In Tempe, Arizona, today, President Joe Biden spoke at the dedication ceremony for a new library, named for the late Arizona senator John McCain, who died in 2018. Biden used the opportunity not only to honor his friend, but to emphasize the themes of democracy and to call out those who are threatening to overturn it. While Biden has made the defense of American democracy central to his presidency, he has never been clearer or more impassioned than he was today.
I agree!!! I heard him the other day, and I said what are people talking about! We MUST counter this narrative! And re: his speech on democracy and the MAGA's.... he's spot on! WHY do these MAGA's not get it??? Ugh! We need more and more of his words to overload the MAGA's in the crazy Faux news ecosystem that we all exist under. NPR even makes me crazy now cuz they keep going over Biden and his age. It's so interesting... no other group can we chastise and make fun of..... except folks that are getting old. It's ageism people and it's wrong. Just wrong.
And the irony is everyone will age. While not everyone will one day be black, or female, or disabled or any other ‘protected’ category, one day EVERYONE will be old. You’re right—it’s ageism.
Yes, Yes, Yes, I'm a few years older than Biden, so know he's up to the job.
Our biggest mistake would be to not keep him our President after all he and his administration have given those of us that know what the hell is going on!
Give me a month to catch up. I was 68 participating in my first door to door campaigning. Never paid any attention to politics before then. Actually I slept better before that, but lack of sleep will not keep me away
NPR is guilty of repeated age discrimination against Biden. Over and over I hear its stories about his age that make it seem as if he stumbles and falls regularly. It's grotesque coverage and beneath any quality news organization.
Who in the hell doesn't occasionally trip on stairs, no matter their age? And does NPR ever comment on Trump's obesity and fast-road-to-death unhealthy diet? Or ill health effects of his non-stop rage?
Maybe NPR is angling for a pass when Trump, if elected, starts his dictatorial rule by shutting down news organizations.
Shoot, I’m 55 and sitting here in a cast because I failed to notice a pothole as big as the Grand Canyon, tripped and broke my wrist. If stumbling, tripping or falling is a symptom of old age, I’m in big trouble, lol!
Yikes! I broke my wrist back when I was 57 and it hurt like mad! I’m so sorry for the pain you are going through. Heal quickly and no, you are not old, you are younger than my daughter.
Be proud of your successes and continue fighting for democracy.
On the other hand, Biden seems to make up for this in assigning a lot of women and blacks, Hispanics, even LBGT people (Pete) in his cabinet. Trump had Ben Carson. Jerome Adams was Surgeon General starting in July of 2020. His challenges were that he had to work in a somewhat racist atmosphere as well as one where science was downplayed. He had to deal with a president who refused to wear a mask during the pandemic. I don't know if the Surgeon General is appointed or not.
[ It can hurt like hell when you've written about age, you've lived it, you're living it here and now, you want to share the experience for the best reason possible -- because you have just witnessed a masterful display of the wealth that age and experience can bring -- and the program deletes your thoughts...]
More writing on water...?
Let's go, anyway! I'll post and edit as I go along...
*
[There, the invisible censor has struck again. I must post what I draft more frequently...
Not to worry.
If, next week, I find myself still alive as I set out on my 85th year, I'll write this celebration of age and dedicate it to the man who inspired it today, President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, back to MLMinET.]
Yes, we all age, but some who live the fullest, most meaningful lives, don't live long. So its falls to older, maybe lesser men and women to continue
the work they began.
*
Lives truncated.
Here, it's nothing but words... Normally, you should have had a complete item hours ago... Yet circumstances force me to leave you now.
With age can come wisdom, which is more than beauty, a fast tongue, knowledge, or experience. It is something more than such pieces or their sum. Who has not realized that they will never be the smartest or best looking among their peers, but would gladly settle for being the more thoughtful and wisely comported? When I hear Mr Biden speak, fumble with some words, and speak off-handed, I hear the traces of his lifetime of experiences and mistakes addressed and learned from; considered thoughts absent smoothness of the naively certain.
Thank you, Fred, for saying all these things, which I wanted to. But Biden inspired me to want to write a panegyric not only for him but to sing the virtues and advantages of age and experience -- all experience, errors, even disgrace, can become compost for fruitful growth.
And once again to plug my strong feeling that there's a crying need for alliances between young and old.
That is if we're lucky. We will age. The other irony is that Biden and tfg are in the same generation. While Biden is in peak health, tfg isn't and yet he isn't criticized for being too old.
Some cultures idolize the elderly for their wisdom. The USA as a young nation we have had a tendency to idolize youth and in doing so we have had a bias against getting older. We have a vast industry devoted to making people who are aging to look younger than their years, not to mention the burgeoning longevity field.
Yes, Not Old. Tfg should be famous for having THREE government shutdowns in his administration. Why do we conveniently forget or minimize all those important facts. Tfg loves chaos. He is the darling of the media and I will never understand why. He’s not news. He is incompetent, corrupt and dishonest. Lock him up already because he will never even come close to normalcy. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/26/when-was-the-last-government-shutdown/70969554007/
I do admire the ones that were famous, like Robert Redford, Meg Ryan who have used their wealth and fame to help those in need. I know there are many others.
Anyone can have cognitive issues early on.. Trump certainly has. One can be quite coherent and wise later in life too. People age differently, but values experience and education matter a lot.
I agree. Trump has no values, principles or ethics. He is deeply experienced in the art of the con, and his education is "iffy' at best. He is a nut job.
". . . you can’t love your country only when you win.” Thanks yet again to HCR for giving us most of Biden's speech rather than sound bites. The FG and his beasts are ready to "burn it all down." No shame, only idiocy that helps no one. Work now, for the night is coming. VOTE.
I believe he is mentally dysfunctional but so normal-like at times that people can get on his wave length and get conned and "charmed" by his charisma.I believe he is amoral, without morals...maybe immoral (evilly disposed?)They then adopt his hate and vindictiveness, his views, the nicknames and slogans he uses and this becomes a cult. He is very very dangerous.
It's repeated bouts of LIES, CONSPIRACY, and PROPOGANDA from Trump, FOX, and the rest of his despicable supporters that has caused the collective mental decline. This is so sad.
It is a long history of all the things that death star represents and the fear that being white, male, and heterosexual is somehow losing the power to lord it over all of us. I am not excluding female aiders and abetters here either.
Agreed! Trump is almost as old as Biden but there is never a comparison on age. Biden is sane and mentally sharp, Trump is a psychopath and mentally ill. Biden is trim, fit and exercises daily, Trump is obese and drives around in his golf cart. There’s no comparison as to who is healthier mentally and physically.
Hey fresh mouth smarty pants- I am talking about NPR being reported here as talking about Biden's age as well. They could be talking about the age and mental capacity of others.
You make a good point that media are responding to the situation by using the MAGA framing of the situation, when they should be celebrating the achievements and continued competence of a seasoned politician and a decent human. However, NPR is not the only one doing it. It is a general shortcut taken by all media, and we must find a way to reframe the debate.
Getting old? You are using that as an excuse and smarty pants sarcasm again for being plain rude including when it is not necessary. Some are hopeless because they do not hear themselves and don't understand the reaction they get- Not to mention that SOME don't know how to have a conversation or what is actually related to it. Yeah you missed a lot.
Yes, ageism is wrong. Learned about the wisdom of the aged as a child and am still surprised (and infuriated) to experience it in America. But many Americans “die” at 60 from poor diet and insufficient exercise and medical care. Body and brain are one--something we don’t take into account.
When has Trump ever made a speech that wasn’t dark and dystopian? Biden’s speech made me proud to be an American! We need a lot more of that! How about soundbites of his speech in an ad and run it on Fox News during prime time?
Great idea! They are using what DeSantis said at the debate about Trump running up the deficit for a Biden for president ad. not on Fox News that I know of, however
Very powerful words and eloquently noted by President Biden. I “carry” a list of his accomplishments with me and I will add this Letter. His record is impressive on so many levels.
I don’t interact with many MAGA types but I do hear some people say they are not going to vote at all because “Biden is too old” and the republicans are nuts. Not voting for Biden is the kiss of death for this country and I can’t get my head around people thinking not voting is an option. If the MAGA’s occupy the WH again, we really are doomed and it will be a whole different ballgame to regain the county’s collective sanity - if that would even be possible. I really don’t want to live my last decade+ under a violent totalitarian regime nor have my kids move to Switzerland (although that is s nice place to visit!)
Yes, Biden is old but hands down is the only choice in 2024 for the positive reasons of leadership and accomplishments. We are so fortunate that he ran, won and put together an administration where the caliper of people is 2nd to none and gives us hope! The democrats fully understand our form of government was designed to function by the people, for the people. If that basic ideal is lost, obviously democracy fails.
And you might remind them that Biden has surrounded himself with competent people. Secretary of State Blinken puts everyone in the T administration to shame, for example. Mark Milley, as head of the Joint Chiefs, stood between us and chaos. Linda Thomas-Greenfield has served us nobly at the United Nations, fighting hunger around the world and skillfully skirting the Russians when she can. Deb Haaland has demonstrated at the Interior Department that our public lands are for everyone. A competent leader surrounds themselves with competent people, not sycophants, and Biden has chosen many.
Agree and I do say that constantly. The caliper of the people in Biden's administration is second to none and is exactly what we should all be looking for from a president (but it is rare)! A lesser known public example is Ambassador (China) Nick Burns (his brother was in my high school class) who I heard and was able to speak with few years ago at a presentation in Boston-at the time he was one of Biden's campaign advisors on foreign affairs. He is a brilliant, life long diplomat, also teaches/taught at Harvard-we won't hold that against him :) - and has been my "go to" on international policy for many years.
The bottom line is trump's occupation of the WH was a total shit show and a so-called administration filled with the most incompetent, nasty people. Those with some functioning brain cells (albeit not without ideas of self enrichment) who thought they might be able to keep a lid on things (and I get that), quickly left. The lessons from the rise of Hitler tell us how that type of strategy works out!
If anyone knows how to find or have shown the piece of newsreel showing a mass of German soldiers pledging their loyalty to Hitler, please make it known to a journalist. I saw it years ago and it would make a powerful statement to MAGAs.
So it’s a true Fascist cult. I knew our failure to teach history was/is serious, but this is a jolt. Thank you for reminding me how far we’ve fallen. Having lived through the whole political scene since Eisenhower (my first vote, last Republican) and having voted, marched and rallied faithfully for Dems and democratic principles ever since, watching my fellow Americans getting fatter and glued to boring TV sitcoms while I was doing music, I now see that it’s worse than I could have believed. (First clue: at 89 I MUST be diabetic. Not yet. Maybe never.)
Terri, rather than being in cognitive decline (example: TFG insisting that he’s running against Obama or that President Biden is going to get us into WWII), I believe that President Biden is more astute than ever before. It’s similar to wines—an exceptional wine will improve as it ages, while an inferior wine will just turn into a vinegary mess.
I am a huge fan of President Biden. He was the right man at the right time for America from my perspective.
However, he is 80 years old at this time. This is a fact we all should really think about. I have met some "sharp" 80 year old's yes. But, every single one of them would tell you that they were a fraction of what they once were. Sometimes this is balanced by the experience they have gained, no doubt.
But ALL of them would say their energy was WAY down from their earlier days. Sure, when they were awake their faculties were still OK. But, their energy and their passion (mental) was way down compared to age, say 40.
Biden, I think, HAS made a great mistake in not developing and showcasing Kamala Harris who is well spoken, sharp as a tack, passionate and very much with it both in sharpness and energy.
Had he developed her properly, showcased her, stepped up to the job of development of a successor, she would now be running for President. Sure, she is a darker skinned woman in America. So what? LOTS of people in America identify with that.
Biden made a judgement error, perhaps out of a still too well developed ego, by NOT stepping aside to push forth a developed challenger who was younger.
Biden is 80 years old. That, ladies and gentlemen, is just too old to be President. In my opinion. Will Biden be better than Trump or Hitler or Stalin? Sure, but, will he be the best we could have had?
Keep in mind there are smart clear thinkers in their 90’s as well as dementia showing up at 60. A wise man, vastly experienced as Biden is, surrounds himself with smart competent people and doesn’t bluster as “the Emperor With No Clothes” as tfg did. Biden has been extraordinary in his role as president given the messes he had to clean up. That he’s attacked by press each time his stutter appears or takes a misstep fails to fully embrace the larger reality of this president’s record. Democracy is based on a village of wise minds not a single authority. Make note of this.
Biden made a great point when he pointed out that a President should represent all Americans. Like Benjamin Harrison Trump only represented himself and by extension his uber rich friends and the corporotocracy.
Sorry, but Biden is at the top of his game! I am past 80. Look around I bet there are lots of 80+ people on the ski slopes, hiking, riding horses & in pursuits that need the balance perspective that age brings. He has kept himself in great shape both physically& mentally. He has surrounded himself not with parrots but with competent people with an array of perspectives. He is a finely honed politician & if you can keep such a positive, forward thinking perspective after a lifetime in politics, then he can lead the Nation!
Mike S your opinion is riddled with unsubstantiated claims. Biden has a well developed plan, works with competent leaders to deliver and the nation has reaped the benefits of his administration in just a few years. You on the other hand come to the table with a preconceived notion that age is a key factor - lest you be reminded, take a look and listen to the audacious platforms of the "younger" candidate hopefuls who do not deliver, demonstrate obstruction in a most dangerous level and have their eyes on power and retriution. Think deeper Mike, listen carefully to the hate, anger and fear from opponents and question, what is there plan for sustainable change. Biden is building infrastructure and concensus despite the GOP opposition and the Democrat leadership is behind the Biden Administration. Attention to detail is needed.
Like I said, I am a huge fan of Biden. However, I do honestly think he made a mistake by not developing a younger successor and stepping aside. I don't really see how that is an unsubstantiated claim. More like just my opinion.
I felt the same way about Ginsberg. Her judgement was flawed in the end about her endurance. Very costly mistake.
Mike, it’s an unsubstantiated claim because it belies the truth of Biden’s development of Harris. The White House in fact is using her well, is providing her with the experience necessary to be president, and is touting her accomplishments. Just note: most White House press releases say “the Biden Harris administration”. Subtle, but there. If the media doesn’t follow through, that is not the fault of the administration. We all know we have a media problem, drama equals clickbait while quiet competence goes unnoticed.
Just look back to last week’s Harris tour of college campuses. It was wildly successful and well reported. But perhaps you didn’t notice?
In re stepping aside, I think what you suggest would be insane. Giving up the advantages of incumbency in this most important election would be foolish in the extreme. And Biden is not a fool. Furthermore, why would the most successful president of my lifetime step aside? I want another Biden term, because I like how he governs. I am not worried if he should become unable to complete his term, because Harris has in fact been prepared to assume the role, because Biden has indeed prepared his (potential) younger successor. Your repeated calls for him to step aside hurt the democratic cause.
Because we live in a racist, misogynistic society. You don’t care, and I don’t care (and in fact, perceive Harris’ race and gender as pluses), but sadly lots of people do. Exhibit A: Hilary Clinton. Please don’t respond as I imagine you would like to, by talking about Bill and Michigan haha. It’s late, and I’m too tired for that. :)
Passionately stated. But can anyone other than Biden beat Trump? Harris is amazing but she’ll never beat Trump. It’s too great a risk. A Trump presidency would be the end of our Nation as a democracy. Even if Biden declines in his second term, he will gather around him amazing people to lead as he has done already. This is far preferable to the end of democracy under treasonous traitor dictator Trump!
I remind myself that two of Harris's attributes which enhanced Biden's candidacy—being Black and a woman—would not serve her well in this climate in a general election.
So the Trump Inc. civil case will wipe out Trump's cash reserve and may result in any loans he has being called.
But, what happens when Trump is found guilty in any of his 91 indicted crimes? So he is sentenced to even 1 year in prison. That will likely bring him past the 2024 election and the inauguration in 2025. Other than the die hard MAGAts who would vote for him?
The president doesn’t do the job alone. He has his very capable and put forward plenty well Harris, whom the media ignores so apparently you believe he hasn’t put forth. He has very competent staff, advisors, heads of agency.
Biden is not too old to do this job extremely well.
And what is your alternative, since you think as younger than Biden you should be listened to?
The ageism and ignorance is annoying me this morning.
If it comes down to a choice between Biden and any Republican, Biden should be supported. I didn't vote for him in the primary. But Joe Biden has wildly exceeded my expectations. And reading that speech brought a chill to my spine and a tear to my eye. It is a piece of art. It is an example of superior leadership and courage. And it was spot on accurate.
But as one who is approaching Biden's age and consider myself in very good health, I think he should step away and let someone from the next generation run for president. 80 is not the new 60. It's not even the new 70. Anyone who claims otherwise is in a fantasy world.
IMO, Joe Biden has some flaws. He has a stutter and produces "gaffes". He has German Shepherds that bite people. He has a son who has messed up. He made a couple of regrettable political mistakes decades ago. But he has a myriad of positive features. In summary, he is right on almost every subject I can think of. He leads the nation as a uniting force. And his international posture and performance is second to none. If he is the nominee, I will scream my support for him.
But Joe has one more flaw. It takes an enormous ego to enter politics. It takes an even bigger one to think you should be the president. And it takes a super huge ego to think that you are the only one who can lead this nation away from disaster during a second term.
There are dozens of extremely talented younger politicians in the Democratic Party who could run for president and win. And be excellent presidents in the mold of Joe Biden. People who are or have been Governors, Senators, House members, mayors, and cabinet members. (No "business men"...please!)
And yet, we fail to consider the process of choice - of democracy. You can still say that Joe Biden is one of the finest presidents in our history - and consider someone else for the job. Why are we so afraid of the process? Are we afraid that we will look like a divided Democratic Party if we participate in the democratic process of choosing a leader? That's not a weakness. Having a competitive primary should be standard procedure and should be viewed as a strength and a commitment to our ideals.
And here is THE biggest reason an alternative to Joe Biden should be considered. The success of November 5, 2024 hangs on the degree to which Gen Y and Gen Z show up to vote. Yes, many will vote for Biden. But if you think they are excited about Biden, you are smoking something fun and have left for la la land.
And if they "Chill and Netflix" rather than voting for an old guy, the whole ticket from federal offices, to state races and even your local town officials could be lost.
