Election countdown |
Dear (Voter’s name), MAGA Republicans support a national abortion ban. And that’s just the beginning. Republicans are also attacking birth control and fertility treatments. We all deserve freedom to make these personal decisions. Elect Democrat Ruben Gallego to the U.S. Senate to protect our rights. Thanks, Brian, a volunteer |
Activate America says to print the message, because some people aren’t familiar with cursive handwriting. Also, sign your first name only, with no return address. Stick to the wording – a lot of thought has gone into it.
Let’s be real. No one of us can sit at our dining room table and change the course of history.
It takes millions and millions of postcards to move just a tiny fraction of voters. But many elections are close, and a relatively few postcards might make the difference.
AS FOR STAYING OPTIMISTIC
A friend suggested looking at the website of Simon Rosenberg. It’s thankfully NOT titled “Simon Says,” but has a mischievous name “Hopium Chronicles."
Rosenberg is a glass half-full kind of guy, and is crazy positive about Biden’s and the Democrats’ chances this fall.
If Biden is behind in the Real Clear Politics average of polls, Rosenberg cites 14 polls that since February have Biden ahead.
He says he should be taken seriously, because he’s been right about Democrats’ success in recent elections.
Rosenberg is two-note messenger:
Let’s be real. No one of us can sit at our dining room table and change the course of history.
It takes millions and millions of postcards to move just a tiny fraction of voters. But many elections are close, and a relatively few postcards might make the difference.
AS FOR STAYING OPTIMISTIC
A friend suggested looking at the website of Simon Rosenberg. It’s thankfully NOT titled “Simon Says,” but has a mischievous name “Hopium Chronicles."
Rosenberg is a glass half-full kind of guy, and is crazy positive about Biden’s and the Democrats’ chances this fall.
If Biden is behind in the Real Clear Politics average of polls, Rosenberg cites 14 polls that since February have Biden ahead.
He says he should be taken seriously, because he’s been right about Democrats’ success in recent elections.
Rosenberg is two-note messenger:
- Worry less.
- Work hard. Work really, really, really hard. Donate to candidates, help key candidates, going door-to-door, calling on the phone, texting (and sending millions of postcards). Wishing won’t do. Elections are won because people act on their hopes.
Joe Biden is a good President. The country is better off. The Democratic Party is strong, unified, and winning elections all across the country. And they have Trump - the ugliest political thing we’ve all ever seen. |
Rosenberg is not a modest man, and he is obviously pleased - very pleased - that he’s recently been interviewed by the New York Times, and, with no hesitation or apology, he linked to the article on his own site.
In their back and forth, Rosenberg and Adam Nagourney, the Times' interviewer, don't get into the whether or not the fairy godmother is coming to rescue us.
Which I find refreshing.
In a democracy, it comes down to us, actual little people, with our postcards and our ballpoint pens.
Which I find refreshing.
In a democracy, it comes down to us, actual little people, with our postcards and our ballpoint pens.
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NO-TRUMP TUESDAYS
A proposal for political and psychic sanity
I'M SICK OF IT.
I’m sick of the sacrilege, the serial outrages, the lawlessness, the insults, the racism, the sneering, the double-speak, the analyses, both expert and amateur; he pointless, endless, useless polls; the fibs, the cheating, the innuendoes, the threats, violence, the jokes, the gutter-talk and most of all the fear, the stomach churning, sleep-robbing panic at the prospect of another Donald John Trump presidency.
Going on nine years now, Trump has possessed our lives.
Day after day, in and out of office, every day, all day, weekends, holidays, nights, mornings, it’s always all about Trump.
In the month just passed, there were the golden sneakers, the debate about Trump’s mention of a “bloodbath” – was he talking just about the international car market or the terrible strife that would happen should he lose yet another election? These are subjects that must be examined, parsed and defined.
And with Easter bunny limbering up, announcement of the God Bless the USA Bible, raising this question: Can you put a cost on God’s word? Donald Trump priced it at $59.99. Should he have charged extra on Easter? What did God think about sharing space in Her book with the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance?
And what to do with the 10 Commandments?
Should Trump have taken his famous Sharpie pen – which, as president, he used to doctor a weather map to show that he was right about the course of a hurricane – black out some if not all of the Commandments, the thou shall not steal and the thou shall not bear false witness sections? And while at it, maybe he should have redacted those pesky do-not-covets: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, not your neighbor’s manservant, not his maidservant, not his ox and not his ass?
The point is that day after day, we are living in Donald Trump’s world.
Did Donald Trump really say that? Did Donald Trump slither his way out of this or that gag order? Did that businessman, this politician, and those voters swear allegiance to Trump in violation of the admonition that thee shall have no other gods before me?
And always, the question that begins every week: what will Trump get away with next? Which indictment? What impeachment? What report? Will he ever pay?
As for the rest of us, will we ever be free of Donald Trump?
I think there’s a chance. In fact, I’ve been thinking about a two-step plan.
STEP ONE: NO-TRUMP TUESDAYS.
Every Tuesday, do not read about Trump. Do not watch TV if you suspect it will even mention, much less feature, Donald Trump. Do not listen to NPR news on the radio, or Morning Joe on TV or any political streaming podcasts. Thou shall not talk about Trump at breakfast, at lunch, or supper. As much as this pains me, avoid the “Dangerous Times” blog or its archives, which are 99.9 percent about Trump.
Every Tuesday, wipe Donald Trump from your mind; cleanse your soul of Donald Trump.
Do something else.
It’s officially spring, so appreciate it.
Seek out the daffodils. Review your St. Patrick’s Day parade snapshots. Look forward to summer.
Go for a ride (you already know which routes to avoid because of certain yard signs). Read a book. Paint a picture. Work overtime. Take the afternoon off. Brush the dog. Give the cat a treat. Visit the sick. Play with the kids. Drop in on friends who used to be sick. If you live in New York, visit the Statue of Liberty for the first time. If you live near the Rhode Island seashore, take a walk on the beach before they start charging for parking. Mow the lawn. Better idea, forget the lawn.
I’m sick of the sacrilege, the serial outrages, the lawlessness, the insults, the racism, the sneering, the double-speak, the analyses, both expert and amateur; he pointless, endless, useless polls; the fibs, the cheating, the innuendoes, the threats, violence, the jokes, the gutter-talk and most of all the fear, the stomach churning, sleep-robbing panic at the prospect of another Donald John Trump presidency.
Going on nine years now, Trump has possessed our lives.
Day after day, in and out of office, every day, all day, weekends, holidays, nights, mornings, it’s always all about Trump.
In the month just passed, there were the golden sneakers, the debate about Trump’s mention of a “bloodbath” – was he talking just about the international car market or the terrible strife that would happen should he lose yet another election? These are subjects that must be examined, parsed and defined.
And with Easter bunny limbering up, announcement of the God Bless the USA Bible, raising this question: Can you put a cost on God’s word? Donald Trump priced it at $59.99. Should he have charged extra on Easter? What did God think about sharing space in Her book with the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance?
And what to do with the 10 Commandments?
Should Trump have taken his famous Sharpie pen – which, as president, he used to doctor a weather map to show that he was right about the course of a hurricane – black out some if not all of the Commandments, the thou shall not steal and the thou shall not bear false witness sections? And while at it, maybe he should have redacted those pesky do-not-covets: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house, you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, not your neighbor’s manservant, not his maidservant, not his ox and not his ass?
The point is that day after day, we are living in Donald Trump’s world.
Did Donald Trump really say that? Did Donald Trump slither his way out of this or that gag order? Did that businessman, this politician, and those voters swear allegiance to Trump in violation of the admonition that thee shall have no other gods before me?
And always, the question that begins every week: what will Trump get away with next? Which indictment? What impeachment? What report? Will he ever pay?
As for the rest of us, will we ever be free of Donald Trump?
I think there’s a chance. In fact, I’ve been thinking about a two-step plan.
STEP ONE: NO-TRUMP TUESDAYS.
Every Tuesday, do not read about Trump. Do not watch TV if you suspect it will even mention, much less feature, Donald Trump. Do not listen to NPR news on the radio, or Morning Joe on TV or any political streaming podcasts. Thou shall not talk about Trump at breakfast, at lunch, or supper. As much as this pains me, avoid the “Dangerous Times” blog or its archives, which are 99.9 percent about Trump.
Every Tuesday, wipe Donald Trump from your mind; cleanse your soul of Donald Trump.
Do something else.
It’s officially spring, so appreciate it.
Seek out the daffodils. Review your St. Patrick’s Day parade snapshots. Look forward to summer.
Go for a ride (you already know which routes to avoid because of certain yard signs). Read a book. Paint a picture. Work overtime. Take the afternoon off. Brush the dog. Give the cat a treat. Visit the sick. Play with the kids. Drop in on friends who used to be sick. If you live in New York, visit the Statue of Liberty for the first time. If you live near the Rhode Island seashore, take a walk on the beach before they start charging for parking. Mow the lawn. Better idea, forget the lawn.
If you are a political wonk, or simply a patriot, do the many things that a democracy demands of its citizens: have an argument about the best series to stream. Plant a tree. Stand up straight. Fall asleep and try not to dream about politics. Be nice. Muse about democracy’s blessings: fee speech, the rule of law, the positive possibilities of free enterprise.
Our democracy has many deficits, so maybe use your free time on No-Trump Tuesdays to think about how promote voting, provide affordable housing and medical care for everyone. Take a minute to wonder how to rid ourselves and our country from racism and make sure our schools work.
Don’t let the selfish, the greedy, the short-sighted and the stupid undermine our crusade to prevent the destruction of the planet because of climate change or nuclear war. Think about what government should do to ensure jetliners have enough bolts when they take off, and that bridges won’t collapse when container ships get too close.
