In what is now a little less than three weeks, the world’s oldest democracy will conclude a referendum on whether democracy will be maintained or be replaced by fascism.
me too, but my superstitious streak is telling me to shut up. I watched the whole interview, and, at the beginning, TFF LOOKED more together than on other recent occasions. it didn't last very long; he sensed (or knew) that Michaelthwait (sp?) was, as he called it, "anti-tariff." this was something that seemed to be stewing in him and once he gave in to it, he was the same miserable piece of shit he always is. and it got worse. and worse.
I realize the audience was hardly made up of MY peers, but it was uncomfortably pro-TFF. or maybe the fans were just LOUDER.
when I heard the voice recording of the "concert" rally, it was completely obvious that the benzos (and whatever other downer drugs he was on...it sounded like several at the same time or a single Quaalude, and I know whereof I speak) had outbalanced the Adderall and he was slurring like the goofball heads you'd find pouring hot coffee in their laps at two AM in Bickfords et al.
has anybody counted the lies in this interview yet? I noticed quite a few.
Lawrence O’Donnell did a great job explaining tariffs that even a petulant teenager could understand. Tfg could only rage at Micklethwait who did not back down from getting answers to his questions. A wonderful contrast to our vice-president’s interview on faux-snooze.
I have been writing postcards today, trying to vent my angst into a positive endeavor. Nicole Wallace ran the entire 38+ minutes of that bizarre event, playing it on mute with a timer, in a box while she conducted her show. I am now convinced that the plan is to elect him, allow him to pardon himself and then pull out the 25th and let Vance destroy our democracy. I hope I'm wrong.
I think that's their plan, except I don't think they'd pull out the 25th since it would enrage their Kool-Aid base and I don't think they'd have to. I think they just need to assign a few paid sycophants to trail him around supplying admiration, let him cheat at golf as much as he wants, and get him to rubber stamp anything they "explain" to him - he doesn't read what he signs anyway.
Such a brilliantly / clearly and well written essay! My 2 cts . . .
1. Sane-washed seems to be the substack term for "when Trump went bonkers and completely off the rail, the press disregarded and even normalized his appalling lack of connection to reality.
2. Pericles, Washington, Lincoln and Churchill reflected historic examples of statesmanship, leadership, and an understanding of how cities should function and thrive. What is the opposite of this concept?
Brilliant, TC. If Biden had stood on a stage and swayed to music for almost forty minutes and then told the audience to vote on January 5, the media - cable, broadcast, print - would have been on him like hyenas on a wounded lion. The media as a whole has proven spineless and stupid.
Hopefully some good news from the courts - it appears that Donald Trump's lawyers have failed to file a brief to delay or cancel the release of the appendix to Jack Smith's brief in the DC election interference case from 2021. The deadline is tomorrow, but even if they filed today, it is unlikely the courts at this late date would halt the release of the appendix, so it appears the public will get to see this, just two weeks before the election..... Katy bar the door.....
Update: Judge Chutkan has denied Trump's last minute motion to delay the release pf the redacted appendix and it will be unsealed and released on the court's docket tomorrow morning, 10-18-24. Sadly, only two weeks before the 2024 election.....wah!
It reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Kirk and Spock beam down to a planet looking for a historian who disappeared. They find a Nazi Germany replica with the goal of killing the Zeon population. The supposed fuhrer is a drug addled old man (Trump) who turns out to be the missing historian. The real fuhrer is a young, evil fascist (Vance) who keeps up the facade but actually controls everything.
You mentioned this above, but there is an interesting detail.....from Heather Cox Richardson.....
"Early voting began today in Georgia, where more than 328,000 voters smashed the previous record of 136,000 set in 2020, during the worst of the pandemic. One of those voters was former president Jimmy Carter, who turned 100 on October 1 and said over the summer he was trying to stay alive to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris."
My mother turned 100 in mid September. She has also voted, but by mail in ballot. Does anyone know if these elderly voters' ballots count if they are not still alive by Nov 4th? Must they live to cast the vote or live through midnight of election day? I'm delighted for them both, but unsure how it works.
