It really pisses Me off that Dems have to be so on the defensive when the Republican opposition is mired in crap up to their eyeballs. And for Bloomberg to put out such obvious slime is the most depressing thing yet. I thought that he was one billionaire who would defend democracy. So Dems are getting it from everywhere - divided and with no Allies in sight. Dems can’t even agree that Joe, who is performing better than the average bear, is our best shot. The best that the country has seen in decades. Against the worst in the history of the country.
On top of that, I get a deluge of begging emails, texts, calls, from all comers, repubs included. Some don’t have any way to unsubscribe, which is especially irksome. And of course, there are those I would like to help but have less resources than I once had. Great that early donations make a considerable impact, but I doubt that there will be a nanosecond between now and Nov when the need will be less critical.
What to do? Well, what I can, of course. But it feels like prewar Germany to me. I so hope I’m wrong. Your encouraging words are badly needed. Living in a blood red state causes brain freeze sometimes.
According to Crook, Democrats are to blame for Trump because:
They chose a “flawed” candidate to run against Trump in 2016.
Every single presidential candidate in American history had flaws. Some have overcome their flaws. Was Crook suggesting that he preferred Biden in 2016?
They dismiss claims of a rigged election in 2020 despite “popular concerns.”
If there are "popular concerns" about the 2020 election being rigged, it is because of Republican misinformation. Claims of rigging have been found wanting in every court.
They fail to apply the law “evenhandedly” to Trump and Joe Biden
. Consider the issue of lack of "evenhandedness" regarding classified documents. Biden (and Pence, for that matter, turned over all documents once they were discovered. Trump? He attempted to keep classified documents through deceit and resistance.
They “hail” the successes of Bidenomics despite the “feelings” of Republicans that the economy is bad.
The economy is terrific. Unemployment is very low. Inflation has declined to very near the Fed's goals. People feel the effects of previous inflation because prices have stopped increasing, but they have not declined. Hard as it may be to accept the current prices, the effect of a deflation, of lowering the current prices, would undoubtedly be worse.
They failed to “surface a better candidate” for the 2024 election.
Personally, I am delighted with Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate. He has an outstanding record. With the support of Congress, he prevented a post-covid depression. With passage of crucial legislation, we can look forward to improving our infrastructure, combatting the climate crisis, and an enviable future. Internationally, he has restored the European alliance and supported Israel. The Republicans have failed to sustain a commitment to oppose tyrants. They backed off fighting the Russians and will probably back off fighting Hamas as well.
FINALLY! "It's on us" appears to be working. It demonstrates the power of the individual and the force for good the citizen's collective engenders. Today's NY Times top of the page 1 headline: "Why a Second Trump Presidency May Be More Radical Than His First - Donald Trump has long exhibited authoritarian impulses, but his policy operation is now more sophisticated, and the buffers to check him are weaker." Personally, I do not believe The NY Times would have arrived at this analysis if it was not for the efforts of Robert and others like him.
Substack may, at first glance, appear to be simply a literate, articulate, agglomeration of self-satisfied liberals speaking in an echo chamber to one's intellectual peers and political compatriots. What I experience are people reflecting out loud in a trusting environment seeking a semblance of truth telling that might impact the national dialog. Today's headline is evidence that we make a difference. I sometimes self-reproach feeling that I am not doing enough. This morning, I am holding hands with y'all, and, without any sense of arrogance, boasting (with dignity) that we and others out there throughout America are taking the "It's On Us" to heart.
“Oh, geez! Now “Never Trumpers” are blaming Democrats for Trump.“
This is typical Repub propaganda. Bloomberg himself ran as a Dem only because the North East is bluer than red, but their Dems are more corporate oriented than people oriented.
Even back in 2016 the Repub talking heads that didn’t like thump still couldn’t even SUGGEST voting for Hillary. It wasn’t much better in 2020 & they’re still at it. What they want is a Joe Manchin Dem that will ignore anything other than lowering taxes & promote corporate welfare.
I appreciated your remarks on Saturday O’Connor. Well, we can be grateful that she stood firm on some key issues. Her highly politicized choice in Bush v. Gore simply should remind us all that in the end the choices made for the Supreme Court are critical to our future and this is another reason to support Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris. I do believe that Sandra Day O’Connor repented in leisure, and for that, I’m grateful that she had a conscience, nonetheless we cannot afford the future to the Republican party – either hers or the one we’re stuck with now. Let’s get to work.
The other day I was pretty hard on Charlie Sykes of the Bulwark.
