents the man simply server no purpose, just like his blood sucking insect cousins. However, there is a difference, the skinny little one that buzzes is on the food chain.
David--Donald Trump is the single worst influence this country has had to bear in its short 250 some odd years of existence. The man is a 1930s Hitler throwback that sees our way of life as weak and undisciplined. Everyone is throwing the word "Genocide" around as if it has no real meaning in this time. Hello--Donnie Boy is the ringmaster, and his barbaric influence will be the death of us all, now that is "Genocide." His only regret, a hormonal deficiency that reduced the man's inability to grow a mustache.
I tend to think likewise. Very few liberals or moderates, it seems to me, would be attracted to Manchin, but he may appeal to Democrat-hating, anti-environmentalists who can't stomach Trump anymore.
I always wonder if he kept getting elected in that state because they are so backwards there that they somehow thought he was/is a throwback 'DIXIEcrat' (which in essence, I guess he IS)??
(i.e.; being lily white, racist MAGAts, WHY would they EVER vote for anyone with a D next to their name, otherwise?!?)
There aren’t independents. They don’t say out loud who they will vote for. They don’t swing the elections, they simply make it easier to cheat with close call areas. If someone is saying they are undecided amongst all of this insanity, they are a republikkkon!
You seem to have forgotten that Senator Manchin honored his Oath of Allegiance by voting to impeach Trump. He did a valuable service for his country, not Trump. Republicans will never forgiver him.
There are safeguards in place to prevent the worse damage Trump wants to do. But after Jan6 and Hamas attack and all we have experienced the past few years I have much less confidence in safeguards for sure.Many people don’t do their job.
Sounds like they are in the process of planning stages or already getting rid of safeguards - govt shut down, crazies in congress & senate, no military leaders in place, voter suppression, Supreme Court etc.
One thing in our favor. Many are aware more than in Hitler's time and have the example of Hitler's rise. But if they got the Presidency, The House, and the Senate (and prospects for the Senate are pretty good for them) they could pack the Supreme Court with fascists and start gutting the 3rd remaining branch of government that could check them. And of course weaken the 4th estate-the press.
'Safeguards' in the Weimar Republic did NOT stop the evil POS NAZIS, and their from beyond hell (S)Hitler from taking over Germany, and then most of Europe.
Yes, von Hindenburg & Co. caved to (S)Hitler and his demonic backers like a house of cards, and eventually just allowed him to install his evil, genocidal regime. :(
HOPEFULLY, at least HALF of the people of this land will not allow that to happen here, but this country is sooooo effing complacent, worried ONLY and exclusively about the price of gas and food, and large portion batshit insane, that I still worry. ;)
Never was a coal miner. Coal operator. In 1988, Manchin founded Enersystems, a waste coal brokerage company based in Fairmont, West Virginia.[ Manchin was president of Enersystems until 2000, when he entered politics and gave control of the company's daily operations to his son, Joe Manchin IV. At some point during his tenure as governor, Manchin moved his Enersystems holdings into a blind trust.[33] In a financial disclosure from 2020, Manchin reported that his non-public shares of Enersystems were worth between $1 million and $5 million and that between 2011 and 2020 he was paid $5,211,154 in dividend income from them. In 2020, he received over $500,000 in dividends. Enersystems is 71% of Manchin's investment income and 30% of his net worth.
That's is a cool tee. I'm worried about wearing anything political because I have two winged fruit bats that live at each end of my street. They are , after all, the locked and loaded white fright crew. I'm a big guy, look I run a biker gang but I'm just a sweethearted liberal, hoping for a better tomorrow.
Carry Me Home, yes, we must be optimistic for the next election. But we must also look at the long game for our Democracy.
Democracy is currently the best system on the planet, but when the monied interests gain control, it becomes a “Demonocracy.” The wealthy did not like Trump at first, but when they realized he would bring forward their agenda to gain even greater wealth, they were quite pleased.
We need to craft a vision of what democracy can and will be in the future, one that will particularly spark the support and energy of college students and young adult activists. First, we need the vision, then we figure out how to implement it.
Economic Democracy is one of those visions. One of its tenants is that everyone must gain the purchasing power to achieve their basic minimum necessities before any wealth accumulation can be allowed to occur. It is not about “welfare,” but it does require that a 40-hour workweek at any job provides enough money to purchase your necessities and guarantee medical care and schooling costs. Therefore, purchasing power is adjusted for inflation and the ability to earn a living from one job is guaranteed.
Daniel, and he or she has to be able to communicate effectively to the people of Appalachia who deserve far better than they got with Manchin. He got things for them, but things that helped the miners and large land owners more than the people who ultimately got only the crumbs. The people of Appalachia have been used and abused for centuries and now need someone, hopefully a Democrat who will stand for and with them in gaining rights for women and children, health care for all including the coal miners who still suffer horribly. I don't know who that is but I hope we can find someone, fiddle or banjo and all.
Yes, Jim Justice (was a Democrat at one time) is going to run. Unfortunately, he’s very popular in a state that’s badly in need of Democratic solutions to its many problems.
Robert, just type “Campaign Finance Reform” needed by all parties in an election. If you have not seen these and many other ideas requesting donations from all politicians, you’ve had your head in the sand. It’s an honest offer some might enjoy. It gives grassroots donors opportunities to meet and greet the President and his family. You have a problem with that? Contact the Democratic and Republican National Headquarters. By the way, I believe it is much more egregious to pretend an election rally is NOT an event at which donations are taken and used for the defense of felonies instead of pursuit by a candidate for office.
Precisely Keith! He has been an impediment to Democrats for very important changes that could have happened were it not gor him and Sinema blocking everything! Two Republicans..period!
He IS a republican! Put his face on every soup can in America to show what he actually is! Manchin stew....... ing in his own homemade broth of deceit. Don’t burn your tongue Mr.Manchin!
From the very beginning, he has acted and sounded like a Repub. When I asked the people I know who live in WV, they said he was the best of the available candidates. How sad, how very sad.
Every issue facing our nation is solvable only if we reject a dictatorship by the Putin wanna be, Trump and that Joe Manchin is about to make it more unlikely that a Trump dictatorship can be avoided.
This appears to be legally actionable. The State government is responsible for providing all that is needed to allow EVERYONE to vote. Which means that if the State is responsible for a shortage of ballots -- really, how difficult is it to tally the number of legally registered voters and providing _at least_ that many ballots? -- then the State should be required to give every registered voter whose name wasn't checked off on Election Day the opportunity to cast a ballot. (This is where mail-in ballots would be quite useful.) I'm pretty sure the voters in Hinds County qualify for a Class Action suit. I would think the Democratic Party would be willing to foot the bill for any and all legal costs for pressing the suit.
This is a tactic practiced quite a bit in the South: do not provide enough ballots, voting machines, or drop-off boxes for people in urban areas or college communities so that they're either unable to vote in time or have to wait in line for hours in hopes that the people lining up to vote either get discouraged & give up or die trying to vote (why else would they criminalize providing water or refreshments to people waiting in line to vote?).
Jaime; what? People waiting in line can’t have drinks , water or whatever with them or given them? Crikey, in Australia I’ve never waited more than 10 minutes in a line to vote at any Voting Venue ( usually at a school, community hall, town hall ). Quite often there will be a free or “ donate a gold coin ($1 or $2) “ sausage sizzle & water/soft drink stand present somewhere between the Exit door & the way back to the carpark.
Never heard anything as ridiculous as “ running out of ballot papers or ballot boxes”. 🤨 The Electoral Commission ensures plenty available, staffs the venues , sends out Postal Voting kits to anyone who requests one, visits Aged Care Residences ( if transport difficult), allows you to vote “ before the day” if you’re going to be absent from the country/ shift working etc.
But.. Voting is compulsory & you will receive a “ please explain” letter or risk being fined for NOT voting!
These tactics go all the way back to shortly after the Civil War. With the slaves being freed, in 1870 the 15th Amendment was made to give them the right to vote as well. This was a VERY serious concern to the Wealthy former slave-owners because of the @9 million people in the South, @5 million of them had been slaves. In a "Majority rules!" nation, that meant those that had been slaves would very likely be in a position to start dictating to their former owners. So the White civic leaders started to look for _any_ excuse to disqualify Black voters, ranging from poll taxes, literacy tests, or simply "losing" the ballots of Black voters. As one practice after another was ruled illegal and/or unconstitutional by (mostly Northern) courts, what the Southern Whites settled for was _discomfort_ (standing in line in any weather for 6+ hours to cast a ballot) and running out the clock. (Sorry folks. It's 8 p.m. and the polls are now closing. Better luck next election.)
"If you can't make them vote the 'Right' way, do what you can to make it impossible for them to vote at all." [I'm sure that there's some bullet point in the GOP handbook that reads something like that.]
Yes, sadly that makes sense. That legacy of riches & biblical based misbelief about racial superiority which The South was founded on, continues to blight the economy and lives of people living there, and its been 150 odd years ! 🙁
Your country obviously values democracy & fair elections & encourages voting.
But many southern states in the US look for ways to influence election results by making it harder for constituencies that normally vote mostly for Democrats. The law against providing water or refreshments for people standing in line was passed by the Georgia legislature. I'm not sure it's the only state with such a law. Very inhumane!
Yes, anything like that here would be regarded as election tampering.
Australian Electoral Staff are often invited or involved in “ observing and monitoring “ Electoral Proceedings in other countries nearby. The Governments here, both State & Federal are a lot more directly answerable to “ The People”.
If I were a voter in Hinds Country, I would definitely be seeking counsel. Having the right to vote is our right and to have it taken away is just another indicator of what orange man and his minions will do if he gets anywhere near the White House!!
Yes, WHY TF is there not an IMMEDIATE re-DO (NOT a recount!!) being DEMANDED there, with TWICE the number of ballots available than what is needed, instead of putting that scum KKKlansman right back into power as if there is 'nothing to see here, business as usual, just move along' BS of letting them have their racist, fascist ways?!?!?!
This happened in multiple precincts. It seems it was the responsibility of local commissioners and only their constituents can hold them responsible? How many times have we seen these loopholes in enforceability of laws that are exploited by the MAGA folks?