Then I'm awfully glad I mailed mine in at the first opportunity: Heaven forbid I should be hit by a car tomorrow with my ballot still laying on the table! Only sort of kidding...
I have no idea - might depend on state law, but I would think that a vote once cast should be a valid vote. Of course, I am not a Republican state election official.....
I wonder, if he were to keel over between now and Nov 4th, if they would just toss him in the freezer and refuse any autopsy on the 6th? Between his lack of public appearance, his recent poor performances providing a believable excuse for keeping him out of the public eye, AI aided re-released prior recorded appearances and selected audiences, it wouldn't actually be hard to do. We know they can find loyalists to swear they just spoke to him and a MAGA coroner to sign off that he "just went - just like that and moments ago". Whenever they actually need to.
Now see, if Dems were conspiracy minded we'd be all over that and the funny thing is it's not nearly as unlikely as almost any of the Repub conspiracies. What do you think 45's handlers and Vance would really do if 45 bought it? They know Vance wouldn't win...
"Sane-washing" — the Word of the Year for 2024. Unless we lose in November. Then we'll all be speaking some Orwellian Trump-approved word salad if we want to keep the thought police off our backs.
That is a really strange ballot. Which state is that? Or should I say which state and district? We only had about four ovals to fill, including one resolution, and the only third party candidates were the spoilers for President. Yours sounds like a deliberate attempt to be confusing, and if as you say it's in a state with poor education then clearly sample ballots would be the way to go for Ds.
ahhh Arkansas. my great uncle pretty much owned a little town there (Dermot) via the usual Jewish method of owning the biggest department store in town town, as I recall, was about three short blocks of stores with one movie theater called (of course) The Bijou. last time I visited was 1956.
...and oh yeah...that PLAYLIST. when do you suppose "Ave Maria" was in TFF's CD player? and there is no way on earth he has ever listened to "Hallelujah." the language is too complicated and the feelings expressed in the lyric are much too complicated for him. the only ones I figure he picked himself were "YMCA" (which has always felt weird for a Totally Butch Dude) and that Lee Greenwood piece of shit. it struck me as having at least one song for every different part of The Base.
Thank you TC, I sincerely hope that the cheating and downright evil will not win the day. They are leaving no stone unturned. I have watched for many years as one institution after another has caved to the insanity. And insanity/evil is what it is. I watch Repub ads in Texas tell the most egregious lies. Nobody calls them out. Allred just focuses on abortion. I hope the message is getting out. The people speaking at 90 decibels is all that will do it.
Great synopsis TC. Check out HCR’s letter today where she talks about JD Vance. Very scary! That ticket must be defeated!
Vance is terrifying.
and every day a little more terrifying. but probably the worst part of Vance is how obviously he's for sale to the highest bidder.
You're so right, TC. I hope the huge first-day turnout in Georgia means what I think it means!!🤞🤞🤞
me too, but my superstitious streak is telling me to shut up. I watched the whole interview, and, at the beginning, TFF LOOKED more together than on other recent occasions. it didn't last very long; he sensed (or knew) that Michaelthwait (sp?) was, as he called it, "anti-tariff." this was something that seemed to be stewing in him and once he gave in to it, he was the same miserable piece of shit he always is. and it got worse. and worse.
I realize the audience was hardly made up of MY peers, but it was uncomfortably pro-TFF. or maybe the fans were just LOUDER.
when I heard the voice recording of the "concert" rally, it was completely obvious that the benzos (and whatever other downer drugs he was on...it sounded like several at the same time or a single Quaalude, and I know whereof I speak) had outbalanced the Adderall and he was slurring like the goofball heads you'd find pouring hot coffee in their laps at two AM in Bickfords et al.
has anybody counted the lies in this interview yet? I noticed quite a few.
Lawrence O’Donnell did a great job explaining tariffs that even a petulant teenager could understand. Tfg could only rage at Micklethwait who did not back down from getting answers to his questions. A wonderful contrast to our vice-president’s interview on faux-snooze.
Not all of the voters were Democrats, but I'm hoping the majority were.
I have been writing postcards today, trying to vent my angst into a positive endeavor. Nicole Wallace ran the entire 38+ minutes of that bizarre event, playing it on mute with a timer, in a box while she conducted her show. I am now convinced that the plan is to elect him, allow him to pardon himself and then pull out the 25th and let Vance destroy our democracy. I hope I'm wrong.