Today I’d like to offer praise to another Never Trunper, Tara Setmeyer of the Lincoln Project. On Ayman Moheldin’s program on MSNBC last night, she said something that caused me to pump my fist and shout “finally”! I’ve not heard it on MSNBC before.
She pointed out in one of MSNBC’s endless worry segments about Trump’s trial calendar and the 2024 election calendar and will there be any guilty findings before November, that it isn’t actually necessary that any of these trials complete before the election. The presumption of innocence and need of a conviction applies only to punishing Trump with fines, incarceration, etc. it does not apply - at all - to the question of anyone voting against him. Nobody on the GOP side is hesitating about using bullshit about Hunter Biden to claim that Joe Biden is unfit for office. Voters can take into account the preponderance of evidence against Trump and not be bound by the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard. They have no such obligation. In fact, and I know this dates me, they can even cast their votes on the basis of “issues”!
This blindingly obvious point has been obscured by the continuing coverage of these trials by the liberal media. The evidence exposed in these trials is relevant. Speculation about dates isn’t.
The New York Times's influence in shaping our election expectations cannot be overstated. The Times currently has 10 million print and digital subscribers. However, it's influence may reach 100 million voters each day, given it's status as the most valid and followed news source for multiple media platforms, blogs and journals around the world . Just the frequency with which the biased NYTs/Sienna poll has been quoted as "fact" in print media and on TV is a prime example.
The NYTs bias against Biden-2024 is both dangerous, highly irresponsible and perhaps psychotic What after all is the sum and substance of the Times' critique?
---Not the least whiff of policy differences. Solely that Biden is too old!!
(Has any journalist praised Biden for offering to spend another 4 years near the end of his life working tirelessly for the American people?)
---Ageism is the "irresponsible" part of the NYT critique. The "psychotic" part is aiding the alternative; Trump!! We know the NYTs recognizes the threat Trump II represents to American democracy....
But what's chilling to me is their apparent blindness to the direct threat Trump II represents to the NYTs itself. Does AG Sulzberger really believe both he personally and the Times would not be a target for an empowered Trump and Steven Miller?
Many of us on Robert's Substack have been making this point directly to NYTs journalists and in letters to the editor to no apparent effect.
With literally millions of pro-Biden supporters across the liberal Substack community and hundreds of grassroots activits organizations,
we need to launch a collective 6 month action campaign to get the NYTs (which will get many other news orgs) start reporting news about Biden....any ideas?
I'm ready to start now. We want to win 60-40 in 2024..
Robert, thanks for pointing out how we should focus on the hypocrisy of the Zieglers here in the “Don’t Say Gay “state.Local media is pretty much “radio silent” as are the two other founders of Moms(NOT!) for Liberty who reside in my community.
Speaking of getting out the vote, we can help by sharing/supporting/volunteering with People Power for Florida. PPFF is boots-on-the-ground throughout the year!
“We’re building transformational change in Florida—through our multi-class, multi-racial, and multi-generational voter registration and empowerment efforts”.
I hadn't thought about the fact that pretty much EVERYONE -- except, of course, MAGA et al. who want to play with our form of national government and haven't learned anything from history or reviewing the results of that kind of game in other countries -- expects and demands that the Democrats fix this mess. I have a particular difficulty appreciating people like The Lincoln Project, Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, and Adam Kinzinger who can take credit for starting and supporting people and policies of racism, misogyny, Christian nationalism, and a destruction of the rule of law. And, No Thanks as well to people like George Conway and Bill Barr and on and on who are now working to re-establish credibility when they assisted or just stood by watching the Trump carnage occur. AND (sorry, feeling especially Ranty this morning ...) No Thanks to the media who almost to a man/woman/other have carefully and purposefully created a narrative supporting MAGA or minimizing Trump's dangerousness and denigrating Biden all in service of the big buck. BAD DOGS!!!!!!!! Yeah, the Democrats who are always mocked for being too wuss-ish etc. are, however, expected to charge in and fix something that's been in play now for decades.
Because "it's on us" I really appreciated the fantastic webinar Robert organized about burnout. I learned a ton and feel fired up again. So I'm reaching out to this group with my question: What's the most effective form of outreach that helps us connect with voters so that we can increase our voter base and Democratic Committee? Thanks in advance for your help.
I understand how the specter of a Trump 2nd presidency is frightening to all sane people, but I think anxiety levels could be toned down. Remember, Trump's own popular vote losses got worse for him, and Republicans in general are getting hammered in special election after special election. And sane people will work hard to prevent Trump from returning to power--that's a given.
