I affirm what you are saying, but I am skeptical about what is likely to be said from the podium at the Trump convention this week. I cannot escape the observation that much of the hate and bombast and division has originated and been amplified by the GOP.
Did you not see him pump his fist and mouth "Fight! Fight! Fight!" to rile his crowd, even as the SS agents were putting their own lives on the line to protect him? Immediately his campaign started using that image TO FUNDRAISE. Do you not already know what kind of man he is? Have you not read anything about Project 2025, or anything about his conviction? The leopard isn't going to change his spots, and he will definitely eat your face if it suits him.
So again, let's calm down. Remember, the more Trump infects us so we become angry, or bully others, he's winning the battle for indecency.
The best thing to do when you feel like your head wants to explode is to put your head into the freezer according to my therapist. We've got a long way to go towards November. Let's avoid the ulcers and chest pains. I know its hard and I'm terrible at doing it, but I'm getting exhausted by the madness and need to take a few days offline.
I don't believe in an afterlife, so this is all I've got. Acknowledging that we are ruled by our emotions, I have noticed that they come in two basic kinds: positive and negative. When you give in to anger you punish yourself with a negative emotion. When you choose amusement your create a positive experience. You do the math, and live the best life you can.
It is so hard isn't it ? AND am going to tell everyone I know about putting our heads into the freeze when needed !!! (that's too funny)....am so glad you're with us here at Steady....
And...the NYT appears to be praising those actions. From an article by Shawn McCreesh updated today (7/14/24) is this gem:
"Amid the Mayhem, Trump Pumped His Fist and Revealed His Instincts
A bloodied Donald J. Trump made Secret Service agents wait while he expressed his defiance. The moment epitomized his visceral connection with his supporters, and his mastery of the modern media age."
Is this "brave" to ignore the Secret Service as they struggle to get him to safety so he can grandstand for his MAGA crowd? It appears he is being praised for this, and social media is eating it up and the merch is being churned out and selling fast.
And for that, some are calling him a gangster..."who gets shot and does that? A gangster, that's who...my man Trump!' It's ridiculous. And this country looks ridiculous to the rest of the world.
I'm seeing, "That's my president!" in response to the defiant fist bumps. It's downright embarrassing, and we do look ridiculous to the rest of the world. Trump has been on the golf course today, bragging about a great shot he made and how his shooter missed. Real integrity would be calling and/or visiting the family of the man who died, and doing the same for those injured. We all know what President Biden would do, and he gets my vote.
"Real integrity would be calling and/or visiting the family of the man who died, and doing the same for those injured."
Yes, Biden would. The populace is too addicted to action movie heroes. Nothing of substance with that guy. Vote Biden/Harris and Blue up and down the ticket. Spread the word! We need to stop this insanity.
Really great observation, Virginia. Any compassionate human would have been sending condolences and seeing to any needs of those hospitalized and grieving
Correction: My apologies; Trump was not playing golf on Sunday. He was at his Bedminster Golf Club in NJ, but did not play golf. There was a report from a caddy about him playing and the apparent conversation, but has been proven false. Ah, the pitfalls of social media! My sincere apologies for not fact checking before posting. I know better.
We do, we really do. Friends of mine who are French and German are letting me know that all of Europe think it was set up....because the world knows what sort of a liar that the orange felon is.
I wonder if it was to counter the "Bunker Boy" image - image is everything to him. And I appear not to be the only one whose first thought was that this was staged - now I certainly hope not given the price in human life/SERIOUS injuries that resulted.
I'm still on the fence if it was staged or not. Lately all the media has been focusing on Biden; not a lot on Trump. Makes you wonder, as they man will do anything for attention.
I hear you ! And you said it in such a way....and....I like the meme that says...".oh yes, whenever I fear for my life, I always stop and raise my fist for a photo op"....I am limited in my capacity to say things in a funny way and so I remember things that say it well and are funny at the same time. I too am blown away at how he put others lives at stake....and his fund raising ? It's so offensive. AND we all know that we know who he is and we're standing tall for Democracy and patience and the well being of all of us. It's not going to be easy...but we can do it and am so glad to have folks like you with us.
I know what kind of man he is after living under his fractured regime and watching his criminal activities for years, He raped little girls and stole from charities. Nah I know who he is.
We already know exactly what kind of man trump is. And this plays right into the right-wing plans. Our country is being taken over, & we are in big trouble. I turn 80 this year, I've seen & experienced a great deal since 1944. I'm in deep mourning.
I do not mean to be arrogant or to disparage what you're saying Mary W....it's just that I feel moved to let you know that I already know exactly what kind of man, he is. He is not good or as we say here in New Mexico...he's no bueno.
Some of us acknowledge that he is " a no bueno" louse, however many ignore that. Why do voters ignore his crimes? I don't know. However I announce/proclaim them when I can.
A young woman who was raised in an Evangelical family and became a journalist was interviewed by Christine Amapour and she said that because the Evangelicals believe that they know the right way to live, they just want to have some political cred at the "table" and they are willing to use him to get what they want in terms of agendas like banning abortion. They want what they want and they are willing to use someone who is unethical to get what they want. AND other voters are likely women in abusive relationships who are voting the way their preacher tells them to....after all, he denies any wrong doing.
Amanpour is a good interviewer. So the Evangelicals will use evil to push their thinking on us. In theological terms . they are denying us free will. In supporting the tangerine terror they are worshipping a false God
YES. And it is the definition of fascism, this pushing of their way/their thinking onto us....this top down authoritarianism, this power over way of relating to another. It is the activity of the frighten and weak and unsocialized....and because they have to have it their way....there's this whole world of love and happiness that they are unavailable to participate in.
Exactly! The repugs are a perfect example of: "If you can't take the heat, get out of the (inflammatory vitriol) kitchen!" And, "What goes around, comes around!"
