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, IтАЩve 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.
Presumably they think, like the Kings of Men to whom Sauron gave subsidiary Rings of Power, that they are entitled captains of their destiny, when in reality they are under Trump's ultimate control and will fall as he falls.
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 BulwarkтАж and the тАШcommentsтАЩ to both are what are sustaining meтАж. Along with the тАЬwritingтАЭ
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.
I had one of those I don't know how I got home nights. I had driven into Baltimore to the Marble bar to see the blues legend Muddy Waters and I had brownie and then drank a lot...I was missing my girlfriend who I knew was leaving town...and I might never see her again. I was trashed and drove home about 10 miles. Thank the spirits I didn't hurt anyone.
Tequila is my alcohol of choice in a good margarita...Corazone rep or anjeo and Tres agave mix are my go to...and I don't drive drunk anymore.
The Supremes and GOP "leadership" have made it very plain that they totally believe that man is meant to control women...just as the big planters in the south believed...or justified that Africans were put on this planet by their God to serve them and be their property. They were VERY willing to break away and form a new, more perfect nation based on that "fact" and to fire the first shots in our most bloody war...using mostly single shot weapons.
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 was listening to MSNBC this morning and they played a clip of convicted felon Donald Trump trying to distance himself from Project25 (sic) called them far right. He admitted that he knew some of the authors. Good luck with that Donnie.
FAceB fact checkers namely Alex Demas of the Dispatch is saying that most 2025 project does not have to do with the R party . This came from labeling a meme as "mostly false". It seems fb monitors some groups more than others & allows politicians to post false information & flat out lies.
his alg has fav'd RW since it was invented as a way to rate women by their "hotness" We all fell for it. Just like we use google search, and forget to turn off the listening bro on our phone, and use google search, and buy from Amazon, and Audible (Amazon) and Whole Foods (Amazon) and store all our lives on the cloud (Amazon and 2 other guys)
Don never knows anyone that he worked with or embraced as soon as he perceives that they cost HIM votes. He tries to walk some weird middle ground and embrace or deny as needed.
He definitely is suffering from sort of cognitive problems. His memory is terrible. He doesn't "know" a lot of people even the ones he appoints to positions.
140 former trump aides contribute to Project 2025. 6 are former members of his cabinet, 4 ambassadors, and people from the RNC who helped appoint. I saw a video of the guy who is doing the hiring. He said that he and trump were just chatting, and trump asks this 28 year old who carries trump's bags around to run this department.
2022 trump quote (sort of) "Our country is going to hell. The critical job of institutions such as the Heridge ( yep) is to lay the groundwork...They're going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do." he then praised several of the leaders.
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.
ItтАЩs 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 attach├й while pulling out all our staff in Russia. ItтАЩs a rogue state.
ItтАЩs prep for another performance. If chump cheats enough to win, itтАЩs day one of hostage release (remind anybody of RonnieтАЩs coup de grace in 1980). If he doesnтАЩt, 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. IтАЩm very perplexed on the current direction we are moving in. I still wonder how extremism on the right has taken such a detour. Then IтАЩm reminded of our own foolish direction as тАЬwokeтАЭ democrats and yes IтАЩm using a hostile term to describe us.
To think that at this very dangerous moment we canтАЩt even agree on who the democratic candidate should be because he is reportedly too old and frail and canтАЩt 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. HowтАЩs 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'll say this again. Joe Biden is a Great President. He has wonderful people working with him. I believe they are honest and competent. If the Democratic leadership would get behind him, instead of blocking him, his numbers would soar. All the worrying about his age is out of line. His team is ready to deal with anything.
Yes I remember that moment. It seems all conservatives are horrible in their understanding of good governance. I consider myself a fiscal conservative but I see no one with any degree of ethical fortitude. None.
Who would you consider to be a conservative today Bill? The policy set forth in Project 2025 is based on religion and what the Party of Trump thinks a family is. It's more based on patriarchy and white men being in control of government and the workplace. Specifically, they are setting up a unitary executive that they think will be benevolent, but how could they believe convicted felon DJT could ever be benevolent.
It's certainly not about balancing the budget. When was the last time Republicans balanced the budget? Smaller government only means we spend less of the budget on government personnel, but we see how well smaller government has worked out for the USPS under DeJoy. What a disaster.
I'm a fiscal conservative, too. That's how I've survived as a single mother. Tax the GD Rich and fund national health care and release Americans from Jobs To Make Sure I Don't go Bankrupt from My Family's Illness, and just Watch the Economy, the small business, passion business, keep my parent's farm business go BOOM
I don't agree. The president is unable to be the leader the United States needs. I propose that there should be a floor fight at the DNC convention, among some of the names already mentioned on this page. Let Harris, Whitmer, and others who have the requisite credentials express why they should be the Democratic nominee. The Republicans would have to scramble to shift gears from discrediting Biden to whomever becomes the new standard bearer. If it is Biden, so be it. But at this juncture I do not believe that Mr. Biden is up to the challenge to manage a campaign. Moreover, the specter of the departure of one or two key re-election team members will bring the campaign to a sad conclusion, in my view.
Are you old enough to remember the "floor fight" at the convention in 1968? Every open Democratic Convention has ended in defeat at the ballot box. Think about that. Biden is capable. He can do it. Whitmer doesn't want to run for president.
I have the benefit of being aware of Mr. Biden's decision not to run again. So, I return to my comments of yesterday including that the nominee be named from the floor of the upcoming DNC convention. As Ms. Harris has said in reflection to Mr. Biden's endorsement of her, "I intend to earn and win the nomination." I suspect those who might have a notion to run will consider her likelihood of candidacy.
That's my point. I don't think Biden is capable. Of course, it's an opinion, and one that is not founded on empirical evidence other than what I am able to glean from news reports/observation. I think he is being directed and otherwise fed information and "talking points" from others. I remember how it ended for President Reagan.
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)."
Maggie, I agree with you! Let us all settle down and support Biden and Harris they did a great job for 4 years... I believe there is nothing that can stop their progress unless it is the Republicans in the House or Senate so let us get to work to secure our future!
I would put nothing past repubs, and the extreme court. Count on them making the ends justify the means. BTW, that has been their go to strategy since Ronnie.
Yes and he is in law to George Soros. Now that HillaryтАЩs right hand lady Huma is engaged to SorosтАЩ 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.
ItтАЩs times like these that I need to wax philosophical and think of that famous quote that тАЬpeople are deserving of those they elect.тАЭ I donтАЩt accept it but the storm is approaching. IтАЩm 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 heтАЩs 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.
