Graham is such a sad sack. Most people liked him when he was hanging out with McCain and Leiberman. I thought he lost his soul when McCain died. But it turns out he was always just a parasite. He is more loathsome and pitiful than I imagined possible.
The many states who offer substandard public education is reflected in the electorate: inadequate critical thinking skills, poor command of written and spoken English and an affinity toward following dictatorial leaders, including clergy. Coupled with a society that cannot even manage its own health requirements: maintaining a normal body weight, eating a healthy diet and refraining from excess use of drugs and alcohol, we are a nation in decline. It is not difficult to understand why voters placed Trump back in office again.
In at least one survey of self-identified MAGA, conducted at the end of 2021 and right after Jan. 6, 2022, conducted by Blum (Asst.Prof. at Univ. of Oklahoma) and Parker (Univ. of Washington), 1,348 respondants across 50 states: MAGA consists of about 60% men with about 52%of them being retired men over 65 yrs. These statistics shine a little light on the characteristics you state, don't they? Do men naturally get grumpy as they get older? And, about 50% of those men have an income over $50.000. And, since such a large proportion of the survey respondants are over 65 yrs., it is no surprise their education level would be lower. (You didn't need a college degree to get a good job when they were working.) "MAGA presence was not constrained to rural areas, as contemporary rhetoric about the urban-rural divide might lead us to expect. In most states, MAGA respondents were clustered around major cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas.": from the survey.
And, for perspective: In 2022, 37.7% of the US population age 25 and older had a college degree or higher. About 30% of MAGA had college degrees.
I'm finding it interesting that my impression of our opposition is changing as I get more information.
Many young men voted in this election, as well as older folks who supported Trump evidenced the characteristics that I noted. Income over $50,000 is middle to lower middle class. Red states consist of cities, suburbs and rural areas. Their public education rankings are near the bottom of the 50 states, as well as income level. Adherence to authoritarian leaning religious groups is added to the mix. Also, racially , predominantly white.
Yes, young men, too, but, OVER HALF of MAGA is retired old men. The other half is split among old women, young women (old & young women = 40% in this survey) and young men. That is a different picture than I had in my mind. What I see is old men must be having a problem accepting and dealing with this brave new world and they're pissed! That's the core of MAGA. And it is not surprising they would have less liberal attitudes than younger people do. They also would have a stronger working class attitude which includes respect for people who are richer than you are.
And education: At least a college degree (2022): US general population= 37.7%, not so far from MAGA's 30%. These are not knuckle draggers.
As we go through this Trump thing, we are going to have to deal with MAGA. Trump's shine will tarnish, as it has already started to do. Trump's approval rating dropped drastically over his last administration It will do the same this time. Knowing who MAGA is will be helpful.
I am a Senior and everyone who I know is educated and voted for Harris. They are also financially secure. Many of us who are retired are wealthy and not looking for government handouts. We are liberally minded and modern in our thoughts and ideas. I personally have never voted for a Republican, running for any position in government We are not an educated country , statistically or any other way that you want to define it. Reading and writing is at a fifth grade level, mostly related to MAGA voters. When you are uninformed and cannot accept all people equally deserving of respect, then I guess you need to vote your fears and prejudices, which are well represented in the Republican Party. Those sentiments have been recorded and expressed publicly by these voters.
MAGA is over 50% retired old men!!!!! They are dragging our country around (with their Trump support). Their attitudes are lagging behind younger people's attitudes. That's what we're dealing with!
I'm a senior also. I want to know who we are dealing with here so we know how to solve our Trump problem. Don't you?
Did you note educational achievement comparison between US population and MAGA? Not that starkly different.
The theory that MAGA people are just defective people doesn't cut it. No wonder we lost. Besides the old guys' problems, something else is going on.
Yes. That's the beating heart of authoritarianism: that my group is better than yours, as a birthright. The idea that all humans are created equal is anathema to authoritarians.
