It feels like power is slipping away from Trump and his administration, and they are trying desperately to claw it back. Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his team are trying to criticize the president without getting sucked into his orbit, so they can focus on moving the country forward.
Since things are slow, I'm going to share this post I found on FB. By Elaine Griffin Baker:
“I’ve been wondering why this entire country seems to be under a cloud of constant misery.
Why we all seem to be Russians
waiting in line for toilet paper, meat, Lysol.
Hoarding yeast and sourdough starter “in case we can’t get bread”.
Buying stamps so that one of our most beloved institutions might survive.
Why we all look like we are in bad need of a haircut, or a facial or a reason to dress up again and go somewhere.
Anywhere.
There is no art in this White House. There is no literature or poetry in this White House. No music.
No Kennedy Center award celebrations.
There are no pets in this White House.
No loyal man’s best friend. No Socks the family cat.
No kids’ science fairs.
No times when this president takes off his blue suit-red tie uniform and becomes human, except when he puts on his white shirt- khaki pants uniform and hides from Americans to
play golf.
There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment
of relaxation.
No Obama’s on the beach in Hawaii moments, or Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport, no Reagans on horseback, no Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape.
I was thinking the other day of the summer when George H couldn’t catch a fish and all the grandkids made signs and
counted the fish-less days.
And somehow, even if you didn’t even like GHB, you got caught up in the joy of a family that loved each other and had fun.
Where did that country go? Where did all of the fun and joy and expressions of love and happiness go? We used to be a country that did the ice bucket challenge and raised millions for charity.
We used to have a president that calmed and soothed the nation instead dividing it.
And a First Lady that planted a garden instead of ripping one out.
We are rudderless and joyless.
We have lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great.
We have lost our mojo. Our fun, our happiness.
The cheering on of others.
The shared experiences of humanity that makes it all worth it.
The challenges AND the triumphs that we shared and celebrated.
The unique can-do spirit Americans have always been known for.
We are lost.
We have lost so much
In so short a time." The dems should hearken to this.
A note on NC voting machines: The voting machines used in 2016 have all been replaced. By law, NC was required to have new machines, machines that were used for our 2019 local elections and worked marvelously well. They have both paper and electronic recording. Even though NC is known for troublesome voter suppression and people now having to show ID, some of us continue to volunteer our time to do what we can to ensure people get to vote and that each vote counts. Volunteer where you can, good people. You are needed!
I’m awake in Texas, too! Liked the talk this evening with the group on Facebook! Don’t poop on my rug, Is my new battle cry. I have to drink from closed containers due to sneaky cats. Wine glasses are such a good idea! Especially on Zoom meetings!
Biden wasn’t wrong about the Bible being upside down in the photo op. For just a few minutes dumpty did hold it upside down until someone pointed it out and he quickly turned it right side up. And when asked is it your Bible, dumpty replied it is A Bible. So kind of surprised his hand didn’t get scorched or burst into flames!
I recorded the Biden town hall, but I did catch the first comment about it on Cuomo! Biden just had to speak in complete sentences because dumpty set the bar just that low! Ha! I will have to watch it after work, but what little I saw, like apologizing for jumping the gun to answer the woman talking about farming issues, Biden I thought sounded good. I know I’m biased. And I didn’t watch dumpty’s town hall. I just can’t take him anymore!
(If I can get back to sleep I can get a two hour nap before my alarm! Elementary teachers do love Friday!)
Thank you! I would miss it all if not for you! And it does give me hope, too! That so many people are invested in the struggle for right. I hope it doesn’t take 20 years so we can watch the recovery. And that so many people are no longer apathetic, but energized and working to solutions!
