Tuesday night, House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Republican national convention, “We in the Republican Party are the law and order team.” He said that as they prepare to nominate a convicted felon to be president.
What is most disheartening to this devout atheist is the ‘holier than thou’ Johnson. He’s just another hypocritical Christian, drunk on the power of his office and the unswerving belief in his moral supremacy. He and his ilk are not men of god. They merely represent the basest of human motivations: greed and selfishness. Bless his little heart.
agree. Also an atheist - but the Christianity of my childhood had the message of compassion, kindness, helping others, etc. -- as do the core tenants of most religions. This is self-righteous power mongering while pretending to have the high moral ground.
The Christianity of my childhood was the same, and I take the teachings of a compassionate Christ to heart. I left the Episcopal church when I was 8 or so, after I was told it was "God's will" that children my own age were starving to death in Ethiopia (Biafra conflict.)
Welp, as I've been seeing lately the MAGA's say God protected TFG Saturday night so does that mean God didn't care enough to protect the retired fireman who was sheltering his family? The whole live vs die question has perplexed people and Christianity forever. The "It was God's will", theology. Maybe a poor analogy but I went to a Catholic HS and when we played another Catholic HS I always wondered which team God was rooting for? The nuns were there from both schools, in my teenage mind praying for their team to win, so did God love the winners team more? Questions theologians and Christianity have struggled with for eons!
A most glaring hypocrisy in the rhetoric of the so-called Christians is that a) everything that happens is God's will and b) if something happens that they don't like, God will fix it. The lack of cognitive dissonance is so dangerous.
I had 3 women at my front door(they saw me I had to engage) not too long ago trying to tell me they did not vote because Jesus will take care of it and they did not have to. Uh, I of course said well Jesus(using their own beliefs) provided the vote to you. We parted agreeing to disagree.
One of the most indelible vignettes from early in the pandemic was a reporter asking a woman driving to a no-masks church event whether or not she was concerned. Her reply was that she wasn't because "I'm washed in the blood of Jesus." I've wondered ever since what happened to her.
When it comes to ignorant people, I wish I was more like Jesus. Facing the very people who were crucifying, He said, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do."
Yes, and the GOP is saying that it was God's will that saved trump from being assassinated so that he could be president. I guess that means that God gave Biden covid to slow him down on the campaign trail....
There is a vast difference between religion and spirituality. I love that you "take the teachings of a compassionate Christ to heart." As do I. It was always my disagreement with "organized religion" that none of them actually follow His teachings! (That included most of His disciples and apostles too.)
I was not raised in a religion. I have looked into many and found them not to my liking. I find it interesting that the most "religious" people I know worry that people who are atheists or agnostics can't be moral because they have no fear of being punished by God. What does that say about them?
I very much agree. Personally, I find very very little of Jesus' teachings in the "religion" of the Yt kkkristian Nationalists or the New Apostolic (dis)Order.
Same for me…once I started thinking independently I couldn’t align with a church….but I value my Christian education which serves as a base for my world philosophy. I follow a number of Christian…all denominations, websites and listservs — but I read with my filter.
Thank you Derek. I called my self an atheist for several years now I prefer non-theist as I have NO god. I also fully believe in the teachings of Jesus, a truly gentle man who cared first and foremost for all living creatures. What the majority of Christian Churches (not necessarily their congregations) believe today is not the teaching of Jesus, who said it is harder for a rich man to pass into heaven than to pass a rope through the eye of a needle. While Calvin, on whose teachings nearly all the 'Christian' churches are really based said a rich man is holier in the eyes of God than a poor man or else he wouldn't be rich. I think there would be a lot more agnostics, atheists and non-theists if they came to understand that - or a lot more followers of Jesus.
Actually in the King James version of the bible (I believe the first one printed in the English language) it does say camel, but in recent interpretation from the original Hebrew it was rope.
I thought the original language of the New Testament was Aramaic, which is what Jesus was said to have spoken. But my parents mercifully spared me from any religious indoctrination, so someone may wish to correct me.
I wonder when and where this was. I've never heard any such thing in my Episcopal church in Maryland, and that includes three long-term pastors plus numerous substitutes.
I will have to agree with you. Very strange for that to come from the Episcopal Church. I also left it as a child, but in all the communities I have lived, it was always on the side of compassion and progress.
I am like you I think. I see the perennial values expressed through a culturally Christian lens which isn't unreasoning hate although there are plenty of examples of Christian brutality. If you thought I ellided or crushed Mike Johnson's basic premise of his unique piety you guessed right! I don't even know how to spell ellided but I think I can use it this way. Don't even mention little dudes bigotry then bam he's toasted bread crumbs in a salad like Emerald Ligazzi.
In Heather Cox Richardson's 2nd paragraph of her today's Letters from an American, she writes: "Yesterday, just after House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced that delegates were formally nominating Trump as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate, the teleprompter failed. Unable to continue without it, Johnson quickly left the stage. This was awkward, since two weeks ago, Johnson said on the Fox News Channel of President Joe Biden: 'Unless the president is reading off the teleprompter, I don’t think he’s capable of making these big decisions and that is something that should alarm all of us….'”
The passive press is actually a money grubbing enabler. A democracy can't exist without an unbiased media that sees its job as informing the citizenry. Profit motive has debased our so-called information venues. In the 40s, 50s and 60s, the news media was not a profit center. Now, counting viewership and selling ads is the only reason we get any news. It's basically one big reality show, scripted and venal. It's 24/7 trump and MAGA. I've turned it all off, including MSNBC. I read the news and if I want to watch a news channel, it's BBC America or CSPAN. What a travesty!
Never before has a character arisen who keeps the media in business like never before. He is the accident on the side of a highway we cannot stop gawking at…. The media would keep trump in front of our eyes forever if they could. But, even with all that, some of us are getting so terribly bored. I hear his speech Thursday night is planned for 90 minutes. Omg. Talk about BORING.
I will never forget the day in 2016 when the media was at a Trump speech for which he was at least 45 minutes late. Instead of going back to the studio until he showed up, they focused their cameras on a table filled with Trump merch. It was like watching a horror movie: hand over my mouth to muffle the screaming at the TV.
I agree, Robin. I used to watch MSNBC a lot, and sometimes CNN; but wherever I look, I can't get away from Trump. I suppose, as others have said, it sells; but it's actually selling Trumpism by saying over and over what he and his cronies are saying. And often the "news" shows what Biden does wrong. I think for T, any press is good press. Didn't someone actually say that at some point? So T is getting lots of free press, and I can't stand to hear it over and over. So local news, PBS, BBC America for me.
I was quite surprised when Johnson was reelected after his racist comments about BLM protests, saying he'd be "worried" if Trump had been reelected and BLM showed up to protest. What a despicable cretin.
Let’s not forget, Lynell, that he, Johnson, is THE architect of J6. It’s kinda funny that he blew that interview without his teleprompter. Gawwd works in mysterious ways, does she not?
Johnson is an 'atheist' too, he simply believes in 1 less 'god' than you do. That actually makes him the worst type of 'athiest', the fascist type, where they believe 'their god' is the only 'god'.
Organized Religions afterall are a fluffed-up form of fascism.
At best organized religion builds community and helps everyone make sense of life viscissitudes. Plus disaster relief, and water stops for migrants trying to enter USA. I saw it on TV Catholic charities don't hate asylum seekers
I have not been interested watching the MAGA circus play out. How we have come to this moment — I think I can speculate. I have said this repeatedly that maybe just maybe we have done something wrong. Ask yourselves why, what have I done. When I have a personal bad outcome on some matter, I reflect and ask myself what I have done wrong. Sometimes I still don’t find my answer.
Opinion time; My feeling is that we have gone too far to the left on issues. I can sift down to a few choice issues but heck, I’ll leave them unspoken. In the grand scheme of things, it’s hard to understand what we may have done wrong. But clearly, the Trump MAGA movement is the monster that we have invented. It always is, isn’t it.
Bill, I’d be curious as to what issues you feel are too far to the left. I would not agree that “we” have invented the monster. I feel that the desperate, lying, racist, Supreme Court justice stealer Repuglican party has invented it and feeds it with alternate facts and tax cuts for the billionaires. Full stop.
Kathleen. I agree. For the MOST PART the democrats are not mean spirited, self serving and corrupt. We have our faults but so far they have not corrupted the whole party.
I don't know what Bill Katz meant by "too far to the left," but in general it means "pays too much attention to economic justice." These days most, though not all, of the Dems accused of it are people of color. (My senior senator, Elizabeth Warren, is one of the exceptions. So, of course, is Bernie Sanders.)
There is certain pushback against modifying gay and transgender rights that incites the right wing and some independents. Commander Cody self described it as "Pinko Commie" after performing for the N. Vietnam delegation to the '72 Paris Peace talks and getting criticized for reaching out to the "enemies" request to hear genuine Americana Music! Same story, different page. The leftist conspiracy must be televised.
Why so you can beat up on me? I already know the script. Instead of considering plausibility, we just jump at each other and argue. That’s how Americans behave. We are the aggressors whether neighbor to neighbor or nation to nation. We are the Klingons of the world. When I lived in Europe Italy to be exact, I never heard Italians yelling it’s my right to do this and that. Well, I second thought, maybe them too. (I stayed away from Americans as much as I could because they were mostly trouble.)
But I will be purposely ambiguous here now. You search your soul(s).
Representative republics don’t stay representing the people for long. Monied interests take over. Plato knew it “Tyranny follows Democracy.” Did he really say that? No, I most certainly won’t be specific today because it will lead nowhere. And so you will question why I’m here in the first place refusing to defend my position. Right? Because it’s my right to yap away. I’m exercising my rights. It’s my 1st amendment right.
When I was in high school many moons ago, during the “It’s my right” period, I told a friend of mine in the hallways since everything was being liberated, that I was about to liberate the girl’s room just so I could talk about it in the deep future. I boldly walked in the girls and promptly announced to a couple of girls that I was liberating the bathroom. They giggled and I left before I got into trouble. I told David recently about that conversation I had with him 50 years earlier. But for some reason, he didn’t remember.
