Displaying 271 To 300 Of 19,504 Comments Trump Is The Problem! Could He Also Be The Solution? I see things from the same perspective. Much as I hate to admit it, there are at least one third of the American public, those who are Trump cultists, who are beyond the reach of decency and reason. Many condone Trump’s racism, hatred, cruelty, authoritarianism and destruction of our democracy and institutions. Those people are not going to suddenly wake up one day, slap their forehead and exclaim, “What was I thinking?! Now I see how Trump is a monster and I was blinded by my insecurity and hatred!” As I like to say, you can’t reason people out of an opinion they didn’t use reason to come to. They are beyond reason, beyond enlightenment, they are trapped in a bubble of propaganda, lies and validation of their resentments. They have exactly what they want, they want to be minions of an authoritarian hate monger because he represents a success to them. Some have described this simply and well by explaining that for them, Trump hates the people they want to see hated. And that will never be changed. The Trump Cult is the enemy of everything this country stands for. That doesn’t mean we use the same hatred against them that we criticize in them, I don’t hate Trump or his cultists but I see them as the adversaries of decent society that they are. They don’t want peace, progress or leveling the economic playing field. They want their white privilege and supremacy back to being as dominating as it used to be and they have no conscience to prevent them from supporting the most horrible of actions in that pursuit. Of course, they are too cult-minded to see through Trump’s and Fox News’ propaganda and manipulation of them to grab more power and wealth for the already-powerful and wealthy. They are too hypnotized by hatred to see that Trump can’t bring back white supremacy anymore than he could the use of coal. So the only sensible way to proceed, IMO, is to accept the reality of what a personality cult is, that the majority of them can’t be talked out of their lemming-like behavior. They should be seen as the obstacles they are. Investing energy in trying to convince them to oppose Trump is a waste of time and resources. They must be overcome, outnumbered and beaten. And the way we do that is by generating more turnout from those people already opposed to Trump and inclined to vote Dem, not chase after Trump zombies. It will take time but after we have stripped this corrupt minority from the inordinate power they now have, those who joined the Trump cult can be helped as much as possible to get that poison out of their minds and join the rest of decent society. But these types have been around since the country was founded, their types fought a Civil War, implemented Jim Crow and fought against Civil Rights and equality. They will not disappear but their ranks can hopefully be diminished…once decent people who believe in this country’s principles have taken power out of their hands. » Posted By AdLib On December 5, 2019 @ 3:05 pm Our electoral system is broken from top to bottom, we know that and as disappointing as it is that a legit candidate had to drop out because of how costly even running in a primary is, it isn’t surprising. I have heard an alternate suggestion that the deadline to appear on the CA primary ballot was this week and if she didn’t drop out now but did so after IA and NH, her re-election as Senator could be harmed by a dismal showing in the primary vote (who would vote for her after she’s dropped out?). That said, we badly need to change our primary and general election process to prevent money from determining far too much. Citizens United needs to be overturned, campaign periods need to be condensed, public financing needs to be set up and the unfair influence of small, heavily white states in paring down the field needs to be changed. You have every reason to feel disappointed in many Americans but the majority of Americans oppose the power of money in our politics and with a sincere Dem president and a unified Dem Congress in place after the 2020 election, changes will not only be possible but unavoidable. » Posted By AdLib On December 5, 2019 @ 2:43 pm A Thanksgiving Tradition – 2019 I don’t know why the video didn’t embed in your comment but here it is!
» Posted By AdLib On November 30, 2019 @ 9:09 pm It’s all Kalima and I can do to keep up with your wit and wisdom, Kes. I’m very grateful for how supportive you’ve always been at The Planet and what a gentle but strong and influential voice you have. And how did you know that I wear pajamas all day? Every other day is Halloween for Giuliani, the other days are April Fools. But he does save critics a lot of time from having to photoshop him as deranged zombie. Just an actual photo does the job. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year, Kes! You deserve it! » Posted By AdLib On November 30, 2019 @ 6:21 pm I am joining all the most important fan clubs this weekend and that includes Fergie’s and yours. In today’s world, those who honestly share their thoughts, principles and reasoning in public can inspire each other and you and Fergie have done the same for me. As for saving you money in tv repairs and purchases, it is not only our pleasure but in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we will only bill you half of the usual 10% of anticipated savings for the month in Uncontrollable Rage Destruction Mitigation services. It says “Happy Thanksgiving” on the bill so you know it’s earnest. Thanks so much, I and my family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know it’s not a holiday for folks in Australia but I saved you both leftovers anyway. BTW, the chocolate pecan pie rocks! » Posted By AdLib On November 30, 2019 @ 6:12 pm Okay, now I’m doubly thankful for you, Kalima. And I’m signing up too for the now-legendary Dr. Horiouchi’s fan club since I’m already a charter member in yours. There are more good people out there than bad ones but because they’re bad, they are louder and more aggressive so they seem more plentiful. They will get their comeuppance and power will be taken from their hands in less than a year