Indiana here, Coming out of an extreme two weeks ending with a ban on abortion (some exceptions) I listened to the the extreme speeches of our state GOP. I have a extreme US Rep, who Pelosi removed from the Jan 6 committee. I read about Vance, Cruz, etc and wonder, often, what happened to these people? What drove them to take the positions they take? Do they believe what they are saying? The answers I receive are always power & control and I agree, but I think there is something missing inside of them that shields them from truth, from decency & dignity. Are they broken, damaged? And, what does that say about those that vote for them? I know there are many answers to these questions, but I am continually amazed by Vance and others. I know I shouldn’t be by now, but I am .
Great work, Steve... Just joined after enjoying your pieces for several months. Thank you for all the hard work on behalf of us all - such a heavy lift and so damn important
I lived in Ohio for a bit, and remember on the route between Cincinnati and Columbus, there was a slanted barn roof - positioned so that it was well-visible from the road - with a massive Confederate flag painted on it. In Ohio. There's definitely a constituency for the sorry likes of a fraud like JD Vance, who tickles them in all the right places. Hopefully that constituency will be outnumbered by those who aren't driven solely by racism and grievance.
I love this whole project of yours, Steve. I worry about you sometimes. Please take time for yourself amongst all this negativity.
How do we raise your voice higher? Right now you r talking to people who are alert and responsive to your message. How do we reach those who are in the dark?
I also think about how do we reach these folks in the dark? They have the same access to history as all of us. Fox News provides a steady diet of propaganda to feed the beast and truth is bitter in their mouths.
No father, especially of girls and women, should vote for him and the likes of him. I did not like the ad at all. I felt pity for the woman defending him. That he spoke with such hate for a 10-year-old girl's tender and vulnerable body is a monstrosity. That he speaks of wives with such violent superiority and contempt makes him a small and inconsequential human being. Anti-abortionist and anti-abolitionist is the sound I hear. He and the likes of him will not silence us. His wife is that, a wife. But she is also complicit in the darkness and hate he manifests. Or she may be a victim herself. And this is the tragedy. It is all so clear for those who want to see and want to hear.
For foreigners writing about Trump's speech last night at CPAC, he portends an apocalyptic future for America. I, instead, see him and Vance as swamp-dwellers, along with the malcontents who fill their coffers and the aspiring political players who, anti-democratic to the core, have tapped into this American angst solely for personal political gain. Thiel? An angry young man he was, this gay man who defends Trump against social media's censorship of "free speech." Or is he confusing free speech with the inflammatory words that provoke violence in America, that promote hatred towards women and, in the end, would do precisely the opposite, silence those who cross their paths, starting with women? He is on the record already about how he chose to describe "rape" victims. He is a gay man. Does he care what happens to LGBTQ+ people under Orbanesque states, or is wealth the condition that will always keep HIM safe?
P.S. I thank you again, Steve, for the opportunity to speak. Because I read you with utmost gratitude. And I can not finish here without adding one more thing. A prominent Latina commentator whom I admire said something terrible about Orban's Hungary: the one good thing there is the fact that abortion is legal. I was appalled by the comment. It rounds up all the craziness about the center-stage that emerges from the swamp.
WRT Thiel, he believes his wealth makes him untouchable. If there's a billionaire who needs to be first in line for Being Taken Down, Thiel's the guy. He's a reminder of how many of the early Nazis were gay (till the Night of the Long Knives, then they were dead)
I, too, have loved the men in my life. We are fortunate to say so and to have been loved by them, especially. When misfortune strikes the lives of others is when we can always extend such love with clarity. It is a moral imperative. Thank you for your response.
Excellent, Steve, and thanks for your plan of disseminating the entire rogues’ gallery of mercenary despots who now strut around under the GOP banner waving our flag and the Christian cross.
I would be especiallyappreciative if you would spare a sentence every day or so for the odious shameless DeSantis since his offenses are too many to list in just one of your essays...
Thank you again for shining a light on another malignant party official. Force these Candidates out of the shadows and show them for the true cowards they are. America does not need to look back to change direction but be forward thinking in its progress. Progress leads to innovations that will light the world in a new eco-friendly way. Republicans today are the fear mongers raging against ideas they don't take time to understand. In their universe the sky is always falling and it is always someone elses fault, never their own. They have no new ideas so they resort to old ideas that proved devastating to society, like fascism.
Excellent Steve! The fact that billionaire Peter Theil can pick puppets to run and fund this nonsense is deeply un-American. Is this one of the results of the Supreme Court decision stating corporations have the same rights of free speech that translate into $$$$? The name of that decision escapes me. A well informed citizenry is the only defense against this corruption of our democratic system. Thanks for educating us Steve. JD Vance is unfit to scrub and wash my toilets , never mind represent Ohio in the US Senate.
