SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2024
All Misstatements by Trump Left Behind: Will Candidate Harris win this election? We'd bet against her at this point, but we have no real idea.
In fairness, let's be fair:
Vice President Harris was thrown into the race at a very late point in the game. By now, it seems fair to say that she has proven to be a challenged candidate in various ways, as was the case in 2019, when she sought the Democratic Party nomination in the normal manner.
Full disclosure! Off the cuff, in extemporaneous speech, she continues to be surprisingly inarticulate; this is surely costing her votes. That said, this site exists to examine the discourse, not to evaluate the pols—and it's the spectacular dumbness of our current discourse which defines the astonishingly horrible shape we Americans, Red and Blue, are now inescapably in.
Dear readers! Even with the Internet Archive down, consider the sheer stupidity of a presentation which took place on yesterday morning's Fox & Friends.
It started at 8:27 a.m. To watch the presentation we'll now discuss, you can just click here.
Sad! At the start of a "Fox News Democracy 24" report, co-host Ainsley Earhardt kicked things off like this:
EARHART (10/11/24): Moments ago, Tim Walz was pressed by Good Morning America about why Kamala Harris hasn't made good on her campaign promises while she's been in the White House. Here is that exchange...
Sad! Before we show you the way "that exchange" on GMA got started, let this obvious point go forth to the nations:
According to Earhardt, the question posed to Candidate Walz was this:
Why hasn't Harris made good on her promises while she's been in the White House?
Sad! In one blindingly obvious sense, the question starts to disqualify itself if one obvious point is added:
Why hasn't Harris made good on her promises while she's been in the White House as vice president?
How dumb does a journalist have to be to skip past that obvious point? Candidate Harris has "been in the White House" for almost four years, but she's been there as vice president.
She herself hasn't been in charge! As almost everyone has heard by now, the president has been Joe Biden!
This must be the world's most obvious point. But as you can see in the videotape which Earhardt now proceeded to play, major players in our mainstream press corps skip past this obvious point in much the same reflexive way the rest of us humans breathe.
Below, you see where the Fox & Friends segment went as Earhardt played a brief chunk of videotape from the GMA interview. Sad! This is the question posed to Walz by GMA's Michael Strahan:
EARHART (10/11/24): Moments ago, Tim Walz was pressed by Good Morning America about why Kamala Harris hasn't made good on her campaign promises while she's been in the White House. Here is that exchange:
STRAHAN (videotape): Something that former president Trump said—something that, within your debate with— They were saying that, "Hey, these are policies that Kamala Harris could have done three years ago, when she was in the White House with President Biden—and she never did."
What do you say to people who bring that up, who say that?
Sad! In that passage, you see a multimillionaire mainstream news star endorsing what may be the world's dumbest possible question.
That question might (or might not) make sense if asked of a sitting president. In all honesty, this familiar question is strikingly dumb in the circumstance at hand.
You can see the start of what Walz said by watching the Fox & Friends tape—tape which comes from what may be the dumbest and most propagandistic program in all of TV "news."
For the record, we can find no tape of Strahan's interview with Candidate Walz at Good Morning America's site. At that sadly instructive site, we find no sign that the interview with Walz ever took place at all.
Sad! As you can see, the GMA site is mainly devoted to thumb-sucker "human interest" reports, followed quickly by information about the various ways a person can "Shop GMA."
That site is stupidity all the way down. With few exceptions, so is the little which is left of our ersatz "national discourse."
Sad! We all live within an extremely dumb political / journalistic culture. In fairness, it isn't just Fox & Friends, though that gruesome morning show frequently takes the cake.
In the 7 o'clock hour this morning, co-host Pete Hegseth was happily informing Fox & Friends Weekend viewers that Candidate Harris is "staggeringly bad"—that she "can't articulate" her views on various issues at all.
In our view, that has turned out to be a weakness for Candidate Harris. That said, she's running against a second candidate whose presentations are crazily inaccurate on a regular basis. Other aspects of his presentations make things exponentially worse.
That said, of one thing you can feel certain—viewers of Fox & Friends and Fox & Friends Weekend will never be asked to think about the crazy things that other candidate constantly says in his speeches and during his interviews.
They will never be asked to look at footage of any of his crazy remarks. One thinks of an Oscar-winning film from not that long ago:
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American science fiction romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michel Gondry, based on Charlie Kaufman's screenplay developed from a story by Gondry, Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth. Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, with supporting roles from Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson, it follows two individuals who undergo a memory erasure procedure to forget each other after the dissolution of their romantic relationship.
[...]
The film was a box office success, grossing $74 million on a $20 million budget, and was named by the American Film Institute one of the Top 10 Films of 2004. At the 77th Academy Awards, Bismuth, Gondry and Kaufman won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and Winslet received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
In the years since its release, the film has become a cult classic; it is considered by many publications as one of the best films of the 21st century.
