Last night the Boston Globe published a leaked email from a top volunteer with the Trump campaign, former Massachusetts Republican Party vice chair Tom Mountain, telling volunteers that the Trump campaign “no longer thinks New Hampshire is winnable” and is “pulling back” from that important swing state.
"For his part, Trump says his wandering speech is deliberate. He calls it “the weave.” I’ll talk about, like, nine different things, and they all come back brilliantly together, and it’s like, and friends of mine that are, like, English professors, they say, ‘It's the most brilliant thing I've ever seen.’”
To Donold Trump the Oscar for biggest bulls**t statement ever. The weave sits on top of his head!
When Trimp speaks, I'm always reminded of this quote from the movie Billy Madison -
"What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”
Any female in this country of voting age who isn't filled with abject fear of a second MAGA/Roman Catholic Trump Administration is simply paying no attention. What motivates the Muslim Taliban also infects the American Taliban - complete and total disdain for females. What's next? Salem witch trials? Let's be candid and call a spade a spade: this is misogyny on parade.
If you scroll down and look at the responses to the Seneca Project video, that's where it get's really scary. It's almost like these people are robots with no clear brain to think with.
Be careful about lumping "Roman Catholic" as a hate group comparable with MAGA -- Joe Biden is Roman Catholic, as are a lot of good people who don't agree with the right wing of the Roman Catholic Church (the entire church isn't of one mind: there are liberals and conservatives as in other population groups).
Thank you Roxanna. I'm tired of being tarred with that broad brush. I imagine many "real" Christians are sick of being labeled along with the Talibangelicals.
I hope I am reading this incorrectly—HCR wrote that voter registration of women in North Carolina was+12 and +6 were Democrats. That means the other half were republican’ts? I’m thrilled about all the good news in her Letter, but this bothers me.
What KR (OH) said. Tom Bonier's report deconstructed (sorry about the ALL CAPS -- Substack doesn't allow bold or italics in comments):
"In North Carolina, he writes, the number of registrants was almost 50% higher during the week of July 21 than in the same week in 2020 . . ." KEEP IN MIND THAT MOTIVATION WAS ALSO HIGH IN 2020, SO THIS IS BIG.
"and the gender gap was +12 women, compared to +6 women in 2020." WOMEN LED THE SURGE IN NEW REGISTRATIONS IN 2020 AND THEY'RE LEADING IT BY A MUCH GREATER MARGIN NOW.
"The new registrants were +6 Democratic, and 43% were younger than 30." I *THINK* THIS MEANS THAT 2024 REGISTRATIONS WERE MORE HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC THAN 2020 REGISTRATIONS, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT THE 2020 BASELINE WAS. AND "43%" IS ABOUT 2024. THE FIGURE FOR 2020 ISN'T GIVEN.
P.S. I'm guessing that "more heavily Democratic" refers to voters registering as Democrats. In North Carolina, you can register as a member of a particular party or you can register as "Unaffiliated."
Richard, Roman Catholic or Christian Nationalist or both? I may be wrong but I don’t think the RC church is against using the medical drugs to treat women from the threat of hemorrhaging.
Um, there are stories about Catholic hospitals not providing the care that women need. Some Catholics are absolutely antiabortion and they don't care about the lives of women. Of course, there are others who feel the same who are not Catholic. And the Supreme Court is heavily Catholic although a couple of them are on the liberal side.
Anne, they are against tubal ligation and vasectomies—in fact, many women that I’ve known have found this out when they had a C-section and were not allowed to have a tubal ligation.
Itsy bitsy teeny weanie syndrome. The patriarchy is too busy measuring its collective private parts to give much thought to females; it is scared to death of females and must do whatever it can to transfer that fear to us gurlz.. Religious cant is just, as usual, a means of justifying their bad behavior.
I am disgusted by the thought they want to monitor abortions. Does that mean pregnancies, too? If at all possible, no woman should go to a OBGYN( in one of those restrictive states like Texas if she thinks she is pregnant. Find someone out of state who can help you in case there are difficulties The Hand Maid's Tale
In 1964, when Republicans nominated Barry Goldwater, their slogan was z”In your heart, you know he’s right.” The Democratic rejoinder was, “In your guts, you know he’s nuts.”
@ Jennifer. If only 5% who voted for him in 2016 and 2020 flip, we sweep. I'm a member of 2 data groups who say his support is diminished. I belong to a veteran's group that has thousands of testimonials of voters who flipped. https://votevets.org/
Gary, God only lets us fall and Karma comes at us, and hopefully at some point we wake up and make the changes necessary to not have to repeat lessons. In this lifetime or the next, or next and so on.
Yes… it BS… but it’s also standard Con Man Patter. I wish journalists would stop calling him a politician and call him a con man… because that’s what he’s been his entire f-ing life!
Coming from NY I can attest to the fact that you are right. I only know him from all the gossip and the bad things he used to do that did business with him. We all knew he was a con man from the beginning.
Yes, I agree, but the main stream news organizations are owned by very rich rich people and those are the ones that like Trump policies it’s all about money and democracy be damned.
CBS, NBC, CNN, and ABC and the NYT are part of public companies, owned by shareholders. WaPo is owned by Jeff Bezos, whom Trump despises. The Guardian, Reuters, and the AP are all public companies or part of larger public companies.
Sorry they don’t live up to your expectation of Democratic propaganda machines. But they are fair.
How do you think you know what you do about the many sorry Trump sagas?
Because these media outlets reported it. Look at the citations in HCR’s work. She gets her facts from the same source. Look at the quotes and citations in her columns. From these same reporters and outlets.
Thanks Tom, personally i think the endless diatribes against the msm are overdone in Heather's community. She quotes them, and when did you ever hear her rage about bias in the press?
I personally think that they - most or many of them - failed us during the Bush/Cheney administration … however, they - “the fourth estate” - seem to have made amends since “idiot trimp” has been on the scene.
I’m not from New York, but I was well aware Trump was a grifter by the accounts from the late Jack Newfield and the late Wayne Barrett, who exposed Trump’s grifts and scams in the early 1990s, before the had squandered all of Fred Trump’s money.
Interesting - I am a White NYer. All my family and friends and associates are not just voting for Harris but actively supporting the Harris/Walz ticket. Writing postcards, knocking on doors and donating a lot of money. Greater NY included - Brooklyn etc.
I live in upstate NY, in a county that has traditionally been majority-Republican, but that is changing. I see fewer Trump flags than I did four years ago.
I guess that explains Hoschul's wishywashy performance. Is NYC/NYS overrun with immigrants in the way trump says? My new neighbors are from NYS & my republican husband immediately took a shine to them. They seem to be doing their very best to fulfill the ideal white child quota the republicans favor. She's had 2 kids since she's been here & moved in with a new baby & 2 or 3 older kids. According to Vance calculations that would be 8 votes for trump...
From all the way back in the 70s, New Yorkers have known what a racist he is. Forced to operate under a DOJ consent decree for refusing to rent to POC. Then, there was the full page ad he took out in the New York Times, calling for the execution of the Central Park 5, even after they had been found innocent of the crime of which they were accused.
In short, he’ racist garbage, he’s always been racist garbage and there’s a reason why Manhattan voted against him 9 to 1.
True. The housing discrimination litigation was how Donald met Roy Cohn, who purportedly gave instant advice to Donald to fight it. Trump thinks he’s never wrong and never apologizes for anything he does.
From Joseph McCarthy to Roy Cohn to trump, some of the sickest people to ever have inhabited earth. Roy Marcus Cohn came to prominence for his role as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954, when he assisted McCarthy's investigations of suspected communists.
Here you are, guys. My final story from my book, "Donald's Vanity Tantrums>"
The Citizen Kane Movie of Tomorrow: Citizen Trump
February 17, 2024
The classic movie Citizen Kane directed, produced, and starred in by Orson Welles will one day in the future, have a remake only this time the main pseudo-fictional character will be Donald Trump. The movie scene will open with a very bloated relic of his former self; uneven orange-smeared makeup slobbed across his face in bed. His overgrown blond hair is found similar to the muss of Boris Johnson’s now showing gray roots from lack of up-to-date hair dye. He periodically wakes from a semi-conscious state at his future dilapidated Mar-a-Lago residence (for lack of having sufficient funds to upkeep the property due to previous constant litigation and losses.) He looks around demanding more Kentucky Fried Chicken wings as low paid personal rush in another bucket and his last word is not “Rosebud” as in the movie Citizen Kane but:
“Stormy.” And the ex 45th president of the United States expires. The camera fades to black then opens at Le Club in the early disco 1970s, a members-only Manhattan nightclub in the East 50s, where models, fashionistas and a variety of Eurotrash (including his wife) went to be seen.
“The government has just filed suit against our company,” said Trump, “saying we discriminated against Blacks. What do you think we should do?”
The Roy Cohn obedient ass-kisser to Senator Joe McCarthy hearings accusing entertainment personalities of being communists shoots back, “Tell them to go to hell and fight the thing in court and let them prove you discriminated against them.”
Roy Cohn has become Trump’s go-to lawyer and fixer.
Cohn admonishes the young Trump to 1. Never settle. Never surrender. 2. Counter-attack, counter-sue immediately. 3. No matter what happens, no matter how deep into the shit you get, claim victory and never admit defeat.
These lessons were found to be the essential attributes of his future self.
Janis, the lady who cleans our house once lived in Queens. She asked me who I was going to vote for and when I told her, she gave me a hug. She then told me about his reputation in Queens....a crook.
We're a week away from the live ABC debate. I hope the monitors can do something to control the Conman Patter and Gish-galloping in which the Abomination is sure to engage. It's all he's got. I hope VP Harris skewers him with personal attacks that will drive him even crazier. Specifically, she needs to say to his face that he has repeatedly and consistently shown that he is the emptiest of empty suits, a person without honor, decency, compassion, humor or intelligence and that he is the very definition of a loser, that everything he touches he destroys. And then let him self-destruct.
Dr. Richardson's observation that the Republican Party is giving up on trying to make Trump stick to the issues is good news. By all means let Trump be Trump. Let him rage on to the end, engaging in personal attacks that won't stick because there's nothing to stick them to.
I used to think that you should never wrestle with a pig. I think in this case VP Harris needs to get down there and stick that pig again and again until he squeals his last squeal. Preferably on camera.
James, Respectfully, my thoughts regarding how Harris should approach the debate differ from yours. Instead of resorting to ad hominem, which, in my view, would reflect poorly on her, I hope to see Harris 1) showing every American, with facts that can be nailed to the post with confirming evidence, what would be in store for them were they to elect Trump and 2) contrasting Trump’s vision with her own, expressly showing how her policy agenda relates to the interests and concerns of everyday people.
VP Harris strikes me as someone who is effective at debate and would call out Donald’s cascade of lies. I think she would effectively counter Trump’s Gish gallop of lies. After Dana Bash and Jake Tapper failed to counter Trump’s lies during the ill-fated debate with President Biden, I’m not entirely convinced that ABC’s debate monitor would call out Trump’s bs either.
This event called "Debate" is not a debate. It is a show. It is free advertising for a candidate. It is verbal combat.
To expect any journalist to moderate it effectively is like throwing a Quaker into a cage fight. Forget about it.
My advice to Harris is not to take ANY bait from Trump. Don't acknowledge any of his lies. When she has her turn to speak, simply state "Donald, you lie for a living." And then attack him with a list of his offenses that is so long, so truthful and so disqualifying that he will reel in reaction.
And she must not do what Joe Biden did. Do not react to anything he says other than to look him in the eye and say: "You lie for a living."
This "debate" is an opportunity for Harris to produce repeatable phrases that will be attached to memes and signs everywhere. The only rule for these performances is to own the theater and that means ignoring the competition and attacking it - with the truth.
His felony conviction for cheating fellow tax payers, stolen top secrets, money from Russia, Trump University, Helsinki betrayal, Ukraine betrayal, two impeachments, porn star payoffs....and applauding thugs who threatened to hang your own Vice President? "How low can you go. Donald?"
And wrap it up with a question: "Donald have you ever had a wife or a girl friend that you didn't cheat on?" and "Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of sex trafficking young girls...why was he your friend?"
America is ready to see this Orange Menace reduced to a melted creamsicle.
Kamala has been great at that. When Bash tried to get her to defend a lie, she said ľnext question and stupefied Bash, who should have been let go long ago.
I totally agree. I think she must start every response to his blather by saying, "There you go again Donold...lying. It's what you do. People at home, for the truth go to Harris/walz.com." And then answer each question posed cogently and succinctly.
When I saw Hulk Hogan's display at the RNC I imagined what a "debate" between him and Dr. Joyce Brothers would look like.
It also reminded me of a calm but determined looking nurse in scrubs and an N95 mask facing armed protestors in Michigan that seem to recall wanted Governor Whitmer to end the mask mandate. I can’t find that picture but did find a similar one at:
“…In April 2020, Lauren Leander went with two other nurses on her day off down to the Arizona State Capital building where people were protesting to reopen the state’s economy. They went to counter protest, standing up for their patients in the COVID-19 unit and their health care colleagues./Photo courtesy Sandy Leander…”
I can imagine Kamala Harris standing, arms crossed facing DJT, Hulk Hogan, and the worst of the Trump gang like Steve Bannon, Steve Miller, Roger Stone, and 70 election rejection officials planning to NOT certify results.
Behind Kamala, I imagine large crowds of Women, Educators, Doctors and Nurses, thousands of Union workers, and Republican Voters Against Trump.
Or rolling on the floor, kicking and screaming. She has to be the adult in charge. Trump would have a cow. Maybe two.
Yeah it's a game show, only missing a scoreboard and a buzzer for landed zingers. Lincoln debated. In TV land we have shows.
She might ask why Trump appointed Sec. Alex Acosta, the wink-wink, nudge-nudge prosecutor of Epstein's first sex trafficking confrontation with the law, as his Secretary of Labor. No! No! Not the comfy chair! Only the wealth get such "courtesies".
Kathy, Seeing I agree with your observations of Bash and Tapper and share your concerns regarding ABC’s co-moderators, I expect the onus will rest with Harris to call out Trump when his answers contradict verifiable facts. For what it’s worth, I wrote Harris suggesting, aside from relating her policy agenda and connecting it to the interests and concerns of everyday people, that the burden of pressing Trump to square his campaign rhetoric with facts likely would rest with her.
Yup, boxing Trump into check will be a DIY for her. I take hope in the fact that a good prosecutor is collected and focused in the face of outrageous lies.
While I agree with the importance of Harris presenting verifiable facts and sticking to her policy/vision messages, a friend of mine suggested that when Donald speaks his nonsense, she should respond with "Oh, Donald, you are just confused again," or "I see that you are not remembering what the facts are." Keeping hitting at his confusion, bad memory, rudeness seems like a good tactic to me.
Mimi, With all due respect to your friend, “when Donald speaks his nonsense,” I believe Harris would score big were she to call him out either for not answering the question or for offering up an answer disconnected from verifiable fact.
Thank you for your articulate and well-considered reply. In an ideal world, I wouldn’t disagree. But that’s not the word we’re in, alas. I don’t think VP Harris should start with ad hominem, but she should keep that skewer at close hand if things get rough. And they will, if fFG starts to lose it, as is highly likely. A debate would be great, but that’s not what TFG will be willing or able to do.. i don’t think VP Harris will have a chance to employ your two suggestions in anything beyond her opening statement. And that would be only if she gets to speak first. I doubt the monitors will be able to restrain TFG. And VP Harris can’t spend her time calmly rebutting an endless stream of rubbish. She needs to mock the interminable firehose of falsehood by calling it for what it is, loudly, forcefully, and repeatedly. Reduce TFG to a blubbering, quivering pile of glop that oozes off the stage. Thanks again for offering me another chance to rant, this time more calmly 😁
James, You’re right. “VP Harris can’t spend her time calmly rebutting an endless stream of rubbish.” Nonetheless, as I stated elsewhere, if she can selectively extract from Trump’s fire hose of lies a handful of fundamental distortions and deceptions enabling her to expose how disconnected his campaign rhetoric is from verifiable fact, she could score big.
Not loudly. She knows better. The man cheated on all 3 of his wives. Took $10 million in small bills from Egypt. Gave the Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh and other liars. Mismanaged Covid by making it political. The evil compulsive liar and cheat is not her equal. He’s a slug-man. Melt him down!!
James- I am laughing my head off at your vision of a “glop” of oozing TFG! The thick, soupy remains of his blue jacket with a trickle of red necktie dripping on the floor.
She can certainly and strongly condemn what he says and does. I enjoy calling Trump terrible things here, but name calling on duty is Trump's shtick, so Kamala needs to pull out his rug, not compete on his ground.
