I got choked up multiple times last night watching passionate, patriotic Americans begin to make the case for Harris/Walz. When Joe Biden finally got to address the nation, his love for our country couldn’t have been more evident. Thanks, Steve, for your post today.
Thusfar, Trump's attempts to campaign with slurs, name-calling, and lies is a dismal failure. Most Americans are tired of this mindless, unsubstantive campaign style. As far as I can tell Trump feels he should be elected because:
He doesn't know where Kamala Harris comes from.
She is dumb.
She got where she is on her knees.
He is better looking.
Her father is a Marxist professor.
She only recently became Black.
She is the nominee as a result of a coup in the Democratic party.
It was unfair of Democrats to change their nominee and make it more difficult for him to win.
Former President Donald Trump posted an extraordinarily crass video that makes sexually explicit allusions about Vice President Kamala Harris and pushes long-debunked claims about the 2020 election being stolen.
The video opens with a mock up image of Harris holding a sign that reads “I am a moron.” Then, a parody version of the Alanis Morissette song “Ironic” plays.
How do the evangelical "Christians" and their leaders endorse a man who, with no evidence, makes that claim? A man who bragged about grabbing women by genitals and getting away with it because he's a star? A man found liable for sexual assault in a civil suit?
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”—Benjamin Franklin
Democrats want to look ahead, and bring freedom to America and the world. While Trump and his minions at the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society, want to tell you our country is in decline, rapists and murderers are running rampant; scaring us to elect an authoritarian kleptocrat who can save us from ourselves. Nothing is further from the truth.
FDR famously said, “the only thing to fear is fear itself!”
Let’s stop falling for the empty words of nefarious demagogues, and fight for our rights, our liberty and secure our freedom forever. Vote blue November 5th, and Make America Sane Again!….:)
Well-stated, Steve. Trump is an uncanny amalgam of evil cult leader of un-American fascism and psychotically disturbed leader of mass psychotic contagion. The two are symbiotic.
Trump is the manifestation of our collective shadow. He gave it power by inviting his supporters to revel in their worst instincts.
I’ve come to believe the Obama presidency set Trump’s campaign in motion. Racists hated Obama and they came out of the woodwork to say so. Sadly, Obama’s star rose too quickly. The country was ready, but, he was not. He had the raw talent, but, not the experience and personal relationships he needed to navigate Congress. After the ACA miraculously passed, McConnell seemed to control the legislature and selection of judges. We were dead in the water.
Into this Republican enforced dysfunction stepped Trump. His racist birther attacks delivered in his slick, gilded style awakened the sleeping resentment in our nation. Hillary fought a hard battle, but, our Democratic Party couldn’t deliver. The incredible ground game set up for Obama was never duplicated for Hillary. While she still won the popular vote, the electoral college took it all away.
Finally we have a candidate who has the timing, experience, instincts, talent and party backing to win. And a great vice presidential candidate as well. The stars are finally aligned.
I’ve long thought that 4 years of Trump was what we paid for 8 years of Obama. Was it worth it? I’m thinking of the cold day in DC - January 20, 2009 - when my children and I stood together on the Senate side of the Capitol, along with hundreds of thousands of others of all races and ages, as our first black president was inaugurated.
As I posted here, the Tea Party began as a reaction from white people who found having a black man President as unacceptable. MAGA is the malignant outgrowth of the Tea Party. Both are malignant and thus we are where we are 15 years later.
Diane, I completely agree and appreciate your thoughtful post. I've said for several years that we're living with the backlash of having elected Barak Obama. djt and his vile persona gave it voice. Moscow Mitch is duplicitous, has no honor, lacks ethics and sold his soul to get the judiciary just the way he wanted it. Sadly, we will live with this for decades now. As important as the outcome of the next POTUS is, the down-ballot elections are SO, SO IMPORTANT. I hope we can take the House back, the Senate, I'm not as hopeful. I take nothing for granted these days. VOTE!!!!!
Yours is a very thoughtful comment. Personally, I think the foundation for the hatred-resentment goes to Clinton. Here was a pragmatic, moderate centrist Democrat whose popularity drove Gingrich and his minions apoplectic. In a harbinger of today’s slash and burn politics (ask Rep. Comer) they started investigating and attacking. Problem was Clinton did have psychopathic tendencies and his unforgivable involvement with Lewinsky validated all the contempt and hatred that Gingrich had generated. Then, fuel to the fire, came Limbaugh- probably the single most evil and destructive person of the 20th century. Then, came the election of 2000. After this, the chasm in the country was too great to heal. I believe that participatory democracy (ie voting) is best practiced with a heavy dose of ambivalence even laziness. You vote, you see the results and you return to your life until the next election. In other words, I’m interested as a citizen but I’m not emotionally invested in elections. Now, thanks to these events it’s all visceral. And you know what? People can’t handle being viscerally invested in elections.
And isn’t it sickening that unable to take Bill Clinton down, they turned their vengeance on Hillary. They’ve been attacking family members ever since.
I drove across this nation — from NYC to Seattle, down the PCH to San Diego, and back to NYC through Tennessee. I saw a lot. I learned a lot. About myself, and others, and our country. I had no issues on this journey. No one gave me grief or trouble. It was a fantastic and amazing experience and one I would recommend to anyone who can do it.
I did come to one surprising conclusion. Of all the states I drove through, I saw more confederate flags in Tennessee then anywhere else I drove through. I did not drive through some of the deep south so I cannot speak to what I did not see in places like Mississippi or Alabama. I did not drive through Kentucky. I was on I40 through the South so I went through Amarillo, TX and OKC. But Tennessee surprised me with its confederacy.
