Very well said. The court must not be intimidated into letting him go free. I also think media must rethink coverage of his actions. Way too much time is given to him. Yes, we need to be informed. But our President has done so much to move this country forward. I’d like to see that covered extensively.
I agree that too much time is given to trump and his cult; not enough time or gratitude is given to President Biden from keeping the abyss of fascism at bay. I feel this is the country's last bid to stay free. We'd best stop giving the dark forces any more time than is necessary to convey facts.
Yes I’m SO sick of seeing his disgusting face spread across the TV screen when I turn it on. Enough already! We know what he looks like so stop promoting him by constantly “covering” every move he makes!
Correct, Sharon. Fox, OAN, and right wing radio have proven how effective propaganda can be. Think of who views Fox, and what radio they likely favor. A steady diet of the hatred and bigotry, and lies, and you see poll numbers reflecting market penetration in the Republican/MAGA world. In the Watergate era there wasn’t the prevalence of “alternative facts”.
I gather information from as many sources (hopefully unbias) as possible, so I sit here dumb-founded when family members (who's ears are only tuned to Fox ) shake there heads and tell me I'm the one who's lost!!!!
I'm praying that history reveals a victory for democracy but my confidence in good over evil is waning.......
I feel your concern. So I try to surround myself with free thinkers, ppl who can have civil conversation on issues. Ppl who aren't locked into left or right but are thinkers.
So true Roger and so scary. I saw an ad for a new FOX news show called "Out Numbered" . They are using their God's tactic of twisting words to gain access to their paranoid fan base. Does anyone teach Nazi Germany in schools anymore? Is teaching democracy banned these days? What is going on? The red flags are everywhere and I have no doubt something is going to give away, I hope and pray it is not democracy. How can people be so clueless to this hate propaganda? They do not know the difference between what is good in humanity vs evil? I am also worried that some organized religions are feeding a cult mentality.
I’m a Methodist. We’re on the opposite end of the craziness. It’s sad when so-called Christians call the basic example of Jesus as “woke”! The same people who say the Bible is the “inerrant word of God”….except when it speaks of love, grace, & forgiveness. Mind blowing!
Wow..my father was a Methodist Minister! So glad to hear they are staying out of the craziness..it was always like that when I was growing up in our church. I have lots of minister's in my extended family and not all religions understand separation between church and state.
Jade, I agree that media coverage is stuck in the "if it's violent or sexy it leads" approach. But I think we need to recognize that what seems to be so baffling about the 45th's followers is due in large part to how fractionated our society is.
Those who are willing to listen to the shyster and believe him have generally felt underserved and left behind by our society and government: their union jobs shipped overseas, their education substandard, their righteous anger over the minimum wage / hour that leaves them below the poverty line even when fully employed. Well educated middle and upper-middle class people can understand the depth of the felt betrayal they experience.
The tragedy is the GOP / Trump have clearly expressed they intend to take away the New Deal and Great Society and Obama-Care entitlements that they are due, which will make their plight even worse than it is now. The GOP offer only cultural-war support and a clear scapegoat in the liberal establishment. Apparently that is enough for them to support these shameless, power hunger liars who have not even bothered to create a policy platform. President Biden's legislation is aimed squarely at serving the underserved and providing livable-wage jobs while trying to claw back the mountain of debt the underclass have to take on to get a better education. It will be hard to win them back to a sense of "belonging" in an America where the Commonwealth is not understood to be about the "Common Good".
I agree with your assessment. Still, it confounds me that "its" supporters are, as you point out, shooting themselves in the foot. The people they want in power will destroy what little they have.
The orange-haired weirdo is careful to serve up a large dose of righteous indignation and targets for revenge. He claims to be their defender while encouraging their anger. It’s a simple emotional appeal which is, as we are all well aware, unbounded by facts or analysis of who stands to benefit from his actions and policy-free politics. The credulity necessary to believe the millionaire savior was grown during a lifetime of being a second-class citizen whose family farms and rural way of life were usurped by corporate greed and the march to globalization.
It is manipulation using “enrage to engage” for perceived injustice even though the messenger is one who thrived by perpetrating the very things that harmed his followers. Followers - not the hangers on, fringe groups or sycophants who want to siphon some power & $$ for their own agenda.
It is a communication strategy designed to create the same flood of emotion and brain response you may be more familiar with in people who experience trauma.
That ‘enraged’ step is key and necessary on a continual basis to keep the minds of those who receive the messages in a constant state of anger and fear. Full blown, this literally causes the brain to suppress logic and reason because after being emotionally flooded, it is flooded with hormones like adrenaline to prepare for fight or flight. Metabolic changes occur, vision narrows and other senses are suppressed.
Prolonged, as with repeated trauma, an individual (the brain) can lose the ability to separate real threats from ordinary events. The body remains on “high alert” at all times. Toxic Stress.
As a manipulation tool it is necessary to keep it going with a constant stream of fakery around the central themes but with new twists and turns or new ‘enemies.’
In addition to the disruption of their lives (and everyone around them) people who suffer from toxic stress -- live in a toxic stew -- are much more likely to have poor mental & physical health outcomes and shorter lifespans. That was already happening in rural areas and other places due to chronic poverty and other stresses. It is believed that victims of trauma are more susceptible to this type of emotional flooding (not only from propaganda).
I wish I knew how to disrupt the cycle and interrupt the flood.
Understandable. I did lots of trauma related work, from domestic homicide reviews to human trafficking. Zillions of training hours, most from DOJ. Trauma Informed Care made a very large splash a while back. Advocates for thinking not what is wrong with you but what happened to you”. But my masters is in media communication and I started recognizing certain things in the political messaging & the affects.
Adverse Childhood Experiences is the original survey used to obtain a “score” for trauma experienced. There is a related body of work on anticipated health outcomes based on that number & without mitigating or resilience factors present. I found the potential fascinating. The data is strong. I have the book by Dr. Nadine Burk Harris - The Deepest Well. (She is now the 1st Surgeon General in California). https://onlinegrad.baylor.edu/resources/adverse-childhood-experiences-health
Ultimately used it as a tool for training, aligning programs with areas of need and for explaining to funders why programs were not empty “feel good” efforts. It also helped prioritize efforts.
Probably on my mind these days because I’m getting related info together for a really great program in E KY - Hindman’s School of Luthiery at its Culture of Recovery. Known for its dulcimers. In the 2022 flood their guitar factory which provided community jobs was devastated, but the school reopened last fall. They partner with the courts and substance abuse program; have an exceptionally low recidivism rate. It provides meaningful work; a connection to their culture & they are surrounded by people who want to see them succeed. 3 important resilience factors.
My grandma used to call us kids shysters when we didn’t behave. This was way back in the late fifties early sixties and I haven’t heard it expressed for a long time. She was German so there was an ‘auk’ you shysters stop running in the house’ or something like that.
Everything you wrote is spot on. I worry about my grandchildren growing up in a country that is so fractured. Will Democracy win out over autocracy? Will my talented granddaughter live in a world where women are no longer thought of as equal.? Will my grandson no longer be able to read books of his choosing? Will this planet become so damaged by climate change that human life cannot exist? I may not be here long enough to see all that slowly evolve, but I don’t want my descendants to face that reality either. I do my little part to help, but I fear it’s just useless.