now. Better days are coming and we will celebrate them together, you and me and all the good people out there (who I hope are having a wonderful weekend). » Posted By AdLib On November 30, 2019 @ 6:00 pm The Facts About Impeaching Trump That Republicans Don’t Want You to Know I think there are Dem candidates who are running on fear, the most prominent one being Joe Biden. His campaign basically says, “Forget all the serious flaws and weaknesses are, just be afraid of Trump so vote for me.” But I don’t see that as much in many of the candidates. While I agree with your primary point that they should be running against the GOP as being a Russian-backed and owned agency that is destroying our country and democracy, I think the motivation for not addressing that is the opposite of fear. Just as when Pelosi was standing against impeachment and insisting that The House instead pass bills to show voters that they were working for them, I think many of the candidates are following that same strategy and trying to push the positivity of what they will do as president. But in the end, you and I are generally on the same page. I think that the whole story has to be, “Here are the things I’ll do for you as president but here are the destructive things Trump and Repubs have been doing and will do to this country if they win in 2020.” Nearly all the Dems want to fix healthcare, reverse the tax cuts for the wealthy, attack Climate Change, improve the economic inequality in the country, etc. As effective as it may be to stress the positive, it is foolish to ignore that 2020 will be a referendum on Trump and the GOP and the criminal behavior they are committing or conspiring on by excusing it. The votes that are taken by Repubs in The House on impeachment articles and in The Senate on convicting and removing Trump should be seared into the minds of voters as a betrayal of the country and everything it stands for. The overthinking of Dems is frequently their downfall. They think it is clever and more effective to just focus on their positions on issues when contrast is far more effective and ignoring the ongoing constitutional crisis makes them look oblivious. Biden’s campaign is a massive failure. This should be their central issue and yet…all it seems to be about is, “I know foreign leaders by name, I’m ready to go on day one!’ Who the hell is clamoring for that among voters? Sure, Dems want a candidate who can beat Trump but proof that Biden has a losing campaign is that their meek messaging is already losing so much in the primary, Bloomberg and Patrick have jumped in late. That is ALL about Biden’s weakness. It is obvious to the Dem establishment that has been betting all along on him. As for the other candidates, I understand that they are focused on setting themselves apart from their rivals to win the Dem nom and that they will naturally turn more against Trump and the Repubs once the nom is chosen and in the GE against Trump, they’ll have no choice then. But hammering home now that they see the crisis we are now in because of what Trump and the GOP are doing, shows a candidate who recognizes the real stakes of the upcoming election and that they will be prepared to confront them as the Dem nom. That will be a candidate who can beat Trump and the GOP (and Russia), one who knows that for the sake of our democracy, they have to. » Posted By AdLib On November 26, 2019 @ 1:11 pm The multiple lawsuits against Trump for violating the emoluments clause are continuing but the question of including them in the impeachment articles is probably more about the public than Congress. The sad truth is that it appears that the majority of Americans don’t understand or care much about this criminal, thieving-of-tax-dollars behavior of Trump’s. Polls have reflected this. So while I initially was upset at The House limiting the Articles of Impeachment to the Ukraine extortion, I have come to see that including articles for crimes that the public won’t see as egregious, will help Trump deflect all of the articles. It’s outrageous but seems to be where things are with the American public today. An impeachment and removal would need the overwhelming support of the public to be successful. IMO, The House should never consider public opinion in pursuing impeachment against a criminal president like Trump. But as to the strategy for succeeding, that is a factor. If Americans don’t “get” the emoluments clause and it’s included with articles covering crimes they do get, Trump and the Repubs will only obsess on decrying how wrong it is to impeach Trump on emoluments and use that to erode public support of impeachment. Same with the Mueller Report, the public is too ignorant (sorry about the tough love public but you know it’s true) about what the Mueller Report actually laid out about Trump’s criminal and unconstitutional acts to have been properly outraged about its conclusions. In the end, it won’t be until and unless a Democrat wins in 2020 and a legit AG is put in place in the DoJ until Trump and his crime family can be properly pursued for all their crimes. In the meantime, the challenge for The House is to try and draft Articles of Impeachment that are as understandable and bulletproof for a majority of Americans to support. Again, I think this narrow approach is a comment on how unengaged and uninformed as citizens, Americans are today. Polls show so far that the public hearings, which were very successful for Dems, haven’t moved public opinion to any real degree. So those blindly supporting Trump, those supporting impeachment and especially, those who haven’t tuned into what’s happening, haven’t changed at all. With those dynamics, we’re stuck with this House strategy of keeping the Articles of Impeachment narrowly focused on extorting Ukraine and Contempt of Congress/Obstructing Justice in the pursuit of gaining greater public support for impeachment. It is disappointing but the logic is hard to argue against. » Posted By AdLib On November 26, 2019 @ 9:43 am This is how things work in North Korea, Russia and other dictatorships. The Great Leader is always described as infallable and beyond the laws of men by the supplicants that