After reading a couple of the comments before making this statement, I know people are sick and tired of these forever campaigns. No matter who wins We shouldn’t have to suffer these four year campaigns, which start The day after an election. Let’s organize and pass an amendment to the constitution, which sets a maximum amount of time that these Immorally expensive dog and pony shows can nauseate the American people. In Canada, the campaigns are anywhere from 36 to50days By law. Can you even imagine how nice it would be not to have to listen to all this tripe for years? I know I will get a-lot comments on why this isn’t possible in the USA. Let them rip.
I’m Canadian and totally agree with you. I’ve been a green card holder for many years in the United States and am puzzled that political campaigning here is almost non-stop. It’s a wonder people aren’t so sick and tired of the “dog and pony show” (to quote you) that they bother to vote at all. I would also like to see the U.S. allow paid time off to vote like they do in Canada. I can’t vote but my American relatives can and it’s often difficult for them to get to the polls after a long work day.
And! if I could add: candidates must talk about their platform, their plans (concrete), their intentions when elected. No more off-topic toxic performances. Please!
It’s not in our founding documents because being in Washington wasn’t supposed to be a full-time job. Men had things to do at home not fiddley fart around a swamp all the time. This is why you don’t see hard and fast rules. The idea of Democracy was a dream to be upheld by white men of honor. That’s where we made our first mistake.
It would be a Herculean task, remember the equal rights amendment? It also could be a law enacted by Congress and signed by the president. But what’s the chance of that happening in the last 30 years in this political debacle we live in called America? With the tea- party and Trump Dividing this country it seems like an amendment would be the only solution. The American people as a whole feel feckless to do anything That the moneyed interests don’t want. Thanks for the support.
One feature of the Canadian system is that you go into each election with the party leader known and established and the policies of each party roughly known (ie. right, left, center) Having contested primaries so far ahead of the election invites great extension of campaigns. Ie. What is DeSantis doing in Iowa in June the year before the election?
Agree one-billion percent. This country has so many priorities completely bass-ackwards, it's no wonder we are in such a mess. Ranked choice voting should be the standard nationwide for federal and state offices. Having more than just two parties would be welcome too.
RCV or approval voting. I think either would help greatly. There may be either or both on the ballot in 2024 in Missouri.Work for it in your state if you don't have it.
This is a subject not found within Robert's or Dan's format but it is something affecting many of us each and every day. Bruce Willis was recently diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia, a progressive disorder that interferes with someone's ability to understand written and spoken language. To watch a loved one go through the gradual loss of who they once were is a gut-wrenching experience. I can't say how it affects them personally but I can contest to how it affects the family they are a part of. To walk into a room where your mother is sitting in hopes of hearing a spark of recognition only to be greeted by "Who is that" crushes the soul to its core. This woman gave birth to me, raised and nourished me, loved and guided my every step and now there isn't a hint of familiarity. The emptiness left by that experience is something that can never be refilled. The Willis family is coming to grips with the realities of this disorder and the future pain it will render to their family. Bruce's children will be an endless source of love and support for a father that gave us all so much enjoyment through the years. "RED" and its definition fit him so very well, Bruce was a tower of strength that always stood for something good in the movie industry. To think of him and every character he has ever portrayed going down the road life had given him seems terribly unfair. The love that family will need to get past this pushes the boundaries of human understanding. I'm not one to promote prayer but I do feel positive thought has a real effect when directed toward someone in need of emotional support. What good thoughts I can muster will be sent to that family post hast and for the duration of their need. I made a short thought years ago that sadly fits this moment, "Time stands as the consummate thief, for it will eventually rob us of everything." To the Willis family, my thoughts are with you. He truly is "The Last Boy Scout." Peace be with you Bruce, I'll always be a fan.
The Joes Manchin and Lieberman are paired perfectly at No Labels. Both are or were DINOs who hate the party and would like nothing more than to defeat Democrats. Will the like-minded Kyrsten Sinema be the VP choice? Robert Kennedy Jr may seem more appealing, but he has the disadvantages of being male in an era of female VP candidates, promoting disinformation that may be unpalatable even to the Joes, and profiting $gazilliions from the disinfo.
You miss a crucial piece: RFK, Jr. is a Kennedy. To most people Democratic, who don't keep up with the news, that makes him a Saint. He would destroy any chance of preserving our nation as a democracy. I'm sure he doesn't give a damn.
I grew up in the 50s and 60s -- a Roman Catholic too! LOL -- and have been a lifelong Democrat. Kennedys were never "saints" to me, but we have to admit that, today, that name is more associated with Q-Anon (JFK Jr.) and anti-science, anti-vax conspiracies. So I seriously doubt the "to most people Democratic" part.
More importantly, "preserving our nation as a democracy" is a chimera. Our nation is now, and has been for decades, an oligarchy. If we were ANY semblance of a democracy, we would have sensible gun laws. The oligarchy offers up bread and circuses, and RFK Jr. is just one of the clowns.
I know so many Black people who kept photos of JFK, MLK, and RFK on their LR wall along with a cross. Certainly the Kennedys were as close to political "sainthood" as anyone in most Black people's lives at the time. (I was born in early 1950's.) Re "democracy": you are tragically correct about our nation having become an oligarchy. Nevertheless, it's better than fascism, imho, which is all that the repukkklicants have to offer.
If we want to see what Oligarchy looks like with Fascism we have to but look at Russia. I understand through Roberts teachings that what we have was a gradual change towards corporate and rich rule via law changes. Part of me cant but wonder that Reagans escalation of the cold war, the dissolution of the soviet union that once the US won. Both the US and Russia marched steadily to Oligarchy and fascism. Coincidence? Probably. Collusion? Who knows.
No. The collusion is between Trump and Putin. IMHO one of the first things Trump would do is abandon Zelenski and Ukraine. After all, Ukraine is the perfect example of fighting for Democracy and is thus everything Trump hates.
This time I disagree, Daniel. Manchin was never an ally. He voted against every important piece of Legislation Biden's team put forth. He also voted against filibuster. The damned DNC should have supported the Democrat running for Senator in Ohio, and Val Demmings in Florida, I'd trade Manchin and Sinema any day for those two.