So seeing this news that neo nazis are out and about and in the open is not surprising and just that much more disheartening.
I thought last night's opening to the convention was fantastic. There was not a bad moment. Not a bad speaker or presenter. The couple and two women who told their stories to the audience broke me a little bit. There is no grey area with this issue. None whatsoever. Heartbreaking. We have to fix it. And it starts with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz — but lord have mercy — we MUST send Democrats to DC to control the House and Senate. It is NOT too late to beat Ted Cruz and elect Colin Allred. It is not too late to make sure Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester can win. It is not too late to return Jacky Rosen in Nevada too. We need to win enough House seats to put an end to Gym, Three Toad Toes and the other wackadoodles in the House. Lets get this done.
I have seen some Confederate bumper stickers where I live in North Carolina, but no flags. I would remember a Confederate flag. Though I have a guy in my neighborhood who has his own flag pole and has been flying the United States flag upside down since Memorial Day Weekend.
He was asked if doing this was necessary. He replied he will be flying his flag upside down until Donald J. Trump is elected President. There are some people beyond hope.
I40 past Hickory and on the way to Asheville -- two separate Confederate flags, prominent and large. As a native North Carolinian, they sadden me on each passing. I wish those flagpoles ill and try not to wish the same on their owners.
It bothered me for a while having to see my neighbor’s flag flying upside down, but I finally decided that it would only bother me if I allowed it to bother me. So I don’t.
I generally agree. Perhaps I’m alone but I feel like if there was a mistake made by Lincoln and Grant at the end of the shooting war it’s that they did not hang the traitors. Davis, Lee, Stephens and other confederate leaders just went about their lives and in many cases continued their shadow confederacy which continues to this very day. I often wonder, if Lincoln/Grant brought the insurrectionists and traitors to justice, holding them accountable as traitors, would things be vastly better?
Well.. I will only say the jury is literally not in on that one just yet. I am very disappointed that the trial is moving so slowly against Agent Orange at present. The immunity BS from the so called SCOTUS messes things up, but Jack Smith is far from dumb. I believe they will still provide an updated indictment that will fit within the scope of the courts ruling.
And — to be fair, there have been some 1000 prosecutions of January 6 criminals. Many got shorter sentences but a lot got very long prison terms — in particular the so-called "field leaders" on the ground that day. There has been some accountability — just not enough... yet!
The biggest post January 6 fail is with House and Senate repub... neo fascists. They failed to convict in the Senate and the blame of that lays directly on Moscow Mitch. Had he released his members and/or voted to convict himself; the neo fascists would have a different nominee today.
I could not agree more. They were traitors and deserved to be treated accordingly. That was a major mistake. Allowing any of the existing monuments to the confederacy to still stand just compounds that error.
Pat, I know first hand you are right. I saw the strength of the Confederacy first hand when in 1990, Ken Burns previewed his PBS series “Civil War” at the Atlanta Historical Society. The old-money Atlanta Aristocrats wanted to hang him when he had the temerity to portray the truth about Andersonville. The historical truth didn’t coincide with their Confederate Civil War mythology. And trust me, Ken Burns was dazed and confused by their atrocious reaction, and Burns was in fear for his life. So, 34 years later Donald Trump is no aberration.
There is a County Government Building in central North Carolina that has on its property a statue dedicated to “our faithful slaves.” As far as I know, it is not going anywhere.
I was mistaken about the location of Tyrell County. It is in eastern North Carolina, not far from Corolla and Nags Head. Interesting that it was erected in 1902. Perhaps Mark Robinson can make a campaign stop there to say how great the old days were.
Someone should ask Robinson his opinion concerning the dedication to "our faithful slaves."
Personally, I want to know if he considers himself in the noble tradition of "faithful slave" or is he simply a craven, sycophantic, greedy, uninformed man.
Tyrell County, North Carolina. The monument, which was erected on the courthouse grounds in 1902, features a Confederate soldier standing atop a pedestal, with one of the markings below stating “in appreciation of our faithful slaves.”
I saw something on the news — where to so called big tough guy stalked Kunce at a fair and challenged him to a dual or something. LOL.
There is some speculation that the race could be a little closer than some may think? Would love to see that piece of shit insurrectionist scum beaten.
the best we can do is go out there and vote, and volunteer. My hope is that the guy waiting for Agent Orange to win before he turns the flag around waits for the rest of his life!
Martin Luther King, Jr. said that, of all the states, including Mississippi, he was most fearful of Tennessee. Later, he was murdered in Tennessee. I knew a couple who quit "the sewer that Wall Street had become" and bought some acres in Tennessee, bought livestock and planted heavily. Their livestock was poisoned, the plants ruined with old motor oil, same for their water well. They never saw anybody. When he inquired with the nearest neighbors, they went into their houses and came out with shotguns, sat on their porches and stared at them without saying a word.
Posts like this basically follow a theme of “wake up America to what Trump really is, let me lay it out for you”. This, to me, is futile. For about 50 percent of the country, Trump has been normalized. We hear talk about a “nostalgia” for the Trump years. Rural Americans deeply hate the version of democrats that have been instilled in them by Fox talk radio- wok, radical, tax and spend, anti Christian, anti family. I read in CNN that Haley supporters are coming back to Trump. They cannot bring themselves to support a Democrat. These “hatred’s” are central to their identity. And why? It’s a lifestyle.