I’ll be surprised and happy if she can do that—trump’s method of “debating “ is to throw out so much garbage so fast that the other person can’t even reply. Personally, I wish he’d back out of the debate.
Elizabeth, Both in my post on this site and in my recently deployed letter to Harris, I intentionally streamlined her debate objectives to meeting 2 (all be they broad) fundamental goals. I would add, seeing I trust Harris’s ability to think and speak extemporaneously, I believe she will be able selectively to extract from Trump’s fire hose of lies a handful of essential distortions and deceptions allowing her to expose how disconnected his campaign rhetoric is from verifiable fact. If I’m right, Harris could enormously benefit from this debate.
Harris has the advantage in that trump will never come up with anything different. He has no policy facts to debate on, just the same old whinges. "Immigrants! Inflation! Windmills!" and so on - probably ten or twelve tops. The Harris team should pull in a few favors from SNL (Al Franken - where are you?) to give her snappy brush offs to his tired complaints.
Defeating trump and influencing his base is not easy - we certainly can't shoot him, and we seem to be having trouble even jailing him - so perhaps laughter will do it.
Bringing some joy and happiness into people's lives seems to have worked well for Kamala. Perhaps it will work AGAINST trump. . .
Why do you think she keeps delivering the same speech from the teleprompter every location she goes to? Especially when she changes up her accent and is repeatedly called out by many for coming off as fake and phony. Why are her speech writers not changing it up? Republicans are already placing bets on how many times she will tell Trump “I’m speaking” during the debate as her big moment for future ads. At this point if she doesn’t start explaining her flip flopping policies and positions she’s going to lose. Especially if she can’t get all the illegals to vote for her.
Barbara, In a normal" campaign, those suggestions are spot-on.
I have watched Trump's supporters at his rallies being questioned and reminded of illegal and immoral things that Trump has done. They're given the FACTS, but refuse to listen
They are not interested in policy agendas that don't include rounding up immigrants, outlawing abortion, protecting assault weapons, and US isolation from other countries.
Many times, the question had been asked " Is there anything Trump could do to change your mind about him?" The emphatic answer us always, "NO!!"
He was "sent by God" to save the country."
As long as these misguided people feel this way, no amount of facts will change their minds. After all, they're just "Fake News."
Anyone with any sense should have already seen that Kamala is so far superior to Trump. Maybe some of Trump's supporters will listen to the debate, and realize that. Wouldn't that be something?
Pam, I should have clarified, when I initially posted, that I wouldn’t expect the greatest possible gut punch to Trump to exert any impact on hardcore MAGA voters. Nonetheless, I believe there exists a sizable bloc of moderate Republicans and Independents, persuadables if you would, for whom a stellar performance from Harris could have a huge impact on the election.
You never ask questions when God's on your side. But the hard core cult is outnumbered. Something may click for some of those for whom Trump is not strictly the alpha and omega.
Perfect. Then each time after that, just say “more weird. .” Cheetolini would likely start to meltdown in real-time. That would be fun to watch (and might get through to non-cultists that he is not a valid candidate).
She has all the ammunition to do it. Harris should ignore Trump. Politely ignore the moderators and attack him over and over and over until he can't handle it. The nation will applaud.
"You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"
Where he and MAGAs will mightily whine about how rude, mean, unfair, violent, and awful Harris is. He's already started talking about that in context of the debate.
I hope the moderators will be fact-checking in real time or a zipper strip will be doing that. The mainstream media is treating him with kid gloves and creating a false equivalency between Harris and Trump.
Going high is not papering over nor failing to confront. Going high is telling and sticking to the truth, in an adult and compelling manner. Composed adult anger can silence a room, because everybody is listening.
And there is technical truth and smart truth, the kind with impact. The kind a liar fears from a skilled prosecutor. It's Trump's worst nightmare.
He will never debate her. And no one should debate a total madman. It is insanity to think the leader of an insane asylum is even fit to be in this position in our country. Do no honor him with pretending he is fit and his name is on our presidential ballot.
My only pleasure in convict 34+ is that he and his party of bizarros have revealed so many devastating chinks in our democracy, our racism, our misogyny that we cannot help but smell the stink of colonialism leaning on crutches of fascism for control of this country. This is our moment to choose hatred or joy in standing up for what is right and ridding ourselves of the putrid, oligarchal, white-dominant-male, knee-on-our-necks.
Thank you Heather for being the voice of "weaving" our history with current history being made and the dangers of repeating what we should have learned by now. Looks like, miraculously in the nick of time, our democracy might be given an incredible second chance to rectify and thrive, thanks to the Prosecutor vs the Felon. The abuse of the past eight to 40 years is worth having a very experienced Prosecutor as President, who just happens to be a woman. Last night I watched a friend's film about the tumultuous 60's which of course included the powerful music of change, anti-war and civil rights. The reverie of Bob Dylan singing The Times They are a Changing is appropriate in 2024 as it was in the '60's:
[Verse 1]
Come gather 'round, people, wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth saving
And you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a-changin'
[Verse 2]
Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide, the chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon, for the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times, they are a-changin'
[Verse 3]
Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times, they are a-changin'
[Verse 4]
Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
Thank you, Pensa, for typing out the words to this powerful song. I couldn't help but sing it out loud! Brought me right back to the '60s when so many of us gathered together to sing our hearts out with such meaningful words as these!
J L, Brilliantly stated. While nothing more need be said, I simply would add my observation that the one thing the radical right loathes more than liberals is the truth. And the quickest way to get under the far right’s skin is to tell the truth.
Her sanity in contrast to his insanity will be enough for the American people. Her joy and unity message in contrast to his divisive America is a sh*t hole nation will be enough for the American people. Even people I know who were staunchly against Biden are sick of his whining and psychopathic message....and just want him to go away.
Thanks to Heather Cox Richardson, we now understand gish-galloping speech. tRump used it to defeat Biden, whose "coaches" didn't teach him how to handle it!!!
And, we saw that tRump knows how to sling it. He will again.
We also now know how to "throw it back"! Harris CAN do this, I pray she's practicing!
I don't think calling him an empty suit will convince many, but quoting and detailing some of Trump's most repellent moments might. Citing the circumstances of some of the people he has callously hurt.
You’re probably right about the convincing, but it would serve the useful purpose of riling him up to self destruct. Making many of our worse selves feel better would be a collateral benefit 😁
My hope is that that she can finesse Trump's extreme self-centeredness and profoundly lazy dishonesty against him, enough rope to hang him. My daughter studied Aikido , which turns the force of an attackers assault against them. I've seen it work. Language can be used to the same end.
I don’t think she should spend all her time identifying and countering his lies, but do think she should point out that everything he has just taken credit for was done by the Obama and Biden administrations, and that all he accomplished was giving more money to the super rich, thus endangering programs that benefit ordinary people, and greatly increasing the national debt. She can also mention that everything he just said was a lie. I have confidence that she will do a great job in the non debate.
I just wish they would not cover him at all. It seems that when people dismiss, ignore or poke fun at him, he loses it! Otherwise he takes up all the oxygen in the room.
I wish they wold cover how incredibly unsuited he is for public trust. Nixon looks like relatively little league corruption compared to the monstrous MAGA cesspool.
But ignore his obvious danger at our peril. If the MSM would tell the truth about him, no big deal. Instead they cut and paste the way Rupert has done since Fox dumped Jeb Bush.
Narcissists like Trump generally do suck up all the oxygen in a room, and Trump is a prime example of someone with malignant narcissistic personality disorder, as well as antisocial personality disorder. Both of these disorders make him supremely unfit to govern.
The more Trump is in the public eye, the more he sinks in the polls. That’s why Harris wants hot mics. That’s why Dems have beeb trying to get him back on Twitter for four years.
Steve, I agree with your sentiment, but I think it's worth noting that it's not journalists who refer to him a politician. A journalist is someone who informs people profitably, and not someone who profits from misinforming people. People who tRump can gaslight with ease because they're so naive they don't notice the gas being lit are not journalists.
You and me both. Also, when did he decide that talking for 2 hours was what his followers want? It's good to know that some of them have the good sense to leave. I just hope they have the good sense to cast their vote for Harris-Walz.
He has no prefrontal cortex left. Unable to make plans, follow plans, change plans when new information becomes available. No ability to control his emotions to achieve his goals. Imagine an angry, impulsive president like that?!
One shudders to consider another term for Trump. My fear isn't about him so much as about the people using his psychopathy and decline in cognitive ability for their own purposes. He can deny he has anything to do with Project 2025 but it's as sure as the Earth rotates on its axis that his staff and cabinet very much do.
Any parent will tell you they know how to drill down when their child uses either the term “they” or “everyone” when trying to get away with something.
When the Trump Era is over, more books about it will be written by students of abnormal psychology than by political scientists or historians. There may even be a few more terms added to the official psychology lexicon;
Over a month ago, there was a video clip on YouTube of one of his speeches, the one in NJ I believe. It ran continually for about 30 minutes, showing people walking out on his speech in droves. You can hear him rambling away in the background, while the bored people file out.
That was over the dinner table one night, you know one of those dinners you see on "Downton Abbey", with the silver and the candles on the table and a big old log fire in the ten foot fireplace. They were all sitting round a twenty foot table, smoking cigars and passing the port. tossing the odd grape to a slave or two, and the Dean of the English Faculty at Harvard said "I need some advice on something, Donald, and your the only man who can help me - should I have just typed this "You're?"
And then the half eaten burger fell onto his pyjamas and Donnie woke up. . .
Keith, how in the world have we been able to survive his wandering mind with the Gish gallop and fruit salad that spews from his mouth. I honestly think one day he will finally blow a gasket and start speaking in tongue for the rest of his life, totally unintelligible which of course is only a hop skip and jump from where he is now.
I finally had to let my Mom go live in a nursing home. Another lady there (who had previously held a high rank in the military) had developed a form of dementia where she could only verbalise "burbles" - she would stop you and hold your arm and stare into your eyes trying to say something but just going "Brlblrbrlblbbblbrlbleberb. . . ." it was very sad.
Saddest part about that friend was that she'd been one of the first members of the SOE, and was dropped into France and served there undercover with the Resistance for two years.
And she had no family or friends who visited. So when she went "Brblbrbrlbr" I'd sit with her a while because she deserved a lot of respect.
True J D Chicutt, so I am happy to read in today’s Letter about the money Harris-Walz is giving to the down ballot races. This will help them spread the message in local efforts. So many areas of America have towns where Dems feel they are the only one. My hope is this down-ballot-race money will show up in yard signs, local billboards, etc to remind Dems in these areas to stand up and have courage.
Well Trevy, since his 'English professor friends' (i cant believe i just typed that) any how, they are all and only in his mind, maybe he could do a ventriloquist type of discussion with himself to get their true opinion on this subject. LOL 😊😂🤣
I have a better term than "the weave." I call it gaslighting. The key to understanding gaslighting is that it’s about power and control. It's an attempt by the perpetrator to gain domination over the victim by getting the victim to question their own reality. My guess is the only thing he understands about it is that it appears to be working. I don't think he understands why it works for the simple reason that that understanding, along with the victim, are not one of the three things he cares about (me, myself, and I).
That's a good way to think of it. Or you can think of it as a human being using words the way an alpha male chimpanzee uses whatever comes to hand (a tree branch, for example) in a dominance display.
I'm looking forward to watching him "weaving" his way through the debate with VP Harris and making a total fool of himself. (worse than he already has)
Hope it encourages many more people to vote against him.
If Kamala does not knock him out in the first round we will be disappointed. Unbelievable there is so much emphasis placed on such an idiotic way to choose a presidential winner. And then we are told by others that even if you win the debates (Hillary), no guarantee of a win on election day.
An anecdote about "The Weave": When I was in high school, in the early '60s, I was lucky enough to spend an hour or so listening to R. Buckminster Fuller speak, in a small-group setting. After he was introduced, he stood silently, eyes closed, for perhaps thirty seconds, long enough that an uneasy sense came over the room. Was he OK? What's going on?
Then he started speaking, without any notes or papers, and proceeded to launch several different tangents, each interesting but seemingly unrelated to the others. Again, an unease came over the room. What's he talking about? Where's this going? This is all over the place.
Fuller continued his talk, painting increasingly complex pictures with words, developing each of the "tangents" he introduced earlier, stretching our minds a little further with each paragraph, keeping us spellbound but still unsure where he was going. Then in the last five minutes or so, he wove his "tangents" together, unifying them into a coherent whole, a single, powerful theme. We sat silent for a moment or two, clobbered by the vision he had gotten us to see and staggered by the depth and breadth of his thinking, before breaking into loud applause.
In the following Q & A, someone asked Fuller what was up with his standing silent, eyes closed, at the start of the talk. He replied simply, "I was organizing what I wanted to say to you today. "
_That_ was The Weave, worked by a brilliant intellect who sought to broaden perspectives and advance thinking.
The sorry spectacle so routinely polluting the public square today, utterly incapable of The Weave, seeks to obstruct and bamboozle, hoping to baffle us all some more with his never-ending and nonsensical bullshit.
"Bucky", as some of my Design School profs called him occasionally lectured at the NCSU School of Design back in the day. Built quite a few large geodesic domes in the neighborhoods near campus. Thanks for the story about Bucky and the "weave".
Larry David made brilliant use of “the weave” writing scripts for Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Multiple seemingly unrelated plot lines would somehow come together at the end of the episode with hilarious effect.
Whatever Trump is doing is the opposite of what Larry David did. At the end of his insane, rambling, self-congratulating, lie-filled rants, one has no idea what they just heard. Rather than coming together, Trump’s story lines diverge into nothing. Exactly what I hope his political campaign does.
Talk about the ability to rationalize. "People say he is brilliant". You must give him credit for having such brilliant friends - in his dreams. His brilliant VP is not supporting him. He is through, washed up, finished!!!!
I laughed ROL…. one second reflection of ..yup , no guilt!
Great news, Letter from an American🫶
The DNC timing is perfect for their funding going here and there, keep the lights on Kamala and Tim..the momentum is steady.
Personally? Thanking the McCain family for the vote, the voice, it’s all valediction of the right thing to do.
For a the few Republicans I too know lending some more votes , also ..Thank you..and for the many others stepping up to save our Democracy, proclaiming it loudly..this is what America does well.
Let me see if I have this right: Louisiana -- which is ranked #50 in crime, #49 in economy, #49 in infrastructure, #47 in education, #44 in opportunity, and #46 in HEALTH CARE -- wants to ignore the basic recommendations of the World Health Organization? If the state were a country, it would have third world status.
Hello fellow Boomers (46’-64’), and Silent Generation (28’-45’), AND The Greatest Generation (1901-1927 - *thinking of you President Carter), Do you think Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have a good chance of getting most of our votes this time around, in that trump in 2020 was able to beat Biden in our age group? As the oldest man to ever run for President, trump thinks this is good news for him. After all, he won those categories in 2020 but by reduced margins from 2016. Yet, the Fairleigh Dickinson poll last week found the largest national lead yet for the Harris-Walz ticket – a seven-point margin that includes a 16-point lead among those older than 65. On Thursday, a Suffolk University poll found Harris beating trump 53-42 among voters over 60 — her largest vote share of any demographic. Some polls have found this to be a much closer race. Much of this can largely be explained as self interest in that Social Security and Medicare are always on the chopping block with Republicans and of course trump is crazy, more so than last time.
Third Act, founded by Bill McKibben organizes voters over 60 to phone bank and write postcards every night and they organized an “Elders for Kamala” call last month with Jane Fonda and Bette Midler headlining. The sixties represent the cultural, social and political transformation that includes civil rights, the women’s movement and a more intensive look at our environment. Now we see the Supreme court taking away these rights, so of course we should be voting for Kamala. Seventy one percent of these age categories voted last time around. Want to bet we can top that this time and help the Harris-Walz ticket win and use those coattails to pull along a multitude of fellow Democrats from the “courthouse to the White House”?
For a loud mouth like me (born in 1933) it's hard to believe I'm part of the silent generation - either I'm the exception to the rule or the loud mouthed old lady who speaks for them (:-)
My parents are part of the silent generation too. Dad was born in 1936 and Mom in 1939. Mom doesn’t talk about Trump, although I know she doesn’t like him. Dad is very vocal about his distaste for Trump. He saw the Texas Republicans up close when they lived in Texas and they disgusted him. My parents raised us to be people as unlike Trump as it’s possible to be.