HOLD ON, YOU SAY: Isn’t this No-Trump Tuesdays silliness just so much old fashioned head-in-the-sand, ostrich stuff, Neville Chamberlain-style approach to Hitlerian Armageddon? Just pretending that Trump’s gone won't make it happen.
Quite the opposite. I’m suggesting that we remember what this political fight of our lifetimes is really about: What will it feel like if Donald Trump is out of our government, out of our lives and out of our minds for good?
Instead of thinking about golden sneakers, make-America-pray again Bibles and Project 2025 - the Trump & Friends plan to end democracy as we know it - we need to dream, to imagine, to be inspired by the possibilities and privileges of living in a free society where citizens call the shots or try to.
And certainly, on the other six days, we need to do everything possible to get rid of Donald Trump. On Wednesdays, we need to catch up on the news we missed on Tuesdays, and to follow the news closely the rest of the week. We need to give money to Joe Biden, to congressional Democrats and state and local officials. We need to argue, persuade, pray, anything within our ability to fashion a positive election outcome. To go door-to-door, bother people on the phone, find those organizations that will help us do all of those things and more.
STEP-TWO
As I mentioned, I was thinking of a two-step plan.
Step Two is to vote for president on or about Nov. 5.
Nov. 5, you will remember, is a Tuesday.
And if we try our best, that particular Tuesday will turn out to be the ultimate and final No-Trump Tuesday.
Our democracy has many deficits, so maybe use your free time on No-Trump Tuesdays to think about how promote voting, provide affordable housing and medical care for everyone. Take a minute to wonder how to rid ourselves and our country from racism and make sure our schools work.
Don’t let the selfish, the greedy, the short-sighted and the stupid undermine our crusade to prevent the destruction of the planet because of climate change or nuclear war. Think about what government should do to ensure jetliners have enough bolts when they take off, and that bridges won’t collapse when container ships get too close.
HOLD ON, YOU SAY: Isn’t this No-Trump Tuesdays silliness just so much old fashioned head-in-the-sand, ostrich stuff, Neville Chamberlain-style approach to Hitlerian Armageddon? Just pretending that Trump’s gone won't make it happen.
Quite the opposite. I’m suggesting that we remember what this political fight of our lifetimes is really about: What will it feel like if Donald Trump is out of our government, out of our lives and out of our minds for good?
Instead of thinking about golden sneakers, make-America-pray again Bibles and Project 2025 - the Trump & Friends plan to end democracy as we know it - we need to dream, to imagine, to be inspired by the possibilities and privileges of living in a free society where citizens call the shots or try to.
And certainly, on the other six days, we need to do everything possible to get rid of Donald Trump. On Wednesdays, we need to catch up on the news we missed on Tuesdays, and to follow the news closely the rest of the week. We need to give money to Joe Biden, to congressional Democrats and state and local officials. We need to argue, persuade, pray, anything within our ability to fashion a positive election outcome. To go door-to-door, bother people on the phone, find those organizations that will help us do all of those things and more.
STEP-TWO
As I mentioned, I was thinking of a two-step plan.
Step Two is to vote for president on or about Nov. 5.
Nov. 5, you will remember, is a Tuesday.
And if we try our best, that particular Tuesday will turn out to be the ultimate and final No-Trump Tuesday.
Whether Hoping for a Laugh, or
Venting Political Angst, Armchair
Assassins Abound In An Age of Trump
AMONG THE MANY DREADFUL THINGS Donald Trump has done to America is turn a fraction of the citizenry into armchair assassins.
“I wish Trump would just drop dead,” a friend told me recently.
I told him I occasionally had similar thoughts, and that I have heard the same from others.
Should the NSA, FBI, FDIC or the FSB be listening in with AI powered algorithms, let me say I am unaware of any active plots to neutralize politicians or anyone else, and if I did, I’d be the first to play the rat.
The folks who are imagining Trump’s timely passing are no latter day Lee Harvey Oswalds.
Their flights of fancy don’t involve bullets, bombs, or bazookas, or any other kind of direct action. Instead, they envision second- or third-hand mechanisms, the kind of arms-length finales known as “natural causes.”
But some Democrats are so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump presidency, and frustrated that the forces that usually end the careers of errant politicians don’t apply in the Age of Trump, that only a sudden passing could be their last, best hope.
SO, DEADLY DAYDREAMS ABOUND.
I found a bunch of such "ideas" in the Comments section that followed and online publication of an opinion column in the March 5 Washington Post.
The author was Charlie Sykes, a conservative never-Trumper, who was musing at length about Trump’s serial escapes from legal and political accountability. Sykes’ column was headlined:
DONALD TRUMP, THE LUCKIEST POLITICIAN WHO EVER LIVED
He wrote:
“I wish Trump would just drop dead,” a friend told me recently.
I told him I occasionally had similar thoughts, and that I have heard the same from others.
Should the NSA, FBI, FDIC or the FSB be listening in with AI powered algorithms, let me say I am unaware of any active plots to neutralize politicians or anyone else, and if I did, I’d be the first to play the rat.
The folks who are imagining Trump’s timely passing are no latter day Lee Harvey Oswalds.
Their flights of fancy don’t involve bullets, bombs, or bazookas, or any other kind of direct action. Instead, they envision second- or third-hand mechanisms, the kind of arms-length finales known as “natural causes.”
But some Democrats are so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump presidency, and frustrated that the forces that usually end the careers of errant politicians don’t apply in the Age of Trump, that only a sudden passing could be their last, best hope.
SO, DEADLY DAYDREAMS ABOUND.
I found a bunch of such "ideas" in the Comments section that followed and online publication of an opinion column in the March 5 Washington Post.
The author was Charlie Sykes, a conservative never-Trumper, who was musing at length about Trump’s serial escapes from legal and political accountability. Sykes’ column was headlined:
DONALD TRUMP, THE LUCKIEST POLITICIAN WHO EVER LIVED
He wrote:
For almost a decade (though it feels even longer), we’ve watched him trip through minefields, totter on the edge of sinkholes and step on trapdoors, each time thinking: This is it. Now he’s going down. It has become a mantra of dashed hopes: The walls are (once again) closing in on Donald Trump. He’s on the brink, desperate. This time, surely this time. And yet, somehow, he escapes. |
Sykes’ column set off an avalanche of angry reader comments, some debating whether “lucky” was an appropriate term, others blaming the courts, or indicting rich mega-donors, insincere media outlets and an indifferent electorate for the current situation.
When I last looked, there were 3,446 comments, with a smattering – but far from a majority – wishing the ex-president the very worst.
One reader wrote:
If only he would cease breathing.
That was one of the gentler responses, perhaps suggesting that not breathing is isn’t murder, only something that happens.
Some appealed to nature:
Mother Nature has a ticking time bomb for him. I’m rooting for Mother Nature.
A couple of writers hoped an even more powerful Mother would intervene:
Obviously we're incapable of saving ourselves from the devil incarnate, so Lord, it's up to you.
* * *
There is only one way we are going to get rid of this plague on our country; the Grim Reaper. No one can cheat death; no matter how lucky.
Some singled out poor lifestyle choices, resulting in predictably dismal health outcomes:
Come on greasy hamburgers, do your thing!!
* * *
Luck for the rest of us would come in the form of a massive stroke or heart attack.
But another writer seemed let down by the medical option:
So it's all going to come down to Trump's clogged arteries?
A few readers were in such despair that they wondered - since it was Trump - whether death itself would be enough.
Even if trump dies, which I truly hope he does (today would be acceptable), he will still get millions of write-in votes. His base might truly believe that, if elected after his death, he will be resurrected to "save" America.
Another was both philosophical and wishful:
All lucky streaks end. May I wake up tomorrow and read his obituary.
AS I SCROLLED through hundreds of comments, then thousands more, I was sad about the damage that Donald Trump already has done to our national psyche.
The challenge Trump has posed for the past decade is that, whatever else, the majority of Americans must avoid the temptation to try to out-trump Trump.
Political process, the justice system, protest and debate are the corrective tools prescribed by the Constitution and democracy to cure our collective ills.
To wish for Trump’s unscheduled passing hands him an undeserved victory, and speaking only for myself, I repent.
A militia of death-dreamers assembled in America’s living rooms and kitchens – whether hoping for a good laugh or expressing sincere frustration – only advances Donald Trump’s campaign of cynicism, conspiracy and contempt.
* * *
NOTE: The original ending was unfunny and stupid, and counter to the point of the posting. So, I knocked off the last two lines, to be unambiguous about always rejecting Trump's way of doing business. Apologies. - Brian C. Jones
When I last looked, there were 3,446 comments, with a smattering – but far from a majority – wishing the ex-president the very worst.
One reader wrote:
If only he would cease breathing.
That was one of the gentler responses, perhaps suggesting that not breathing is isn’t murder, only something that happens.
Some appealed to nature:
Mother Nature has a ticking time bomb for him. I’m rooting for Mother Nature.
A couple of writers hoped an even more powerful Mother would intervene:
Obviously we're incapable of saving ourselves from the devil incarnate, so Lord, it's up to you.
* * *
There is only one way we are going to get rid of this plague on our country; the Grim Reaper. No one can cheat death; no matter how lucky.
Some singled out poor lifestyle choices, resulting in predictably dismal health outcomes:
Come on greasy hamburgers, do your thing!!
* * *
Luck for the rest of us would come in the form of a massive stroke or heart attack.
But another writer seemed let down by the medical option:
So it's all going to come down to Trump's clogged arteries?
A few readers were in such despair that they wondered - since it was Trump - whether death itself would be enough.
Even if trump dies, which I truly hope he does (today would be acceptable), he will still get millions of write-in votes. His base might truly believe that, if elected after his death, he will be resurrected to "save" America.