Suggest living in a constitutional federal republic may not be your cup of tea. All those competing voices, all those guaranteed rights --- yours included. All those vulnerabilities. All those vulnerable. Here's a free tip: more words don't make more sense. "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."
The entire political spectrum has moved to the right since FDR. I’m 84, and can attest to this fact. Social safety nets have eroded, and poor and lower middle class people are suffering much more than in the 1950s. We can fix that if we elect Biden/Harris. Childcare is one area where we are failing families who have either single parents, or two working parents. It used to be a family could own a house, a car, and have enough to live comfortably on one income. That is no longer possible.
Not quite 84, but pretty damn close. The chief factor affecting today IMHO is the GOP during Nixon adopted the Southern Strategy. In effect, giving legitimacy to deep prejudice to gain electoral power. Embedded in this was Christian Nationalism (in truth, Christian in name). I think the an issue today is hubris. Poor and middle class people as you note, took for granted the benefits of a liberal society such as Social Security, while still holding their prejudices fanned by the Right. Such as Reagan’s welfare queen. Or the constant cry “socialism;” which, I note few can define adequately. As for the “suffering,” I offer trickle down economics. Like you, I saw this in the eighties. To survive economically, more and more couples went to two incomes or multiple jobs. In the meantime, wealth aggregated to the top. The notorious phrase “greed is good” took on respectability. Those who engineered real estate crashes paid nothing for their perfidy. Instead, we heard lost virtue, voter fraud, and immigrants are the problem. Greed and GOP both start with “G.”
You have a good handle on history. And great points. Embedded in the Nixon southern strategy was a white racist strain that continues to this day. We were supposed to be an equal opportunity society but democrats have clearly shifted to the diversity plan. My God. I’m a single proprietor business. An acquaintance of mine who is Black and a woman gets privileges that are not available to me. If I was an asshole, I would be a republican, lol. And I have been told repeatedly that I am of privilege. Let me say this quite succinctly here and now, until we get past all these ridiculous diversity crapola, we are going to lose and the losses now are much greater than they ever have been before. I recently applied to do some work at the democratic national convention but I didn’t fit. I’m white and privileged. End of story.
And btw, the republicans don’t give a damn about anything but grabbing as much money as possible. Trump would sell Ivanka on 42nd street if the price was high enough.
Bill, I have struggled with the issue of privilege, because most of my life has been a struggle to overcome a very bad childhood. What I have finally realized is that even though I was a C+ student in high school, I had no problem getting into the college of my choice. Ditto for grad school. Reading, most specifically about what Blacks have been through, made me realize that I had to rethink privilege.
The point that I was making is that if we think as a society we can continue on this diversity structure, you have just left out the socioeconomic group that needs help but now are firmly in the MAGA tent.
Bill, I’ll take your point, reverse discrimination. But I will offer, growing up in the South of Fifties where we still had “white only” drinking fountains; negroes gave deference to whites on busses and lunch counters; and, where economic opportunity was great—if white. Yes, Affirmative Action has it flaws. DEI, today, certainly gets a bad rap. Of course, the answer for some —not you per se—is to whistle past the graveyard by blowing off CRT or being “woke.” Truth be, I’ve been woke for some decades when I finally saw the great harm.
I just read the book “Caste.” Not sure I recommend it, but author provides a perspective we whites do not have. An important perspective. Perhaps we are past contract awards based on AA like programs, perhaps not. I only note, by example, when the SCOTUS eliminated portions of the Voting Rights Act, many states immediately enacted voter suppression laws.
A bit of chuckle and a grimace re: Ivanka…
Keep the faith. As MLK intoned “the arc of history bends towards justice.” I think we will have arrived when barriers to opportunity are gone and success is merit based. In the interim, I guess we accept AA like programs are the price we still pay for our original sin—slavery & racial prejudice (beyond the Black community).
In terms of Black urban communities across the nation and the difficult socioeconomic circumstances most are found in, we often blame our history and the negative impacts of enslavement. But we never seem to address fundamental causes of contemporary multigenerational issues which btw, must be addressed by Black leaders in my opinion but nobody is addressing. My reading by researchers shows that up to 72% of children are born out of wedlock and if anyone believes that often a two-parent household is important to successfully bring children up in a nurturing environment, the lack of family planning is the unspoken demon here. As I stated, racially speaking it’s not for a white man to make these suggestions. I know this but until the community from within addresses these issues, poverty will continue. Above average crime with all its attendants will proliferate. I was foolish enough to write on this topic and I was profoundly trashed as a racist. I learned my lesson to stay away from it. Nelson Rockefeller did a study and was trashed for it. The Brookings institute did studies on topic it’s all there to read. But as I stated, until leadership within the community deals with it, it’s outside of my focus.
We won't get past this equity "crapola" until everyone is treated with proper and equal respect and we are a long way from that -- a very, very long way. As for our privilege, it's being stopped for a traffic violation and not getting shot. Personally, I appreciate that. I would want the same for everyone.
And the fault of this is inadequate police training. Most white cops don’t understand why a Black person is likely to run when stopped. We have within recent memory, a small town southern sheriff stopping a motorist who is by day the law and by night, a local klan leader, you just might run.
If you can't afford children, don't have them. Make better choices for yourself, and don't expect society to cover the expenses for your (bad?) decisions. It's called "personal responsibility".
There was an excellent interview in The Ink a day ago with Max Boot about his new book on Ronald Reagan. I highly recommend it for putting some of this into context.
This reasoning sounds similar to a woman that blames herself for receiving her husband's abuse, or one who would blame a woman, raped, that "she brought it on herself for how she dressed". The behavior — and beliefs — of the far right were in place long before they were granted Trump's benediction. Freed from lurking on the periphery, formerly closeted racists proudly, openly expressed themselves. Attacks on Semitic, Asian (especially during Covid) and Black people and their property increased dramatically as they were blamed by Trump for America's difficulties. This is an authoritarian's blueprint — instead of working together to solve problems, say minorities are the root of the problem; eliminate them, problem over. Timidity, appeasement, cowardice and failure to plainly state the truth would not have staunched the flow of Trump's vitriol. The dramatic increase in attacks were exercises in the self-aggrandizement, and unsheathed rage, instigated by Trump and carried out by his followers. The victims were not to blame for their skin color, nor for having the temerity to ask that they be treated with the same respect, the same validity of their personhood, as White people.
As a boiler contractor I can definitely state that unpaid work significantly increased once TFG assumed office and it disappeared when he left and Biden took over!
Yes, they blame illegal immigrants, feminists and the gays instead of the trickle down economics that has led to their low incomes and poor job prospects.
Read Reverend Dr. William Barber's new book "White Poverty". It's brilliant and explains very clearly the disaffected and ignored rural and small town voter and now activist.
I've been supporting him for a decade or more. I wish he would get more coverage, but I guess he isn't "radical" or "entertaining" enough for our media.
Huh? Republican? Barber certainly isn't and his book isn't apologetic in any way. The book details how the white christian rural and small town populations have been so ripe for demagogues. Doesn't make it right or make sense that they are going against their best interests over and over again. Barber has some ideas of how to deal with this dangerous phenomena. Barber is brilliant and, if he weren't disabled since childhood, he'd be our 21st century MLK. Actually, he is our century's MLK, but not as well-known as I wish he were.
Polling over many decades has proven that a significant majority of Americans are pro-choice, pro-economic equity, anti-gun, pro-civil rights, etc etc etc. So we've gone too far to the left? Why are we ceding the running of our country to the minority? We've given away our power by not being as audacious as the radical right, even when we hold the levers of that power. We are too interested in being "fair" and "both sides should be considered". We have not gone too far to the left when it comes to human dignity and the rule of law.
I agree, but the balance of power, sometimes unequal; the same number of senators per state; the electoral college; gerrymandering; the filibuster; undermining voters' rights; the corrupting influence of lobbyists; the Roberts' Court ruling that corporations are people; etc., all confound the wishes — and the freedoms — of the majority
Whatever "right" and "left" used to mean, those meanings were tied to policies upon which reasonable men and women could disagree, not winner-take-all moralities. In the Era of Trump, right means what Trump says it is as a man whom even the Supreme Court majority has slavishly elevated to be above the law. Say what you want to about the "left", reasonable men and women still stand there ready and willing to debate you on the merits as to your conservative views which are now viewed with contempt by the GOP.
Only to the extent that Americans have become uneducated and lazy about democracy and their responsibilities as citizens. The problem is that there are others who take advantage of poor citizenship. Hitler. Mussolini. Putin. Trump. Etc.Etc.Etc.
We have become more self-centered less community-minded. Is that cultural? Religious? Tribal? Is the Melting Pot our greatest strength or greatest weakness or both? And if OUR Constitution was a Great Experiment, why does it seem to be failing? Because we are all self-centered?
I truly do not see where "I" or my neighbors have "invented" the MAGA monster. In the case of Trump it seems to have been reality TV that did it but the Republican Party has been moving in this direction for 40 years or more, quite intentionally. The fact that it has adopted fascism so quickly and totally is what surprised me. The fact that half the country actively seeks HARM to the other half! And how complicit the media is in it all. (Can we at least blame some of this on greedy CEOs?)
Or maybe it's just human nature which has learned nothing from thousands of years of sad human history. Definition of insanity. Not a matter of left and right. More a matter of good and evil which are two sides same coin or two branches one tree. Maybe we should be thinking bigger.
Interesting definition. I wouldn't disagree but I might point out that Einstein said "no problem can be solved by the same level of consciousness that created it." I'd submit that is why we keep doing the same things and getting the same results. And need to "think bigger" ie higher, another level up.
And more audacious! Not in a bad way, but we need to make good trouble and some significant noise. This is why I wish the women's marches of 2017 had continued. We sit home and talk with each other. We are the majority. Why not act like it?
I always liked the idea of good trouble. I agree that we could use a few marches again. While we still can do it in relative safely. I still have my hat.