The oldest boomers were marching in the '60s for civil rights and against the Vietnam War as teenagers and young adults. They have the opportunity to dust off their picket signs and hold 50 year marching reunions against fascism, white supremacy and bat-shit craziness in their '70s. Why not make a really big 50 year anniversary party of it by day between now and November, still make it to bed at a reasonable hour, then culminating in an all-nighter on November 5 while the last west-coast and Hawaii numbers come in?
I was among the marchers, screamers, and poster makers, calling on phone banks, knocking on doors, and registering voters. I continued to do so through 2012 and then I was traveling (for business) too much. All I could do was donate ant vote. I've never missed any vote since 1968 (I became a citizen in 1967 but campaigned from 1963 on) Now all I can do is donate and vote (too crippled up to do more)
Thanks for both all you've done and for all you are doing (including "Fay's Rants"!) As a young Boomer (I am really Generation Jones, as the oldest kid of older parents, the music of the 60's for me was classical orchestral music from my Dad, and the folk music of The Weavers, Odetta, and The New Christy Minstrels from my Mom.) The first two albums I bought were Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Moody Blues "Days of Future Past".
As an adult, I've marched and used my sousaphone to both make a joyful noise, and to mock other, counter protest groups.
Places for elimination of human waste have long been given euphemistic names, usually based on their "alternate" functions: "bathroom" because many homes put baths in the same room as commodes, "lavatory" because it was a place to wash oneself (from Latin lavare, "to wash"), even "toilet" ultimately comes from "a place to groom oneself" (originally a toilette was a piece of toile fabric on a dressing table where a woman kept her makeup; a lady "at the toilet" was getting dressed and doing herself up; when bathrooms became the place for this morning ritual, "toilet" came to describe the room).
Etymonline first attests "water closet" in 1755. Presumably the first WCs were converted closets (or closet-sized rooms) that had running water to carry the waste away.
Elllie In the Middle East in the 1950s I was exposed to Turkey toilets. Going third class on a Turkish ship, in rough seas it was difficult to aim and this was pre-flushing.
My recollection is that functional toilets were invented by a person named Craper—really!
Just came back last week from my 60th HS reunion. There are a lot fewer of us now than there were even just a few years ago. It dawned on me that they ain't makin' enough new MAGAts to counterbalance the ones that are going off to their just reward (whatever that might be).
One other piece of information that I read over the long weekend that reinforces that observation (and I don't know if it's true, but seems right) is that people like me, a Caucasian male, now represent just 30% of the American population. This data is from 2020. That percentage is almost certainly smaller now, given current trends.
I read somewhere that 20%more Republicans died from COVID than Democrats because they refused the vaccine. They probably still are refusing, and more of them are in care facilities. Here in Florida, the care facilities are having heavy numbers of COVID cases!
James, I am on the committee to organize my 50th in a couple years (Class of 76, the Bicentennial class) as part of what we're calling the "Death Squad" (privately, publicly it is the Remembrance Team). My Mom got to go to her 60th down in Monterey 25 years ago.
Tuba I went to my high school 60th in 2011. I was surprised at the large attendance. I was asked to provide a 15-minute show-and-tell presentation. I felt comfortable sharing with frankness (and some false humility) with classmates who knew me when I was a shy little boy.
I did go to the 40th and 50th (from California to Massachusetts), and had paid to go to the 55th that was supposed to be the last. Unfortunately, I came down with something on Constitution Day that could be mistaken for Covid but Doctors I saw over the next 4 months kept asking if I'd been anywhere near SARS or MERS areas.
That kept me from going during the worst stages and especially a month and a half later I was trying to get hernia surgery scheduled after a Thanksgiving visit to Washington where I tried to lift my son's double garage door with a broken spring on one side and the cable tangled around the pulley. By the time I got the surgery in Feb 2020 (just before it got really hard to get medical care as Covid took over), it turned out I had triple hernias. I'd tailgated a lot of cargo as an OTR driver and could carry 200lb Continental aircraft engines by myself, so thought I'd never end up with hernia, much less 3.
As it was I at least appreciate my classmates that needed it, were able to have one at 55 before Covid ruined some of the following ones.
Just saw this a moment ago and burst out laughing at the private characterization of your class. Too true, but that kind of mordant humor is a good way of facing the inevitable.
Apropos your last sentence, I love Monterey. Went there for language training in 1969 and have loved it ever since. My son went there for the same reason (but a different language) 40 years later. We visited him there and reinforced our love of that place.
60th HS reunion? Reminds me it would be my 60th (if my class had one), and Bill Clinton's (21 days younger than me). My parents retired in Hot Springs and met several of his classmates and his mother, Virginia Kelly. The way my old party "opposition researchers" treated/attacked her in particular, took a lot more shine off their own reputations. I left the party 3 years after I last saw her.
Same situation for me. Class of 1964! No reunion planned for us but not sure I’d attend anyway. I grew up in East Texas, still “red” country, as red as Trump’s ties. I can count on one hand the number of classmates who currently share my liberal/progressive/Democratic Party views and one of those just passed away. I’m positive some will vote Blue in the privacy of the voting booth but would never ever admit it.
“There are a lot fewer of us now than there even just a few years ago.”
A fellow Caucasian male here….
Tell me about it … i.e. our representing no more than 30% of the nation’s population. I will turn 80 in December.
Let me rephrase that. I hope to turn 80 in December. Thanks to geniuses in the US Army and the US Airforce during the Vietnam War, my ship was amply dosed with Agent Orange during “The Big One.” Agent Orange has cost too many of us too much.
I enjoy your posts on this site. Please keep ‘em coming.
If we had a high school reunion this year it would be my 71st. And I really don't like the silent generation moniker, don't know who planted that on us; I call us the New Dealers. Been voting since '56 - first time for Ike! While a bit older than the boomers - my older daughter is one - I nevertheless got politically involved with protesting wars, opening battered women's shelters, coming out in my thirties, creating community, experiencing deep and moving shifts of my energy, which has always been shall we say patriotically involved especially when we were told by conservative forces to go back to where we came from, which is quite silly. Coming from both New England and Jewish stock my own sense of country was and very much is one of building and growing our democratic roots more through actions than words, and now I can do both with Substack. Great meeting you all!
Thank you Hoyt - so interesting to have these conversations and am actually letting myself enjoy the technology behind them, with only occasional swearing.
Robin I like the moniker “New Dealer.’ I was born the year FDR became president. My first presidential vote was in 1956 Ike. By 1972 I was on the Nixon White House Enemies List.
I was a Republican when our Republican Governor, Bill Milliken fought for our environment and his wife started Planned Parenthood in the state (Michigan). There is no Republican party now - only oligarchy anarchy.
I mistakenly said I never voted for a Republican. Not true. I thought Governor William Milliken was a great governor, and his wife was also a wonderful partner politically. I voted for him. Also, we had a woman mayor that I voted for. But it was accurate that I never voted for a Republican President.
Check out the documentary "My Name Is Pauli Murray."
The history of America is exemplified by her life and trailblazing.
The Pauli Murray Center celebrates its "Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting" this Saturday, September 7, 2024 in Durham, North Carolina.
All the people the extremists on the right have demonized and "othered" - they are here, and they are not going anywhere, no matter how many books you ban or histories you try to erase.
Fellow Tar heel? Saw the Morehead mention, a sincere tip of the hat. 73' grad here from what jesse helms called "Chapel Hell". Live in Raleigh now, my very best on the opening this weekend!
I keep thinking Foxx got elected and continued to keep her seat because she understands Robert's Rules of Order. She certainly follows protocol, no matter her positions are hellish.
Spent a weeks wages many years ago for tickets up front center for The Divine Miss M's concert. The lady can entertain and sings her heart out. My personal favorite is John Pines marvelous HELLO IN THERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq51a-wyPnw
"A feral political offensive." Absolutely. He is running to stay out of prison, and the walls are closing in on him. He is a rabid, trapped animal - feral, if you will - and he will lash out in whatever way he can., before, during, and after the election. We have not seen the worst of it, but as he becomes more incoherent, angry, unhinged, and on attack mode, he may well be the architect of his own undoing . . . his own doom.
I predict that Trump has yet to commit the crime that will put him in prison for the rest of his life. But he will do something even more horrible than we have seen so far between now and Kamala's inauguration. Already he seems to be coming totally unglued. May require hospitalization shortly. Nope, sorry, no sympathy from me.
Do you think this can all be an act that after he loses, please God he should lose, that if he does go to trial for any of his wrongdoings, his defense will be insanity? I can see that happening.
Janis, I'm no psychologist, but I have an opinion nevertheless. I think he is a little boy who was never allowed to grow up. Encouraged to see himself as weak, stupid, incompetent and utterly unloved as a child, surrounded by the worst sort of sociopathic role models, convinced of his own worthlessness, he discovered lying as a tonic, a drug to get him through the pain of existing. That and million-dollar start up funding from his NY real estate mafia father and the rest is history.
Of course he could show us what a big boy he really is by taking his own life, but if he doesn't it will be up to our courts, with a lot of popular support, to put him away for the rest of his miserable life.
First, we have to have a blue wave election. I'm doing what I can from Italy, mostly explaining the USA to Italians and donating what I can afford to some down ballot Democrats. I dream of flipping Texas.
Even popular psychology can recognize mental illness through behavior as we are now seeing, probably with dementia added. Yes there is an element of sorrow for such a mess of a man, but think about the fact that his brother was an honorable person coming from the same family, so there is an element of motivational responsibility that could be embraced. In the long run maybe we should be looking at psych tests for people running for office? Because there are so many misfits out there. That's tricky of course. The media could play a much stronger part here by simply calling out the realities in front of them. We have a lot to fix here don't we.
The media has let us down in a million ways. And chump’s brother was an outlier in that family and he paid a price for being an ethical human. Daddy Fred was a skanky bastard by about any measure. I have seen more than a few families with parental dynamics that helped create dysfunctional kids. They are not rare, but just the right mixture (usually with money or power) can create monsters. A generalization but not a surprise. BTW, chump brags that he aced a psych test. hahaha
Joan Didion. Ross Macdonald. Helen Eustis. James M. Cain. Dashiell Hammett. Vera Caspary. Raymond Chandler. Patricia Highsmith. Dorothy B. Hughes. Elmore Leonard. And so many more, JD, who have "seen more than a few families with parental dynamics that helped create dysfunctional kids."
This might interest you and others - - YouTube recent interview with Mary Trump (Family Ties and Lies) on the conditions she grew up with and in the various parts of the Trump family. And how she finally was able to write her new book.
I don't believe his orange ego will allow him to "lie" about his true mental status. I'm done with being upset by him. Who I really get boosted by are the many Repugnicans who follow him, obviously unable to have rational judgement about what he does, or says.....
I think his lawyers would love that as a "go to" defense - but I can't see trump ever going along with it. He'd have to admit to being "weak" and "helpless" - and he'd never be able to do that. And I REALLY can't see his family ever getting up the courage - or interest - to get him certified.
I figured the events of Jan 6th 2021 would have ended his political life almost immediately, but it didn't happen. We may need some better book throwers than Merrick Garland and the GOP Senators unwilling to try Trump after most of them described his behavior as despicable (or worse) in the immediate aftermath.
There are too many cowards and sleaze-balls in high places to be sure of anything these days.
Don't forget Mitch McConnell. He's the one who urged his Republican Senate colleagues to refuse convicting Trump in the first impeachment. (Something I'll never understand, because if convicted, Mike Pence would have become president and would have continued Mitch's policy agenda.) The Republicans could easily, legally, and justifiably been done with him. But they refused.
At what point do the little men in white coats suddenly show up, dress him in a strait jacket and haul him off to the looney bin? Where is Peter Sellers when we need him most?
I worried during the end of his first Presidency that he might self-destruct publicly. I didn’t want to watch—I felt sorry for him in a way—he was such a mess. It seems he may be doing that slowly this time, and I no longer feel sorry for him—I fear him coming to power. If he’s falling apart, I want to watch.
Interestingly, from 1660-1862, the Cleaver's were Quakers, until my great--grandfather enlisted in the Union Army (with his Quaker Abolitionist father's approval) at age 18, before he was married. That put him out of the Church and we have been gone since. My sixth great grandfather joined the Continental Army and was cast out of the Church, but he was already married with children, so the family remained.
Jim Brown, a first cousin, was Quaker. He landed in Guadalcanal in 1942 with the First Marine Devision and island hopped to Iowa Jim’s, the only soldier in his platoon who wasn’t killed or badly wounded.
He went to Yale on the G. I. Bill and, as a journalist, opposed the Vietnam war (as a Foreign Service Officer with boots on the ground experience in Congo I twice declined our Saigon ambassador’s ‘invitation’ to join him. Jim was on the NYT Editorial Board for about a decade.
I was gave a talk at the Media Friends Center on There Can’t be Peace without Force. One attendee suggested that the speaker lacked ‘love’ in his presentation.
What he gives the MAGAs is permission to act on their worst instincts. Racism especially, but also greed, bullying, political corruption, the works. I doubt they will give that up too easily. His greatest talent has always been to bring out the worst in everyone.
I watched "Mississippi Burning" again a few nights ago.
That was a whole lot of people who had been coached for at least two hundred years.
Changing laws doesn't change minds.
The Civil Rights Laws were only introduced 60 years a go - the blink of an eye in societal change. How long did it take to get people to even think about the dangers of smoking? And how many are still doing it?
There HAS been a surprising amount of improvement, bearing in mind the depths of the problem - mostly from the young. But we still have a very long way to go.
Trump and his nasty enablers have grabbed on to the Hatred rope - and pulling on it as hard as they can. . .
Nope. He gave them permission to overtly be the <insert colorful adjective of your choice here; mine is @$$Hats> they have always been. They will (if I may quote the Statler Brothers and amend the intent a bit) "...go to my grave lovin' you."
That's too good for himTC, and too likely to make him a martyr for his worst followers. We all still remember Mussolini, and where I live plenty of folks are still trying to bring him back. Oblivion is never enough for these A-holes.
Good point. An orange jumpsuit to match his lame makeup and a cozy room with bars in a nice federal pen (it could even be named after him). That’s what I’d like to see.
Hard to hero-worship that, even for the MAGA snowflakes.
Not so sure he's "running to stay out of prison," Paul.
The White House -- occupying it, running for it -- simply guarantees the most spotlights, and is there anything for narcissist, con man, and vaudeville hoofer more than that?
Both you and Phil are correct - he is terrified of going to prison - that would brand him as the loser he has always been. But his narcissism demands to continual spotlight. The more attention Harris/Walz get - the more unglued he becomes. It's hard to tell which will destroy him more, losing this election or going to prison - both are inevitable.
Difference, TCinLA, between factual statements all know and, under them, analysis of human motivation, drama queen background, market profit, and personal etiology.
But the specter of prison looms large, no spotlights there. Although he might be amenable if they kept a big spotlight on him all the time. Like Reality from Alcatraz, starring the great Chumpster
True, and he’s floundering because he built his whole campaign about running against President Biden, and can’t effectively change course to run against the Vice President.
This reminds me of one of my favorite recent memes: “now that he’s had his ear clipped, he just needs to be neutered and relocated.” I do feel his approach will have the opposite effect from what he intends.
He is such a vile, such a contemptible excuse for a human being that it’s still a source of astonishment to me that he is allowed to run for president. In what other so-called “developed” country would this even be a plausible scenario? Over the past 7 years or so, I think I’ve used every adjective at my command, and perhaps a few from Roger’s Thesaurus, to try to describe how detestable I find this bloviating psychopath. I’m fresh out of words, but I’m forever grateful to Heather Cox Richardson for always finding the appropriate expressions for describing his psychologically impaired behavior.
tffg is so deeply subhuman that even Roget's Thesaurus cannot provide enough pejoratives to adequately describe his complete lack of character and his inhumanity.
I agree with you 100% but what worries me the most is that millions of Americans support and will vote for this indescribably hollow, contemptible inhumane being. What are we going to do about these voters, who will sacrifice our democracy to attain their own narrow, completely self~interested vision of America.
Linda-I know it’s something many people don’t like to acknowledge but what you plainly state about white supremacy is true. Add taking away rights and opportunities for women to this and we’ve got the formula for “making America great again”.
My understanding was that in 1789 people by and large were only familiar with political candidates who lived nearby. The idea behind the EC was to have people vote for folks they knew and trusted to consider the nationwide story. Obsolete if anything ever was!
I remember learning that in school. Now I understand why my only reaction to voting for electors was I don't know these people. I don't even know the name of the democrat running against my incumbent representative. I'm not actually positive there is one. That 's pretty pathetic given Andy Harris was in the room with trump on 1/5/21. Zero ads, zero flyers. I'm way too poor to support anyone financially. It sucks.