Are those really the people who are drawn to Trump? They seem able to travel to his rallies and buy his made in China merchandise. I think they are drawn to the hate-filled rhetoric that gives them permission to behave badly. He is the baddest of the bad and they love it. There are many job opportunities now that those woe is me people could fill to replace the jobs they may have lost to cheap labor abroad. Do climate deniers want to work in a green business?
Yes, those are the people! The ones that are dis-informed by Fox News or their local far right radio broadcast and who are so desperate for an explanation that QAnon seems reasonable to them. And yes they are angry because they are afraid that they will continue to be ignored both culturally and economically. And finally, YES, they will be fleeced for their votes and then what little they have left will be taken from them by the millionaire saviors who don’t want them to have Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or Obama Care.
Did Trump pay the legal fees of the Proud Boys who he invited to the January 6th “WILD” insurrection party?
Those jobs are mostly clustered in certain places around or along supply chains. People in rural areas usually have far far fewer options and fast food work does not pay the bills. Many times they are “house poor” in the sense that their property & family ties keep them in the community & neither pay for them to relocate. When they do relocate, even temporarily, they are not welcome. Yes, people will work making products even if they do not use them.
Unaware of the ordinance, I was unsure how much was perceived versus actual experience until I visited Cinci in the late 1990s. I traveled to Covington for work & met a friend living in OH for dinner, “across the bridge” in Cinci. Our waiter set our table and chatted, asked where were from. My friend named a town in OH and I said “I live in Ky”. He returned with our menus.
A dinner menu for my friend and a children’s menu for me. I was confused; then thought he had confused us with another table.
I said “We don’t have children joining us.” The young feller, grinning & quite pleased with himself responded, “I know. This way you don’t have to read - just order from the pictures.”
My point was that it would be hypocritical to deny climate change, as MAGA people often do, and then work at a business that is fighting against the climate change they don't believe is real. More cognitive dissonance perhaps. People have always relocated for work even though difficult, and I think the Biden administration is trying to improve employment opportunities in areas where there are few.
I understood what was implied in your comments. I chose to ignore the hypocrisy angle. There are folks who belong to unions for the job & benefits but are anti-union, etc. People don’t choose unemployment as activism or to express their views. They are concerned about survival & are skeptical enough figure companies prioritize making $$$ over a stated ‘mission.’
I recognize what Biden is doing and support him - which is irrelevant to these facts. The major impact of his efforts will take time to reach into many areas. Based on history, to those folks, that means likely never or maybe in 30 yrs. Biden does not make disparaging remarks about voters who do not vote for him, but he is undermined by his supporters who do.
Messages like they are too ignorant, too poor, too angry, too inbred ... Move but don’t come here; you’re not welcome & we have nothing for you ... Above all else pay no attention to the history of broken promises ... Those comments are not persuasive nor are they designed to be, no matter who the target may be.
Most of the “maga” targeted have heard it all their lives. It boosts the trump train.
donnie gotti understands this & reminds ‘his’ voters. He relies on (baseless) feelings of victimization from his life & leverages those feelings & disparagement as shared grievances. It is the foundation of “they’re coming after me to come after you.” The exception seems to be voters with better prospects - small business owners for instance, who fell on hard times due to the pandemic; workers who were layed off but are in areas where jobs returned, etc. An after-election analysis of voting patterns indicated they shifted to Biden in places where the economy had picked up. It was enough to contribute to small margins of victory. I would say their was partly because they do not have the same core identity making a lot of the attitudes & comments less relevant to them.
Karen, understood but what if you’re in a one company town and you don’t have a choice? Would you work for half as much because the other party had a more generous platform?
I shared an experience here that probably the most blatant easiest to relate. Not the only one. It is the sort of thing that reinforces & renews the anger and fear each time the people you speak of are mocked. -- I’m not a native Kentuckian. At that point I’d lived “up north” longer than in KY.
I agree. Who cares what his mugshot looks like. I'm so tired of all the coverage given to the orange freak. The only news I want to hear about him is where and for how long he will be locked up. There is news from all over our world, some sad and some uplifting. Let's hear MORE news from other places, domestic and foreign. Let's hear stories about kindness, empathy, success (however small,) and some joy. There are so many positive stories out there. Awards are being won for so many things, big and small. I need some joy in my life - how about you?
I couldn’t agree more. If it weren’t for Heather Cox Richardson, Joyce Vance, and Dan Rather, I wouldn’t have a clue about all that our President, Joe Biden, has done and is doing to enhance our lives and our standing in the world.
Agree. These three are my go-to resources for truthful information. Unfortunately, the truth no longer matters to those living in denial and refusing to admit they were wrong. Willful ignorance has spread like a cancer in our country.
The results of these indictments and the 2024 elections , if not a win for Democracy, have the potential of being the biggest dissaster of the 21st century.
Give them good paying jobs and a quality education for their children and you'll find their skulls are not that thick...of course there are those among the "duck worshipers" who are hardened in hate and racism and may very well be beyond the reach of fairness and kindness but it's worth trying. I believe Pres. Biden's Inflation reduction act and the infrastructure bill will cover the good paying jobs part of the equation. But the rural Americans have been underserved for so long it will take time for trust to be restored to State and Federal Government.
Large, I do see your point. I am also aware that as technology has taken over many labor intensive jobs, the government and some private enterprises have attempted to provide re-education to fill some of the emerging jobs.
In 2016, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made a promise to coal miners at a rally in West Virginia. “For those miners, get ready because you’re going to be working your asses off,” he told them, wearing a white hard hat. “We’ll be winning, winning, winning.” Thankfully, for the environment, that did not happen; sad for the miners. Yet those miners were totally opposed to any retraining.
"Despite assurances from policymakers that retraining is the key to success, such programs have consistently failed to equip workers with the preparation they need to secure jobs." 1/8/2018
Jeffrey Selingo, The Atlantic.
Of course many new jobs do not offer the high pay-off high-risk jobs, such as coal mining. Maybe a greater emphasis on trade education is needed. I don't have the answers; but I believe our educational system is in dire need of repair..
I agree with you about trade education. It doesn't matter how rich you are or how many degrees you have - all people need plumbers, electricians, mechanics, hairdressers, cooks, carpenters, gardeners, bus drivers, etc. - tradespeople of all varieties at some point in their lives. Have you seen what plumbers, electricians, mechanics, etc. charge for their work? Sure, some parts are expensive, but labour is through the roof! I taught Elementary Learning Disabled student. Many of hem went on to High Schools where they learned trades. They were happy, and, when they graduated, they had jobs waiting for them.
Thank you Jean. I think many students would do best in trade school. Yes, I know some repairs costs are through the roof. Not only that, but the demands are so high that if you need a smaller job done you CANNOT get them to come.
I suggest you add Robert Hubble to your list! He offers realistic yet optimistic summaries of the days news along with actions to take to protect our democracy from the darkness of the GOP. His newsletter is called Today’s Edition.
Anthony Wilkins, were you ever and school teacher and a football coach?? I had a school teacher named Anthony Wilkins in high school. His name was also spelled the same as your's is. I went to Central High School in Carrollton, GA.
Wow. What a coincidence! I immediately recognized your name. I can't remember what the subject was of the class i took in 1970 when you were teaching. My grown daughter also remembered you at Central, she said she thinks you were an assistant principal when she was in high school in the mid 1990's. The years really fly by when a person grows older. I still can't believe i am 68 years old now. I hope the courts do something with Donald TUMP. To me, it seems like he is taking the same path as Adolf Hitler and wants to install an authoritarian Dictatorship here in the United States. The very thing that world war 2 was fought for to prevent it in free Democratic nations of the world.. I am very concerned about all of this..