If Joe is the nominee, I will walk across hot coals to vote for him. But we should face facts. America IS a culture that worships youth over sagacity. And it's totally their planet real soon. Let them take the baton before it's too late and our generation is blamed for hanging on too long.
I hope you understand the spirit with which I mentioned those items. I meant it as sarcasm. I speak as one whose dogs killed a neighbor's chickens and who understands that nobody can create and control the perfect kids. Basically, if those were his greatest flaws, he borders on being super human.
1st: President Biden's German Shepherd is a Police Dog, a GUARD dog! -- trained to protect. I'm wondering if the dog looks upon the Secret Service as being aggressive toward him (Commander) because they're also trained to protect the President. Worth thinking about.
2nd: The President's "flaws"?? Stutters and gaffes?? Good grief, man! He learned how to control/manage his stutter as a young child! And his gaffes have been gaffing for YEARS, and accepted. "That's just Joe." Perfection (even physical perfection, whatever that is) is not a requirement for the job. Is Tammy Duckworth's condition as a paraplegic a "flaw" because she can't stand up behind a podium?
3rd: "Enormous Ego" ?? Yes, he entered the race for the presidency, but it was Representative Clyburn's support for his nomination that put him over the top -- not VP Biden's ego. In my opinion, his humility is actually what stands out. He never promotes himself, nor regrettably until very recently his accomplishments. Nor has the Press, wanting him to just go quietly away. Fortunately, he is now putting VP Harris, and *their* accomplishments, into the light, as is FINALLY the Press. She will make a __great__ president when her time comes.
4th: Please name at least three (more if you wish) younger Democrat politicos whom you would encourage to run for President now. I'm interested to learn who your favorites are. I have one or two faves, but not for now. (I can think of a few whom I would NOT recommend but who obviously want the job.)
(Thanks for this opportunity to vent my own opinions!)
I meant "flaws" as a sarcasm. Because if that's as bad as it gets, aren't we lucky?
I am a dog person. I love them all. Mostly. Commander and Major just have been doing their jobs as they view it. And when Joe goofs up some words, I remind myself that he is still doing better than most and certainly expresses himself with humility and a graceful passion.
There was only one really salient point in my post. And that is my worry that young people may not show up to vote.
Who?
Whitmer
Booker
Duckworth
Brown
Abrams
Whitehouse
Buttigieg
Almost any Democratic governor
And personally I would sleep really well if Harris was president :)
Bill, thanks for your clarification. Your "sarcasm" absolutely did NOT come through. At all. You wrote, "IMO, Joe Biden has some flaws." I thought IMO means "In My Opinion"? Yeh, you've gotta work on that.
I would support a few of your choices listed. (Can't vouch for "almost any Democratic governor", as I need names.) My favorite is Pete Buttigieg, hands down! Has been since he was Mayor Pete. But I think it's still too early for him. 2028.
Bill, you know what I hear from younger people? They are with us. For them it is not so much an agism thing as it is a matter of young and old working together. Why in the world are people here talking so much about how old Biden is, or debating whether that is a good thing or a handicap? We ARE training up a whole bunch of young people who are busy working and learning. They will be ready when we need them. Right now the best are at the local level and starting to emerge at state level.
We here get too hung up on what is happening in Washington to see what is going on at other levels. That distorts our view of history in the making. I am just as unnerved by what is happening right now as any body else. But everytime I look around, I see young people, young adults, middleaged people, older folks all doing what they can, our little bits adding up. It will bear fruit. But everytime somebody decides that they want to sound like a pundit and denigrate something that is infused with hope, they demean all those people doing their bit. Yes, America is just emerging from an era in which "youthfulness" or the appearance thereof was sold to us. That's changing. Please take a look around and see it, We are not substituting for them: we are simply leading the way out of the morass that was created while we were coming of age. We are all working together on this.
Well, thank you, Bill. I appreciate that fine complement. I've always preferred working behind the scenes to elective office, though I've on occasion been on the team. Somehow I just became chair of our local town Dem committee, which is mostly administrative stuff. But this is the first time in years that we've actually had an active committee. I have decades of experience working with and guiding groups, both as a citizen volunteer and a professional, and have made delegate to two state conventions, but I'm nervous about this one. Got a great group of people, and I hope I can help them really go.
I can only hope there are many who did not vote for him last time who, like you, have changed their opinions, and will vote for him next time. I do not think he thinks he is the only person...I think he believes he is the best person to beat Donald Trump this go round.
I have decided. He, Joe Biden is the Best person for the job of President. Age is only a number! He is doing the job and his abilities for the job are not always about energy. He has the heart and souls of the nation foremost in his agenda and has not wavered. He is very methodical.
You neglect what he has done against great odds. You ignore the increasing elevation of Harris despite the MAGA negative talking points that too many repeat. You focus numeric age exclusively but neglect acknowledging the numerous people in their 80s who continue accomplishing much with experience and wisdom. You neglect his similarly experienced administration who actually work. You neglect the fitness if President Biden and his energetic wife and dear companion, Jill Biden. You forget that President Carter only now in his late 90s is dying.
Yes, we decide and were the circumstances different “it might be better” on ann age concern but look at all that has been accomplished and the vision that we now have. My goodness.
'Mrs. Feinstein has died, according to a report from the Associated Press, which cited three people “familiar with the situation.” She was, at age 90, the oldest sitting member of the Senate...' (WAPO)
I forward these Letters to several friends, one of whom told me that Biden is senile. Of course, I told her that was ridiculous in view of all the good that he has tirelessly achieved. I include her in these Letters because, at the very least, she needs to hear the voice of reason. Today I added my own note, asking whether any person could honestly believe that he has dementia, as I've never heard him speak so well. I hope she felt the sting, since I've distanced myself lately.
Even more impressive when you contrast it to the widely reported recent speech of Trump, where he rambled about Biden bringing us into WW2, and the other gaffs.
Well, we know one who cannot.... The Great Orange One... if you recall he was having trouble saying....yesterday.....several times he had to say it over and over.... when he had to respond to the J6 insurrection. Biden is surrounded by an awesome team, and I am voting for him. Furthermore, 45 is certifiably crazy.
'Cognitive decline' is a process which may or may not result in 'Cognitive impairment.' You seem to use 'decline' to imply significant 'impairment'. Without presenting diagnostic characteristics of the continuum or evidence regarding Biden.
The situation with Reagan was significantly different than with Biden.
Reagan's acting training kicked in when he was 'on.' But there was talk among witnesses of his decline and impairment. And his entourage's protective strategies which continued until his death.
The notion that Biden is cognitively impaired follows Alex Jones' manipulated videos misrepresenting Hillary Clinton as impaired. And is promoted in the same way by Trump et al. Again.
Well stated. Biden demonstrates higher order and critical thinking and complex judgement. Add compassion, gentle humor and respect to the list of characteristics he has demonstrated - this is a person of character, wisdom and experience. He executes his fiduciary and leadership responsibilites in spite of overwhelming resistance.
Reagan definitely developed dementia toward the end, so that Nancy Reagan was the first de facto female President of the U.S., handling matters for Reagan.
I am pretty certain there were some earlier instances where the President's wife acted on his behalf during illness or decline into death. Sorry I can't come up with names right now. Tired. I um, agreed to be chair of our local Dem caucus. Yikes.
Like Reagan, Biden surrounds himself with intelligent competent caring people. Trump had a few good advisors but he ignored them or fired them if they ever disagreed with him.
A President that surrounds themselves with yes people whom are what Rex Tillerson called Trump.
Ugh...Reagan surrounded himself with people who did all his thinking for him and they were NOT "intelligent, competent, caring people"--not at all! They were, for the most part, corrupt money-grubbers or impassioned war-mongers.
Remember: Ed Meese, James Watt, Caspar Weinberger, Bill Bennett, James Baker, Donald Regan...et. al. Geez, Reagan had more people from his administration indicted for corruption than did Nixon.
😒 The man was an actor, for crying out loud--not a very good one, but he knew how to read a script, just from his years of doing so. Just because he could read a script didn't make him a fit President. He was physically and intellectually lazy and everybody around him knew it.
I am basing my comment on my experience as a SLP for many years. We all slow down as we get older but if he was ‘impaired’, he would not be able to focus for extended periods, recover quickly if he lost his place or interject thoughts appropriately.
A tour de force! I wish he would give the speech as address to the nation from the Oval Office in prime time. But he would be pilloried for giving a "political" speech rather than praised for accurately diagnosing our potential fatal illness and offering a cure.
The IRAN deal was a joke. we sent billions to IRAN and got nothing in return. The deal was so bad, Obama implemented it without Senate ratification because Democratic senators didn't want to vote on it. Bob Menendez, Democratic senator from NJ, was a vocal critic. As the NY Times article outlined 23 Democratic lawmakers opposed the Obama Iran deal
Iran is on the verge on a nuclear weapon. So much for the deal. The Trump approach trade sanctions and isolation.
As for gun rights, it just stupid to call it extreme. You can disagree until the sun burns out, but to call what a majority of Americans support including a majority of Democratic congressman and senators is silly. BTW if this was true why didn't Congress during Biden's first two years, when they had total control, pass expansive gun reform? Why? Because their constituents didn't want it.
You are a paid Subscriber so I have reported you the Substack Inc platform Administrator for multiple violations of the 2023:TOU. You can mediate these matters at JAMS SF per your binding contract as a "Reader".
TY, Mr. McKown. Mr. J. A is an extremely annoying troll, constantly spouting rightwing talking points, challenging others to "prove me wrong" and just just generally being a nuisance.
You are a fool. Just like a good little leftist. Lets censor anything our snowflake ears can't handle. Substack was created because Bari Weiss hated censorship.
James A is in breach of those contract terms as a Reader.
Dispute my claim at JAMS SF. The JAMS Rules are widely available. JAMS has a mediator that has tried a Digital liability case before a SF Jury. Do you agree To Appear At JAMS SF? Noting you are also contractually bound as a defined Substack "Author. Read the TOU.".
Free Speech never means 'Anything Goes.' Even The First Amendment, which protects us from government suppression of speech, allows government to put some limitations on speech.
This is a private forum. There are many opinions from many perspectives. People often challenge other people to provide evidence for their assertions. It is a learning community.
But from what I have seen of your comments, you contribute nothing but spleen. Hostility without analysis or evidence. And offensive as such.
Substack was founded in 2017 by Chris Best, the co-founder of Kik Messenger; Jairaj Sethi, a head of platform and principal developer at Kik Messenger; and Hamish McKenzie, a former PandoDaily tech reporter.[9][10] Best and McKenzie describe Ben Thompson's Stratechery, a subscription-based tech and media newsletter, as a major inspiration for their platform.[5] Christopher Best operates as chief executive as of March 2019.[11]
*Taking away a woman's right to choose is Extreme!
*Not complying with an AK47 ban or other sensible laws in the middle of an American crisis of mass murders that includes many many innocent people & children is Extreme!
*Wanting to burn down our Democracy and run our country as a right wing autocracy is Extreme!
*Calling our military "Suckers" is Extreme!
*Blaming the current Administration for a multitude of civil and federal crimes is Extreme!
*You and your nasty naysaying comments are Extreme!
No Lie!
I really do hope through the Substack Rules that you will be banished, once and for all. Your twisted diatribes don't belong on Dr. Richardson's astute essays.
I did not get past your first comment. If you thought he was reading from a teleprompter you were not watching...in spite of a childhood history of stuttering, he gave an eloquent personal speech. I am sure he had help writing it...but it was HIS speech and further shows that, in spite of 'polls' you quote, he is still the right person for the job. I will leave it to others to track and evaluate your other claims.
A thrilling speech from a wise man. But President Biden did not name the puppet masters hiding behind the MAGA front--the billionaire oligarchs who fund the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society and the 70+ other conservative organizations behind their Project 2025 manifesto to turn America into an authoritarian state and destroy democracy.
As long as those billionaires like Koch are not publicly outed the people being revved up by the MAGA hate rhetoric will never be able to see how they are being conned.
Indeed you are absolutely correct to point out the vital importance of singling out the Republican Party’s shadow army of Christo-Fascist motivated operatives and organizations all of whom are engaged in supplying dark money, and disinformation with which to carry out their deceitful demagoguery.
Please continue to spread the word about these enemies of Democracy.
I have been doing just that whenever possible for the past few months with the goal of helping people have their eyes, ears, and minds opened to the dangers facing our country and its future that are posed by these traitors.
Money is a form of power power to pursue people to do your bidding; mow your lawn, build your home or a factory, even build an organization. Those can be very good things; but not everything that money can buy is good; such as murder for hire, selling of state secrets, or corruption of the susceptible to pervert justice. The power to persuade or coerce others has a frequently noted tendency to corrupt, especially as the distribution of power sharply concentrates.
The Exercise of democracy protects our most fundamental rights as individuals, and as a society, from overly concentrated and unaccountable power, such as that of a despot or an oligarchy. But democracy is an ongoing practice, not a person, or an edifice, or even a formula, apart from the will of the public to adhere to good faith collaboration and the democratic sharing of power. Absent that widely share commitment, solidarity and agency, the life drains from the structures that define a republic; and those who would be plutocratic tyrants are eager to deceive and drown that democratic spirit, if and when they can.
J L, I fear we succumb to the same spirit as MAGAs and those who would sow hate when we describe the monied interests as enemies. They are, in fact, part of what makes our country strong, but only part of it. As you go on to note, we need to hear from them what they seek, we should require that Citizen's United actually speak up with their "free speech." We do need to hear what they propose and it should become quite clear that many, perhaps even most Americans don't want to follow THAT money if it means working for subsistence wages without reasonable healthcare. Just as Biden declared, we need those with money and who know how to make money just as we need the red states but we need them to apply more of it to the common good and not get flustered or misled when they call that fairer sharing "socialism."
"But the main culprit, the cancer on the body politic, is money: Money, money, money. When I ran 6 years ago, in 1998, I raised $8.5 million. That $8.5 million is $30,000 a week, every week, for 6 years. If you miss Christmas week, you miss New Years week, you are $100,000 in the hole and don't you think we don't know it and we start to work harder at raising money.
As a result, the Senate doesn't work on Mondays and Fridays. We have longer holidays. The policy committee is adjourned and we go over to the campaign building because you can't call for money in the office. So we go over to the building and call for money and obviously we only can give attention to that. We don't have time for each other. We don't have time for constituents, except for the givers. Somebody ought to tell the truth about that." Fritz Hollings, November 16, 2004
After the excesses and corruption of the "Gilded Age", the public responded with (in my view) more just and intelligent set of rules for commerce, including anti-trust, Glass -Steagall, workers and union rights, benefits such as healthcare, minimum wage, child labor regulation, consumer protections, especially regarding safety, the FDA, EPA, etc. and on and on. The middle class grew rapidly for a number of reasons, but now demonized "regulation" hardly killed it.
Having piles of money is not in and of itself, a virtue, as Trump proves, but neither is it in and of itself a vice, although a society in which most of the property is in a few hands in no democracy. The thing is that any form of power can be used to concentrate more power, and that, left unmanaged, becomes an enemy of social justice. Too, some of the wealthiest people seem to want the lifestyle of kings while keeping serfs at a subsistence level.
In 1954, Eisenhower said:
"This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon “moderation” in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
I think that Ike did not foresee the scale of the propaganda operation that now tells lies on an Orwellian scale. That proven protections against virus spread are worse than nothing, or millions spent to convince the public that climate change is a hoax.
As for suggestions I will give it some thought. Do you have any general area of personal interest wherein your strengths might be best focused for developing questions and web-searches?
President Biden is truly good, former President Trump is truly evil and a criminal in contempt of court. Joe Biden loves his fellow citizens, grifter and tax cheat Donald Trump loves Kim, Putin, Viktor Orban and OPM, other people’s money. The choice is clear. Racist hatreds or a liberal democracy, love your neighbor or hate him. Biden wants a strong NATO and UN and the FBI, Trump wants Russia to dominate Europe and the USA, Biden wants Ukraine to join NATO and thrive. Two men in their 8th decade of life offer the choice: the Good or Evil. That simple.
SB, I say that on election day, poll workers should give voters a choice of those stickers that proudly proclaim "I voted." How about one that proudly proclaims, "I voted. For a criminal."
I don't think it's needed and only stoops to trump-like name calling. Everyone knows who they are and what they are doing. Calling out the billionaires will not convince a Trump base voter to wise up, it will only entrench them further and bring retorts about George Soros. The only way out is to continue to hold the highest seats in government and produce policies that make everyone's lives better. Then and only then will they convince themselves of their poor choices in leaders. Better to laser focus on Trump and let the oligarchs, American and Russian, come out in the open where they can be taken down.
I guess it depends on who you think is the head of the snake, Trump or any of the billionaires on the radical right.
Sunshine is the best disinfectant and President Biden unloaded a boat full of it yesterday. More of that is most needed and necessary. Repeating talks like yesterday's will force the media to move it to the top of the page/broadcast. Biden's address yesterday barely made the top of the fold on WaPo today but then the shutdown is a true emergency.
I agree. Calling out the billionaires behind the MAGA movement would be a mistake. It would sound like a conspiracy theory, would play into Trump's little hands, and dilute the message people need to hear - over and over and over. AND over!
Georgia Fisanick, I agree. I am hopeful that this speech is an opening salvo, just the first of an infinite number that willl point people to the truth. Goodness knows we need it.
Biden: "Something dangerous is happening in America now.". Citing the the Perp's death threat on General Milley -& active threats on the General's Family.
Stop Trump now before a targeted person is is killed by political violence.
Trump is subject to Pre-trial detention in Fulton County. & In the District of Columbia J6; Trial venue.
Trump & his family co-descendants &: the Trump Org go back to Trial in New York on Monday. A civil case Judge can order a quasi criminal contempt proceeding to uncover any threats of violence.in the state of New York.
Take action against violent threats now. before tragedy.
When speaking of Koch et al please include their bagman Leonard Leo. When speaking of Leonard Leo please include the Teneo Network (' a Federalist Society for everything.')
And tRUMP remains truly beloved (by the American people) as a today's NY Times article outlines. A conservative group running ads against him has had no luck reducing his popularity with the "American People". Gift link to NY Times today below.
Americans are immune to any facts, ads or any negative aspects of Trump. Never mind that the only person on earth he cares about is himself. Americans LOVE him. I wonder if my wife will like me better if I start to only demand stuff for myself and ignore her own needs? Maybe I will try it today to see how it goes. Who knows?