And if we keep tolerating these horrible bullies and giving them ink and airtime in the name of democracy and 'free speech' we are signing our own political death warrant. It's long past time to redefine/emphasize the term 'treason' and ramp up action on this cabal of monsters. Give a rabid dog your finger and believe it will eat your hand.
I do understand christian values even though I have left formal religion behind. I can not abide those so called christians who are total hypocrites and of whom are racist self serving “evangelicals”. Pretty obvious today that many of organized religion are the route of evil worldwide.
Kathryn Sullivan ; yeah! That's like running a pizza shop and taking hungry peoples' $$, and telling them " sorry! We have run out of pizza dough! Better luck next time, suckers!".
Would he have been re-elected if the judge had extended the voting hours? Also, didn't the republican party just deny some voters their right to vote by fighting that order?
Keith, and that proves the rule, electing (OK, re-electing) a criminal is just what the Trumpers and Trumpettes do and they just love doing it because they think it makes them smart. Well, that's what Trump said about his 6 bankruptcies too. Trump, himself is losing hold on a reality he never really had a tight grasp of. His handlers are OK with it because at least for now, their puppet can still spew all the hate and threats they can't say with the same level of attention. My guess is that should Trump be elected, the big three: Stone, Banan, and Flynn, all of them traitors, will be his "right-hand men." They will actually be running things with Tucker their mouthpiece, that is until one of the three gets pissed off at something the others are doing and attacks, with Trump's blessing, of course. Trump likes discord and when he can't create it, he will support it. I still have no idea what the working-class white people, particularly women see in the Trump jerk. They disgust him but somehow they are blind to his disgust, seeing it as love or something. Maybe, though, that fits with their lives, often marrying too young, having kids their hubby doesn't do much to help take care of. OK, that is a stereotype, but I have it in my own family and saw how devastating that can be. Fortunately, it didn't turn those I know into Trumpettes.
When he was confronted with the fact that he didn’t pay taxes certain years he again said “that makes me smart”! I’m sure a lot of the Billionaires in America feel the same way!
You forgot probably the worst of the worst. Stephen Miller
How true Mr. Olson. But of course, as cheating is the only way now for Republicans to believe they can win elections. They don't care about a plan of really helping constituents, with a plan, their only goal is to win at any course and to elect Republicans who don't care about winning fair elections. They don't care about the voters they are supposed to represent, only to represent themselves by cheating. What happened in Mississippi is indicative of this and Tate Reeves is typical of the type of Republicans who only want to win to stay in power. He certainly doesn't care about the majority of Africans Americans in the state who had to suffer without water and even made a joke about it being a bad day to be in that particular county. They are blatant and don't care that what they are doing is out in the open. Wish it were possible for this to somehow be reversed. And it can but will take people with a degree of morality to make it happen.
I’m a student who has recently come back from a solo trip to front line Ukraine. I’ve just published a new piece on my experiences and thought readers here may appreciate it. Please do see what you think. https://irongoose.substack.com/p/how-i-accidentally-plundered-the
Trump's plan is right out of the 'playbook" of "How to turn a democratic republic into a fascist dictatorship." (OK, I made up that title) As his niece has said, "He'll burn the entire government down to keep himself out of jail." What his corporate puppet masters don't seem to understand is after he's "burned it all down" and the American economy is in "tatters," they will be part of the "residue." It's already going to take years to recover from "Trumpism," although, so far, President Biden has done a good (probably great) job of countering Trump's first four years (It will take a generation to recover from the additions to the Supreme Court as it is) although if "we the people" are STUPID enough to give Trump another four years (he will interpret it as a lifetime appointment) the result, in my view, beyond the attempt at a fascist "takeover," will be the next "great depression," (Now that I think about it, Trump is likely viewing his outcome in 2024 to be a "lifetime appointment" one way or the other)
The short-sighted nihilism of the Trumpists is a sign of sickness. How can anyone back this philosophy unless they have given up on democracy and humanity?
Trump represents hope to them. The only way to destroy the evil system that has ruined so many lives. It’s the counter to the suicide pact of the left.
It's so pitiful that you've fallen so completely for a notorious conman, pathological liar, megalomaniacal autocrat, sexual predator, paranoid psychopath, malignant sadonarcissist, depraved pervert & utter traitorlike Trump. I suppose such a wretch must really speak to you.
You must really feel insecure about your manhood to call yourself "Guy" "Dude" "bro" & call men you meet on-line "beta males". That & all your spiteful comments scream out that you have a very low self-esteem & an inferiority complex as well.
In that case, you're just a sociopathic nihilist, is that right? Maybe answering my reasonable questions from the beginning would've saved some misunderstanding, but no, you wanted to assume the worst in me, & make me assume the worst In you, & you succeeded.
The fact that you are asking these questions at all is the reason why the country must end. I don’t know what’s worse, you literally not knowing the answers to these questions or you pretending you don’t know. In either case it’s not possible for us to share a country with you. It’s not ethical.
What a clever way (you think) of avoiding supporting your claims. I asked those questions because I truly wasn't sure what you were trying to say, & before bothering to counter your assertions, I wanted to clarify what you meant.
On this forum, people are expected to be able to support their statements with arguments & facts. Apparently you have none.
Obviously you'd feel more comfortable in an authoritarian country like Hungary & Russia. Putin has even arranged a place for American traitors who want to leave the US. Why not take him up on his offer? Go on! Russia beckons you!
When the election for President is over and hopefully Joe Biden has won and possibly the Dems have gained a majority in the House we should not sit on our laurels and congratulate ourselves, but immediately turn our attention to not only repairing the damage done to democracy but at the same time be willing to reimagine a government that gives sufficient purchasing power to all so that not only does everyone have adequate food, appropriate clothing, safe housing with proper amenities, but full medical care and the ability to gain a college education without going into crushing debt.
While there are numerous things that can be done to patch up the damage done to democracy by the demagogue Republicans and their ultra-rich backers such as the Heritage Foundation, we should begin to reimagine a government that is truly for the people, and by the people that empowers all workers to have a rightful say in governance. We need a system that puts economics over politics and stresses local economic strength not only by unions opposing the greedy tendency of corporations, but puts ownership of medium to large businesses into the hands of worker owned cooperatives and utilities operations into the hand of those whom they serve.
Currently Democrats are focusing our attention on reacting to the bold plans and actions of the ultra-right influenced by the ultra-wealthy. While hoping that Trump and his ultra-right backers do not win in the upcoming elections, we must come up with a bold vision that will inspire progressives into action. Fear of a right-wing takeover of government is a short-term motivator for some, but to create and popularize an inspiring vision of an ideal economic and political system for the future is what will motivate our students and youth into action. To simply hold a vision of maintaining a democracy and a Democratic Party that allows for such wealth accumulation will not motivate our youth into action, and they are our future both to win the next election and to become the new generation of leaders.
The Democratic party needs about 65 senators to overcome any new Manchin or Sinema. Then, immediately rule-change the filibuster into oblivion. Etc. Fix what is evidently not working.
Yes, we need to “fix what is not working,” but if we want to attract an activist student movement we will have to give them an inspiring vision of what can be. We need a system that gets to the root of the problem, wealth inequality and the power of the billionaires.
I'm just saying the changes we want are not going to be possible when the federal government is unanswerable to the voters, as Republicans across the board are unanswerable; and any changes we manage to scrape out might be short-lived (that is too often the case) or ineffective (refuse to fund programs) without a truly representative government. I've seen for decades the excuses while special interest groups tend to be fights among ourselves. Try giving the Democrats a clear mandate and then demand lasting change. There will be no room for excuses then.
Les, it will probably have to take something like the Israelis were doing to object to their government until the invasion occurred. There was no way the Israeli population, particularly the students were going to permit Netanyahu to have control over the Supreme Court so they demonstrated in mass on the streets. it will possibly come to confrontation of people over politicians to get any substantial change.
I’m just saying that we need to envision the system that we want to have now rather than later. It is my personal belief that a capitalistic dominated democracy has more holes now thanSwiss cheese. We need to start with a fresh batch of milk and a whole new culture. We will not be able to motivate young dynamic activists with a chant of. Let’s fix the problems with our democracy. They already feel too alienated. We have seen how quickly they have organized demonstrations on both sides of the Israel Gaza conflict. This type of energy needs to be channeled for positive changes.
You and I are probably not going to take to the streets, at least not with the same power that the students can. We need a strategy to bring them aboard.
Nice words, but it won't happen. The Democratic Party is nicknamed "the graveyard of movements" for a good reason, and the DNC has done all it can to insulate and entrench itself away from "people power" at all costs, even that of undermining those who could've been its party's future: the young.
Their power is not our power, as they took pains to show us from 2020-22; because they knew we'd be right back facing this same choice in 2024.
They'll ride this "It Worked Last Time " train right through '24 and into '28; weaponizing their own peril against those who try to hold them accountable in any way, shape, or form; as well as anyone who tries to invent a "Where Else" for folks who are fed up with them to go.
And when it stops working for them, they'll blame everyone else but themselves.
That’s the problem. They don’t want to promote an inspiring vision of an ideal economic and political system.
They have given up on all things and messages and policies positive. For nearly a decade now. So glad We got this over with. See what happens when people who are in charge of things shouldn’t be.
We wouldn’t even have to deal with Donald Trump if wasn’t for these fools.
Now fix it. The blame game has strangled itself into oblivion.
You cannot lead a country or anything else with blame only.
It’s ridiculous. Libs! It’s up to you to make your party smarten up. We don’t care. We don’t t need a government baby sitter. We are all adults . We do are own thing.
You guys have to straighten your idiot leadership. Continuing to blame blame blame is not correcting the problem. You have to demand representation and have higher standards for these so called leaders.
With no push back. This is what you get.
And what you get to do....Running around screaming I Hate Donald Trump for the rest of your lives. Or even better. I’m on board with international terrorism with the Nation of Islam
And how the hell are you suppose to be glorious about saving the planet and the air . Now that you’ve all turned into a bunch of wanna be war mongers.
Last time I checked... burning raging wats everywhere We’re not helpful to planet earth.
Very well said! I would also include bold action on climate & the environment, including a much more comprehensive rapid transit system & system of bike paths & (non-concrete/non-asphalt) walkways so that we have more viable alternatives to motor vehicles; energy efficiency & conservation; & regenerative organic farming.