I don't think Steve's posts the past couple of weeks are meant for cult deprogramming therapy. He's rallying the informed members of the democracy coallition to act and engage with less-informed members, many of whom live primarily in 15-45 second social mediablasts, and together constituting a clear majority of Americans.
Other than the deeply aggrieved, misguided, and enraged Frank Lee, I have not noted any MAGAheads reading this page. And even Frank said he posts bile here to create content for his own hate-pages.
This is reasonable. But it’s getting monotonous, no. The real story lies in how and why such a substantial portion of the electorate not only tolerates MAGA and all its poison , but either supports it or discounts it. For many Americans, there’s something euphemistically more important than Trumps poison and psychosis. It’s something about making sure the Communists/ Socialists/ on the left don’t destroy the country. Of course it’s impossible to reconcile this with any rational evaluation of how the country has done under Biden. Market high’s, booming job market. Yes, prices are up. But the point here, which I’d prefer Steve focused on is the political cultural disconnect in which so many Americans and MAGA supporters live. Steve should be discussing how and why hatred is such a palpable force in our politics.
Yeah, that answer is long and nuanced, and the Democratic Party is not blameless in this. Nationalism and authoritian movements are not new at all in America. This might be the closest we've come to actually voting it in. And even an electoral victory for democracy isn't going to end with a concession speech and call for unity, as you know. Maybe the question is not why do people subscribe to it, but why we keep thinking we're immune to it in America and don't have to remain vigilant.
When you say immune to it, you don’t mean that it (hatred and irrationality in the electorate) should be entirely eliminated from American discourse. Because we can all agree that is neither realistic nor even necessary. The problem is with the “closest we’ve ever been to voting it in” part of your statement. I mean when we have someone the caliber of Marjorie Taylor Green or Lauren Boebert not only getting elected but ascending, it’s highly problematic.
By "immune to it" I mean why we think America stands alone in world history as immune to autocratic movements actually succeeding in ending democracy here. These movements get relegated to the fringes for awhile, for example fading from McCarthyism to Contract With America, and then ascending.
Kooks like MTG have been around since the beginning (see Louie Gohmert et al), but not as many as now, and their agendas were not adopted by party leadership. NOW, the kook views are the mainstream of the Republican leadership. There are a lot of reasons for that. What I mean by voting in is at a national level, and to reinstate Trump, this time buttressed by an effective action plan does exactly that. The groundwork and foundations have been laid. The only thing left for them to do is get capture the Presidency and they are in a statistical tie to do that.
HIstorically, democracies have only been born from death and suffering. But they can be eliminated by a vote.
He said (in one of his comments) that he does it to provoke readers here to post angry replies, which he then uses as content for his own page. That's why it pisses me off when people engage with him.
I would suggest not wasting your energy getting pissed off at what other people do, especially in a place like this. I've engaged with him on occasion because sometimes his BS is simply too much to go unaddressed. If he uses replies for whatever, eff him, I don't really care. His audience is small-brained, ill-informed mouth breathers like him and if the best he's got is my replies, his arguments are just that much more pathetic and weaker than I thought. When I engage with him, it's not to provide him with fodder or to piss you off. I do it because I want to and I'm a 61 year old man who doesn't need your or his approval. If I want to make a point, and I often/most of the time let his BS ride, I'm going to make my point. Better yet, get pissed if you want, I guess. 🤷♂️
The democrats started a convention yesterday. It was a breath of fresh air to hear positive speeches about this country and its people. Trump and his cult take the oxygen out the room with their never ending vilification of everyone and things other than Trump himself.
Trump is for Trump. He can’t be bothered with running the country. He is about the grift, the adulation, people sucking up to him. He will leave the running of the country to the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society and the American Nazi’s such as Stephen Miller.
Last night was nostalgic, last night was a reminder of what really makes America great again.
I’m a Republican, obviously I’m now a RINO, but there is hope for the life of our Republic form of democracy. We can’t let the Trump Crime Family take that from us.
It will take a united coalition of every voter to put an end to evil that has spread across our country.
I left the Party in 2008 and have never looked back. The last 8 years have been a nightmare for my family. I'm from Indiana so you can just imagine. My oldest daughter is the only other Democrat in the whole bunch and I have a big family too. 💔😢
Trump is a malignant growth that feeds off man's worst instincts. His formula of division has turned loving family homes into battle grounds for the soul of America. At first I was caught off guard by their wrapping themselves up in the American flag. Yes, I fell victim to their lies in 2016 and have regretted that decision everyday since. There is an old movie about our dark past called "The Black Legion" with Humphrey Bogart. I can now understand how people are fooled into believing something that goes against their own values. These instigators like Trump, play on fear, real or imagined. Trump and his legion do not represent American values. In fact they represent the opposite of America values. They represent a morally corrupt class that believes in nothing more than political power. The power to take away rights and rule instead of governing, that is the way of governments of dictators not America. Let us take back our country from those who wish to divide us and create a blue wave this November. A wave so high that it washes away all the hate and division. We are not going back. Our future is ahead of us not behind. We won't get fooled again.
Congratulations on your two years!! WTG!!! I was 7 years clean from drugs and alcohol but relapsed in 2019 on Marijuana the night before I had major dental work done. On August 27th I will celebrate 5 months clean. I'm determined to make it this time!!!
I started my journey 42 years ago but like all who do not live a day at a time, I went out after 7 years. Guess what, things didn't get better, I picked up right where I left off. I was too proud so it took another journey into the depths of hell to finally put down the bottle. I spent many years living high on the low life.
