And thank YOU, Mr. Rather and team, for providing the context that the national political media won't provide because they might offend some of their sources.
Most of mainstream media is tailoring most of its campaign coverage to low information voters. I am so tired of them over inflating tfg's primary wins without any context. He is only winning with his base, in mostly conservative states, which is hardly a reflection of the national electorate!!
So much of the media is complicit in dumbing down the populace. They're more invested in angertainment than distributing critically important information.
Low information media=low information listeners=low information ideas and debates. Very few sources offer honest intelligent debate any longer. You can search and find podcasts that have longer and more intelligent conversations, but most of our citizens haven't the time or skill to do this, or sadly the interest.
We get bad or limited information from all media at this point. Trump is getting only votes from his base. Biden has no opponent. So his "90%" is a joke.
And, our government is as out of touch as our media. They don't even try to represent what our population wants. Then there is the mentally isolated educated elite who think that citizens who work with their hands are less intelligent "deplorables". Then we have the MAGA voters who are all about their "club" of the right t-shirt and hat to wear to the latest Trump rally. And, don't forget the large mass of humans who are afraid to express any political ideas for fear of offending anyone at all. Then we have the blind political party devotees who never stray from their particular herd.
The landscape looks dim for electing a strong, intelligent, vigorous, ethnical leader.
The press elected Trump the first time. They have a responsibility. That responsibility does not include giving free press to someone’s antics and lies.
I'm so glad you said this !!! No more free advertising ANYTHING!!! and I believe NO trial should be televised. That's exactly what he wants so he can continue the victim campaign to his MAGA base and the corrupt ultra religious base....who btw are anything but holy.
Iam so DONE DONE DONE with seeing hearing knowing anything about Trump and I can't wait for the day when we NEVER hear anything ever again from him or his MAGA ignoramuses
And it appears the press may well play an oversized role in electing Trump to a second term. Reporters and the media in general have become the bane of our society, creating public perceptions that are biased and often simply untrue. They are totally oriented to "gotcha" reporting and focus only on the negative and controversial. The sad part is they no longer challenge outright bold-faced lies but treat much of it as fact because they just want to hear both sides. It was best described recently as being like Dr. Martin Luther King giving a speech and then asking Birmingham Police Chief Bull Connor what he thought. The media obsession with Trump and the right-wingnuts has eroded trust and confidence in the media to report factual, unbiased information the public can rely on. Worst of all, they are simply parrots who repeat the exact same things and serve up the word salad of the day. You can watch ABC, NBC and CBS Nightly News one after another and it is just a repeat of what the others said and it is usually just a small snippet of a story often times without context. MSNBC and CNN just repeat the same stories hour after hour just with a different talking head. FOX just does a non-stop hate and lie fest every day that has little basis in reality. It is no wonder we have a willfully and woefully uninformed society today ... It is easiest to just tune the media out.
It’s what I’ve been saying. The so-called news media is basically just a teenage crush of gossipers who just want the latest tidbit, and if it gets them excited out of their grey existence all the better. This is very very irresponsible behavior and we all need to get upset about it. Because what is being created is a Tower of Babel. No one is going to trust anyone.
The media are just so lazy, failing to press public figures, failing to ask follow-up questions, failing to see false equivalences. Trump's rich, so he must be a great businessman, end of story
I disagree! We have a strong candidate who has a record of accomplishments. Wishing he was younger does nothing but help Trump. Be thankful he is willing to continue serving this country. Maybe speak up and support him if you don’t want to kiss democracy goodbye and try a christofascist autocracy. Joe Biden is the one person who can prevent that disaster. And it takes all of us speaking up for him.
Very well said Linda. I have a number of democratic leaders I would like to see run, but NONE of them wouldn't be easily swiped down by chronically misinformation fed republican voters. Joe has withstood the test of time, over and over.
Agree! This is no time to play around. It’s going to be Joe Biden, who will fight for our democracy, or Donald Trump, who will fight for himself and to hell with anyone who doesn’t say YES to him. That’s the decision we have. I know what kind of future I want to see.
Lots going on with family these days. I manage to read posts but usually have no time to read comments or write. Mostly positive stuff and I anticipate a more leisurely summer. Miss you!
Biden isn't a strong candidate. Look at his approval ratings. Im not criticizing him personally, but he obviously has problems. Democrats dont want to address this. And, it's illogical to think that he's "the one person who can prevent that disaster" of losing our democracy. You sound like Trump voters who think that he is the 'one and only' that can make the country great again.
I suggest you watch news that you disagree with. Get a bigger view of both sides. This is only available on the web. It takes initiative and an inquiring mind that questions both sides.
