"I am going to vote for this person because he has inconsistent preferences and is incapable of achieving goals" is a really freaking stupid rationalization anyway.
They are voting for them because they want to be on top of a status hierarchy, and that is what he promises them. It's the only thing they've ever cared about, and it's the only thing he has ever been consistent about. Everything else is fraud.
I don't think that explains the millions of voters who were undecided (or Obama/Biden supporters) who will vote for Trump. Perhaps you should ask them, instead of imputing motives to a group of 100 million varied citizens?
It’s not just Trump, who’s dementia&lifelong ignorance is fully on display, JDVance is equally if not more scary.
I was taught to treat everyone with kindness&respect, but there is something so off putting about Vance. He presents weird. I think he truly believes the things that come out of his mouth.
Legally changing one’s name 3 times would ordinarily be a red flag for @GOP.
Trump is mortal, but we could be stuck with the NOT charismatic Vance for decades.
Unfortunately the media has lost ALL credibility on that issue. It's shameful that they would even mention the matter, even if Trump was nodding off and babbling incoherently. The consensus media narrative about Biden's fitness will surely go down as one of the most embarrassing instances of journalistic error in history.
James — Biden’s fitness is not the issue now : he seems to be doing just fine when he’s not confronted with a firehose of lies and exaggerations— be honest now, which one would you suggest Biden should have called Trump out on first — so I think you should focus on who people vote for rather than how the news media covers the candidates.
If you choose to disbelieve everything that you hear or see on the media what super secret information sources will you rely upon?
To answer your question though I use smaller sources with institutional credibility who I trust because their reporting seems to model reality (as I observe it). The worst aspect of our media is not bias in the presidential campaigns or 9-1, 20-1 partisan ratios. It's their complete unwillingness to report on issues and powerful actors when the political valence is wrong: sexual abuse in public schools, FEMA mismanagement, urban crime afflicting the poor, immigration collapse.
People know these are serious problems because they can see it with their own eyes. By ignoring the reality legacy media is just further discrediting themselves. I can find that information elsewhere, and I do. Is it always accurate? Of course not. It's better than NOTHING though. It's a sad state of affairs and the only people to blame are the media themselves.
Exactly. Without a somewhat reliable media we're lost. Alternative media forms are arising quickly, lessening the media's influence on this election, but they have drawbacks as well (no resources for local news, no foreign bureaus, no consistent ethics) and they're still ascending.
As for your statement about Biden, I disagree profoundly. He seems weak and mumbling and confused, even in the 2-minute soundbites that we're permitted to view. I cannot believe he's physically and cognitively capable of the office. he's just being hidden now. How many hour-long speeches do you think he's making these days?
To say that "Biden seems..." or "Trump is... " in a landscape without media credibility is very difficult. It would be as if a leader lied, again and again, and then confronted the citizens with a serious issue. "My previous statements are not the issue... THIS is the issue!" Unfortunately they can't be separated. Even recognizing that THIS is an issue or some candidate is SUCH or some leader said THIS assumes that we are all using a common set of facts. MSNBC is the most dishonest cable news channel in the US at this point (according to analysis of their headlines), followed by FOX. Independents now have nearly as little faith in legacy media as conservatives (not quite, but getting there). Even if YOU don't believe media have been relentlessly biased and dishonest-and I'm not sure anyone could honestly make this claim at this point-your undecided fellow citizens regard it as such. Media will always have incentives and bias... but this is ridiculous. When the CNN editor on late night recently was met with a wall of laughter for suggesting that CNN was an honest broker? Yeah. I think that says it all.
James - I am very glad that Joe Biden is not running for a second term, but he isn't feeble-minded, he is tongue-tied and walks like you'd expect someone his age to do. I disagree with you that you cannot trust the media -- you can trust them to try to dig up news they believe the public will want to hear about. That's how they sell newspapers and ads. One should never take news at face value, however, which is why we listen to pundits and analysts; they can of course be biased, misinformed or make wrong assumptions -- some may utter outright lies if they are paid enough to do so.