More than likely I taught American History or World Geography in 1970. I left Central in 1974. After I retired in 1997, I taught American Citizenship (government) at the Carroll County Night School located at Central HS.Then, served as AP in the Night School for about year! You rightly should be concerned about Trump and his coalition. No question their path leads to undermining our democracy and creating an authoritarian government, in my humble opinion! So glad you recognize what’s going on! My hope is that others will do the same before it’s too late!
It was World Geography that i took in 1970. You were the teacher i liked most in High School, your teaching methods were great and it you didn't lose your temper like some other teachers i had, especially the ones i had in elementary school. I worked at the Trent Tube Company for 33 years after high school and i was the accountant for their labor union for 15 years. It closed down in 2004 and forced me into retirement. I can only wish more people were aware of what is going on in our government. The mainstream media doesn't seem to report much of anything that the Democrats have accomplished. I wonder what goes in the minds of the people that seem to get into a cult mentality like the one Donald TUMP has created? Uneducated people seem to be gullible and are attracted to people like him for some unknown reason. I spell the Trump name ''TUMP'' because his name is irritating to me.. Thank you, Mr. Wilkins for your great reply and your great accomplishments. I hope to see more of your comments on this site.
It is appalling to watch tv coverage given to his airplane like Hitler’s in Triumph of the Will. Are MSM just too lazy to do better? It is shocking how easily they continue to eat up the visuals Trump feeds them and that they feed us.
I agree 100%. And I think Trump knows about the comparison too. He is ignorant on so many levels but cunning and smart enough to research how to perform for his loyals
Essentially, as has been said elsewhere, we need to cover the indictments, but not cover them like Trump is the star of the story.
I also wonder how much “It can’t happen here”-ism is going on. I feel like if this were happening in another country, no one in our media would have any problem describing what’s really happening.
I agree. Trump likes attention, good or bad , just attention. If we focused more on the good our President has accomplished we can maybe cause Trump to fade away. 🥰❤️🙏
I agree but I feel that the proceedings in court should be televised so he cannot make up his own brand of truth. How anyone could think for one minute that he is a martyr is beyond my comprehension.
I read HCR daily, and find her writing to be informative and encouraging. However, is is a bit deeper than most casual observers would be interested in. I'd like to see a brief paragraph or a few bullets (headlines).
I totally agree. Why does the media want to give him so much air time and to make us sick of seeing his mug shots over and over. I have never liked the man and refuse to see his face. I changed the channel.
I remember Oprah one time said this about a someone in the news that she refused to give them any air time because that is what they wanted “fame from being front and center”. We know that tRump thrives on this.
I think all our earlier presidents, all of them, would be shocked at the lengths Trump has gone to and continues to go in the pursuit of a 2nd term. Two impeachments, 91 indictments, three marriages, serial philandering, and multiple bankruptcies all speak to the man inside. I still have a problem witnessing that there are millions of my fellow Americans who want to give him another chance to govern. Is a kleptocracy really the highest and best form of government the US offers up to the world?
With his backgound it's incredible that a country like ours could have elected him for a first term. Oh right, we really didn't. He was installed by the Electoral College after he lost the popular vote -- twice.
It’s well past time to stop the parasitic sycophanting and just take him down -- he has hijacked politics, discourse, & democracy in the USA & around the world for far too long
This is it in a nutshell, Dan and Eliot, "It’s craven. And it’s dangerous." We are on the precipice of losing our balance and we need to rise up in great numbers and say, we've endured enough and we must do whatever is necessary to stop the insanity of a madman. Sound familiar?
Dr. Gruber, I enjoy seeing your commentary here and appreciate what you have to say. I remember you from my PG year at CRH, and later as the Head of School at Shipley where my brother, Colin went to school. I always appreciate Dan and Elliot’s perspective on things as they alway leave me with a calm sense of hope. Nice to see you here. Kristin
The bullying and intimidation via the incessant on-brand, all caps, misspelled tweets will only become more violent and unhinged and, tho he promised that he would not discuss the case, we all know he cannot keep his mouth shut. As a campaign & poll volunteer, I must question my involvement, going forward as I'm on a blue oasis in an otherwise red state and the cult is fired up. What a sad day for this country-not one shred of decency or integrity exists in the GOP.
Don't question your continuing involvement in trying to get this country back on track. I've been so appalled at how ugly politics has gotten and at how ignorant so many people are at the implications of such actions not just for our country but the worid.
Cindy, I agree with Pat: don’t question your important involvement in the very electoral system that Trump is intent on taking down. I too live on a blue island. Your continued involvement is not only vital, it constitutes an act of hope and courage. We WILL overcome this fascist thug and his minions through a legal and electoral system that was designed by people much smarter than him. Keep the faith!
I have no intention of stopping however, I may choose to be more involved behind the scenes and nor so much in a public-facing space. This is an open carry state, there have been recent Proud Boy parades downtown-small, but loud & disruptive all the same-and more confrontational folks than I've ever seen. I believe in this country and I am hopeful it can return to a more civilized time but admit to be somewhat fearful of the path ahead.
I’m sorry you are living in that environment. There are few spaces that feel comfortable these days. Sometimes the hate groups target areas for recruiting and then move on. We’ve noticed that few are in the community. They bring in more from out of state usually. I hope they do not get traction and your community can safely return to a more normal life.
It is horrific that temporary election workers Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman have endured hellish attacks by trump and his sycophants! It is mostly for them that I want to see Georgia justice convicting trump once and for all!
"look at all those who raised their hands on the debate stage to say they will support him as their party’s nominee even if he is convicted." There you have it. The Republican party has basically devolved into a criminal organization.
All six of those candidates should be ashamed to show their faces in public. Their inability to publicly admit that Trump shouldn't be allowed to be a candidate effectively renders them all unsuited for the office of the Presidency.
You have, as usual, covered the subject as completely and with as much detail as possible. But you have forgotten to add another important factor. Trump's followers in Congress not only support him, but are in the process of creating a parallel case against Joe Biden. The more the evidence displays the duplicity and lawless nature of Trump and his minions, the more Comey and Jordan et al go after Biden. And the MAGA media gives their case full coverage every day. To those who loyally follow Trump, just as the poor fools who drank the Kool Aid with Jones, this is their Holy Grail; this is all they know. At times it would appear that the next election will be a question of which criminal can garner the most support? There are important issues at stake. Every damn one of the people on stage has a plan which would severely limit women's rights to control their own bodies. They would replace our public education system with one totally controlled by parents who would choose their children's schools, teachers and curriculum. They would limit benefits to those most in need, and cut those for people who paid for them and depend upon them for their very existence. And yet the focus remains on the actual criminal history of one former president and the totally unsubstantiated allegations against another. This is the crime of the century. This can only lead to further chaos and destruction of our values and our democracy. It is more than frightening......................
Well stated! Now that we’ve witnessed the meticulous job the DOJ has done so far in charging trump, isn’t it also in the works for them to hold J6-adjacent congresspeople accountable one day soon? Greene, Gaetz, Graham etc?
I feel like he posed that way on purpose. He most likely thinks he looks strong and intimidating. He's so out of touch with reality, he doesn't know the difference between being strong and being evil.
