The Trump freak show is a tired spectacle. It meanders in a dirty trough. It’s a national lazy river that loops languidly around and around and around. Tedious doesn’t begin to describe it, or the packs of hustlers, losers, fraudsters, weirdos and thugs who laze on its banks waiting to devour their piece of floating detritus.
In the period after the J6 insurrection, McConnell wanted to “let the Democrats take care of Trump.” This is as much of an admission as we will get of the Republican party’s impotence & of their faith in Democrats to do the right thing, to do the hard work to clean up yet another mess the GOP made. Kevin McCarthy knew that when it came down to saving the republic from its first ever default, that Democrats, not his own party, would save the global economy. All of the GOP candidates for POTUS await the day when Merrick Garland’s DOJ & Fanni Willis will take Trump out of the running for them. They understand what’s right & expect the Democrats to act on it rather than doing it themselves. You were to kind to them, Steve.
I agree with you Marlene and would like to add that I detest Mitch McConnell for the spineless cowardice he displayed when he did not vote to convict Trump in that second impeachment. HE KNEW TRUMP WAS GUILTY, AND SAID SO AFTER THE VOTE! Had McConnell, on that day, voted to impeach - followed with his “posse” of other Republican Senators following suit, Trump would not have been allowed to run for office ever again.
In a two party system of government, the necessity of legitimacy by both is required. If one party is not only corrupt but unmoored from truth and reality then our experiment in popular government will fail.
Time for real change, fundamental change indeed. May this era of rotteness and decay give rise to a better and fairer America, one in which all men are treated equally. Perhaps, what were seeing is the ugly truths about America, the reality underlying the myths. A country where the monied powerful-- primarily male, Christian and white-- play hardball where anything goes
to allow them to continue prospering off the backs of everyone else, all the while feeding myths to their victims to keep them angry and in line. The problem for these American oligarchs and their domestic and foreign partners in crime is now the system they back is revealing itself as so ugly and destructive that they are scaring and waking up many of the formerly fooled masses, me included. May this period of pain and shame in America be a Great Awakening that rouses us from our slumber to work for a truly equal, fair, and democratic society. May the corrupted and most dangerous person to ever hold office in America and possibly the free world (who is likely a Russian asset or something close) be a catalyst for a long period of reform and renewal. We must fight for this future with hope and courage, free from fear and despair. Victory is in sight.
This is possible: "...a Great Awakening that rouses us from our slumber..." In just two short paragraphs, you've written quite a comprehensive overview of why we're experiencing this "era of rottenness and decay" and how it can be a catalyst for reform and renewal. It makes a world of sense to me and I feel more energized after years of this insanity. Thank you.
Still trying to decide which analogy is the most fitting: Bhopal cloud that kills; worse than pornography that ruins morals, or the eternal favorite of Mos Eisley as a hive of villainy. The MAGA crowd fits all of these and many more.
Well structured arguments. It goes back to something I read over the weekend about the support does not come from conviction or policy, but from being allowed to display their bigotry. Watching the Grahams and other Trump-apologists is a type of mind-withering pornography, designed to see who can be the greatest contortionist to meet Trump's approval.
I have never understood the need for acceptance by a crowd that lacks any belief in integrity or truth. Possibly best summed up by Liz Cheney as "... when Trump is gone, your dishonor will remain..."
I love what you point out, Liz, but I LOL at “It is possible for human beings to assume the agency of house plants.” What I am learning that scares me most is “That it persists because the American people permit it”. I am wondering how often I may have repeated myself but as directed by William Levitt as he sought to sell a myriad of little suburban homes, “No man who owns his own house and lot can be a Communist. He has too much to do.” You can change Communist to any fitting aspect of today’s culture and it seems no one is willing to give up any of their worldly goods or pursuit of such to rid us of what is causing a decay of a fair and just society for ourselves and especially all of our children. Too many live for today and what we can acquire and cling to.
Also I loved learning about the “ Pig War” and the photos were priceless.
Your command of the English language is astounding. Your colorful and apt descriptions of Trump bare the rot of the Republican Party with such disturbing imagery and clarity they should be posted everywhere, digitally and in physical form (fka paper).