But I have another reason for a certain level of confidence. From June through October, my wife and I traveled around the country on an art project. We ranged about, driving through 28 states, blue and red (and 183 towns and cities) clocking in a little over 10,000 miles. And in all our travels, we saw less than a dozen examples of right-wing regalia: whether an Insurrectionist flag or a pro-Trump poster or billboard. One DeSantis 2024 poster. One Let's Go Brandon poster. And let me be clear, the 28 states we drove through included 9 red states: West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
By contrast, wherever we drove, red or blue states, we saw thousands and thousands of Pride Flags or Pride-colored posters, No Hate Here posters, We Believe in Science and BLM posters.
I'm not saying those right-wing voters aren't out there. But they're simply not pounding their chests publicly on their front lawns (even in red states). They seem to have lost their mojo. By contrast, the Left and other sane people around the country, are clearly proud and unafraid.
The issues are on our side, and we are determined to preserve our democracy.
I should also mention that wherever we travelled, we saw a diverse population of Americans, everywhere. A few examples: in Columbus, Ohio, a line of women in chadors waiting to buy ice cream; in Topeka, Kansas, an African grocery store; and did you know there's a popular Laotian restaurant in Oklahoma City? The MAGA bigots don't understand that the US is already incredibly diverse. There is no going back. They have already lost.
“ Since you agree that Trump is “dangerous” and should be defeated, it would really be helpful if you tried to convince your Republican friends of that fact. Trash-talking the Democrat party does not seem like a helpful way to achieve that goal. How about directing your editorial talents to explain why Trump is dangerous and unfit to be re-elected?”
Bush v Gore was raw politics and a blight on our history. And then the Republicans demonized Hillary, the most experienced candidate who would have been an excellent president.
The Republicans have damaged our country in countless ways.
We need to defeat them at the polls in 2024.
Thanks, Robert, for your continued encouragement to look to the future in spite of the past.
The travails of the Zieglers in Florida, when I read of them, brought immediately to mind the screaming hypocrisies of Larry Craig and Ted Haggard, and too many others to name. "Do what I say, not what I do". Gimme a break. They should at least admit that they support by their actions and example the LGBQ+ community.
It really pisses Me off that Dems have to be so on the defensive when the Republican opposition is mired in crap up to their eyeballs. And for Bloomberg to put out such obvious slime is the most depressing thing yet. I thought that he was one billionaire who would defend democracy. So Dems are getting it from everywhere - divided and with no Allies in sight. Dems can’t even agree that Joe, who is performing better than the average bear, is our best shot. The best that the country has seen in decades. Against the worst in the history of the country.
On top of that, I get a deluge of begging emails, texts, calls, from all comers, repubs included. Some don’t have any way to unsubscribe, which is especially irksome. And of course, there are those I would like to help but have less resources than I once had. Great that early donations make a considerable impact, but I doubt that there will be a nanosecond between now and Nov when the need will be less critical.
What to do? Well, what I can, of course. But it feels like prewar Germany to me. I so hope I’m wrong. Your encouraging words are badly needed. Living in a blood red state causes brain freeze sometimes.
According to Crook, Democrats are to blame for Trump because:
They chose a “flawed” candidate to run against Trump in 2016.
Every single presidential candidate in American history had flaws. Some have overcome their flaws. Was Crook suggesting that he preferred Biden in 2016?
They dismiss claims of a rigged election in 2020 despite “popular concerns.”
If there are "popular concerns" about the 2020 election being rigged, it is because of Republican misinformation. Claims of rigging have been found wanting in every court.
They fail to apply the law “evenhandedly” to Trump and Joe Biden
. Consider the issue of lack of "evenhandedness" regarding classified documents. Biden (and Pence, for that matter, turned over all documents once they were discovered. Trump? He attempted to keep classified documents through deceit and resistance.
They “hail” the successes of Bidenomics despite the “feelings” of Republicans that the economy is bad.
The economy is terrific. Unemployment is very low. Inflation has declined to very near the Fed's goals. People feel the effects of previous inflation because prices have stopped increasing, but they have not declined. Hard as it may be to accept the current prices, the effect of a deflation, of lowering the current prices, would undoubtedly be worse.
They failed to “surface a better candidate” for the 2024 election.
Personally, I am delighted with Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate. He has an outstanding record. With the support of Congress, he prevented a post-covid depression. With passage of crucial legislation, we can look forward to improving our infrastructure, combatting the climate crisis, and an enviable future. Internationally, he has restored the European alliance and supported Israel. The Republicans have failed to sustain a commitment to oppose tyrants. They backed off fighting the Russians and will probably back off fighting Hamas as well.