In this well-known film, a pair of ex-lovers are allowed to enjoy an "eternal sunshine" after having their painful memories erased. At Fox, viewers are allowed to enjoy an eternal sunshine in a slightly different manner:
Sad! Fox viewers are never shown the crazy statements and crazy behaviors of the candidate the Fox News Channel supports and propagandizes for. To a substantially lesser but real extent, a similar process has been underway for years at many of Blue America's favorite news orgs.
No program is dumber than Fox & Friends, though several Fox News programs try. In fairness, the dumbness extends into Blue regions too. All of us are currently living inside a deeply stupid political culture.
Can a large modern nation survive in this way? The question seems to be in the process of aggressively answering itself.
Who is going to win in November? We can't answer that pressing question, but we're guessing the other guy might!
Fuller disclosure: As we noted once again in yesterday afternoon's report, the culture at Fox also becomes amazingly coarse and profane during the 10 p.m. hour.
During that remarkable hour, Candidate Harris is known as "Cackles McKneepads." It's also known that she's "a wine drunk."
On at least three occasions, viewers have been asked whether Hunter Biden has started "banging" or "BLEEPing" first lady Jill Biden yet. This is the business the moguls at Fox have chosen.
This occurs on a nightly basis. As this garbage can is opened each night, the New York Times looks away.
This is the culture into which we've been thrown. It's hard to believe that a large modern nation can expect to function this way.
If you watched Fox 24/7 as Somerby said he does, of course you would think Harris is losing the election. Somerby considers none of the positive indicators for the Harris campaign, just as when he was calling for her to do loads of interviews and explain how she was going to pay for stuff, he never mentioned that Trump hasn't done an interview in a month and is avoiding campaigning in swing states so he won't lose any more votes through incoherence. Somerby doesn't mention that Trump has way less campaign funds, is having trouble in the hurricane states, and has lost female supporters everywhere and doesn't know how to get them back. None of that suggests Trump is going to win.
ReplyDeleteLike a good boy, Somerby promotes the trash red state polls, as if they are any measure of what is happening even now in the early voting. Yes, Fox News says ugly things about Harris, but that definitely doesn't make them true and it isn't affecting the vote because (1) sane people don't watch Fox, and (2) no one thinks it is true that Harris is drunk or laughs too much -- most people like her (see the polls on that), and (3) how would Trump's dementia ever be offset by a stupid comment about Harris's laugh. That stuff is just red meat for the faithful and it won't add a single vote to Trump's tally, which was deficient in 2020 and will be next month too.
But Somerby thinks it is important today to tell us how little faith he has in Harris, because that is how liberals support their candidate? Of course not. That is how a fake liberal does the bidding of whoever is funding this blog.
You're not very bright.
DeleteIf I'm half as smart as Kamala Harris, I will be happy.
DeleteI'd say you've got it about right. So if her IQ is 130, you'd be at about 65.
DeleteMeanwhile Trump thinks his IQ comes from his uncle at MIT.
DeleteThis is priceless.
DeleteThe Pheasant Hunt
https://x.com/bccover/status/1845115049213636891?s=42&t=oYvKLjVc8YzJIvwKoQTYBQ
Elsewhere, they are mocking Steve Miller because Jesse Watters is treating him like a babe magnet. Miller says the secret to his success with chicks is to "wear support for Trump on his sleeve". I guess that is aimed at guys because most women avoid dating MAGAs, but it shows how completely clueless Fox is about what women are attracted by. It is sad, truly pathetic, to think that any guy watching Miller would think that any woman anywhere thinks he is sexy, or that imitating him will help them get dates. More lies for the gullible. The key mistake is thinking that supporting Trump would make a guy more like Trump, or that this elderly shell of whatever he used to be retains any attraction for anyone. Even Melania has left him.
ReplyDeleteThe election is all over but the shouting and Harris will win easily, Trump will try another coup, but the real world will go on spinning despite his nonsense. Then Somerby can try to finish reading the Iliad.
And/or figuring out what happened to his beloved Pac-12.
Delete"Vice President Kamala Harris Saturday released a new report that had political pundits scratching their heads and asking one question.
ReplyDelete"A question that every reporter in America should be asking this morning," wrote Democratic strategist Matt McDermott. "Why is Donald Trump hiding his health records?"
This question arrived as Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee since August, revealed information Trump has not — despite mounting three presidential campaigns over the past eight years.
Harris' physician Dr. Joshua Simmons pronounced Harris in good health in a report detailing basic vitals such as her blood levels, blood pressure (128/74 mmHg), heart rate (78 beats per minute) and temperature (98.7 °F).
"I have been her primary care physician for the last three and a half years since the start of the current administration," Simmons wrote. "Vice President remains in excellent health."