Another was both philosophical and wishful:
All lucky streaks end. May I wake up tomorrow and read his obituary.
AS I SCROLLED through hundreds of comments, then thousands more, I was sad about the damage that Donald Trump already has done to our national psyche.
The challenge Trump has posed for the past decade is that, whatever else, the majority of Americans must avoid the temptation to try to out-trump Trump.
Political process, the justice system, protest and debate are the corrective tools prescribed by the Constitution and democracy to cure our collective ills.
To wish for Trump’s unscheduled passing hands him an undeserved victory, and speaking only for myself, I repent.
A militia of death-dreamers assembled in America’s living rooms and kitchens – whether hoping for a good laugh or expressing sincere frustration – only advances Donald Trump’s campaign of cynicism, conspiracy and contempt.
* * *
NOTE: The original ending was unfunny and stupid, and counter to the point of the posting. So, I knocked off the last two lines, to be unambiguous about always rejecting Trump's way of doing business. Apologies. - Brian C. Jones
Election countdown: 8 months to go
THE POLLS, PAPERS AND POLS ARE BEATING ON BIDEN. WE CAN WORK HARDER TO BEAT TRUMP
IF YOU WANT MY GUESS about the outcome of the election – which as of today is only eight months away – I can’t tell you how Joe Biden is going to defeat Donald Trump.
Day after day, it feels like nothing is going President Biden’s way, while the momentum for The Defendant’s attempted return to the White House seems to be accelerating.
The polls are awful, and some are getting worse. More people are saying Biden should drop out as a candidate. Bibi Netanyahu, Trump’s Israeli clone, is making a fool of Biden’s pleas to stop killing Gaza civilians. A handful of Republican crazies in the House are undermining Biden’s vow to defend Ukraine.
Voters think immigration is the most important concern in their lives, and that it's Biden’s fault. Rents are exorbitant, and that’s Biden’s fault, too. Buying a house is out of reach for ordinary families, and it’s Biden’s fault.
Gas prices at the moment are lower than they have been. Unemployment is low; there’s no recession; crime is going down; and in general for lots of Americans, life is good. None of this is to Biden's credit.
The big one is that Biden is old. Too old. He looks old, talks old, walks old. Even worse, Joe gets older every day. It’s relentless, and it's Biden's fault.
I’m sure that I’m not alone. Millions of people care deeply about America, but at the moment see little that’s reassuring about Biden’s – and democracy’s – prospects on Nov. 5.
The question is: What to do about it?
The answer is that The Defendant - as Donald Trump is known in Jack Smith's election conspiracy indictment of last August - is too dangerous, too vile to be president of the United States. So he can't.
Like most people, I haven't the slightest idea of how to turn the current dynamics around, only that is what must happen. The Defendant is unacceptable. America – and perhaps the world – will be destroyed if he is put in charge.
So, while my brain is telling me in that The Defendant could very well be on his way back to the White House, my heart is saying that cannot happen.
I never liked my brain, so I’m listening these days to my heart.
IN ACKNOWLEDGING MY DESPAIR, I will not tolerate anyone lecturing me and my fellow Despair-Pals that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Trump is real; so is the peril he represents; fear is justified.
Don’t instruct us about the pitfalls of bad attitudes, that, just by admitting despair, we set off a self-fulfilling prophecy producing its predictable terrible outcome. That’s malarkey, to use a Biden word.
So, don't blame the worried, the sleepless, the frightened, the discouraged for what could be a terrible election outcome.
If you are not scared of The Defendant, then you are not paying attention, nor are you taking seriously Liz Cheney’s warning that the nation is sleepwalking into dictatorship.
My heart is telling me that we should not mistake despair for helplessness. Just because it seems that today, March 5, we feel doomed, that doesn’t mean that we are doomed.
Instead, we should use our despair as a source of energy and inspiration to work harder – much harder - to elect Joe Biden.
As individuals, all of us have to work as diligently and smartly as possible – and all the harder and smarter than we would if we were comforted by the belief that Biden was sure to win.
Mainly, we have to do what voters do best: vote.
We also need to persuade others to vote. We must beg our families to vote (or at least select family members). We can search out groups that organize letter-writing and postcard-sending and annoying telephone calling and which give us the addresses of doors to pound on. We must give money to the candidates and groups that can use it best, as much money as possible.
What we cannot do is quit , disappear, fade, hide or stop.
SOME OF OUR DESPAIR is news-generated.
We should recognize that the media does not exist to cheer us up. Pep talks are not how journalism works. More often than not, credible media lets us know what’s happening, and leaves the rest to us.
I know that many of my fellow Despair-Pals are furious at the New York Times, because the world’s greatest remaining newspaper seems determined to publish stories that make Biden look weak, while ignoring or downplaying The Defendant's alarming and dangerous flaws.
Makes me wonder whether the Times has established a "Democrats In Despair Desk," whose mission is to come up with at least one story a day to break Biden supporters' hearts.
Over the last weekend, the Times couldn’t seem to get enough of its recent poll showing Trump beating Biden, and Biden’s own supporters dissing him for being “old.”
Day after day, it feels like nothing is going President Biden’s way, while the momentum for The Defendant’s attempted return to the White House seems to be accelerating.
The polls are awful, and some are getting worse. More people are saying Biden should drop out as a candidate. Bibi Netanyahu, Trump’s Israeli clone, is making a fool of Biden’s pleas to stop killing Gaza civilians. A handful of Republican crazies in the House are undermining Biden’s vow to defend Ukraine.
Voters think immigration is the most important concern in their lives, and that it's Biden’s fault. Rents are exorbitant, and that’s Biden’s fault, too. Buying a house is out of reach for ordinary families, and it’s Biden’s fault.
Gas prices at the moment are lower than they have been. Unemployment is low; there’s no recession; crime is going down; and in general for lots of Americans, life is good. None of this is to Biden's credit.
The big one is that Biden is old. Too old. He looks old, talks old, walks old. Even worse, Joe gets older every day. It’s relentless, and it's Biden's fault.
I’m sure that I’m not alone. Millions of people care deeply about America, but at the moment see little that’s reassuring about Biden’s – and democracy’s – prospects on Nov. 5.
The question is: What to do about it?
The answer is that The Defendant - as Donald Trump is known in Jack Smith's election conspiracy indictment of last August - is too dangerous, too vile to be president of the United States. So he can't.
Like most people, I haven't the slightest idea of how to turn the current dynamics around, only that is what must happen. The Defendant is unacceptable. America – and perhaps the world – will be destroyed if he is put in charge.
So, while my brain is telling me in that The Defendant could very well be on his way back to the White House, my heart is saying that cannot happen.
I never liked my brain, so I’m listening these days to my heart.
IN ACKNOWLEDGING MY DESPAIR, I will not tolerate anyone lecturing me and my fellow Despair-Pals that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Trump is real; so is the peril he represents; fear is justified.
Don’t instruct us about the pitfalls of bad attitudes, that, just by admitting despair, we set off a self-fulfilling prophecy producing its predictable terrible outcome. That’s malarkey, to use a Biden word.
So, don't blame the worried, the sleepless, the frightened, the discouraged for what could be a terrible election outcome.
If you are not scared of The Defendant, then you are not paying attention, nor are you taking seriously Liz Cheney’s warning that the nation is sleepwalking into dictatorship.
My heart is telling me that we should not mistake despair for helplessness. Just because it seems that today, March 5, we feel doomed, that doesn’t mean that we are doomed.
Instead, we should use our despair as a source of energy and inspiration to work harder – much harder - to elect Joe Biden.
As individuals, all of us have to work as diligently and smartly as possible – and all the harder and smarter than we would if we were comforted by the belief that Biden was sure to win.
Mainly, we have to do what voters do best: vote.
We also need to persuade others to vote. We must beg our families to vote (or at least select family members). We can search out groups that organize letter-writing and postcard-sending and annoying telephone calling and which give us the addresses of doors to pound on. We must give money to the candidates and groups that can use it best, as much money as possible.
What we cannot do is quit , disappear, fade, hide or stop.
SOME OF OUR DESPAIR is news-generated.
We should recognize that the media does not exist to cheer us up. Pep talks are not how journalism works. More often than not, credible media lets us know what’s happening, and leaves the rest to us.
I know that many of my fellow Despair-Pals are furious at the New York Times, because the world’s greatest remaining newspaper seems determined to publish stories that make Biden look weak, while ignoring or downplaying The Defendant's alarming and dangerous flaws.
Makes me wonder whether the Times has established a "Democrats In Despair Desk," whose mission is to come up with at least one story a day to break Biden supporters' hearts.
Over the last weekend, the Times couldn’t seem to get enough of its recent poll showing Trump beating Biden, and Biden’s own supporters dissing him for being “old.”
The Times can argue that it’s just following the news, not making it, which is sort of correct.
But for our purposes, turning our anger on the Times and other media is a waste of time and energy, because the news folks are the wrong targets.
Defendant Trump is the villain of our shared nightmare. Defendant Donald is planning to turn America into a hellscape of hatred, injustice and vengeance.
We need to stay focused.
WHAT WOULD A COACH tell his team when it is behind at halftime?
Stay in the game.
Yes, things look bleak right now, because they are.
We can play better, harder, smarter, longer.
Circumstances change. We can help make them change.
And we can be ready when things go wrong for the other team - which they will.
Maybe Trump will do something that will shock even his most devoted cultists. Maybe he’ll start walking backwards. Or take to wearing women’s panties – on his head.
Maybe he’ll ridicule ardent supporters in ways that they’ll finally recognize how little he cares about them.
Maybe he’ll walk into a Washington courtroom and plead guilty to trying to overturn an election and throw his repulsive body on the mercy of the court.
As I mentioned, I’ve quit listening to my brain.
When I need cheering up, I’ll check in with Democratic optimists, whose track records give them credibility.
