133) I watched the #Oscar nominated “20 Days in Mariupol” last night. It is not for the faint of heart.
It depicts the horror of the #RussiaUkraineWar and its devastating impact on civilian populations
Should be required viewing for #GOP types withholding their support for #Ukraine and think geopolitical stability is to be sacrificed on the altar of #Trump’s slavish fanboy love of #Putin
134) Nobody was surprised by the outcome of the #SouthCarolina primary.
The word “trounce” is being used by the #NewsMedia in describing #Trump’s victory, but 40% of #SC’s voters preferred #NikkiHaley which in #RedState land ain’t exactly a glowing endorsement
Will these disgruntled voters show up for #DonaldTrump in November? What does that presage for Independent voters?
#USPolitics #Politics #Election2024
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/24/south-carolina-takeaways-trump-haley-00143177
135) Some interesting data from the #SouthCarolina exit poll conducted by the @washingtonpost
When it comes to voters motivated primarily by concerns over temperament (16% of the total), 95% voted for #NikkiHaley
36% of #SC #GOP voters indicate that #Trump criminal conviction woukd render him unfit the presidency
https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/02/24/south-carolina-exit-polls/
136) it seems that the #SupremeCourt has decided to slow-walk #DonaldTrump’s date with justice.
What tortured reasoning is behind the court’s reasoning in taking a case deciding whether Trump’s expectation of eternal presidential immunity remains to be seen.
The certainty that #Trump will face trial on #Jan6 charges prior to the #Election2024 is now in serious doubt. It’s up to voters to end Trump’s drive for autocracy
#Politics #USPolitics
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/29/1235017841/supreme-court-trump-immunity-hearing
137) Like many folks who abhor #DonaldTrump, I was disappointed that the #SupremeCourt decided to take Trump’s presidential immunity case.
The notion that #POTUS is immune from prosecution in a republic which champions the rule of law is patently absurd.
But this blog post makes the case that rather than slow walking multiple #Trump cases, it may ultimately speed things up
Worth a read 👇
138) For months I’ve read a variety of news stories positing alternatives to the #Biden vs #Trump match up. My political calculus leaned heavily in favor of the that likelihood
It is not that I would have wished otherwise. The persistence of #DonaldTrump in American political life is sad testimony to the degradation of #USPolitics
Despite #JoeBiden’s political successes, I wish he was 10 years younger, but he is not and he will have my unqualified support
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/us/politics/trump-biden-rematch-election.html
139) Clearly I’m late realizing there is a term for the odd voice used by Senator #KatieBritt of #Alabama in her state of the union response.
I was trying to put my finger on the tone which seemed to vacillate between someone fearful of an off camera kidnapper and a fervent supporter of #Torquemada
With thanks to #JessPiper for introducing #BabyFundieVoice to my vocabulary.
Now, if only I could unhear Senator Britt
https://open.substack.com/pub/jesspiper/p/the-fundie-baby-voice
140) Of course #KatieBritt Senator from #Alabama has now been caught in a lie about the awful sex trafficking story she recounted in her #SOTU response
The case she describes did not happen in the USA and did not happen during the #Biden administration. Apparently the case dates back to Bush II 2004 - 2008
The #Trumpist #GOP modus operandi: fear mongering, lying and BSing is all they have
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/09/us/politics/katie-britt-republican-response-sotu-border.html
141) Sometimes one has to step back, take a moment, and laugh.
The madhouse that is American #politics reached a whole new pitch with Senator #KatieBritt’s #SOTU response
Unsurprisingly the junior Senator from #Alabama provided rich fodder for #SNL delivered pitch perfect #ScarlettJohanson
142) Sometimes a single panel #cartoon does more to capture an important truism than a 1,000 words.
Will the #SupremeCourt act as a guardian of American #democracy or will they provide #Trump with an #autocracy imprimatur?
#politics #USPolitics #Election2024
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/3/9/2228532/-Cartoon-Royal-court
143) #Election2024 will be driven by turning out the base for both #Biden and #Trump respectively
While the #Trump fan base continues to be motivated, the support for #NikkiHaley during the #GOP primaries reveals fault lines which are being exploited by conservative #NeverTrump types
Cracking #Republican turnout is one of many factors which will yield a #JoeBiden win on Election Day
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/12/us/politics/republican-voters-against-trump.html
144) We all have #liberal friends who have expressed misgivings about the upcoming election #Biden is too old etc.
#Democracy will only be preserved in #Election2024 if the #Democratic base turns out in big numbers and we manage to persuade enough of the middle 1/3 of the country to see things our way
So when you see a liberal friend vacillating about #voting, have them watch this viedo from @DavidPepper
RINSE AND REPEAT!
Which Freedoms Are You Willing to Give Up?
145) I’ve long ceased attempts to divine exactly what #Trump means in his rambling incoherent speeches.