Thankfully Angels were still looking out for me and after stopping drinking and putting down the medical marijuana a few years later I reclaimed a seat at the table. That was 2 years ago and nowadays, I do not stray too far from a home group. I am grateful everyday and no matter how bad my health is I find time for meetings. Thank you for sharing your experience
That's great!! Thanks for sharing yours too. I had my Home Group Meeting last night. As you know
like we say in the Program, "Meeting Makers Make it!!". That's part of why I relapsed too. I was trying to use the pot for pain control but there are better safer ways for an addict. So thankful I finally figured that out. Sounds like you did too.
Yes there are. I have had 8 spinal surgeries and was on long term oxycodone. I quit drinking but was still taking the pills. I went to medical marijuana as an alternative and it helped me get off the pills. However, it was doing damage to my COPD compromised lungs. Ingesting the pot made me psychotic and paranoid. I ended up behind locked doors at the VA then at a treatment facility. I was able to clear my mind and my body of the drugs and since I was already not drinking it was more manageable. I still continued to struggle and was feeling very low and depressed. That is when I made the decision to go back to the rooms. I have not looked back since.
Living memories of our last battle against fascism have vanished like a ship that's sailed over the horizon. All we're left with are ghostly black and white images from faded photos and film. That's not enough of a reminder for all too many of our fellow citizens, especially when it's so easy for skilled propagandists to erase the past.
“Shameful doesn’t begin to describe every single person who appeased and accommodated the rancidity of it all.“ “Every single person” includes the Supreme Court majority, every Republican member of both houses of Congress, and a raft of well known and unknown advisors and hangers-on. And it especially includes every wealthy individual and corporate donor; they are at least as complicit and culpable as the robed and elected politicians they so generously fund. All of these people have put the country through hell in pursuit of their selfish, traitorous agenda. Perhaps we should honor their willingness to “terminate” the Constitution with a generous application of cruel and unusual punishment.
I remember when the Tea Party began. It seemed to be a reaction to primarily a black man as President and then secondarily the idea that affordable healthcare was unconstitutional. So we had that to deal with that. A malignant outgrowth of the Tea Party was MAGA, though both can be said to be malignant.
There are a lot of people in this country who hold to the above views. Look at some of the governors and senators they elect. Can we say that Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama are good people? I don’t, but there are many who do.
We have to find ways to bring voters that elect them into the fold, or at least some of them. A better understanding of how they think would help us all. I still try to understand how Mark Robinson was elected in this state, but I have not figured it out yet.
I have crossed this country from sea to shining sea, up - down, sideways close to a dozen times in my soon to be 78 years, starting in 1957 before the interstates 🛣️. Whenever I fly I take a window seat so that I can look at the land below, most often I know exactly where I am even from 7 miles up. I live in the Deep South in GA and have off and on since 1964. When we moved here from OR it was like moving to a different country, that is no longer true today. America has become much more homogenized, racists can be found pretty much anywhere, and people who believe in democracy as well. As senator Warnock said last night, we here in GA elected a black man and a Jew to the senate, something no one would have thought possible even 10 years ago. The country is changing, maybe not as fast as we would like, but it is changing, I have witnessed it. I watched a lot of the Olympics from Paris, our team reflected a cross section of our people, with every race and gender representing us, whether we won or not is immaterial, we competed with our best as did other nations. When I watched the convention last night, I saw the same kind of cross section of our great land, only the Democrats embrace everyone, the repugnantkins are locked in their embrace of male white nationalism with a radical Christian twist. Sure they have a parasite for a leader whose only interest in them is the money they give him to stay out of jail, but that too shall pass, not soon enough, but it will pass. I was heartened by the enthusiasm I saw last night, the repugnantkins aren’t going to know what hit them, this wonderful country is changing, we have room to improve, but we are most assuredly on the right path. 🙏
I got choked up multiple times last night watching passionate, patriotic Americans begin to make the case for Harris/Walz. When Joe Biden finally got to address the nation, his love for our country couldn’t have been more evident. Thanks, Steve, for your post today.
Ditto. A full-on Kleenex event!
Thusfar, Trump's attempts to campaign with slurs, name-calling, and lies is a dismal failure. Most Americans are tired of this mindless, unsubstantive campaign style. As far as I can tell Trump feels he should be elected because:
He doesn't know where Kamala Harris comes from.
She is dumb.
She got where she is on her knees.
He is better looking.
Her father is a Marxist professor.
She only recently became Black.
She is the nominee as a result of a coup in the Democratic party.
It was unfair of Democrats to change their nominee and make it more difficult for him to win.
Former President Donald Trump posted an extraordinarily crass video that makes sexually explicit allusions about Vice President Kamala Harris and pushes long-debunked claims about the 2020 election being stolen.
The video opens with a mock up image of Harris holding a sign that reads “I am a moron.” Then, a parody version of the Alanis Morissette song “Ironic” plays.
“Make the ballots fake on election day; no matter who votes, count’s on the take,” the song in Trump’s post goes, before taking an ugly turn: “Spent her whole damn life down on her knees; To be commander in chief, that’s how you say please.”https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-posts-crass-video-leveling-sexually-explicit-smears-against-harris/
How do the evangelical "Christians" and their leaders endorse a man who, with no evidence, makes that claim? A man who bragged about grabbing women by genitals and getting away with it because he's a star? A man found liable for sexual assault in a civil suit?
Because they are not Christians. I am to the point that affording them the courtesy of saying they are Christians is too large a courtesy.
