267 Comments

I’m sick of living in the Theater of the Absurd

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Trump writes on Truth Social that “I hate Taylor Swift.” My God what an ignorant Son of a Bitch he is.

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Maggat Kelly did a big hate Taylor rant a few days ago...........deplorables all of them.

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Are U surprised? U know these attacks will worsen.

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The Orange Kult wants violence to be the new normal. We cannot accept this fascist-nazi way of living.....ever.

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With her BFF Tucker

I wonder if they shopped in Moscow after?

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Candidate Trump knows damn well that saying he hates Miss Swift is tantamount to, "Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?" Do not agree? What about the bludgeoning of Mr Pelosi two years ago inspired by the Trump-instructed 06jan21 riot at the Capitol.

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I don't pretend to see into the minds of mad men, a place from which there might be no escape.

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Good one!

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When I heard his comment about Swift, my first thought was he was signaling his most deplorable followers to "do something." He's ready to disrupt lives everywhere to satisfy his anger and resentment. Im trying to stay calm and clear and positive, but it's hard.

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You're giving Trump to much credit, Bill.

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Clearly this is a threat made on her life. This is disgustingly out of control. I’m going to say it regardless of repercussions but the author of those words should be arrested and done away with how’s that for ambiguity.

Reminds me that last year I picketed a major gun store after a massacre and the manager came out for a friendly chat and expressed that it could be dangerous to be there. I responded that their huge lettering on the building proclaims “Only the Good Guys Have Guns.” I accepted his warning and left. And now I am left with the thought of needing to arm myself for the 2nd time in my life because these people are a growing menace to life. And a presidential candidate whose main duty should be as uniter not divider. This is maddening. I am serious about my feelings here. They talk of bloodbath in the streets. Don’t expect law enforcement to be automatically on our side.many of the white cops are MAGAs. The one I interviewed for a story I wrote was clearly MAGA and recited his 2nd amendment right even as I explained that two police officers had just a few months ago been ambushed and killed but that wasn’t important to him only his twisted interpretation of the 2nd.

We have reached an impasse in civil life. I bought a one way ticket to Europe in the mid 197”s with no intention of returning and lived a wonderful if humble life as an ex pat for 2 years in Italy. Shoulda stayed.

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I agree with you that trump is out of control, and what I see is that it makes him even more stupid. He hates Taylor Swift because she has real power and he will never understand how to get that. I personally don't think all this stupidity makes it a smart move to go out and buy a gun. Part of that is because guns scare me, but mostly it's because guns don't solve problems in any positive way. I really hope that enough people vote, so that trump will lose the election and wind up in prison, sooner rather than later. When that happens, I think life has a chance to get better here.

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I have agreed on point my whole life. I began writing op-eds in 1982 the year my father died and as his NRA membership was expiring, I received a letter from them to rejoin since my father’s name and mine are the same. I was furious. But today we are entering a different era. This era is dysfunctional and dystopian madness that could easily spiral out of control. Yes it could. Don’t think it can’t happen here. The seeds have been sown. And the reason btw, and here you willfully disagree with me, we on the left have bitten of the bitter fruit of self rightness that we can do no wrong but we have. We most certainly have which is why I’m all but certain that authoritarian American government awaits us. If not this time, later. We have gone too far. The more guaranteed rights we bestow on everyone the more they all want. My belief is that we have essentially lit the spark with our naivety.

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You will be glad to know that I don't believe we have done no wrong as a country. I have read The 1619 Project and Caste, and they make that point very clear. I would hope that an authoritarian government does not await us. What I disagree with is the idea that getting more rights makes us want more. I believe strongly that everyone deserves bodily autonomy (including women), and everyone deserves to be treated equally in all realms. What I have seen regular people want is equality, and a reasonable chance at a good life. That's different from the greed of the very rich, IMO.

