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Hi Roger: Thanks for your comment and yes, Trump is a loud-mouth bully and he has only a "hazy grasp of math" or for that matter anything else that is relative and needed to qualify him for the presidency. Please read From Democracy to Democrazy by Graham. www.democrazy2020.org

Warm wishes coming back to you, Elizabeth

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Hi Roger: Thank you for this thoughtful message and I hope you read From Democracy to Democrazy. I am also sending you my blog for today.

In the back of the book called From Democracy to Democrazy by E. Graham (www.democrazy2020.org) and published July 2023, on page 175, there is a description of the TIME 100 Edition, June 2022 called "The Most Influential Persons of 2021-2022." This edition is described by Edward Felsenthal, the Editor-in-Chief, as "Power for Good." He said "we have one barometer: INFLUENCE. Who stood up? Who stood out? Who shaped this year? Influence, of course, may be for good or for ill - a dichotomy never more visible than in this year's TIME100 which includes the Russian dictator (Putin) behind a brutal war, and his foe, the Ukrainian President (Zelensky) whose leadership has made him a rare heroic figure in our diverse time." The description of Zelensky was written by U.S. President Joe Biden, and the description of Russian President Vladimir Putin was written by Alexei Navalny.

As most of you know, Navalny, age 47, was murdered this past week in a brutal Penal Colony in Siberia, Russia. A prison where torture, starvation, and freezing death were common-place. The world has lost a great hero, and Putin has put another notch in his gun. The following is Navalny's exact words to describe Putin: "Perhaps Vladimir Putin's true mission is to teach lessons. To everyone - from world leaders and pundits to ordinary people. He has been especially good at this in 2022. He reminded us once again that a path that begins with 'just a little election rigging' ALWAYS ends with a dictatorship." When I read this statement in TIME100, all I could think of was Donald Trump's call (which was recorded) to Brad Raffensperger (R), the Secretary of State for Georgia pressuring him to "just find 11,780 votes" in order to overturn the 2020 presidential election in their state. As a reminder, Joe Biden won that election by over 7 million votes.

Unfortunately, half our nation are victims of brainwashing who still believe Trump's lies and think the election was stolen. The only person attempting to rig the 2020 election was Trump - and he tried over and over - and eventually staged a coup to attack our Senate and stop our government from operating. Navalny goes on to say: "Putin has reminded us all of the 'duck test' - if something looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The very same logic should be applied to this case: if someone destroys the independent media, organizes political assassinations, and sticks to his imperial delusions, then he is a madman capable of causing a bloodbath in the center of Europe in the 21st century . . . However, the answer to the main questions he poses - how to stop an evil madman with an army, nuclear weapons, and membership in the U.N. Security Council - is yet to be answered."

Guess what folks - Trump as the President of the United States, also had an army, control of nuclear weapons, and a membership in the U.S. Security Council. Would you trust a convicted felon, a convicted fraud, and a convicted sexual predator with the button to kill other populations worldwide? I wouldn't.

Navalny was the leading opposition leader and Presidential contender fighting the tightly-held dictatorship of Vladimir Putin. He exposed corruption and opposed Putin's United Russia party. His Russian following exceeded millions, and many if not most Russian citizens watched or learned about the CNN show that detailed the KGB process and the PROOF of how Putin attempted to murder Navalny with poison. Navalny survived that attempted murder, only to feel the strong need to return to Russia and continue his drive for a free and just Russia. He was immediately arrested and eventually murdered.

It was only a week or so ago that I predicted in a Substack blog "that Navalny will not survive the hardships of a Siberian prison." He was sent there to die. My soul is filled with sorrow and pain - for Navalny's family and for all of Russia, but also for all of us in the United States. Our country is on the verge of deciding an election choice between our own "madman" and a man with almost 50 years experience in public service. The Republicans in Congress have implemented a dishonest and destructive campaign against Biden - all false information and a reflection of how Trump operates - as does Putin. Biden inherited Trump's fiscal disaster where in his last year in office, Trump spent almost 50% more than our Treasury collected in income. (www.cbo.gov) Anyone or any country that spends 50% more than their income is headed for a fiscal disaster and probably Trump's fifth bankruptcy. By his second year in office, Biden's economic policies corrected this situation - the economy is strong, unemployment is down, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on. Biden is by far, the most qualified person to lead the United States - no matter his age. We need every American to vote for Biden in this next election as if your life depends on it - because it does!!