You're right John. That is why I usually put Christian between quotation marks when referring to most evangelical leaders and their "flocks."
Maga = White Christian nationalists = the Confederacy
I have yet to see any redeeming qualities in Trump. He will stop at nothing to stay out of jail where he belongs
Just sent the link to my congress person Rob Wittman asking for his comment.
Please let us know if he responds.
Great idea.
I would love to hear his response as well.
My personal favorite is that he's better looking than Kamala Harris. That comment alone could justify a court-appointed conservator.
You pointed to facts that prove what a total sicko Trump is. Thank you!
I wish Trump and his menstrual surveillance hawk get annihilated in November.
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”—Benjamin Franklin
Democrats want to look ahead, and bring freedom to America and the world. While Trump and his minions at the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society, want to tell you our country is in decline, rapists and murderers are running rampant; scaring us to elect an authoritarian kleptocrat who can save us from ourselves. Nothing is further from the truth.
FDR famously said, “the only thing to fear is fear itself!”
Let’s stop falling for the empty words of nefarious demagogues, and fight for our rights, our liberty and secure our freedom forever. Vote blue November 5th, and Make America Sane Again!….:)
Agree…..and the DNC kickoff in Chicago last night 8/19/24 will be remembered as one of the MOST memorable in American History!🇺🇸
Agreed..:)
Well-stated, Steve. Trump is an uncanny amalgam of evil cult leader of un-American fascism and psychotically disturbed leader of mass psychotic contagion. The two are symbiotic.
Well said Ken. 👏🏻
Trump is the manifestation of our collective shadow. He gave it power by inviting his supporters to revel in their worst instincts.
I’ve come to believe the Obama presidency set Trump’s campaign in motion. Racists hated Obama and they came out of the woodwork to say so. Sadly, Obama’s star rose too quickly. The country was ready, but, he was not. He had the raw talent, but, not the experience and personal relationships he needed to navigate Congress. After the ACA miraculously passed, McConnell seemed to control the legislature and selection of judges. We were dead in the water.
Into this Republican enforced dysfunction stepped Trump. His racist birther attacks delivered in his slick, gilded style awakened the sleeping resentment in our nation. Hillary fought a hard battle, but, our Democratic Party couldn’t deliver. The incredible ground game set up for Obama was never duplicated for Hillary. While she still won the popular vote, the electoral college took it all away.
Finally we have a candidate who has the timing, experience, instincts, talent and party backing to win. And a great vice presidential candidate as well. The stars are finally aligned.
I’ve long thought that 4 years of Trump was what we paid for 8 years of Obama. Was it worth it? I’m thinking of the cold day in DC - January 20, 2009 - when my children and I stood together on the Senate side of the Capitol, along with hundreds of thousands of others of all races and ages, as our first black president was inaugurated.
Yes, it was worth it.
As I posted here, the Tea Party began as a reaction from white people who found having a black man President as unacceptable. MAGA is the malignant outgrowth of the Tea Party. Both are malignant and thus we are where we are 15 years later.
Diane, I completely agree and appreciate your thoughtful post. I've said for several years that we're living with the backlash of having elected Barak Obama. djt and his vile persona gave it voice. Moscow Mitch is duplicitous, has no honor, lacks ethics and sold his soul to get the judiciary just the way he wanted it. Sadly, we will live with this for decades now. As important as the outcome of the next POTUS is, the down-ballot elections are SO, SO IMPORTANT. I hope we can take the House back, the Senate, I'm not as hopeful. I take nothing for granted these days. VOTE!!!!!
Yours is a very thoughtful comment. Personally, I think the foundation for the hatred-resentment goes to Clinton. Here was a pragmatic, moderate centrist Democrat whose popularity drove Gingrich and his minions apoplectic. In a harbinger of today’s slash and burn politics (ask Rep. Comer) they started investigating and attacking. Problem was Clinton did have psychopathic tendencies and his unforgivable involvement with Lewinsky validated all the contempt and hatred that Gingrich had generated. Then, fuel to the fire, came Limbaugh- probably the single most evil and destructive person of the 20th century. Then, came the election of 2000. After this, the chasm in the country was too great to heal. I believe that participatory democracy (ie voting) is best practiced with a heavy dose of ambivalence even laziness. You vote, you see the results and you return to your life until the next election. In other words, I’m interested as a citizen but I’m not emotionally invested in elections. Now, thanks to these events it’s all visceral. And you know what? People can’t handle being viscerally invested in elections.
You omitted the greatest cancer - Murdoch and News Corp. The actual immigrant who is actively working to destroy his adopted country.
This is true. I also mistakenly called Limbaugh the most evil and disruptive person of 20 th century. But to be fair, that’s Hitler
Limbaugh is not far behind. His destructive rants contributed to the decline in American discourse.
And isn’t it sickening that unable to take Bill Clinton down, they turned their vengeance on Hillary. They’ve been attacking family members ever since.
I drove across this nation — from NYC to Seattle, down the PCH to San Diego, and back to NYC through Tennessee. I saw a lot. I learned a lot. About myself, and others, and our country. I had no issues on this journey. No one gave me grief or trouble. It was a fantastic and amazing experience and one I would recommend to anyone who can do it.
I did come to one surprising conclusion. Of all the states I drove through, I saw more confederate flags in Tennessee then anywhere else I drove through. I did not drive through some of the deep south so I cannot speak to what I did not see in places like Mississippi or Alabama. I did not drive through Kentucky. I was on I40 through the South so I went through Amarillo, TX and OKC. But Tennessee surprised me with its confederacy.
