I try to give us all a break on the weekend, but today seems like a day for which we need a record. The president remains at Walter Reed Hospital. His condition is unclear. His doctors gave a cheery if vague picture of his health this morning, but minutes later, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows gave an off-the-record report to the press pool that told a different story. “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning, and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care,” Meadows said. “We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.” Meadows had been caught on tape asking to go off the record, so his identity was revealed.
Can we please talk about the GOPs utter disregard for public health and the well-being of others? We have known it was an issue, but how there is hard data and personal statements. Sen Rick Johnson (R-WI) who was tested positive on Friday and went ahead with attending an Oktoberfest fundraiser maskless and no distancing. He stated, “I’m not sick, I have no symptoms, I certainly didn’t anticipate testing positive, so there was no reason to quarantine.”
And the three Minnesota congressman (R) whom flew home Friday night from DC on Delta despite their known exposure. And William Barr and Mark Meadows refusing to quarantine and walking around the White House maskless. And VP Pence continue to travel all week when he should be in quarantine. These are public officials whom we elected and work for us. When are they held accountable for gross negligence and threatening public health? I know the list of people who won’t do anything, but who will? For all the staff in the WH, Congress, hotels, airlines, the SS, military, etc. Is it OSHA at this point?
I feel like Melania’s jacket from long ago was not just a personal statement, but maybe the new uniform of the GOP. They have no conscience! The fury of America right now is coming from all of us living in isolation for 7 months, millions sick, thousands dying, livelihoods lost while they STILL think public health is a joke.
I no longer have words to adequately express my revulsion of these immoral and foul people. I have never been a "must vote blue across the board" person until this year. But there is not a single Republican that deserves to stay in their elected position.
I ran out of words some time ago. I went for years not voting a straight ticket until the Republican party became so bad that I could not vote for any R. My next door neighbor was a R elected official for years and he has expressed his dismay at where the party is now and has had D signs in his yard. This year the Rs nominated a QAnon type to run against our D Senator. She will not win, but should not be running at all.
For the first time ever, I voted a straight Democratic ticket. I am so angry with the GOP, that I will not dignify the past 4 years of enabling the worst US government in my lifetime by electing anyone willing to be part of the GOP. My lifetime includes the Nixon administration.
And the Wisconsin Legislature (Fitzpatrick and Vos in particular) are suing to rescind Gov Evers mask order, despite the fact that the case rate in this state is the 3rd highest in the nation and the number of deaths keep going up!
Fitzgerald and Vos make me furious. As a Wisconsinite I fear for the safety of my state. Wisconsin is home to 8 of the top 20 cities with the worst outbreaks! I am fighting hard for Fitzgerald's opponent in the upcoming election. Is it wrong that I was secretly hoping they were both at the #rosegardenmassacre ?
I live part time in southern Wisconsin and the Trump signs are numerous. They talk about how Trump is restoring dignity and law/order to the US. Are you kidding me! Talk about hypocrisy.
Yessss! It is so frustrating! I live in So. Ohio and I'm getting PTSD from all the Trump signs. And banners. Flags. Painted barns. It's like torture by paper cuts. And the level of brainwashing is astounding. I'm absolutely flummoxed by all of it.
Agreed, Robert! We live in a small rural town and the area is lousy with Trump signs. Our Biden/Harris, Izzy Nevarez and Tom Palzewicz signs are displayed in our yard with pride and under the watchful eye of our Ring doorbell ;-)
I live in California. Every one of my friends is a multimillionaire. All are college grads. The richer they are, the more likely they are to support Trump. “Fake news” and “Biden’s a socialist” are their automatic responses to anything not supporting their FOX News disinformed bias. Most have benefited greatly from COVID economic relief programs such as PPP and CFAP. Being the pauper amongst this set, my spouse and I received $2400; the rest received 10’s, if not 100’s, of thousands of dollars in economic relief money. One person excused her applying for government payments by the fact that she made less than $900,000 last year. 😥 Others, only one of whose business actually suffered a loss of income/profit due to COVID, rationalized applying for government assistance “because everyone else was doing it.” I am wary of additional COVID relief packages. My personal knowledge of blatant abuse leads me to conclude it is another massive transfer of wealth to the wealthy. That’s the American Way...privatize profits, socialize losses (see Trump’s taxes articles in NYT.) Socialism for the wealthy; dog-eat-dog capitalism for the masses. I can see why my wealthiest friends are afraid of Democrats, government assisted healthcare, universal childcare, and more equitable income distribution—it would dilute their percent of the take.
I can understand my wealthy friends vested interest in supporting Trump because of his promotion of tax cuts and handouts to them. However, while we are railing amongst ourselves on this forum, we should all remember that both the House and Senate are complicit in the on-going transfer of wealth to and concentration of wealth in the hands of the wealthy. Don’t just blindly vote a party ticket. Maybe you should be supporting someone who is neither a Democrat nor Republican.
Next time you can maybe go third party. Not this election, unless you want to live in an autocracy run by an uncontrolled sociopath (assuming the Creature—who is responsible for his own illness and the deaths of 209,787 Americans and 7,416,126 cases here (https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html)—survives to gloat). Let's take back the presidency and the Senate and see how government that at least claims to have more than the 1% at heart can restore our faith.
100% "...we should all remember that both the House and the Senate are complicit in the on-going transfer of wealth to and concentration of wealth in the hands of the wealthy..." I have relatives who work in small businesses, very much on the edge of the economy, who were disappointed in Obama, were hoping he would stop this slide--they saw the corruption and knew it was hurting America. I think they failed to realize just how close to going over the cliff we were when Obama took over, and steering the country away from disaster was basically impossible without letting some of the wealthy 'get away with it'. And that didn't sit well with these folks. Some of my relatives with small businesses went to Trump thinking what was needed is a "businessman". I cringe at how badly they've been conned by Trump, some remain unable to admit it. I feel a little bit sorry for them. But for the wealthy who are just greedily stuffing all they can into their mouths, yelling "both sides/all sides do this, so why shouldn't I"? They need a kick in the pants.