Sometimes we (collectively) just have to walk away. It's impossible to have a balanced discussion when one side is coming from logic, truth, and facts, and the other side is coming from lies, hate, and is bent upon revenge. Maybe the best thing that we can do is strengthen our own party's stance and not play the blame game at all.
Stay the course is great advice. Nothing changes about the election - we have a choice to continue to recover from the pandemic and improve the future for the next generations or revert to the past. I haven't changed my mind.
I think people must be held accountable for spewing lies and misinformation. Once we find ourselves exhausted and throw up our arms in disbelief we simple show the cult that their way is truth.
We don’t need to convince Cult45 of anything. We’re beyond that. We just need to defeat them at the polls and behave like adults so that indie voters come alongside.
I hope you’re involved in getting out the vote in some way—even just from your home. I’m writing postcard/letters right now. You can also call or text voters. It is cathartic for me to know I’m doing SOMETHING positive! For this critical election, not getting involved isn’t an option for any of us who realize we MUST help save this country —and the world 🌎 for future generations. It’s wonderful to see these informed young people involved ( many of us were in the ‘70s, protesting things like Vietnam & we DID help stop Nixon & that war)! PLEASE, Dan Rather supporters, HELP DEFEAT PROJECT 2025
The 'walk away' is from the individual directly in front of you. There comes a point where you will never change their mind. As a voting Democrat since 1968 I've made phone calls, contributed, walked several precincts where I lived, and have always volunteered to drive people to register to vote and to the polls to do so. No passivity here.
Steve - Bear with me as I speak from a mystical fu-fu point of view. The Law of Attraction says that what we focus on---positive or negative--- we manifest. Therefore, if we continually dwell on the orange one, we give him energy, and the stronger he is. Instead, we can choose to give attention to what we want to see, a better world under leaders who advocate for positive change.
Another way of agreeing with you and saying I think you're exactly right. Beware what we're up against, but don't give it power.
Bravo! Literacy is like a key to the world for them. It opens up possibilities, understanding and builds self-esteem.
According to the National Literacy Institute:
21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2024. 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level). Low levels of literacy costs the US up to 2.2 trillion per year.
I’m exhausted , too, Todd…..it’s been almost 10 years of vitriol against many, many people & why? We’ve been very graceful (a term used to describe Biden right now) and we’re done. Mike Johnson is an intelligent man, he KNOWS “….we can’t go on like this…” & many of us have known this for years. When Trump came down that escalator, to announce his candidacy in 2016, he was negative from then on. He said horrific things about immigrants coming into our country (who we are/were) and it was shocking! This energy of vitriol has engulfed us, all these years—how selfishly necessary! We are DONE….there are more people in this country who truly want to come together & create a decent society and engage in meaningful communities & try and enjoy as much of life and each other as possible.
After the violence we saw on television yesterday, it was a turning point, for many things. I felt a catharsis, as in my feelings of enough is simply enough. Pent up anger & heartbreak started to dissipate. I agree with Mr. Rather, social media is pitting us against each other & we now must decide it’s time for positive change. The most important thing we can do is get involved in this election! Help do something to get out the vote!
Support & elect leaders who want this change & will work together to make it begin. Young leaders like AOC & David Hogg are incredible . We need many more-it’s their future. ONWARD…..
You are correct. Being congenial has not worked. But being horrid will only hurt our own cause. We do need to be louder and stand if not take back our ground without becoming beasts ourselves.
The “right” is attempting to instigate a physical civil war.
If you pay attention you’ll understand that Trump is a student of history. He recycles and reuses things from the past making them his own.
The more I reflect on this “assassination attempt” the more I believe it had to have been a staged occurrence.
Having worked at West Point for over 30 years and enduring many secret service protocols prior to presidential and dignitary visits, there is absolutely no way a 20 year old defeated a secret service perimeter on his own. He had to have had assistance.
After Reagan was shot his pole numbers increased. Donald Trump, visiting the battleground state of Pennsylvania, needed to boost his ratings and get an additional edge for the Primary election. It is not at all unlikely that he and his team sanctioned a performance.
Consider also:
From the New York Times -
…on Bannon’s podcast, the president of the conservative Heritage Foundation said the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be” — comments that alarmed Democrats and frustrated some Republicans who worried such rhetoric would scare voters.
A rally attendee claims to have seen Crooks on the roof before the shooting and tried to get the Secret Service’s attention to inform them. BUT the Secret Service didn’t see Crooks?
And, let’s not forget, the Secret Service was complicit in January 6th by deleted and wiping computers and cell phones prior to an investigation.
And now, Trump can go further than saying he is being prosecuted for you and that he is your retribution. He can now say that he took a bullet for YOU!
Too many things just don’t make sense.
The U. S. Attorney General’s office, not the secret service or FBI, needs to locate and examine the computer(s) and cell phone(s) of Thomas Crooks to see who his contacts were. There’s something there.
I've had these thoughts as well. I've been to an event where the president was speaking outside at my college. Secret Service was everywhere, on every rooftop with rifles and binoculars, scanning the area for possible trouble. Seems unlikely that the shooter would be able to occupy such an obvious position to shoot at Trump.
And then there's Trump's reaction so far. Doesn't seem to be a bit rattled by the event. Normally, you'd think it would take a person some time to collect themselves after almost getting his head blown off by a bullet, before they'd be fist pumping and saying "fight, fight fight".
But then at the same time, seems awfully risky to trust that whomever you hire to shoot at you is going to be THAT good of a shot to just get your ear and nothing else.
Glad to see that someone else is questioning who is behind this. As said before, it seems really "fishy." This is a man who will do ANYTHING to get back in power.
Sadly, it was one of my early thoughts as well. And a 20yr old firing an AR style weapon isn't who one would pick for a 'setup'. And if they did, it would just be some shots in the air.