One upbeat expert is Simon Rosenberg, who puts out a website called the “Hopium Chronicles,” in which he calls for Democrats to stay hopeful, but more importantly, to work hard, really hard, to make their hopes come true.
Simon’s meditations have headings like this:
Humor helps.
Like this piece in The Atlantic magazine, by Jonathan Last, editor of The Bulwark, an anti-Trump online site. Last was responding to people wanting Biden replaced by a younger Democrat:
Like this piece in The Atlantic magazine, by Jonathan Last, editor of The Bulwark, an anti-Trump online site. Last was responding to people wanting Biden replaced by a younger Democrat:
As the political strategist Mike Murphy said many moons ago, Biden’s age is like a gigantic pair of antlers he wears on his head, all day every day. Even when he does something exceptional—like visit a war zone in Ukraine, or whip inflation—the people applauding him are thinking, Can’t. Stop. Staring. At. The antlers. Biden can’t shed these antlers. He’s going to wear them from now until November 5. If anything, they’ll probably grow. |
IT'S OKAY to feel despair, fear, worry and anxiety and the other common sense emotions that bubble up when faced by a psychopath like The Defendant. We’d be crazy to do otherwise.
We should pledge to do the very best we can to keep him away from the Oval Office.
We should get as much sleep as possible. Eat sensibly. Exercise responsibly.
Occasionally, we should laugh at ourselves and, more often, at our critics
And maybe, in solidarity with Joe Biden, we should get our own set of antlers.
We should pledge to do the very best we can to keep him away from the Oval Office.
We should get as much sleep as possible. Eat sensibly. Exercise responsibly.
Occasionally, we should laugh at ourselves and, more often, at our critics
And maybe, in solidarity with Joe Biden, we should get our own set of antlers.
JOE BIDEN SURE IS OLD;
HE'S STILL OUR BEST BET
TO WIN ON NOV. 5
I HAVE A RADICAL PROPOSAL.
Let’s stop wishing Joe Biden is something he’s not.
He’s not a track star. He can’t do cartwheels down the ramp of Air Force One.
He's not an ideal contestant for Jeopardy! He’s not the best guy to explain the Theory of Relativity. In a grocery checkout, he’ll probably slow the line while fumbling for exact change.
That’s because he’s old.
So, let’s stop trying to make him do things that only a younger person can do. At 81, he can’t match the energy of a Super Bowl quarterback. He can’t campaign round the clock; can't perform flawlessly on the public stage while running the country and conducting crisis seminars in the Situation Room. He’s no orator.
But today, is there a better man or woman to run the country and face down the evil of Donald Trump?
No. He's a terrific president. He's an expert on the difference between good and evil, democracy and dictatorship, Russia and Ukraine and a government that's competent and compassionate and one that's chaotic and cruel.
But some people disagree, and they wish Biden would step aside as the 2024 Democratic candidate, the sooner the better.
I KNOW HOW THEY FEEL.
I, too, wish Joe Biden was getting younger.
I also wish there was a grandstand filled with Democratic superstars, chomping at the bit to run president, brimming with political ambition and experience, any one of whom can take on Donald Trump as a can’t-lose Democratic nominee.
Man or woman, short or tall, religious or agnostic, just as long as they are charismatic Energizer bunnies, that's who I want. Prodigies, who are well-read in the Classics, but literate in pop music. I want someone socially compassionate, morally upright, feared by America’s foreign foes and beloved of America’s allies. I'd want to be inspired by silver-tongued speakers, who have PhDs in particle physics and heads stuffed with sports trivia. I want a veteran of Seal Team 6, who, in an emergency, can land Marine One on the South Lawn.
I also wish that Donald Trump was not running.
But he is.
And he's running strong. I won’t bore you with all of the reasons Donald Trump is the most dangerous candidate in U.S. history, other than he conspired, as a sitting president, to overturn the 2020 election.
So, I have no quarrel with the motives of people wanting Biden replaced. These are people of good will. They believe that the threat of a second Trump presidency is so ominous that the very future of democracy is at risk. And many admire Joe Biden - they just want to win, and they are scared that Biden can’t.
Replacing Biden is a theme that long has been running through the campaign, but surged after Special Counsel Special Counsel Robert K. Hur’s Feb. 5 report that cleared Biden of keeping secret records, but indicted him with the far more notorious high crime of being a doddering old fool.
Hur wrote:
Let’s stop wishing Joe Biden is something he’s not.
He’s not a track star. He can’t do cartwheels down the ramp of Air Force One.
He's not an ideal contestant for Jeopardy! He’s not the best guy to explain the Theory of Relativity. In a grocery checkout, he’ll probably slow the line while fumbling for exact change.
That’s because he’s old.
So, let’s stop trying to make him do things that only a younger person can do. At 81, he can’t match the energy of a Super Bowl quarterback. He can’t campaign round the clock; can't perform flawlessly on the public stage while running the country and conducting crisis seminars in the Situation Room. He’s no orator.
But today, is there a better man or woman to run the country and face down the evil of Donald Trump?
No. He's a terrific president. He's an expert on the difference between good and evil, democracy and dictatorship, Russia and Ukraine and a government that's competent and compassionate and one that's chaotic and cruel.
But some people disagree, and they wish Biden would step aside as the 2024 Democratic candidate, the sooner the better.
I KNOW HOW THEY FEEL.
I, too, wish Joe Biden was getting younger.
I also wish there was a grandstand filled with Democratic superstars, chomping at the bit to run president, brimming with political ambition and experience, any one of whom can take on Donald Trump as a can’t-lose Democratic nominee.
Man or woman, short or tall, religious or agnostic, just as long as they are charismatic Energizer bunnies, that's who I want. Prodigies, who are well-read in the Classics, but literate in pop music. I want someone socially compassionate, morally upright, feared by America’s foreign foes and beloved of America’s allies. I'd want to be inspired by silver-tongued speakers, who have PhDs in particle physics and heads stuffed with sports trivia. I want a veteran of Seal Team 6, who, in an emergency, can land Marine One on the South Lawn.
I also wish that Donald Trump was not running.
But he is.
And he's running strong. I won’t bore you with all of the reasons Donald Trump is the most dangerous candidate in U.S. history, other than he conspired, as a sitting president, to overturn the 2020 election.
So, I have no quarrel with the motives of people wanting Biden replaced. These are people of good will. They believe that the threat of a second Trump presidency is so ominous that the very future of democracy is at risk. And many admire Joe Biden - they just want to win, and they are scared that Biden can’t.
Replacing Biden is a theme that long has been running through the campaign, but surged after Special Counsel Special Counsel Robert K. Hur’s Feb. 5 report that cleared Biden of keeping secret records, but indicted him with the far more notorious high crime of being a doddering old fool.
Hur wrote:
We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. |
Hur’s political hatchet job unleashed fresh doubts about Biden’s abilities.
Among the skeptics is Ezra Klein, the New York Times star podcaster, who is open-minded, earnest, clearly liberal, the embodiment of fairness.
In a Feb. 16 podcast, Klein pointed to Biden’s stubbornly awful poll numbers, his fumbling public appearances, the fact that many voters don’t credit Biden’s successes, including an unexpectedly strong economy or Biden’s skill in foreign affairs. Klein was upset that Biden’s own staff seems to have doubts, keeping Biden away from public outings like a Super Bowl interview.
Klein said:
Among the skeptics is Ezra Klein, the New York Times star podcaster, who is open-minded, earnest, clearly liberal, the embodiment of fairness.
In a Feb. 16 podcast, Klein pointed to Biden’s stubbornly awful poll numbers, his fumbling public appearances, the fact that many voters don’t credit Biden’s successes, including an unexpectedly strong economy or Biden’s skill in foreign affairs. Klein was upset that Biden’s own staff seems to have doubts, keeping Biden away from public outings like a Super Bowl interview.
Klein said:
I still think Biden might win against Trump, even with all I’ve said. It’s just that there’s a very good chance he might lose. Maybe even better than even odds. And Trump is dangerous. I want better odds than that. |
Klein offered this plan: First, party leaders would persuade Biden to step down; Secondly, the Democratic National Convention would pick a nominee with a better chance of defeating Trump.
There is a ton of talent in the Democratic Party right now ... Some of them would make a run at the nomination. They would give speeches at the convention, and people would actually pay attention. The whole country would be watching the Democratic convention, and probably quite a bit happening in the run-up to it, and seeing what this murderer’s row of political talent could actually do. And then some ticket would be chosen based on how those people did. |
IT'S A POLITICAL FAIRY TALE.
If you doubt this, I invite you to take a quiz, identifying the people Klein named as members of his “ton of talent” pool.
I've listed their names.
And included photos.
I suspect you’ll get some of them right. But even politically literate readers may miss or mix up others.
The answers are below.
If you doubt this, I invite you to take a quiz, identifying the people Klein named as members of his “ton of talent” pool.
I've listed their names.
And included photos.
I suspect you’ll get some of them right. But even politically literate readers may miss or mix up others.
The answers are below.
The answers are:
NOW IMAGINE that the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19-22 in Chicago picks one of them to run against Trump.
Will most potential voters obsessively watch the convention on their antique TVs and social media and streaming feeds?
Will they know who the leading contenders are?
Two months later, on Nov. 5, will enough voters know the name of the Democratic nominee? Will they be certain that she or she should be president of the United States?
But nearly every voter will know who Donald Trump is.
“I’ve heard of that guy, but not the other one,” some voters – maybe enough voters – will say.
On the other hand, every voter already knows who Joe Biden is.
And if Democrats let well enough alone, and don't further screw up an already perilous election process, maybe Biden and the country have a chance.
Of course, nothing is certain, which is why this election is so fraught and frightening.
