It was notable today that the media was dominated not by the actions of the incoming president-elect, as one would expect after a presidential election, but by the actions of the lame-duck president, Donald Trump. Biden is quietly and calmly building his administration, meeting with experts, filling posts, even as Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Biden’s victory in the election means that the Biden team cannot have access to federal staff or information. Biden named nine senior White House officials for his incoming administration, all of whom are long-time political operatives who know the ropes in Washington. Biden is an institutionalist who is signaling that his administration will rebuild the governmental systems dismantled in the past four years.
Wayne County, Michigan: I tip my hat to all those people who knew how to seize that moment, or 2 hours, of vociferous civic engagement to right a wrong in order to certify the election results--which were 68% for Biden and 31% for Trump. They are heroes of the day, and it is inspirational to listen to Ned Staebler, a Wayne County Board Member of Canvassers, call out the two Republican members who were refusing to certify. (See HCR's link.)
It’s interesting. Republicans and conservatives constantly accuse Democrats and the left of “hating America” and “destroying traditional values.” Yet, everything Trump does now is aimed at weakening and damaging America, its institutions and standing in the world. And, his supporters don’t just go along with it, but cheer and enable him.
Heather, thank you for making some sense out of this jumble of activity. The devious scheming of the outgoing administration is frightening. Your reassurance through your letters and chats means more to me, and I’m sure the rest of our growing HCR community, more than you’ll know. Even though you can’t tell us what’s to come, you use your historical perspective to calm us and keep us appreciating that the sun will keep rising and we will keep fighting for our democracy.
Once again the Republicans leave a mess for a Democrat to clean up, with an opposition party throwing up every possible obstacle. Unlike Bush II, Trump is willfully breaking everything he can on the way out.
Kudos to Christopher Krebs. The only way to churn through the Trump Administration and come out with one's reputation more or less intact is to be fired by the Fat Man on twitter; an indication you were good at your job and posess some degree of personal integrity.
I've never seen anything like the mass delusion in the Trump orbit. Lindsay Graham has joined the Mango Moron in believing they are all wearing invisibility capes or something! The brazenness says to me they have literally gone around the bend into insanity.
How the supporters of the current president don’t see his actions as amoral, and the work of a weak, scared authoritarian who’s desperate to remain in office befuddles me. It must be that he is a white nationalist.
Systemic racism and misogyny must be brought to heel by we citizens, through voting in candidates who represent the diversity of our country. That’s our first order of business; our second is for white people to exercise their privilege in support of persons of color by speaking up when witnessing racial injustice and for all persons to do the same when gender injustice happens.
In other news, 20 January feels light years away. I can’t wait to celebrate!!!
What is happening in our government, in our country is so disheartening. I would be in complete despair if I weren’t reading your letters, Heather Cox Richardson. Thank you again for the calm and the history. . I got to listen to some of your chat yesterday afternoon and I was struck by your thought that maybe Trump really believed he would win, and by a lot and is now panicked because he has no plans, absolutely nothing worth turning over to our President-elect Joe Biden. Trump is acting like a cornered rat. And we, the people, and the country are the worse for it.
How Lindsey Graham still walks the halls of Congress is beyond me! How can anyone trust him to be faithful to his country, much less his constituents?!!!
Basically, Trump and everyone in his administration, and all of them working for him regarding the election, are traitors who have declared war on the United States.
Professor Richardson: You write that "It was notable today that the media was dominated not by the actions of the incoming president-elect, as one would expect after a presidential election, but by the actions of the lame-duck president, Donald Trump." This fact reflects a problem going back 4 years: across the media spectrum, Trump stories get clicks. "Boring" policy stories are a much slower sell. As one example, we can recall the one time in the 2016 Republican primary season that Trump chose not to participate in a debate: he got more coverage for skipping the debate than the actual participants received! Trump the showman has been playing this dynamic ever since, and he and the media have a sick, and yes, mutually beneficial, relationship. We the people are the losers.
One could argue, for now, that Trump is still President, and his actions are so weird, that he deserves the amount of coverage he's getting. But in 2 months, he'll be out of the White House. Will the press still breathlessly report on his every tweet and provocation? And will we still read those stories -- for no real reason, other than force of habit? IMO, what we need is much, much better journalism, left and right. Which will only come from Americans being far more demanding media consumers.
Loved the link. Guys speaking from the DIA in front of a Diego Rivera mural celebrating the worth of Detroits working class; obviously a Communist.
Personally, I think Trump is crazy, not stupid, and is waiting for one of his minions to pull a hat trick like these two jackasses attempted, that will give him an excuse to declare martial law and suspend or end our democracy. Or maybe he'll just start WWIII. I WANT HIM OUT NOW!!!!