It looks like there is a Democratic candidate named Blane Miller III running against Andy Harris in the 1st Congressional District of Maryland. If you can spread the word to your neighbors, that would probably help more than a pile of cash ever could.
In spite of all of the issues, the indictments, the convictions, embracing extremism, insurrectionists, murderous authoritarians, the steady stream of toxic hatred, this is the individual the GOP selected to lead them. They took inventory of everyone in their party and collectively said "America! We've found our very best! Here's your leader!, the man with the plan: Project 2025!" And you say you want a "Sneak Preview? -You have the overturning of Roe V. Wade and the Chevron decision. You have book bans, the evisceration of voting rights, and extreme fundamentalist Matthew Kacsmaryk on the bench. You have the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters standing back and standing by. You have taxes slashed for the wealthy and for corporations while another cool $7 Trillion is added to the national debt -just like his failed casino only bigly."
Is any other evidence needed that this is not Eisenhower's party of conservatives and has not been since Nixon and Reagan? This is a criminal organization masquerading as a political party.
I agree Beverly. I think when people sit down and have a conversation that is not simply parroting media talking points, people fundamentally agree. They want to have economic security, the opportunity for a better future for their children, a home, accessible healthcare, and to feel safe in their homes, communities, and when traveling. Media portrays we are evenly split between wanting a dystopian “Mad Max” hellscape led by a criminal organization and sociopathic clowns versus Main Street in Disneyland.
"The Harris-Walz campaign today joined the Democratic National Committee in announcinga transfer of nearly $25 million to support Democratic candidates in down-ballot state and federal races" Awesome strategy. Go you Dems.
Thanks again, Professor. Once again you’ve documented (some of) the extreme measures these dangerous politicians are trying to put into place. How dare these MAGA republicans view women only as baby-making machines. That Rump can do nothing more than attack VP Harris and cannot come out with any actual policy speaks volumes towards his mental decline. Where is the mainstream media?? Glad to hear a few are starting to pay attention, but it’s not nearly enough (and not close to what they did to President Biden). It is encouraging to hear about the rise of registered voters, sure hope that’s successful!
It's a disgusting, deceitful, sentimental play. There is no interest in quality of life for babies. We have plenty of children that need care. The last thing needed is more unwanted children.
Yes, Heather sees that orange felon continuously "feral," rambling, spewing vulgarity and insults.
Her peer, Rebecca Solnit, sees the opposite -- the keys for the decency for which a larger, wider America hungers.
Rebecca has recently written on a New Yorker essay by Ted Chiang, and quotes him on universities stressing student essay writing: “The point of writing essays is to strengthen students’ critical-thinking skills; in the same way that lifting weights is useful no matter what sport an athlete plays, writing essays develops skills necessary for whatever job a college student will eventually get.”
A.I. won’t help. Chiang continues his weightlifting analogy, saying “Using ChatGPT to complete assignments is like bringing a forklift into the weight room; you will never improve your cognitive fitness that way."
Solnit loves how Chiang stresses the personal, seeing others. Computers cannot see personally, Chiang says: "It is very easy to get ChatGPT to emit . . . ‘I am happy to see you’ . . . but . . . we can be sure . . . ChatGPT is not happy to see you. A dog can communicate that it is happy to see you, and so can a prelinguistic child . . .. ChatGPT feels nothing and desires nothing.”
I desire to see Tim Walz as vice president, with his wife, Gwen. Both have long been teachers. They understand the personal in students, their needs – all our needs in a democracy – to live well with multiple others. Unlike that orange felon whose only need is immunity from our all of us, our norms, traditions, laws.
I simply do not comprehend why AI has become such a big thing for so many to be thrilled with it. The amount of electricity alone it uses up is disrupting power grids all over & now they're realizing it will disrupt the development of young minds. It's potential to disrupt everything we hold dear is simply too great.
It's the same magical elixir, Sharon, as standardized testing was postured to be.
It's mechanized. Keeps to linear trajectories. Can faithfully track categories, groups, and their behavioral logic. And best, as if it were fun, like baseball (with batting, earned-run, and on-base averages) bids measure all action, all life, by numbers.
I drew a couple of of conclusions from tonight's letter. Firstly, the election is now in full swing, and the campaigning will only intensify as we approach Election Day. Next, though, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Donald is deteriorating;. In fact he's coming un-glued so rapidly that his own campaign staff has had to abandon the pursuit of winning over new votes. They've given up on trying to get their Golden Boy to discuss policy. Instead, Donald is banking entirely on voter suppression, venting his grievances, and trying to discredit Harris. It's a kind of surrender, only more cynical.
Where that leaves VD Vance, RFK, or Tulsi is anybody's guess. It seems like whenever Vance speaks, he gets contradicted immediately by Donny. It's bad enough that he usually angers his audience or embarrasses himself, but now he hasn't got a clear notion as to what he should campaign on.
tfg is incapable of having a discussion at all, never mind on policy. He simply doesn't understand how things actually work the way they're supposed to beyond the purview of his own greed and insecurity. He doesn't have it so he can't do it. I hope people will get on to that part, this country let an idiot be elected. We can't do that again. Should be an idiot test.
WILL THE LAWYER OR THE CONMAN BE THE PREZ? A Randy Rainbow song parody where Rainbow chose the music, “THE COWBOY AND THE FARMER SHOULD BE FRIENDS” from the musical OKLAHOMA to compose the lyrics for this delightfully entertaining ditty.
As a lifetime lover of musicals, many of whose lyrics I've committed to memory over the years, I found this laugh-out-loud funny. My poor wife thought there was something going wrong(er) with me. Thanks for posting the link. Now it looks like I'm going to have to sign up for Ground News, if I can afford another scrip...
It disappointed me Randy had to stick that commercial in, first time he did that after many videos over many years, but it does look promising doesn't it?
"And it's like, and friends of mine that are like English professors, they say....."
First of all, this is probably the worst misuse of a simile in the history of the English language.
Secondly, if Donald Trump has friends that are anywhere close to being "like" English professors, I'm Napoleon Bonaparte.
Thirdly, with respect to the righteous heirs of the late, great Isaac Hayes suing Trump for his blatantly improper exploitation of his song "Hold on, I'm coming", I say----That man Shaft is a baaaad motherf***er.
''For his part, Trump says his wandering speech is deliberate. He calls it “the weave.” I’ll talk about, like, nine different things, and they all come back brilliantly together, and it’s like, and friends of mine that are, like, English professors, they say, ‘It's the most brilliant thing I've ever seen.’”''
This how to say you're stupid without saying that you're stupid.
I remember years ago watching A Face in the Crowd. The premise of the film, (starring a young Andy Griffith), about a national huckster who sucked the entire country into his scam was that, once the huckster was openly exposed as such, the people of the country would have enough self-respect to walk away and throw him on a dumpster heap. Now as it sadly turns out the premise was flawed: once exposed, a full half of the country would sell their fortunes, freedom, and dignity to said huckster . . . for nothing.
As a 75 y/o childness (former) cat lady I am both infuriated and mystified by Vance's apparent beliefs about people like me. Does he not understand that few, if any, of the childless make a clear decision not to have children which is based upon hating kids? Even those who make a clear choice not to have kids often do so because they don't think they'd make good parents or because of environmental or social concerns. Many others, me included, would have liked to have kids. For some there are painful fertility issues; for others other life issues simply get in the way. I would like to have kids - didn't happen for a variety of reasons which I won't share here.
What really ticks me is that he also assumes somehow that the childless both hate kids and have no stake in the future. My first career was nursing - I worked in pediatrics - I love kids. I have 5 nieces and 2 nephews whom I cherish - I worry about their futures and their world. I try to do my part for the environment for the sake of future generations... Many aunts and uncles offer all kinds of support to nieces and nephews; others who don't have kids volunteer with organizations like Big Brothers & Sisters. Many parents are loving and effective, but many others abusive, neglectful, indifferent... Vance's agenda is so very distorted.
Anne-Marie, I never wanted kids. I'm a card-carrying, born that way lesbian. NO INTEREST at all in having kids. When the woman who is my wife debated wanting kids (we were in our 20's), I told her that she would be birthing them, and I'd love to raise them. We decided against that; she knows herself well enough to know she would not be a good mother. We are the Aunties, and have had 3 of our 5 nieces/nephews live with us while going to college/waiting for grad school; we have been a part of their lives from birth onward.
I spent 28 years as a full time cop. I saw so much child abuse, child neglect, spousal abuse, and sexual abuse to know that far, far FAR too many people have children they can't raise, or parent, or even treat like humans.
I do not know from what substance Vance sprouted but his words are not worth absorbing into our beings. A response would only garner the attention he so longs for.....not worth your/our engagement.
Obviously, he, like Trump longs for attention and value.
VOTE FOR KAMALA AND TIM!!! They are worthy of our vote.
"For his part, Trump says his wandering speech is deliberate. He calls it “the weave.” I’ll talk about, like, nine different things, and they all come back brilliantly together, and it’s like, and friends of mine that are, like, English professors, they say, ‘It's the most brilliant thing I've ever seen.’”
To Donold Trump the Oscar for biggest bulls**t statement ever. The weave sits on top of his head!
When Trimp speaks, I'm always reminded of this quote from the movie Billy Madison -
"What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”
LOL, that is a winner Gary. Thanks for that.
I keep sayin' MAGATs are visceral and most of them know in their guts that Trump is nuts.
The remedy is purgation by blue tsunami.
https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Especially need phone bank volunteers. Florida, Pennsylvania tomorrow. https://www.mobilize.us/ft6/?q=phone%20banks&tag_ids=20038
Any female in this country of voting age who isn't filled with abject fear of a second MAGA/Roman Catholic Trump Administration is simply paying no attention. What motivates the Muslim Taliban also infects the American Taliban - complete and total disdain for females. What's next? Salem witch trials? Let's be candid and call a spade a spade: this is misogyny on parade.
Keep sharing this powerful 1 min video by the Seneca Project as they say the silent part out loud ! 📣
https://x.com/senecaprojectus/status/1810372496878874790
So Louisiana is taking life saving medication off the Louisiana obstetric STAT carts.
There is another word for that overt act; Womanslaughter.
Thank you for sharing. These men hate women or perhaps even more are fearful of women. “I am woman hear me Roar”, on 11/5/24. “ We are NOT Going Back”
If you scroll down and look at the responses to the Seneca Project video, that's where it get's really scary. It's almost like these people are robots with no clear brain to think with.
Be careful about lumping "Roman Catholic" as a hate group comparable with MAGA -- Joe Biden is Roman Catholic, as are a lot of good people who don't agree with the right wing of the Roman Catholic Church (the entire church isn't of one mind: there are liberals and conservatives as in other population groups).
Thank you Roxanna. I'm tired of being tarred with that broad brush. I imagine many "real" Christians are sick of being labeled along with the Talibangelicals.
I hope I am reading this incorrectly—HCR wrote that voter registration of women in North Carolina was+12 and +6 were Democrats. That means the other half were republican’ts? I’m thrilled about all the good news in her Letter, but this bothers me.
What KR (OH) said. Tom Bonier's report deconstructed (sorry about the ALL CAPS -- Substack doesn't allow bold or italics in comments):
"In North Carolina, he writes, the number of registrants was almost 50% higher during the week of July 21 than in the same week in 2020 . . ." KEEP IN MIND THAT MOTIVATION WAS ALSO HIGH IN 2020, SO THIS IS BIG.
"and the gender gap was +12 women, compared to +6 women in 2020." WOMEN LED THE SURGE IN NEW REGISTRATIONS IN 2020 AND THEY'RE LEADING IT BY A MUCH GREATER MARGIN NOW.
"The new registrants were +6 Democratic, and 43% were younger than 30." I *THINK* THIS MEANS THAT 2024 REGISTRATIONS WERE MORE HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC THAN 2020 REGISTRATIONS, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT THE 2020 BASELINE WAS. AND "43%" IS ABOUT 2024. THE FIGURE FOR 2020 ISN'T GIVEN.
P.S. I'm guessing that "more heavily Democratic" refers to voters registering as Democrats. In North Carolina, you can register as a member of a particular party or you can register as "Unaffiliated."
Let's instead see them as part of the group "Republicans for Harris"!!
I think the +12 and +6 are relative to new registrations four years ago, not + over current republican registrations.
I believe it’s that women are 56 percent of new registrants, and Democrats are 53 percent of new registrants.
Halves are equal, so not half. Also, a significant portion were probably Independents.
Yes, that about sums it up, moreso if those women are white.
Richard, Roman Catholic or Christian Nationalist or both? I may be wrong but I don’t think the RC church is against using the medical drugs to treat women from the threat of hemorrhaging.
Um, there are stories about Catholic hospitals not providing the care that women need. Some Catholics are absolutely antiabortion and they don't care about the lives of women. Of course, there are others who feel the same who are not Catholic. And the Supreme Court is heavily Catholic although a couple of them are on the liberal side.
Anne, they are against tubal ligation and vasectomies—in fact, many women that I’ve known have found this out when they had a C-section and were not allowed to have a tubal ligation.
But the RC church totally supports the patriarchy.
Women are the property of their husbands and so are the children.
And a single woman with children isn't welcome in the RC church.
So well said ..can not fathom any woman not seeing how these people send us back to the 1800’s
Itsy bitsy teeny weanie syndrome. The patriarchy is too busy measuring its collective private parts to give much thought to females; it is scared to death of females and must do whatever it can to transfer that fear to us gurlz.. Religious cant is just, as usual, a means of justifying their bad behavior.
On parade, with a spotlight, and amplification.
I am disgusted by the thought they want to monitor abortions. Does that mean pregnancies, too? If at all possible, no woman should go to a OBGYN( in one of those restrictive states like Texas if she thinks she is pregnant. Find someone out of state who can help you in case there are difficulties The Hand Maid's Tale
The way I heard it, the proposed national database would include pregnancies. I can't even imagine....
In 1964, when Republicans nominated Barry Goldwater, their slogan was z”In your heart, you know he’s right.” The Democratic rejoinder was, “In your guts, you know he’s nuts.”
Thanks Daniel for posting this regularly, this is how we keep the eye on the prize.
They will still vote for him.
@ Jennifer. If only 5% who voted for him in 2016 and 2020 flip, we sweep. I'm a member of 2 data groups who say his support is diminished. I belong to a veteran's group that has thousands of testimonials of voters who flipped. https://votevets.org/
Others. MAGA grandmas for Kamala. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crMe-O10j9g
Republicans voters against Trump. https://rvat.org/
Haley voters for Harris. https://www.haleyvotersforharris.org/
I don't know about the rest of the country, but in our county, there are only a few Trump signs and fewer hats and flags.
Hopefully the red states will wise up and vote for Kamala
Yes, large electoral majorities all to often by relatively small shifts in voter sentiment, first past the post has its drawbacks.
Add https://www.evangelicalsforharris.com/
Gary, God only lets us fall and Karma comes at us, and hopefully at some point we wake up and make the changes necessary to not have to repeat lessons. In this lifetime or the next, or next and so on.
I'm amazed that the movie so accurately described Donald Trump. Was he used as the role model?
👏👏👏😹
Perfect! *chef's kiss
Perfect! And my thoughts exactly.
He calls it the weave. I think he meant the weird
Describing tffg's speech to a T!
Yes… it BS… but it’s also standard Con Man Patter. I wish journalists would stop calling him a politician and call him a con man… because that’s what he’s been his entire f-ing life!
Coming from NY I can attest to the fact that you are right. I only know him from all the gossip and the bad things he used to do that did business with him. We all knew he was a con man from the beginning.
We New Yorkers knew who he was… but the mainstream news never interviewed us! 😡
Yes, I agree, but the main stream news organizations are owned by very rich rich people and those are the ones that like Trump policies it’s all about money and democracy be damned.
CBS, NBC, CNN, and ABC and the NYT are part of public companies, owned by shareholders. WaPo is owned by Jeff Bezos, whom Trump despises. The Guardian, Reuters, and the AP are all public companies or part of larger public companies.
Sorry they don’t live up to your expectation of Democratic propaganda machines. But they are fair.
How do you think you know what you do about the many sorry Trump sagas?
Because these media outlets reported it. Look at the citations in HCR’s work. She gets her facts from the same source. Look at the quotes and citations in her columns. From these same reporters and outlets.
Get a grip.
Thanks Tom, personally i think the endless diatribes against the msm are overdone in Heather's community. She quotes them, and when did you ever hear her rage about bias in the press?
I personally think that they - most or many of them - failed us during the Bush/Cheney administration … however, they - “the fourth estate” - seem to have made amends since “idiot trimp” has been on the scene.
