In 1979, the small insurance company I was working for in Davis, CA are a 2nd shift computer operator. Since part of our job was to interact with him several times a day, it was easy to see that he was bright and pick up things much faster than the other operators. About 2 weeks after he started, he wasn't there at his usual time. Rumors flew about what happened.
As it turned out, he had lied about how long he had worked for one of his references and it took 2 weeks for HR to uncover this. The company that he had worked for actually gave him a decent reference, but because of this one misstatement of fact on his resume, he was immediately terminated.
Anyway, that's what we were told at the time and we never heard from him again.
Was this a significant lie? Gorsuch and Kavanaugh lied to the faces of several Senators including Susan Collins about whether they would uphold precedent. And Kavanaugh lied about being a sexual predator, but hey it's a white man's word against a woman's so it's apparently okay with MAGAs.
But, there is no oversight for SCOTUS, so Gorsuch and Kavanaugh will likely be on the court long after many of us have passed.
"For the past few days, I’ve felt like Homer Simpson after he accidentally turned a toaster into a time machine and came back to find that Ned Flanders was the unchallenged dictator of the world."
To keep myself sane, I've been taking breaks (from almost full time volunteering for Democrats and democracy) by listening to The SagaThing podcast.
John and Andy (American scholars of Icelandic and Medieval literature ) are the Car Talk Guys of literary studies. A good way to run your brain under water and clear your head. You can go for the greats Njal and Egil, listen chronologically, or skip around. They are all excellent. Enjoy.
Thanks for the suggestion. I have been binging Vikings Valhalla. The SagaThing might be good background. It might also help understand what is going on with Thiel and Vance and their Tolkien obsession.
My apologies. I cannot figure out the tech problem. This link always gets me there on my phone. But the link in the Comment did not. Maybe how it was formatted double space?
A friend referred me to Heather Cox Richardson and I referred her to the Bulwark… and the ‘comments’ to both are what are sustaining me…. Along with the “writing”
When BK was going through his hearings and the woman came out with the drunken attempted rape story, I wrote about that, to support her, because I had a similar experience to hers. I was playing in a rock band and was about 19. We had a gig at a club in WV, I think I remember which one, but I'm not totally sure. After the gig at about 2:30 AM, we stopped at someone's house on the way home...which was 30 minutes from our homes. We had never been there before...it was dark and they invited us over for drinks and some fun. We were all pretty drunk by 4 AM. I'm a sleepy drunk...and I found an unused bed to lay down on. After a bit a girl I did not know curled up next to me. She wanted some "action" and I was not interested...she REALLY was not my type. I just hugged the wall and turned away from her. I realized during the BK hearings that if I had been a girl and she a boy, I very likely would have been raped. I wrote about this on FB to illustrate to my conservative friends how her story could be true. I could remember approximately where the house was, but not exactly...because the band dropped me at my sisters house on the way home...so from that I could give an agency like the FBI a radius of about 2-5 miles. My sister called my parents to tell them I was there...I needed to work off the alcohol before going home. My sister covered for me and my parents never knew how drunk I was that night...or that I had been to a party where there was at least attempted sex...there were other bedrooms...and I never asked what happened. Our band also played frat parties...so I know how drunken that scene becomes. One was shut down by campus police...and the floor tiles were were coming up because there was so much draft beer from the kegs on the floor. I can imagine BK being one of those guys.
Mike, I too played in rock bands and I too get tired when I smoke or drink. I just hit a wall and I'm done. I've had similar experiences with "groupies" but I was too scared of getting the clap or getting someone pregnant. Not that I wasn't interested, it's just that my paranoia always won out. Plus I was usually stoned, not drunk.
Anyway, I worked in New Haven, CT where the BK incident(s) occurred and like with any college there are always parties going on. But, if I recall correctly, BK was in high school as well as college, so WTF, why did his parents allow him to get in those situations before he was even 18. He went to a prep school and from his testimony he was drunk a lot and didn't show very good judgment and obviously felt like he could get away with anything that happened.
I have no reason not to believe Dr. Ford's testimony and she had absolutely nothing to gain from telling her story in front of the assholes on the judiciary committee like Grassley and Graham.
And for five years we have 2 sexual predators on the Supreme Court both of whom have taken money from billionaires. The Party of Trump is the party of quid pro quo. The billionaires have their agenda as Biden has pointed out.
Did you know that if you commit rape or incest in Texas resulting in pregnancy of the victim you have less than a five per cent chance of being convicted of rape or paying any compensation to the victim or their family.
Rape is a violent crime, not a crime of passion, and the GOP could care less about prosecuting these crimes or even sending rape kits to the lab.
Gary, my experience with "wealthier" people is they don't care if their kids get drunk or stoned as long as nothing "bad" reflects on them. My X wife's sister who I love and get along with married into a VERY wealthy family. Her step daughter had her "sweet 16" party at their VERY large house with a pool. Many of the kids were in the basement game room, with pinball machines, video games, pool table etc. Many more were outside. There was a keg of beer provided by the parents. (this was pre-social media) and a lot of uninvited kids were showing up. My Niece's parents asked Uncle Mike to go take a walk through and see how things were. I was younger, hipper...and they felt I was a good "spy".
Having been to Grateful Dead shows and made some pot brownies in my life, I recognized the smell of weed as soon as I opened the basement door. I confiscated 3 pot pipes from the stunned party goers....and told them the parents were ok with the beer, but not pot in the house. (I guess that level of bust, was too much risk) I gave the pipes to the collected parents who were knocking down martini's at a pretty good rate. Then they asked me to go troll outside.
WOW, the scene rivaled anything I had seen at a gig. Drugs, sex and rock & roll in an ever expanding parking lot. The word had gotten out and this was pre or very early cell phones. The liquor stores must have thought it was New Years Eve.
This party was in a DC suburb where a lot of elected and "influential" people live. I didn't witness any teenage rape that night...but all of the elements were there to make it easy.
I can't remember if the parents pulled the plug early...but they blamed the pot on "other kids", "outsiders"...not their sweet babies.
My best friend's graduation party was so boozy that guys were vomiting all over their front lawn. Back then, parents didn't get busted for serving underage kids, and back then the legal age was 21. In fact, the parents bought the booze and retired to their bedroom. I sloshed down tequila sunrises all night. 49 years later and I still don't remember how I got home.
Being a young woman, and being drunk, high, or both, or neither, is a dangerous thing. This is because of the patriarchy that still says Dr. Ford either lied or deserved to be raped. By extension, Kavanaugh said via the Supreme Court chorus that women's bodies don't really belong to them.
Sounds like a scene from a Molly Ringwald movie complete with the parent's not giving a shit.
I've played a lot of frat and sorority parties and never witnessed anything like that. But, I'm not a very observant person.
My high school GF was the valedictorian of her 800 person high school class. Her SAT score was 780 math and 800 English. She is head of the pediatric unit at a major medical school. She introduced me to marijuana and alcohol. I would be shocked if she doesn't still smoke pot.
It is amazing to me that the GOP is fine with owning guns and drinking beer cause, you know, freedom, yet they are opposed to legalizing pot.
I'm going to venture a Guess that the other computer operators and their mediocre boss felt threatened and made sure to get rid of the guy that shined a light.
It’s time to begin arresting Russian nationals charging them with espionage so as to trade them for Americans. First place to arrest them is at the Russian cultural attaché while pulling out all our staff in Russia. It’s a rogue state.
It’s prep for another performance. If chump cheats enough to win, it’s day one of hostage release (remind anybody of Ronnie’s coup de grace in 1980). If he doesn’t, it will be ongoing shadow government, like he is doing every day since he realized that running was the way to avoid any accountability, ever.