Steve, I have always stopped, sat down, and listened without distraction when you are on TV. I have always found such clarity and insight that does not exist anywhere else. I just subscribed this morning. My wish is that you become our Thomas Paine and that people pull up from their daily distractions and pay attention. Thank you.
I would think the female Ohio voters would be particularly interested in what he represents. I find it hard to believe anyone would even give him a second look when the alternative is Tim Ryan. When I watch Vance, I always feel like I've been slimed, both physically and intellectually.
Vance, Cruz, and Hawley are truly awful human beings but they are just symptoms of a larger cause. So many people have been left behind due globalization and inequality.
I went to Tim Ryan's website and clicked on "Issues". The text for the first issue begins with, "The most valuable asset the United States has ever had was a thriving middle class. But today, after decades of disinvestment, unfair trade and outsourcing, and policies that have boosted the wealthiest and the biggest corporations at the expense of working people, Ohioans are working harder than ever before, doing everything right, and still falling further behind".
Ryan is putting forward a positive message to solve the problem. He's "going high" while Vance is "going low." Hopefully, he wins and others like him folllow. The populists/fascists are driving a wedge through America with their negative message and, so far, they seem to be winning. They have labeled the Democrats as the enemy, representing the establishment. I fear that positive messengers like Ryan will get drowned out until boomer establishment politicians who represent the mess that needs to be fixed step aside.
Indiana here again also. Excellent points to help Tim Ryan. J. D. V. is a snake in the grass and should not be in Senate. Do hope your remarks will be made available to general public before voting commences..this too important..Will read all you write on other candidates as well.
Well, after doing some outside study on JD Vance, I've come to the conclusion that much of what he believes seems to come from his new-found religion, Catholicism. Top that off with his being raised as an evangelical Christian. Then put the cherry on top with him saying Catholicism influences his political views. I was raised Catholic, so I know plenty about their beliefs. Those beliefs fit quite well with Vance's political thinking concerning marriage (no divorce for life) and the rhythm method is the only acceptable pregnancy preventative accepted. Of course, no abortion for any reason at any time. Just, you know, a beginning to understand. Just the fact that his religion will at least to some degree influence his politics is for me a no-starter. I'm sorry I don't live in Ohio to vote against him. And for those who want to know, the totality of my education, right through college, was by way of Catholic schools. I have not been a Catholic believer in over 50 years now. Check out the religion of the conservatives on the SC. All Catholic save one who was brought up Catholic then switched when he got married. Scary but explains a lot. I have nothing against Catholics, they are entitled to their believes just like all of us. But, they shouldn't be pushing them on the rest of us.
Excellent link! I hope Steve writes about Leonard Leo, The Federalist Society, JCN, The Becket Fund, etc and how far right Catholicism has systematically influenced and now controls our judiciary. It’s a wake up call for sure. Solutions?! Maybe Cory Booker has one ... Term limits for Supreme Court ... 16 members vs nine?
hard to believe Vance gets traction against someone so thoroughly good, but good is no longer a sure bet, and worse, among the craziest, evil is entertaining. Keep spreading the word in your best way Steve. The Warning is a daily tonic.
Poignant compelling indictment! The facts speak. Thank you.
If Ryan campaign chooses to quote your truth-telling, The People of Ohio must certainly choose Tim Ryan over jdvance, who - it would seem - has joined the club of those who have sold their souls.
“Yale-Billy” is perfect. For those who have not read the book by the aforementioned Yale Billy, It’s pretty easy to see now his intent all along upon writing the book. The book always was very suspicious, poor guy makes it out of poverty, returns to air the dirty laundry, While both condemning and condescending to hometown crowd For the purpose to educate his fellow ne’er-do-well.
Truly the only thing his book indicated was publishers are capable of hyping books, and individuals didn’t know the difference between a self-serving piece of writing and a longitudinal meta-study.
My Consolation regarding my time spent with the book, was I used the library refusing to pay for it directly.
Indiana here, Coming out of an extreme two weeks ending with a ban on abortion (some exceptions) I listened to the the extreme speeches of our state GOP. I have a extreme US Rep, who Pelosi removed from the Jan 6 committee. I read about Vance, Cruz, etc and wonder, often, what happened to these people? What drove them to take the positions they take? Do they believe what they are saying? The answers I receive are always power & control and I agree, but I think there is something missing inside of them that shields them from truth, from decency & dignity. Are they broken, damaged? And, what does that say about those that vote for them? I know there are many answers to these questions, but I am continually amazed by Vance and others. I know I shouldn’t be by now, but I am .