I’m not from New York, but I was well aware Trump was a grifter by the accounts from the late Jack Newfield and the late Wayne Barrett, who exposed Trump’s grifts and scams in the early 1990s, before the had squandered all of Fred Trump’s money.
we sure did. Everyone thought he was a joke.
Apparently not everybody.
I heard that phrase is now "corporate media", not mainstream.
Yeah. They were out interviewing hicks in the sticks about why they liked Trump.
Interesting - I am a White NYer. All my family and friends and associates are not just voting for Harris but actively supporting the Harris/Walz ticket. Writing postcards, knocking on doors and donating a lot of money. Greater NY included - Brooklyn etc.
I wonder where you get your info from?
Oooops- I left out that many of my NY friends and associates are a wonderful mix of many ehnicities. Not all White - but all New Yorkers.
BUT - many of us White too.
Still wondering, where did you get your information?
I dont know either. I suggested check the polls.... https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/new-york/
What part of upstate are you from? Harris will certainly win a substantial majority of white votes in New York.
I wish former commenter Mike S. would weigh in. He's from Buffalo and has eyes on the stuff that goes on there.
I live in upstate NY, in a county that has traditionally been majority-Republican, but that is changing. I see fewer Trump flags than I did four years ago.
I guess that explains Hoschul's wishywashy performance. Is NYC/NYS overrun with immigrants in the way trump says? My new neighbors are from NYS & my republican husband immediately took a shine to them. They seem to be doing their very best to fulfill the ideal white child quota the republicans favor. She's had 2 kids since she's been here & moved in with a new baby & 2 or 3 older kids. According to Vance calculations that would be 8 votes for trump...
Where do you get your info? NYC is very, very pro-Harris.
BTW, circumspect means wary and risk-avoiding, not whatever you think it means.
Really? How do explain 538's poll compilation? NY looks like it's going blue. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/new-york/
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/us/politics/liz-cheney-kamala-harris-vote.html?unlocked_article_code=1.IE4.x-1y.nB1k9r1TpE71&smid=url-share
From all the way back in the 70s, New Yorkers have known what a racist he is. Forced to operate under a DOJ consent decree for refusing to rent to POC. Then, there was the full page ad he took out in the New York Times, calling for the execution of the Central Park 5, even after they had been found innocent of the crime of which they were accused.
In short, he’ racist garbage, he’s always been racist garbage and there’s a reason why Manhattan voted against him 9 to 1.
True. The housing discrimination litigation was how Donald met Roy Cohn, who purportedly gave instant advice to Donald to fight it. Trump thinks he’s never wrong and never apologizes for anything he does.
From Joseph McCarthy to Roy Cohn to trump, some of the sickest people to ever have inhabited earth. Roy Marcus Cohn came to prominence for his role as Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954, when he assisted McCarthy's investigations of suspected communists.
Here you are, guys. My final story from my book, "Donald's Vanity Tantrums>"
The Citizen Kane Movie of Tomorrow: Citizen Trump
February 17, 2024
The classic movie Citizen Kane directed, produced, and starred in by Orson Welles will one day in the future, have a remake only this time the main pseudo-fictional character will be Donald Trump. The movie scene will open with a very bloated relic of his former self; uneven orange-smeared makeup slobbed across his face in bed. His overgrown blond hair is found similar to the muss of Boris Johnson’s now showing gray roots from lack of up-to-date hair dye. He periodically wakes from a semi-conscious state at his future dilapidated Mar-a-Lago residence (for lack of having sufficient funds to upkeep the property due to previous constant litigation and losses.) He looks around demanding more Kentucky Fried Chicken wings as low paid personal rush in another bucket and his last word is not “Rosebud” as in the movie Citizen Kane but:
“Stormy.” And the ex 45th president of the United States expires. The camera fades to black then opens at Le Club in the early disco 1970s, a members-only Manhattan nightclub in the East 50s, where models, fashionistas and a variety of Eurotrash (including his wife) went to be seen.
“The government has just filed suit against our company,” said Trump, “saying we discriminated against Blacks. What do you think we should do?”
The Roy Cohn obedient ass-kisser to Senator Joe McCarthy hearings accusing entertainment personalities of being communists shoots back, “Tell them to go to hell and fight the thing in court and let them prove you discriminated against them.”
Roy Cohn has become Trump’s go-to lawyer and fixer.
Cohn admonishes the young Trump to 1. Never settle. Never surrender. 2. Counter-attack, counter-sue immediately. 3. No matter what happens, no matter how deep into the shit you get, claim victory and never admit defeat.
These lessons were found to be the essential attributes of his future self.
And so it was.
had me scared there for a minute
Janis, the lady who cleans our house once lived in Queens. She asked me who I was going to vote for and when I told her, she gave me a hug. She then told me about his reputation in Queens....a crook.
PS Oh sorry, also importantly Queens, where I’m assuming there may be more t supporters.
We're a week away from the live ABC debate. I hope the monitors can do something to control the Conman Patter and Gish-galloping in which the Abomination is sure to engage. It's all he's got. I hope VP Harris skewers him with personal attacks that will drive him even crazier. Specifically, she needs to say to his face that he has repeatedly and consistently shown that he is the emptiest of empty suits, a person without honor, decency, compassion, humor or intelligence and that he is the very definition of a loser, that everything he touches he destroys. And then let him self-destruct.
Dr. Richardson's observation that the Republican Party is giving up on trying to make Trump stick to the issues is good news. By all means let Trump be Trump. Let him rage on to the end, engaging in personal attacks that won't stick because there's nothing to stick them to.
I used to think that you should never wrestle with a pig. I think in this case VP Harris needs to get down there and stick that pig again and again until he squeals his last squeal. Preferably on camera.
James, Respectfully, my thoughts regarding how Harris should approach the debate differ from yours. Instead of resorting to ad hominem, which, in my view, would reflect poorly on her, I hope to see Harris 1) showing every American, with facts that can be nailed to the post with confirming evidence, what would be in store for them were they to elect Trump and 2) contrasting Trump’s vision with her own, expressly showing how her policy agenda relates to the interests and concerns of everyday people.
VP Harris strikes me as someone who is effective at debate and would call out Donald’s cascade of lies. I think she would effectively counter Trump’s Gish gallop of lies. After Dana Bash and Jake Tapper failed to counter Trump’s lies during the ill-fated debate with President Biden, I’m not entirely convinced that ABC’s debate monitor would call out Trump’s bs either.
Agreed, Kathy. I'll take it further.
This event called "Debate" is not a debate. It is a show. It is free advertising for a candidate. It is verbal combat.
To expect any journalist to moderate it effectively is like throwing a Quaker into a cage fight. Forget about it.
My advice to Harris is not to take ANY bait from Trump. Don't acknowledge any of his lies. When she has her turn to speak, simply state "Donald, you lie for a living." And then attack him with a list of his offenses that is so long, so truthful and so disqualifying that he will reel in reaction.
And she must not do what Joe Biden did. Do not react to anything he says other than to look him in the eye and say: "You lie for a living."
This "debate" is an opportunity for Harris to produce repeatable phrases that will be attached to memes and signs everywhere. The only rule for these performances is to own the theater and that means ignoring the competition and attacking it - with the truth.
His felony conviction for cheating fellow tax payers, stolen top secrets, money from Russia, Trump University, Helsinki betrayal, Ukraine betrayal, two impeachments, porn star payoffs....and applauding thugs who threatened to hang your own Vice President? "How low can you go. Donald?"
And wrap it up with a question: "Donald have you ever had a wife or a girl friend that you didn't cheat on?" and "Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of sex trafficking young girls...why was he your friend?"
America is ready to see this Orange Menace reduced to a melted creamsicle.
Kamala has been great at that. When Bash tried to get her to defend a lie, she said ľnext question and stupefied Bash, who should have been let go long ago.
I totally agree. I think she must start every response to his blather by saying, "There you go again Donold...lying. It's what you do. People at home, for the truth go to Harris/walz.com." And then answer each question posed cogently and succinctly.
When I saw Hulk Hogan's display at the RNC I imagined what a "debate" between him and Dr. Joyce Brothers would look like.
It also reminded me of a calm but determined looking nurse in scrubs and an N95 mask facing armed protestors in Michigan that seem to recall wanted Governor Whitmer to end the mask mandate. I can’t find that picture but did find a similar one at:
https://roselawgroupreporter.com/2021/06/icu-nurse-lauren-leander-who-stood-up-to-mask-mandate-protestors-honored-in-virtual-ceremony/
“…In April 2020, Lauren Leander went with two other nurses on her day off down to the Arizona State Capital building where people were protesting to reopen the state’s economy. They went to counter protest, standing up for their patients in the COVID-19 unit and their health care colleagues./Photo courtesy Sandy Leander…”
I can imagine Kamala Harris standing, arms crossed facing DJT, Hulk Hogan, and the worst of the Trump gang like Steve Bannon, Steve Miller, Roger Stone, and 70 election rejection officials planning to NOT certify results.
Behind Kamala, I imagine large crowds of Women, Educators, Doctors and Nurses, thousands of Union workers, and Republican Voters Against Trump.
Beautifully stated!
Excellent
There is no debating with a bullshitter. There COULD be an interesting exchange or two, but...
Or rolling on the floor, kicking and screaming. She has to be the adult in charge. Trump would have a cow. Maybe two.
Yeah it's a game show, only missing a scoreboard and a buzzer for landed zingers. Lincoln debated. In TV land we have shows.
She might ask why Trump appointed Sec. Alex Acosta, the wink-wink, nudge-nudge prosecutor of Epstein's first sex trafficking confrontation with the law, as his Secretary of Labor. No! No! Not the comfy chair! Only the wealth get such "courtesies".
Bill! Tell Kamala this!
Kathy, Seeing I agree with your observations of Bash and Tapper and share your concerns regarding ABC’s co-moderators, I expect the onus will rest with Harris to call out Trump when his answers contradict verifiable facts. For what it’s worth, I wrote Harris suggesting, aside from relating her policy agenda and connecting it to the interests and concerns of everyday people, that the burden of pressing Trump to square his campaign rhetoric with facts likely would rest with her.
Yup, boxing Trump into check will be a DIY for her. I take hope in the fact that a good prosecutor is collected and focused in the face of outrageous lies.
While I agree with the importance of Harris presenting verifiable facts and sticking to her policy/vision messages, a friend of mine suggested that when Donald speaks his nonsense, she should respond with "Oh, Donald, you are just confused again," or "I see that you are not remembering what the facts are." Keeping hitting at his confusion, bad memory, rudeness seems like a good tactic to me.
Mimi, With all due respect to your friend, “when Donald speaks his nonsense,” I believe Harris would score big were she to call him out either for not answering the question or for offering up an answer disconnected from verifiable fact.
Mimi, Barbara - I think Kamala could work both into her repartee!
"I'm speaking" dignity and composure works for me.
Thank you for your articulate and well-considered reply. In an ideal world, I wouldn’t disagree. But that’s not the word we’re in, alas. I don’t think VP Harris should start with ad hominem, but she should keep that skewer at close hand if things get rough. And they will, if fFG starts to lose it, as is highly likely. A debate would be great, but that’s not what TFG will be willing or able to do.. i don’t think VP Harris will have a chance to employ your two suggestions in anything beyond her opening statement. And that would be only if she gets to speak first. I doubt the monitors will be able to restrain TFG. And VP Harris can’t spend her time calmly rebutting an endless stream of rubbish. She needs to mock the interminable firehose of falsehood by calling it for what it is, loudly, forcefully, and repeatedly. Reduce TFG to a blubbering, quivering pile of glop that oozes off the stage. Thanks again for offering me another chance to rant, this time more calmly 😁
I'm with you, James. We Dems have taken the high road for too long. No bully respects a nice guy. Gotta punch 'em in the face, at least once or twice.
James, You’re right. “VP Harris can’t spend her time calmly rebutting an endless stream of rubbish.” Nonetheless, as I stated elsewhere, if she can selectively extract from Trump’s fire hose of lies a handful of fundamental distortions and deceptions enabling her to expose how disconnected his campaign rhetoric is from verifiable fact, she could score big.
Not loudly. She knows better. The man cheated on all 3 of his wives. Took $10 million in small bills from Egypt. Gave the Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh and other liars. Mismanaged Covid by making it political. The evil compulsive liar and cheat is not her equal. He’s a slug-man. Melt him down!!
James- I am laughing my head off at your vision of a “glop” of oozing TFG! The thick, soupy remains of his blue jacket with a trickle of red necktie dripping on the floor.
She can certainly and strongly condemn what he says and does. I enjoy calling Trump terrible things here, but name calling on duty is Trump's shtick, so Kamala needs to pull out his rug, not compete on his ground.
I’ll be surprised and happy if she can do that—trump’s method of “debating “ is to throw out so much garbage so fast that the other person can’t even reply. Personally, I wish he’d back out of the debate.
Elizabeth, Both in my post on this site and in my recently deployed letter to Harris, I intentionally streamlined her debate objectives to meeting 2 (all be they broad) fundamental goals. I would add, seeing I trust Harris’s ability to think and speak extemporaneously, I believe she will be able selectively to extract from Trump’s fire hose of lies a handful of essential distortions and deceptions allowing her to expose how disconnected his campaign rhetoric is from verifiable fact. If I’m right, Harris could enormously benefit from this debate.
Harris has the advantage in that trump will never come up with anything different. He has no policy facts to debate on, just the same old whinges. "Immigrants! Inflation! Windmills!" and so on - probably ten or twelve tops. The Harris team should pull in a few favors from SNL (Al Franken - where are you?) to give her snappy brush offs to his tired complaints.
Defeating trump and influencing his base is not easy - we certainly can't shoot him, and we seem to be having trouble even jailing him - so perhaps laughter will do it.
Bringing some joy and happiness into people's lives seems to have worked well for Kamala. Perhaps it will work AGAINST trump. . .
A clever prosecutor lays a trap.
Why do you think she keeps delivering the same speech from the teleprompter every location she goes to? Especially when she changes up her accent and is repeatedly called out by many for coming off as fake and phony. Why are her speech writers not changing it up? Republicans are already placing bets on how many times she will tell Trump “I’m speaking” during the debate as her big moment for future ads. At this point if she doesn’t start explaining her flip flopping policies and positions she’s going to lose. Especially if she can’t get all the illegals to vote for her.
Not me. IMHO the debate will really help us. Kamala will tear him a new one and I can't wait to watch.
Barbara, In a normal" campaign, those suggestions are spot-on.
I have watched Trump's supporters at his rallies being questioned and reminded of illegal and immoral things that Trump has done. They're given the FACTS, but refuse to listen
They are not interested in policy agendas that don't include rounding up immigrants, outlawing abortion, protecting assault weapons, and US isolation from other countries.
Many times, the question had been asked " Is there anything Trump could do to change your mind about him?" The emphatic answer us always, "NO!!"
He was "sent by God" to save the country."
As long as these misguided people feel this way, no amount of facts will change their minds. After all, they're just "Fake News."
Anyone with any sense should have already seen that Kamala is so far superior to Trump. Maybe some of Trump's supporters will listen to the debate, and realize that. Wouldn't that be something?
Pam, I should have clarified, when I initially posted, that I wouldn’t expect the greatest possible gut punch to Trump to exert any impact on hardcore MAGA voters. Nonetheless, I believe there exists a sizable bloc of moderate Republicans and Independents, persuadables if you would, for whom a stellar performance from Harris could have a huge impact on the election.
You never ask questions when God's on your side. But the hard core cult is outnumbered. Something may click for some of those for whom Trump is not strictly the alpha and omega.
I’d like to see Kamala come up with a consistent (mocking) line in response to his BS. Something like Reagan’s “there you go again”.
Don’t try to rebut his endless lies, simply mock him for lying and avoiding the questions, and move on.
His fragile ego won’t be able to take it. . .
I think she should, after a tirade of his, simply say, “Well THAT was weird.”
Oh, that’s perfect.
😂👍💯
🤣😆🤪
Love it!
Perfect. Then each time after that, just say “more weird. .” Cheetolini would likely start to meltdown in real-time. That would be fun to watch (and might get through to non-cultists that he is not a valid candidate).
It isn’t just Donald. It’s the whole outfit. There are still way too many folks thriving on this garbage.
Thriving and enjoying the mud wrestling. It’s beyond embarrassing
That, Susan, is why I cancelled my Washington Post and NYT subscriptions two years ago.
Can you imagine a country, Susan, with so many schools turning out so "many folks thriving on this garbage"?
She needs to get him to storm off the stage.
