Thank you for intelligently summarizing the concept nagging at me since election day. I've never felt so helpless and lonely as I do when counteracting what I call the "flashcards" of right-wing propaganda. Those catchy, oft-repeated lines are like earworms to the general masses, and the hyper-efficient delivery system infiltrating social media, rightwing cable news, etc., is solid proof of the now sadly humorous saying/concept: "Lies travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its pants on." I often wonder what John Lennon would say about it.
As much as I love and respect Mr. Rather's input, the side for truth needs to stop bringing a knife to a gunfight. We need to go bigger and better with worldwide representation from a serious voice of wisdom, not 'lah-di-dah', news-for-a-day endorsements from vocalists like Taylor Swift and Beyonce.
When you set out to clean up a mess a Demagogue has created you do not wait until the mess gets bigger and bigger. Now we are dealing with the fact we did not do something after Jan 6 when emotions were high on both sides. We have suffered to the point that democracy is in serious danger, we needed a Linclon. Last I heard E Musk is wanting buy MSNBC. Game over
Mr. Dan! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones❤️🙏.
In response to your essay, flip back a few pages to the Pew poll remark that tested citizens on which candidate had which views….double blind poll. And the kicker is they mistakenly picked the opposing candidate! It isn’t what your friend deduced…that the voters weren’t buying what the Dems were selling. They didn’t know what Trump was selling either. The fact that so many voters get their news from anyone BUT old school journalists tells me that people are not voting issues, they are voting what they last heard or read no matter how ridiculous, inane or hogwash. Yes, it is scary…downright terrifying when you begin to size up what is at stake.
Your call for upgrading the volume and amount of the Dem message might help balance
Things a little bit. One can only hope. But I have to wonder how many potential Dem voters could not get past how they were lied to about Biden’s real physical/mental decline until the very last moment. Did they hold their nose and vote for Trump? Did they sit home and not vote because they were disgusted with the Democrats lying through their teeth? Perhaps they asked themselves, “Gee, if they covered up Biden’s decline for so long, about what else have they lied to us?” That debate was a “Big Message on the wall.” Personally, I don’t think anything the Dems said, or could possibly say, would ever erase that debacle from our mind’s eye. It was over that night.
While reading the comments. I see no discussion of the Hispanic male voter's influence on the outcome of the Presidential election. This block as well as other conservative immigrant blocks may have more to do with the outcome than the general messaging by Harris and the Democrats. Democrats need to change how the message is delivered to attract groups that tend to take a right wing side because of the societies from which they fled. For an excellent analysis of how the populist right is taking over US governing and what to do to confront this assault, I recommend:
Yes, I agree to the brainwashing effects. BUT I also blame major media for treating Trump/Vance like normal Presidential candidates. For example, very close to the election, I read a social post that claimed that Hillbilly Elegy was completely made-up. I have read the book, found the hyperbole to be ridiculous, but at no time did I think Vance made it all up, invented it out of whole cloth. If I go to Google and search this, there are several hits that indicate the book was untrue. How did Vance get elected and I never heard a single major news channel discuss this? If I add all of Trump's lies, legal convictions, odd Vance claims about women, and now his book and I wonder - where wazs NBC? CNN? CBS? They failed completely. Thinking voters were left to either the total lies from Fox or the bland 'nothing is amiss here' from CNN or CBS.
The truth is more complicated than anyone has yet said. And that is, that the majority of people have never wanted to hear anything that they do not already believe. That is called confirmation-bias. And also, that the human brain was evolved to have a built-in negativity bias. Negativity bias has a survival advantage when human beings feel threatened. In the earliest human experiences, if I did not pay attention to threats in the environment, I might be eaten for lunch that day, instead of getting to eat lunch. So much of what we are seeing today can be traced back to the confirmation-bias and negativity-bias of the reptilian parts of the human brain. Until we become wise enough to move past the fears and biases of the most primitive parts of our brains, we will only continue to believe that we must fear/distrust/hate and attack anyone not like ourselves.
Anyone who really wants to fact-check anything they are hearing/thinking/believing has multiple credible sources they can find in Wikipedia, University websites, various professional journals, that will help them find the truth of things in 10-20 minutes or so. Failing that kind of mature exploration of reality, we will continue to savage one another until we destroy ourselves. And this will remain true in local, national and global politics.
You can be President of the United States, and Be a TRAITOR To America, and nothing is done about it. BUT if you are a "Star Urologist" and play with someone's "PP" you get Life In Prison! (NBC News) Aint that some shit?!!