Oh please... relax... you're apparently succumbing to all the ageist misinformed propaganda supported by many progressives and MAGA folks. For a dose of the reality I strongly suggest that you listen to Lawrence on NBC:
Or we could consider the fear expressed by the political arm of the Koch Network as the move their money from Haley to the House & Senate candidates because they say with DJT “at the top of the Republican ticket the risk of one-party rule by a Democratic Party captured by the progressive left is severe.”
So not only are they afraid Project 2025 won’t be implemented by the next president, but they fear a Dem trifecta. The memo was reported this evening.
From a practical standpoint, it’s too late for candidates to get on state ballots. I doubt there is a candidate Dems wouldn’t complain about. We go through a version of this every election when the Dems wish for a unicorn candidate. Then we get divided government which limits what a president can accomplish. Ironically the GOP rallies behind their candidates & pushes harder when it doesn’t meet its goals.
From a political standpoint switching candidates would create more division & chaos to gain nothing. I have my doubts there are any ready to stand up to the ‘slings and arrows’. Sometimes we are so busy worrying about our own perceived weaknesses I think we make them larger than life while ignoring the larger picture.
Dems also overlook the stability of the DNC compared to the utter chaos of the RNC and GOP in several key states. The billionaires are pivoting from Haley. The Koch Network, through their political arm Americans for Prosperity Action, sent a memo that indicates they believe the White House is lost & they will work on House & Senate seats. It had this line in it:
“If Donald Trump is at the top of the Republican ticket, the risk of one-party rule by a Democratic Party captured by the progressive left is severe.”
There’s no need for the hostility. Apparently you didn’t understand my point. I’m concerned about how Biden is being portrayed by media, & the large number of voters who are swayed by it, right or wrong. That sort of perception ended Marco Rubio’s campaign because he drank too much water, & Howard Dean’s because he made a funny sounding yell (not that I remotely supported either). There were plenty of legitimate reasons neither of them should be president, but those are the ones the public settled on. It doesn’t have to make sense to affect the way people vote.
If my concerns are a result of ageism, then why do I subscribe to, & strongly support, a blog by a 92 year old? I’ll tell you why: because it’s for intelligent, nuanced discussion, not dismissive one-liners & personal barbs. There are loads of places for those. Please take them to Reddit or X. By the way, I’m 71.
Bidens strong economic record gets lost in the rhetoric and doesn’t matter when people have reservations or they can’t see the economy working for them. And his actions or inactions in Gaza and on the border crisis are also things people care about that they see no action. The war of words is not being won by the Democrats. It isn’t ageist to point out his age, he is 81, we can’t pretend it away by calling it ageist to mention it.
It’s hard to feel any positivity when, again, the Media broadcasts only the negativity. Everything is looking on the up and up, which is certainly better than the alternative, but the Media only wants news from the angry people, people who feel disenfranchised. The Media profits from the bleeding, which is why they have a hard time calling out the policies which are causing the bleeding, frequently the policies of their own government. The chaos on the Southern Border is the result of unintended consequences. Does the Media ever focus on that? They don’t, but they should. That would be responsible.
Biden isn't being portrayed inaccurately. He's old and doesn't look like he'll make another 4 (oops, 5) years. I believe Trump to be the same. Just too old.
I'm 80, and in better health than either of these guys. They don't look like strong candidates to me.
The presidency is a hard job. We need a clear thinking, vigorous leader.
I appreciate your perspective, Martha. With you till you got to RFK. I see your point, but this isn't the time to make a protest vote for someone who's not going to win. We just can't afford that luxury right now. The reality is, any vote not for Biden is a vote for Trump. The reason he won in 2016 was all the disgruntled (even though justifiable) Bernie voters who threw their votes to one of the 3rd party candidates or just stayed home. It's sad, but this election is really about just one issue: Trump or not.
It is late, but the D party leadership could change direction at the convention. It wouldn't be the strangest thing ever to happen at a convention.
I expressed myself as I did because the issue of whether Biden is fully capable is irrelevant at this point. The *fact* is, a disturbing proportion of people *believe* strongly enough he's not to cause them to vote for T or stay home. Regardless of the validity of arguments defending Biden's competence, these people have made up their minds & aren't going to change their minds. A fair number of them, though, dislike T enough to vote for any other D candidate over him.
I also agreed with you til the RFK part. There's no way he'll win but Trump could and could take away our SS or Medicare in a minute if it meant his sponsors would get a bigger tax break.
Fear of Trump is exactly why he gets a ridiculous amount of attention. Why didn't he take away your SS and Medicare in his first term. This isn't the prerogative of one person in government. Your fear is irrational.
