I sent emails to Joe and Mika. I feel I can’t just sit and bit$$ about things that I don’t like. I’m writing and calling my congressional reps every week now as well as others who I believe need to hear from us citizens. I read your words about Joe and Mika and fear. While I am always grateful for your words, I am not sure I agree totally. Ok. They fear retribution. Or, do they fear losing their salaries? I worked for Head Start for many years. Project 2025 calls for abolishing Head Start. Low income families will suffer. The children will suffer. They have something to fear really. Im 76. I don’t know what Oz will do to Medicare but I’m betting it won’t be good. We have real fears but unlike Joe and Mika, we don’t have millions in our bank accounts to help assuage our fears. We don’t have big bank accounts that will carry us forward. They do. I have no respect for them, I believe they have zero integrity. I respect you because I think you have real concerns about you and your family’s safety and well being, but you are “feeling the fear and doing it anyway”! That takes courage and integrity. And I thank you sincerely. My husband and I have real fears about the future of our beloved country. We are not sure things will get better while we are alive. But I know I will stand with you, Steve, and others like you and I will not be silenced. We must unite. I’m not sure how we will do it but I know we can.
Steve, on a slightly different topic. Carl Selfe published on his substack (Hotbottons), a recipe of sorts, for creating a fascistic state. It seems they may start small and slow, to sort of hoodwink a lot of people. Then as they pick up steam, atroticies to civil liberty start happening faster. Do you think the Trvmp/acolytes have the intelligence to orchestrate this or will they be failures once again. How much assistance will they get from Musk? Pvtin? Should we be burying them with lawsuits to slow them down?
Joe and Mika are not journalists. They are “personalities”. They’re free to do whatever they like in the pursuit of ratings or personal enrichment, and we are free not to watch them because they have not got much to contribute in these fraught times.
“Despite the baseless nature of the conspiracy theory, Joe and Mika “are petrified of retribution and of Gaetz opening an investigation into Joe and the intern,” one source with knowledge of their concerns said. “That’s what this was about. It has nothing to do with ratings or Comcast. It’s all about fear of retribution and investigation.”
This is the scary part, they are afraid of retribution. The same reason the Washington Post, NYT’s, LA Times and others all capitulated before the election. The fear is definitely real, and it’s causing a domino effect that should send chills down everyone’s spine!
In a nutshell, people and companies aren’t reacting to actual retribution, but the fear that they will be on the menu! And this is what separates the men from the boys. People like Scarborough and Mika have too much too loose. Their $10 million annual salaries aside, they also have assets that can be confiscated, which is the point.
Ironically, after Trump won the election, our good friends at a media publication that shall not be named, but their credo is “democracy dies in darkness,”’posted, “that they are ready to combat Trump’s second term.” Huh?
The bottom line is this: the MSM is essential to fighting corruption and authoritarianism. However, our MSM is compromised by corporate entities, and billionaires with business before Congress.
Looking at the collapse of Hungary’s democracy, it was always about an impotent and decapitated free press. I believe our best option is to allow the corporate media to fail, but support independent journalism. As more and more people support independent journalism, we will see the best and brightest journalists leave places like WaPPo and the NYT’s in droves, allowing place like Substack to thrive. This could be the new fourth estate, will and army of dedicated and informed citizenry ready and able to fight back! IMHO!..:)
Just when I thought you couldn't get any braver Steve Schmidt you amaze me once again!! Which encourages all of us so much!! Thank you just doesnt seem adequate but I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
While I have some sympathy for Joe and Mika I don't have much empathy. If they're afraid with everything they have, that's very scary. So much for the common good of their "journalism". SMH.
I'm just going to keep fighting. Like Steve says, "A good American doesn't quit." ❤️🇺🇸💙
I don't question their fear, which may be justified, but if they can no longer do the job with integrity, they should step down, not become part of the propaganda team. Easy for me to say, as I don't have millions at stake, but it does expose the shallowness of their convictions. While not yet overtly threatening violence, how would we know if this is prelude to a Night of the Long Knives?
There seems to be a lot going on these days and none of it is good. The news this morning reports plans by various groups to disrupt and end abortion pill access next year. And, for the most part, people are getting elected who want to return the United States to the 19th century. When I look around, I am out of step with the majority.
There’s a part of me that hopes they limit access to birth control pills. Maybe young women who voted for a rapist to lead America need a BIG wake up call. And maybe some young men, too.
Not the majority in terms of policy, but it appears to be a majority of voters who are low information, easily misled, and not endowed with great critical thinking skills. It's deadly.