Correct an exact playbook from Reagan. I’m very perplexed on the current direction we are moving in. I still wonder how extremism on the right has taken such a detour. Then I’m reminded of our own foolish direction as “woke” democrats and yes I’m using a hostile term to describe us.
To think that at this very dangerous moment we can’t even agree on who the democratic candidate should be because he is reportedly too old and frail and can’t keep a simple thought together and who nominated a running mate that really shows poorly in case he should drop out. I nominate Adam Shiff for president and Gretchen for VP. How’s dat, lol?
I'm with Kamala all the way (if Joe bows out). She ran one of the largest Federal or State agencies in the country as CA AG, plus she was a US Senator, and (hello) the VEEP for 3 1/2 years.
She is extremely personable and has been working the under 40 crowd for quite some time.
I posted this on Civil Discourse this am - just happened upon it:
"I just watched a chat with AOC where she mentioned that Repubs(Mike Johnson) are already talking about a lawsuit(?) to prevent name changes on election ballots. If so, and you think about where this could conceivably (at this current time) end - at the Supreme Court. I have to wonder if this is something that could actually happen? Seems to me, if so, this move by donors & some Democrats could be a really stupid one. Well, even without all that - my feelings are that its stupid as close as we are to the election. But that alone is my opinion.
This would appear to me a good conversation to have with the people who want to "change horses in mid-stream" (favorite quote)."
Yes and he is in law to George Soros. Now that Hillary’s right hand lady Huma is engaged to Soros’ son perhaps Hillary and Adam Schiff would make a good Democratic ticket. Hillary wants it bad, and Soros certainly has plenty of money to throw at a campaign.
Personally I think our Congressman from MD would make an EXCELLENT President...Jamie Raskin. But whoever the Dem nominee turns out to be, we must come together (right now everybody) and beat Trump. Nov 5 is D Day and there cannot be an Ike speech written and actually given about losing and taking the blame. I just got an "I like Ike" T shirt that I plan to wear, until this is sorted out.
It’s times like these that I need to wax philosophical and think of that famous quote that “people are deserving of those they elect.” I don’t accept it but the storm is approaching. I’m beginning to translate my 7 cats names into Italian in case I need to flee my homeland. My cat Muffin would be Focacinna. Jezebel = Jezebela, Elenore = Elenora, Big Willie = Gulliamo Grande, Babe = Bambino, Wild Man = (I forgot) and Ringo stays the same name and Nefertiti remains in spirit.
JD yea, DJT is already stating that Putin will stop the war, etc etc...Kim won't fire rockets...apparently the only way to deal with an autocrat now is to become one...Where did the party of law and order go ? The "moral" majority ? "Tear down that wall"...not build a wall...and D-Day vets invaded Normandy to end Communism....really...what about the photos of FDR, Churchill and Stalin....working together to stop the Nazi bastard. WTF...
Stalin got screwed by Hitler, sort of pissed him off. I read somewhere that he took to his bed for weeks before his generals talked him into fighting back. Putin will screw chump but not til he’s through with him. But chump will never fight anything but his own government.
Also, there is little or no reason for a citizen of the United States to travel to Russia. I don't care if their grandmother lives in Russia or their employer has an office there. The answer is "NO!" Or, as was once the cry during the early Viet Nam years, "Hell no, I won't go."
I hope you don't mind if I finish that thought for you.
In a sane world, people treat other people the way they would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot. When people stop treating other people the way they would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot, the world goes insane. And it's just that simple.
You say "seems like" implying perception in lieu of reality. That's good. That means you're not like Mike Lindell who thinks perception is reality. Frank also replied to my comment. See my reply to his comment.
With respect, I disagree. It often goes by the board, and when it does, we notice it. But when humans make something good happen, it's for one reason and one reason alone, and that reason is because it didn't go by the board in a real conflict, and we tend to ignore that because it's what we were expecting.
For example, since Biden's election, and regardless of perception, the American economy has improved, crime is down, infrastructure improvements are improving people's lives, and America's standing in the world has gone from trending downward to trending upward. That is for one reason and one reason alone, which is an administration that follows the golden rule. They're not perfect, but authoritarians are the only people who claim to be perfect.
Ill stick with my comment. None of what you have just mentioned has stopped a "renegade" Dem movement (including Nancy Pelosi? ) from urging Biden to stand down, even given his extolling (rightly) the track record you are presenting.
As one who lived with a husband whose early stage if small errors and forgetting turned to anger and some violence and, finally, total darkness. I’m not as concerned about the NOW as the Biden (who I have supported and cheered on until now) of 2026. It’s not a pretty picture.
A plan right out of the ‘playbook’ …divide , conquer, chaos. The fatigue is just at a 4 now , it’ll get worse. Stand by your man! If it’s needed Harris can pick up .. I’d lay bets she’ll wield the baton…watch. The track records are exemplary. Stay the course.🫶
-Yes, JL, BUT, the only qualifications for the Presidency are age - 35- and born in the USA, so even a convicted felonious nimcompoop like the trumpster/dumpster qualifies - just ask the unjustices on the Supreme Court and Aileen Cannon - that's all he needs.
Pretty simple- the people that play by the rules are following the rules. CONservatives stopped being ethical long ago and now willingly break the law. They have been chipping away for a long time. Never forget the S&L scandal of the the 1970s-80s where most of the scoundrels got off. Then in the 2000s with the financial collapse, then COVID....
The over regulating of the government has allowed the CONservatives to become an organized crime organization. Lewis Powell's Memo provided the plan. Always notice how when they do things unethical that should be illegal, they hide behind the law.
In a same world on the security briefings, they would feed bad info on purpose to see where that info would end up and then use that to put him in jail. The problem now is that the whole republican leadership would protect him and call it a lie. I know, becasue Grassley and Ernst both have said as such.
I'm not sure I understand what all that has to do with 'the over regulating of the government'. In fact, I have learned from many sources that most of the financial disasters our country has experienced have been due to UNDER regulation. Regulation is really just another word for accountability!
Rickey, what a great idea! They would have to keep the false briefings secret from everyone but trump. But wouldn’t it be interesting to see how far the “intelligence” would spread?
Barbara Jo, I suggest they feed him daily political cartoons. They say a lot in few words with big pictures, many of which will be his caricature, which he'll love.
Well, he's only just become a candidate - and this in spite of his convict status. So I hope so too. He'd probably have to ask Putin or Orban to tell him what they meant, anyway.
JD, I believe candidate's receiving briefings have been by convention, not bound by law or other requirement, and I think they typically increase in classification levels once someone is President-elect. That said, IIRC the former guy didn't approve briefing Biden, and it wasn't done (perhaps someone will correct me if wrong )
If (when) Trump leaks some classified information, and is caught doing so, he’ll no doubt use it to amplify his victim hood. Do we really want a “whiner in chief”.
They didn't let Biden have anything, remember? He got no briefings or help with transition. And he was rightfully elected. I wish they would do the same with Trump, at least if and until he is elected.
Bonnie, As much as I share the urgency of your call, I’m also keenly aware, as the window to November narrows, that we must prioritize how we spend calories. In that regard, first and foremost, we need to press for a Democratic Party that’s fully unified and that can shed a light, chapter and verse, on concrete examples of the harms that would flow from the 2025 game plan. I would add, regardless of how often Donald Trump tries to distance himself from Project 2025, we must emphatically amplify, quoting Robert Reich, that “[h]is aids wrote it, his PAC promotes it, and his national campaign press secretary appears in the recruitment video.”
Indeed. And someone needs to slap some sense into the brainless whiners in the Dem. Party that keep playing into the GQP’s hands.
Pull your heads out you morons. Cheetolini and his fanatical minions are doing their best to lose this election, with their Palin-esque VP pick (vacuous fanatic), and Cheetolini’s own rambling verbosity and injury coverup.
