“Democracy dies in darkness” is the banal and inaccurate phrase that appears on The Washington Post masthead. Where did it come from? Who wrote it? Why does it stay on the newspaper’s masthead years after its first appearance, despite the fact that it isn’t true, and the obvious emptiness of the sentiment?
I take Trump at his word to too, even if he cannot keep track of which member of the Bush family did what, or whales being attacked by windmills. I believe him when says he will execute his enemies. I believe him when he will burn the entire government down and make all beholden to him.
Now, on to the "don't trip" comment. Steve, you've done enough pre-political walk throughs where you walk the route and make sure there are no obstructions. You may have had to worry with a bullet-proof podium and where the medical team would be located in case of a medical emergency. I can say that I have, more than once, worried with those issues. ( If you are wondering, it was under Bush II) When Biden tripped at one of the military academies, my first thought was "who walked the route". YOU ALWAYS WALK THE ROUTE. You make sure nothing is in the way. The head of state is always paying attention to the crowd, it's your responsibly (or the Secret Service's to be accurate) to make sure the walkway is clear. So it isn't age, although exercise does help balance issues. Having seen President Biden around Rehoboth, he does exercise.
It is who is making sure the route is clear going in and going out. I am not sure if the right people are checking the route.
Biden's responsibility for the sandbag incident is ZERO! It was an egregious error on somebody's part and should encourage 110% caution in future. I'm in the film business, sandbags are a necessary danger, but a danger nonetheless.
They are needed in certain installations and have spent time walking around them when used to secure backdrops and other temporary installations. Thank you for mentioning how they work and the need for caution
When was the last time Trump & the rest of the GOP actually discussed policies, particularly anything that support Americans? If I recall right, they deliberately said they had no platform for their convention in 2020. It's all policies of hate and vengeance and revenge.
What is going on in your great country? The polls say a tie between the most effective president in 60 years and a 4 times indicted, twice impeached, briber of porn stars, rapist, pathological liar and would-be dictator. Joe Biden is doing a terrific job and has all the right motivations. One beneficial achievement after another, in many ways saving the country from itself. It ought to be clear that 90 is the new 80. Look at Rupert Murdoch and the damage he is still capable of doing. I’m 87 and I know what is gone and what is still there. Biden is very, very likely to reach a golden age well beyond his next term. But Trump! That’s another matter. He is getting crazier by the minute, his ideas, often threats, are more outrageous. He doesn’t remember who is who or when is when or what is what or which bush to pee on. He is dangling WW2 to scare us save that it seems we already did that. He is not sure who he ran against or is running against or who started what. While he has been a nut case for decades some of these gaffes have a shiny new quality about them that foretell even worse as we approach 2024 Election Day. By that time he may be promoting Kim Jun Un for Secretary of State. By that time Orange may be the new Black. By that time his shooting someone on Fifth Avenue and getting away with it might be the other way around. Oh, silly me, I’m just a cockeyed optimist.
Let's hope your cockeyed optimism will be a self fulfilling prophecy! We need to flood the country/world with hopeful and optimistic thinking. Wouldn't it be great if that made a difference?
Hi Steve! I love your ending-touché 😉 friends? Yes, Trump is terrifying, but why is he not to half the electorate? Or perhaps, why is he not more terrifying than the prospect of Joe Biden - enough to vote against their party? I will never understand the tribalism that has happened in this country. And why has the media decided that the prospect of an elderly president, who sometimes has to be reminded which way to walk offstage, but can bring the United Nations together as well as still pass meaningful domestic legislation on a razor thin margin is a threat? But THAT guy isn’t?? Sometimes I just have to turn it all off before my head explodes.
You brought up a good point Laura. ‘It’s Complicated ‘ is not a cliche it’s reality. Waaay over half the nation is terrified -of TFG- far closer to 75%. Whether it be fear or poverty defines ‘the complicated’ fact.
That some on the Orange Squad (<33%?) march to selfish goals ..shiny, cheap, greed.
The Blue Squad (>40%) higher standards ...oaths-advancement for all, history and perfecting principles.
There leaves 27% , a mixed population 17% is abject poverty the poor, disenfranchised , mostly by whatever means opportunistic to survive, and quite unacknowledged/represented/or defined.
Few politicians can even comprehend the latter or their plight. They bleed into the Orange and Blue.
The 10% left is the what say..the ‘Uber’Rich..control most of America -Blue or Orange , and if we don’t watch out ..OUR VOTE..
This is my best effort to summarize with a Humble Opinion ‘It’s Complicated ‘.