Perhaps resting on our "Laurels" after the progress of the 60s and70s, while ignoring the 24/7 rightwing media expansion and activity. Rust never sleeps. The fascists are pulling ahead because we are too nicy nice and get distracted by the flowers.
Yes, yes and yes! We knew for 40 years what the plan was. We never countered it. Was/is it arrogance? Disbelief? We've been slow-walking into our own destruction. And what a waste.
Bill, I understand your concern but I don't think that's the problem. The problem is demographics and the thirst for power of people who are terrified that they're about to lose it. They also see women as the enemy--taking away their jobs and their status. That's not going too far to the left. Women's empowerment and that of minorities and marginalized people is just human decency.
We have turned politics -- a choice among options to govern us -- into a team sport. Far too many are loyal to one side or the other. Instead, they should make rational choices. A vote is a choice about a policy, not an act of affection for a leader.
Same here. I’m not only an atheist, but also a scientist. The fact that the Speaker of the House believes that humans rode dinosaurs just indicates the idiocy of the Republican Party and the people that vote for them.
What made me lol yesterday was when mike stepped up to the podium to spout his lies about the Biden admin the teleprompter wasn’t working, so he stepped away until it was fixed. And this is the man who has whined that President Biden cannot speak unless he has a teleprompter!!!! 🤣
Cloaking himself in sanctimoniousness because he can. The fools in the cult lap it up. Imagine, a convicted felon, sexual predator and grifter being touted as a family man and chosen by god. You just can't make this shite up.
Any set of beliefs can be rearranged to suit personal interests. In the horse world, the art of dressage was originally developed to make the horse a better athlete, stronger and more beautiful. But along the way, when it became a competition, horses are trained in ways that actually are harmful and abusive to get them to mimic dressage movements. It could be argued that once money and "trophies" come into the picture, good things get ruined by human ego and greed.
I would not describe myself as an atheist, but I have rejected organized religion because of all the hypocrisy. Moral supremacy is shown in actions, like caring for others and being honest. I agree very much with what you've said, Derek.
I have found it really uplifting while doing my phone banking for President Biden and Vice President, Harris, because I'm talking to actual voters, mostly in the swing states, from all different political parties, who are all voting for President Biden. They know how dangerous Trump is to our country and they're doing everything they can to make sure he is not elected again. It gives me hope!
Blown away that dem dems are in disarray because of a debate that both candidates did not fare well. One talked softly and answered truthfully while being attacked. The other could not even answer a question. He spewed his rally hate. The microphone should have been cut because he refused to answer
Good morning all. I'll confess to a particular peeve when it comes to Defendant 45. Mishandling of records is the heart of the matter in my not so humble opinion. The obviously self-serving actions of this individual astounds even me. I've seen quite a bit over the decades but in some ways, the maltreatment of government records really takes the cake. I've been responsible for public records; I know how serious this duty is. And my scope was limited to municipal matters. Defendant 45 treated these records as if they were his currency and as if they were toilet paper. Interesting conflation of concepts but, apart from January 6, I believe they amount to treason. *sigh
I agreed about the documents…this case is a big one with potential unknown and far reaching consequences. His arrogance is beyond comprehension and disgusting.
I will observe from my professional life. If i or anyone had attempted a fraction of what Defendant 45 stands accused, we would be in pre-trial confinement. As an example, some years ago Wen Ho Lee (an American scientist working at Los Alamos Nat’l Lab) stood accused of passing secrets to the Chinese. He was placed in pre-trial SOLITARY confinement for over a year. At trial, he was found guilty of a misdemeanor and fully exonerated of espionage—the Judge made a public apology to him. By contrast, we have the egregious “Judge” Cannon. By my observation D-45 committed a crime with the underlying potential of espionage perhaps treason. The GOP has crossed the Rubicon in this affair.
I concur, both about Judge Cannon and TRump's many egregious crimes that are being swept under the rug by the Republican domestic terrorists. It's absolutely infuriating.
I'd really like to know who TRump either gave or sold top secret information to. I'm going to assume it's Putin and Kim Jong-Un. The man is treasonous and complete traitor to our country. How did we get here?!?
Nobody cares much about the low level worms doing the bidding of their master! They are just cheap dispensable cannon fodder. Poor stupid brainless manipulated things. I repeat myself: von trump corrupts everything he touches. He is the devil, the real antechrist. Everyone supporting him is accomplice. No discussion
Let’s do this folks! Stay on track! The media has gone haywire, too! Don’t get down…. This is a MAGA/ GOP influx of poppycock! There is still time. We need to unite not shatter!!! Thanks, Joyce! 💙💙💙💙💙🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I am buoyed by the fact that when red, wine and blue (https://redwine.blue) held a Zoom call with Heather Cox Richardson on Project 2025 35,000 people showed up! 70,000 registered. Her talk was great. It's on YouTube worth listening to the entire thing to the end. Now on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSM7LJgKXAo. We can continue to spread the word on Project 2025 - never mind who is on the top of the ticket!
Joyce, unfortunately, you are preaching to the choir. All of us know the truth. I’m appalled at how the News stations are covering the Repubes convention. Some even refer to him as President T not former President. And no matter what he does, his Party stands by him. Unlike us, who seem to have forgotten what a good President Biden has been. Instead of banding together for Biden, many Dems have gathered together to remove him. We are our worst enemies and unless we change, and ban together as a Party, we will lose not only the Presidency but our democracy as we know it to be
I’m 75 in my last chapter of life but I fear for my children and grandchildren
Right, we must band together to advocate for ethics and democracy. Young people in my family are critical of Biden not being progressive enough. But given the stark choice of Biden or DT, they would vote for Biden.
Would, or WILL?! I'm talking with young people as often as I can, highlighting Biden never wavering that climate change is the biggest, existential crisis we face. So many kids I've spoken with aren't even aware of his progressive work on combating climate change.
These young people WILL vote for Biden. They are environmentally aware, have student loan and child care demands. They understand the importance of voting! I encourage them to talk with friends to involve them.
Most of us live in MA, are not tempted to vote for Kennedy.
I talk about the Gish gallop and Baldarino's law as instrumental in Biden's unfortunate debate performance. I wish that there was more coverage of DT's debate bullying, lies about his own accomplishments and false accusations! It seems to come naturally to DT. As Biden said, "It's hard to debate a liar."
I've worked at the polls for many years. I write post cards where it will make a difference and generally try to think and speak positively about what is crucial for our country and the world. DT is the antithesis of my hopes and dreams. I believe he can and will be defeated, but upholding election results and establishing effective governing will be a "challenging" process!
Standing with unions, canceling student debt, calling for national rent control--these are pretty progressive things. Yes, he's still pumping oil and talking about closing borders and sending bombs to Israel. He's not perfect by any means. But he will get there. Considering the congress he's got to work with he's been pretty amazing, IMO.
I'm absolutely disgusted with the Democrats turning on President Biden and I am doing all I can to support him by phone banking. It gives me real hope when I talk to people from all different political parties, mostly in the swing states, and they are overwhelmingly voting for President Biden because they know the danger of another TRump presidency. I encourage everyone, if they have the time, to participate in phone banking. It's encouraging to speak with actual voters instead of listening to the lame-stream media and watching the polls. 👍
I made calls to NH voters for Obama. Most weren't home, so I left a message. Those who answered were fed up with so many calls. Several said that, if they got another call, they weren't voting for Obama. I apologized, said I'd make a note and pass the word along. I hope that calls are selective ("targeted" is an inappropriate choice of word) to focus callers' efforts and not risk alienating potential voters!
At this point, postcards are the appropriate choice for me -- and individual/small group conversations.
One phrase I like is, "I see things a little differently," then state my position in positive terms. For example, a woman was talking about being uncomfortable with her grandchildren being at a gay pride parade. I said my preferred phrase, then that I thought it was important for everyone to have a place where they felt safe and could be comfortable being themselves. Kids understand things at age appropriate levels and they understand the importance of acceptance. It enabled the woman to talk about how differently her son felt. Others in the group talked about change and people being more comfortable being out. Good stuff.
"Banding together" is now not possible because of the constant questioning about Biden's age and appearance (weak.) The Press and many of the public will not back off - Dream on! Elections are all about emotion. The kinder, gentlet Dems are now afraid to make the necessary intervention to salvage an election which is moving further out of reach. Most voters are voting against the other guy. Why not give them a more attractive, stronger candidate? Sure, Joe did a good job, but is he the only competent Democrat? Joe didn't allow challengers during the primaries. But his age finally caught up with him. His intransigence amid the current controversy is troubling. The adults in the party need to give us a more attractive candidate. And quickly. Most of them are wringing their hands but not doing much.
John, I feel like you have drunk the kool-aid. We are not just voting for Biden for president but Harris and the Biden administration. They have done a remarkable job in less than 4 years. I read Biden's doctor's report and I read nothing to support mental decline. I support the Biden Harris ticket and many of us out here in the grassroots agree.
As a mental health therapist and someone Biden’s age, I saw the debate and was deeply saddened at what I saw. I cannot just write if off to a bad nite. And what I have seen since has not shaken my belief that he is at the beginning of some cognitive decline. As his contemporary I know that time is the enemy. We have a limited amount of time left. This is the time for Biden to be the BRIDGE and pass the torch. There is a fine line between pride and hubris. Biden is looking like a man who has much to be proud of but it looking like pride has turned to hubris. It is hard, it is painful but for the good of the country and his own health time to withdraw.
Except that banding together is not only possible, IT'S IMPERATIVE that we do so. I'm phone banking for President Biden, mostly in swing states, with people of all different political parties and people are overwhelmingly voting for President Biden and Vice President Harris. I'm going to isten to actual voters and not the lame-stream media or turncoat Dems.
What really gets me are these "senior Democratic figures" who are now said to be "resigned" to a tRump win over Biden as Dem nominee, even as they go on about "most critical election of our lifetime"...."unprecedented threat to democracy"....the Constitution under attack...yadda-yadda".