Unfortunately, the whiny hand-wringers are insisting on creating news stories to distract from the self-inflicted damage the GQP hatefest/convention is doing.
George, One factor I only recently have come to understand relates to the interest among a sizable number not only for Biden to step down but also for removal of the whole ticket. Whatever the grounds, they could not possibly compensate for the chaos that would ensue.
Accordingly, while I’ve harbored concerns about Biden for some time, I no longer trust the Democratic establishment responsibly to manage changing course at this point.
It sure sounds like the “Democratic Establishment “ has been bought and paid for by Putin’s minions. Sadly, that’s not hard to believe since there is so much utterly corrupting money sloshing around all of our elections (EXACTLY HOW THE FEDERALIST SCUM (and their puppets/minions that now infest our courts) WANT IT). We expect the GQP to be corrupt beyond question, but sadly, the “establishment” Dems are questionable.
With the shockingly stupid statements oozing out about Dems wanting Biden to give up (and that truly is what they’re asking for - giving the election to Cheetolini since that is the guaranteed result from a change at this point), it’s clear that massive amounts of money or favors have been exchanged to buy the careers of these cowards.
George, Respectfully, I don’t subscribe to your thinking. I believe the failure of Biden’s calamitous debate performance to put to rest the doubts about his capacity to campaign, instead, reinforced them, and rightly has caused great concern that has not since been mitigated. In that regard, my consternation rests with Democratic elected officials I’ve only recently come to understand seem incapable of getting fully on board and unified with one another.
Yup. And the result will be another defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.
Remember Shrub (Bush Jr.), and Hillary? We’re about to repeat history a third time.
No amount of wishing will make the perfect candidate appear, but the whining and hand-wringing WILL embolden the already massively biased and cowardly mass media to pile on with “Biden being pressured to bail” stories when there are actual news stories that could have been covered. (sharks, cannibals,unquestioned ear injuries, etc)
You are really over-blowing the debate performance. If you watched the whole thing, you must have noticed that Biden got better toward the end while all Trump did was firehose lies. Stop letting the NYT and its followers define facts for you.
Let's be clear minded on this and the debate performance, tRump has been much, much worse. The Biden performance was bad, yes, but was it one off? Seems to be. Keep in mind that the MSM is now playing both ends against the democrats. They know if they really go after and expose the CONservatives for what they will do if they seep back in power, the retaliation will be harsh and real. They do not fear that the liberals will retaliate as history has shown. The feeding frenzy over Biden has been, to say the least, bizarre and even more salacious than I ever imagined. Even though Biden is respected, he is not feared. MAGAs are the Silver Shirts of the 1920s-30s.
Like it or not, the reality is that many voting Americans are concerned about Biden's age and mental competency to go another year or two, to say nothing about four more years. That's the reality that has put us on the defensive instead of the offensive. Biden suffers from the Ruth Bader Ginsburg syndrome, when old age clouds judgment. The Biden/Harris administration has been outstanding. That now has almost no bearing on the campaign because it has focused, not on Trump's corruption, dishonesty and incompetence, but rather on Biden's condition.
A cabal of media figures, backed by billionaires, wants to get rid of Biden's approach to taxes, unions, etc., and have ginned up a story about Biden's mental competence that just isn't supported by the evidence of his daily work. We've got to stop being suckered by them and support our ticket. At half-speed, Biden is still way better than Trump would be with his staff of sycophants and fascists.
I'm convinced that Biden can do the job, but I'm not a part of that 15% or so that needs to be persuaded. That's now our task when it should be attack, attack, attack. Like it or not, we're on the defensive and there are reasons for it (Biden's stumbling speech at times, for example.)
And this administration's past performance is history. It's over. Competence is an issue - is Biden competent enough to go another 4 1/2 years. That is what many voters have on their minds. It is what it is. It would be folly for us to ignore that fact. We all share the frustration. This should be a zero contest, but it isn't. Why? Biden's perceived mental fitness to do the job, even now.
I no longer see this upcoming election as a choice between two candidates. I see it as a choice between a democracy or an authoritarian government. PERIOD.
I will vote for Biden even if he is on life-support.
You ae absolutely correct, IMO, Miselle: this election is between retaining a democratic form of government or ceding power to a would-be dictator. That such a low life at Trump could command this kind of loyalty is an insult to our electorate.
Exactly. But when folks that should be opposing Cheetolini openly talk about it, it adds validity to a massively over covered non -story.
Cheetolini has been spewing batsh*t crazy crap for months (along with sleeping through trials, being convicted of massive fraud, rape, and a big pile of felonies), but let’s focus on the guy that’s three years older.
I'm with you on your last point, Barbara Jo. The Dems are blowing this right now. Others have used the term "bed wetters", and while I think it's appropriate, perhaps "pants wetters" is more so.
Well spoken, GeoC. The (R)ss-holes only real hope for winning this election is for the libtards to dump Biden & Harris. The Electoral Collegiates will take care of the rest. So far, the Russian 'Intelligence Community' is handling things quite well. AOC might only be one of the few with her head on straight. But, she'll be out-of-the-pool, they'll see to that. Bernie? No factor.
George, right now I think the Dems are outdoing them. MAGA has been spewing lies all along, and whatever exposure Dem PR has provided so far, hasn't begun to change the dial, short of a major poll reversal in the final week or two of the campaign. Americans are already putting in their early votes.
To the MAGA people, Trump's lies, convictions, insurrection activity, racism, failed businesses, philandering, fraudulent activities (Trump University and Trump Charitable Organization - both shut down because of fraud) mean nothing. They don't care. Why? Because Trump will crush the hated opposition, i.e., women's rights advocates, gay rights advocates, minorities and immigrants. ["The Anger Games: Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election and Why?" You can google the study.
Yes it's a blend paternalism, racism, nativism and Christian fundamentalism which considers a majority of Americans as sinning and more likely damned. They've swallowed their own Kool-Aid. Also, thanks to Fox
The oligarchs couldn't have asked for anything more, it's mana from heaven: cheap form of mass communications that permits them to spread deception that corrals and herds the masses - Fox News [sic,] Newsmax, One American Network, Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, and more. Thomas Frank explained this in his book, "What's the Matter with Kansas?" 2004. Hit them with the wedge issues: abortion, women's rights advocates, gay rights advocates, immigrants, etc.
You can call me a whiny handwringer all you want, if you want, and I can call you MAGA-Blue. Where’s that get anybody?
Sure, Biden’s still a thousand times better than Trump, but he has demonstrated a profound and disqualifying incapacity. Voters need a better choice than two obviously unacceptable candidates.
So giving up the election by wishing for a perfect candidate seems like a clever option???
There is ZERO CHANCE for anyone else to have even a remote mathematical chance to beat Cheetolini, and I’m pretty sure we agree that that is the only goal that matters. Sadly, Dems have a long history of losing close elections when a subset of the voters decide that the candidate is imperfect and then throw away their votes on an alternative (Nader??, any of the fringe candidates taking votes from Hillary?), or simply refusing to vote at all which is roughly the same as voting for the scumwad from the GQP.
WHAT incapacity? Did you see the master class in international relations he gave to reporters? His shredding of Lester Holt and the media performance? Stop doing Sulzberger's bidding.
He ‘shredded’ Lester Holt?! I saw the interview and don’t think any shredding occurred (or would, if attempted, have been appropriate). I was talking about Biden’s debate with Trump.
I presume you agree that Trump is a weak opponent. Biden not only lost the debate he was, at times, incoherent. That, to me, demonstrates incapacity. So-so performances in other settings (he was best in the press conference but I wouldn’t say that even there he was at his best) do not change what happened at the debate.