This news spurred mixed emotions from political commentators who expressed sarcastic anticipation, direct outrage and deep frustration that Trump, 78, had yet to release health records less than a month before Election Day.
"Excited to see Trump’s health summary," wrote MSNBC commentator Molly Jong-Fast. "Oh, wait."
"Trump refuses to debate," political commentator Alex Cole. "Trump refuses to release his taxes. Trump refuses to release his health records.Trump refuses to do interviews that fact-check. The 78-year-old is definitely hiding something." [Rawstory]
Yesterday Hector asked for an example of Harris getting ahead by being discriminated against. Well, she was chosen as VP candidate because she’s black — a discriminated against minority.
ReplyDeleteYou are a pathetic soul. Get help.
DeleteThis is entirely untrue. And I know for a fact that she was not voted Senator either, because she is biracial, nor was she voted California Attorney General because of her race, nor was she elected District Attorney of San Francisco due to her race. Racists think this because race is salient for them. Other people have voted for Harris numerous times for increasingly responsible jobs because she is smart, qualified and effective in each of her previous jobs.
DeleteIn 2020 the liberal NPR reported Pressure Grows On Joe Biden To Pick A Black Woman As His Running Mate
Deletehttps://www.npr.org/2020/06/12/875000650/pressure-grows-on-joe-biden-to-pick-a-black-woman-as-his-running-mate
Nice try, but wrong again.
DeleteYour statement yesterday was that Harris has gotten ahead not simply by being part of a class that has suffered discrimination, but by 'portraying herself' as part of this class. By playing the victim.
So it's this aspect of self-portrayal as a victim you have to provide evidence for, in order to validate your earlier statement.
Back to the drawing board.
Well said, Hector. You are technically correct. Harris got the VP nomination by being a black woman, not by portraying herself as a black woman.
DeleteThank you David. But I am not technically correct. I am correct.
DeleteThe theme of your post yesterday was Harris not being a leader because of her whining and playing the victim. So the point I made above was not technical or peripheral, but conclusive in refuting your thesis.
2:33,
DeleteHow can anyone on the Right believe such a thing?
Or is that whole "I don't see color" thing yet another one of their bullshit lines?
(Narrator: It's yet another one of their bullshit lines.)
"The theme of your post yesterday was Harris not being a leader because of her whining and playing the victim."
DeleteWell, he has a point. Haven't you heard Harris complain frequently that "No one has ever been treated as unfairly by the press as me!"? What about all the times she has complained about the "unfairness" of judges, prosecutors, and the law in general?
He's so right. There's never been a whiner or victim like Kamala Harris. No. Not ever.
Touché, Quaker.
DeleteTrump has experienced enough demonstrably unfair treatment by the media to reasonably claim he has been treated unfairly. It's difficult to conclude that 'no one has ever been treated as unfairly by the press' as he has but among presidential candidates, it's hard to deny he is a strong contender for the title.
DeleteTrump has been treated so unfairly that Kevin Drum this morning showed the front page of the NY Times which was dominated by articles about Trump.
Deletehttps://jabberwocking.com/its-trump-trump-trump-all-the-time/
How does that support your preferred narrative?
Mark Milley, the US Army general who Donald Trump appointed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, now says the current Republican presidential nominee is a “fascist to the core” and says no person has ever posed more of a danger to the United States than the man who served as the 45th President of the United States.
DeleteIsn't it ironic, Dickhead in Cal, that you find yourself licking the scrotum of a fascist, with your family history?
"Trump has experienced enough demonstrably unfair treatment by the media"
DeleteDifficult claim to evaluate without some examples.
Trump is treated unfairly in corporate media by them grading him on a curve and sane washing his loony rants.
Delete"Former President Donald Trump spent a recent dinner for billionaire Republican donors at his Trump Tower penthouse complaining they hadn't done enough to help his campaign, according to a new report.
ReplyDeleteThe ex-president also called Vice President Kamala Harris "retarded," which the Special Olympics has described as "a form of hate speech," the New York Times reported Saturday.
Trump, "frustrated" about consistently losing the money race to Harris, "tore through a bitter list of grievances" with the donors he said "needed to do more, appreciate him more and help him more," according to the Times.
He also attempted to ingratiate himself by reminding his guests that he lowered their taxes when he was in office.
The former president complained about Jewish Americans still preferring Harris by arguing they needed to "have their heads examined" for voting for the Democratic ticket, according to the Times.
"The rant, described by seven people with knowledge of the meal who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, underscored a reality three weeks before Election Day: Mr. Trump’s often cantankerous mood in the final stretch," the Times reported.
"And one of the reasons for his frustration is money. He’s trailing his Democratic rival in the race for cash and has had to hustle to keep raising it."