Honestly, if tRump is such an existential threat, why are these people "resigned" to a tRump win? Easy answer: Total cowardice and capitulation to the WH and Biden's hubris. Such disgusting fatalism makes my stomach turn.
We the Dem voters WANT to win, and it won't happen behind Joe Biden, ffs.
Mike Johnson is such a screaming hypocrite that it's difficult to square his very own words over the past 2-3 years. Leaving him aside, It's quite amazing how Donald Trump and his hangers on have brought low the Republican party. Was calling the Republican Part the party of Law & Order a laugh line at their convention? It's like the party has been infected with some political poison, where falsehoods are true, where villains are heroes, and where power is the be all and end all. I really and truly believe that Reagan, Bush, Eisenhower would all say: "I no longer recognize my Party".
Profiles in Ignorance by Andy Borowitz is enlightening about how the Republican party has degraded. Reagan and Bush (W) played notable parts. Borowitz brings wit to leaven the tale of the dumbing of the GOP. The belittling of knowledge and expertise initially cleared the path for "alternative facts".
The introduction of wholesale lying is one of the most amazing phenomena of the Trump era. "Alternative Facts". Sheeesh. Will our politics ever recover?
Mike Royko of the Chicago Tribune wrote a great piece called "Why the G.O.P. is not the party of Lincoln". When Nixon decided he wanted all the Confederate flag waving Southern Democrats to vote for him, the Republican party started pandering to the ignorant and disaffected. 30% of Republicans identified as Liberals in the 1960. Since we have only two major parties, all the mean people ended up there, it just took 50 years.
I'd love to see the DNC air TV ads of that poor Capitol police officer's head being squished in between the glass doors at the Capitol building, while claiming that they are the party of law and order. I would also like to see an ad highlighting all of the comments J.D. Vance made about TRump just a couple of years ago that were very derogatory. The Republican party is now full of hypocrits who will do anything for power.
I noticed the difference too. So glad that Biden is now saying he will take on the Supreme Court. He and Congress together could do a lot to reign them in. And still, I support AOC in her attempts to impeach the most clearly corrupt members, Thomas and Alito.
Have Democrats lost all self respect? It is astoundingly disturbing, that having delivered the most significant social programs for Americans in 75 years and aligned with the best values of the Democratic Party, it seems to be collectively conceeding defeat. Have we succumbed to the "ageism" attack? Have we given up on our values on how a good and just society should operate? Have we bought into the perverse fantasy that the New York Times and the liberal MSM picks presidents. Not us? Are we somehow embarrassed by the astounding record Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have achieved in their first term? The great succeses are too numerous to list in this comment, but I'm sure everyone on this newsletter can list 10 quickly. Have we simply been bullied into fear and submission by a heinous juvenile delinquent and his band of grifter fascists? We have an ASTOUNDINGLY GREAT record to run on. Better than Obama achieved in 8 years. We are not just fighting for our liberal democracy. We are fighting to save our civil society for the sake of all Americans. Given the way Joe Biden is being treated by his own party, it's a further measure of this steady character, that he hasn't resigned and told the failure loving Democrats to take a long walk off a short plank. Everyone should read the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights today. Then wake up tomorrow and double down on winning We have sooo much more to offer the country than the MAGA GOP grievance party who are trying to take us back to the middle 18th centur
Is anyone else having trouble making sense of polls? Rs and media are acting like this race is over, with CNN’s John King saying Trump could win by a landslide. Then I see that Biden has edged ahead and has a more than 50-50 chance of winning.
Are others making sense of this? It truly seems all over the place right now.
In my 50 years of political activism I have never seen this much depth and breadth and focus and action for a political fight as I am seeing now. From young school kids to old geezers, and millions in between, the message is clear: "Vote Blue to Save Democracy." We can do it.
The misinformation, and creating doubt and confusion is all the corporate media is good for right now. Substack, Meidas Touch and others are doing a better job.
I’m not watching polls to the same degree. I will vote Blue regardless of who is on the ballot. Having said this, there are some hard truths. Trump’s campaign has momentum; Biden’s is stalled. I will leave it to the powers that be to sort out Biden’s future. I think he has done a fine job in the past 3 1/2 years. I am not so optimistic about the next four.
Only once and it lasted 30 minutes. It was specific to my state, Kansas, and was clearly asking my view on the Farm Bill. Which, btw, has not been passed.
"Polls continue to show dead heat race." We have been mislead by polls since polls became a thing. Please disregard these meaningless stats! trump lost 2020 by ~7 M votes. After everything he's done, especially Dobbs, there's no way he hasn't lost voters since 2020. Work your butts off, but don't lose heart! They are the clear minority.
Uh, the Electoral College, our biggest National Security Vulnerability, will make this election a crapshoot. We came close to proposing an Amendment to replace it with a 2-tier popular vote format in the 71st Congress, but it was filibustered in the Senate. If the Amendment had passed the Senate, and been adopted by the states (likely but not certain), our world would be hugely different today. Better? Probably, but nothing is totally certain. But would we be better off with no Electoral College? Absolutely, IMO, as Presidential candidates would have to campaign seriously in ALL states, and vote manipulators would have a hard time swinging millions of votes nationwide vs tens of thousands of votes in a few battleground states.
Swing State voters, and even rural southern state voters, are making sure that abortion access is on the ballot in November! Do you really think those people are going to vote for TRump? I don't. They're pissed off at TRump, their state legislatures and their state representatives, and for good reason.
Thank you for the reminder of the scope of the gift given Trump by the incompetent culture warrior Aileen Cannon.
Of course her single, alleged disqualifying factor is the special counsel appointment. That provides a window for the same in Jack Smith's J6 case.
The problem is the mechanics. It doesn't seem likely before it gets to SCOTUS. Has the conservative majority quietly indicated support beyond Thomas' seemingly out-of-the-blue mention of it? Can we assume it was only Thomas or was he floating a trial balloon on behalf of a majority?
The irony is it would benefit Hunter Biden as well.
What is most disheartening to this devout atheist is the ‘holier than thou’ Johnson. He’s just another hypocritical Christian, drunk on the power of his office and the unswerving belief in his moral supremacy. He and his ilk are not men of god. They merely represent the basest of human motivations: greed and selfishness. Bless his little heart.
agree. Also an atheist - but the Christianity of my childhood had the message of compassion, kindness, helping others, etc. -- as do the core tenants of most religions. This is self-righteous power mongering while pretending to have the high moral ground.
The Christianity of my childhood was the same, and I take the teachings of a compassionate Christ to heart. I left the Episcopal church when I was 8 or so, after I was told it was "God's will" that children my own age were starving to death in Ethiopia (Biafra conflict.)
Welp, as I've been seeing lately the MAGA's say God protected TFG Saturday night so does that mean God didn't care enough to protect the retired fireman who was sheltering his family? The whole live vs die question has perplexed people and Christianity forever. The "It was God's will", theology. Maybe a poor analogy but I went to a Catholic HS and when we played another Catholic HS I always wondered which team God was rooting for? The nuns were there from both schools, in my teenage mind praying for their team to win, so did God love the winners team more? Questions theologians and Christianity have struggled with for eons!
Remember Jesus' biggest pet peeve--Hypocrisy....
And bad wine...
Haha
A most glaring hypocrisy in the rhetoric of the so-called Christians is that a) everything that happens is God's will and b) if something happens that they don't like, God will fix it. The lack of cognitive dissonance is so dangerous.
I had 3 women at my front door(they saw me I had to engage) not too long ago trying to tell me they did not vote because Jesus will take care of it and they did not have to. Uh, I of course said well Jesus(using their own beliefs) provided the vote to you. We parted agreeing to disagree.
One of the most indelible vignettes from early in the pandemic was a reporter asking a woman driving to a no-masks church event whether or not she was concerned. Her reply was that she wasn't because "I'm washed in the blood of Jesus." I've wondered ever since what happened to her.
When it comes to ignorant people, I wish I was more like Jesus. Facing the very people who were crucifying, He said, "Forgive them Father for they know not what they do."
Yes, and the GOP is saying that it was God's will that saved trump from being assassinated so that he could be president. I guess that means that God gave Biden covid to slow him down on the campaign trail....
Agree
Diane, Yes, because none of it is real......
(I still struggle w/responses on this site being away from post that inspired same)
The winning team had better Karma...which hopefully IS real !
There is a vast difference between religion and spirituality. I love that you "take the teachings of a compassionate Christ to heart." As do I. It was always my disagreement with "organized religion" that none of them actually follow His teachings! (That included most of His disciples and apostles too.)
I was not raised in a religion. I have looked into many and found them not to my liking. I find it interesting that the most "religious" people I know worry that people who are atheists or agnostics can't be moral because they have no fear of being punished by God. What does that say about them?
I very much agree. Personally, I find very very little of Jesus' teachings in the "religion" of the Yt kkkristian Nationalists or the New Apostolic (dis)Order.
Joyce and Readers:
Let me direct you to this reveal about “Christian Nationalists” that ProPublica dug up. It’s a doozy! Mind you, it’s long but oh so very important. https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-ziklag-secret-christian-charity-2024-election#:~:text=All%20expressed%20concern%20that%20Ziklag,University's%20Columbus%20School%20of%20Law.
Same for me…once I started thinking independently I couldn’t align with a church….but I value my Christian education which serves as a base for my world philosophy. I follow a number of Christian…all denominations, websites and listservs — but I read with my filter.
Thank you Derek. I called my self an atheist for several years now I prefer non-theist as I have NO god. I also fully believe in the teachings of Jesus, a truly gentle man who cared first and foremost for all living creatures. What the majority of Christian Churches (not necessarily their congregations) believe today is not the teaching of Jesus, who said it is harder for a rich man to pass into heaven than to pass a rope through the eye of a needle. While Calvin, on whose teachings nearly all the 'Christian' churches are really based said a rich man is holier in the eyes of God than a poor man or else he wouldn't be rich. I think there would be a lot more agnostics, atheists and non-theists if they came to understand that - or a lot more followers of Jesus.
I resist identities as much as possible but when needs must mine is godless heathen.