That's because the billionaires & millionaires are withdrawing their funding because they do not want to pay taxes & after all, they're the ones running the show. Aren't they? Peter Theil is the money behind several organizations pushing for Biden to step down. He is also behind JD Vance's rise in politics. But wait! There's more yet. Check out 'X' regarding Nate Silver & .538. There is BIG MONEY being made placing bets on this election, as there is in whether or not Russia will use nukes & many other potential disasters that would destroy the lives of ordinary voters.
Yep, I wondered how long it would take for the American Oligarchs to pull out their long knives. Not just taxes - though that would be sufficient. Joe is also pro-union, anti-monopoly, pro-environment. Horrors! Think if the lost profits! Why, that would make any self-respecting Oligarch write a check for Hitler.
Marge, well said, and the analysis I've come to as soon as the democratic leadership asked Biden to step down. Always follow the money, since Citizen's United.
I agree. Here's what I would do if I was Nancy Pelosi. And I'm amazed she's not doing it because my respect for her is due to her record, which implies she understands the golden rule. FYI, I'm using scientific language because it's easy, but I can translate if necessary.
Because there are two conflicting hypotheses (Biden should remain the nominee or step down), there are two testable hypotheses. The conflict is not a to-be-neutralized threat. Instead, the conflict is a to-be-seized opportunity because you can't have a valid test of a hypothesis in a vacuum.
So, now you need two knowledgeable advocates to ensure that all the relevant evidence is included in the analysis. It's not initially obvious which hypothesis is supported by the evidence, and which one is refuted, but it is after the analysis is complete, which is when one hypothesis is confirmed, and the other is refuted, or the test is inconclusive, and that means don't change the status quo.
But that's not what's happening. Advocates of each hypothesis are using exclusively confirming evidence to support their hypothesis while ignoring refuting evidence. That's not science. Instead, it is the opposite of wise.
What I've just said is a little bit more complicated than saying "follow the golden rule," but they are just different words expressing the same meaning. And I know Nancy Pelosi to be a good Catholic, so she should know better.
Personally, I want the analysis to include all the relevant evidence because, although it seems clear to me that Biden should stay on, I know don't have enough info to know for sure.
I don't think Biden should stay on. No Democrat thinks Trump is better than Biden. ItтАЩs obvious thatтАЩs not the case to all but the MAGA crowd, who arenтАЩt susceptible to logical argument anyway. [Please read the New York Times editorial today (Saturday the 20th), which offers a damning list of reasons Trump is unfit for office.]
As a longtime Biden fan who admires what heтАЩs accomplished in the past four years, I nevertheless think he should withdraw his candidacy for the good of the country. I donтАЩt think he can win, as unfair as that may be. He looks like a man on his last legsтАФand what he looks (and sounds) like matters in an election where Republicans are pumped up and Democrats dispirited. If Joe Biden withdraws and supports whoever replaces him vigorously, he will go down in history as a great statesman. If he continues his candidacy out of misplaced pride, he will end up a much more consequential Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who stayed too long and thereby did lasting damage to the country.
I will vote for the Biden/Harris ticket if thatтАЩs the choice, but I wonтАЩt contribute another dime to that campaign because I believe itтАЩs a waste of money. IтАЩm an old person who works with young people, and Biden has almost no support among them. Other people who are on the fence are not moving his way. We need a change to create some enthusiasm for a ticket that isnтАЩt there now or we will have the second coming of Donald Trump, and God help us then.
I hear what you're saying, but I can't read your response without thinking you're ignoring valid concerns.
To me, its simple. This is not a spectator sport. This is not a movie or an episode of a TV show. In 2024, the two teams are Egalitarian Democracy and Authoritarian Autocracy, and everyone is a player on one of those two teams. Whether you're young or old, if you don't care, then by default, you're a player on the winning team, except you won't know what team you were playing for until November 5. Then, if the Authoritarians win, and you find out you can't get health care, and then the economy goes in the tank so the oligarchs can get fat and happy, and you're looking for someone to blame, there's only one place to look, and that's in the mirror.
It is not my intent to be insensitive. Instead, it is my intent to be truthful, and I'm doing my best to walk the line between the two.
Agreed on your conclusion. I don't have the evidence either, either-way. But if the Dems are to have a chance, they need to pull together, sooner the better.
Thank you Miselle. And thank you Beau. The only thing I would add is the consequence of where Beau ended. His analysis of a proposed change to the status quo (Biden as the nominee) is inconclusive.
We understand that a criminal defendant is innocent until proven guilty. We should think of the status quo the same way. Lots of criminal defendants are found guilty. Likewise, the status quo is often found to be conclusively refuted. But "conclusive" means beyond a reasonable doubt.
Mr. Carey, what evidence would you consider conclusive? I see no way to determine conclusively whether Biden's staying at the top of the ticket provides the best chance for a Democratic win. If his team were both honest and courageous, they could run some polls that would be indicative but not conclusive.
Your reference to spectator sports and TV shows seems to me both insulting to those of us who disagree with you and, to me at least, naive. While I don't approach the presidential election or any state or federal election as a "show" and take my obligation to inform myself and make thoughtful choices seriously, a significant sector of the American public (or any set of voters in any country) has shown itself to be very susceptible to image and show, and on that basis, Biden is no longer a viable candidate in an election that promises, at best, to be close and at worst, to be a blowout for Trump.
Jennifer Big тАШdonorsтАЩ recently have been flocking to Trump. Thiel and Musk come immediately to mind.
Trump is attractive to them in part because of his promise of lower taxes for fat cats and corporations.
The big donor hold up of large pledges to the Biden campaign is quite distinct. These folks support what the Biden administration has accomplished and seek to support тАШBiden principlesтАЩ in government.
Their concern is that Biden is no longer in top form to be president of the United States for another four years and that his physical and mental weaknesses render him a likely loser in November.
They, like me, believe that a younger presidential team has a greater chance of obtaining a Democratic House and effectively countering TrumpтАЩs 2025 cult authoritarianism.
In a horse race, when an old mare has to be scratched, it is vexing immediately to identify a replacement. ThatтАЩs where we areтАФ-so get ready to put on your race paraphernalia and urge our choice to the finish line.
Keith, I always find your comments informative and well thought out. Respectfully, I disagree with you on this one, and I think this clip explains the whys better than I can.
Miselle I also find your comments informative. I would delight to find that President Biden has his full facilities to wage a vigorous presidential campaign, win against Trump on November 5th, and then commence serving a second term.
HOWEVER, this is not how I assess the evidence. I believe that we have been gaslighted by a White House cover up regarding President BidenтАЩs physical and mental condition in 2024. In retrospect, the WSJ article on this in early June was accurate.