So do I!
I fear you are right re: The Vance Plan. Trump is Bozo now. Vance will be/is Hitler.
The 25th and JD Vance and Project 2025 will be very close at hand if we don't get Harris into the White House.
Vance is totally green when it comes to governing. Don't worry about him -- worry about the men behind him.
I think that's their plan, except I don't think they'd pull out the 25th since it would enrage their Kool-Aid base and I don't think they'd have to. I think they just need to assign a few paid sycophants to trail him around supplying admiration, let him cheat at golf as much as he wants, and get him to rubber stamp anything they "explain" to him - he doesn't read what he signs anyway.
Heard some where, maybe MSNBC, that the music was tfg's Mar a Lago Spotify playlist.
Such a brilliantly / clearly and well written essay! My 2 cts . . .
1. Sane-washed seems to be the substack term for "when Trump went bonkers and completely off the rail, the press disregarded and even normalized his appalling lack of connection to reality.
2. Pericles, Washington, Lincoln and Churchill reflected historic examples of statesmanship, leadership, and an understanding of how cities should function and thrive. What is the opposite of this concept?
Brilliant, TC. If Biden had stood on a stage and swayed to music for almost forty minutes and then told the audience to vote on January 5, the media - cable, broadcast, print - would have been on him like hyenas on a wounded lion. The media as a whole has proven spineless and stupid.
Rita, you are too kind in your assessment of the media.
Ain’t that the truth
Trump might as well be a cardboard cutout with all the MAGA crowd trying to hide behind it until the election😳🤬.
Really. You're being unfair to cardboard cutouts. Yes, short on personality, but they don't offend people.
Hopefully some good news from the courts - it appears that Donald Trump's lawyers have failed to file a brief to delay or cancel the release of the appendix to Jack Smith's brief in the DC election interference case from 2021. The deadline is tomorrow, but even if they filed today, it is unlikely the courts at this late date would halt the release of the appendix, so it appears the public will get to see this, just two weeks before the election..... Katy bar the door.....
Update: Judge Chutkan has denied Trump's last minute motion to delay the release pf the redacted appendix and it will be unsealed and released on the court's docket tomorrow morning, 10-18-24. Sadly, only two weeks before the 2024 election.....wah!
Sigh. The reading public.
It reminds me of the Star Trek episode where Kirk and Spock beam down to a planet looking for a historian who disappeared. They find a Nazi Germany replica with the goal of killing the Zeon population. The supposed fuhrer is a drug addled old man (Trump) who turns out to be the missing historian. The real fuhrer is a young, evil fascist (Vance) who keeps up the facade but actually controls everything.
Jeeze, now life is imitating Trek…er…art.
😹
It’s called Pattern’s of Force
Hi David
do you remember the name of the episode?
and--sorry!--hi Karen!
You mentioned this above, but there is an interesting detail.....from Heather Cox Richardson.....
"Early voting began today in Georgia, where more than 328,000 voters smashed the previous record of 136,000 set in 2020, during the worst of the pandemic. One of those voters was former president Jimmy Carter, who turned 100 on October 1 and said over the summer he was trying to stay alive to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris."
Yes, very important!
My mother turned 100 in mid September. She has also voted, but by mail in ballot. Does anyone know if these elderly voters' ballots count if they are not still alive by Nov 4th? Must they live to cast the vote or live through midnight of election day? I'm delighted for them both, but unsure how it works.
The ballot counts as long as it was received in time.
Then I'm awfully glad I mailed mine in at the first opportunity: Heaven forbid I should be hit by a car tomorrow with my ballot still laying on the table! Only sort of kidding...
exactly the way I feel. I actually voted about two weeks ago, the day I received the ballot.
I have no idea - might depend on state law, but I would think that a vote once cast should be a valid vote. Of course, I am not a Republican state election official.....
Trump won’t last a term, maybe not even inauguration. Worst case we get Vance and his agenda aided by Thiel and Musk. I sincerely hope not.
He may not even make it that far.
