;)
The Commentariat -- Nov. 13, 2016
... CW: Brilliant!
How Andy Borowitz explained the presidential election result to his daughter. Really.
Mission Accomplished, Jim Comey. Amy Chozick of the New York Times: "Hillary Clinton on Saturday cast blame for her surprise election loss on the announcement by the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, days before the election that he had revived the inquiry into her use of a private email server. In her most extensive remarks since she conceded the race to Donald J. Trump early Wednesday, Mrs. Clinton told donors on a 30-minute conference call that Mr. Comey's decision to send a letter to Congress about the inquiry 11 days before Election Day had thrust the controversy back into the news and had prevented her from ending the campaign with an optimistic closing argument.... Mrs. Clinton said a second letter from Mr. Comey, clearing her once again, which came two days before Election Day, had been even more damaging." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ...
... CW: If the Clinton campaign's analysis is correct, then I was right when I wrote on October 28, the day of Comey's first letter to Congress, "I must say I never guessed something as insignificant as Anthony Weiner's dick would lead to the downfall of the United States. But there you go." ...
... Kevin Drum notes, as contributor Patrick did contemporaneously, that headline writers played along, noting that the FBI would not bring "charges" or "action" against Clinton. "... we now know that both the Trump campaign and the Clinton campaign agree that Comey's intervention played a significant role in the election.... If it weren't for Comey, nobody would be talking about the white working class or disenchanted millennials or third-party candidates. We'd be talking instead about the implosion of the Republican Party and arguing over who Clinton should choose as her Treasury Secretary." -- CW
Steve M.: "Clinton was so busy portraying Trump as a monster that she forgot to say he'd be a lousy president.... Clinton's campaign echoed the media's message that what was important about Trump was his character and personal behavior. Ad after Clinton ad showed Trump insulting women and mocking a disabled reporter. No Clinton ad, as far as I know, ever went after Trump's economic plan the way this Barack Obama ad, for instance, went after Mitt Romney's:
Our Great White Patriarchy. Gloria Steinem, in the Guardian: "The truth is that for two and a half centuries, this country has excluded females of every race from its top leadership; also the 40% of males who are African American, Hispanic, Jewish, or otherwise seen as needing an adjective; also the 5% who identify as gay or lesbian; and also the 60% who can't afford to purchase a college degree. There has been only one president who wasn't married, and none who was openly atheist or agnostic. Add this up, and we've been selecting our top leadership from 10% of our talent at most. We may be giving birth to democracy, but there will be years of labor to come." -- CW
Gail Collins: "Sometime soon, there'll be another woman presidential nominee. Maybe she'll be in the Clinton tradition, the grand and glorious American worker bees. Maybe she'll just leap out, like Barack Obama did, a fresh face with a new message. All we can know now is that when we talk about how she got there, we'll be telling Hillary Clinton's story." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Eli Rosenberg, et al., of the New York Times: "Thousands of demonstrations filled public squares, parks and streets in the country's three largest cities on Saturday to protest President-elect Donald J. Trump, part of a wave of dissent that has swelled since the presidential contest last week.... Many protest leaders had supported Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont in the Democratic primary race and either did not vote or chose a third-party candidate in the general election, said Ben Becker, an organizer with the Answer Coalition.... Their anger, he said, had been exacerbated by the conciliatory tone shown to Mr. Trump by President Obama and Hillary Clinton after Mrs. Clinton's defeat. More protests are planned for the coming days, and preparations already are underway for a large demonstration at Mr. Trump's inauguration in January." ...
... CW: Excuse me? You voted for a third-party candidate & now you're complaining Trump won? You might be better, but you ain't no smarter than a Trumpbot.
Bernie Sanders, in a New York Times op-ed: "When my presidential campaign came to an end, I pledged to my supporters that the political revolution would continue. And now, more than ever, that must happen." -- CW ...