Agree totally. The great fight of our times is against the corporatocracy which is eating the heart out of our democracy and creating all the inequality with their lobbying power and resources to turn the tap in their direction.
I did do a little fist-pump when I saw that RoJo tested positive. I don't wish anyone to die, but as a friend who is dealing with COVID right now put it, she wants them to "really experience" COVID.
I wonder if the reason is that these Rs think, or know, if they become really ill, that T will order his doctor(s) to give them drugs not available to the public? Why would you be so careless of your own health and loved ones?
What has amazed me all along and what continues to amaze me is how much support Trump does still have. I can't understand how any thinking person could possibly believe America is in good hands with Trump in the White House. America needs a therapist.
Racism and sexism are two of the most persistent afflictions of the American people. Most won't admit they are infected. Those who do admit it and work hard to try to eradicate these diseases have found that it is incredibly difficult to do so: white privilege is such an unspoken norm that even those whose economic status isn't in the upper echelons benefit from it and don't know it. The legacy of the 19th century has never been addressed fully because the white men in charge of the country have persisted in trying to ignore and disparage any admission of culpability and responsibility.
I really wasn’t comfortable with Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” tag, but it does seem to have some legs. The fact that there is still an immovable double-digit crowd of supporters shouting “MAGA!” and “‘Merica!” after all the “fine people on both sides” and “grab them by the hoo hoo” moments makes me clear about their motivation: roll our society back to some Father-Knows-Best moment where women and POC know their place and it is fundamentally patriotic to go around shouting “Get those fer’ners OUT!”
And notice that the examples I gave are 3-4 years old. This whole thing has been a rolling clusterf%#k of a nightmare for years. Make it stop.
Unfortunately not enough people understood the "basket of deplorables" referred to the white supremacists and nationalists his campaign was flirting with online. I've heard several people upset because they think she was referring to Republicans in general.
The most frustrating thing for me has been seeing people I know posting about the "Russia hoax" when I spent the whole 2016 campaign watching Trump and the extreme right wing online media sharing made up stories from Russia Today and Sputnik and retweeting crap from the "alt-right" 🤦🏻♀️
This is something I've said over and over again...as long as whatever they do gets the "libtards" mad, then it's worth whatever the price to be paid. Well, for the past 3 years we've seen just exactly what that price is and what it is costing EVERYBODY. I'd ask them, "Was it really worth destroying a political party and sending the country into anarchy just to try and piss me off???" I think a few of them are realising it maybe wasn't worth the cost.
I am also amazed. Especially each time I speak with a family member whose position is: "Anyone-But-Biden!!" The irrationality and denial is baffling (not to mentioned frustrating...)
I have a close friend who is a Republican who "loathes and disdains trump" but she is voting straight Rep because her parents and grandparents always did. They've also been brainwashed about Dems being socialists and communists. They've drunk the KoolAid. Ugh
When I was around 12 & reading Reader's Digest there was a humorous piece in one of the sharing sections. A young recently married couple were preparing a Sunday dinner (it was the early 60s) & he noticed his wife cutting off the ends of the ham before putting it into the pan for baking. He asked her "why?" and she responds "that's the way my mother does it." Hmm.
So the next time he's at his in-laws, he asks his mother-in-law why she cuts off the ends of the ham before she bakes it. Her response is also "that's the way my mother does it."
At some point, he gets to ask grandma why she cuts off the ends of the ham before baking. Her answer " so it would fit in the pan".
I love repeating this story whenever someone tells me they've always done something a particular way.
I love this story, thanks so much! My husband wants me to challenge my friend on her vote, but I want to retain our friendship. Tough call... What I cannot understand is how someone with so many of my exact standards and values can be so blind to the truth! I watch the Lincoln Project Town Halls and they suggest asking one's friend or family member to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate, "just this once", to save the democracy and the planet. I could try that, in a non-judgemental way...
I have a R friend and in discussing being a loyal Republican, I said to her...you can be a Republican, but why be a Trump Republican? She seemed to be reconsidering her stance.
Thank you Lynell, I appreciate your input. I did carefully compose and send a letter to my friend and I did use the ham story! I also used Carole Wilson's suggestion, and the Lincoln Project's "just this once" idea. It is St. Francis' Day and I led in by saying he's the patron saint of animals and the environment. I asked her to consider the climate crisis for the good of our families and grandchildren. I repeated that her friendship is of great value to me but I wanted her to think about this. Thank you everyone for your great suggestions!
Don't assume they are "thinking persons." If they were, they would have deserted Trump months, if not years, ago. Ingrained fear that someone who hasn't worked for it is going to take away or even share in what they have blocks all normal thinking processes.
That, and the notion that the economy and stock market are the same thing. I say that because when we press acquaintances as to what exactly is it they like about this unlikeable individual, or name something positive he’s done while in office, and most often we get the general “he’s been good for the economy”.
Steve, I agree with you 100%...not just because we share the same name (which obviously implies a superior intelligence), but because it has always been a mystery to me that 40% of the American public consistently believes in this man - in spite of all the lies, the scandals, the false denials, the lack of empathy and denigration of anyone who disagrees, the racism, etc.
But....one must remember that 50% of all Americans have below average IQ.
But the sad thing is so many smart, educated people are still on the tRump train. I see it in my FaceBook friends’ posts and there is no convincing them no matter how many facts I rebut with.
I was talking with a friend yesterday who is an adamant trumpeteer, we have agreed a long time ago to not talk politics, and she is still gung-ho trump. sigh
His cult does not think. Most of them are as racist as he is or they love the class clown or they have some hot button issue like abortion or all of the above.
While he's there, he needs a psychological evaluation. In his second video he casually mentioned "locked in a room upstairs." That didn't sound good to me.
If you are born into privilege in any society in the world, it is nigh impossible to give up what you have. The mind automatically rationalizes why you deserve it. That is what I think is going on.