Donna, I remember when he was running against President Biden he made remarks about maybe I'll be president for 11 years or more!! I remember him saying that! Now I know what he wants to do and I wouldn't give him 11 minutes, 11 years, or any length of time running our Democracy!!
I will yell it out every single day, Jaime! I wouldn't vote for Mr. Trump if he was running for narcissist of the year!! He is the train wreck on our Democracy and I will be so glad to see the back of him!!
But maybe the corporate puppet masters want to be part of the residue -- overlords of a feudal state where they have the power of princes and everyone else is an expendable resource.
You got it. These so called helpers want to be the new rulers, once our democracy is in ruins. Do they have any real power except Trump’s coat tails? No. Do they want it? Absolutely!
Where are Congress, the SCOTUS, and the press while Trump and his minions try to seize control of the government? Are all the "guardrails" gone? I would like to think that he could be stopped from achieving his evil goal!
It IS an attempt at a fascist takeover; as some have said, the coup is ongoing.
The crew of lawyers and political operators working to implement Trump's revenge and destruction of government rules, regulations, and administration are using Trump as a springboard to take control.
I believe the name of the book you’re thinking of is Mein Kampf. Rumor has it it’s one of the few books tRump has ever read. Kept it on his nightstand according to first wife Ivana, who must have forgotten she signed a non-disclosure agreement shortly before she mysteriously fell down the stairs. Sounds like that’s right from Putin’s “How to Off the Opposition” manual.
I believe what he kept at his bedside was actually a book of Hitler's speeches, which explains why his speeches are so reminiscent of Hitler's, although it's likely he also read Mein Kampf, even though he's never been much of a reader. Trump certainly was a fan & study of Hitler (as well as his puppetmaster Putin).
Trump definitely wants to be a dictator. I just don’t see him succeeding. I am from the west coast and was interested in the Yes California movement to secede from the nation. Trump being elected again increases the chance of that happening. Only everyone west of the Cascade mountain range would join them, creating the country of Cascadia. California’s produce, Apple and other software companies plus adding Washington gives you Microsoft, Amazon, Google, etc. The east coast would follow with their strengths. America will become an experiment that failed.
That sounds scary! Also, if he is elected again and everyone starts seceding from the union, won't that cause another civil war in our country? I understand not wanting to live in a country where trump is the dictator. It would be very sad to see our Democracy fail.
The Conch Republic was born on April 23, 1982, in response to a United States Border Patrol Blockade of the Florida Keys. Since the United States insisted on treating the Keys like a foreign country, Mayor Dennis Wardlow seceded from Union. Today we stand proudly as a community of who have “Sovereign State Of Mind” and as the “People who seceded where others have failed”"
And that's why we need to make sure he doesn't win😡 He needs to be put away forever for selling out American Intelligence. #LockTrumpUpNOW #TrumpIsAConMan and he needs to go to jail, Point Blank🤬 #VoteBlueToSaveDemocracy from all these #ReTrumpliQans #MAGANationalist #MAGACult
Trump has to be elected first. That is unlikely to happen. If Biden moves for immigration reform he will remove the only reason people would ever think of for voting for Trump. Biden is already tightening up the southern border. Furthermore, the anti-immigration chorus from the Blue North (NYC, Massachusetts, Illinois) will give Biden the cover he needs to revise the Immigration Act. Also, most Americans are unlikely to support a person convicted of trying to subvert the US Constitution. This is where the Georgia trial comes in. Trump is likely to be found guilty. Finally, those Americans who respect only power and wealth will desert Trump when New York State revokes his business permits and fines him for fraud. This will happen shortly.
I'd like to share your optimism, but half of this country is convinced that government is the problem, and seems willing to see it destroyed. The GOP shenanigans in Congress, and the gross ethics lapses of the Supreme Court only reinforce their view. Even though in a head to head election between the President and the Defendant would probably result in President Biden's reelection, the emergence of at least three third party candidates is no coincidence; it's intended to take votes away from Biden. We cannot take anything for granted, other than the fact that the Defendant will do ANYTHING to enrich himself and keep from being held accountable.
Thanks David, for your comment. It helps ease my sense of great concern about all of this total insanity going on with TFG and those Fascist terrorists in the House of Representatives. I want to see TFG rot under a prison. Same goes for the Fascist terrorist extremists in the House.
From your lips to God's ears, David. But he already managed to convince a number of supporters that he won 2020, and trust me, not matter how wide the margins are by which he loses in 2024, he will again claim "rigged elections".
There are various vote spoilers in the race already. And it seems some 40% of the electorate do support a person who tried to subvert the US constitution and pressured the vice president to subvert the vote of the people.
Let's see what we can do to get the 30% of electorate who did not vote in 2020 out, and voting blue in 2024!!
I agree. I am tired of all the reasons given in these comments on why Trump cannot win in 2024! It reminds me of 2016! We need to take actions like you suggest to ENSURE that he will not win!
One problem is that millions are unaware of what the Biden administration is doing and buys the sound bites. I have democrat friends thinking he’s not doing a good job!
Who? Biden? Frankly I wish he wouldn't because I think there's a good chance he wouldn't finish the term, & there are other good people who would make good, strong candidates.
On this border wall, It is only 20 miles. The reason he's doing it is that the money has already been appropriated by Trump, and there is no way to undo that appropriation or use it for a different purpose. He says himself he doesn't think that will help, but that is the problem with appropriations.
Are you seriously telling me that there's no one intelligent enough to find a better use for that money? Lame ass excuse. No, it won't help and the project is horrible for the environment. Better just to set that money on fire🤷♀️
Trump doesn’t need to plan. He expected to lose the first time but would gain a bump for his retainer for The Apprentice.
But damned if he didn’t win anyway. He knew he could do his main job, be a dickhead and lie a lot. But he had the Heritage Foundation and other rightwing players choose his judges, justices, and cabinet so he could spend more time playing golf.
This time he’s only running so he can end DOJ cases against him in the nick of time. The Heritage Foundation will again stock his cabinet and administration full of yes-men.
Somehow, however, he’s gonna have to come up with new catchphrases because “rigged elections” and “four more years” won’t work
Glad you’re on the job, Robert. Definitely terrifying looking at the devious minds plotting to place their puppet back on his pedestal. Please keep reminding us of the danger ahead if we splinter our sanity coalition.
It looks as though an important part of the Democratic campaign for 2024 will be to discourage complacency, and encourage potential or actual supporters of Biden to make the effort to get out to vote and save their country from Fascism!
Here in Ohio we are no longer complacent (about time!). See the results of Tuesday’s election to enshrine Reproductive Rights. The Republicans will push back but we’re ready for that fight.
Once again, republicans are trying to overturn the will of the voters!! That alone should enrage enough people to determine they are unfit to serve and should be voted out!
The third party idiots who are going to help Trum win are the scary ones. Now we have Manchin, who makes me sick. He and his corrupt family.. the Democrats have got to be fighting harder. Biden is a wonderful president.
I agree Manchin is a delusional idiot! Biden needs 100% support to defeat Trump! I don't agree 100% with Biden but I disagree 200% against Trump and MAGA Totalitarian Trump Thuggery!
Elena, I agree that we must continue to fight and fight hard, but I have to say that those election wins really helped me keep my focus!! I have determined that I will not pay any attention to polls or the media that keeps touting how great trump is doing. I will continue to do what I am doing and pray hard that more Americans will stand up to fascists and wannabe dictators and let them know that here in America, we are a Democracy!!
How can the decent people preempt this plan? trump takes everything to court. He lies, delays, cheats... How is trump not in jail right now for the classified documents scandal? A future with Stone, Flynn, Bannon thinking and planning terrifies me. Extremist Theocratic tyranny? With the uber-rich oligarchs and wannabe plutocrats plotting and supporting a coup where they gain at everyone else's expense. Argh! Scary to me that the players and pieces seem to be coming together! In broad daylight except for what we cannot see...
Presidential political privilege. For instance in Britain, it is a decades long open secret that if a man is in the UK parliamentary system he is protected politically by being an MP or a Lord. The special London Metropolitan police force for Westminster will see to it that no rape victim’s allegations are heard or if they are privileged enough class wise to break that silencing status quo state Omertà, ever believed. Less than 2% of the perpetrators of reported sexualised violence crimes are ever convicted in the UK. I do not know the figures for the US.
It is a still largely hidden societal shame and a bleeding sore that if not addressed will continue to corrupt and eventually destroy Western democratic institutions from the inside out.
I am aware. I have personal experience of child abuse by a celebrity British politician who openly raped his way through boys and girls across the country for decades and was protected by fellow politicians and police officials unto his dying day and beyond. UK mass media portals remain largely controlled by family his kids have since married into. It is an underexposed dirty truth of realpolitick in the UK.
"He will also pardon himself from any and all federal criminal charges, even though it’s far from clear that the Constitution permits it."
See, it's equivocating phrasings like this one that add to the gaslit smog the public is forced to walk through daily. By saying it is "far from clear" you appear to leave room for doubt of your own statement, some credence to the illogical notion that the Constitution might allow for an individual to put himself above itself. No sir. "No one is above the law" is our given. Let me rephrase your statement: "even though it would be unconstitutional and unlawful for DT to try to pardon himself." That would amount to arrogating for himself the powers of a king. We don't allow kings here. Repeat to his face.
Except laws, even enshrined in the Constitution, are not being applied. If they were, dozens of Republican members of Congress would've been expelled by now.
Hear! Hear! If we are going to abide by the Constitution, we simply cannot pick and choose which part of it matters. We cannot take the words of the Constitution and put our own spin on them!! Those republican members of Congress that aided the insurrectionist, the voted to stop the peaceful transfer of power should have been expelled immediately!
Jaime, I still cannot fathom that these people - who deliberately violated our democratic process - have been allowed to remain in government. I cannot fathom it.
Better yet, since you seem hellbent on defending those who truly are MAGAt abject fascists (the ones spewing this NAZI BS), YOU 'define' what this country is, government wise.
I will FULLY agree that the effing garbage Electoral College is about as ANTI-democracy as anything can be, if you were going to cite that. ;)
I have to apologize for giving unintended offense.
No way I was calling you MAGA, my post was made in agreement with you and sarcastic. Mr. MAGA was the "they" from your post who claimed we never had a democracy.