Jamie: Holy s**t. He had just returned from several transatlantic trips, jet-lagged, with a cold, and on an unnamed cold medication (possibly Benadryl, which is known to cause cognitive issues), facing a fire hose of lies and THAT’S the sole reason you were convinced he’s in decline, deteriorated, incapacitated?
Here’s a great link to share/amplify:📣 “BREAKING: In newly leaked audio, Kevin Roberts, the leader of Project 2025, says he knows Donald Trump is lying about not knowing about Project 2025 in order to fool Americans into voting for him. Retweet to make sure every American hears this.”
Barbara Jo Krieger, have you seen the new ad by The Seneca Project about JD Vance? This is really chilling, and a bold reminder to all of us who think Project 2025 needs to be shouted about and unmasked for the truly misogynistic aim. https://youtu.be/IMASRJnCVwA?feature=shared
Correct. Do any of you know where there is a factual accounting of The assassination attempt on Trump? I’ve avoided reading anything because I want facts not hype and hysteria. Thanks.
There are several top Democrats at this moment calling for Biden to withdraw. The more they give that oxygen, the more undecided voters hear that only Biden is disqualified. Trump has many, many more problems. The Dems are making a self-fulfilling prophecy by giving Trump a pass and pounding on Biden. So yes, let's comment on Project 2025, felonies, lies, mental health, gang of grifters, cozy with dictators, etc.
Bonnie, I only would note, contrary to Biden, that Trump has so absorbed the base of his Party that he’s not likely to lose many votes regardless of a deep-dive into his disqualifying attributes. In contrast, because Biden voters largely are not nearly as inspired and energized, I continue to press for our currently fractured Party to unify around a plan to proceed were Biden, rightly in my view, to pass the torch.
I just watched a discussion with Brian Tyler Cohen and Marc Elias of the most critical aspect of P2025 that could allow Trump to take control of the government.
absolutely! That is why I posted a comment yesterday asking everyone to do an internet search on Project 2025 every time they log onto it. We need to keep it trending right up to election time.
There's also a gold mine in exposing MAGA's enormous lie-machine just form Trump's speech alone if handled well. Overdoing the "special effects" would tune me out, though, must say. I saw a god-awful one the other day trying to take on Project 2025. But maybe i'm too "smart" for my own good. It felt like a propaganda ad to me. Then, i've tuned out so much political advertising since the 50s. It was so transparently biased.
Carole, Because I’m away from home with only a cell phone, I don’t know how to post a link on Substack. However, I can tell you I excerpted Reich’s text from his Inequality Media Civic Action newsletter from last Friday. I imagine were you to start typing the quoted text into Google, the newsletter would pop up.
Robert Reich asks: How could a convicted felon who attempted a coup on America be the leading candidate for president? Ans Because scapegoating works.
Never mind that Trump is a convicted felon and attempted a coup. A thief, grifter and a rapist. An orange blaspheming antichrist. A psychotic narcissist. A tool for Putin.
Trump scapegoats immigrants exactly the same way Hitler scapegoated Jews. Never mind that he is the poster boy for sanctions for using illegals on his job sites.
I really admire former Representative Adam Kinzinger for his courage to serve on the 06jan21 Select Committee. Before President Trump spoke at the G.O.P. convention, Mr Kinzinger predicted what President Trump would say. Adam nailed it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8WQdjdBqJk
Okay.. you have to ask the Republican party about that. Trump's party. The whole party is rotten to the core for Trump. How are you going to do that? The SCOTUS was of no help!! The ONLY way is to defeat Trump at the polls.
I'm really quite disgusted with the constant talk of Pres. Biden stepping down from running for President. Pelosi, Schumer and Schiff and other Democrats suggesting it are helping to tear the party apart. This talk needs to stop. 104 days until the election and replacing the present candidates with someone else would completely destroy the campaign and the possibility of success (as Professor Richardson has discussed). Democrats have got to stop the bickering over one single debate and support our candidate. Efforts to dismantle the party makes me wonder if you have switched parties.
When tfg first talked about the 'bullet' going past him he referred to it as a 'really big mosquito' so now staying it was a bullet is changing that story, which of course he always does.
Important to give equal time asking Trump to withdraw. He's got many more disqualifications than just his age.
As a rule. significant lies on your job application will get you disqualified or fired, especially if the job is an important one.
Here's a difference J L.
In 1979, the small insurance company I was working for in Davis, CA are a 2nd shift computer operator. Since part of our job was to interact with him several times a day, it was easy to see that he was bright and pick up things much faster than the other operators. About 2 weeks after he started, he wasn't there at his usual time. Rumors flew about what happened.
As it turned out, he had lied about how long he had worked for one of his references and it took 2 weeks for HR to uncover this. The company that he had worked for actually gave him a decent reference, but because of this one misstatement of fact on his resume, he was immediately terminated.
Anyway, that's what we were told at the time and we never heard from him again.
Was this a significant lie? Gorsuch and Kavanaugh lied to the faces of several Senators including Susan Collins about whether they would uphold precedent. And Kavanaugh lied about being a sexual predator, but hey it's a white man's word against a woman's so it's apparently okay with MAGAs.
But, there is no oversight for SCOTUS, so Gorsuch and Kavanaugh will likely be on the court long after many of us have passed.
"For the past few days, I’ve felt like Homer Simpson after he accidentally turned a toaster into a time machine and came back to find that Ned Flanders was the unchallenged dictator of the world."
- Tom Nichols
"A searing reminder that Trump is unwell"
The Atlantic Daily, July 19
To keep myself sane, I've been taking breaks (from almost full time volunteering for Democrats and democracy) by listening to The SagaThing podcast.
John and Andy (American scholars of Icelandic and Medieval literature ) are the Car Talk Guys of literary studies. A good way to run your brain under water and clear your head. You can go for the greats Njal and Egil, listen chronologically, or skip around. They are all excellent. Enjoy.
https://sagathingpodcast.
wordpress.com/
https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/episode-archive/
Thanks for the suggestion. I have been binging Vikings Valhalla. The SagaThing might be good background. It might also help understand what is going on with Thiel and Vance and their Tolkien obsession.
Good heavens, how could Thiel and Vance NOT see Trump as a modern-day Sauron, obsessed with the ring of power?
Lots of good Saga Thing episodes elements of the Viking age.
https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/08/16/saga-brief-19-sailing-in-the-viking-age-interview-with-dana-dalicsak/
https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/2020/06/21/saga-brief-18-women-of-the-viking-world-interview-with-johanna-katrin-fridriksdottir/
I loved the Viking series. Republicans not much as it depicts some very strong female characters.
The first link brought up a warning that the page is not private and that you should close the page.
My apologies. I cannot figure out the tech problem. This link always gets me there on my phone. But the link in the Comment did not. Maybe how it was formatted double space?
Hope this works.
https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/
Or google
Saga Thing podcast.
It's worth the effort
Your new link is fine. Thank you.
Gosh!!! Thank YOU!!!!!
LOL. Thank you for sharing this, lin. Gave me a much-needed laugh.
A friend referred me to Heather Cox Richardson and I referred her to the Bulwark… and the ‘comments’ to both are what are sustaining me…. Along with the “writing”
GOTTA take heart…. And I do….
Speaking of referrals.