This country's needed a "damned good whacking" for a long time. it's finally getting it. Maybe perhaps we shall "wake the fck up" finally. And I don't just say that about Trumpers. I just wish it had only involved the idiots when it came to dying of the plague, but that's the way plagues are.
Hard to believe for those who have been reeling from the daily, hourly onslaught of horrors that have emanated from this President. Quite frankly, he has so imprinted himself on our consciousness that it is hard to imagine what life will be like with President Biden and Vice President Harris in the White House.
We are exhausted – from Covid, from the climate crisis that has yet to be addressed, from racial and economic inequality that continues to worsen, and from the turn toward authoritarianism at home and abroad.
Remember Brexit? Remember how we, at least those of us in Europe, thought it spelled the end of a world order that had kept the peace for the last 70 years? Brexit seems almost quaint by comparison to what our country has experienced over the last four years.
We are ready, the country to ready, the world is ready – for Donald Trump to exit the scene and for life, as unpredictable as it always is, to have his massive toxic influence fade into history.
Ready indeed. But fade into history? Let's hope. My worry is the aftermath. Trumpism seems like the crest of a wave that has been building for 30 (Contract With America), or 40 ("Government is the problem"), or 50 years (The Silent Majority), and longer. Even if Trump is resoundingly turned out of office - and please Lord may that happen - there will be a toxic legacy left behind. Trump is a narcissistic buffoon, but look at what he accomplished. He's laid out a template for how to govern this country without the slightest consideration or even veneer of respect for rules or decorum. You think Republicans haven't been taking notes? We should be grateful he's incompetent. But what will happen when when an intelligent and effective politician takes that playbook and runs with it? The fight will not be over, not by a long shot. We who oppose creeping authoritarianism, quasi-fascistic politics, and rule of corporate ideology had better be ready to use any period of quiet in a post-Trump landscape, should we be so blessed, to organize our forces and tools, and be ready for the next wave. Because there will be another.
This complements my thoughts that DT is a symptom not the problem. Republican politicians are supporting him only because he is a means to an end -- an oligarchic kleptocracy. George Lakey, an amazing man who is an expert on nonviolent civic resistance says that the polarization we're seeing now has always been linked to income disparity. I don't want to be in a patriarchal Handmaid's Tale country where big money is dictating what the politicians do or get primaried and replaced. Follow the money! Every institution of government is morphing into supporting authoritarianism. Yes, Syd, it isn't just going to spring back to "normal" or to democracy for that matter. Time to take our democracy back. Vote as if it is the last time you'll be allowed to vote!
Yes, along with voting rights and health care, a blue wave has got to force the 1% to return all the extra resources they have extracted from everyone else over the last 50 years, create good jobs, and have another "great compression" that lifts up all the people in the lower half of this economy.
But you have to admit that the peculiar chemistry of this man has been maddening! We must absolutely use what time we have in the majority - should we win as big as we should - to batten down the hatches. The fight will not be won simply by vanquishing Donald Trump.
You speak the truth. I know people who have been fighting policy changes since the 80s when the serpent first showed its head. We need to remember that this is an agenda that only we are not privy to. We report where we see it. But isolated outrage and protests will not take down such a well funded step by step plan. It’s funny they like ti throw the hoax and conspiracy theory line at us. Well folks, there has been conspiracy against reason and democracy that is documented. Connect the dots. The accidental alignment with Trumpism is just as you describe. Convenient for now.
Syd, may I share your comment publicly? If so, would you wish would you prefer it with or without attribution? Your summary descriptions of these last several decades of Republican anti-government strategizing is something many Americans do not know about.
Strongly suggest attribution, to give it validation in the eyes of readers and thus a stronger voice. Anonymous writings are weaker, no matter how well-done they are.
Thank you, HCR, for not giving your readers a break. Whether really infected or not, Trump has managed to do what he has always done: grab media attention away from his opponents. No news is bad news. Remember that bit of Trump wisdom from his NYC days? Please, God, keep Joe Biden safe from his exposure to Trump. Please, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, figure out how to keep Biden on the campaign trail and in front of the American people. Please, Steve Schmidt and the Lincoln Project, Mr.&Mrs.O, Bernie, Elisabeth, and all Biden’s surrogates, and fierce Kamala keep attention laser-focused on the real truth of this most Disastrous POTUS. Trump and the ravenous news media cannot be allowed to divert attention away from the terrible threats Trump poses to our country and the world. Bear down and continue to GOTV for Democrats up and down the ballot across the nation. Let’s not enable a sympathy vote for an evil man. Let’s not encourage those secret Trump voters. I felt ashamed that Trump is my country’s President. That was my takeaway from the debate debacle. The USA can’t survive another 4 years of Trump. 29 days to go. My volunteer work continues. ❤️🤍💙
Melania has debased the Office of the President and the nation along with her husband. The report of her profane tirade on Christmas and children, (she left out Mom and apple pie,) brought to mind the fine women who have graced the White House and the nation. Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, and Laura Bush came to mind almost immediately. Rosalynn Carter followed soon after. I'm sure Hillary Clinton could cuss like a sailor, but directed at Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassly, and probably her husband a lot.
The whole Trump entourage makes me feel like I'm dirty and I can't wash it off; I just keep getting dirtier every day.
Poor Melania, with friends and close associates like the author of this new penny dreadful.....who needs a few billion enemies! No judgement it would seem both in choosing husbands, friends or collaboraters and opening her mouth. Her previous "professional" experience obviously didn't prepare her for life in a circus.
Halfway through Wolkoff's book I was tired of what seemed like the whinging of an entitled climber. Three-fourths through I realized this was actually her public statement of defense against the machinations of the male climbers trying to frame her for the Inauguration debacle ( she kept notes, emails, recipts, records). It was only at the end of the book that I saw how she used the First lady mainly to get her book out there. Melania did use her too and dumped her when the vice tightened -- not a good look but consistent with Trumpworld. I was left wondering how solid their friendship was to begin with, what unrealistic expectations there were and how broken things can get when the boundaries of private/public worlds are so blurred. Penny dreadful but instructive, at least IMHO.