Frankly the #GOP nominee may not really understand what he is saying himself beyond his craven need for the adulation he receives when he uses words like “bloodbath” and the vilification of #immigrants.
Anger and revulsion seem core to Trump’s essence and something he seeks to stoke in his #Trumpist fan base
#USPolitics #Politics #Election2024
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/16/trump-immigrants-not-people/
146) When #Trump makes fun of those who suffer from a #disability, how do his supporters feel about that?
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/03/trump-disabilities-supporters-responses/677812
147) Good piece this morning on the recent #bloodbath #Trump rally. Much has been made of the use of that word which was used in reference to the auto industry. A case could be made that many #NewsMedia orgs ran with stories without context
Far more important was the bizarre lionization of #Jan6 insurrectionists. Give this story a listen
147) Good article on #Bloomberg on how tax policy can be used by #JoeBiden in #Election2024
Clearly #TaxTheRich polls well. I'd add branding the #GOP as the party of rapacious #billionaires is a good idea
148) #ReproductiveRights will be a keystone issue in #Election2024, but it is also an issue in #Alabama tomorrow where a comptitive state house election will take place.
Keep an eye on this election as it will be an important indication on how energized voters are on this issue, particularly #WomenRights voters
149) #ReproductiveRights has not gone away as a key issue in #Election2024
This special statehouse election in #Alabama today has reminded just how potent that issue is and that the #GOP cannot slide away from the consequences of their regressive judicial appointments and anti-abortion legislation.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/26/abortion-winning-strategy-alabama-democrat-00149205
150) #KariLake admits she’s a liar and defamed #GOP election official, Stephen Richer with false claims of election rigging following her defeat in the #Arizona 2022 governor’s race.
Lake is a typical GOP American #fascist with no regard for the truth and will pay the electoral price when she loses in her quest for the open #AZ senate seat
151) Almost all the American veterans who fought in WWII are gone. They are no longer here to tell us about the price paid in defeating #facism in Europe
Those very few left must shudder when they hear the #fascist language used by #Trump and the sycophantic support chorus that is the #GOP
#Election2024 will be about preserving the #democracy that they saved 80 years ago.
#Politics #USPolitics #Election2024 #AmericanFascism
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/3/30/2232110/-Cartoon-Fighting-fascism
152) The latest #Trump grift in the form of #TruthSocial was floated on the #StockMarket last week. The fan base cluelessly piled into the stock. Bidding up the value of the company to about $8 billion. Today gravity made itself known as the value slid south.
Here’s the thing, #DJT has 1 million monthly users, when #ElonMusk bought #Twitter with more than 200 million users he paid $44 billion. #Musk overpaid by 50%
Math tells me train wreck is a certainty. LOL
153) On the two candidates running for the Presidency in #Election2024, I couldn't put it more succinctly:
154) Now here’s a huge surprise #Trump’s new grift in the stock market only made it to #IPO with #Russian money.
I’m guessing this investment channeled through the island of #Domnica is on the up and up 🙄
#Putin wouldn’t have anything to do with this. All roads on #DonaldTrump’s world lead to Moscow
https://theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/03/trump-media-es-family-trust-2022-loans
155) Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote:
“Taxes are what we pay for civilized society”
Thanks @rbreich for reminding us that a properly funded #IRS insures that the #garchs pay their fair share
The #GOP bitterly opposes the fair payment of taxes. If you want to live in a fairer country #VoteBlue
156) Excellent piece from #NYTimes on the financing of #TrumpMedia aka #DJT
Unsurprisingly #Trump put very little of his own money in the venture. He relied on other #garchs who wanted to curry favor with him to get the company afloat.
Now #DonaldTrump will rely on his base to prop up the stock until he can cash out
#USPolitics #Politics #Election2024
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/business/trump-media-backers-investors.html
157) Glad to see some consistency out of the #Trump campaign - no #billionaires left behind. Crumbs for the rest of us if it’s convenient
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of extending his signature tax cuts to some of the nation’s wealthiest political donors, according to a readout of his private remarks Saturday night provided by a Trump campaign official.
158) As #Trump’s NYC #HushMoney trial draws nearer, there is a whiff of desperation revealed by the failure of three frantic appeals to delay the proceeding set for Mon Apr 15.
There will, no doubt, be more legal maneuvers and attempted delaying tactics, but escaping the sordid details of the case no longer appears to be an option for #DonaldTrump.
159) The #StockMarket appears to do a far better job of evaluating #DonaldTrump’s abilities than many American voters
#Trump is a mediocre businessman at best and this price chart depicts what happens when a less than mediocre company is offered on the public stock exchange.
A truly terrible #investment
160) After months of #HardRight GOP obstruction, funding for #Ukraine is on the way.
This is a notable defeat for #Putin fan #DonaldTrump and a victory for those who believe defending democracy against Russian aggression is critical. Chalk one up for the #Biden administration.