Great CSpan guest scholar segment on the Founders and demagoguery
Eli Merritt
Author, "Disunion Among Ourselves: The
Perilous Politics of the American Revolution"
https://www.c-span.org/series/?washingtonJournal
When BK was going through his hearings and the woman came out with the drunken attempted rape story, I wrote about that, to support her, because I had a similar experience to hers. I was playing in a rock band and was about 19. We had a gig at a club in WV, I think I remember which one, but I'm not totally sure. After the gig at about 2:30 AM, we stopped at someone's house on the way home...which was 30 minutes from our homes. We had never been there before...it was dark and they invited us over for drinks and some fun. We were all pretty drunk by 4 AM. I'm a sleepy drunk...and I found an unused bed to lay down on. After a bit a girl I did not know curled up next to me. She wanted some "action" and I was not interested...she REALLY was not my type. I just hugged the wall and turned away from her. I realized during the BK hearings that if I had been a girl and she a boy, I very likely would have been raped. I wrote about this on FB to illustrate to my conservative friends how her story could be true. I could remember approximately where the house was, but not exactly...because the band dropped me at my sisters house on the way home...so from that I could give an agency like the FBI a radius of about 2-5 miles. My sister called my parents to tell them I was there...I needed to work off the alcohol before going home. My sister covered for me and my parents never knew how drunk I was that night...or that I had been to a party where there was at least attempted sex...there were other bedrooms...and I never asked what happened. Our band also played frat parties...so I know how drunken that scene becomes. One was shut down by campus police...and the floor tiles were were coming up because there was so much draft beer from the kegs on the floor. I can imagine BK being one of those guys.
Mike, I too played in rock bands and I too get tired when I smoke or drink. I just hit a wall and I'm done. I've had similar experiences with "groupies" but I was too scared of getting the clap or getting someone pregnant. Not that I wasn't interested, it's just that my paranoia always won out. Plus I was usually stoned, not drunk.
Anyway, I worked in New Haven, CT where the BK incident(s) occurred and like with any college there are always parties going on. But, if I recall correctly, BK was in high school as well as college, so WTF, why did his parents allow him to get in those situations before he was even 18. He went to a prep school and from his testimony he was drunk a lot and didn't show very good judgment and obviously felt like he could get away with anything that happened.
I have no reason not to believe Dr. Ford's testimony and she had absolutely nothing to gain from telling her story in front of the assholes on the judiciary committee like Grassley and Graham.
And for five years we have 2 sexual predators on the Supreme Court both of whom have taken money from billionaires. The Party of Trump is the party of quid pro quo. The billionaires have their agenda as Biden has pointed out.
Did you know that if you commit rape or incest in Texas resulting in pregnancy of the victim you have less than a five per cent chance of being convicted of rape or paying any compensation to the victim or their family.
Rape is a violent crime, not a crime of passion, and the GOP could care less about prosecuting these crimes or even sending rape kits to the lab.
Gary, my experience with "wealthier" people is they don't care if their kids get drunk or stoned as long as nothing "bad" reflects on them. My X wife's sister who I love and get along with married into a VERY wealthy family. Her step daughter had her "sweet 16" party at their VERY large house with a pool. Many of the kids were in the basement game room, with pinball machines, video games, pool table etc. Many more were outside. There was a keg of beer provided by the parents. (this was pre-social media) and a lot of uninvited kids were showing up. My Niece's parents asked Uncle Mike to go take a walk through and see how things were. I was younger, hipper...and they felt I was a good "spy".
Having been to Grateful Dead shows and made some pot brownies in my life, I recognized the smell of weed as soon as I opened the basement door. I confiscated 3 pot pipes from the stunned party goers....and told them the parents were ok with the beer, but not pot in the house. (I guess that level of bust, was too much risk) I gave the pipes to the collected parents who were knocking down martini's at a pretty good rate. Then they asked me to go troll outside.
WOW, the scene rivaled anything I had seen at a gig. Drugs, sex and rock & roll in an ever expanding parking lot. The word had gotten out and this was pre or very early cell phones. The liquor stores must have thought it was New Years Eve.
This party was in a DC suburb where a lot of elected and "influential" people live. I didn't witness any teenage rape that night...but all of the elements were there to make it easy.
I can't remember if the parents pulled the plug early...but they blamed the pot on "other kids", "outsiders"...not their sweet babies.
My best friend's graduation party was so boozy that guys were vomiting all over their front lawn. Back then, parents didn't get busted for serving underage kids, and back then the legal age was 21. In fact, the parents bought the booze and retired to their bedroom. I sloshed down tequila sunrises all night. 49 years later and I still don't remember how I got home.
Being a young woman, and being drunk, high, or both, or neither, is a dangerous thing. This is because of the patriarchy that still says Dr. Ford either lied or deserved to be raped. By extension, Kavanaugh said via the Supreme Court chorus that women's bodies don't really belong to them.
Sounds like a scene from a Molly Ringwald movie complete with the parent's not giving a shit.
I've played a lot of frat and sorority parties and never witnessed anything like that. But, I'm not a very observant person.
My high school GF was the valedictorian of her 800 person high school class. Her SAT score was 780 math and 800 English. She is head of the pediatric unit at a major medical school. She introduced me to marijuana and alcohol. I would be shocked if she doesn't still smoke pot.
It is amazing to me that the GOP is fine with owning guns and drinking beer cause, you know, freedom, yet they are opposed to legalizing pot.
I'm going to venture a Guess that the other computer operators and their mediocre boss felt threatened and made sure to get rid of the guy that shined a light.
Generally, employers don't offer the job to an applicant until they check their references and history.
unless you're running for office. Especially as a Republican. forgive me if your comment was snark (as we say on DK)
LOL I was stating a fact.
Barrett is there until the next generation at least.
It’s time to begin arresting Russian nationals charging them with espionage so as to trade them for Americans. First place to arrest them is at the Russian cultural attaché while pulling out all our staff in Russia. It’s a rogue state.
It’s prep for another performance. If chump cheats enough to win, it’s day one of hostage release (remind anybody of Ronnie’s coup de grace in 1980). If he doesn’t, it will be ongoing shadow government, like he is doing every day since he realized that running was the way to avoid any accountability, ever.
Correct an exact playbook from Reagan. I’m very perplexed on the current direction we are moving in. I still wonder how extremism on the right has taken such a detour. Then I’m reminded of our own foolish direction as “woke” democrats and yes I’m using a hostile term to describe us.
To think that at this very dangerous moment we can’t even agree on who the democratic candidate should be because he is reportedly too old and frail and can’t keep a simple thought together and who nominated a running mate that really shows poorly in case he should drop out. I nominate Adam Shiff for president and Gretchen for VP. How’s dat, lol?
Bill Maher nominated Newsome and Whitmer, glad the 2024 Democrat race is starting…. Really people
I'm with Kamala all the way (if Joe bows out). She ran one of the largest Federal or State agencies in the country as CA AG, plus she was a US Senator, and (hello) the VEEP for 3 1/2 years.
She is extremely personable and has been working the under 40 crowd for quite some time.
I posted this on Civil Discourse this am - just happened upon it:
"I just watched a chat with AOC where she mentioned that Repubs(Mike Johnson) are already talking about a lawsuit(?) to prevent name changes on election ballots. If so, and you think about where this could conceivably (at this current time) end - at the Supreme Court. I have to wonder if this is something that could actually happen? Seems to me, if so, this move by donors & some Democrats could be a really stupid one. Well, even without all that - my feelings are that its stupid as close as we are to the election. But that alone is my opinion.
This would appear to me a good conversation to have with the people who want to "change horses in mid-stream" (favorite quote)."
Anyone else heard anything like this?
Agree. Whitmer has stated that she will not be running. Someone suggested Andy Beshear. Geesh! Stop!
Newsome? Oh-My-God.
Adam is hated by the Republicans. I have never heard them say a good word about him since he is smart and totally amazing! They are afraid of him. LOL
Yes and he is in law to George Soros. Now that Hillary’s right hand lady Huma is engaged to Soros’ son perhaps Hillary and Adam Schiff would make a good Democratic ticket. Hillary wants it bad, and Soros certainly has plenty of money to throw at a campaign.