Melanoma, like the rest of these scum, gets what she deserves. She's the one who messed over her friend to the point her friend wrote that to tell the rest of the world what she had discovered the hard way about a person she thought cared about her as much as she cared about her friend.
This is a surreal time we are living in. How incredibly sad that the gut reaction of many Americans is doubt when information is released by this administration. That is the consequence of almost four years of lying and disinformation disseminated as truth and fact from the highest office in our land.
Thank you, HCR, for your dedication to recording history and in the process separating the wheat from the chaff for the rest of us. Please practice your own advice and take a break when you need to. We value you too much to have you wear yourself to the bone.
On another note, I found it interesting that Chris Christie checked himself into a hospital. How many other Americans are afforded that privilege? Another example of the haves and the have nots when it comes to health care.
I've been wondering about how that actually works in a regular hospital. How does a doctor or a hospital administration justify turning away others who are infected but don't have the most dire symptoms, while admitting Chris Christie if he also has only milder symptoms?
I just read about a boy (20 years old) who was positive, went to the hospital because he had a comorbidity (asthma), and was turned away because his symptoms were too mild. He died three days later in the shower.
Chris Christie is not the president of the United States. He's not even the corrupt governor of NJ anymore. How does a hospital justify admitting him while turning away others with the same or perhaps worse symptoms? Is that not a liability issue?
No. He's certainly not the only one. I just happened to read about him last night. Eventually, the people who study these things will give us an estimate of how many died in this way.
Mademoiselle, most of us are much more concerned about you giving yourSELF a break on the weekend. But we're happy to read whatever and whenever you post.
“Does anyone else find it odd that no prominent Democrats have had the virus but the list of Republicans goes on and on?” tweeted DeAnna Lorraine, a former congressional candidate who has backed baseless theories from the QAnon conspiracy movement, going on to blast masks as a Democrat-backed lie and questioning whether China had technically made an “assassination attempt” on the first family. (Politico) - someone needs to tell DeAnna that the Democrats take the virus seriously and wear masks.
And so it begins. I said on Friday night when the news broke that, if he died, the conspiracy theorists would go nuts with theories that it was somehow an assassination. It kills me because the logical conclusion is obviously that Democrats have been more careful. But when has logic ruled with this group? The frightening part is that I can only see violence as a consequence if Trump dies and this particular theory catches hold.
Thank you for your summation of this train wreck that is unfolding infront of us. In my wildest dreams would I have thought we would be at this point of uncontrol as a nation. The sheer lack of transparency from this Administration is staggering. I am most repulsed by the Administration not being upfront with the Biden campaign on an issue so important. I am also trying very hard to drum up the proper level of empathy for Trump . Perhaps I can another day, but right now I am watching the ticker rise on COVID-19 numbers across the Country that deserved to know better from this President. Be well.
When my grandson and his children study this dark Trump Era in American history, I expect them to use your book as a documentary source. And it’s already written. No lost sleep. Thank you and bless you 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
2 Thoughts—-My grandson is 3 years old I should mention. Secondly, I just drove through Lawrence Kansas, site of the Quantrill Raider’s massacre. Now that trump has put his militias on standby, I’m wondering if is there a connection to Q anon. Same hatred.
My initial impression was that it was a put up job, an “October Surprise.” It just seemed so orchestrated especially coming on the heels of the disaster of a debate. Lies have been the name of the game in this administration, including from Trump’s doctors and the CDC. At this point, I don’t trust any information from this administration or anyone connected to it. Love your “Letters.” Keep up the good work. Thank you.
We are so grateful for your letter tonight, Dr. R. Please get your rest. I, for one, would love to see one or two days' worth of Buddy's photos...just sayin'!
When the panic takes hold of the enemy forces, it is time to attack in a controlled, coordinated and unrelenting manner. Calmness is necessary to parry the probably reckless suicidal reactions of remaining fanatics. Clarity of vision, precision with the strike and coherence in the message will allow us to cut the heart out of this Trumpian abomination and limit the collateral damage.
My heart goes out to all the Secret Sevice, White House Staff, Walter Reed Staff, drivers, pilots and news reporters who have been endangered or sickened by this (can I say it?) murderous man. I pray that if they become ill, they are afforded the same superb medical treatment (including Regeneron) and care that tRump is able to get.
Unfortunately they won’t get such treatment. The last I heard, there has been no emails to the hundreds of WH employees, and limited if any contact tracing done by the CDC or others.
2020 right now is like Bilbo and Samwise are climbing Mount Doom, sooooo close to getting rid of the ring. Except, in that analogy, nobody was supporting Golllum.
Can we please talk about the GOPs utter disregard for public health and the well-being of others? We have known it was an issue, but how there is hard data and personal statements. Sen Rick Johnson (R-WI) who was tested positive on Friday and went ahead with attending an Oktoberfest fundraiser maskless and no distancing. He stated, “I’m not sick, I have no symptoms, I certainly didn’t anticipate testing positive, so there was no reason to quarantine.”
And the three Minnesota congressman (R) whom flew home Friday night from DC on Delta despite their known exposure. And William Barr and Mark Meadows refusing to quarantine and walking around the White House maskless. And VP Pence continue to travel all week when he should be in quarantine. These are public officials whom we elected and work for us. When are they held accountable for gross negligence and threatening public health? I know the list of people who won’t do anything, but who will? For all the staff in the WH, Congress, hotels, airlines, the SS, military, etc. Is it OSHA at this point?
I feel like Melania’s jacket from long ago was not just a personal statement, but maybe the new uniform of the GOP. They have no conscience! The fury of America right now is coming from all of us living in isolation for 7 months, millions sick, thousands dying, livelihoods lost while they STILL think public health is a joke.
