About a year ago I finally got fed up with the opinion pieces for the NY Times leading me to cancel my subscription. I have not been remorseful since. Well, after Joe Biden had a bad debate performance the “pundit class” went into high gear aiming to force Biden from the Ballot – despite being the choice of democrats in the primaries – because “he’s too old.” This would suggest the voters who took place in the primaries didn’t understand Biden was soon to be 81. Of course, the weak kneed democrats in Congress, holding their fingers to the “winds” started bailing from Biden like a group of fishermen on a sinking boat.

Well, what they’re accomplishing is doing the “dirty work” for republican operatives who’ve been blasting President Biden’s age for the past 3 plus years. Of course, they’re preferred candidate is ONLY three years younger and when it comes to knowledge of government and wisdom Trump still seems to be more like a Middle Schooler than a candidate for the most important job in the world. (Sorry, Mr. Putin) Here’s what’s bugging me about all of this. The issue is Trump, the MAGA republicans, and, of course, the “Project 2025” Manifesto which is FINALLY getting more than a cursory look. For those unwilling to read, it’s a roadmap to fascism for America. (The “fever dream” of those opposing the New Deal)

The right wing fascists behind Project 2025 have been living “under the rocks” since the early days of Charles and David Koch taking over the reins of Koch Industries and their push for a right wing bent to our government. Keep in mind (If you’ve watched NPR’s “Nazi Town USA”) some of the authors of Project 2025 very well could be directly associated – by their familial relationship to the key “players” in the Nazi movement in America preceding WWII. Trump was widely recognized as their conduit to the “mainstream” of politics when he took the “torch” of the racist “birther movement.” The “cherry on top” for these white/christian nationalists is they didn’t have to “coach” Trump about the “Big Lie Theory” of Hitler’s Nazi’s. Trump is a natural.

Suddenly, a bunch of journalists and pundits discovered Joe Biden is old. For the past few weeks several, as I mentioned above, a group of “weak kneed” democrats in the House and Senate continue pushing President Biden to drop from the “race.” Well, I’ll say once again what I’ve been saying for months. The winner of the election will be either Joe Biden or Donald Trump. Put another way, a competent political government administrator or a CONVICTED felon who’s also an adjudicated sexual offender guilty of bank, insurance, and tax fraud who supports Project 2025. Put still another way it’s either a president who supports our democratic republic or one who supports a roadmap to FASCISM! I say to democrats, let’s get on with it!

Here’s something I’m finding interesting. Outlets like the NY Times, the WA Post, and several other parts of the “Mainstream Media” (MSM) have suddenly realized their two weeks of putting their “microscope” on Joe Biden and the FACT he’s 81, maybe they had better put some of their focus on Trump. And, it only takes a cursory look at what Trump is saying and his supporters are saying for these outlets to conclude what MOST of us everyday Americans concluded long ago – Trump is UNFIT to hold any office in America’s government. let alone the presidency. It’s almost time for the actual campaign to start and democrats will win if they close ranks around Biden/Harris in order to BLOCK Trump and his fascist compatriots from success.

Not only do they need to get behind Biden/Harris they also need to support the democrats who can win in November’s Senate and House elections. Republicans like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, both senators who proved to be traitors in January of 2021, SHOULD be vulnerable. Cruz who famously vamoosed to Cancun during the Freeze in Texas a few years ago and spends his time Podcasting instead of governing and Hawley, now proudly proclaiming to be a “Christian Nationalist,” (apparently like the ones backing Hitler back in the day) should even turn off some republicans. But, of course, they represent “red America,” so who knows.

My point is, Joe Biden needs a democratically controlled Congress to get ANYTHING done – keeping in mind, if Biden wins in November, nary a republican in today’s Congress will accept the results. They’re all on the “Trump train.” Once again, read Project 2025, to get an idea of what these people believe. Actually, I’m not sure they believe anything other than doing whatever it takes to remain in POWER.