He was not surrounded by loyalists on every front as he will be if re-elected. The justice department was a joke when he was president and the judicial system is becoming such. He stole two supreme court justices during his last year of his presidency when the republicans had previously stood strong on the "principle" that the voters should decide when Obama was president during his same last year. Concentration of wealth and consolidation of power will define his second term if he's anointed king. Checks and balances will be gone if he's surrounded by unethical, terrified sycophants.
I thought of Tip O'Neill's line about "Errors and Nofacts," as some called Evans and Novak. They would have a story that made somebody in the House look bad. Three weeks later, they would have an item about what a great job so-and-so was doing, and Tip said that's when everybody knew who the source was.
Yes, pity the country that cancelled the “Fairness Doctrine” under Reagan and opened the flood gates to Cable TV and right wing radio. It is now the Wild West for rampant disinformation which is poison to democracy.
Indeed.. that is the "800-pound Elephant in the room" truth 💣. Rupert Murdoch knew he could easily sway the gullible Reagan and make it stick with that Congress. We absolutely need to re-establish and reinforce "a Truth in Journalism" and clearly label propaganda for what it is. The other huge Pity: the abomination of "Citizens United". That absolutely needs to be rescinded and stronger laws against dark money and complicit partisan media.
Many in our generation loved this poet. Then along came Saint Ronnie Reagan, the end of the Fairness Doctrine and the rise of FOX, Rush, Alex filth and lies of both omission and commission. Then miraculously all these peace, love, dovies turned into uninformed, mean, nasty, stupid, traitorous trump worshipping assholes.
NBC Meet The Press is a poor excuse for journalism. Her initial interview of her new opportunity she chose to interview Trump and never corrected his lies.
Which is why I stopped watching MTP after watching it from my childhood; I was born the year MTP first aired. But if the new host whose name I conveniently forgot thinks interviewing that moron on her first show was a good idea? Nope. The media in general gives him more air time than is warranted.
It seems that most of them are striving for ratings and stardom. They have become editorializing presenters, trying to either make or be the news. Gone are the days of Water Cronkite, Howard K. Smith, Tim
Russert, Harry Reasoner, and the others gave us the news instead of sound bites.
Of course, Steve. The jokers play gottcha politics. You can add David Brinkley ( class act) Charles Kuralt, Erik Sevaried ( not sure if I spelt correctly) and of course our Man, Dan Rather.
It used to be a treat listening and watching the news. Now a days, it is all fluff not much substance.
Blunt is fine. The current iteration of talking heads are an embarrassment to the job, and thank you for adding other excellent names who were fine examples of the profession.
Maybe, the vast majority of voters (Democrats, Independents & disgruntled Republicans) recognize how evil Trump is and that he’s a threat to Democracy!
Mr. Rather & Team!!! I love your offerings that are scripted with both wisdom and common sense! Wishing more current newscasters would take a lesson from you. No matter what network I look at these days, all I hear is 'blah, blah, blah, ' someone said 'trump.. ' please do what you can to get your analysis offered on major networks! Your country needs that big time!
The BBC world Service still does a fairly good job of balanced reporting, as does The Guardian for print material. In the internet, Steady is the best.
If the media writ large doesn't start to report this presidential contest fairly instead of tilting the playing field for Trump, the truth of the contest will not get put to the voters who need to know it.
If all people attend to is Faux Noise, what the MSM reports still won't matter much, though treating Trump and his candidacy as anything near normal is just wrong.
Yes, all the MAGAs and R’s who watch Fox (I will not call it news) think Joe Biden is the most corrupt President in history, that the US Congress is doing god’s work and wouldn’t know or believe truth if it slammed them in the face. How to combat that?
How to combat that. This seems to be as difficult as getting an addict to change, especially if they don't want to. In the case of the MAGA, to change, they would have to admit that they were wrong, conned, brainwashed, and hoodwinked. Who wants to admit to such shortcomings? Maybe time will remove some and wear the rest down.
It’s a waste of effort to try to convince the MAGAs; instead, target our efforts towards the Independents and “ regular” R’s. Their minds can change b/c they haven’t drunk the koolaid.
We have work to do with our own coalitions: students; Muslims; Blacks. We must break down what the many successes of President Biden’s term means to them.
None of us needs “talking to”; life is not a speech. We need “ talking with”.Joe Biden is good with that on an individual basis.
Plus we need to acknowledge that he is old but he is competent; wise and strategic. Stress our values. How this Administration has projected and protected our values…
Betty.....It makes me sad to say my sister believes that garbage and includes his entire family!!! She's not a stupid person, so it frightens me how easily lies constantly repeated (especially when the press is their megaphone) becomes their truth....even with no actual proof.