But maybe, just maybe, enough voters will conclude that Joe Biden, despite his age – or maybe because of it – is a national treasure.
- Gretchen Whitmer, 52, is the governor of Michigan.
- Wes Moore,45, governor of Maryland.
- Jared Polis, 48, governor of Colorado
- Gavin Newsom, 56, governor of California
- Raphael Warnock, 54, U.S. Senator from Georgia
- Josh Shapiro, 50, governor of Pennsylvania.
- Cory Booker, 54, U.S Senator of New Jersey.
- Ro Khanna, 47, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California.
- Pete Buttigieg, 42, U.S. secretary of transportation.
- Gina Raimondo, 52, U.S. secretary of commerce.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 34, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York.
- Chris Murphy, 50, U.S. Senator from Connecticut.
- Andy Beshear, 46, governor of Kentucky.
- J.B. Pritzker, 59, governor of Illinois.
NOW IMAGINE that the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19-22 in Chicago picks one of them to run against Trump.
Will most potential voters obsessively watch the convention on their antique TVs and social media and streaming feeds?
Will they know who the leading contenders are?
Two months later, on Nov. 5, will enough voters know the name of the Democratic nominee? Will they be certain that she or she should be president of the United States?
But nearly every voter will know who Donald Trump is.
“I’ve heard of that guy, but not the other one,” some voters – maybe enough voters – will say.
On the other hand, every voter already knows who Joe Biden is.
And if Democrats let well enough alone, and don't further screw up an already perilous election process, maybe Biden and the country have a chance.
Of course, nothing is certain, which is why this election is so fraught and frightening.
But maybe, just maybe, enough voters will conclude that Joe Biden, despite his age – or maybe because of it – is a national treasure.
JUST 9 MONTHS UNTIL NOV. 5
THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIVES
NINE MONTHS.
That’s all the time that’s left until the 2024 election, which will decide the future of the United States.
Will we remain a democracy, albeit an imperfect one? Or a dictatorship, from which there will be no return?
Nine months seems like a long time – plenty of time – to consider the choices.
But just a month ago, the election was 10 months away, and I’m betting you can’t remember a whole lot of what happened in your own life during January, to say nothing of the nation’s.
Which is why the remaining nine months will fly by, an instead of today being Feb. 5, it will be Nov. 5, Election Day, the election of our lives.
The good news is that there’s enough time.
That’s all the time that’s left until the 2024 election, which will decide the future of the United States.
Will we remain a democracy, albeit an imperfect one? Or a dictatorship, from which there will be no return?
Nine months seems like a long time – plenty of time – to consider the choices.
But just a month ago, the election was 10 months away, and I’m betting you can’t remember a whole lot of what happened in your own life during January, to say nothing of the nation’s.
Which is why the remaining nine months will fly by, an instead of today being Feb. 5, it will be Nov. 5, Election Day, the election of our lives.
The good news is that there’s enough time.
THE CHALLENGES, of course, are enormous.
The polls are hideous.
Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in a national match up, 46.7 to 44.6 percent, according to the website Real Clear Politics.
This is truly shocking.
The records of both men are well-established.
Trump, in his first term, proved himself to be the worst president in history, almost succeeding in overthrowing the election, in a multi-pronged conspiracy culminating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. During the Covid pandemic, hundreds of thousands died needlessly, thanks to his bungled management. Abroad, he undermined U.S. allies and lionized the nation’s authoritarian enemies
Biden, in his first term, proved himself to be one of the most successful presidents of modern times, returning the country to “normal” after the chaos of the Trump years, promoting far-sighted programs to repair roads and cur climate change. He proved adept at foreign policy, highlighted by his support of Ukraine’s heroic resistance to Russia’s invasion.
The polls are hideous.
Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in a national match up, 46.7 to 44.6 percent, according to the website Real Clear Politics.
This is truly shocking.
The records of both men are well-established.
Trump, in his first term, proved himself to be the worst president in history, almost succeeding in overthrowing the election, in a multi-pronged conspiracy culminating in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. During the Covid pandemic, hundreds of thousands died needlessly, thanks to his bungled management. Abroad, he undermined U.S. allies and lionized the nation’s authoritarian enemies
Biden, in his first term, proved himself to be one of the most successful presidents of modern times, returning the country to “normal” after the chaos of the Trump years, promoting far-sighted programs to repair roads and cur climate change. He proved adept at foreign policy, highlighted by his support of Ukraine’s heroic resistance to Russia’s invasion.
The polls are even more alarming when it comes to the six "battleground" states expected to determine the election’s outcome. He’s barely ahead only in one – Pennsylvania – and behind in Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia (where Trump leads by 7.2 percentage points). I take the polls seriously. Whatever its flaws, early polling means that a lot of voters have made up their minds; and it’s really, really hard for them, or for any of us, to change our opinions today, or nine months from now. A lot of people don’t mind that Trump faces felony charges in four courts, that he’s a rapist and a liar and that he and his allies are working on plans to create an authoritarian government. So what’s the good news? THE HOPEFUL PART is that it may not take a whole lot of votes to turn things around. Not that it won’t mean a lot of extraordinarily hard work and a fair amount of luck But it might not take that many votes to swing the election to Biden. Which means that every vote, and everything people do to increase voting, will make a difference. This was what happened in 2020, when Biden rescued the nation from Trump. You may remember that Joe whipped Don by more than 7 million votes; Joey got 51.3 percent, Donny just 46.8 percent. But the real margin was just a tad under 43,000 votes. That was the combined winning margins for Biden in three of the aforementioned battleground states – Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin. Biden won by absurdly thin margins in each state, but enough to throw their Electoral College votes to Joe Biden. This Electoral College system is one of the Constitution’s dangerous flaws; it means a candidate can have far more popular votes than his or her opponent, but lose the election because of the Electoral College formula. | BIDEN'S OLD But not too old ONE REASON many Americans don’t want Joe Biden to serve a second term is that he’s 81. Too old. But, remarkably, he’s active, hard-working and sharp. Exactly one month ago, on Jan. 5, Biden delivered a critical speech in Pennsylvania. It was a forceful, eloquent appearance that defined the election in stark terms, as a choice between democracy and dictatorship. What struck me was the vigor that Biden displayed. You can see for yourself. Below is a picture linked to a four-minute except of a C-Span video. To watch, click on the photo. Below the photo is a transcript of what's on the clip: Biden' is discussing the Jan.6 Capitol riot. “THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE PREVAILED. Not the anger of the mob or the appetites of one man. When the attack on January sixth happened, there was no doubt about the truth. At the time, even Republican members of Congress and Fox News commentators publicly and privately condemned the attack. As one Republican senator said, Trump’s behavior was embarrassing and humiliating for the country. (The transcript continues below the main story). |
Thus, out of 155 million combined votes for Biden and Trump, 42,918 people in three states made the difference.
Thank you, Founding Fathers for coming up with such a stupid, stupid system.
On the other hand, in a closely divided country, this can mean that everything each one of us does counts, including volunteering for a group trying to produce a relatively few votes.
Every door you knock on, every obnoxious phone call, every postcard or letter that you write, and every “discussion” you have with anyone, may make a difference.
As I said, I doubt you can change many people’s minds. But we might be able to persuade people to vote, even though they weren’t planning to.
The people involved are voters variously described as “undecided,” “detached,” “low-information,” and “cynical.”
The cynics say things like:
Various activist groups are working to influence presidential and congressional elections, and seeking volunteers to contact such voters, working from lists of people who might vote for Democrats, just not this time.
The organizations include Activate America and Swing Left. I hope to provide more information in the future about such groups and the actions that individuals can take.
Meanwhile, if you are a closet patriot...
... and if you fit any of the above categories of likely 2024 non-voters, this is your chance to change course and become an American Hero.
But you’ve only got nine months to figure that out.
Thank you, Founding Fathers for coming up with such a stupid, stupid system.
On the other hand, in a closely divided country, this can mean that everything each one of us does counts, including volunteering for a group trying to produce a relatively few votes.
Every door you knock on, every obnoxious phone call, every postcard or letter that you write, and every “discussion” you have with anyone, may make a difference.
As I said, I doubt you can change many people’s minds. But we might be able to persuade people to vote, even though they weren’t planning to.
The people involved are voters variously described as “undecided,” “detached,” “low-information,” and “cynical.”
The cynics say things like:
- Both candidates are terrible.
- I’m not interested in politics.
- Actually, I hate politics.
- A candidate said or did something stupid.
- He or she let me down on my pet issue.
- There’s not a dime’s difference between them.
Various activist groups are working to influence presidential and congressional elections, and seeking volunteers to contact such voters, working from lists of people who might vote for Democrats, just not this time.
The organizations include Activate America and Swing Left. I hope to provide more information in the future about such groups and the actions that individuals can take.
Meanwhile, if you are a closet patriot...
... and if you fit any of the above categories of likely 2024 non-voters, this is your chance to change course and become an American Hero.
But you’ve only got nine months to figure that out.