Elizabeth

Read From Democracy to Democrazy to learn the truth about Trump and his relationship to Russia - from an American who spent the majority of her career living and working in Russia.

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In the back of the book called From Democracy to Democrazy by E. Graham (www.democrazy2020.org) and published July 2023, on page 175, there is a description of the TIME 100 Edition, June 2022 called "The Most Influential Persons of 2021-2022." This edition is described by Edward Felsenthal, the Editor-in-Chief, as "Power for Good." He said "we have one barometer: INFLUENCE. Who stood up? Who stood out? Who shaped this year? Influence, of course, may be for good or for ill - a dichotomy never more visible than in this year's TIME100 which includes the Russian dictator (Putin) behind a brutal war, and his foe, the Ukrainian President (Zelensky) whose leadership has made him a rare heroic figure in our diverse time." The description of Zelensky was written by U.S. President Joe Biden, and the description of Russian President Vladimir Putin was written by Alexei Navalny.

As most of you know, Alexei Navalny, age 47, was murdered this past week in a brutal Penal Colony in Siberia, Russia. A prison where torture, starvation, and freezing death were common-place. The world has lost a great hero, and Putin has put another notch in his gun. The following is Navalny's exact words to describe Putin: "Perhaps Vladimir Putin's true mission is to teach lessons. To everyone - from world leaders and pundits to ordinary people. He has been especially good at this in 2022. He reminded us once again that a path that begins with 'just a little election rigging' ALWAYS ends with a dictatorship." When I read this statement in TIME100, all I could think of was Donald Trump's call (which was recorded) to Brad Raffensperger (R), the Secretary of State for Georgia pressuring him to "just find 11,780 votes" in order to overturn the 2020 presidential election in their state. As a reminder, Joe Biden won that election by over 7 million votes.

Unfortunately, half our nation are victims of brainwashing who still believe Trump's lies and think the election was stolen. The only person attempting to rig the 2020 election was Trump - and he tried over and over - and eventually staged a coup to attack our Senate and stop our government from operating. Navalny goes on to say: "Putin has reminded us all of the 'duck test' - if something looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The very same logic should be applied to this case: if someone destroys the independent media, organizes political assassinations, and sticks to his imperial delusions, then he is a madman capable of causing a bloodbath in the center of Europe in the 21st century . . . However, the answer to the main questions he poses - how to stop an evil madman with an army, nuclear weapons, and membership in the U.N. Security Council - is yet to be answered."

Guess what folks - Trump as the President of the United States, also had an army, control of nuclear weapons, and a membership in the U.S. Security Council. Would you trust a convicted felon with the button to kill other populations worldwide? I wouldn't. Navalny was the leading opposition leader and Presidential contender fighting the tightly-held dictatorship of Vladimir Putin. He exposed corruption and opposed Putin's United Russia party. His Russian following exceeded millions, and many if not most Russian citizens watched or learned about the CNN show that detailed the KGB process and the PROOF of how Putin attempted to murder Navalny with poison. Navalny survived that attempted murder, only to feel the strong need to return to Russia and continue his drive for a free and just Russia. He was immediately arrested and eventually murdered.

It was only a week or so ago that I predicted in a Substack blog "that Navalny will not survive the hardships of a Siberian prison." He was sent there to die. My soul is filled with sorrow and pain - for Navalny's family and for all of Russia, but also for all of us in the United States. Our country is on the verge of deciding an election choice between our own "madman" (a convicted sexual predator, a fraud conviction, and 91 criminal felony charges) and a man with almost 50 years experience in public service. The Republicans in Congress have implemented a dishonest and destructive campaign against Biden - all false information and a reflection of how Trump operates - as does Putin. Biden inherited Trump's fiscal disaster where in his last year in office, Trump spent almost 50% more than our Treasury collected in income. (www.cbo.gov) Anyone or any country that spends 50% more than their income is headed for a fiscal disaster and probably Trump's fifth bankruptcy. By his second year in office, Biden's economic policies corrected this situation - the economy is strong, unemployment is down, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on. Biden is by far, the most qualified person to lead the United States - no matter his age. We need every American to vote for Biden in this next election as if your life depends on it - because it does!!