Thanks, for the essay, Dan. You always give us gourmet food for thought. Politicians always look for something to stir up the masses. I remember, Reagan with crime bill, then there was trade deficits, Japanese cars bashing etc etc, and now of course immigration. I came legally to the USA over 42 years ago, played by the rules, am a naturalized citizen now snd have always paid my fair share of state, city and federal taxes. Like me there are millions of immigrants making an honest living and trying to achieve the so called American dream.
45th is not even worth discussing. Media should not give him the time of day. Ignore the man. He is bound to get convicted and will not be POTUS again. Far from it. As the saying goes, “” once bitten twice shy””.
That’s what every American should remember on November, 5th, when anyone even thinks of voting for the Sick Man.
Thank you, Mr. Rather, for shining a light on the truth and renewing the hopes of millions of Americans who are sick to death of hearing what could happen to our country if Trump returns to the presidency. That thought sickens me to my core, as I'm sure it does many of us. Thank you for enlightening us as you so frequently do. 🙏
Pray God the metrics cited here hold up as the primaries continue and ultimately certify the would be dictator as preferred candidate for the Republican Party. Let the MAGA crowd think they have the Presidency in the bag and let's watch them cry when they have lost - again. At least on Jan 6 2025 when the violent mob descends on Washington, the White House will not be slow to mobilize an appropriate response.
Voted early in Tennessee, so not to be tempted to vote in GOP primary (barf). We had only one on our ballot and it was Joseph Robinson Biden. Fine with me. Got our votes. Living in a Red state is yuck, but both husband and I stand our ground. " We will vote for a yellow dog Democrat before we ever vote for a Republican".
Thank you, Dan. We are all getting sick of this. I have heard comments from Republicans that they don't like Trump or Biden and if they are on the ballot they will write in Haley. I told my cousin...then if you write her in or don't vote....it is a vote for tfg. We can't have that and need to convience these people what will happen. She is a high school educated late 70s, Russian Orthodox Christian housewife (her husband was brought by is parents and his father was a priest when they escaped Russia many years ago-I was told he had been eating out of garage cans in Russia) with no children.
All it takes is a few actual journalists from the right wing to say "hey folks, wait a sec, Trump might not be the best choice for us after all" and then the dominoes start to fall away from his fragile MAGA base. I was buoyed by the meager, distracted, disinterested crowd at his last campaign stump. We have to hope this is a harbinger of things to come as we get closer to November. Thank you, Mr. Rather.
Trump has reached the event horizon of his personality. He’s now forever bound to the black hole of his anger, lies, insecurities and hate. No light will ever come from Trump. No light can escape the darkness surrounding him. Trump can only fall further into his black hole. We must fight like hell to make sure he doesn’t take US with him.
And thank YOU, Mr. Rather and team, for providing the context that the national political media won't provide because they might offend some of their sources.
Most of mainstream media is tailoring most of its campaign coverage to low information voters. I am so tired of them over inflating tfg's primary wins without any context. He is only winning with his base, in mostly conservative states, which is hardly a reflection of the national electorate!!
Absolutely, Sunni!
tfg... tfg...?
trump the f-ing gasbag?
tfg= the former guy
Ahh...now I know. Thanks!
(But I have to admit I like my guess better!)
This is a more accurate translation. 😉
So much of the media is complicit in dumbing down the populace. They're more invested in angertainment than distributing critically important information.
Low information media=low information listeners=low information ideas and debates. Very few sources offer honest intelligent debate any longer. You can search and find podcasts that have longer and more intelligent conversations, but most of our citizens haven't the time or skill to do this, or sadly the interest.
We get bad or limited information from all media at this point. Trump is getting only votes from his base. Biden has no opponent. So his "90%" is a joke.
And, our government is as out of touch as our media. They don't even try to represent what our population wants. Then there is the mentally isolated educated elite who think that citizens who work with their hands are less intelligent "deplorables". Then we have the MAGA voters who are all about their "club" of the right t-shirt and hat to wear to the latest Trump rally. And, don't forget the large mass of humans who are afraid to express any political ideas for fear of offending anyone at all. Then we have the blind political party devotees who never stray from their particular herd.
The landscape looks dim for electing a strong, intelligent, vigorous, ethnical leader.
It is somewhat worrisome what the intelligence level actually is of the 'average' American voter. And apparently, the candidates throughout as well!
The press elected Trump the first time. They have a responsibility. That responsibility does not include giving free press to someone’s antics and lies.
You are so correct. The media show his face both in print and on TV. Free advertising- STOP!
I'm so glad you said this !!! No more free advertising ANYTHING!!! and I believe NO trial should be televised. That's exactly what he wants so he can continue the victim campaign to his MAGA base and the corrupt ultra religious base....who btw are anything but holy.
Iam so DONE DONE DONE with seeing hearing knowing anything about Trump and I can't wait for the day when we NEVER hear anything ever again from him or his MAGA ignoramuses
YES !!! Please.