The Living Dead Administration, eager to reach ideological goals, ignored the structures of Government this entire term. Now with reckless and rash acts are determined to destroy the system they obviously deny valid.
It is not unexpected but quite a contrast is developing. Andrew Cuomo and President-elect Biden, both practice Institutional Government and are demonstrating that using the leverage of existing Structures peopled with knowledgeable practitioners can develop processes and practices that are at once transparent and obviously focused on the Public Good.
After the past four years Trump’s Government of personal fulfillment and chaotic decisions that frittered away our International reputation and reliability needs a respite of good solid Public Interest Government for and by the people.
Two ardent trump supporters died suddenly. They were at the gates of heaven and asked God about the election fraud. God answered that there was no fraud, and that Biden won the election.
The two supporters looked at each other. Then one whispered “it goes higher than we imagined”!
I was listening to a podcast yesterday when a commentator was drawing on the history of the conservative movement and said “ Jerry Falwell and the moral majority...which has now been replaced by the Federalist Society”. The truth hit me hard.
Thank you, HCR! I see the strategy and had been wondering how tRump would try for the House vote. Ned is today’s grassroots hero for speaking up and calling out those 2. When I trained to be a poll worker, I discovered the deep concern many Americans have to get voting accurate and legal and “the count” right. My advice to Joe Biden is to have daily a selection of tweets and social media messages and TV ads NOW just as he did during the campaign. Both for the Transition And Presidency (TAP) and for the all-important Georgia senate races. PLEASE. The cornered Orange 🍊 Rat is attempting to bite the country. Don’t take such a high road that the press and media have nothing BidenHarris to report. As for my part: 200 postcards and more letters to write to GOTV in GA. Donations to make to Stacey, Jon, and Raphael. Gotta get going. Bye for now!❤️🤍💙
I’d say it’s past time to write laws making it impossible for anyone in government to do such devastating things. Checks and balances are NOT working. Are we getting this now? The man is creating devastating conditions so that the Biden administration will fail miserably and take us all down with him. Who’s watching the baby with the matches?
The two members of the Canvassers Board are now known to us all and what a backlash they received and deserved! Thank you for posting that tweet and video.
We kind of knew Fake 45 would continue to cause chaos and havoc before he left his post. Rudy is in the toilet as far as I’m concerned and it’s sad. He had potential once.
Ms. Lindsay blew it...yes indeedy. He didn’t realize there someone else listening into that conversation he was having. Nothing like getting bitten in the ass! I am quite enjoying that but also want the judicial committee to investigate. Maybe Feinstein will give him another hug.
Wayne County, Michigan: I tip my hat to all those people who knew how to seize that moment, or 2 hours, of vociferous civic engagement to right a wrong in order to certify the election results--which were 68% for Biden and 31% for Trump. They are heroes of the day, and it is inspirational to listen to Ned Staebler, a Wayne County Board Member of Canvassers, call out the two Republican members who were refusing to certify. (See HCR's link.)
It’s interesting. Republicans and conservatives constantly accuse Democrats and the left of “hating America” and “destroying traditional values.” Yet, everything Trump does now is aimed at weakening and damaging America, its institutions and standing in the world. And, his supporters don’t just go along with it, but cheer and enable him.
Who really hates America?
Heather, thank you for making some sense out of this jumble of activity. The devious scheming of the outgoing administration is frightening. Your reassurance through your letters and chats means more to me, and I’m sure the rest of our growing HCR community, more than you’ll know. Even though you can’t tell us what’s to come, you use your historical perspective to calm us and keep us appreciating that the sun will keep rising and we will keep fighting for our democracy.
With Respect and Appreciation...
Once again the Republicans leave a mess for a Democrat to clean up, with an opposition party throwing up every possible obstacle. Unlike Bush II, Trump is willfully breaking everything he can on the way out.
Kudos to Christopher Krebs. The only way to churn through the Trump Administration and come out with one's reputation more or less intact is to be fired by the Fat Man on twitter; an indication you were good at your job and posess some degree of personal integrity.
I've never seen anything like the mass delusion in the Trump orbit. Lindsay Graham has joined the Mango Moron in believing they are all wearing invisibility capes or something! The brazenness says to me they have literally gone around the bend into insanity.
It's terrifying.
How the supporters of the current president don’t see his actions as amoral, and the work of a weak, scared authoritarian who’s desperate to remain in office befuddles me. It must be that he is a white nationalist.
Systemic racism and misogyny must be brought to heel by we citizens, through voting in candidates who represent the diversity of our country. That’s our first order of business; our second is for white people to exercise their privilege in support of persons of color by speaking up when witnessing racial injustice and for all persons to do the same when gender injustice happens.