compose his “party” (cult is more accurate). The lengths that Repubs have gone to in order to declare they haven’t heard testimony proving Trump’s guilt in committing a crime and impeachable offense is so extreme, it defies belief for anyone other than their ignorant core supporters. Trump already explained that he could commit murder and his cult followers would keep following him. The GOP should be repeatedly referred to in the media as “cult-like”, “dishonest”, “refusing to accept truths they don’t like”, “propagandists”, as opposed to still being treated like a political party. A political party represents a collection of values and principles. The GOP has neither now, they are just a cult that blindly follows and defends their cult leader, violating any and all previously espoused values and principles without hesitation. That is the definition of a cult. And this country needs to take back its power from the hands of such disturbed people for good. The GOP needs to be shunned as a permanent minority party until they can change and be part of a decent society. » Posted By AdLib On November 23, 2019 @ 12:05 pm Thanks Steppenwolf! In a colloquial sense, Barr is already a traitor to the country, betraying our Constitution and democracy since he has acted in a way that affirms his declaration that a president is an untouchable king. The whole reason there was a revolution was to escape being ruled by a dictatorial ruler yet Barr, deranged by his lust for power and screwed up by his cult religious beliefs, thinks he knows better. America should not be a democracy, it should be a theocracy ruled by the Religious Right and a king. He is a mentally disturbed man and has no business acting as the country’s head of law enforcement when he doesn’t truly believe in the law. Trump is a traitor IMO as he has clearly demonstrated his fealty to Russia and has made countless decisions, major ones too, that are to the benefit of Russia and betray America’s national security. Is Trump giving aid and comfort to a foreign power that is a foe of the country he is supposed to be protecting? The answer is indisputable. We are careening through a time of madness and actually, real evil. It may sound over-dramatic but when one considers the evil being done to human beings seeking asylum at the border, evil being done to destroy the environment and health of Americans, evil pursued to tear away health care from tens of millions, evil legislated to rob the majority to enrich the wealthy and evil to encourage and support the hateful racists out there who attack and murder innocent people…we are indeed confronting a terrible evil in Trump. But the majority will stand against Trump too in November, we just need to keep rallying them to get out and vote and keep a close eye on those Repubs who would try to cheat them out of their vote and voting for their best interests. » Posted By AdLib On November 23, 2019 @ 11:53 am I fully agree with your points, these deceitful Republicans have been cowards, avoiding the press on the impeachment hearings by claiming, “I can’t comment because I will be a juror in an impeachment trial,” while conspiring with the defendant in that upcoming trial on strategies to protect him. And Ron Johnson, Lindsey Graham and the other Repub Senators who have proven their prejudices against being fair jurors should be removed from the process as jurors in any other trial would be for conspiring with the defendant on throwing the trial for him. But we know that won’t be done. We can only hope that the rigging of this trial will stick in the minds of voters when they go to the ballot box next November and that Dems rightly hammer these Repubs in their re-elections for corrupting justice and fairness as their criminal boss has. » Posted By AdLib On November 22, 2019 @ 8:49 am Thanks TOCB! There are still Repub “defenses” of Trump I realize that I didn’t include but I hope to have at least covered the majority. I’ve been with you on that in supporting impeachment as a duty Democrats owed to the country when a president has turned corrupt and criminal. The BS excuses that the establishment Dems kept throwing out after the Mueller Report’s impeachment roadmap, before the Ukraine call, that the public would rally against them to support Trump as they did with Bill Clinton, that it was pointless if Senate Repubs won’t remove him, etc., were reflective of the status quo and fearful mentality that has frequently hobbled the Dem Party over the years. And as I’m sure you’ve assumed too, the public testimony would only help to cement and convince Americans of Trump’s criminality. The recent poll I saw showed that now 70% of Americans think Trump did something wrong in his call and over 50% of Americans want Trump impeached and removed. As seemed intuitive, the public’s support of impeachment zoomed up as it progressed. Now, after the past two weeks, the case has been fully made and whether Trump is removed or not in The Senate, he is seriously wounded politically as are the many officials surrounding him. He is a proven criminal and while that won’t change the support of his cultist followers, it is a powerful argument against him in the 2020 election that he can’t escape from or try to use whataboutism on with the Dem nominee…even if it’s Biden (which I hope it’s not). The Repubs in The Senate will not have as easy of a time covering up for the criminal in the WH as they may think. Their votes against justice and for party over country will be cudgels that are used to hammer them as unprincipled and untrustworthy by smart Dem candidates. And the Dem presidential candidate will be handed a powerful campaign theme, attacking the corruption of our democracy, our rule of law and our character as Americans with the country and around the world. Many politicians have used the winning campaign of fighting corruption (even Trump hypocritically did with his “Drain the Swamp” BS). Among persuadable voters, only the Dem nominee will have that issue to run on since Trump has been proven corrupt and a criminal. It seems likely that the country will be very divided after the 2020 election but just to be contrarian for a moment, I have to