Great work, Steve... Just joined after enjoying your pieces for several months. Thank you for all the hard work on behalf of us all - such a heavy lift and so damn important
I lived in Ohio for a bit, and remember on the route between Cincinnati and Columbus, there was a slanted barn roof - positioned so that it was well-visible from the road - with a massive Confederate flag painted on it. In Ohio. There's definitely a constituency for the sorry likes of a fraud like JD Vance, who tickles them in all the right places. Hopefully that constituency will be outnumbered by those who aren't driven solely by racism and grievance.
Southern Ohio was a hotbed of "Copperhead Democrats" during the Civil War, and ideologically never really changed that much.
I love this whole project of yours, Steve. I worry about you sometimes. Please take time for yourself amongst all this negativity.
How do we raise your voice higher? Right now you r talking to people who are alert and responsive to your message. How do we reach those who are in the dark?
I also think about how do we reach these folks in the dark? They have the same access to history as all of us. Fox News provides a steady diet of propaganda to feed the beast and truth is bitter in their mouths.
No father, especially of girls and women, should vote for him and the likes of him. I did not like the ad at all. I felt pity for the woman defending him. That he spoke with such hate for a 10-year-old girl's tender and vulnerable body is a monstrosity. That he speaks of wives with such violent superiority and contempt makes him a small and inconsequential human being. Anti-abortionist and anti-abolitionist is the sound I hear. He and the likes of him will not silence us. His wife is that, a wife. But she is also complicit in the darkness and hate he manifests. Or she may be a victim herself. And this is the tragedy. It is all so clear for those who want to see and want to hear.
For foreigners writing about Trump's speech last night at CPAC, he portends an apocalyptic future for America. I, instead, see him and Vance as swamp-dwellers, along with the malcontents who fill their coffers and the aspiring political players who, anti-democratic to the core, have tapped into this American angst solely for personal political gain. Thiel? An angry young man he was, this gay man who defends Trump against social media's censorship of "free speech." Or is he confusing free speech with the inflammatory words that provoke violence in America, that promote hatred towards women and, in the end, would do precisely the opposite, silence those who cross their paths, starting with women? He is on the record already about how he chose to describe "rape" victims. He is a gay man. Does he care what happens to LGBTQ+ people under Orbanesque states, or is wealth the condition that will always keep HIM safe?
P.S. I thank you again, Steve, for the opportunity to speak. Because I read you with utmost gratitude. And I can not finish here without adding one more thing. A prominent Latina commentator whom I admire said something terrible about Orban's Hungary: the one good thing there is the fact that abortion is legal. I was appalled by the comment. It rounds up all the craziness about the center-stage that emerges from the swamp.
WRT Thiel, he believes his wealth makes him untouchable. If there's a billionaire who needs to be first in line for Being Taken Down, Thiel's the guy. He's a reminder of how many of the early Nazis were gay (till the Night of the Long Knives, then they were dead)
TAKE THEIL DOWN! One of our goals is clearly identified. This will require more than ranting and voting.
Thanks for your respectful response in support and protection of women …
All of my life I’ve supported and loved my father, husbands and sons and as a widow my late husband who was a Judge would be sickened by this
Disrespect of women because of his love of me❤️
I, too, have loved the men in my life. We are fortunate to say so and to have been loved by them, especially. When misfortune strikes the lives of others is when we can always extend such love with clarity. It is a moral imperative. Thank you for your response.
Excellent, Steve, and thanks for your plan of disseminating the entire rogues’ gallery of mercenary despots who now strut around under the GOP banner waving our flag and the Christian cross.
I would be especiallyappreciative if you would spare a sentence every day or so for the odious shameless DeSantis since his offenses are too many to list in just one of your essays...
Thank you again for shining a light on another malignant party official. Force these Candidates out of the shadows and show them for the true cowards they are. America does not need to look back to change direction but be forward thinking in its progress. Progress leads to innovations that will light the world in a new eco-friendly way. Republicans today are the fear mongers raging against ideas they don't take time to understand. In their universe the sky is always falling and it is always someone elses fault, never their own. They have no new ideas so they resort to old ideas that proved devastating to society, like fascism.
Excellent Steve! The fact that billionaire Peter Theil can pick puppets to run and fund this nonsense is deeply un-American. Is this one of the results of the Supreme Court decision stating corporations have the same rights of free speech that translate into $$$$? The name of that decision escapes me. A well informed citizenry is the only defense against this corruption of our democratic system. Thanks for educating us Steve. JD Vance is unfit to scrub and wash my toilets , never mind represent Ohio in the US Senate.