BIDEN'S JAN. 5TH SPEECH CONTINUED: "BUT NOW, that same senator and those same people have changed their tune. As time has gone on on, politics, fear, money, all have intervened. And now these MAGA voices, who know the truth about Trump on January sixth, have abandoned the truth and abandoned the democracy. They made their choice. Now, the rest of us, Democrats, independents, mainstream Republicans, we have to make our choice. I know mine, and I believe I know America’s. We’ll defend the truth, not give in to the big lie. We’ll embrace the Constitution of the Declaration, not abandon it. We’ll honor the sacred cause of democracy, not walk away from it. Today, I make this sacred pledge to you: The defense, protection and preservation of American democracy will remain, as it has been, the central cause of my presidency. America, as we begin this election year, we must be clear: Democracy is on the ballot. Your freedom is on the ballot. Yes, we’ll be voting on many issues: on the freedom to vote, and have your vote counted. On the freedom of choice. The freedom to have a fair shot. The freedom from fear. And we’ll debate and disagree. Without democracy, no progress is impossible. Think about it. The alternative to democracy is dictatorship. The rule of one, not the rule of we, the people. "THAT'S WHAT THE SOLDIERS of Valley Forge understood. So was me, we have to understand it as well. We’ve been blessed so long with a strong, stable democracy, it’s easy to forget why so many before us risked their lives and strengthened democracy. What our lives would be without it. Democracy means having the freedom to speak your mind, to be who you are, to be who you want to be. Democracy is about being able to bring about peaceful change. Democracy. Democracy is how we open the doors of opportunity wider and wider with each successive generation, not notwithstanding our mistakes. But if democracy falls, we’ll lose that freedom, we’ll lose the power of we, the people, to shape our destiny. If you doubt me, look around the world. Travel with me as I meet with other heads of state throughout the world. Look at the authoritarian leaders and dictators Trump says he admires. He out loud says he admires. I won’t go through them all. It would take too long.” If you want to watch the entire speech, click on the big photo of Biden, which is linked to the full C-Span video, which is preceded by an annoying ad. |
TRUMP TO HIS FANS:
I DON'T CARE IF YOU DIE -
JUST VOTE FOR ME FIRST
MEMO to would-be Trump voters:
Donald John Trump does not care about you.
He does not care if you are “sick as a dog.”
He doesn’t care if you drive in dangerous weather.
He doesn't care if you live. Or if you die.
Well, that last one needs some explanation:
It’s okay with Trump if you die, as long as you voted for him first.
I know that you don’t want to hear this. Because if you care for him so much, it makes sense that he feels the same about you.
I also know that if you and I were discussing this face-to-face, you’d tell me straight out that I’m a liar or, even worse, a sourpuss who never gets the joke.
Maybe you heard or read about this at the time that Trump explained it.
But I’d like to go through it again, because I think it tells you and the rest of us all that we need to know about Donald Trump.
IT’S THE DAY before the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses, and Trump is in a place called Indianola, at a rally attended by 500 people, a bigger crowd than his opponents can even dream about
The weather has turned savage. It’s been snowing heavily; temperatures are below zero; windchills are way below that.
People are worried about driving to schools, libraries and other caucus locations. Trump is worried, too. What if the weather keeps some people home?
“If you want to save America from crooked Joe Biden, you must go caucus tomorrow,” he says, exhorting his people to hit the road – not because the race is tight, but because it isn’t.
“We got to do it big,” he explains.
“You can’t sit home. If you’re as sick as a dog ...,” Trump says, imagining a kitchen-table discussion in which the husband tells his wife that he’s going to caucus, ill health or not.
Then Trump knocks it out of the park:
“Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it.”
Laughter can be heard in the background of a C-Span video of the rally. Trump is such a funny guy, which is one of the thousand reasons that people love him so much
What could be more hilarious than his suggestion that his supporters risk their lives, or the lives of people that they love, to ensure that he wins by a huge margin.
There are whoops and cheers as Trump continues his imagined wife-and-husband exchange, this time reversing the couple’s roles.
Now, it’s the husband’s turn to play the wimp, using his illness as an excuse to stay home, like a kid with a stomach ache trying to skip school.
“If you’re sick, if you’re just so sick, you can’t...,” Trump says, imitating the whiny husband making excuses to his spouse: ‘Dar,’ I don’t think....’”
Donald John Trump does not care about you.
He does not care if you are “sick as a dog.”
He doesn’t care if you drive in dangerous weather.
He doesn't care if you live. Or if you die.
Well, that last one needs some explanation:
It’s okay with Trump if you die, as long as you voted for him first.
I know that you don’t want to hear this. Because if you care for him so much, it makes sense that he feels the same about you.
I also know that if you and I were discussing this face-to-face, you’d tell me straight out that I’m a liar or, even worse, a sourpuss who never gets the joke.
Maybe you heard or read about this at the time that Trump explained it.
But I’d like to go through it again, because I think it tells you and the rest of us all that we need to know about Donald Trump.
IT’S THE DAY before the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses, and Trump is in a place called Indianola, at a rally attended by 500 people, a bigger crowd than his opponents can even dream about
The weather has turned savage. It’s been snowing heavily; temperatures are below zero; windchills are way below that.
People are worried about driving to schools, libraries and other caucus locations. Trump is worried, too. What if the weather keeps some people home?
“If you want to save America from crooked Joe Biden, you must go caucus tomorrow,” he says, exhorting his people to hit the road – not because the race is tight, but because it isn’t.
“We got to do it big,” he explains.
“You can’t sit home. If you’re as sick as a dog ...,” Trump says, imagining a kitchen-table discussion in which the husband tells his wife that he’s going to caucus, ill health or not.
Then Trump knocks it out of the park:
“Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it.”
Laughter can be heard in the background of a C-Span video of the rally. Trump is such a funny guy, which is one of the thousand reasons that people love him so much
What could be more hilarious than his suggestion that his supporters risk their lives, or the lives of people that they love, to ensure that he wins by a huge margin.
There are whoops and cheers as Trump continues his imagined wife-and-husband exchange, this time reversing the couple’s roles.
Now, it’s the husband’s turn to play the wimp, using his illness as an excuse to stay home, like a kid with a stomach ache trying to skip school.
“If you’re sick, if you’re just so sick, you can’t...,” Trump says, imitating the whiny husband making excuses to his spouse: ‘Dar,’ I don’t think....’”
But she’s a tough one, and she's having none of it. “Get up; get up,” the wife bellows. “You get up. You vote.” “Yes, Darling,” the husband replies meekly. Aware of, but not directly discussing the treacherous driving conditions, Trump promises that all will be well. “You’re going to be safe,” he assures the crowd. “And, again, all indoors. It’s going to be all indoors.” “But you got to get up,” he insists. “You got to vote, because it has nothing to do with anything but taking our nation back, and that’s the biggest thing there is.” | IN HIS OWN WORDS... Here's a recording of Trump's instructions to his followers to ignore treacherous driving conditions and attend the Iowa caucuses. This is copied from a C-SPAN video. |
INDEED, TRUMP WON the caucuses and won big, with 51 percent of the vote.
Turnout was low, maybe because of the harsh winter, maybe because people were sick as dogs, or maybe because they wanted to watch football on TV.
News reports said that 108,000 people participated overall, compared to 187,000 in 2016.
We also don’t know if anyone was hurt or killed going to a caucus or coming home from one
Most reporters didn’t stick around to find out, since the press pack had quickly headed for New Hampshire, the next non-event in the non-race for the GOP nomination.
As for Trump, he’d already said his piece. He didn’t care.
Turnout was low, maybe because of the harsh winter, maybe because people were sick as dogs, or maybe because they wanted to watch football on TV.
News reports said that 108,000 people participated overall, compared to 187,000 in 2016.
We also don’t know if anyone was hurt or killed going to a caucus or coming home from one
Most reporters didn’t stick around to find out, since the press pack had quickly headed for New Hampshire, the next non-event in the non-race for the GOP nomination.
As for Trump, he’d already said his piece. He didn’t care.
BE ANGRY
Not only with Trump. But the
people who make him possible
I’D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT from the crusade to prevent Donald Trump from destroying America, just a brief moment to register a complaint:
It’s not fair. None of it.
As a country, we didn’t deserve Donald Trump when he took office in 2016.
It also wasn’t fair that Trump turned out to be an even more treacherous president than predicted by his sorry, sordid history as a business cheat, a bigot, an abuser of women, a TV huckster and a liar.
It’s wasn’t fair that after four years in the White House, Trump conspired to overturn the election that he’d just lost to Joe Biden.
Now, it’s even more unfair that Trump, facing four major indictments, is still with us, and in the polls, running ahead of Biden.
So, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the injustice all of this, even though it doesn’t count whether you, I or anyone else has hurt feelings. What matters is what we do to defeat Trump.
On the other hand, I think that sometimes analytical, practical liberals forget to be angry – crazy mad, jumping-up-and-down furious and out-of-our-minds insane about being terrorized for eight years by Donald Trump.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
By "we," I mean the millions of Americans who, among other things, are decent people.
Most Americans love their children. They pay most of their taxes; they usually tell the truth; they are likely to stop at traffic lights; and often they are kind to their pets.
Lots of Americans support and volunteer with hometown charities; they take care of their elders; most Americans don’t own guns, don’t shoplift, don’t say expletive deleted in public.
A good many Americans wish that society should be less biased than we actually are; and a lot of Americans would like to curb the man-made gasses that are frying the planet.
In other words, I believe that lots of us try do the right thing, at least what seems to be the right thing, at the time we’re doing it.
Three years ago, we did this by voting Trump out of the White House.
It was a happy outcome that seemed to be in line with something that the Sardinian philosopher, Joseph de Maistre, wrote in French in 1811: Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite:
But that turns out to be wrong. It's actually bogus.
The fact is we often don’t get the government we deserve.
Exhibit A: we got Trump.
TRUMP CAME TO BE, in part, because of an unfair election system.
We expect that a candidate who gets the most votes wins. But that’s not always the case, thanks to one of the Constitution’s most flawed provisions, choosing winners not on vote totals, but “electoral votes,” determined by the number of each state’s U.S. Senate and House of Representatives seats.
As you well know, the popular vote and the electoral count sometimes are out of sync.
Hilary Clinton, in 2016, received nearly 3-million more votes than Trump, 48.2 percent to 46.1 percent. But the Electoral College, with a score of 304 to 227, waltzed Trump into the Oval Office.
It wasn’t fair.
It’s not fair. None of it.
As a country, we didn’t deserve Donald Trump when he took office in 2016.