Thanks for the update on Moms for Menage a Trois
FINALLY! "It's on us" appears to be working. It demonstrates the power of the individual and the force for good the citizen's collective engenders. Today's NY Times top of the page 1 headline: "Why a Second Trump Presidency May Be More Radical Than His First - Donald Trump has long exhibited authoritarian impulses, but his policy operation is now more sophisticated, and the buffers to check him are weaker." Personally, I do not believe The NY Times would have arrived at this analysis if it was not for the efforts of Robert and others like him.
Substack may, at first glance, appear to be simply a literate, articulate, agglomeration of self-satisfied liberals speaking in an echo chamber to one's intellectual peers and political compatriots. What I experience are people reflecting out loud in a trusting environment seeking a semblance of truth telling that might impact the national dialog. Today's headline is evidence that we make a difference. I sometimes self-reproach feeling that I am not doing enough. This morning, I am holding hands with y'all, and, without any sense of arrogance, boasting (with dignity) that we and others out there throughout America are taking the "It's On Us" to heart.
“Oh, geez! Now “Never Trumpers” are blaming Democrats for Trump.“
This is typical Repub propaganda. Bloomberg himself ran as a Dem only because the North East is bluer than red, but their Dems are more corporate oriented than people oriented.
Even back in 2016 the Repub talking heads that didn’t like thump still couldn’t even SUGGEST voting for Hillary. It wasn’t much better in 2020 & they’re still at it. What they want is a Joe Manchin Dem that will ignore anything other than lowering taxes & promote corporate welfare.
I appreciated your remarks on Saturday O’Connor. Well, we can be grateful that she stood firm on some key issues. Her highly politicized choice in Bush v. Gore simply should remind us all that in the end the choices made for the Supreme Court are critical to our future and this is another reason to support Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris. I do believe that Sandra Day O’Connor repented in leisure, and for that, I’m grateful that she had a conscience, nonetheless we cannot afford the future to the Republican party – either hers or the one we’re stuck with now. Let’s get to work.
It’s always been on “us.” That’s what democracy means.
The other day I was pretty hard on Charlie Sykes of the Bulwark.
Today I’d like to offer praise to another Never Trunper, Tara Setmeyer of the Lincoln Project. On Ayman Moheldin’s program on MSNBC last night, she said something that caused me to pump my fist and shout “finally”! I’ve not heard it on MSNBC before.
She pointed out in one of MSNBC’s endless worry segments about Trump’s trial calendar and the 2024 election calendar and will there be any guilty findings before November, that it isn’t actually necessary that any of these trials complete before the election. The presumption of innocence and need of a conviction applies only to punishing Trump with fines, incarceration, etc. it does not apply - at all - to the question of anyone voting against him. Nobody on the GOP side is hesitating about using bullshit about Hunter Biden to claim that Joe Biden is unfit for office. Voters can take into account the preponderance of evidence against Trump and not be bound by the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard. They have no such obligation. In fact, and I know this dates me, they can even cast their votes on the basis of “issues”!
This blindingly obvious point has been obscured by the continuing coverage of these trials by the liberal media. The evidence exposed in these trials is relevant. Speculation about dates isn’t.
The New York Times's influence in shaping our election expectations cannot be overstated. The Times currently has 10 million print and digital subscribers. However, it's influence may reach 100 million voters each day, given it's status as the most valid and followed news source for multiple media platforms, blogs and journals around the world . Just the frequency with which the biased NYTs/Sienna poll has been quoted as "fact" in print media and on TV is a prime example.
The NYTs bias against Biden-2024 is both dangerous, highly irresponsible and perhaps psychotic What after all is the sum and substance of the Times' critique?
---Not the least whiff of policy differences. Solely that Biden is too old!!
(Has any journalist praised Biden for offering to spend another 4 years near the end of his life working tirelessly for the American people?)
---Ageism is the "irresponsible" part of the NYT critique. The "psychotic" part is aiding the alternative; Trump!! We know the NYTs recognizes the threat Trump II represents to American democracy....
But what's chilling to me is their apparent blindness to the direct threat Trump II represents to the NYTs itself. Does AG Sulzberger really believe both he personally and the Times would not be a target for an empowered Trump and Steven Miller?
Many of us on Robert's Substack have been making this point directly to NYTs journalists and in letters to the editor to no apparent effect.
With literally millions of pro-Biden supporters across the liberal Substack community and hundreds of grassroots activits organizations,
we need to launch a collective 6 month action campaign to get the NYTs (which will get many other news orgs) start reporting news about Biden....any ideas?