When instigating systemic, cultural/political change in an organization that will permanently and massively change the identity of that institution then there are several key elements that must be present for that change to prevail over the natural tendency towards inertia.....and only thus will the change not unravel and return to its original state. The Change Group must have a committed, motivated, united leadership which projects a clear, common vision of what the institution and the lives of people will look like AFTERWARDS and how they intend to achieve this vision without exception, doubt or ambiguity. The Change Support Group must grow exponentially as the leaders spread the message and new adherents spread the message to new groups. The leadership has to have a plan, a structure and coherent distribution of all-inclusive responsibilities to bring all non-supporting groups in line with the change message. Then the Change Process must offer demonstrable victories to maintain the inevitability, energy and dynamism of movement: they are moving forward and are winning! Without these preconditions, and the goodies strewn along the "golden road", the movement faulters, people feel they are no longer moving forward and start to doubt and backslide. When that happens, the rot sets in and infectious doubt sends the movement headlong in reverse and we end up back where we started.
Why this long diatribe on such an esoteric subject from my professional life as change management.....well because i think it is appropriate for our current political crisis. Trump/Koch and their people tried to achieve this permanent change but went about it all wrong....they didn't even get to "ground zero" on their attempt to overturn the political culture of this nation and massively change the lives of its people: they forgot the people and thought that brut force, administrative fiat and money would suffice. They have no leadership, no unified message, no attempt to enlarge the change-supporting circle to non-supporting groups and no victories on the road to encourage new supporters to join them. Predictably, the doubts are splitting the change support group, leadership groupis starting to contradict each other and the "the rats are leaving the sinking ship".
The lesson is clear for the Biden and Democratic forces. They are now the competing Change Group and must do a better job of meeting the necessary change pre-conditions than their Trump/GOP predecessors: they have to convince everybody that"singing their song" is good for them and good for us all. We are not going back exactly to the way we were, we are going to be much better, more attuned to all the people and not just to "radicle this" or "progressive that". What was done by previous administrations can of course be significantly improved upon and the Trump years have underlined serious imperfections in our political institutions and our constitution. We are the new Change Group and need to meet all the essential conditions of success....including a series of victories keeping the greatest, and a growing, number of people with us through to 2024 and beyond as this movement can't stop with an election.
I watched Biden's Town Hall and it was clear he was sincere in his sympathy when someone shared their pain. He made a point to use people's names when responding to questions. A retired police officer stepped up to ask his question and before he even said a word, Biden piped up and said "Didn't we meet several years ago at..."
Quite a contrast to the president, who according to one of Pence's former top advisors, once said Covid-19 might be a “good thing” because it would stop him from having to shake hands with “disgusting people”.
Don't poop on America's collective rug and ask us to vote for you, DT. GO BIDEN/HARRIS!
Troye says “at this point it’s country over party” Why now? It should always be country over party. I’m glad she has woken up to the fact that if the GOP doesn’t step up now, there won’t be a free party system for much longer. I feel that sentiment is the disease in the party system. Should it not always be country over party first. Voting as a party does not produce the best results. I’d be a lousy party politician , because I would always vote for what I believed was right for the country, not a party, not me , not some lobbyists.
I hate winning my bet that each day will be 100% worse than the day before.
Ummm.... in fact, if you look at the photos, Trump did hold the bible not only upside down but backwards. A good metaphor for him since birth. Upside down and backwards.
'Extinction Burst' is a term used in animal training to describe the extreme worst behavior that can happen, right before the bad behavior stops, or goes "extinct". I believed that was what was happening when Trump ran in 2016. And I believe it is still happening now, with so many worst fears realized it is clear the administration and its supporters are hell bent on dragging out the process of extinction. So as you pointed out in the interview last night, and above, the administration is acting "desperately" and fixing this mess may take "two or 10 or 20 years". I am about your age and usually think change is inevitably slow. But sometimes things happen fast (check out most of us on lockdown!) and maybe this election will be a moment when things change fast -- even if that "moment" is election week or month or season. The Extinction Burst is the worst, most dangerous behavior, behavior that makes it hard to even recognize the living thing you love. But, if you stick with the hard work, it does end. Thank you for the hope.
Remember when Jimmy Carter used to go to those 'shithole countries' to monitor their elections, and how smug we Americans felt, so sure that that couldn't happen here? I've thought about that a lot lately. Much of the world is surely laughing at us, or at least enjoying our humbling under this pResident.