Good for you, and thanks for the laugh!!!
I think it was a camel...
Actually in the King James version of the bible (I believe the first one printed in the English language) it does say camel, but in recent interpretation from the original Hebrew it was rope.
I thought the original language of the New Testament was Aramaic, which is what Jesus was said to have spoken. But my parents mercifully spared me from any religious indoctrination, so someone may wish to correct me.
I wonder when and where this was. I've never heard any such thing in my Episcopal church in Maryland, and that includes three long-term pastors plus numerous substitutes.
It wasn't the rector at my Episcopal church in NYC. It was the parent of a friend of mine who told me this, if I remember correctly.
I will have to agree with you. Very strange for that to come from the Episcopal Church. I also left it as a child, but in all the communities I have lived, it was always on the side of compassion and progress.
Such hypocrisy!
Omg
Laurie. You said it EXACTLY CORRECT. People of God are compassionate, loving and have an authentic moral compass.
It's called hypocrisy....
I am like you I think. I see the perennial values expressed through a culturally Christian lens which isn't unreasoning hate although there are plenty of examples of Christian brutality. If you thought I ellided or crushed Mike Johnson's basic premise of his unique piety you guessed right! I don't even know how to spell ellided but I think I can use it this way. Don't even mention little dudes bigotry then bam he's toasted bread crumbs in a salad like Emerald Ligazzi.
In Heather Cox Richardson's 2nd paragraph of her today's Letters from an American, she writes: "Yesterday, just after House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced that delegates were formally nominating Trump as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate, the teleprompter failed. Unable to continue without it, Johnson quickly left the stage. This was awkward, since two weeks ago, Johnson said on the Fox News Channel of President Joe Biden: 'Unless the president is reading off the teleprompter, I don’t think he’s capable of making these big decisions and that is something that should alarm all of us….'”
Hoisted on his own petard! If only the passive press picked up on it. So observant; thanks for posting.
The passive press is actually a money grubbing enabler. A democracy can't exist without an unbiased media that sees its job as informing the citizenry. Profit motive has debased our so-called information venues. In the 40s, 50s and 60s, the news media was not a profit center. Now, counting viewership and selling ads is the only reason we get any news. It's basically one big reality show, scripted and venal. It's 24/7 trump and MAGA. I've turned it all off, including MSNBC. I read the news and if I want to watch a news channel, it's BBC America or CSPAN. What a travesty!
Never before has a character arisen who keeps the media in business like never before. He is the accident on the side of a highway we cannot stop gawking at…. The media would keep trump in front of our eyes forever if they could. But, even with all that, some of us are getting so terribly bored. I hear his speech Thursday night is planned for 90 minutes. Omg. Talk about BORING.
Unfortunately the media can't stop gawking at the June 27 debate either. It's like they haven't registered anything since.
They never register anything. THey make it up as it suits their own need for clicks and higher advertising revenue.
I will never forget the day in 2016 when the media was at a Trump speech for which he was at least 45 minutes late. Instead of going back to the studio until he showed up, they focused their cameras on a table filled with Trump merch. It was like watching a horror movie: hand over my mouth to muffle the screaming at the TV.
The lack of journalists in journalism/media today is why I fear America is indeed doomed to Trump and the end of everything we have held dear.
I have gone to YouTube so I can watch news from UK and EU which still employs journalists.
Well, yup, that's true. To say "passive press" was an inadvertent kindness.
I agree, Robin. I used to watch MSNBC a lot, and sometimes CNN; but wherever I look, I can't get away from Trump. I suppose, as others have said, it sells; but it's actually selling Trumpism by saying over and over what he and his cronies are saying. And often the "news" shows what Biden does wrong. I think for T, any press is good press. Didn't someone actually say that at some point? So T is getting lots of free press, and I can't stand to hear it over and over. So local news, PBS, BBC America for me.
They're all bucking to be the American Pravda under Trump.
Apropos, I suppose, Senator Ron Johnson read the wrong speech from his teleprompter.
Wisconsin knows he’s that stupid. . .and we’re stuck with him for a while.
I was quite surprised when Johnson was reelected after his racist comments about BLM protests, saying he'd be "worried" if Trump had been reelected and BLM showed up to protest. What a despicable cretin.
Hard to find black people in Wisconsin....unless they're related to The Green Bay Packers.........
Ron Johnson can read???
😂
Didn't hear it, but I'm sure you're right, David!
Reported by Rachel Maddow.
Ha ha
Oh those pesky teleprompter problems
haha. So he claims. Somehow the bigoted rant was still on the screen. Damn teleprompters!
Too bad there's no Haha emoticon here.
🤣😂🤣😂
Lynell, I saw that yesterday. What an absolute joke of a person he is. He doesn’t see, hear or understand how
Hypocritical he is
Let’s not forget, Lynell, that he, Johnson, is THE architect of J6. It’s kinda funny that he blew that interview without his teleprompter. Gawwd works in mysterious ways, does she not?
Karma! So sweet at times…
Hope that was well covered on Twitter! Assuming it was!
Lynell, How funny, thanks.
I supposed these folks never look in the mirror!
I took note. Heather misses nothing.
Johnson is an 'atheist' too, he simply believes in 1 less 'god' than you do. That actually makes him the worst type of 'athiest', the fascist type, where they believe 'their god' is the only 'god'.
Organized Religions afterall are a fluffed-up form of fascism.
#Biden/Harris2024
At best organized religion builds community and helps everyone make sense of life viscissitudes. Plus disaster relief, and water stops for migrants trying to enter USA. I saw it on TV Catholic charities don't hate asylum seekers
Unfortunately organized religions have been hijacked and weaponized to overturn the constitution.
I have not been interested watching the MAGA circus play out. How we have come to this moment — I think I can speculate. I have said this repeatedly that maybe just maybe we have done something wrong. Ask yourselves why, what have I done. When I have a personal bad outcome on some matter, I reflect and ask myself what I have done wrong. Sometimes I still don’t find my answer.
Opinion time; My feeling is that we have gone too far to the left on issues. I can sift down to a few choice issues but heck, I’ll leave them unspoken. In the grand scheme of things, it’s hard to understand what we may have done wrong. But clearly, the Trump MAGA movement is the monster that we have invented. It always is, isn’t it.
Bill, I’d be curious as to what issues you feel are too far to the left. I would not agree that “we” have invented the monster. I feel that the desperate, lying, racist, Supreme Court justice stealer Repuglican party has invented it and feeds it with alternate facts and tax cuts for the billionaires. Full stop.
Kathleen. I agree. For the MOST PART the democrats are not mean spirited, self serving and corrupt. We have our faults but so far they have not corrupted the whole party.
I don't know what Bill Katz meant by "too far to the left," but in general it means "pays too much attention to economic justice." These days most, though not all, of the Dems accused of it are people of color. (My senior senator, Elizabeth Warren, is one of the exceptions. So, of course, is Bernie Sanders.)
There is certain pushback against modifying gay and transgender rights that incites the right wing and some independents. Commander Cody self described it as "Pinko Commie" after performing for the N. Vietnam delegation to the '72 Paris Peace talks and getting criticized for reaching out to the "enemies" request to hear genuine Americana Music! Same story, different page. The leftist conspiracy must be televised.
Why so you can beat up on me? I already know the script. Instead of considering plausibility, we just jump at each other and argue. That’s how Americans behave. We are the aggressors whether neighbor to neighbor or nation to nation. We are the Klingons of the world. When I lived in Europe Italy to be exact, I never heard Italians yelling it’s my right to do this and that. Well, I second thought, maybe them too. (I stayed away from Americans as much as I could because they were mostly trouble.)
But I will be purposely ambiguous here now. You search your soul(s).
Representative republics don’t stay representing the people for long. Monied interests take over. Plato knew it “Tyranny follows Democracy.” Did he really say that? No, I most certainly won’t be specific today because it will lead nowhere. And so you will question why I’m here in the first place refusing to defend my position. Right? Because it’s my right to yap away. I’m exercising my rights. It’s my 1st amendment right.
When I was in high school many moons ago, during the “It’s my right” period, I told a friend of mine in the hallways since everything was being liberated, that I was about to liberate the girl’s room just so I could talk about it in the deep future. I boldly walked in the girls and promptly announced to a couple of girls that I was liberating the bathroom. They giggled and I left before I got into trouble. I told David recently about that conversation I had with him 50 years earlier. But for some reason, he didn’t remember.
I wasn’t “beating up” on you, or “jumping on you”, or “arguing” with you. I merely disagreed with your main premise and explained why.
Who's "beating up" on you?! Someone expressing an opinion doesn't equal beating someone up, for goodness sakes.
Suggest living in a constitutional federal republic may not be your cup of tea. All those competing voices, all those guaranteed rights --- yours included. All those vulnerabilities. All those vulnerable. Here's a free tip: more words don't make more sense. "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."
The entire political spectrum has moved to the right since FDR. I’m 84, and can attest to this fact. Social safety nets have eroded, and poor and lower middle class people are suffering much more than in the 1950s. We can fix that if we elect Biden/Harris. Childcare is one area where we are failing families who have either single parents, or two working parents. It used to be a family could own a house, a car, and have enough to live comfortably on one income. That is no longer possible.
Not quite 84, but pretty damn close. The chief factor affecting today IMHO is the GOP during Nixon adopted the Southern Strategy. In effect, giving legitimacy to deep prejudice to gain electoral power. Embedded in this was Christian Nationalism (in truth, Christian in name). I think the an issue today is hubris. Poor and middle class people as you note, took for granted the benefits of a liberal society such as Social Security, while still holding their prejudices fanned by the Right. Such as Reagan’s welfare queen. Or the constant cry “socialism;” which, I note few can define adequately. As for the “suffering,” I offer trickle down economics. Like you, I saw this in the eighties. To survive economically, more and more couples went to two incomes or multiple jobs. In the meantime, wealth aggregated to the top. The notorious phrase “greed is good” took on respectability. Those who engineered real estate crashes paid nothing for their perfidy. Instead, we heard lost virtue, voter fraud, and immigrants are the problem. Greed and GOP both start with “G.”