I wonder, if he were to keel over between now and Nov 4th, if they would just toss him in the freezer and refuse any autopsy on the 6th? Between his lack of public appearance, his recent poor performances providing a believable excuse for keeping him out of the public eye, AI aided re-released prior recorded appearances and selected audiences, it wouldn't actually be hard to do. We know they can find loyalists to swear they just spoke to him and a MAGA coroner to sign off that he "just went - just like that and moments ago". Whenever they actually need to.
Now see, if Dems were conspiracy minded we'd be all over that and the funny thing is it's not nearly as unlikely as almost any of the Repub conspiracies. What do you think 45's handlers and Vance would really do if 45 bought it? They know Vance wouldn't win...
"Sane-washing" — the Word of the Year for 2024. Unless we lose in November. Then we'll all be speaking some Orwellian Trump-approved word salad if we want to keep the thought police off our backs.
Let them come for me. I won't shut up.
All on point. The quotes from Lincoln and Eisenhower are so relevant today. Can’t stress that too much. The press would do well to take heed.
Love it Tom, you pounded in every nail, from your opening sentence to the last remark.
Trump to John Micklethwait/
Bloomberg, Editor in Chief -
"...we'll straighten out the
press. Because we have a
corrupt press."
Well NYT, WaPo, WSJ and
others, be advised, your
fascist warning has been
served.
IF this orange scum sock
pupet is elected, how long
before Vance is sitting behind
the Resolute Desk? I give him
till Feb 25.
I voted Harris/Walz and BLUE
down my ballot and leans
BLUE after research on court
decisions. There's a quirky 1
for Trustee on board of
university. No info available
anywhere, except obituary.🙄
Many lads with same name
though, but iffy backgrounds.
We also have this Unopposed
Candidates/Vote for all box.
This ballot amendment was
unfortunately passed in 2016.
No names listed. I voted NO
in 2016. I don't like voting en
Blanc for people I don't know
and can't research. Your
ballot must have all measures
voted on. FOR Unopposed is
the only vote.🙄
That is one weird way of voting for someone.
Yes, it is. This is what
happens in a red state with
one, if not the lowest voter
turn outs in the country and a
serious lack of education in
public and private schools.
That is a really strange ballot. Which state is that? Or should I say which state and district? We only had about four ovals to fill, including one resolution, and the only third party candidates were the spoilers for President. Yours sounds like a deliberate attempt to be confusing, and if as you say it's in a state with poor education then clearly sample ballots would be the way to go for Ds.
This is Arkansas. We had 5 extra ovals to choose, well 6
if you include Trump. I'm in
District/Zone 53, Precinct 013
and was redistricting last
year. I have 1 rep whom I've
never heard from. I just got a
fund raising request from my
Dem party here. Haven't
heard or seen 1 word from
them in over 6 mos. I tried to
start postcards to voters here
and I guess they didn't think it worth it.🙄
ahhh Arkansas. my great uncle pretty much owned a little town there (Dermot) via the usual Jewish method of owning the biggest department store in town town, as I recall, was about three short blocks of stores with one movie theater called (of course) The Bijou. last time I visited was 1956.
It's still a small town David,
sitting right near the mighty
Mississippi. It's way down SE
of where I am.
...and oh yeah...that PLAYLIST. when do you suppose "Ave Maria" was in TFF's CD player? and there is no way on earth he has ever listened to "Hallelujah." the language is too complicated and the feelings expressed in the lyric are much too complicated for him. the only ones I figure he picked himself were "YMCA" (which has always felt weird for a Totally Butch Dude) and that Lee Greenwood piece of shit. it struck me as having at least one song for every different part of The Base.
Yes. The staff was "curating" that, not Trump.
Thank you TC, I sincerely hope that the cheating and downright evil will not win the day. They are leaving no stone unturned. I have watched for many years as one institution after another has caved to the insanity. And insanity/evil is what it is. I watch Repub ads in Texas tell the most egregious lies. Nobody calls them out. Allred just focuses on abortion. I hope the message is getting out. The people speaking at 90 decibels is all that will do it.
Allred is focusing on the one issue that crosses party lines. That's a good thing.
I hope enough people care, but the lies about both issues need to be countered.