Polls are a strange and perplexing activity. I don't blame the people who do it and are paid for their efforts. But: who answers unknown phone calls? I don't. And, in the exceptionally rare cases where I do, I answer it full of suspicion. If someone unknown called me, and I answered for some unusual reason, and the caller identified themselves as working for the NYT, or Nate Cohn or whomever, I would be so suspicious that the person was lying or calling from St Petersburg, that I would then dis-connect. I can't be the only one who doesn't trust strangers on their phones. So who exactly is giving pollsters answers? And why should we be believe they are representative of anyone normal?
Only in 2024 America, with a Supreme Court majority hand-picked by a wannabe dictator, would the statute that prosecuted insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol and brutalized law enforcement be considered vague on the word "otherwise." Yep! We are watching America be run by Alice's tea party.
Back in my day as a court stenographer, I used to close my eyes while reporting to close out any visual distractions so as to allow my ears to hear better. It also allowed me to make a connection between the words being said and where my fingers needed to go. It was very effective. It did not dawn on me that others thought I was asleep until one day I had a lawyer confront me about it.
Anyway, just thought I'd put it out there that some of us think better with our eyes closed, though I don't think that's necessarily the case with tfg.
And thanks for the rest you covered today, Robert...all very important!
Her Bold Move is a great organization. I need help finding two other organizations. Is there a Florida group devoted to defeating the retention of the two Florida Supreme Court justices who voted in favor of keeping the 6 weeks abortion ban and opposed allowing the abortion protection vote to proceed? Similarly, is there an Arizona organization devoted to defeating the retention of the two Arizona Supreme Court justices who voted in favor of sustaining the 1864 Arizona statute that made performing or assisting in an abortion a felony?
This is bad karma for us too and further indictment of the mainstream Press. I certainly had to stop supporting the NYT and even though I could still do their crosswords without a subscription I do not choose to anymore. I am totally done with them. As the USA moves into the direction of Germany after the Weimar Republic thanks to one man, who cannot let go of running our country and continues to influence political outcomes via his proxies in Congress, and sending one of his former ambassadors around the world to whisper words of encouragement in authoritarian ears, with our current justice department and the press allowing this to happen, I do not know what can be done. The press is treating treasonous behavior as if it were a walk in the park. If dems can win in the face of widespread Republican vote fraud and manipulation, including gerrymandering, contesting legitimate voter registration, and any number of dirty, nasty, fascist tricks, we should think about making our press voter funded, and not privately owned. At least for the airwaves. We should follow the model that Germany has which is to have the residents of the country pay for the airwaves. https://youtu.be/jphacgBLrc0?si=V3txZUXlKT0uhthJ
For now I am sticking to local news, international press and some Substacks for news, information and intelligent thinking about the events of the day.
A couple of things. First, the obstruction case argued before the Supreme Court yesterday presents the strict-constructionist justices a test. Can they really rule that the word “otherwise” doesn’t mean otherwise? Robert and I, as old lawyers (I’m older than he is) can assure you that they can, but not honestly, in my opinion. Will they do so? Let’s hope integrity has not entirely left the building.
On another topic, some of Trump’s MAGA supporters think that Dementia is the name of his youngest daughter.
As I have said before, I do believe that this trial is probably going to be the most damaging for trump. He always wants to control others, appear strong and infallible and the prospect of sitting powerlessly for several weeks, with daily reporting about his sexual depravity, not to mention obvious lying, is, for once, going to exact a huge toll. (I would love to be a fly on the wall when he and Melania are in the same room at this time.) Hopefully, the judge will stand firm on his gag instructions - which is also anathema to the criminal. I think he looks terrible which is another sign. Dementia is characterized by more irrationality combined with more overt aggressiveness. His decline is going to get his usual unending free coverage - except this time it will probably be all bad. I feel bad for the mainstream media - for once they will be forced to confront a reality they spend so much time avoiding. (or not!)
Regarding the aid bills MAGA Mike is putting up - he announced that all would be combined back into a single bill after passage, to be sent to the Senate for reconciliation.
There was one photo of Trump coming into the courtroom in which he looked truly horrible and miserable. Being on trial is definitely taking a toll on him. He's already very demented, as John Gartner has said
I spent quite a few years in corporate product marketing and sales and polls and focus groups are very similar insofar as we tend to hear and believe whatever supports our current train of thought. Tune out for awhile and put your energy in getting people to VOTE.