... Daniel Strauss of Politico: "Supporters of Bernie Sanders' failed presidential bid are seizing on Democratic disarray at the national level to launch a wave of challenges to Democratic Party leaders in the states. The goal is to replace party officials in states where Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton during the acrimonious Democratic primary with more progressive leadership. But the challenges also represent a reckoning for state party leaders who, in many cases, tacitly supported Clinton's bid." -- CW
CW: As many readers know, I'm not a fan of MoDo, but she may be right here: President "Obama lost touch with his revolutionary side and settled comfortably into being an Ivy League East Coast cerebral elitist who hung out with celebrities, lectured Congress and scorned the art of political persuasion.... The man who swept into the White House in a boisterous rebellion was dismissive of the boisterous rebellions in both the Democratic and Republican Parties. He insisted that an incrementalist and fellow Ivy League East Coast cerebral elitist who hangs out with celebrities would be best to save his legacy."
"60 Minutes": "... Donald Trump says he will not throw out all parts of the Affordable Care Act he said he would do away with before the election. In his first post-election television interview, he said he will keep the portions covering people with pre-existing conditions and children living at home under the age of 26. Trump also said Hillary and Bill Clinton called him separately to offer congratulations, characterizing the former president as 'gracious' in his call and his former opponent in her call 'couldn't have been nicer.'" Includes portions of "60 Minutes" interview transcript. -- CW ...
... HOWEVER. Trump Hasn't Decided Whether or Not to Lock Her Up. Eric Lichtblau of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump ... faces a momentous decision over whether to make good on his oft-repeated campaign pledge to have a special prosecutor 'lock up' Hillary Clinton. That decision will signal whether Mr. Trump intends to look ahead and 'bind the wounds of division,' as he pledged to do in his acceptance speech early Wednesday, or look back and settle political scores, as he often seemed inclined to do during his campaign.... His top aides have left the door open to [re-investigating Clinton]. The possibility of a new investigation into Mrs. Clinton's email server has forced the White House to field questions about whether President Obama might offer Mrs. Clinton a pardon to insulate her from criminal charges. Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, said last week that he would not discuss Mr. Obama's thinking on any particular case for clemency, but he sent a strong signal that it would be inappropriate for Mr. Trump to revive the Clinton investigation." -- CW
Paul Waldman: "The greatest trick Donald Trump pulled was convincing voters he'd be 'anti-establishment.'... An organizational chart of Trump's transition team shows it to be crawling with corporate lobbyists, representing such clients as Altria, Visa, Coca-Cola, General Electric, Verizon, HSBC, Pfizer, Dow Chemical, and Duke Energy.... Who could possibly have predicted such a thing? The answer is, anyone who was paying attention.... Trump's tax plan would give 47 percent of its benefits to the richest one percent of taxpayers. Paul Ryan's tax plan is even purer -- it gives 76 percent of its cuts to the richest one percent in its first year, and by 2025 would feed 99.6 percent of its benefits to the top 1 percent. Once that's accomplished, Trump and the Republicans plan to either gut or completely repeal the Dodd-Frank financial regulations, the greatest wish of Wall Street bankers.... Voters thinking that Trump would vanquish the establishment were just marks for a con, like those who lost their life savings at Trump University." -- CW (Also linked yesterday.)
... Michael Biesecker, et al., of the AP: "Donald Trump elicited wild cheers on the campaign trail by pledging to 'drain the swamp' in Washington, but the president-elect's transition team is populated largely with creatures of the capital, including former federal bureaucrats, think-tank academics, corporate lawyers and special-interest lobbyists. An internal organizational chart for the Trump transition team lists more than 30 names, some well-known within the GOP establishment. They are tasked with helping to select and vet Trump's Cabinet, as well as map out the key policy initiatives the new administration will pursue. Their areas of experience and policy expertise on the chart hint at future efforts to restrict abortion, strip away consumer protections, boost defense spending and dismantle environmental regulations. Key members of Trump's team are also advocates for sweeping privatization of government programs, including Social Security. 'Personnel is policy,' said Republican operative Ron Kaufman...." ...
... CW: The Democrats need to start running ads NOW in Rust Belt states as well as Florida, North Carolina AND on Fox "News," outlining Trump's various and upcoming betrayals of his voters. Waiting till the next election season is stupid. Of course there's no DNC chair, and the person Democrats choose is likely to be as unproductive, Beltway-bound and vapid as Debbie Doolittle (who, BTW, won re-election by a very comfortable margin). ...