Steve must have a big craw because a lot of things get under it. I’m not sure why the Washington Post’s masthead slogan, “Democracy dies in darkness” earns such ire. Steve calls it banal and inaccurate. Maybe so. But the Times doesn’t print all the news that’s fit to be printed, America doesn’t run on Dunkin’, and plenty of champions don’t eat Wheaties. So what? –- Steve Schmidt and James Carville are two savvy political guys, each with a big audience, who, in my opinion, spend way too much time running down the better of the two probable candidates for president. The reason Fox News keeps hammering the message that Biden is decrepit before he’s nominated is that they fear him as a candidate. Tom Friedman, in his recent column on Biden’s handling of Netanyahu said, “…when it comes to diplomacy, age and experience are his greatest assets.” Why keep feeding the old man narrative?
"Democracy dies in darkness" is very moving to me and far from banal. Sometimes Steve's columns are genius level, and sometimes he just annoys the crap out of me!
It ain't poetry but far more true to say Democracy dies in APATHY, which is the great, maybe greatest danger in the U.S. right now. Too busy checking out the gas pump and not enough checking out the people who are trying to bring the whole thing crashing down right now in DAYLIGHT. They can't even wait for darkness. Just sayin'.
I share your pain, but suggest that right wing extremism only thrives in a sea of apathy, otherwise the public would be up in arms over their outrageous behavior and the devil would be driven out of the arena. Right now apathy leaves them untouched.
I agree that these are contributing factors. The comparison to Germany is apt though it was much more extreme with the devastating effect of the Depression completely eroding confidence in the Weimar government and setting the stage for Hitler to succeed “democratically” after many years of effective organization and penetration deep into the society.. In America, a much higher than usual turnout for the 2020 election still left 37.5% of voting age persons not casting votes. When over one third of eligible voters don’t bother, I call that apathy.
Freedom of speech protection under the US Constitution is not unlimited.
Situations affect this protection. As a generic example Judge Brandeis determined that shouting "fire" in a crowded theater is not protected. In an individual example lying is not protected if you are under oath.
While not in a theater or under oath Donald Trump is an indicted felon on release pending trial. This situation affects his speech protections.
It is not clear that he has rights to unsubstantiated defamation of the criminal justice system or its practioners.
Or rights to suggest to those potentially needed to hear his case that the justice system is fraudulent
Indicating that anyone's participation in his trial will place them in harms way, similarl to the police on Jab 6, is not clearly protected.
Donald Trump may want to be jailed to generate sympathy or even outrage but if his unprotected speech behavior warrants then he needs to be sanctioned as an example.
“Trump is a rabid dog,” as said by one of your readers. What happens with a rabid dog? We put her out of her misery. Trump is the sickest of the sickest. There is no cure. But there is always hope. With compassion, I hope our country survives this dark night of the soul. We are undergoing an existential crisis. And in this moment, we have the opportunity to rise up and begin again.
Donald Trump is no spring chicken. He is 77 and shows signs of decline. Joe Biden’s age is not ideal but he has done a better job than many people realize. Our country will not survive 4 more years of fascism. Democrats need to get their act together and talk to the American people. If current staffers have no clue, find out who CAN talk sense to Americans.
Excellent Steve. Keep the interviews coming. Hoping the other networks pick up on this and beg you to come in. You must be exhausted - I am grateful to you.
Democracy dies when people stop believing in the future. Violence, crime and drugs is no longer just happening in the background of the underworld. It is happening out in the open in broad daylight. The police are being overwhelmed. We need to stop the divisive politics and start solving problems. There is no community because our government is no longer working for the people. It has become corrupt and a changing of the guard is needed. I know Trump is not the answer but I am worried that Joe can not unite us with corruption happening in both political parties. I will never submit to any government that is not democratically elected but we need solutions and we need them sooner rather than later. We need someone with a vision to lead us out of the darkness and into the light.
Whaaaaaaat? The divisive politics and corruption are ALL happening on one side. The republican platform is corruption, as in: DT and nothing else. Menendez is an outlier and painting the Democrats with his brush (if that's what you're referring to) is not a parallel to what's going on in the GOP with their antidemocratic dictatorial state and federal actions. And in case you missed it, Joe Biden lead us out of the darkness of the Trump covid catastrophe and the economic meltdown that occurred as a result of it. Biden is also the one who repeatedly tried to reach bipartisan cooperation. Excuse me, but where have you been?
I’d like to think that oh...but in every faction there they are , mistakes are made, wrongdoings done. What we strive for is seeing these and correcting -NOT ERASING, NOT DENIAL, NOT LIES and as Joe proves NOT ONE-UPMANSHIP.