You have a good handle on history. And great points. Embedded in the Nixon southern strategy was a white racist strain that continues to this day. We were supposed to be an equal opportunity society but democrats have clearly shifted to the diversity plan. My God. I’m a single proprietor business. An acquaintance of mine who is Black and a woman gets privileges that are not available to me. If I was an asshole, I would be a republican, lol. And I have been told repeatedly that I am of privilege. Let me say this quite succinctly here and now, until we get past all these ridiculous diversity crapola, we are going to lose and the losses now are much greater than they ever have been before. I recently applied to do some work at the democratic national convention but I didn’t fit. I’m white and privileged. End of story.
And btw, the republicans don’t give a damn about anything but grabbing as much money as possible. Trump would sell Ivanka on 42nd street if the price was high enough.
Bill, I have struggled with the issue of privilege, because most of my life has been a struggle to overcome a very bad childhood. What I have finally realized is that even though I was a C+ student in high school, I had no problem getting into the college of my choice. Ditto for grad school. Reading, most specifically about what Blacks have been through, made me realize that I had to rethink privilege.
The point that I was making is that if we think as a society we can continue on this diversity structure, you have just left out the socioeconomic group that needs help but now are firmly in the MAGA tent.
Bill, I’ll take your point, reverse discrimination. But I will offer, growing up in the South of Fifties where we still had “white only” drinking fountains; negroes gave deference to whites on busses and lunch counters; and, where economic opportunity was great—if white. Yes, Affirmative Action has it flaws. DEI, today, certainly gets a bad rap. Of course, the answer for some —not you per se—is to whistle past the graveyard by blowing off CRT or being “woke.” Truth be, I’ve been woke for some decades when I finally saw the great harm.
I just read the book “Caste.” Not sure I recommend it, but author provides a perspective we whites do not have. An important perspective. Perhaps we are past contract awards based on AA like programs, perhaps not. I only note, by example, when the SCOTUS eliminated portions of the Voting Rights Act, many states immediately enacted voter suppression laws.
A bit of chuckle and a grimace re: Ivanka…
Keep the faith. As MLK intoned “the arc of history bends towards justice.” I think we will have arrived when barriers to opportunity are gone and success is merit based. In the interim, I guess we accept AA like programs are the price we still pay for our original sin—slavery & racial prejudice (beyond the Black community).
In terms of Black urban communities across the nation and the difficult socioeconomic circumstances most are found in, we often blame our history and the negative impacts of enslavement. But we never seem to address fundamental causes of contemporary multigenerational issues which btw, must be addressed by Black leaders in my opinion but nobody is addressing. My reading by researchers shows that up to 72% of children are born out of wedlock and if anyone believes that often a two-parent household is important to successfully bring children up in a nurturing environment, the lack of family planning is the unspoken demon here. As I stated, racially speaking it’s not for a white man to make these suggestions. I know this but until the community from within addresses these issues, poverty will continue. Above average crime with all its attendants will proliferate. I was foolish enough to write on this topic and I was profoundly trashed as a racist. I learned my lesson to stay away from it. Nelson Rockefeller did a study and was trashed for it. The Brookings institute did studies on topic it’s all there to read. But as I stated, until leadership within the community deals with it, it’s outside of my focus.
We won't get past this equity "crapola" until everyone is treated with proper and equal respect and we are a long way from that -- a very, very long way. As for our privilege, it's being stopped for a traffic violation and not getting shot. Personally, I appreciate that. I would want the same for everyone.
And the fault of this is inadequate police training. Most white cops don’t understand why a Black person is likely to run when stopped. We have within recent memory, a small town southern sheriff stopping a motorist who is by day the law and by night, a local klan leader, you just might run.
Most of the nuts think Reagan was a liberal and Eisenhower was a Commie. The triumph of the John Birch Society.
Ahup. (Down east for yep.)
Absolutely agree on childcare. The lack of affordable childcare in the wealthiest country in world is a disgrace. It would be a game changer.
If you can't afford children, don't have them. Make better choices for yourself, and don't expect society to cover the expenses for your (bad?) decisions. It's called "personal responsibility".
There was an excellent interview in The Ink a day ago with Max Boot about his new book on Ronald Reagan. I highly recommend it for putting some of this into context.
https://open.substack.com/pub/anandwrites/p/ronald-reagan-donald-trump-republican-legacy?r=4d6wi&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
This reasoning sounds similar to a woman that blames herself for receiving her husband's abuse, or one who would blame a woman, raped, that "she brought it on herself for how she dressed". The behavior — and beliefs — of the far right were in place long before they were granted Trump's benediction. Freed from lurking on the periphery, formerly closeted racists proudly, openly expressed themselves. Attacks on Semitic, Asian (especially during Covid) and Black people and their property increased dramatically as they were blamed by Trump for America's difficulties. This is an authoritarian's blueprint — instead of working together to solve problems, say minorities are the root of the problem; eliminate them, problem over. Timidity, appeasement, cowardice and failure to plainly state the truth would not have staunched the flow of Trump's vitriol. The dramatic increase in attacks were exercises in the self-aggrandizement, and unsheathed rage, instigated by Trump and carried out by his followers. The victims were not to blame for their skin color, nor for having the temerity to ask that they be treated with the same respect, the same validity of their personhood, as White people.
As a boiler contractor I can definitely state that unpaid work significantly increased once TFG assumed office and it disappeared when he left and Biden took over!
Income inequality plays a big part. It created a group of people whose situation made them susceptible to the maga concepts and promises.
Yes, they blame illegal immigrants, feminists and the gays instead of the trickle down economics that has led to their low incomes and poor job prospects.
Read Reverend Dr. William Barber's new book "White Poverty". It's brilliant and explains very clearly the disaffected and ignored rural and small town voter and now activist.
Thanks for the recommendation. I admire Rev Barber and his "Moral Mondays" movement.
I've been supporting him for a decade or more. I wish he would get more coverage, but I guess he isn't "radical" or "entertaining" enough for our media.
Are they republican?
Huh? Republican? Barber certainly isn't and his book isn't apologetic in any way. The book details how the white christian rural and small town populations have been so ripe for demagogues. Doesn't make it right or make sense that they are going against their best interests over and over again. Barber has some ideas of how to deal with this dangerous phenomena. Barber is brilliant and, if he weren't disabled since childhood, he'd be our 21st century MLK. Actually, he is our century's MLK, but not as well-known as I wish he were.
I think so.
(this goes w/Bill's are they republicans)
Polling over many decades has proven that a significant majority of Americans are pro-choice, pro-economic equity, anti-gun, pro-civil rights, etc etc etc. So we've gone too far to the left? Why are we ceding the running of our country to the minority? We've given away our power by not being as audacious as the radical right, even when we hold the levers of that power. We are too interested in being "fair" and "both sides should be considered". We have not gone too far to the left when it comes to human dignity and the rule of law.
I agree, but the balance of power, sometimes unequal; the same number of senators per state; the electoral college; gerrymandering; the filibuster; undermining voters' rights; the corrupting influence of lobbyists; the Roberts' Court ruling that corporations are people; etc., all confound the wishes — and the freedoms — of the majority
And weren't all the things you list created by people elected by voters and then somehow not held to account to the whole?
Corporations and 1% are in charge.....for now.
Whatever "right" and "left" used to mean, those meanings were tied to policies upon which reasonable men and women could disagree, not winner-take-all moralities. In the Era of Trump, right means what Trump says it is as a man whom even the Supreme Court majority has slavishly elevated to be above the law. Say what you want to about the "left", reasonable men and women still stand there ready and willing to debate you on the merits as to your conservative views which are now viewed with contempt by the GOP.
This is why groups like the Lincoln Project and the Bulwark are now our allies for the duration.
Only to the extent that Americans have become uneducated and lazy about democracy and their responsibilities as citizens. The problem is that there are others who take advantage of poor citizenship. Hitler. Mussolini. Putin. Trump. Etc.Etc.Etc.
We have become more self-centered less community-minded. Is that cultural? Religious? Tribal? Is the Melting Pot our greatest strength or greatest weakness or both? And if OUR Constitution was a Great Experiment, why does it seem to be failing? Because we are all self-centered?
I truly do not see where "I" or my neighbors have "invented" the MAGA monster. In the case of Trump it seems to have been reality TV that did it but the Republican Party has been moving in this direction for 40 years or more, quite intentionally. The fact that it has adopted fascism so quickly and totally is what surprised me. The fact that half the country actively seeks HARM to the other half! And how complicit the media is in it all. (Can we at least blame some of this on greedy CEOs?)
Or maybe it's just human nature which has learned nothing from thousands of years of sad human history. Definition of insanity. Not a matter of left and right. More a matter of good and evil which are two sides same coin or two branches one tree. Maybe we should be thinking bigger.
Still human nature on day 1 and now. Someone said civilization is an attempt to overcome human nature.
Interesting definition. I wouldn't disagree but I might point out that Einstein said "no problem can be solved by the same level of consciousness that created it." I'd submit that is why we keep doing the same things and getting the same results. And need to "think bigger" ie higher, another level up.
And more audacious! Not in a bad way, but we need to make good trouble and some significant noise. This is why I wish the women's marches of 2017 had continued. We sit home and talk with each other. We are the majority. Why not act like it?
I always liked the idea of good trouble. I agree that we could use a few marches again. While we still can do it in relative safely. I still have my hat.
Perhaps resting on our "Laurels" after the progress of the 60s and70s, while ignoring the 24/7 rightwing media expansion and activity. Rust never sleeps. The fascists are pulling ahead because we are too nicy nice and get distracted by the flowers.
Yes, yes and yes! We knew for 40 years what the plan was. We never countered it. Was/is it arrogance? Disbelief? We've been slow-walking into our own destruction. And what a waste.
Bill, I understand your concern but I don't think that's the problem. The problem is demographics and the thirst for power of people who are terrified that they're about to lose it. They also see women as the enemy--taking away their jobs and their status. That's not going too far to the left. Women's empowerment and that of minorities and marginalized people is just human decency.