I have tremendous admiration for President Biden. At 90 I have been obliged to accept that physically I am sharply limited in what I can do for an extended period. (I like to believe that I am still mentally sharp).
My long-term memory seems excellent. (I recently completed 43 stories for Storyworth on aspects of my life). My short-term memory is dreadful. I canтАЩt remember what I did yesterday and with whom I spoke. Also, my inability to recall names of current friends is distressing.
Compared to present-day Biden, Trump, and what he represents, is a disaster for the United States. HOWEVER, the тАШage factorтАЩ, as applied to Biden, could result in a near landslide for Trump and his sycophants in November.
This would not be a contest on issues. Trump would simply have to show videos of the June 27th debate and similar incidents.
In my view, the Democrats have a potentially winning campaign based on the democratic soul of America vs. Trump cult authoritarianism. I believe that a younger presidential team has a much greater chance of blunting Trumpism and, at a minimum, getting a Democratic House in November.
I acknowledge, at this moment, that this is a difficult time for those who support what the Biden administration has accomplished and what Project 2025 portends.
I continue to respect your opinions and hope that you do likewise with mine.
I wrote to the president on X today to remember FDR and Konrad Adenauer and to please stick with US and Kamala (or maybe it was Kamala and US). Either way he can meet people and she can make the big campaign speeches and he can do the smaller ones and the тАЬdebateтАЭ if there is one.
This тАЬraceтАЭ is very winnable if the Dem pols would just recognize that in all likelihood their polls are all Russia-tainted and think of voters and their country instead of their donors (who might just decide to fall in lineтАФsurely some of them are moral beings(?)).
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. IтАЩm not as concerned about the NOW as the Biden (who I have supported and cheered on until now) of 2026. ItтАЩs not a pretty picture.
I can't say I know how you feel because I haven't lived your life. But I do know that bad things happen to good people, that you and your husband were victims of something beyond what you or our health care system can control, and I understand why that, for you, raises a concern about Biden. But think about the fact that the best way to prevent what you're describingтАФanger, violence, and total darkness inside the Oval OfficeтАФis to vote, and vote Democratic. If that means voting for Joe Biden, and your worst fears come true, he will resign the office, or he will otherwise be removed, and then a vice president with character and competence will take his place. You can't say that about a candidate whose platform is literally anger, violence, and total darkness.
I am not qualified to assess someone's mental health, but I trust people that are until I have a reason to believe they're incompetent. The Whitehouse has a neurologist who does not have a concern about Biden mental health. Maybe he's biased, but that's pure speculation, and until someone gives me real evidence that would lead someone to believe his assessment was incompetent, that's good enough for me.
Have you watched Lawrence O'Donnell's "on what they donтАЩt tell you about the Dump Biden fantasy" YouTube video? If not, my suggestion is to look it up and watch it all the way to the end.
A plan right out of the тАШplaybookтАЩ тАжdivide , conquer, chaos. The fatigue is just at a 4 now , itтАЩll get worse. Stand by your man! If itтАЩs needed Harris can pick up .. IтАЩd lay bets sheтАЩll wield the batonтАжwatch. The track records are exemplary. Stay the course.ЁЯл╢
-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 wouldnтАЩt it be interesting to see how far the тАЬintelligenceтАЭ 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, heтАЩll no doubt use it to amplify his victim hood. Do we really want a тАЬwhiner in chiefтАЭ.
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, IтАЩm 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 thatтАЩs 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 тАЬ[h]is aids wrote it, his PAC promotes it, and his national campaign press secretary appears in the recruitment video.тАЭ
Indeed. And someone needs to slap some sense into the brainless whiners in the Dem. Party that keep playing into the GQPтАЩs 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 CheetoliniтАЩs 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 IтАЩve 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 тАЬDemocratic Establishment тАЬ has been bought and paid for by PutinтАЩs minions. Sadly, thatтАЩs 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 тАЬestablishmentтАЭ Dems are questionable.
With the shockingly stupid statements oozing out about Dems wanting Biden to give up (and that truly is what theyтАЩre asking for - giving the election to Cheetolini since that is the guaranteed result from a change at this point), itтАЩs clear that massive amounts of money or favors have been exchanged to buy the careers of these cowards.
George, Respectfully, I donтАЩt subscribe to your thinking. I believe the failure of BidenтАЩs 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 IтАЩve 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? WeтАЩre 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 тАЬBiden being pressured to bailтАЭ stories when there are actual news stories that could have been covered. (sharks, cannibals,unquestioned ear injuries, etc)
George Given the stakes, IтАЩm not giving up pressing for a Democratic Party, fully on board, fully unified, able to shed a light on the harms that would flow from 2025, ensuring every American would know whatтАЩs in store for them were Trump to be re-elected.
Good. Please focus on that message. All talk about Biden giving up the election (there is no alternative with a chance), just distracts from the truth that Project 2025 is very dangerous and scary possible if this election is lost.
This is a circular argument....if Biden cannot win, by all indications that we have (not close even by some) so we keep bailing out our leaky boat with a thimble? There are alternatives-- what if Biden also does not at this point have "a chance"?) Pointing to 2025 project to deflect attention of how to prevent that does not work.
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.
RefJim, With all due respect, not only do I trust my own appraisals, but IтАЩve also invested great effort to establish a broad geographical, multi-generational, community that connects me to what I most care aboutтАФwhat a wide spectrum of voters think.
Accordingly, largely due to the give-and-take of ongoing exchanges I believe IтАЩve been afforded a great deal of insight reflected in my postings on this site when viewed in their entirety.
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.
Rickey, To be clear, no one IтАЩm aware of harbors concerns about BidenтАЩs ability to govern; the concerns, for some time, have rested with BidenтАЩs ability to campaign. The debate, scheduled for June, intended to allay doubts, instead reinforced them.
That said, despite my dismay over Democratic elected officials so fractured that they can not react responsibly, the remedy for which IтАЩm pressing is for the Party to get fully on board walking Americans through 2025, chapter and verse.
It's a non-sequitur to say Biden can't campaign but he can govern. It's doubtful that he can govern without his administration and help at this point. He has shortened his day and is sick now, two in a row ( a cold then Covid). If he shows such stubbornness and denial to us, then how far from reality is he? He and his circle will shove him into the nomination by delaying bowing out. It was not only the debate.. there is a dotted line of indication stretching back at least a year about Biden's decline.