Some of the hypocrisy of these republicans is startling. Of course, Ted Cruz watched Trump attack his wife and his father back in 2016 before bending over and licking Trump’s boots. Hawley had his now infamous raised fist salute to the January 6th INSURRECTIONISTS only to be video taped running for his life as they stormed the Capitol. The list is long. Now, Trump has chosen Ohio Senator – with almost NO governing experience JD Vance, who once called Trump “America’s Hitler,” called himself a “Never Trumper,” and said you’d be an “idiot” if you voted for him, as his Vice President candidate. Attention women: Not only is Vance opposed to abortion, he’s also opposed to ANY exceptions. (Maybe that’s why he now claims Trump was a “great president.” (my stomach is curdling)

Trump could have chosen “liddle” Marco Rubio who was kissing up to him as if his life depended on being the choice. Apparently, Rubio making fun of Trump’s “small hands” – just like Stormy Daniels – was a bridge too far for Trump – unforgivable. Tonight, Nikki Haley, who claimed she wouldn’t support Trump, was another of the many who “flip flopped” – again and again – gave a speech for him at the republican convention. Of course, I didn’t manage to watch the speech but I have to wonder if she mentioned her husband in the speech – the husband Trump suggested was overseas in the military to get away from her. Seriously, these people have no shame.

Mitch McConnell. Trump’s been blasting him for years – including making RACIST comments about McConnell’s wife. McConnell, who couldn’t draw the courage to vote to CONVICT Trump in IMPEACHMENT #2 right before he gave a blistering speech on the floor of the Senate saying, in effect, Trump was guilty, was seen recently attempting to lick Trump’s boots at a get together at, you guessed it, the same Capitol Trump instigated the attack 3 1/2 years ago. Talk about your profiles in courage. But, as usual, there’s always more. Despite all of Trump’s ridiculing him – AND being booed at the Convention – there’s McConnell looking for extra spittle to put on Trump’s boots. I have to wonder if some of these cowardly republicans are getting on their knees for Trump (and, not to pray for him, if you know what I mean). This just gets more and more disgusting by the day.

And, still, we continue to have democrats arguing over who their candidate should be. Joe Biden sometimes slurs his words. Sometimes he forgets a name and makes a mistake. He stutters. They’re just AFRAID “we the people” are unable to understand Biden is 81 and the MOST effective president since, likely, FDR. For some reason democrats have lost sight of the FACT the issue is Donald Trump and Project 2025. Arguing over who the nominee should be is wasted air!

Hopefully, I’ll be eating “crow.” A couple days ago now, Joe Biden announced he was removing himself from the presidential election of 2024 – a decision which SHOULD further cement his “legacy” as one of America’s greatest presidents. That is, of course, if I’m eating that “crow.” I had written earlier, if he dropped out the ONLY possible choice for a “successor” was Kamala Harris for a plethora of reasons. The money, which only she can “inherit,” the campaign infrastructure and the campaign staff, and the amount of time it would take to choose someone else not to mention the divisiveness inside the party should that be their plan. (And, with many, including, apparently, Barack Obama, that WAS the plan) True to democrats of the past, there were many calling for an “open convention.” A choice which, in my view, would have guaranteed a second Trump administration.

Praise the Lord! It only took less than 48 hours for Ms. Harris to accumulate enough pledged delegates to the democratic convention to guarantee her the nomination. In addition, it’s been reported in those (less than) 48 hours something like $250 MILLION was raised. (If you don’t understand it takes a lot of money to win a presidential election I’ve got a …………. well, you know the rest) We’ve lost a great mind in making government work, in prosecuting a foreign policy which holds the Western Alliance together, and a determination to keep Putin holed up in Russia without accomplishing his fever dream of recreating the Soviet Union – starting with Ukraine.

Ms. Harris has been by Biden’s side as he’s navigated a 50/50 Senate and a House (in his first two years) with a razor thin majority into the most consequential legislative successes, from my vantage point, in my lifetime. At this point, I’m feeling the KEY to whether or not she will win in November, will be her choice for V.P. I don’t pay much attention to the polling, but, at this point, I have no idea what the polls are “saying.” I just can’t imagine the American people voting in a convicted FELON, who attempted a coup d’etat after his first FAILED term in office – where more jobs were LOST than what were there when he started (I believe he set the record) and analysis of his COVID ineptitude suggesting something like HALF A MILLION Americans aren’t here because of his folly.

