33 Comments
тна Return to thread

It seems that many individuals experiencing economic woes and listening to evasive politicians became desperate for some good news. Then a messenger appeared, one they saw as caring about their needs. They were hoping for rescue and ready to believe. Trump has a talent for lying, and his lies worked on these very stressed individuals.

That's my take on this sad situation in our country.

Expand full comment

Ralph makes and important point: "many individuals experienced economic woes..." I don't believe either party was addressing the economic issues that affected ordinary Americans. I think the Dems (and the traditional Repubs as well) failed miserably to respond to the issues of struggling Americans, or even explain why government is of value. But the non-traditional, circus show, appealed crudely to those concerns and won the election of 2016. If the country can ever be returned to its "norms" it seems essential that the needs of working people must be vigorously addressed. Corporate money-lords and wealthy donors have controlled which political issues are addressed and they do not care about workers. They care about profits. To imagine that it took 20 years to even have a $15 an hour federal wage PROPOSED by a President is a good indicator of how one-sided our politics have been and why so many don't trust the government to do the very thing that allows ordinary people to thrive.

Expand full comment

And even if the Biden/Harris administration is able to shepherd the $15/hr federal minimum through both houses, $15/hr is no longer a living wage in many parts of the country. Let's say take-home at that wage is about $1900/mo. In my small city, it's hard to find even a studio apartment for under $1,000. That leaves $900 for food, transportation, clothing, health care, utilities. A single person might be able to do it, but anyone with children can't. Certainly, it isn't possible to save at that rate.

Expand full comment

...and still it took 20 and it's only "proposal"! And if enacted it won't be a living wage! Exactly.

Expand full comment

Do you think that people with economic woes really have the kind of money to pay for gas to travel, to buy little hats and flags that say trump on them? I donтАЩt think so. I donтАЩt think these people are desperate economically I think theyтАЩve been deceived. Honestly I think these people are greedy for attention, uneducated. People looking for an exciting party! Something that gives them an identity. Yes, this is a gross generalization not all of these people are this way. There are educated people. People that believe they are Christians. It is this group I donтАЩt understand.

Expand full comment

That's true, but I was only referring to the election. These seditionists are drawn from a different distribution.

Expand full comment

Buses were arranged for them to get there and back.

Expand full comment

Supposedly, Clarence ThomasтАЩ wife helped arrange that. And yet, he caused yet another black man to be executed this week. SCOTUS is tainted, badly.

Expand full comment

How could CT not see the light? Reading about Jackie Robinson 1964 is really something courageous. Robinson had the voice of Rockefeller & Nixon, but learned to despise Goldwater's divisive game plan.

Expand full comment

Such a good question. I just canтАЩt understand how a person of color gets enamored with a party that despises them.

Expand full comment

This fact about ThomasтАЩ wife, which I believe is well substantiated, is absolutely outrageous.

Expand full comment

Evidently, she has a long history of racism.

Expand full comment

I can only think of Dave Chappelle's character Clayton Bigsby

Expand full comment

The Racialization is pervasive. "ah, Houston, we have a problem."

Expand full comment

Horrid.

Expand full comment

And private jets from all over the country. The Well off bring their friends to the insurrection

Expand full comment

Grrrrr

Expand full comment

People in my state are taking screen shots on those who posted on SM travelling to DC, Staying at the DT Hotel, and sending to the FBI. Reminds me of the Oligarchs and European princes at the Battel of Bull Run.

Expand full comment

Watch this develop. NBC news reports several stories of DT supporters getting invited on wealthier supporters private jets to participate.

Expand full comment

Reporting today and yesterday points to fund raisers on Go Gund Me and an enormous transfer of bitcoin from an address in France.

Expand full comment

But ... he did not deliver on those expectations and yet MORE of them voted for him last November! It is that that confounds me.

Expand full comment

His showmanship continues to delude his followers. It is an essential power of a cult leader to continually mesmerize his followers with the beauty of "the future" he will provide. It is just ahead! For Trump, if it hadn't been for "those losers," he could have accomplished so much more, "and if re-elected, I will."

Expand full comment

Like followers in an end-of-the-world cult. No matter how many times the Great Leader's forecast fails, they are still ready to jump on the next end-is-nigh prediction.

Scientists are still baffled!

Expand full comment

Interesting...My college-age son says that one reason people like the Republigcan message is because it is more positive (We're great, we're the best, we're gonna be greater) while the Democrat message is negative (We have a lot of problems we need to fix, fix, fix).

Expand full comment

Good point. One side with its head in the ground as the stampede approaches denying the oncoming charge; the other shouting "look out!" but is perceived as "negative." I wonder how the deniers run their homes, families, businesses?

Expand full comment

Just loaded the dryer and wondered if BOTH sides want to "fix" things but they want to fix very different things. And each side considers the other side "negative." Laundry thoughts. ЁЯШК

Expand full comment

Right, they are more positive about our own country and more negative about everyone else. On the other hand they always seem to be in critique mode, never in a "that's good" kind of mood.

Expand full comment

Hmmm this makes sense

Expand full comment

The Republicans I know who are financially stable (and white Christians) are strongly military and executives. They don't know any life other than "I give orders. I follow nobody. I've been trained to do this." I fear there is now way to reach these types. And they personify the happiest people on earth.

Expand full comment

If you havenтАЩt already read it, check out HeatherтАЩs letter from March 28th .... very interesting.

Expand full comment

Thanks for pointing me to that letter. That is from before I was a subscriber... um, substacker.

Expand full comment