But there is a real question as to how he got within that close of a distance. I think we'd have be having a different conversation if this was a trained sniper with an appropriate weapon.
Yes, not difficult to hit a human size target from 150 yards away with a good sniper/target rifle. But to intentionally graze an ear with an AR style weapon? Not likely IMO.
And then there's the problem of "oh yeah, once you finish this job secret service is going to kill you". Not sure if you'd get anyone signing up for that.
One perhaps still plausible scenario is that it was ALLOWED to happen, but wasn't arranged per-se by anyone associated with Trump.
I don’t believe Trump was a student of anything as serious as history. He hasn’t the self-discipline required for anything intellectual. I believe he is the front man for others who do know history. Hence the reason for his enormous success. This is a powerful, well organized, well funded movement behind Trump.it’s going to be a rough road ahead.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “Obviously, we can’t go on like this as a society. We’ve got to turn the temperature down in this country.” He also said, “Biden’s suggestion a recent fundraiser that Trump needed to be put “in the bulleye” as the kind of intense rhetoric directed at Trump”
Steve Scalise said, "Clearly, we’ve seen far left lunatics act on violent rhetoric in the past.”
"Joe Biden sent the orders," Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins posted on X, formerly Twitter, in a response to a post about Mr Biden's comments to donors.
In another post, Mr Collins wrote "they attempted to neutralize the threat"
Don’t expect Republicans to either accept any responsibility much less “turn down” the temperature.
THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT OR THINK THEY WANT.
EDIT: BTW, "Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said U.S. President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have put Trump’s life in “obvious” danger and provoked his assassination attempt by trying but failing to remove him from the presidential race, “using first legal tools, the courts, prosecutors, attempts to politically discredit and compromise the candidate.” - Is there any doubt that the Republican Party is the Party of PUTIN?
From a New York Times newsletter on July 12, 2024, “The next day, while speaking about the ruling on Bannon’s podcast, the president of the conservative Heritage Foundation said the country was “”in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”” — comments that alarmed Democrats and frustrated some Republicans who worried such rhetoric would scare voters.”
Yes, Even when ‘movements’ like maga implode there are always stragglers that remain. Maga is not the majority. Just as the far right showed it was not the majority in France & the UK moved away from it. We need to be the ‘different way’ for those not firmly bonded to maga who want a better future.
I’m taking a break from the news and 99% of social media (only checking in on family and close friends.) Wondering if Trump will acknowledge President Biden’s phone call to wish him well. That would be a welcome surprise. Not holding my breath. I am spending my time with an interesting book and listening to music. I will vote for Joe Biden. No need to follow the circus the press wants this election to be.
Definitely not following the media circus right now. Will vote for Biden and will not stop warning people about Project 2025 and its implications for our rights. As the GOP fundraise, they will continue to do voter suppressions. And Trump is still a convicted felon and stole classified documents!
Dan, I could not agree more - but this is more than social media - it is the mainstream media, the cable infotainment news, our politicians plus members of Congress and state legislatures.
Staying away from both. I am following President Biden’s lead. Be kind and thoughtful. If I don’t have something positive to say, I will zip my lips and continue to remind people in swing states to vote Blue.
Yep. Facebook is letting The Dispatch, run by Jonah Goldberg and Stephen Hayes, fact-check posts on Project 2025. Goldberg also works for the Koch-funded American Enterprise Institute. And guess who funds the Heritage Foundation, which produced Project 2025? The Kochs. So that tells you all you need to know about Zuckerberg and Facebook's idea of "fairness and balance" when you're talking about the survival of American democracy.
I have read the way to get around the blocking of anything related to Project 2025 is to post it as Pr0ject 2025. Not sure it’s true, but that would probably evade their system.
I don't know if anyone noticed the announcement on Friday that Meta was removing the restrictions on tffg's Facebook and Instagram accounts, (paraphrased) to allow both candidates equal opportunity as nominees for POTUS. smh.
Yes, you can share Substack links. I do it frequently. This one was rejected at first but, upon my review request, they restored it. You can see similar in many comments below.
I see that. I used to post Substack links there regularly but recently I tried a couple times with completely non-political articles and they got rejected but I didn’t ask for a review. I’ll try again.
Yes you can. Many of us do so frequently. Their automatic reviewer rejects this one as spam for some unknown reason. But you can request a review and mine was restored after I did that.
They’re still doing it. Mine was removed for hunting for likes”. FFS, I have friends of all political persuasions trying to amplify this incident in favor of their candidate.
That initial reason seems to be the same for everyone posting. It's automated, so not surprising. When I asked for review I selected "posts like mine should be allowed" and "it's an important topic" and they restored it.
Sadly I have seen some nasty stuff coming from team Blue too. Not as much, but we all need to be thinking before posting. I do, because my mom and brother are MAGA. No point in exacerbating the divide.
A recent observation from a friend visiting America from abroad: "Everyone seems jacked-up here, as if a potential fight was waiting for them just around the corner. It's everywhere."
I am working very hard to stay positive and look forward to the majority of this country to denounce the hatred at the polls - but I would be dishonest to not admit my heart is broken and some days it is a true struggle
Stop reading the New York Times. It seems like the “lamestream media” (to borrow a phrase from Sarah Palin) are also focused on creating controversy, because that feeds their coffers. Read, compare, contrast, evaluate, think, and only then react.
The New York Times goes low, so we must go high. It is such a disappointment to have watched the New York TImes go from a respected source of news to nothing better than a tabloid, dragging well respected journalists with it.
You can say this about most of all forms of the media today. Clicks, profit, and controversy, often mean-spirited these days, sells more and informs less.