Yes, I am mad at the DNC for supporting a candidate we did not want in our state! I got a republican rep for the first time in my life. Yuck. It's very frustrating when they send help/money to the wrong candidate.
Now I am n total agreement,. I refuse to donate a penny to the DNC or DCCC. I support my own candidates directly, just not to the extent I was able to while gainfully employed. Retirement sucks
He plays a balancing game with his base. A lot of his anti-dem rhetoric is bluster to support his base. What he did to the Republicans in tricking them to vote for the Chips act and then voting for the inflation reduction act. Hes got more enemies on their side than on the Dem side. Is the enemy of my enemy my friend?
Agree! He has a big problem with his very Red base. And a core problem is that without him we would be that much closer to giving the Senate to McConnell.
I just follow the news as it occurs, not retrospectively. I don't keep files on it, so no links. Basically, anything Manchin opposed, he joined forces with Sinema and the Republicans to defeat, so whatever Biden proposals have become law have had Manchin's vote.
We need 10 more Democratic senators. They would arrive courtesy of a liberal progressive agenda from Sanders or his successor: gun control, abortion rights, higher taxes on the wealthy and on the corporations, and universal healthcare.
It would appeal to the 70% of Americans who are not nutjobs.
Divide CA into three smaller states e.g., Northern CA, Central CA and Southern CA, each of which would have a major Demo-city [e.g., SF/Oakland, Sacto/Fresno or L.A., and San Diego] as its capital. Even if the new State of Central CA were controlled from Fresno [Ha! A likely scenario!] and thus extremely conservative, there'd be four new Dem senators in D.C.
Daniel S: Re: Manchin as an ally: As my parents of German heritage would sarcastically joke: Q: When is a gift not a gift? A: When it's poison. (The word "gift" in German means "poison"). I think you get my drift.
In response to Daniel Solomon's "This country was built on compromise. Tolerance. Translation: "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." I might add, time and patience...
Wenn er unser Freund ist, würde ich es hassen, unseren Feind zu sehen. If he is our friend, I would hate to see our enemy. My opinion re: Manchin still stands despite your linguistic competence.
Got 4% more tax write off on my solar panels. That directly helped me and also helps the environment (or at the very least the solar panel companies can charge more). Does the climate part of it offset the corporate welfare and anti climate stuff inside? If so then it was worth it.
Do you have some reason to believe Manchin is reelectable in West Virginia? His unpopularity at home is why he has become a genuine threat—his state's reward for his party loyalty on important votes.
I offer a question to those who see President Biden's administration in a negative light and for the rest of us as well. For a moment, let's alter history for the sake of viewing our financial responsibility in a different light. Back up to the election of 2020 and let's change the outcome, President "Trump" is now in his second term. Remembering the track record of his first 4 years in office, how would McCarthy's position on the debt problem be viewed? Our national debt was inflated by over 8 trillion dollars during Trump's first term, with that in mind and everything else being equal, would we as a country still be facing the question of default if Trump was President? Is McCarthy's position strictly political or does he actually care about our skyrocketing national debt? The brew-ha-ha over McCarthy's displeasure surrounding this country's financial situation would most likely be nonexistent. The two Republican components in the mix would without hesitation agree to make the payment. It's the conflict between the two political parties that is responsible for the "quicksand" in which President Biden's administration is so deeply embedded. If Trump was seated in Biden's position default would be a non-issue, and McCarthy would be considered a good little goose-stepper. The entire situation just stinks. The election of 2024 is in the offing and McCarthy's job is to effectively cloud the political waters to the best of his ability, which he seems to be doing quite well. He finally has something to be proud of and it didn't take 15 tries.
I liked your article, but you didn’t have to use the term ,Most likely, McCarthy doesn’t have the principles or the courage to go against anything that the trumpet would want. Everyone knows that. The longer this debacle goes on the more and more people I notice are saying that we are in “Our end times”. So sad.
garhardt--Thanks for the like, the use of the term "most Likely" is something I do to give myself some wiggle room in cast I mis-state something, but your assessment of Mr. McCarthy is correct.
By his wife, a Biden appointee, shall you know him.
IMHO even WVa is winnable. I did hearings there, did judicial education there, grew up a few miles away. I know that Wheeling feeling. 90% of the population gets some form of federal benefits. Even right wing white nationalists need those benefits to survive. The Republican Party is on record opposing everything from SS to Black Lung benefits. Opposes food stamps. Opposes Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare.
We misplayed him at the start of the Biden administration. No doubt he's a head case, but that's true of most politicians.
Gayle Manchin's job? You and I both know that is the coin of the realm. The Joes again—this time Manchin and Biden—I feel sure agreed on terms. It's political commerce both know well. Not to say she's unqualified, just possibly artificially at the front of the line.
Otherwise, I think you're wrong on two counts. One. If you don't know Appalachin backwoods Hatfields & McCoys Southern coalfields "Country Roads" West Virginia as well as you know Northern Panhandle Ohio Valley Columbus-, Steubenville-, Pgh-oriented WV, you don't know the state at all. Two. 'Hillary-to-WV: Drop Dead' (perception, not fact) was a historic hinge event. Except for educated West Virginians, ever since Dem party = dirt, period. And it only gets worse. Who can explain trump's death grip? He has said he wants to save SS and Medicare. And he hates Dems and Hillary. So there. Bottom line, odds of WV ever electing Biden-backing Manchin to anything ever again are near-zero
I had lawyers named Hatfield and McCoy appear before me. Claimants who showed up wearing MAGA. I used facilities in places like Chief Logan. I speak fluent black lung. --- I did BLA hearings for 19 years. Spent time throughout Appalachia.
I can explain Trump....collective racist subconscious.
I was in Charlestown election day, 2000. Many Democrats told me that they voted for Bush because Lieberman was a Jew. Many of the lawyers who appeared before me and my court reporters reported the same.
ll buy your collective racist subconscious explanation for trump. One of the main thorofares in the WV state capital is Lee Street, and one of its top high schools was named for Stonewall Jackson (name now deprecated). Eighty miles to the NW that would have been unthinkable—notwithstanding the contemporaneous "colored" Sumner School there. The widespread antisemitism mystifies me. I would guess the bias you describe is regional if I hadn't heard similar on eastern Long Island. I simply do not get antisemitism—anywhere. I'm embarrassed to admit I had to look up Chief Logan, but the namesake Logan County—now drug-ravaged too—is the heart of the Dixie WV I wanted to conjure. Rather a far cry from Charlestown. I didn't mention the Eastern Panhandle with its Pennsylvania-Maryland-Virginia influences and DC proximity. I was in Charleston election day 2004. Ever try to reason with a prominent Democrats for Bush Republican?