I want to thank my mother for being the far sighted, open minded, open hearted person that she was. Even as a child she taught us that we are all the same and should be treated with dignity and respect. These are simple concepts that make sense to anyone with a heart. One of my very first books was People Like Us by Ruth Krauss (1952), a children's illustrated exploration of the similarities and differences among people. Krauss emphasizes that while people may have diverse appearances, habits, and preferences, there are fundamental human experiences that connect us all. The book encouraged children to appreciate diversity and recognize the commonalities that unite humanity. I must have been 4 years old when I read it and I’ve never forgotten it. Children and dogs are more connected to this awareness than us ‘grown ups’.
My parents once gave me one piece of advice that has stayed with me: that no one is better than me and that I am not better than anyone. I passed it to my children.
As always you nailed it. This was a hard hitting essay that paints the portrait of what Musk and Trump are trying to do. Having succeeded in the United States and Canada they are now attacking the democracies of Western Europe by interfering in their domestic politics in order to destabilize them and bring about the end of the great NATO partnership and the EU which helped integrate Europe. They want to destroy everything in order to put in compliant racist governments that only look after their and other oligarchs interests.
The European democracies are beginning to fight back:
"What are you waiting for, Brussels? Elon Musk’s decision to host German far-right leader Alice Weidel in a livestream on X is sparking fury from European Union leaders and lawmakers, who on Monday urged Brussels to deploy its full legal might to rein in the billionaire tech magnate.
In response, the European Commission said the SpaceX founder and senior member of the incoming Trump administration could indeed land in legal hot water under the terms of the EU’s new digital rulebook, depending on the extent to which the Thursday livestream is deemed to boost Weidel unfairly over rivals ahead of Germany’s Feb. 23 election.
They are both anti-christ figures as well as being sociopaths. Musk is on Ketamine. Trump is falling into dementia. They have so much money and power = catastrophe!
Diane, I've had the same thought, though I have no religious affiliations, both Trump and Musk match the New Testament description of the anti-Christ, and believers were warned they could be fooled. I guess it's axiomatic, fools are easily fooled.
Things don't look good; but, we have to avoid giving into despair and continue to hope for an end to this all-too-long political nightmare.
Elon Musk wants to rule the planet. He wants to be the first ever dictator of the whole world. And why not? What's to stop him? The good people who love liberty have forgotten that sometimes it's necessary to do a bit more than be afraid and gripe. Where is the leader that can help us resist, defy, and defeat these tyrants?
Basically he’s not highly regarded by Americans as he thinks he is. Never going to be. Far too easy to dislike. For himself, but at everyone else’s expense. Will never ‘get it’ …
Michael Steele is on target with what’s going on in America today. Too many people are asking only about more for themselves. As Michael says, they are just asking “What about me?” What about me?” They are NOT asking; What about our nation? What about helping other Americans? What about keeping our democracy? Elon Musk and Donald Trump showed the American people the Golden Calf, and they bought it. Too bad Moses has left the building.
I should note that Trudeau’s crawl to Mar a Lago was a pathetic act but Trudeau’s government has been on shaky and increasingly unpopular ground since the last election. His days were numbered, regardless of MAGA/Musk actions. It didn’t take much to push him to step down. He was already at the precipice.
Our allies in Europe face different pressures . Weak economies, far-right ascendancy… totally vulnerable to Musk.
I have always believed that America's doctrine of "Manifest Destiny," was rooted in the same ideology of inequality of the races as Hitler's call for "Lebensraum." Human history is replete with this belief across cultures and the ages. It might be the most destructive force threatening us. And Trump has his version of it in white supremacy, hatred for dark-skinned people from shit-hole countries, and an assertion that he and his mentor, Elon Musk, as the best individuals in the best nation have the right to tell other nations what to do, even if it means giving up their sovereignty.
Indeed, this is the formula for hell on earth and perhaps the end of human civilization; even the death of all humans considering the redundant nuclear arsenals in so many nations.
The virtual world is in ascendency, humans are being pushed aside. Forgetfulness is part of the design and “alternative facts” are being normalized. We either wake up or die.
"The world we share — and the way it functions — was the result of a war that was barely won."
