I have need to repeat that please call, write, email the president and beg him to start a Fireside Chat. We are going to lose this election. Biden doesn’t understand PR. FDR’s Fireside Chats in the 1930s proved to be successful. Please make this a weekly or biweekly chore. I’m doing mine tomorrow. If millions of us Americans push on this request, it will get through.
I'm almost embarrassed to write this, but here goes. You mention fireside chats. That made me think -- I believe I read somewhere that one thing MAGA-folks thrive on is a sense of something bigger than themselves. There is a sense of a cause and community, and Trump is the sacred center of it, if I may put it that way. Well, "we're in this together, too." We've got a little community here among Joyce's followers, and there are many similar communities following Robert Hubbell, Heather Cox Richardson, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, and more. Fireside chats would more than connect the dots among these many groups, generate a sense of even greater "togetherness" than we already have, maybe even help us see that we are quite a force to be reckoned with. Don't know if I'm saying this very well, but anyway -- thank you for your heartfelt comment. I think there is still untapped power in that word "together."
Hmm. That's a good point. What do you think? I'm going to work on it, but at the moment I'm thinking that most people are wired to want to be part of something worthy, and something larger than themselves. Maybe it's their kids' futures, maybe it's the grandeur of nature, maybe it's the sense of shared humanity that comes to the surface in times of calamity. Life itself connects us to one another. Something like that. Well, you've got me thinking. I'll keep at it. Thank you!
Please stop saying Biden's going to lose the election. We need people who support our democracy to stop doomsday predictions. Remember Biden has already beaten Trump. Trump is a loser, a sore loser, but a loser.
There's most certainly no reason for anyone to be overconfident, but to label Biden a loser is defeatist. Vote and encourage others to vote. Our democracy depends on it.
But, Bill, putting that idea out there too much makes people pick up on it and believe it! Paying too much attention to these "polls" does that too. Causes some people to think - well, no point in voting then.
Agree. We must stay positive. I guess saying we could lose was an attempt to motivate. But I want to say that this is the big one. We cannot afford to lose. This election can redefine for the worst who we are as a nation.
Hmm... to me, there is zero merit in such a doomsday perspective. I do see merit to some version of Fireside chats as "comfort gravy", not as a "last ditch diving catch"... in fact, he has done a nice one already with Conan O'Brien:
I agree that Biden needs to communicate "better" (although unsure what better means here) with the American people. Many people experience him as rather absent, I'd say. The fireside chat model might be useful; I'll e-mail WH and suggest it as an idea to consider.
Re the election, I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic at this early point, because there's just so much that can and will happen over the next ten months. Some pluses may be 1) the strong economy (and stock market) with decreasing inflation, and 2) the presumably upcoming (even if not March 4) federal trial, where a conviction seems likely to lose Trump a large chunk of voters, according to polls. ALSO- how will Trump answer these two questions: 1) "If you lose, will you accept the result?", and 2) "if you win, will you exit the WH on Jan 20, 2029 or exit if and when you feel like it?" Voters won't like "it depends" or "we'll see" for either answer.
Let’s repeat this ad infinitum everywhere. I going to repeat this cerywhere I go. I’m a musician and my open mics will hear it too as well as my own mini blog though it is.
Thanks for beating the drum,Bill. Please tell people to go to whitehouse.gov. That gets them to an email form and a phone number to contact both Joe and Kamala.
First, Biden is NOT going to lose this election. The idea of "Fireside Chats" will have the extra appeal of Informality, realness, not being a speech (important), revealing a personal element that people can relate to--all if they are designed wisely.
I totally agree, get the influencers such as Swift & other entertainers to push their followers to pay attention to the most important issues of how our world could be if they choose to be disinterested in politics.
Biden's a Politician and is seen as one. A long stint as a Senator and now as President. He's prone to gaffes and going off point. The only thing he has going for him is that he's running against a megalomaniac idiot.