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I come from a different mind set then you and most others here. I am not idialogued. I’m not liberal nor conservative. I think independently. I don’t let others dwell me what to think. Having said that, I also come from the center whatever that means please don’t ask because I don’t know myself. But I’m definitely not in the woke group or the MAGA group. Really I don’t belong to any groups. It’s lonely here. But if we don’t stop with the blame games, the “your white your privileged” bullshit, I welcome you to the New Snazzy Nazi State of America. Let me pull out one of my little book stories. Hold on. Biden ignored the border for 3 years what’s the matter with this cranky old old old man? Who knows. I guess celebrating Trans Day at the White House was more important than an executive order. And now we have a major humongous problem with millions of migrants. We have laws that need to be enforced. We may by the luck of fortune win this election. It’s not a forgone conclusion. But if we do and Harris doesn’t bring us back to the center, I’ll welcome you to The New Snazzy Nazi State of America.

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Bill, you're letting Trump take over your thinking. It's his strategy hard at work making you waste your time and allowing yourself to be distracted. Taylor swift is a "look, a squirrel" moment.

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I don’t think you understand how Trump thinks. Clearly, this statement was a signal to get and kill Taylor swift. This is classical Trump and if you have blinders on, what can I say.

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Trump behaves exactly like the old school mafia Dons no different at all.

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Are you saying that Pete Buttigieg doesn’t know how Trump thinks? He has pointed these stunts out for what they are - distractions. Trump is slipping in the polls and his debate performance was pure hot garbage. Trump did not decide to make Taylor Swift a target. He does not care if she becomes collateral damage in his egotistical campaign to regain the voters he lost to her. Please do not mansplain to me.

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Pete Buttigieg pointed out the strategy, which is the usual Trump - to create distractions from the fact that he has no policies or ideas, but only spite and selfishness. Don't waste time this close to the election on this crap.

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Bill, U R TOO KIND!!

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Glad he did that. Next he'll say she's not really a citizen and that she eats cats. Maybe eventually a few more people will see that he's nuts.

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We already do see that he's nuts, but the problem is the others that don't.

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So true!

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He's a spoiled toddler.

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He's a whiny baby.

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Bone spurs was golfing and not watching Magats leaving his election rallies?

Something stinks here like rotting Big Macs, rancid KFC and flat diet Coke

Far more interested in Kamala Harris going full tilt to win.

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While he was out golfing, there apparently was another "assassination attempt" on Trompe's life. Suspicious??? Is he sufficiently sociopathic to pull something like this every time it looks like he's in deep trouble politically?

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Am I imagining things, or have both of these assassination attempts involved the use of assault rifles? Whether they did or didn't, his MAGAts would still refuse any restrictions on owning assault rifles, or the new home-made modified firearms.

Was this incident suspicious? My Magic 8 Ball said "probably."

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I agree that these two “attempts” seem awfully shady to . I mean an innocent person died at the first event. How can there be two white guys, with AK rifles, be such bad shots??

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Just shards of teleprompter glass, my dear, in Butler!

Have you seen a Trump medical report? Never will.

Out came the prop! White pad but no evidence of ear damage! Playing golf two days later with NO pad? Duh! Another attention device and distraction!

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It's a pathetic attempt to secure a sympathy vote....of course it's fake.

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The only shots I've heard about are the ones fired by the Secret Service.

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The report said the Secret Service found this guy several holes ahead of where Trump was playing. He hadn’t fired any shots at Trump and didn’t.

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Nope. Just idiots being idiots. Neither one had a weapon appropriate for the task.

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And there are way too many idiots these days!

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Lead poisoning.

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Sep 16·edited Sep 16

Coincidentally I just posted this…

———

The day after the debate a GOP operative is quoted as saying:

“The headline for the next few days will be how he lost this thing. I expect him to do something drastic, whether it’s a campaign shake-up or some other wild antic, by the end of the week to change the upcoming news cycle.”