Oh, puhleeze. Whitmer is co-chair of Biden's re-election campaign!
So what?
Look into her work as governor.
Personally I think our Congressman from MD would make an EXCELLENT President...Jamie Raskin. But whoever the Dem nominee turns out to be, we must come together (right now everybody) and beat Trump. Nov 5 is D Day and there cannot be an Ike speech written and actually given about losing and taking the blame. I just got an "I like Ike" T shirt that I plan to wear, until this is sorted out.
Bill Katz.YES ASAP
#stillridenwithbiden
I got one vote yaaaaa.
Remember that tRump said they had all the votes they need to win....foreshadowing?
Trump is also and always full of male bovine manure.
It’s times like these that I need to wax philosophical and think of that famous quote that “people are deserving of those they elect.” I don’t accept it but the storm is approaching. I’m beginning to translate my 7 cats names into Italian in case I need to flee my homeland. My cat Muffin would be Focacinna. Jezebel = Jezebela, Elenore = Elenora, Big Willie = Gulliamo Grande, Babe = Bambino, Wild Man = (I forgot) and Ringo stays the same name and Nefertiti remains in spirit.
No cheating. Planning ahead, taking no chances on a fair election. Why Dems need their Schitt organized and clear to all. Fat chance…
JD yea, DJT is already stating that Putin will stop the war, etc etc...Kim won't fire rockets...apparently the only way to deal with an autocrat now is to become one...Where did the party of law and order go ? The "moral" majority ? "Tear down that wall"...not build a wall...and D-Day vets invaded Normandy to end Communism....really...what about the photos of FDR, Churchill and Stalin....working together to stop the Nazi bastard. WTF...
Stalin got screwed by Hitler, sort of pissed him off. I read somewhere that he took to his bed for weeks before his generals talked him into fighting back. Putin will screw chump but not til he’s through with him. But chump will never fight anything but his own government.
DJT is a self centered bully with no sense of how really ignorant he is.
Also, there is little or no reason for a citizen of the United States to travel to Russia. I don't care if their grandmother lives in Russia or their employer has an office there. The answer is "NO!" Or, as was once the cry during the early Viet Nam years, "Hell no, I won't go."
"It’s time to begin arresting Russian nationals"
Are you channeling Trump, or are you serious?
75 likes? Who the fuck are you people?
Absolutely not. Becoming the problem only escalates the problem. We would lose the very things we stand for and probably not succeed at their game.
To say nothing of 34 convictions for felonies.
In a sane world.
I hope you don't mind if I finish that thought for you.
In a sane world, people treat other people the way they would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot. When people stop treating other people the way they would want to be treated if the shoe was on the other foot, the world goes insane. And it's just that simple.
I always thought so, seems I’m in a minority these days.
You say "seems like" implying perception in lieu of reality. That's good. That means you're not like Mike Lindell who thinks perception is reality. Frank also replied to my comment. See my reply to his comment.
Nothing to add. "Seems" that we are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Yes, James, the "golden rule" for all its widespread origins, usually goes by the board in real conflict.
With respect, I disagree. It often goes by the board, and when it does, we notice it. But when humans make something good happen, it's for one reason and one reason alone, and that reason is because it didn't go by the board in a real conflict, and we tend to ignore that because it's what we were expecting.
For example, since Biden's election, and regardless of perception, the American economy has improved, crime is down, infrastructure improvements are improving people's lives, and America's standing in the world has gone from trending downward to trending upward. That is for one reason and one reason alone, which is an administration that follows the golden rule. They're not perfect, but authoritarians are the only people who claim to be perfect.
Ill stick with my comment. None of what you have just mentioned has stopped a "renegade" Dem movement (including Nancy Pelosi? ) from urging Biden to stand down, even given his extolling (rightly) the track record you are presenting.
As one who lived with a husband whose early stage if small errors and forgetting turned to anger and some violence and, finally, total darkness. I’m not as concerned about the NOW as the Biden (who I have supported and cheered on until now) of 2026. It’s not a pretty picture.
That sums it up JD…”in a sane world”. .. it is NOT period.
Rupert and the disciples of Reagan have worked hard to make it anything but. And succeeded beyond my wildest imagination.
A plan right out of the ‘playbook’ …divide , conquer, chaos. The fatigue is just at a 4 now , it’ll get worse. Stand by your man! If it’s needed Harris can pick up .. I’d lay bets she’ll wield the baton…watch. The track records are exemplary. Stay the course.🫶
Agree, I’d bet on her if she’s given a chance
-Yes, JL, BUT, the only qualifications for the Presidency are age - 35- and born in the USA, so even a convicted felonious nimcompoop like the trumpster/dumpster qualifies - just ask the unjustices on the Supreme Court and Aileen Cannon - that's all he needs.
They don’t check the curriculum vitae nowadays
The apex of irony!
How do they explain Trump now receiving secuirity briefings, when a convicted felon cannot get a security clearance, I wonder.
Pretty simple- the people that play by the rules are following the rules. CONservatives stopped being ethical long ago and now willingly break the law. They have been chipping away for a long time. Never forget the S&L scandal of the the 1970s-80s where most of the scoundrels got off. Then in the 2000s with the financial collapse, then COVID....
The over regulating of the government has allowed the CONservatives to become an organized crime organization. Lewis Powell's Memo provided the plan. Always notice how when they do things unethical that should be illegal, they hide behind the law.
In a same world on the security briefings, they would feed bad info on purpose to see where that info would end up and then use that to put him in jail. The problem now is that the whole republican leadership would protect him and call it a lie. I know, becasue Grassley and Ernst both have said as such.
I'm not sure I understand what all that has to do with 'the over regulating of the government'. In fact, I have learned from many sources that most of the financial disasters our country has experienced have been due to UNDER regulation. Regulation is really just another word for accountability!
Rickey, what a great idea! They would have to keep the false briefings secret from everyone but trump. But wouldn’t it be interesting to see how far the “intelligence” would spread?
Sherman, My understanding, were Trump to receive briefings, is that the intelligence shared would be sufficiently innocuous.
Barbara Jo, I suggest they feed him daily political cartoons. They say a lot in few words with big pictures, many of which will be his caricature, which he'll love.
Doug, his cartoon image would have to be sufficiently “strong and powerful” to keep his rage in check.
LOL! Love it!
Yes, that rings true to what I recall reading.
And perhaps even a planted piece or two to see where it end up?
Who is giving him security briefings?
I believe Trump is NOT receiving security briefings. I hope I read that someplace.
Well, he's only just become a candidate - and this in spite of his convict status. So I hope so too. He'd probably have to ask Putin or Orban to tell him what they meant, anyway.
Aren’t candidates supposed to receive them?
In a normal world, yes. I doubt anyone in the US Intelligence communities really wants to trust Trump with anything sensitive.
How about the nuclear codes..l
JD, I believe candidate's receiving briefings have been by convention, not bound by law or other requirement, and I think they typically increase in classification levels once someone is President-elect. That said, IIRC the former guy didn't approve briefing Biden, and it wasn't done (perhaps someone will correct me if wrong )
Then skip it with the Trojan Horse…
Victor Orban (sorry, it's early but I couldn't resist)
Candidates get them to prepare for a possible presidency.
In a “normal” election, yes, but I believe Trump has been identified as a security risk.
I feel a court case coming on.
🤦🏻♀️
If (when) Trump leaks some classified information, and is caught doing so, he’ll no doubt use it to amplify his victim hood. Do we really want a “whiner in chief”.
They didn't let Biden have anything, remember? He got no briefings or help with transition. And he was rightfully elected. I wish they would do the same with Trump, at least if and until he is elected.