[Rawstory]
But this is the guy Somerby thinks is winning the election. At this point, Trump knows he is going to lose, so for him it is just about the money. He is trying to collect as much as he can off this presidential candidate grift, before he has to show up for sentencing and face the other court cases against him. But maybe he won't be too scared to go back to playing golf.
Trump is a billionaire but he can't buy enough security staff to feel safe, even on his own golf courses? That's ridiculous. He is either having some health issue (that he won't disclose) or he needs a therapist to help him deal with delayed PTSD over the threats to his life. A normal person might feel some empathy under the circumstances and call off the MAGAs who are making death threats against election officials and other innocents, but not Trump. He cannot convince anyone to vote for him (beyond his crazies) so he threatens them. How ugly is that?
Now he is saying that he is going to deport children who don't speak English in school. I have so many Hispanic friends who are citizens but didn't speak English in kindergarten. We are genuinely frightened by Trump's threat to deport us to countries we have never lived in. Does Trump imagine that fear is going to win him any votes among Hispanics? There's no strategy there, only hate.
anon 1:06 -We'll know (hopefully) who wins the election when the election takes. Some people who want Harris to win are afraid she won't. Some people get enraged when one of those people (like TDH) express such fears - because they know that Harris going to win. Apparently one or the other will win. We'll find out. What also might happen is that Trump might win and the red party will also gain control of both the House and the Senate. It's possible. According to you, by expressing fear that Trump might win, TDH demonstrates "how a fake liberal does the bidding of whoever is funding this blog." You are incurably irrational. If you are an examplar of a non-fake "liberal," god help us.
DeleteI agree with AC/MA but think 1:25 is purely trolling. I don't think it's possible to sincerely sustain that level of irrationality. It's like sport to them.
Deleteanon 2:56, you may well be right. It's hard to imagine anyone other than a troll or someone who is "disordered" carrying this way day after day ("disordered" being a euphemism for "nuts")
DeleteI love this:
Delete“The ex-president also called Vice President Kamala Harris "retarded," which the Special Olympics has described as "a form of hate speech," the New York Times reported Saturday”
That settles it. They’re the experts.
I wonder how many committees were convened before they could inform and assure anonymices of this.
Everyone can recognize the ugliness of hate. The difference between people is that not everyone thinks it is OK to hurt other people.
DeleteAnonymouse 5:04pm, anonymices insult everyone who disagrees with them. You have ideological allies. You’re not the slightest bit cordial to anyone who is not that.
DeleteCordial? You should look that word up.
DeleteAnonymous commenters to a little-read blog not being cordial is somehow akin, in Cecelia’s mind, to leader of the GOP, former president, candidate, and possible future President Donald Trump calling people names and being , um, non-cordial on a National stage.
DeleteAnd Cecelia is hardly an illustration of cordiality.
Anonymouse 7:00pm, anonymices have an agenda and a script. An anonymous recently revealed that you have proofreaders and one anonymouse admonished a fellow anonymouse not to come to the blog unprepared.
DeleteYou’re at war.
Harris is ahead in the polls, it is pretty clear she will win.
DeleteThe cope from the ignorami right wing trolls like ac/ma and Cecelia is best left for psychologists to study, rather than bothering to respond to.
Anonymouse 12:38pm, however, you did respond.
Deletecognitive dissonance
“ anonymices have an agenda and a script”
DeleteSure. All those right wing anonymous commenters must be coordinating with the liberal Somerby critics. Plus the ones who criticize Democrats from a faux leftist perspective. Makes perfect sense. To an addle pated moron.
I agree with Somerby that it's hard to know for sure but it's not looking good for Harris.
ReplyDeleteIf you agree with Somerby about this, it is because you are reading the wrong things.
Delete5:30: I think it would be more interesting to discuss Harris rather than debate the reliability of the information I consume. I'm not interested in meta-arguments at the moment. Thanks.
DeleteSee the comment below about how the polls are trending for Harris, not Trump. It is a summary of the most recent polls.
Delete5:30 As tempting as it may be, I am not ready to draw definitive conclusions based on the current polling.
DeleteBut Somerby is.
DeleteHow so? Where?
DeleteAt the top of today’s essay.
DeleteHe didn't draw any definitive conclusions based on the current polling at the top of today’s essay.
DeleteNow that's just a Republican talking point.
DeleteAs Trump gets more of a sense that he is falling behind, his extremism and violent rhetoric have gotten worse. He is now saying increasingly ugly things. Some people attribute that to his worsening dementia, but I notice that the same thing has been happening here among the trolls. They are getting nastier as the election date grows closer. So maybe this reflects a policy on the right, or maybe it is that Trump shares the knowledge that he may lose with his right wing MAGA supporters and none of them know what to do about it, but they are clearly anxious about it, hence more foul-mouthed, aggressive and mean-spirited.
ReplyDeleteI will be glad when this is over. Meanwhile, I doubt the undecided and independent voters are going to respond well to the threats coming from Trump's campaign.