Exactly!! Nothing is ever said or done without using his playbook. It behooves me to still see and hear how "innocent they think he is. Evil personified and getting away with it.
He chose a pose that conceals his neck jowls and makes him appear less overweight than he is. 215 lbs? He's 285# if not over 300#, but so vain he can't admit it, or have his staff fill out the forms truthfully.
And now Team Trump continues the grift with $47 T-shirt with the mugshot and Never Surrender. Will be waiting to see one in the wild…i know which of my neighbors has already placed an order. Imagine making trump your entire personality.
Given the judge’s recent admonishments, about what trump cannot share online and elsewhere, couldn’t it be construed as a violation, as “Never Surrender” is another one of his “Stand Back and Stand By,” and a message to his cult to “fight like hell.” Inciting words of violence.
I hope the courts swiftly deliver an injunction and freeze any proceeds gathered so far!
I agree. There is nothing ‘proper’ about him in deserving a title. I write trump, with a lowercase t, as he does not deserve the uppercase T. I used to call him donnie boy, but it was too cute and endearing for him.
Would you believe TWITTER, BEFORE X, banned me because I said the duck should be tarred and feathered? I have been requesting they close my account, which they refuse to do. They keep asking that I retract my statement. My answer: HELL, NO!!
It most certainly is easy to imagine those horns on his putrid head. That would go for Maggot Traitor Goon too sticking out of her bleached yellow hair. Her lover, Qevin McCarthy would like that.
Dan and Elliot, thank you. You’ve certainly framed the situation accurately. We are on a perilous road, but as a nation we’ve navigated these challenges before. We are not babes in the woods. With each new trip to court the Trump machine appears to gain strength with those Know-Nothings that are destroying a once well-respected GOP. These folks surely are a threat and violence nearly a certainty. On the other hand, the skies may just be clearing a bit for righteous members of the GOP and independents like myself. We are about to enter a crucible that will change us drastically as we move forward with our democracy. I believe the constitution and rule of law will prevail. I also believe what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
What then are we to make of Jim Jordan’s House Judiciary Subcommittee announcing on the very same day when Trump was booked that they’re opening up an investigation of suspected political partiality by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis? How can justice be served under circumstances where Congress asserts the authority to question the motives of law enforcement officials prosecuting crimes? Is there any precedent for the federal legislature to insert itself on behalf of a defendant into a criminal prosecution?
I believe the DOJ stated several times that Congress has no authority to interfere with a criminal investigation. But has that stopped that rotten element? No because nothing has stopped their cult leader yet!
I believe the gist of this was the same when he tried it on Bragg. Bragg responded but not in a way Jordan appreciated. Jordan has a law degree but I believe never passed the bar / never practiced law.
I haven’t looked at the details of his ‘ask’ but in the one to Bragg he wanted to know of any federal $$ being used - that was be a pretext for Jordan meddling. In GA it may be more that this was a federal election. However, states have election laws & the Constitutional right to set their own laws etc. for electors. Jordan also raises questions re: Fani Willis supposedly working in concert with Jack Smith and wants all communication with any federal entities. Sounds like a conspiracy theory to raise $$.
Bragg’s office responded:
She went on to charge that the requests constitute an “unlawful incursion into New York’s sovereignty” under the Tenth Amendment, which enumerates that powers not given to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution are reserved to each individual state — preventing Congressional inquires into state matters.
Imagine if Obama ran for President against him? lol. Aww darn, that can’t happen (not that I want Joe to stop working) but oh it would be great to watch trump go up against Barack!
Of course, the execrable Jim Jordan has snapped into action and started an investigation of Fani Willis. Frankly, I'm not convinced that Jordan wasn't in on the slow-motion coup after the November 2020 election.
Oh yes! I'm so looking forward to the day when some sort of concrete proof can be exposed regarding this poor excuse for a human being! Out of all of those who made a mockery of our country, and continues to do so, Jim Jordan needs to be held accountable! Nothing but a chaos agent! The dishonorable Mike Flynn is second on my list of traitors, Ginni Thomas is third.
Mr Rather, I just wanted to say how much I value your opinions. I don’t always agree with them, but you make me think and examine other points of view without rhetorical violence.
It’s hard today to find voices that toe the line like you do. Thank you.
Very well said. The court must not be intimidated into letting him go free. I also think media must rethink coverage of his actions. Way too much time is given to him. Yes, we need to be informed. But our President has done so much to move this country forward. I’d like to see that covered extensively.
I agree that too much time is given to trump and his cult; not enough time or gratitude is given to President Biden from keeping the abyss of fascism at bay. I feel this is the country's last bid to stay free. We'd best stop giving the dark forces any more time than is necessary to convey facts.
Amen to that!
Yes I’m SO sick of seeing his disgusting face spread across the TV screen when I turn it on. Enough already! We know what he looks like so stop promoting him by constantly “covering” every move he makes!
Fox is one thing but the other cable networks are to blame as well with wall-to-wall coverage.
It would help if he did not have FOX under his thumb.
Correct, Sharon. Fox, OAN, and right wing radio have proven how effective propaganda can be. Think of who views Fox, and what radio they likely favor. A steady diet of the hatred and bigotry, and lies, and you see poll numbers reflecting market penetration in the Republican/MAGA world. In the Watergate era there wasn’t the prevalence of “alternative facts”.
Fox has programmed their viewers promoting lies and disinformation
I gather information from as many sources (hopefully unbias) as possible, so I sit here dumb-founded when family members (who's ears are only tuned to Fox ) shake there heads and tell me I'm the one who's lost!!!!
I'm praying that history reveals a victory for democracy but my confidence in good over evil is waning.......
I feel your concern. So I try to surround myself with free thinkers, ppl who can have civil conversation on issues. Ppl who aren't locked into left or right but are thinkers.
So true Roger and so scary. I saw an ad for a new FOX news show called "Out Numbered" . They are using their God's tactic of twisting words to gain access to their paranoid fan base. Does anyone teach Nazi Germany in schools anymore? Is teaching democracy banned these days? What is going on? The red flags are everywhere and I have no doubt something is going to give away, I hope and pray it is not democracy. How can people be so clueless to this hate propaganda? They do not know the difference between what is good in humanity vs evil? I am also worried that some organized religions are feeding a cult mentality.
I’m a Methodist. We’re on the opposite end of the craziness. It’s sad when so-called Christians call the basic example of Jesus as “woke”! The same people who say the Bible is the “inerrant word of God”….except when it speaks of love, grace, & forgiveness. Mind blowing!
Wow..my father was a Methodist Minister! So glad to hear they are staying out of the craziness..it was always like that when I was growing up in our church. I have lots of minister's in my extended family and not all religions understand separation between church and state.
Really good point about the lack of alternative facts in the Watetgate era, Roger. Surely the reason things didn't turn out worse than they did.
Jade, I agree that media coverage is stuck in the "if it's violent or sexy it leads" approach. But I think we need to recognize that what seems to be so baffling about the 45th's followers is due in large part to how fractionated our society is.
Those who are willing to listen to the shyster and believe him have generally felt underserved and left behind by our society and government: their union jobs shipped overseas, their education substandard, their righteous anger over the minimum wage / hour that leaves them below the poverty line even when fully employed. Well educated middle and upper-middle class people can understand the depth of the felt betrayal they experience.