Dear Professor Richardson: First of all, thank you for your brilliant clarity in writing about issues and providing important historical context to current events. Your love for this country, your craft and art as an historian, as well as your compassion, shine through in your postings, despite the terrible times and events you elucidate. Your are providing an important and valuable public service.
Katrin Van den Heuvel, in a very recent Washington Post opinion piece suggests, among other precautionary measures, requesting an international observation team to monitor the US election process. Do you have any thoughts on this?
In spite of Trump’s daily exhortations to mayhem and distrust of anyone or thing but himself, and William Barr’s trying to be the law dictator, this letter, Professor Richardson, makes me feel hopeful. With only 47 days to go until the election we must all stay awake and do whatever we can to work for the free and fair election we need.
I really appreciate what Robert Paulson has posted from FB. I saw this same post this morning. "Living under a a cloud of constant misery." I have felt that way since the 2016 election. Yesterday in my area of Michigan the air quality was in the RED category from the west coast fires. Smoke follows the wind and so it is spreading all over the globe. What more do we need to know about climate change and that we are all in it? I am tired of having an administration behave as though they are living on a distant planet. I keep expecting something major to happen that pulls the covers totally off to reveal creatures from another world. In the meantime, those of us who have not joined the world 45 and his crowd keep pushing must keep moving forward and make this election count for big D Democracy and The Constitution. The destruction of a 233 year old fragile experiment cannot be allowed to happen. Imagine what we've been going through the past 4 years continuing ad infinitum? I can't imagine that. I will not imagine that.
Barr's rant the other night may be a sign of the depth of the power that is slipping away. Barr has a lot to lose when tRump is not re-elected. Yesterday I pondered why Congress has not begun impeachment proceedings for Barr and/or tRump. I decided it's too close to Nov 3, and we all hope the tRump thugs will be voted out. Should tRump be re-elected, and the Dems win back the senate, and maintain congress, then impeachment will begin immediately. More than ever, we need to make sure Dems keep control of the House and take control of the Senate.
Since things are slow, I'm going to share this post I found on FB. By Elaine Griffin Baker:
“I’ve been wondering why this entire country seems to be under a cloud of constant misery.
Why we all seem to be Russians
waiting in line for toilet paper, meat, Lysol.
Hoarding yeast and sourdough starter “in case we can’t get bread”.
Buying stamps so that one of our most beloved institutions might survive.
Why we all look like we are in bad need of a haircut, or a facial or a reason to dress up again and go somewhere.
Anywhere.
There is no art in this White House. There is no literature or poetry in this White House. No music.
No Kennedy Center award celebrations.
There are no pets in this White House.
No loyal man’s best friend. No Socks the family cat.
No kids’ science fairs.
No times when this president takes off his blue suit-red tie uniform and becomes human, except when he puts on his white shirt- khaki pants uniform and hides from Americans to
play golf.
There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment
of relaxation.
No Obama’s on the beach in Hawaii moments, or Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport, no Reagans on horseback, no Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape.
I was thinking the other day of the summer when George H couldn’t catch a fish and all the grandkids made signs and
counted the fish-less days.
And somehow, even if you didn’t even like GHB, you got caught up in the joy of a family that loved each other and had fun.
Where did that country go? Where did all of the fun and joy and expressions of love and happiness go? We used to be a country that did the ice bucket challenge and raised millions for charity.
We used to have a president that calmed and soothed the nation instead dividing it.
And a First Lady that planted a garden instead of ripping one out.
We are rudderless and joyless.
We have lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great.
We have lost our mojo. Our fun, our happiness.
The cheering on of others.
The shared experiences of humanity that makes it all worth it.
The challenges AND the triumphs that we shared and celebrated.
The unique can-do spirit Americans have always been known for.
We are lost.
We have lost so much
In so short a time." The dems should hearken to this.
A note on NC voting machines: The voting machines used in 2016 have all been replaced. By law, NC was required to have new machines, machines that were used for our 2019 local elections and worked marvelously well. They have both paper and electronic recording. Even though NC is known for troublesome voter suppression and people now having to show ID, some of us continue to volunteer our time to do what we can to ensure people get to vote and that each vote counts. Volunteer where you can, good people. You are needed!