As certain as the day is long , age provides experience and hopefully usually wisdom. Our Demcracy is 200 years old, not long enough to work out kinks, perfect principles, but old/long enough to have seen others as well as our own mistakes , and hopefully learned from each.
Truth. Accountability. Betterment. Togetherness. Big Picture.
Let us stay the course...it’s worked ..it can improve
You sound like a centrist. “A pox on both their houses”, if you will. My friend, this isn’t an election between republicans and democrats. It’s an election between democracy and proto-fascism. Stop worrying about us “coming together”, or whether or not this president can “unite us”. We’re way, way beyond such quaint platitudes. Start worrying about defeating fascists.
Steve, I just caught your long interview on PBD Podcast on You Tube. You were fantastic!! The Trump tweet re: Milley came up and those guys couldn’t even answer your basic question! Nor did they seem to be able to grasp the concept that 1/6 was worse than 9/11 for our democracy!! Love the fighter in you against crazy Vinny. Tough as nails boy would I LOVE to see you take Trump on in person or moderate any if those debates. Hope your readers at the Warning get to see this! I will post the link ...
I actually like the Washington Post slogan. Like the ideals espoused in our Constitution, the slogan is aspirational. Just because the Post doesn’t perfectly live up to it doesn’t make the slogan invalid.
I agree that everything Trump says should be taken literally and seriously. He does mean it and he does want to achieve it.
And apathy, corruption and many things benefit him. However one thing that does NOT benefit him is humour at his expense.
Here in Canada many of us routinely refer to him as T.Rump, and he is often graphically depicted in cartoons as a bulldozer with a huge rear end.
Ridicule may well be an effective weapon against this monster. Because one thing T.Rump does NOT have is a sense of humour. And he does not have a clue how to respond to ridicule at his expense.
I take Trump at his word to too, even if he cannot keep track of which member of the Bush family did what, or whales being attacked by windmills. I believe him when says he will execute his enemies. I believe him when he will burn the entire government down and make all beholden to him.
Now, on to the "don't trip" comment. Steve, you've done enough pre-political walk throughs where you walk the route and make sure there are no obstructions. You may have had to worry with a bullet-proof podium and where the medical team would be located in case of a medical emergency. I can say that I have, more than once, worried with those issues. ( If you are wondering, it was under Bush II) When Biden tripped at one of the military academies, my first thought was "who walked the route". YOU ALWAYS WALK THE ROUTE. You make sure nothing is in the way. The head of state is always paying attention to the crowd, it's your responsibly (or the Secret Service's to be accurate) to make sure the walkway is clear. So it isn't age, although exercise does help balance issues. Having seen President Biden around Rehoboth, he does exercise.
It is who is making sure the route is clear going in and going out. I am not sure if the right people are checking the route.
Agree, Liz. My first thought when I saw the clip of the sandbag incident was who failed to do their job?
Biden's responsibility for the sandbag incident is ZERO! It was an egregious error on somebody's part and should encourage 110% caution in future. I'm in the film business, sandbags are a necessary danger, but a danger nonetheless.
They are needed in certain installations and have spent time walking around them when used to secure backdrops and other temporary installations. Thank you for mentioning how they work and the need for caution
💯 attention to detail. Unless the route was checked and subsequently tampered with. Suspicious? Yes I am.
Was there an overweight guy with orange hair skulking around there?
When was the last time Trump & the rest of the GOP actually discussed policies, particularly anything that support Americans? If I recall right, they deliberately said they had no platform for their convention in 2020. It's all policies of hate and vengeance and revenge.
What is going on in your great country? The polls say a tie between the most effective president in 60 years and a 4 times indicted, twice impeached, briber of porn stars, rapist, pathological liar and would-be dictator. Joe Biden is doing a terrific job and has all the right motivations. One beneficial achievement after another, in many ways saving the country from itself. It ought to be clear that 90 is the new 80. Look at Rupert Murdoch and the damage he is still capable of doing. I’m 87 and I know what is gone and what is still there. Biden is very, very likely to reach a golden age well beyond his next term. But Trump! That’s another matter. He is getting crazier by the minute, his ideas, often threats, are more outrageous. He doesn’t remember who is who or when is when or what is what or which bush to pee on. He is dangling WW2 to scare us save that it seems we already did that. He is not sure who he ran against or is running against or who started what. While he has been a nut case for decades some of these gaffes have a shiny new quality about them that foretell even worse as we approach 2024 Election Day. By that time he may be promoting Kim Jun Un for Secretary of State. By that time Orange may be the new Black. By that time his shooting someone on Fifth Avenue and getting away with it might be the other way around. Oh, silly me, I’m just a cockeyed optimist.