I know a writer with professionally specific expertise who became alarmed aat the number of autistic girls being treated (after less than 4 therapy sessions, on average) for gender dysphoria. This means intense and risky off-label drugs (which must be taken for the rest of their lives) and, in 1/10 cases, surgeries. She was alarmed that endocrinologists and surgeons were making millions and these girls weren’t being adequately screened (often starting treatment after 1-2 visits to a therapist). They were ALL minors, many of them with histories of sexual abuse or comorbidities. These are complicated issues which should certainly be addressed by months of therapy before irreversible (which the media refused to admit puberty blockers were, but now must because all data indicates it) drugs are administered. The parents are terrified, and confused, and told that their daughters will have a greatly elevated risk of suicide without these treatments. The best data now indicates that these interventions have no meaningful effect on suicidality for minors.
She couldn’t get anyone to publish her OP-ED! She went to dozens of legacy print publications and they all refused. This has now happened (minor teenage girls with psychological symptoms being given off-label drugs) thousands of times in this country. They said this was a sensitive issue. How many other sensitive issues are there? NOW the narrative is shifting… but the data has been available for 10 years. It’s a tragedy.
The media uniformly (almost entirely) maintained that Biden’s age wasn’t an issue. There’s a 100-person WH press corps which stays near the executive branch at all times. They dutifully pushed out the narrative that clips of Biden misspeaking or wandering were fakes, and wrote MANY op-eds denouncing those who questioned his fitness. meanwhile it seems that he was rarely working in the evenings, rarely making long speeches or appearances, and often getting confused. This all went unreported.
Then we saw the debate. Despite a week of rest and preparation he simply could no longer hide his infirmity. The media ALL immediately pivoted, and pretended that they were shocked-SHOCKED!-at Biden’s presentation. No on believes this. Here’s a counterfactual: if Trump was in the White house forgetting names and sleeping 12 hours a day and wandering around how many of these folks would have written indignant pieces in his defense?
Ultimately it doesn’t matter what you or I think. The opinions of independents is the best bellwether… and their credulity in the veracity of media reports has cratered. Don’t convince me-go try to convince those 50 million news consumers who no longer believe the direction or accuracy of the media’s reporting. Good luck. This slide has been happening for +10 years but it’s accelerating now, and as only progressives watch certain networks the coverage becomes more amenable to their prejudices and biases. It’s a vicious cycle.
Here are some stories which would interest the public which the news has REFUSED to widely report on. Before you denounce their inclusion, remember: you probably haven’t read much about them not because there’s nothing there but because CNN/MSNBC/ABC, NBC news/Print media have intentionally refused to report on them. There are hundreds of facts related to each which have NOT been reported in the mainstream. It’s not that these facts are in contention-it’s that they are known and uncontroversial but just rarely discussed in legacy media. See for yourself if you like :
cover-ups among Fauci and his colleagues
social contagion among teens with gender dysphoria
the fact that black men are at no extra risk of death in police interactions compared to white men (in the U.S.)
The economics profession’s opinion of ‘price-gauging’
military recruitment and morale
the impracticality and hidden costs of green energy
the recent local and regional spikes in urban crime
the true effects of bail reform and decrim. policies on affected cities
immigration-the effects and the MANY organizations who are profiting from the asylum-seeker industry
Epstein’s guest list and missing thousands of video files
The skyrocketing rates of child sexual exploitation in the past few years
The hidden costs of DEI programs
sexual abuse epidemic in public schools
Keep in mind-none of these are targeted at marginalized groups. They’re all stories which involve the powerful in our society-contractors, social scientists, green energy investors’, teachers’ unions, the military, the WH administration-and they’re all politically inconvenient. The facts are not in question… they’re just not being reported widely. It’s not as if there are two vying accounts of these issues. NO ONE disputes the details. They’re just not being included in news stories.