The impact of glorifying ignorance, beer, football, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and "raeal maen" in American media and in America plus the Southern Baptist church's support for a "patriarch" (Jesus, or Trump or whomever) that gives them cover to hate is really settling upon America like fallout from a nuke.
After all, the most common event I observed when I was still involved or aware of the Southern Baptist church was: The preacher (someone who God talks to just ask him) getting caught with someone else's wife, dividing the church, and splitting off to form his own church (with his latest female prize) to continue to "glorify the Lord". Yep.
Those are the voters in America folks. None other than the American people.
THANK YOU....they are vocal but they are not the majority. It can be difficult, when one lives in a deeply red rural area to see the view beyond the trump-loving, conspiracy-believing sea of locals to where there are mountains of truth, honesty and compassion. But never fear, those mountains still exist in this country.
We live close to Bar Harbor, ME which is kinda sorta rural and pretty red in parts. One of the scariest, evil and powerful person in the world lives in Northeast Harbor, ME. He goal is to turn the US into a theocracy where women are subservient to men. He has raised $1.8 billion for far-right religious candidates. His house is protested several times a week. It will be nice when he. heads back to DC for the winter.
Mr. Loft, I know exactly of whom you speak and I am in complete agreement: Leonard Leo is one of the most evil little scumbags roaming free in "Merika. He is an clear, present and very active danger to our Constitution and to the wall of separation between Church and State. I think he read The Handmaid's Tale and thought it would be an excellent manual.
One of HCR other readers lives in Bar Harbor as well and has been threatened by him for her protests. He is an ass of the highest degree.
(I'm a Mainer, too...living far inland and up in the hill country. We have been planning a mini-vacation to the Island to bike on the Carriage Roads...we were down this Spring, but too early and the Carriage Roads were not yet open. We made plans to come down in the Fall and the Repubbie MAGAs had to have a tantrum. Looks as though ANP might (probably will) be closed. Sigh.)
The people that love him love his "FUCK YOU!"-message. They love how tRump says "fuck you!" to women, to minorities, to the environment - basically to all other people. They love his message of pure, unbridled, macho egoism. That's why no fact, no allegation, no indiction and no crime that he commits whatsoever will ever take away their belief, and only strengthens it. They will say: "Look, there's a strong man who take everything for himself, and says 'fuck the rest!' I want to be just like him." The tragic thing is, that they are part of 'the rest' themselves... tRump doesn't care for them, only for himself.
That's an excellent point, Georgia! Jane Mayer's book, Dark Money, should be the basis for a nationwide infomercial campaign, akin to Senator Whitehouse's series of speeches regarding the Supreme Court.
He can’t name those particular oligarchs; actually I should have said he won’t, because doing so opens him up to being accurately accused of hypocrisy in being subservient to his own Party’s oligarchs in policy creation and implementation, from the financial sector, Big Pharma, and most despicably currently, the weapons industry. I agree with everything he said/read in this speech. But if he, and the rest of the Democratic Party establishment, can’t apologize and reject the influence of monied interests, and actually show they have a passion for democracy by, say, supporting ranked choice voting, instead of actively trying to suppress ballot access for third parties, then their words ring hollow to many of our citizens who Biden acknowledges are ‘frustrated’, etc. We cannot defeat this extremist GOP until one of two things happen: either the Democrats renounce the monied interests a la FDR (“I welcome their hatred”) and begin to passionate try to govern like it, with a full court press on things that the majority of the American people want (nationalized health care, ending the drug war, ending endless war, eradicating homelessness, electoral reform, sensible gun legislation, drastically reducing wealth inequality etc. etc. etc. the list is a mile long), or the GOP continues down the fascist road, and we have blood in the streets. Please don’t try to argue that the Dems can’t govern because the GOP sucks. They can’t build the coalition they need to govern until they can convince enough people that they aren’t also owned by monied interests. THAT is what breaks the logjam, because it brings the concentrated pressure on the politicians required to force the radical change we need; the policy implementation to show people we have a democracy.
You are absolutely right. Democrats have to take that next step and renounce the big money interests like FDR did. Biden walking the picket line was a toe in the water. But as a practical matter I don't think you can renounce taking the donations until the end of big money can be legislated by ditching Citizens United and the PACs. That requires winning back the house and keeping the senate and the presidency.
The news media is not going to be fair here in terms of coverage so that means you have to buy coverage through advertising and funding voter registration and outreach and get out the vote programs and unfortunately that still requires big money.
Do you see a way to do it before Citizen United can be reversed through legislation?
We have a Fl House Rep who takes NO corporate donations. She is a boots- on -the -ground ,millennial dynamo currently campaigning for her 4th and final term. She’s not ruling out running for governor. There is hope in Florida….
It can work in congressional districts with relatively safe seats. But my beloved representative here in NJ made that pledge and lost his bid for a 3rd term when he was was targeted by Republican dark money. It did not help that the Democratic machine in NJ redistricted him to make the other districts safer seats and packed the Republican areas into his hew district boundaries.
HJR-54. It’s worth contacting your representative and requesting that he/she co-sponsor, if they haven’t already. It will require legislation, but this is the only way to get the concepts of corporate personhood and money is speech away from precedent consideration by the Supreme Court. It’s not just Citizens United; the corporate personhood precedent started back in the 1880s. We have to circumvent the court, and the only way to do that is via Constitutional Amendment. More info here: MoveToAmend.org.
Biden delivers unusually sharp rebuke of Trump on democracy
In Arizona speech on the importance of democracy, Biden also announces a new library honoring McCain
Sharp rebuke?!?!? WTF!!
As for Trump's DEATH call for Milley. WaPo buried the remark in an article titled:
Gen. Mark Milley, polarizing Joint Chiefs chairman, exits center stage
Admirers say he helped save American democracy. Critics contend he dragged the military deeper into the fray.
Typical bothsidesism ignoring the gravity of the situation.
Biden is right in calling out Trump by name. Next he needs to address the failings of American journalism under the control of billionaires. Those publications are doing a disservice to the country.
Regarding WaPo's poorly worded title for the news article on Biden's speech. The story, however provided good information beyond Biden's world in today's letter.
MONEY is the key to undermining our democracy. Money only wants power to protect their wealth. Money need not worry when the dictator gains control. Money cares NOT for the population at large.
Harvey, again we must be careful to not confuse ALL money as the enemy or the bad guys. We must seek and support money that is willing to pay it's fair share, money which is willing to pay its taxes and participate in the rest of the American dream. There are monied interests who work with us and not against us (Warren Buffett? Michael Bloomberg? George Soros?) We NEED these folks with money and the megaphone they provide for money doing good! ...or at least working with us to share our prosperity.
There is good money and there is bad money. The bad money has been a major contributor to where we are today. Money has and does corrupt the political system and is the main reason we have a minority run government - in the world’s oldest democracy.
Agreed, Georgia, but how do we hold these traitors like the Koch Brothers, Leonard Leo, etc accountable? I know electing decent humans who honor our Constitution helps, but those with evil intent will keep working behind the scenes to foment trouble. I’m genuinely asking.
It is not an easy task because it like a shell game with the money flowing between many entities controlled by the same people. And SCOTUS has made the murk even murkier with last year's ruling.
'Trump University Graduates Outraged They Were Never Taught to Defraud Banks'
'NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—Graduates of Trump University are incensed that they were never taught that defrauding banks was a crucial strategy to building a real-estate empire, the grads have confirmed.'
'In interviews with Trump U. alumni, the former students expressed shock and dismay that such an important entrepreneurial skill was somehow omitted from the school’s curriculum.'
“If I had learned to defraud banks, my post-Trump University career would have played out very differently,” Tracy Klugian, class of 2006, said. “As it is, I’ve gone bankrupt four times.” (Satire, NewYorker)
Fern, thank you for sharing the satire of the Borowitz Report. I firmly believe that The Former Guy (also known as He Who Must Not Be Named to keep out of Facebook jail) will rue the day that he exposed his real estate grift by running for president.
Mary, I agree with you, finally, he'll tumble down with his marquees and lies, but I thought it would happen very early in his presidency. There was big trouble in our house long before he was elected. Popular vote or not, he was elected by our very incomplete and distorted democracy, to put it mildly (apologies to the many millions enslaved, exploited, and robbed of their homeland) and look at where we are now.
Fern, unfortunately far too many people have always believed (on a gut level) that the actors were truly like the characters that they portrayed in movies and on television. Think of how you felt when you saw an actor such as David Suchet (who played Agatha Christie’s Poirot for decades) on a talk show speaking with their true accent; the same applies to Marlin Brando as the Godfather. Viewers start watching for the entertainment value, but forget that the actor is speaking lines written by others, not words that reflect their true nature.
Clearly, there truth to what you have written for many adults, Mary, but I don't think it is the whole truth. Many of us go through the process of development and do not remain at the cognitive level you have too generally suggested for 'people'.
Fern, that’s true. However, Ronald Reagan used his movie persona to convince a lot people to vote for him even though Nancy was the “power behind the throne”. Look at Louisiana ‘s senator Kennedy with his folksy persona that masks his true Oxford college roots.
Borowitz!!! Always spot on. If you haven't read his latest book, it is a hoot. He highlights the moronic things high profile politicians have said since Reagan.
The excerpts are so nostalgic and inspiring. John McGain was a Republican but his heart wore the heart of an American. I remember (and may be you can confirm), when one of his supporters in a rally in 2008 shouted that check his name in response to his opponent BO, John reminded them that we are all Americans regardless of who they are or where they came from.
JM valued the American ideals of democracy and reminded everyone that no one is above the law. Despite his terminal disease, he had the honor to wish Americans last goodbye by writing a letter of what the country should aspire to be. This letter came from his heart.
This reminded me that when an elder plants trees at their sunset years while knowing they won't use, a responsible, humane society will be created. I hope you Americans will heed to the call of JM.
I welcome you to join me in building my underserved African communities.
Back in the late 90s, I even got a positive response from the McCain campaign regarding the need to give up a bit of GDP to combat global warming! Imagine the reaction from Republicans today!
I had very temporarily registered Republican in Ohio, and even convinced my wife to do so (!), in order to vote for McCain over Bush in the primary. My wife will never let me live this down! But I think we did the right thing.
We have always voted Democratic in the general elections but for many years my husband registered as a republican so that he could vote in their primary. We have had so many idiotic republicans in Michigan he always said that he needed to at least try to weed out the worst of them in the primaries.
Sorry if this sounds odd, but the two above posts have finally made me understand that in America you must register your party before you can vote. And if you're a registered Democrat but you prefer the Republican in your constituency, you can't vote for them unless you re-register? Is this correct? Where I come from, your politics is private and when you vote, nobody is supposed to know who you voted for. When you go to vote, the official finds your name and address on the list and marks it off, then gives you the ballot papers to fill in in a private booth, fold and place through a slot in a box beside the official desk where they can see you do it. And if your name hasn't been marked off, a few weeks later you get a Please Explain in the post, from the Electoral Commission.
Sorry if my post was misleading. In Michigan, you identify as one or the other ONLY for the primaries not the general elections. When we go into vote in the primaries we tell them which party's ballot we want. Then in the general election whoever won in their primary for both parties is on the ballot. That's why voting in both the primaries and general elections is so important.
Anne-Louise, It is my understanding you can only vote in a primary under a party designation. In the general election you can vote for yourself! Write-ins are allowed, as are any candidate you choose.
Anne-Louise, I know this can confusing, but I’ll take a try at explaining our party registration rules and at what point they may or may not apply.
First, we need to discern between types of elections - meaning Primary vs General. In the Primary Election, which always occurs before the General Election, the voters are deciding who the candidate will be that stands for for the political party in the General Election. In the 50 states/commonwealths (wish I could tell you the difference between these 2 entities, but alas, I cannot) that make up the United States many (not all) require that, in the Primary, ONLY political party members can vote. Moreover, many states ONLY (again, not all) allow voters to cast a ballot for those registered in the political party to which the voter belongs, i.e., Republicans for Republicans & Democrats for Democrats. Thus, the voter list carries party affiliation information so that the voter gets the correct ballot. And, just to confuse the issue, some states allow voters in primary elections to vote regardless of party affiliation.
However, once the candidates are selected in the Primary, a voter may vote in the General Election regardless of party affiliation. So no declaration of party membership by the voter, nor need to differentiate ballots handed to the voters. I hope this helps.
Yes, I start to see why things are in such a mess. This "system" is as inappropriate to the present day as is the wording of the Constitution. I'm very grateful to you and all the others of us who have taken the trouble to explain this to me. I think Karen Tumulty of WaPo must read LFAA, because she's got an opinion piece up today (which I've just read) headed "Who elects these clowns, exactly? As it turns out, almost none of us." Her article is embellished with a picture of Gaetz (he of the virile right eyebrow) and Boebert gazing adoringly at him. Ugh, what a way to start a day. Where's the coffee.
I seriously considered voting for McCain right up until he chose Sarah Palin as his VP. She was so clearly not up to the job! That failure of judgement, imposed upon him from the early stirrings of partisan extremists or not, was probably an early symptom of the brain cancer that killed him. He was a good man and a great American. Unlike so many other Republicans I could name. Such a sad story!
Obama, on the other hand, chose a VP very well indeed. Biden’s years as Vice President gave him the experience with the executive branch he needed to be able hit the ground confidently as President, in spite of all attempts by Trump to muck everything up.
Repubs gave a clue to their depravity in that primary race when Bush’s crowd savaged McCain with the worse lies and vitriol. One guy I heard on tv even laughed about it and said they would repent on Sunday.
Methodist was better than others, but I gave up and went to Unitarian. They mean it when they say that love is the doctrine of the church... BTW, Jesus is welcome there, the real one.
Matt, I did the same thing in that primary, also in Ohio. I have to say that I had qualms about it - McCain had a temper and flew off the handle sometimes, and politics aside, I didn’t think he had the temperament to be a fit president. But he would have been better than Bush, for sure. I too think we did the right thing.
"We never hide from history." Oh, how the GOP has decompensated since McCain wrote those words. Now they're ALL about hiding history. It is pathetic.
And then, today, when AOC demonstrated how the Republicans on the committee had submitted fabricated "evidence" to misrepresent the truth. It was like the biblical story of Susannah and the Elders—the truth revealed to all in the most damning way.
i wrote to my Representative asking her to refer Byron Donald to the House Ethics Committee for his mendacious photoshopping of the tweet he submitted to what is the contemporary version of the House UnAmerican Committee. I encourage everyone to take action and do the same.The cruelty of what these goons have done by turning an attempt by an uncle to help his tortured nephew into a whispered criminal conspiracy clearly illustrates what Republicans have become.
AOC was on "The Last Word" and explained and credited (!) committee staff for quickly digging out the truth in real time. Not only are many Dems on top of their game, but they've got whippersnapper staffs to support them. It was truly refreshing to hear credit given where credit is due.
There are a couple people Republicans keep trying to trip up, with the most embarrassing results: AOC and Pete Buttigieg. They get schooled EVERY time.
How can one not feel the emotions of his speech? He honored his friend who he didn’t agree with a lot of the time, politically, but they managed to forge respect for one another. A handshake meant something then. We are existing in one of those most tumultuous times of our lives. One thing is certain though, we must find a way back to having real negotiations, real conversations with those who feel differently than we do. We have to collectively fight against the autocracies who wish to take away our rights. Now is a ripe time.
I have tried time and again to have conversations with those who feel differently than we do.. They accuse me of either lying or tell me i will NEVER change their minds, and some tell me i listened to false news.. I either failed miserably, or the ones i talked to are so gullible and ignorant that they can't be reasoned with.
John T Phillips, I think it's the latter. Some are too far gone from truth to reach them. But there are others I have found willing to converse and allow me to speak.
You are correct, some of them are too far gone from truth to reach. I did change 2 person's minds, one of the was my ex-wife and the other was my one neighbor that i like. She is a widow who's husband died 5 years ago. About 80% of the voters in the county i live in are gun and rifle toting Donald TUMP fanatics. Those 80% are bona fide Georgia backwoods hicks.
John T Phillips, Great job at pointing them to the truth! Like you, I have been able to also. I know, doing so takes perseverance. It isn't easy, but I think it's why we're here --- to consciously be better and make the world better. It must be difficult for you surrounded by so much fanatical nonsense. I am not sure if I could take that. Keep trying to reach the 20% and I will keep trying to reach the reachable also.
Thank you, very much. I want to tell you what 2 or these TUMP fanatics tried to do to me, there is a gravel road that intersects with the paved road i live on, and these 2 TUMP fanatics, ( A fat guy, and his wife) that lives on that gravel road that i take for a short cut sometimes, and their house is the first house of that gravel road, and one day they tried to block that road and not let me get through, his putrid wife keep waving her arms in a boldly, threatening manner. I thought to myself, ''what are these ignorant a-holes trying to do?'' I just kept going on down the road and when i got to them, i slowed down and gave them both a, '' go to hell look'' and they didn't say one word to me, that guy's wife would not even look at me. If they had said anything to me, i was going straight to the Sheriff's office. That road is county property, and they had no right for doing what they did. They knew i was Democrat by the yard sign with Biden/Harris on it. We also had tires slashed by some of the MAGA wingnuts. I am sick of living among these insane, arrogant misfits. Donald TUMP has did immeasurable damage to the United States. He shouldn't be allowed to live in our nation for what he has did. Send him to Russia to be with Putin, they are so much alike. And take that female Goon, (MTG) with him.
John T Phillips, sorry about those awful things. Keep staying alert and having a plan. Keep sane too. ---- somebody's gotta be. And thanks for the "female goon" laugh!!!
Gullible perhaps. Even possibly ignorant. But most apparently needing to identify with someone who speaks to their feelings if not their thoughts and capacity to analyze.
John, I have had the same experience. I am told that Prager U is the beacon of "real truth" for them, and that anything other than Faux, OAN, or NewsMax is "liberal garbage, full of lies." I have had one fellow (Michele has interacted with him, briefly, on my Facebook page) who told me "Well, Ally, just remember; everything you think about us, we think about you." I asked him if his years of being a cop had taught him that regardless of the people involved, the truth is always in the middle of witness statements and interviews, and farther from the middle the more invested someone is in the outcome. He said "no". There you have it.
