For those who have not been following it closely: (1) it's pretty clear a sizeable portion of Arab-American voters in Michigan will not vote, vote for Jill Stein or write in another name instead of voting for Harris. If Harris loses Michigan, they will say "Mission Accomplished" even if that means Trump wins. (2) Stein at this point is on an ego trip and is willing to hand the whole thing to Trump. Stop trying to analyze them: they are willing to burn the house down to make their "point". You won't convince them otherwise.
Oh, I’m paying attention and I’m freaking out over this (among other things). Where’s Pramila Jayapal? Where’s Ilhan Omar? They should be forcefully campaigning for Harris. She cannot afford to lose 100k+ voters in MI.
I know Jayapal endorsed Harris and I think (but am not sure) that Omar did the same. But you won't see them do much more than that, is my guess. They like egging on anti-Israel protesters which inevitably leads to vandalizing pro-Israel Congressman like Ritchie Torres. They are less interested in receiving the vitriol of anti-Israel protesters at their offices.
And one more thing, could someone remind the black males on the fence about voting from Harris, that things will get far worse for them too. Trump is not kidding about a Stop and Frisk policy. He is not kidding about total immunity for police officers to become Judge, Jury & Executioner. There’s a saying, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. You have been warned!
When Trump threatens deportation, believe him! He will begin with the Hispanic community and move on to Arab, Haitian, Islamic and any other community that tickles his or Maga’s fancy. People that don’t learn from history are fools..circa 1930’s Germany. You have been warned!
I can think of so many things to comment about, but this last about Jill Stein and the pro Palestinian Arabs living in Michigan. OMG.... Are they crazy? If anyone in that group or knows someone who reads this, please warn them. Trump has said, when he is President, he support Israel's complete takeover of Gaza and Palestine. The Palestinians will forced to go to Syria or Lebanon. The Arabs living in Michigan will be the brown immigrants that will be put in camps. Billy Bob can't read very well so don't bother showing him your citizenship papers. Don't complain. You only have yourselves to blame.
Harris is your best bet. Don't be stupid. Protest all you want when she's elected. She'll listen to you. Complain to Trump and you'll be arrested and/or deported.
This is for Bill. You wrote today: But in watching Harris and Cheney yesterday,I thought one could see glimpses not just of a defensive struggle, but of a better future, a future superior to the politics of recent decades, a future in which ossified ideologies would begin to break apart, in which younger leaders would seek not just common ground but fresh solutions to neglected problems, and new opportunities for all of us. I thought one could sense that we are fighting not just against something, but for something. Thank you.
I will be spreading this messages to all of my friends because in my heart I thought this is beginning of something new. The world doesn't know this yet, but Harris and Cheney are starting something new. Plus they are women.
The Guardian has a different take on the way to close the election in Swing States. According to their polls, talking about Trump and the threat he poses does not matter to people, they say she needs to be talking about economic plans for the middle class.
I disagree on the argument that people who have voted Dem have (basically) only been voting anti-Trump and not pro-democratic. I am an independent voter and my vote for Biden was anti-Trump- however, he turned into a Far better President than i would have ever expected. As far as Harris, now that she has campaigned more, my vote will definitely be a pro-Harris vote and I know many others that are excited to vote for her
I saw a survey that indicated that most of the people voting for Haley after she dropped out (and probably before she dropped out) weren't so much Haley fans as antidrumpf republicans. If that is so, having her campaign for him isn't going to help much because their motivation wasn't affected by anything Haley did, but rather by their dislike for drumpf. They are still going to dislike drumpf even if Haley slobbers all over him because they really don't care that much about her.
How else are we to interpret his statement about being on Trump's team as anything other than a declaration that his loyalties lie first with his party over the country, the Constitution, and the rule of law. He may think Trump belongs in prison, but punishing an attempted coup apparently pales in importance to Republicans winning elections.
I agree - I'm not convinced that T. has any core convictions, let alone the cognitive potential to grasp the widespread negative consequences of his actions...
But McConell knows ...and Mike Johnson knows... and Vance knows...
I think I agree with what Bill is saying but also think it could be preaching to the choir about Trump, and most of the country is the choir at this point. Who is the more unknown quantity for those not on board with either, Trump or Harris? I think it's likely Harris. However, the message against Trump is more unequivocal, whereas learning more about Harris and her policy proposals may not be. Still, maybe it's worth a shot. Shes pro NATO, pro freedom (at home and abroad) in contrast to Trump who is either woefully unengaged or outright antagonistic on those things, depending on what side of the bed he woke up on. Where Harris speaks clearly and forthright he rambles with hyperbole and insults. He's like some sort of weird self-referential performance art and she's being an earnest politician trying to contrast herself. Doesn't everyone see this by now? Either they like chaotic schtick or want normalcy. The case Trump's enablers could perhaps make pre-Jan 6 , pre-"Russia can do whatever the hell they want", pre-Harris featuring conservatives at her convention, now endorsed by the Cheneys, is gone, and if they aren't aware of it by now they're living in a cave. They should know Harris is running as a moderate; Trump is openly an extremist.