The tragedy is the GOP / Trump have clearly expressed they intend to take away the New Deal and Great Society and Obama-Care entitlements that they are due, which will make their plight even worse than it is now. The GOP offer only cultural-war support and a clear scapegoat in the liberal establishment. Apparently that is enough for them to support these shameless, power hunger liars who have not even bothered to create a policy platform. President Biden's legislation is aimed squarely at serving the underserved and providing livable-wage jobs while trying to claw back the mountain of debt the underclass have to take on to get a better education. It will be hard to win them back to a sense of "belonging" in an America where the Commonwealth is not understood to be about the "Common Good".
I agree with your assessment. Still, it confounds me that "its" supporters are, as you point out, shooting themselves in the foot. The people they want in power will destroy what little they have.
The orange-haired weirdo is careful to serve up a large dose of righteous indignation and targets for revenge. He claims to be their defender while encouraging their anger. It’s a simple emotional appeal which is, as we are all well aware, unbounded by facts or analysis of who stands to benefit from his actions and policy-free politics. The credulity necessary to believe the millionaire savior was grown during a lifetime of being a second-class citizen whose family farms and rural way of life were usurped by corporate greed and the march to globalization.
It is manipulation using “enrage to engage” for perceived injustice even though the messenger is one who thrived by perpetrating the very things that harmed his followers. Followers - not the hangers on, fringe groups or sycophants who want to siphon some power & $$ for their own agenda.
It is a communication strategy designed to create the same flood of emotion and brain response you may be more familiar with in people who experience trauma.
That ‘enraged’ step is key and necessary on a continual basis to keep the minds of those who receive the messages in a constant state of anger and fear. Full blown, this literally causes the brain to suppress logic and reason because after being emotionally flooded, it is flooded with hormones like adrenaline to prepare for fight or flight. Metabolic changes occur, vision narrows and other senses are suppressed.
Prolonged, as with repeated trauma, an individual (the brain) can lose the ability to separate real threats from ordinary events. The body remains on “high alert” at all times. Toxic Stress.
As a manipulation tool it is necessary to keep it going with a constant stream of fakery around the central themes but with new twists and turns or new ‘enemies.’
In addition to the disruption of their lives (and everyone around them) people who suffer from toxic stress -- live in a toxic stew -- are much more likely to have poor mental & physical health outcomes and shorter lifespans. That was already happening in rural areas and other places due to chronic poverty and other stresses. It is believed that victims of trauma are more susceptible to this type of emotional flooding (not only from propaganda).
I wish I knew how to disrupt the cycle and interrupt the flood.
OUTSTANDING analysis, Ann.
Understandable. I did lots of trauma related work, from domestic homicide reviews to human trafficking. Zillions of training hours, most from DOJ. Trauma Informed Care made a very large splash a while back. Advocates for thinking not what is wrong with you but what happened to you”. But my masters is in media communication and I started recognizing certain things in the political messaging & the affects.
Adverse Childhood Experiences is the original survey used to obtain a “score” for trauma experienced. There is a related body of work on anticipated health outcomes based on that number & without mitigating or resilience factors present. I found the potential fascinating. The data is strong. I have the book by Dr. Nadine Burk Harris - The Deepest Well. (She is now the 1st Surgeon General in California). https://onlinegrad.baylor.edu/resources/adverse-childhood-experiences-health
Ultimately used it as a tool for training, aligning programs with areas of need and for explaining to funders why programs were not empty “feel good” efforts. It also helped prioritize efforts.
Probably on my mind these days because I’m getting related info together for a really great program in E KY - Hindman’s School of Luthiery at its Culture of Recovery. Known for its dulcimers. In the 2022 flood their guitar factory which provided community jobs was devastated, but the school reopened last fall. They partner with the courts and substance abuse program; have an exceptionally low recidivism rate. It provides meaningful work; a connection to their culture & they are surrounded by people who want to see them succeed. 3 important resilience factors.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/03/arts/design/kentucky-opioid-recovery-luthiery.html
My grandma used to call us kids shysters when we didn’t behave. This was way back in the late fifties early sixties and I haven’t heard it expressed for a long time. She was German so there was an ‘auk’ you shysters stop running in the house’ or something like that.
Everything you wrote is spot on. I worry about my grandchildren growing up in a country that is so fractured. Will Democracy win out over autocracy? Will my talented granddaughter live in a world where women are no longer thought of as equal.? Will my grandson no longer be able to read books of his choosing? Will this planet become so damaged by climate change that human life cannot exist? I may not be here long enough to see all that slowly evolve, but I don’t want my descendants to face that reality either. I do my little part to help, but I fear it’s just useless.
Marcene, if everyone did their part and encouraged others to do better then the future will be a welcoming time for our children.
I agree.
Are those really the people who are drawn to Trump? They seem able to travel to his rallies and buy his made in China merchandise. I think they are drawn to the hate-filled rhetoric that gives them permission to behave badly. He is the baddest of the bad and they love it. There are many job opportunities now that those woe is me people could fill to replace the jobs they may have lost to cheap labor abroad. Do climate deniers want to work in a green business?
Yes, those are the people! The ones that are dis-informed by Fox News or their local far right radio broadcast and who are so desperate for an explanation that QAnon seems reasonable to them. And yes they are angry because they are afraid that they will continue to be ignored both culturally and economically. And finally, YES, they will be fleeced for their votes and then what little they have left will be taken from them by the millionaire saviors who don’t want them to have Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or Obama Care.
Did Trump pay the legal fees of the Proud Boys who he invited to the January 6th “WILD” insurrection party?
Those jobs are mostly clustered in certain places around or along supply chains. People in rural areas usually have far far fewer options and fast food work does not pay the bills. Many times they are “house poor” in the sense that their property & family ties keep them in the community & neither pay for them to relocate. When they do relocate, even temporarily, they are not welcome. Yes, people will work making products even if they do not use them.
Case in point ... during the 90s, Cincinnati added Appalachians as a protected class re: housing discrimination. I’d heard chatter in Ky about OH & hostile communities. The ordinance still stands: https://homecincy.org/protected-classes/#:~:text=States%20and%20local%20jurisdictions%20may,marital%20status%2C%20or%20Appalachian%20origin.
Unaware of the ordinance, I was unsure how much was perceived versus actual experience until I visited Cinci in the late 1990s. I traveled to Covington for work & met a friend living in OH for dinner, “across the bridge” in Cinci. Our waiter set our table and chatted, asked where were from. My friend named a town in OH and I said “I live in Ky”. He returned with our menus.
A dinner menu for my friend and a children’s menu for me. I was confused; then thought he had confused us with another table.
I said “We don’t have children joining us.” The young feller, grinning & quite pleased with himself responded, “I know. This way you don’t have to read - just order from the pictures.”
My point was that it would be hypocritical to deny climate change, as MAGA people often do, and then work at a business that is fighting against the climate change they don't believe is real. More cognitive dissonance perhaps. People have always relocated for work even though difficult, and I think the Biden administration is trying to improve employment opportunities in areas where there are few.
I understood what was implied in your comments. I chose to ignore the hypocrisy angle. There are folks who belong to unions for the job & benefits but are anti-union, etc. People don’t choose unemployment as activism or to express their views. They are concerned about survival & are skeptical enough figure companies prioritize making $$$ over a stated ‘mission.’
I recognize what Biden is doing and support him - which is irrelevant to these facts. The major impact of his efforts will take time to reach into many areas. Based on history, to those folks, that means likely never or maybe in 30 yrs. Biden does not make disparaging remarks about voters who do not vote for him, but he is undermined by his supporters who do.