Trump (and his campaign) keep asking “Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Well, unless you’re one of the tech BILLIONAIRES whose wealth doubled, tripled, or more, that answer is likely NO! People were losing jobs in droves, at this point four years ago something like 2000 to 3000 Americans PER DAY were dying of COVID – a number which rose to 4000 PER DAY by the time Trump (reluctantly) left office on January 20, 2021. He left with the economy in near free fall and NO plan for how to get us out of the COVID mess he helped exacerbate. Now he’s up against a 59 year old former prosecutor and, I’m guessing, he’s trying to figure out how to worm his way out of the September debate. (Which he already agreed to)

I’ll say it again. I’ve NEVER wished more to be wrong about one of my predictions than the one where I predicted the democrats would lose if they abandoned Biden. It still remains to be seen, but the initial enthusiasm, at least with the campaign staff and the democratic leaders who pushed Biden out of the race seems to be high. As I’ve said here and other places, I would have voted for Biden if he was on his last breath. As a friend of mine once said, “I’d vote for a can of tomato soup before I’d vote for Trump.” The next three months will be interesting and historic. I’m still hopeful for one of the last things on my bucket list: To live long enough (I’ll soon be 77 and have cancer) to see Trump go to jail. For that to happen, Ms. Harris needs to win in November!

Final Thought: I’ve written ad nauseam about the SCOTUS Citizen’s United v FEC decision back in 2010 which unleashed the “dark money” flowing into elections causing the COST of gaining a seat in Congress or, more drastically, winning the “White House” to run into the BILLIONS. For “little old me” who throws in $25 here and there it’s not much different than before – when there were actually campaign finance laws attempting to curb the effect of BILLIONAIRES on our elections. Well, it just keeps getting worse.

In the 2024 election we’ve got Trump attempting to get OIL BILLIONAIRES to drop him a “cool billion” with the promise to reverse President Biden’s environmental decisions. And, now, the latest report I’ve read has Elon Musk (yes, the same Elon Musk who claimed he was staying out of this election) ponying up $45 MILLION per month for Trump’s campaign coffers. Of course, he has to give the money to a “PAC” – which is not connected to Trump’s campaign (wink, wink). Will Trump use the money to pay his legal bills? That question doesn’t seem to be in the news lately – or all of Trump’s LIES. Even democrats are working overtime for Trump, by knifing Joe Biden in the back. I’ll say it again, that’s why I’ve never been a democrat.

Yellow Journalism Exposed: The Unfair Targeting of Biden’s Flaws vs Trump’s Crimes!

So, to answer the question about why Trump is polling better than Biden regardless of the realities in the fact-based world: “It’s the media, stupid.”

Thom Hartmann

Jul 08, 2024

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Watching and reading American media, a certain bias becomes immediately evident: stories proliferate about pundits and a handful of Democrats calling for President Biden to drop out of the race, but they are almost never “balanced” by pointing out the massively larger number of Republicans (many now “former” or “never Trump” Republicans, but Republicans nonetheless) who are calling for Trump to drop out or be defeated.

Why would this be?

Why wouldn’t American media at least try to balance their coverage of two “flawed” candidates? After all, Trump has been disowned by the former head of his own party (Michael Steele), something like half of his own former cabinet officials (including his Defense and Intelligence officials), and even his own former vice president.

There is nothing like a movement or groundswell that size on the Democratic side; virtually all of the calls for Biden to step aside have come from the media and not one current or former administration official has gone on the record against Biden.

Shouldn’t the GOP calls for Trump to step aside, be replaced, or be defeated — from old-line conservative Republicans like Liz Cheney to mainstream Republicans like Michael Steele to organized Republican movements like the Lincoln Project — at least be mentioned every time a story is written or a report done on Biden’s struggle to hang onto his candidacy?

Shouldn’t Trump’s crimes and anti-American behavior be at least mentioned whenever Biden’s age is criticized?

Why aren’t they?

Given Trump’s obvious criminality; the GOP’s hostility to women and racial, gender, and religious minorities; his pathetic economic performance pre-covid and incompetent handling of the pandemic (causing America to have the second-highest per-capita death rate in the world behind Peru); and rambling rants about sharks and batteries, you’d think he’d be far behind in the polls regardless of Biden’s occasional senior moments or gaffes.

And yet, numerous national polls conducted by reputable organizations in the past few weeks consistently show Trump beating Biden in this fall’s matchup.

So, again, what’s going on here?

One proposed answer is that the media is putting their thumb on the scale because they’re largely run by billionaires and corporations eager for more tax cuts and afraid of Biden’s Bernie-like promise to make them “pay their fair share.”

A popular meme this past weekend that went viral on social media, for example, says:

“The media’s Anti-Biden noise isn’t an accident:
— CNN: CEO Trump donor
— ABC: CEO Trump donor
— CBS: CEO Trump donor
— NBC: CEO Trump donor
— MSNBC: CEO Trump donor
— Washington Post: owner anti-union billionaire Jeff Bezos
— Wall Street Journal: Owner: Rupert Murdoch
— New York Times: CEO Trump donor.”