Go see for yourself. Pick one and dive deep. You will see…
And this is why Free Speech is so very important and foundational to our Republic. I disagree with the majority of your opinion and perspective on Trump and on his supporters, but I respect your right to hold that opinion and perspective. Both candidates are fallen sinners, just like you and me. No one in the Trump camp sees him as a savior, because most Americans know who their Savior is. I'm not preaching at you, but I am laying down some basic foundational perspectives that you have clearly missed. I'm not voting for Trump because I expect miracles. I'm voting for Trump because my vote hires him to do a job. Harris has had 4 years of guiding and assisting a mentally incapacitated President to make policy decisions that will secure our Nation and improve our economy. She has failed miserably, and she needs to be fired along with the rest of the enablers in this administration who aided in this systematic destruction of our country. That is why I'm voting for Trump. One last note, during Trump's presidency, the U.S. was not pulled into any useless wars where our young men and women were sacrificed to the globalist gods of war. As a military mom, I feel absolutely justified in saying that I've spent 20 years under the stress of knowing that my son could become another statistic of some other country's war. As an American, I am frankly sick and tired of those in power sending our children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, and loved ones into endless conflict that cost the lives of our people. I want a leader that is strong enough to dissuade other nations from taking stupid, aggressive actions that cost us our children. Respectfully.
Cynthia, as a mom of a service member you have a strong reason to want to avoid wars. So you want a strong leader who can “dissuade”adversaries. So far we are in agreement. Where you and I disagree is in defining strength.
Have you ever seen a person acting crazy and wandering in the street, standing in front of cars to make them stop and shouting and gesticulating wildly at invisible demons? I have.
The police approached very warily at first and attempted to calm the guy down. When that didn’t work, two cops, one on each side arm, took him to the ground while a third sat on his legs and cuffed him. They took the guy off , probably to the hospital to get over the crazy fit.
Trump- speak has long been over the top exaggeration and nonsense, but lately his speeches have been rambling, incoherent and frankly scary.
That pretty much summarizes where I think Trump will end up: forcibly subdued to prevent the craziness from getting somebody seriously hurt.
How soon we forget. Of course Trump complained incessantly about Jeff Sessions' failure to do as he asked,. Maybe that's what what we remember? But Sessions tried.
The lede: 'The Justice Department kept open the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s family foundation for nearly all of President Donald J. Trump’s administration, with prosecutors closing the case without charges just days before he left office."
Apparently I wasn't clear. Trump did more than "think" about prosecuting, he pressured DOJ and successfully got an investigation going, an investigation which fizzled out after 3.5 years. Mueller got convictions; the House got two impeachments. Did DOJ get an indictment?
A little exaggeration going on here. No president, including Trump, can "pressure" or inappropriately influence the DOJ, which is independent and apolitical. And yes, Mueller got convictions. Sorry it wasn't Trump.
Our choices this presidential election are between an obnoxious braggart and a vacuous lightweight. One talks way too much, the other avoids saying anything meaningful. There is plenty to dislike about both. I wish we had two different, more substantive candidates. But we don't. Given our choices, why is Trump the better option, in my very humble opinion? Because I think the danger of the world exploring into war is much greater with a Harris presidency. When Trump directed the military to blast Qusem Soleimani into eternity, the leaders of gangster-led countries took notice that he would not hesitate to use lethal force against them if crossed. Kamala is a mealy-mouthed weakling; she is no match for Putin, Xi, etc. So I am betting on the Trump horse.
God. I'm reading all these comments and I just have to shake my head. Do you people KNOW any regular folks? Do you talk to them? I don't mean to sound overly patronizing but-just like I hear MAGA idiots talk about Biden being a communist and elections being stolen-most of you sound COMPLETELY out of touch with the opinions of the working class, as I have encountered them
THIS ISN'T WORKING! People have been sounding the alarm about Trump for a decade. If it was going to work it already would've. Part of the issue, I think, is that people who believe what you people do don't often talk to regular voters. The media's reach is receding and weakening every day. At some point you guys will need to convince Trump voters to have any effect. Trump has already won over millions of non-Trump supporters: Hispanics, married women, black men, immigrants. It's not impossible but it won't happen like this.
It's my sense that most voters think those 4 policy goals would be GOOD. Perhaps not taken to their Trumpian end state... but our system doesn't work like that. If some illegals get deported and oil/NG fields are opened up for drilling and heavier tariffs are placed on China voters would be happy (not necessarily with the effects, I'd argue... but happy with the policies).