This red wave narrative may be what Somerby is reacting to. It does not tell the whole picture about the election, as described by Simon Rosenberg [Hopium Chronicles]:
ReplyDelete"National polling remains steady and encouraging for Harris. Here is what we’ve seen in recent days:
51%-45% (+6) Morning Consult (gained a point since last week)
49%-44% (+5) Susquehanna
50%-46% (+4) Big Village
49%-45% (+4) Research Co.
49%-46% (+4) NYT/Siena (4 pts with rounding/this is a 4 pt gain since the last poll)
49%-45% (+4) Economist/YouGov (gained a point since last week)
49%-46% (+3) TIPP/Issues and Insights (TIPP polls for rw groups)
49%-46% (+3) Data For Progress
50%-48% (+2) NPR/Marist
48%-46% (+2) Redfield & Wilton
47%-45% (+2) Reuters/Ipsos
48%-47% (+1) Yahoo/YouGov
Some of the major national polls this week showed Harris gaining ground. She gained 4 points in the New York Times poll. In the two weekly tracks I follow closely, Morning Consult and Economist/YouGov, she gained a point since last week. To be clear - in these three highly credible polls Harris has her biggest leads of the election.
What has been remarkable about the national and state polling in recent weeks is how stable and consistent it has been. Outside the right-aligned red wave polls, dozens and dozens of polls taken since the debate have consistently shown Harris up 2-3-4 points nationally, and closer to 270 in the battlegrounds. The consistency has been unusual, frankly, as polling is usually a bit more scattered and choppy.
So we should not be surprised that we finally saw some good polls yesterday for Trump, the Quinnipiac polls showing him leading in MI and WI. No one should be surprised by these polls. We’ve had 40-50 polls showing one election and were bound to start getting polls showing another election. Are these new polls harbingers or outliers? We will see in the coming days. But as I discuss in my presentation polls need to be seen as sketches, not photographs. They are not precise enough to tell us much more today than then election is close and we have work to do to have the election we all want to have.
As I wrote to you a few days ago, the right is running a desperate, frenetic campaign to create a red wave narrative that the election is slipping away from Harris and moving towards Trump (even thought national polling was arguably better for us this week than last). Their red wave pollsters dropped 27 polls last week alone, and have continued to drop new battleground polls this week. Their allied sites, Polymarket and Real Clear Politics, have declared that Trump is now closer to 270 and leading due to their voodoo MAGA “math.” They are really working to push MT, NC and PA to the Rs - it’s where their most intense work has been. Be aware that the entire right-wing noise machine is now working overtime to establish the narrative that the election is slipping away from us, that Trump is strong and Harris is weak. Do not allow a single poll or two to tip you into that place too when lots of other data tells a different story."
Since Somerby is today echoing yet another right wing talking point -- that the election is slipping away from Harris -- this is more support for the idea that Somerby's purpose here is to spread Republican disinformation and propaganda.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it's not possible to look at the polling data and conclude Harris is behind without being a disinformationist or propagandist.
DeleteHere's a recent headline from that well-known right wing propaganda outfit, The Guardian: "Trump Makes Gains as Poll Numbers Trigger Anxiety for Harris Campaign"
Who knew they were conspiring with Bob against Kamala?
Yes, that's right @5:47, because numbers don't lie.
Deletehttps://digbysblog.net/2024/10/12/why-does-he-lie-about-the-polls/
Read this for an explanation of why the Guardian put such a stupid headline on their article and why the press repeats right wing propaganda, right along with Somerby and the NY Times.
I think Somerby is being paid to write what he does. It wasn't accurate in 2020 and it isn't now. But who cares about the truth, amirite?
The article you cited to concludes the election is so close it could go either way.
DeleteBob says he'd bet against Harris 'although we have no real idea.' That's about as weak of a feeling as you can have.
But you conclude Bob is being paid to say that
How much do you suppose he's getting to write that he has no idea who will win?
Do you think before you type or do you go into some sort of trance and let the spirits guide your fingers?
Somerby always says “anything is possible” but it doesn’t mean anything. In many situations it is untrue. I said I think Somerby is paid to promote right wing talking points. A liberal who thought his candidate would say nothing because it doesn’t help her to say she might lose.
Delete"I said I think Somerby is paid to promote right wing talking points."
DeleteRight. One of which was, according to you (or the spirit who guides you) 'is the election slipping away from Harris?'
Bob's answer was he had no real idea. So that's what, according to you (or the entity speaking through you from the ethereal realm beyond the grave) he's getting paid to write. That he has no idea who will win the election.
I'd say Bob's got a pretty sweet gig, then. I'll bet he's awash in rubles right now, letting them run through his fingers at night, after he's censored all the comments he doesn't care for.