Seeing or Hearing "Him" or even reading anything about "Him" makes me Sick!
Take his Money & His Power. Exile him to Guantanamo For Life! Sick Monster Traitor tRump
And he's always smiling...ya hate it, right?
And it appears the press may well play an oversized role in electing Trump to a second term. Reporters and the media in general have become the bane of our society, creating public perceptions that are biased and often simply untrue. They are totally oriented to "gotcha" reporting and focus only on the negative and controversial. The sad part is they no longer challenge outright bold-faced lies but treat much of it as fact because they just want to hear both sides. It was best described recently as being like Dr. Martin Luther King giving a speech and then asking Birmingham Police Chief Bull Connor what he thought. The media obsession with Trump and the right-wingnuts has eroded trust and confidence in the media to report factual, unbiased information the public can rely on. Worst of all, they are simply parrots who repeat the exact same things and serve up the word salad of the day. You can watch ABC, NBC and CBS Nightly News one after another and it is just a repeat of what the others said and it is usually just a small snippet of a story often times without context. MSNBC and CNN just repeat the same stories hour after hour just with a different talking head. FOX just does a non-stop hate and lie fest every day that has little basis in reality. It is no wonder we have a willfully and woefully uninformed society today ... It is easiest to just tune the media out.
It’s what I’ve been saying. The so-called news media is basically just a teenage crush of gossipers who just want the latest tidbit, and if it gets them excited out of their grey existence all the better. This is very very irresponsible behavior and we all need to get upset about it. Because what is being created is a Tower of Babel. No one is going to trust anyone.
Trust has all but vanished. No need to worry, conspiracy theories are filling all the gaps.
The media are just so lazy, failing to press public figures, failing to ask follow-up questions, failing to see false equivalences. Trump's rich, so he must be a great businessman, end of story
Spot-on. 💯🎯
Democrat party leadership shares responsibility. They could still put up a candidate about whom so many voters don’t have strong reservations.
I disagree! We have a strong candidate who has a record of accomplishments. Wishing he was younger does nothing but help Trump. Be thankful he is willing to continue serving this country. Maybe speak up and support him if you don’t want to kiss democracy goodbye and try a christofascist autocracy. Joe Biden is the one person who can prevent that disaster. And it takes all of us speaking up for him.
I agree and I speak up for Biden all the time.
Walk a mile in his diaper changers shoes...
Very well said Linda. I have a number of democratic leaders I would like to see run, but NONE of them wouldn't be easily swiped down by chronically misinformation fed republican voters. Joe has withstood the test of time, over and over.
Agree! This is no time to play around. It’s going to be Joe Biden, who will fight for our democracy, or Donald Trump, who will fight for himself and to hell with anyone who doesn’t say YES to him. That’s the decision we have. I know what kind of future I want to see.
All so very true.
Why haven't you commented in a long time?
Lots going on with family these days. I manage to read posts but usually have no time to read comments or write. Mostly positive stuff and I anticipate a more leisurely summer. Miss you!
I worried that something was wrong with you. Since more people are commenting these days, I have difficulty keeping up.
Gonna be a White boy, MAGA Summer ma'am....relax and enjoy
That's easy for you to say ma'am...you don't change his diapers or bed sheets.
Biden isn't a strong candidate. Look at his approval ratings. Im not criticizing him personally, but he obviously has problems. Democrats dont want to address this. And, it's illogical to think that he's "the one person who can prevent that disaster" of losing our democracy. You sound like Trump voters who think that he is the 'one and only' that can make the country great again.
I suggest you watch news that you disagree with. Get a bigger view of both sides. This is only available on the web. It takes initiative and an inquiring mind that questions both sides.
Oh please... relax... you're apparently succumbing to all the ageist misinformed propaganda supported by many progressives and MAGA folks. For a dose of the reality I strongly suggest that you listen to Lawrence on NBC:
https://youtu.be/_9vsivYrC4U
Or we could consider the fear expressed by the political arm of the Koch Network as the move their money from Haley to the House & Senate candidates because they say with DJT “at the top of the Republican ticket the risk of one-party rule by a Democratic Party captured by the progressive left is severe.”
So not only are they afraid Project 2025 won’t be implemented by the next president, but they fear a Dem trifecta. The memo was reported this evening.
Interesting... this all makes sense... thank you for adding this.
That Project2025 is a warped-mind abomination that will NOT BE HAPPENING.
I’m not saying I believe the propaganda. I’m concerned too many others do. I’d love to be wrong about that.
Thank you sharing this! Makes me decide that I need to start watching his show on a regular basis!