We have turned politics -- a choice among options to govern us -- into a team sport. Far too many are loyal to one side or the other. Instead, they should make rational choices. A vote is a choice about a policy, not an act of affection for a leader.
Same here. I’m not only an atheist, but also a scientist. The fact that the Speaker of the House believes that humans rode dinosaurs just indicates the idiocy of the Republican Party and the people that vote for them.
They just got confused when reagan called himself a dinassor...
What made me lol yesterday was when mike stepped up to the podium to spout his lies about the Biden admin the teleprompter wasn’t working, so he stepped away until it was fixed. And this is the man who has whined that President Biden cannot speak unless he has a teleprompter!!!! 🤣
Great point! Was it front page news?????
Cloaking himself in sanctimoniousness because he can. The fools in the cult lap it up. Imagine, a convicted felon, sexual predator and grifter being touted as a family man and chosen by god. You just can't make this shite up.
Any set of beliefs can be rearranged to suit personal interests. In the horse world, the art of dressage was originally developed to make the horse a better athlete, stronger and more beautiful. But along the way, when it became a competition, horses are trained in ways that actually are harmful and abusive to get them to mimic dressage movements. It could be argued that once money and "trophies" come into the picture, good things get ruined by human ego and greed.
I would not describe myself as an atheist, but I have rejected organized religion because of all the hypocrisy. Moral supremacy is shown in actions, like caring for others and being honest. I agree very much with what you've said, Derek.
Bless his little heart and strangle his little neck!
I am a Christian - but of a very different ilk than the Speaker. I agree with you whole heartedly. He gives Christians a bad name,
😂
I concur. Bless his heart.
Of course we all what is meant by a southern, Bless your heart.
Derek. Well said!
He fell in love with the Slutwalk lady.
Yeah Moses!!!!
We can vote and vote blue. It's all very discouraging news but it's not over. Stay in forward gear. ❤️
Here in Baghdad By the Sea, the abortion issue is primary. We can flip this state.
Swamp Republicans. Millions of unregistered trend Democratic.
FT 6 has texted well over a million in the past several days. Thanks to a donor, texts to Arizona yesterday and today. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Thursday is Florida day on FT 6 Textarcade. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ft6arcade24bamk.
Also Florida day on FT 6 phonebank. https://www.fieldteam6.org/actions
O.M.G. I love what you are doing and how organized you are--- Will look into postcards and phone calls!
THANK YOU!
I have found it really uplifting while doing my phone banking for President Biden and Vice President, Harris, because I'm talking to actual voters, mostly in the swing states, from all different political parties, who are all voting for President Biden. They know how dangerous Trump is to our country and they're doing everything they can to make sure he is not elected again. It gives me hope!
Megan, you give me hope on a day that has felt rather bereft of hope. Thank you for the push. Now back to my postcards.
Oh that’s such good news. Kindness and intelligence working for us all.
Megan, I feel the same way about Joe!
Blown away that dem dems are in disarray because of a debate that both candidates did not fare well. One talked softly and answered truthfully while being attacked. The other could not even answer a question. He spewed his rally hate. The microphone should have been cut because he refused to answer
I agree. This time failure is not an option.
I was confused by the signs "Back the Blue" being held last night............figured out they meant the police. Had a second of hope there though !
I know--talk about irony!!!
Good morning all. I'll confess to a particular peeve when it comes to Defendant 45. Mishandling of records is the heart of the matter in my not so humble opinion. The obviously self-serving actions of this individual astounds even me. I've seen quite a bit over the decades but in some ways, the maltreatment of government records really takes the cake. I've been responsible for public records; I know how serious this duty is. And my scope was limited to municipal matters. Defendant 45 treated these records as if they were his currency and as if they were toilet paper. Interesting conflation of concepts but, apart from January 6, I believe they amount to treason. *sigh
It is treason.
And it is no coincidence that some of our international informants
"disappeared" once former president trump and his boxes moved to Maralago. Despicable Traitor.
Time to “steamroll” 45!
I agreed about the documents…this case is a big one with potential unknown and far reaching consequences. His arrogance is beyond comprehension and disgusting.
I will observe from my professional life. If i or anyone had attempted a fraction of what Defendant 45 stands accused, we would be in pre-trial confinement. As an example, some years ago Wen Ho Lee (an American scientist working at Los Alamos Nat’l Lab) stood accused of passing secrets to the Chinese. He was placed in pre-trial SOLITARY confinement for over a year. At trial, he was found guilty of a misdemeanor and fully exonerated of espionage—the Judge made a public apology to him. By contrast, we have the egregious “Judge” Cannon. By my observation D-45 committed a crime with the underlying potential of espionage perhaps treason. The GOP has crossed the Rubicon in this affair.
I concur, both about Judge Cannon and TRump's many egregious crimes that are being swept under the rug by the Republican domestic terrorists. It's absolutely infuriating.
I am pissed 😡
I'd really like to know who TRump either gave or sold top secret information to. I'm going to assume it's Putin and Kim Jong-Un. The man is treasonous and complete traitor to our country. How did we get here?!?
Trump may be immune, but none of the unindicted co-conspirators in the DC case are, and DOJ should indict them ASAP.
Nobody cares much about the low level worms doing the bidding of their master! They are just cheap dispensable cannon fodder. Poor stupid brainless manipulated things. I repeat myself: von trump corrupts everything he touches. He is the devil, the real antechrist. Everyone supporting him is accomplice. No discussion
And that’s the TRUTH
I nominate Nicky Fuentes as Minister of Pure American Blood.
That was snark, of course.
Let’s do this folks! Stay on track! The media has gone haywire, too! Don’t get down…. This is a MAGA/ GOP influx of poppycock! There is still time. We need to unite not shatter!!! Thanks, Joyce! 💙💙💙💙💙🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I stand with President Joe Biden!
💙 JOE ☮️🇺🇸
I am buoyed by the fact that when red, wine and blue (https://redwine.blue) held a Zoom call with Heather Cox Richardson on Project 2025 35,000 people showed up! 70,000 registered. Her talk was great. It's on YouTube worth listening to the entire thing to the end. Now on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSM7LJgKXAo. We can continue to spread the word on Project 2025 - never mind who is on the top of the ticket!
A remarkable event!
Very inspiring!
Yes! And now we have the tools RW&B mentioned at the event in our inboxes--practical ways to fight back against the onslaught.
Thanks, i need to listen again!
Joyce, unfortunately, you are preaching to the choir. All of us know the truth. I’m appalled at how the News stations are covering the Repubes convention. Some even refer to him as President T not former President. And no matter what he does, his Party stands by him. Unlike us, who seem to have forgotten what a good President Biden has been. Instead of banding together for Biden, many Dems have gathered together to remove him. We are our worst enemies and unless we change, and ban together as a Party, we will lose not only the Presidency but our democracy as we know it to be
I’m 75 in my last chapter of life but I fear for my children and grandchildren
Right, we must band together to advocate for ethics and democracy. Young people in my family are critical of Biden not being progressive enough. But given the stark choice of Biden or DT, they would vote for Biden.
Would, or WILL?! I'm talking with young people as often as I can, highlighting Biden never wavering that climate change is the biggest, existential crisis we face. So many kids I've spoken with aren't even aware of his progressive work on combating climate change.
These young people WILL vote for Biden. They are environmentally aware, have student loan and child care demands. They understand the importance of voting! I encourage them to talk with friends to involve them.
Most of us live in MA, are not tempted to vote for Kennedy.
I talk about the Gish gallop and Baldarino's law as instrumental in Biden's unfortunate debate performance. I wish that there was more coverage of DT's debate bullying, lies about his own accomplishments and false accusations! It seems to come naturally to DT. As Biden said, "It's hard to debate a liar."
I've worked at the polls for many years. I write post cards where it will make a difference and generally try to think and speak positively about what is crucial for our country and the world. DT is the antithesis of my hopes and dreams. I believe he can and will be defeated, but upholding election results and establishing effective governing will be a "challenging" process!
Standing with unions, canceling student debt, calling for national rent control--these are pretty progressive things. Yes, he's still pumping oil and talking about closing borders and sending bombs to Israel. He's not perfect by any means. But he will get there. Considering the congress he's got to work with he's been pretty amazing, IMO.
I'm absolutely disgusted with the Democrats turning on President Biden and I am doing all I can to support him by phone banking. It gives me real hope when I talk to people from all different political parties, mostly in the swing states, and they are overwhelmingly voting for President Biden because they know the danger of another TRump presidency. I encourage everyone, if they have the time, to participate in phone banking. It's encouraging to speak with actual voters instead of listening to the lame-stream media and watching the polls. 👍
Or postcarding for us introverts.
I made calls to NH voters for Obama. Most weren't home, so I left a message. Those who answered were fed up with so many calls. Several said that, if they got another call, they weren't voting for Obama. I apologized, said I'd make a note and pass the word along. I hope that calls are selective ("targeted" is an inappropriate choice of word) to focus callers' efforts and not risk alienating potential voters!
At this point, postcards are the appropriate choice for me -- and individual/small group conversations.
One phrase I like is, "I see things a little differently," then state my position in positive terms. For example, a woman was talking about being uncomfortable with her grandchildren being at a gay pride parade. I said my preferred phrase, then that I thought it was important for everyone to have a place where they felt safe and could be comfortable being themselves. Kids understand things at age appropriate levels and they understand the importance of acceptance. It enabled the woman to talk about how differently her son felt. Others in the group talked about change and people being more comfortable being out. Good stuff.
"Banding together" is now not possible because of the constant questioning about Biden's age and appearance (weak.) The Press and many of the public will not back off - Dream on! Elections are all about emotion. The kinder, gentlet Dems are now afraid to make the necessary intervention to salvage an election which is moving further out of reach. Most voters are voting against the other guy. Why not give them a more attractive, stronger candidate? Sure, Joe did a good job, but is he the only competent Democrat? Joe didn't allow challengers during the primaries. But his age finally caught up with him. His intransigence amid the current controversy is troubling. The adults in the party need to give us a more attractive candidate. And quickly. Most of them are wringing their hands but not doing much.