I think it was “Citizens United” but I could be wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time 🤷♂️
Steve, I have always stopped, sat down, and listened without distraction when you are on TV. I have always found such clarity and insight that does not exist anywhere else. I just subscribed this morning. My wish is that you become our Thomas Paine and that people pull up from their daily distractions and pay attention. Thank you.
Thanks for your support!
I would think the female Ohio voters would be particularly interested in what he represents. I find it hard to believe anyone would even give him a second look when the alternative is Tim Ryan. When I watch Vance, I always feel like I've been slimed, both physically and intellectually.
I feel the same way, like a slug has crawled all over me leaving a trail of slime needing to be scrubbed away.
Vance, Cruz, and Hawley are truly awful human beings but they are just symptoms of a larger cause. So many people have been left behind due globalization and inequality.
I went to Tim Ryan's website and clicked on "Issues". The text for the first issue begins with, "The most valuable asset the United States has ever had was a thriving middle class. But today, after decades of disinvestment, unfair trade and outsourcing, and policies that have boosted the wealthiest and the biggest corporations at the expense of working people, Ohioans are working harder than ever before, doing everything right, and still falling further behind".
Ryan is putting forward a positive message to solve the problem. He's "going high" while Vance is "going low." Hopefully, he wins and others like him folllow. The populists/fascists are driving a wedge through America with their negative message and, so far, they seem to be winning. They have labeled the Democrats as the enemy, representing the establishment. I fear that positive messengers like Ryan will get drowned out until boomer establishment politicians who represent the mess that needs to be fixed step aside.
Indiana here again also. Excellent points to help Tim Ryan. J. D. V. is a snake in the grass and should not be in Senate. Do hope your remarks will be made available to general public before voting commences..this too important..Will read all you write on other candidates as well.
Well, after doing some outside study on JD Vance, I've come to the conclusion that much of what he believes seems to come from his new-found religion, Catholicism. Top that off with his being raised as an evangelical Christian. Then put the cherry on top with him saying Catholicism influences his political views. I was raised Catholic, so I know plenty about their beliefs. Those beliefs fit quite well with Vance's political thinking concerning marriage (no divorce for life) and the rhythm method is the only acceptable pregnancy preventative accepted. Of course, no abortion for any reason at any time. Just, you know, a beginning to understand. Just the fact that his religion will at least to some degree influence his politics is for me a no-starter. I'm sorry I don't live in Ohio to vote against him. And for those who want to know, the totality of my education, right through college, was by way of Catholic schools. I have not been a Catholic believer in over 50 years now. Check out the religion of the conservatives on the SC. All Catholic save one who was brought up Catholic then switched when he got married. Scary but explains a lot. I have nothing against Catholics, they are entitled to their believes just like all of us. But, they shouldn't be pushing them on the rest of us.
Regarding Catholics and courts, try reading about Leonard Leo:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-secrets-of-leonard-leo-the-man-behind-trumps-supreme-court-pick
No one who puts their religion before the law should be on the court making rules for the rest of us. Yes, I know, "religious test"...
Excellent link! I hope Steve writes about Leonard Leo, The Federalist Society, JCN, The Becket Fund, etc and how far right Catholicism has systematically influenced and now controls our judiciary. It’s a wake up call for sure. Solutions?! Maybe Cory Booker has one ... Term limits for Supreme Court ... 16 members vs nine?
Sheldon Whitehouse has done a lot of work digging into the Dark Momey web of the right wing networks.
Here's another look at Leo's work.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/leonard-leos-surge-of-dark-money-for-conservative-judicial-nominees/2019/05/28/5c563592-7e44-11e9-b1f3-b233fe5811ef_story.html
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/30/1108351562/roe-abortion-supreme-court-scotus-law
hard to believe Vance gets traction against someone so thoroughly good, but good is no longer a sure bet, and worse, among the craziest, evil is entertaining. Keep spreading the word in your best way Steve. The Warning is a daily tonic.
Poignant compelling indictment! The facts speak. Thank you.
If Ryan campaign chooses to quote your truth-telling, The People of Ohio must certainly choose Tim Ryan over jdvance, who - it would seem - has joined the club of those who have sold their souls.
“Yale-Billy” is perfect. For those who have not read the book by the aforementioned Yale Billy, It’s pretty easy to see now his intent all along upon writing the book. The book always was very suspicious, poor guy makes it out of poverty, returns to air the dirty laundry, While both condemning and condescending to hometown crowd For the purpose to educate his fellow ne’er-do-well.
Truly the only thing his book indicated was publishers are capable of hyping books, and individuals didn’t know the difference between a self-serving piece of writing and a longitudinal meta-study.
My Consolation regarding my time spent with the book, was I used the library refusing to pay for it directly.

I too was repulsed by his book and movie.