I’m awake in Texas, too! Liked the talk this evening with the group on Facebook! Don’t poop on my rug, Is my new battle cry. I have to drink from closed containers due to sneaky cats. Wine glasses are such a good idea! Especially on Zoom meetings!
Biden wasn’t wrong about the Bible being upside down in the photo op. For just a few minutes dumpty did hold it upside down until someone pointed it out and he quickly turned it right side up. And when asked is it your Bible, dumpty replied it is A Bible. So kind of surprised his hand didn’t get scorched or burst into flames!
I recorded the Biden town hall, but I did catch the first comment about it on Cuomo! Biden just had to speak in complete sentences because dumpty set the bar just that low! Ha! I will have to watch it after work, but what little I saw, like apologizing for jumping the gun to answer the woman talking about farming issues, Biden I thought sounded good. I know I’m biased. And I didn’t watch dumpty’s town hall. I just can’t take him anymore!
(If I can get back to sleep I can get a two hour nap before my alarm! Elementary teachers do love Friday!)
Thank you! I would miss it all if not for you! And it does give me hope, too! That so many people are invested in the struggle for right. I hope it doesn’t take 20 years so we can watch the recovery. And that so many people are no longer apathetic, but energized and working to solutions!
When instigating systemic, cultural/political change in an organization that will permanently and massively change the identity of that institution then there are several key elements that must be present for that change to prevail over the natural tendency towards inertia.....and only thus will the change not unravel and return to its original state. The Change Group must have a committed, motivated, united leadership which projects a clear, common vision of what the institution and the lives of people will look like AFTERWARDS and how they intend to achieve this vision without exception, doubt or ambiguity. The Change Support Group must grow exponentially as the leaders spread the message and new adherents spread the message to new groups. The leadership has to have a plan, a structure and coherent distribution of all-inclusive responsibilities to bring all non-supporting groups in line with the change message. Then the Change Process must offer demonstrable victories to maintain the inevitability, energy and dynamism of movement: they are moving forward and are winning! Without these preconditions, and the goodies strewn along the "golden road", the movement faulters, people feel they are no longer moving forward and start to doubt and backslide. When that happens, the rot sets in and infectious doubt sends the movement headlong in reverse and we end up back where we started.
Why this long diatribe on such an esoteric subject from my professional life as change management.....well because i think it is appropriate for our current political crisis. Trump/Koch and their people tried to achieve this permanent change but went about it all wrong....they didn't even get to "ground zero" on their attempt to overturn the political culture of this nation and massively change the lives of its people: they forgot the people and thought that brut force, administrative fiat and money would suffice. They have no leadership, no unified message, no attempt to enlarge the change-supporting circle to non-supporting groups and no victories on the road to encourage new supporters to join them. Predictably, the doubts are splitting the change support group, leadership groupis starting to contradict each other and the "the rats are leaving the sinking ship".
The lesson is clear for the Biden and Democratic forces. They are now the competing Change Group and must do a better job of meeting the necessary change pre-conditions than their Trump/GOP predecessors: they have to convince everybody that"singing their song" is good for them and good for us all. We are not going back exactly to the way we were, we are going to be much better, more attuned to all the people and not just to "radicle this" or "progressive that". What was done by previous administrations can of course be significantly improved upon and the Trump years have underlined serious imperfections in our political institutions and our constitution. We are the new Change Group and need to meet all the essential conditions of success....including a series of victories keeping the greatest, and a growing, number of people with us through to 2024 and beyond as this movement can't stop with an election.
I watched Biden's Town Hall and it was clear he was sincere in his sympathy when someone shared their pain. He made a point to use people's names when responding to questions. A retired police officer stepped up to ask his question and before he even said a word, Biden piped up and said "Didn't we meet several years ago at..."
Quite a contrast to the president, who according to one of Pence's former top advisors, once said Covid-19 might be a “good thing” because it would stop him from having to shake hands with “disgusting people”.