The US constitution defines our government, but it has been reinterpreted to some extent from its beginning (balance between states rights and federal rights, who counted as a "person" , the right to vote, etc.) I have been catching up the past couple of years with US history that I either ignored in school, or in some cases never heard of of. Fair minded people understand what is ethical and fair, but twisted minds reinterpret almost any way they want. Lately I have felt it is almost a duty to be worried, and even "very worried" as today's essay aptly suggests.
A second trump presidency would be the end of the United States as we have known it. Chaos, as Mr. Reich so soundly stated, will be the norm and not the unusual. Federal employees will be fired if they do not support the lunatic and untrained people will re place them, if the government can find replacements.
I'll take Grandpa Biden over the lunatic and his minions for Gramps has the experience, the knowledge and compassion to govern the United States in a democratic way.
We can’t even think there’s a possibility TFG could win re-election! I can only think about all his trials & hope he is convicted & sent to n prison where he certainly belongs. I think we need to be more worried about those 3rd Party candidates accidentally causing tRump to win the Electoral College & especially now that fake Dem, Joe Manchin will resign from the Senate & pursue something along the lines of throwing his hat in the Presidential voting ring!
Hopefully, more Blue states will seek to keep tRump off the ballot via Amendment 14 which will take away many votes that could possibly return him to the White House!
IMHO, every effort must be taken to keep him away from DC forever! I won’t let myself think about him winning a Presidential bid & everyone else should think positively in that regard!
Shirley Roberts ; It looks like all the experts on Constitutional law, like retired judge Michael Luttig say this has to be determined by the Supreme Court. There is no way the court could find tfg qualified. It looks like there can't be a patchwork of states that keep him off the ballot. So much for 'states rights', I guess. And government of. by and for the humans. Talk about Constitutional Crisis!
100% agree with you, Shirley! Like I said, I may be screaming and crying on the inside, but I am calm and dedicated to helping President Biden on the outside!!
The Third Parties not only will help tRump by pulling moderate disenfranchised Republicans and Democrats, they could, if a third party candidate gets lucky enough, throw the election into the GQP House of Representatives. Game over.
Basically, Trump wants to make the US government his own private corporation. Now that we know Trump isn't as rich as he says he is, the first thing he will do is get "his" people in Congress to ratchet up the President's pay to several million a year. And start accepting bribes for presidential acts. Then, try to make the FBI his own private service to go after people he doesn't like. Sounds like the Dark Ages of Europe.
However, the more he says these unhinged things, the more he drives away people who might have supported him, even staunch GOPers who realize they would be electing a vindictive, spoiled child.
Lynn Bechdolt, agree, I would say he did accept bribes before though here and around the world but in term 2 it would be public knowledge the floodgates are open.
This destruction of our government and constitution is definitely NOT trump's plan. It is the long standing plan of those very few super rich radical oligarchs who have always dreamed of a country where they own it all, control it all and the "workers" do exactly what they're told to do under pain of imprisonment or worse. They've come to believe their divine right to govern is within reach using trump as the puppet-tool. Like the multi billionaire peter thiel they are bored, having become used to pockets that contain unlimited money to satisfy their every whim, and they do NOT want to jeopardize their grift with rules that favor the lower castes. These people are far more dangerous than most of the "legitimate" news outlets are telling us. We MUST promote the truth. We Must VOTE.
This is so true! But voting is not all that needs to be done. I live in a red state where the politicians ignore the will of the people. Even if we vote for things and they pass, the politicians will work to annul or take it away. If they cannot get rid of it, they take away any budget for it. The authoritarians have already taken over in some states. They do not deal fairly or humanely. They are the scum of the earth. How do you fight it?
This is your GOP America. They will do anything to win! It’s Par for the Course now because their leader has been Cheating his whole life and getting away with it! He’s their Role Model.
Following Tuesday’s election results,
Heather Cox Richardson wrote: Yesterday in Mississippi, where at least nine precincts in Democratic-leaning Hinds County ran out of ballots. The most populous county in the state, Hinds County is 70% Black and includes the city of Jackson, which is almost 83% Black. Officials rushed to print more ballots, but the lines ballooned. After a judge tried to remedy the situation by extending the voting hours in the county by an hour, the Republican Party of Mississippi fought that order. Needless to say, Jonathan Tate Reeves was re-elected Governor of Mississippi.
Really needed federal election bill to pass. Voter protection act would have been Biden’s landmark legacy. Its defeat was Joe Manchin’s legacy. If he runs he might as well run as a republican.
Manchin just announced he won't run for reelection as a senator. He may run to be the "No Labels" candidate meant to draw votes away from the Democratic nominee, likely Biden. He has colluded with Republicans to stifle democracy whenever he can.
Jaime, I am glad Manchin will not run again for Senate even though the Democratic margin is thin. Manchin did his best to sabotage whatever Democrats were trying to do for the American people. Somehow, though, he got his cut, far larger than he deserved or the number of people in West Virginia warranted so Dems could get anything passed. He and Sinema of AZ kept so much critical legislation from happening which led so many Democrats in places like New York and California from getting off their butts and voting, giving the House to the Republican mob that really cares nothing for the people of this nation, only the power and money they can personally accumulate. They have become a collection of cowards who are anti-democratic because their mob boss is even though their mob boss is losing his ability to know and understand much of anything. Ugh!!
I don’t “like” it , but, as usual, RR makes the most “logical” sense. That’s if anything affiliated with Trump has any logic whatsoever. This is terrible!
Robert Weber seems to cut and paste very well. How long will he persist? Next one I see gets reported to Substack.
Trump's first official function of his second term will be to take Joe Manchin out to dinner to thank him.
I bet Manchin gets stuck with the check!
He can certainly afford it, with his coal & oil company assets, Maserati, yacht & Manchin's mansion.
Tim-- That's a terrible thought, but most like true.
Let us not forget, Ceasar was an ambitious man.
I have noticed a high correlation between ambition, widely considered a positive characteristic, & greed & corruption, generally considered quite negative.
Jaime--The two go hand in hand. The positives and the negatives are like forces and as such they attract. Not in the way magnets attract, negatives feel comfortable together, greed and corruption operate on the same negative plain, and it has Trump printed all over it.
Trump's second term will be a revenge filled extravaganza featuring a continuous stream of political figures attempting to find peace while sleep with the fishes. How do you placate a spoiled child that sees his own country as he enemy. He will find new and imaginative ways to increase the global temperature by burning vast quantiles of "Clean coal." Now the quest is on to find the elusive substance. Donald Trump is a human enigma, there is absolutely no classification that would describe an ecological snitch where he would be greeted with open arms. Like a true member of the swamp, Trump tries to blend in with his reptilian friends while warming himself in the Florida sun, when is the last time you saw the man taking a leisurely stroll in the snow with his dog? What kind of an individual dislikes snow, dogs, and has no visible sense of humor? Most likely not a good one.
There is nothing that we hold as sacred that Trump won't plow asunder.
Trump reminds me of a mentally dysfunctional mosquito. No matter how you assess his presents the man simply server no purpose, just like his blood sucking insect cousins. However, there is a difference, the skinny little one that buzzes is on the food chain.
I do enjoy your imaginative humor in your comments, Donald!
Their 'Project 2025' is basically a NAZI manifesto for the 21st century.
WORLDWIDE democracy will die a painful death, followed shortly by the whole Earth dying a painful death due to a totally unlivable environment.
SCUMp and his 4th REICH evil minions are TELLING U.S. EXACTLY what they will do once back in power.
Are the citizens of this land just going to allow them to proceed with their sadistic, EVIL plans, or worse yet vote to ENABLE them?!?!
No we are NOT!
A resounding NO!
David--Donald Trump is the single worst influence this country has had to bear in its short 250 some odd years of existence. The man is a 1930s Hitler throwback that sees our way of life as weak and undisciplined. Everyone is throwing the word "Genocide" around as if it has no real meaning in this time. Hello--Donnie Boy is the ringmaster, and his barbaric influence will be the death of us all, now that is "Genocide." His only regret, a hormonal deficiency that reduced the man's inability to grow a mustache.
Not an enigma: a textbook case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It's a permanent trait, cannot be improved.
F R--To Trump it can be improved by making it worse.
And stares directly into the sun.
A great example for gifs and mindless MAGAs.
In other words, 4 more years of Biden.
Neil--Far more desirable than 4 more years of Trump.
What you just admitted is hypocrisy. You are ok with what Trump would do, just not ok with him the one doing it. Not the least bit surprising to me.
Neil--What is Trump planning in his next four years? He doesn't have the fore thought to think that far ahead.
We just saw the Republicans lose on abortion and the demolition of the goofball moms for (so-called) liberty in the recent state elections!
Stop the panic. Manchin is a republican. Why would anyone think Democrats would vote for him? He’ll split the Republican vote. Let him have at it.
I tend to think likewise. Very few liberals or moderates, it seems to me, would be attracted to Manchin, but he may appeal to Democrat-hating, anti-environmentalists who can't stomach Trump anymore.
He'll hide under the flag of "No Labels" (which we know is a false "party", since they refuse to reveal their sources of $$$)
He has double crossed Democrats every step of the way.
I always wonder if he kept getting elected in that state because they are so backwards there that they somehow thought he was/is a throwback 'DIXIEcrat' (which in essence, I guess he IS)??
(i.e.; being lily white, racist MAGAts, WHY would they EVER vote for anyone with a D next to their name, otherwise?!?)
It's the Independent vote that swings elections and too many of them will vote for Manchin at the expense of Biden.
Manchin has his share of baggage...let the Dems play hardball for once and start slinging some facts around.
Baggage only counts when voters pay attention to details. Most do not, or it wouldn't even be a race.
What makes you say that? Manchin is not particularly likable.
Neither are Jordan, Gosar, Cruz, Graham, McConnell & many other Republicans who keep getting elected over & over nonetheless.
There aren’t independents. They don’t say out loud who they will vote for. They don’t swing the elections, they simply make it easier to cheat with close call areas. If someone is saying they are undecided amongst all of this insanity, they are a republikkkon!
You seem to have forgotten that Senator Manchin honored his Oath of Allegiance by voting to impeach Trump. He did a valuable service for his country, not Trump. Republicans will never forgiver him.