I don’t want to argue who has better PR. It’s plain that Trump knows how to hustle. And whether anyone is for open borders or not, and I’m not, I’m frustrated that he is not showing toughness. And I overall support him. If he doesn’t take control, he has a good chance to lose. And the loss is much to great this time around. Frankly, I don’t think, and this is my pessimism and observation coming out, based on unlimited money to purchase leadership, I don’t believe this country can survive as it has. We are invariably heading toward authoritarian government. In the blink of an eye, it’s gone. Democracy's cannot survive against unlimited special interest money. John McCain was the messenger of truth but money won out.
There are forces much bigger than you or I. They attend the clubby Davos, Allen & company, Sun Valley, Global China Summit, Global Emerging Markets Corporate Conference and the extremely private Bilderberg Group. They do not want an authoritarian ruler and certainly don't want trump. You hear too much about trump cause he's good copy. No, there are forces much larger than one person or group who will not let trump win. Biden will win and he will leave office in mid-term so that Kamala can be the first woman President. Peace to you...
You are right on he isn’t. And I’ll say and others will disagree, but he should do something real big at the border and shut it down by sending the 101st airborne division. That would freak out the Republican base and take away one of their signature issues that they don’t want resolved because the milk it every election cycle.
An interesting point from Dan Pfeiffer of PSA on the Pollercoaster podcast - I won't say it as well as he & his guest did, but I'll try. When the GOP has the WH and the public is against them on an issue (as shown by polling), they simply say, "This is not the issue that we will have people thinking about on election day." And they tailor their overall messages accordingly (the convo was actually referencing Nicolle Wallace's statement when she was Coms for the Bush WH.) When Dems are in power, and we have a losing issue, we have a tendency to try to change our message on that issue instead. (The above suggestion, whether worthy or not, would basically be an example of that, with Dems trying to get to the right of the GOP on the border issue. And I have an opinion about that, but that's not the point right now.) It's possible to try to change both the message and the electorate's thinking, but predicting 1) a loss, 2) a messaging or policy reason for the loss, and 3) a winning message to change that -- is a lot of prediction at once. Lots of unknowns, right? Also when prof pollsters look at the polls the MSM is writing about, they will analyze the cross-sections of voters. E.g. let's look at voters who disapprove of Biden on the economy (whether or not their opinion is valid isn't the issue). There are many subsets of voters that check that box. Here are two of the biggest A) voters who watch lots of Fox - and those voters also will have high disapproval numbers on immigration, taxes, Christmas, etc etc. To a pollster, they aren't persuadable so we don't worry about that percent once we know where they are coming from. But also B) Black voters are historically (understandably) anxious about the economy. (The guest pointing this out was Cornell Belcher for context - he's excellent). So the pollster would say, this is a bloc that we can persuade, BUT also let's look at their other concerns. They are even more anxious as a group, again understandably, about losing rights (voting rights, abortion, and the other rights a white supremacist government would take). So the message you want to tailor isn't necessarily the economic one - it's the message about those rights. What I'm saying is Fireside Chats would appeal to a lot of people, and I think that's a great idea - but trying to do something big and less in line with democratic ideals to get to the right of a GOP who are already scrambling towards fascism - that's IMO not the type of thing that will help. As we've all probably noticed, the facts never really get in the way of the GOP, and if you give them a convincing reason to abandon an argument, they just keep going, but they move the goalposts. You sent the 101st airborne? Well that's just theater, bc you didn't bomb the drug dealers or invade Mexico. And off we go...So I'm a Fireside Chats - yes - (and also please please please get effective surrogates on Hispanic AM radio stations ASAP), but 101st Airborne - probably not :)
First, thank you for a full response — my Lord. 101st airborne was theater of course. Ok, I retract 101st. Yes suddenly moving to the right… But let’s understand there is growing concern over mass migratory movement. That must be addressed in some fashion although I recognize the need to grow the population to service jobs that Americans won’t do. I have had to read your comments a few times to understand your points. I believe we are at a tipping point. If we dare cross that bridge to authoritarianism, I think I haven’t thought of leaving the US since Vietnam. Had my Nixon lotto number been low enough, I would probably have a good command of the Swedish language today.
The power grab on the right is predicated on the ability to channel more wealth into fewer hands. And now that we have an activist reactionary Supreme Court tearing apart governmental safeguards, EPA, Roe and so on, it’s not a very pretty picture. So Uncle Joe needs to sit by the fire and kindly explain to us good folk that he has our concerns first and foremost.