Given his vote to pass the inflation reduction act. He is more democrat than he is republican. Losing him to "independent or republicans" would be bad. If it goes against corporations or the rich hes out. Anything else he causcuses with democrats. Not cancelling the filibuster is a nod towards his corporate side so certain legislation cant pass. Of course some of that is voting rights. It is what it is.
Dona ; It is frustrating to see people voting against their own interests because they are misinformed. The money wants Manchin and MTG to work for them, not the constituent human beings those 'representatives' are supposed to be serving. Betrayal of the public interest is legal here!
There are numerous heroes: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Hakeem Jeffries, Patty Murray, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Eric Swalwell, AOC, Pramila Jayapal, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Tammy Duckworth, Adam Schiff, all still active politically.
We have many heroes in the Democratic Party. We need to get behind them!
And, I wish we could hear them talk on TV and radio. We need to hear, in complete sentences, from competent elected people. No more talking over them or not having them on at all.
The ones I listed DO communicate; that doesn't mean the media will cover it. That's the reason for platforms like Twitter (which I left because I refuse to support what Musk has done to it).
Add the officers that protected Congress on Jan 6 and every other day, and those from the House that served on the committee. To me, also President & Mrs Obama and President & Mrs Carter. Hillary is a hero of mine, as well.
Ah, do we need to get behind them? Id be happy to support them. Or do the corporate democrat donors need to get behind them? A lot of the above folks wont take corporate or big donor money. Which means they will have to fight a billion dollar propaganda machine in a national election. Id still support them, if we all do will it be enough to defeat the money and lies thrown in on the other side?
You are Heroes. Another disturbing and thought provoking talk today. One point of note though. Professor Robert Reich and Professor Heather Lofthouse: the Truth about heroes. You agreed there are no heroes today. But that’s not true. You two and so many others who speak out, write books, write Substacks and YouTubes and columns that argue for Democracy, who
Teach the public, all ages, about History, Politics and the Constitution, who call out lies and liars. And work for political and social Justice and changes. The How- to manuals. You are Heroes. In WW2 the underground fought Fascism and antisemitism and communism without their names in lights. They died for the causes of Justice and Freedom and Equality. And Truth. And Peace. The Pen is mightier than the sword. And slower. I am not religious but I pray for Peace and Justice and a Healthy Planet for our children and all future children. Every day. Everywhere. So far, even here in this country threatened daily by dark money and corruption, the Truth is broadcast and printed. Your voices teach the difference.
Principled and heroic political leaders can't be expected to be found among those whose campaigns are heavily funded by big-money interests. (A recent mailing from Public Citizen states: “A shockingly small number of superrich people and corporations are responsible for a shockingly large proportion of all political spending.”)
In his 1996 book “The Demon-Haunted World,” Carl Sagan said of Thomas Jefferson: “History taught him that the rich and powerful will steal and oppress if given half a chance. He described the governments of Europe, which he saw at first hand as the American ambassador to France. Under the pretense of government, he said, they had divided their nations into two classes: wolves and sheep.” (Page 426.)
The increasing domination of the superrich over American society in recent decades has resulted in the same thing. In Bernie Sanders’ recent book “It’s Ok to be Angry About Capitalism,” he describes the superrich as having unlimited greed, destroying the planet, having no concern about real people, waging and winning a class war against working people, and doing everything possible to defend the status quo.
Sanders concludes about them: “Real politics recognizes that the corporate elite are not nice guys, no matter how much they contribute to charity or how many awards they receive from universities and hospitals to which they have donated buildings. They are ruthless, and day after day they sacrifice human life and well-being in order to protect their privilege.” (Page 263.)
Politicians - in either major party - funded by and representing such persons are not going to be anything like paragons of virtue. They will be on the side of wolves devouring sheep. This is one of many problems caused by extreme and increasing income and wealth inequality, and by big money in politics. The superrich now clearly have in their sights even American democracy itself.
I’m not a Bible person, but I’m pretty sure there’s some passages in there about the only true charity is anonymous. These companies/donors always have their name splashed across the front of them as a form of goodwill advertising. I’m sure many of these people consider themselves devout Christians. L O L.
Robert Reich states in his book "The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It": "Don't be dazzled by 'corporate social responsibility.' Most of it is public relations. Corporations won't voluntarily sacrifice shareholder returns unless laws require them to do so. Even then, be skeptical of laws unless they're enforced and backed up by big penalties."
He also says: "It's easy to understand why big businesses like JPMorgan have embraced corporate social responsibility with such verve. The soothing promise of responsibility can forestall laws and regulations that require it. As the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr observed: 'The powerful are more inclined to be generous than to grant social justice.'"
Joe, Bernie speaks so well about all the great social advancements that have been achieved by other nations and would have developed here but for the mediocre actor president, 50 years ago
I would suggest Reagan was far worse than he gets credit for. He began the deification of greed which we remain mired in. He was also a notoriously bad governor.
Joe Manchin & Robert Kennedy Jr. also are a threat to form a third party & run for president. Either one will “farm” votes away from a Democratic victory and could usher in the radical right-wing Christian theocracy the GOP has been pursuing for decades.
Manchin has always been a faithful standard Catholic. RFKjr is such a wildchild it's impossible for me to guess where his Catholicism is now, but I can't see that particular pair going where you predict.
I knew RFK Jr. when he literally wouldn’t have a bowl of soup in a diner without saying a prayer first. Whether his mindset is the same now is highly doubtful. The last meal I had with him in a restaurant was 23-years ago, and he wasn’t praying then. He’s 69-years old this year, and time hasn’t served him well.
Outside of West Virginia Senator Manchin couldn’t get Elected Rat Catcher. His best move is to become an esteemed Lobbyist for Wall Street and/or “K” Street. Joe Manchin has lined his nest all of his political Career to the detriment of regular citizens.