This one might not make it through, since it gives away the whole game.
Can you explain why you think it wouldn’t help her to say she might lose? Because ... she might lose. We all know that. So I'm curious why you feel it wouldn’t help her to be realisstic.
DeleteBecause the Republican/Trump strategy is to claim that there was election fraud, based on the difference between the election and their right wing pollsters, to give cover for the SC to send it to the House, where Trump would win because there are more red states than blue.
DeleteOne of the more notable aspects of the comment section of this blog is how many right wing trolls there are expressing willful ignorance.
Somerby is wrong. Anything isn't possible.
DeleteFor instance, finding a Republican voter who cares about something other than bigotry and white supremacy isn't possible.
I've challenged TDH readers for over 4 years to prove it, and all I get in return are Mao and Cecelia-level 3rd Grade insults, instead.
Mary Trump, who arguably knows Trump best because of her family connection but also her training as a mental health practitioner, says this today about Trump's relationship with Elon Musk:
ReplyDelete"Mary Trump referred to Musk as Trump's "new owner," and explained how she believes her uncle has always traded money for influence.
"Donald Trump has always been for sale. It used to be shocking how many people were willing to prop him up in the hopes of profiting off his increasingly seamy ventures," she wrote. "But thanks to a morally bankrupt Republican Party and our degraded corporate media, Donald remains alarmingly close to the kind of power that’s worth shelling out massive of money to be close to—and benefit from."
She also listed an examples of how Trump, in her view, has taken advantage of this type of transactional politics in the past.
"Any person or entity, from Putin to Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf, willing to throw Donald a few bucks for a licensing fee or a Trump Tower condo has gained access and influence," she wrote this weekend. "Given this decades-long pattern, it’s not surprising that the world’s richest fascist, South African jumping bean Elon Musk, would also be interested in purchasing a few shares in a man who is willing to sell whatever he can get his hands on—whether it’s steaks or American national security—because he values money more than anything."
Mary Trump went on to explain how she believes that Musk will benefit from this "devil's bargain."
"In exchange for Donald’s willingness to throw Musk the keys to the federal government, Musk is throwing a considerable fortune, as well as the weight of Twitter’s influence, behind the Republican candidate. For him, it’s a safe bet because he knows, if Donald is elected, he’ll do anything Musk wants him to do," Mary Trump said. "It is, of course, a devil’s bargain that continues to be made by others, including the aforementioned Vladimir Putin."
In explaining the danger as she sees it, Mary Trump said, "Separately, Donald and Musk are both dangerous enough."
"Together, they are in an even stronger position to end American democracy and align this country with the world’s most destructive foreign actors," she added."
https://digbysblog.net/2024/10/12/why-does-he-lie-about-the-polls/
ReplyDeleteWhy does Somerby lie along with him?
Digby explains the strategy behind lying about the polls, quoting Carl Rove, who originated it:
"The most famous purveyor of this strategy was Karl Rove, also known as “Bush’s Brain,” the strategist who eked out a history-changing victory for his guy in 2000. Rove was a big believer in the “bandwagon effect,” which assumed that a significant chunk of the voting public will go with those they perceive as winners. So when a race is close you put on a big show to pretend that you’re confident of winning, in the hopes of getting any last-minute wobblers or people who might not otherwise vote to get behind your team. It’s fun to win! In close races, Rove reasoned, this strategy might just make the difference. But it’s not scientific and nobody should take a GOP strategist’s word for anything in the final days of a campaign. They’re just spinning.
Rove even went so far as to send George W. Bush to California in the final days of the 2000 campaign, to convince the press that they were so confident of a blowout that they were hoping to expand the map into deep blue states. The New York Times blared, “A Confident Bush Says He Can Win California’s Vote.” As it turned out, Al Gore won the state by double digits, leading observers to wonder whether Rove should have sent Bush to Florida instead, the state he ended up “winning” by only 537 (disputed) votes. They did the same thing four years later by sending Dick Cheney to Hawaii, and the Los Angeles Times dutifully reported, “Aloha State Has Become a Surprise Campaign Battleground.” Um, no. It hadn’t. Democrats won Hawaii by nine points, as per usual."
Note that Trump has been campaigning in blue states, perhaps under the delusion that Rove's approach may help him -- or he can at least say he wasn't trying when he loses those swing states.
Trump is campaigning in blue States to influence House races in those states.
DeleteThe rest of your comment seems to be premised on the idea that to think Harris can lose is to lie.
That's stupid.
Trump has never cared about downballot races.
DeleteDigby sez:
ReplyDelete"None of this is accident or coincidence. The strategy is clear: In a close race, pretend you’re winning in hopes of enticing voters to jump on board. If that doesn’t work, claim the election was stolen and deny the legitimacy of your opponent’s victory. This is just what they do. Why the press allows itself to be manipulated this way, year after year, is another question. Media folks can’t possibly fail to understand what’s going on, after all this time. On some level, they fall for it because they like it.