... Here's an anthem for those Trumpsucker Rust Belt families 'awaiting on the jobs Trump promised, courtesy of MAG & PD Pepe:
Katy O'Donnell of Politico: "The potential conflicts of interest facing Donald Trump are so unprecedented that U.S. ethics laws weren't even written to account for them.... Trump could hold sway over regulators' investigations into banks that have lent his businesses hundreds of millions of dollars. He'll be directing relations with foreign governments, such as Saudi Arabia's, whose rulers have bought everything from real estate to a yacht from him as he struggled to pay off debts. Watchdogs are already scoffing at Trump's plans to turn his sprawling global empire over to his adult children, whom he also appointed to his transition team on Friday." -- CW
The Family Litigious. Dan Morse of the Washington Post: "Three months ago, a 70-year-old political blogger operating from his Maryland townhouse let it rip. 'Where is Melania Trump?' he asked, going on to offer an answer: The potential first lady was reportedly having a nervous breakdown after her controversial GOP convention speech and her fears that a secret past would be revealed.... [Webster] Tarpley's claims about Melania Trump, posted in the heat of the campaign, were followed by similar allegations published in the Daily Mail, a British tabloid. Both pieces attracted the attention of Melania Trump and her attorneys, and both publications posted retractions. On Sept. 1, in Montgomery County Circuit Court, Melania Trump sued Tarpley and the Daily Mail for defamation. Her attorneys cited a series of published allegations, including those made in Tarpley's blog post, according to court records. Now, as Melania Trump readies to become first lady, the lawsuit shows no signs of slowing down." ...
... CW: What a nasty family the Trump clan is. It's one thing to sue the Daily Mail, which is a ridiculous but profitable rag. But a goofy blogger? This is chilling, especially because I may be the next goofy blogger on the Trump Family Hit List. ...
... This Doesn't Help. Steven Overly & Elizabeth Dwoskin of the Washington Post: "Peter Thiel was named as a member of ... Donald Trump's transition team Friday, a sign of the influence the billionaire tech investor will have in shaping the new administration." CW: Thiel bankrupted Gawker by financing libel lawsuits against the Web publication.
Nicholas Kristof: "... for all of our sins in the mainstream media, these alt-right websites are both far more pernicious and increasingly influential.... Trump was, after all, propelled into politics partly as a champion of the lie that President Obama was born abroad and ineligible for the White House. Even now, only 44 percent of Republicans accept the reality that Obama was born in the U.S.... These alt-right websites will continue to spew misinformation that undermines tolerance and democracy. I find them particularly loathsome because they do their best to magnify prejudice against blacks, Muslims and Latinos, tearing our social fabric." -- CW
Joshua Sharpe of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "A Gwinnett County high school teacher said she was left a note in class Friday telling her that her Muslim headscarf 'isn't allowed anymore.' 'Why don't you tie it around your neck & hang yourself with it...,' the note said, signed 'America!' Mairah Teli, 24, who teaches language arts at Dacula High, said she feels the note is in reaction to Donald Trump's victory in the presidential race. 'I feel children feel safe making comments that are racist or sexist because of him,' she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution." -- CW ...
... Caitlin McCabe of Philly.com: "Villanova University's Department of Public Safety is investigating a reported incident in which a black female student was assaulted by white males as they ran toward her yelling, 'Trump, Trump, Trump!' According to a university source with knowledge of the event, it occurred Thursday night as the female student, who has not been identified, was walking through a SEPTA tunnel on campus. There, she encountered multiple white males who allegedly ran toward her, shouting the name of the new president-elect. One male forcefully knocked her to the ground, causing her to hit her head, the source said." -- CW ...