While not entirely accurate (and overlooking the political leanings of the billionaires who own the social media sites where some studies suggest as many as a third of us get our news these days), and with the notorious exceptions of Fox, Sinclair, and X, most media reporting isn’t so simplistically driven from the top down.

But that doesn’t mean that one of the biggest problems facing Americans (and the fate and future of our democratic republic) isn’t media bias. It’s just a very different type of bias that most people who don’t work in the media never consider.

I’m not talking about a simple left/right bias, a political preference held by reporters or publishers and editors of the nation’s major media outlets.

While there’s a strong case to be made for billion-dollar corporations and multimillionaire media personalities having a preference for low taxes and deregulation, for example, the bias I’m referencing has to do with spectacle.

Generations ago, we condescendingly referred to newspapers that emphasized scandal and celebrity intrigue as “yellow journalism.” The phrase dates back to the 1890s when William Randolph Hearst bought, in 1895, the Journal, a New York newspaper that he used to successfully compete with Joseph Pulitizer’s then-dominant and rather staid New York World.

Hearst hired away from Pulitzer’s papers a number of famous writers along with Richard Outcault, then the nation’s most famous cartoonist, who penned the wildly popular series called The Yellow Kid. Between Outcault’s draw and Hearst’s emphasis on celebrity and sensationalism, from the 1890s until the WWII era, “yellow (kid) journalism” dominated the American media scene.

It took two world wars to push public demand for real news and serious reporting — and an emphasis on fact-based reporting and substance over flash — back into media dominance. They birthed what became the era of Walter Cronkite and Kathryn Graham, with honest, credible reporting on everything from Nixon’s Watergate crimes to the horrors of the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War.

Cronkite competed with Huntley and Brinkley based on the quality of their reporting and the credibility of their sources, as did the nation’s major and even regional newspapers and radio news networks.

Television and radio networks lost money on their news operations, but it was a price they were happy to pay to maintain their otherwise very profitable broadcast licenses.

But then something changed.

I trace the modern era of yellow journalism to the 1990s, when the nation was transfixed by Ken Starr’s (and his right-hand-man Brett Kavanaugh’s) relentless and pornographic 4-year-long pursuit of Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky.

After Reagan ended enforcement of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, radio and TV stations were no longer burdened by the requirement to “program in the public interest” to maintain their broadcast licenses; within a year (1988) all three major TV networks had moved their news divisions — which had universally been losing money in the competition for “real news” — under the arm of their entertainment divisions, where they remain to this day and have become significant profit centers.

Thus was birthed the modern era of yellow journalism/infotainment, replacing classic issue-based journalism.

Rush Limbaugh’s 1988 national syndication and Rupert Murdoch’s 1996 Fox “News” set the tone for this era’s new yellow journalism, frontloading — as did Hearst back in the day — personality, celebrity, and scandal over the boring details of policy, debate, and the consequences of congressional and presidential decisions.

The “yellow” of this era’s “yellow journalism” more accurately means “profitable,” now that nobody remembers that cartoon of the 1890s. And, unlike the 1890s when there were still papers engaging in serious journalism, today’s yellow journalism is ubiquitous across the media consumed by the majority of Americans.

As a consequence, a Wall Street Journal poll found that 52% of voters claim that Trump “has a strong record of accomplishments” but only 40% say the same for Biden.

And now the researchers are weighing in, showing how 21st century yellow journalism has altered our political landscape and led to the rise of the ultimate scandal/celebrity/personality/profit spectacle: Donald Trump and his fascist cult followers.

The Columbia Journalism Review, the premiere watchdog of American news reporting, last year published a scathing indictment of pre-election political coverage in The New York Times and The Washington Post. Nothing has changed in the months since then; if anything, this profit-driven “yellow journalism” has gotten worse.

Because these two newspapers are so widely read and respected, they tend to set the agenda and tone for most other reporting in the United States, and what the Review found leading up to the 2022 midterm election was shocking:

“Both emphasized the horse race and campaign palace intrigue, stories that functioned more to entertain readers than to educate them on essential differences between political parties. …

“By the numbers, of four hundred and eight articles on the front page of the Times during the period we analyzed, about half—two hundred nineteen—were about domestic politics. A generous interpretation found that just ten of those stories explained domestic public policy in any detail; only one front-page article in the lead-up to the midterms really leaned into discussion about a policy matter in Congress: Republican efforts to shrink Social Security.