Valerie’s comment brought me back here. I note you include abortion as a desired right in the Black community but I don’t think it’s that strong of sn issue. Conversely, white racist dogma would almost want abort to be part of family planning in Black communities for obvious reasons of population expansion. Back to that good ole border. It’s out of control. A new wave of migrants are making their way north. I can’t even fathom why all of us are not addressing this in a similar fashion. It shouldn’t even be a political issue.
I would have no idea where abortion would land with the Black community - but I think Belcher listed it. Since he was Obama's pollster, and he's part of the Black community, I went with it. But I'll also say that if you group abortion with reproductive rights generally and then consider both the history of things like forced sterilization, and the massive increase in risk to the health and life of the pregnant person when that person is a POC, it kinda makes sense to me.
...re-reading some of our comments.... Interesting that you say, "Biden doesn't understand PR." All Trump embodies is PR. That was his life's work: building a brand, selling success. [all sham]
But haven’t argued that PR is right or wrong. He who shows better… I fully agree that TFG is so bad that I’m running out of adjectives and I don’t want to get banned again as I was on WaPo comments when I got crazy. They won’t let me back except when I buy a new computer my IP will be different. I have continually said that he must take control of the border. I’m willing to think that most Americans don’t want hundreds of thousands and millions and I’m not exaggerating, coming over. Biden will lose on this one issue alone because they (opposition) will talk about rapists, drugs smugglers, infected people. Republicans will blow this up as they have every election cycle. But besides, we do have a real problem and so far, Biden is tone def. He will eventually take some sort of action but it may be too little too late. What the heck is he waiting for? Doesn’t he have any advisors? Or I’m I just so lonely that I’m a closet republican, lol? But I’m not. I am though middle roader some liberal some conservative. I’m not a partisan person.
Everywhere. I think after awhile some folks will tire of me repeating this message. But I convinced that the public needs to hear Biden speak to them. I’m hoping Joyce picks it for a conversation.
A very happy, healthy and sane 2024 is my wish for you and for all of us!! Let’s hope and pray for the best of us to show up for our beautiful country.
Thanks for the "chicken fix"! I always feel better after looking at their pictures and reading about them. Also, I'm glad I have you to help me keep things straight in this crazy, scary, political world.
Joyce, I just love your hen tales. On my “ Ma’s” farm, I would steel away to the hen house and prop myself up on the tree branch roosts. The “girls” would serenade me with their gentle clucks and calm this over sensitive kid. You get it, Joyce. You’re doing what you were put here to do!
I have need to repeat that please call, write, email the president and beg him to start a Fireside Chat. We are going to lose this election. Biden doesn’t understand PR. FDR’s Fireside Chats in the 1930s proved to be successful. Please make this a weekly or biweekly chore. I’m doing mine tomorrow. If millions of us Americans push on this request, it will get through.
I'm almost embarrassed to write this, but here goes. You mention fireside chats. That made me think -- I believe I read somewhere that one thing MAGA-folks thrive on is a sense of something bigger than themselves. There is a sense of a cause and community, and Trump is the sacred center of it, if I may put it that way. Well, "we're in this together, too." We've got a little community here among Joyce's followers, and there are many similar communities following Robert Hubbell, Heather Cox Richardson, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, and more. Fireside chats would more than connect the dots among these many groups, generate a sense of even greater "togetherness" than we already have, maybe even help us see that we are quite a force to be reckoned with. Don't know if I'm saying this very well, but anyway -- thank you for your heartfelt comment. I think there is still untapped power in that word "together."
I will add MeidasTouch to your thoughts. Democracy at action.
Thank you, Jody. I agree!
You said it well and thank you.
Nice to meet you, and thank you for getting my gray cells going (such as they are!). Happy New Year to you and yours.
Well I wear colorful caps now to cover up, lol.
Hillary’s slogan was stronger together. The political pundits said, what does that mean?
Hmm. That's a good point. What do you think? I'm going to work on it, but at the moment I'm thinking that most people are wired to want to be part of something worthy, and something larger than themselves. Maybe it's their kids' futures, maybe it's the grandeur of nature, maybe it's the sense of shared humanity that comes to the surface in times of calamity. Life itself connects us to one another. Something like that. Well, you've got me thinking. I'll keep at it. Thank you!