1) So Graham says that Harris is “the most radical nominee in the history of American politics”. Gus Hall would be jealous. But, really, this tactic is nothing new. They tried a very similar line on Obama (Hannity called him the “most radical President”). And while they weren’t able to call Biden “most radical”, they did say that he was a prisoner of the “radical Left” of the Democratic Party. So it was just about as bad. The sad thing is that no Trumplicant will realize that this is just a shopworn line that they trot out every four years to scare people. They’ll think it’s true.
2) So Vance says that Cheney is “is not motivated by a love of this country”. Another line they perfected on Obama (“he doesn’t love this country the way the rest of us do”). It’s always been amazing to me (OK, probably not that amazing) that Republicans automatically go for the “they’re unpatriotic” slur, and so many people seem just to believe it. And this year it’s even more amazing. Trump is hailed as the only one who really loves America, yet he is the one who does such clearly unpatriotic things like publicly challenge the results of an election for which zero evidence of fraud exists. No one who really loves this country would put her through what Trump has regarding the election (and by all indications will do so again if he loses). A decent, patriotic American would have done what Gore did – concede graciously.
Vance also says that Cheney is motivated “by an obsessive hatred of the people who cost her Wyoming congressional seat”. The problem with this explanation (besides its obvious phoniness) is the chronology. Cheney was an outcast in Republicans circles long before she lost her congressional seat because of her audacity to be a member of the January 6 committee. Someone should explain to Vance how time works.
3) McConnell is supporting Trump despite his statement that “if he hasn’t committed indictable offenses, I don’t know who has”. I guess it’s OK if Trump is a criminal as long as he is “our” criminal. Truly beyond pathetic. But McConnell showed us long ago that nothing matters to him except power.
Trump is without question the least patriotic presidential candidate in modern history. He can rarely go a conversation or speech without crapping all over the country and most of the people in it, whom he hates for rejecting him personally. No man who's primary and only loyalty lies with himself and his personal ambitions and power is even capable of patriotism, which is a selfless emotion that values something greater than oneself. And in Trump's mind there is nothing greater than Trump.
Have you listened to Gen. Mattis’s New York Al Smith dinner podium appearance? I saw the CNN coverage of the speech on YouTube. At about 7 minutes 45 seconds he gets serious and talks of a speech given by President Lincoln at a time of distress in American history. I thought it might interest you and others. The speech feels nostalgic in a way, but I fear this experiment is about to end from ignorance as was long ago feared.
He answers that in a 2019 interview with PBS newshour’s Judy Woodruff, also on YouTube. He says there will come a time when he speaks up, but he feels obligated to stay out of the discourse out of the tradition of the office. He does however, as you know, make a statement in the email to Bob Woodward and the release of his new book. That is as good as it will get. My only solace is believing, hoping, that one day, one day, those who are ready to abandon our history of a nation with a free democracy will realize their mistake, and they take that shame to their grave.
He has it absolutely wrong of course. He forfeited any obligation to stay out of the discourse when he agreed to a political appointment to serve as Trump's defense secretary. On that day he ceased to be merely a retired uniformed military general and became a civilian politician, no longer obligated to the constraints that might justifiably apply to a uniformed military general's participation in civilian political discourse and process. In fact, he became duty bound to participate as the circumstances required of him.
Jill Stein isn't at risk of being thrown in a concentration camp if Trump wins on November 5th, but Abdel Salam and Kshama Sawant certainly are. The fact that they're more interested in punishing the Biden Administration for the actions of Netanyahu than they are in preserving their freedom really speaks to a massive misunderstanding of this moment.
Think of the Pulitzers that could be won by any reporter who ripped the band aid off what is happening in the GOP and Russia and Jill Stein etc. I guess the paycheck from NYTimes or WaPost or NBC is worth more but I wouldn't think so.
For those who have not been following it closely: (1) it's pretty clear a sizeable portion of Arab-American voters in Michigan will not vote, vote for Jill Stein or write in another name instead of voting for Harris. If Harris loses Michigan, they will say "Mission Accomplished" even if that means Trump wins. (2) Stein at this point is on an ego trip and is willing to hand the whole thing to Trump. Stop trying to analyze them: they are willing to burn the house down to make their "point". You won't convince them otherwise.
