47 Comments
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Stephanie H's avatar

"Factually fantastical" aka LYING. They just can't help themselves, even in a critical piece (even if, in my opinion, it's only mildly critical), they still can't bring themselves to just say straight up, he's a liar.

I also admit to being delighted that they pegged his vocabulary at a 4th grade level. Frankly, I bet most 4th graders have a better vocabulary than he does.

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Gigi's avatar

You took the words right out of my planned comment Stephanie. The whole article danced around the fact that he is, was and always will be a racist bully liar. He lost by 7 million votes, used a fake elector scheme and planned and watched a deadly riot. The cult ignores all that. Combine compulsive lying with delusions of grandeur and disrespect for the law and you have a sick criminal who needs to spend a lot of time in solitary confinement. And the hundreds of secret documents he stole and undoubtedly sold or used as a bargaining chip to dictators of the world has unbalanced the Earth.

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Louis Giglio's avatar

Kudos Stephanie! This is a long article referencing too many ‘talking heads’ who are trying, repeat trying, to sound intelligent!

He’s a pathological Liar! End of analysis!

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Geeta's avatar

Can we file this under "too little too late"?

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TCinLA's avatar

Yes.

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Frankom's avatar

Darn. I miss the NYT for reasons unaligned with politics. I will wait it out and hope for more change before resubmitting subscription.

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Geeta's avatar

The one thing I *dearly* miss is the paper copy of the Book Review every Sunday. Other than that I am happy I cancelled!

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Linda MacDonald's avatar

I saw the article. Of course the man is demented and slipping further and further into the Jaws of Jabba the Hut. Maybe he's become Jabba. It is easy to use age. He'll. I am 79 but I do not wonder off mid sentence to ruminate on a fly! Here's the real issue which the journalists have not touched: JD Vance, the maga man who would be king in behalf of the silicon Valley bros. The Lincoln Project ad about Vance and the 25th Amendment should be another major focus. Vance and the "heritage" foundation are in the same bed which is crowded with the magats of elected office and big business moguls hoping for kleptocracy to win the day over democracy and the rule of law. The gop and willing dems have weakened oversight of these monied interests for so many years the tipping into fascist governance has been happening slowly and almost imperceptibly. It happens slowly until it becomes suddenly. This election represents the inevitable moment ahead of suddenly.That is what should be reported. Trump means disaster regardless of his obvious physical and mental decline. But even mores does Vance. The crowd behind him should they have the opportunity will end any trump presidency. Rick Wilson surmises, within a year. The maga gop have already sold our nation out to muck, thiel, crowe and others. Electing trump is what they want. It isn't about trump. That's the real story.

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Jan M. Flynn's avatar

I fear you are correct.

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Michael Green's avatar

I will always wonder if public pressure led to this, because they would never admit it.

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TCinLA's avatar

If so, thank Scott Dworkin.

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Michael Green's avatar

Oh, we owe him, but a lot of others, too.

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Bob Lewis's avatar

Hey, Mr.Baker, it's President Biden and Vice President Harris, not Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris, you twit.

Yeesh.

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kdsherpa's avatar

They call everybody Mr., Mrs., or Ms. (more recently) in the NYT. Always have. But good pickup.

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Bob Lewis's avatar

I'm not usually one for titles, but the NYT can f#ck-off.

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Gail Adams VA/FL's avatar

After complaining to NYT of the same I received a reply, explaining that when first named the titles prez and VP are used, with subsequent references of Mr. & Ms.

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kdsherpa's avatar

Interesting. Slightly more complicated than I realized.

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Bob Lewis's avatar

That's an interesting convention. Would they do that for military personnel as well.

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Gail Adams VA/FL's avatar

I just spent forever looking for the exchange so I could share it, but it’s out there, somewhere. I don’t remember military titles being addressed. It would be interesting to ask.

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Bob Lewis's avatar

I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to find the article. I was just musing.

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Gail Adams VA/FL's avatar

I’m just like that. Damn rabbit holes. 😂

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Bob Lewis's avatar

Me too. I'm a sucker for footnotes. I was reading a math book and it had a footnote referencing another math book etc. It ended when in the third paragraph, the latest book footnoted: It would be valuable to have read Newton's Principia.

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Bill Smith's avatar

That's as dainty and timid an exercise in journamalism as I can remember. Maybe after the election the authors can find work at some high-end shelter or clothing magazine where their exquisite sense of delicacy can find real use. The Times really needed a "computer analysis" to figure out that the decomposing remnants of our worst president are in fact decomposing, can't stand up straight, hold a thought, form a word or act vaguely human? My dog leaves the room every time she hears him braying, and she can barely operate her I-pad.

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Judith Matlock's avatar

Has anyone told Trump his magas will be dumping him under the bridge of the 25th Amendment at the earliest possible moment? Someone needs to warn Caesar not to go to the Forum.

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JDinTX's avatar

So true

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Bruce Culver's avatar

Does Sulzberger know about this.....?

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TCinLA's avatar

I laughed out loud.

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GarySanDiego's avatar

Of course, they had to get in a little dig at Biden’s “speech complexity.” Bothsiderism does hard! 🤦🏻‍♂️

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kdsherpa's avatar

Wait. I thought that Biden was too senile to be "complex".

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SAH Vashon's avatar

All they needed was a four word headline “Trump Lies About EVERYTHING” followed by bullet points listing the most recent 2,000 lies…..

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Jan M. Flynn's avatar

I have the unenviable distinction of watching several family members go through various forms of dementia — and everything this article points out tracks.

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Fay Reid's avatar

Thanks, Tom, at least they are admitting he may not be 'perfect'

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Dave Conant - MO's avatar

Great article TC, thanks. It will be interesting to see if the Times moves on to become serial journalists.

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TCinLA's avatar

Don't hold your breath - turning blue and dying is not a pretty sight. :-)

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Dave Conant - MO's avatar

No worries, I'm more used to holding my nose than my breath when it comes to the Times and their colleagues. Besides, I have to be here to vote and staff a polling station.

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Ellen's avatar

When I saw the authors of this piece, I had one question: when did Petra change her gender?

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Derek Smith's avatar

As I wrote a few weeks ago, we need some compassion for the man whose brain is failing. His handlers and family bear the brunt of the responsibility of keeping him on the campaign. That being said we've got to FIGHT LIKE HELL to keep him (and his evil sidekick Vance) out of the White House.

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Louis Giglio's avatar

Compassion?? Seriously? Where were you during his incompetent dithering during covid? Where were you on Jan6?

Contempt not compassion!

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Derek Smith's avatar

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.” - the Dalai Lama

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Vague Craig's avatar

I'll save mine for those deserving, thank you. Trump can go in the same burning dumpster with al-Assad, Kim, Putin, and Netanyahu.

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JBR's avatar

Brilliant, ironic headline to your essay. Richly deserved. Finally!!! Only took them 8 years. The assumption is that the revenue from having Trump to sell papers, far outweighed the value to publishing the truth. I guess when the governor (Republican?) of North Carolina agrees with Biden, and chastises Trump, that broke the proverbial dam allowing the Times to value truth over the "let's not irritate the cash cow guy who keeps lying, so we can sell papers" attitude.

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TCinLA's avatar

Governor Cooper is a Democrat (just for the record).

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