She has all the ammunition to do it. Harris should ignore Trump. Politely ignore the moderators and attack him over and over and over until he can't handle it. The nation will applaud.
"You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"
In so many words.
Where he and MAGAs will mightily whine about how rude, mean, unfair, violent, and awful Harris is. He's already started talking about that in context of the debate.
Hard to believe MAGA once thought he was the epitome of strength and masculinity.
I wish they could see him today.
They can.
And they hear him.
But they can't say "Wow! I was wrong!"
So they have to pretzel themselves to make it all seem right.
I can't imagine what all this is doing to their psyches. No wonder we have so many crazy gun incidents.
That would be one useful outcome. Be afraid Donald. Be very afraid.
I hope the moderators will be fact-checking in real time or a zipper strip will be doing that. The mainstream media is treating him with kid gloves and creating a false equivalency between Harris and Trump.
Yes, yes, yes and yes again.
When they go low we go high is an incredibly stupid thing to do.
It didn't work the first time and it won't work this time.
Going high is not papering over nor failing to confront. Going high is telling and sticking to the truth, in an adult and compelling manner. Composed adult anger can silence a room, because everybody is listening.
And there is technical truth and smart truth, the kind with impact. The kind a liar fears from a skilled prosecutor. It's Trump's worst nightmare.
He will never debate her. And no one should debate a total madman. It is insanity to think the leader of an insane asylum is even fit to be in this position in our country. Do no honor him with pretending he is fit and his name is on our presidential ballot.
My only pleasure in convict 34+ is that he and his party of bizarros have revealed so many devastating chinks in our democracy, our racism, our misogyny that we cannot help but smell the stink of colonialism leaning on crutches of fascism for control of this country. This is our moment to choose hatred or joy in standing up for what is right and ridding ourselves of the putrid, oligarchal, white-dominant-male, knee-on-our-necks.
Thank you Heather for being the voice of "weaving" our history with current history being made and the dangers of repeating what we should have learned by now. Looks like, miraculously in the nick of time, our democracy might be given an incredible second chance to rectify and thrive, thanks to the Prosecutor vs the Felon. The abuse of the past eight to 40 years is worth having a very experienced Prosecutor as President, who just happens to be a woman. Last night I watched a friend's film about the tumultuous 60's which of course included the powerful music of change, anti-war and civil rights. The reverie of Bob Dylan singing The Times They are a Changing is appropriate in 2024 as it was in the '60's:
[Verse 1]
Come gather 'round, people, wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth saving
And you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a-changin'
[Verse 2]
Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide, the chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon, for the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times, they are a-changin'
[Verse 3]
Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin'
Will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times, they are a-changin'
[Verse 4]
Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times, they are a-changin'
Dylan wrote that 60 years ago.
Seems to me we should get those changes moving a bit faster.
We have a chance to in November.
:D
I'm seeing Dylan for the first time this upcoming weekend!
Thank you, Pensa, for typing out the words to this powerful song. I couldn't help but sing it out loud! Brought me right back to the '60s when so many of us gathered together to sing our hearts out with such meaningful words as these!
J L, Brilliantly stated. While nothing more need be said, I simply would add my observation that the one thing the radical right loathes more than liberals is the truth. And the quickest way to get under the far right’s skin is to tell the truth.
applause
Her sanity in contrast to his insanity will be enough for the American people. Her joy and unity message in contrast to his divisive America is a sh*t hole nation will be enough for the American people. Even people I know who were staunchly against Biden are sick of his whining and psychopathic message....and just want him to go away.
From your keyboard to God’s monitor,
Thanks to Heather Cox Richardson, we now understand gish-galloping speech. tRump used it to defeat Biden, whose "coaches" didn't teach him how to handle it!!!
And, we saw that tRump knows how to sling it. He will again.
We also now know how to "throw it back"! Harris CAN do this, I pray she's practicing!
Please God....
I don't think calling him an empty suit will convince many, but quoting and detailing some of Trump's most repellent moments might. Citing the circumstances of some of the people he has callously hurt.
You’re probably right about the convincing, but it would serve the useful purpose of riling him up to self destruct. Making many of our worse selves feel better would be a collateral benefit 😁
My hope is that that she can finesse Trump's extreme self-centeredness and profoundly lazy dishonesty against him, enough rope to hang him. My daughter studied Aikido , which turns the force of an attackers assault against them. I've seen it work. Language can be used to the same end.
I don’t think she should spend all her time identifying and countering his lies, but do think she should point out that everything he has just taken credit for was done by the Obama and Biden administrations, and that all he accomplished was giving more money to the super rich, thus endangering programs that benefit ordinary people, and greatly increasing the national debt. She can also mention that everything he just said was a lie. I have confidence that she will do a great job in the non debate.
I just wish they would not cover him at all. It seems that when people dismiss, ignore or poke fun at him, he loses it! Otherwise he takes up all the oxygen in the room.
I wish they wold cover how incredibly unsuited he is for public trust. Nixon looks like relatively little league corruption compared to the monstrous MAGA cesspool.
But ignore his obvious danger at our peril. If the MSM would tell the truth about him, no big deal. Instead they cut and paste the way Rupert has done since Fox dumped Jeb Bush.
Narcissists like Trump generally do suck up all the oxygen in a room, and Trump is a prime example of someone with malignant narcissistic personality disorder, as well as antisocial personality disorder. Both of these disorders make him supremely unfit to govern.
Yes, malignant narcissists suck up the energy in a room. Dangerous.
Riddikulus! (points wand at Mar-a-Lago)
😉
The more Trump is in the public eye, the more he sinks in the polls. That’s why Harris wants hot mics. That’s why Dems have beeb trying to get him back on Twitter for four years.
Wish everyone would refer to him as an insult to their intelligence.
Grifter. Con man is too nice.
Steve, I agree with your sentiment, but I think it's worth noting that it's not journalists who refer to him a politician. A journalist is someone who informs people profitably, and not someone who profits from misinforming people. People who tRump can gaslight with ease because they're so naive they don't notice the gas being lit are not journalists.
You're so right. In the 1800s he would have sold snake oil at the county fair or in the 20s land in Florida
I’d like to press TFG for the names of his English professor friends. If he did name a professor or two, they would likely sue for defamation.
You and me both. Also, when did he decide that talking for 2 hours was what his followers want? It's good to know that some of them have the good sense to leave. I just hope they have the good sense to cast their vote for Harris-Walz.
He has no prefrontal cortex left. Unable to make plans, follow plans, change plans when new information becomes available. No ability to control his emotions to achieve his goals. Imagine an angry, impulsive president like that?!
One shudders to consider another term for Trump. My fear isn't about him so much as about the people using his psychopathy and decline in cognitive ability for their own purposes. He can deny he has anything to do with Project 2025 but it's as sure as the Earth rotates on its axis that his staff and cabinet very much do.
Ummm, he lied. We all know that.
Like his proverbial "they" as in "they tell me"....people must know he just makes stuff up.
The only friends he has live in his imagination. They will keep him good company in prison.
Any parent will tell you they know how to drill down when their child uses either the term “they” or “everyone” when trying to get away with something.
But you very andnover again we see the same stupid people attend his rallies 😬😡
Made me laugh out loud
The fact he created a name for his “style” is even funnier. If he did…
Even his imaginary friends don't like him. . .
When the Trump Era is over, more books about it will be written by students of abnormal psychology than by political scientists or historians. There may even be a few more terms added to the official psychology lexicon;
Trump syndrome?
Trump derangement syndrome?
How about Trumpanoia?
I'd go for "Trump - annoy - ya" - because he certainly does!
LOL!
Over a month ago, there was a video clip on YouTube of one of his speeches, the one in NJ I believe. It ran continually for about 30 minutes, showing people walking out on his speech in droves. You can hear him rambling away in the background, while the bored people file out.
That whole scene of him speaking to English profs is hilarious! In what world did this happen!!
That was over the dinner table one night, you know one of those dinners you see on "Downton Abbey", with the silver and the candles on the table and a big old log fire in the ten foot fireplace. They were all sitting round a twenty foot table, smoking cigars and passing the port. tossing the odd grape to a slave or two, and the Dean of the English Faculty at Harvard said "I need some advice on something, Donald, and your the only man who can help me - should I have just typed this "You're?"
And then the half eaten burger fell onto his pyjamas and Donnie woke up. . .
Brilliant!
Hoyt Trump’s ‘weave’ reminds me of the saying:
“I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth I know not where.
I lose too many damned arrows
That way.”
When Trump starts extemporizing, he hasn’t as clue where he is going. He’s like a ship with a malfunctioning gyroscope. He clearly sounds bonkers.
His is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Best description EVER
Shakespeare always has the right words for any occasion, and that quote from Macbeth fits tffg perfectly.
“Brush up your Shakespeare and they’ll all kowtow “
Actually, he IS an idiot, simplifying nothing. . .
Keith, how in the world have we been able to survive his wandering mind with the Gish gallop and fruit salad that spews from his mouth. I honestly think one day he will finally blow a gasket and start speaking in tongue for the rest of his life, totally unintelligible which of course is only a hop skip and jump from where he is now.
I finally had to let my Mom go live in a nursing home. Another lady there (who had previously held a high rank in the military) had developed a form of dementia where she could only verbalise "burbles" - she would stop you and hold your arm and stare into your eyes trying to say something but just going "Brlblrbrlblbbblbrlbleberb. . . ." it was very sad.
I think trump is already ready to join her. . .
So sad for you Moms friend. And very possible for trump.
Saddest part about that friend was that she'd been one of the first members of the SOE, and was dropped into France and served there undercover with the Resistance for two years.
And she had no family or friends who visited. So when she went "Brblbrbrlbr" I'd sit with her a while because she deserved a lot of respect.
The Fat Fool doesn't.
But he labels it genius, and the MAGAts are so impressed.
True J D Chicutt, so I am happy to read in today’s Letter about the money Harris-Walz is giving to the down ballot races. This will help them spread the message in local efforts. So many areas of America have towns where Dems feel they are the only one. My hope is this down-ballot-race money will show up in yard signs, local billboards, etc to remind Dems in these areas to stand up and have courage.
God, I hope local billboards. The chump billboard close to me is so ugly in every way. Go Maddogpac.com
Nice bit of humor.. image on top of his head!
I'd like to hear from his English professor friends.
Well Trevy, since his 'English professor friends' (i cant believe i just typed that) any how, they are all and only in his mind, maybe he could do a ventriloquist type of discussion with himself to get their true opinion on this subject. LOL 😊😂🤣
He could do a Clint Eastwood and get "them" to sit on the chair. . .
I have a better term than "the weave." I call it gaslighting. The key to understanding gaslighting is that it’s about power and control. It's an attempt by the perpetrator to gain domination over the victim by getting the victim to question their own reality. My guess is the only thing he understands about it is that it appears to be working. I don't think he understands why it works for the simple reason that that understanding, along with the victim, are not one of the three things he cares about (me, myself, and I).
Trying to drive someone crazy by questioning their sanity would of course be useless on trump, normal humans not so much..
James Is Trump gaslighting similar to verbal farting?
That's a good way to think of it. Or you can think of it as a human being using words the way an alpha male chimpanzee uses whatever comes to hand (a tree branch, for example) in a dominance display.
I'm looking forward to watching him "weaving" his way through the debate with VP Harris and making a total fool of himself. (worse than he already has)
Hope it encourages many more people to vote against him.
If Kamala does not knock him out in the first round we will be disappointed. Unbelievable there is so much emphasis placed on such an idiotic way to choose a presidential winner. And then we are told by others that even if you win the debates (Hillary), no guarantee of a win on election day.
Spot on. Positively Caligularian.
Mind you a speaking horse’s head might make more sense.
Incitatus would have governed better than Caligula and Trump. The horse would be better than the horse’s ass Trump as president.
An anecdote about "The Weave": When I was in high school, in the early '60s, I was lucky enough to spend an hour or so listening to R. Buckminster Fuller speak, in a small-group setting. After he was introduced, he stood silently, eyes closed, for perhaps thirty seconds, long enough that an uneasy sense came over the room. Was he OK? What's going on?
Then he started speaking, without any notes or papers, and proceeded to launch several different tangents, each interesting but seemingly unrelated to the others. Again, an unease came over the room. What's he talking about? Where's this going? This is all over the place.
Fuller continued his talk, painting increasingly complex pictures with words, developing each of the "tangents" he introduced earlier, stretching our minds a little further with each paragraph, keeping us spellbound but still unsure where he was going. Then in the last five minutes or so, he wove his "tangents" together, unifying them into a coherent whole, a single, powerful theme. We sat silent for a moment or two, clobbered by the vision he had gotten us to see and staggered by the depth and breadth of his thinking, before breaking into loud applause.
In the following Q & A, someone asked Fuller what was up with his standing silent, eyes closed, at the start of the talk. He replied simply, "I was organizing what I wanted to say to you today. "
_That_ was The Weave, worked by a brilliant intellect who sought to broaden perspectives and advance thinking.
The sorry spectacle so routinely polluting the public square today, utterly incapable of The Weave, seeks to obstruct and bamboozle, hoping to baffle us all some more with his never-ending and nonsensical bullshit.
"Bucky", as some of my Design School profs called him occasionally lectured at the NCSU School of Design back in the day. Built quite a few large geodesic domes in the neighborhoods near campus. Thanks for the story about Bucky and the "weave".
Trump's weave is actually a brain-eating worm. It infects listeners, too.
Trump's weave is more of a weevil.
something else he and rfckjr have in common
There are so many candidates for his "biggest bulls***t statement ever.
Oh yeah there are.
Larry David made brilliant use of “the weave” writing scripts for Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Multiple seemingly unrelated plot lines would somehow come together at the end of the episode with hilarious effect.
Whatever Trump is doing is the opposite of what Larry David did. At the end of his insane, rambling, self-congratulating, lie-filled rants, one has no idea what they just heard. Rather than coming together, Trump’s story lines diverge into nothing. Exactly what I hope his political campaign does.
Great points Charles. His weave is a bit tattered. And yes Larry David is successful, trump not so much.
Talk about the ability to rationalize. "People say he is brilliant". You must give him credit for having such brilliant friends - in his dreams. His brilliant VP is not supporting him. He is through, washed up, finished!!!!
I laughed ROL…. one second reflection of ..yup , no guilt!
Great news, Letter from an American🫶
The DNC timing is perfect for their funding going here and there, keep the lights on Kamala and Tim..the momentum is steady.
Personally? Thanking the McCain family for the vote, the voice, it’s all valediction of the right thing to do.
For a the few Republicans I too know lending some more votes , also ..Thank you..and for the many others stepping up to save our Democracy, proclaiming it loudly..this is what America does well.
I will not relax either. This is my Tribe 🫶
I would like to see a list of these English professors. And, how many of Trump's "friends" are, like, English professors?
As they say, "a figment of his wild imagination", totally delusional, a real coo coo bird.
Let me see if I have this right: Louisiana -- which is ranked #50 in crime, #49 in economy, #49 in infrastructure, #47 in education, #44 in opportunity, and #46 in HEALTH CARE -- wants to ignore the basic recommendations of the World Health Organization? If the state were a country, it would have third world status.
Great statistical reference. They must be so proud to be the lowest of the States - way to go Mike Johnson - no wonder you're such a loser.
There's a reason why the state is known by people with first hand experience as Looserana.
Louisiana's ranking will improve if Project 2025 is enacted because it will drag the entire country down to their level.
According to the would-be Orange Emperor, that's what Makes America Great again!
OMG
Hello fellow Boomers (46’-64’), and Silent Generation (28’-45’), AND The Greatest Generation (1901-1927 - *thinking of you President Carter), Do you think Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have a good chance of getting most of our votes this time around, in that trump in 2020 was able to beat Biden in our age group? As the oldest man to ever run for President, trump thinks this is good news for him. After all, he won those categories in 2020 but by reduced margins from 2016. Yet, the Fairleigh Dickinson poll last week found the largest national lead yet for the Harris-Walz ticket – a seven-point margin that includes a 16-point lead among those older than 65. On Thursday, a Suffolk University poll found Harris beating trump 53-42 among voters over 60 — her largest vote share of any demographic. Some polls have found this to be a much closer race. Much of this can largely be explained as self interest in that Social Security and Medicare are always on the chopping block with Republicans and of course trump is crazy, more so than last time.
Third Act, founded by Bill McKibben organizes voters over 60 to phone bank and write postcards every night and they organized an “Elders for Kamala” call last month with Jane Fonda and Bette Midler headlining. The sixties represent the cultural, social and political transformation that includes civil rights, the women’s movement and a more intensive look at our environment. Now we see the Supreme court taking away these rights, so of course we should be voting for Kamala. Seventy one percent of these age categories voted last time around. Want to bet we can top that this time and help the Harris-Walz ticket win and use those coattails to pull along a multitude of fellow Democrats from the “courthouse to the White House”?