Yes, "Schmidt Storms" - home-run hitter! Steve has more than 88k subscribers on youtube now. It is only a matter of time before some of his videos go viral. He can 'take it to MAGA like no other!
Jun 14, 2023·edited Jun 14, 2023Liked by Steve Schmidt
Lisa, it's interesting to note that of the 3 top viewed videos (in the 100s of thousands) that Steve has posted, two of them are about Lindsey Graham. BTW, Steve has now hit 100,000 subscribers. Yippy!!! :)
There are so many things Trump has done to harm this country it would take an encyclopedia to list them all (and even then there would have to be appendices). But in my view, the one thing he has done that affects the lives of every American every day is give permission for people to be complete assholes to one another.
I will never forgive (in no particular order) the national media, Jim Comey, Russian propaganda, Bernie Sanders, third-party voters, "Bernie or Bust" voters, non-voters, and white voters (a solid majority of whom voted for that corpulent pus bag) for ushering in the ruin of this country in 2016. Even if you "just didn't like Hillary," a vote is not a valentine, damn it. It is (or should be) harm reduction for the most vulnerable among us.
One thing that Lindsey said is true; the average Trump supporters that I know, not the TV bozos who are just trying to get attention, do believe he is being singled out and persecuted and the whataboutism is very strong. None of them can get over Hillary, even though she lost because of an announced investigation which is all they wanted! Somehow TFG’s litany of corruption is yesterdays news, something to be ignored. All for the possibility of getting back power to the GOP and lowering their taxes. It’s not the social issues, the women’s rights, or even the guns. God save us if that happens with these guys at the helm.
Steve, I tried to listen to Lindsey Graham but I couldn't make it to the end. All I can say about that performance is, it was pathetic and sickening but par for the course for Republicans. I know where my vote goes from now on and hope other folks reading and listening to your post feel the same. Lots of work to do.
Why in the world do they book that petulant showboater Graham? Yeah most Republicans believe that stuff because their media tells them to believe it. Jesus, George, at least cut him off when goes off topic. Poor Lindsay will never get over the fact that he couldn’t bring down the Clintons.
Don’t disagree with anything said here, but you left out one fundamental building block to this madness. None of this would have happened without Rupert Murdoch and his continuous font of lies and misinformation as well as the billions in free press from reputable news outlets bending over backwards trying to make both candidates appear equally qualified so as not to appear biased.
I would like to add one more building block. Those lovely folks who who brought us global warming, the Koch brothers. Their support for all things divisive since 1988 is well documented and persistant and very well funded. A nexus of propaganda and power that is the octopus that binds it all. For a good recent overview see the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) essay "The Danger of Fair and Balanced". I believe that it was in 2000 that CJR did a big story on the cross-linkages of the global warming deniers with charts. Amazing. CJR is a good source of all things journalistic and is a student publication with little fear.
Lindsey’s outburst was typical Graham outrage, screaming about nothing. One can never tell what he really wants except power and he is thwarted in that endeavor. Kari Lake’s taking the position of calling all MAGA soldiers to Miami along with their assault rifles wasn’t even a veiled threat; it was a challenge for supporters to show up in no uncertain terms. Why this language is allowed to continue on line or anywhere is a mystery to me (goes beyond free speech) as it is in fact a threat. Isn’t there a law that prohibits outright threats on public forums or do we wait to see what happens? She is still extremely angry her election went to another (thank God for it) and appears at first glance to be a rational, ordinary woman. But she is clearly as unhinged as the other magats and must be believed. She is a threat going forward. A nominee for VP? What another nightmare. We cannot let another MTG lose in the halls of Democracy. This one is more dangerous! She seems like a brighter bulb 💡 and could inflict much more damage.
Jun 13, 2023·edited Jun 14, 2023Liked by Steve Schmidt
You had me at the first 3 sentences . . . lol
The greatest grifter of all time grifted one too many . . . boxes. It's always that last grift that will bite the deepest, even if the ass is bigger than a pig's.
Hillary Clinton won popular vote by almost 3 million, Steve, so Trump was not the choice of the majority of those who voted. The electoral college and its voodoo magic put him in office! Sometimes I wonder why we vote at all when the “puppet masters” who compromise the college can overrule the votes of the public!