It also wasn’t fair that Trump turned out to be an even more treacherous president than predicted by his sorry, sordid history as a business cheat, a bigot, an abuser of women, a TV huckster and a liar.
It’s wasn’t fair that after four years in the White House, Trump conspired to overturn the election that he’d just lost to Joe Biden.
Now, it’s even more unfair that Trump, facing four major indictments, is still with us, and in the polls, running ahead of Biden.
So, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the injustice all of this, even though it doesn’t count whether you, I or anyone else has hurt feelings. What matters is what we do to defeat Trump.
On the other hand, I think that sometimes analytical, practical liberals forget to be angry – crazy mad, jumping-up-and-down furious and out-of-our-minds insane about being terrorized for eight years by Donald Trump.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
By "we," I mean the millions of Americans who, among other things, are decent people.
Most Americans love their children. They pay most of their taxes; they usually tell the truth; they are likely to stop at traffic lights; and often they are kind to their pets.
Lots of Americans support and volunteer with hometown charities; they take care of their elders; most Americans don’t own guns, don’t shoplift, don’t say expletive deleted in public.
A good many Americans wish that society should be less biased than we actually are; and a lot of Americans would like to curb the man-made gasses that are frying the planet.
In other words, I believe that lots of us try do the right thing, at least what seems to be the right thing, at the time we’re doing it.
Three years ago, we did this by voting Trump out of the White House.
It was a happy outcome that seemed to be in line with something that the Sardinian philosopher, Joseph de Maistre, wrote in French in 1811: Toute nation a le gouvernement qu'elle mérite:
- One translation: Every nation has the government it deserves.
- Another version: In a democracy, people get the leaders they deserve.
But that turns out to be wrong. It's actually bogus.
The fact is we often don’t get the government we deserve.
Exhibit A: we got Trump.
TRUMP CAME TO BE, in part, because of an unfair election system.
We expect that a candidate who gets the most votes wins. But that’s not always the case, thanks to one of the Constitution’s most flawed provisions, choosing winners not on vote totals, but “electoral votes,” determined by the number of each state’s U.S. Senate and House of Representatives seats.
As you well know, the popular vote and the electoral count sometimes are out of sync.
Hilary Clinton, in 2016, received nearly 3-million more votes than Trump, 48.2 percent to 46.1 percent. But the Electoral College, with a score of 304 to 227, waltzed Trump into the Oval Office.
It wasn’t fair.
HERE’S SOMETHING ELSE that’s not fair. A lot of the time, federal and state governments ignore what people want.
Take guns. According to the Pew Research Center, 58 percent of Americans want stricter gun laws. Sixty-seven percent want government to prioritize alternative energy sources to curb climate change; 61 percent think there’s too much economic inequality. The Gallup poll says 69 percent would allow first-trimester abortions.
Word from the State Houses and/or Congress to America: “Who cares?”
So forgive me if I take a minute or two to complain, to be just a little indignant and out-of-my-mind furious, because the country and the world are in trouble, and we don’t seem to be able to fix them.
Take guns. According to the Pew Research Center, 58 percent of Americans want stricter gun laws. Sixty-seven percent want government to prioritize alternative energy sources to curb climate change; 61 percent think there’s too much economic inequality. The Gallup poll says 69 percent would allow first-trimester abortions.
Word from the State Houses and/or Congress to America: “Who cares?”
So forgive me if I take a minute or two to complain, to be just a little indignant and out-of-my-mind furious, because the country and the world are in trouble, and we don’t seem to be able to fix them.
NOW, FOR THE WORST PART.
Remember those mostly nice Americans I was telling you about?
Well, they are still here.
But what Trump demonstrated in 2016 and what he’s showing us again, is that there’s a second bunch of Americans – and it’s a big bunch – who aren’t nice at all.
More than 74-million people voted for him in 2020.
And that wasn't fair to the rest of us.
We’ve trusted our neighbors.
We thought we shared most of the important things, the basic, core values like being a good loser, obeying the law, telling the truth and supporting the peaceful, non-violent transfer of power.
We thought we could rely on each other, the folks in the house across the street and others, whom we've never met and who live on the other side of the country.
The shock in 2016 was that even though Trump had lost the popular vote, millions of people did vote for him and cheered when the Electoral College put him over the top.
Now, even more people would do it again.
Even after Trump’s terrible presidency, culminating in his attempt to overturn the Biden election by engineering the 2021 riot at the Capitol, millions of voters are okay with that and want him to continue to do awful stuff, only worse.
Think of it. The presumptive leader of the free world tried to cheat on an election, and lots of people are okay with that.
Pollsters tell us that if the election were held today, more people would vote for Trump than Joe Biden.
And the reason lies with those who are close to us.
Our uncles, wives, great-aunts and brothers are okay with Donald Trump.
The same goes for our co-workers, teaching assistants, second-best friends and the diners at the restaurant table next to ours.
The guy driving the Honda Civic behind our F-150 is A-OK with Trump.
People who went to daycare with us have grown up to be okay with Trump.
Fans, who are cheering for our football team, are okay with Donald Trump.
The patient groaning in the emergency room bay next to yours is okay with Donald Trump.
The friendly lady, who’s walking in the park with her cute Jack Russell, is okay with Donald Trump.
We are betrayed.
Remember those mostly nice Americans I was telling you about?
Well, they are still here.
But what Trump demonstrated in 2016 and what he’s showing us again, is that there’s a second bunch of Americans – and it’s a big bunch – who aren’t nice at all.
More than 74-million people voted for him in 2020.
And that wasn't fair to the rest of us.
We’ve trusted our neighbors.
We thought we shared most of the important things, the basic, core values like being a good loser, obeying the law, telling the truth and supporting the peaceful, non-violent transfer of power.
We thought we could rely on each other, the folks in the house across the street and others, whom we've never met and who live on the other side of the country.
The shock in 2016 was that even though Trump had lost the popular vote, millions of people did vote for him and cheered when the Electoral College put him over the top.
Now, even more people would do it again.
Even after Trump’s terrible presidency, culminating in his attempt to overturn the Biden election by engineering the 2021 riot at the Capitol, millions of voters are okay with that and want him to continue to do awful stuff, only worse.
Think of it. The presumptive leader of the free world tried to cheat on an election, and lots of people are okay with that.
Pollsters tell us that if the election were held today, more people would vote for Trump than Joe Biden.
And the reason lies with those who are close to us.
Our uncles, wives, great-aunts and brothers are okay with Donald Trump.
The same goes for our co-workers, teaching assistants, second-best friends and the diners at the restaurant table next to ours.
The guy driving the Honda Civic behind our F-150 is A-OK with Trump.
People who went to daycare with us have grown up to be okay with Trump.
Fans, who are cheering for our football team, are okay with Donald Trump.
The patient groaning in the emergency room bay next to yours is okay with Donald Trump.
The friendly lady, who’s walking in the park with her cute Jack Russell, is okay with Donald Trump.
We are betrayed.
ELECTION COUNTDOWN:
10 MONTHS TO GO.
Democracy Is On The Line Nov. 5th
THERE ARE JUST 10 MONTHS, as of today, until the Nov. 5 election.
Which means that the election, which will determine whether the United States remains a democracy, is almost here. And right now, democracy is losing.
I had a close encounter earlier this week with one of the many obstacles that President Joe Biden faces in his underdog campaign to win a second term, and prevent Donald Trump from returning to the White House and creating a dictatorship.
My wife and I were at one of several events that Rhode Island Democrats are holding to collect signatures to put Biden’s name on the ballot for our state’s April 2 presidential primary.
This signature gathering event happened to be held at the Middletown Public Library. Greeting us at the front door was an affable guy with a clipboard. He asked whether we were registered voters, and if so, could we sign some nomination papers?
The candidate? Dean Phillips.
You might be excused for wondering who Phillips us. He’s the Minnesota Congressman who is challenging Biden for the Democratic nomination. Phillips claims to be a big fan of the president, but warns that Biden can’t win, so he’s stepping up.
“Absolutely not!” I told the guy, who said he was from Phillips' state and seemed taken aback by my response. Shouldn’t voters have a choice, he asked? And besides, we're all the same side, wanting to defeat Donald Trump - right?
Wrong.
Phillips’ candidacy is absurd. But it’s also dangerous. Because anything that suggests pro-democracy voters have a choice other than Biden – such as an alternative Democrat, or a third-party candidate – takes precious votes from Biden and helps Donald Trump.
Which means that the election, which will determine whether the United States remains a democracy, is almost here. And right now, democracy is losing.
I had a close encounter earlier this week with one of the many obstacles that President Joe Biden faces in his underdog campaign to win a second term, and prevent Donald Trump from returning to the White House and creating a dictatorship.
My wife and I were at one of several events that Rhode Island Democrats are holding to collect signatures to put Biden’s name on the ballot for our state’s April 2 presidential primary.
This signature gathering event happened to be held at the Middletown Public Library. Greeting us at the front door was an affable guy with a clipboard. He asked whether we were registered voters, and if so, could we sign some nomination papers?
The candidate? Dean Phillips.
You might be excused for wondering who Phillips us. He’s the Minnesota Congressman who is challenging Biden for the Democratic nomination. Phillips claims to be a big fan of the president, but warns that Biden can’t win, so he’s stepping up.
“Absolutely not!” I told the guy, who said he was from Phillips' state and seemed taken aback by my response. Shouldn’t voters have a choice, he asked? And besides, we're all the same side, wanting to defeat Donald Trump - right?
Wrong.
Phillips’ candidacy is absurd. But it’s also dangerous. Because anything that suggests pro-democracy voters have a choice other than Biden – such as an alternative Democrat, or a third-party candidate – takes precious votes from Biden and helps Donald Trump.