In other news, 20 January feels light years away. I can’t wait to celebrate!!!
What is happening in our government, in our country is so disheartening. I would be in complete despair if I weren’t reading your letters, Heather Cox Richardson. Thank you again for the calm and the history. . I got to listen to some of your chat yesterday afternoon and I was struck by your thought that maybe Trump really believed he would win, and by a lot and is now panicked because he has no plans, absolutely nothing worth turning over to our President-elect Joe Biden. Trump is acting like a cornered rat. And we, the people, and the country are the worse for it.
How Lindsey Graham still walks the halls of Congress is beyond me! How can anyone trust him to be faithful to his country, much less his constituents?!!!
Basically, Trump and everyone in his administration, and all of them working for him regarding the election, are traitors who have declared war on the United States.
But we knew that on November 9, 2016.
Professor Richardson: You write that "It was notable today that the media was dominated not by the actions of the incoming president-elect, as one would expect after a presidential election, but by the actions of the lame-duck president, Donald Trump." This fact reflects a problem going back 4 years: across the media spectrum, Trump stories get clicks. "Boring" policy stories are a much slower sell. As one example, we can recall the one time in the 2016 Republican primary season that Trump chose not to participate in a debate: he got more coverage for skipping the debate than the actual participants received! Trump the showman has been playing this dynamic ever since, and he and the media have a sick, and yes, mutually beneficial, relationship. We the people are the losers.
One could argue, for now, that Trump is still President, and his actions are so weird, that he deserves the amount of coverage he's getting. But in 2 months, he'll be out of the White House. Will the press still breathlessly report on his every tweet and provocation? And will we still read those stories -- for no real reason, other than force of habit? IMO, what we need is much, much better journalism, left and right. Which will only come from Americans being far more demanding media consumers.
Loved the link. Guys speaking from the DIA in front of a Diego Rivera mural celebrating the worth of Detroits working class; obviously a Communist.
Personally, I think Trump is crazy, not stupid, and is waiting for one of his minions to pull a hat trick like these two jackasses attempted, that will give him an excuse to declare martial law and suspend or end our democracy. Or maybe he'll just start WWIII. I WANT HIM OUT NOW!!!!
The Living Dead Administration, eager to reach ideological goals, ignored the structures of Government this entire term. Now with reckless and rash acts are determined to destroy the system they obviously deny valid.
It is not unexpected but quite a contrast is developing. Andrew Cuomo and President-elect Biden, both practice Institutional Government and are demonstrating that using the leverage of existing Structures peopled with knowledgeable practitioners can develop processes and practices that are at once transparent and obviously focused on the Public Good.
After the past four years Trump’s Government of personal fulfillment and chaotic decisions that frittered away our International reputation and reliability needs a respite of good solid Public Interest Government for and by the people.
Two ardent trump supporters died suddenly. They were at the gates of heaven and asked God about the election fraud. God answered that there was no fraud, and that Biden won the election.
The two supporters looked at each other. Then one whispered “it goes higher than we imagined”!
I was listening to a podcast yesterday when a commentator was drawing on the history of the conservative movement and said “ Jerry Falwell and the moral majority...which has now been replaced by the Federalist Society”. The truth hit me hard.
Thank you, HCR! I see the strategy and had been wondering how tRump would try for the House vote. Ned is today’s grassroots hero for speaking up and calling out those 2. When I trained to be a poll worker, I discovered the deep concern many Americans have to get voting accurate and legal and “the count” right. My advice to Joe Biden is to have daily a selection of tweets and social media messages and TV ads NOW just as he did during the campaign. Both for the Transition And Presidency (TAP) and for the all-important Georgia senate races. PLEASE. The cornered Orange 🍊 Rat is attempting to bite the country. Don’t take such a high road that the press and media have nothing BidenHarris to report. As for my part: 200 postcards and more letters to write to GOTV in GA. Donations to make to Stacey, Jon, and Raphael. Gotta get going. Bye for now!❤️🤍💙
I’d say it’s past time to write laws making it impossible for anyone in government to do such devastating things. Checks and balances are NOT working. Are we getting this now? The man is creating devastating conditions so that the Biden administration will fail miserably and take us all down with him. Who’s watching the baby with the matches?
The two members of the Canvassers Board are now known to us all and what a backlash they received and deserved! Thank you for posting that tweet and video.
We kind of knew Fake 45 would continue to cause chaos and havoc before he left his post. Rudy is in the toilet as far as I’m concerned and it’s sad. He had potential once.
Ms. Lindsay blew it...yes indeedy. He didn’t realize there someone else listening into that conversation he was having. Nothing like getting bitten in the ass! I am quite enjoying that but also want the judicial committee to investigate. Maybe Feinstein will give him another hug.