I'm ready to start now. We want to win 60-40 in 2024..
Robert, thanks for pointing out how we should focus on the hypocrisy of the Zieglers here in the “Don’t Say Gay “state.Local media is pretty much “radio silent” as are the two other founders of Moms(NOT!) for Liberty who reside in my community.
Speaking of getting out the vote, we can help by sharing/supporting/volunteering with People Power for Florida. PPFF is boots-on-the-ground throughout the year!
“We’re building transformational change in Florida—through our multi-class, multi-racial, and multi-generational voter registration and empowerment efforts”.
⬇️
https://www.peoplepowerforflorida.com/
I hadn't thought about the fact that pretty much EVERYONE -- except, of course, MAGA et al. who want to play with our form of national government and haven't learned anything from history or reviewing the results of that kind of game in other countries -- expects and demands that the Democrats fix this mess. I have a particular difficulty appreciating people like The Lincoln Project, Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney, and Adam Kinzinger who can take credit for starting and supporting people and policies of racism, misogyny, Christian nationalism, and a destruction of the rule of law. And, No Thanks as well to people like George Conway and Bill Barr and on and on who are now working to re-establish credibility when they assisted or just stood by watching the Trump carnage occur. AND (sorry, feeling especially Ranty this morning ...) No Thanks to the media who almost to a man/woman/other have carefully and purposefully created a narrative supporting MAGA or minimizing Trump's dangerousness and denigrating Biden all in service of the big buck. BAD DOGS!!!!!!!! Yeah, the Democrats who are always mocked for being too wuss-ish etc. are, however, expected to charge in and fix something that's been in play now for decades.
Because "it's on us" I really appreciated the fantastic webinar Robert organized about burnout. I learned a ton and feel fired up again. So I'm reaching out to this group with my question: What's the most effective form of outreach that helps us connect with voters so that we can increase our voter base and Democratic Committee? Thanks in advance for your help.
I understand how the specter of a Trump 2nd presidency is frightening to all sane people, but I think anxiety levels could be toned down. Remember, Trump's own popular vote losses got worse for him, and Republicans in general are getting hammered in special election after special election. And sane people will work hard to prevent Trump from returning to power--that's a given.
But I have another reason for a certain level of confidence. From June through October, my wife and I traveled around the country on an art project. We ranged about, driving through 28 states, blue and red (and 183 towns and cities) clocking in a little over 10,000 miles. And in all our travels, we saw less than a dozen examples of right-wing regalia: whether an Insurrectionist flag or a pro-Trump poster or billboard. One DeSantis 2024 poster. One Let's Go Brandon poster. And let me be clear, the 28 states we drove through included 9 red states: West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
By contrast, wherever we drove, red or blue states, we saw thousands and thousands of Pride Flags or Pride-colored posters, No Hate Here posters, We Believe in Science and BLM posters.
I'm not saying those right-wing voters aren't out there. But they're simply not pounding their chests publicly on their front lawns (even in red states). They seem to have lost their mojo. By contrast, the Left and other sane people around the country, are clearly proud and unafraid.
The issues are on our side, and we are determined to preserve our democracy.
I should also mention that wherever we travelled, we saw a diverse population of Americans, everywhere. A few examples: in Columbus, Ohio, a line of women in chadors waiting to buy ice cream; in Topeka, Kansas, an African grocery store; and did you know there's a popular Laotian restaurant in Oklahoma City? The MAGA bigots don't understand that the US is already incredibly diverse. There is no going back. They have already lost.
An especially good newsletter this morning, Robert. As always, thank you.
I lifted these words from you and sent them on line to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Perhaps other would do the same thing?
https://www.startribune.com/submit-a-letter-or-commentary/115289839/
“ Since you agree that Trump is “dangerous” and should be defeated, it would really be helpful if you tried to convince your Republican friends of that fact. Trash-talking the Democrat party does not seem like a helpful way to achieve that goal. How about directing your editorial talents to explain why Trump is dangerous and unfit to be re-elected?”
Bush v Gore was raw politics and a blight on our history. And then the Republicans demonized Hillary, the most experienced candidate who would have been an excellent president.
The Republicans have damaged our country in countless ways.
We need to defeat them at the polls in 2024.
Thanks, Robert, for your continued encouragement to look to the future in spite of the past.
The travails of the Zieglers in Florida, when I read of them, brought immediately to mind the screaming hypocrisies of Larry Craig and Ted Haggard, and too many others to name. "Do what I say, not what I do". Gimme a break. They should at least admit that they support by their actions and example the LGBQ+ community.