And guess what? That red wave didn’t materialize and the Democrats kept the Senate while the Republicans went through months of turmoil with a tiny, ingovernable majority.
It’s worth noting that things could go the other way this time. But don’t fall for all the GOP polls (which are distorting the averages again) or the GOP’s misdirection. All we need to know is that it’s close."
Is Somerby so weak-minded that he leans whichever way the Republican wind blows? Apparently so. This happened last time Biden won too.
Anonymouse 5:57pm, if I fretted and expressed worry and frustration before each election about the probability of Republicans winning office, would you accuse me of secretly trying to influence the election in your favor?
Delete6:02,
DeleteI'd accuse you of being a human.
Anonymouse 1:22am, so is Bob, who seems to have a fretting gene.
DeleteIt isn't the fact that Somerby frets but what he frets about that makes him right wing. Ask him some time why he made the Democrats Troy and the Republicans the Achaeans in his little metaphor. Or why he thinks Troy is democratic when it too has a king and is not run like any kind of democracy? Then ask him why he deleted my comment about how the Enlightenment ended a long time ago and has nothing to do with modern politics or modern life -- we are living in the modern age, not 1685.
DeleteBecause he didn't make the Democrats Troy and he doesn't think Troy was 'democratic'. In his metaphor, Troy was democracy, not the Democrats.
DeleteAnd I've had posts that didn't go through that were pro-Bob so it's a software-user thing. Get a grip.
But he likened Trump to proud hearted Achilles, who was a Greek.
DeleteThe actual election results are substantially in the hands of the media. The media want a close race. When Kamala was nominated the media gave her glowing coverage — 100 percent positive. She jumped out to a big lead in the polls. Now the media is criticizing her somewhat. The election is very close. People who know more than I do predict a close race that right up to Election Day.
ReplyDeleteI doubt this. Hillary had horrible press but won the popular vote despite Comey.
DeleteVegas is giving Trump a 53.9% chance to win and Harris a 44.7% chance. I wonder what Harris's campaign is going to do. They've lost black men and Muslims. They've lost a significant amount of Hispanics. They are having to court Cheney Republicans for God's sake. After last week, they can't really put her in front of the public except at rallies with teleprompters. She was VP to the most unpopular president of the last 70 years and she tells American she wouldn't change a thing that administration did. So you can't expect her to really do very well. They are in a really tough position. I hav a feeling they don't even have any more October surprises. Let's see what talking points they trot out tomorrow.
DeleteIs that you, Bob?
DeleteI'm not feeling very good about Harris's chances.
DeleteIf elections were won by propaganda, you guys would win, but unfortunately for your side, elections depend on voters. Women are running away from Trump as fast as they can, and they are 50% of the electorate. There is no way for Trump to compensate for that. That's why this isn't even going to be close. Democrats aren't "courting" Republicans. They are giving Republicans a safe haven when they want nothing to do with Trump/Vance. Trump has only his base and they are not numerous enough to win. Trump is going through the motions in order to keep himself out of jail, but when this election is over, he will get what he deserves. If it were close, the hurricanes have sealed the deal for Harris because there are too many displaced red state voters who will not be voting for Trump after all, and too many others who are dismayed by the lies told about FEMA. That was a huge mistake by Trump.
DeleteBut the silliness of Somerby saying he doesn't feel good about Harris with all the misery among the Republicans is ridiculous to any thinking person. But the right needs to keep on lying because it is all they have. It isn't like they have an actual candidate or any policies to convince voters or any accomplishments after Trump's covid fiasco. So it is just the lies and a person with half a brain can see through them.
So, feel free to "feel" however you want -- Trump is not winning, he is melting down. And it isn't pretty.
I feel like Harris a strong chance of being defeated. I'll just leave it at that. But thank you for sharing your analysis.
Delete"Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times noted on October 8 that in March, the Peterson Institute for International Economics pointed out that the immigrants Trump is targeting are vital to a number of U.S. businesses. Their loss will cause dramatic cutbacks in those sectors. Taken together, the study concluded, Trump’s deportations, tariffs, and vow to take control of the Federal Reserve could make the country’s gross domestic product as much as 9.7% lower than it would be without those policies, employment could fall by as much as 9%, and inflation would climb by as much as 7.4%."
DeleteHeather Cox Richardson
This is why people should think twice before voting for someone like Trump who would wantonly destroy our economy out of hatred for immigrants.
"the silliness of Somerby saying he doesn't feel good about Harris with all the misery among the Republicans is ridiculous to any thinking person."
DeleteThis race is too close to call. Any nitwit can see that.
One problem is Kamala Harris's lack of political skill.