“Of three hundred and ninety-three front-page articles in the Post, two hundred fifteen were about domestic politics; our research found only four stories that discussed any form of policy. The Post had no front-page stories in the months ahead of the midterms on policies that candidates aimed to bring to the fore or legislation they intended to pursue. Instead, articles speculated about candidates and discussed where voter bases were leaning.”

This is the exact same type of yellow journalism “reporting” that preceded the 2016 election and brought us Donald Trump as president, and is a clear echo of the days of Hearst’s New York Journal.

But it’s not just selective reporting of the news of the day with a heavy tilt toward the GOP (or, more correctly, a steady refusal to report on the accomplishments of Biden and Democrats).

Another factor that Hearst played on heavily — and has come to dominate what passes today for journalism — is the media’s intentional “inversion of expectation.” It’s the other side of the coin of spectacle.

As any comedian can tell you, an involuntary laugh response comes when a person thinks they know what’s coming next and is then, instead, surprised by the unexpected.

“I just flew in from New York,” Red Skelton used to famously say, deadpan. “Boy, are my arms tired!”

In his 1941 book American Journalism. A History of Newspapers in the United States through 250 Years, 1690 to 1940, Frank Luther Mott famously noted the hallmark of Hearst’s yellow journalism era:

“When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a dog, that is news.”

In today’s yellow journalism era, reporters are similarly far more interested in “man bites dog” stories than in examining the factors and history that may have provoked that bite, or even covering in any detail the frequency of bites of any kind.

In this regard, we’re watching a repeat of the way our national news media helped Trump into the White House in 2016.

The irrefutable example comes from an in-depth analysis of 2016 done by Media Matters comparing Hillary Clinton’s private comment about Trump’s followers being “a basket of deplorables” and Trump’s very public 2016 proclamation, literally echoing Hitler, that some of us are “vermin” who he intended to “root out” and eliminate from American society.

Clinton is a reasonable and thoughtful politician and former diplomat, so her “deplorables” comment was seen by our yellow press as “man bites dog.” It was unexpected.

Trump, on the other hand, is a sadistic fascist whose call for the extermination of his political opponents could reasonably be expected: “dog bites man.”

The 2016 data proves the thesis, as Media Matters noted:

“Media Matters reviewed the nationally syndicated broadcast news shows – ABC’s Good Morning America, World News Tonight, and This Week; CBS’ This Morning, Mornings, Evening News, and Face the Nation; and NBC’s Today, Nightly News, and Meet the Press – in the first week after each remark.

“We found that those programs aired 54 minutes of coverage of Clinton’s “deplorables” comment but just 3 minutes regarding Trump’s “vermin” remark.

“ABC News aired 20 minutes of ‘deplorables’ coverage across 13 segments and 3 teasers, but devoted only a single minute of coverage to the ‘vermin’ comment, during an interview with the network’s chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl, about his new book.

“CBS News provided 13 minutes of ‘deplorables’ coverage across 11 segments and 3 teasers, compared to 1 passing mention of the ‘vermin’ remark on Face the Nation that comprised less than 30 seconds.

“And NBC News spent 21 minutes of airtime on the ‘deplorables’ comment across 11 segments, compared to 2 minutes on ‘vermin’ — one a passing mention, the other an interview in which Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker read the comment to Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and asked her, ‘Are you comfortable with this language coming from the GOP front-runner?’ (McDaniel declined to comment.)”

Cable news (CNN, Fox “News,” and MSNBC) wasn’t much different:

“On CNN, there were 553 mentions of ‘deplorable’ compared to 70 for ‘vermin.’

“On Fox News, there were 513 mentions of ‘deplorable’ compared to only 9 of ‘vermin.’

“And on MSNBC, there were 596 mentions of ‘deplorables’ compared to only 112 of ‘vermin.’”

The reporters at Media Matters then turned their attention to the nation’s five largest newspapers by circulation: “the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post — in the first week following each remark.”

Here, they found the pattern repeated.

The LA Times published 3 articles about Clintons “deplorables” comment, two on the front page. Not one single article during the week after Trump mentioned “vermin” even referenced his remark.

The New York Times had seven articles about Clinton’s comment, four on the front page; like the LA Times, there wasn’t a single news story mention of Trump’s ‘vermin’ comment during that time period.