Potter, My statement hardly is a non-sequitur. Contrary to my confidence that Biden effectively can govern, admittedly with his team, through his first term, campaigning that galvanizes voters demands that one can poignantly think and speak extemporaneously and is able and eager to take full advantage of the bully pulpit, holding press conferences, town halls, and the like. Biden no longer can do the latter.
Barbara, I mean that it does not follow that Biden can govern, if he cannot campaign. The skills one needs to govern are evident in the ability to campaign, it seems to me. And for sure he cannot do both right now simultaneously... and sick. My basic point is that you cannot separate the two. If you can govern, you can campaign, and the reverse or opposite. Biden has the sensibility that I almost completely agree with and would wish for our country, but he cannot make that happen, first because I am convinced, as are too many others, that he cannot win, but also because of his increasing aging ( which comes with age but at different rates) in this most (MOST) difficult job in the world.
Ricky, Trump is bat shit crazy, we all know that, but MAGAs love the crazy guy. That will not change. We need an infusion of youth and vigor to show how feeble Trump actually is.
Comment to reflect those at the RNC and his rally attendees. I am not entertained. I cannot stand to listen. I must change the channel or mute him. Makes me ill.
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.)
I am suggesting (above, and will do so periodically till election) that people post this link on their social media, forward it to their email lists, talk about it with their friends/family. It is a quiz that tells you who your "ideal" candidate is based upon your views on important topics and how much they matter to you.
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.
Biden can definitely do the job since he is a delegator. Biden has surrounded himself with highly competent men and women who are doing outstanding jobs. On the other hand, Trump will surround himself with incompetent sycophants.
Richard, I think a good portion of the electorate wants entertainment, not leadership. Otherwise, we wouldn't be where we are.
And the constant drip-drip-drip from Congressfolk saying it's time to change horses because this one is tired isn't helping. I'm not suggesting change ISN'T a good idea; we need the best possible candidate -- but this is no way to do it. Once again, Will Rogers' quote rings true: "I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat."
True, as was said back in Texas while I was growing up and where we used to raise our own chickens for slaughter and used an ax to do the job, chopping off their heads and throwing them to the ground, watching them run and flop and do somersaults: "running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off." No direction, no purpose, nothing rational. We've got a problem.
A Team of Felons. Perhaps this could be Doris Kearns Goodwin's next book. Un f***ing believable. How in the world did we sink to this level of misery and incompetency?
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 letтАЩs focus on the guy thatтАЩs 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. WhereтАЩs that get anybody?
Sure, BidenтАЩs 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 IтАЩm 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 тАШshreddedтАЩ Lester Holt?! I saw the interview and donтАЩt think any shredding occurred (or would, if attempted, have been appropriate). I was talking about BidenтАЩs 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 wouldnтАЩt say that even there he was at his best) do not change what happened at the debate.
Yes, Biden made a valid point. If you think defensively blaming the media for your failure is going to carry us to victory in November, youтАЩre not likely to be proven correct (or, as the kids would say, delulu).
The issue was BidenтАЩs mental clarity and his ability to engage in real time. Holt was attempting тАЬgotchaтАЭ journalism and Biden was having no part of it. Biden pulled a Biden and turned the тАЬgotcha gameтАЭ back at Holt. Pretty nimble imo
Fwiw, data shows the media protecting the failures of TrumpтАЩs mental state and calling attention to any Biden miscue in the number of articles printed referring to, or hiding each. Its not тАЬblamingтАЭ the media, its rather тАЬcalling them outтАЭ
Your prophesy of Nov is not shared by me. As the adults would say, casting aspersions is kinda like admitting thatтАЩs тАЬall ya gotтАЭ
No aspersion. Saying that I think youтАЩre mistaken, even deluded, in your brief that Biden will prevail in November is criticism, not slander. Hope youтАЩre right, if he runs.
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 THATтАЩS the sole reason you were convinced heтАЩs in decline, deteriorated, incapacitated?
HereтАЩs a great link to share/amplify:ЁЯУг тАЬBREAKING: 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.тАЭ
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? IтАЩve 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 heтАЩs 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 IтАЩm away from home with only a cell phone, I donтАЩt know how to post a link on Substack. However, I can tell you I excerpted ReichтАЩs 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, IтАЩve 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?
Presumably they think, like the Kings of Men to whom Sauron gave subsidiary Rings of Power, that they are entitled captains of their destiny, when in reality they are under Trump's ultimate control and will fall as he falls.
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
That link worked, lin. Thanks a lot. I'll try to make time to listen.
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 BulwarkтАж and the тАШcommentsтАЩ to both are what are sustaining meтАж. Along with the тАЬwritingтАЭ
GOTTA take heartтАж. And I doтАж.
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.
I had one of those I don't know how I got home nights. I had driven into Baltimore to the Marble bar to see the blues legend Muddy Waters and I had brownie and then drank a lot...I was missing my girlfriend who I knew was leaving town...and I might never see her again. I was trashed and drove home about 10 miles. Thank the spirits I didn't hurt anyone.
Tequila is my alcohol of choice in a good margarita...Corazone rep or anjeo and Tres agave mix are my go to...and I don't drive drunk anymore.
The Supremes and GOP "leadership" have made it very plain that they totally believe that man is meant to control women...just as the big planters in the south believed...or justified that Africans were put on this planet by their God to serve them and be their property. They were VERY willing to break away and form a new, more perfect nation based on that "fact" and to fire the first shots in our most bloody war...using mostly single shot weapons.
That's the mindset we are dealing with.
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.
The "leadership" of the GOP just wants power...the rest, is the rest
I was listening to MSNBC this morning and they played a clip of convicted felon Donald Trump trying to distance himself from Project25 (sic) called them far right. He admitted that he knew some of the authors. Good luck with that Donnie.
FAceB fact checkers namely Alex Demas of the Dispatch is saying that most 2025 project does not have to do with the R party . This came from labeling a meme as "mostly false". It seems fb monitors some groups more than others & allows politicians to post false information & flat out lies.
They're counting on no one, especially those on the right, to read any of the 850+ pages.
Maybe so, but just before trump left office, he redesignated job classes which is one of the project 2025 tenets.
his alg has fav'd RW since it was invented as a way to rate women by their "hotness" We all fell for it. Just like we use google search, and forget to turn off the listening bro on our phone, and use google search, and buy from Amazon, and Audible (Amazon) and Whole Foods (Amazon) and store all our lives on the cloud (Amazon and 2 other guys)
How do we right this ship?
Don never knows anyone that he worked with or embraced as soon as he perceives that they cost HIM votes. He tries to walk some weird middle ground and embrace or deny as needed.