I no longer have words to adequately express my revulsion of these immoral and foul people. I have never been a "must vote blue across the board" person until this year. But there is not a single Republican that deserves to stay in their elected position.
I ran out of words some time ago. I went for years not voting a straight ticket until the Republican party became so bad that I could not vote for any R. My next door neighbor was a R elected official for years and he has expressed his dismay at where the party is now and has had D signs in his yard. This year the Rs nominated a QAnon type to run against our D Senator. She will not win, but should not be running at all.
For the first time ever, I voted a straight Democratic ticket. I am so angry with the GOP, that I will not dignify the past 4 years of enabling the worst US government in my lifetime by electing anyone willing to be part of the GOP. My lifetime includes the Nixon administration.
These”truths” make my blood boil!!
And the Wisconsin Legislature (Fitzpatrick and Vos in particular) are suing to rescind Gov Evers mask order, despite the fact that the case rate in this state is the 3rd highest in the nation and the number of deaths keep going up!
Fitzgerald and Vos make me furious. As a Wisconsinite I fear for the safety of my state. Wisconsin is home to 8 of the top 20 cities with the worst outbreaks! I am fighting hard for Fitzgerald's opponent in the upcoming election. Is it wrong that I was secretly hoping they were both at the #rosegardenmassacre ?
I live part time in southern Wisconsin and the Trump signs are numerous. They talk about how Trump is restoring dignity and law/order to the US. Are you kidding me! Talk about hypocrisy.
Yessss! It is so frustrating! I live in So. Ohio and I'm getting PTSD from all the Trump signs. And banners. Flags. Painted barns. It's like torture by paper cuts. And the level of brainwashing is astounding. I'm absolutely flummoxed by all of it.
Krista, take comfort in that you are not alone. Torture by paper cuts is the perfect analogy!
Agreed, Robert! We live in a small rural town and the area is lousy with Trump signs. Our Biden/Harris, Izzy Nevarez and Tom Palzewicz signs are displayed in our yard with pride and under the watchful eye of our Ring doorbell ;-)
I live in California. Every one of my friends is a multimillionaire. All are college grads. The richer they are, the more likely they are to support Trump. “Fake news” and “Biden’s a socialist” are their automatic responses to anything not supporting their FOX News disinformed bias. Most have benefited greatly from COVID economic relief programs such as PPP and CFAP. Being the pauper amongst this set, my spouse and I received $2400; the rest received 10’s, if not 100’s, of thousands of dollars in economic relief money. One person excused her applying for government payments by the fact that she made less than $900,000 last year. 😥 Others, only one of whose business actually suffered a loss of income/profit due to COVID, rationalized applying for government assistance “because everyone else was doing it.” I am wary of additional COVID relief packages. My personal knowledge of blatant abuse leads me to conclude it is another massive transfer of wealth to the wealthy. That’s the American Way...privatize profits, socialize losses (see Trump’s taxes articles in NYT.) Socialism for the wealthy; dog-eat-dog capitalism for the masses. I can see why my wealthiest friends are afraid of Democrats, government assisted healthcare, universal childcare, and more equitable income distribution—it would dilute their percent of the take.
I can understand my wealthy friends vested interest in supporting Trump because of his promotion of tax cuts and handouts to them. However, while we are railing amongst ourselves on this forum, we should all remember that both the House and Senate are complicit in the on-going transfer of wealth to and concentration of wealth in the hands of the wealthy. Don’t just blindly vote a party ticket. Maybe you should be supporting someone who is neither a Democrat nor Republican.
Such blatant abuse, as you say, is terrible!
Next time you can maybe go third party. Not this election, unless you want to live in an autocracy run by an uncontrolled sociopath (assuming the Creature—who is responsible for his own illness and the deaths of 209,787 Americans and 7,416,126 cases here (https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html)—survives to gloat). Let's take back the presidency and the Senate and see how government that at least claims to have more than the 1% at heart can restore our faith.
100% "...we should all remember that both the House and the Senate are complicit in the on-going transfer of wealth to and concentration of wealth in the hands of the wealthy..." I have relatives who work in small businesses, very much on the edge of the economy, who were disappointed in Obama, were hoping he would stop this slide--they saw the corruption and knew it was hurting America. I think they failed to realize just how close to going over the cliff we were when Obama took over, and steering the country away from disaster was basically impossible without letting some of the wealthy 'get away with it'. And that didn't sit well with these folks. Some of my relatives with small businesses went to Trump thinking what was needed is a "businessman". I cringe at how badly they've been conned by Trump, some remain unable to admit it. I feel a little bit sorry for them. But for the wealthy who are just greedily stuffing all they can into their mouths, yelling "both sides/all sides do this, so why shouldn't I"? They need a kick in the pants.
Agree totally. The great fight of our times is against the corporatocracy which is eating the heart out of our democracy and creating all the inequality with their lobbying power and resources to turn the tap in their direction.
They should be paying attention, not only for the case rate, but for the fact that Johnson has tested positive. Hubris writ large.
I did do a little fist-pump when I saw that RoJo tested positive. I don't wish anyone to die, but as a friend who is dealing with COVID right now put it, she wants them to "really experience" COVID.
Sorry, who is RoJo?
Senator Ron Johnson or as we call him RoJo the Clown
The person in the post said Rick Johnson, but it's Ron Johnson-senator from WI. Often called RoJo for short.
Ahh, thanks. Hard to keep everybody straight, especially when you're from Virginia!
Right as if not wearing a mask is a symbol of heroism. Insane. It’s a strange and poisonous mania.
Right on!!! I wish I could share this!!
I wonder if the reason is that these Rs think, or know, if they become really ill, that T will order his doctor(s) to give them drugs not available to the public? Why would you be so careless of your own health and loved ones?
Proving once again that RoJo is the Senatorial equivalent of Louie the Gomer.
What has amazed me all along and what continues to amaze me is how much support Trump does still have. I can't understand how any thinking person could possibly believe America is in good hands with Trump in the White House. America needs a therapist.