Joe Manchin is a hero for only Joe Manchin and who ever will line his nest Best.
Manchin is a DINO from West Virginia that Biden lost by almost 30 points. Manchin might suck votes from the "anybody but Trump" voters, but not enough to impact Biden - and it might end up hurting Trump more.
You might be right, there's a big anybody-but-trump-just-not-a-Dem vote out there. The first time around Utah had a pretty large vote for the forgettable "libertarian" candidate (the Mango Grifter still easily carried the state then and in 2020 which contradicts the holier-than-thou attitude of too many Utahns.
More tellingly, I thing the question is, "Why doesn't our political culture allow the rise of the heroes already among us? One never knows, of course, who may or may not charge into the fray with courage and integrity until the opportunity is manifest. and anyone can argue over this or that choice. On the progressive side, many would point to Bernie Sanders. Or Elizabeth Warren, speaking of compelling vigor and policy brilliance, as well as having prevailed as a US Senator after being knocked down as a candidate for the consumer protection agency she designed. She was also the single most compelling campaigner in 2020 on the Dem side. (Name whomever you'd like and there will be detractors, but integrity have they shown integrity, including a capacity to adapt to actual new information and not merely polls?) Dem leaders didn't want a reformer, but a reassuringly calm, staid standard bearer. I think Biden has been better than most expected, with notable exceptions (the border, Alaskan oil drilling). But I'd argue that this is the historic pattern. FDR was seen as a cheerful playboy going in. Lincoln was a corporate railroad lawyer who also went along with the conventional view of the time that Black people were inferior. Today, look at the comedic actor who won his nation's top role only because of the pervasively evident corruption of the status quo -- Volodymir Zellinskyy. where are the heroes, you ask? It's not that we can't know ahead of time, but what we can do is look to those who conduct themselves with integrity -- and elect a lot of them. This goes back to your earlier question with Heather today, our shared deep concern about why the worst persists.
Thank you. Also, sorry I was in a hurry when I dashed this off and didn't catch the typos. Not a typo, at least intentionally, is the extra y in Zellinskyy. I'm not sure why anyone bothers, but it appears often enough that I don't want to deprive him ever ever chromosome he deserves.
Manchin, a.k.a. "Munchy" is just another ego-centric politician. He's a shady one, a blamer, and has long practiced his deceptive, slick politics in his lust for power, influence, and $$. Too many times he's supported powerful republican oriented corporations in West VA, and elsewhere that fill his pockets and diminish the efforts and progress of people in his state and our nation. He's not at all for the middle classes and blue-collar folk that heavily populate W. VA, he's for himself. Think of him as an Ally? Well, that's only possible if he thinks we're somehow useful in building up his outsized self-interests. He's widely thought of as just another "walk with the devil" to the people who live there. I couldn't agree more.
A culture with a high level of narcissism does not look for "heroes." More accurately, it has little appreciation for heroism or integrity. It's a world where a moral degenerate like a Donald Trump can survive and thrive. One person I believe saw this clearly happening early on was Christopher Lasch. HIs writings in the 1970s led to his 1979 book, The Culture of Narcissism.
I got a preview of this when, about that time, I visited extended family behind what was then "the Iron Curtain." People my age -- young adults -- had NO belief or confidence in their system. To me, there was no way it could survive in the future. So when Reagan made these remarks about "evil empire," I realized he had no idea what was going on.
If a culture with a high level of narcissism does not look for heroes, then from your experience, what does it look for? Or does it not look for anything?
Senator Dirty Coal Manchin as president? I don't think so. Every time I think of him, what comes to mind is a coal-fired power plant spewing thick black smoke. If Biden emphasizes that Manchin wants Americans to choke on black particle-filled air and drink black sludgy carcinogen filled water in order to line his own pockets, Manchin won't get too far.
I suspect his background, voting record, lobbyist relationships will not withstand scrutiny. He may appeal to a few moderate R or D, so one could argue he might hurt both but probably R’s more?
Perhaps I am naive or just tired of constant campaigning but why are we thinking about this still a year and a half out?
1st of all, I prefer drip coffee. Then about heroes, someone I think highly off is Senator Whitehouse. I wouldn't call him my hero, but he's doing some really important things now about the Court. Thinking back about past heroes, I remember how much hope Jack Kennedy generated. Unfortunately he didn't live to fulfill those hopes. It was Johnson who got the Civil Rights Act passed, plus so much else. But then Viet Nam was his undoing. So I guess I don't expect heroes to save us. I look for honest, competent people like Whitehouse to do the necessary work while drawing little attention to themselves.
After reading a couple of the comments before making this statement, I know people are sick and tired of these forever campaigns. No matter who wins We shouldn’t have to suffer these four year campaigns, which start The day after an election. Let’s organize and pass an amendment to the constitution, which sets a maximum amount of time that these Immorally expensive dog and pony shows can nauseate the American people. In Canada, the campaigns are anywhere from 36 to50days By law. Can you even imagine how nice it would be not to have to listen to all this tripe for years? I know I will get a-lot comments on why this isn’t possible in the USA. Let them rip.
I love your comment. I am personally a political junkie and I am so tired of news about campaigns and elections non stop.
Don't know where you live, but in the state of NJ we have elections every single year.
I’m Canadian and totally agree with you. I’ve been a green card holder for many years in the United States and am puzzled that political campaigning here is almost non-stop. It’s a wonder people aren’t so sick and tired of the “dog and pony show” (to quote you) that they bother to vote at all. I would also like to see the U.S. allow paid time off to vote like they do in Canada. I can’t vote but my American relatives can and it’s often difficult for them to get to the polls after a long work day.
PTO for voting is a must, even if its just the time it takes to vote.
Yes, and. How about outlawing produced commercials? Only candidates talking to the camera so we get them and not hype selling them.
And! if I could add: candidates must talk about their platform, their plans (concrete), their intentions when elected. No more off-topic toxic performances. Please!
It’s not in our founding documents because being in Washington wasn’t supposed to be a full-time job. Men had things to do at home not fiddley fart around a swamp all the time. This is why you don’t see hard and fast rules. The idea of Democracy was a dream to be upheld by white men of honor. That’s where we made our first mistake.
Love this idea. It should be implemented. One more way to get money out of politics.