... Andrew Marantz of the Guardian: "Trump connected to the segment of the population that was prepared to believe that racism was realism, misogyny was locker-room talk, inconvenient facts were media myths, and viciousness was the new normal. Just as surely as he has redrawn the electoral map, he has radically altered the Overton window. No Presidential candidate before him had ever mocked a disabled reporter, or bragged about his penis size during a debate. What kept every other candidate before him from stooping to these tactics, presumably, was deference to social norms. But norms can be swept aside." -- CW
NYT reporter Sydney Ember publishes, in a tweet, a "letter to NYT readers from Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. & Dean Baquet," the publisher & managing editor of the paper, respectively. Weirdly, the letter to readers does not seem to have appeared in the actual newspaper where, um, readers, might see it. And of course the comments are priceless: "The New York Times is a piece of crap. I will never read it because it will always be biased." CW: Not sure how the writer knows the paper is a piece of crap if he's never read it; some people are just intuitive, I guess. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
AND Andy Borowitz expresses my thoughts when I read that Trump had said he learned something from the President about ObamaCare: "Speaking to reporters late Friday night..., Donald Trump revealed that he had Googled Obamacare for the first time earlier in the day. 'I Googled it, and, I must say, I was surprised,' he said. 'There was a lot in it that really made sense, to be honest.' He said that he regretted that the frenetic pace of the presidential campaign had prevented him from Googling Obamacare earlier." -- CW (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
Andy Newman of the New York Times: "The murder trial of a white former University of Cincinnati police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black driver last year ended in a mistrial on Saturday after the jurors told the judge they were unable to reach a verdict. The jurors first informed the judge on Friday that they were deadlocked, but they were told to continue deliberations. On Saturday morning, the judge declared a mistrial. Officer Ray Tensing fatally shot Samuel DuBose, 43, during a traffic stop as Mr. DuBose started to drive off. Mr. Tensing, 26, claimed that he felt that Mr. Dubose's car was dragging him and that he fired at him because he feared he would be run over. The encounter was captured on video and set off protests." -- CW
News Ledes
New York Times: "A powerful earthquake measuring 7.8 magnitude hit the east coast of New Zealand's South Island just after midnight on Monday, triggering multiple aftershocks and tsunami waves and killing at least two people, officials said. The Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management warned people living near the coast to move inland to higher ground as tsunami waves raised seawater levels in some places by about six feet." CW: Should put a damper on some American's plans to move to New Zealand in the wake of the Trumpocalypse.
Rolling Stone: "Leon Russell, renowned multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who collaborated with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones and Elton John over the course of 50 years in the music industry, died Sunday. He was 74." -- CW
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Reader Comments (19)
There is so much to discuss. I hope the protests get momentum and organisation. People are right to protest. Cons were threatening to take to the streets with weapons if their candidate lost. In 2008, Obama won the White House with both the electoral college and the popular vote by considerable margins. There was no excuse to say that he was not the legitimate President. He campaigned on real promises to improve people's lives, not lies, not hate filled rhetoric, not vacuous slogans. Yet he was delegitimised for eight years by the cons and the conman in chief, and impeded by an obstructionist congress that vowed before he took office to block his every move. Now cons are complaining that the liberals won't accept their guy. With only 25% of registered voters, cons have not the grace to concede theirs is a slim and partial victory, won on lies and slander. They lost the popular vote, but boast of a mandate to do whatever they please. Like another contentious one in 2000. Only the left has to "reach out", win or lose, as Obama was expected to do despite victories that cons can only dream of, and continuous vitriol he and his family experienced.
Now HRC has won the popular vote, perhaps by a million or more by the time counting finishes, and also campaigned on real policies. Policies that a majority of voters actually support, e.g. minimum wage increases, and opposite to frump's vague notions of, for example, no minimum wage. They'd love that in the rust belt. Such a controversial victory should give any winner pause. But cons aren't pausing. Protesters have fair grievances for the way the elections were conducted, with voter suppression, intimidation, and interference run by outsiders. Dems need to get real, throw people like Manchin out of the party, we don't need apologists in the fight against these slick dicks. Maybe Harry Reid should take over the Chair of the DNC, certainly someone pugilistic who will go for broke over the next 2 years. Keep asking about campaign promises, reminding the voters what they voted for is not being delivered. Investigate and vote to make this a failed administration. How much longer can RBG keep going?! The anti choice religious enforcers were a strong block for trump with the future of SCOTUS at stake.