Four sides, four walls, the walls of Karma are closing in on the monster now! Four walls, four criminal indictments. Exponentially, they increase in both their mass, as well as their speed. We Democrats must totally understand , there is no common ground with the Gaetz/Jordan clan. None! Everything, large and small must be fought for with clear intentionality. I'm talking IF / THEN statements going in. If we support Ukraine, then they will not. Period. Not now, not ever. Thus , do the Stoics 'work-around'. It's how our forbears resolved their most vexing problems. Republicans are no less evil than our very unique export, Republican sponsored School Shooters. Yep, this proud Veteran is madder 'n' hell !
Whether its presentation of the miscellaneous poll results, its headline writing, and the seeming misguided effort at "fair and balanced reporting," I have not been able to fully understand what the NYT and, to a slighlty lesser degree, the WAPO, are doing. Robert suggested that it is some combination of business considerations and editorial bias. I'm not sure about either of those--I suppose more people may click on stories about the horserace or that ignore Trump and MAGA faults and play up Biden and Democrat ones but is that really true of people prone to read the Times? MAGA diehards are not reading the Times. And I am not sure that I believe that Times leadership on either the business or editorial sides favors Trump or Republicans, I have come to think that their coverage may have more to do with playing it safe just in case Trump and the MAGAs do prevail--not to get on the enemies list, which could lead to business setbacks or even persecutions. Also, continuing to be able to get access to Rs for their work, which they might not be able to do if perceived as overtly hostile. There has to be one or more reasons for their continued malfeasance in the face of a lot of criticism from folks who would normally be their readers and supporters.
In a galaxy far, far away… “it does not help the House Republicans advance our agenda, which is in the best interest of the American people here — a secure border, sound governance – and it’s not helpful to the unity that we have in the body.”
The SCOTUS discussion of the Jan 6 interpretations really hit me in the head. Thank you for assuaging that but it will remain. Unless their goal is how to let off the teasonous actions of that day I am baffled that there can be any response to that riot. What if the goal to kill Pence had been met? Just a protest?
Polls are a strange and perplexing activity. I don't blame the people who do it and are paid for their efforts. But: who answers unknown phone calls? I don't. And, in the exceptionally rare cases where I do, I answer it full of suspicion. If someone unknown called me, and I answered for some unusual reason, and the caller identified themselves as working for the NYT, or Nate Cohn or whomever, I would be so suspicious that the person was lying or calling from St Petersburg, that I would then dis-connect. I can't be the only one who doesn't trust strangers on their phones. So who exactly is giving pollsters answers? And why should we be believe they are representative of anyone normal?
Only in 2024 America, with a Supreme Court majority hand-picked by a wannabe dictator, would the statute that prosecuted insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol and brutalized law enforcement be considered vague on the word "otherwise." Yep! We are watching America be run by Alice's tea party.
Back in my day as a court stenographer, I used to close my eyes while reporting to close out any visual distractions so as to allow my ears to hear better. It also allowed me to make a connection between the words being said and where my fingers needed to go. It was very effective. It did not dawn on me that others thought I was asleep until one day I had a lawyer confront me about it.
Anyway, just thought I'd put it out there that some of us think better with our eyes closed, though I don't think that's necessarily the case with tfg.
And thanks for the rest you covered today, Robert...all very important!
Her Bold Move is a great organization. I need help finding two other organizations. Is there a Florida group devoted to defeating the retention of the two Florida Supreme Court justices who voted in favor of keeping the 6 weeks abortion ban and opposed allowing the abortion protection vote to proceed? Similarly, is there an Arizona organization devoted to defeating the retention of the two Arizona Supreme Court justices who voted in favor of sustaining the 1864 Arizona statute that made performing or assisting in an abortion a felony?
This is bad karma for us too and further indictment of the mainstream Press. I certainly had to stop supporting the NYT and even though I could still do their crosswords without a subscription I do not choose to anymore. I am totally done with them. As the USA moves into the direction of Germany after the Weimar Republic thanks to one man, who cannot let go of running our country and continues to influence political outcomes via his proxies in Congress, and sending one of his former ambassadors around the world to whisper words of encouragement in authoritarian ears, with our current justice department and the press allowing this to happen, I do not know what can be done. The press is treating treasonous behavior as if it were a walk in the park. If dems can win in the face of widespread Republican vote fraud and manipulation, including gerrymandering, contesting legitimate voter registration, and any number of dirty, nasty, fascist tricks, we should think about making our press voter funded, and not privately owned. At least for the airwaves. We should follow the model that Germany has which is to have the residents of the country pay for the airwaves. https://youtu.be/jphacgBLrc0?si=V3txZUXlKT0uhthJ
For now I am sticking to local news, international press and some Substacks for news, information and intelligent thinking about the events of the day.