What does "Make America Great Again" mean?
You know --- back before Roe v Wade - before civil rights - before women really had a say about much - lets see --- what else was "great" back then?
Please stop saying Biden's going to lose the election. We need people who support our democracy to stop doomsday predictions. Remember Biden has already beaten Trump. Trump is a loser, a sore loser, but a loser.
Running scared is better. I have run 5 K road races and when I was running,I ran scared, lol.
There's most certainly no reason for anyone to be overconfident, but to label Biden a loser is defeatist. Vote and encourage others to vote. Our democracy depends on it.
Thank you June. We have a lot of work to do, and we will not lose.
But, Bill, putting that idea out there too much makes people pick up on it and believe it! Paying too much attention to these "polls" does that too. Causes some people to think - well, no point in voting then.
Fireside chats are a really good idea.
Agree. We must stay positive. I guess saying we could lose was an attempt to motivate. But I want to say that this is the big one. We cannot afford to lose. This election can redefine for the worst who we are as a nation.
Hmm... to me, there is zero merit in such a doomsday perspective. I do see merit to some version of Fireside chats as "comfort gravy", not as a "last ditch diving catch"... in fact, he has done a nice one already with Conan O'Brien:
https://teamcoco.com/podcasts/conan-obrien-needs-a-friend/episodes/president-joe-biden
Well, what do we say, all hands on deck? If Trump wins, I will reverse my life long belief in a society with out arms.
Sad.
I was going to listen to just a few minutes but, wow! - it was really good - listened to the whole thing. Loved it. Thanks so much for posting it.
I agree that Biden needs to communicate "better" (although unsure what better means here) with the American people. Many people experience him as rather absent, I'd say. The fireside chat model might be useful; I'll e-mail WH and suggest it as an idea to consider.
Re the election, I'm neither optimistic nor pessimistic at this early point, because there's just so much that can and will happen over the next ten months. Some pluses may be 1) the strong economy (and stock market) with decreasing inflation, and 2) the presumably upcoming (even if not March 4) federal trial, where a conviction seems likely to lose Trump a large chunk of voters, according to polls. ALSO- how will Trump answer these two questions: 1) "If you lose, will you accept the result?", and 2) "if you win, will you exit the WH on Jan 20, 2029 or exit if and when you feel like it?" Voters won't like "it depends" or "we'll see" for either answer.
Bill, I have been thinking the same. Fireside chats.
Let’s repeat this ad infinitum everywhere. I going to repeat this cerywhere I go. I’m a musician and my open mics will hear it too as well as my own mini blog though it is.
Thanks for beating the drum,Bill. Please tell people to go to whitehouse.gov. That gets them to an email form and a phone number to contact both Joe and Kamala.
Sure will.
OK Bill - sent him an email - hope more of us do so. We will see!
Thank you. I’m wondering if repeating this message will start to tun off folks. I should slow it down maybe.
Thank you for the idea of Fireside Chtats. I will write our President Biden and beg him to please connect.
First, Biden is NOT going to lose this election. The idea of "Fireside Chats" will have the extra appeal of Informality, realness, not being a speech (important), revealing a personal element that people can relate to--all if they are designed wisely.
It will be critical for Kamala Harris to be a major participant i these chats
Valerie - that right there would make a very good message!
Wish I had put it that well.
As valid a suggestion as you have made the key is getting every young person you know to vote for Biden.
Encourage and support Taylor Swift's efforts to getyoung voters to the polls
I totally agree, get the influencers such as Swift & other entertainers to push their followers to pay attention to the most important issues of how our world could be if they choose to be disinterested in politics.
I wish that he would do a Fireside Chats. I think it would be successful all around
I just wrote him and suggested that he start bi-weekly “Fireside Chats “
Biden's a Politician and is seen as one. A long stint as a Senator and now as President. He's prone to gaffes and going off point. The only thing he has going for him is that he's running against a megalomaniac idiot.