Not to discount the seriousness of the “potential assassination attempt” yesterday, but…. Could it have been the “some other wild antic” meant to “change the upcoming news cycle” the GOP operative expected would come from Trump? Not to get into any sort conspiracy theories, but nothing this clown does should be surprising even staging his own “assasination attempt”. Just saying’…..

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Immediately thought the same.

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Your Magic 8 Ball is probably right.

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I put nothing past the orange psychopath/sociopath! Nothing ‼️

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INDEED! There's NO BOTTOM for Trump and EVERY REPUBLICAN!!

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mid October

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Honestly, it has crossed my mind, more than once, that these assassination attempts, put T front and center in the news (spotlight). He thrives on that. Hmmmm??!!

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Margaret, my thoughts, too. The last 8 or so years have made me skeptical of everything I read and see.

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"Skeptical of everything"....Yes....Honestly it is crazy making. I feel like it has changed my personality.

Having now read books by Snyder, Cox-Richardson, Albright, Maddow and Applebaum., and these good substacks I realize how unaware I have been of of the long history of authoritarianism dating back to the 30's nor of the players since Reagan. No idea of the infiltration of the media by the far right not just by ownership but by allegedly neutral think tanks, the current funding by the surviving Kock brother of "think tanks" that will carry on promoting the interests of the super wealthy. Roger Stone appears over and over again. Honestly, how can the FBI possibly counter all these forces against us. Another lesson: get young boys into sports so they don't join these radical groups to find belonging. Mentor at risk kids.

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Elizabeth: Check out Ruth Ben-Ghiat’s fine book called “Strongmen.”

The history of authoritarianism thru Trump! Dictators galore! Past and present!

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...and promote reading.

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MeidasTouch.......

LIVE: TOP Psychiatrist BACK with NEW Diagnosis of Trump AFTER Debate | The Weekend Show

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Let me guess, he's a malignant narcissist, sociopath and pathological liar.

How'd I do?

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The diagnoses are not limited Donald Trump as an individual psychopath. With its origins in Carl Jung's "mass psychosis" the analysis extends to a "social contagion" ... more psychotic than followers of the Pied Piper.

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Jung was right!

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Sounds PERFECT to me!! Oops, U forgot psychotic. I'm going to use the diagnosis I used as a therapist: JFN: Just F-cking NUTS!

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You passed the entrance exam no problem.......now go watch Dr Brandy Lee and get you graduation diploma

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Spot on, I'd say! 👍

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All-Day Forensic Psychiatrists along with analysis by other nationally known mental health experts is set for the DC National Press Club on 9/27/24. The Conference is titled: "The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" a sequel, of sorts, to Dr. Bandy X. Lee's NYT best seller, "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump". The afternoon is set aside for questions & professional psychological answers. Dinner served.

But, this this time around the New York Times management is not invited nor the head of the APA who was later removed from his deadly perch on unrelated ethical grounds.

The unnecessary tragedy of the condo salesman from Queens is on all of us as well -- face it. Collectively, the reality -- the uncomfortable reality is the we had a super qualified Yale lecturer on political violence , a world known forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Bandy X Lee, timely spell out the psychopathy of Donald Trump & the specific dangers of this particular psychotic.

Collectively - we did not heed her prescient warning! Sobering. Years ahead when you retell this history of the United States to family & loved ones -- do Not forget to tell the entire story.

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Dr Brandy Lee is a gift from the universe. She keep pushing forward, even when she was shut down during the ealy days of the catastrophic Orange years. Hats off to Meidas for making her a regular guest.

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Yup, one of the Meidas interviews went viral. Meidas has the touch.

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I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories but this 'event' really looks suspicious, so shortly after tfg's massive failure in the recent debate... what a way to get back on the front page!

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Looks sus, is sus. Supposedly, his playing golf today was completely unscheduled. [He’s so lazy, doesn’t like campaigning, it’s too much work] Playing golf in Fla was totally last minute. So why/how was this guy with the AK at the golf course, just at the time PAB was there, when no one knew he was going to be there?