Hey, it’s the only useful thing she ever said (although she meant it in a very different way). Sometimes wisdom comes from the mouths of dumbasses who don’t even understand what they said. 😀
To your point, Joe Kahn in an interview about NYT about priorities indicates polling drives their reporting. Not news or what the public needs to know. It also looks like NYT is admitting they can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
Here’s an excerpt:
“ It’s our job to cover the full range of issues that people have. At the moment, democracy is one of them. But it’s not the top one — immigration happens to be the top [of polls], and the economy and inflation is the second. Should we stop covering those things because they’re favorable to Trump and minimize them?”
It went out the window (faux news) or took a back seat as entertainment conglomerates bought the networks. I think a CNN big shot let the cat out of the bag in 2017.
Mike Johnson issued fan art showing Trump and the caption "unstoppable." Congressional republicans have accused Joe Biden of ordering him shot--which, lest we forget, the Supreme Court thinks might be an official duty.
I thought of Lincoln and Garfield and McKinley and Kennedy, of Ford and Reagan, of King and RFK, of so many others. There is a sickness in this country that pops out at different times and in different ways.
Indisputably, social--and 24-hour cable--media have made it worse. But they have not created the problem. We can do better, unquestionably. But we have been able to say that for a long, long time.
I have also visited Mike Johnson's FB page several times today. The "unstoppable" fan art was completely inappropriate and in my opinion was not posted to help bring calm but rather to continue to fan the flames. I feel like they are trying to make Trump into a god to be worshipped and adored. So while Mike Johnson is calling for the rhetoric to calm down (from both sides) he needs to give serious thought to what he posts. I found the comments to posts on his page to be very disturbing. It seems that the hatred and calls for violence have just increased. For me it is best to refrain from any interaction with these folks.
Let's face facts. There is not one republican supporter of their nominee who would react as we have if someone had shot at Joe Biden. None. We can try, we can do the right thing, but we need to remember that fact, and it is a fact.
Well said! I agree. One of my first thoughts when hearing about the shooting yesterday was, "What will the conspiracy theory minded folks say now before few facts are known? And how will Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns use this to further divide us to weaken our democracy? And how fast will those efforts spread and incite?"
Waiting all day to see what you would post today, started to be concerned when nothing was posted before. Thanks Dan, I’m sure a lot of readers are ready to take a break for awhile.
I affirm what you are saying, but I am skeptical about what is likely to be said from the podium at the Trump convention this week. I cannot escape the observation that much of the hate and bombast and division has originated and been amplified by the GOP.
Agree.
We will know just exactly what kind of man Mr. Trump is by what he says tomorrow and in forthcoming days.
Did you not see him pump his fist and mouth "Fight! Fight! Fight!" to rile his crowd, even as the SS agents were putting their own lives on the line to protect him? Immediately his campaign started using that image TO FUNDRAISE. Do you not already know what kind of man he is? Have you not read anything about Project 2025, or anything about his conviction? The leopard isn't going to change his spots, and he will definitely eat your face if it suits him.
So again, let's calm down. Remember, the more Trump infects us so we become angry, or bully others, he's winning the battle for indecency.
The best thing to do when you feel like your head wants to explode is to put your head into the freezer according to my therapist. We've got a long way to go towards November. Let's avoid the ulcers and chest pains. I know its hard and I'm terrible at doing it, but I'm getting exhausted by the madness and need to take a few days offline.
I don't believe in an afterlife, so this is all I've got. Acknowledging that we are ruled by our emotions, I have noticed that they come in two basic kinds: positive and negative. When you give in to anger you punish yourself with a negative emotion. When you choose amusement your create a positive experience. You do the math, and live the best life you can.
I believe(& know), there is an afterlife. I also know we will all stand before God & HE will judge us. It should be an interesting experience.🙏🇺🇲💔💔💔
I sincerely hope you are correct. Best of luck!
Very nice David
LOL, I might just try putting my head in the freezer, the next time that I'm staring at the ceiling at 1 a.m. Thank you!
I guess I better clean out my freezer 😂
😄👍😄
It is so hard isn't it ? AND am going to tell everyone I know about putting our heads into the freeze when needed !!! (that's too funny)....am so glad you're with us here at Steady....
I’m calm. But I’m also pragmatic. Trump wants us to give up without a fight. I will not yield.
And not only all you say, but certain words trigger a send of AI encyclopedic/
Unwanted comments added into some messages I read. It truly is Big Brother!
Never volunteered for this‼️Have others experienced this in past week?
This is why you are visiting a therapist? Go off line. And seek refuge in nature and exercise.
And...the NYT appears to be praising those actions. From an article by Shawn McCreesh updated today (7/14/24) is this gem:
"Amid the Mayhem, Trump Pumped His Fist and Revealed His Instincts
A bloodied Donald J. Trump made Secret Service agents wait while he expressed his defiance. The moment epitomized his visceral connection with his supporters, and his mastery of the modern media age."
Is this "brave" to ignore the Secret Service as they struggle to get him to safety so he can grandstand for his MAGA crowd? It appears he is being praised for this, and social media is eating it up and the merch is being churned out and selling fast.
And for that, some are calling him a gangster..."who gets shot and does that? A gangster, that's who...my man Trump!' It's ridiculous. And this country looks ridiculous to the rest of the world.
I'm seeing, "That's my president!" in response to the defiant fist bumps. It's downright embarrassing, and we do look ridiculous to the rest of the world. Trump has been on the golf course today, bragging about a great shot he made and how his shooter missed. Real integrity would be calling and/or visiting the family of the man who died, and doing the same for those injured. We all know what President Biden would do, and he gets my vote.
"Real integrity would be calling and/or visiting the family of the man who died, and doing the same for those injured."
Yes, Biden would. The populace is too addicted to action movie heroes. Nothing of substance with that guy. Vote Biden/Harris and Blue up and down the ticket. Spread the word! We need to stop this insanity.