A couple of things. First, the obstruction case argued before the Supreme Court yesterday presents the strict-constructionist justices a test. Can they really rule that the word “otherwise” doesn’t mean otherwise? Robert and I, as old lawyers (I’m older than he is) can assure you that they can, but not honestly, in my opinion. Will they do so? Let’s hope integrity has not entirely left the building.
On another topic, some of Trump’s MAGA supporters think that Dementia is the name of his youngest daughter.
As I have said before, I do believe that this trial is probably going to be the most damaging for trump. He always wants to control others, appear strong and infallible and the prospect of sitting powerlessly for several weeks, with daily reporting about his sexual depravity, not to mention obvious lying, is, for once, going to exact a huge toll. (I would love to be a fly on the wall when he and Melania are in the same room at this time.) Hopefully, the judge will stand firm on his gag instructions - which is also anathema to the criminal. I think he looks terrible which is another sign. Dementia is characterized by more irrationality combined with more overt aggressiveness. His decline is going to get his usual unending free coverage - except this time it will probably be all bad. I feel bad for the mainstream media - for once they will be forced to confront a reality they spend so much time avoiding. (or not!)
Regarding the aid bills MAGA Mike is putting up - he announced that all would be combined back into a single bill after passage, to be sent to the Senate for reconciliation.
There was one photo of Trump coming into the courtroom in which he looked truly horrible and miserable. Being on trial is definitely taking a toll on him. He's already very demented, as John Gartner has said
https://thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/john-gartner-trump-cognitive-decline
and I suspect the trial will hasten his deterioration.
I spent quite a few years in corporate product marketing and sales and polls and focus groups are very similar insofar as we tend to hear and believe whatever supports our current train of thought. Tune out for awhile and put your energy in getting people to VOTE.
Four sides, four walls, the walls of Karma are closing in on the monster now! Four walls, four criminal indictments. Exponentially, they increase in both their mass, as well as their speed. We Democrats must totally understand , there is no common ground with the Gaetz/Jordan clan. None! Everything, large and small must be fought for with clear intentionality. I'm talking IF / THEN statements going in. If we support Ukraine, then they will not. Period. Not now, not ever. Thus , do the Stoics 'work-around'. It's how our forbears resolved their most vexing problems. Republicans are no less evil than our very unique export, Republican sponsored School Shooters. Yep, this proud Veteran is madder 'n' hell !
Use this interactive map to see Clarence Thomas' CONFLICT OF INTEREST by not recusing the Jan 6th insurrection case that his wife Ginni attended:
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/04/16/clarence-thomas-conflict-of-interest-map-on-jan-6th-insurrection-that-his-wife-attended/
Track the timeline, indictments, payments, and people involved in Trump's NY Election Interference case.
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/04/15/trump-ny-fraud-trial-newstracs/
Whether its presentation of the miscellaneous poll results, its headline writing, and the seeming misguided effort at "fair and balanced reporting," I have not been able to fully understand what the NYT and, to a slighlty lesser degree, the WAPO, are doing. Robert suggested that it is some combination of business considerations and editorial bias. I'm not sure about either of those--I suppose more people may click on stories about the horserace or that ignore Trump and MAGA faults and play up Biden and Democrat ones but is that really true of people prone to read the Times? MAGA diehards are not reading the Times. And I am not sure that I believe that Times leadership on either the business or editorial sides favors Trump or Republicans, I have come to think that their coverage may have more to do with playing it safe just in case Trump and the MAGAs do prevail--not to get on the enemies list, which could lead to business setbacks or even persecutions. Also, continuing to be able to get access to Rs for their work, which they might not be able to do if perceived as overtly hostile. There has to be one or more reasons for their continued malfeasance in the face of a lot of criticism from folks who would normally be their readers and supporters.
In a galaxy far, far away… “it does not help the House Republicans advance our agenda, which is in the best interest of the American people here — a secure border, sound governance – and it’s not helpful to the unity that we have in the body.”
Thank you Robert. I needed your inspiration today.
The SCOTUS discussion of the Jan 6 interpretations really hit me in the head. Thank you for assuaging that but it will remain. Unless their goal is how to let off the teasonous actions of that day I am baffled that there can be any response to that riot. What if the goal to kill Pence had been met? Just a protest?