From a practical standpoint, it’s too late for candidates to get on state ballots. I doubt there is a candidate Dems wouldn’t complain about. We go through a version of this every election when the Dems wish for a unicorn candidate. Then we get divided government which limits what a president can accomplish. Ironically the GOP rallies behind their candidates & pushes harder when it doesn’t meet its goals.
From a political standpoint switching candidates would create more division & chaos to gain nothing. I have my doubts there are any ready to stand up to the ‘slings and arrows’. Sometimes we are so busy worrying about our own perceived weaknesses I think we make them larger than life while ignoring the larger picture.
Dems also overlook the stability of the DNC compared to the utter chaos of the RNC and GOP in several key states. The billionaires are pivoting from Haley. The Koch Network, through their political arm Americans for Prosperity Action, sent a memo that indicates they believe the White House is lost & they will work on House & Senate seats. It had this line in it:
“If Donald Trump is at the top of the Republican ticket, the risk of one-party rule by a Democratic Party captured by the progressive left is severe.”
Get over your ageism
There’s no need for the hostility. Apparently you didn’t understand my point. I’m concerned about how Biden is being portrayed by media, & the large number of voters who are swayed by it, right or wrong. That sort of perception ended Marco Rubio’s campaign because he drank too much water, & Howard Dean’s because he made a funny sounding yell (not that I remotely supported either). There were plenty of legitimate reasons neither of them should be president, but those are the ones the public settled on. It doesn’t have to make sense to affect the way people vote.
If my concerns are a result of ageism, then why do I subscribe to, & strongly support, a blog by a 92 year old? I’ll tell you why: because it’s for intelligent, nuanced discussion, not dismissive one-liners & personal barbs. There are loads of places for those. Please take them to Reddit or X. By the way, I’m 71.
Bidens strong economic record gets lost in the rhetoric and doesn’t matter when people have reservations or they can’t see the economy working for them. And his actions or inactions in Gaza and on the border crisis are also things people care about that they see no action. The war of words is not being won by the Democrats. It isn’t ageist to point out his age, he is 81, we can’t pretend it away by calling it ageist to mention it.
It’s hard to feel any positivity when, again, the Media broadcasts only the negativity. Everything is looking on the up and up, which is certainly better than the alternative, but the Media only wants news from the angry people, people who feel disenfranchised. The Media profits from the bleeding, which is why they have a hard time calling out the policies which are causing the bleeding, frequently the policies of their own government. The chaos on the Southern Border is the result of unintended consequences. Does the Media ever focus on that? They don’t, but they should. That would be responsible.
I agree, Lenny, but it's getting late for that.
Biden isn't being portrayed inaccurately. He's old and doesn't look like he'll make another 4 (oops, 5) years. I believe Trump to be the same. Just too old.
I'm 80, and in better health than either of these guys. They don't look like strong candidates to me.
The presidency is a hard job. We need a clear thinking, vigorous leader.
Can't both of these parties do better.
If not, I'm voting RFK!
I appreciate your perspective, Martha. With you till you got to RFK. I see your point, but this isn't the time to make a protest vote for someone who's not going to win. We just can't afford that luxury right now. The reality is, any vote not for Biden is a vote for Trump. The reason he won in 2016 was all the disgruntled (even though justifiable) Bernie voters who threw their votes to one of the 3rd party candidates or just stayed home. It's sad, but this election is really about just one issue: Trump or not.
It is late, but the D party leadership could change direction at the convention. It wouldn't be the strangest thing ever to happen at a convention.
I expressed myself as I did because the issue of whether Biden is fully capable is irrelevant at this point. The *fact* is, a disturbing proportion of people *believe* strongly enough he's not to cause them to vote for T or stay home. Regardless of the validity of arguments defending Biden's competence, these people have made up their minds & aren't going to change their minds. A fair number of them, though, dislike T enough to vote for any other D candidate over him.
I also agreed with you til the RFK part. There's no way he'll win but Trump could and could take away our SS or Medicare in a minute if it meant his sponsors would get a bigger tax break.
Fear of Trump is exactly why he gets a ridiculous amount of attention. Why didn't he take away your SS and Medicare in his first term. This isn't the prerogative of one person in government. Your fear is irrational.
He was not surrounded by loyalists on every front as he will be if re-elected. The justice department was a joke when he was president and the judicial system is becoming such. He stole two supreme court justices during his last year of his presidency when the republicans had previously stood strong on the "principle" that the voters should decide when Obama was president during his same last year. Concentration of wealth and consolidation of power will define his second term if he's anointed king. Checks and balances will be gone if he's surrounded by unethical, terrified sycophants.
Or, at least one that doesn't crap his pants.
Better than crapping everyone else's pants!😖
The Press, Media, etc. will be shocked, if tRump is ever permitted in the White House Again.