101 #GOP members joined Democrats to pass the bill, what price they will pay for their #Trump defiance remains to be seen
#USPolitics #Politics #Election2024
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/20/1245993370/house-ukraine-israel-aid-bills
161) For those that wish to follow the #TrumpBribery trial, I suggest giving #TalkingPointsMemo Josh Kovensky's coverage a follow
162) The Southern #border will be a significant issue in #Election2024.
Up till #DonaldTrump's torpedoing of the bipartisan negotiated border bill led by Sen #JamesLankford (R), the issue of undocumented migration had been a potent campaign issue for the #GOP
Now the Issue is one Pres #Biden and the #Democrats can campaign on as outlined in this video featuring a Sec. #PeteButtigied apearance on #CNBC ⬇️
163) I was disturbed by the willingness of #SCOTUS's conservative wing to trip over themselves worrying about the conduct of future Presidents rather than the criminal behavior of #Trump while in office.
Kate Riga of #TalkingPointsMemo puts it best
Full article => https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-supreme-court-immunity
The Supreme Court conservatives seemed to solidify around a middle-ground position on Trump’s claims of absolute presidential immunity Thursday, a win by another name for the former president as it would add months of delay to the Jan. 6 case.
164) I’m more than a little skeptical of polling. The ability to find a representative sample in the age of caller ID is pretty questionable in my view
That said when a poll shows 31% of Anericans are concerned by the rise of #Fascism, I pay attention. That notion would have been absurd 10 years ago, but this is where we are and the fact that a significant tranche of Americans have realized the threat is good news for #democracy
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/01/1248249250/election-poll-trump-biden-voters
165) Now there's a surprise!
I guess #Trump feels most confortable with an #AttorneyGeneral who has been impeached just like him
Yup #KenPaxton, a guy who jiust might make #MichaelCohen blush
#USPolitics #Politics #Election2024
https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/20/donald-trump-ken-paxton-attorney-general
166) I continue to be an admirer of #PeteButtigieg and his razor sharp analysis of the political times we live in
Here he reminds us that the #GOP has no answers for many of the pressing issues Americans face. Rather than coming up with new proposals about how to move the country forward, that would require thinking, the #RepublicanParty has put all its eggs in the #CultureWars basket, doubling down on hate for minorities, immigrants and the #LGBTQ community
#USPolitics
167) How or why a “Unified Reich” video was posted on #DonaldTrump’s Truth Social, may remain unclear. An anonymous staffer has been conveniently blamed. Perplexing how that keeps happening
Was #Trump playing footsie with Neo Nazis or is this simply an example of a sloppy campaign consistent with the chaos experienced during the wannabe strongman’s occupation of the #WhiteHouse?
A #Fascist will do what #Fascists do
#USPolitics #Politics #Election2024
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/21/trump-unified-reich-truth-social/
168) Apparently #Libertarian folks aren't big fans of #Trump. His attempt to secure the support and nomination of #Libertarians at their national convention was met with a barrage of boos.
The Trump campaign, showing its usual organizational chops, failed to submit paperwork for the nomination ballot. A write-in vote failed abysmally in the first round of balloting
169) The Blueprint poll reported on by Semaphore below focuses on young people and gathers data via an online poll and should be treated cautiously.
I’m not surprised by the poll sentiment. Since the Reagan era, the #GOP has sewed distrust in government and been aided and abetted by a #RightWing #NewsMedia ecoystem.
All this to insure #garchs lower their tax bill, if #democracy is sacrificed, so be it
170) #Trump’s support by the wealthy is in many respect far more disappointing than those #MAGA redcaps of modest means
Usually, the rich have had the benefit of a good education and should understand that democracy is at stake in #Election2024. I can only conclude that many wealthy types care more about promised tax reductions and deregulation than the obvious threat of #fascism
@mnutty I would not give that much credit to their educations. Seriously, I would not.
For one thing, they have MBAs, not PhDs in Philosophy.
If they are like Zuck and Jack (and Bill Gates, though I doubt he supports Trump), they are college DROPOUTS.
LOL, I have an MBA. I like to think it doesn’t preclude me from thought or a conscience. I think these guys are knowingly opting to support #Trump for their own selfish purpose without regard for the commonweal. Ignorance is to some degree understandable, these types have no excuse
@mnutty Academia are people who make a career writing about "Moby Dick" without realizing it is one big, fabricated fish tale about the big one that got away.
Didn't they wonder why "Ishmael" (the son cast out for playful mocking) insisted that a whale be considered a fish? There is nothing deep about the book. It is a wonderfully comic fish tale. :)
@mnutty Academia is like that. They purposely obfuscate things because they are rewarded for doing that.
Including doing the right thing. It is obfuscated.
Martin Nutty
Barry Schwartz 🫖