I always enjoy talking with my friend Evan Smith, co-founder and senior adviser at The Texas Tribune. In this edition of The Warning podcast, we discuss the recent far-right radicalization of Texas politics, the state of local journalism, and how the Dobbs decision impacts communities across the country. Have a listen here, or check it out on
I recently watched your very perceptive and intelligent conversation with David Rothkopf on YouTube. Soon after that I watched your podcast regarding the Colorado decision. They inspired me to make the following comments...
Our democracy is already broken. Free and fair elections, the peaceful transfer of power, and respect for the rule of law are the heart and soul of a functional democracy. An informed, engaged electorate is an essential factor of this equation.
The unfortunate fact is that the electorate is damaged.
I am also from North Plainfield. I graduated from NPHS in 1968. I grew up in a time when all TV and radio was free, regulated by the FCC. There were only three major, well respected, and essentially legitimate news networks. We read the local Courier News, the Newark Star Ledger and The New York Times. The electorate, for the most part, shared a common reality based upon common sources of facts and information. Nowadays there are several major so-called news networks, and information outlets (as sited in your conversation with David) with international reach, spewing lies, propaganda, and misinformation, many for the sole purpose of selling advertising. The damage that Fox News and its ilk has done and is doing to our democracy is enormous.
Whenever I hear some intelligent person, professor, or analyst suggest that we should leave the decision "up to the Voters", I must wonder if they are considering that the electorate, is largely blissfully ignorant, gleefully gullible, willfully misled and misinformed.
How can It be that the First Amendment has the limitation that you cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theater, yet, when it comes to the most important aspect of our democracy, that is, electing our government, and having an electorate that shares the same basic set of facts, that shares the same reality so that citizens can make informed and intelligent decisions, is not important enough to also have some kind of regulation that forbids intentionally and willfully lying to the public and misleading them, to the extent that citizens for the most part have no idea who or what they are really voting for.
If we, as a society, conclude that exceptions to the rule of law shall be made expressly for Donald Trump, because we are fearful of the reaction of his followers and therefore, he, unlike any other citizen, is above the law, then we will be gliding down the “slippery slope” towards autocracy, having already lost our democracy as it once was. I am reminded of a movie I saw in my youth, “The Giant Behemoth”, where, when a nuclear bomb was dropped on the huge, menacing monster… Rather than being destroyed, it came back stronger. The following article suggests that we may be courageous in the face of possible repercussions.
"A demonstration on Monday organized by the New York Young Republican Club outside the Manhattan court where Trump would be arraigned if indicted drew barely 50 people. Only a handful of supporters showed up outside his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, according to local reports."
Let this be a legal, constitutional question, if that is what it truly is, with a decision rendered “without fear or favor”.
I have listened to many legal scholars, and I believe that Judge Luttig has delivered the most intelligent and objective analysis of the situation…
‘“Yesterday's decision by the Colorado Supreme Court was masterful. It was brilliant, and it is an unassailable interpretation of the 14th Amendment,” the former judge added.
When asked what he would say to Americans concerned about Trump's candidacy being placed in the hands of unelected judges, Luttig called Trump's conduct - not his disqualification - anti-democratic.’
Thank you for all that you do. I hope that your message, your “Warning” reaches the citizens that need to hear it.
I have yet to hear, nor have I been able to articulate myself that which you have put forward so well here in these remarks..Rick, I could not agree more..Well said..We have a founding document that dictates how are laws are to be crafted and carried out..When I hear people proffer "Let the voters decide." when weighing in on the Sec 3 of the 14th Amend, I am amazed at how little regard deliberately or not they are showing for The Constitution, the very document that is at the heart of our founding..I too am a champion of Judge Luttig, he has, as you stated "delivered the most intelligent and objective analysis of the situation."
What is so clear to me, and is being missed by many, and by some deliberately is that the voters are going to decide.. They will chose from qualified candidates who meet all of the criteria to be placed on the ballot.. Those upset that their guy just isn't one of them..which is his fault just need to suck it up..
Texans are simple people easily manipulated by others who could direct them for good but instead chosen to use them as a tip of their spear. The leaders declare that freedom/liberty is what we say it is and anyone who disagrees is a socialist, communist or gay child molester. Freedom is conformity to our rules. It’s not corruption if they are on our team (AG Paxton). Federal law and procedures are to be ignored (Gov Abbot giving power to the police to arrest people on suspicion of being in the state illegally). Even a sense of right and wrong have fallen as a casualty of this so called freedom ( the woman who had to leave the state even though the baby would die and the mother’s life was endangered by giving birth). The answer to gun violence is more guns in the hands of every one of any age(no permit, no training, and no screening for past violence or mental illness). It is the environment of inbreeding of warped values.