They will find out the Reality of His Complete Control AND Obedience of Their Industry To "Him"!
"... because they might offend some of their sources" That is a mouthful.
I thought of Tip O'Neill's line about "Errors and Nofacts," as some called Evans and Novak. They would have a story that made somebody in the House look bad. Three weeks later, they would have an item about what a great job so-and-so was doing, and Tip said that's when everybody knew who the source was.
“PITY THE NATION” Lawrence Ferlinghetti (After Khalil Gibran) 2007
Pity the nation whose people are sheep And whose shepherds mislead them
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars Whose sages are silenced And whose bigots haunt the airwaves
Pity the nation that raises not its voice Except to praise conquerors And acclaim the bully as hero And aims to rule the world By force and by torture
Pity the nation that knows No other language but its own And no other culture but its own
Pity the nation whose breath is money And sleeps the sleep of the too well fed
Pity the nation oh pity the people who allow their rights to erode and their freedoms to be washed away
My country, tears of thee Sweet land of liberty!
copyright Lawrence Ferlingetti
Yes, pity the country that cancelled the “Fairness Doctrine” under Reagan and opened the flood gates to Cable TV and right wing radio. It is now the Wild West for rampant disinformation which is poison to democracy.
Indeed.. that is the "800-pound Elephant in the room" truth 💣. Rupert Murdoch knew he could easily sway the gullible Reagan and make it stick with that Congress. We absolutely need to re-establish and reinforce "a Truth in Journalism" and clearly label propaganda for what it is. The other huge Pity: the abomination of "Citizens United". That absolutely needs to be rescinded and stronger laws against dark money and complicit partisan media.
Exactly.
It's eerie how perfectly that describes our nation today!
I have loved this poem since I first read it, and I have no idea how long ago that was, other than many years. Thank you for posting it!
Now I am laughing at myself, it was only 16 years ago, but in some ways those years were a millennium long, at least four of them.
Many in our generation loved this poet. Then along came Saint Ronnie Reagan, the end of the Fairness Doctrine and the rise of FOX, Rush, Alex filth and lies of both omission and commission. Then miraculously all these peace, love, dovies turned into uninformed, mean, nasty, stupid, traitorous trump worshipping assholes.
I still believe we outnumber those assholes Nancy, we just have to show up.
I agree!
Ferlingetti is a true American treasure.
BRAVO👏👏👏😢🇺🇲🙏
Thank you. Sharing!
NBC Meet The Press is a poor excuse for journalism. Her initial interview of her new opportunity she chose to interview Trump and never corrected his lies.
Which is why I stopped watching MTP after watching it from my childhood; I was born the year MTP first aired. But if the new host whose name I conveniently forgot thinks interviewing that moron on her first show was a good idea? Nope. The media in general gives him more air time than is warranted.
Russert is rolling in his grave and down right POed for what MTP has become.
We sure need a Tim Russert today; that's you Dan and Team Steady.
Truly!
I agree.
💯💯💯
Thank you for all here who are pointing out media failures.
NBC Meet The Press used to be excellent during Tim Russert’s time.
Now days journalists want to be in the News instead of delivering the News. Of course, honestly. No thanks to Mr. Hannity,
Forgive me for saying, Vickie. Actually, most of them are a joke.
It seems that most of them are striving for ratings and stardom. They have become editorializing presenters, trying to either make or be the news. Gone are the days of Water Cronkite, Howard K. Smith, Tim
Russert, Harry Reasoner, and the others gave us the news instead of sound bites.
Of course, Steve. The jokers play gottcha politics. You can add David Brinkley ( class act) Charles Kuralt, Erik Sevaried ( not sure if I spelt correctly) and of course our Man, Dan Rather.
It used to be a treat listening and watching the news. Now a days, it is all fluff not much substance.
Sorry for being so blunt, Steve.
Thank you
Blunt is fine. The current iteration of talking heads are an embarrassment to the job, and thank you for adding other excellent names who were fine examples of the profession.
Maybe, the vast majority of voters (Democrats, Independents & disgruntled Republicans) recognize how evil Trump is and that he’s a threat to Democracy!
We can only hope!
We still need to get the vote out. No complacency!
Mr. Rather & Team!!! I love your offerings that are scripted with both wisdom and common sense! Wishing more current newscasters would take a lesson from you. No matter what network I look at these days, all I hear is 'blah, blah, blah, ' someone said 'trump.. ' please do what you can to get your analysis offered on major networks! Your country needs that big time!
The BBC world Service still does a fairly good job of balanced reporting, as does The Guardian for print material. In the internet, Steady is the best.
Thank you Mr. Rather & team!
YOU PROVE AGE & IT'S SIDE KICK, EXPERIENCE, MATTER THE MOST!