John, I feel like you have drunk the kool-aid. We are not just voting for Biden for president but Harris and the Biden administration. They have done a remarkable job in less than 4 years. I read Biden's doctor's report and I read nothing to support mental decline. I support the Biden Harris ticket and many of us out here in the grassroots agree.
Beautifully put, Linda!
💙 JOE ☮️ 🇺🇸
As a mental health therapist and someone Biden’s age, I saw the debate and was deeply saddened at what I saw. I cannot just write if off to a bad nite. And what I have seen since has not shaken my belief that he is at the beginning of some cognitive decline. As his contemporary I know that time is the enemy. We have a limited amount of time left. This is the time for Biden to be the BRIDGE and pass the torch. There is a fine line between pride and hubris. Biden is looking like a man who has much to be proud of but it looking like pride has turned to hubris. It is hard, it is painful but for the good of the country and his own health time to withdraw.
Except that banding together is not only possible, IT'S IMPERATIVE that we do so. I'm phone banking for President Biden, mostly in swing states, with people of all different political parties and people are overwhelmingly voting for President Biden and Vice President Harris. I'm going to isten to actual voters and not the lame-stream media or turncoat Dems.
Remember when the polls said Hillary would win.
🪛 the polls!
Yay Megan!!!
The Republicans are filing lawsuits in state courts to prevent anyone except Biden from appearing on the ballot, so not a wise move to replace him.
What really gets me are these "senior Democratic figures" who are now said to be "resigned" to a tRump win over Biden as Dem nominee, even as they go on about "most critical election of our lifetime"...."unprecedented threat to democracy"....the Constitution under attack...yadda-yadda".
Honestly, if tRump is such an existential threat, why are these people "resigned" to a tRump win? Easy answer: Total cowardice and capitulation to the WH and Biden's hubris. Such disgusting fatalism makes my stomach turn.
We the Dem voters WANT to win, and it won't happen behind Joe Biden, ffs.
💙 JOE ☮️🇺🇸
Couldn’t agree more!
Mike Johnson is such a screaming hypocrite that it's difficult to square his very own words over the past 2-3 years. Leaving him aside, It's quite amazing how Donald Trump and his hangers on have brought low the Republican party. Was calling the Republican Part the party of Law & Order a laugh line at their convention? It's like the party has been infected with some political poison, where falsehoods are true, where villains are heroes, and where power is the be all and end all. I really and truly believe that Reagan, Bush, Eisenhower would all say: "I no longer recognize my Party".
Why haven’t we heard from Bush?
Good question. I think, like McConnell, he's seen the monster and folded his tent.
None of us can afford the luxury of folding our tents.
Shrub has always brern a coward.
Dick Chaney is also silent.
He has Alzheimer's disease.
Profiles in Ignorance by Andy Borowitz is enlightening about how the Republican party has degraded. Reagan and Bush (W) played notable parts. Borowitz brings wit to leaven the tale of the dumbing of the GOP. The belittling of knowledge and expertise initially cleared the path for "alternative facts".
The introduction of wholesale lying is one of the most amazing phenomena of the Trump era. "Alternative Facts". Sheeesh. Will our politics ever recover?
Not on the right, according to Heinemann or Rick Wilson, they will need to lose many elections before they can right the ship…pardon the pun.
Mike Royko of the Chicago Tribune wrote a great piece called "Why the G.O.P. is not the party of Lincoln". When Nixon decided he wanted all the Confederate flag waving Southern Democrats to vote for him, the Republican party started pandering to the ignorant and disaffected. 30% of Republicans identified as Liberals in the 1960. Since we have only two major parties, all the mean people ended up there, it just took 50 years.
I've often thought the MAGAs live in a place where everyday is opposite day!
Through the looking glass.
I'd love to see the DNC air TV ads of that poor Capitol police officer's head being squished in between the glass doors at the Capitol building, while claiming that they are the party of law and order. I would also like to see an ad highlighting all of the comments J.D. Vance made about TRump just a couple of years ago that were very derogatory. The Republican party is now full of hypocrits who will do anything for power.
I expect the JD Vance advertisements to start
Reagan and the Bush boys started this crap, and it has gotten extreme. Their policies put the fork in the road!
I noticed the difference too. So glad that Biden is now saying he will take on the Supreme Court. He and Congress together could do a lot to reign them in. And still, I support AOC in her attempts to impeach the most clearly corrupt members, Thomas and Alito.
Raise your hand if you think Judge Cannon is vying for a spot on the Supreme Court when Trump gets elected.
No way trump appoints a woman, an immigrant. Oh wow, seems like repubs really ARE using immigrants in the election process.
What is Amy Coney-Barrett?? Trump has appointed a woman, AND Cannon has been pandering to him in all the right ways.
Susan,They are part of the coup plan......recommended by the federalist society...not picked by trump.
Good point. Although trump did allow the Barrett appointment, and I'm pretty sure now that he likes Cannon. She's very obedient and loyal to him.
I think she’s got it in the bag if he is elected.
But the Congress has a say as well.
✋
Have Democrats lost all self respect? It is astoundingly disturbing, that having delivered the most significant social programs for Americans in 75 years and aligned with the best values of the Democratic Party, it seems to be collectively conceeding defeat. Have we succumbed to the "ageism" attack? Have we given up on our values on how a good and just society should operate? Have we bought into the perverse fantasy that the New York Times and the liberal MSM picks presidents. Not us? Are we somehow embarrassed by the astounding record Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have achieved in their first term? The great succeses are too numerous to list in this comment, but I'm sure everyone on this newsletter can list 10 quickly. Have we simply been bullied into fear and submission by a heinous juvenile delinquent and his band of grifter fascists? We have an ASTOUNDINGLY GREAT record to run on. Better than Obama achieved in 8 years. We are not just fighting for our liberal democracy. We are fighting to save our civil society for the sake of all Americans. Given the way Joe Biden is being treated by his own party, it's a further measure of this steady character, that he hasn't resigned and told the failure loving Democrats to take a long walk off a short plank. Everyone should read the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights today. Then wake up tomorrow and double down on winning We have sooo much more to offer the country than the MAGA GOP grievance party who are trying to take us back to the middle 18th centur
Right on! Thank you.
BEST COMMENT OF THE DAY!
I'm printing, yes printing. I'm pasting Merril's declaration to my kitchen cabinet so I can re-read as often as I need to do so! Bravo/Brava, Merrill.
I hope and pray that there will be a leap in enthusiasm for Biden/Harris at the August convention!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
💙 J O E ☮️ 🇺🇸
Yay Merrill!!!
Is anyone else having trouble making sense of polls? Rs and media are acting like this race is over, with CNN’s John King saying Trump could win by a landslide. Then I see that Biden has edged ahead and has a more than 50-50 chance of winning.
Are others making sense of this? It truly seems all over the place right now.
In my 50 years of political activism I have never seen this much depth and breadth and focus and action for a political fight as I am seeing now. From young school kids to old geezers, and millions in between, the message is clear: "Vote Blue to Save Democracy." We can do it.
HEAR HEAR!
The misinformation, and creating doubt and confusion is all the corporate media is good for right now. Substack, Meidas Touch and others are doing a better job.
Landslide by which voters? Who is going to change their mind and support Trump just because Biden is old? Do people have values or don't they?
I’m not watching polls to the same degree. I will vote Blue regardless of who is on the ballot. Having said this, there are some hard truths. Trump’s campaign has momentum; Biden’s is stalled. I will leave it to the powers that be to sort out Biden’s future. I think he has done a fine job in the past 3 1/2 years. I am not so optimistic about the next four.
Anyone here been called by a pollster ?
Only once and it lasted 30 minutes. It was specific to my state, Kansas, and was clearly asking my view on the Farm Bill. Which, btw, has not been passed.
Nope.
Joyce, thanks for writing about the thoughts that went through my mind as Senator Menendez was found guilty on all counts.
Swift justice for him and slow justice for Trump.
I fear no justice for Trump.
No justice when it comes to TFG. A true travesty!
"Polls continue to show dead heat race." We have been mislead by polls since polls became a thing. Please disregard these meaningless stats! trump lost 2020 by ~7 M votes. After everything he's done, especially Dobbs, there's no way he hasn't lost voters since 2020. Work your butts off, but don't lose heart! They are the clear minority.
Uh, the Electoral College, our biggest National Security Vulnerability, will make this election a crapshoot. We came close to proposing an Amendment to replace it with a 2-tier popular vote format in the 71st Congress, but it was filibustered in the Senate. If the Amendment had passed the Senate, and been adopted by the states (likely but not certain), our world would be hugely different today. Better? Probably, but nothing is totally certain. But would we be better off with no Electoral College? Absolutely, IMO, as Presidential candidates would have to campaign seriously in ALL states, and vote manipulators would have a hard time swinging millions of votes nationwide vs tens of thousands of votes in a few battleground states.
In a way the electoral college is a bigger problem than the current sup crt.
Swing State voters, and even rural southern state voters, are making sure that abortion access is on the ballot in November! Do you really think those people are going to vote for TRump? I don't. They're pissed off at TRump, their state legislatures and their state representatives, and for good reason.
I hope people don't start feeling like the two-tier system is inevitable, that there is nothing they can do about this...
Oh I already feel that way thanks to the corrupt “supreme” court.
Ditto.
Thank you for the reminder of the scope of the gift given Trump by the incompetent culture warrior Aileen Cannon.
Of course her single, alleged disqualifying factor is the special counsel appointment. That provides a window for the same in Jack Smith's J6 case.
The problem is the mechanics. It doesn't seem likely before it gets to SCOTUS. Has the conservative majority quietly indicated support beyond Thomas' seemingly out-of-the-blue mention of it? Can we assume it was only Thomas or was he floating a trial balloon on behalf of a majority?
The irony is it would benefit Hunter Biden as well.