I don't think you can call these 'partisan' rationalizations either. They seem pretty popular among independents, like Trump himself.
Most of all I think (and data supports) that independent voters have lost a great deal of faith in the media and political elites. They simply don't believe the predictions and interpretations of Trump's program and words because they've been hearing something like this for 9 years and they regard his first term with a rosy and deflationary glow of nostalgia.
I'm not die-hard Trump supporter. I'm a democrat voter but the disconnect I'm hearing between '(informed) drivers and warehouse workers and police' & 'the media' is quite striking. Y'all are sounding a little crazy. That seems to be the majority opinion.
"To explain things a bit further, I’m going to rely heavily on the New York Times’ Shawn McCreesh, who (says Trump engages in) racist, fascist campaign rhetoric." Glad you found a neutral source : )
Shaking my head at your comments - I'm afraid they often seem to me to be not made in good faith! My first time ever on Substack suggesting this about someone. I will leave it at that.
"I am going to vote for this person because he has inconsistent preferences and is incapable of achieving goals" is a really freaking stupid rationalization anyway.
They are voting for them because they want to be on top of a status hierarchy, and that is what he promises them. It's the only thing they've ever cared about, and it's the only thing he has ever been consistent about. Everything else is fraud.
I don't think that explains the millions of voters who were undecided (or Obama/Biden supporters) who will vote for Trump. Perhaps you should ask them, instead of imputing motives to a group of 100 million varied citizens?
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/our-flailing-elites?r=1neg52
It’s not just Trump, who’s dementia&lifelong ignorance is fully on display, JDVance is equally if not more scary.
I was taught to treat everyone with kindness&respect, but there is something so off putting about Vance. He presents weird. I think he truly believes the things that come out of his mouth.
Legally changing one’s name 3 times would ordinarily be a red flag for @GOP.
Trump is mortal, but we could be stuck with the NOT charismatic Vance for decades.
The analogy I have used with Trump and Vance is that Trump is like Voldemort and Vance is like Professor Umbridge.
Trump, like Voldemort, knows he is the villain and plays the part effectively.
Vance, like Professor Umbridge, are convinced they are on the right side and doing heroic deeds.
I could make a case that the later is more dangerous.
(Sorry for the Harry Potter analogy!)
Harry Potter analogies&references abound in our house.
Good observation
TFG lost it ar his PA rally last evening - 39 minutes of Dancing Donnie. WTAF, and this needs to be pushed hard. He's clearly not well.
Unfortunately the media has lost ALL credibility on that issue. It's shameful that they would even mention the matter, even if Trump was nodding off and babbling incoherently. The consensus media narrative about Biden's fitness will surely go down as one of the most embarrassing instances of journalistic error in history.
James — Biden’s fitness is not the issue now : he seems to be doing just fine when he’s not confronted with a firehose of lies and exaggerations— be honest now, which one would you suggest Biden should have called Trump out on first — so I think you should focus on who people vote for rather than how the news media covers the candidates.
If you choose to disbelieve everything that you hear or see on the media what super secret information sources will you rely upon?
To answer your question though I use smaller sources with institutional credibility who I trust because their reporting seems to model reality (as I observe it). The worst aspect of our media is not bias in the presidential campaigns or 9-1, 20-1 partisan ratios. It's their complete unwillingness to report on issues and powerful actors when the political valence is wrong: sexual abuse in public schools, FEMA mismanagement, urban crime afflicting the poor, immigration collapse.
People know these are serious problems because they can see it with their own eyes. By ignoring the reality legacy media is just further discrediting themselves. I can find that information elsewhere, and I do. Is it always accurate? Of course not. It's better than NOTHING though. It's a sad state of affairs and the only people to blame are the media themselves.
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/media-guide-part-1-the-invisible?r=1neg52
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/media-guide-part-2-narrative-uber?r=1neg52
Exactly. Without a somewhat reliable media we're lost. Alternative media forms are arising quickly, lessening the media's influence on this election, but they have drawbacks as well (no resources for local news, no foreign bureaus, no consistent ethics) and they're still ascending.