Racism and sexism are two of the most persistent afflictions of the American people. Most won't admit they are infected. Those who do admit it and work hard to try to eradicate these diseases have found that it is incredibly difficult to do so: white privilege is such an unspoken norm that even those whose economic status isn't in the upper echelons benefit from it and don't know it. The legacy of the 19th century has never been addressed fully because the white men in charge of the country have persisted in trying to ignore and disparage any admission of culpability and responsibility.
I do believe it is racism as you describe it, Linda, that keeps people supporting him no matter what.
I really wasn’t comfortable with Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” tag, but it does seem to have some legs. The fact that there is still an immovable double-digit crowd of supporters shouting “MAGA!” and “‘Merica!” after all the “fine people on both sides” and “grab them by the hoo hoo” moments makes me clear about their motivation: roll our society back to some Father-Knows-Best moment where women and POC know their place and it is fundamentally patriotic to go around shouting “Get those fer’ners OUT!”
And notice that the examples I gave are 3-4 years old. This whole thing has been a rolling clusterf%#k of a nightmare for years. Make it stop.
Unfortunately not enough people understood the "basket of deplorables" referred to the white supremacists and nationalists his campaign was flirting with online. I've heard several people upset because they think she was referring to Republicans in general.
The most frustrating thing for me has been seeing people I know posting about the "Russia hoax" when I spent the whole 2016 campaign watching Trump and the extreme right wing online media sharing made up stories from Russia Today and Sputnik and retweeting crap from the "alt-right" 🤦🏻♀️
America needs a therapist.
As long as he makes the “libs” mad, his base doesn’t care what else he does, even if it is against their own self-interest.
This is something I've said over and over again...as long as whatever they do gets the "libtards" mad, then it's worth whatever the price to be paid. Well, for the past 3 years we've seen just exactly what that price is and what it is costing EVERYBODY. I'd ask them, "Was it really worth destroying a political party and sending the country into anarchy just to try and piss me off???" I think a few of them are realising it maybe wasn't worth the cost.
I’ll start asking exactly that question. Good idea.
Hey, Bruce! Happy to agree with you here.
👍
Also, Fox News is telling a completely different story from this, and every other news outlet.
And therein is the vector of this horrid political disease..
I am also amazed. Especially each time I speak with a family member whose position is: "Anyone-But-Biden!!" The irrationality and denial is baffling (not to mentioned frustrating...)
You answered your own question. Thinking people don’t support Trump. It’s a problem that there aren’t more thinking people.
I have a close friend who is a Republican who "loathes and disdains trump" but she is voting straight Rep because her parents and grandparents always did. They've also been brainwashed about Dems being socialists and communists. They've drunk the KoolAid. Ugh
When I was around 12 & reading Reader's Digest there was a humorous piece in one of the sharing sections. A young recently married couple were preparing a Sunday dinner (it was the early 60s) & he noticed his wife cutting off the ends of the ham before putting it into the pan for baking. He asked her "why?" and she responds "that's the way my mother does it." Hmm.
So the next time he's at his in-laws, he asks his mother-in-law why she cuts off the ends of the ham before she bakes it. Her response is also "that's the way my mother does it."
At some point, he gets to ask grandma why she cuts off the ends of the ham before baking. Her answer " so it would fit in the pan".
I love repeating this story whenever someone tells me they've always done something a particular way.
I love this story, thanks so much! My husband wants me to challenge my friend on her vote, but I want to retain our friendship. Tough call... What I cannot understand is how someone with so many of my exact standards and values can be so blind to the truth! I watch the Lincoln Project Town Halls and they suggest asking one's friend or family member to vote for a Democratic presidential candidate, "just this once", to save the democracy and the planet. I could try that, in a non-judgemental way...
I have a R friend and in discussing being a loyal Republican, I said to her...you can be a Republican, but why be a Trump Republican? She seemed to be reconsidering her stance.
Thanks, that's a great idea! I must try one more time.
Ooh, I like your idea, Carole, better than mine!
Let me butt in and suggest you tell BetsyC's ham story right after some light talk you may be having with your friend about the election.
Thank you Lynell, I appreciate your input. I did carefully compose and send a letter to my friend and I did use the ham story! I also used Carole Wilson's suggestion, and the Lincoln Project's "just this once" idea. It is St. Francis' Day and I led in by saying he's the patron saint of animals and the environment. I asked her to consider the climate crisis for the good of our families and grandchildren. I repeated that her friendship is of great value to me but I wanted her to think about this. Thank you everyone for your great suggestions!
So glad to hear, and thank you for taking the time to respond. I hope it works out for you!
I remember that story!
Don't assume they are "thinking persons." If they were, they would have deserted Trump months, if not years, ago. Ingrained fear that someone who hasn't worked for it is going to take away or even share in what they have blocks all normal thinking processes.
That, and the notion that the economy and stock market are the same thing. I say that because when we press acquaintances as to what exactly is it they like about this unlikeable individual, or name something positive he’s done while in office, and most often we get the general “he’s been good for the economy”.
I believe this to be the root of our problem.
Which is the strategy all along. And the more fear they can spread, the higher chance others will join them.
Steve, I agree with you 100%...not just because we share the same name (which obviously implies a superior intelligence), but because it has always been a mystery to me that 40% of the American public consistently believes in this man - in spite of all the lies, the scandals, the false denials, the lack of empathy and denigration of anyone who disagrees, the racism, etc.
But....one must remember that 50% of all Americans have below average IQ.
But the sad thing is so many smart, educated people are still on the tRump train. I see it in my FaceBook friends’ posts and there is no convincing them no matter how many facts I rebut with.
I was talking with a friend yesterday who is an adamant trumpeteer, we have agreed a long time ago to not talk politics, and she is still gung-ho trump. sigh
His cult does not think. Most of them are as racist as he is or they love the class clown or they have some hot button issue like abortion or all of the above.
While he's there, he needs a psychological evaluation. In his second video he casually mentioned "locked in a room upstairs." That didn't sound good to me.