The Wall Street Journal similarly ignored Trump’s comment altogether, but ran 8 articles about Clinton’s faux pax, four of them on the front page.

The Washington Post at least mentioned Trump’s comment once, on page A2 (including it in the headline), but gave Clinton’s remark 9 stories, one on the front page, with five using the word “deplorables” in the headline.

USA Today covered Clinton’s comment in 2 news articles but, like three of the other four papers completely ignored Trump’s.

And now they are repeating that pattern virtually step-by-profitable-step.

So, to answer the question about why Trump is polling better than Biden regardless of the realities in the fact-based world: “It’s the media, stupid.”

It’s an echo of CBS’s Les Moonves telling Donald Trump to keep it up in 2016 because Trump’s hate and bizarre lies were making so much money for the TV network:

“Man, who would have expected the ride we’re all having right now? … The money’s rolling in and this is fun. … I’ve never seen anything like this, and this going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It’s a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going.”

In the wake of Reagan ending enforcement of the Fairness Doctrine and later the Equal Time Rule, to see this issue-free spectacle-style coverage passing as news on the front pages of our nation’s largest newspapers is, frankly, a crime against our democracy.

For voters to make intelligent decisions about candidates, they must be well-informed.

Sadly, that is very much not what is happening today in America, and our era’s profit-driven yellow journalism, no longer required to “program in the public interest,” bodes ill for this fall’s election.

The best corrective, and the best chance to save our Republic, is for all of us to speak out loudly when we see this kind of modern-day yellow journalism practiced.

As we saw last week when The New York Times featured an editorial calling for its heavily Democratic readers not to vote and then altered the headline in response to public outrage, our pressure can alter media behavior.

It’s time to raise some hell!

I read news feeds from several sources and the response of the democrats, as I wrote recently, to Joe Biden’s debate performance just reminds me, it seems, every day of why I’ve never joined the democratic party. On first glance it’s outrageous, but then my mind settles in on it’s STUPID. For some reason there are a bunch of democrats who believe now is the time to replace Joe Biden on the democratic ticket. It’s like “what have you done for me lately?” It’s ALMOST as if these democrats WANT to live through another Trump administration. Obviously, they haven’t read “Project 2025” or listened to the “brass” at the Heritage Foundation crowing about how the SCOTUS has turned hard right and given Trump all the POWER he’ll need to upend our republic.

To me, the focus SHOULD be on the Court and the potential ramifications of them giving the president “absolute immunity” (I’m going to gag) for virtually any actions he/she takes during their term in office. The best example given in the majority opinion was that Trump was “immune” from criminal prosecution for his conversations with members of DOJ as he was CRIMINALLY (my characterization) attempting to foment a coup d’etat. (Could Biden now order his AG to arrest and jail Trump? Could he end the Electoral College so presidents are chosen by a majority of the people? Just wondering)

Here’s what SHOULD happen. Democrats SHOULD get their sh*t together, line up behind Biden/Harris and start campaigning as if their/our lives depend on it. Just the Courts decisions in the last week. let alone in the last two (+) years, should get their/our attention. Of course, the obvious one (since Dobbs) was the granting to Trump of his preposterous claim he was, as president, “above the law.” Not only did they grant Trump his fever dream, but they took EVERY possible day to get their decision out, I don’t know, maybe overshadowed by Biden’s debate performance. And, OBTW, to me, Trump’s debate performance was, on substance, the WORST I’ve ever seen. He did manage to limit the outright LIES to around 50 in the 90 minutes.

Why on earth is all of this not motivating democrats to get behind Biden. I’ve read several suggestions Biden should step aside for Kamala Harris. STUPID! She’s his VP and, should he be unable, for any reason, to perform the duties of his office, she would step in. In fact, I’m guessing that’s the obvious scenario which will play out. But, there’s not enough time for anyone else to set up a campaign with any chance to beat Trump. And, to all the naysayers who think Trump has this election in the bag, democrats have an excellent to awesome record of achievement over the previous 3 1/2 years, there’s the issue of abortion (and, trust me, read “Project 2025” if you actually believe there won’t be a national ban on abortion with a Trump victory) along with many others.