And what if that war had instead been won by the Axis powers? This is the premise of Robert Harris's novel "Fatherland." I first read it when it was published thirty years ago, and reread it last week. The plot is extraordinarily well conceived and written. Like Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America''--another novel based on an alternative history-- it strikes far closer to the bone today than when it was written. I highly recommend these two books, for both the chilling message and the literary pleasure.
I see what you're saying, but I specifically meant they care nothing at all for impoverished children who have no voice and no choice in what is happening.
History has taught us that we have learned nothing from history. We are a nation of imbeciles.
You will not believe Lindsey's latest post to X; but, then again, his fawning, ass-kissing subservience to Trump/Maga, should not surprise us:
Lindsey Graham
@LindseyGrahamSC
My only thought today as the states’ electoral votes were listed off: they skipped Canada.
We’ll fix that next time!
Graham is such a sad sack. Most people liked him when he was hanging out with McCain and Leiberman. I thought he lost his soul when McCain died. But it turns out he was always just a parasite. He is more loathsome and pitiful than I imagined possible.
“Tool” doesn’t begin to describe Graham…..
Which would be 55 electoral votes for Kamala Harris. What a pathetic POS Lindsey Graham is. I hope it becomes historic.
Why would Canada have just 55 electoral votes when California gets 54. Our population is greater than California’s.
Barely and only recently. If you go back to the last US Census in 2020, it's lower. Please start birthing more so we can beat Lindsey Graham at his own game. https://www.nbc.ca/content/dam/bnc/taux-analyses/analyse-eco/hot-charts/hot-charts-230619.pdf
Yes, it hit it in June 2023 and at that point it had surpassed California’s pop. No data for 2024 yet.
Omg he really didn't say that...Did he?! Lord help us.
F Lindsey Graham.
The many states who offer substandard public education is reflected in the electorate: inadequate critical thinking skills, poor command of written and spoken English and an affinity toward following dictatorial leaders, including clergy. Coupled with a society that cannot even manage its own health requirements: maintaining a normal body weight, eating a healthy diet and refraining from excess use of drugs and alcohol, we are a nation in decline. It is not difficult to understand why voters placed Trump back in office again.
In at least one survey of self-identified MAGA, conducted at the end of 2021 and right after Jan. 6, 2022, conducted by Blum (Asst.Prof. at Univ. of Oklahoma) and Parker (Univ. of Washington), 1,348 respondants across 50 states: MAGA consists of about 60% men with about 52%of them being retired men over 65 yrs. These statistics shine a little light on the characteristics you state, don't they? Do men naturally get grumpy as they get older? And, about 50% of those men have an income over $50.000. And, since such a large proportion of the survey respondants are over 65 yrs., it is no surprise their education level would be lower. (You didn't need a college degree to get a good job when they were working.) "MAGA presence was not constrained to rural areas, as contemporary rhetoric about the urban-rural divide might lead us to expect. In most states, MAGA respondents were clustered around major cities like Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas.": from the survey.
And, for perspective: In 2022, 37.7% of the US population age 25 and older had a college degree or higher. About 30% of MAGA had college degrees.
I'm finding it interesting that my impression of our opposition is changing as I get more information.
I do know, however, that Trump is pure shit!
Many young men voted in this election, as well as older folks who supported Trump evidenced the characteristics that I noted. Income over $50,000 is middle to lower middle class. Red states consist of cities, suburbs and rural areas. Their public education rankings are near the bottom of the 50 states, as well as income level. Adherence to authoritarian leaning religious groups is added to the mix. Also, racially , predominantly white.
Yes, young men, too, but, OVER HALF of MAGA is retired old men. The other half is split among old women, young women (old & young women = 40% in this survey) and young men. That is a different picture than I had in my mind. What I see is old men must be having a problem accepting and dealing with this brave new world and they're pissed! That's the core of MAGA. And it is not surprising they would have less liberal attitudes than younger people do. They also would have a stronger working class attitude which includes respect for people who are richer than you are.