wonder if many Repubs will be relieved that the madness of the Trump era is gone and normalcy returned. The frothing Trump faithful will no doubt be screaming, “Election fraud!” but aside from that 30% or so, 70% of the country which now sees Trump as being corrupt in his Ukraine call, may actually come together and drown out the defeated and possibly exhausted Trump cultists. The Dem nominee will need to make big changes quickly to take advantage of that and cement unity and support, on health care, gun control, climate change, etc., issues where that 70% are agreed on issues. And as long as it’s not Biden, I think that’s very possible. » Posted By AdLib On November 22, 2019 @ 8:42 am Should Democrats Allow Republicans To Choose The Democratic Nominee? You’re correct, the Dem party is a coalition, not a tribe like the GOP is. The Dem Party includes and welcomes all ages, races, religions, sexual orientations, conservatives, moderates and liberals. The GOP is comprised primarily of older, straight, white, conservative Christians, many of whom are hateful racists, homophobes, anti-Semites and religious bigots. The GOP is literally an enclave, a tribe, so acting in a tribal way for them with a Great Leader who can do no wrong in their fight against “the others” comes naturally. As a coalition of many types of Americans, the Dems don’t have a tribe and an “other” in the same way Repubs do. So by nature, a winning nominee would need to be a true and altruistic populist, a demagogue like Trump isn’t possible without dividing the party against itself. Keeping all that in mind, Dem turnout will be affected by how well the nominee fits that role. Do they inspire and excite the coalition in a way that the different groups of people feel that this truly is their candidate? Do they seem genuinely compassionate towards all people in the coalition? We’ve seen record turnout in 2018 and in this year’s elections so voters are primed to vote out Trump and vote in the Dem nom. Turnout should already be poised to favor the Dem nominee but to pull off the kind of decisive win over Trump that would shut down any consideration of his “Election Fraud!” protests and start brining the country back together, we do need a nominee who has the chops to excite the Dem base AND independent voters looking for change and improvement. We can’t forget that part of what helped Trump get elected was the pervasive feeling that things have been going in the wrong direction for far too long against the majority of Americans and real change is needed. If voters really believe in the Dem nom to deliver meaningful change and progress in this country (and not the Biden promise to just try to go back to where things were in 2008), turnout should be huge and sweep the Dem nom to victory…and take out the Trump trash. » Posted By AdLib On November 22, 2019 @ 9:55 am Warren is my pick right now too though I wasn’t completely happy with her performance in the debate. She seemed too programmed on bringing questions back to her specific plans that were even off topic at times. I understand message discipline and how far it has gotten her but I would like to see more responsiveness and spontaneity from her in debates. Trump will be throwing everything including the kitchen sink at whoever the nom is and they need to be fast on their feet. She has been in a number of instances but less so of late, IMO. My absolutely-nots in the Dem primary are Gabbard, Biden, Steyer, Yang and Buttigieg (he seems to slick and arrogant to me, he may be popular among white moderates but he’s alienated the black voter base and that spells doom). I’m not crazy about pro-corporate/Wall Street Booker, I can’t see Klobuchar looking strong against Trump, I question Harris’ changing commitment to issues and I’m not sure that Sanders can build on his existing base. And Bloomberg and Patrick are irrelevant. So while I have my reservations about other candidates, Warren seems to be the most appealing to me in therms of exciting voters with vision and plans for the future and being strong enough to face off with Trump. I will vote for whoever the nom is but of all of them, I see such an irony that Biden is supported by so many yet he is the weakest campaigner of all of them and the least likely to withstand a political assault by Trump. » Posted By AdLib On November 22, 2019 @ 9:36 am Biden gets confused and falters even in a relatively collegial debate against fellow Democrats. One can only imagine the political disaster Biden would be in a debate with Trump when a vicious rain of lies and slander are brought down on him. And his constant gaffes and confusions will be magnified and ridiculed by Trump and the Russian propaganda machine, Biden will appear to the public as a weak, senile, bumbling old codger who is physically and mentally unable to perform the duties of president. It’s so obvious, seeing this all waiting to fall down on him to bury him and the Dems supporting him seem so tunnelvisioned, basing everything on where things are today. Biden is being treated with kid gloves right now, this is absolutely not going to be the case in a GE and I see no way that, as sheltered as he already is in the primary, that even his own team thinks he can stand up to the daily barrage that would await him in a GE. He is the only possible candidate that would be most likely to self-destruct against Trump and I hope Dems continue to see what a disaster his candidacy would be, not only for the Dems but by allowing Trump to be re-elected, for the future of this country. » Posted By AdLib On November 22, 2019 @ 9:21 am You really think Amy Klobuchar is going to energize massive GOTV? From where? She has no passionate following, she does not appeal to young voters or black and minority voters, the key demographics that help Democrats win. I know that it may seem like playing it safe to go with a bland moderate like Biden or Klobuchar but IMO, it’s far more dangerous to go with a candidate that does not inspire the Dem base. Yes, most Dems will vote for whoever the Dem candidate is but as you said, what Dems need is to motivate those Dem voters who are usually less inclined to vote. And an unexciting