I read what you write with great heartache. I have watched you for years and I have failed to the support the truth. And I knew when Trump came on the scene that I was listening to a b********** and a liar. A mere TV buffoon. As Harris characterized him not a serious man. Now, having read your article, I wonder if journalism schools are going to get serious. Training journalists in saying "that's not true, it's a lie" before it proliferates throughout the world. After all, the world is listening. As your article is indicating, with regards to training, if they can cheat and lie and get away with it and make people believe, then the truth tellers are at least one step behind from the start. There must be a way to combat this, and the training starts in journalism school, seems to me. Thank you Dan for your decades of dedication to the truth, DK
What the Democratic Party needs to do it harness the knowhow of the younger generations who grew up getting their news from Kurt Loder on MTV - no, wait, that's TOO far back - from social media and non-traditional sources, Podcasts, YouTube, and whatever other sources of factual information which most of us mossbacks aren't even aware of. We are used to going to the networks and the newspapers for our info, but they really aren't reaching the masses they used to, and many are owned by those who have a point of view they want their media to display, rather than simply reporting the trust about what happens. We need a major Democratic donor to step up and fund - whatever it is that will reach the most people, be it YouTube channel, podcast, Facebook, whatever. We need to shake that Democratic leadership up, make it see that it's no longer 1965, and they need to change the game plan radically, reach people where they are. Local newssheets (such as give-aways found in local stores), small town bi-weekly papers, whatever is available to reach those who don't get or trust the NYT, Washpost, and the rest. THAT is where you will reach many currently disaffected voters. It's time to try EVERYTHING, people - the Republican'ts learned that lesson 20 years ago, and they are reaping the benefits, whereas the Democrats look like dinosaurs, unable to get out of their own way. Heck, take this newsletter and multiply it repeatedly - you'll reach someone new every day!
I do not buy for one minute that Kamala Harris/Tim Walz or the Dems didn't deliver a clear message of the differences in the candidates or what their vision for America was. Maybe a little more time would have helped, but I seriously doubt it. Many Americans simply did not want to hear that message or are so cynical, hateful and naive, they chose not to believe it. Yes, there are an incredibly large number of American citizens who are woefully and willfully uninformed about important issues and yes, there is an extraordinarily powerful right-wing hate machine in this country that distorts issues and engages in the advancement of bold-faced lies! This was indeed the most consequential election in modern history and there are many of us who are literally shell-shocked at the outcome of the election. Without question, it was the litmus test for America's character and values. As a nation, we failed that test miserably. We are now a country mired in rank hypocrisy and dubious moral, ethical, integrity and intellectual foundation as reflected by the majority of voters giving a proven inept, corrupt scoundrel a second term. They willingly chose a perpetrator over a prosecutor. They willingly chose a proven, pathological, compulsive liar over a person who is not. They willingly chose a self-aggrandizing, self-serving, reckless, erratic, impulsive, irresponsible, egomaniac over a person who is not. They willingly chose a person who is assembling the most unqualified cabinet in modern history. Yes, elections have consequences and the consequences we are about to experience may well permanently alter, deface and scar this nation. Shame on us for allowing it to happen.
Jews? Israeli leaders are Jews, ‘tis true, old sport, but their decisions and actions are their own, and not to charged to all Jews. I am not a Jew, nor do I play one on TV, but I also don’t have much use for or time for antisemites or antisemitism. I do believe l’ve used up both here.
You should write one or two short paragraphs concisely explaining a crucial topic. Post them and we will repost. People who voted for trump might read a short post. Don't use words with more than four syllables. Maybe begin with a reference to Jesus. Include a picture of white children being home schooled in a rural setting. Have a few of us comment that you're telling it like it is.
Thank you for intelligently summarizing the concept nagging at me since election day. I've never felt so helpless and lonely as I do when counteracting what I call the "flashcards" of right-wing propaganda. Those catchy, oft-repeated lines are like earworms to the general masses, and the hyper-efficient delivery system infiltrating social media, rightwing cable news, etc., is solid proof of the now sadly humorous saying/concept: "Lies travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its pants on." I often wonder what John Lennon would say about it.
As much as I love and respect Mr. Rather's input, the side for truth needs to stop bringing a knife to a gunfight. We need to go bigger and better with worldwide representation from a serious voice of wisdom, not 'lah-di-dah', news-for-a-day endorsements from vocalists like Taylor Swift and Beyonce.