Mine too.
Really great observation, Virginia. Any compassionate human would have been sending condolences and seeing to any needs of those hospitalized and grieving
Correction: My apologies; Trump was not playing golf on Sunday. He was at his Bedminster Golf Club in NJ, but did not play golf. There was a report from a caddy about him playing and the apparent conversation, but has been proven false. Ah, the pitfalls of social media! My sincere apologies for not fact checking before posting. I know better.
We do, we really do. Friends of mine who are French and German are letting me know that all of Europe think it was set up....because the world knows what sort of a liar that the orange felon is.
Friends in Europe are mostly concerned about a 2nd trump term from a NATO standpoint… vote, people.
And where are the dynamic Dems who should be standing up to this circus? Why do we have to play nice?
I wonder if it was to counter the "Bunker Boy" image - image is everything to him. And I appear not to be the only one whose first thought was that this was staged - now I certainly hope not given the price in human life/SERIOUS injuries that resulted.
My first thought as well- "STAGED" !!!
I'm still on the fence if it was staged or not. Lately all the media has been focusing on Biden; not a lot on Trump. Makes you wonder, as they man will do anything for attention.
Tragic.
I hear you ! And you said it in such a way....and....I like the meme that says...".oh yes, whenever I fear for my life, I always stop and raise my fist for a photo op"....I am limited in my capacity to say things in a funny way and so I remember things that say it well and are funny at the same time. I too am blown away at how he put others lives at stake....and his fund raising ? It's so offensive. AND we all know that we know who he is and we're standing tall for Democracy and patience and the well being of all of us. It's not going to be easy...but we can do it and am so glad to have folks like you with us.
Agree
Agreed.
Excuse me? We all know what kind of man he is.
I think he has already shown us. 🫥
Everyone has known what tRump is for several decades now. Nothing New. Nothing to see here folks. Move On...
I wish we could move on. Oh how I wish we could. 💔🇺🇲💔
Can we really dare to move on? I doubt it.
I know what kind of man he is after living under his fractured regime and watching his criminal activities for years, He raped little girls and stole from charities. Nah I know who he is.
We already know exactly what kind of man trump is. And this plays right into the right-wing plans. Our country is being taken over, & we are in big trouble. I turn 80 this year, I've seen & experienced a great deal since 1944. I'm in deep mourning.
Mary, I think we already know what kind of man Trump is and it is not a good one.
I do not mean to be arrogant or to disparage what you're saying Mary W....it's just that I feel moved to let you know that I already know exactly what kind of man, he is. He is not good or as we say here in New Mexico...he's no bueno.
Some of us acknowledge that he is " a no bueno" louse, however many ignore that. Why do voters ignore his crimes? I don't know. However I announce/proclaim them when I can.
A young woman who was raised in an Evangelical family and became a journalist was interviewed by Christine Amapour and she said that because the Evangelicals believe that they know the right way to live, they just want to have some political cred at the "table" and they are willing to use him to get what they want in terms of agendas like banning abortion. They want what they want and they are willing to use someone who is unethical to get what they want. AND other voters are likely women in abusive relationships who are voting the way their preacher tells them to....after all, he denies any wrong doing.
Amanpour is a good interviewer. So the Evangelicals will use evil to push their thinking on us. In theological terms . they are denying us free will. In supporting the tangerine terror they are worshipping a false God
YES. And it is the definition of fascism, this pushing of their way/their thinking onto us....this top down authoritarianism, this power over way of relating to another. It is the activity of the frighten and weak and unsocialized....and because they have to have it their way....there's this whole world of love and happiness that they are unavailable to participate in.
We know now exactly what Trump is. He will not have an epiphany as the slave trader who wrote Amazing Grace had.
Is that because John Newton read his Bible the right way up?
We already know E-X-A-C-T-L-Y what kind of “man” A’la Orange is.
Trump might talk unity to get votes but his sycophants will not and he won’t restrain them.
Fundraising text #6 just arrived. New message on all of them: FEAR NOT (and link to send money).
agree
But yet the GOP says the same of liberals. Who decides truth?
Yes, absolutely!!!
Agree
Exactly! The repugs are a perfect example of: "If you can't take the heat, get out of the (inflammatory vitriol) kitchen!" And, "What goes around, comes around!"
Agree
It’s all a bit one sided, isn’t it?
Trump and his supporters can spew vitriol and hate. And we have to be congenial.
Forgive me, I’m just sooo tired.
Sometimes we (collectively) just have to walk away. It's impossible to have a balanced discussion when one side is coming from logic, truth, and facts, and the other side is coming from lies, hate, and is bent upon revenge. Maybe the best thing that we can do is strengthen our own party's stance and not play the blame game at all.
I completely agree! DO NOT PLAY THE BLAME GAME!! Stay the course and let us not forget January 6th!
Stay the course is great advice. Nothing changes about the election - we have a choice to continue to recover from the pandemic and improve the future for the next generations or revert to the past. I haven't changed my mind.
Blame ..or Truth??
I think people must be held accountable for spewing lies and misinformation. Once we find ourselves exhausted and throw up our arms in disbelief we simple show the cult that their way is truth.
We don’t need to convince Cult45 of anything. We’re beyond that. We just need to defeat them at the polls and behave like adults so that indie voters come alongside.
Or give them permission to continue to SPEW!!
This! I very much agree.
I completely agree.... thank you for your words of wisdom.
Steve, what do you mean by “walk away “?