I don’t want to argue who has better PR. It’s plain that Trump knows how to hustle. And whether anyone is for open borders or not, and I’m not, I’m frustrated that he is not showing toughness. And I overall support him. If he doesn’t take control, he has a good chance to lose. And the loss is much to great this time around. Frankly, I don’t think, and this is my pessimism and observation coming out, based on unlimited money to purchase leadership, I don’t believe this country can survive as it has. We are invariably heading toward authoritarian government. In the blink of an eye, it’s gone. Democracy's cannot survive against unlimited special interest money. John McCain was the messenger of truth but money won out.
There are forces much bigger than you or I. They attend the clubby Davos, Allen & company, Sun Valley, Global China Summit, Global Emerging Markets Corporate Conference and the extremely private Bilderberg Group. They do not want an authoritarian ruler and certainly don't want trump. You hear too much about trump cause he's good copy. No, there are forces much larger than one person or group who will not let trump win. Biden will win and he will leave office in mid-term so that Kamala can be the first woman President. Peace to you...
I will do it this morning. What a great idea. Biden is not good at tooting his own horn! Thanks Bill!
You are right on he isn’t. And I’ll say and others will disagree, but he should do something real big at the border and shut it down by sending the 101st airborne division. That would freak out the Republican base and take away one of their signature issues that they don’t want resolved because the milk it every election cycle.
An interesting point from Dan Pfeiffer of PSA on the Pollercoaster podcast - I won't say it as well as he & his guest did, but I'll try. When the GOP has the WH and the public is against them on an issue (as shown by polling), they simply say, "This is not the issue that we will have people thinking about on election day." And they tailor their overall messages accordingly (the convo was actually referencing Nicolle Wallace's statement when she was Coms for the Bush WH.) When Dems are in power, and we have a losing issue, we have a tendency to try to change our message on that issue instead. (The above suggestion, whether worthy or not, would basically be an example of that, with Dems trying to get to the right of the GOP on the border issue. And I have an opinion about that, but that's not the point right now.) It's possible to try to change both the message and the electorate's thinking, but predicting 1) a loss, 2) a messaging or policy reason for the loss, and 3) a winning message to change that -- is a lot of prediction at once. Lots of unknowns, right? Also when prof pollsters look at the polls the MSM is writing about, they will analyze the cross-sections of voters. E.g. let's look at voters who disapprove of Biden on the economy (whether or not their opinion is valid isn't the issue). There are many subsets of voters that check that box. Here are two of the biggest A) voters who watch lots of Fox - and those voters also will have high disapproval numbers on immigration, taxes, Christmas, etc etc. To a pollster, they aren't persuadable so we don't worry about that percent once we know where they are coming from. But also B) Black voters are historically (understandably) anxious about the economy. (The guest pointing this out was Cornell Belcher for context - he's excellent). So the pollster would say, this is a bloc that we can persuade, BUT also let's look at their other concerns. They are even more anxious as a group, again understandably, about losing rights (voting rights, abortion, and the other rights a white supremacist government would take). So the message you want to tailor isn't necessarily the economic one - it's the message about those rights. What I'm saying is Fireside Chats would appeal to a lot of people, and I think that's a great idea - but trying to do something big and less in line with democratic ideals to get to the right of a GOP who are already scrambling towards fascism - that's IMO not the type of thing that will help. As we've all probably noticed, the facts never really get in the way of the GOP, and if you give them a convincing reason to abandon an argument, they just keep going, but they move the goalposts. You sent the 101st airborne? Well that's just theater, bc you didn't bomb the drug dealers or invade Mexico. And off we go...So I'm a Fireside Chats - yes - (and also please please please get effective surrogates on Hispanic AM radio stations ASAP), but 101st Airborne - probably not :)
First, thank you for a full response — my Lord. 101st airborne was theater of course. Ok, I retract 101st. Yes suddenly moving to the right… But let’s understand there is growing concern over mass migratory movement. That must be addressed in some fashion although I recognize the need to grow the population to service jobs that Americans won’t do. I have had to read your comments a few times to understand your points. I believe we are at a tipping point. If we dare cross that bridge to authoritarianism, I think I haven’t thought of leaving the US since Vietnam. Had my Nixon lotto number been low enough, I would probably have a good command of the Swedish language today.