A more questionable reason for HRC's defeat is said to be that people are living in such an apocalyptic world, they had nothing to lose, they wanted "change". Rubbish. Change didn't last a day, so where are the howls about inviting the banksters into the hen house? So far the stats seem to show that still many of the poorer voted Dem, and we know that crump's voters' average wage is around $75k. It does seem from that Guardian link that white people across gender and income voted trump, and the less education, the higher the percentage. I think there is a widespread issue of white people losing the political and economic dominance that they have enjoyed since perhaps Elizabethan times, since Britain and Western Europe dominated trading routes and set up empires. As non white people are pulled out of poverty by technology and trade, whites see them enjoying access and benefits they assumed were exclusively theirs. Many welcome this, and know there is more quality of life for everyone. But some "know" it is a zero sum game, and if others are winning, they must be losing. Many are losing, but not because of globalisation or China or undocumented workers, but because of under regulated financial and labour markets, and post industrialisation of technology, for a start. It is a time of dislocation, much like the Industrial Revolution, and we should help people with financial and educational support. As the Luddites found, smashing things will not save anyone.
It is imperative that the Dems are better politicians than they have ever been, united, tough, focused on delivering the messages to the voters of what we stand for, a strong record of achievements, and contrasting with the cons' fiasco ridden administrations, amphibians and kleptocrats. Most frump/ryan policies will hurt their voters the most. The rust belt might find that they have won a Pyrrhic victory.
It was very perceptive of Akhilleus to suggest the renaming of Republicans to Confederates, shorten to "cons", which in all its meanings, encapsulates their entire philosophy of "governing".
Thank you, Kate, I didn't come to fool ya.
To be fair, there is such a mess going on it is easy to see how the most important issue of the Trump transition is barely mentioned. The destruction of the planet earth. The plan to eliminate the EPA (http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/science/myron-ebell-trump-epa.html), the Paris agreement and more will result in a new meaning of chaos and death. Not just in 100 years but in 10.
All the world's scientists are stupid. The only people who know the truth get their salaries from the coal industry.
In reading some of the "transition" articles, which generally betray that there was no real DJT transition plan, I am reminded of one of the stories about DJT's early days in Atlantic City. He needed to impress his investors/lenders so that they would pop, but he really had no goods yet. So he had bulldozers move piles of dirt around on the lot, giving the appearance of "work in progress."
I am afraid that DJT's transition "work" will just be appointing people that Sen. Sessions considers can be Senate-confirmed; then after inauguration, "work" will be signing bills that Ryan brings him. That way he'll "look presidential."
Scary.
And on the other side of the world the election of Trump leaves Merkel as the liberal West's last defender.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/world/europe/germany-merkel-trump-election.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share
And yes, Marvin––the planet earth––there are some very young children like all my grandchildren who are very concerned about their future that if global warming is not addressed (it might already be too late to change the devastation but we could minimize the damage) their world might just be under water and/ or burned to a crisp. This is just another notch in the tattered belt of Trump's many disastrous exploitations. We think we have problems with refugees now, wait until the middle east gets too hot for humans–– we won't be around to see these possibilities, but our grandchildren will.
And @Gloria–-you go girl!
WHEN BORDERS CLOSE:
"It is not clear how Mr. Trump, who has called for protectionist measures and tighter boarders, will govern. But it is clear that the open world order is breaking apart. the new age of de-globalization is on and it is likely to last."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/opinion/sunday/when-borders-close.html?emc=eta1
P.S. The pessimist laments, “Things couldn’t be any worse” and the optimist cries, “Of course they could!”
If it weren't so horrifying, it might be totally laughable. But, the reality of where we are with Trumpence is sickening. I can barely look at photos with Trump, his phony attempt at a 'serious' face' is appalling. Petulant. Pouty. Trump is so unfit. He is out of his depth and while he may actually realize it, he can't give it up the pretense and will bluff forward. His effete hand gestures jump out at us from photographs telegraphing that we are dealing with an aging roué (For chrissakes! what 70-year old sports lemon meringue colored hair?) and braggadocio attitude. Obviously someone who is totally out of his comfort zone. But, his way as always is to continue bullshitting.
The list of names for potential Cabinet positions is an embarrassment to a nation that once commanded honor, decency, and respect. Michelle Bachman! Joe Arpaio (c'mon), Sarah Palin! Harold Hamn! Pam Biondi. Newt Gingrich. Rudy Giuliani. and others equally despicable.