The latter, most likely, or so I opine. There is a lot of mental illness in our country. I feel those unwilling to accept truth and/or facts but instead cling to a belief, person or ideology do so because it meets their need as an aggrieved citizen. That grievance is borne from repressed emotions. From the time they are young boys, men are told big boys don’t cry. That, I believe is why mass shooters kill. It’s also, I feel why many identify with tfg. He’s the king of grievances, and the victim of so much maltreatment when it suits his narrative. Women get caught up in it, too.
I think that change is happening so fast & too fast for many, like the rug is being pulled out from under them, they are acting out of fear. George Lakoff's patriarchial concept fits. Wish they instead could see Biden as the nurturing father.
John, I have had the exact same experience and have lost many people I had considered friends, and intelligent ones at that. I have been so discouraged.
This country IS created on "blood and soil". It was stolen from Indigenous People and built on genocide. MAGA people are simply expressing the nihilistic hatred that has been present in leadership in this country since George Washington betrayed his treaty w the Oneida after they rescued him and his army from freezing and starving to death. Biden I think is the most effective and strongest President in our history. I hope he and his people will turn the course of history away from the psychopathy of the Republican Party.
I agree with you. It's "both/and," that this nation founded on the ideals of a republic instead of monarchy was created on "blood and soil" of Indigenous Peoples and blood of enslaved peoples.
Beat me to it, Ellie. On the backs of kidnapped slave Black labor and on the ground of the Indigenous population that was very nearly the victim of complete genocide.
Thank you for posting so much of this speech. President Biden seems to be doing all he can to be a uniter of people and a defender of democracy. I wish him longevity and continued clarity of vision.
Joe Biden is exactly the president we need in this grave moment. And every day up to election 2024 and thereafter. This was the absolute pinnacle of his presidency thus far; a speech to be quoted for ages to come. Now we must gather our frayed nerves and jagged edges and get out the vote to keep him in office to purge these fascists from our government. We must fight on every front possible and in any way our individual situations allow. So let’s do this America! We have a battered country that needs healing and active participation by all people who value FREEDOM.
Will Fox “news” report his speech ? Will it be ignored or twisted somehow ? That’s the problem Too many Americans are living in a closed ecosystem and believe the lies told to them by oligarchs preying on insecurity and racism.
‘Ever since debt was invented in ancient Sumer, there have probably been people enriching themselves through bad investments. The trick is to make these investments using other people’s money.’
‘Suppose, for example, that a wheeler-dealer uses borrowed funds to make risky investments in New Jersey casinos. If the investments somehow end up making money, he can pocket the profits. But if the investments fail, he may — if he’s been tricky about the wording in his loans or manages to persuade his creditors not to go after his other assets — be able to walk away and leave other people holding the bag. That is, it’s heads he wins, tails the creditors lose.’
‘He may also be able to siphon off some of the borrowed money, say by having the casinos pay him or businesses he owns large sums for various services before they go bust.’
‘As readers may have guessed, this isn’t a hypothetical example. It is the story of Donald Trump’s New Jersey casino empire, a venture ending in multiple bankruptcies that was a disaster for outside investors but appears to have been quite profitable for Trump.’
Hey, most NYC voters knew the CONMAN for what he was and is. Who is more obvious than D.J. Trump? What we, New Yorkers, don’t get is why so many Americans have taken the bait. Those are some ‘exceptionals’!
What fools they are, when not far worse!
‘Trump declared on social media that “my Civil Rights have been taken away from me” and that he borrowed money from “sophisticated Wall Street banks” that presumably wouldn’t have been easily deceived by fraud. If you know anything about Wall Street’s attitudes toward Trump, that’s a real hoot.'
'For years, only one major Wall Street player, Deutsche Bank, was willing to deal with him at all, leading to much puzzlement about that bank’s motives. And eventually Deutsche Bank also pulled the plug, citing concerns about his financial claims. Trump did manage to pay off that debt, although it’s a mystery where he found the cash. But as I just explained, getting lucky is no excuse for fraud.’
‘What’s remarkable about Engoron’s finding that Trump committed large-scale fraud (it’s now a ruling, not a mere accusation) is what it says about the man who became president and the voters who supported him.’ (Paul Krugman, NYTimes) See gifted link below.
Follow the money to its source. Looted oligarch money from the carcasses of the USSR laundered through Moldova Cyprus and who knows where. DB was all to eager to cash in. And Trump was a useful idiot who could be bought
That’s a Gettysburg Address if I ever heard one. My God, so powerful in its entirety. Biden has a talent pool of writers but I’m sure he had compositional inclusion.
What a wonderful speech! The question is, how many people will hear it? How many will heed it? The challenge is to inspire people to get out and vote for democracy.
Some very powerful stuff - “Democracy is not a partisan issue. It’s an American issue.” “We can’t take democracy for granted.” Thank you for encapsulating an important speech.
The mainstream press spread the lies that Trump was addressing a supportive crowd of union workers. It's past time for the press to be skeptical about Trump's claims and not to spread them without verification.
It is past time for the public to be skeptical of the press, period. Full stop. If I can't confirm or verify, I do not accept. It takes some effort, but the noise is overwhelming the signal these days.
I just had a dear old friend tell me yesterday that if I watched Fox News, I’d know the truth. She sat right here in my living room and told me that trump accomplished so much good for our country. I wanted to vomit.....
I had such a bff. Fox was on tv at their house 24/7. No exaggeration. They stayed up all hours. I moved and was not subjected to the crap after that. It was so obviously bull schitt
Biden speaks like FDR, not Reagan or the GOP, he speaks like Lincoln, not the southern slavers or the northern Indian killers. It is time we lived up to the best we can be not the worst we have been.
A magnificent speech from a leader whose vision and humility elevate him above these perilous times. Thank God we, the people, saw him and chose him. Now we need to accept his invitation to be our better selves.
But we are faced today with other news that chills my soul: Putin said yesterday that Russia will "achieve its goals in Ukraine by 2025". I believe the only way Ukraine loses this war is if the West withdraws its support. And as long as Joe Biden leads our county and moderate progressives balance, if not control, the Congress, the United States will stand by the defense of democracy in Ukraine.
Ukraine is not some country struggling to become democratic. Ukraine made that choice in the hard fought election that brought Zelensky to the Presidency. Ukraine has chosen democracy already, we are defending it, defending our friends in the Bread Basket of the World, against autocracy.
But between now and 2025 is an election, one that appears to be heading for a showdown between Joe Biden and a despicable personification of man's inhumanity to man. Why does Putin think that by/in 2025 the tide will turn in his direction? He is backing Trump, and he will back Trump with the desperation of a paranoid leader with his back against the wall. He, Putin, needs Trump in power.
The American people wisely rejected Trump once, even in the face of a mammoth disinformation campaign that has been proven to have been rooted in Russia. I think the disinformation influx to which we are about to be subjected will make those prior efforts look like a primary school exercise.
This time, the Russian influence has another weapon--the anti-government contingent currently serving (serving only themselves) in Congress--which this week, led by Jim Jordan, took steps to destroy the efforts of the Department of Justice to combat dis-information. It was the occasion of Garland's testimony at the Capitol.
Here is a moment where we all can do as Professor Richardson urges: talk to everyone we can. Write our Congressmen. Be suspicious of what you read on line and research sites and posts before responding, reposting, or forwarding them.
If Garland is alarmed already by what DOJ knows, imagine the lurking behemoth still shrouded in secrecy. Putin cannot win in an open fight in Ukraine, and is moving the fight underground once again. We must be aware of who is pulling the strings, and cut them with our voices and our votes.
If chump cheats his way back in, i will be leaving the United States a week after the election is over. I am already making plans now. I think the only way he does win is through blatant cheating. More people better wake up and realize what it's going to be like if he does cheat and win.. Chump's second Dictatorship will be much worse than his first term of Dictatorship was.
trump doesn’t need to cheat his way back to give Putin his entree. The extremist gop in the House are doing it for him. trump was only one tool in Putin’s box of destruction. He knew where to place the crowbars to muck up the workings of our system: infuse the populace with insanity and conspiracy, sow distrust in leaders and government. Sit back and watch it destroy itself, “by its own hand”.
Please tell me again how this man is in Cognitive decline? Bravo Biden.
I agree!!! I heard him the other day, and I said what are people talking about! We MUST counter this narrative! And re: his speech on democracy and the MAGA's.... he's spot on! WHY do these MAGA's not get it??? Ugh! We need more and more of his words to overload the MAGA's in the crazy Faux news ecosystem that we all exist under. NPR even makes me crazy now cuz they keep going over Biden and his age. It's so interesting... no other group can we chastise and make fun of..... except folks that are getting old. It's ageism people and it's wrong. Just wrong.
Remember the mantra for Biden: savvy, seasoned, and sane!
And kind
And the irony is everyone will age. While not everyone will one day be black, or female, or disabled or any other ‘protected’ category, one day EVERYONE will be old. You’re right—it’s ageism.
I am going to start flaunting my age to let people know how good being in your 80s can look! & how competent I am. Defy stereotypes!
When i hear the rant about Biden being too old i just remind folks Mick Jagger is 80 too.
Really all the rolling stones are about that age . It makes people stop and think
Good reply!
Trump is old too but he is showing it.
Trump is mostly too crazy!!!
I saw a picture of him that must have slipped by the censures. Looking older-lot older. Maybe he didn't have his make up on.
His diet is a killer.
Yes, Yes, Yes, I'm a few years older than Biden, so know he's up to the job.
Our biggest mistake would be to not keep him our President after all he and his administration have given those of us that know what the hell is going on!
Bravo!
You go girl!
I’m with you!!
I do that. I let people know I’m 73 and still going strong.
Give me a month to catch up. I was 68 participating in my first door to door campaigning. Never paid any attention to politics before then. Actually I slept better before that, but lack of sleep will not keep me away
I'm constantly telling people my age: 84 (in October, I always skip ahead)...I think, I shouldn't do that; people may think less of an old person.
But, actually, I think it's a gas! Imagine that: 84!!!
I"m right behind you at 78!!! What a great idea! Thanks, Carole!
Death and taxes eh?
While Trump has to die like us all, he's done a very good job, up to now, in avoiding paying his fair share of taxes.
There is nothing on record about President Biden’s having failed to pay his taxes. There is not even a suggestion that he has failed to pay his taxes.
He even showed his income taxes in a timely manner. Hopefully the draft and tax dodger will not slip out of his New York verdict
It's the only flaw they can find for him to be president. And, yes, it's discrimination.
NPR is guilty of repeated age discrimination against Biden. Over and over I hear its stories about his age that make it seem as if he stumbles and falls regularly. It's grotesque coverage and beneath any quality news organization.
Who in the hell doesn't occasionally trip on stairs, no matter their age? And does NPR ever comment on Trump's obesity and fast-road-to-death unhealthy diet? Or ill health effects of his non-stop rage?
Maybe NPR is angling for a pass when Trump, if elected, starts his dictatorial rule by shutting down news organizations.
Shoot, I’m 55 and sitting here in a cast because I failed to notice a pothole as big as the Grand Canyon, tripped and broke my wrist. If stumbling, tripping or falling is a symptom of old age, I’m in big trouble, lol!
Yikes! I broke my wrist back when I was 57 and it hurt like mad! I’m so sorry for the pain you are going through. Heal quickly and no, you are not old, you are younger than my daughter.
Be proud of your successes and continue fighting for democracy.
We all age differently. While some octogenarians are infirm, others are vigorous well into their nineties.
On the other hand, Biden seems to make up for this in assigning a lot of women and blacks, Hispanics, even LBGT people (Pete) in his cabinet. Trump had Ben Carson. Jerome Adams was Surgeon General starting in July of 2020. His challenges were that he had to work in a somewhat racist atmosphere as well as one where science was downplayed. He had to deal with a president who refused to wear a mask during the pandemic. I don't know if the Surgeon General is appointed or not.
[ It can hurt like hell when you've written about age, you've lived it, you're living it here and now, you want to share the experience for the best reason possible -- because you have just witnessed a masterful display of the wealth that age and experience can bring -- and the program deletes your thoughts...]
More writing on water...?
Let's go, anyway! I'll post and edit as I go along...
*
[There, the invisible censor has struck again. I must post what I draft more frequently...
Not to worry.
If, next week, I find myself still alive as I set out on my 85th year, I'll write this celebration of age and dedicate it to the man who inspired it today, President Joe Biden.
Meanwhile, back to MLMinET.]
Yes, we all age, but some who live the fullest, most meaningful lives, don't live long. So its falls to older, maybe lesser men and women to continue
the work they began.
*
Lives truncated.
Here, it's nothing but words... Normally, you should have had a complete item hours ago... Yet circumstances force me to leave you now.
I shall return.
With age can come wisdom, which is more than beauty, a fast tongue, knowledge, or experience. It is something more than such pieces or their sum. Who has not realized that they will never be the smartest or best looking among their peers, but would gladly settle for being the more thoughtful and wisely comported? When I hear Mr Biden speak, fumble with some words, and speak off-handed, I hear the traces of his lifetime of experiences and mistakes addressed and learned from; considered thoughts absent smoothness of the naively certain.
Thank you, Fred, for saying all these things, which I wanted to. But Biden inspired me to want to write a panegyric not only for him but to sing the virtues and advantages of age and experience -- all experience, errors, even disgrace, can become compost for fruitful growth.
And once again to plug my strong feeling that there's a crying need for alliances between young and old.
Do write on, Peter. Last paragraph might be your beginning.
You better, Peter. You are one of the people that keeps me coming here!
Thank you, Annie.
That is if we're lucky. We will age. The other irony is that Biden and tfg are in the same generation. While Biden is in peak health, tfg isn't and yet he isn't criticized for being too old.
Yeah, like what happened to the notion of the old wise sage?
Then do 60% of democrats want BIDEN not to run again?
Some cultures idolize the elderly for their wisdom. The USA as a young nation we have had a tendency to idolize youth and in doing so we have had a bias against getting older. We have a vast industry devoted to making people who are aging to look younger than their years, not to mention the burgeoning longevity field.
We have a very unfortunate tendency to idolize the very rich and famous, no matter what they did to become rich or famous.
Yes, Not Old. Tfg should be famous for having THREE government shutdowns in his administration. Why do we conveniently forget or minimize all those important facts. Tfg loves chaos. He is the darling of the media and I will never understand why. He’s not news. He is incompetent, corrupt and dishonest. Lock him up already because he will never even come close to normalcy. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/26/when-was-the-last-government-shutdown/70969554007/
EIGHT (8) government shutdowns under Reagan!! The "god" of the R Party (before tfg). How about that? The most ever...
Thanks, Gigi for that link.
I can remember what it did to the National parks. Trash everywhere and very unsafe.
I have never admired the rich and famous.
I do admire the ones that were famous, like Robert Redford, Meg Ryan who have used their wealth and fame to help those in need. I know there are many others.
It’s the greedy rich that I abhor.
Why do the MAGA's not get it?? It may have something to do with their cognitive decline.
Anyone can have cognitive issues early on.. Trump certainly has. One can be quite coherent and wise later in life too. People age differently, but values experience and education matter a lot.
I agree. Trump has no values, principles or ethics. He is deeply experienced in the art of the con, and his education is "iffy' at best. He is a nut job.
". . . you can’t love your country only when you win.” Thanks yet again to HCR for giving us most of Biden's speech rather than sound bites. The FG and his beasts are ready to "burn it all down." No shame, only idiocy that helps no one. Work now, for the night is coming. VOTE.
I believe he is mentally dysfunctional but so normal-like at times that people can get on his wave length and get conned and "charmed" by his charisma.I believe he is amoral, without morals...maybe immoral (evilly disposed?)They then adopt his hate and vindictiveness, his views, the nicknames and slogans he uses and this becomes a cult. He is very very dangerous.
“ but so normal at times”?? I’m sorry but, I must have missed those “times”.
Charisma?? Trump has no charisma..
Sometimes I wonder if repeated bouts of Covid have contributed to their collective mental decline.
It's repeated bouts of LIES, CONSPIRACY, and PROPOGANDA from Trump, FOX, and the rest of his despicable supporters that has caused the collective mental decline. This is so sad.
It is a long history of all the things that death star represents and the fear that being white, male, and heterosexual is somehow losing the power to lord it over all of us. I am not excluding female aiders and abetters here either.
Wow! Michele, I hadn’t thought of that, but it says a lot.
Decline, or maybe they just flat-lined a long, long time ago Debbie.
I figure it’s lack of education and/or they have an agenda. It’s amazing how the poorest vote against their own interests.
Yes. That's why Trump likes the uneducated. They're easily swayed.
Or cognitive impairment!
Agreed! Trump is almost as old as Biden but there is never a comparison on age. Biden is sane and mentally sharp, Trump is a psychopath and mentally ill. Biden is trim, fit and exercises daily, Trump is obese and drives around in his golf cart. There’s no comparison as to who is healthier mentally and physically.
Disappointing to hear NPR getting pushed over by propaganda.
What in the name of [insert name of deity here] are you talking about? Do you even know?
Hey fresh mouth smarty pants- I am talking about NPR being reported here as talking about Biden's age as well. They could be talking about the age and mental capacity of others.
You make a good point that media are responding to the situation by using the MAGA framing of the situation, when they should be celebrating the achievements and continued competence of a seasoned politician and a decent human. However, NPR is not the only one doing it. It is a general shortcut taken by all media, and we must find a way to reframe the debate.
Gee, I missed that. Somehow I thought that today's letter was devoted to Biden's extraordinary speech yesterday. Well, maybe I'm getting old.
Getting old? You are using that as an excuse and smarty pants sarcasm again for being plain rude including when it is not necessary. Some are hopeless because they do not hear themselves and don't understand the reaction they get- Not to mention that SOME don't know how to have a conversation or what is actually related to it. Yeah you missed a lot.
My God Harrison Ford is old, Clint Eastwood is old.... But no one cares.
And guess what tRump is old too. And a horrible human being on top.
I used to go to the library to read “Vital Speeches”.
Are you that old?
Yes, ageism is wrong. Learned about the wisdom of the aged as a child and am still surprised (and infuriated) to experience it in America. But many Americans “die” at 60 from poor diet and insufficient exercise and medical care. Body and brain are one--something we don’t take into account.
And also name one single speech that Trump delivered that was as well written and delivered as Biden's speech yesterday.
Thank you Heather for recounting so many of the highlights.
Reading about Biden’s speech yesterday makes me so Proud that is is our President.
Me too. That speech could almost make him make me forgive him for Clarence Thomas’s hearing.