The power grab on the right is predicated on the ability to channel more wealth into fewer hands. And now that we have an activist reactionary Supreme Court tearing apart governmental safeguards, EPA, Roe and so on, it’s not a very pretty picture. So Uncle Joe needs to sit by the fire and kindly explain to us good folk that he has our concerns first and foremost.
Let’s have a Fireside Chat.
Valerie’s comment brought me back here. I note you include abortion as a desired right in the Black community but I don’t think it’s that strong of sn issue. Conversely, white racist dogma would almost want abort to be part of family planning in Black communities for obvious reasons of population expansion. Back to that good ole border. It’s out of control. A new wave of migrants are making their way north. I can’t even fathom why all of us are not addressing this in a similar fashion. It shouldn’t even be a political issue.
I would have no idea where abortion would land with the Black community - but I think Belcher listed it. Since he was Obama's pollster, and he's part of the Black community, I went with it. But I'll also say that if you group abortion with reproductive rights generally and then consider both the history of things like forced sterilization, and the massive increase in risk to the health and life of the pregnant person when that person is a POC, it kinda makes sense to me.
...re-reading some of our comments.... Interesting that you say, "Biden doesn't understand PR." All Trump embodies is PR. That was his life's work: building a brand, selling success. [all sham]
But haven’t argued that PR is right or wrong. He who shows better… I fully agree that TFG is so bad that I’m running out of adjectives and I don’t want to get banned again as I was on WaPo comments when I got crazy. They won’t let me back except when I buy a new computer my IP will be different. I have continually said that he must take control of the border. I’m willing to think that most Americans don’t want hundreds of thousands and millions and I’m not exaggerating, coming over. Biden will lose on this one issue alone because they (opposition) will talk about rapists, drugs smugglers, infected people. Republicans will blow this up as they have every election cycle. But besides, we do have a real problem and so far, Biden is tone def. He will eventually take some sort of action but it may be too little too late. What the heck is he waiting for? Doesn’t he have any advisors? Or I’m I just so lonely that I’m a closet republican, lol? But I’m not. I am though middle roader some liberal some conservative. I’m not a partisan person.
Suggest on Twitter?
Everywhere. I think after awhile some folks will tire of me repeating this message. But I convinced that the public needs to hear Biden speak to them. I’m hoping Joyce picks it for a conversation.
I have to believe the Biden/Harris campaign for re-election has a plan to go strong in the last “laps” of the race & finish strong!
I love the chicken pictures and your commentary. Celebrations are very good things and cold weather can help keep your head clear.
A very happy, healthy and sane 2024 is my wish for you and for all of us!! Let’s hope and pray for the best of us to show up for our beautiful country.
I had popcorn, too, today. No chickens. 3 begging, drooling golden retrievers instead. Best wishes for 2024.
We end the year with a weary sigh…and begin anew with a cautious smile.
Peace be with us in the New Year.
Thank you, Joyce, for sharing your exceptional knowledge! ❤️
Thanks for the "chicken fix"! I always feel better after looking at their pictures and reading about them. Also, I'm glad I have you to help me keep things straight in this crazy, scary, political world.
A very happy New Year to you! And thank you for all your hard work in getting us such good information!
Joyce, I just love your hen tales. On my “ Ma’s” farm, I would steel away to the hen house and prop myself up on the tree branch roosts. The “girls” would serenade me with their gentle clucks and calm this over sensitive kid. You get it, Joyce. You’re doing what you were put here to do!
Bravo, Leeda! The early bird gets the popcorn!
What a beauty Leeda is!
Love love love the chicken reports. Thank you, and Happy New Year to you and the girls
Sorry Joyce.
I’m with Barb.
GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE GO BLUE!
I want to see you wearing the t-shirt!🤣
Beautiful girls. Are yours laying now? A few of ours are here in the Sierra Nevada. They all look much better with molting done!
Ellen ours too here in the central sierra are getting feathers back and we gain a minute more daylight everyday.. stay tuned for those eggs!!
2024..I will stay positive, as long as you do..sigh..
Keep up the great work! I am a fan and a lawyer of a certain age.
Also a lawyer of a certain age. 😉
Love that dirt-covered hand that’s been up to the business of life...😘
Happy, happy New Year!!