NOTHING will be more catastrophic to the country than Trump returning to White House, which is a nightmare that today seems not only possible, but likely.
The Real Clear Politics website, which tracks current voter preferences, has been showing Trump with a more than two-point lead in a hypothetical match up. These were the figures yesterday.
BIDEN: 44.3 percent
TRUMP: 46.5 percent
Astonishing.
Especially astonishing considering the symbolism of tomorrow’s anniversary – the third year since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Trump’s final, desperate attempt to stay in power.
That should have been the end of Trump. Instead, the opposite has happened. Trump gets a pass from millions of Republicans.
For example, a disturbingly large cohort of voters think the FBI, not Trump, was responsible for the Jan. 6 insurrection.
A Washington Post/University of Maryland poll asked respondents whether it was true or false that FBI operatives caused the Capitol riot. Twenty-five percent answered it was "definitely" or "probably" true that the FBI was behind the uprising.
Trump can probably count on some of these unhinged voters to support his election and his goals if he wins: to put federal departments, the military, the apparatus of government under his control.
The Real Clear Politics website, which tracks current voter preferences, has been showing Trump with a more than two-point lead in a hypothetical match up. These were the figures yesterday.
BIDEN: 44.3 percent
TRUMP: 46.5 percent
Astonishing.
Especially astonishing considering the symbolism of tomorrow’s anniversary – the third year since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Trump’s final, desperate attempt to stay in power.
That should have been the end of Trump. Instead, the opposite has happened. Trump gets a pass from millions of Republicans.
For example, a disturbingly large cohort of voters think the FBI, not Trump, was responsible for the Jan. 6 insurrection.
A Washington Post/University of Maryland poll asked respondents whether it was true or false that FBI operatives caused the Capitol riot. Twenty-five percent answered it was "definitely" or "probably" true that the FBI was behind the uprising.
Trump can probably count on some of these unhinged voters to support his election and his goals if he wins: to put federal departments, the military, the apparatus of government under his control.
OBVIOUSLY, millions of other Americans are opposed to a dictatorship, and wonder what they can do to help Biden, who many people, myself included, think has been a capable president.
Offering advice is Robert Reich, a University of California professor and former labor secretary under President Bill Clinton.
In a recent column in The Guardian newspaper, Reich proposes 10 steps individuals can take to head off a Trump victory. Here are two:
Ten months until the election.
Ten months to save a country.
Offering advice is Robert Reich, a University of California professor and former labor secretary under President Bill Clinton.
In a recent column in The Guardian newspaper, Reich proposes 10 steps individuals can take to head off a Trump victory. Here are two:
- "Become a political activist to ensure Trump is not elected. For some of us, this will mean taking more time out of our normal lives, up to and including getting out the votes in critical swing states. For others, it means phone banking, making political contributions, writing letters to editors, and calling friends and relations in key states."
- "Don’t decide to sit this election out or to vote for a third-party candidate, because you don’t especially like Biden and you’re tired of voting for the 'lesser of two evils.' Biden may not be perfect, but he’s not the lesser of two evils. Trump is truly evil.
Ten months until the election.
Ten months to save a country.
NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: GO CRAZY OVER POLITICS
An election, only months away, will change our country and our lives
THIS LITTLE BOAT, with its flag-style sail, is one of my favorite images from last year, suggesting - at least to me - this singular challenge: Can America make it safely through 2024?
The boat sails alone under angry skies. But it seems to do so with confidence, suggesting that, despite ominous odds, it expects to reach its destination.
As I took this photo last October, someone on board waved cheerfully at me as the boat moved steadily up Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. I don’t know why.
Maybe he was just a showoff.
Maybe he was a terrorist, enlisting Old Glory en route to his rendezvous with Donald Trump, eager to join his cult's mission to turn the United States into a dictatorship and, incidentally, keep Our Leader out of jail.
I prefer to think of the sailor as a patriot, proud of his country, its traditions and sacred symbols, suggesting that no matter how bleak the prospects, democracy can be saved.
The day I saw the boat, I was taking one of my favorite walks, at Fort Adams State Park, where there are lots of ways to have fun: ruby matches, sailing programs, vintage car shows and the Newport folk and jazz festivals.
Instead, I was obsessing about Donald Trump.
IT'S CRAZY.
All I care about on any day, at any time of day, is politics and whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump will win the Electoral College.
Instead of seeing a boat with a clever sail, I looked for signs about whether the United States, as we know it, will survive.
The boat sails alone under angry skies. But it seems to do so with confidence, suggesting that, despite ominous odds, it expects to reach its destination.
As I took this photo last October, someone on board waved cheerfully at me as the boat moved steadily up Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. I don’t know why.
Maybe he was just a showoff.
Maybe he was a terrorist, enlisting Old Glory en route to his rendezvous with Donald Trump, eager to join his cult's mission to turn the United States into a dictatorship and, incidentally, keep Our Leader out of jail.
I prefer to think of the sailor as a patriot, proud of his country, its traditions and sacred symbols, suggesting that no matter how bleak the prospects, democracy can be saved.
The day I saw the boat, I was taking one of my favorite walks, at Fort Adams State Park, where there are lots of ways to have fun: ruby matches, sailing programs, vintage car shows and the Newport folk and jazz festivals.
Instead, I was obsessing about Donald Trump.
IT'S CRAZY.
All I care about on any day, at any time of day, is politics and whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump will win the Electoral College.
Instead of seeing a boat with a clever sail, I looked for signs about whether the United States, as we know it, will survive.
Maybe the boat was just a boat. Just enjoy it. Seems nutty to turn every little thing into a seminar on the election.
Or is it?
Is it crazy to be afraid that the worst president in history – a vicious cheat, a sex criminal and psychopath who almost overturned the election that he’d just lost – is not only trying again, but at the moment he's winning?
What I’m hoping is that millions of people will recognize there's a catastrophe in the making, and realize there is only one thing that matters in 2024.
It's not the economy, the climate, overseas wars, all of which truly are all critical, that counts this year. The life-and-death event of 2024 will be number of votes counted on Nov. 5.
If Trump wins, there will be no going back: “Oops, I guess that a dictatorship wasn’t a good idea after all.”
WHAT TO DO?
I have no special insight here. I’m just one insignificant elderly gentleman, who's no more worth listening to than any other loudmouth sounding off at the neighborhood diner.
But in this national crisis, every voice, every idea, every opinion, every vote, counts. So, here are my two-cents about what to do:
ON NEW YEAR’S DAY, which is supposed to be the final, joyful holiday of the season, everything seems grim, because it is grim.
Biden is too old, and his many accomplishments are unappreciated. Millions of voters have already made up their minds and not in a good way.
It’s impossible to understand anyone voting for Donald Trump, but they plan to.
So, it's up to millions of other Americans to care about the peril we face as individuals and as a country.
Politics will crush us. Or save us. It’s not hopeless. We can make 2024 the year Americans cared enough about their democracy to save it.
Go crazy.
Or is it?
Is it crazy to be afraid that the worst president in history – a vicious cheat, a sex criminal and psychopath who almost overturned the election that he’d just lost – is not only trying again, but at the moment he's winning?
What I’m hoping is that millions of people will recognize there's a catastrophe in the making, and realize there is only one thing that matters in 2024.
It's not the economy, the climate, overseas wars, all of which truly are all critical, that counts this year. The life-and-death event of 2024 will be number of votes counted on Nov. 5.
If Trump wins, there will be no going back: “Oops, I guess that a dictatorship wasn’t a good idea after all.”
WHAT TO DO?
I have no special insight here. I’m just one insignificant elderly gentleman, who's no more worth listening to than any other loudmouth sounding off at the neighborhood diner.
But in this national crisis, every voice, every idea, every opinion, every vote, counts. So, here are my two-cents about what to do:
- Everyone should care about the Nov. 5 election. The more obsessed people get, the more people will be alert to the danger and how to avoid it. Big numbers are the only way to be rid of Donald Trump.
- Stop complaining about Joe Biden age and other flaws, and start talking about the positive things he’s done, including not being Donald Trump.
- Stop thinking of yourself, and your one vote, as insignificant.
- Give money. Politicians, the good ones included, need lots of it.
- Look for small things to do – go door-to-door, write letters, postcards and texts. Some of them may work.
- If you have friends or relatives on the Trump-Biden fence, tell them – respectfully - how important this election is to you and how deeply you feel about it. One out of a hundred may care.
- If you are an ace headline writer or advertising genius, write a slogan that nails Biden. So far, no one has. But there is an effective slogan out there somewhere; the right two or three words may win the election.
ON NEW YEAR’S DAY, which is supposed to be the final, joyful holiday of the season, everything seems grim, because it is grim.
Biden is too old, and his many accomplishments are unappreciated. Millions of voters have already made up their minds and not in a good way.
It’s impossible to understand anyone voting for Donald Trump, but they plan to.
So, it's up to millions of other Americans to care about the peril we face as individuals and as a country.
Politics will crush us. Or save us. It’s not hopeless. We can make 2024 the year Americans cared enough about their democracy to save it.
Go crazy.
BRIAN C. JONES
I'VE BEEN a reporter and writer for 60 years, long enough to have learned that journalists don't know very much, although I've met some smart ones.
Mainly, what reporters know comes from asking other people questions and fretting about the answers.
This blog is a successor to one inspired by our dog, Phoebe, who was smart, sweet and the antithesis of Donald Trump. She died Feb. 3, and I don't see getting over that very soon.
Occasionally, I may try to reach her via cell phone.
Mainly, what reporters know comes from asking other people questions and fretting about the answers.
This blog is a successor to one inspired by our dog, Phoebe, who was smart, sweet and the antithesis of Donald Trump. She died Feb. 3, and I don't see getting over that very soon.
Occasionally, I may try to reach her via cell phone.
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