When you set out to clean up a mess a Demagogue has created you do not wait until the mess gets bigger and bigger. Now we are dealing with the fact we did not do something after Jan 6 when emotions were high on both sides. We have suffered to the point that democracy is in serious danger, we needed a Linclon. Last I heard E Musk is wanting buy MSNBC. Game over
Mr. Dan! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones❤️🙏.
In response to your essay, flip back a few pages to the Pew poll remark that tested citizens on which candidate had which views….double blind poll. And the kicker is they mistakenly picked the opposing candidate! It isn’t what your friend deduced…that the voters weren’t buying what the Dems were selling. They didn’t know what Trump was selling either. The fact that so many voters get their news from anyone BUT old school journalists tells me that people are not voting issues, they are voting what they last heard or read no matter how ridiculous, inane or hogwash. Yes, it is scary…downright terrifying when you begin to size up what is at stake.
Your call for upgrading the volume and amount of the Dem message might help balance
Things a little bit. One can only hope. But I have to wonder how many potential Dem voters could not get past how they were lied to about Biden’s real physical/mental decline until the very last moment. Did they hold their nose and vote for Trump? Did they sit home and not vote because they were disgusted with the Democrats lying through their teeth? Perhaps they asked themselves, “Gee, if they covered up Biden’s decline for so long, about what else have they lied to us?” That debate was a “Big Message on the wall.” Personally, I don’t think anything the Dems said, or could possibly say, would ever erase that debacle from our mind’s eye. It was over that night.
While reading the comments. I see no discussion of the Hispanic male voter's influence on the outcome of the Presidential election. This block as well as other conservative immigrant blocks may have more to do with the outcome than the general messaging by Harris and the Democrats. Democrats need to change how the message is delivered to attract groups that tend to take a right wing side because of the societies from which they fled. For an excellent analysis of how the populist right is taking over US governing and what to do to confront this assault, I recommend:
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/11/23/trump-autocrat-elections-00191281?fbclid=IwY2xjawGxZwtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRG-7EIiEpb0MRiuFOcIrJm9d6kQhVm_KFj_x6TgwBPBLTnqf32DUpueRA_aem_mabzhHCakjab7pSYMpX-zg
As always, I am grateful for Mr Rather's insight and the comments in Steady. I wish all a meaningful and happy Thanksgiving.
"And Miles to Go..." Shame that movie isn't for Real today. That's a phone call that needs to be made.
Yes, I agree to the brainwashing effects. BUT I also blame major media for treating Trump/Vance like normal Presidential candidates. For example, very close to the election, I read a social post that claimed that Hillbilly Elegy was completely made-up. I have read the book, found the hyperbole to be ridiculous, but at no time did I think Vance made it all up, invented it out of whole cloth. If I go to Google and search this, there are several hits that indicate the book was untrue. How did Vance get elected and I never heard a single major news channel discuss this? If I add all of Trump's lies, legal convictions, odd Vance claims about women, and now his book and I wonder - where wazs NBC? CNN? CBS? They failed completely. Thinking voters were left to either the total lies from Fox or the bland 'nothing is amiss here' from CNN or CBS.
Now look where we are.
Did the brainwashers ultimately get their coupsdeta move from A/I? Maybe Dems should try this instead of making fake art.
The truth is more complicated than anyone has yet said. And that is, that the majority of people have never wanted to hear anything that they do not already believe. That is called confirmation-bias. And also, that the human brain was evolved to have a built-in negativity bias. Negativity bias has a survival advantage when human beings feel threatened. In the earliest human experiences, if I did not pay attention to threats in the environment, I might be eaten for lunch that day, instead of getting to eat lunch. So much of what we are seeing today can be traced back to the confirmation-bias and negativity-bias of the reptilian parts of the human brain. Until we become wise enough to move past the fears and biases of the most primitive parts of our brains, we will only continue to believe that we must fear/distrust/hate and attack anyone not like ourselves.
Anyone who really wants to fact-check anything they are hearing/thinking/believing has multiple credible sources they can find in Wikipedia, University websites, various professional journals, that will help them find the truth of things in 10-20 minutes or so. Failing that kind of mature exploration of reality, we will continue to savage one another until we destroy ourselves. And this will remain true in local, national and global politics.
You can be President of the United States, and Be a TRAITOR To America, and nothing is done about it. BUT if you are a "Star Urologist" and play with someone's "PP" you get Life In Prison! (NBC News) Aint that some shit?!!