I am searching for a Democratic investor to help promote and market my book: From Democracy to Democrazy, by Graham. Contact info is: graham1elizabeth@aol.com

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In the back of the book called From Democracy to Democrazy by E. Graham (www.democrazy2020.org) and published July 2023, on page 175, there is a description of the TIME 100 Edition, June 2022 called "The Most Influential Persons of 2021-2022." This edition is described by Edward Felsenthal, the Editor-in-Chief, as "Power for Good." He said "we have one barometer: INFLUENCE. Who stood up? Who stood out? Who shaped this year? Influence, of course, may be for good or for ill - a dichotomy never more visible than in this year's TIME100 which includes the Russian dictator (Putin) behind a brutal war, and his foe, the Ukrainian President (Zelensky) whose leadership has made him a rare heroic figure in our diverse time." The description of Zelensky was written by U.S. President Joe Biden, and the description of Russian President Vladimir Putin was written by Alexei Navalny.

As most of you know, Navalny, age 47, was murdered this past week in a brutal Penal Colony in Siberia, Russia. A prison where torture, starvation, and death were common-place. The world has lost a great hero, and Putin has put another notch in his gun. The following is Navalny's exact words to describe Putin: "Perhaps Vladimir Putin's true mission is to teach lessons. To everyone - from world leaders and pundits to ordinary people. He has been especially good at this in 2022. He reminded us once again that a path that begins with 'just a little election rigging' ALWAYS ends with a dictatorship." When I read this statement in TIME100, all I could think of was Donald Trump's call (which was recorded) to Brad Raffensperger (R), the Secretary of State for Georgia pressuring him to "just find 11,780 votes" in order to overturn the 2020 presidential election in their state. As a reminder, Joe Biden won that election by over 7 million votes.

Unfortunately, half our nation are victims of brainwashing who still believe Trump's lies and think the election was stolen. The only person attempting to rig the 2020 election was Trump - and he tried over and over - and eventually staged a coup to attack our Senate and stop our government from operating. Navalny goes on to say: "Putin has reminded us all of the 'duck test' - if something looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. The very same logic should be applied to this case: if someone destroys the independent media, organizes political assassinations, and sticks to his imperial delusions, then he is a madman capable of causing a bloodbath in the center of Europe in the 21st century . . . However, the answer to the main questions he poses - how to stop an evil madman with an army, nuclear weapons, and membership in the U.N. Security Council - is yet to be answered."

Guess what folks - Trump as the President of the United States, also had an army, control of nuclear weapons, and a membership in the U.S. Security Council. Would you trust a convicted felon with the button to kill other populations worldwide? I wouldn't. Navalny was the leading opposition leader and Presidential contender fighting the tightly-held dictatorship of Vladimir Putin. He exposed corruption and opposed Putin's United Russia party. His Russian following exceeded millions, and many if not most Russian citizens watched or learned about the CNN show that detailed the KGB process and the PROOF of how Putin attempted to murder Navalny with poison. Navalny survived that attempted murder, only to feel the strong need to return to Russia and continue his drive for a free and just Russia. He was immediately arrested and eventually murdered.

It was only a week or so ago that I predicted in a Substack blog "that Navalny will not survive the hardships of a Siberian prison." He was sent there to die. My soul is filled with sorrow and pain - for Navalny's family and for all of Russia, but also for all of us in the United States. Our country is on the verge of deciding an election choice between our own "madman" (a convicted sexual predator, a fraud conviction, and 91 criminal felony charges) and a man with almost 50 years experience in public service. The Republicans in Congress have implemented a dishonest and destructive campaign against Biden - all false information and a reflection of how Trump operates - as does Putin. Biden inherited Trump's fiscal disaster where in his last year in office, Trump spent almost 50% more than our Treasury collected in income. (www.cbo.gov) Anyone or any country that spends 50% more than their income is headed for a fiscal disaster and probably Trump's fifth bankruptcy. By his second year in office, Biden's economic policies corrected this situation - the economy is strong, unemployment is down, the stock market is positive, inflation is down, and so on. Biden is by far, the most qualified person to lead the United States - no matter his age. We need every American to vote for Biden in this next election as if your life depends on it - because it does!! Elizabeth

Democrazy

Democrazy

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Hi Linda: I totally agree with you and will order this recommended book. The other book, From Democracy to Democrazy has a personal letter on the back from Biden. Considering the holy mess that Biden inherited Trump, I truly believe that there is no other individual in our country who could have unraveled Trump's disaster any faster, so that our country is now functionally normally. Every person in this country who's brain is not daily washed with Trump's dishonest nonsense, MUST get out and vote for Biden as if their life depends on it - because it does!

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Good read. Hope he bleeds them dry.