When I look at a good many of the State Legislators in North Carolina, I say to myself that they would have made good slave owners. And yet they are getting elected in a majority year after year.
Good morning, Steve You have written a very sobering post this morning. Thank You for being you !
Yes, Rachel Nicole and Chris are excellent for the fight we have on our hands. Rachel and Chris were talking about what to do in this time...how to fight this . Rachel said that they will have to keep doing what they are doing.. talk about what is going on. They will continue to speak truth to power . I want to turn away from this horror and hide my head in the sand but I won't I love my country too much. I will continue to find my way in this mess. I will show up when I can and contribute when I can.
Are Joe and Mika on the same level of MSNBC journalism as Lawrence, Melber, Hayes, Reid, Wallace, or Ruhle? Not really. They are more or less “toast and coffee” people. They are entertainers! They are seekers of current trends and cultural phenomenas. No one should even take Joe or Mika seriously since you see who they visited last weekend! Want to be in the MIX? Talking out if both sides of their mouths? They are unserious!
My problem with Lawrence is that he makes absolutist pronouncements about what will or won't happen. He doesn't know any more than we do. As they say, never say never.
I’ve been increasingly subscribing to the independent journalists to get my facts… it’s the dawn of a new era and I greatly appreciate your courage Steve. I viewed the Joe and Mika capitulation as completely self-serving (just like the 11th hour Bezos decision to pull the presidential endorsement ). We need courage and conviction now more than ever… thank you for yours Steve.
Your essay is excellent…and haunting. I support you and your courage, Steve. Reading your posts every day grounds me, as do the posts of Heather Cox Richardson, Charlie Sykes, David Frum and several others. As I’ve heard it said, “our vacation from history is over”. I’m 72 and know that I will be haunted for the rest of my life.
Thank you for this, Steve. MSNBC is the station I listen to to get the facts of the day. I listen to an hour or 2 of Morning Joe, cuz I'm up early... but it IS a coffee klatch affair, and Joe is a blowhard who likes the sound of his own voice. My favorites start with Nicole, Joy, Chris, Rachel, Lawrence, who have good reporting teams. My thoughts are with you and your family, including the doggies. Better to tell the truth and risk safety, than to be a coward -- else you end up with nothing in life.
Thank you, Steve. It’s sure seems like the Democratic Party is also standing down the fact that the President of the United States hasn’t spoken to his constituents or Miss Harris hasn’t spoken to her constituents leaves the impression that they two are trying to cover their asses and protect themselves from the coming, totalitarian regime these are scary times
The opponents of Trump/Maga/Fascism need a strong Democrat to organize and lead us in protests pressuring the remaining sane members of Congress and the federal judiciary to reign in Trump and his most vicious colleagues (Bannon, Miller, Gaetz, MTGS et. al.).
We need anchors like Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Nicole Wallace, and Ari Melber to continue telling the truth about Trump and his cowardly enablers.
We need honest people like Steve and so many others on social media to convince us giving into our fears will cause us more pain than overcoming fear and standing up to tyranny. We must not allow what happened to Joe and Mika to happen to us.
We need major newspapers to grow a spine and begin to tell the truth about Trump and his movement. They must come to realize that if they don't they will all become propaganda outlets for a totalitarian government, American versions of "Pravada," the Russian newspaper that means "Truth" and lies wontonly in support of the man they dread.
Biden is a misguided institutionalist mired in the conventions of the 20th century. The GOP has learned they can plow through norms and will pay no price. Democrats are totally flat-footed in the face of single-party rule. The stomach-turning White House tete-a-tete between the President and Trump was an ill-advised and damaging exercise in making the abnormal seem normal. Meanwhile my 80-year-old Senator is contemplating running again in 2 years. SMH
I sent emails to Joe and Mika. I feel I can’t just sit and bit$$ about things that I don’t like. I’m writing and calling my congressional reps every week now as well as others who I believe need to hear from us citizens. I read your words about Joe and Mika and fear. While I am always grateful for your words, I am not sure I agree totally. Ok. They fear retribution. Or, do they fear losing their salaries? I worked for Head Start for many years. Project 2025 calls for abolishing Head Start. Low income families will suffer. The children will suffer. They have something to fear really. Im 76. I don’t know what Oz will do to Medicare but I’m betting it won’t be good. We have real fears but unlike Joe and Mika, we don’t have millions in our bank accounts to help assuage our fears. We don’t have big bank accounts that will carry us forward. They do. I have no respect for them, I believe they have zero integrity. I respect you because I think you have real concerns about you and your family’s safety and well being, but you are “feeling the fear and doing it anyway”! That takes courage and integrity. And I thank you sincerely. My husband and I have real fears about the future of our beloved country. We are not sure things will get better while we are alive. But I know I will stand with you, Steve, and others like you and I will not be silenced. We must unite. I’m not sure how we will do it but I know we can.