I hope you’re involved in getting out the vote in some way—even just from your home. I’m writing postcard/letters right now. You can also call or text voters. It is cathartic for me to know I’m doing SOMETHING positive! For this critical election, not getting involved isn’t an option for any of us who realize we MUST help save this country —and the world 🌎 for future generations. It’s wonderful to see these informed young people involved ( many of us were in the ‘70s, protesting things like Vietnam & we DID help stop Nixon & that war)! PLEASE, Dan Rather supporters, HELP DEFEAT PROJECT 2025
or America will simply be GONE❗️
The 'walk away' is from the individual directly in front of you. There comes a point where you will never change their mind. As a voting Democrat since 1968 I've made phone calls, contributed, walked several precincts where I lived, and have always volunteered to drive people to register to vote and to the polls to do so. No passivity here.
Steve - Bear with me as I speak from a mystical fu-fu point of view. The Law of Attraction says that what we focus on---positive or negative--- we manifest. Therefore, if we continually dwell on the orange one, we give him energy, and the stronger he is. Instead, we can choose to give attention to what we want to see, a better world under leaders who advocate for positive change.
Another way of agreeing with you and saying I think you're exactly right. Beware what we're up against, but don't give it power.
Well said. Energy is real. Love is energy.
YES, Barbara!
In other words, Pearls to the swine
Bravo! Literacy is like a key to the world for them. It opens up possibilities, understanding and builds self-esteem.
According to the National Literacy Institute:
21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2024. 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level). Low levels of literacy costs the US up to 2.2 trillion per year.
Hear, hear, and thank you for what you have do.
EXACTLY, Christi 🙏💙
Kudos to you, Christi, for helping positive change at a fundamental level.
🙏🇺🇲🙏
Not necessarily congenial. How about ignoring? It's hard to pick a fight if no one is paying attention.
I’m exhausted , too, Todd…..it’s been almost 10 years of vitriol against many, many people & why? We’ve been very graceful (a term used to describe Biden right now) and we’re done. Mike Johnson is an intelligent man, he KNOWS “….we can’t go on like this…” & many of us have known this for years. When Trump came down that escalator, to announce his candidacy in 2016, he was negative from then on. He said horrific things about immigrants coming into our country (who we are/were) and it was shocking! This energy of vitriol has engulfed us, all these years—how selfishly necessary! We are DONE….there are more people in this country who truly want to come together & create a decent society and engage in meaningful communities & try and enjoy as much of life and each other as possible.
After the violence we saw on television yesterday, it was a turning point, for many things. I felt a catharsis, as in my feelings of enough is simply enough. Pent up anger & heartbreak started to dissipate. I agree with Mr. Rather, social media is pitting us against each other & we now must decide it’s time for positive change. The most important thing we can do is get involved in this election! Help do something to get out the vote!
Support & elect leaders who want this change & will work together to make it begin. Young leaders like AOC & David Hogg are incredible . We need many more-it’s their future. ONWARD…..
I meant selfishly UNNECESSARY (Susan S.)
And now that Harris is in this race—ELECT OUR 1st WOMAN POTUS💙🗳️ONWARD‼️
It's the 'turn the other cheek' thing. Also, 'love one another'
Respect yourself. Do not answer one for one. Remember, you're teaching through your actions. All my best
You are correct. Being congenial has not worked. But being horrid will only hurt our own cause. We do need to be louder and stand if not take back our ground without becoming beasts ourselves.
I'm sick, tired & disgusted. 💔🇺🇲💔
Trump's response to this assassination attempt at the GOP convention will be a defining moment. Watch and then decide.
The “right” is attempting to instigate a physical civil war.
If you pay attention you’ll understand that Trump is a student of history. He recycles and reuses things from the past making them his own.
The more I reflect on this “assassination attempt” the more I believe it had to have been a staged occurrence.
Having worked at West Point for over 30 years and enduring many secret service protocols prior to presidential and dignitary visits, there is absolutely no way a 20 year old defeated a secret service perimeter on his own. He had to have had assistance.
After Reagan was shot his pole numbers increased. Donald Trump, visiting the battleground state of Pennsylvania, needed to boost his ratings and get an additional edge for the Primary election. It is not at all unlikely that he and his team sanctioned a performance.
Consider also:
From the New York Times -
…on Bannon’s podcast, the president of the conservative Heritage Foundation said the country was “in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be” — comments that alarmed Democrats and frustrated some Republicans who worried such rhetoric would scare voters.
A rally attendee claims to have seen Crooks on the roof before the shooting and tried to get the Secret Service’s attention to inform them. BUT the Secret Service didn’t see Crooks?
And, let’s not forget, the Secret Service was complicit in January 6th by deleted and wiping computers and cell phones prior to an investigation.
And now, Trump can go further than saying he is being prosecuted for you and that he is your retribution. He can now say that he took a bullet for YOU!
Too many things just don’t make sense.
The U. S. Attorney General’s office, not the secret service or FBI, needs to locate and examine the computer(s) and cell phone(s) of Thomas Crooks to see who his contacts were. There’s something there.
I've had these thoughts as well. I've been to an event where the president was speaking outside at my college. Secret Service was everywhere, on every rooftop with rifles and binoculars, scanning the area for possible trouble. Seems unlikely that the shooter would be able to occupy such an obvious position to shoot at Trump.
And then there's Trump's reaction so far. Doesn't seem to be a bit rattled by the event. Normally, you'd think it would take a person some time to collect themselves after almost getting his head blown off by a bullet, before they'd be fist pumping and saying "fight, fight fight".
But then at the same time, seems awfully risky to trust that whomever you hire to shoot at you is going to be THAT good of a shot to just get your ear and nothing else.
Glad to see that someone else is questioning who is behind this. As said before, it seems really "fishy." This is a man who will do ANYTHING to get back in power.
We think he reached up & sliced his ear...
Learned from Vince McMahon
There was a squib in that red cap. That's why the SS (sound familiar?) didn't want to leave it behind.
Sadly, it was one of my early thoughts as well. And a 20yr old firing an AR style weapon isn't who one would pick for a 'setup'. And if they did, it would just be some shots in the air.