Let's hope your cockeyed optimism will be a self fulfilling prophecy! We need to flood the country/world with hopeful and optimistic thinking. Wouldn't it be great if that made a difference?
It would indeed!
Trump declaring war on General Mark Milley makes Donal Trump an enemy of the United States.
This is the Bannon playbook--flood the field with sh-t and then watch as people drown. Trump is the perfect agent to create that flood.
Hi Steve! I love your ending-touché 😉 friends? Yes, Trump is terrifying, but why is he not to half the electorate? Or perhaps, why is he not more terrifying than the prospect of Joe Biden - enough to vote against their party? I will never understand the tribalism that has happened in this country. And why has the media decided that the prospect of an elderly president, who sometimes has to be reminded which way to walk offstage, but can bring the United Nations together as well as still pass meaningful domestic legislation on a razor thin margin is a threat? But THAT guy isn’t?? Sometimes I just have to turn it all off before my head explodes.
You brought up a good point Laura. ‘It’s Complicated ‘ is not a cliche it’s reality. Waaay over half the nation is terrified -of TFG- far closer to 75%. Whether it be fear or poverty defines ‘the complicated’ fact.
That some on the Orange Squad (<33%?) march to selfish goals ..shiny, cheap, greed.
The Blue Squad (>40%) higher standards ...oaths-advancement for all, history and perfecting principles.
There leaves 27% , a mixed population 17% is abject poverty the poor, disenfranchised , mostly by whatever means opportunistic to survive, and quite unacknowledged/represented/or defined.
Few politicians can even comprehend the latter or their plight. They bleed into the Orange and Blue.
The 10% left is the what say..the ‘Uber’Rich..control most of America -Blue or Orange , and if we don’t watch out ..OUR VOTE..
This is my best effort to summarize with a Humble Opinion ‘It’s Complicated ‘.
Thanks for the inspiration.
💙💙VOTE THE COMPLICIT OUT💙💙
Steve must have a big craw because a lot of things get under it. I’m not sure why the Washington Post’s masthead slogan, “Democracy dies in darkness” earns such ire. Steve calls it banal and inaccurate. Maybe so. But the Times doesn’t print all the news that’s fit to be printed, America doesn’t run on Dunkin’, and plenty of champions don’t eat Wheaties. So what? –- Steve Schmidt and James Carville are two savvy political guys, each with a big audience, who, in my opinion, spend way too much time running down the better of the two probable candidates for president. The reason Fox News keeps hammering the message that Biden is decrepit before he’s nominated is that they fear him as a candidate. Tom Friedman, in his recent column on Biden’s handling of Netanyahu said, “…when it comes to diplomacy, age and experience are his greatest assets.” Why keep feeding the old man narrative?
"Democracy dies in darkness" is very moving to me and far from banal. Sometimes Steve's columns are genius level, and sometimes he just annoys the crap out of me!
It ain't poetry but far more true to say Democracy dies in APATHY, which is the great, maybe greatest danger in the U.S. right now. Too busy checking out the gas pump and not enough checking out the people who are trying to bring the whole thing crashing down right now in DAYLIGHT. They can't even wait for darkness. Just sayin'.
I share your pain, but suggest that right wing extremism only thrives in a sea of apathy, otherwise the public would be up in arms over their outrageous behavior and the devil would be driven out of the arena. Right now apathy leaves them untouched.
Precisely my thoughts
I agree that these are contributing factors. The comparison to Germany is apt though it was much more extreme with the devastating effect of the Depression completely eroding confidence in the Weimar government and setting the stage for Hitler to succeed “democratically” after many years of effective organization and penetration deep into the society.. In America, a much higher than usual turnout for the 2020 election still left 37.5% of voting age persons not casting votes. When over one third of eligible voters don’t bother, I call that apathy.
But apathy allows the extremism to prosper. People who refuse to question the policies and motives of those who wist to be our leaders.
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
Freedom of speech protection under the US Constitution is not unlimited.
Situations affect this protection. As a generic example Judge Brandeis determined that shouting "fire" in a crowded theater is not protected. In an individual example lying is not protected if you are under oath.
While not in a theater or under oath Donald Trump is an indicted felon on release pending trial. This situation affects his speech protections.
It is not clear that he has rights to unsubstantiated defamation of the criminal justice system or its practioners.