Oh, amen! You said it all, and better than I could. How would we start the process of getting such an amendment passed? I'm THERE!
It would be a Herculean task, remember the equal rights amendment? It also could be a law enacted by Congress and signed by the president. But what’s the chance of that happening in the last 30 years in this political debacle we live in called America? With the tea- party and Trump Dividing this country it seems like an amendment would be the only solution. The American people as a whole feel feckless to do anything That the moneyed interests don’t want. Thanks for the support.
One feature of the Canadian system is that you go into each election with the party leader known and established and the policies of each party roughly known (ie. right, left, center) Having contested primaries so far ahead of the election invites great extension of campaigns. Ie. What is DeSantis doing in Iowa in June the year before the election?
Agree one-billion percent. This country has so many priorities completely bass-ackwards, it's no wonder we are in such a mess. Ranked choice voting should be the standard nationwide for federal and state offices. Having more than just two parties would be welcome too.
RCV or approval voting. I think either would help greatly. There may be either or both on the ballot in 2024 in Missouri.Work for it in your state if you don't have it.
Yessssss
This is a subject not found within Robert's or Dan's format but it is something affecting many of us each and every day. Bruce Willis was recently diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia, a progressive disorder that interferes with someone's ability to understand written and spoken language. To watch a loved one go through the gradual loss of who they once were is a gut-wrenching experience. I can't say how it affects them personally but I can contest to how it affects the family they are a part of. To walk into a room where your mother is sitting in hopes of hearing a spark of recognition only to be greeted by "Who is that" crushes the soul to its core. This woman gave birth to me, raised and nourished me, loved and guided my every step and now there isn't a hint of familiarity. The emptiness left by that experience is something that can never be refilled. The Willis family is coming to grips with the realities of this disorder and the future pain it will render to their family. Bruce's children will be an endless source of love and support for a father that gave us all so much enjoyment through the years. "RED" and its definition fit him so very well, Bruce was a tower of strength that always stood for something good in the movie industry. To think of him and every character he has ever portrayed going down the road life had given him seems terribly unfair. The love that family will need to get past this pushes the boundaries of human understanding. I'm not one to promote prayer but I do feel positive thought has a real effect when directed toward someone in need of emotional support. What good thoughts I can muster will be sent to that family post hast and for the duration of their need. I made a short thought years ago that sadly fits this moment, "Time stands as the consummate thief, for it will eventually rob us of everything." To the Willis family, my thoughts are with you. He truly is "The Last Boy Scout." Peace be with you Bruce, I'll always be a fan.
Manchin is unacceptable as candidate for any office. He steadfastly elevates coal & gas interests.
The Joes Manchin and Lieberman are paired perfectly at No Labels. Both are or were DINOs who hate the party and would like nothing more than to defeat Democrats. Will the like-minded Kyrsten Sinema be the VP choice? Robert Kennedy Jr may seem more appealing, but he has the disadvantages of being male in an era of female VP candidates, promoting disinformation that may be unpalatable even to the Joes, and profiting $gazilliions from the disinfo.
You miss a crucial piece: RFK, Jr. is a Kennedy. To most people Democratic, who don't keep up with the news, that makes him a Saint. He would destroy any chance of preserving our nation as a democracy. I'm sure he doesn't give a damn.
I grew up in the 50s and 60s -- a Roman Catholic too! LOL -- and have been a lifelong Democrat. Kennedys were never "saints" to me, but we have to admit that, today, that name is more associated with Q-Anon (JFK Jr.) and anti-science, anti-vax conspiracies. So I seriously doubt the "to most people Democratic" part.
More importantly, "preserving our nation as a democracy" is a chimera. Our nation is now, and has been for decades, an oligarchy. If we were ANY semblance of a democracy, we would have sensible gun laws. The oligarchy offers up bread and circuses, and RFK Jr. is just one of the clowns.
I know so many Black people who kept photos of JFK, MLK, and RFK on their LR wall along with a cross. Certainly the Kennedys were as close to political "sainthood" as anyone in most Black people's lives at the time. (I was born in early 1950's.) Re "democracy": you are tragically correct about our nation having become an oligarchy. Nevertheless, it's better than fascism, imho, which is all that the repukkklicants have to offer.
If we want to see what Oligarchy looks like with Fascism we have to but look at Russia. I understand through Roberts teachings that what we have was a gradual change towards corporate and rich rule via law changes. Part of me cant but wonder that Reagans escalation of the cold war, the dissolution of the soviet union that once the US won. Both the US and Russia marched steadily to Oligarchy and fascism. Coincidence? Probably. Collusion? Who knows.
No. The collusion is between Trump and Putin. IMHO one of the first things Trump would do is abandon Zelenski and Ukraine. After all, Ukraine is the perfect example of fighting for Democracy and is thus everything Trump hates.
Very interesting, and chilling, thought.
Ugly and feel true
RFKjr's activities have been and will be widely publicized. Camelot was long ago. Few remember.
I promise that every Black person over the age of 65 remembers. I do hope you are right!
Isn't his the voice used for 'Kennedy' on Futurama? ..
Sorry, I haven't heard of "Futurama".
Need to keep him as an ally. We have a big tent.
This time I disagree, Daniel. Manchin was never an ally. He voted against every important piece of Legislation Biden's team put forth. He also voted against filibuster. The damned DNC should have supported the Democrat running for Senator in Ohio, and Val Demmings in Florida, I'd trade Manchin and Sinema any day for those two.
Yes, I am mad at the DNC for supporting a candidate we did not want in our state! I got a republican rep for the first time in my life. Yuck. It's very frustrating when they send help/money to the wrong candidate.
Now I am n total agreement,. I refuse to donate a penny to the DNC or DCCC. I support my own candidates directly, just not to the extent I was able to while gainfully employed. Retirement sucks
Not true. He is an egotistic a-hole but better than ANY Republican.
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/01/1143149435/despite-infighting-its-been-a-surprisingly-productive-2-years-for-democrats
He plays a balancing game with his base. A lot of his anti-dem rhetoric is bluster to support his base. What he did to the Republicans in tricking them to vote for the Chips act and then voting for the inflation reduction act. Hes got more enemies on their side than on the Dem side. Is the enemy of my enemy my friend?