So seeing this news that neo nazis are out and about and in the open is not surprising and just that much more disheartening.
I thought last night's opening to the convention was fantastic. There was not a bad moment. Not a bad speaker or presenter. The couple and two women who told their stories to the audience broke me a little bit. There is no grey area with this issue. None whatsoever. Heartbreaking. We have to fix it. And it starts with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz — but lord have mercy — we MUST send Democrats to DC to control the House and Senate. It is NOT too late to beat Ted Cruz and elect Colin Allred. It is not too late to make sure Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester can win. It is not too late to return Jacky Rosen in Nevada too. We need to win enough House seats to put an end to Gym, Three Toad Toes and the other wackadoodles in the House. Lets get this done.
I have seen some Confederate bumper stickers where I live in North Carolina, but no flags. I would remember a Confederate flag. Though I have a guy in my neighborhood who has his own flag pole and has been flying the United States flag upside down since Memorial Day Weekend.
He was asked if doing this was necessary. He replied he will be flying his flag upside down until Donald J. Trump is elected President. There are some people beyond hope.
I40 past Hickory and on the way to Asheville -- two separate Confederate flags, prominent and large. As a native North Carolinian, they sadden me on each passing. I wish those flagpoles ill and try not to wish the same on their owners.
It bothered me for a while having to see my neighbor’s flag flying upside down, but I finally decided that it would only bother me if I allowed it to bother me. So I don’t.
The lost cause - the first American insurrection. Traitors all. Just like those that fly that flag and honor it.
What will he do if Trump is not elected? Dare I ask?
I don't believe the Civil War ever truly ended.
I generally agree. Perhaps I’m alone but I feel like if there was a mistake made by Lincoln and Grant at the end of the shooting war it’s that they did not hang the traitors. Davis, Lee, Stephens and other confederate leaders just went about their lives and in many cases continued their shadow confederacy which continues to this very day. I often wonder, if Lincoln/Grant brought the insurrectionists and traitors to justice, holding them accountable as traitors, would things be vastly better?
The same mistake was repeated the day after January 6th.
Well.. I will only say the jury is literally not in on that one just yet. I am very disappointed that the trial is moving so slowly against Agent Orange at present. The immunity BS from the so called SCOTUS messes things up, but Jack Smith is far from dumb. I believe they will still provide an updated indictment that will fit within the scope of the courts ruling.
And — to be fair, there have been some 1000 prosecutions of January 6 criminals. Many got shorter sentences but a lot got very long prison terms — in particular the so-called "field leaders" on the ground that day. There has been some accountability — just not enough... yet!
The biggest post January 6 fail is with House and Senate repub... neo fascists. They failed to convict in the Senate and the blame of that lays directly on Moscow Mitch. Had he released his members and/or voted to convict himself; the neo fascists would have a different nominee today.
I could not agree more. They were traitors and deserved to be treated accordingly. That was a major mistake. Allowing any of the existing monuments to the confederacy to still stand just compounds that error.
Pat, I know first hand you are right. I saw the strength of the Confederacy first hand when in 1990, Ken Burns previewed his PBS series “Civil War” at the Atlanta Historical Society. The old-money Atlanta Aristocrats wanted to hang him when he had the temerity to portray the truth about Andersonville. The historical truth didn’t coincide with their Confederate Civil War mythology. And trust me, Ken Burns was dazed and confused by their atrocious reaction, and Burns was in fear for his life. So, 34 years later Donald Trump is no aberration.
Oh my. There was never a healing process, the anger and hurt has been festering for way too long. Poor Ken!
When you look at things to this day, it is difficult to disagree with your belief.
There is a County Government Building in central North Carolina that has on its property a statue dedicated to “our faithful slaves.” As far as I know, it is not going anywhere.
INCREDIBLE! I never heard that before.
I was mistaken about the location of Tyrell County. It is in eastern North Carolina, not far from Corolla and Nags Head. Interesting that it was erected in 1902. Perhaps Mark Robinson can make a campaign stop there to say how great the old days were.
Someone should ask Robinson his opinion concerning the dedication to "our faithful slaves."
Personally, I want to know if he considers himself in the noble tradition of "faithful slave" or is he simply a craven, sycophantic, greedy, uninformed man.
Tyrell County, North Carolina. The monument, which was erected on the courthouse grounds in 1902, features a Confederate soldier standing atop a pedestal, with one of the markings below stating “in appreciation of our faithful slaves.”
Lucas Kunce needs help unseating Josh Hawley in Missouri too. Great comments, thank you!
I saw something on the news — where to so called big tough guy stalked Kunce at a fair and challenged him to a dual or something. LOL.
There is some speculation that the race could be a little closer than some may think? Would love to see that piece of shit insurrectionist scum beaten.
the best we can do is go out there and vote, and volunteer. My hope is that the guy waiting for Agent Orange to win before he turns the flag around waits for the rest of his life!
The actual Agent Orange killed my husband , if this Agent Orange wins it will surely kill me !
Please fight and live! 💙
Martin Luther King, Jr. said that, of all the states, including Mississippi, he was most fearful of Tennessee. Later, he was murdered in Tennessee. I knew a couple who quit "the sewer that Wall Street had become" and bought some acres in Tennessee, bought livestock and planted heavily. Their livestock was poisoned, the plants ruined with old motor oil, same for their water well. They never saw anybody. When he inquired with the nearest neighbors, they went into their houses and came out with shotguns, sat on their porches and stared at them without saying a word.