Or rights to suggest to those potentially needed to hear his case that the justice system is fraudulent
Indicating that anyone's participation in his trial will place them in harms way, similarl to the police on Jab 6, is not clearly protected.
Donald Trump may want to be jailed to generate sympathy or even outrage but if his unprotected speech behavior warrants then he needs to be sanctioned as an example.
Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.
“Trump is a rabid dog,” as said by one of your readers. What happens with a rabid dog? We put her out of her misery. Trump is the sickest of the sickest. There is no cure. But there is always hope. With compassion, I hope our country survives this dark night of the soul. We are undergoing an existential crisis. And in this moment, we have the opportunity to rise up and begin again.
Donald Trump is no spring chicken. He is 77 and shows signs of decline. Joe Biden’s age is not ideal but he has done a better job than many people realize. Our country will not survive 4 more years of fascism. Democrats need to get their act together and talk to the American people. If current staffers have no clue, find out who CAN talk sense to Americans.
Democrats need to get their act together? What about republicans?
Excellent Steve. Keep the interviews coming. Hoping the other networks pick up on this and beg you to come in. You must be exhausted - I am grateful to you.
Democracy dies when people stop believing in the future. Violence, crime and drugs is no longer just happening in the background of the underworld. It is happening out in the open in broad daylight. The police are being overwhelmed. We need to stop the divisive politics and start solving problems. There is no community because our government is no longer working for the people. It has become corrupt and a changing of the guard is needed. I know Trump is not the answer but I am worried that Joe can not unite us with corruption happening in both political parties. I will never submit to any government that is not democratically elected but we need solutions and we need them sooner rather than later. We need someone with a vision to lead us out of the darkness and into the light.
Whaaaaaaat? The divisive politics and corruption are ALL happening on one side. The republican platform is corruption, as in: DT and nothing else. Menendez is an outlier and painting the Democrats with his brush (if that's what you're referring to) is not a parallel to what's going on in the GOP with their antidemocratic dictatorial state and federal actions. And in case you missed it, Joe Biden lead us out of the darkness of the Trump covid catastrophe and the economic meltdown that occurred as a result of it. Biden is also the one who repeatedly tried to reach bipartisan cooperation. Excuse me, but where have you been?
I’d like to think that oh...but in every faction there they are , mistakes are made, wrongdoings done. What we strive for is seeing these and correcting -NOT ERASING, NOT DENIAL, NOT LIES and as Joe proves NOT ONE-UPMANSHIP.
As certain as the day is long , age provides experience and hopefully usually wisdom. Our Demcracy is 200 years old, not long enough to work out kinks, perfect principles, but old/long enough to have seen others as well as our own mistakes , and hopefully learned from each.
Truth. Accountability. Betterment. Togetherness. Big Picture.
Let us stay the course...it’s worked ..it can improve
💙💙VOTE💙💙
You sound like a centrist. “A pox on both their houses”, if you will. My friend, this isn’t an election between republicans and democrats. It’s an election between democracy and proto-fascism. Stop worrying about us “coming together”, or whether or not this president can “unite us”. We’re way, way beyond such quaint platitudes. Start worrying about defeating fascists.
Steve, I just caught your long interview on PBD Podcast on You Tube. You were fantastic!! The Trump tweet re: Milley came up and those guys couldn’t even answer your basic question! Nor did they seem to be able to grasp the concept that 1/6 was worse than 9/11 for our democracy!! Love the fighter in you against crazy Vinny. Tough as nails boy would I LOVE to see you take Trump on in person or moderate any if those debates. Hope your readers at the Warning get to see this! I will post the link ...
I plan to write about it tomorrow! It was…something!
https://www.youtube.com/live/4ws0_sFa-sA?si=y_8vSaMm7eejvBVJ
I actually like the Washington Post slogan. Like the ideals espoused in our Constitution, the slogan is aspirational. Just because the Post doesn’t perfectly live up to it doesn’t make the slogan invalid.
When it's really dark use night vision googles. Aim low. They might be crawling.
I agree that everything Trump says should be taken literally and seriously. He does mean it and he does want to achieve it.
And apathy, corruption and many things benefit him. However one thing that does NOT benefit him is humour at his expense.
Here in Canada many of us routinely refer to him as T.Rump, and he is often graphically depicted in cartoons as a bulldozer with a huge rear end.
Ridicule may well be an effective weapon against this monster. Because one thing T.Rump does NOT have is a sense of humour. And he does not have a clue how to respond to ridicule at his expense.
So, perhaps ridicule is worth a try.