Don't poop on America's collective rug and ask us to vote for you, DT. GO BIDEN/HARRIS!
Troye says “at this point it’s country over party” Why now? It should always be country over party. I’m glad she has woken up to the fact that if the GOP doesn’t step up now, there won’t be a free party system for much longer. I feel that sentiment is the disease in the party system. Should it not always be country over party first. Voting as a party does not produce the best results. I’d be a lousy party politician , because I would always vote for what I believed was right for the country, not a party, not me , not some lobbyists.
I concur. Trump is getting desperate and the Biden camp smells the blood in the water. Kamala is poised to take a bite out of Trump's lawlessness.
Whenever Trump accuses democrats of anything, it is usually he who is doing what he is accusing them of — in this case “MAYHEM”
I hate winning my bet that each day will be 100% worse than the day before.
Ummm.... in fact, if you look at the photos, Trump did hold the bible not only upside down but backwards. A good metaphor for him since birth. Upside down and backwards.
'Extinction Burst' is a term used in animal training to describe the extreme worst behavior that can happen, right before the bad behavior stops, or goes "extinct". I believed that was what was happening when Trump ran in 2016. And I believe it is still happening now, with so many worst fears realized it is clear the administration and its supporters are hell bent on dragging out the process of extinction. So as you pointed out in the interview last night, and above, the administration is acting "desperately" and fixing this mess may take "two or 10 or 20 years". I am about your age and usually think change is inevitably slow. But sometimes things happen fast (check out most of us on lockdown!) and maybe this election will be a moment when things change fast -- even if that "moment" is election week or month or season. The Extinction Burst is the worst, most dangerous behavior, behavior that makes it hard to even recognize the living thing you love. But, if you stick with the hard work, it does end. Thank you for the hope.
Remember when Jimmy Carter used to go to those 'shithole countries' to monitor their elections, and how smug we Americans felt, so sure that that couldn't happen here? I've thought about that a lot lately. Much of the world is surely laughing at us, or at least enjoying our humbling under this pResident.
Dear Professor Richardson: First of all, thank you for your brilliant clarity in writing about issues and providing important historical context to current events. Your love for this country, your craft and art as an historian, as well as your compassion, shine through in your postings, despite the terrible times and events you elucidate. Your are providing an important and valuable public service.
Katrin Van den Heuvel, in a very recent Washington Post opinion piece suggests, among other precautionary measures, requesting an international observation team to monitor the US election process. Do you have any thoughts on this?
In spite of Trump’s daily exhortations to mayhem and distrust of anyone or thing but himself, and William Barr’s trying to be the law dictator, this letter, Professor Richardson, makes me feel hopeful. With only 47 days to go until the election we must all stay awake and do whatever we can to work for the free and fair election we need.
I really appreciate what Robert Paulson has posted from FB. I saw this same post this morning. "Living under a a cloud of constant misery." I have felt that way since the 2016 election. Yesterday in my area of Michigan the air quality was in the RED category from the west coast fires. Smoke follows the wind and so it is spreading all over the globe. What more do we need to know about climate change and that we are all in it? I am tired of having an administration behave as though they are living on a distant planet. I keep expecting something major to happen that pulls the covers totally off to reveal creatures from another world. In the meantime, those of us who have not joined the world 45 and his crowd keep pushing must keep moving forward and make this election count for big D Democracy and The Constitution. The destruction of a 233 year old fragile experiment cannot be allowed to happen. Imagine what we've been going through the past 4 years continuing ad infinitum? I can't imagine that. I will not imagine that.
Barr's rant the other night may be a sign of the depth of the power that is slipping away. Barr has a lot to lose when tRump is not re-elected. Yesterday I pondered why Congress has not begun impeachment proceedings for Barr and/or tRump. I decided it's too close to Nov 3, and we all hope the tRump thugs will be voted out. Should tRump be re-elected, and the Dems win back the senate, and maintain congress, then impeachment will begin immediately. More than ever, we need to make sure Dems keep control of the House and take control of the Senate.
Stand-up Joe v. sit-down Don.
Biden won the town halls.