As for your statement about Biden, I disagree profoundly. He seems weak and mumbling and confused, even in the 2-minute soundbites that we're permitted to view. I cannot believe he's physically and cognitively capable of the office. he's just being hidden now. How many hour-long speeches do you think he's making these days?
To say that "Biden seems..." or "Trump is... " in a landscape without media credibility is very difficult. It would be as if a leader lied, again and again, and then confronted the citizens with a serious issue. "My previous statements are not the issue... THIS is the issue!" Unfortunately they can't be separated. Even recognizing that THIS is an issue or some candidate is SUCH or some leader said THIS assumes that we are all using a common set of facts. MSNBC is the most dishonest cable news channel in the US at this point (according to analysis of their headlines), followed by FOX. Independents now have nearly as little faith in legacy media as conservatives (not quite, but getting there). Even if YOU don't believe media have been relentlessly biased and dishonest-and I'm not sure anyone could honestly make this claim at this point-your undecided fellow citizens regard it as such. Media will always have incentives and bias... but this is ridiculous. When the CNN editor on late night recently was met with a wall of laughter for suggesting that CNN was an honest broker? Yeah. I think that says it all.
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/the-morality-of-loathing?r=1neg52
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/our-flailing-elites?r=1neg52
James - I am very glad that Joe Biden is not running for a second term, but he isn't feeble-minded, he is tongue-tied and walks like you'd expect someone his age to do. I disagree with you that you cannot trust the media -- you can trust them to try to dig up news they believe the public will want to hear about. That's how they sell newspapers and ads. One should never take news at face value, however, which is why we listen to pundits and analysts; they can of course be biased, misinformed or make wrong assumptions -- some may utter outright lies if they are paid enough to do so.
Caveat emptor.
I know a writer with professionally specific expertise who became alarmed aat the number of autistic girls being treated (after less than 4 therapy sessions, on average) for gender dysphoria. This means intense and risky off-label drugs (which must be taken for the rest of their lives) and, in 1/10 cases, surgeries. She was alarmed that endocrinologists and surgeons were making millions and these girls weren’t being adequately screened (often starting treatment after 1-2 visits to a therapist). They were ALL minors, many of them with histories of sexual abuse or comorbidities. These are complicated issues which should certainly be addressed by months of therapy before irreversible (which the media refused to admit puberty blockers were, but now must because all data indicates it) drugs are administered. The parents are terrified, and confused, and told that their daughters will have a greatly elevated risk of suicide without these treatments. The best data now indicates that these interventions have no meaningful effect on suicidality for minors.
She couldn’t get anyone to publish her OP-ED! She went to dozens of legacy print publications and they all refused. This has now happened (minor teenage girls with psychological symptoms being given off-label drugs) thousands of times in this country. They said this was a sensitive issue. How many other sensitive issues are there? NOW the narrative is shifting… but the data has been available for 10 years. It’s a tragedy.
The media uniformly (almost entirely) maintained that Biden’s age wasn’t an issue. There’s a 100-person WH press corps which stays near the executive branch at all times. They dutifully pushed out the narrative that clips of Biden misspeaking or wandering were fakes, and wrote MANY op-eds denouncing those who questioned his fitness. meanwhile it seems that he was rarely working in the evenings, rarely making long speeches or appearances, and often getting confused. This all went unreported.
Then we saw the debate. Despite a week of rest and preparation he simply could no longer hide his infirmity. The media ALL immediately pivoted, and pretended that they were shocked-SHOCKED!-at Biden’s presentation. No on believes this. Here’s a counterfactual: if Trump was in the White house forgetting names and sleeping 12 hours a day and wandering around how many of these folks would have written indignant pieces in his defense?
Ultimately it doesn’t matter what you or I think. The opinions of independents is the best bellwether… and their credulity in the veracity of media reports has cratered. Don’t convince me-go try to convince those 50 million news consumers who no longer believe the direction or accuracy of the media’s reporting. Good luck. This slide has been happening for +10 years but it’s accelerating now, and as only progressives watch certain networks the coverage becomes more amenable to their prejudices and biases. It’s a vicious cycle.