Agree! He has a big problem with his very Red base. And a core problem is that without him we would be that much closer to giving the Senate to McConnell.
Manchin has voted for the most important Biden legislation. That's exactly what has him in hot water at home. Look it up.
Got a link to that because I sure don’t remember Manchin’s doing anything like that.
I just follow the news as it occurs, not retrospectively. I don't keep files on it, so no links. Basically, anything Manchin opposed, he joined forces with Sinema and the Republicans to defeat, so whatever Biden proposals have become law have had Manchin's vote.
We need two more Democratic Senators. It's a complex calculus to see where they could come from...
We need 10 more Democratic senators. They would arrive courtesy of a liberal progressive agenda from Sanders or his successor: gun control, abortion rights, higher taxes on the wealthy and on the corporations, and universal healthcare.
It would appeal to the 70% of Americans who are not nutjobs.
Id like to see 10 more progressive democratic senators and Bernie as president !
Divide CA into three smaller states e.g., Northern CA, Central CA and Southern CA, each of which would have a major Demo-city [e.g., SF/Oakland, Sacto/Fresno or L.A., and San Diego] as its capital. Even if the new State of Central CA were controlled from Fresno [Ha! A likely scenario!] and thus extremely conservative, there'd be four new Dem senators in D.C.
And the GOP would get in exchange …?
Daniel S: Re: Manchin as an ally: As my parents of German heritage would sarcastically joke: Q: When is a gift not a gift? A: When it's poison. (The word "gift" in German means "poison"). I think you get my drift.
Deutsch. Ich hat drei yarh am schule.
This country was built on compromise. Tolerance.
Schauen Sie einem geschenkten Gaul nicht ins Maul
Er wird dich beiBen. Tolerance is preferable.
Preferable to what?
In response to Daniel Solomon's "This country was built on compromise. Tolerance. Translation: "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." I might add, time and patience...
Wenn er unser Freund ist, würde ich es hassen, unseren Feind zu sehen. If he is our friend, I would hate to see our enemy. My opinion re: Manchin still stands despite your linguistic competence.
what does it mean to be tolerant of the fox in the hen house?
So what would Manchin offer? It takes two.
But for Manchin we would not have gotten Inflation Act, Chips Act, Infrastructure...
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/01/1143149435/despite-infighting-its-been-a-surprisingly-productive-2-years-for-democrats
Got 4% more tax write off on my solar panels. That directly helped me and also helps the environment (or at the very least the solar panel companies can charge more). Does the climate part of it offset the corporate welfare and anti climate stuff inside? If so then it was worth it.
Do you have some reason to believe Manchin is reelectable in West Virginia? His unpopularity at home is why he has become a genuine threat—his state's reward for his party loyalty on important votes.
All things being equal.
Donald Hodgins <silencenotbad@gmail.com>
8:08 AM (0 minutes ago)
I offer a question to those who see President Biden's administration in a negative light and for the rest of us as well. For a moment, let's alter history for the sake of viewing our financial responsibility in a different light. Back up to the election of 2020 and let's change the outcome, President "Trump" is now in his second term. Remembering the track record of his first 4 years in office, how would McCarthy's position on the debt problem be viewed? Our national debt was inflated by over 8 trillion dollars during Trump's first term, with that in mind and everything else being equal, would we as a country still be facing the question of default if Trump was President? Is McCarthy's position strictly political or does he actually care about our skyrocketing national debt? The brew-ha-ha over McCarthy's displeasure surrounding this country's financial situation would most likely be nonexistent. The two Republican components in the mix would without hesitation agree to make the payment. It's the conflict between the two political parties that is responsible for the "quicksand" in which President Biden's administration is so deeply embedded. If Trump was seated in Biden's position default would be a non-issue, and McCarthy would be considered a good little goose-stepper. The entire situation just stinks. The election of 2024 is in the offing and McCarthy's job is to effectively cloud the political waters to the best of his ability, which he seems to be doing quite well. He finally has something to be proud of and it didn't take 15 tries.
I liked your article, but you didn’t have to use the term ,Most likely, McCarthy doesn’t have the principles or the courage to go against anything that the trumpet would want. Everyone knows that. The longer this debacle goes on the more and more people I notice are saying that we are in “Our end times”. So sad.
garhardt--Thanks for the like, the use of the term "most Likely" is something I do to give myself some wiggle room in cast I mis-state something, but your assessment of Mr. McCarthy is correct.
Thanks, I thought we were Probably on the same wavelength.
By his wife, a Biden appointee, shall you know him.
IMHO even WVa is winnable. I did hearings there, did judicial education there, grew up a few miles away. I know that Wheeling feeling. 90% of the population gets some form of federal benefits. Even right wing white nationalists need those benefits to survive. The Republican Party is on record opposing everything from SS to Black Lung benefits. Opposes food stamps. Opposes Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare.
We misplayed him at the start of the Biden administration. No doubt he's a head case, but that's true of most politicians.
Gayle Manchin's job? You and I both know that is the coin of the realm. The Joes again—this time Manchin and Biden—I feel sure agreed on terms. It's political commerce both know well. Not to say she's unqualified, just possibly artificially at the front of the line.
Otherwise, I think you're wrong on two counts. One. If you don't know Appalachin backwoods Hatfields & McCoys Southern coalfields "Country Roads" West Virginia as well as you know Northern Panhandle Ohio Valley Columbus-, Steubenville-, Pgh-oriented WV, you don't know the state at all. Two. 'Hillary-to-WV: Drop Dead' (perception, not fact) was a historic hinge event. Except for educated West Virginians, ever since Dem party = dirt, period. And it only gets worse. Who can explain trump's death grip? He has said he wants to save SS and Medicare. And he hates Dems and Hillary. So there. Bottom line, odds of WV ever electing Biden-backing Manchin to anything ever again are near-zero
I had lawyers named Hatfield and McCoy appear before me. Claimants who showed up wearing MAGA. I used facilities in places like Chief Logan. I speak fluent black lung. --- I did BLA hearings for 19 years. Spent time throughout Appalachia.
I can explain Trump....collective racist subconscious.