When has Trump ever made a speech that wasn’t dark and dystopian? Biden’s speech made me proud to be an American! We need a lot more of that! How about soundbites of his speech in an ad and run it on Fox News during prime time?
Great idea! They are using what DeSantis said at the debate about Trump running up the deficit for a Biden for president ad. not on Fox News that I know of, however
yes, who are the speechwriters? It was spot on. Even my republican partner commented that it was a good speech. He was impressed.
Amen!
Very powerful words and eloquently noted by President Biden. I “carry” a list of his accomplishments with me and I will add this Letter. His record is impressive on so many levels.
I don’t interact with many MAGA types but I do hear some people say they are not going to vote at all because “Biden is too old” and the republicans are nuts. Not voting for Biden is the kiss of death for this country and I can’t get my head around people thinking not voting is an option. If the MAGA’s occupy the WH again, we really are doomed and it will be a whole different ballgame to regain the county’s collective sanity - if that would even be possible. I really don’t want to live my last decade+ under a violent totalitarian regime nor have my kids move to Switzerland (although that is s nice place to visit!)
Yes, Biden is old but hands down is the only choice in 2024 for the positive reasons of leadership and accomplishments. We are so fortunate that he ran, won and put together an administration where the caliper of people is 2nd to none and gives us hope! The democrats fully understand our form of government was designed to function by the people, for the people. If that basic ideal is lost, obviously democracy fails.
And you might remind them that Biden has surrounded himself with competent people. Secretary of State Blinken puts everyone in the T administration to shame, for example. Mark Milley, as head of the Joint Chiefs, stood between us and chaos. Linda Thomas-Greenfield has served us nobly at the United Nations, fighting hunger around the world and skillfully skirting the Russians when she can. Deb Haaland has demonstrated at the Interior Department that our public lands are for everyone. A competent leader surrounds themselves with competent people, not sycophants, and Biden has chosen many.
Agree and I do say that constantly. The caliper of the people in Biden's administration is second to none and is exactly what we should all be looking for from a president (but it is rare)! A lesser known public example is Ambassador (China) Nick Burns (his brother was in my high school class) who I heard and was able to speak with few years ago at a presentation in Boston-at the time he was one of Biden's campaign advisors on foreign affairs. He is a brilliant, life long diplomat, also teaches/taught at Harvard-we won't hold that against him :) - and has been my "go to" on international policy for many years.
The bottom line is trump's occupation of the WH was a total shit show and a so-called administration filled with the most incompetent, nasty people. Those with some functioning brain cells (albeit not without ideas of self enrichment) who thought they might be able to keep a lid on things (and I get that), quickly left. The lessons from the rise of Hitler tell us how that type of strategy works out!
If anyone knows how to find or have shown the piece of newsreel showing a mass of German soldiers pledging their loyalty to Hitler, please make it known to a journalist. I saw it years ago and it would make a powerful statement to MAGAs.
Unfortunately, the most violent of MAGA’s would think that is a call to arms - they really are of that evil mindset!
So it’s a true Fascist cult. I knew our failure to teach history was/is serious, but this is a jolt. Thank you for reminding me how far we’ve fallen. Having lived through the whole political scene since Eisenhower (my first vote, last Republican) and having voted, marched and rallied faithfully for Dems and democratic principles ever since, watching my fellow Americans getting fatter and glued to boring TV sitcoms while I was doing music, I now see that it’s worse than I could have believed. (First clue: at 89 I MUST be diabetic. Not yet. Maybe never.)
Brilliant.
Spot on.
Terri, rather than being in cognitive decline (example: TFG insisting that he’s running against Obama or that President Biden is going to get us into WWII), I believe that President Biden is more astute than ever before. It’s similar to wines—an exceptional wine will improve as it ages, while an inferior wine will just turn into a vinegary mess.
Amen!!
Terri,
I am a huge fan of President Biden. He was the right man at the right time for America from my perspective.
However, he is 80 years old at this time. This is a fact we all should really think about. I have met some "sharp" 80 year old's yes. But, every single one of them would tell you that they were a fraction of what they once were. Sometimes this is balanced by the experience they have gained, no doubt.
But ALL of them would say their energy was WAY down from their earlier days. Sure, when they were awake their faculties were still OK. But, their energy and their passion (mental) was way down compared to age, say 40.
Biden, I think, HAS made a great mistake in not developing and showcasing Kamala Harris who is well spoken, sharp as a tack, passionate and very much with it both in sharpness and energy.
Had he developed her properly, showcased her, stepped up to the job of development of a successor, she would now be running for President. Sure, she is a darker skinned woman in America. So what? LOTS of people in America identify with that.
Biden made a judgement error, perhaps out of a still too well developed ego, by NOT stepping aside to push forth a developed challenger who was younger.
Biden is 80 years old. That, ladies and gentlemen, is just too old to be President. In my opinion. Will Biden be better than Trump or Hitler or Stalin? Sure, but, will he be the best we could have had?
You decide.
Keep in mind there are smart clear thinkers in their 90’s as well as dementia showing up at 60. A wise man, vastly experienced as Biden is, surrounds himself with smart competent people and doesn’t bluster as “the Emperor With No Clothes” as tfg did. Biden has been extraordinary in his role as president given the messes he had to clean up. That he’s attacked by press each time his stutter appears or takes a misstep fails to fully embrace the larger reality of this president’s record. Democracy is based on a village of wise minds not a single authority. Make note of this.
Biden made a great point when he pointed out that a President should represent all Americans. Like Benjamin Harrison Trump only represented himself and by extension his uber rich friends and the corporotocracy.
And soon he will lose the $250M which is actually all he’s worth.
And Leonard Leo will find a few rich donors to give him a few hundred million for his campaign and legal fund. Drain the swamp indeed.
➡️➡️ "...surrounds himself with smart competent people..." ⬅️⬅️
Sorry, but Biden is at the top of his game! I am past 80. Look around I bet there are lots of 80+ people on the ski slopes, hiking, riding horses & in pursuits that need the balance perspective that age brings. He has kept himself in great shape both physically& mentally. He has surrounded himself not with parrots but with competent people with an array of perspectives. He is a finely honed politician & if you can keep such a positive, forward thinking perspective after a lifetime in politics, then he can lead the Nation!
➡️ "He has surrounded himself not with parrots but with competent people with an array of perspectives." ⬅️
Carole,
Nice! Keep it up. btw, most humans, at any time in their life, believe they are at the top of their game. I am no exception. I rock! Every day.
That is also Biden's perception of himself, no doubt. Human.
Mike S your opinion is riddled with unsubstantiated claims. Biden has a well developed plan, works with competent leaders to deliver and the nation has reaped the benefits of his administration in just a few years. You on the other hand come to the table with a preconceived notion that age is a key factor - lest you be reminded, take a look and listen to the audacious platforms of the "younger" candidate hopefuls who do not deliver, demonstrate obstruction in a most dangerous level and have their eyes on power and retriution. Think deeper Mike, listen carefully to the hate, anger and fear from opponents and question, what is there plan for sustainable change. Biden is building infrastructure and concensus despite the GOP opposition and the Democrat leadership is behind the Biden Administration. Attention to detail is needed.
Margaret,
Like I said, I am a huge fan of Biden. However, I do honestly think he made a mistake by not developing a younger successor and stepping aside. I don't really see how that is an unsubstantiated claim. More like just my opinion.
I felt the same way about Ginsberg. Her judgement was flawed in the end about her endurance. Very costly mistake.
Mike, it’s an unsubstantiated claim because it belies the truth of Biden’s development of Harris. The White House in fact is using her well, is providing her with the experience necessary to be president, and is touting her accomplishments. Just note: most White House press releases say “the Biden Harris administration”. Subtle, but there. If the media doesn’t follow through, that is not the fault of the administration. We all know we have a media problem, drama equals clickbait while quiet competence goes unnoticed.
Just look back to last week’s Harris tour of college campuses. It was wildly successful and well reported. But perhaps you didn’t notice?
In re stepping aside, I think what you suggest would be insane. Giving up the advantages of incumbency in this most important election would be foolish in the extreme. And Biden is not a fool. Furthermore, why would the most successful president of my lifetime step aside? I want another Biden term, because I like how he governs. I am not worried if he should become unable to complete his term, because Harris has in fact been prepared to assume the role, because Biden has indeed prepared his (potential) younger successor. Your repeated calls for him to step aside hurt the democratic cause.
KR,
Good points all. Biden is a great President as I noted and I agree with you. Biden is not a fool (except, perhaps where his son is concerned).
Also, I really do think Harris could take on Trump and win. Perhaps big.
I really do hope I am not hurting Democracy by just suggesting that Biden might have stepped aside and let Harris have a go at Trump.
I think she would run circles around Trump. I think she would win.
Why does everyone think that Harris has been prepared but cannot win?
That is just beyond my understanding.
Because we live in a racist, misogynistic society. You don’t care, and I don’t care (and in fact, perceive Harris’ race and gender as pluses), but sadly lots of people do. Exhibit A: Hilary Clinton. Please don’t respond as I imagine you would like to, by talking about Bill and Michigan haha. It’s late, and I’m too tired for that. :)
Passionately stated. But can anyone other than Biden beat Trump? Harris is amazing but she’ll never beat Trump. It’s too great a risk. A Trump presidency would be the end of our Nation as a democracy. Even if Biden declines in his second term, he will gather around him amazing people to lead as he has done already. This is far preferable to the end of democracy under treasonous traitor dictator Trump!
And, remember FDR who was so ill yet his opus continued to lead us out of Depression and War.
"Harris is amazing but she’ll never beat Trump. "
We will obviously never know the answer, but, I think Harris could have beat Trump about the head like Mohammed Ali whipped George Frazier.
She was a prosecutor for goodness sake. Prosecuting Trump while running for President would have been cake for her.
I remind myself that two of Harris's attributes which enhanced Biden's candidacy—being Black and a woman—would not serve her well in this climate in a general election.
I am not so sure. We all are extrapolating Hillary Clinton's loss too much.
Hillary was a special case. Harris does not have the Bill Clinton albatross around her neck. Not even close.
Nec,
What if the widely held hypothesis that Harris cannot win is false? What if she can?
I think she could for sure. I would love to see rip Trump apart in a debate.
What if our hypothesis that BIDEN can win is false?
I mean, we really don't know. We are just using our imagination to tell us what our biases want us to hear.
So the Trump Inc. civil case will wipe out Trump's cash reserve and may result in any loans he has being called.
But, what happens when Trump is found guilty in any of his 91 indicted crimes? So he is sentenced to even 1 year in prison. That will likely bring him past the 2024 election and the inauguration in 2025. Other than the die hard MAGAts who would vote for him?
"Other than the die hard MAGAts who would vote for him?"
Lots of people. Americans love Trump.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/us/politics/anti-trump-ads-memo.html?unlocked_article_code=7SfGgLzZtZmZWXKcfBRR2apOmUbCxAE4knOw3RtU24pAijf2xMOlKZCzZYgvFSo96fQtecrIHgN-6T8ZbuMRVD6hYSMsfN4Vjg_cPPPM2gR-eh1OC_aHHzhIiZfxDLNsER26CCIMz_LHR5LQmdlPGeambthPj7CwOw2_W0-6EmZev3PkY33IBeWUpHNzmgjZPoUmqzSjpFfoFjUACju9b3R-4agvCicAEHUsvv1_0qxfFNlP3aPAqPS71JPzx6OGUU7NRlgAD9baoEAmjTGwM-SHexKAgPRqW1DEGW3DT8iuRr0D9cdPv_AEe4YnABs18DRrXU1lvIG6uinXLDJN34o&smid=url-share
Thankfully, "a lot" is not enough!
The president doesn’t do the job alone. He has his very capable and put forward plenty well Harris, whom the media ignores so apparently you believe he hasn’t put forth. He has very competent staff, advisors, heads of agency.
Biden is not too old to do this job extremely well.
And what is your alternative, since you think as younger than Biden you should be listened to?
The ageism and ignorance is annoying me this morning.
Me too. I feel like the ageism thing is grasping at straws - kinda like the time Obama wore a tan color suit.
➡️ "He has very competent staff, advisors, heads of agency." ⬅️
Don't get annoyed by an opinion that is different. That's what Trump's folks do.
Me? I was just sharing my own personal opinion which, of course, maybe not sit well with the old folks reading HCR.
:-)
Most of us old folks can tolerate both sides of an issue/argument. Look at Biden, for heaven's sake.
:-)
If it comes down to a choice between Biden and any Republican, Biden should be supported. I didn't vote for him in the primary. But Joe Biden has wildly exceeded my expectations. And reading that speech brought a chill to my spine and a tear to my eye. It is a piece of art. It is an example of superior leadership and courage. And it was spot on accurate.
But as one who is approaching Biden's age and consider myself in very good health, I think he should step away and let someone from the next generation run for president. 80 is not the new 60. It's not even the new 70. Anyone who claims otherwise is in a fantasy world.
IMO, Joe Biden has some flaws. He has a stutter and produces "gaffes". He has German Shepherds that bite people. He has a son who has messed up. He made a couple of regrettable political mistakes decades ago. But he has a myriad of positive features. In summary, he is right on almost every subject I can think of. He leads the nation as a uniting force. And his international posture and performance is second to none. If he is the nominee, I will scream my support for him.
But Joe has one more flaw. It takes an enormous ego to enter politics. It takes an even bigger one to think you should be the president. And it takes a super huge ego to think that you are the only one who can lead this nation away from disaster during a second term.
There are dozens of extremely talented younger politicians in the Democratic Party who could run for president and win. And be excellent presidents in the mold of Joe Biden. People who are or have been Governors, Senators, House members, mayors, and cabinet members. (No "business men"...please!)
And yet, we fail to consider the process of choice - of democracy. You can still say that Joe Biden is one of the finest presidents in our history - and consider someone else for the job. Why are we so afraid of the process? Are we afraid that we will look like a divided Democratic Party if we participate in the democratic process of choosing a leader? That's not a weakness. Having a competitive primary should be standard procedure and should be viewed as a strength and a commitment to our ideals.
And here is THE biggest reason an alternative to Joe Biden should be considered. The success of November 5, 2024 hangs on the degree to which Gen Y and Gen Z show up to vote. Yes, many will vote for Biden. But if you think they are excited about Biden, you are smoking something fun and have left for la la land.
And if they "Chill and Netflix" rather than voting for an old guy, the whole ticket from federal offices, to state races and even your local town officials could be lost.
If Joe is the nominee, I will walk across hot coals to vote for him. But we should face facts. America IS a culture that worships youth over sagacity. And it's totally their planet real soon. Let them take the baton before it's too late and our generation is blamed for hanging on too long.
"He has German Shepherds that bite people" and has "a son who has messed up" are Biden's flaws?! Come on.
I hope you understand the spirit with which I mentioned those items. I meant it as sarcasm. I speak as one whose dogs killed a neighbor's chickens and who understands that nobody can create and control the perfect kids. Basically, if those were his greatest flaws, he borders on being super human.
OK. I guess I didn't recognize the sarcasm!
Funny, my wife often says the same thing. I have work on it.
No worries Bill. I would never, ever vote for a Republican.
Bill Alstrom:
1st: President Biden's German Shepherd is a Police Dog, a GUARD dog! -- trained to protect. I'm wondering if the dog looks upon the Secret Service as being aggressive toward him (Commander) because they're also trained to protect the President. Worth thinking about.
2nd: The President's "flaws"?? Stutters and gaffes?? Good grief, man! He learned how to control/manage his stutter as a young child! And his gaffes have been gaffing for YEARS, and accepted. "That's just Joe." Perfection (even physical perfection, whatever that is) is not a requirement for the job. Is Tammy Duckworth's condition as a paraplegic a "flaw" because she can't stand up behind a podium?
3rd: "Enormous Ego" ?? Yes, he entered the race for the presidency, but it was Representative Clyburn's support for his nomination that put him over the top -- not VP Biden's ego. In my opinion, his humility is actually what stands out. He never promotes himself, nor regrettably until very recently his accomplishments. Nor has the Press, wanting him to just go quietly away. Fortunately, he is now putting VP Harris, and *their* accomplishments, into the light, as is FINALLY the Press. She will make a __great__ president when her time comes.
4th: Please name at least three (more if you wish) younger Democrat politicos whom you would encourage to run for President now. I'm interested to learn who your favorites are. I have one or two faves, but not for now. (I can think of a few whom I would NOT recommend but who obviously want the job.)
(Thanks for this opportunity to vent my own opinions!)
I meant "flaws" as a sarcasm. Because if that's as bad as it gets, aren't we lucky?
I am a dog person. I love them all. Mostly. Commander and Major just have been doing their jobs as they view it. And when Joe goofs up some words, I remind myself that he is still doing better than most and certainly expresses himself with humility and a graceful passion.
There was only one really salient point in my post. And that is my worry that young people may not show up to vote.
Who?
Whitmer
Booker
Duckworth
Brown
Abrams
Whitehouse
Buttigieg
Almost any Democratic governor
And personally I would sleep really well if Harris was president :)
Hakeem Jeffries would be Awesome as POTUS!
Bill, thanks for your clarification. Your "sarcasm" absolutely did NOT come through. At all. You wrote, "IMO, Joe Biden has some flaws." I thought IMO means "In My Opinion"? Yeh, you've gotta work on that.
I would support a few of your choices listed. (Can't vouch for "almost any Democratic governor", as I need names.) My favorite is Pete Buttigieg, hands down! Has been since he was Mayor Pete. But I think it's still too early for him. 2028.
Pete's the smartest of the bunch
Bill, you know what I hear from younger people? They are with us. For them it is not so much an agism thing as it is a matter of young and old working together. Why in the world are people here talking so much about how old Biden is, or debating whether that is a good thing or a handicap? We ARE training up a whole bunch of young people who are busy working and learning. They will be ready when we need them. Right now the best are at the local level and starting to emerge at state level.
We here get too hung up on what is happening in Washington to see what is going on at other levels. That distorts our view of history in the making. I am just as unnerved by what is happening right now as any body else. But everytime I look around, I see young people, young adults, middleaged people, older folks all doing what they can, our little bits adding up. It will bear fruit. But everytime somebody decides that they want to sound like a pundit and denigrate something that is infused with hope, they demean all those people doing their bit. Yes, America is just emerging from an era in which "youthfulness" or the appearance thereof was sold to us. That's changing. Please take a look around and see it, We are not substituting for them: we are simply leading the way out of the morass that was created while we were coming of age. We are all working together on this.