No kidding. Everyone needs to pay attention. Thank you, Jaime, for this thought.
REPORTED AS PROMISED.
There are safeguards in place to prevent the worse damage Trump wants to do. But after Jan6 and Hamas attack and all we have experienced the past few years I have much less confidence in safeguards for sure.Many people don’t do their job.
Sounds like they are in the process of planning stages or already getting rid of safeguards - govt shut down, crazies in congress & senate, no military leaders in place, voter suppression, Supreme Court etc.
One thing in our favor. Many are aware more than in Hitler's time and have the example of Hitler's rise. But if they got the Presidency, The House, and the Senate (and prospects for the Senate are pretty good for them) they could pack the Supreme Court with fascists and start gutting the 3rd remaining branch of government that could check them. And of course weaken the 4th estate-the press.
'Safeguards' in the Weimar Republic did NOT stop the evil POS NAZIS, and their from beyond hell (S)Hitler from taking over Germany, and then most of Europe.
;) :( :( :(
They're apparently not strong enough here, either, mainly because they're just not being sufficiently enforced.
Yes, von Hindenburg & Co. caved to (S)Hitler and his demonic backers like a house of cards, and eventually just allowed him to install his evil, genocidal regime. :(
HOPEFULLY, at least HALF of the people of this land will not allow that to happen here, but this country is sooooo effing complacent, worried ONLY and exclusively about the price of gas and food, and large portion batshit insane, that I still worry. ;)
We remember that he double crossed the President and to me he's a traitor.
That's the coal miner Manchin we know!
@Maryk
Never was a coal miner. Coal operator. In 1988, Manchin founded Enersystems, a waste coal brokerage company based in Fairmont, West Virginia.[ Manchin was president of Enersystems until 2000, when he entered politics and gave control of the company's daily operations to his son, Joe Manchin IV. At some point during his tenure as governor, Manchin moved his Enersystems holdings into a blind trust.[33] In a financial disclosure from 2020, Manchin reported that his non-public shares of Enersystems were worth between $1 million and $5 million and that between 2011 and 2020 he was paid $5,211,154 in dividend income from them. In 2020, he received over $500,000 in dividends. Enersystems is 71% of Manchin's investment income and 30% of his net worth.
Manchin's daughter, Heather Bresch, when CEO of Mylan, worked with Pfizer to corner the market and keep costs up. Now working for her father as a political consultant. .https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/joe-manchins-daughter-emerges-key-adviser-considers-2024-path-rcna102746
😡😡😡🤯🤦🏽♀️
Better said “Manchin the person who got rich on the bodies of dead coal miners”
Obnoxious! this is the 12th duplicate post. Think this will help Biden, having someone flood a page with same same same same.???
I have stopped counting. .........
Reporting you!
Agreed, Manchin has always been Republican actor. No bigger traitor to Democratic party than what he does.
Take a break, shorty.
I think this is the first time for me, but I finally reported this spam, which has been posted far too many times.
That's is a cool tee. I'm worried about wearing anything political because I have two winged fruit bats that live at each end of my street. They are , after all, the locked and loaded white fright crew. I'm a big guy, look I run a biker gang but I'm just a sweethearted liberal, hoping for a better tomorrow.
Carry Me Home, yes, we must be optimistic for the next election. But we must also look at the long game for our Democracy.
Democracy is currently the best system on the planet, but when the monied interests gain control, it becomes a “Demonocracy.” The wealthy did not like Trump at first, but when they realized he would bring forward their agenda to gain even greater wealth, they were quite pleased.
We need to craft a vision of what democracy can and will be in the future, one that will particularly spark the support and energy of college students and young adult activists. First, we need the vision, then we figure out how to implement it.
Economic Democracy is one of those visions. One of its tenants is that everyone must gain the purchasing power to achieve their basic minimum necessities before any wealth accumulation can be allowed to occur. It is not about “welfare,” but it does require that a 40-hour workweek at any job provides enough money to purchase your necessities and guarantee medical care and schooling costs. Therefore, purchasing power is adjusted for inflation and the ability to earn a living from one job is guaranteed.
I love the rainbow flag!
How many more times will you spam us with this?
Isn't Jim Justice going to run for DINO Joe’s seat?
We need a candidate who can play the fiddle, the second coming of Robert Byrd.
Daniel, and he or she has to be able to communicate effectively to the people of Appalachia who deserve far better than they got with Manchin. He got things for them, but things that helped the miners and large land owners more than the people who ultimately got only the crumbs. The people of Appalachia have been used and abused for centuries and now need someone, hopefully a Democrat who will stand for and with them in gaining rights for women and children, health care for all including the coal miners who still suffer horribly. I don't know who that is but I hope we can find someone, fiddle or banjo and all.
Yes, Jim Justice (was a Democrat at one time) is going to run. Unfortunately, he’s very popular in a state that’s badly in need of Democratic solutions to its many problems.
I think Jim Justice is the reason why Machin isn't running. He knows the popular Republican governor will easily beat him in the election.
This is NOT a platform that utilizes advertising.
Manchin was not going to win re-election anyway. There is almost ZERO chance a Dem will win in WV. They’ve already been convinced Repubs are better.
Robert, just type “Campaign Finance Reform” needed by all parties in an election. If you have not seen these and many other ideas requesting donations from all politicians, you’ve had your head in the sand. It’s an honest offer some might enjoy. It gives grassroots donors opportunities to meet and greet the President and his family. You have a problem with that? Contact the Democratic and Republican National Headquarters. By the way, I believe it is much more egregious to pretend an election rally is NOT an event at which donations are taken and used for the defense of felonies instead of pursuit by a candidate for office.
He has been bought and paid for by Republican billionaires for years !
Precisely Keith! He has been an impediment to Democrats for very important changes that could have happened were it not gor him and Sinema blocking everything! Two Republicans..period!
He IS a republican! Put his face on every soup can in America to show what he actually is! Manchin stew....... ing in his own homemade broth of deceit. Don’t burn your tongue Mr.Manchin!
Love this!
How many Democrats would he attract.
Zero!
https://lincolnproject.us/only-manchins-ego-is-calling-for-a-presidential-run/
THAT is why only TRUMPLICANS are freaking out about a Robby Kennedy third party bid! He is an UNHINGED PSYCHO which is not popular among AMERICANS.
SAD.
HOPEFULLY, KINO (Kennedy In Name Only) will siphon off some of the batshit insane Q'aNAZIS from their old fave, SCUMp SHITler. ;)
From the very beginning, he has acted and sounded like a Repub. When I asked the people I know who live in WV, they said he was the best of the available candidates. How sad, how very sad.
Every issue facing our nation is solvable only if we reject a dictatorship by the Putin wanna be, Trump and that Joe Manchin is about to make it more unlikely that a Trump dictatorship can be avoided.
Manchin announced yesterday he's out.
This appears to be legally actionable. The State government is responsible for providing all that is needed to allow EVERYONE to vote. Which means that if the State is responsible for a shortage of ballots -- really, how difficult is it to tally the number of legally registered voters and providing _at least_ that many ballots? -- then the State should be required to give every registered voter whose name wasn't checked off on Election Day the opportunity to cast a ballot. (This is where mail-in ballots would be quite useful.) I'm pretty sure the voters in Hinds County qualify for a Class Action suit. I would think the Democratic Party would be willing to foot the bill for any and all legal costs for pressing the suit.
This is a tactic practiced quite a bit in the South: do not provide enough ballots, voting machines, or drop-off boxes for people in urban areas or college communities so that they're either unable to vote in time or have to wait in line for hours in hopes that the people lining up to vote either get discouraged & give up or die trying to vote (why else would they criminalize providing water or refreshments to people waiting in line to vote?).
Jaime; what? People waiting in line can’t have drinks , water or whatever with them or given them? Crikey, in Australia I’ve never waited more than 10 minutes in a line to vote at any Voting Venue ( usually at a school, community hall, town hall ). Quite often there will be a free or “ donate a gold coin ($1 or $2) “ sausage sizzle & water/soft drink stand present somewhere between the Exit door & the way back to the carpark.
Never heard anything as ridiculous as “ running out of ballot papers or ballot boxes”. 🤨 The Electoral Commission ensures plenty available, staffs the venues , sends out Postal Voting kits to anyone who requests one, visits Aged Care Residences ( if transport difficult), allows you to vote “ before the day” if you’re going to be absent from the country/ shift working etc.
But.. Voting is compulsory & you will receive a “ please explain” letter or risk being fined for NOT voting!
Our “ democracy “ is enforced. 🤪
These tactics go all the way back to shortly after the Civil War. With the slaves being freed, in 1870 the 15th Amendment was made to give them the right to vote as well. This was a VERY serious concern to the Wealthy former slave-owners because of the @9 million people in the South, @5 million of them had been slaves. In a "Majority rules!" nation, that meant those that had been slaves would very likely be in a position to start dictating to their former owners. So the White civic leaders started to look for _any_ excuse to disqualify Black voters, ranging from poll taxes, literacy tests, or simply "losing" the ballots of Black voters. As one practice after another was ruled illegal and/or unconstitutional by (mostly Northern) courts, what the Southern Whites settled for was _discomfort_ (standing in line in any weather for 6+ hours to cast a ballot) and running out the clock. (Sorry folks. It's 8 p.m. and the polls are now closing. Better luck next election.)
"If you can't make them vote the 'Right' way, do what you can to make it impossible for them to vote at all." [I'm sure that there's some bullet point in the GOP handbook that reads something like that.]
Yes, sadly that makes sense. That legacy of riches & biblical based misbelief about racial superiority which The South was founded on, continues to blight the economy and lives of people living there, and its been 150 odd years ! 🙁
Your country obviously values democracy & fair elections & encourages voting.
But many southern states in the US look for ways to influence election results by making it harder for constituencies that normally vote mostly for Democrats. The law against providing water or refreshments for people standing in line was passed by the Georgia legislature. I'm not sure it's the only state with such a law. Very inhumane!
Yes, anything like that here would be regarded as election tampering.
Australian Electoral Staff are often invited or involved in “ observing and monitoring “ Electoral Proceedings in other countries nearby. The Governments here, both State & Federal are a lot more directly answerable to “ The People”.
NY law says not to give water or food. Many states all over the USA have adopted this practice to avoid issues. Not a Southern tactic.