“A corrupt system attracts corrupt people...A bad system can create a vicious cycle of people willing to lie, cheat and steal...”(Corruptible by Brian Klaas).
The fact that the Texas legislature did not remove Paxon as AG, show a complicity to approve of the state’s hypocrisy. Freedom is what I say the state’s mentality.
Your observations are mostly correct, but we are not all "being manipulated." We are being dominated by radical right-wingers through gerrymandering and hypocritical power-grabs by Republicans who used to say that they opposed "big government" overriding local government decisions. Now they are "big government" at the state level, frequently overriding city government decisions to impose their right-wing agenda on many unwilling citizens.
Another great conversation and a helpful reminder that not all Texans are yahoo cowboys/cowgirls. If only they would stop electing these ornery owl hoots.
Despite urbanization and the shrinking of rural Texas and America generally, it is still the "Wild West" all over America, a generalized devolution of the condition of citizen and human being. Without responsibility, freedom is just mayhem with an ever shrinking of the thinnest of thin blue lines.
The Israeli Air Force has bombed the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank more than 7 times since 10/7 and have been shooting unarmed civilians there as well.
As the raid began on 19 November, Amin was walking home when an Israeli soldier shot him in both legs. Despite there being a hospital next to the camp, the ambulance could not reach Amin for over two hours as Israeli forces restricted the movement of ambulances, surrounded the hospital, and cut off access to the facility by blocking the main road with armoured vehicles
Mr. Schmidt, It is well known that you are an engrossing orator an writer and have a huge fan base, among which is me. Like all your fans, I also like to look in every day and see that you have given me to think about and also to comment on..
Lately, someone once said to me what I shall pass along to you. He said that the articles I send him to read are so obvious from their titling that he doesn't need to read them. He is right.
Sometimes, Mr. Schmidt, the mere TITLE of your subject of the day already tells me all I need to know about the content..
Let me suggest, very gently and with great respect, that you write less USA-centric titles. In that way, you can then segue into what you want to write about without losing readers like me who are so completely well versed on it .
Texas is a cesspool of unrestrained extremism like a state possessed.
Mia, as is Florida.
Hello Steve,
I recently watched your very perceptive and intelligent conversation with David Rothkopf on YouTube. Soon after that I watched your podcast regarding the Colorado decision. They inspired me to make the following comments...
Our democracy is already broken. Free and fair elections, the peaceful transfer of power, and respect for the rule of law are the heart and soul of a functional democracy. An informed, engaged electorate is an essential factor of this equation.
The unfortunate fact is that the electorate is damaged.
I am also from North Plainfield. I graduated from NPHS in 1968. I grew up in a time when all TV and radio was free, regulated by the FCC. There were only three major, well respected, and essentially legitimate news networks. We read the local Courier News, the Newark Star Ledger and The New York Times. The electorate, for the most part, shared a common reality based upon common sources of facts and information. Nowadays there are several major so-called news networks, and information outlets (as sited in your conversation with David) with international reach, spewing lies, propaganda, and misinformation, many for the sole purpose of selling advertising. The damage that Fox News and its ilk has done and is doing to our democracy is enormous.
Whenever I hear some intelligent person, professor, or analyst suggest that we should leave the decision "up to the Voters", I must wonder if they are considering that the electorate, is largely blissfully ignorant, gleefully gullible, willfully misled and misinformed.
How can It be that the First Amendment has the limitation that you cannot yell “fire” in a crowded theater, yet, when it comes to the most important aspect of our democracy, that is, electing our government, and having an electorate that shares the same basic set of facts, that shares the same reality so that citizens can make informed and intelligent decisions, is not important enough to also have some kind of regulation that forbids intentionally and willfully lying to the public and misleading them, to the extent that citizens for the most part have no idea who or what they are really voting for.
If we, as a society, conclude that exceptions to the rule of law shall be made expressly for Donald Trump, because we are fearful of the reaction of his followers and therefore, he, unlike any other citizen, is above the law, then we will be gliding down the “slippery slope” towards autocracy, having already lost our democracy as it once was. I am reminded of a movie I saw in my youth, “The Giant Behemoth”, where, when a nuclear bomb was dropped on the huge, menacing monster… Rather than being destroyed, it came back stronger. The following article suggests that we may be courageous in the face of possible repercussions.
https://time.com/6264838/trump-protests-indictment-flopping/
"A demonstration on Monday organized by the New York Young Republican Club outside the Manhattan court where Trump would be arraigned if indicted drew barely 50 people. Only a handful of supporters showed up outside his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, according to local reports."