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Well, well, well - when will it be mentioned officially that this golf outing was 'last minute'... And I agree with you: if nobody apart from an army of secret service people knew about this, how did the shooter know about this unplanned outing? AND ... how did the secret service person look at the bushes at the right time to see the end of a potential AK-47 sticking out of bushes at 300-500 YARDS away???

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Easy...trump ALWAYS plays golf...set yourself up and sooner or later he'll come putting by.

Didn't see him today....set yourself up tomorrow etc.

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Wouldn't surprise me. The attempted murder in Butler, Pa. I'm still convinced this wasa Republican plot that went HORRIBLY WRONG!

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At least no one else was killed with this one😣

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Nope. let's leave the Big Plot Conspiracy to the lunatics.

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Absolutely!

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Well, it is a distraction! Trump strives in any and all!

VOTE so Trump can lose BIGLY time!

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Please don't resort to conspiracy theory. Our world is full of mental illness--we all have to deal with what we find within ourselves, first by becoming aware of it.

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Yup especially since it's been revealed that the golf game was not on his schedule for the day. No one outside Trump's circle would know that he was at the golf course AND was at the fifth hole. I doubt an assassin would coincidently decide to hang out at Trump's golf course just in case and miraculously station himself at the right whole, hole 5 out of 18 holes to choose from.

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I agree. I was thinking the same thing!

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Even in the US there are not enough gunmen to have one waiting for every time he puts himself in political trouble.

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I beg to differ...

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I wouldn’t put it past him to stage it himself. No shots fired and the first attempt ended with a boo-boo on his ear! Unfortunately someone else died and two others injured.

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Would love to see more coverage of Kamala's thoughtful conversations with real-life Americans. We all need to see and hear more of who we are across the board.

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Google earth the course and look at the streets that surround the course and tell me how no one didn't see this guy getting out of his car with a weapon and a backpack? It looks very suspicious and obviously noticeable that there is nowhere to park a vehicle. The Orange Lunatic lies so much that I don't believe anything about him anymore. Now here's a crack pot theory, maybe he's setting it up to leave the country because it's not safe? LOL we could only hope, and he heads to a shit hole country.

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A woman who lives in the area called into Stephanie Miller........she expressed total sceptatism in what happened.........leaning on a fence........going north on I95.......

He could take off with Laura Loomer to Hungary....Venezuala.....Russia.........one way ticket please!!!

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The news reported (either CBS or MSNBC) that this location is frequently used by photographers who can then take photos of Trump in golfing action.

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I surely do wish that those wheels of justice that grind exceedingly fine would just grind CFDT up already and be done.

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U and MILLIONS of others!!

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Worldwide !

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I have to wonder if all of Trump's frivolous motions and all of his attacks on the courts and court personnel will have a bearing on the sentencing when he's finally held to account? That is, will he get first time offender status in Manhattan, for example?

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He should get max sentence for each count! That comes out to 136 years! Trump is a "CLEAR and PREENT DANGER" to EVERY person on Earth!!

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He’ll getta hand slap if that.

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Tim Walz: "Here’s my life hack for all the guys out there: surround yourself with smart women and listen to them and you’ll do just fine. That includes my fellow cat owner Taylor Swift.

"It’s really great to have all of these women help us beat the smallest man in the world.. Donald Trump."

We Civil Discourse readers (of all genders!) have been following Tim's advice!

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Walz is oxygen. Vance is carbon monoxide.

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Love it! That's absolutely true.

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Someone should tell Vance that he should become a writer. That way he can keep making up stories and stop harming innocent people. It'll be hard for him, as the nastiness underneath his country-boy façade will still show through.

So, no way!

I'm the one writing fiction now.

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Still time for that blue tsunami.

https://www.fieldteam6.org/all-volunteer-ops/volunteer

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Iʻm texting for Field Team 6. Itʻs a very well-organized group. Sign up for their training and start texting!