But there is a real question as to how he got within that close of a distance. I think we'd have be having a different conversation if this was a trained sniper with an appropriate weapon.
Yes, not difficult to hit a human size target from 150 yards away with a good sniper/target rifle. But to intentionally graze an ear with an AR style weapon? Not likely IMO.
And then there's the problem of "oh yeah, once you finish this job secret service is going to kill you". Not sure if you'd get anyone signing up for that.
One perhaps still plausible scenario is that it was ALLOWED to happen, but wasn't arranged per-se by anyone associated with Trump.
I don’t believe Trump was a student of anything as serious as history. He hasn’t the self-discipline required for anything intellectual. I believe he is the front man for others who do know history. Hence the reason for his enormous success. This is a powerful, well organized, well funded movement behind Trump.it’s going to be a rough road ahead.
I agree !!
Me too. I need a time out for a bit. Not watching the Convention OR MSNBC at least until things cool down
Once again, Mr Rather is a voice of reason amid chaos. Echoing his sentiments, Michelle Obama advised “when they go low, we go high.”
May better angels be among us.
I will not show my true colors on this matter. The only importance is to make sure to vote for Joe Biden for a second term. That’s the mission.
I sure plan to vote for Mr Biden
House Speaker Mike Johnson said, “Obviously, we can’t go on like this as a society. We’ve got to turn the temperature down in this country.” He also said, “Biden’s suggestion a recent fundraiser that Trump needed to be put “in the bulleye” as the kind of intense rhetoric directed at Trump”
Steve Scalise said, "Clearly, we’ve seen far left lunatics act on violent rhetoric in the past.”
"Joe Biden sent the orders," Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins posted on X, formerly Twitter, in a response to a post about Mr Biden's comments to donors.
In another post, Mr Collins wrote "they attempted to neutralize the threat"
Don’t expect Republicans to either accept any responsibility much less “turn down” the temperature.
THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT OR THINK THEY WANT.
EDIT: BTW, "Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said U.S. President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have put Trump’s life in “obvious” danger and provoked his assassination attempt by trying but failing to remove him from the presidential race, “using first legal tools, the courts, prosecutors, attempts to politically discredit and compromise the candidate.” - Is there any doubt that the Republican Party is the Party of PUTIN?
From a New York Times newsletter on July 12, 2024, “The next day, while speaking about the ruling on Bannon’s podcast, the president of the conservative Heritage Foundation said the country was “”in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be”” — comments that alarmed Democrats and frustrated some Republicans who worried such rhetoric would scare voters.”
This is what they want
Exactly why my sanity requires me to step away from all of this insanity.
That hasn’t worked in a long time.
Perhaps. I am resigned to not being able to penetrate the mindset of MAGA ether.
What do you propose?
I do. I also know when it’s futile.
I have a pseudonym on X with over 7K followers and I challenge the most egregious tweets regularly. Mike Collins’ last night was one of them.
Yes, Even when ‘movements’ like maga implode there are always stragglers that remain. Maga is not the majority. Just as the far right showed it was not the majority in France & the UK moved away from it. We need to be the ‘different way’ for those not firmly bonded to maga who want a better future.
Start speaking up to people behaving poorly. Just say it. Kindly of course. I think people need to understand bad behavior.
I’m taking a break from the news and 99% of social media (only checking in on family and close friends.) Wondering if Trump will acknowledge President Biden’s phone call to wish him well. That would be a welcome surprise. Not holding my breath. I am spending my time with an interesting book and listening to music. I will vote for Joe Biden. No need to follow the circus the press wants this election to be.
Definitely not following the media circus right now. Will vote for Biden and will not stop warning people about Project 2025 and its implications for our rights. As the GOP fundraise, they will continue to do voter suppressions. And Trump is still a convicted felon and stole classified documents!
Staying the course with a proven winner.
Dan, I could not agree more - but this is more than social media - it is the mainstream media, the cable infotainment news, our politicians plus members of Congress and state legislatures.
No one gets a free pass.
This
Staying away from both. I am following President Biden’s lead. Be kind and thoughtful. If I don’t have something positive to say, I will zip my lips and continue to remind people in swing states to vote Blue.
Wow. I shared this to my facebook page, and it was removed in about 2 minutes as “spam”. Nothing that Dan Rather writes is spam!
Same happened to me. It was taken down almost immediately as being against community standards.
Consider the community.
Yep. Facebook is letting The Dispatch, run by Jonah Goldberg and Stephen Hayes, fact-check posts on Project 2025. Goldberg also works for the Koch-funded American Enterprise Institute. And guess who funds the Heritage Foundation, which produced Project 2025? The Kochs. So that tells you all you need to know about Zuckerberg and Facebook's idea of "fairness and balance" when you're talking about the survival of American democracy.
Holy cow. That’s so ridiculous it is like they are doing a parody of themselves.
Well, Mark Zuckerberg is a fascist, so I think it's his real self.
I have read the way to get around the blocking of anything related to Project 2025 is to post it as Pr0ject 2025. Not sure it’s true, but that would probably evade their system.
I've had no trouble so far. But this is FB -- things could change quickly and with no notice.
I don't know if anyone noticed the announcement on Friday that Meta was removing the restrictions on tffg's Facebook and Instagram accounts, (paraphrased) to allow both candidates equal opportunity as nominees for POTUS. smh.
Ask for a review and see comments following. They restored it for those who did that.
They'll take down any Substack links. I can't share my own Substack on my own FB page anymore. It's not related to the shooting incident.
Unbelievable. Censorship - frightening.
It’s everywhere! YouTube censors like mad these days.
Yes, you can share Substack links. I do it frequently. This one was rejected at first but, upon my review request, they restored it. You can see similar in many comments below.
I see that. I used to post Substack links there regularly but recently I tried a couple times with completely non-political articles and they got rejected but I didn’t ask for a review. I’ll try again.