For a loud mouth like me (born in 1933) it's hard to believe I'm part of the silent generation - either I'm the exception to the rule or the loud mouthed old lady who speaks for them (:-)
My parents are part of the silent generation too. Dad was born in 1936 and Mom in 1939. Mom doesn’t talk about Trump, although I know she doesn’t like him. Dad is very vocal about his distaste for Trump. He saw the Texas Republicans up close when they lived in Texas and they disgusted him. My parents raised us to be people as unlike Trump as it’s possible to be.
Yep, same for this 1957 kid
VOTE 💙💙💙💙
Fay As a fellow 90er born in 1933, may I join your late-middle-aged duet for Kamala?
😊💙👍
Me too. Born in 1943.
The oldest boomers were marching in the '60s for civil rights and against the Vietnam War as teenagers and young adults. They have the opportunity to dust off their picket signs and hold 50 year marching reunions against fascism, white supremacy and bat-shit craziness in their '70s. Why not make a really big 50 year anniversary party of it by day between now and November, still make it to bed at a reasonable hour, then culminating in an all-nighter on November 5 while the last west-coast and Hawaii numbers come in?
I was among the marchers, screamers, and poster makers, calling on phone banks, knocking on doors, and registering voters. I continued to do so through 2012 and then I was traveling (for business) too much. All I could do was donate ant vote. I've never missed any vote since 1968 (I became a citizen in 1967 but campaigned from 1963 on) Now all I can do is donate and vote (too crippled up to do more)
Rave on, it matters
Thanks for both all you've done and for all you are doing (including "Fay's Rants"!) As a young Boomer (I am really Generation Jones, as the oldest kid of older parents, the music of the 60's for me was classical orchestral music from my Dad, and the folk music of The Weavers, Odetta, and The New Christy Minstrels from my Mom.) The first two albums I bought were Simon and Garfunkel "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Moody Blues "Days of Future Past".
As an adult, I've marched and used my sousaphone to both make a joyful noise, and to mock other, counter protest groups.
Thank you for your service.
Thank You For Your Service, Fay!
What a wonderful idea, we are a joyful group.
Du wopp boomers phone bank (Social Security Works) 4 pm today.
https://events.democrats.org/event/30/
YES!
Hoyt At 90 I am a proud member of Elders for Kamala. My unit is called Walkers/Canes for Kamala.
Bless you both, Fay and Keith. Just don’t turn your Walkers/Canes for Kamala into W/C for Kamala!
🤣🤣🤣
Ellie, W/C?
Architects still use WC (water closet) to designate a toilet area.
Per https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/s/GcRrFHM7wb
Places for elimination of human waste have long been given euphemistic names, usually based on their "alternate" functions: "bathroom" because many homes put baths in the same room as commodes, "lavatory" because it was a place to wash oneself (from Latin lavare, "to wash"), even "toilet" ultimately comes from "a place to groom oneself" (originally a toilette was a piece of toile fabric on a dressing table where a woman kept her makeup; a lady "at the toilet" was getting dressed and doing herself up; when bathrooms became the place for this morning ritual, "toilet" came to describe the room).
Etymonline first attests "water closet" in 1755. Presumably the first WCs were converted closets (or closet-sized rooms) that had running water to carry the waste away.
Elllie In the Middle East in the 1950s I was exposed to Turkey toilets. Going third class on a Turkish ship, in rough seas it was difficult to aim and this was pre-flushing.
My recollection is that functional toilets were invented by a person named Craper—really!
Water closet? Old name for toilet
Wheel chair!
Too funny! 😂😂
Just came back last week from my 60th HS reunion. There are a lot fewer of us now than there were even just a few years ago. It dawned on me that they ain't makin' enough new MAGAts to counterbalance the ones that are going off to their just reward (whatever that might be).
One other piece of information that I read over the long weekend that reinforces that observation (and I don't know if it's true, but seems right) is that people like me, a Caucasian male, now represent just 30% of the American population. This data is from 2020. That percentage is almost certainly smaller now, given current trends.
Congratulations on your milestone James. Here is to many more like it.
Thank you, Hoyt. At our age every day we get up is a good one😁
Amen brother 😊💯👍
A higher percentage of the MAGA crowd refused Covid immunizations and masks and fell to the pandemic in the early '20's. Might help.
I read somewhere that 20%more Republicans died from COVID than Democrats because they refused the vaccine. They probably still are refusing, and more of them are in care facilities. Here in Florida, the care facilities are having heavy numbers of COVID cases!
James, I am on the committee to organize my 50th in a couple years (Class of 76, the Bicentennial class) as part of what we're calling the "Death Squad" (privately, publicly it is the Remembrance Team). My Mom got to go to her 60th down in Monterey 25 years ago.
Tuba I went to my high school 60th in 2011. I was surprised at the large attendance. I was asked to provide a 15-minute show-and-tell presentation. I felt comfortable sharing with frankness (and some false humility) with classmates who knew me when I was a shy little boy.
I did go to the 40th and 50th (from California to Massachusetts), and had paid to go to the 55th that was supposed to be the last. Unfortunately, I came down with something on Constitution Day that could be mistaken for Covid but Doctors I saw over the next 4 months kept asking if I'd been anywhere near SARS or MERS areas.
That kept me from going during the worst stages and especially a month and a half later I was trying to get hernia surgery scheduled after a Thanksgiving visit to Washington where I tried to lift my son's double garage door with a broken spring on one side and the cable tangled around the pulley. By the time I got the surgery in Feb 2020 (just before it got really hard to get medical care as Covid took over), it turned out I had triple hernias. I'd tailgated a lot of cargo as an OTR driver and could carry 200lb Continental aircraft engines by myself, so thought I'd never end up with hernia, much less 3.
As it was I at least appreciate my classmates that needed it, were able to have one at 55 before Covid ruined some of the following ones.
Just saw this a moment ago and burst out laughing at the private characterization of your class. Too true, but that kind of mordant humor is a good way of facing the inevitable.
Apropos your last sentence, I love Monterey. Went there for language training in 1969 and have loved it ever since. My son went there for the same reason (but a different language) 40 years later. We visited him there and reinforced our love of that place.
60th HS reunion? Reminds me it would be my 60th (if my class had one), and Bill Clinton's (21 days younger than me). My parents retired in Hot Springs and met several of his classmates and his mother, Virginia Kelly. The way my old party "opposition researchers" treated/attacked her in particular, took a lot more shine off their own reputations. I left the party 3 years after I last saw her.
Same situation for me. Class of 1964! No reunion planned for us but not sure I’d attend anyway. I grew up in East Texas, still “red” country, as red as Trump’s ties. I can count on one hand the number of classmates who currently share my liberal/progressive/Democratic Party views and one of those just passed away. I’m positive some will vote Blue in the privacy of the voting booth but would never ever admit it.
“There are a lot fewer of us now than there even just a few years ago.”
A fellow Caucasian male here….
Tell me about it … i.e. our representing no more than 30% of the nation’s population. I will turn 80 in December.
Let me rephrase that. I hope to turn 80 in December. Thanks to geniuses in the US Army and the US Airforce during the Vietnam War, my ship was amply dosed with Agent Orange during “The Big One.” Agent Orange has cost too many of us too much.
I enjoy your posts on this site. Please keep ‘em coming.
If we had a high school reunion this year it would be my 71st. And I really don't like the silent generation moniker, don't know who planted that on us; I call us the New Dealers. Been voting since '56 - first time for Ike! While a bit older than the boomers - my older daughter is one - I nevertheless got politically involved with protesting wars, opening battered women's shelters, coming out in my thirties, creating community, experiencing deep and moving shifts of my energy, which has always been shall we say patriotically involved especially when we were told by conservative forces to go back to where we came from, which is quite silly. Coming from both New England and Jewish stock my own sense of country was and very much is one of building and growing our democratic roots more through actions than words, and now I can do both with Substack. Great meeting you all!
Wonderful remembrance Robin, thanks for the intro and great meeting you too.
Thank you Hoyt - so interesting to have these conversations and am actually letting myself enjoy the technology behind them, with only occasional swearing.
I like that -- I'd call my parents "New Dealers" rather than "Silent"
Robin I like the moniker “New Dealer.’ I was born the year FDR became president. My first presidential vote was in 1956 Ike. By 1972 I was on the Nixon White House Enemies List.
Now HOPE/JOY overFfEAR/DESPAIR.
I’m apparently from the silent generation. I’m not silent. I’ve never been silent. Quiet maybe but not silent. I’ve never been a Republican.
I was a Republican when our Republican Governor, Bill Milliken fought for our environment and his wife started Planned Parenthood in the state (Michigan). There is no Republican party now - only oligarchy anarchy.
I mistakenly said I never voted for a Republican. Not true. I thought Governor William Milliken was a great governor, and his wife was also a wonderful partner politically. I voted for him. Also, we had a woman mayor that I voted for. But it was accurate that I never voted for a Republican President.
I wanted Bette Midler to sing "From A Distance" at the DNC in Chicago.
I did enjoy P!nk and her daughter singing "What About Us?"
Check out the documentary "My Name Is Pauli Murray."
The history of America is exemplified by her life and trailblazing.
The Pauli Murray Center celebrates its "Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting" this Saturday, September 7, 2024 in Durham, North Carolina.
All the people the extremists on the right have demonized and "othered" - they are here, and they are not going anywhere, no matter how many books you ban or histories you try to erase.
Pauli Murray was an amazing lady.
Hidden history robs us of so much.
Thanks for this, Beverly. And thanks for all you are doing to protect women's health and privacy.
Fellow Tar heel? Saw the Morehead mention, a sincere tip of the hat. 73' grad here from what jesse helms called "Chapel Hell". Live in Raleigh now, my very best on the opening this weekend!
I remember Jesse but don’t miss him. Born in NC and hate the evil that perks there. Take the state back from the MAGAts. It can rule again…
JD, thanks to their candidate for governor, our very own black donald trump, we are going to have the best success since 2008 when we voted for Obama.
Josh Stein for governor is up double digits and Kamala is slightly ahead, we will make this state Carolina Blue again.
I donated to the guy running against Virginia Fox but I have limited resources this go around. Go get ‘em.
She is the worst. Grandmaw Moses mother.
I keep thinking Foxx got elected and continued to keep her seat because she understands Robert's Rules of Order. She certainly follows protocol, no matter her positions are hellish.
Spent a weeks wages many years ago for tickets up front center for The Divine Miss M's concert. The lady can entertain and sings her heart out. My personal favorite is John Pines marvelous HELLO IN THERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq51a-wyPnw
You and I should try to get tickets to Bonnie Raitt here in Durham, NC November 19. It's been long sold out.
I’m Way over 60 and ready for Elders for Kamala.
Such is our hope.
"A feral political offensive." Absolutely. He is running to stay out of prison, and the walls are closing in on him. He is a rabid, trapped animal - feral, if you will - and he will lash out in whatever way he can., before, during, and after the election. We have not seen the worst of it, but as he becomes more incoherent, angry, unhinged, and on attack mode, he may well be the architect of his own undoing . . . his own doom.
Let us hope.
I predict that Trump has yet to commit the crime that will put him in prison for the rest of his life. But he will do something even more horrible than we have seen so far between now and Kamala's inauguration. Already he seems to be coming totally unglued. May require hospitalization shortly. Nope, sorry, no sympathy from me.
Do you think this can all be an act that after he loses, please God he should lose, that if he does go to trial for any of his wrongdoings, his defense will be insanity? I can see that happening.
Janis, I'm no psychologist, but I have an opinion nevertheless. I think he is a little boy who was never allowed to grow up. Encouraged to see himself as weak, stupid, incompetent and utterly unloved as a child, surrounded by the worst sort of sociopathic role models, convinced of his own worthlessness, he discovered lying as a tonic, a drug to get him through the pain of existing. That and million-dollar start up funding from his NY real estate mafia father and the rest is history.
Of course he could show us what a big boy he really is by taking his own life, but if he doesn't it will be up to our courts, with a lot of popular support, to put him away for the rest of his miserable life.
First, we have to have a blue wave election. I'm doing what I can from Italy, mostly explaining the USA to Italians and donating what I can afford to some down ballot Democrats. I dream of flipping Texas.
Even popular psychology can recognize mental illness through behavior as we are now seeing, probably with dementia added. Yes there is an element of sorrow for such a mess of a man, but think about the fact that his brother was an honorable person coming from the same family, so there is an element of motivational responsibility that could be embraced. In the long run maybe we should be looking at psych tests for people running for office? Because there are so many misfits out there. That's tricky of course. The media could play a much stronger part here by simply calling out the realities in front of them. We have a lot to fix here don't we.
The media has let us down in a million ways. And chump’s brother was an outlier in that family and he paid a price for being an ethical human. Daddy Fred was a skanky bastard by about any measure. I have seen more than a few families with parental dynamics that helped create dysfunctional kids. They are not rare, but just the right mixture (usually with money or power) can create monsters. A generalization but not a surprise. BTW, chump brags that he aced a psych test. hahaha
Joan Didion. Ross Macdonald. Helen Eustis. James M. Cain. Dashiell Hammett. Vera Caspary. Raymond Chandler. Patricia Highsmith. Dorothy B. Hughes. Elmore Leonard. And so many more, JD, who have "seen more than a few families with parental dynamics that helped create dysfunctional kids."
This might interest you and others - - YouTube recent interview with Mary Trump (Family Ties and Lies) on the conditions she grew up with and in the various parts of the Trump family. And how she finally was able to write her new book.
We have not been able to count on the media to call out Trump's realities--only President Biden's age.
Yep, and they did that ad nauseam
Yes, Robin, we do.
“…lying as a tonic, a drug to get him through the pain of existing.” Priceless and powerful description. Thanks, David.
Whatever it takes...
Oh he's going to cover all the bases he can; Count on it.
That thought has crossed my mind as well.
Nah . he'd have to show he was insane at the time and it was too long ago
I don't believe his orange ego will allow him to "lie" about his true mental status. I'm done with being upset by him. Who I really get boosted by are the many Repugnicans who follow him, obviously unable to have rational judgement about what he does, or says.....
I think his lawyers would love that as a "go to" defense - but I can't see trump ever going along with it. He'd have to admit to being "weak" and "helpless" - and he'd never be able to do that. And I REALLY can't see his family ever getting up the courage - or interest - to get him certified.
Trump is certainly capable of additional crimes. but I think there is enough to "throw the book at him" as it is.
I figured the events of Jan 6th 2021 would have ended his political life almost immediately, but it didn't happen. We may need some better book throwers than Merrick Garland and the GOP Senators unwilling to try Trump after most of them described his behavior as despicable (or worse) in the immediate aftermath.
There are too many cowards and sleaze-balls in high places to be sure of anything these days.
I blame McCarthy for resurrecting that zombie. He should be tarred and feathered.
Don't forget Mitch McConnell. He's the one who urged his Republican Senate colleagues to refuse convicting Trump in the first impeachment. (Something I'll never understand, because if convicted, Mike Pence would have become president and would have continued Mitch's policy agenda.) The Republicans could easily, legally, and justifiably been done with him. But they refused.
They were as enamored with the shiny object as the MAGAts. May the shiny object be the end of the cretins who gave up on governing.
yes, JD, one among many, unfortunately.
Kevin felt sorry for the loser. How pathetic to resurrect Frankenstein and then his minions turn on you.
At what point do the little men in white coats suddenly show up, dress him in a strait jacket and haul him off to the looney bin? Where is Peter Sellers when we need him most?
Do you know who was dressed in a straight jacket and hauled around on a hand truck?
Hannibal Lecter!
Perhaps that's what wakes Donald up at 2a.m.
Alas, that will not happen. Only voters can pull him from the stage.
That’s a good one 🙏
I worried during the end of his first Presidency that he might self-destruct publicly. I didn’t want to watch—I felt sorry for him in a way—he was such a mess. It seems he may be doing that slowly this time, and I no longer feel sorry for him—I fear him coming to power. If he’s falling apart, I want to watch.
I want to see him dangling from a lamp post upside down like his hero Mussolini.
Tom I surmise that you are not a Quaker.
Interestingly, from 1660-1862, the Cleaver's were Quakers, until my great--grandfather enlisted in the Union Army (with his Quaker Abolitionist father's approval) at age 18, before he was married. That put him out of the Church and we have been gone since. My sixth great grandfather joined the Continental Army and was cast out of the Church, but he was already married with children, so the family remained.