moderate like Klobuchar wouldn’t bring them out so the likelihood of Trump getting re-elected goes up. We didn’t play it safe with voting for and nominating a black man with the middle name of “Hussein” who in the Dem primary, supported universal healthcare, and we won. We shouldn’t be afraid of going big and inspirational in 2020 either. » Posted By AdLib On November 22, 2019 @ 9:01 am I couldn’t get too far in that article because it shouts out how slanted it is in its first sentence. A consensus has recently formed among such centrist columnists as Andrew Sullivan, David Brooks, and Bret Stephens What? These are all hard right columnists, each one is worse than the last. Their perspectives are skewed to the right and they’ve all said some pretty offensive things. Democrats don’t need to be concerned about what this motley collection of conservatives think: Stop with the puff pieces about Steve Bannon Andrew Sullivan makes the pro-Bannonism case in a piece in New York magazine under the headline, “What Democrats can learn from Steve Bannon.” Sullivan says Democrats have failed to offer any kind of answer to Trump on the asylum crisis, and that they must “junk the wokeness” and move in a more restrictionist direction with “tighter immigration policies”: “This doesn’t mean competing with Trump on xenophobia, cruelty, or bigotry. It means laying out a comprehensive immigration plan that tightens asylum laws so they exclude economic migrants, invests massively in the immigration court system to speed up the process, moves the processing of asylum cases to a foreign country, mandates national e-verify, beefs up the border to wall-like impermeability, and then grants current undocumented immigrants a reprieve.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/06/17/stop-fluffing-steve-bannon/ David Brooks Dragged for Column Urging ‘Respect to Gun Owners’ The (sort of) conservative columnist for the New York Times was criticized Tuesday for his latest column that asserted that the road to solving America’s gun violence problem ran through red states and that showing proper “respect” to gun owners was essential. Brooks’ pandering to gun owners just days after 17 people were gunned down in a Florida high school didn’t sit well with the internet, with the columnist being the subject of Twitter condemnation for this opinion. https://www.thewrap.com/david-brooks-dragged-for-column-urging-respect-to-gun-owners/ Stunned Twitter Critics Swat Bret Stephens’ Bedbug Link To Nazis In NYT Column The conservative writer ties insect insult against him to anti-Semitism. He once called Palestinians mosquitos in a Wall Street Journal column. Stephens shut down his Twitter account earlier this week after he went ballistic when David Karpf, an associate professor at George Washington University, referred to him in a tweet as a metaphorical bedbug. Stephens emailed Karpf and his provost to complain, but the columnist insisted he wasn’t out to get Karpf fired. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bret-stephens-bedbug-nazi-column_n_5d69e2f0e4b0cdfe05704bf5 I appreciate the electability concerns Dems may have but I don’t trust conservatives to be our sages. » Posted By AdLib On November 21, 2019 @ 10:50 pm I agree, the focus of Dems should be on Dem voters and those who would be most inclined to vote Dem. How did a Dem win the governorship in KY and LA? The stats are clear, Repub turnout was higher but Dem turnout was huge. It wasn’t from luring Repubs over to vote Dem, it was from growing Dem turnout. The results showed that Trump’s visits to the states did rally Repubs but Dems are more driven by Trump to vote against him and Repubs. So this is a proven dynamic that Dems win, why abandon that for the unproven and IMO, completely wrong theory that there are a lot of Trump voters out there who can be convinced to vote Dem. It’s a tribal thing for most voters, they are either Dem or Repub voters and some Repubs look at voting Dem as a mortal sin. You’re not going to change their minds. And consider the 38% or so who still approve of Trump in the polls. After all the insanity and criminal behavior, they still back him. You’re not going to ever win them over, they will happily drive off the cliff with their savior, Trump. We can beat Trump and the racists making up the core of his supporters, we just need to have that confidence, run an inspirational candidate who will rally Dem voters and we can win this. Biden has had a long and accomplished career but he is the one candidate that can only fail, whether losing to Trump or being a caretaker type president who loses support across the board, his nomination would be a time bomb for Dems which will go off between now and November or soon after if elected. » Posted By AdLib On November 21, 2019 @ 4:44 pm Just like Obama couldn’t have become president if it hadn’t been for the disaster that Bush was, I think 2020 is our opportunity to elect a true Progressive who could make the long-awaited and urgent changes this country needs in healthcare, economic injustice, political corruption, etc. This is absolutely the wrong time to lower our sights and let Republicans push Dems into nominating someone like Biden who will be “their” candidate because we’re afraid of losing to Trump. Biden will be as weak as president as he is as a candidate, he will be overwhelmed, he will misfire as he constantly does and he won’t deliver the meaningful change we need. And all that will also mean, he would be destroyed when he runs for re-election and we could be handing the WH in 2024 to Don Jr.. Any valuable candidate will have a challenge. Whether it’s Warren, Buttigieg, Sanders, Harris, each has built-in “obstacles” because they’re not a generic, moderate old white man (Hi Joe!) who is just trying to squeak by in a GE by not offending anyone. It’s the same reason McDonalds sells the most hamburgers in the world. They are far from the best or tastiest burgers you’ll ever eat but they hit that common denominator, don’t have too much flavor and lots of salt and sugar to appeal to the most possible people without offending anyone. That is not a recipe for a good president though. We can’t be any