I hope with all my heart that your observations reflect a trend. I love the optimism and spirit in your comment. I'd vote for YOU.
Well, thank you, Bill. I appreciate that fine complement. I've always preferred working behind the scenes to elective office, though I've on occasion been on the team. Somehow I just became chair of our local town Dem committee, which is mostly administrative stuff. But this is the first time in years that we've actually had an active committee. I have decades of experience working with and guiding groups, both as a citizen volunteer and a professional, and have made delegate to two state conventions, but I'm nervous about this one. Got a great group of people, and I hope I can help them really go.
I can only hope there are many who did not vote for him last time who, like you, have changed their opinions, and will vote for him next time. I do not think he thinks he is the only person...I think he believes he is the best person to beat Donald Trump this go round.
Kinda late to be complaining, Mike? Your vote is going where?
I will vote for Biden of course. However, I would have preferred to vote for Harris.
Mike S, your vote for Biden IS a vote for Harris!
Has anyone heard rumbles that Gavin Newson might be thinking of putting his foot in the race?
I have heard rumbles that he definitely has no interest in it.
Mike, if you vote for Biden, you will be voting for Harris. That's how our system works.
I have decided. He, Joe Biden is the Best person for the job of President. Age is only a number! He is doing the job and his abilities for the job are not always about energy. He has the heart and souls of the nation foremost in his agenda and has not wavered. He is very methodical.
Slowing down is ok.
You neglect what he has done against great odds. You ignore the increasing elevation of Harris despite the MAGA negative talking points that too many repeat. You focus numeric age exclusively but neglect acknowledging the numerous people in their 80s who continue accomplishing much with experience and wisdom. You neglect his similarly experienced administration who actually work. You neglect the fitness if President Biden and his energetic wife and dear companion, Jill Biden. You forget that President Carter only now in his late 90s is dying.
Yes, we decide and were the circumstances different “it might be better” on ann age concern but look at all that has been accomplished and the vision that we now have. My goodness.
OR... he can win, retire, and boom! She's president!
Ha!!! Those MAGA's would hate that! 😂
Can that work?
Kathy, why wouldn't that work?
Here is where we are today. You are looking in a rear view mirror - your KH comments.
Biden is old. tfg is evil. Work with it. Help us elect Biden please.
In the ensuing years find a younger candidate you think will serve us better.
Hi, Mike. I am 80 years old. You have no idea what you are talking about.
Like everyone else, you have your opinion, as well was your a$$hole. Thanks for sharing, but, no thanks!
Exactly.
'Mrs. Feinstein has died, according to a report from the Associated Press, which cited three people “familiar with the situation.” She was, at age 90, the oldest sitting member of the Senate...' (WAPO)
Thank you FERN. Update: Confirmed by local ABC SF news outlet. Double confirmed CNBC.
I forward these Letters to several friends, one of whom told me that Biden is senile. Of course, I told her that was ridiculous in view of all the good that he has tirelessly achieved. I include her in these Letters because, at the very least, she needs to hear the voice of reason. Today I added my own note, asking whether any person could honestly believe that he has dementia, as I've never heard him speak so well. I hope she felt the sting, since I've distanced myself lately.
Even more impressive when you contrast it to the widely reported recent speech of Trump, where he rambled about Biden bringing us into WW2, and the other gaffs.
Did you think Reagan was in cognitive decline? He could read a good speech off a teleprompter, too.
Well, we know one who cannot.... The Great Orange One... if you recall he was having trouble saying....yesterday.....several times he had to say it over and over.... when he had to respond to the J6 insurrection. Biden is surrounded by an awesome team, and I am voting for him. Furthermore, 45 is certifiably crazy.
Specious rhetoric alert. False equivalency alert.
'Cognitive decline' is a process which may or may not result in 'Cognitive impairment.' You seem to use 'decline' to imply significant 'impairment'. Without presenting diagnostic characteristics of the continuum or evidence regarding Biden.
The situation with Reagan was significantly different than with Biden.
Reagan's acting training kicked in when he was 'on.' But there was talk among witnesses of his decline and impairment. And his entourage's protective strategies which continued until his death.
The notion that Biden is cognitively impaired follows Alex Jones' manipulated videos misrepresenting Hillary Clinton as impaired. And is promoted in the same way by Trump et al. Again.
Well stated. Biden demonstrates higher order and critical thinking and complex judgement. Add compassion, gentle humor and respect to the list of characteristics he has demonstrated - this is a person of character, wisdom and experience. He executes his fiduciary and leadership responsibilites in spite of overwhelming resistance.
Thanks, lin. I appreciate the alerts.
Yes, in fact I did believe he was in cognitive decline.
Reagan definitely developed dementia toward the end, so that Nancy Reagan was the first de facto female President of the U.S., handling matters for Reagan.
Edith Wilson was first
Eleanor Roosevelt also had a significant roll.
Edith Wilson took over when Woodrow Wilson had a stroke and was incapacitated.
Thank you for this. I didn't know that. So, Nancy was the 2nd de facto U.S. president.
I am pretty certain there were some earlier instances where the President's wife acted on his behalf during illness or decline into death. Sorry I can't come up with names right now. Tired. I um, agreed to be chair of our local Dem caucus. Yikes.
Like Reagan, Biden surrounds himself with intelligent competent caring people. Trump had a few good advisors but he ignored them or fired them if they ever disagreed with him.
A President that surrounds themselves with yes people whom are what Rex Tillerson called Trump.
Ugh...Reagan surrounded himself with people who did all his thinking for him and they were NOT "intelligent, competent, caring people"--not at all! They were, for the most part, corrupt money-grubbers or impassioned war-mongers.
Remember: Ed Meese, James Watt, Caspar Weinberger, Bill Bennett, James Baker, Donald Regan...et. al. Geez, Reagan had more people from his administration indicted for corruption than did Nixon.
Don't forget his batty wife!
& when he fired them, he attacked them Mark Miley
No, I did not think Reagan was in decline.
I thought he was always slow witted and confused. From his youngest days.
😒 The man was an actor, for crying out loud--not a very good one, but he knew how to read a script, just from his years of doing so. Just because he could read a script didn't make him a fit President. He was physically and intellectually lazy and everybody around him knew it.
Reagan was never the person that Biden is.
Regan was frequently seen asleep during meetings
Mike Regan or Ronald Reagan? Rumor has it Mike Regan ran the WH during Reagan's 2nd term.
Having lived under Reagan for 16 terms, I also thought he was the mouth piece delivering his lines
I am basing my comment on my experience as a SLP for many years. We all slow down as we get older but if he was ‘impaired’, he would not be able to focus for extended periods, recover quickly if he lost his place or interject thoughts appropriately.
A tour de force! I wish he would give the speech as address to the nation from the Oval Office in prime time. But he would be pilloried for giving a "political" speech rather than praised for accurately diagnosing our potential fatal illness and offering a cure.
Terri, how beautifully and effectively and efficiently expressed. And as a question. Boy I wish I could do that. Jay
Please, 60% of Democrats don't want him to run again.
As for the speech, he didn't write, he just read what was on the tele-promter.
BTW why do you LIE and continue to call Trump and MAGA "extreme". Trump
had 60 Million votes in 2020, won the presidency in 2016, and leads Biden
51-42% in the latest ABC Washington Post Poll. Its just stupid and non sensical to call
a near majority extreme. Perhaps the people calling him and MAGA extreme are themselves
the extremists. Can you name a single policy he enacted extreme?
1) He tried to stop illegal immigration from the Southern Border. Was that extreme?
2) He lowered corporate and personal taxes, suspended FICA withholding. Was that extreme?
3) He asked NATO allies to pay their fare share (after years of America carrying majority of costs) Was that extreme?
4) He release thousands of minority inmates early that had low level drug offenses. Was that extreme?
5) He pushed more favorable trade agreements with China. Was that extreme?
6) He investments millions into black colleges and minority investment zones. Was that extreme?
7) He made America energy independent. Was that extreme?
8) He cancelled the IRAN nuclear deal. Was that extreme?
9) He pushed for more conservative abortion laws. Was that extreme?
10) He defended the rights of gun owners. Was that extreme?
The left has become so hysterical that every view they disagree with IS world ending
extreme, racist, sexist, and homophobic.
Its a joke
ITS just a lie that Trump and MAGA are extreme. If 40 percent of the population or greater
agree with you, your view are NOT extreme.
Maybe you need to look in the mirror.
"He made America energy independent."
This is a joke yes?
"He cancelled the IRAN nuclear deal."
One of the dumbest judgements in history. Read the history of the US in Iran.
"He defended the rights of gun owners. Was that extreme?"
Um, absolutely.
You're on your game with this, Mike. This is where you shine. Thanks.
I guess you were asleep when America became a ZERO importer of OIL during the Trump years.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-06/u-s-becomes-a-net-oil-exporter-for-the-first-time-in-75-years?embedded-checkout=true
The IRAN deal was a joke. we sent billions to IRAN and got nothing in return. The deal was so bad, Obama implemented it without Senate ratification because Democratic senators didn't want to vote on it. Bob Menendez, Democratic senator from NJ, was a vocal critic. As the NY Times article outlined 23 Democratic lawmakers opposed the Obama Iran deal
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/09/09/us/politics/lawmakers-against-iran-nuclear-deal.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=42AD96DD5BBD1D1179CB150821BCD6F9&gwt=regi&assetType=REGIWALL
Iran is on the verge on a nuclear weapon. So much for the deal. The Trump approach trade sanctions and isolation.
As for gun rights, it just stupid to call it extreme. You can disagree until the sun burns out, but to call what a majority of Americans support including a majority of Democratic congressman and senators is silly. BTW if this was true why didn't Congress during Biden's first two years, when they had total control, pass expansive gun reform? Why? Because their constituents didn't want it.
"I guess you were asleep when America became a ZERO importer of OIL during the Trump years."
This is false. It is true that our oil exports went up, primarily because of Obama's support for fracking.
But, it is NOT true that we imported zero oil. For a fairly short time we imported less than we exported. But, we would never stop importing oil.
You are a paid Subscriber so I have reported you the Substack Inc platform Administrator for multiple violations of the 2023:TOU. You can mediate these matters at JAMS SF per your binding contract as a "Reader".
TY, Mr. McKown. Mr. J. A is an extremely annoying troll, constantly spouting rightwing talking points, challenging others to "prove me wrong" and just just generally being a nuisance.
TL Mills
1) What talking points?
2) Can't handle the truth?
3) Conservatives love debate, leftist run away in fear
Answering your bloviations are a waste of time. Go read a book or a newspaper.
You can't answer because they are TRUE.
You couldn't cite a SINGLE example. Not one.
Just proof that leftism is a facade. Its an intellectual face plant.
I cited the articles - NY Times on the 23 lawmakers who opposed Obama Iran Deal
I cited the Bloomberg energy exporter article from 2018 under Trump.
Its exhausting embarrassing you. Why don't leftist do their homework?
Why? Because they are so wrapped up in their self righteousness and virtue signaling
facts don't matter.
You are a fool. Just like a good little leftist. Lets censor anything our snowflake ears can't handle. Substack was created because Bari Weiss hated censorship.
You signed up for contractual Terms Of Use.TOU
James A is in breach of those contract terms as a Reader.
Dispute my claim at JAMS SF. The JAMS Rules are widely available. JAMS has a mediator that has tried a Digital liability case before a SF Jury. Do you agree To Appear At JAMS SF? Noting you are also contractually bound as a defined Substack "Author. Read the TOU.".
Who made you the censorship czar? This is Heather's site not yours.
Can't handle free speech? Of course. Free speech is not a left wing value.
Censorship is.
Are you going to tell my mother?
Free Speech never means 'Anything Goes.' Even The First Amendment, which protects us from government suppression of speech, allows government to put some limitations on speech.
This is a private forum. There are many opinions from many perspectives. People often challenge other people to provide evidence for their assertions. It is a learning community.
But from what I have seen of your comments, you contribute nothing but spleen. Hostility without analysis or evidence. And offensive as such.
James A.
What does the A stand for by the way?
I have a hypothesis, but, just wondering if you can validate it.
:-) LOL
Substack was founded in 2017 by Chris Best, the co-founder of Kik Messenger; Jairaj Sethi, a head of platform and principal developer at Kik Messenger; and Hamish McKenzie, a former PandoDaily tech reporter.[9][10] Best and McKenzie describe Ben Thompson's Stratechery, a subscription-based tech and media newsletter, as a major inspiration for their platform.[5] Christopher Best operates as chief executive as of March 2019.[11]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substack
Just off of the top of my head:
*Taking away a woman's right to choose is Extreme!
*Not complying with an AK47 ban or other sensible laws in the middle of an American crisis of mass murders that includes many many innocent people & children is Extreme!
*Wanting to burn down our Democracy and run our country as a right wing autocracy is Extreme!
*Calling our military "Suckers" is Extreme!
*Blaming the current Administration for a multitude of civil and federal crimes is Extreme!
*You and your nasty naysaying comments are Extreme!
No Lie!
I really do hope through the Substack Rules that you will be banished, once and for all. Your twisted diatribes don't belong on Dr. Richardson's astute essays.
I did not get past your first comment. If you thought he was reading from a teleprompter you were not watching...in spite of a childhood history of stuttering, he gave an eloquent personal speech. I am sure he had help writing it...but it was HIS speech and further shows that, in spite of 'polls' you quote, he is still the right person for the job. I will leave it to others to track and evaluate your other claims.
A thrilling speech from a wise man. But President Biden did not name the puppet masters hiding behind the MAGA front--the billionaire oligarchs who fund the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society and the 70+ other conservative organizations behind their Project 2025 manifesto to turn America into an authoritarian state and destroy democracy.
As long as those billionaires like Koch are not publicly outed the people being revved up by the MAGA hate rhetoric will never be able to see how they are being conned.
Indeed you are absolutely correct to point out the vital importance of singling out the Republican Party’s shadow army of Christo-Fascist motivated operatives and organizations all of whom are engaged in supplying dark money, and disinformation with which to carry out their deceitful demagoguery.
Please continue to spread the word about these enemies of Democracy.
I have been doing just that whenever possible for the past few months with the goal of helping people have their eyes, ears, and minds opened to the dangers facing our country and its future that are posed by these traitors.
Money is a form of power power to pursue people to do your bidding; mow your lawn, build your home or a factory, even build an organization. Those can be very good things; but not everything that money can buy is good; such as murder for hire, selling of state secrets, or corruption of the susceptible to pervert justice. The power to persuade or coerce others has a frequently noted tendency to corrupt, especially as the distribution of power sharply concentrates.
The Exercise of democracy protects our most fundamental rights as individuals, and as a society, from overly concentrated and unaccountable power, such as that of a despot or an oligarchy. But democracy is an ongoing practice, not a person, or an edifice, or even a formula, apart from the will of the public to adhere to good faith collaboration and the democratic sharing of power. Absent that widely share commitment, solidarity and agency, the life drains from the structures that define a republic; and those who would be plutocratic tyrants are eager to deceive and drown that democratic spirit, if and when they can.
And yes, we should SO follow the money.
J L Graham, excellent comment as usual!
J L, I fear we succumb to the same spirit as MAGAs and those who would sow hate when we describe the monied interests as enemies. They are, in fact, part of what makes our country strong, but only part of it. As you go on to note, we need to hear from them what they seek, we should require that Citizen's United actually speak up with their "free speech." We do need to hear what they propose and it should become quite clear that many, perhaps even most Americans don't want to follow THAT money if it means working for subsistence wages without reasonable healthcare. Just as Biden declared, we need those with money and who know how to make money just as we need the red states but we need them to apply more of it to the common good and not get flustered or misled when they call that fairer sharing "socialism."
But get their $$$$$$ out of politics & stop buying elected people.
That's the big one.
"But the main culprit, the cancer on the body politic, is money: Money, money, money. When I ran 6 years ago, in 1998, I raised $8.5 million. That $8.5 million is $30,000 a week, every week, for 6 years. If you miss Christmas week, you miss New Years week, you are $100,000 in the hole and don't you think we don't know it and we start to work harder at raising money.
As a result, the Senate doesn't work on Mondays and Fridays. We have longer holidays. The policy committee is adjourned and we go over to the campaign building because you can't call for money in the office. So we go over to the building and call for money and obviously we only can give attention to that. We don't have time for each other. We don't have time for constituents, except for the givers. Somebody ought to tell the truth about that." Fritz Hollings, November 16, 2004
After the excesses and corruption of the "Gilded Age", the public responded with (in my view) more just and intelligent set of rules for commerce, including anti-trust, Glass -Steagall, workers and union rights, benefits such as healthcare, minimum wage, child labor regulation, consumer protections, especially regarding safety, the FDA, EPA, etc. and on and on. The middle class grew rapidly for a number of reasons, but now demonized "regulation" hardly killed it.
Having piles of money is not in and of itself, a virtue, as Trump proves, but neither is it in and of itself a vice, although a society in which most of the property is in a few hands in no democracy. The thing is that any form of power can be used to concentrate more power, and that, left unmanaged, becomes an enemy of social justice. Too, some of the wealthiest people seem to want the lifestyle of kings while keeping serfs at a subsistence level.
In 1954, Eisenhower said:
"This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon “moderation” in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H.L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."
I think that Ike did not foresee the scale of the propaganda operation that now tells lies on an Orwellian scale. That proven protections against virus spread are worse than nothing, or millions spent to convince the public that climate change is a hoax.
Always looking for ways to shed light into the dark corners. suggestions?
As for suggestions I will give it some thought. Do you have any general area of personal interest wherein your strengths might be best focused for developing questions and web-searches?
President Biden is truly good, former President Trump is truly evil and a criminal in contempt of court. Joe Biden loves his fellow citizens, grifter and tax cheat Donald Trump loves Kim, Putin, Viktor Orban and OPM, other people’s money. The choice is clear. Racist hatreds or a liberal democracy, love your neighbor or hate him. Biden wants a strong NATO and UN and the FBI, Trump wants Russia to dominate Europe and the USA, Biden wants Ukraine to join NATO and thrive. Two men in their 8th decade of life offer the choice: the Good or Evil. That simple.
I would so love to be part of the receivership team of Trump's New York businesses.
I love the smell of dirty laundry in the morning.
40 years of grift just waiting to be uncovered.