Jim Brown, a first cousin, was Quaker. He landed in Guadalcanal in 1942 with the First Marine Devision and island hopped to Iowa Jim’s, the only soldier in his platoon who wasn’t killed or badly wounded.
He went to Yale on the G. I. Bill and, as a journalist, opposed the Vietnam war (as a Foreign Service Officer with boots on the ground experience in Congo I twice declined our Saigon ambassador’s ‘invitation’ to join him. Jim was on the NYT Editorial Board for about a decade.
I was gave a talk at the Media Friends Center on There Can’t be Peace without Force. One attendee suggested that the speaker lacked ‘love’ in his presentation.
Interesting story! (Check your date typo :-) )
Do you think the MAGA crowd will ever, ever give up their love affair with hate spewing monsters? I’m not convinced but hope springs eternal.
What he gives the MAGAs is permission to act on their worst instincts. Racism especially, but also greed, bullying, political corruption, the works. I doubt they will give that up too easily. His greatest talent has always been to bring out the worst in everyone.
I watched "Mississippi Burning" again a few nights ago.
That was a whole lot of people who had been coached for at least two hundred years.
Changing laws doesn't change minds.
The Civil Rights Laws were only introduced 60 years a go - the blink of an eye in societal change. How long did it take to get people to even think about the dangers of smoking? And how many are still doing it?
There HAS been a surprising amount of improvement, bearing in mind the depths of the problem - mostly from the young. But we still have a very long way to go.
Trump and his nasty enablers have grabbed on to the Hatred rope - and pulling on it as hard as they can. . .
Nope. He gave them permission to overtly be the <insert colorful adjective of your choice here; mine is @$$Hats> they have always been. They will (if I may quote the Statler Brothers and amend the intent a bit) "...go to my grave lovin' you."
No, he is a peek into our dark side
I like you. I like how you think.
That's too good for himTC, and too likely to make him a martyr for his worst followers. We all still remember Mussolini, and where I live plenty of folks are still trying to bring him back. Oblivion is never enough for these A-holes.
Good point. An orange jumpsuit to match his lame makeup and a cozy room with bars in a nice federal pen (it could even be named after him). That’s what I’d like to see.
Hard to hero-worship that, even for the MAGA snowflakes.
Might do the trick, George.
Hitler made good use of his time in prison. Chump would too, selling pieces of his orange suit, most likely.
At high prices, no doubt--perhaps in a gold frame?
He certainly wouldn't write a book. . .
Not so sure he's "running to stay out of prison," Paul.
The White House -- occupying it, running for it -- simply guarantees the most spotlights, and is there anything for narcissist, con man, and vaudeville hoofer more than that?
Both you and Phil are correct - he is terrified of going to prison - that would brand him as the loser he has always been. But his narcissism demands to continual spotlight. The more attention Harris/Walz get - the more unglued he becomes. It's hard to tell which will destroy him more, losing this election or going to prison - both are inevitable.
He's SAID he wants to avoid prison, if you care to read.
Difference, TCinLA, between factual statements all know and, under them, analysis of human motivation, drama queen background, market profit, and personal etiology.
But the specter of prison looms large, no spotlights there. Although he might be amenable if they kept a big spotlight on him all the time. Like Reality from Alcatraz, starring the great Chumpster
Paul, I just hope he doesn’t take us down with him!
he certainly doesn't care -
the arsonist that called the fire department in order to appear to be a "hero"
Exactly what he is, wants the most publicity for his evil deeds
"I could stand in the middle of 5th Ave and SHOOT myself ..."
I'd vote for that!
If he could barely get a drinking glass to his lips years ago, sadly, he’ll never get that gun fired off….plus he’s a cowsrd
True, and he’s floundering because he built his whole campaign about running against President Biden, and can’t effectively change course to run against the Vice President.
This reminds me of one of my favorite recent memes: “now that he’s had his ear clipped, he just needs to be neutered and relocated.” I do feel his approach will have the opposite effect from what he intends.
He is such a vile, such a contemptible excuse for a human being that it’s still a source of astonishment to me that he is allowed to run for president. In what other so-called “developed” country would this even be a plausible scenario? Over the past 7 years or so, I think I’ve used every adjective at my command, and perhaps a few from Roger’s Thesaurus, to try to describe how detestable I find this bloviating psychopath. I’m fresh out of words, but I’m forever grateful to Heather Cox Richardson for always finding the appropriate expressions for describing his psychologically impaired behavior.
tffg is so deeply subhuman that even Roget's Thesaurus cannot provide enough pejoratives to adequately describe his complete lack of character and his inhumanity.
I share those sentiments. I wish they would all go away. Far, far away.
I agree with you 100% but what worries me the most is that millions of Americans support and will vote for this indescribably hollow, contemptible inhumane being. What are we going to do about these voters, who will sacrifice our democracy to attain their own narrow, completely self~interested vision of America.
The millions of people supporting trump do so to maintain white supremacy and white dominance.
Linda-I know it’s something many people don’t like to acknowledge but what you plainly state about white supremacy is true. Add taking away rights and opportunities for women to this and we’ve got the formula for “making America great again”.
Me too, ran out of adjectives long ago. Depend on substacks to keep up with the horror. MSM should be calling him out, instead they cut and paste.
Make that "corporate media", not mainstream.
Is there a difference these days
I thought the Electors were intended to save us from Trump-like cretins through the act of becoming "faithless electors."
Maybe this time.
My understanding was that in 1789 people by and large were only familiar with political candidates who lived nearby. The idea behind the EC was to have people vote for folks they knew and trusted to consider the nationwide story. Obsolete if anything ever was!
I remember learning that in school. Now I understand why my only reaction to voting for electors was I don't know these people. I don't even know the name of the democrat running against my incumbent representative. I'm not actually positive there is one. That 's pretty pathetic given Andy Harris was in the room with trump on 1/5/21. Zero ads, zero flyers. I'm way too poor to support anyone financially. It sucks.
It looks like there is a Democratic candidate named Blane Miller III running against Andy Harris in the 1st Congressional District of Maryland. If you can spread the word to your neighbors, that would probably help more than a pile of cash ever could.
Thank you for much for responding. I have decided to contact my local dem hq to see what's what & go from there.
Thank you Professor Richardson.
In spite of all of the issues, the indictments, the convictions, embracing extremism, insurrectionists, murderous authoritarians, the steady stream of toxic hatred, this is the individual the GOP selected to lead them. They took inventory of everyone in their party and collectively said "America! We've found our very best! Here's your leader!, the man with the plan: Project 2025!" And you say you want a "Sneak Preview? -You have the overturning of Roe V. Wade and the Chevron decision. You have book bans, the evisceration of voting rights, and extreme fundamentalist Matthew Kacsmaryk on the bench. You have the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters standing back and standing by. You have taxes slashed for the wealthy and for corporations while another cool $7 Trillion is added to the national debt -just like his failed casino only bigly."
Is any other evidence needed that this is not Eisenhower's party of conservatives and has not been since Nixon and Reagan? This is a criminal organization masquerading as a political party.
Your last sentence. May every editorial board realize and recognize it soon, and very soon.
Thank you Rhea -it's remarkable it's not front page news daily.
what 45 has done is splinter families - people are estranged and unable to even speak to each other.
Still hoping for the sentiment of Anne Frank to win out.
"In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."
I agree Beverly. I think when people sit down and have a conversation that is not simply parroting media talking points, people fundamentally agree. They want to have economic security, the opportunity for a better future for their children, a home, accessible healthcare, and to feel safe in their homes, communities, and when traveling. Media portrays we are evenly split between wanting a dystopian “Mad Max” hellscape led by a criminal organization and sociopathic clowns versus Main Street in Disneyland.
You nailed that. Thank you.
Thank you Susan. I've not even reached the requisite level of caffeination yet!
RICO not RINO!
"The Harris-Walz campaign today joined the Democratic National Committee in announcinga transfer of nearly $25 million to support Democratic candidates in down-ballot state and federal races" Awesome strategy. Go you Dems.
I certainly hope that much more effort is expended in GOTV for down-ballot races.
It was the razor-thin lead the GOP acquired in the House that gave us the extremism we saw in the 118th Congress.
David, sadly, you misspelled "are seeing". The fight over the budget that looms over us in 4 weeks is going to be butt ugly.
Thanks again, Professor. Once again you’ve documented (some of) the extreme measures these dangerous politicians are trying to put into place. How dare these MAGA republicans view women only as baby-making machines. That Rump can do nothing more than attack VP Harris and cannot come out with any actual policy speaks volumes towards his mental decline. Where is the mainstream media?? Glad to hear a few are starting to pay attention, but it’s not nearly enough (and not close to what they did to President Biden). It is encouraging to hear about the rise of registered voters, sure hope that’s successful!
The “babies”—always the go-to phrase of the autocrat. There are already way too many of us!!
It's a disgusting, deceitful, sentimental play. There is no interest in quality of life for babies. We have plenty of children that need care. The last thing needed is more unwanted children.
As Trump and Republicans try to suppress the vote, "Make sure you haven’t been purged from the Voter Rolls"
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/09/03/make-sure-you-havent-been-purged-from-the-voter-rolls/
... and remind friends and family overseas to vote. "3 Top Voting Resources For Americans Overseas"
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/09/02/3-top-voting-resources-for-americans-overseas/
Yes, Heather sees that orange felon continuously "feral," rambling, spewing vulgarity and insults.
Her peer, Rebecca Solnit, sees the opposite -- the keys for the decency for which a larger, wider America hungers.
Rebecca has recently written on a New Yorker essay by Ted Chiang, and quotes him on universities stressing student essay writing: “The point of writing essays is to strengthen students’ critical-thinking skills; in the same way that lifting weights is useful no matter what sport an athlete plays, writing essays develops skills necessary for whatever job a college student will eventually get.”
A.I. won’t help. Chiang continues his weightlifting analogy, saying “Using ChatGPT to complete assignments is like bringing a forklift into the weight room; you will never improve your cognitive fitness that way."
Solnit loves how Chiang stresses the personal, seeing others. Computers cannot see personally, Chiang says: "It is very easy to get ChatGPT to emit . . . ‘I am happy to see you’ . . . but . . . we can be sure . . . ChatGPT is not happy to see you. A dog can communicate that it is happy to see you, and so can a prelinguistic child . . .. ChatGPT feels nothing and desires nothing.”
I desire to see Tim Walz as vice president, with his wife, Gwen. Both have long been teachers. They understand the personal in students, their needs – all our needs in a democracy – to live well with multiple others. Unlike that orange felon whose only need is immunity from our all of us, our norms, traditions, laws.
I simply do not comprehend why AI has become such a big thing for so many to be thrilled with it. The amount of electricity alone it uses up is disrupting power grids all over & now they're realizing it will disrupt the development of young minds. It's potential to disrupt everything we hold dear is simply too great.
I, too do not understand the attraction of AI. It is ridiculous the amount of energy it consumes, and for what???
It's the same magical elixir, Sharon, as standardized testing was postured to be.
It's mechanized. Keeps to linear trajectories. Can faithfully track categories, groups, and their behavioral logic. And best, as if it were fun, like baseball (with batting, earned-run, and on-base averages) bids measure all action, all life, by numbers.
Hal takes over, maybe sooner rather than later…
I drew a couple of of conclusions from tonight's letter. Firstly, the election is now in full swing, and the campaigning will only intensify as we approach Election Day. Next, though, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Donald is deteriorating;. In fact he's coming un-glued so rapidly that his own campaign staff has had to abandon the pursuit of winning over new votes. They've given up on trying to get their Golden Boy to discuss policy. Instead, Donald is banking entirely on voter suppression, venting his grievances, and trying to discredit Harris. It's a kind of surrender, only more cynical.
Where that leaves VD Vance, RFK, or Tulsi is anybody's guess. It seems like whenever Vance speaks, he gets contradicted immediately by Donny. It's bad enough that he usually angers his audience or embarrasses himself, but now he hasn't got a clear notion as to what he should campaign on.
BLUE WAVE SHAPING UP! Register to Vote!!
tfg is incapable of having a discussion at all, never mind on policy. He simply doesn't understand how things actually work the way they're supposed to beyond the purview of his own greed and insecurity. He doesn't have it so he can't do it. I hope people will get on to that part, this country let an idiot be elected. We can't do that again. Should be an idiot test.
WILL THE LAWYER OR THE CONMAN BE THE PREZ? A Randy Rainbow song parody where Rainbow chose the music, “THE COWBOY AND THE FARMER SHOULD BE FRIENDS” from the musical OKLAHOMA to compose the lyrics for this delightfully entertaining ditty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eo45EIZPCI
Hoyt Randy is dandy on silly billy JD Vance.
Keith, he is our chief of comedy and satire. A dandy indeed.
As a lifetime lover of musicals, many of whose lyrics I've committed to memory over the years, I found this laugh-out-loud funny. My poor wife thought there was something going wrong(er) with me. Thanks for posting the link. Now it looks like I'm going to have to sign up for Ground News, if I can afford another scrip...
It disappointed me Randy had to stick that commercial in, first time he did that after many videos over many years, but it does look promising doesn't it?
That is so good. Thanks, Hoyt!
The man is a genius and he makes me laugh. A rare combo.
Evening to All!
A couple of brief comments---
"And it's like, and friends of mine that are like English professors, they say....."
First of all, this is probably the worst misuse of a simile in the history of the English language.
Secondly, if Donald Trump has friends that are anywhere close to being "like" English professors, I'm Napoleon Bonaparte.
Thirdly, with respect to the righteous heirs of the late, great Isaac Hayes suing Trump for his blatantly improper exploitation of his song "Hold on, I'm coming", I say----That man Shaft is a baaaad motherf***er.
CAN YOU DIG IT?!?
And like, don’t forget his uncle was a like professor at MIT which, you know, makes Doncon like a rocket scientist.
Well played...er...sung, Daniel! <shut yo' mouth> I can dig it!!
- Pulled Quote -
''For his part, Trump says his wandering speech is deliberate. He calls it “the weave.” I’ll talk about, like, nine different things, and they all come back brilliantly together, and it’s like, and friends of mine that are, like, English professors, they say, ‘It's the most brilliant thing I've ever seen.’”''
This how to say you're stupid without saying that you're stupid.
I remember years ago watching A Face in the Crowd. The premise of the film, (starring a young Andy Griffith), about a national huckster who sucked the entire country into his scam was that, once the huckster was openly exposed as such, the people of the country would have enough self-respect to walk away and throw him on a dumpster heap. Now as it sadly turns out the premise was flawed: once exposed, a full half of the country would sell their fortunes, freedom, and dignity to said huckster . . . for nothing.
As a 75 y/o childness (former) cat lady I am both infuriated and mystified by Vance's apparent beliefs about people like me. Does he not understand that few, if any, of the childless make a clear decision not to have children which is based upon hating kids? Even those who make a clear choice not to have kids often do so because they don't think they'd make good parents or because of environmental or social concerns. Many others, me included, would have liked to have kids. For some there are painful fertility issues; for others other life issues simply get in the way. I would like to have kids - didn't happen for a variety of reasons which I won't share here.
What really ticks me is that he also assumes somehow that the childless both hate kids and have no stake in the future. My first career was nursing - I worked in pediatrics - I love kids. I have 5 nieces and 2 nephews whom I cherish - I worry about their futures and their world. I try to do my part for the environment for the sake of future generations... Many aunts and uncles offer all kinds of support to nieces and nephews; others who don't have kids volunteer with organizations like Big Brothers & Sisters. Many parents are loving and effective, but many others abusive, neglectful, indifferent... Vance's agenda is so very distorted.
Anne-Marie, I never wanted kids. I'm a card-carrying, born that way lesbian. NO INTEREST at all in having kids. When the woman who is my wife debated wanting kids (we were in our 20's), I told her that she would be birthing them, and I'd love to raise them. We decided against that; she knows herself well enough to know she would not be a good mother. We are the Aunties, and have had 3 of our 5 nieces/nephews live with us while going to college/waiting for grad school; we have been a part of their lives from birth onward.
I spent 28 years as a full time cop. I saw so much child abuse, child neglect, spousal abuse, and sexual abuse to know that far, far FAR too many people have children they can't raise, or parent, or even treat like humans.
Anna-Marie Hislop,
I do not know from what substance Vance sprouted but his words are not worth absorbing into our beings. A response would only garner the attention he so longs for.....not worth your/our engagement.
Obviously, he, like Trump longs for attention and value.
VOTE FOR KAMALA AND TIM!!! They are worthy of our vote.
His assumption makes an ass of him but not me.