Oh, I’m paying attention and I’m freaking out over this (among other things). Where’s Pramila Jayapal? Where’s Ilhan Omar? They should be forcefully campaigning for Harris. She cannot afford to lose 100k+ voters in MI.
I know Jayapal endorsed Harris and I think (but am not sure) that Omar did the same. But you won't see them do much more than that, is my guess. They like egging on anti-Israel protesters which inevitably leads to vandalizing pro-Israel Congressman like Ritchie Torres. They are less interested in receiving the vitriol of anti-Israel protesters at their offices.
And one more thing, could someone remind the black males on the fence about voting from Harris, that things will get far worse for them too. Trump is not kidding about a Stop and Frisk policy. He is not kidding about total immunity for police officers to become Judge, Jury & Executioner. There’s a saying, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. You have been warned!
When Trump threatens deportation, believe him! He will begin with the Hispanic community and move on to Arab, Haitian, Islamic and any other community that tickles his or Maga’s fancy. People that don’t learn from history are fools..circa 1930’s Germany. You have been warned!
AZ is training its poll workers in battlefield first aid. Hideous the damage Trump has done to this country.
I can think of so many things to comment about, but this last about Jill Stein and the pro Palestinian Arabs living in Michigan. OMG.... Are they crazy? If anyone in that group or knows someone who reads this, please warn them. Trump has said, when he is President, he support Israel's complete takeover of Gaza and Palestine. The Palestinians will forced to go to Syria or Lebanon. The Arabs living in Michigan will be the brown immigrants that will be put in camps. Billy Bob can't read very well so don't bother showing him your citizenship papers. Don't complain. You only have yourselves to blame.
Harris is your best bet. Don't be stupid. Protest all you want when she's elected. She'll listen to you. Complain to Trump and you'll be arrested and/or deported.
If Trump wins, I sincerely hope Hassan Abdel Salam finds himself rounded up and deported.
This is for Bill. You wrote today: But in watching Harris and Cheney yesterday,I thought one could see glimpses not just of a defensive struggle, but of a better future, a future superior to the politics of recent decades, a future in which ossified ideologies would begin to break apart, in which younger leaders would seek not just common ground but fresh solutions to neglected problems, and new opportunities for all of us. I thought one could sense that we are fighting not just against something, but for something. Thank you.
I will be spreading this messages to all of my friends because in my heart I thought this is beginning of something new. The world doesn't know this yet, but Harris and Cheney are starting something new. Plus they are women.
The Guardian has a different take on the way to close the election in Swing States. According to their polls, talking about Trump and the threat he poses does not matter to people, they say she needs to be talking about economic plans for the middle class.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/22/harris-working-class-voters-poll-election?utm_term=671785d20edbec8e0434c638793a1327&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUS_email
I disagree on the argument that people who have voted Dem have (basically) only been voting anti-Trump and not pro-democratic. I am an independent voter and my vote for Biden was anti-Trump- however, he turned into a Far better President than i would have ever expected. As far as Harris, now that she has campaigned more, my vote will definitely be a pro-Harris vote and I know many others that are excited to vote for her
I saw a survey that indicated that most of the people voting for Haley after she dropped out (and probably before she dropped out) weren't so much Haley fans as antidrumpf republicans. If that is so, having her campaign for him isn't going to help much because their motivation wasn't affected by anything Haley did, but rather by their dislike for drumpf. They are still going to dislike drumpf even if Haley slobbers all over him because they really don't care that much about her.
McConnell repulses me. I think I detest him more than the former president because he’s solely for winning despite the cost to our nation.
How else are we to interpret his statement about being on Trump's team as anything other than a declaration that his loyalties lie first with his party over the country, the Constitution, and the rule of law. He may think Trump belongs in prison, but punishing an attempted coup apparently pales in importance to Republicans winning elections.
I agree - I'm not convinced that T. has any core convictions, let alone the cognitive potential to grasp the widespread negative consequences of his actions...
But McConell knows ...and Mike Johnson knows... and Vance knows...