In the period after the J6 insurrection, McConnell wanted to “let the Democrats take care of Trump.” This is as much of an admission as we will get of the Republican party’s impotence & of their faith in Democrats to do the right thing, to do the hard work to clean up yet another mess the GOP made. Kevin McCarthy knew that when it came down to saving the republic from its first ever default, that Democrats, not his own party, would save the global economy. All of the GOP candidates for POTUS await the day when Merrick Garland’s DOJ & Fanni Willis will take Trump out of the running for them. They understand what’s right & expect the Democrats to act on it rather than doing it themselves. You were to kind to them, Steve.
I agree with you Marlene and would like to add that I detest Mitch McConnell for the spineless cowardice he displayed when he did not vote to convict Trump in that second impeachment. HE KNEW TRUMP WAS GUILTY, AND SAID SO AFTER THE VOTE! Had McConnell, on that day, voted to impeach - followed with his “posse” of other Republican Senators following suit, Trump would not have been allowed to run for office ever again.
In a two party system of government, the necessity of legitimacy by both is required. If one party is not only corrupt but unmoored from truth and reality then our experiment in popular government will fail.
Very well said!
Time for real change, fundamental change indeed. May this era of rotteness and decay give rise to a better and fairer America, one in which all men are treated equally. Perhaps, what were seeing is the ugly truths about America, the reality underlying the myths. A country where the monied powerful-- primarily male, Christian and white-- play hardball where anything goes
to allow them to continue prospering off the backs of everyone else, all the while feeding myths to their victims to keep them angry and in line. The problem for these American oligarchs and their domestic and foreign partners in crime is now the system they back is revealing itself as so ugly and destructive that they are scaring and waking up many of the formerly fooled masses, me included. May this period of pain and shame in America be a Great Awakening that rouses us from our slumber to work for a truly equal, fair, and democratic society. May the corrupted and most dangerous person to ever hold office in America and possibly the free world (who is likely a Russian asset or something close) be a catalyst for a long period of reform and renewal. We must fight for this future with hope and courage, free from fear and despair. Victory is in sight.
Here, here! Very well said Ms. Carlson!!
This is possible: "...a Great Awakening that rouses us from our slumber..." In just two short paragraphs, you've written quite a comprehensive overview of why we're experiencing this "era of rottenness and decay" and how it can be a catalyst for reform and renewal. It makes a world of sense to me and I feel more energized after years of this insanity. Thank you.
Still trying to decide which analogy is the most fitting: Bhopal cloud that kills; worse than pornography that ruins morals, or the eternal favorite of Mos Eisley as a hive of villainy. The MAGA crowd fits all of these and many more.
Well structured arguments. It goes back to something I read over the weekend about the support does not come from conviction or policy, but from being allowed to display their bigotry. Watching the Grahams and other Trump-apologists is a type of mind-withering pornography, designed to see who can be the greatest contortionist to meet Trump's approval.
I have never understood the need for acceptance by a crowd that lacks any belief in integrity or truth. Possibly best summed up by Liz Cheney as "... when Trump is gone, your dishonor will remain..."
Cheney's quote is spot on. A classic quote that sums up the situation perfectly.
I love what you point out, Liz, but I LOL at “It is possible for human beings to assume the agency of house plants.” What I am learning that scares me most is “That it persists because the American people permit it”. I am wondering how often I may have repeated myself but as directed by William Levitt as he sought to sell a myriad of little suburban homes, “No man who owns his own house and lot can be a Communist. He has too much to do.” You can change Communist to any fitting aspect of today’s culture and it seems no one is willing to give up any of their worldly goods or pursuit of such to rid us of what is causing a decay of a fair and just society for ourselves and especially all of our children. Too many live for today and what we can acquire and cling to.
Also I loved learning about the “ Pig War” and the photos were priceless.
Oh! Steve! I COULDNT agree more!!
And couldn’t write better how I feel!!
But…while some humans can have the agency of house plants, too many indeed, even some of us here, SOME DON’T!!!
I’m counting on it and you and us!
Your command of the English language is astounding. Your colorful and apt descriptions of Trump bare the rot of the Republican Party with such disturbing imagery and clarity they should be posted everywhere, digitally and in physical form (fka paper).
Yes, "Schmidt Storms" - home-run hitter! Steve has more than 88k subscribers on youtube now. It is only a matter of time before some of his videos go viral. He can 'take it to MAGA like no other!