If I were a voter in Hinds Country, I would definitely be seeking counsel. Having the right to vote is our right and to have it taken away is just another indicator of what orange man and his minions will do if he gets anywhere near the White House!!
Yes, WHY TF is there not an IMMEDIATE re-DO (NOT a recount!!) being DEMANDED there, with TWICE the number of ballots available than what is needed, instead of putting that scum KKKlansman right back into power as if there is 'nothing to see here, business as usual, just move along' BS of letting them have their racist, fascist ways?!?!?!
Coincidently, the Mississippi Secretary of State, Michael Watson-Republican, was on the ballot for re-election.
The 'win' should be contested! It is clearly illegitimate! Like our present 'congress!"
https://www.wsiu.org/politics-elections/2023-11-09/ballot-shortages-created-democracy-problems-during-mississippi-governors-election
This happened in multiple precincts. It seems it was the responsibility of local commissioners and only their constituents can hold them responsible? How many times have we seen these loopholes in enforceability of laws that are exploited by the MAGA folks?
More times than I can count, and yet there always seem to be more.
😤🤬😡🤦🏽♀️
disgusting! how can they get away with things like that? In plain sight!
Its called white supremacy and Evangelical fake Christians.
And if we keep tolerating these horrible bullies and giving them ink and airtime in the name of democracy and 'free speech' we are signing our own political death warrant. It's long past time to redefine/emphasize the term 'treason' and ramp up action on this cabal of monsters. Give a rabid dog your finger and believe it will eat your hand.
You obviously have no idea about true Christianity. Please tamp down the hyperbolic noise and stick to facts and issues you actually understand.
I do understand christian values even though I have left formal religion behind. I can not abide those so called christians who are total hypocrites and of whom are racist self serving “evangelicals”. Pretty obvious today that many of organized religion are the route of evil worldwide.
That was sickening. And you can be sure, it was a planned attack from within. Something should be done about that. Perhaps DOJ investigation
Kathryn Sullivan ; yeah! That's like running a pizza shop and taking hungry peoples' $$, and telling them " sorry! We have run out of pizza dough! Better luck next time, suckers!".
Yes, they Lie, Cheat, and Steal, taking advantage of others to get ahead. You don't make a million dollars a year by doing an honest hard day's work.
Would he have been re-elected if the judge had extended the voting hours? Also, didn't the republican party just deny some voters their right to vote by fighting that order?
Keith, and that proves the rule, electing (OK, re-electing) a criminal is just what the Trumpers and Trumpettes do and they just love doing it because they think it makes them smart. Well, that's what Trump said about his 6 bankruptcies too. Trump, himself is losing hold on a reality he never really had a tight grasp of. His handlers are OK with it because at least for now, their puppet can still spew all the hate and threats they can't say with the same level of attention. My guess is that should Trump be elected, the big three: Stone, Banan, and Flynn, all of them traitors, will be his "right-hand men." They will actually be running things with Tucker their mouthpiece, that is until one of the three gets pissed off at something the others are doing and attacks, with Trump's blessing, of course. Trump likes discord and when he can't create it, he will support it. I still have no idea what the working-class white people, particularly women see in the Trump jerk. They disgust him but somehow they are blind to his disgust, seeing it as love or something. Maybe, though, that fits with their lives, often marrying too young, having kids their hubby doesn't do much to help take care of. OK, that is a stereotype, but I have it in my own family and saw how devastating that can be. Fortunately, it didn't turn those I know into Trumpettes.
When he was confronted with the fact that he didn’t pay taxes certain years he again said “that makes me smart”! I’m sure a lot of the Billionaires in America feel the same way!
You forgot probably the worst of the worst. Stephen Miller
NAZI henchmen ALL, and yes that Miller is a reincarnated personification of Goebbels himself, DESPITE the religion in which he was raised!
Of course the GOP fought it. They can’t win honestly they have to cheat.
Unbelievable!
Keith,
What Trump and his MAGA extremists do does not count as "winning". If you have to cheat, lie, and steal, you didn't win anything!
How true Mr. Olson. But of course, as cheating is the only way now for Republicans to believe they can win elections. They don't care about a plan of really helping constituents, with a plan, their only goal is to win at any course and to elect Republicans who don't care about winning fair elections. They don't care about the voters they are supposed to represent, only to represent themselves by cheating. What happened in Mississippi is indicative of this and Tate Reeves is typical of the type of Republicans who only want to win to stay in power. He certainly doesn't care about the majority of Africans Americans in the state who had to suffer without water and even made a joke about it being a bad day to be in that particular county. They are blatant and don't care that what they are doing is out in the open. Wish it were possible for this to somehow be reversed. And it can but will take people with a degree of morality to make it happen.
Or, sadly: enraged and desperate folks who are fed up enough to harm. Remember Watts!?
So depressing & typical of the region. OK, my prejudice is showing, I’m a “Northerner”...
I’m a student who has recently come back from a solo trip to front line Ukraine. I’ve just published a new piece on my experiences and thought readers here may appreciate it. Please do see what you think. https://irongoose.substack.com/p/how-i-accidentally-plundered-the
This must be investigated this isn’t democracy
A display of ill will, to fight the remedy, there can be no denying it.
Trump's plan is right out of the 'playbook" of "How to turn a democratic republic into a fascist dictatorship." (OK, I made up that title) As his niece has said, "He'll burn the entire government down to keep himself out of jail." What his corporate puppet masters don't seem to understand is after he's "burned it all down" and the American economy is in "tatters," they will be part of the "residue." It's already going to take years to recover from "Trumpism," although, so far, President Biden has done a good (probably great) job of countering Trump's first four years (It will take a generation to recover from the additions to the Supreme Court as it is) although if "we the people" are STUPID enough to give Trump another four years (he will interpret it as a lifetime appointment) the result, in my view, beyond the attempt at a fascist "takeover," will be the next "great depression," (Now that I think about it, Trump is likely viewing his outcome in 2024 to be a "lifetime appointment" one way or the other)
The short-sighted nihilism of the Trumpists is a sign of sickness. How can anyone back this philosophy unless they have given up on democracy and humanity?
...which all evidence shows they have done.
Short-sighted? Hitler's Third Reich was promised to live a thousand years. Trump's vision is no less.
"Philosophy", "democracy", and "humanity" never were part of Trump's life. He cons his supporters today to replace those with him.
@Urich. The philosophy is the same as in Fascist Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, Hungary, etc.:
EFFICIENCY Trumps democracy.
Trump represents hope to them. The only way to destroy the evil system that has ruined so many lives. It’s the counter to the suicide pact of the left.
It's so pitiful that you've fallen so completely for a notorious conman, pathological liar, megalomaniacal autocrat, sexual predator, paranoid psychopath, malignant sadonarcissist, depraved pervert & utter traitorlike Trump. I suppose such a wretch must really speak to you.
I’m not a republican and I didn’t vote for Trump you absolute idiot. What a low IQ NPC response. Typical of beta males.
You must really feel insecure about your manhood to call yourself "Guy" "Dude" "bro" & call men you meet on-line "beta males". That & all your spiteful comments scream out that you have a very low self-esteem & an inferiority complex as well.
Cry more Rusophobe
Is it because you're a Russian troll? You certainly spew the same divisive, hateful propaganda that Russian trolls typically spew.
In that case, you're just a sociopathic nihilist, is that right? Maybe answering my reasonable questions from the beginning would've saved some misunderstanding, but no, you wanted to assume the worst in me, & make me assume the worst In you, & you succeeded.
I’m not interested in CNN talking points. I know your opinion on literally every issue. You don’t have an actual mind.
Could you explain your statement, please?
Hope for what?
Which evil system has destroyed so many lives?
What suicide pact of the left?
The fact that you are asking these questions at all is the reason why the country must end. I don’t know what’s worse, you literally not knowing the answers to these questions or you pretending you don’t know. In either case it’s not possible for us to share a country with you. It’s not ethical.
Secession now.
What a clever way (you think) of avoiding supporting your claims. I asked those questions because I truly wasn't sure what you were trying to say, & before bothering to counter your assertions, I wanted to clarify what you meant.
On this forum, people are expected to be able to support their statements with arguments & facts. Apparently you have none.
Obviously you'd feel more comfortable in an authoritarian country like Hungary & Russia. Putin has even arranged a place for American traitors who want to leave the US. Why not take him up on his offer? Go on! Russia beckons you!
Well said
When the election for President is over and hopefully Joe Biden has won and possibly the Dems have gained a majority in the House we should not sit on our laurels and congratulate ourselves, but immediately turn our attention to not only repairing the damage done to democracy but at the same time be willing to reimagine a government that gives sufficient purchasing power to all so that not only does everyone have adequate food, appropriate clothing, safe housing with proper amenities, but full medical care and the ability to gain a college education without going into crushing debt.
While there are numerous things that can be done to patch up the damage done to democracy by the demagogue Republicans and their ultra-rich backers such as the Heritage Foundation, we should begin to reimagine a government that is truly for the people, and by the people that empowers all workers to have a rightful say in governance. We need a system that puts economics over politics and stresses local economic strength not only by unions opposing the greedy tendency of corporations, but puts ownership of medium to large businesses into the hands of worker owned cooperatives and utilities operations into the hand of those whom they serve.
Currently Democrats are focusing our attention on reacting to the bold plans and actions of the ultra-right influenced by the ultra-wealthy. While hoping that Trump and his ultra-right backers do not win in the upcoming elections, we must come up with a bold vision that will inspire progressives into action. Fear of a right-wing takeover of government is a short-term motivator for some, but to create and popularize an inspiring vision of an ideal economic and political system for the future is what will motivate our students and youth into action. To simply hold a vision of maintaining a democracy and a Democratic Party that allows for such wealth accumulation will not motivate our youth into action, and they are our future both to win the next election and to become the new generation of leaders.
The Democratic party needs about 65 senators to overcome any new Manchin or Sinema. Then, immediately rule-change the filibuster into oblivion. Etc. Fix what is evidently not working.
Yes, we need to “fix what is not working,” but if we want to attract an activist student movement we will have to give them an inspiring vision of what can be. We need a system that gets to the root of the problem, wealth inequality and the power of the billionaires.