He definitely is suffering from sort of cognitive problems. His memory is terrible. He doesn't "know" a lot of people even the ones he appoints to positions.
140 former trump aides contribute to Project 2025. 6 are former members of his cabinet, 4 ambassadors, and people from the RNC who helped appoint. I saw a video of the guy who is doing the hiring. He said that he and trump were just chatting, and trump asks this 28 year old who carries trump's bags around to run this department.
2022 trump quote (sort of) "Our country is going to hell. The critical job of institutions such as the Heridge ( yep) is to lay the groundwork...They're going to lay the groundwork and detail plans for exactly what our movement will do." he then praised several of the leaders.
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.
ItтАЩs 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 attach├й while pulling out all our staff in Russia. ItтАЩs a rogue state.
ItтАЩs prep for another performance. If chump cheats enough to win, itтАЩs day one of hostage release (remind anybody of RonnieтАЩs coup de grace in 1980). If he doesnтАЩt, 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. IтАЩm very perplexed on the current direction we are moving in. I still wonder how extremism on the right has taken such a detour. Then IтАЩm reminded of our own foolish direction as тАЬwokeтАЭ democrats and yes IтАЩm using a hostile term to describe us.
To think that at this very dangerous moment we canтАЩt even agree on who the democratic candidate should be because he is reportedly too old and frail and canтАЩt 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. HowтАЩs dat, lol?
Bill Maher nominated Newsome and Whitmer, glad the 2024 Democrat race is startingтАж. 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'll say this again. Joe Biden is a Great President. He has wonderful people working with him. I believe they are honest and competent. If the Democratic leadership would get behind him, instead of blocking him, his numbers would soar. All the worrying about his age is out of line. His team is ready to deal with anything.
Totally agree, but when Obama condemned Citizens United during his first speech to Congress in 2013 it turns out he was correct.
I still remember Robert's shaking his head and mouthing, "that's not true."
I think if we work through the logic, the ultimate conclusion is, "All Republicans are liars."
Yes I remember that moment. It seems all conservatives are horrible in their understanding of good governance. I consider myself a fiscal conservative but I see no one with any degree of ethical fortitude. None.
Who would you consider to be a conservative today Bill? The policy set forth in Project 2025 is based on religion and what the Party of Trump thinks a family is. It's more based on patriarchy and white men being in control of government and the workplace. Specifically, they are setting up a unitary executive that they think will be benevolent, but how could they believe convicted felon DJT could ever be benevolent.
It's certainly not about balancing the budget. When was the last time Republicans balanced the budget? Smaller government only means we spend less of the budget on government personnel, but we see how well smaller government has worked out for the USPS under DeJoy. What a disaster.
Again, who are today's conservatives?
I'm a fiscal conservative, too. That's how I've survived as a single mother. Tax the GD Rich and fund national health care and release Americans from Jobs To Make Sure I Don't go Bankrupt from My Family's Illness, and just Watch the Economy, the small business, passion business, keep my parent's farm business go BOOM
what's it called when you have to believe your own lies to justify your own sad life?
I don't agree. The president is unable to be the leader the United States needs. I propose that there should be a floor fight at the DNC convention, among some of the names already mentioned on this page. Let Harris, Whitmer, and others who have the requisite credentials express why they should be the Democratic nominee. The Republicans would have to scramble to shift gears from discrediting Biden to whomever becomes the new standard bearer. If it is Biden, so be it. But at this juncture I do not believe that Mr. Biden is up to the challenge to manage a campaign. Moreover, the specter of the departure of one or two key re-election team members will bring the campaign to a sad conclusion, in my view.
Are you old enough to remember the "floor fight" at the convention in 1968? Every open Democratic Convention has ended in defeat at the ballot box. Think about that. Biden is capable. He can do it. Whitmer doesn't want to run for president.
I have the benefit of being aware of Mr. Biden's decision not to run again. So, I return to my comments of yesterday including that the nominee be named from the floor of the upcoming DNC convention. As Ms. Harris has said in reflection to Mr. Biden's endorsement of her, "I intend to earn and win the nomination." I suspect those who might have a notion to run will consider her likelihood of candidacy.
That's my point. I don't think Biden is capable. Of course, it's an opinion, and one that is not founded on empirical evidence other than what I am able to glean from news reports/observation. I think he is being directed and otherwise fed information and "talking points" from others. I remember how it ended for President Reagan.
dam. I lost track of who you're disagreeing with about what. Personally, I think Putin wrote this script, and all we can do is
#justvoteblue up and down
and talk to Every Single Human We Interact With about FASCISM, which is too hard to Explain but is
-refusing medical care to dying women
-refusing to acknowledge that Humans are a Spectrum of color, culture, sexuality, gender and Faith
-CALLING for violence against Others
-CALLING for the Military, not "just" the National Guard, the police and whatever FBI forces happen to be around to Attack Protesters,
be leave tiny children and their Teachers to Die
I'm too tired to continue.
MEN, take to the streets for the Rights of Women.
All of us, take to the phones, and the streets, and
Fight Like Hell
Get off here and Get Out There
Putin wrote what script?
I think she could get enough voters to make up for the misogynists that would run in the other directions.
I think she might even get a lot of the misogynists considering the option.
The ones I know are born and bred, wish something would shake them looseтАж.
Same here, Gary!
and she Alone has the key to the Biden/Harris Campaign War Chest, at least until the Convention Hunger Games Begin
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?
Maggie, I agree with you! Let us all settle down and support Biden and Harris they did a great job for 4 years... I believe there is nothing that can stop their progress unless it is the Republicans in the House or Senate so let us get to work to secure our future!
I would put nothing past repubs, and the extreme court. Count on them making the ends justify the means. BTW, that has been their go to strategy since Ronnie.
So if Trump were to pass on and a different R would have to be on the ballot, we could sue them?
In my uneducated opinion - that would be a whole other ball of wax.
Seems to me - someone dying & out of the race wouldnt be the same as if a candidate was forced out. but thats my opinion - might not be worth much.
Actually you make a really good point, Maggie. I stand corrected!
I heard it on AOC's Instagram - July 18, 2024 "this Messy Moment" -
Yes thats where I heard it. I hadnt heard anyone else mention tho - and certainly not by any media!!
Agree. Whitmer has stated that she will not be running. Someone suggested Andy Beshear. Geesh! Stop!
Newsome? Oh-My-God.
Everybody has their "ideal." Biden is just right for the time. Or "righter" than the others.
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 HillaryтАЩs right hand lady Huma is engaged to SorosтАЩ 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.