I think I agree with what Bill is saying but also think it could be preaching to the choir about Trump, and most of the country is the choir at this point. Who is the more unknown quantity for those not on board with either, Trump or Harris? I think it's likely Harris. However, the message against Trump is more unequivocal, whereas learning more about Harris and her policy proposals may not be. Still, maybe it's worth a shot. Shes pro NATO, pro freedom (at home and abroad) in contrast to Trump who is either woefully unengaged or outright antagonistic on those things, depending on what side of the bed he woke up on. Where Harris speaks clearly and forthright he rambles with hyperbole and insults. He's like some sort of weird self-referential performance art and she's being an earnest politician trying to contrast herself. Doesn't everyone see this by now? Either they like chaotic schtick or want normalcy. The case Trump's enablers could perhaps make pre-Jan 6 , pre-"Russia can do whatever the hell they want", pre-Harris featuring conservatives at her convention, now endorsed by the Cheneys, is gone, and if they aren't aware of it by now they're living in a cave. They should know Harris is running as a moderate; Trump is openly an extremist.
A few comments...
1) So Graham says that Harris is “the most radical nominee in the history of American politics”. Gus Hall would be jealous. But, really, this tactic is nothing new. They tried a very similar line on Obama (Hannity called him the “most radical President”). And while they weren’t able to call Biden “most radical”, they did say that he was a prisoner of the “radical Left” of the Democratic Party. So it was just about as bad. The sad thing is that no Trumplicant will realize that this is just a shopworn line that they trot out every four years to scare people. They’ll think it’s true.
2) So Vance says that Cheney is “is not motivated by a love of this country”. Another line they perfected on Obama (“he doesn’t love this country the way the rest of us do”). It’s always been amazing to me (OK, probably not that amazing) that Republicans automatically go for the “they’re unpatriotic” slur, and so many people seem just to believe it. And this year it’s even more amazing. Trump is hailed as the only one who really loves America, yet he is the one who does such clearly unpatriotic things like publicly challenge the results of an election for which zero evidence of fraud exists. No one who really loves this country would put her through what Trump has regarding the election (and by all indications will do so again if he loses). A decent, patriotic American would have done what Gore did – concede graciously.
Vance also says that Cheney is motivated “by an obsessive hatred of the people who cost her Wyoming congressional seat”. The problem with this explanation (besides its obvious phoniness) is the chronology. Cheney was an outcast in Republicans circles long before she lost her congressional seat because of her audacity to be a member of the January 6 committee. Someone should explain to Vance how time works.
3) McConnell is supporting Trump despite his statement that “if he hasn’t committed indictable offenses, I don’t know who has”. I guess it’s OK if Trump is a criminal as long as he is “our” criminal. Truly beyond pathetic. But McConnell showed us long ago that nothing matters to him except power.
Trump is without question the least patriotic presidential candidate in modern history. He can rarely go a conversation or speech without crapping all over the country and most of the people in it, whom he hates for rejecting him personally. No man who's primary and only loyalty lies with himself and his personal ambitions and power is even capable of patriotism, which is a selfless emotion that values something greater than oneself. And in Trump's mind there is nothing greater than Trump.
Bill, Andrew-
Have you listened to Gen. Mattis’s New York Al Smith dinner podium appearance? I saw the CNN coverage of the speech on YouTube. At about 7 minutes 45 seconds he gets serious and talks of a speech given by President Lincoln at a time of distress in American history. I thought it might interest you and others. The speech feels nostalgic in a way, but I fear this experiment is about to end from ignorance as was long ago feared.
And Mattis is just sitting back watching it happen.
He answers that in a 2019 interview with PBS newshour’s Judy Woodruff, also on YouTube. He says there will come a time when he speaks up, but he feels obligated to stay out of the discourse out of the tradition of the office. He does however, as you know, make a statement in the email to Bob Woodward and the release of his new book. That is as good as it will get. My only solace is believing, hoping, that one day, one day, those who are ready to abandon our history of a nation with a free democracy will realize their mistake, and they take that shame to their grave.
He has it absolutely wrong of course. He forfeited any obligation to stay out of the discourse when he agreed to a political appointment to serve as Trump's defense secretary. On that day he ceased to be merely a retired uniformed military general and became a civilian politician, no longer obligated to the constraints that might justifiably apply to a uniformed military general's participation in civilian political discourse and process. In fact, he became duty bound to participate as the circumstances required of him.
I of course agree with you, but I’m not holding my breath.
Jill Stein isn't at risk of being thrown in a concentration camp if Trump wins on November 5th, but Abdel Salam and Kshama Sawant certainly are. The fact that they're more interested in punishing the Biden Administration for the actions of Netanyahu than they are in preserving their freedom really speaks to a massive misunderstanding of this moment.
Think of the Pulitzers that could be won by any reporter who ripped the band aid off what is happening in the GOP and Russia and Jill Stein etc. I guess the paycheck from NYTimes or WaPost or NBC is worth more but I wouldn't think so.