I'm just saying the changes we want are not going to be possible when the federal government is unanswerable to the voters, as Republicans across the board are unanswerable; and any changes we manage to scrape out might be short-lived (that is too often the case) or ineffective (refuse to fund programs) without a truly representative government. I've seen for decades the excuses while special interest groups tend to be fights among ourselves. Try giving the Democrats a clear mandate and then demand lasting change. There will be no room for excuses then.
Les, it will probably have to take something like the Israelis were doing to object to their government until the invasion occurred. There was no way the Israeli population, particularly the students were going to permit Netanyahu to have control over the Supreme Court so they demonstrated in mass on the streets. it will possibly come to confrontation of people over politicians to get any substantial change.
I’m just saying that we need to envision the system that we want to have now rather than later. It is my personal belief that a capitalistic dominated democracy has more holes now thanSwiss cheese. We need to start with a fresh batch of milk and a whole new culture. We will not be able to motivate young dynamic activists with a chant of. Let’s fix the problems with our democracy. They already feel too alienated. We have seen how quickly they have organized demonstrations on both sides of the Israel Gaza conflict. This type of energy needs to be channeled for positive changes.
You and I are probably not going to take to the streets, at least not with the same power that the students can. We need a strategy to bring them aboard.
I'll defer to any winning idea. I express doubt because I've seen "issue voting" get us to where we are now, not where I want us to be.
Agreed! The sooner we force secession the better. Let’s end the country as soon as possible!
Nice words, but it won't happen. The Democratic Party is nicknamed "the graveyard of movements" for a good reason, and the DNC has done all it can to insulate and entrench itself away from "people power" at all costs, even that of undermining those who could've been its party's future: the young.
Their power is not our power, as they took pains to show us from 2020-22; because they knew we'd be right back facing this same choice in 2024.
They'll ride this "It Worked Last Time " train right through '24 and into '28; weaponizing their own peril against those who try to hold them accountable in any way, shape, or form; as well as anyone who tries to invent a "Where Else" for folks who are fed up with them to go.
And when it stops working for them, they'll blame everyone else but themselves.
That’s the problem. They don’t want to promote an inspiring vision of an ideal economic and political system.
They have given up on all things and messages and policies positive. For nearly a decade now. So glad We got this over with. See what happens when people who are in charge of things shouldn’t be.
We wouldn’t even have to deal with Donald Trump if wasn’t for these fools.
Now fix it. The blame game has strangled itself into oblivion.
You cannot lead a country or anything else with blame only.
It’s ridiculous. Libs! It’s up to you to make your party smarten up. We don’t care. We don’t t need a government baby sitter. We are all adults . We do are own thing.
You guys have to straighten your idiot leadership. Continuing to blame blame blame is not correcting the problem. You have to demand representation and have higher standards for these so called leaders.
With no push back. This is what you get.
And what you get to do....Running around screaming I Hate Donald Trump for the rest of your lives. Or even better. I’m on board with international terrorism with the Nation of Islam
And how the hell are you suppose to be glorious about saving the planet and the air . Now that you’ve all turned into a bunch of wanna be war mongers.
Last time I checked... burning raging wats everywhere We’re not helpful to planet earth.
Very well said! I would also include bold action on climate & the environment, including a much more comprehensive rapid transit system & system of bike paths & (non-concrete/non-asphalt) walkways so that we have more viable alternatives to motor vehicles; energy efficiency & conservation; & regenerative organic farming.
Yes, “President for life”; sounds familiar doesn’t it?
Donna, I remember when he was running against President Biden he made remarks about maybe I'll be president for 11 years or more!! I remember him saying that! Now I know what he wants to do and I wouldn't give him 11 minutes, 11 years, or any length of time running our Democracy!!
Coincidentally, until I pressed the ❤ button, you had 11 likes for your comment. 😀
I will yell it out every single day, Jaime! I wouldn't vote for Mr. Trump if he was running for narcissist of the year!! He is the train wreck on our Democracy and I will be so glad to see the back of him!!
I couldn't agree with you more!
But maybe the corporate puppet masters want to be part of the residue -- overlords of a feudal state where they have the power of princes and everyone else is an expendable resource.
You got it. These so called helpers want to be the new rulers, once our democracy is in ruins. Do they have any real power except Trump’s coat tails? No. Do they want it? Absolutely!
Where are Congress, the SCOTUS, and the press while Trump and his minions try to seize control of the government? Are all the "guardrails" gone? I would like to think that he could be stopped from achieving his evil goal!
It IS an attempt at a fascist takeover; as some have said, the coup is ongoing.
The crew of lawyers and political operators working to implement Trump's revenge and destruction of government rules, regulations, and administration are using Trump as a springboard to take control.
I believe the name of the book you’re thinking of is Mein Kampf. Rumor has it it’s one of the few books tRump has ever read. Kept it on his nightstand according to first wife Ivana, who must have forgotten she signed a non-disclosure agreement shortly before she mysteriously fell down the stairs. Sounds like that’s right from Putin’s “How to Off the Opposition” manual.
I believe what he kept at his bedside was actually a book of Hitler's speeches, which explains why his speeches are so reminiscent of Hitler's, although it's likely he also read Mein Kampf, even though he's never been much of a reader. Trump certainly was a fan & study of Hitler (as well as his puppetmaster Putin).
Trump definitely wants to be a dictator. I just don’t see him succeeding. I am from the west coast and was interested in the Yes California movement to secede from the nation. Trump being elected again increases the chance of that happening. Only everyone west of the Cascade mountain range would join them, creating the country of Cascadia. California’s produce, Apple and other software companies plus adding Washington gives you Microsoft, Amazon, Google, etc. The east coast would follow with their strengths. America will become an experiment that failed.
That sounds scary! Also, if he is elected again and everyone starts seceding from the union, won't that cause another civil war in our country? I understand not wanting to live in a country where trump is the dictator. It would be very sad to see our Democracy fail.
@Dana Groulx.
The Conch Republic was born on April 23, 1982, in response to a United States Border Patrol Blockade of the Florida Keys. Since the United States insisted on treating the Keys like a foreign country, Mayor Dennis Wardlow seceded from Union. Today we stand proudly as a community of who have “Sovereign State Of Mind” and as the “People who seceded where others have failed”"
https://conchrepublic.com/
True. And the locals proudly tell you about it when visiting Key West.
@Dana Groulx.
Plan for evangelical Christians to take over South Carolina, and secede.
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2004/neo-confederate-cory-burnell-advocates-south-carolina-succession
@Dana Groulx.
Texas secession movements
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_secession_movements
There's also the region in the Klamaths of southern Oregon & northern California wanting to secede from those states & form the state of Jefferson.
Can’t happen soon enough.
Thanks for the humour
Is "Trying To Reason With Hurricane Season" the national anthem??
And that's why we need to make sure he doesn't win😡 He needs to be put away forever for selling out American Intelligence. #LockTrumpUpNOW #TrumpIsAConMan and he needs to go to jail, Point Blank🤬 #VoteBlueToSaveDemocracy from all these #ReTrumpliQans #MAGANationalist #MAGACult
Trump has to be elected first. That is unlikely to happen. If Biden moves for immigration reform he will remove the only reason people would ever think of for voting for Trump. Biden is already tightening up the southern border. Furthermore, the anti-immigration chorus from the Blue North (NYC, Massachusetts, Illinois) will give Biden the cover he needs to revise the Immigration Act. Also, most Americans are unlikely to support a person convicted of trying to subvert the US Constitution. This is where the Georgia trial comes in. Trump is likely to be found guilty. Finally, those Americans who respect only power and wealth will desert Trump when New York State revokes his business permits and fines him for fraud. This will happen shortly.
I'd like to share your optimism, but half of this country is convinced that government is the problem, and seems willing to see it destroyed. The GOP shenanigans in Congress, and the gross ethics lapses of the Supreme Court only reinforce their view. Even though in a head to head election between the President and the Defendant would probably result in President Biden's reelection, the emergence of at least three third party candidates is no coincidence; it's intended to take votes away from Biden. We cannot take anything for granted, other than the fact that the Defendant will do ANYTHING to enrich himself and keep from being held accountable.
Thanks David, for your comment. It helps ease my sense of great concern about all of this total insanity going on with TFG and those Fascist terrorists in the House of Representatives. I want to see TFG rot under a prison. Same goes for the Fascist terrorist extremists in the House.
Not just Biden. Check out the senate. We already lost the house Democrats need to be unified.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/10/biden-challengers-2024-election/?utm_campaign=wp_the7&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_the7
Thank you, Daniel for the links. I will check them out right away.
Oh no, i haven't heard about that. Thanks for the link. Wonder what's next???
From your lips to God's ears, David. But he already managed to convince a number of supporters that he won 2020, and trust me, not matter how wide the margins are by which he loses in 2024, he will again claim "rigged elections".
A few suppositions that SHOULD be true.
There are various vote spoilers in the race already. And it seems some 40% of the electorate do support a person who tried to subvert the US constitution and pressured the vice president to subvert the vote of the people.
Let's see what we can do to get the 30% of electorate who did not vote in 2020 out, and voting blue in 2024!!
I agree. I am tired of all the reasons given in these comments on why Trump cannot win in 2024! It reminds me of 2016! We need to take actions like you suggest to ENSURE that he will not win!
I wish I had your optimism.
One problem is that millions are unaware of what the Biden administration is doing and buys the sound bites. I have democrat friends thinking he’s not doing a good job!
“buys sound bites”? Elaborate on that please.
buys into social media posts, friends' opinions, as well as main stream media - and not doing any research or follow up.
I’m afraid facts no longer rule, media drowns out reason, notifications ambush intentions, and “the center cannot hold”.
Hahaha. Hahhha
....but why is he even running?
Who? Biden? Frankly I wish he wouldn't because I think there's a good chance he wouldn't finish the term, & there are other good people who would make good, strong candidates.
Biden is going to finish Trump's stupid boarder wall 😕 That's not lightening up.
https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-biden-immigration-texas-rio-grande-147d7ab497e6991e9ea929242f21ceb2
On this border wall, It is only 20 miles. The reason he's doing it is that the money has already been appropriated by Trump, and there is no way to undo that appropriation or use it for a different purpose. He says himself he doesn't think that will help, but that is the problem with appropriations.