ItтАЩs times like these that I need to wax philosophical and think of that famous quote that тАЬpeople are deserving of those they elect.тАЭ I donтАЩt accept it but the storm is approaching. IтАЩm 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 chanceтАж
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 heтАЩs 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.
No argument here. But he has honed his one skill enough to be useful to the puppeteer.
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."
"ItтАЩs 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 IтАЩm 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.
That's because the billionaires & millionaires are withdrawing their funding because they do not want to pay taxes & after all, they're the ones running the show. Aren't they? Peter Theil is the money behind several organizations pushing for Biden to step down. He is also behind JD Vance's rise in politics. But wait! There's more yet. Check out 'X' regarding Nate Silver & .538. There is BIG MONEY being made placing bets on this election, as there is in whether or not Russia will use nukes & many other potential disasters that would destroy the lives of ordinary voters.
Yep, I wondered how long it would take for the American Oligarchs to pull out their long knives. Not just taxes - though that would be sufficient. Joe is also pro-union, anti-monopoly, pro-environment. Horrors! Think if the lost profits! Why, that would make any self-respecting Oligarch write a check for Hitler.
Marge, well said, and the analysis I've come to as soon as the democratic leadership asked Biden to step down. Always follow the money, since Citizen's United.
I agree. Here's what I would do if I was Nancy Pelosi. And I'm amazed she's not doing it because my respect for her is due to her record, which implies she understands the golden rule. FYI, I'm using scientific language because it's easy, but I can translate if necessary.
Because there are two conflicting hypotheses (Biden should remain the nominee or step down), there are two testable hypotheses. The conflict is not a to-be-neutralized threat. Instead, the conflict is a to-be-seized opportunity because you can't have a valid test of a hypothesis in a vacuum.
So, now you need two knowledgeable advocates to ensure that all the relevant evidence is included in the analysis. It's not initially obvious which hypothesis is supported by the evidence, and which one is refuted, but it is after the analysis is complete, which is when one hypothesis is confirmed, and the other is refuted, or the test is inconclusive, and that means don't change the status quo.
But that's not what's happening. Advocates of each hypothesis are using exclusively confirming evidence to support their hypothesis while ignoring refuting evidence. That's not science. Instead, it is the opposite of wise.
What I've just said is a little bit more complicated than saying "follow the golden rule," but they are just different words expressing the same meaning. And I know Nancy Pelosi to be a good Catholic, so she should know better.
Personally, I want the analysis to include all the relevant evidence because, although it seems clear to me that Biden should stay on, I know don't have enough info to know for sure.
I don't think Biden should stay on. No Democrat thinks Trump is better than Biden. ItтАЩs obvious thatтАЩs not the case to all but the MAGA crowd, who arenтАЩt susceptible to logical argument anyway. [Please read the New York Times editorial today (Saturday the 20th), which offers a damning list of reasons Trump is unfit for office.]
As a longtime Biden fan who admires what heтАЩs accomplished in the past four years, I nevertheless think he should withdraw his candidacy for the good of the country. I donтАЩt think he can win, as unfair as that may be. He looks like a man on his last legsтАФand what he looks (and sounds) like matters in an election where Republicans are pumped up and Democrats dispirited. If Joe Biden withdraws and supports whoever replaces him vigorously, he will go down in history as a great statesman. If he continues his candidacy out of misplaced pride, he will end up a much more consequential Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who stayed too long and thereby did lasting damage to the country.
I will vote for the Biden/Harris ticket if thatтАЩs the choice, but I wonтАЩt contribute another dime to that campaign because I believe itтАЩs a waste of money. IтАЩm an old person who works with young people, and Biden has almost no support among them. Other people who are on the fence are not moving his way. We need a change to create some enthusiasm for a ticket that isnтАЩt there now or we will have the second coming of Donald Trump, and God help us then.
I hear what you're saying, but I can't read your response without thinking you're ignoring valid concerns.
To me, its simple. This is not a spectator sport. This is not a movie or an episode of a TV show. In 2024, the two teams are Egalitarian Democracy and Authoritarian Autocracy, and everyone is a player on one of those two teams. Whether you're young or old, if you don't care, then by default, you're a player on the winning team, except you won't know what team you were playing for until November 5. Then, if the Authoritarians win, and you find out you can't get health care, and then the economy goes in the tank so the oligarchs can get fat and happy, and you're looking for someone to blame, there's only one place to look, and that's in the mirror.
It is not my intent to be insensitive. Instead, it is my intent to be truthful, and I'm doing my best to walk the line between the two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPRxuOWkr1E&t=6s
Agreed on your conclusion. I don't have the evidence either, either-way. But if the Dems are to have a chance, they need to pull together, sooner the better.
He is the incumbent. he has had a great record during his administration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPRxuOWkr1E&t=6s
Thank you Miselle. And thank you Beau. The only thing I would add is the consequence of where Beau ended. His analysis of a proposed change to the status quo (Biden as the nominee) is inconclusive.
We understand that a criminal defendant is innocent until proven guilty. We should think of the status quo the same way. Lots of criminal defendants are found guilty. Likewise, the status quo is often found to be conclusively refuted. But "conclusive" means beyond a reasonable doubt.
Mr. Carey, what evidence would you consider conclusive? I see no way to determine conclusively whether Biden's staying at the top of the ticket provides the best chance for a Democratic win. If his team were both honest and courageous, they could run some polls that would be indicative but not conclusive.
Your reference to spectator sports and TV shows seems to me both insulting to those of us who disagree with you and, to me at least, naive. While I don't approach the presidential election or any state or federal election as a "show" and take my obligation to inform myself and make thoughtful choices seriously, a significant sector of the American public (or any set of voters in any country) has shown itself to be very susceptible to image and show, and on that basis, Biden is no longer a viable candidate in an election that promises, at best, to be close and at worst, to be a blowout for Trump.
Jennifer Big тАШdonorsтАЩ recently have been flocking to Trump. Thiel and Musk come immediately to mind.
Trump is attractive to them in part because of his promise of lower taxes for fat cats and corporations.
The big donor hold up of large pledges to the Biden campaign is quite distinct. These folks support what the Biden administration has accomplished and seek to support тАШBiden principlesтАЩ in government.
Their concern is that Biden is no longer in top form to be president of the United States for another four years and that his physical and mental weaknesses render him a likely loser in November.
They, like me, believe that a younger presidential team has a greater chance of obtaining a Democratic House and effectively countering TrumpтАЩs 2025 cult authoritarianism.
In a horse race, when an old mare has to be scratched, it is vexing immediately to identify a replacement. ThatтАЩs where we areтАФ-so get ready to put on your race paraphernalia and urge our choice to the finish line.