In the past, I often watched much of the Inauguration Day events. I will not be watching this year. I don't want to see the people in the President-elect's box that will likely include people such as Carl Paladino and Phil Ruffino. I don't give a damn about what Melania or Ivanka will be wearing. I don't want to witness the swearing in.
HE IS NOT MY PRESIDENT.
...an aside to PD Pepe: your story of being surprised by your mild-mannered mailman's support for Trump at least had some opposite and more pleasant encounters for me. The cheery, little guy who came to repair my oil burner the day after...suddenly paused on his way out of my garage to ask, "What did you think of yesterday?" OMG I thought, am I going to get into some argument here, but plunged forward with: "It was a disaster." Wow, it unleashed an unexpected response. He wanted to talk. He wanted to express his dismay and disappointment that Hillary had not won. He likely would have stayed for another hour or so to vent! Later, a young contractor who's been working at my house was equally appalled (someone reliant on the benefits of ACA for his family), said he woke up to turn on television and felt sick to his stomach, adding, "...we're screwed for the next four years."
Every family has members whose views are contrary to traditional positions...in mine, two young nephews have been rabid Republicans (an unexplained aberration 'fer sure!) for years. As a result, political discourse has been strictly forbidden at family gatherings! But, this year...they and their brother-in-law (also a strong Republican) all voted for Hillary.
Note to Rust Belt folks: Good luck with the mines reopening! and the steel companies coming back.
Years ago a jaunty, but bittersweet, humorous and hopeful song was often played by the Irish piano player in a local bar in Pennsylvania that I frequented. "When the Breaker Starts Open Up Full Time" It was quite accepted that no breaker would ever start up again. It was already history.
Here you go MAG: sing it again boys! and have another one one me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEUELw1Mno0
It seems to me that the responsibility for Trump prevailing rests squarely on the shoulders of those who voted for Trump, with an important assist from the media and Comey. Obama could not transfer his charisma to another candidate and frankly, who was there instead of Clinton, who would have generated any more excitement. We were incredibly lucky to get a President Obama, who had all the best qualities we could hope for.
Keep the pressure up from the civil side with protests and civil disruptions, support organizations like ACLU, SPLC, Planned Parenthood for legal pressure, push redistricting, and hope that folks like Eichmann and Farenthold will continue to dig and publish. I may get myself subscriptions to Newsweek and NYT (gag) to help support that. No more Fine Cooking and The New Yorker.
Last night I and my wife both had Trump dreams. They're a little hazy this AM, but neither was of the kind to make one wake with a smile.
I went to sleep thinking about infrastructure. Not just all those roads and bridges the Repugs refused to let Obama build and the ones they may put aside their deep convictions, their deathly fear of debt, long enough to allow Trump to fulfill (or make a show of fulfilling) his blustery infrastructure promises. In fact, I expect that's exactly what they will do.
But the more vital infrastructure of civilization may not be its roads and bridges, not its hardware but its software: Its social and legal expectations, the rules governing individual behavior and commerce, the absolute and relative values it places on the peoples and entities it contains and affects. That software includes the degree of trust we have in reason, the beliefs we hold about the founding principles of democracy, the admiration we do or do not have for naked power, and even whether or not we notice or care about the root meaning of the word "civilization."
Obama attempted to strengthen that software, at least to nudge it in the direction of civil. Now that Trump's arrival has removed the facade of civility from the Republican's gradual slippage into barbarism, I fear most for the vital software of our country.
I can live without the superficiality of some roads and bridges. I'm not so sure that I (or the race as a whole) can live without the deep value structures of our founding documents, that all men are created equal thing for instance, a realization that earth's resources are indeed limited and that vast economic inequality and democracy cannot co-exist, or that a prohibition of abortions or a guarantee of an assault weapon in every household will not make us more virtuous or courageous, will not solve any of our problems, but will surely create more.
Technologically illiterate as I am, I know little about software. I know only that it's down there somewhere in this machine on which I type and that without it I could not do what I'm doing.
And I know I could not make the little sense I'm trying to make if someone or something, for personal gain or to consolidate power in the hands of the few, reached into its bowels and ripped out the rules that make it work.
Among so many other things, all those angry voters forgot the Supremes.