If you are born into privilege in any society in the world, it is nigh impossible to give up what you have. The mind automatically rationalizes why you deserve it. That is what I think is going on.
This country's needed a "damned good whacking" for a long time. it's finally getting it. Maybe perhaps we shall "wake the fck up" finally. And I don't just say that about Trumpers. I just wish it had only involved the idiots when it came to dying of the plague, but that's the way plagues are.
The election is one month away.
Hard to believe for those who have been reeling from the daily, hourly onslaught of horrors that have emanated from this President. Quite frankly, he has so imprinted himself on our consciousness that it is hard to imagine what life will be like with President Biden and Vice President Harris in the White House.
We are exhausted – from Covid, from the climate crisis that has yet to be addressed, from racial and economic inequality that continues to worsen, and from the turn toward authoritarianism at home and abroad.
Remember Brexit? Remember how we, at least those of us in Europe, thought it spelled the end of a world order that had kept the peace for the last 70 years? Brexit seems almost quaint by comparison to what our country has experienced over the last four years.
We are ready, the country to ready, the world is ready – for Donald Trump to exit the scene and for life, as unpredictable as it always is, to have his massive toxic influence fade into history.
Ready indeed. But fade into history? Let's hope. My worry is the aftermath. Trumpism seems like the crest of a wave that has been building for 30 (Contract With America), or 40 ("Government is the problem"), or 50 years (The Silent Majority), and longer. Even if Trump is resoundingly turned out of office - and please Lord may that happen - there will be a toxic legacy left behind. Trump is a narcissistic buffoon, but look at what he accomplished. He's laid out a template for how to govern this country without the slightest consideration or even veneer of respect for rules or decorum. You think Republicans haven't been taking notes? We should be grateful he's incompetent. But what will happen when when an intelligent and effective politician takes that playbook and runs with it? The fight will not be over, not by a long shot. We who oppose creeping authoritarianism, quasi-fascistic politics, and rule of corporate ideology had better be ready to use any period of quiet in a post-Trump landscape, should we be so blessed, to organize our forces and tools, and be ready for the next wave. Because there will be another.
This complements my thoughts that DT is a symptom not the problem. Republican politicians are supporting him only because he is a means to an end -- an oligarchic kleptocracy. George Lakey, an amazing man who is an expert on nonviolent civic resistance says that the polarization we're seeing now has always been linked to income disparity. I don't want to be in a patriarchal Handmaid's Tale country where big money is dictating what the politicians do or get primaried and replaced. Follow the money! Every institution of government is morphing into supporting authoritarianism. Yes, Syd, it isn't just going to spring back to "normal" or to democracy for that matter. Time to take our democracy back. Vote as if it is the last time you'll be allowed to vote!
Yes, along with voting rights and health care, a blue wave has got to force the 1% to return all the extra resources they have extracted from everyone else over the last 50 years, create good jobs, and have another "great compression" that lifts up all the people in the lower half of this economy.
I couldn't agree with you more fully.
But you have to admit that the peculiar chemistry of this man has been maddening! We must absolutely use what time we have in the majority - should we win as big as we should - to batten down the hatches. The fight will not be won simply by vanquishing Donald Trump.
You speak the truth. I know people who have been fighting policy changes since the 80s when the serpent first showed its head. We need to remember that this is an agenda that only we are not privy to. We report where we see it. But isolated outrage and protests will not take down such a well funded step by step plan. It’s funny they like ti throw the hoax and conspiracy theory line at us. Well folks, there has been conspiracy against reason and democracy that is documented. Connect the dots. The accidental alignment with Trumpism is just as you describe. Convenient for now.
Syd, may I share your comment publicly? If so, would you wish would you prefer it with or without attribution? Your summary descriptions of these last several decades of Republican anti-government strategizing is something many Americans do not know about.
You flatter me, please do. I'm not on the social medias. I'm not concerned about attribution, do or don't as seems appropriate for the forum.
Strongly suggest attribution, to give it validation in the eyes of readers and thus a stronger voice. Anonymous writings are weaker, no matter how well-done they are.
Thank you. And thank you for your informed commentary here!
Thank you, HCR, for not giving your readers a break. Whether really infected or not, Trump has managed to do what he has always done: grab media attention away from his opponents. No news is bad news. Remember that bit of Trump wisdom from his NYC days? Please, God, keep Joe Biden safe from his exposure to Trump. Please, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, figure out how to keep Biden on the campaign trail and in front of the American people. Please, Steve Schmidt and the Lincoln Project, Mr.&Mrs.O, Bernie, Elisabeth, and all Biden’s surrogates, and fierce Kamala keep attention laser-focused on the real truth of this most Disastrous POTUS. Trump and the ravenous news media cannot be allowed to divert attention away from the terrible threats Trump poses to our country and the world. Bear down and continue to GOTV for Democrats up and down the ballot across the nation. Let’s not enable a sympathy vote for an evil man. Let’s not encourage those secret Trump voters. I felt ashamed that Trump is my country’s President. That was my takeaway from the debate debacle. The USA can’t survive another 4 years of Trump. 29 days to go. My volunteer work continues. ❤️🤍💙
Melania has debased the Office of the President and the nation along with her husband. The report of her profane tirade on Christmas and children, (she left out Mom and apple pie,) brought to mind the fine women who have graced the White House and the nation. Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, and Laura Bush came to mind almost immediately. Rosalynn Carter followed soon after. I'm sure Hillary Clinton could cuss like a sailor, but directed at Mitch McConnell and Chuck Grassly, and probably her husband a lot.
The whole Trump entourage makes me feel like I'm dirty and I can't wash it off; I just keep getting dirtier every day.
I want to feel clean again.
There is a glaring omission in your comment. We had
8 years of Michelle Obama, one of the most accomplished, compassionate and graceful first ladies. I am puzzled.
You are absolutely right. How could I have left out Michelle Obama? I guess I'm getting old and only remembering things from my younger days.