more afraid of electing a gamechanging president than we were in 2008 when we elected Obama…who many experts insisted had too many obstacles in front of him to be “electable”. The Republicans can try in 4 years to elect their desired nominee, they’re not driving this bus though so I’ll keep slapping their hands every time they try to grab the wheel. » Posted By AdLib On November 21, 2019 @ 4:35 pm The GOP choice has been Biden from the start. He’s from Delaware, pro-corporation, pro-Wall Street and a good ol’ boy who they know will play ball with them. He doesn’t want and isn’t running on change, he is running as the old Plymouth that you can drive down the usual roads and will get you from here to there…meaning status quo. They don’t want change and Biden is happy to accomodate them. However, as Biden has seemed weak, they and the establishment of the Dem Party have been freaking out and they’ve been pushing Bloomberg and Patrick to get in the race. It’s ABWOS, Anyone But Warren Or Sanders. There isn’t a big difference between who non-Trump Repubs want as the Dem candidate and who Dem establishment types want. But one thing they don’t want is a Progressive who would tax the wealthy…which is them. And fix the corruption which they thrive on. For our sake, I hope they lose and we win the nom. » Posted By AdLib On November 21, 2019 @ 4:22 pm Weekend Music Thread – Time of the Season Perfect! » Posted By AdLib On November 2, 2019 @ 9:38 pm Agreed! Always enjoyed the chorus on this song. » Posted By AdLib On November 2, 2019 @ 6:54 pm Trick or Trick! Republican Horror Movie Posters For Halloween 2019! Very glad you enjoyed it and hope you had a nice weekend! » Posted By AdLib On November 4, 2019 @ 2:56 pm Thanks so much! » Posted By AdLib On November 2, 2019 @ 6:45 pm Republicans Break Laws to Stop Impeachment Hearings From Investigating Lawbreaking I feel the same way, very encouraged, by your thoughtful and incisive views. It’s energizing to be reminded by others that you’re not among the few, we are the majority. The problem is that we are painted a superficial and flattering picture of America in school that stays with us for a while, in some cases, never leaves their perspectives. It’s a Photoshopped version of history, America as a place where anyone’s dreams can come true, of patriotism and respect for hard work, etc. For instance, I doubt most Americans were taught about the Tulsa Race Riot in 1921. A dramatization of it appeared at the opening of The Watchmen and few people recognized that it was not fiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shw2-7uazc0 If they taught history honestly in schools, they couldn’t simultaneously present the idealized version of America that covers up the country we really live in. An honest education for children would be to describe America as a country of constant conflict over race and social and religious beliefs. Yes, Americans can be shocked into unity when a Pearl Harbor or a 9/11 happens but by nature, America is a union of two warring “tribes”. One tribe is authoritarian and race-driven white people. Whether it’s their religion, their belief in white superiority or their reverence for the party that panders to them by trying to make their prejudices and religion into laws all Americans must follow, they are the enemies of true democracy. They support criminal behavior by their politicians, turn a blind eye to voter suppression of those who would vote for a different party, soliciting foreign interference in our elections, gerrymandering away the Constitutional right to be represented and in general, everything The Constitution enshrines as the core of a democracy. Even now, they purposely brand the Constitutional power of Congress to impeach a corrupt, criminal and unfit president as, moronically, “unconstitutional”. They are the cancer in this country. They are the ones fighting against taking steps to confront Climate Change, tens of thousands of gun deaths with legislation and they are such tribal reptile-minded types, they even support tariffs that rob them of their farms and tax cuts for the wealthy that rob them of their own wealth. They will always be with us, there is no escaping the generationally-conditioned mentality that begins with racism and religious absolutism. They are the adversaries of a better nation and world. The other “tribe” is actually a combination of many tribes. They consider the rights and concerns of many types of people because that is part of their constituency. They believe in democracy and that government can help people. They are tolerant of others because, again, they are composed and neighbors of others who are different from them. They oppose injustice, wealth inequality, the environmental destruction of the planet, the right of every human being to get health care and so much more. A simple but accurate way to describe each tribe/party is as Primal and Evolved. The Primals operate on and make decisions based on emotions and conformity, are happily subservient to “a strong leader”, are insecure and intimidated by those who are different from them and have no principle standing between them and acting inhumanely to “defend” their insecurities. The Evolved use reason to make decisions, are sympathetic to the difficulties of others, are uncomfortable blindly following leaders and stand on principle even when it cuts against their personal interests. Neither type necessarily acts as described above 100% of the time and there are of course shades of gray in and in between each type but generally, that is what our ancestors lived with as we do and our children will. As they say, the first thing you need to know to win a war is knowing you’re in one. In the 1960’s/1970’s Dems/liberals thought they had defeated the racists and the greedy, destructive corporations. What we didn’t learn until Reagan and the Bushs came along was that this is a neverending war. We may win for a while, they may win for a while, but the war goes on and on. At least, if we are armed with this realistic vision of America, we can be much better prepared and vigilant to win again and prevent a beast like Trump from ever again seizing the power of