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Yes Jeffrey, he is that dangerous. I am not so sure he will give anyone a "run for their money" because I firmly believe that Trump was bought by the Russians a long time ago and he is 100% under the direction of Vladimir Putin. Putin's number one goal on his to-do list is the destruction of the United States and the death of our democracy. His tool in accomplishing this disaster is Donald Trump. Second on the list is the dismantling of NATO. This was all verified in a book called The Foundations of Geopolitics which was published in 1997 in Russia.

In 2008, Trump Jr. announced at a NY conference that the Trump Organization was receiving large sums of money from Russia. (www.businessinsider.com). A few years later, Eric Trump announced (in www.VanityFair.com) that they had received $100 million from Russian banks. Let's be really clear - Russian banks - who are all controlled and managed by the KGB/FSB - give money to a foreigner for two reasons: (1) to laundry black cash into another country's economy, and (2) to entrap and obligate a foreigner to work for Russia. Just like ole Al Capone, the interest on a large loan is so large that it is never repaid. So about ten years before the Russians helped maneuver Trump into the WH, he was on the KGB payroll. He will never be a dictator like Putin - who has killed thousands upon thousands of innocent souls in Ukraine. Trump instead is just a puppet to be instructed and controlled by Putin - which is even worse.

Thanks for writing and you are entirely correct in thinking Trump is just a pompous, loud math bully.

Please read From Democracy to Democrazy by Graham. www.democrazy2020.org

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Ms. Graham -- I think you must have meant "loud MOUTH bully" because Trump has only a hazy grasp of "math."

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Elizabeth - What you say makes alot of sense, and you're more clued-in than I have been. He is less a rival dictator-to-be, than a Putin puppet - and in Russian doll-like fashion, there are several puppets on Trump's hand - we know who they are - but the Puppet Master, through financial entanglement and compromise - is Putin.

How else do we explain Trump's fawning over Putin? Financial entanglement is the best explanation. And likely not legal financial entanglement.

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Feb 15·edited Feb 15

In true Game of Thrones fashion, Ronna is seen in the header pic wielding Robert Baratheon's war hammer

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Thank you all for your "like" of my recent message. I spent most of my career living and working in dictator-led and communist countries. As an American, I personally witnessed the "absolute rule" of a dictator and knew that I could be imprisoned or even murdered at any time for any drummed up reason. In 2016, I heard the same type of rhetoric from Trump that I heard from Putin in the early 2000's or from Turkmanbashi (Turkmanistan) in the late 1990s. I worked closely with the Nazarbayev government in Kazakhstan, and was lucky to escape Tajikistan. I was a consultant in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Rwanda - and was smuggled into Afghanistan wearing a burqa and "local" shoes to access the treatment of women during the first Taliban era.

Believe me, I know what a dictator sounds like and behaves like - and Trump's many-sided destructiveness and his "I am God" attitude fits the bill perfectly. He doesn't care about you or me or democracy but only about himself and maybe a few family members. For him, he wants to Russians to continue paying him millions of dollars to support his lavish lifestyle. Turkmanbashi named the months of the year after his family. Trump is just another pathetic mad-man who thinks the world should worship him.

Joe Biden has the experience to lead this country and all of us need to get out and vote. I am sure that Trump will perform his usual temper-tantrum if he looses, but we survived the last one with only five deaths, vital artifacts destroyed, and over 100 Capitol police injured. To elect Trump again would mean the destruction of our way of life, our democracy, and our freedoms. Encourage every one you know to vote in this upcoming election.

Warm wishes to all of you, Elizabeth

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Thank you, Elizabeth, for making this point that is not being made nearly often enough. We are so locked in (and the media focuses too much on) the performative president. But a review of history shows us that what matters when the situation is fraught is the thoughtful EXPERIENCED chief executive. I point everyone to John Dickerson's excellent book "The Hardest Job In The World: The American Presidency" and, indeed, listen to him any time he is discussing the leadership qualities necessary for the role.

When evaluated by these criteria, Biden comes out pretty strong.

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Maybe Trump's next step will be to publicly announce that any registered Republicans who are wavering about voting for him are not real Republicans, because his narcissist self is telling him that anyone who isn't 100 percent for him, no matter what he does, is against him and therefore must be ridiculed, punished, and expelled from his glorious presence. But he's also a grifter, and his grifter self knows that if he does anything that might alienate some of the marks, they might stop giving him money.

I hope the narcissist wins, and the grifter loses - everything.