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I still cannot believe that everyone wants to know details of Harris’s policies when the only thing we know of Trump is Project 2025. People having a hard time choosing are not even considering the crimes that Trump has violated the law. How low can our country get? Thanks Joyce!

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Was it Al Jolson who used to say " you ain't seen nothing yet!"??

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Sep 16·edited Sep 16

Not sure about Al Jolson but “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” is the title/ name of a song by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

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You gave.me my chuckle for the morning, dear George ! At 90...be assured most.of " my memories" are way before your time! Thanks for the smile 🤗

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Sep 17·edited Sep 17

Well…. the Bachman Turner Overdrive song is from 1974. As a young 40yr old you might have heard it on the radio. Or if like my mom (who is also 90) if you had teenage children at that time you might also have heard it being played on the living room stereo.

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"Everyone" = media. They want a horserace and Trump sells.

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I've come to the conclusion that those who say that simply do not want to support Harris. They can't say they like Trump's policies better, so they use this as an excuse. There is so much information out there if someone just looks. I'll bet these same people spend hours on "Google" when they are trying to decide what car/washer/"you name it" to buy!

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I feel that same way, Christopher. Policies won't matter when you have to flee a burning Rome.

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Don't take it "personally." People all over say that grocery prices were much cheaper while Trump was in office. The cause-effect of the inflation requires more than a few words.

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Trump was handed a growing economy after the 2008 meltdown by Obama and tanked it with Covid which was even more disastrous. Prices are up because of supply chain and labor shortages caused by Covid which the Administration of Biden has handled as well as anybody. Americans are deluged with to much fog to put one and one together!

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Grocery prices were lower? These people obviously can't remember shit. We were lucky to find groceries in the stores!

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Thank you Joyce, we must get a very, very high voter turnout. We know the POT party is going to have every maggot and a few earth worms they can dig up. The idea of dear leader going to prison i unthinkable for them. The thing is, he will probably never spend a day in prison, he is slipping further and further into dementia and losing this election will be the final blo to that fragile brain of his. He will probably not even stand trial as he will be unable to understand the charges against him. On the other hand if trump by some great misdeeds manages to win he will probably not serve as President either. JD Vance will probably invoke Amendment 25 and we will be stuck with the only man worse than the trumpscum. So, if you have any arms to twist, make sure they get to the polls. And Thank you Taylor Swift for getting nearly half a million new voters to sign up. We need more Taylor Swift's and fewer JD Vance's

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Absolute TRUTH!!

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And, it has to be the voters in the 7 swing states!!

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Trump is a 78 year old two year old. Arrested development.

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U R TOO KIND!

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deletedSep 16
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Love it! Sadly true

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Sad, but true...

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Thank you Joyce, so very much.

And Marc Elias with his wonderful work of Democracy Docket.

I was wondering, if the 11th Court decides to take Judge Cannon off the case, may that be appealed to the Supreme Court ?

With much gratitude

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They certainly wouldn’t rule against the orange oompah loompah.

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I’m with you Joyce. The first thing we need to do is win the election. We must not be swayed but keep doing what we can to ensure the election for Kamala and Tim. There are many campaigns that still need donations. I , for one, am still writing postcards. My budget for donating has been buying hundreds of postcard stamps lately. If we all help out we can have an overwhelming victory. Do what you can as it is so very important.

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Thanks Monica! May I ask everyone to go right now to www.TurnUp.US which is the largest and most effective young voters registration organization led by brilliant Harvard students, but only in 32 "truly competitive" congressional districts and five essential Senate election states! With your help, TurnUp will be able to register and turnout "game changer" 100,000 Community College students and high school seniors in those competitive districts---TurnUp pays students volunteers cash to run voter reg drives and they have to visually prove they registered a significant number of new voters! TurnUp then uses extensive soc media to encourage them to vote!