I do not like the smell of evil. Banality of Evil, by Hannah Arendt....
SB, I say that on election day, poll workers should give voters a choice of those stickers that proudly proclaim "I voted." How about one that proudly proclaims, "I voted. For a criminal."
I don't think it's needed and only stoops to trump-like name calling. Everyone knows who they are and what they are doing. Calling out the billionaires will not convince a Trump base voter to wise up, it will only entrench them further and bring retorts about George Soros. The only way out is to continue to hold the highest seats in government and produce policies that make everyone's lives better. Then and only then will they convince themselves of their poor choices in leaders. Better to laser focus on Trump and let the oligarchs, American and Russian, come out in the open where they can be taken down.
I guess it depends on who you think is the head of the snake, Trump or any of the billionaires on the radical right.
Sunshine is the best disinfectant and President Biden unloaded a boat full of it yesterday. More of that is most needed and necessary. Repeating talks like yesterday's will force the media to move it to the top of the page/broadcast. Biden's address yesterday barely made the top of the fold on WaPo today but then the shutdown is a true emergency.
Thank you, BlueRoots, for returning us to where we really need to place our attention.
I agree. Calling out the billionaires behind the MAGA movement would be a mistake. It would sound like a conspiracy theory, would play into Trump's little hands, and dilute the message people need to hear - over and over and over. AND over!
I encountered a federal contract worker who was not aware of the impending shut down.
Must be a social recluse. Federal workers are being notified about shutdown plans.
Contract workers are not federal employees, and may not be notified.
Did you ask if he watched Fox?
No
Georgia Fisanick, I agree. I am hopeful that this speech is an opening salvo, just the first of an infinite number that willl point people to the truth. Goodness knows we need it.
Biden: "Something dangerous is happening in America now.". Citing the the Perp's death threat on General Milley -& active threats on the General's Family.
Stop Trump now before a targeted person is is killed by political violence.
Trump is subject to Pre-trial detention in Fulton County. & In the District of Columbia J6; Trial venue.
Trump & his family co-descendants &: the Trump Org go back to Trial in New York on Monday. A civil case Judge can order a quasi criminal contempt proceeding to uncover any threats of violence.in the state of New York.
Take action against violent threats now. before tragedy.
Well said, Sir.
I hope, starting Monday, tfg is so tied up in lawsuits and preparing for trials he doesn’t have time to agitate his fans.
MLMinET, oh how I love a dream. Thank you! Silence, the sweet sound of silence. Words written with such people in mind I suspect. :-)
When speaking of Koch et al please include their bagman Leonard Leo. When speaking of Leonard Leo please include the Teneo Network (' a Federalist Society for everything.')
https://www.propublica.org/article/leonard-leo-teneo-videos-documents
Right on, Georgia! And Rump, being the hateful, misogynistic, pathological narcissist that he is, is the perfect puppet to do the job for them.
Dutch,
And tRUMP remains truly beloved (by the American people) as a today's NY Times article outlines. A conservative group running ads against him has had no luck reducing his popularity with the "American People". Gift link to NY Times today below.
Americans are immune to any facts, ads or any negative aspects of Trump. Never mind that the only person on earth he cares about is himself. Americans LOVE him. I wonder if my wife will like me better if I start to only demand stuff for myself and ignore her own needs? Maybe I will try it today to see how it goes. Who knows?
The impact of glorifying ignorance, beer, football, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and "raeal maen" in American media and in America plus the Southern Baptist church's support for a "patriarch" (Jesus, or Trump or whomever) that gives them cover to hate is really settling upon America like fallout from a nuke.
After all, the most common event I observed when I was still involved or aware of the Southern Baptist church was: The preacher (someone who God talks to just ask him) getting caught with someone else's wife, dividing the church, and splitting off to form his own church (with his latest female prize) to continue to "glorify the Lord". Yep.
Those are the voters in America folks. None other than the American people.
Poisoning us all silently. Like fallout.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/us/politics/anti-trump-ads-memo.html?unlocked_article_code=7SfGgLzZtZmZWXKcfBRR2apOmUbCxAE4knOw3RtU24pAijf2xMOlKZCzZYgvFSo96fQtecrIHgN-6T8ZbuMRVD6hYSMsfN4Vjg_cPPPM2gR-eh1OC_aHHzhIiZfxDLNsER26CCIMz_LHR5LQmdlPGeambthPj7CwOw2_W0-6EmZev3PkY33IBeWUpHNzmgjZPoUmqzSjpFfoFjUACju9b3R-4agvCicAEHUsvv1_0qxfFNlP3aPAqPS71JPzx6OGUU7NRlgAD9baoEAmjTGwM-SHexKAgPRqW1DEGW3DT8iuRr0D9cdPv_AEe4YnABs18DRrXU1lvIG6uinXLDJN34o&smid=url-share
some Americans, not the majority of Americans.
THANK YOU....they are vocal but they are not the majority. It can be difficult, when one lives in a deeply red rural area to see the view beyond the trump-loving, conspiracy-believing sea of locals to where there are mountains of truth, honesty and compassion. But never fear, those mountains still exist in this country.
We live close to Bar Harbor, ME which is kinda sorta rural and pretty red in parts. One of the scariest, evil and powerful person in the world lives in Northeast Harbor, ME. He goal is to turn the US into a theocracy where women are subservient to men. He has raised $1.8 billion for far-right religious candidates. His house is protested several times a week. It will be nice when he. heads back to DC for the winter.
Mr. Loft, I know exactly of whom you speak and I am in complete agreement: Leonard Leo is one of the most evil little scumbags roaming free in "Merika. He is an clear, present and very active danger to our Constitution and to the wall of separation between Church and State. I think he read The Handmaid's Tale and thought it would be an excellent manual.
One of HCR other readers lives in Bar Harbor as well and has been threatened by him for her protests. He is an ass of the highest degree.
(I'm a Mainer, too...living far inland and up in the hill country. We have been planning a mini-vacation to the Island to bike on the Carriage Roads...we were down this Spring, but too early and the Carriage Roads were not yet open. We made plans to come down in the Fall and the Repubbie MAGAs had to have a tantrum. Looks as though ANP might (probably will) be closed. Sigh.)
And always will.
have you read Russell Moore's new book "Losing Our Religion"
The people that love him love his "FUCK YOU!"-message. They love how tRump says "fuck you!" to women, to minorities, to the environment - basically to all other people. They love his message of pure, unbridled, macho egoism. That's why no fact, no allegation, no indiction and no crime that he commits whatsoever will ever take away their belief, and only strengthens it. They will say: "Look, there's a strong man who take everything for himself, and says 'fuck the rest!' I want to be just like him." The tragic thing is, that they are part of 'the rest' themselves... tRump doesn't care for them, only for himself.
That's an excellent point, Georgia! Jane Mayer's book, Dark Money, should be the basis for a nationwide infomercial campaign, akin to Senator Whitehouse's series of speeches regarding the Supreme Court.
He can’t name those particular oligarchs; actually I should have said he won’t, because doing so opens him up to being accurately accused of hypocrisy in being subservient to his own Party’s oligarchs in policy creation and implementation, from the financial sector, Big Pharma, and most despicably currently, the weapons industry. I agree with everything he said/read in this speech. But if he, and the rest of the Democratic Party establishment, can’t apologize and reject the influence of monied interests, and actually show they have a passion for democracy by, say, supporting ranked choice voting, instead of actively trying to suppress ballot access for third parties, then their words ring hollow to many of our citizens who Biden acknowledges are ‘frustrated’, etc. We cannot defeat this extremist GOP until one of two things happen: either the Democrats renounce the monied interests a la FDR (“I welcome their hatred”) and begin to passionate try to govern like it, with a full court press on things that the majority of the American people want (nationalized health care, ending the drug war, ending endless war, eradicating homelessness, electoral reform, sensible gun legislation, drastically reducing wealth inequality etc. etc. etc. the list is a mile long), or the GOP continues down the fascist road, and we have blood in the streets. Please don’t try to argue that the Dems can’t govern because the GOP sucks. They can’t build the coalition they need to govern until they can convince enough people that they aren’t also owned by monied interests. THAT is what breaks the logjam, because it brings the concentrated pressure on the politicians required to force the radical change we need; the policy implementation to show people we have a democracy.
You are absolutely right. Democrats have to take that next step and renounce the big money interests like FDR did. Biden walking the picket line was a toe in the water. But as a practical matter I don't think you can renounce taking the donations until the end of big money can be legislated by ditching Citizens United and the PACs. That requires winning back the house and keeping the senate and the presidency.
The news media is not going to be fair here in terms of coverage so that means you have to buy coverage through advertising and funding voter registration and outreach and get out the vote programs and unfortunately that still requires big money.
Do you see a way to do it before Citizen United can be reversed through legislation?
Georgia, you may be aware of ➡️ https://endcitizensunited.org/about-us/
We have a Fl House Rep who takes NO corporate donations. She is a boots- on -the -ground ,millennial dynamo currently campaigning for her 4th and final term. She’s not ruling out running for governor. There is hope in Florida….
It can work in congressional districts with relatively safe seats. But my beloved representative here in NJ made that pledge and lost his bid for a 3rd term when he was was targeted by Republican dark money. It did not help that the Democratic machine in NJ redistricted him to make the other districts safer seats and packed the Republican areas into his hew district boundaries.
HJR-54. It’s worth contacting your representative and requesting that he/she co-sponsor, if they haven’t already. It will require legislation, but this is the only way to get the concepts of corporate personhood and money is speech away from precedent consideration by the Supreme Court. It’s not just Citizens United; the corporate personhood precedent started back in the 1880s. We have to circumvent the court, and the only way to do that is via Constitutional Amendment. More info here: MoveToAmend.org.
Citizens United screwed up our political process big time!
Tell it, sister. Tell it.
Yup.
WaPo described the speech:
Biden delivers unusually sharp rebuke of Trump on democracy
In Arizona speech on the importance of democracy, Biden also announces a new library honoring McCain
Sharp rebuke?!?!? WTF!!
As for Trump's DEATH call for Milley. WaPo buried the remark in an article titled:
Gen. Mark Milley, polarizing Joint Chiefs chairman, exits center stage
Admirers say he helped save American democracy. Critics contend he dragged the military deeper into the fray.
Typical bothsidesism ignoring the gravity of the situation.
Biden is right in calling out Trump by name. Next he needs to address the failings of American journalism under the control of billionaires. Those publications are doing a disservice to the country.
Regarding WaPo's poorly worded title for the news article on Biden's speech. The story, however provided good information beyond Biden's world in today's letter.
See for yourselves:
Gifted: https://wapo.st/3EYm8EO
Thanks for the gift of a subscription of the Washington Post! ❤️
Sadly, it's just a gift for the article, but you're welcome.
Yep.
MONEY is the key to undermining our democracy. Money only wants power to protect their wealth. Money need not worry when the dictator gains control. Money cares NOT for the population at large.
Harvey, again we must be careful to not confuse ALL money as the enemy or the bad guys. We must seek and support money that is willing to pay it's fair share, money which is willing to pay its taxes and participate in the rest of the American dream. There are monied interests who work with us and not against us (Warren Buffett? Michael Bloomberg? George Soros?) We NEED these folks with money and the megaphone they provide for money doing good! ...or at least working with us to share our prosperity.
There is good money and there is bad money. The bad money has been a major contributor to where we are today. Money has and does corrupt the political system and is the main reason we have a minority run government - in the world’s oldest democracy.
Individuals with $$$ have a voice but not organizations buying elections!
Agreed, Georgia, but how do we hold these traitors like the Koch Brothers, Leonard Leo, etc accountable? I know electing decent humans who honor our Constitution helps, but those with evil intent will keep working behind the scenes to foment trouble. I’m genuinely asking.
Thank you for this reminder. All behind the scenes but still doing damage.
Has anyone compiled a list of the funders of Project 2025?
It is not an easy task because it like a shell game with the money flowing between many entities controlled by the same people. And SCOTUS has made the murk even murkier with last year's ruling.
https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2022/12/19/charles-kochs-campaign-to-make-dark-money-even-darker/
I saw a partial list somewhere but don't remember where. Maybe WaPo since I dont read full articles from other sources.
Bet it's a lot, if not all, dark money. Ya think?
The ages of the MAGA front line billionaire leadership. They are comtemporaries.
I listened, and when I re-read excerpts from tonight's Letters, it still brought my eyes to misting.
God I can only hope enough people also have that reaction and vote, and vote hard.
'Trump University Graduates Outraged They Were Never Taught to Defraud Banks'
'NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—Graduates of Trump University are incensed that they were never taught that defrauding banks was a crucial strategy to building a real-estate empire, the grads have confirmed.'
'In interviews with Trump U. alumni, the former students expressed shock and dismay that such an important entrepreneurial skill was somehow omitted from the school’s curriculum.'
“If I had learned to defraud banks, my post-Trump University career would have played out very differently,” Tracy Klugian, class of 2006, said. “As it is, I’ve gone bankrupt four times.” (Satire, NewYorker)
Fern, thank you for sharing the satire of the Borowitz Report. I firmly believe that The Former Guy (also known as He Who Must Not Be Named to keep out of Facebook jail) will rue the day that he exposed his real estate grift by running for president.
Mary, I agree with you, finally, he'll tumble down with his marquees and lies, but I thought it would happen very early in his presidency. There was big trouble in our house long before he was elected. Popular vote or not, he was elected by our very incomplete and distorted democracy, to put it mildly (apologies to the many millions enslaved, exploited, and robbed of their homeland) and look at where we are now.
Fern, unfortunately far too many people have always believed (on a gut level) that the actors were truly like the characters that they portrayed in movies and on television. Think of how you felt when you saw an actor such as David Suchet (who played Agatha Christie’s Poirot for decades) on a talk show speaking with their true accent; the same applies to Marlin Brando as the Godfather. Viewers start watching for the entertainment value, but forget that the actor is speaking lines written by others, not words that reflect their true nature.
Clearly, there truth to what you have written for many adults, Mary, but I don't think it is the whole truth. Many of us go through the process of development and do not remain at the cognitive level you have too generally suggested for 'people'.
Fern, that’s true. However, Ronald Reagan used his movie persona to convince a lot people to vote for him even though Nancy was the “power behind the throne”. Look at Louisiana ‘s senator Kennedy with his folksy persona that masks his true Oxford college roots.
Borowitz!!! Always spot on. If you haven't read his latest book, it is a hoot. He highlights the moronic things high profile politicians have said since Reagan.
Spoiler alert. It's mostly Republicans.
Perfect!
Heh, yes thank you
😂🤣😂
The excerpts are so nostalgic and inspiring. John McGain was a Republican but his heart wore the heart of an American. I remember (and may be you can confirm), when one of his supporters in a rally in 2008 shouted that check his name in response to his opponent BO, John reminded them that we are all Americans regardless of who they are or where they came from.
JM valued the American ideals of democracy and reminded everyone that no one is above the law. Despite his terminal disease, he had the honor to wish Americans last goodbye by writing a letter of what the country should aspire to be. This letter came from his heart.
This reminded me that when an elder plants trees at their sunset years while knowing they won't use, a responsible, humane society will be created. I hope you Americans will heed to the call of JM.
I welcome you to join me in building my underserved African communities.
Back in the late 90s, I even got a positive response from the McCain campaign regarding the need to give up a bit of GDP to combat global warming! Imagine the reaction from Republicans today!
I had very temporarily registered Republican in Ohio, and even convinced my wife to do so (!), in order to vote for McCain over Bush in the primary. My wife will never let me live this down! But I think we did the right thing.
We have always voted Democratic in the general elections but for many years my husband registered as a republican so that he could vote in their primary. We have had so many idiotic republicans in Michigan he always said that he needed to at least try to weed out the worst of them in the primaries.
Sorry if this sounds odd, but the two above posts have finally made me understand that in America you must register your party before you can vote. And if you're a registered Democrat but you prefer the Republican in your constituency, you can't vote for them unless you re-register? Is this correct? Where I come from, your politics is private and when you vote, nobody is supposed to know who you voted for. When you go to vote, the official finds your name and address on the list and marks it off, then gives you the ballot papers to fill in in a private booth, fold and place through a slot in a box beside the official desk where they can see you do it. And if your name hasn't been marked off, a few weeks later you get a Please Explain in the post, from the Electoral Commission.
Sorry if my post was misleading. In Michigan, you identify as one or the other ONLY for the primaries not the general elections. When we go into vote in the primaries we tell them which party's ballot we want. Then in the general election whoever won in their primary for both parties is on the ballot. That's why voting in both the primaries and general elections is so important.
Thanks, Colette.
Exactly
Anne-Louise, It is my understanding you can only vote in a primary under a party designation. In the general election you can vote for yourself! Write-ins are allowed, as are any candidate you choose.
In my state, write-in votes only count if the candidate has declared him/herself as a write-in candidate .
In Virginia you can vote in a Democratic primary even if you are a Republican, and vice versa.
often have to sign a loyalty oath
Anne-Louise, I know this can confusing, but I’ll take a try at explaining our party registration rules and at what point they may or may not apply.
First, we need to discern between types of elections - meaning Primary vs General. In the Primary Election, which always occurs before the General Election, the voters are deciding who the candidate will be that stands for for the political party in the General Election. In the 50 states/commonwealths (wish I could tell you the difference between these 2 entities, but alas, I cannot) that make up the United States many (not all) require that, in the Primary, ONLY political party members can vote. Moreover, many states ONLY (again, not all) allow voters to cast a ballot for those registered in the political party to which the voter belongs, i.e., Republicans for Republicans & Democrats for Democrats. Thus, the voter list carries party affiliation information so that the voter gets the correct ballot. And, just to confuse the issue, some states allow voters in primary elections to vote regardless of party affiliation.
However, once the candidates are selected in the Primary, a voter may vote in the General Election regardless of party affiliation. So no declaration of party membership by the voter, nor need to differentiate ballots handed to the voters. I hope this helps.
Yes, I start to see why things are in such a mess. This "system" is as inappropriate to the present day as is the wording of the Constitution. I'm very grateful to you and all the others of us who have taken the trouble to explain this to me. I think Karen Tumulty of WaPo must read LFAA, because she's got an opinion piece up today (which I've just read) headed "Who elects these clowns, exactly? As it turns out, almost none of us." Her article is embellished with a picture of Gaetz (he of the virile right eyebrow) and Boebert gazing adoringly at him. Ugh, what a way to start a day. Where's the coffee.