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I remember when Republicans falsely accused Hillary of taking over the DNC lock, stock and barrel and how outraged they claimed to be. Again we see all projection and zero principles.

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Feb 15·edited Feb 15

Thank you Marc for all of the details about the RNC under the leadership of Ronna Romney McDaniel. Will big individuals, companies and institutional trade associations return to donating to the RNC when it becomes just another Trump-run organization? Does the professionalism of his 2024 campaign excuse the $75 million diverted from his various Super PACs to his legal expenses? Is that how donors to the RNC want their donations spent? Will a Trump RNC starve down ballot candidates and the state GOP parties of GOTV efforts that help all Republican candidates?

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Not only do I have a strong dedication to our democracy, but honestly believe that our country desperately needs Biden's almost 50 years in public service to guide this country through a very difficult time ahead. I spent most of my career living and working in dictator-led and communist countries. As an American, I personally witnessed the "absolute rule" of a dictator and knew that I could be imprisoned or even murdered at any time for any drummed up reason. In 2016, I heard the same type of rhetoric from Trump that I heard from Putin in the early 2000's or from Turkmanbashi (Turkmanistan) in the late 1990s. I worked closely with the Nazarbayev government in Kazakhstan, and was lucky to escape Tajikistan. I was a consultant in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Rwanda - and was smuggled into Afghanistan wearing a burqa and "local" shoes to access the treatment of women during the first Taliban era.

Believe me, I know what a dictator sounds like and behaves like - and Trump's many-sided destructiveness and his "I am God" attitude fits the bill perfectly. He doesn't care about you or me or democracy but only about himself and maybe a few family members. For him, he wants to Russians to continue paying him millions of dollars to support his lavish lifestyle. Turkmanbashi named the months of the year after his family. Trump is just another pathetic mad-man who thinks the world should worship him.

Joe Biden has the experience to lead this country and all of us need to get out and vote. I am sure that Trump will perform his usual temper-tantrum if he looses, but we survived the last one with only five deaths, vital artifacts destroyed, and over 100 Capitol police injured. To elect Trump again would mean the destruction of our way of life, our democracy, and our freedoms. Encourage every one you know to vote in this upcoming election.

Warm wishes to all of you, Elizabeth

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Ms. Graham: I agree with your thoughts and greatly admire you for publicly expressing them. While I believe Trump is on an irreversible downward spiral, I do not think any of us--Democrats, Republicans and Independents--can take our eyes off the ball for even a minute as long as this would-be tyrant draws breath. We have to remind ourselves that, save for a narrow Electoral College win (and popular vote LOSS) in 2016, Trump has been on the LOSING end of EVERY election over the past eight years. History will recognize Trump for the anti-democratic monster that he is. But we--the clear majority--must exercise constant vigilance so long as this dime store demagogue draws breath.

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Trump is a strutting, pompous, loud math bully who would definitely become a dictator if re-elected, well past day one.

Everyone who throws in with him knows how vindictive and violent he can be, they are just betting he will have mercy on the individual souls they sold to him, for the promise of power.

Don’t count on it. I’m talking to you, slavish castrati like Lindsay Graham and Tim Scott. He turns anyone he wants into Reek, at a moment’s notice, because he is a psychopath and a sadist.

He will give Putin and Orban a run for their dictator money, if we are foolish enough to elect him again.

I believe you when you say you know dictators, because you’ve lived in such countries. I only know them from history, but that’s enough. Trump will become one, if re-elected. That’s what we all need to prevent. Then maybe we can breathe easier. I cannot breathe easier, until he is gone from office or contention. He’s that dangerous.

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founding

Oh to have been there when Trump made Ronna cry. Michigan uber-Karen gets her comeuppance. If only there was a video.

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Trump is consolidating his power to become King; while he cannot be named President for life without a constitutional amendment, he can name his child as his VP candidate. That will be easier with his daughter-in-law as the RNC chair.

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If we ever wondered how a person like Hitler or Mao could consolidate power, we are seeing a parallel process before our eyes. Trump is nothing if the Republicans simply stopped going along with him.

All patriots oppose Trump. I really wonder about even the "normies" in the GOP when they vote as block for the ridiculous Mayorkas impeachment. Dictators cannot become dictators without support in the government. You cannot call yourself a moderate reasonable Republican while playing these dangerous political games. Good for the three Republicans who voted against the Mayorkas impeachment.

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McDaniel has been a light weight since the beginning of time!

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