the American people. » Posted By AdLib On October 31, 2019 @ 5:12 pm Thanks so much, Steppenwolf! I agree with your thoughts, I do think we can build a more frank level of discussion about what we’re really facing right now. There simply isn’t time for over-politeness when dealing with such urgent and serious issues. I do think it’s important in an emergency, and while some may not feel we are in one, we clearly are, to cut right to the realities to deal with them as quickly as possible. True, Democrats can’t say whatever is politically advantageous just to come into power then neglect all the pressing needs of the people. A lot of time and energy needs to be spent on repairing the Trump damage (maybe a new, temporary Department of American Renewal will need to be set up to focus on repairing our society) but also on the urgent issues of health care, Climate Change, economic injustice, voter suppression, racism and bigotry, women’s rights, etc. Getting rid of Trump will not be enough, he could run again in the next election, or Ivanka or Don Jr. could and win if Dems don’t prove they can get things done that help most people in the country. » Posted By AdLib On October 30, 2019 @ 5:53 pm In a way, we never really were a “United” States from the beginning. That’s what led to the Civil War, we started as a country with states in one of two camps, the pro-slavery South and the not-so-pro-slavery North. It’s not completely clear cut, there are people in both camps in every state but predominantly, we remain in the same Cold Civil War (that’s heated up recently) we’ve always been in. Those primary divisions remain the major fault line in our country, they’ve never gone away, just become more or less inflamed from time to time. Now of course, we can see those divisions starkly. One thing seems clear though, the GOP is a minority party about greed and power so they hold no principles. They lie and cheat in elections and in between. They are casual about their hypocrisy because “principles” are only weapons to use insincerely and conditionally. Nothing is actually morally or ethically wrong to them, they act solely on what benefits them and cover up their selfish motives by decrying “principle”. Every issue they claim, they wail about a growing deficit unless they are the ones growing it. They’re pro-life when it can oppress woman but favor death for immigrants, prisoners, innocent civilians, etc. They support health care and protecting people with pre-existing conditions while supporting lawsuits and bargain health plans that eliminate both. And on this impeachment inquiry, Dems are using the rules that Repubs used in Benghazi and Bill Clinton’s impeachment but the rules are “unfair” because only Repubs get to use rules when they’re in power. The good news is that what remains of the GOP is only around a 38% minority of the country. The other 62% can end this madness and their abuse of power in 2020 and even if Trump isn’t removed, that 62% will have a clear choice of re-electing a proven criminal and enemy of America’s continuing democracy or disposing of him and electing a Dem who can help to repair 4 years of terrible damage to the country and world. I am optimistic, the polls showing 55% of Americans support impeachment hearings and removal of Trump are affirming and I think the public hearings will make those numbers grow. We may never be a completely United States but the country can be made better for everyone when the resentful, racist minority can be prevented from having much power. » Posted By AdLib On October 30, 2019 @ 3:55 pm Thanks so much, glenn! That is clearly how I feel too. Dems were wrong with all their made-up blowback about how impeachment would be bad for Dems and turn the public against them and towards Trump. They’re wrong here too if they think punishing these Repub lawbreakers would distract from impeachment, help them by making them martyrs or whatever BS they make up to once again avoid protecting the country as a nation of laws. They should be more confident in standing on principle of right and wrong after the majority support growing daily for impeachment. It was proven true today, it’s not just rhetoric, the GOP has been swallowed up by corruption and no longer exists as a law-abiding, political party with a set of principles. They are hollow which is why it’s so easy for Trump to fill them with his bile. There’s nothing decent left in the GOP, it needs to be reduced to a minority party for decades, as they were in Congress in the past. Hopefully, Dems who won in states in 2018 and those who win in 2020 will use the new redistricting to destroy gerrymandering in Swing States, a Dem president and Congress will pass Voting rights legislation and put the worst violating states on a short leash on voting restrictions, fix elections so all states use paper ballots and reign in the power of dark money and social media giants taking money from corrupt forces. Then, as the tricks of the minority party that the GOP is, are destroyed and blocked, they’ll have one path left, to reform into a legit party or fade away into irrelevancy. » Posted By AdLib On October 24, 2019 @ 12:37 am What Keeps Me Up At Night……. Trump Still Likely To Win In 2020 Murph, as has been proven despite the false memes, polls in 2016 were pretty accurate. Polls in 2018 proved accurate, predicting a Blue Wave. So polls that have been consistent in swing states showing Trump losing to most of the top Dem candidates are worthwhile to be trusted as well. I appreciate your concern and doubts on some of my points but I would assure you that there are polls and data to back them all up. For example, when it comes to a majority of Americans saying they won’t vote for Trump: More than half of Americans approve of Trump on the economy. More than half also say they won’t vote for him. I know you’re swamped in MO by Trump supporters so they may seem like a majority as they truly are there but they are a fractional minority in many states Trump won. If that 38% or so of Americans are blind faith, cult followers of Trump, nothing will persuade them but some of them can be discouraged by losing their farms, their healthcare, their