And education: At least a college degree (2022): US general population= 37.7%, not so far from MAGA's 30%. These are not knuckle draggers.
As we go through this Trump thing, we are going to have to deal with MAGA. Trump's shine will tarnish, as it has already started to do. Trump's approval rating dropped drastically over his last administration It will do the same this time. Knowing who MAGA is will be helpful.
I am a Senior and everyone who I know is educated and voted for Harris. They are also financially secure. Many of us who are retired are wealthy and not looking for government handouts. We are liberally minded and modern in our thoughts and ideas. I personally have never voted for a Republican, running for any position in government We are not an educated country , statistically or any other way that you want to define it. Reading and writing is at a fifth grade level, mostly related to MAGA voters. When you are uninformed and cannot accept all people equally deserving of respect, then I guess you need to vote your fears and prejudices, which are well represented in the Republican Party. Those sentiments have been recorded and expressed publicly by these voters.
MAGA is over 50% retired old men!!!!! They are dragging our country around (with their Trump support). Their attitudes are lagging behind younger people's attitudes. That's what we're dealing with!
I'm a senior also. I want to know who we are dealing with here so we know how to solve our Trump problem. Don't you?
Did you note educational achievement comparison between US population and MAGA? Not that starkly different.
The theory that MAGA people are just defective people doesn't cut it. No wonder we lost. Besides the old guys' problems, something else is going on.
Yes. That's the beating heart of authoritarianism: that my group is better than yours, as a birthright. The idea that all humans are created equal is anathema to authoritarians.
I want to thank my mother for being the far sighted, open minded, open hearted person that she was. Even as a child she taught us that we are all the same and should be treated with dignity and respect. These are simple concepts that make sense to anyone with a heart. One of my very first books was People Like Us by Ruth Krauss (1952), a children's illustrated exploration of the similarities and differences among people. Krauss emphasizes that while people may have diverse appearances, habits, and preferences, there are fundamental human experiences that connect us all. The book encouraged children to appreciate diversity and recognize the commonalities that unite humanity. I must have been 4 years old when I read it and I’ve never forgotten it. Children and dogs are more connected to this awareness than us ‘grown ups’.
My parents once gave me one piece of advice that has stayed with me: that no one is better than me and that I am not better than anyone. I passed it to my children.
Thank you for opening up and sharing this with us.
Sadly, MAGA (if not already) would demand that book be banned. You know, the party of free speech, anti-censorship (as they censor) and all that. 🙄🤯
Boom! Right on target and to the point. Thanks.
Yes, bulls eye, Steve! 🎯 Thank You🙏.
Steve,
As always you nailed it. This was a hard hitting essay that paints the portrait of what Musk and Trump are trying to do. Having succeeded in the United States and Canada they are now attacking the democracies of Western Europe by interfering in their domestic politics in order to destabilize them and bring about the end of the great NATO partnership and the EU which helped integrate Europe. They want to destroy everything in order to put in compliant racist governments that only look after their and other oligarchs interests.
Keep up the fight, stay safe and watch your six.
The European democracies are beginning to fight back:
"What are you waiting for, Brussels? Elon Musk’s decision to host German far-right leader Alice Weidel in a livestream on X is sparking fury from European Union leaders and lawmakers, who on Monday urged Brussels to deploy its full legal might to rein in the billionaire tech magnate.
In response, the European Commission said the SpaceX founder and senior member of the incoming Trump administration could indeed land in legal hot water under the terms of the EU’s new digital rulebook, depending on the extent to which the Thursday livestream is deemed to boost Weidel unfairly over rivals ahead of Germany’s Feb. 23 election.
The pressure is now on the European Commission to respond, given that it is in charge of enforcing Europe’s Digital Services Act, which polices social media platforms including X, and threatens eye-watering fines of up to 6 percent of global turnover, or even temporary blocks, in case of a breach." https://www.politico.eu/article/elon-musk-interference-alice-weidel-x-livestream-afd-germany-eu-digital-services-act/
I miss my father terribly, but I am thankful he is not alive to see this. He was a Marine at Iwo Jima. I am so ashamed of this country.