He shouldn’t be getting security briefings.
Bonnie, As much as I share the urgency of your call, I’m also keenly aware, as the window to November narrows, that we must prioritize how we spend calories. In that regard, first and foremost, we need to press for a Democratic Party that’s fully unified and that can shed a light, chapter and verse, on concrete examples of the harms that would flow from the 2025 game plan. I would add, regardless of how often Donald Trump tries to distance himself from Project 2025, we must emphatically amplify, quoting Robert Reich, that “[h]is aids wrote it, his PAC promotes it, and his national campaign press secretary appears in the recruitment video.”
Indeed. And someone needs to slap some sense into the brainless whiners in the Dem. Party that keep playing into the GQP’s hands.
Pull your heads out you morons. Cheetolini and his fanatical minions are doing their best to lose this election, with their Palin-esque VP pick (vacuous fanatic), and Cheetolini’s own rambling verbosity and injury coverup.
Unfortunately, the whiny hand-wringers are insisting on creating news stories to distract from the self-inflicted damage the GQP hatefest/convention is doing.
George, One factor I only recently have come to understand relates to the interest among a sizable number not only for Biden to step down but also for removal of the whole ticket. Whatever the grounds, they could not possibly compensate for the chaos that would ensue.
Accordingly, while I’ve harbored concerns about Biden for some time, I no longer trust the Democratic establishment responsibly to manage changing course at this point.
It sure sounds like the “Democratic Establishment “ has been bought and paid for by Putin’s minions. Sadly, that’s not hard to believe since there is so much utterly corrupting money sloshing around all of our elections (EXACTLY HOW THE FEDERALIST SCUM (and their puppets/minions that now infest our courts) WANT IT). We expect the GQP to be corrupt beyond question, but sadly, the “establishment” Dems are questionable.
With the shockingly stupid statements oozing out about Dems wanting Biden to give up (and that truly is what they’re asking for - giving the election to Cheetolini since that is the guaranteed result from a change at this point), it’s clear that massive amounts of money or favors have been exchanged to buy the careers of these cowards.
George, Respectfully, I don’t subscribe to your thinking. I believe the failure of Biden’s calamitous debate performance to put to rest the doubts about his capacity to campaign, instead, reinforced them, and rightly has caused great concern that has not since been mitigated. In that regard, my consternation rests with Democratic elected officials I’ve only recently come to understand seem incapable of getting fully on board and unified with one another.
Yup. And the result will be another defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.
Remember Shrub (Bush Jr.), and Hillary? We’re about to repeat history a third time.
No amount of wishing will make the perfect candidate appear, but the whining and hand-wringing WILL embolden the already massively biased and cowardly mass media to pile on with “Biden being pressured to bail” stories when there are actual news stories that could have been covered. (sharks, cannibals,unquestioned ear injuries, etc)
You are really over-blowing the debate performance. If you watched the whole thing, you must have noticed that Biden got better toward the end while all Trump did was firehose lies. Stop letting the NYT and its followers define facts for you.
Let's be clear minded on this and the debate performance, tRump has been much, much worse. The Biden performance was bad, yes, but was it one off? Seems to be. Keep in mind that the MSM is now playing both ends against the democrats. They know if they really go after and expose the CONservatives for what they will do if they seep back in power, the retaliation will be harsh and real. They do not fear that the liberals will retaliate as history has shown. The feeding frenzy over Biden has been, to say the least, bizarre and even more salacious than I ever imagined. Even though Biden is respected, he is not feared. MAGAs are the Silver Shirts of the 1920s-30s.
And that's what the media is rolling on since the debate. Now it's in CAPS, so to speak.
Yes. The created turmoil is for ratings.
Like it or not, the reality is that many voting Americans are concerned about Biden's age and mental competency to go another year or two, to say nothing about four more years. That's the reality that has put us on the defensive instead of the offensive. Biden suffers from the Ruth Bader Ginsburg syndrome, when old age clouds judgment. The Biden/Harris administration has been outstanding. That now has almost no bearing on the campaign because it has focused, not on Trump's corruption, dishonesty and incompetence, but rather on Biden's condition.
A cabal of media figures, backed by billionaires, wants to get rid of Biden's approach to taxes, unions, etc., and have ginned up a story about Biden's mental competence that just isn't supported by the evidence of his daily work. We've got to stop being suckered by them and support our ticket. At half-speed, Biden is still way better than Trump would be with his staff of sycophants and fascists.
I'm convinced that Biden can do the job, but I'm not a part of that 15% or so that needs to be persuaded. That's now our task when it should be attack, attack, attack. Like it or not, we're on the defensive and there are reasons for it (Biden's stumbling speech at times, for example.)
Remember that we elected an administration. Compare this administration with the last one. Competence over chaos. Service over theft.
And this administration's past performance is history. It's over. Competence is an issue - is Biden competent enough to go another 4 1/2 years. That is what many voters have on their minds. It is what it is. It would be folly for us to ignore that fact. We all share the frustration. This should be a zero contest, but it isn't. Why? Biden's perceived mental fitness to do the job, even now.
I no longer see this upcoming election as a choice between two candidates. I see it as a choice between a democracy or an authoritarian government. PERIOD.
I will vote for Biden even if he is on life-support.
You ae absolutely correct, IMO, Miselle: this election is between retaining a democratic form of government or ceding power to a would-be dictator. That such a low life at Trump could command this kind of loyalty is an insult to our electorate.
Exactly. But when folks that should be opposing Cheetolini openly talk about it, it adds validity to a massively over covered non -story.
Cheetolini has been spewing batsh*t crazy crap for months (along with sleeping through trials, being convicted of massive fraud, rape, and a big pile of felonies), but let’s focus on the guy that’s three years older.
I dont think the campaign has focused on that.
Richard and others, this commentary by Mehdi Hasan is an excellent perspective:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/15/democrats-joe-biden-maga?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
I'm with you on your last point, Barbara Jo. The Dems are blowing this right now. Others have used the term "bed wetters", and while I think it's appropriate, perhaps "pants wetters" is more so.
It is so shocking to me to see this happening.
Pardon if you've seen this already. It explains that point better than I could.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPRxuOWkr1E&t=6s
For the ship to proceed, there's got to be a rudder..., steered by someone. (boink)
Well spoken, GeoC. The (R)ss-holes only real hope for winning this election is for the libtards to dump Biden & Harris. The Electoral Collegiates will take care of the rest. So far, the Russian 'Intelligence Community' is handling things quite well. AOC might only be one of the few with her head on straight. But, she'll be out-of-the-pool, they'll see to that. Bernie? No factor.
George, right now I think the Dems are outdoing them. MAGA has been spewing lies all along, and whatever exposure Dem PR has provided so far, hasn't begun to change the dial, short of a major poll reversal in the final week or two of the campaign. Americans are already putting in their early votes.
To the MAGA people, Trump's lies, convictions, insurrection activity, racism, failed businesses, philandering, fraudulent activities (Trump University and Trump Charitable Organization - both shut down because of fraud) mean nothing. They don't care. Why? Because Trump will crush the hated opposition, i.e., women's rights advocates, gay rights advocates, minorities and immigrants. ["The Anger Games: Who Voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 Election and Why?" You can google the study.
Yes it's a blend paternalism, racism, nativism and Christian fundamentalism which considers a majority of Americans as sinning and more likely damned. They've swallowed their own Kool-Aid. Also, thanks to Fox
The oligarchs couldn't have asked for anything more, it's mana from heaven: cheap form of mass communications that permits them to spread deception that corrals and herds the masses - Fox News [sic,] Newsmax, One American Network, Alex Jones, Rush Limbaugh, and more. Thomas Frank explained this in his book, "What's the Matter with Kansas?" 2004. Hit them with the wedge issues: abortion, women's rights advocates, gay rights advocates, immigrants, etc.