Of the 435 congressional districts, less than 10% are "truly competitive" so TurnUp doesn't waste your hard earned $$ on races already won or lost--makes sene, doesn't it? TurnUp also is nonpartisan and based on protecting abortion rights, effective gun safety legislation and fighting Climate change so your generous contribution is tax deductible! Please help these young activists register 2,00 to 3,500 new voters in each CD--they will be the margin of victory in these close elections! Click on www.TurnUp.US--Thank you cause it our winner!!

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Just donated! Again!

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Many many thanks; we will put it to good use!

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I'm with you, Monica. Writing postcards and letters. I pray it helps. Whether it helped in 2020 with the election of Warnock or not, but he won and I did write letters, then, too.

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Reading about another shooter today... I hope CFDT has a taster for his pablum. He is such a terrible candidate, and losing, if I were him I'd be more worried about my friends than liberals. We progressives love CFDT as a loser, we want to keep him around until the election... then off to prison for a little deserved rest.

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There have been two attempts on the life of "Dear Leader" so far. There have been no calls to ban assault rifles from the MAGA republicans. They must really love their guns. I do not want him assassinated to turn him into a martyr and JD would be worst. For the sanity of all Americans he needs to lose. Going to prison would the best intervention for him since family won't do it.

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Four more years to prosecute a criminal?…who crimes in public and literally said he could. Idk Joyce, it’s just not fair. I hope the media quits caring about him after he loses and he gets zero attention and hauled off to jail and no one cares.

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When he loses, he must spend the rest of his miserable life in courtrooms. (I doubt he'll ever be incarcerated.) I'm afraid that's all we can look forward to.

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I agree with you, Sharon. I have the feeling, though, that once he loses the election, then inevitably causes more grief, gets in more trouble, he won't be treated with trepidation and kid gloves. Part of the reason he has been treated in such a cushy manner is that everyone in the judicial-prison system needs to get used to processing a "former president" (for lack of a better term) . He'll be giving them lots of experience - with current and new cases. I'd love to see him in the Fulton County jail which I've read is a terrible place. So, a terrible place and one which said they won't be giving him any special treatment. Works for me.

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Thank you Joyce. After today’s incident, I’ve been thinking we need Secret Service protection for our school kids, and the good folks in Springfield, Ohio

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Trump's attack on Taylor Swift amounts to stochastic terrorism.

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founding

Has he added her to his list of people to be arrested if he is elected?

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Great news. I think everything can be appealed to the Supreme Court. This is a very nasty business we are in with the majority having no scruples of ethics nor morals.

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Can we get word out to the activists who work in red states to:

1. Advise voters on Election Day to bring water since water cannot be given per Georgia law.

2. Bring a lawn chair or box to sit on the wait is guaranteed to be long.

3. Take Imodium the night before voting. Don’t lose the place in line.

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Perhaps being fitted with catheters would also be I order.(?) I don't know if they figured out a law to prohibit someone from getting back in line, if someone is keeping a place in line for someone if they have to go use the restroom...

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Add: You might want to wear Depends, just in case. I am not being snarky!

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Thank you again, Joyce. It's good to hear an update about Jack Smiths continuing work amid this sea of violent nonsense. Onward.

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Thank you, Joyce, for your discussion of the pending cases against tffg. Great cartoon by Gary Markstein. Please rest and relax for what's left of your evening. See you tomorrow!

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Trump is so stupid. You are spot on Joyce. He can’t keep up with his lies.

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Justice ACB adopted children from Haiti, they appear to be a lovely family, hoping her silence on his assault on other legal Haitian immigrants is due to being immersed in self reflection on the harm she's done in giving a lunatic immunity. Project 2025 "denaturalization" mass deportation language includes people here legally (for now) Vote 💙

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Yes, I have been scratching my head as to why she, of all people, hasn’t spoken out. I feel badly for those kids because someday they will realize their adoptive mother voted against their skin color.

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Someone posted what appeared to be a fairly recent pic (not dated) and they are young adults now, if they have any access to the internet, they would know and I think her silence is shameful. Vergogna!

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