Messages like they are too ignorant, too poor, too angry, too inbred ... Move but don’t come here; you’re not welcome & we have nothing for you ... Above all else pay no attention to the history of broken promises ... Those comments are not persuasive nor are they designed to be, no matter who the target may be.
Most of the “maga” targeted have heard it all their lives. It boosts the trump train.
donnie gotti understands this & reminds ‘his’ voters. He relies on (baseless) feelings of victimization from his life & leverages those feelings & disparagement as shared grievances. It is the foundation of “they’re coming after me to come after you.” The exception seems to be voters with better prospects - small business owners for instance, who fell on hard times due to the pandemic; workers who were layed off but are in areas where jobs returned, etc. An after-election analysis of voting patterns indicated they shifted to Biden in places where the economy had picked up. It was enough to contribute to small margins of victory. I would say their was partly because they do not have the same core identity making a lot of the attitudes & comments less relevant to them.
Karen, understood but what if you’re in a one company town and you don’t have a choice? Would you work for half as much because the other party had a more generous platform?
oops - people CANNOT understand the depth of the felt betrayal they experience.
I shared an experience here that probably the most blatant easiest to relate. Not the only one. It is the sort of thing that reinforces & renews the anger and fear each time the people you speak of are mocked. -- I’m not a native Kentuckian. At that point I’d lived “up north” longer than in KY.
Use the three dots to edit.
Well said.
I agree. Who cares what his mugshot looks like. I'm so tired of all the coverage given to the orange freak. The only news I want to hear about him is where and for how long he will be locked up. There is news from all over our world, some sad and some uplifting. Let's hear MORE news from other places, domestic and foreign. Let's hear stories about kindness, empathy, success (however small,) and some joy. There are so many positive stories out there. Awards are being won for so many things, big and small. I need some joy in my life - how about you?
I couldn’t agree more. If it weren’t for Heather Cox Richardson, Joyce Vance, and Dan Rather, I wouldn’t have a clue about all that our President, Joe Biden, has done and is doing to enhance our lives and our standing in the world.
Agree. These three are my go-to resources for truthful information. Unfortunately, the truth no longer matters to those living in denial and refusing to admit they were wrong. Willful ignorance has spread like a cancer in our country.
It is beyond sad!
The results of these indictments and the 2024 elections , if not a win for Democracy, have the potential of being the biggest dissaster of the 21st century.
I agree!
Also read Robert Hubbell's "Today's Edition" on Substack.
Thank you!
Unfortunately they're the people that the duck
worshippers tune out. If only we could get through their thick skulls...
Keep Dreaming! You can’t think through CEMENT 🤪🤣
Give them good paying jobs and a quality education for their children and you'll find their skulls are not that thick...of course there are those among the "duck worshipers" who are hardened in hate and racism and may very well be beyond the reach of fairness and kindness but it's worth trying. I believe Pres. Biden's Inflation reduction act and the infrastructure bill will cover the good paying jobs part of the equation. But the rural Americans have been underserved for so long it will take time for trust to be restored to State and Federal Government.
Large, I do see your point. I am also aware that as technology has taken over many labor intensive jobs, the government and some private enterprises have attempted to provide re-education to fill some of the emerging jobs.
In 2016, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump made a promise to coal miners at a rally in West Virginia. “For those miners, get ready because you’re going to be working your asses off,” he told them, wearing a white hard hat. “We’ll be winning, winning, winning.” Thankfully, for the environment, that did not happen; sad for the miners. Yet those miners were totally opposed to any retraining.
"Despite assurances from policymakers that retraining is the key to success, such programs have consistently failed to equip workers with the preparation they need to secure jobs." 1/8/2018
Jeffrey Selingo, The Atlantic.
Of course many new jobs do not offer the high pay-off high-risk jobs, such as coal mining. Maybe a greater emphasis on trade education is needed. I don't have the answers; but I believe our educational system is in dire need of repair..
I agree with you about trade education. It doesn't matter how rich you are or how many degrees you have - all people need plumbers, electricians, mechanics, hairdressers, cooks, carpenters, gardeners, bus drivers, etc. - tradespeople of all varieties at some point in their lives. Have you seen what plumbers, electricians, mechanics, etc. charge for their work? Sure, some parts are expensive, but labour is through the roof! I taught Elementary Learning Disabled student. Many of hem went on to High Schools where they learned trades. They were happy, and, when they graduated, they had jobs waiting for them.
Thank you Jean. I think many students would do best in trade school. Yes, I know some repairs costs are through the roof. Not only that, but the demands are so high that if you need a smaller job done you CANNOT get them to come.
I suggest you add Robert Hubble to your list! He offers realistic yet optimistic summaries of the days news along with actions to take to protect our democracy from the darkness of the GOP. His newsletter is called Today’s Edition.
I just did—thank you.
True. And a truly terrible thing.
Amen! Trump doesn’t deserve wall to wall coverage! He and his sycophants deserves what Willis and Smith are giving them!
Anthony Wilkins, were you ever and school teacher and a football coach?? I had a school teacher named Anthony Wilkins in high school. His name was also spelled the same as your's is. I went to Central High School in Carrollton, GA.
That’s me! Retired from educational career in 1997.
Wow. What a coincidence! I immediately recognized your name. I can't remember what the subject was of the class i took in 1970 when you were teaching. My grown daughter also remembered you at Central, she said she thinks you were an assistant principal when she was in high school in the mid 1990's. The years really fly by when a person grows older. I still can't believe i am 68 years old now. I hope the courts do something with Donald TUMP. To me, it seems like he is taking the same path as Adolf Hitler and wants to install an authoritarian Dictatorship here in the United States. The very thing that world war 2 was fought for to prevent it in free Democratic nations of the world.. I am very concerned about all of this..
More than likely I taught American History or World Geography in 1970. I left Central in 1974. After I retired in 1997, I taught American Citizenship (government) at the Carroll County Night School located at Central HS.Then, served as AP in the Night School for about year! You rightly should be concerned about Trump and his coalition. No question their path leads to undermining our democracy and creating an authoritarian government, in my humble opinion! So glad you recognize what’s going on! My hope is that others will do the same before it’s too late!
It was World Geography that i took in 1970. You were the teacher i liked most in High School, your teaching methods were great and it you didn't lose your temper like some other teachers i had, especially the ones i had in elementary school. I worked at the Trent Tube Company for 33 years after high school and i was the accountant for their labor union for 15 years. It closed down in 2004 and forced me into retirement. I can only wish more people were aware of what is going on in our government. The mainstream media doesn't seem to report much of anything that the Democrats have accomplished. I wonder what goes in the minds of the people that seem to get into a cult mentality like the one Donald TUMP has created? Uneducated people seem to be gullible and are attracted to people like him for some unknown reason. I spell the Trump name ''TUMP'' because his name is irritating to me.. Thank you, Mr. Wilkins for your great reply and your great accomplishments. I hope to see more of your comments on this site.
It is appalling to watch tv coverage given to his airplane like Hitler’s in Triumph of the Will. Are MSM just too lazy to do better? It is shocking how easily they continue to eat up the visuals Trump feeds them and that they feed us.
I agree 100%. And I think Trump knows about the comparison too. He is ignorant on so many levels but cunning and smart enough to research how to perform for his loyals
He has the Hitler playbook memorised...