You can call me a whiny handwringer all you want, if you want, and I can call you MAGA-Blue. Where’s that get anybody?
Sure, Biden’s still a thousand times better than Trump, but he has demonstrated a profound and disqualifying incapacity. Voters need a better choice than two obviously unacceptable candidates.
So giving up the election by wishing for a perfect candidate seems like a clever option???
There is ZERO CHANCE for anyone else to have even a remote mathematical chance to beat Cheetolini, and I’m pretty sure we agree that that is the only goal that matters. Sadly, Dems have a long history of losing close elections when a subset of the voters decide that the candidate is imperfect and then throw away their votes on an alternative (Nader??, any of the fringe candidates taking votes from Hillary?), or simply refusing to vote at all which is roughly the same as voting for the scumwad from the GQP.
Sadly, I remember
You may have a point there. Right now the Dems, aided by the usual hungry media, are virtually destroying Biden, if not Harris as collateral damage.
Agreed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPRxuOWkr1E&t=6s
HRC didn’t lose because people like you and me voted for Jill Stein or Ralph Nader. (In fact, but for the Electoral College, HRC won!)
WHAT incapacity? Did you see the master class in international relations he gave to reporters? His shredding of Lester Holt and the media performance? Stop doing Sulzberger's bidding.
He ‘shredded’ Lester Holt?! I saw the interview and don’t think any shredding occurred (or would, if attempted, have been appropriate). I was talking about Biden’s debate with Trump.
I presume you agree that Trump is a weak opponent. Biden not only lost the debate he was, at times, incoherent. That, to me, demonstrates incapacity. So-so performances in other settings (he was best in the press conference but I wouldn’t say that even there he was at his best) do not change what happened at the debate.
I saw Holt being shredded by Biden. Holt was speechless when Biden challenged the media’s free pass to Trump
Jamie: Holy s**t. He had just returned from several transatlantic trips, jet-lagged, with a cold, and on an unnamed cold medication (possibly Benadryl, which is known to cause cognitive issues), facing a fire hose of lies and THAT’S the sole reason you were convinced he’s in decline, deteriorated, incapacitated?
at this point - suicide.
Perhaps, then, this would be of interest to you:
isidewith.com/elections/2024-presidential-quiz
AOC has a video that pretty much nails it.
Here’s a great link to share/amplify:📣 “BREAKING: In newly leaked audio, Kevin Roberts, the leader of Project 2025, says he knows Donald Trump is lying about not knowing about Project 2025 in order to fool Americans into voting for him. Retweet to make sure every American hears this.”
https://x.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1812115437250924907
I'm very wary about this audio - it's on X.
Reposted. Ty
Barbara Jo Krieger, have you seen the new ad by The Seneca Project about JD Vance? This is really chilling, and a bold reminder to all of us who think Project 2025 needs to be shouted about and unmasked for the truly misogynistic aim. https://youtu.be/IMASRJnCVwA?feature=shared
MLRGRMI, Thank you for the post. While I will circulate it broadly, I remain convinced that voters primarily vote the top of the ticket.
Thank you. What you've said is what's important now. The Dems have got to get out the vote big time no matter who the candidate is.
Correct. Do any of you know where there is a factual accounting of The assassination attempt on Trump? I’ve avoided reading anything because I want facts not hype and hysteria. Thanks.
There are several top Democrats at this moment calling for Biden to withdraw. The more they give that oxygen, the more undecided voters hear that only Biden is disqualified. Trump has many, many more problems. The Dems are making a self-fulfilling prophecy by giving Trump a pass and pounding on Biden. So yes, let's comment on Project 2025, felonies, lies, mental health, gang of grifters, cozy with dictators, etc.
Bonnie, I only would note, contrary to Biden, that Trump has so absorbed the base of his Party that he’s not likely to lose many votes regardless of a deep-dive into his disqualifying attributes. In contrast, because Biden voters largely are not nearly as inspired and energized, I continue to press for our currently fractured Party to unify around a plan to proceed were Biden, rightly in my view, to pass the torch.
I just watched a discussion with Brian Tyler Cohen and Marc Elias of the most critical aspect of P2025 that could allow Trump to take control of the government.
https://youtu.be/EhZfiIVdoNk?si=yiuN_yIeHweMQ-p1
@B Evans, I greatly appreciate you posting this provocative link. Aside from my making use of it, I will circulate it broadly.
absolutely! That is why I posted a comment yesterday asking everyone to do an internet search on Project 2025 every time they log onto it. We need to keep it trending right up to election time.
Barbara Krieger. Absolutely
There's also a gold mine in exposing MAGA's enormous lie-machine just form Trump's speech alone if handled well. Overdoing the "special effects" would tune me out, though, must say. I saw a god-awful one the other day trying to take on Project 2025. But maybe i'm too "smart" for my own good. It felt like a propaganda ad to me. Then, i've tuned out so much political advertising since the 50s. It was so transparently biased.
I will look up this Reich reference & if I cant would like a link
Carole, Because I’m away from home with only a cell phone, I don’t know how to post a link on Substack. However, I can tell you I excerpted Reich’s text from his Inequality Media Civic Action newsletter from last Friday. I imagine were you to start typing the quoted text into Google, the newsletter would pop up.
1. "Two sides one must vanqish the other"
Calls for Trump to withdraw? Because it's not fair? Not fair?
Manafort, Stone, Mccarthy, Roy Cohn Nixon and our Donald. .. This is an American game (not Germany in the 30's), and it's not fair.
2. "The media seems to be treating Donald and Biden differently" .... no shit Sherlock!
The goodies versus the baddies, it's an American game.
remember you elect and administration not just the president. Ask people if they want the money changers back in the temple....
Vote for a yellow dog before any Republican
Robert Reich asks: How could a convicted felon who attempted a coup on America be the leading candidate for president? Ans Because scapegoating works.
Never mind that Trump is a convicted felon and attempted a coup. A thief, grifter and a rapist. An orange blaspheming antichrist. A psychotic narcissist. A tool for Putin.
Trump scapegoats immigrants exactly the same way Hitler scapegoated Jews. Never mind that he is the poster boy for sanctions for using illegals on his job sites.
Register more Democrats. https://www.fieldteam6.org/all-volunteer-ops
I really admire former Representative Adam Kinzinger for his courage to serve on the 06jan21 Select Committee. Before President Trump spoke at the G.O.P. convention, Mr Kinzinger predicted what President Trump would say. Adam nailed it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8WQdjdBqJk
🤔🗽✌️⚖️😇
In this vid., cut when I was traipsing around Ukraine two years ago, Mr Kinzinger advises each of us on what we should do to stand by our republic. He nailed it then as he has nailed it now. https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5021441/user-clip-brav-rep-kinzinger
good links Ned
Thank you, Sir.
Okay.. you have to ask the Republican party about that. Trump's party. The whole party is rotten to the core for Trump. How are you going to do that? The SCOTUS was of no help!! The ONLY way is to defeat Trump at the polls.
Equal time is a dodo
yes
I'm really quite disgusted with the constant talk of Pres. Biden stepping down from running for President. Pelosi, Schumer and Schiff and other Democrats suggesting it are helping to tear the party apart. This talk needs to stop. 104 days until the election and replacing the present candidates with someone else would completely destroy the campaign and the possibility of success (as Professor Richardson has discussed). Democrats have got to stop the bickering over one single debate and support our candidate. Efforts to dismantle the party makes me wonder if you have switched parties.
When tfg first talked about the 'bullet' going past him he referred to it as a 'really big mosquito' so now staying it was a bullet is changing that story, which of course he always does.