Keith, I always find your comments informative and well thought out. Respectfully, I disagree with you on this one, and I think this clip explains the whys better than I can.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPRxuOWkr1E&t=6s
Miselle I also find your comments informative. I would delight to find that President Biden has his full facilities to wage a vigorous presidential campaign, win against Trump on November 5th, and then commence serving a second term.
HOWEVER, this is not how I assess the evidence. I believe that we have been gaslighted by a White House cover up regarding President BidenтАЩs physical and mental condition in 2024. In retrospect, the WSJ article on this in early June was accurate.
I have tremendous admiration for President Biden. At 90 I have been obliged to accept that physically I am sharply limited in what I can do for an extended period. (I like to believe that I am still mentally sharp).
My long-term memory seems excellent. (I recently completed 43 stories for Storyworth on aspects of my life). My short-term memory is dreadful. I canтАЩt remember what I did yesterday and with whom I spoke. Also, my inability to recall names of current friends is distressing.
Compared to present-day Biden, Trump, and what he represents, is a disaster for the United States. HOWEVER, the тАШage factorтАЩ, as applied to Biden, could result in a near landslide for Trump and his sycophants in November.
This would not be a contest on issues. Trump would simply have to show videos of the June 27th debate and similar incidents.
In my view, the Democrats have a potentially winning campaign based on the democratic soul of America vs. Trump cult authoritarianism. I believe that a younger presidential team has a much greater chance of blunting Trumpism and, at a minimum, getting a Democratic House in November.
I acknowledge, at this moment, that this is a difficult time for those who support what the Biden administration has accomplished and what Project 2025 portends.
I continue to respect your opinions and hope that you do likewise with mine.
Any replacement will cause chaos, and if Kamala is not the choice, we will lose the black vote as we should!
I wrote to the president on X today to remember FDR and Konrad Adenauer and to please stick with US and Kamala (or maybe it was Kamala and US). Either way he can meet people and she can make the big campaign speeches and he can do the smaller ones and the тАЬdebateтАЭ if there is one.
This тАЬraceтАЭ is very winnable if the Dem pols would just recognize that in all likelihood their polls are all Russia-tainted and think of voters and their country instead of their donors (who might just decide to fall in lineтАФsurely some of them are moral beings(?)).
That's what Citizens United gave us.
As soon as the Convention is held and Biden remains the nominee, donors will be there for him.
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. IтАЩm not as concerned about the NOW as the Biden (who I have supported and cheered on until now) of 2026. ItтАЩs not a pretty picture.
I can't say I know how you feel because I haven't lived your life. But I do know that bad things happen to good people, that you and your husband were victims of something beyond what you or our health care system can control, and I understand why that, for you, raises a concern about Biden. But think about the fact that the best way to prevent what you're describingтАФanger, violence, and total darkness inside the Oval OfficeтАФis to vote, and vote Democratic. If that means voting for Joe Biden, and your worst fears come true, he will resign the office, or he will otherwise be removed, and then a vice president with character and competence will take his place. You can't say that about a candidate whose platform is literally anger, violence, and total darkness.
I am not qualified to assess someone's mental health, but I trust people that are until I have a reason to believe they're incompetent. The Whitehouse has a neurologist who does not have a concern about Biden mental health. Maybe he's biased, but that's pure speculation, and until someone gives me real evidence that would lead someone to believe his assessment was incompetent, that's good enough for me.
Have you watched Lawrence O'Donnell's "on what they donтАЩt tell you about the Dump Biden fantasy" YouTube video? If not, my suggestion is to look it up and watch it all the way to the end.
James,
Yes on all you have written
That sums it up JDтАжтАЭin a sane worldтАЭ. .. 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 тАШplaybookтАЩ тАжdivide , conquer, chaos. The fatigue is just at a 4 now , itтАЩll get worse. Stand by your man! If itтАЩs needed Harris can pick up .. IтАЩd lay bets sheтАЩll wield the batonтАжwatch. The track records are exemplary. Stay the course.ЁЯл╢
Agree, IтАЩd bet on her if sheтАЩs 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 donтАЩt 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 wouldnтАЩt it be interesting to see how far the тАЬintelligenceтАЭ 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 тАЬstrong and powerfulтАЭ 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.
ArenтАЩt 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 HorseтАж
Fine by me. It would just get passed along to Putin et al anyway.
As has been the case since 2015, I'd bet my life.
Victor Orban (sorry, it's early but I couldn't resist)
Candidates get them to prepare for a possible presidency.
In a тАЬnormalтАЭ election, yes, but I believe Trump has been identified as a security risk.
I feel a court case coming on.
ЁЯджЁЯП╗тАНтЩАя╕П
If (when) Trump leaks some classified information, and is caught doing so, heтАЩll no doubt use it to amplify his victim hood. Do we really want a тАЬwhiner in chiefтАЭ.
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 shouldnтАЩt be getting security briefings.
Bonnie, As much as I share the urgency of your call, IтАЩm 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 thatтАЩs 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 тАЬ[h]is aids wrote it, his PAC promotes it, and his national campaign press secretary appears in the recruitment video.тАЭ
Indeed. And someone needs to slap some sense into the brainless whiners in the Dem. Party that keep playing into the GQPтАЩs 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 CheetoliniтАЩs 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 IтАЩve 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 тАЬDemocratic Establishment тАЬ has been bought and paid for by PutinтАЩs minions. Sadly, thatтАЩs 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 тАЬestablishmentтАЭ Dems are questionable.
With the shockingly stupid statements oozing out about Dems wanting Biden to give up (and that truly is what theyтАЩre asking for - giving the election to Cheetolini since that is the guaranteed result from a change at this point), itтАЩs clear that massive amounts of money or favors have been exchanged to buy the careers of these cowards.
George, Respectfully, I donтАЩt subscribe to your thinking. I believe the failure of BidenтАЩs 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 IтАЩve 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? WeтАЩre 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 тАЬBiden being pressured to bailтАЭ stories when there are actual news stories that could have been covered. (sharks, cannibals,unquestioned ear injuries, etc)
George Given the stakes, IтАЩm not giving up pressing for a Democratic Party, fully on board, fully unified, able to shed a light on the harms that would flow from 2025, ensuring every American would know whatтАЩs in store for them were Trump to be re-elected.
Good. Please focus on that message. All talk about Biden giving up the election (there is no alternative with a chance), just distracts from the truth that Project 2025 is very dangerous and scary possible if this election is lost.