Not all states are the same. In MT you do not have to declare a party to vote in any election
I'm still independent here in Minnesota just in case I need to cross over in the primaries.
In Oregon, our Independents can't vote in the primaries. There's work afoot to get that changed.
Nice approach to getting good responsible leaders
I seriously considered voting for McCain right up until he chose Sarah Palin as his VP. She was so clearly not up to the job! That failure of judgement, imposed upon him from the early stirrings of partisan extremists or not, was probably an early symptom of the brain cancer that killed him. He was a good man and a great American. Unlike so many other Republicans I could name. Such a sad story!
Obama, on the other hand, chose a VP very well indeed. Biden’s years as Vice President gave him the experience with the executive branch he needed to be able hit the ground confidently as President, in spite of all attempts by Trump to muck everything up.
...not unlike Kennedy's choice of LBJ! (who ended up enacting a substantial number of JFK's priorities)
Repubs gave a clue to their depravity in that primary race when Bush’s crowd savaged McCain with the worse lies and vitriol. One guy I heard on tv even laughed about it and said they would repent on Sunday.
Repent on Sunday shows how off their understanding of Jesus teachings
Methodist was better than others, but I gave up and went to Unitarian. They mean it when they say that love is the doctrine of the church... BTW, Jesus is welcome there, the real one.
Exactly !
Two great stories, Matt! Thanks for sharing.
Matt, I did the same thing in that primary, also in Ohio. I have to say that I had qualms about it - McCain had a temper and flew off the handle sometimes, and politics aside, I didn’t think he had the temperament to be a fit president. But he would have been better than Bush, for sure. I too think we did the right thing.
Me too. Hit me hard. He did not pull one punch. Nada!
Yes, indeed.
"We never hide from history." Oh, how the GOP has decompensated since McCain wrote those words. Now they're ALL about hiding history. It is pathetic.
And then, today, when AOC demonstrated how the Republicans on the committee had submitted fabricated "evidence" to misrepresent the truth. It was like the biblical story of Susannah and the Elders—the truth revealed to all in the most damning way.
i wrote to my Representative asking her to refer Byron Donald to the House Ethics Committee for his mendacious photoshopping of the tweet he submitted to what is the contemporary version of the House UnAmerican Committee. I encourage everyone to take action and do the same.The cruelty of what these goons have done by turning an attempt by an uncle to help his tortured nephew into a whispered criminal conspiracy clearly illustrates what Republicans have become.
Thanks for the idea; I've written to ask my rep to do the same.
And my representatives are R
You can still let them know what you think of the tactics used by the worst of their party.
I do!! Also on their fb page so it is very public & a ray of light to those buried in disinformation
I wasn’t aware of Donald’s unscrupulous scam. The magas are getting more frightening by the day. Makes me even more fearful of AI.
AOC was on "The Last Word" and explained and credited (!) committee staff for quickly digging out the truth in real time. Not only are many Dems on top of their game, but they've got whippersnapper staffs to support them. It was truly refreshing to hear credit given where credit is due.
She is the future speaker
There are a couple people Republicans keep trying to trip up, with the most embarrassing results: AOC and Pete Buttigieg. They get schooled EVERY time.
Isn't it delicious? 😎
They are all about rewriting history
That's what's happens in totalitarian countries.
That’s their plan
Wow, that's a blockbuster of a speech by President Biden! It needs to be spread far and wide.
". . . America is still a place of possibilities, a beacon for the world, a promise realized—where the power forever resides with ‘We the People.’”"
Post it on your social media and send it to your friends-we can be President Biden's megaphone!
I just did!
Exactly, Linda! On it!
The staggering thing is his naming of names. No chance of misunderstanding! or pretending to misunderstand.
I agree
And the New York Times buried it on page 16. Disgraceful.
WTF??? Wonder who paid them off to bury that magnificent speech on page 16???
How can one not feel the emotions of his speech? He honored his friend who he didn’t agree with a lot of the time, politically, but they managed to forge respect for one another. A handshake meant something then. We are existing in one of those most tumultuous times of our lives. One thing is certain though, we must find a way back to having real negotiations, real conversations with those who feel differently than we do. We have to collectively fight against the autocracies who wish to take away our rights. Now is a ripe time.
I have tried time and again to have conversations with those who feel differently than we do.. They accuse me of either lying or tell me i will NEVER change their minds, and some tell me i listened to false news.. I either failed miserably, or the ones i talked to are so gullible and ignorant that they can't be reasoned with.
John T Phillips, I think it's the latter. Some are too far gone from truth to reach them. But there are others I have found willing to converse and allow me to speak.
You are correct, some of them are too far gone from truth to reach. I did change 2 person's minds, one of the was my ex-wife and the other was my one neighbor that i like. She is a widow who's husband died 5 years ago. About 80% of the voters in the county i live in are gun and rifle toting Donald TUMP fanatics. Those 80% are bona fide Georgia backwoods hicks.
John T Phillips, Great job at pointing them to the truth! Like you, I have been able to also. I know, doing so takes perseverance. It isn't easy, but I think it's why we're here --- to consciously be better and make the world better. It must be difficult for you surrounded by so much fanatical nonsense. I am not sure if I could take that. Keep trying to reach the 20% and I will keep trying to reach the reachable also.
Thank you, very much. I want to tell you what 2 or these TUMP fanatics tried to do to me, there is a gravel road that intersects with the paved road i live on, and these 2 TUMP fanatics, ( A fat guy, and his wife) that lives on that gravel road that i take for a short cut sometimes, and their house is the first house of that gravel road, and one day they tried to block that road and not let me get through, his putrid wife keep waving her arms in a boldly, threatening manner. I thought to myself, ''what are these ignorant a-holes trying to do?'' I just kept going on down the road and when i got to them, i slowed down and gave them both a, '' go to hell look'' and they didn't say one word to me, that guy's wife would not even look at me. If they had said anything to me, i was going straight to the Sheriff's office. That road is county property, and they had no right for doing what they did. They knew i was Democrat by the yard sign with Biden/Harris on it. We also had tires slashed by some of the MAGA wingnuts. I am sick of living among these insane, arrogant misfits. Donald TUMP has did immeasurable damage to the United States. He shouldn't be allowed to live in our nation for what he has did. Send him to Russia to be with Putin, they are so much alike. And take that female Goon, (MTG) with him.
John T Phillips, sorry about those awful things. Keep staying alert and having a plan. Keep sane too. ---- somebody's gotta be. And thanks for the "female goon" laugh!!!
On The View, one of the women said to Cassidy Hutchinson, “you know you were in a cult, right?” and she agreed.
MLMinET, Wow! That's incredible!
Gullible perhaps. Even possibly ignorant. But most apparently needing to identify with someone who speaks to their feelings if not their thoughts and capacity to analyze.
JohnM upstateNY, yes I agree needing to identify, to feel a sense of belonging is a strong attractor for us humans.
John, I have had the same experience. I am told that Prager U is the beacon of "real truth" for them, and that anything other than Faux, OAN, or NewsMax is "liberal garbage, full of lies." I have had one fellow (Michele has interacted with him, briefly, on my Facebook page) who told me "Well, Ally, just remember; everything you think about us, we think about you." I asked him if his years of being a cop had taught him that regardless of the people involved, the truth is always in the middle of witness statements and interviews, and farther from the middle the more invested someone is in the outcome. He said "no". There you have it.
The latter, most likely, or so I opine. There is a lot of mental illness in our country. I feel those unwilling to accept truth and/or facts but instead cling to a belief, person or ideology do so because it meets their need as an aggrieved citizen. That grievance is borne from repressed emotions. From the time they are young boys, men are told big boys don’t cry. That, I believe is why mass shooters kill. It’s also, I feel why many identify with tfg. He’s the king of grievances, and the victim of so much maltreatment when it suits his narrative. Women get caught up in it, too.
I think that change is happening so fast & too fast for many, like the rug is being pulled out from under them, they are acting out of fear. George Lakoff's patriarchial concept fits. Wish they instead could see Biden as the nurturing father.
John, I have had the exact same experience and have lost many people I had considered friends, and intelligent ones at that. I have been so discouraged.
This country IS created on "blood and soil". It was stolen from Indigenous People and built on genocide. MAGA people are simply expressing the nihilistic hatred that has been present in leadership in this country since George Washington betrayed his treaty w the Oneida after they rescued him and his army from freezing and starving to death. Biden I think is the most effective and strongest President in our history. I hope he and his people will turn the course of history away from the psychopathy of the Republican Party.
I agree with you. It's "both/and," that this nation founded on the ideals of a republic instead of monarchy was created on "blood and soil" of Indigenous Peoples and blood of enslaved peoples.
Acknowledge and atone
Beat me to it, Ellie. On the backs of kidnapped slave Black labor and on the ground of the Indigenous population that was very nearly the victim of complete genocide.
Thank you for posting so much of this speech. President Biden seems to be doing all he can to be a uniter of people and a defender of democracy. I wish him longevity and continued clarity of vision.
Joe Biden is exactly the president we need in this grave moment. And every day up to election 2024 and thereafter. This was the absolute pinnacle of his presidency thus far; a speech to be quoted for ages to come. Now we must gather our frayed nerves and jagged edges and get out the vote to keep him in office to purge these fascists from our government. We must fight on every front possible and in any way our individual situations allow. So let’s do this America! We have a battered country that needs healing and active participation by all people who value FREEDOM.
❤️🇺🇸🌎🕊️🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊
Will Fox “news” report his speech ? Will it be ignored or twisted somehow ? That’s the problem Too many Americans are living in a closed ecosystem and believe the lies told to them by oligarchs preying on insecurity and racism.
‘Ever since debt was invented in ancient Sumer, there have probably been people enriching themselves through bad investments. The trick is to make these investments using other people’s money.’
‘Suppose, for example, that a wheeler-dealer uses borrowed funds to make risky investments in New Jersey casinos. If the investments somehow end up making money, he can pocket the profits. But if the investments fail, he may — if he’s been tricky about the wording in his loans or manages to persuade his creditors not to go after his other assets — be able to walk away and leave other people holding the bag. That is, it’s heads he wins, tails the creditors lose.’
‘He may also be able to siphon off some of the borrowed money, say by having the casinos pay him or businesses he owns large sums for various services before they go bust.’
‘As readers may have guessed, this isn’t a hypothetical example. It is the story of Donald Trump’s New Jersey casino empire, a venture ending in multiple bankruptcies that was a disaster for outside investors but appears to have been quite profitable for Trump.’
Hey, most NYC voters knew the CONMAN for what he was and is. Who is more obvious than D.J. Trump? What we, New Yorkers, don’t get is why so many Americans have taken the bait. Those are some ‘exceptionals’!
What fools they are, when not far worse!
‘Trump declared on social media that “my Civil Rights have been taken away from me” and that he borrowed money from “sophisticated Wall Street banks” that presumably wouldn’t have been easily deceived by fraud. If you know anything about Wall Street’s attitudes toward Trump, that’s a real hoot.'
'For years, only one major Wall Street player, Deutsche Bank, was willing to deal with him at all, leading to much puzzlement about that bank’s motives. And eventually Deutsche Bank also pulled the plug, citing concerns about his financial claims. Trump did manage to pay off that debt, although it’s a mystery where he found the cash. But as I just explained, getting lucky is no excuse for fraud.’
‘What’s remarkable about Engoron’s finding that Trump committed large-scale fraud (it’s now a ruling, not a mere accusation) is what it says about the man who became president and the voters who supported him.’ (Paul Krugman, NYTimes) See gifted link below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/28/opinion/donald-trump-fraud-case.html?unlocked_article_code=LLYQHqw6BBq86-qH4zhpe4w5vWh0Yzcnm34EYzg2-ou9N1LjL_JPAKXMxmS4GbX9hRBR8IEDk1GPdYoIJnQbDyJYGPi21fApapl2iiszYBSNG8xS5LmtfF2VcRChs_nfdSH7q9GqFv3zZ21Wxh-eDOCvV9Q-k1ekA-xFooC7-GvaNIeTbXnrR0PvAyAvkrhnNF50xaaW8w9fQutFbcbPn8kIUnd3Ce8nfNJhpIR--7WAk51EKO4M7vkvlYdJI_hQREKvhU4XdS3T0alArdXa9PeuHnjiEO6O_7hA6b6rxUBDjd3HnzJnkAtPcpy7lq-Lgb5wYfAYv7QbyZCBTm0zCuQ&smid=url-share
Innocent until proven guilty. Well, now we can truly say "guilty". Well done Judge Engoron, and thanks Fern!
Mr. Abbott, shall we count the ways DJ Trump is a villain?
-Abuser
-Adulterer
-Anarchist
-Big Bad
-Bio-Engineered
-Bond Destroyer
-Brainwasher
-Brute
-Businessman
-Cataclysm
-Cheater
-Collector of Souls
-Conspirator
-Control Freak
Mr. Abbott, DJ Trump is such a combination of villains, there isn't enough space to count the ways. Let us end with -- 'shame the devil' Americans.
OH Fran, you stopped your alphabet recital too soon!
We all know what "F" word we'd assign to him!
:-D
And R word as well.
"Bio-Engineered" Hope there are no leaks from that lab! 😈
Fern. You forgot narcissist.
Suzanne, DJ Trump wears many villain hats. To cover them all would have filled the forum.. I had to quit on letter 'c' and still going strong.
Follow the money to its source. Looted oligarch money from the carcasses of the USSR laundered through Moldova Cyprus and who knows where. DB was all to eager to cash in. And Trump was a useful idiot who could be bought
Oh well, y'know..."Deutsche" - that's a foreign word - must be sophisticated, no?
That’s a Gettysburg Address if I ever heard one. My God, so powerful in its entirety. Biden has a talent pool of writers but I’m sure he had compositional inclusion.
Good show.
It was one of the best Presidential speeches I can recall. Obama had several good ones, but this one was delivered with energy and charisma.
Ted Sorenson was one of JFKs speechwriters. JFK and Ted wrote some amazing speeches together. After JFK was assassinated Ted never recovered.
What a wonderful speech! The question is, how many people will hear it? How many will heed it? The challenge is to inspire people to get out and vote for democracy.
Share it.
Some very powerful stuff - “Democracy is not a partisan issue. It’s an American issue.” “We can’t take democracy for granted.” Thank you for encapsulating an important speech.
A marvelous, inspiring speech. And yet, what will the mainstream press have to say about it?? I shudder to think.
The mainstream press spread the lies that Trump was addressing a supportive crowd of union workers. It's past time for the press to be skeptical about Trump's claims and not to spread them without verification.
It is past time for the public to be skeptical of the press, period. Full stop. If I can't confirm or verify, I do not accept. It takes some effort, but the noise is overwhelming the signal these days.
Why I stopped watching most of the skewed reporting. It’s like Fox has taken over the world.
I just had a dear old friend tell me yesterday that if I watched Fox News, I’d know the truth. She sat right here in my living room and told me that trump accomplished so much good for our country. I wanted to vomit.....
I had such a bff. Fox was on tv at their house 24/7. No exaggeration. They stayed up all hours. I moved and was not subjected to the crap after that. It was so obviously bull schitt
That's so sad.
Ain’t that the truth. They’re despicable.
Biden speaks like FDR, not Reagan or the GOP, he speaks like Lincoln, not the southern slavers or the northern Indian killers. It is time we lived up to the best we can be not the worst we have been.
Your last sentence is wonderful. Brava!
Well said Teresa!
A magnificent speech from a leader whose vision and humility elevate him above these perilous times. Thank God we, the people, saw him and chose him. Now we need to accept his invitation to be our better selves.
But we are faced today with other news that chills my soul: Putin said yesterday that Russia will "achieve its goals in Ukraine by 2025". I believe the only way Ukraine loses this war is if the West withdraws its support. And as long as Joe Biden leads our county and moderate progressives balance, if not control, the Congress, the United States will stand by the defense of democracy in Ukraine.
Ukraine is not some country struggling to become democratic. Ukraine made that choice in the hard fought election that brought Zelensky to the Presidency. Ukraine has chosen democracy already, we are defending it, defending our friends in the Bread Basket of the World, against autocracy.
But between now and 2025 is an election, one that appears to be heading for a showdown between Joe Biden and a despicable personification of man's inhumanity to man. Why does Putin think that by/in 2025 the tide will turn in his direction? He is backing Trump, and he will back Trump with the desperation of a paranoid leader with his back against the wall. He, Putin, needs Trump in power.
The American people wisely rejected Trump once, even in the face of a mammoth disinformation campaign that has been proven to have been rooted in Russia. I think the disinformation influx to which we are about to be subjected will make those prior efforts look like a primary school exercise.
This time, the Russian influence has another weapon--the anti-government contingent currently serving (serving only themselves) in Congress--which this week, led by Jim Jordan, took steps to destroy the efforts of the Department of Justice to combat dis-information. It was the occasion of Garland's testimony at the Capitol.
Here is a moment where we all can do as Professor Richardson urges: talk to everyone we can. Write our Congressmen. Be suspicious of what you read on line and research sites and posts before responding, reposting, or forwarding them.
If Garland is alarmed already by what DOJ knows, imagine the lurking behemoth still shrouded in secrecy. Putin cannot win in an open fight in Ukraine, and is moving the fight underground once again. We must be aware of who is pulling the strings, and cut them with our voices and our votes.
Here is one of many articles that appeared this week. A simple Google search for "Disinformation action under Republican attack" yields many more. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/09/23/online-misinformation-jim-jordan/
Putin is biding his time. We are his prize entree if chump cheats his way back. Ukraine just a nibble.
If chump cheats his way back in, i will be leaving the United States a week after the election is over. I am already making plans now. I think the only way he does win is through blatant cheating. More people better wake up and realize what it's going to be like if he does cheat and win.. Chump's second Dictatorship will be much worse than his first term of Dictatorship was.
100% true. Wish I could escape, but I may become an old rebel
trump doesn’t need to cheat his way back to give Putin his entree. The extremist gop in the House are doing it for him. trump was only one tool in Putin’s box of destruction. He knew where to place the crowbars to muck up the workings of our system: infuse the populace with insanity and conspiracy, sow distrust in leaders and government. Sit back and watch it destroy itself, “by its own hand”.
Exactly, Putin has many paths to his goal, Chump was the coup de gras
So few people realize how right you are KEM. That is the tradegy..... the danger
Spread the word.