Here are some stories which would interest the public which the news has REFUSED to widely report on. Before you denounce their inclusion, remember: you probably haven’t read much about them not because there’s nothing there but because CNN/MSNBC/ABC, NBC news/Print media have intentionally refused to report on them. There are hundreds of facts related to each which have NOT been reported in the mainstream. It’s not that these facts are in contention-it’s that they are known and uncontroversial but just rarely discussed in legacy media. See for yourself if you like :
cover-ups among Fauci and his colleagues
social contagion among teens with gender dysphoria
the fact that black men are at no extra risk of death in police interactions compared to white men (in the U.S.)
The economics profession’s opinion of ‘price-gauging’
military recruitment and morale
the impracticality and hidden costs of green energy
the recent local and regional spikes in urban crime
the true effects of bail reform and decrim. policies on affected cities
immigration-the effects and the MANY organizations who are profiting from the asylum-seeker industry
Epstein’s guest list and missing thousands of video files
The skyrocketing rates of child sexual exploitation in the past few years
The hidden costs of DEI programs
sexual abuse epidemic in public schools
Keep in mind-none of these are targeted at marginalized groups. They’re all stories which involve the powerful in our society-contractors, social scientists, green energy investors’, teachers’ unions, the military, the WH administration-and they’re all politically inconvenient. The facts are not in question… they’re just not being reported widely. It’s not as if there are two vying accounts of these issues. NO ONE disputes the details. They’re just not being included in news stories.
Go see for yourself. Pick one and dive deep. You will see…
And this is why Free Speech is so very important and foundational to our Republic. I disagree with the majority of your opinion and perspective on Trump and on his supporters, but I respect your right to hold that opinion and perspective. Both candidates are fallen sinners, just like you and me. No one in the Trump camp sees him as a savior, because most Americans know who their Savior is. I'm not preaching at you, but I am laying down some basic foundational perspectives that you have clearly missed. I'm not voting for Trump because I expect miracles. I'm voting for Trump because my vote hires him to do a job. Harris has had 4 years of guiding and assisting a mentally incapacitated President to make policy decisions that will secure our Nation and improve our economy. She has failed miserably, and she needs to be fired along with the rest of the enablers in this administration who aided in this systematic destruction of our country. That is why I'm voting for Trump. One last note, during Trump's presidency, the U.S. was not pulled into any useless wars where our young men and women were sacrificed to the globalist gods of war. As a military mom, I feel absolutely justified in saying that I've spent 20 years under the stress of knowing that my son could become another statistic of some other country's war. As an American, I am frankly sick and tired of those in power sending our children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, and loved ones into endless conflict that cost the lives of our people. I want a leader that is strong enough to dissuade other nations from taking stupid, aggressive actions that cost us our children. Respectfully.
Cynthia, as a mom of a service member you have a strong reason to want to avoid wars. So you want a strong leader who can “dissuade”adversaries. So far we are in agreement. Where you and I disagree is in defining strength.
Have you ever seen a person acting crazy and wandering in the street, standing in front of cars to make them stop and shouting and gesticulating wildly at invisible demons? I have.
The police approached very warily at first and attempted to calm the guy down. When that didn’t work, two cops, one on each side arm, took him to the ground while a third sat on his legs and cuffed him. They took the guy off , probably to the hospital to get over the crazy fit.
Trump- speak has long been over the top exaggeration and nonsense, but lately his speeches have been rambling, incoherent and frankly scary.
That pretty much summarizes where I think Trump will end up: forcibly subdued to prevent the craziness from getting somebody seriously hurt.
How soon we forget. Of course Trump complained incessantly about Jeff Sessions' failure to do as he asked,. Maybe that's what what we remember? But Sessions tried.
Trunp's threat to put Clinton in prison wasn't empty. It fell apart because there was nothing there. See this NYtimes article: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/us/politics/fbi-clinton-foundation.html?ogrp=dpl&unlocked_article_code=1.SU4.-t2e.QhPMyjrTp7ea&smid=url-share
The lede: 'The Justice Department kept open the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s family foundation for nearly all of President Donald J. Trump’s administration, with prosecutors closing the case without charges just days before he left office."