I was in Charlestown election day, 2000. Many Democrats told me that they voted for Bush because Lieberman was a Jew. Many of the lawyers who appeared before me and my court reporters reported the same.
ll buy your collective racist subconscious explanation for trump. One of the main thorofares in the WV state capital is Lee Street, and one of its top high schools was named for Stonewall Jackson (name now deprecated). Eighty miles to the NW that would have been unthinkable—notwithstanding the contemporaneous "colored" Sumner School there. The widespread antisemitism mystifies me. I would guess the bias you describe is regional if I hadn't heard similar on eastern Long Island. I simply do not get antisemitism—anywhere. I'm embarrassed to admit I had to look up Chief Logan, but the namesake Logan County—now drug-ravaged too—is the heart of the Dixie WV I wanted to conjure. Rather a far cry from Charlestown. I didn't mention the Eastern Panhandle with its Pennsylvania-Maryland-Virginia influences and DC proximity. I was in Charleston election day 2004. Ever try to reason with a prominent Democrats for Bush Republican?
Given his vote to pass the inflation reduction act. He is more democrat than he is republican. Losing him to "independent or republicans" would be bad. If it goes against corporations or the rich hes out. Anything else he causcuses with democrats. Not cancelling the filibuster is a nod towards his corporate side so certain legislation cant pass. Of course some of that is voting rights. It is what it is.
It doesn’t matter if he’s unacceptable. He just there to bolster the Republican party. We know he isn’t acceptable; how does he get elected?!
Same with MTG and the likes of her.
Dona ; It is frustrating to see people voting against their own interests because they are misinformed. The money wants Manchin and MTG to work for them, not the constituent human beings those 'representatives' are supposed to be serving. Betrayal of the public interest is legal here!
There are numerous heroes: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Hakeem Jeffries, Patty Murray, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Eric Swalwell, AOC, Pramila Jayapal, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, Tammy Duckworth, Adam Schiff, all still active politically.
We have many heroes in the Democratic Party. We need to get behind them!
And, I wish we could hear them talk on TV and radio. We need to hear, in complete sentences, from competent elected people. No more talking over them or not having them on at all.
Oh for sure. Cant get your point across with some Narcissist overriding you every second. Im with you on that.
The ones I listed DO communicate; that doesn't mean the media will cover it. That's the reason for platforms like Twitter (which I left because I refuse to support what Musk has done to it).
For sure. And I'd turn debates into unmoderated conversations. See how they all handle themselves.
Exactly. A long time ago I decided I wouldn’t vote for a candidate if I had not heard them speak live, in person.
I know I've left some out!
Liz Cheney, Katie Porter!
Marianne Williamson could even be top of the list. She's the only one dealing with the deepest need to become a caring humanity.
Add the officers that protected Congress on Jan 6 and every other day, and those from the House that served on the committee. To me, also President & Mrs Obama and President & Mrs Carter. Hillary is a hero of mine, as well.
Ah, do we need to get behind them? Id be happy to support them. Or do the corporate democrat donors need to get behind them? A lot of the above folks wont take corporate or big donor money. Which means they will have to fight a billion dollar propaganda machine in a national election. Id still support them, if we all do will it be enough to defeat the money and lies thrown in on the other side?
You are Heroes. Another disturbing and thought provoking talk today. One point of note though. Professor Robert Reich and Professor Heather Lofthouse: the Truth about heroes. You agreed there are no heroes today. But that’s not true. You two and so many others who speak out, write books, write Substacks and YouTubes and columns that argue for Democracy, who
Teach the public, all ages, about History, Politics and the Constitution, who call out lies and liars. And work for political and social Justice and changes. The How- to manuals. You are Heroes. In WW2 the underground fought Fascism and antisemitism and communism without their names in lights. They died for the causes of Justice and Freedom and Equality. And Truth. And Peace. The Pen is mightier than the sword. And slower. I am not religious but I pray for Peace and Justice and a Healthy Planet for our children and all future children. Every day. Everywhere. So far, even here in this country threatened daily by dark money and corruption, the Truth is broadcast and printed. Your voices teach the difference.
Principled and heroic political leaders can't be expected to be found among those whose campaigns are heavily funded by big-money interests. (A recent mailing from Public Citizen states: “A shockingly small number of superrich people and corporations are responsible for a shockingly large proportion of all political spending.”)
In his 1996 book “The Demon-Haunted World,” Carl Sagan said of Thomas Jefferson: “History taught him that the rich and powerful will steal and oppress if given half a chance. He described the governments of Europe, which he saw at first hand as the American ambassador to France. Under the pretense of government, he said, they had divided their nations into two classes: wolves and sheep.” (Page 426.)
The increasing domination of the superrich over American society in recent decades has resulted in the same thing. In Bernie Sanders’ recent book “It’s Ok to be Angry About Capitalism,” he describes the superrich as having unlimited greed, destroying the planet, having no concern about real people, waging and winning a class war against working people, and doing everything possible to defend the status quo.
Sanders concludes about them: “Real politics recognizes that the corporate elite are not nice guys, no matter how much they contribute to charity or how many awards they receive from universities and hospitals to which they have donated buildings. They are ruthless, and day after day they sacrifice human life and well-being in order to protect their privilege.” (Page 263.)
Politicians - in either major party - funded by and representing such persons are not going to be anything like paragons of virtue. They will be on the side of wolves devouring sheep. This is one of many problems caused by extreme and increasing income and wealth inequality, and by big money in politics. The superrich now clearly have in their sights even American democracy itself.
I’m not a Bible person, but I’m pretty sure there’s some passages in there about the only true charity is anonymous. These companies/donors always have their name splashed across the front of them as a form of goodwill advertising. I’m sure many of these people consider themselves devout Christians. L O L.
Robert Reich states in his book "The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix It": "Don't be dazzled by 'corporate social responsibility.' Most of it is public relations. Corporations won't voluntarily sacrifice shareholder returns unless laws require them to do so. Even then, be skeptical of laws unless they're enforced and backed up by big penalties."
He also says: "It's easy to understand why big businesses like JPMorgan have embraced corporate social responsibility with such verve. The soothing promise of responsibility can forestall laws and regulations that require it. As the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr observed: 'The powerful are more inclined to be generous than to grant social justice.'"
Joe, Bernie speaks so well about all the great social advancements that have been achieved by other nations and would have developed here but for the mediocre actor president, 50 years ago
I would suggest Reagan was far worse than he gets credit for. He began the deification of greed which we remain mired in. He was also a notoriously bad governor.