Thank you for your reminder.
Poor Melania, with friends and close associates like the author of this new penny dreadful.....who needs a few billion enemies! No judgement it would seem both in choosing husbands, friends or collaboraters and opening her mouth. Her previous "professional" experience obviously didn't prepare her for life in a circus.
Halfway through Wolkoff's book I was tired of what seemed like the whinging of an entitled climber. Three-fourths through I realized this was actually her public statement of defense against the machinations of the male climbers trying to frame her for the Inauguration debacle ( she kept notes, emails, recipts, records). It was only at the end of the book that I saw how she used the First lady mainly to get her book out there. Melania did use her too and dumped her when the vice tightened -- not a good look but consistent with Trumpworld. I was left wondering how solid their friendship was to begin with, what unrealistic expectations there were and how broken things can get when the boundaries of private/public worlds are so blurred. Penny dreadful but instructive, at least IMHO.
Melanoma, like the rest of these scum, gets what she deserves. She's the one who messed over her friend to the point her friend wrote that to tell the rest of the world what she had discovered the hard way about a person she thought cared about her as much as she cared about her friend.
This is a surreal time we are living in. How incredibly sad that the gut reaction of many Americans is doubt when information is released by this administration. That is the consequence of almost four years of lying and disinformation disseminated as truth and fact from the highest office in our land.
Thank you, HCR, for your dedication to recording history and in the process separating the wheat from the chaff for the rest of us. Please practice your own advice and take a break when you need to. We value you too much to have you wear yourself to the bone.
On another note, I found it interesting that Chris Christie checked himself into a hospital. How many other Americans are afforded that privilege? Another example of the haves and the have nots when it comes to health care.
I've been wondering about how that actually works in a regular hospital. How does a doctor or a hospital administration justify turning away others who are infected but don't have the most dire symptoms, while admitting Chris Christie if he also has only milder symptoms?
I just read about a boy (20 years old) who was positive, went to the hospital because he had a comorbidity (asthma), and was turned away because his symptoms were too mild. He died three days later in the shower.
Chris Christie is not the president of the United States. He's not even the corrupt governor of NJ anymore. How does a hospital justify admitting him while turning away others with the same or perhaps worse symptoms? Is that not a liability issue?
The 20-year-old was black.
What happened to that boy is inexcusable, but he is not the only one who has been turned away and then died. Christy called in some favors.
No. He's certainly not the only one. I just happened to read about him last night. Eventually, the people who study these things will give us an estimate of how many died in this way.
Mademoiselle, most of us are much more concerned about you giving yourSELF a break on the weekend. But we're happy to read whatever and whenever you post.
“Does anyone else find it odd that no prominent Democrats have had the virus but the list of Republicans goes on and on?” tweeted DeAnna Lorraine, a former congressional candidate who has backed baseless theories from the QAnon conspiracy movement, going on to blast masks as a Democrat-backed lie and questioning whether China had technically made an “assassination attempt” on the first family. (Politico) - someone needs to tell DeAnna that the Democrats take the virus seriously and wear masks.
And so it begins. I said on Friday night when the news broke that, if he died, the conspiracy theorists would go nuts with theories that it was somehow an assassination. It kills me because the logical conclusion is obviously that Democrats have been more careful. But when has logic ruled with this group? The frightening part is that I can only see violence as a consequence if Trump dies and this particular theory catches hold.
Plus, tell her surely no Democrats were in attendance at any of the events that culminated in the outbreak.
Thank you for your summation of this train wreck that is unfolding infront of us. In my wildest dreams would I have thought we would be at this point of uncontrol as a nation. The sheer lack of transparency from this Administration is staggering. I am most repulsed by the Administration not being upfront with the Biden campaign on an issue so important. I am also trying very hard to drum up the proper level of empathy for Trump . Perhaps I can another day, but right now I am watching the ticker rise on COVID-19 numbers across the Country that deserved to know better from this President. Be well.
When my grandson and his children study this dark Trump Era in American history, I expect them to use your book as a documentary source. And it’s already written. No lost sleep. Thank you and bless you 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
2 Thoughts—-My grandson is 3 years old I should mention. Secondly, I just drove through Lawrence Kansas, site of the Quantrill Raider’s massacre. Now that trump has put his militias on standby, I’m wondering if is there a connection to Q anon. Same hatred.
My initial impression was that it was a put up job, an “October Surprise.” It just seemed so orchestrated especially coming on the heels of the disaster of a debate. Lies have been the name of the game in this administration, including from Trump’s doctors and the CDC. At this point, I don’t trust any information from this administration or anyone connected to it. Love your “Letters.” Keep up the good work. Thank you.
We are so grateful for your letter tonight, Dr. R. Please get your rest. I, for one, would love to see one or two days' worth of Buddy's photos...just sayin'!
Me too.
When the panic takes hold of the enemy forces, it is time to attack in a controlled, coordinated and unrelenting manner. Calmness is necessary to parry the probably reckless suicidal reactions of remaining fanatics. Clarity of vision, precision with the strike and coherence in the message will allow us to cut the heart out of this Trumpian abomination and limit the collateral damage.
My heart goes out to all the Secret Sevice, White House Staff, Walter Reed Staff, drivers, pilots and news reporters who have been endangered or sickened by this (can I say it?) murderous man. I pray that if they become ill, they are afforded the same superb medical treatment (including Regeneron) and care that tRump is able to get.
Yes, you can say it. We must all say it.
Unfortunately they won’t get such treatment. The last I heard, there has been no emails to the hundreds of WH employees, and limited if any contact tracing done by the CDC or others.
2020 right now is like Bilbo and Samwise are climbing Mount Doom, sooooo close to getting rid of the ring. Except, in that analogy, nobody was supporting Golllum.
Just zillions of orcs and Sauron's dark forces of evil.....perfect metaphor for whats happening now.
A Lord of the Rings analogy. Yes, this is my tribe!
😊
Gollum.