Let this be a legal, constitutional question, if that is what it truly is, with a decision rendered “without fear or favor”.
I have listened to many legal scholars, and I believe that Judge Luttig has delivered the most intelligent and objective analysis of the situation…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/12/20/former-judge-donald-trump-colorado-ballot/71983728007/
‘“Yesterday's decision by the Colorado Supreme Court was masterful. It was brilliant, and it is an unassailable interpretation of the 14th Amendment,” the former judge added.
When asked what he would say to Americans concerned about Trump's candidacy being placed in the hands of unelected judges, Luttig called Trump's conduct - not his disqualification - anti-democratic.’
Thank you for all that you do. I hope that your message, your “Warning” reaches the citizens that need to hear it.
Respectfully, and with kindness,
Rick Tobey (Go Pinecones!)
I have yet to hear, nor have I been able to articulate myself that which you have put forward so well here in these remarks..Rick, I could not agree more..Well said..We have a founding document that dictates how are laws are to be crafted and carried out..When I hear people proffer "Let the voters decide." when weighing in on the Sec 3 of the 14th Amend, I am amazed at how little regard deliberately or not they are showing for The Constitution, the very document that is at the heart of our founding..I too am a champion of Judge Luttig, he has, as you stated "delivered the most intelligent and objective analysis of the situation."
What is so clear to me, and is being missed by many, and by some deliberately is that the voters are going to decide.. They will chose from qualified candidates who meet all of the criteria to be placed on the ballot.. Those upset that their guy just isn't one of them..which is his fault just need to suck it up..
Texans are simple people easily manipulated by others who could direct them for good but instead chosen to use them as a tip of their spear. The leaders declare that freedom/liberty is what we say it is and anyone who disagrees is a socialist, communist or gay child molester. Freedom is conformity to our rules. It’s not corruption if they are on our team (AG Paxton). Federal law and procedures are to be ignored (Gov Abbot giving power to the police to arrest people on suspicion of being in the state illegally). Even a sense of right and wrong have fallen as a casualty of this so called freedom ( the woman who had to leave the state even though the baby would die and the mother’s life was endangered by giving birth). The answer to gun violence is more guns in the hands of every one of any age(no permit, no training, and no screening for past violence or mental illness). It is the environment of inbreeding of warped values.
“A corrupt system attracts corrupt people...A bad system can create a vicious cycle of people willing to lie, cheat and steal...”(Corruptible by Brian Klaas).
The fact that the Texas legislature did not remove Paxon as AG, show a complicity to approve of the state’s hypocrisy. Freedom is what I say the state’s mentality.
Your observations are mostly correct, but we are not all "being manipulated." We are being dominated by radical right-wingers through gerrymandering and hypocritical power-grabs by Republicans who used to say that they opposed "big government" overriding local government decisions. Now they are "big government" at the state level, frequently overriding city government decisions to impose their right-wing agenda on many unwilling citizens.
Another great conversation and a helpful reminder that not all Texans are yahoo cowboys/cowgirls. If only they would stop electing these ornery owl hoots.
So good. I wanted this to last much longer. Have him on again, Steve.
Despite urbanization and the shrinking of rural Texas and America generally, it is still the "Wild West" all over America, a generalized devolution of the condition of citizen and human being. Without responsibility, freedom is just mayhem with an ever shrinking of the thinnest of thin blue lines.
"Without responsibility, freedom is just mayhem"
Best line of the day...thanks.
Brilliant conversation! Great interview and insight, thanks Steve!
The Israeli Air Force has bombed the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank more than 7 times since 10/7 and have been shooting unarmed civilians there as well.
As the raid began on 19 November, Amin was walking home when an Israeli soldier shot him in both legs. Despite there being a hospital next to the camp, the ambulance could not reach Amin for over two hours as Israeli forces restricted the movement of ambulances, surrounded the hospital, and cut off access to the facility by blocking the main road with armoured vehicles
Mr. Schmidt, It is well known that you are an engrossing orator an writer and have a huge fan base, among which is me. Like all your fans, I also like to look in every day and see that you have given me to think about and also to comment on..
Lately, someone once said to me what I shall pass along to you. He said that the articles I send him to read are so obvious from their titling that he doesn't need to read them. He is right.
Sometimes, Mr. Schmidt, the mere TITLE of your subject of the day already tells me all I need to know about the content..
Let me suggest, very gently and with great respect, that you write less USA-centric titles. In that way, you can then segue into what you want to write about without losing readers like me who are so completely well versed on it .
Sorry I meant Rick Tobey.
Great response Steve Toby.