I think the big movie he costarred in ,the main star was a Monkey.
Joe Manchin & Robert Kennedy Jr. also are a threat to form a third party & run for president. Either one will “farm” votes away from a Democratic victory and could usher in the radical right-wing Christian theocracy the GOP has been pursuing for decades.
Manchin has always been a faithful standard Catholic. RFKjr is such a wildchild it's impossible for me to guess where his Catholicism is now, but I can't see that particular pair going where you predict.
I knew RFK Jr. when he literally wouldn’t have a bowl of soup in a diner without saying a prayer first. Whether his mindset is the same now is highly doubtful. The last meal I had with him in a restaurant was 23-years ago, and he wasn’t praying then. He’s 69-years old this year, and time hasn’t served him well.
Why are we talking about Joe manchin!!
Exactly, except to say he is as evil and underhanded as RDeSanity!😛😝😖
Outside of West Virginia Senator Manchin couldn’t get Elected Rat Catcher. His best move is to become an esteemed Lobbyist for Wall Street and/or “K” Street. Joe Manchin has lined his nest all of his political Career to the detriment of regular citizens.
Joe Manchin is a hero for only Joe Manchin and who ever will line his nest Best.
J
It's doubtful Manchin could get elected even in West Virginia now in a contest with Gov Jim Justice.
Manchin is a DINO from West Virginia that Biden lost by almost 30 points. Manchin might suck votes from the "anybody but Trump" voters, but not enough to impact Biden - and it might end up hurting Trump more.
The sole reason to vote for Manchin as a presidential candidate is a preference for fossil fuel interests over any enlightened competition.
I hope you’re correct.
You might be right, there's a big anybody-but-trump-just-not-a-Dem vote out there. The first time around Utah had a pretty large vote for the forgettable "libertarian" candidate (the Mango Grifter still easily carried the state then and in 2020 which contradicts the holier-than-thou attitude of too many Utahns.
More tellingly, I thing the question is, "Why doesn't our political culture allow the rise of the heroes already among us? One never knows, of course, who may or may not charge into the fray with courage and integrity until the opportunity is manifest. and anyone can argue over this or that choice. On the progressive side, many would point to Bernie Sanders. Or Elizabeth Warren, speaking of compelling vigor and policy brilliance, as well as having prevailed as a US Senator after being knocked down as a candidate for the consumer protection agency she designed. She was also the single most compelling campaigner in 2020 on the Dem side. (Name whomever you'd like and there will be detractors, but integrity have they shown integrity, including a capacity to adapt to actual new information and not merely polls?) Dem leaders didn't want a reformer, but a reassuringly calm, staid standard bearer. I think Biden has been better than most expected, with notable exceptions (the border, Alaskan oil drilling). But I'd argue that this is the historic pattern. FDR was seen as a cheerful playboy going in. Lincoln was a corporate railroad lawyer who also went along with the conventional view of the time that Black people were inferior. Today, look at the comedic actor who won his nation's top role only because of the pervasively evident corruption of the status quo -- Volodymir Zellinskyy. where are the heroes, you ask? It's not that we can't know ahead of time, but what we can do is look to those who conduct themselves with integrity -- and elect a lot of them. This goes back to your earlier question with Heather today, our shared deep concern about why the worst persists.
Thank you. Also, sorry I was in a hurry when I dashed this off and didn't catch the typos. Not a typo, at least intentionally, is the extra y in Zellinskyy. I'm not sure why anyone bothers, but it appears often enough that I don't want to deprive him ever ever chromosome he deserves.
Manchin, a.k.a. "Munchy" is just another ego-centric politician. He's a shady one, a blamer, and has long practiced his deceptive, slick politics in his lust for power, influence, and $$. Too many times he's supported powerful republican oriented corporations in West VA, and elsewhere that fill his pockets and diminish the efforts and progress of people in his state and our nation. He's not at all for the middle classes and blue-collar folk that heavily populate W. VA, he's for himself. Think of him as an Ally? Well, that's only possible if he thinks we're somehow useful in building up his outsized self-interests. He's widely thought of as just another "walk with the devil" to the people who live there. I couldn't agree more.
A culture with a high level of narcissism does not look for "heroes." More accurately, it has little appreciation for heroism or integrity. It's a world where a moral degenerate like a Donald Trump can survive and thrive. One person I believe saw this clearly happening early on was Christopher Lasch. HIs writings in the 1970s led to his 1979 book, The Culture of Narcissism.
I got a preview of this when, about that time, I visited extended family behind what was then "the Iron Curtain." People my age -- young adults -- had NO belief or confidence in their system. To me, there was no way it could survive in the future. So when Reagan made these remarks about "evil empire," I realized he had no idea what was going on.
If a culture with a high level of narcissism does not look for heroes, then from your experience, what does it look for? Or does it not look for anything?
Individuals who are narcissistic don't look outside themselves. They are the heroes.
"Only I can fix this!" ... "I can end this war in 24 hours." 'I know more than all the experts."
Senator Dirty Coal Manchin as president? I don't think so. Every time I think of him, what comes to mind is a coal-fired power plant spewing thick black smoke. If Biden emphasizes that Manchin wants Americans to choke on black particle-filled air and drink black sludgy carcinogen filled water in order to line his own pockets, Manchin won't get too far.
I suspect his background, voting record, lobbyist relationships will not withstand scrutiny. He may appeal to a few moderate R or D, so one could argue he might hurt both but probably R’s more?
Perhaps I am naive or just tired of constant campaigning but why are we thinking about this still a year and a half out?
What do you see as the implications, Chuck, and why? Please be clear and factual.
1st of all, I prefer drip coffee. Then about heroes, someone I think highly off is Senator Whitehouse. I wouldn't call him my hero, but he's doing some really important things now about the Court. Thinking back about past heroes, I remember how much hope Jack Kennedy generated. Unfortunately he didn't live to fulfill those hopes. It was Johnson who got the Civil Rights Act passed, plus so much else. But then Viet Nam was his undoing. So I guess I don't expect heroes to save us. I look for honest, competent people like Whitehouse to do the necessary work while drawing little attention to themselves.