If the media writ large doesn't start to report this presidential contest fairly instead of tilting the playing field for Trump, the truth of the contest will not get put to the voters who need to know it.
If all people attend to is Faux Noise, what the MSM reports still won't matter much, though treating Trump and his candidacy as anything near normal is just wrong.
Yes, all the MAGAs and R’s who watch Fox (I will not call it news) think Joe Biden is the most corrupt President in history, that the US Congress is doing god’s work and wouldn’t know or believe truth if it slammed them in the face. How to combat that?
How to combat that. This seems to be as difficult as getting an addict to change, especially if they don't want to. In the case of the MAGA, to change, they would have to admit that they were wrong, conned, brainwashed, and hoodwinked. Who wants to admit to such shortcomings? Maybe time will remove some and wear the rest down.
It’s a waste of effort to try to convince the MAGAs; instead, target our efforts towards the Independents and “ regular” R’s. Their minds can change b/c they haven’t drunk the koolaid.
We have work to do with our own coalitions: students; Muslims; Blacks. We must break down what the many successes of President Biden’s term means to them.
None of us needs “talking to”; life is not a speech. We need “ talking with”.Joe Biden is good with that on an individual basis.
Plus we need to acknowledge that he is old but he is competent; wise and strategic. Stress our values. How this Administration has projected and protected our values…
Absolutely right and well said. The 'talking with' instead of 'talking at' is something that Democrats seem to do better.
I had a fox watcher actually tell me that Joe Biden was the Most corrupt President we have ever had! I ended our conversation!
Betty.....It makes me sad to say my sister believes that garbage and includes his entire family!!! She's not a stupid person, so it frightens me how easily lies constantly repeated (especially when the press is their megaphone) becomes their truth....even with no actual proof.
That the provenance of what he says isn’t news or facts, but opinion (and bias, at that); that primary sources tell the story.
Well said!
Thanks, for the essay, Dan. You always give us gourmet food for thought. Politicians always look for something to stir up the masses. I remember, Reagan with crime bill, then there was trade deficits, Japanese cars bashing etc etc, and now of course immigration. I came legally to the USA over 42 years ago, played by the rules, am a naturalized citizen now snd have always paid my fair share of state, city and federal taxes. Like me there are millions of immigrants making an honest living and trying to achieve the so called American dream.
45th is not even worth discussing. Media should not give him the time of day. Ignore the man. He is bound to get convicted and will not be POTUS again. Far from it. As the saying goes, “” once bitten twice shy””.
That’s what every American should remember on November, 5th, when anyone even thinks of voting for the Sick Man.
My two cents, Dan.
Thank you
Thank you, Mr. Rather, for shining a light on the truth and renewing the hopes of millions of Americans who are sick to death of hearing what could happen to our country if Trump returns to the presidency. That thought sickens me to my core, as I'm sure it does many of us. Thank you for enlightening us as you so frequently do. 🙏
Yes.
Pray God the metrics cited here hold up as the primaries continue and ultimately certify the would be dictator as preferred candidate for the Republican Party. Let the MAGA crowd think they have the Presidency in the bag and let's watch them cry when they have lost - again. At least on Jan 6 2025 when the violent mob descends on Washington, the White House will not be slow to mobilize an appropriate response.
Voted early in Tennessee, so not to be tempted to vote in GOP primary (barf). We had only one on our ballot and it was Joseph Robinson Biden. Fine with me. Got our votes. Living in a Red state is yuck, but both husband and I stand our ground. " We will vote for a yellow dog Democrat before we ever vote for a Republican".
Thank you, Dan. We are all getting sick of this. I have heard comments from Republicans that they don't like Trump or Biden and if they are on the ballot they will write in Haley. I told my cousin...then if you write her in or don't vote....it is a vote for tfg. We can't have that and need to convience these people what will happen. She is a high school educated late 70s, Russian Orthodox Christian housewife (her husband was brought by is parents and his father was a priest when they escaped Russia many years ago-I was told he had been eating out of garage cans in Russia) with no children.
All it takes is a few actual journalists from the right wing to say "hey folks, wait a sec, Trump might not be the best choice for us after all" and then the dominoes start to fall away from his fragile MAGA base. I was buoyed by the meager, distracted, disinterested crowd at his last campaign stump. We have to hope this is a harbinger of things to come as we get closer to November. Thank you, Mr. Rather.
Trump has reached the event horizon of his personality. He’s now forever bound to the black hole of his anger, lies, insecurities and hate. No light will ever come from Trump. No light can escape the darkness surrounding him. Trump can only fall further into his black hole. We must fight like hell to make sure he doesn’t take US with him.
Thank you, Mr Rather. This gives me hope.