safe environment and seeing publicly the impeachment hearings exposing Trump’s criminality. They may never drop their support of him but they may become less enthusiastic about going out to vote for him. Even if they don’t, Trump loses. To recognize why Trump is likely going to lose by a big margin, think about how he ran in 2016 and how he attracted voters he needed to win. In 2016, Trump ran as the outsider who would drain the swamp, build the wall that México would pay for and help the regular people government has forgotten. He is no longer an outsider, he is at the heart of the cancer in our government now. Mexico isn’t paying for his wall and the protection that suckers in the 2016 election thought it represented has been exposed as worthless. Trump and his tax cut for the wealthy, tariffs and increased economic injustice has hurt the “forgotten people” more than they had been. And as an outsider and NOT part of the government that people were distrustful of, many voters who were looking for a change and someone who would shake up DC in a good way chose Trump. For some, it was a symbolic vote, a way at throwing a political Molotov cocktail at the status quo. But now Trump IS the status quo. He is proven to be a criminal. He is a swamp all to himself. He isn’t a representative of change now, a vote for him would mean keeping the intensifying division, hatred and racism in the country. Tearing down our democracy to have an autocracy. Continuing the thousands of lies, deceptions and lack of transparency voters opposed. He barely won despite losing the popular vote by almost 3 million. By only 80k votes in three states where the top Dems have led Trump in big margins for many months. Where does he get the votes from to build on his 39% base? The motivations for millions of his voters are gone now. Far more than 80k in those states. Many of your comments express a sensible concern that Trunp could still win despite not being able any longer to attract enough voters to even win the Electoral College. But numbers and logic paint a pretty clear picture and even Trump’s desperation of blackmailing Ukraine and bowing to Russia for help overturning the likely results of his losing on 2020, attest to Trump’s genuine belief that he will lose. If even Trump thinks he would lose without the election being rigged, I think that says a lot about that likelihood. » Posted By AdLib On October 26, 2019 @ 12:43 pm First off, I think it is wise to not take for granted that Democrats will beat Trump in 2020 just because current polls show a big advantage and Trump is being damaged by his crimes and the impeachment process. However, I think Moody’s predictions are so narrow-minded and in-a-bubble, they are pretty irrelevant. They are trying to characterize Trump’s presidency as identical to previous ones which is a critical mistake for them as a starting point. There is no analogue for Trump, the economy’s performance does not override the intense feelings for and against Trump. As many experts have already noted, Trump’s numbers are unnaturally low for a president presiding over such low unemployment and such positive views of the economy (though not as positive lately). Why doesn’t Moody’s address that? Their predictions and the factors they take for granted are already a bust right now. Why don’t they address the Blue Wave in 2018 which saw a record Democratic win, in an election that was a referendum on Trump, despite all the positive economic factors that existed? Because Moody’s is a financial entity that doesn’t understand the influence of social issues and, like most big players in the world of finance, have a hubris borne of their success that doesn’t allow them to see things as they are when it conflicts with their assumptions. IMO, the biggest arguments against a likely Trump Victory in 2020 are. 1. The 2018 election, a referendum on Trump, was a huge Dem victory. This is not to say that Trump won’t remain a threat to win in 2020, with Russia and other foreign countries interfering in our elections, Repubs in states suppressing voters and manipulating outcomes in other ways and shameless propaganda flooding the country but the current polling shows Trump in big trouble and as impeachment continues, it can only bring him down more. Also, if Dems nominate a candidate who energizes the Dem base, that enthusiasm can spread. Yes, Trump cultists will be rabid and anxious to vote but their numbers, even if slightly, have declined. And independent voters have been leaving Trump in droves. Looking at demographics only, because there were many factors as to why Hillary lost in 2016, Hillary failed to get the turnout in black and youth voters that Obama generated in his elections in Rust Belt states and that was the only factual reason she didn’t win the Electoral College in 2016. Whoever the Dem is, if they energize and GOTV of those already in their camp, who came out in 2008 and 2012, they will beat the Trump of 2020 and would even beat the more popular Trump in 2016, It’s not a foregone conclusion, nothing should be taken for granted and all energy and hard work is required but IMO, it is more likely than not that Trump will be defeated in 2020. » Posted By AdLib On October 23, 2019 @ 2:30 pmComments Posted By AdLib
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2. The public has turned more negative on Trump and the economy since 2018.
3. A growing percentage of voters who supported Trump have been leaving him.
4. Trump won in 2016 by 80,000 votes in Swing States where he now trails by big margins.
5. A strong majority of voters already claim they won’t vote for Trump.
6. The impeachment inquiry and trial is exposing his greed and criminality.
7. Americans typically prefer change in president elections (hence Trump).
8. Trump’s growing instability damages his image with independent voters he needs.
9. Trump’s base is static, around 40% his offensive actions to keep them limits any growth.
10. His failures on Syria/Kurds, NK, China, Obamacare, etc. destroy his “winning” rep.
11. Dems are now Govs in Rust Belt states Trump won, Repub election sabotage is limited.
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