The media must fill time space between ads.
Essentially, as has been said elsewhere, we need to cover the indictments, but not cover them like Trump is the star of the story.
I also wonder how much “It can’t happen here”-ism is going on. I feel like if this were happening in another country, no one in our media would have any problem describing what’s really happening.
I agree. Trump likes attention, good or bad , just attention. If we focused more on the good our President has accomplished we can maybe cause Trump to fade away. 🥰❤️🙏
I agree but I feel that the proceedings in court should be televised so he cannot make up his own brand of truth. How anyone could think for one minute that he is a martyr is beyond my comprehension.
The trial(s) MUST be televised.
No more conspiracy theories.
Flat out FACTS and EVIDENCE.
Keep our judicial actors safe - from judges to lawyers to witnesses to the jury pool.
The death threats and slander need to also be dealt with in consequential arrests and punishments.
I shudder that not more is being done and wondering "when" the "first" tragedy occurs, who will point the finger and deny responsibility?
You are so right Beverly!
All of the cases in GA will be televised. I don't know why they don't show federal cases.
Right on all counts! I made a similar observation on another Substack:
"Thought exercise for today: What did President Biden do yesterday? Exactly."
Read Heather Cox Richardson and you will know. Unfortunately she is above the
reading level of most Trump supporters.
I read HCR daily, and find her writing to be informative and encouraging. However, is is a bit deeper than most casual observers would be interested in. I'd like to see a brief paragraph or a few bullets (headlines).
You raise an excellent point on coverage; however, journalism has been replaced by the race for clicks and eyeballs.
Agree...
I totally agree. Why does the media want to give him so much air time and to make us sick of seeing his mug shots over and over. I have never liked the man and refuse to see his face. I changed the channel.
I remember Oprah one time said this about a someone in the news that she refused to give them any air time because that is what they wanted “fame from being front and center”. We know that tRump thrives on this.
And what is congress doing? Yes August vacation but there is still undercurrent of activity. What's happening.
I just said, “very well said”. Then I opened into comments and saw that you had posted the same thing. 🙏 I agree with all that you addressed.
I think all our earlier presidents, all of them, would be shocked at the lengths Trump has gone to and continues to go in the pursuit of a 2nd term. Two impeachments, 91 indictments, three marriages, serial philandering, and multiple bankruptcies all speak to the man inside. I still have a problem witnessing that there are millions of my fellow Americans who want to give him another chance to govern. Is a kleptocracy really the highest and best form of government the US offers up to the world?
With his backgound it's incredible that a country like ours could have elected him for a first term. Oh right, we really didn't. He was installed by the Electoral College after he lost the popular vote -- twice.
And with the generous help of Vladimar Putin and his band of thieves.
I think i spelled Vladimir wrong, or did i?
Your correction worked!
This is soooo depressing!😰
It’s well past time to stop the parasitic sycophanting and just take him down -- he has hijacked politics, discourse, & democracy in the USA & around the world for far too long
I write a Haiku every day. That mugshot:
A two-year-old boy
An orange helium balloon
With a long red tie
I looked up images of defiant children. A striking resemblance !
Funny. My (adult) son said told me last night that he looked like a 6 yr old who just told someone they were mean & “we can’t be friends anymore.”
Insightful son of yours! ⭐️👏
You captured him well.
Ohh I love this! Perfection!! ⭐️👏
This is it in a nutshell, Dan and Eliot, "It’s craven. And it’s dangerous." We are on the precipice of losing our balance and we need to rise up in great numbers and say, we've endured enough and we must do whatever is necessary to stop the insanity of a madman. Sound familiar?
Dr. Gruber, I enjoy seeing your commentary here and appreciate what you have to say. I remember you from my PG year at CRH, and later as the Head of School at Shipley where my brother, Colin went to school. I always appreciate Dan and Elliot’s perspective on things as they alway leave me with a calm sense of hope. Nice to see you here. Kristin
Small world, Kristin, or is it that we travel in small and similar circles? Great to hear from you and best to you and your family
Difficult to comprehend how manipulative and amoral this man is and why so many that he has openly degraded have sniveled back up to him
The bullying and intimidation via the incessant on-brand, all caps, misspelled tweets will only become more violent and unhinged and, tho he promised that he would not discuss the case, we all know he cannot keep his mouth shut. As a campaign & poll volunteer, I must question my involvement, going forward as I'm on a blue oasis in an otherwise red state and the cult is fired up. What a sad day for this country-not one shred of decency or integrity exists in the GOP.
Don't question your continuing involvement in trying to get this country back on track. I've been so appalled at how ugly politics has gotten and at how ignorant so many people are at the implications of such actions not just for our country but the worid.
Thank you.
Your involvement is part of the backbone that keeps our elections honest and without fraud. You are appreciated, and please keep at it.
Thank you.
Cindy, I agree with Pat: don’t question your important involvement in the very electoral system that Trump is intent on taking down. I too live on a blue island. Your continued involvement is not only vital, it constitutes an act of hope and courage. We WILL overcome this fascist thug and his minions through a legal and electoral system that was designed by people much smarter than him. Keep the faith!
I have no intention of stopping however, I may choose to be more involved behind the scenes and nor so much in a public-facing space. This is an open carry state, there have been recent Proud Boy parades downtown-small, but loud & disruptive all the same-and more confrontational folks than I've ever seen. I believe in this country and I am hopeful it can return to a more civilized time but admit to be somewhat fearful of the path ahead.
I admire your courage. Please be careful. Your efforts mean so much to our democracy. Keep fighting the good fight.
Thank you. It's worth it.
I’m sorry you are living in that environment. There are few spaces that feel comfortable these days. Sometimes the hate groups target areas for recruiting and then move on. We’ve noticed that few are in the community. They bring in more from out of state usually. I hope they do not get traction and your community can safely return to a more normal life.
Oh may you stay safe! 🙏
It is horrific that temporary election workers Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman have endured hellish attacks by trump and his sycophants! It is mostly for them that I want to see Georgia justice convicting trump once and for all!
"look at all those who raised their hands on the debate stage to say they will support him as their party’s nominee even if he is convicted." There you have it. The Republican party has basically devolved into a criminal organization.
All six of those candidates should be ashamed to show their faces in public. Their inability to publicly admit that Trump shouldn't be allowed to be a candidate effectively renders them all unsuited for the office of the Presidency.
I second that statement.
Absolutely unsuitable!
You have, as usual, covered the subject as completely and with as much detail as possible. But you have forgotten to add another important factor. Trump's followers in Congress not only support him, but are in the process of creating a parallel case against Joe Biden. The more the evidence displays the duplicity and lawless nature of Trump and his minions, the more Comey and Jordan et al go after Biden. And the MAGA media gives their case full coverage every day. To those who loyally follow Trump, just as the poor fools who drank the Kool Aid with Jones, this is their Holy Grail; this is all they know. At times it would appear that the next election will be a question of which criminal can garner the most support? There are important issues at stake. Every damn one of the people on stage has a plan which would severely limit women's rights to control their own bodies. They would replace our public education system with one totally controlled by parents who would choose their children's schools, teachers and curriculum. They would limit benefits to those most in need, and cut those for people who paid for them and depend upon them for their very existence. And yet the focus remains on the actual criminal history of one former president and the totally unsubstantiated allegations against another. This is the crime of the century. This can only lead to further chaos and destruction of our values and our democracy. It is more than frightening......................