.
I did not know that. Wow.
Those who don’t remember history are doomed to repeat it (if we don’t crush the fascists with a blue wave in Nov).
Those who think history can’t happen here, OR would prefer it did anyway (Maga).
Posts like this basically follow a theme of “wake up America to what Trump really is, let me lay it out for you”. This, to me, is futile. For about 50 percent of the country, Trump has been normalized. We hear talk about a “nostalgia” for the Trump years. Rural Americans deeply hate the version of democrats that have been instilled in them by Fox talk radio- wok, radical, tax and spend, anti Christian, anti family. I read in CNN that Haley supporters are coming back to Trump. They cannot bring themselves to support a Democrat. These “hatred’s” are central to their identity. And why? It’s a lifestyle.
I don't think Steve's posts the past couple of weeks are meant for cult deprogramming therapy. He's rallying the informed members of the democracy coallition to act and engage with less-informed members, many of whom live primarily in 15-45 second social mediablasts, and together constituting a clear majority of Americans.
Other than the deeply aggrieved, misguided, and enraged Frank Lee, I have not noted any MAGAheads reading this page. And even Frank said he posts bile here to create content for his own hate-pages.
This is reasonable. But it’s getting monotonous, no. The real story lies in how and why such a substantial portion of the electorate not only tolerates MAGA and all its poison , but either supports it or discounts it. For many Americans, there’s something euphemistically more important than Trumps poison and psychosis. It’s something about making sure the Communists/ Socialists/ on the left don’t destroy the country. Of course it’s impossible to reconcile this with any rational evaluation of how the country has done under Biden. Market high’s, booming job market. Yes, prices are up. But the point here, which I’d prefer Steve focused on is the political cultural disconnect in which so many Americans and MAGA supporters live. Steve should be discussing how and why hatred is such a palpable force in our politics.
Yeah, that answer is long and nuanced, and the Democratic Party is not blameless in this. Nationalism and authoritian movements are not new at all in America. This might be the closest we've come to actually voting it in. And even an electoral victory for democracy isn't going to end with a concession speech and call for unity, as you know. Maybe the question is not why do people subscribe to it, but why we keep thinking we're immune to it in America and don't have to remain vigilant.
When you say immune to it, you don’t mean that it (hatred and irrationality in the electorate) should be entirely eliminated from American discourse. Because we can all agree that is neither realistic nor even necessary. The problem is with the “closest we’ve ever been to voting it in” part of your statement. I mean when we have someone the caliber of Marjorie Taylor Green or Lauren Boebert not only getting elected but ascending, it’s highly problematic.
By "immune to it" I mean why we think America stands alone in world history as immune to autocratic movements actually succeeding in ending democracy here. These movements get relegated to the fringes for awhile, for example fading from McCarthyism to Contract With America, and then ascending.
Kooks like MTG have been around since the beginning (see Louie Gohmert et al), but not as many as now, and their agendas were not adopted by party leadership. NOW, the kook views are the mainstream of the Republican leadership. There are a lot of reasons for that. What I mean by voting in is at a national level, and to reinstate Trump, this time buttressed by an effective action plan does exactly that. The groundwork and foundations have been laid. The only thing left for them to do is get capture the Presidency and they are in a statistical tie to do that.
HIstorically, democracies have only been born from death and suffering. But they can be eliminated by a vote.
Well said. I agree with most of Eric's insightful comment except his "futility" assessment.
BTW, I'm not convinced Silicon Valley Frank is for real. Who would contribute a subscription fee just to troll with canned talking points?
He said (in one of his comments) that he does it to provoke readers here to post angry replies, which he then uses as content for his own page. That's why it pisses me off when people engage with him.
I would suggest not wasting your energy getting pissed off at what other people do, especially in a place like this. I've engaged with him on occasion because sometimes his BS is simply too much to go unaddressed. If he uses replies for whatever, eff him, I don't really care. His audience is small-brained, ill-informed mouth breathers like him and if the best he's got is my replies, his arguments are just that much more pathetic and weaker than I thought. When I engage with him, it's not to provide him with fodder or to piss you off. I do it because I want to and I'm a 61 year old man who doesn't need your or his approval. If I want to make a point, and I often/most of the time let his BS ride, I'm going to make my point. Better yet, get pissed if you want, I guess. 🤷♂️
The democrats started a convention yesterday. It was a breath of fresh air to hear positive speeches about this country and its people. Trump and his cult take the oxygen out the room with their never ending vilification of everyone and things other than Trump himself.
Trump is for Trump. He can’t be bothered with running the country. He is about the grift, the adulation, people sucking up to him. He will leave the running of the country to the Heritage Foundation and Federalist Society and the American Nazi’s such as Stephen Miller.
Last night was nostalgic, last night was a reminder of what really makes America great again.
I’m a Republican, obviously I’m now a RINO, but there is hope for the life of our Republic form of democracy. We can’t let the Trump Crime Family take that from us.
It will take a united coalition of every voter to put an end to evil that has spread across our country.
Thank you for your comments. I was also a once proud Republican but I no longer see any resemblance of our previous party
I left the Party in 2008 and have never looked back. The last 8 years have been a nightmare for my family. I'm from Indiana so you can just imagine. My oldest daughter is the only other Democrat in the whole bunch and I have a big family too. 💔😢
Thank You Steve. 🙂
I cried watching this Convention.