Trump may have thought about using lawfare, but his enemies actually did it.
Apparently I wasn't clear. Trump did more than "think" about prosecuting, he pressured DOJ and successfully got an investigation going, an investigation which fizzled out after 3.5 years. Mueller got convictions; the House got two impeachments. Did DOJ get an indictment?
A little exaggeration going on here. No president, including Trump, can "pressure" or inappropriately influence the DOJ, which is independent and apolitical. And yes, Mueller got convictions. Sorry it wasn't Trump.
"the DOJ, which is independent and apolitical."
OK, nothing to see here folks. just move on.
Is that guy for real? Which universe does he inhabit?
The DOJ is exactly as I described. Wiki DOJ and educate yourselves. Or stay in your own universe. Whatever feels right I guess.
Our choices this presidential election are between an obnoxious braggart and a vacuous lightweight. One talks way too much, the other avoids saying anything meaningful. There is plenty to dislike about both. I wish we had two different, more substantive candidates. But we don't. Given our choices, why is Trump the better option, in my very humble opinion? Because I think the danger of the world exploring into war is much greater with a Harris presidency. When Trump directed the military to blast Qusem Soleimani into eternity, the leaders of gangster-led countries took notice that he would not hesitate to use lethal force against them if crossed. Kamala is a mealy-mouthed weakling; she is no match for Putin, Xi, etc. So I am betting on the Trump horse.
I think the plan is actually to declare him unfit for office as soon as reasonably possible after he is in office and promote Vance to president.
God. I'm reading all these comments and I just have to shake my head. Do you people KNOW any regular folks? Do you talk to them? I don't mean to sound overly patronizing but-just like I hear MAGA idiots talk about Biden being a communist and elections being stolen-most of you sound COMPLETELY out of touch with the opinions of the working class, as I have encountered them
THIS ISN'T WORKING! People have been sounding the alarm about Trump for a decade. If it was going to work it already would've. Part of the issue, I think, is that people who believe what you people do don't often talk to regular voters. The media's reach is receding and weakening every day. At some point you guys will need to convince Trump voters to have any effect. Trump has already won over millions of non-Trump supporters: Hispanics, married women, black men, immigrants. It's not impossible but it won't happen like this.
Just my opinion.
It's my sense that most voters think those 4 policy goals would be GOOD. Perhaps not taken to their Trumpian end state... but our system doesn't work like that. If some illegals get deported and oil/NG fields are opened up for drilling and heavier tariffs are placed on China voters would be happy (not necessarily with the effects, I'd argue... but happy with the policies).
I don't think you can call these 'partisan' rationalizations either. They seem pretty popular among independents, like Trump himself.
Most of all I think (and data supports) that independent voters have lost a great deal of faith in the media and political elites. They simply don't believe the predictions and interpretations of Trump's program and words because they've been hearing something like this for 9 years and they regard his first term with a rosy and deflationary glow of nostalgia.
I wrote about the media issue here:
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/our-flailing-elites?r=1neg52
I'm not die-hard Trump supporter. I'm a democrat voter but the disconnect I'm hearing between '(informed) drivers and warehouse workers and police' & 'the media' is quite striking. Y'all are sounding a little crazy. That seems to be the majority opinion.
"To explain things a bit further, I’m going to rely heavily on the New York Times’ Shawn McCreesh, who (says Trump engages in) racist, fascist campaign rhetoric." Glad you found a neutral source : )
You've been trying SO HARD to sustain a veneer of disinterested observer. It's a shame that you crashed and burned so badly with this comment.
Not following. I pointed out McCreesh is biased. How does that make me biased?
Shaking my head at your comments - I'm afraid they often seem to me to be not made in good faith! My first time ever on Substack suggesting this about someone. I will leave it at that.
Where in my comments do I appear not in good faith? Evidence? Examples? A counter argument? Anything?
A bunch of right wingers think they can use the fascist to achieve their personal goals. What could go wrong?
Trump did go after Clinton. https://bsky.app/profile/michellegoldberg.bsky.social/post/3ku2mddthj32e