Are you seriously telling me that there's no one intelligent enough to find a better use for that money? Lame ass excuse. No, it won't help and the project is horrible for the environment. Better just to set that money on fire🤷♀️
Don’t know if it was edited, but David’s comment says “tightening up.”
👍
Trump doesn’t need to plan. He expected to lose the first time but would gain a bump for his retainer for The Apprentice.
But damned if he didn’t win anyway. He knew he could do his main job, be a dickhead and lie a lot. But he had the Heritage Foundation and other rightwing players choose his judges, justices, and cabinet so he could spend more time playing golf.
This time he’s only running so he can end DOJ cases against him in the nick of time. The Heritage Foundation will again stock his cabinet and administration full of yes-men.
Somehow, however, he’s gonna have to come up with new catchphrases because “rigged elections” and “four more years” won’t work
Todd Telford ; He won't win, legitimately, anyway.
The critical word, "legitimately", as you already know very well, Laurie.
Maybe someday legitimacy will matter.
Glad you’re on the job, Robert. Definitely terrifying looking at the devious minds plotting to place their puppet back on his pedestal. Please keep reminding us of the danger ahead if we splinter our sanity coalition.
It looks as though an important part of the Democratic campaign for 2024 will be to discourage complacency, and encourage potential or actual supporters of Biden to make the effort to get out to vote and save their country from Fascism!
Here in Ohio we are no longer complacent (about time!). See the results of Tuesday’s election to enshrine Reproductive Rights. The Republicans will push back but we’re ready for that fight.
I was so very happy to see the Tuesday election results in Ohio!! Donna, you should be so proud of what you have accomplished!! Way to go, OHIO!!
27 Republican legislators in Ohio have signed a letter pledging to obstruct the implementation of the constitutional amendment .
Once again, republicans are trying to overturn the will of the voters!! That alone should enrage enough people to determine they are unfit to serve and should be voted out!
Bring it on.
...giving a hint of what they plan (at minimum) when they lose elections in 2024.
For once the lyrics of that song are definitely NOT derogatory!! :)
I pray you don't have any more pushback.
The people of Ohio have already said what they want! They respect females!
The third party idiots who are going to help Trum win are the scary ones. Now we have Manchin, who makes me sick. He and his corrupt family.. the Democrats have got to be fighting harder. Biden is a wonderful president.
I agree Manchin is a delusional idiot! Biden needs 100% support to defeat Trump! I don't agree 100% with Biden but I disagree 200% against Trump and MAGA Totalitarian Trump Thuggery!
Elena, I agree that we must continue to fight and fight hard, but I have to say that those election wins really helped me keep my focus!! I have determined that I will not pay any attention to polls or the media that keeps touting how great trump is doing. I will continue to do what I am doing and pray hard that more Americans will stand up to fascists and wannabe dictators and let them know that here in America, we are a Democracy!!
How can the decent people preempt this plan? trump takes everything to court. He lies, delays, cheats... How is trump not in jail right now for the classified documents scandal? A future with Stone, Flynn, Bannon thinking and planning terrifies me. Extremist Theocratic tyranny? With the uber-rich oligarchs and wannabe plutocrats plotting and supporting a coup where they gain at everyone else's expense. Argh! Scary to me that the players and pieces seem to be coming together! In broad daylight except for what we cannot see...
I am sorry but I truly do not understand why a convicted rapist (or anything else) can run for President.
Work on that before everything else.
Presidential political privilege. For instance in Britain, it is a decades long open secret that if a man is in the UK parliamentary system he is protected politically by being an MP or a Lord. The special London Metropolitan police force for Westminster will see to it that no rape victim’s allegations are heard or if they are privileged enough class wise to break that silencing status quo state Omertà, ever believed. Less than 2% of the perpetrators of reported sexualised violence crimes are ever convicted in the UK. I do not know the figures for the US.
It is a still largely hidden societal shame and a bleeding sore that if not addressed will continue to corrupt and eventually destroy Western democratic institutions from the inside out.
A lot of the Ministers are either chucked out or resign.
I am talking about a man who has been convicted of rape being able to run for President!
I am aware. I have personal experience of child abuse by a celebrity British politician who openly raped his way through boys and girls across the country for decades and was protected by fellow politicians and police officials unto his dying day and beyond. UK mass media portals remain largely controlled by family his kids have since married into. It is an underexposed dirty truth of realpolitick in the UK.
I am so sorry...the filth of these greedy, power hungry reptilian brain types has destroyed the world in the shortest time of any primates.
Trump is Putin’s useful idiot!
Molly Ciliberti ; And he serves the billionaires world wide, too! Russia and the "USA"!
"He will also pardon himself from any and all federal criminal charges, even though it’s far from clear that the Constitution permits it."
See, it's equivocating phrasings like this one that add to the gaslit smog the public is forced to walk through daily. By saying it is "far from clear" you appear to leave room for doubt of your own statement, some credence to the illogical notion that the Constitution might allow for an individual to put himself above itself. No sir. "No one is above the law" is our given. Let me rephrase your statement: "even though it would be unconstitutional and unlawful for DT to try to pardon himself." That would amount to arrogating for himself the powers of a king. We don't allow kings here. Repeat to his face.
Except laws, even enshrined in the Constitution, are not being applied. If they were, dozens of Republican members of Congress would've been expelled by now.
Hear! Hear! If we are going to abide by the Constitution, we simply cannot pick and choose which part of it matters. We cannot take the words of the Constitution and put our own spin on them!! Those republican members of Congress that aided the insurrectionist, the voted to stop the peaceful transfer of power should have been expelled immediately!
Jaime, I still cannot fathom that these people - who deliberately violated our democratic process - have been allowed to remain in government. I cannot fathom it.
Right out in plain sight, just to rub it in.
They are even so belligerently bombastic, and smugly overt about it that they are now stating that we do not now, nor ever did have a democracy.
If words matter then the meaning of a word should matter, right? Please, Mr. MAGA, define democracy.
Are you calling ME 'MAGA'?!?! LOFL!
Better yet, since you seem hellbent on defending those who truly are MAGAt abject fascists (the ones spewing this NAZI BS), YOU 'define' what this country is, government wise.
I will FULLY agree that the effing garbage Electoral College is about as ANTI-democracy as anything can be, if you were going to cite that. ;)
I have to apologize for giving unintended offense.
No way I was calling you MAGA, my post was made in agreement with you and sarcastic. Mr. MAGA was the "they" from your post who claimed we never had a democracy.
He will not even have to do this ('legal' or NOT) if/when he controls EVERYTHING in power, a la his mentor, (S)Hitler 1.0. :(
See; 'Project 2025' ;)
The US constitution defines our government, but it has been reinterpreted to some extent from its beginning (balance between states rights and federal rights, who counted as a "person" , the right to vote, etc.) I have been catching up the past couple of years with US history that I either ignored in school, or in some cases never heard of of. Fair minded people understand what is ethical and fair, but twisted minds reinterpret almost any way they want. Lately I have felt it is almost a duty to be worried, and even "very worried" as today's essay aptly suggests.
Man, right on.
Thank you, Robert. This is what we have to watch out for,
A second trump presidency would be the end of the United States as we have known it. Chaos, as Mr. Reich so soundly stated, will be the norm and not the unusual. Federal employees will be fired if they do not support the lunatic and untrained people will re place them, if the government can find replacements.
I'll take Grandpa Biden over the lunatic and his minions for Gramps has the experience, the knowledge and compassion to govern the United States in a democratic way.
We can’t even think there’s a possibility TFG could win re-election! I can only think about all his trials & hope he is convicted & sent to n prison where he certainly belongs. I think we need to be more worried about those 3rd Party candidates accidentally causing tRump to win the Electoral College & especially now that fake Dem, Joe Manchin will resign from the Senate & pursue something along the lines of throwing his hat in the Presidential voting ring!
Hopefully, more Blue states will seek to keep tRump off the ballot via Amendment 14 which will take away many votes that could possibly return him to the White House!
IMHO, every effort must be taken to keep him away from DC forever! I won’t let myself think about him winning a Presidential bid & everyone else should think positively in that regard!
Shirley Roberts ; It looks like all the experts on Constitutional law, like retired judge Michael Luttig say this has to be determined by the Supreme Court. There is no way the court could find tfg qualified. It looks like there can't be a patchwork of states that keep him off the ballot. So much for 'states rights', I guess. And government of. by and for the humans. Talk about Constitutional Crisis!
On the same page Shirley.
100% agree with you, Shirley! Like I said, I may be screaming and crying on the inside, but I am calm and dedicated to helping President Biden on the outside!!
The Third Parties not only will help tRump by pulling moderate disenfranchised Republicans and Democrats, they could, if a third party candidate gets lucky enough, throw the election into the GQP House of Representatives. Game over.
Basically, Trump wants to make the US government his own private corporation. Now that we know Trump isn't as rich as he says he is, the first thing he will do is get "his" people in Congress to ratchet up the President's pay to several million a year. And start accepting bribes for presidential acts. Then, try to make the FBI his own private service to go after people he doesn't like. Sounds like the Dark Ages of Europe.
However, the more he says these unhinged things, the more he drives away people who might have supported him, even staunch GOPers who realize they would be electing a vindictive, spoiled child.
Lynn Bechdolt, agree, I would say he did accept bribes before though here and around the world but in term 2 it would be public knowledge the floodgates are open.
This destruction of our government and constitution is definitely NOT trump's plan. It is the long standing plan of those very few super rich radical oligarchs who have always dreamed of a country where they own it all, control it all and the "workers" do exactly what they're told to do under pain of imprisonment or worse. They've come to believe their divine right to govern is within reach using trump as the puppet-tool. Like the multi billionaire peter thiel they are bored, having become used to pockets that contain unlimited money to satisfy their every whim, and they do NOT want to jeopardize their grift with rules that favor the lower castes. These people are far more dangerous than most of the "legitimate" news outlets are telling us. We MUST promote the truth. We Must VOTE.
This is so true! But voting is not all that needs to be done. I live in a red state where the politicians ignore the will of the people. Even if we vote for things and they pass, the politicians will work to annul or take it away. If they cannot get rid of it, they take away any budget for it. The authoritarians have already taken over in some states. They do not deal fairly or humanely. They are the scum of the earth. How do you fight it?
TROLL