Sharon,
We must unite indeed!
Steve
Steve, on a slightly different topic. Carl Selfe published on his substack (Hotbottons), a recipe of sorts, for creating a fascistic state. It seems they may start small and slow, to sort of hoodwink a lot of people. Then as they pick up steam, atroticies to civil liberty start happening faster. Do you think the Trvmp/acolytes have the intelligence to orchestrate this or will they be failures once again. How much assistance will they get from Musk? Pvtin? Should we be burying them with lawsuits to slow them down?
Thank you for being the sherpa for so many.
I'm with you Sharon. I don't have much either but they'd have to kill me before I'd ever bow down to DJT!!!
Facts
Joe and Mika are not journalists. They are “personalities”. They’re free to do whatever they like in the pursuit of ratings or personal enrichment, and we are free not to watch them because they have not got much to contribute in these fraught times.
“Despite the baseless nature of the conspiracy theory, Joe and Mika “are petrified of retribution and of Gaetz opening an investigation into Joe and the intern,” one source with knowledge of their concerns said. “That’s what this was about. It has nothing to do with ratings or Comcast. It’s all about fear of retribution and investigation.”
This is the scary part, they are afraid of retribution. The same reason the Washington Post, NYT’s, LA Times and others all capitulated before the election. The fear is definitely real, and it’s causing a domino effect that should send chills down everyone’s spine!
In a nutshell, people and companies aren’t reacting to actual retribution, but the fear that they will be on the menu! And this is what separates the men from the boys. People like Scarborough and Mika have too much too loose. Their $10 million annual salaries aside, they also have assets that can be confiscated, which is the point.
Ironically, after Trump won the election, our good friends at a media publication that shall not be named, but their credo is “democracy dies in darkness,”’posted, “that they are ready to combat Trump’s second term.” Huh?
The bottom line is this: the MSM is essential to fighting corruption and authoritarianism. However, our MSM is compromised by corporate entities, and billionaires with business before Congress.
Looking at the collapse of Hungary’s democracy, it was always about an impotent and decapitated free press. I believe our best option is to allow the corporate media to fail, but support independent journalism. As more and more people support independent journalism, we will see the best and brightest journalists leave places like WaPPo and the NYT’s in droves, allowing place like Substack to thrive. This could be the new fourth estate, will and army of dedicated and informed citizenry ready and able to fight back! IMHO!..:)
Well said.
In today’s WaPo, Jennifer Rubin gave an impassioned endorsement of Propublica. I wonder what her bosses are thinking about that!
Just when I thought you couldn't get any braver Steve Schmidt you amaze me once again!! Which encourages all of us so much!! Thank you just doesnt seem adequate but I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
While I have some sympathy for Joe and Mika I don't have much empathy. If they're afraid with everything they have, that's very scary. So much for the common good of their "journalism". SMH.
I'm just going to keep fighting. Like Steve says, "A good American doesn't quit." ❤️🇺🇸💙
I don't question their fear, which may be justified, but if they can no longer do the job with integrity, they should step down, not become part of the propaganda team. Easy for me to say, as I don't have millions at stake, but it does expose the shallowness of their convictions. While not yet overtly threatening violence, how would we know if this is prelude to a Night of the Long Knives?
There seems to be a lot going on these days and none of it is good. The news this morning reports plans by various groups to disrupt and end abortion pill access next year. And, for the most part, people are getting elected who want to return the United States to the 19th century. When I look around, I am out of step with the majority.
There’s a part of me that hopes they limit access to birth control pills. Maybe young women who voted for a rapist to lead America need a BIG wake up call. And maybe some young men, too.
Not the majority in terms of policy, but it appears to be a majority of voters who are low information, easily misled, and not endowed with great critical thinking skills. It's deadly.
When I look at a good many of the State Legislators in North Carolina, I say to myself that they would have made good slave owners. And yet they are getting elected in a majority year after year.
Good morning, Steve You have written a very sobering post this morning. Thank You for being you !