Project 2025 isn’t a suggestive document which is 900 pages long, in the short amount of pages I’ve been able to transverse, it’s a roadmap to “deconstructing the administrative state” and “conservative presidents” will be expected to “do as told.” (Once again, my characterization) Trump won’t read a page of it, but he’ll be surrounded by those who wrote it and he’ll be expected to do as told. All he cares about is the POWER and the LIMELIGHT. (Plus staying out of jail) The U.S. will have been, in effect, undermined from within as Hitler failed to do back in the 1930’s. Hyperbole? Check out “Nazi Town” on YouTube (by PBS, which, by the way, “Project 2025” is planning to get rid of – you know, “lights out.” (Click HERE to access the video – might be behind a paywall – I give PBS $5 per month)

We ALL have a major decision to make by November’s election. Do we care enough for our democratic republic to defend it against this right wing fascist assault. This isn’t just happening here, but if “we the people” are unwilling to defend our nation from fascism then democracies across Europe are likely to start falling. Steve Bannon just got thrown in prison, but he’s got his fingertips all over this right win sludge – not only in America – but in Europe as well. His “Cambridge Analytica” was a key proponent in the Brexit breakup of the EU, the first Trump calamity in America, and, likely what’s going on in France as I’m writing this. (Despite the fact Cambridge Analytica got exposed and shuttered – although Bannon has all the stolen data)

While we MUST keep our focus on what’s happening here, understanding there’s a global cabal (and V. Putin is right in the middle of it) is important. Ukraine’s fight to save their democracy is on the line in our election. by extension, so is the future of the countries like Poland, Slovakia, Moldova, Hungary, and others which Putin has his sights set on. And, do you really believe Trump is going to keep the U.S. as the leader of NATO? If “we the people” are STUPID enough to elect Trump 2.0 the world will be turned upside down and we’ll deserve what we get. And, when all is said and done we’ll be responsible) As it stands, there’s “more of us that there are of them” but they are doing a great job of dividing the democrats into a sniveling group of losers. And, I have to add, our “liberal media” is playing their part in all of this. Before you notice MSNBC will be showing Trump’s speeches once again, not for our benefit but for their’s hoping Trump will go easy on them as he participates in the dismantling of the foundation of our republic.

Look, “we the people” have less than a month to get our sh*t together and get this campaign focused on what’s important. It’s important for ALL of us, just in different ways. For us old people (I was going to write farts) we need to stop Trump for the sake of our children and grandchildren (if you’re fortunate enough to have any) – maybe I should just say, for those who will come after us. The ultimate consequence of ignoring the Climate Crisis, for example, won’t happen until we are long gone, (Although, brace yourself for this year’s hurricane season) The damage Trump will cause to the economy won’t affect us nearly as much as the young people of our nation (in whose futures Biden/Harris are focused on investing), And, we’re all too old to be affected by what likely will be a complete ban on abortions not to mention a president who can violate the same laws he/she is expected to ensure are faithfully executed with impunity.

This right wing coup has been brewing for over half a century. I’ve written many times how I believe it started with Lewis Powell’s “memo” to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce back in 1971 – although it had been “brewing” since the days of the New Deal. Remember, a key component of fascism is a “corporate/government” partnership of which the Powell “memo” ushered in. Remember, Lewis Powell became a Justice of the SCOTUS within a year of writing this “memo” – placed there by Richard Nixon – who, I believe, in his wildest dreams couldn’t envision what’s going on in the U.S. right now. Reagan put the Powell “recipe” into effect on steroids. Republicans have been chipping away at our “free market” system ever since, all while claiming it’s the democrats. Pure projection!

Let me skip to the “young Americans” who I believe will determine who wins/loses in November. I’ll simply list some of the issues which SHOULD matter to them. Let’s start with the Climate Crisis – Biden is attempting to do something about it, Trump thinks it’s a “hoax.” Enough said. Abortion? Well, as it stands in about half of America’s 50 states getting pregnant is a life threatening condition. I’m not a “pro abortion” person other than I believe it’s up to every woman and her doctors to decide what’s best for her. I can’t imagine having a miscarriage and being denied care because the procedure is, in essence, an abortion – but, that’s the circumstances of women all across our nation. That issue SHOULD mobilize people much more than a poor debate performance.