That is terrible! You can't post nice articles on Facebook now? No wonder our country is such a mess.
You can't post Substack links.
Yes you can. Many of us do so frequently. Their automatic reviewer rejects this one as spam for some unknown reason. But you can request a review and mine was restored after I did that.
I think it must be new policy. I used to have no problem doing so but recently it changed.
They’re still doing it. Mine was removed for hunting for likes”. FFS, I have friends of all political persuasions trying to amplify this incident in favor of their candidate.
So, they just restored mine.
They must’ve heard you through your computer, Ally!
I also asked for a review, but they have not restored my post. Their reason also said I was hunting for "Likes".
That’s what happened with mine too
That initial reason seems to be the same for everyone posting. It's automated, so not surprising. When I asked for review I selected "posts like mine should be allowed" and "it's an important topic" and they restored it.
That seems very strange.
Mine was removed as well. I asked for a review and it was quickly restored.
Perhaps it was an example of “AI” without the “I”.
I asked for a review five hours ago and my post has not been restored.
"I’m asking everyone to please think before you act." Unfortunately, your readers are not the problem.
Sadly I have seen some nasty stuff coming from team Blue too. Not as much, but we all need to be thinking before posting. I do, because my mom and brother are MAGA. No point in exacerbating the divide.
A recent observation from a friend visiting America from abroad: "Everyone seems jacked-up here, as if a potential fight was waiting for them just around the corner. It's everywhere."
Sadly, he's right.
Very sad!
Your friend is very observant. He or she might not understand the reasons for the ever-present tension, but the assessment is accurate.
God Bless You Dan Rather
Thank you Mr Rather for your calming words.
I am working very hard to stay positive and look forward to the majority of this country to denounce the hatred at the polls - but I would be dishonest to not admit my heart is broken and some days it is a true struggle
This is why we have Steady, a true gem. It's a calm harbor amid the rest of the thrashing media. Thank you!
Mr. Rather, I have always respected your opinion on most everything. You are a wise and thoughtful man.
I agree!
Stop reading the New York Times. It seems like the “lamestream media” (to borrow a phrase from Sarah Palin) are also focused on creating controversy, because that feeds their coffers. Read, compare, contrast, evaluate, think, and only then react.
The New York Times goes low, so we must go high. It is such a disappointment to have watched the New York TImes go from a respected source of news to nothing better than a tabloid, dragging well respected journalists with it.
Indeed, The Gray Lady has really shat herself in the past three or four years.
The Guardian is everything the New York Times and Washington Post aren’t. I highly recommend it.
BBC is a good source online
Absolutely, many thanks for the reference
Indeed, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/14/trump-rally-suspected-gunman-what-we-know
You can say this about most of all forms of the media today. Clicks, profit, and controversy, often mean-spirited these days, sells more and informs less.
Don’t resort to quoting Sarah Palen. Use your own words; they will be more accurate and less offensive!
Hey, it’s the only useful thing she ever said (although she meant it in a very different way). Sometimes wisdom comes from the mouths of dumbasses who don’t even understand what they said. 😀
Count to ten as many times as needed.
To your point, Joe Kahn in an interview about NYT about priorities indicates polling drives their reporting. Not news or what the public needs to know. It also looks like NYT is admitting they can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
Here’s an excerpt:
“ It’s our job to cover the full range of issues that people have. At the moment, democracy is one of them. But it’s not the top one — immigration happens to be the top [of polls], and the economy and inflation is the second. Should we stop covering those things because they’re favorable to Trump and minimize them?”
Probably using one of their own garbage polls. National Enquirer didn’t bother to make excuses. Sheesh!
What happened to covering actual NEWS?
It went out the window (faux news) or took a back seat as entertainment conglomerates bought the networks. I think a CNN big shot let the cat out of the bag in 2017.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/cnn-international-chief-says-trump-is-good-business-1031985/
CBS CEO Moonves said the same thing in 2016---Trump might not be good for America, but he was good for the network.
🤮
I have thought.
Mike Johnson issued fan art showing Trump and the caption "unstoppable." Congressional republicans have accused Joe Biden of ordering him shot--which, lest we forget, the Supreme Court thinks might be an official duty.
I thought of Lincoln and Garfield and McKinley and Kennedy, of Ford and Reagan, of King and RFK, of so many others. There is a sickness in this country that pops out at different times and in different ways.
Indisputably, social--and 24-hour cable--media have made it worse. But they have not created the problem. We can do better, unquestionably. But we have been able to say that for a long, long time.
I have also visited Mike Johnson's FB page several times today. The "unstoppable" fan art was completely inappropriate and in my opinion was not posted to help bring calm but rather to continue to fan the flames. I feel like they are trying to make Trump into a god to be worshipped and adored. So while Mike Johnson is calling for the rhetoric to calm down (from both sides) he needs to give serious thought to what he posts. I found the comments to posts on his page to be very disturbing. It seems that the hatred and calls for violence have just increased. For me it is best to refrain from any interaction with these folks.
Let's face facts. There is not one republican supporter of their nominee who would react as we have if someone had shot at Joe Biden. None. We can try, we can do the right thing, but we need to remember that fact, and it is a fact.
I was waiting for your thoughts about the past day. Thank you for being there in the mist of chaos
So was I. Happy to read them.
Well said! I agree. One of my first thoughts when hearing about the shooting yesterday was, "What will the conspiracy theory minded folks say now before few facts are known? And how will Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns use this to further divide us to weaken our democracy? And how fast will those efforts spread and incite?"
Waiting all day to see what you would post today, started to be concerned when nothing was posted before. Thanks Dan, I’m sure a lot of readers are ready to take a break for awhile.
Somewhere along the line we lost our civility. I hope it’s not too late to get it back.