Lisa, it's interesting to note that of the 3 top viewed videos (in the 100s of thousands) that Steve has posted, two of them are about Lindsey Graham. BTW, Steve has now hit 100,000 subscribers. Yippy!!! :)
Yay!! Hooray!!
There are so many things Trump has done to harm this country it would take an encyclopedia to list them all (and even then there would have to be appendices). But in my view, the one thing he has done that affects the lives of every American every day is give permission for people to be complete assholes to one another.
I will never forgive (in no particular order) the national media, Jim Comey, Russian propaganda, Bernie Sanders, third-party voters, "Bernie or Bust" voters, non-voters, and white voters (a solid majority of whom voted for that corpulent pus bag) for ushering in the ruin of this country in 2016. Even if you "just didn't like Hillary," a vote is not a valentine, damn it. It is (or should be) harm reduction for the most vulnerable among us.
One thing that Lindsey said is true; the average Trump supporters that I know, not the TV bozos who are just trying to get attention, do believe he is being singled out and persecuted and the whataboutism is very strong. None of them can get over Hillary, even though she lost because of an announced investigation which is all they wanted! Somehow TFG’s litany of corruption is yesterdays news, something to be ignored. All for the possibility of getting back power to the GOP and lowering their taxes. It’s not the social issues, the women’s rights, or even the guns. God save us if that happens with these guys at the helm.
Steve, I tried to listen to Lindsey Graham but I couldn't make it to the end. All I can say about that performance is, it was pathetic and sickening but par for the course for Republicans. I know where my vote goes from now on and hope other folks reading and listening to your post feel the same. Lots of work to do.
Why in the world do they book that petulant showboater Graham? Yeah most Republicans believe that stuff because their media tells them to believe it. Jesus, George, at least cut him off when goes off topic. Poor Lindsay will never get over the fact that he couldn’t bring down the Clintons.
It always comes back to the Clintons with them. They'll never get over the 1992 election.
Don’t disagree with anything said here, but you left out one fundamental building block to this madness. None of this would have happened without Rupert Murdoch and his continuous font of lies and misinformation as well as the billions in free press from reputable news outlets bending over backwards trying to make both candidates appear equally qualified so as not to appear biased.
I would like to add one more building block. Those lovely folks who who brought us global warming, the Koch brothers. Their support for all things divisive since 1988 is well documented and persistant and very well funded. A nexus of propaganda and power that is the octopus that binds it all. For a good recent overview see the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) essay "The Danger of Fair and Balanced". I believe that it was in 2000 that CJR did a big story on the cross-linkages of the global warming deniers with charts. Amazing. CJR is a good source of all things journalistic and is a student publication with little fear.
Excellent post as always Steve. Thanks for your insights and telling it like it is.
Lindsey’s outburst was typical Graham outrage, screaming about nothing. One can never tell what he really wants except power and he is thwarted in that endeavor. Kari Lake’s taking the position of calling all MAGA soldiers to Miami along with their assault rifles wasn’t even a veiled threat; it was a challenge for supporters to show up in no uncertain terms. Why this language is allowed to continue on line or anywhere is a mystery to me (goes beyond free speech) as it is in fact a threat. Isn’t there a law that prohibits outright threats on public forums or do we wait to see what happens? She is still extremely angry her election went to another (thank God for it) and appears at first glance to be a rational, ordinary woman. But she is clearly as unhinged as the other magats and must be believed. She is a threat going forward. A nominee for VP? What another nightmare. We cannot let another MTG lose in the halls of Democracy. This one is more dangerous! She seems like a brighter bulb 💡 and could inflict much more damage.
How many photos since 2015 have we seen of Trump looking like EXACTLY what he is--a petulant child?
You had me at the first 3 sentences . . . lol
The greatest grifter of all time grifted one too many . . . boxes. It's always that last grift that will bite the deepest, even if the ass is bigger than a pig's.
Aye, lad.
Hillary Clinton won popular vote by almost 3 million, Steve, so Trump was not the choice of the majority of those who voted. The electoral college and its voodoo magic put him in office! Sometimes I wonder why we vote at all when the “puppet masters” who compromise the college can overrule the votes of the public!