@MAG: Don't worry, there will be scant inauguration coverage here unless something fun and awkward happens -- like CJ Roberts refuses to swear in Trump because he deems Trump's hand is too small to properly take the oath.
If there are demonstrations, maybe I'll cover those instead.
Marie
I'm going to bet you some cheese fries that Trump personally dropped the notion of going after Hillary Clinton the minute the election was over, but his puppetmasters are fueling it. It might be too charitable, but I think he's so clueless about what the people around him (99% of whom he doesn't even know and didn't personally hire himself) are getting ready to do to this country and so ignorant about what's at stake that he doesn't know enough to ask.
I wonder about his daughter Ivanka. She seems the least harmless of all of them, which isn't saying much I know. Is she so rolled over by all the people brought in by Gingrich, Guiliani, Conway and Bannon that she can't go to her dad and say, "Something's not right here, Dad."
Ugh. After writing the above comment, I went on to read the rest of the Commentariat, starting with "The Family Litigious..."
So, I retract my comment and say what was I thinking and take my cheese fries into the closet and eat them.
However, I still think Trump doesn't know more than half of what's going on around him.
Thanks, Marie, for the SNL video.
Chris Hedges can go over the top at times, but here is some Sunday cheer with some elements of truth. Photo at top is especially disturbing. Also, a nice LATimes piece with a fresh bit of insight.
@Ken Winkes
Yes, the worst thing that has happened in this election, IMHO, is that Voters FORGOT the Supremes, it they ever knew them. I do believe that this tragedy and Trump's climate change denial will make all the difference in hurrying along the destruction of our rule of law and fragile environment. Sometimes taking the "road less traveled" leads to disaster! Sob!
I just saw William Weld on the tube-- a more smug guy I never saw. I think he wanted to throw sand in the gears, and by golly, he and his idiot cohort did. He said it was a lot of fun to run. I wanted to throw my marble paperweight into the screen. I don't know how to move on, or get UNangry, and from now on, the noise on the tube will involve Hallmark Christmas schlocky romances as mindless entertainment. And no, I gave up Maureen Dowd quite a long time ago, so I do not plan to take her "wise" admonishment into my brain pan. As for the DNC, it having crashed and burned along with everything else, I really don't expect those toads to resurrect themselves with any degree of smartness; they were stupid long before this election. Am I bitter? Is a supermoon shining over the just and the unjust?
Kate, the cons definitely did not forget the Supremes, they held their noses and voted for the next RWNJ to be appointed. It is all many of them cared about because of the abortion/contraception issue.
I don't think MoDo has any point at all. The black man in the White House had to navigate an alligator infested swamp, and come out spotless.
I think Ivanka is dangerous. She is happy to be a cheat and a liar in her business (eg her shoes law suit) like her dad and she uses PR better.
I share Jeanne's pessimism that the DNC can or will mount an efficacious opposition. I was very disappointed in Warren's first statements. Only Reid has come out swinging. And calling a spade a liar and a predator. And been attacked by senior Dem Manchin.
Apologise for the unseemly length of my above comment.
I was in line at my local (Bergen Co. NJ) supermarket yesterday when the 2 women in front of me (white - 40ish) began chatting with the cashier and the bagger (man and woman - white 30ish) about the election. They talked about not having anyone to vote for this year after voting for Obama and getting nothing for their support. One said "I can forgive him (Trump) for what he says (he's only an entertainer) but I'll never forgive her (Clinton) for murdering those 4 people". The others nodded in approval.
At first I was puzzled. Had I missed something? Did they find a mass grave in Chappaqua? It took a while for "Benghazi" to hit me.
Over 20 Benghazi hearings, over 60 "Obamacare" repeals, birtherism, emails! The "Big Lie" (the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it - Joseph Goebbels) has been artfully crafted into the Republican lexicon and Trump mastered it. Comey just put the icing on the cake.
I don't have a good answer to this. I've heard a lot this week that the Democrats' biggest fault is being too "nice". That sounds right to me.
@Jeanne
I apologize for not being more on point in my comment. When I said voters "forgot to Remember the Supremes," what I meant to say was (not the Trumpoids), the "uncommitted" and "undecided" voters who I think possess a brain--but are ruled by their emotions. And likely are not much interested in critical thinking OR the big picture! Sigh....