Education? For starters Trump (via “Project 2025”) wants to eliminate the education department in America. If you’re a white, affluent (OK, I should have just said “affluent”) family in America, maybe this is OK. The damage of ending the education department is hard for me, a retired teacher, to stomach. But, that should really get the attention of young Americans. And, to further get your attention, there are already states REQUIRING the “Ten Commandments” be placed on the walls of EVERY school classroom. Those doing this are tempting the SCOTUS to give their approval, and what do you think the result will be? Do you think Trump will object or have his AG defend our freedom of (or from) religion? The ramifications of ending the education department are too numerous to mention here – but, none of it will affect us old (people).

What about your Voting Rights? You’ve already got legions of right wing republicans working to PREVENT various groups of voters who tend to vote for democrats from being able to participate in this November’s election. For example, they’re working to prevent college students from being able to vote. I’m not sure of the details, but I’m far removed from being a college student and the only way it will affect me is if the scheme works to get Trump elected. How about Gaza? While Bibi Netanyahu continues his assault on the Palestinian people there will be young people blaming Joe Biden because we/he supports Israel. Before you let what’s going on in Gaza to cause you to either not vote for Biden or vote for a third party or worse yet, vote for Trump – just consider what Trump’s position is. He’s a Netanyahu fan. They’re like two peas out of the same pod. Netanyahu was involved in the conspiracy to elect Trump in the first place, and he’s facing similar CORRUPTION charges – do you really believe Trump will be better than Biden?

What about Civil Rights? If you believe that all Americans deserve the same rights, well check out some of the underlying “hints” coming from the SCOTUS. They, according to several court watchers, have their sights set on LGBTQ rights, marriage equality, and, of course “Project 2025” is firmly entrenched in the white nationalist, Christian nationalist movement in America, so, if you’re NOT “white” why on earth would you consider doing anything which might put Trump back in office. He’s no longer being covert about his racism. Do you think Trump, and Stephen Miller, and the rest of them are kidding about rounding up “illegals” (whatever that means anymore) and putting them into what amount to concentration camps prior to deporting them? Well, after the election it will be too late to find out if Trump (cheats to) “win.”

I could go on (and on and….) but here’s the solution to all of this. First, there’s no time to put up another candidate beside Biden (for all you fine weather democrats) so it’s time to mobilize like never before. Just the decision of the Supreme Court and the likelihood Trump would place even more YOUNG judges on the court SHOULD get your attention. The courts are already COMPROMISED but the situation will get far worse if democrats continue arguing amongst themselves. (although, sadly, that’s typical – republicans are chuckling under their breath) To me, if we just limited the issues to ABORTION rights, the SCOTUS and their assault on our constitution, Ukraine, and the Climate Crisis – there SHOULD be enough Americans who don’t want the “Project 2025” solution to these issues to turn back Trump’s attempt to finalize his coup.

Final Thought: I honestly can’t believe there are enough Americans who can’t remember Trump 1.0, the attempted coup d’etat, the stealing of our nation’s top secrets and potentially giving them out/selling them to our adversaries, his being found liable for sexual assault (with about 25 more cases not adjudicated), his business found guilty of business and tax FRAUD, he (and his sons) found liable for a 450 MILLION judgement for the same, and being found GUILTY of paying off a couple women prior to the 2016 election in order to affect the outcome – and, then, hiding the campaign finance violation by hiding the payments in his “two ledger” system of accounting for his business. (Just like an organized criminal)

But, the reality is if we who DO remember Trump 1.0 and all that has transpired over the past 4 years and then get our “panties in a bunch” over a bad debate performance by Joe Biden – forgetting about his historical first term, the strong economy, the steady reporting of strong jobs data, the help with medical expenses, the infrastructure bill (and now, projects going into affect), the Chips and Science Act – bringing computer chip production back into America’s manufacturing base – the help for our veterans, and on and on (including reducing the issue of inflation) well, we deserve what we get. Many democrats are acting like scared jackrabbits – almost as if by tradition. I even read of some democrat in Maine suggesting (this is a rep to the U.S. House) another Trump administration will be just fine – our guardrails held before, they’ll do it again. Apparently, he hasn’t read “Project 2025.” (Read it HERE)

One more thing: The democratic circular firing squad is officially in high gear. These people are STUPID. There’s no time to choose a different candidate and the VOTERS chose Biden, overwhelmingly. The democrats, with an incredible BOOST from the MSM, are attempting to grab DEFEAT out of the jaws of VICTORY. What needs to happen is ALL of the people who don’t like Trump get behind Biden/Harris. If something happens to Biden where he can’t perform the duties of president then it will fall to Kamala Harris. Very simple! Let’s get on with it and stop doing the republicans work for them!