I read what you write with great heartache. I have watched you for years and I have failed to the support the truth. And I knew when Trump came on the scene that I was listening to a b********** and a liar. A mere TV buffoon. As Harris characterized him not a serious man. Now, having read your article, I wonder if journalism schools are going to get serious. Training journalists in saying "that's not true, it's a lie" before it proliferates throughout the world. After all, the world is listening. As your article is indicating, with regards to training, if they can cheat and lie and get away with it and make people believe, then the truth tellers are at least one step behind from the start. There must be a way to combat this, and the training starts in journalism school, seems to me. Thank you Dan for your decades of dedication to the truth, DK
What the Democratic Party needs to do it harness the knowhow of the younger generations who grew up getting their news from Kurt Loder on MTV - no, wait, that's TOO far back - from social media and non-traditional sources, Podcasts, YouTube, and whatever other sources of factual information which most of us mossbacks aren't even aware of. We are used to going to the networks and the newspapers for our info, but they really aren't reaching the masses they used to, and many are owned by those who have a point of view they want their media to display, rather than simply reporting the trust about what happens. We need a major Democratic donor to step up and fund - whatever it is that will reach the most people, be it YouTube channel, podcast, Facebook, whatever. We need to shake that Democratic leadership up, make it see that it's no longer 1965, and they need to change the game plan radically, reach people where they are. Local newssheets (such as give-aways found in local stores), small town bi-weekly papers, whatever is available to reach those who don't get or trust the NYT, Washpost, and the rest. THAT is where you will reach many currently disaffected voters. It's time to try EVERYTHING, people - the Republican'ts learned that lesson 20 years ago, and they are reaping the benefits, whereas the Democrats look like dinosaurs, unable to get out of their own way. Heck, take this newsletter and multiply it repeatedly - you'll reach someone new every day!
My husband just made this point:
We have -
Jon Stewart
Stephen Colbert
John Oliver
Trevor Noah
More late-night TV hosts
Destiny/Steven Bonnell
Brian Tyler Cohen
David Packman
The Young Turks
...among numerous others.
How does the message need to change in order to reach people outside the Democratic bubble??
Let's start this conversation.
I do not buy for one minute that Kamala Harris/Tim Walz or the Dems didn't deliver a clear message of the differences in the candidates or what their vision for America was. Maybe a little more time would have helped, but I seriously doubt it. Many Americans simply did not want to hear that message or are so cynical, hateful and naive, they chose not to believe it. Yes, there are an incredibly large number of American citizens who are woefully and willfully uninformed about important issues and yes, there is an extraordinarily powerful right-wing hate machine in this country that distorts issues and engages in the advancement of bold-faced lies! This was indeed the most consequential election in modern history and there are many of us who are literally shell-shocked at the outcome of the election. Without question, it was the litmus test for America's character and values. As a nation, we failed that test miserably. We are now a country mired in rank hypocrisy and dubious moral, ethical, integrity and intellectual foundation as reflected by the majority of voters giving a proven inept, corrupt scoundrel a second term. They willingly chose a perpetrator over a prosecutor. They willingly chose a proven, pathological, compulsive liar over a person who is not. They willingly chose a self-aggrandizing, self-serving, reckless, erratic, impulsive, irresponsible, egomaniac over a person who is not. They willingly chose a person who is assembling the most unqualified cabinet in modern history. Yes, elections have consequences and the consequences we are about to experience may well permanently alter, deface and scar this nation. Shame on us for allowing it to happen.
Rude that this may appear. What's the difference now?
** Bombing Residential buildings in Lebanon!? Is Israel trying to kill everyone who doesn’t wear a Star of David?!!
I would appear that The Jews, are working on a "Final Solution to The Arib Problem"!?
Their Meeting is at The Wannsee Conference House. Don't Be Late!
Jews? Israeli leaders are Jews, ‘tis true, old sport, but their decisions and actions are their own, and not to charged to all Jews. I am not a Jew, nor do I play one on TV, but I also don’t have much use for or time for antisemites or antisemitism. I do believe l’ve used up both here.
But we don't know Which Ones, Exactly and How Many of Them. P.S. I'm not Jewish either.
Words of open-minded wisdom. We must crack this form of reasoning that has elected this form of being. Imperative to survival!
You should write one or two short paragraphs concisely explaining a crucial topic. Post them and we will repost. People who voted for trump might read a short post. Don't use words with more than four syllables. Maybe begin with a reference to Jesus. Include a picture of white children being home schooled in a rural setting. Have a few of us comment that you're telling it like it is.
Actually, four syllables is probably too much of a reach - try keeping it at 3 or less!