Yep...God help us...
Well stated! Now that we’ve witnessed the meticulous job the DOJ has done so far in charging trump, isn’t it also in the works for them to hold J6-adjacent congresspeople accountable one day soon? Greene, Gaetz, Graham etc?
You painted the picture I see in my nightmares!
Has anyone noticed how the mug shots of Mr. Trump look like many portrayals of the devil?
I feel like he posed that way on purpose. He most likely thinks he looks strong and intimidating. He's so out of touch with reality, he doesn't know the difference between being strong and being evil.
Exactly!! Nothing is ever said or done without using his playbook. It behooves me to still see and hear how "innocent they think he is. Evil personified and getting away with it.
Does he care? I think not.
I'll wager that he spent the previous night in front of a mirror making faces and practicing "the look" that he settled on.
He chose a pose that conceals his neck jowls and makes him appear less overweight than he is. 215 lbs? He's 285# if not over 300#, but so vain he can't admit it, or have his staff fill out the forms truthfully.
I would say 415 Lbs. A whole lot of orange protoplasm weighs a whole lot.
He wasn’t counting on the lighting being so bad.
Just one night? ;) I believe he spent two weeks preparing for it! :)
Mug shot looks like a Puff Adder ready to strike.
And now Team Trump continues the grift with $47 T-shirt with the mugshot and Never Surrender. Will be waiting to see one in the wild…i know which of my neighbors has already placed an order. Imagine making trump your entire personality.
Excuse me a minute; I have to go vomit....
Given the judge’s recent admonishments, about what trump cannot share online and elsewhere, couldn’t it be construed as a violation, as “Never Surrender” is another one of his “Stand Back and Stand By,” and a message to his cult to “fight like hell.” Inciting words of violence.
I hope the courts swiftly deliver an injunction and freeze any proceeds gathered so far!
For the sane, “never surrender” under a photo taken when he surrendered has a lot less zing to it.
Brilliant! I never thought of that!
Someone tell the Lincoln Project to run with that!! ⭐️👏
Pleeeease: don't call him Mr.
He does not deserve that reverence.
Yes, he looks and acts like I would imagine the devil to look like, sound like and act like. Trump makes me think of evil every day!
I agree. There is nothing ‘proper’ about him in deserving a title. I write trump, with a lowercase t, as he does not deserve the uppercase T. I used to call him donnie boy, but it was too cute and endearing for him.
Perhaps donnie gotti is more apt.
Would you believe TWITTER, BEFORE X, banned me because I said the duck should be tarred and feathered? I have been requesting they close my account, which they refuse to do. They keep asking that I retract my statement. My answer: HELL, NO!!
His appearance is more that of a petulant child on the brink of a temper tantrum, having just received a time-out.
Put 2 orange horns coming out of his ugly head, and he would be an exact match for the devil.
It is very easy to imagine those horns on him....
It most certainly is easy to imagine those horns on his putrid head. That would go for Maggot Traitor Goon too sticking out of her bleached yellow hair. Her lover, Qevin McCarthy would like that.
He tried to look like Churchill...🤣
Churchill was an Adonis next to Trump. Oh, and he did have a brilliant mind.
Of course. He probably practiced with this picture of Churchill https://fineartamerica.com/featured/sir-winston-churchill-yousuf-karsh.html?product=art-print&googleShopping=true&completeProductSku=artworkid%5B30117419%5D-productid%5Bprint%5D-imagewidth%5B6.5%5D-imageheight%5B8%5D-paperid%5Barchivalmattepaper%5D&gclid=CjwKCAjwoqGnBhAcEiwAwK-OkV5JxyN3LM21MimIXy7bWKLFQHbuYjTJ_SQXUkwL_NC8nkrtY6kx8BoC2jMQAvD_BwE
Yes!!
Dan and Elliot, thank you. You’ve certainly framed the situation accurately. We are on a perilous road, but as a nation we’ve navigated these challenges before. We are not babes in the woods. With each new trip to court the Trump machine appears to gain strength with those Know-Nothings that are destroying a once well-respected GOP. These folks surely are a threat and violence nearly a certainty. On the other hand, the skies may just be clearing a bit for righteous members of the GOP and independents like myself. We are about to enter a crucible that will change us drastically as we move forward with our democracy. I believe the constitution and rule of law will prevail. I also believe what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
What then are we to make of Jim Jordan’s House Judiciary Subcommittee announcing on the very same day when Trump was booked that they’re opening up an investigation of suspected political partiality by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis? How can justice be served under circumstances where Congress asserts the authority to question the motives of law enforcement officials prosecuting crimes? Is there any precedent for the federal legislature to insert itself on behalf of a defendant into a criminal prosecution?
Classic deflection.
I believe the DOJ stated several times that Congress has no authority to interfere with a criminal investigation. But has that stopped that rotten element? No because nothing has stopped their cult leader yet!
I believe the gist of this was the same when he tried it on Bragg. Bragg responded but not in a way Jordan appreciated. Jordan has a law degree but I believe never passed the bar / never practiced law.
I haven’t looked at the details of his ‘ask’ but in the one to Bragg he wanted to know of any federal $$ being used - that was be a pretext for Jordan meddling. In GA it may be more that this was a federal election. However, states have election laws & the Constitutional right to set their own laws etc. for electors. Jordan also raises questions re: Fani Willis supposedly working in concert with Jack Smith and wants all communication with any federal entities. Sounds like a conspiracy theory to raise $$.
Bragg’s office responded:
She went on to charge that the requests constitute an “unlawful incursion into New York’s sovereignty” under the Tenth Amendment, which enumerates that powers not given to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution are reserved to each individual state — preventing Congressional inquires into state matters.
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2023/03/23/bragg-responds-house-republicans#:~:text=Manhattan%20District%20Attorney%20Alvin%20Bragg%27s,incursion%20into%20New%20York%27s%20sovereignty.
Imagine how trump's sycophants would react if President Obama had committed the same atrocities.
Imagine if Obama ran for President against him? lol. Aww darn, that can’t happen (not that I want Joe to stop working) but oh it would be great to watch trump go up against Barack!
If we could just talk Michelle into running. But she is too.smart! Lol.
You misspelled Biden.
Of course, the execrable Jim Jordan has snapped into action and started an investigation of Fani Willis. Frankly, I'm not convinced that Jordan wasn't in on the slow-motion coup after the November 2020 election.
Oh yes! I'm so looking forward to the day when some sort of concrete proof can be exposed regarding this poor excuse for a human being! Out of all of those who made a mockery of our country, and continues to do so, Jim Jordan needs to be held accountable! Nothing but a chaos agent! The dishonorable Mike Flynn is second on my list of traitors, Ginni Thomas is third.
I’m especially furious about the damaging effect that Flynn and others have had on our military in recent times! 🤨
Oh I agree! His Reawaken America Tour is SO dangerous. Consisting of nothing but conspiracy theory overload!
Thank you for including Ginny.
Let us not forget that poor excuse of a SCOTUS Judge that is her husband. They are both guilty as sin!
I think all will be revealed one day. 🧐
Not soon enough. I hope you are prophetic.
Mr Rather, I just wanted to say how much I value your opinions. I don’t always agree with them, but you make me think and examine other points of view without rhetorical violence.
It’s hard today to find voices that toe the line like you do. Thank you.
Wonderfully said. And scary too