This is a circular argument....if Biden cannot win, by all indications that we have (not close even by some) so we keep bailing out our leaky boat with a thimble? There are alternatives-- what if Biden also does not at this point have "a chance"?) Pointing to 2025 project to deflect attention of how to prevent that does not work.
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.
RefJim, With all due respect, not only do I trust my own appraisals, but IтАЩve also invested great effort to establish a broad geographical, multi-generational, community that connects me to what I most care aboutтАФwhat a wide spectrum of voters think.
Accordingly, largely due to the give-and-take of ongoing exchanges I believe IтАЩve been afforded a great deal of insight reflected in my postings on this site when viewed in their entirety.
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.
Rickey, To be clear, no one IтАЩm aware of harbors concerns about BidenтАЩs ability to govern; the concerns, for some time, have rested with BidenтАЩs ability to campaign. The debate, scheduled for June, intended to allay doubts, instead reinforced them.
That said, despite my dismay over Democratic elected officials so fractured that they can not react responsibly, the remedy for which IтАЩm pressing is for the Party to get fully on board walking Americans through 2025, chapter and verse.
It's a non-sequitur to say Biden can't campaign but he can govern. It's doubtful that he can govern without his administration and help at this point. He has shortened his day and is sick now, two in a row ( a cold then Covid). If he shows such stubbornness and denial to us, then how far from reality is he? He and his circle will shove him into the nomination by delaying bowing out. It was not only the debate.. there is a dotted line of indication stretching back at least a year about Biden's decline.
Potter, My statement hardly is a non-sequitur. Contrary to my confidence that Biden effectively can govern, admittedly with his team, through his first term, campaigning that galvanizes voters demands that one can poignantly think and speak extemporaneously and is able and eager to take full advantage of the bully pulpit, holding press conferences, town halls, and the like. Biden no longer can do the latter.
Barbara, I mean that it does not follow that Biden can govern, if he cannot campaign. The skills one needs to govern are evident in the ability to campaign, it seems to me. And for sure he cannot do both right now simultaneously... and sick. My basic point is that you cannot separate the two. If you can govern, you can campaign, and the reverse or opposite. Biden has the sensibility that I almost completely agree with and would wish for our country, but he cannot make that happen, first because I am convinced, as are too many others, that he cannot win, but also because of his increasing aging ( which comes with age but at different rates) in this most (MOST) difficult job in the world.
Ricky, Trump is bat shit crazy, we all know that, but MAGAs love the crazy guy. That will not change. We need an infusion of youth and vigor to show how feeble Trump actually is.
From the Gladiator: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
No, Rickey, I find none if this amusing. ItтАЩs frightening.
Comment to reflect those at the RNC and his rally attendees. I am not entertained. I cannot stand to listen. I must change the channel or mute him. Makes me ill.
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.)
I am suggesting (above, and will do so periodically till election) that people post this link on their social media, forward it to their email lists, talk about it with their friends/family. It is a quiz that tells you who your "ideal" candidate is based upon your views on important topics and how much they matter to you.
isidewith.com/elections/2024-presidential-quiz
Tough, tough questions. It is a pain to think one's way through this. Thank you for bringing it to our attention, Miselle.
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.
Richard: тАЬperceivedтАЭ
Biden can definitely do the job since he is a delegator. Biden has surrounded himself with highly competent men and women who are doing outstanding jobs. On the other hand, Trump will surround himself with incompetent sycophants.
Richard, I think a good portion of the electorate wants entertainment, not leadership. Otherwise, we wouldn't be where we are.
And the constant drip-drip-drip from Congressfolk saying it's time to change horses because this one is tired isn't helping. I'm not suggesting change ISN'T a good idea; we need the best possible candidate -- but this is no way to do it. Once again, Will Rogers' quote rings true: "I'm not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat."
True, as was said back in Texas while I was growing up and where we used to raise our own chickens for slaughter and used an ax to do the job, chopping off their heads and throwing them to the ground, watching them run and flop and do somersaults: "running around like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off." No direction, no purpose, nothing rational. We've got a problem.
And felons. MustnтАЩt forget the deep pool of his тАЬbest peopleтАЭ who have been either charged or convicted of major crimes . . .
A Team of Felons. Perhaps this could be Doris Kearns Goodwin's next book. Un f***ing believable. How in the world did we sink to this level of misery and incompetency?
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.
It is the reality today.
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 letтАЩs focus on the guy thatтАЩs 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. WhereтАЩs that get anybody?
Sure, BidenтАЩs 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 IтАЩm 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 didnтАЩt 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 тАШshreddedтАЩ Lester Holt?! I saw the interview and donтАЩt think any shredding occurred (or would, if attempted, have been appropriate). I was talking about BidenтАЩs 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 wouldnтАЩt 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 mediaтАЩs free pass to Trump
Yes, Biden made a valid point. If you think defensively blaming the media for your failure is going to carry us to victory in November, youтАЩre not likely to be proven correct (or, as the kids would say, delulu).
The issue was BidenтАЩs mental clarity and his ability to engage in real time. Holt was attempting тАЬgotchaтАЭ journalism and Biden was having no part of it. Biden pulled a Biden and turned the тАЬgotcha gameтАЭ back at Holt. Pretty nimble imo
Fwiw, data shows the media protecting the failures of TrumpтАЩs mental state and calling attention to any Biden miscue in the number of articles printed referring to, or hiding each. Its not тАЬblamingтАЭ the media, its rather тАЬcalling them outтАЭ
Your prophesy of Nov is not shared by me. As the adults would say, casting aspersions is kinda like admitting thatтАЩs тАЬall ya gotтАЭ
"Calling them out" THIS
No aspersion. Saying that I think youтАЩre mistaken, even deluded, in your brief that Biden will prevail in November is criticism, not slander. Hope youтАЩre right, if he runs.
тАФWhiny Handwringer
as┬╖per┬╖sion
/╔Щ╦Иsp╔ЩrZH╔Щn/
noun
1.
an attack on the reputation or integrity of someone or something:
"I don't think anyone is casting aspersions on you"
Saying I may be mistaken is a far cry from saying IтАЩm delusional
Learn definitions. Words mean things
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 THATтАЩS the sole reason you were convinced heтАЩs 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.
HereтАЩs a great link to share/amplify:ЁЯУг тАЬBREAKING: 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.тАЭ
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? IтАЩve 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 heтАЩs 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 IтАЩm away from home with only a cell phone, I donтАЩt know how to post a link on Substack. However, I can tell you I excerpted ReichтАЩs 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
ЁЯдФЁЯЧ╜тЬМя╕ПтЪЦя╕ПЁЯШЗ
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.