Advertise against the unholy pigs; irritate them.
Choke off their government contracts.
Scrutinize them
Tax them
Advertise for “we the people”
If I believed in such things, I'd say Musk is the new anti-christ. I used to say that about TFG, but Musk now wears that dubious crown.
They are both anti-christ figures as well as being sociopaths. Musk is on Ketamine. Trump is falling into dementia. They have so much money and power = catastrophe!
Agreed.
Diane, I've had the same thought, though I have no religious affiliations, both Trump and Musk match the New Testament description of the anti-Christ, and believers were warned they could be fooled. I guess it's axiomatic, fools are easily fooled.
Things don't look good; but, we have to avoid giving into despair and continue to hope for an end to this all-too-long political nightmare.
Elon Musk wants to rule the planet. He wants to be the first ever dictator of the whole world. And why not? What's to stop him? The good people who love liberty have forgotten that sometimes it's necessary to do a bit more than be afraid and gripe. Where is the leader that can help us resist, defy, and defeat these tyrants?
Basically he’s not highly regarded by Americans as he thinks he is. Never going to be. Far too easy to dislike. For himself, but at everyone else’s expense. Will never ‘get it’ …
Michael Steele is on target with what’s going on in America today. Too many people are asking only about more for themselves. As Michael says, they are just asking “What about me?” What about me?” They are NOT asking; What about our nation? What about helping other Americans? What about keeping our democracy? Elon Musk and Donald Trump showed the American people the Golden Calf, and they bought it. Too bad Moses has left the building.
I should note that Trudeau’s crawl to Mar a Lago was a pathetic act but Trudeau’s government has been on shaky and increasingly unpopular ground since the last election. His days were numbered, regardless of MAGA/Musk actions. It didn’t take much to push him to step down. He was already at the precipice.
Our allies in Europe face different pressures . Weak economies, far-right ascendancy… totally vulnerable to Musk.
I have always believed that America's doctrine of "Manifest Destiny," was rooted in the same ideology of inequality of the races as Hitler's call for "Lebensraum." Human history is replete with this belief across cultures and the ages. It might be the most destructive force threatening us. And Trump has his version of it in white supremacy, hatred for dark-skinned people from shit-hole countries, and an assertion that he and his mentor, Elon Musk, as the best individuals in the best nation have the right to tell other nations what to do, even if it means giving up their sovereignty.
Indeed, this is the formula for hell on earth and perhaps the end of human civilization; even the death of all humans considering the redundant nuclear arsenals in so many nations.
The virtual world is in ascendency, humans are being pushed aside. Forgetfulness is part of the design and “alternative facts” are being normalized. We either wake up or die.
"The world we share — and the way it functions — was the result of a war that was barely won."
And what if that war had instead been won by the Axis powers? This is the premise of Robert Harris's novel "Fatherland." I first read it when it was published thirty years ago, and reread it last week. The plot is extraordinarily well conceived and written. Like Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America''--another novel based on an alternative history-- it strikes far closer to the bone today than when it was written. I highly recommend these two books, for both the chilling message and the literary pleasure.
The lies fly high and higher as ogres like Trump, Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg control and pilot the American Message and Experiment.
They care nothing at all for the children in our country who live in poverty: Shameful, Evil.
Just as easily stated as: "they care nothing at all for others". And others is anyone not in their "club". Ugh.
And their "club" is only filled with strategic partners.
I see what you're saying, but I specifically meant they care nothing at all for impoverished children who have no voice and no choice in what is happening.
I find Musk occupying too much of my brain, so I have banished him.
Good idea! Nothing we can do but watch them kill themselves off. Hopefully literally.
Get into books, turnoff news and social media, plan a trip to a blue state or overseas,
take up a new hobby! I resumed horseback riding after 20 years when T won in 2016.
For me it is the only time I am at peace: on horseback. No Trump, no Musk, no
MAGA idiots. One is with the horse and nature only. Otherwise,the horse gets freaked out and bolts😂
The memory of the events of the last century has truly faded-well said !