HOPE, I love America 🇺🇸
Vote 💙
Trump is a malignant growth that feeds off man's worst instincts. His formula of division has turned loving family homes into battle grounds for the soul of America. At first I was caught off guard by their wrapping themselves up in the American flag. Yes, I fell victim to their lies in 2016 and have regretted that decision everyday since. There is an old movie about our dark past called "The Black Legion" with Humphrey Bogart. I can now understand how people are fooled into believing something that goes against their own values. These instigators like Trump, play on fear, real or imagined. Trump and his legion do not represent American values. In fact they represent the opposite of America values. They represent a morally corrupt class that believes in nothing more than political power. The power to take away rights and rule instead of governing, that is the way of governments of dictators not America. Let us take back our country from those who wish to divide us and create a blue wave this November. A wave so high that it washes away all the hate and division. We are not going back. Our future is ahead of us not behind. We won't get fooled again.
Beautifully said. I saw you are in Recovery too. As am I. Glad to meet a fellow warrior. Keep the faith!!! ❤️🇺🇸💙
Yes, I am back in the fold and doing well. I just celebrated my 2nd anniversary of sobriety and I am grateful for each day.
Congratulations on your two years!! WTG!!! I was 7 years clean from drugs and alcohol but relapsed in 2019 on Marijuana the night before I had major dental work done. On August 27th I will celebrate 5 months clean. I'm determined to make it this time!!!
I started my journey 42 years ago but like all who do not live a day at a time, I went out after 7 years. Guess what, things didn't get better, I picked up right where I left off. I was too proud so it took another journey into the depths of hell to finally put down the bottle. I spent many years living high on the low life.
Thankfully Angels were still looking out for me and after stopping drinking and putting down the medical marijuana a few years later I reclaimed a seat at the table. That was 2 years ago and nowadays, I do not stray too far from a home group. I am grateful everyday and no matter how bad my health is I find time for meetings. Thank you for sharing your experience
That's great!! Thanks for sharing yours too. I had my Home Group Meeting last night. As you know
like we say in the Program, "Meeting Makers Make it!!". That's part of why I relapsed too. I was trying to use the pot for pain control but there are better safer ways for an addict. So thankful I finally figured that out. Sounds like you did too.
Yes there are. I have had 8 spinal surgeries and was on long term oxycodone. I quit drinking but was still taking the pills. I went to medical marijuana as an alternative and it helped me get off the pills. However, it was doing damage to my COPD compromised lungs. Ingesting the pot made me psychotic and paranoid. I ended up behind locked doors at the VA then at a treatment facility. I was able to clear my mind and my body of the drugs and since I was already not drinking it was more manageable. I still continued to struggle and was feeling very low and depressed. That is when I made the decision to go back to the rooms. I have not looked back since.
"We should always remember though. History will."
Living memories of our last battle against fascism have vanished like a ship that's sailed over the horizon. All we're left with are ghostly black and white images from faded photos and film. That's not enough of a reminder for all too many of our fellow citizens, especially when it's so easy for skilled propagandists to erase the past.
“Shameful doesn’t begin to describe every single person who appeased and accommodated the rancidity of it all.“ “Every single person” includes the Supreme Court majority, every Republican member of both houses of Congress, and a raft of well known and unknown advisors and hangers-on. And it especially includes every wealthy individual and corporate donor; they are at least as complicit and culpable as the robed and elected politicians they so generously fund. All of these people have put the country through hell in pursuit of their selfish, traitorous agenda. Perhaps we should honor their willingness to “terminate” the Constitution with a generous application of cruel and unusual punishment.
I remember when the Tea Party began. It seemed to be a reaction to primarily a black man as President and then secondarily the idea that affordable healthcare was unconstitutional. So we had that to deal with that. A malignant outgrowth of the Tea Party was MAGA, though both can be said to be malignant.
There are a lot of people in this country who hold to the above views. Look at some of the governors and senators they elect. Can we say that Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama are good people? I don’t, but there are many who do.
We have to find ways to bring voters that elect them into the fold, or at least some of them. A better understanding of how they think would help us all. I still try to understand how Mark Robinson was elected in this state, but I have not figured it out yet.
I have crossed this country from sea to shining sea, up - down, sideways close to a dozen times in my soon to be 78 years, starting in 1957 before the interstates 🛣️. Whenever I fly I take a window seat so that I can look at the land below, most often I know exactly where I am even from 7 miles up. I live in the Deep South in GA and have off and on since 1964. When we moved here from OR it was like moving to a different country, that is no longer true today. America has become much more homogenized, racists can be found pretty much anywhere, and people who believe in democracy as well. As senator Warnock said last night, we here in GA elected a black man and a Jew to the senate, something no one would have thought possible even 10 years ago. The country is changing, maybe not as fast as we would like, but it is changing, I have witnessed it. I watched a lot of the Olympics from Paris, our team reflected a cross section of our people, with every race and gender representing us, whether we won or not is immaterial, we competed with our best as did other nations. When I watched the convention last night, I saw the same kind of cross section of our great land, only the Democrats embrace everyone, the repugnantkins are locked in their embrace of male white nationalism with a radical Christian twist. Sure they have a parasite for a leader whose only interest in them is the money they give him to stay out of jail, but that too shall pass, not soon enough, but it will pass. I was heartened by the enthusiasm I saw last night, the repugnantkins aren’t going to know what hit them, this wonderful country is changing, we have room to improve, but we are most assuredly on the right path. 🙏
As an 80 year old New Yawker, born and raised in Baastin, I could not agree more.