Yes, Rachel Nicole and Chris are excellent for the fight we have on our hands. Rachel and Chris were talking about what to do in this time...how to fight this . Rachel said that they will have to keep doing what they are doing.. talk about what is going on. They will continue to speak truth to power . I want to turn away from this horror and hide my head in the sand but I won't I love my country too much. I will continue to find my way in this mess. I will show up when I can and contribute when I can.
Are Joe and Mika on the same level of MSNBC journalism as Lawrence, Melber, Hayes, Reid, Wallace, or Ruhle? Not really. They are more or less “toast and coffee” people. They are entertainers! They are seekers of current trends and cultural phenomenas. No one should even take Joe or Mika seriously since you see who they visited last weekend! Want to be in the MIX? Talking out if both sides of their mouths? They are unserious!
Yes and he is a bully and she is unbearable ..
They belong on Fox.
Don't forget Lawrence O'Donnell. Always a truth teller. Fearless, principled, a warrior for truth and justice. Just like Steve!
My problem with Lawrence is that he makes absolutist pronouncements about what will or won't happen. He doesn't know any more than we do. As they say, never say never.
And Lawrence, Ari and Joy Reid, and Ali Velshi
Better to stop watching any billionaire-owned media. It’s all brain rot.
I’ve been increasingly subscribing to the independent journalists to get my facts… it’s the dawn of a new era and I greatly appreciate your courage Steve. I viewed the Joe and Mika capitulation as completely self-serving (just like the 11th hour Bezos decision to pull the presidential endorsement ). We need courage and conviction now more than ever… thank you for yours Steve.
Try BBC! Good news by fine serious journalists! No one trying to sell themselves! (Show is not named after themselves!)
See my reply to Robert Jaffe about Propublica..
Your essay is excellent…and haunting. I support you and your courage, Steve. Reading your posts every day grounds me, as do the posts of Heather Cox Richardson, Charlie Sykes, David Frum and several others. As I’ve heard it said, “our vacation from history is over”. I’m 72 and know that I will be haunted for the rest of my life.
I have just forwarded this to family and friends. It is one of Steve’s best (all our great!) because
it takes American fascism out of the shadows. Bone chilling that those with the most are the
first to capitulate. What horrible examples of character, all of them. This forum is my only news.
Thank you Steve Schmidt. True words.
Thank you for this, Steve. MSNBC is the station I listen to to get the facts of the day. I listen to an hour or 2 of Morning Joe, cuz I'm up early... but it IS a coffee klatch affair, and Joe is a blowhard who likes the sound of his own voice. My favorites start with Nicole, Joy, Chris, Rachel, Lawrence, who have good reporting teams. My thoughts are with you and your family, including the doggies. Better to tell the truth and risk safety, than to be a coward -- else you end up with nothing in life.
Thank you Steve! Be strong and carry on for those of us with less powerful voices,
who live with fear in our hearts for this reversal of fortune for our country. We need your courage and your perspective! Gods bless America!
Best article ever… stay strong Steve!
Thank you for your courage, Steve.
Thank you, Steve. It’s sure seems like the Democratic Party is also standing down the fact that the President of the United States hasn’t spoken to his constituents or Miss Harris hasn’t spoken to her constituents leaves the impression that they two are trying to cover their asses and protect themselves from the coming, totalitarian regime these are scary times
The opponents of Trump/Maga/Fascism need a strong Democrat to organize and lead us in protests pressuring the remaining sane members of Congress and the federal judiciary to reign in Trump and his most vicious colleagues (Bannon, Miller, Gaetz, MTGS et. al.).
We need anchors like Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Nicole Wallace, and Ari Melber to continue telling the truth about Trump and his cowardly enablers.
We need honest people like Steve and so many others on social media to convince us giving into our fears will cause us more pain than overcoming fear and standing up to tyranny. We must not allow what happened to Joe and Mika to happen to us.
We need major newspapers to grow a spine and begin to tell the truth about Trump and his movement. They must come to realize that if they don't they will all become propaganda outlets for a totalitarian government, American versions of "Pravada," the Russian newspaper that means "Truth" and lies wontonly in support of the man they dread.
We must not give in to despair.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Biden is a misguided institutionalist mired in the conventions of the 20th century. The GOP has learned they can plow through norms and will pay no price. Democrats are totally flat-footed in the face of single-party rule. The stomach-turning White House tete-a-tete between the President and Trump was an ill-advised and damaging exercise in making the abnormal seem normal. Meanwhile my 80-year-old Senator is contemplating running again in 2 years. SMH