DeleteDavid in Cal,
DeleteOf course, when Harris got the nomination the media gave her glowing coverage. What did you expect them to do, write daily articles about how she wouldn't let them interview her?
This is now a right wing blog because Somerby promotes right wing garbage and there are mostly right wing commenters here anymore. Somerby is censoring the comments.
ReplyDeleteDemocrats are right wing now as evidenced by their warm embrace of warmonger and right wing icon Dick Cheney.
Delete10:41,
DeleteDick Cheney sure is a warmongering piece of shit. It's no wonder Republican voters, who are economically anxious and not just a shit pile of bigots (hat tip mainstream media) put him one heartbeat from the Presidency for 8 years.
Dick Cheney is not running for office. Trump is a warmongering piece of shit too, and he IS running for office. Don't vote for him.
DeleteOne bright spot is if Kamala is defeated, Democrats can return in 2028 with a candidate who has the ability to communicate normally.
ReplyDeleteNitwit at 12:56,
DeleteIf Kamala is defeated, there won't be an election in 2028.
Or if Trump loses, Republicans can return with a candidate who isn't a rapist and felon--AND has the ability to communicate normally.
DeleteIMO we are likely to see a one party country going forward. Chicago has had a one party system for decades. Regardless of skyrocketing crime and inadequate education, Republicans cannot get elected.. CA is a one-party state. IMO the US is close to a one-party country.
DeleteMost of the institutions are committed to Dems -- schools at every level, the media, government workers, The media commitment is so strong that the media will manipulate the news to support Dems.
Biden intentionally allowed many millions of illegal immigrants into the country. Eventually they will be able to vote. They will nail down a permanent Dem majority in the voting process.
That is interesting David. I think a lot of us don't realize that the Republican Party is really, officially kuput. It's over. It's a MAGA party now. It's anti-institution (in its rhetoric, not its actions). And Democrats are now really the neocon party. They are Republicans of 20 years ago. They are the party of endless war, American imperialism, and corporate and institutional dominance. They herald the support of Dick Cheney for God's sake. But I doubt that means they are going to go on some long run of unchallenged power. The harder they come, the harder they fall. We saw that play out in front of our very eyes with the Republican Party. And now the Democratic party has become what the Republican party was, yes with a dominating amount of institutional power but they are playing from a playbook from 20 years ago. They're trying to run the world like it's 2004. They don't realize the world has changed in terms of the strength of our enemies and in terms of how people communicate. So I feel like that institution, whatever it could be accurately called, we can call it the Democratic party for now, is also headed for a big big fall. Especially if they lose this time. We are going to have to experience a political reordering that becomes more current with the times. I think we will end up to being something like what France is now. If we are lucky. Really the most interesting political power dynamic right now is American citizens versus the CIA and the Deep State. That will become more and more into focus and how it plays out will help structure the new alignment.
Delete6:47 A swing and a miss.
Delete6:47 The Democratic Party emulating Dick Cheney is maybe a fun thought for an aging hippie or one who hasn’t yet grown up. News flash: we are not at war. Now you can argue perhaps successfully that we should not be supplying so many arms to Israel, and that our military is bloated as always, and that the Ukrainians will lose the defense of their country so let that happen. You can argue any or all of those things, but you cannot say with a straight face that the Democratic Party is the party of endless war, or maybe you can, only to be laughed at. Iraq and Afghanistan? No. Military posture towards Iran, vs policy of sanctions and agreements. That would be the Republicans. Find us the endless war we are in. Clue: every war in the history of the world has participants with boots on the ground combatants. For all your strident verbiage about what you fantasize the Democratic Party to be, for whatever weird reason, and I am not betting against you participating in some version of cynical political misinformation, reality is the final arbiter, the fact checker. And the battle that you have chosen to formulate is ludicrous historically unless you have just woken up from a coma that began in the late 60’s.
DeleteHi 7:50, I assume you are Quaker, Hector, Mike L and all the other nyms. I understand it makes you upset to face the reality Democrats are now the party of endless war. So I can see why it would be natural for you to want to simplify my version of the argument to make it easier to argue against by presenting it as there are only two options: either a country is at war with boots on the ground or it's not at war at all.
DeleteModern war is no longer confined to traditional combat with soldiers on the ground. Cyberwarfare, drone strikes, economic sanctions, and proxy wars have become integral parts of modern warfare. For example, the U.S. has engaged in drone warfare and cyber-attacks in places like the Middle East, demonstrating that physical ground troops are not always necessary for war. I can provide for you a list of wars that took place without boots on the ground that is a mile long. Actually, our military attacked Syria last night. There weren't any boots on the ground though.
The MIC has taken control of our military actions. Proxy war and massive arms sales is perpetuating war. We need someone to reign them in and stand up to them. Biden couldn't. His 2024 military budget breaks all the records. Dismissing U.S. involvement by focusing only on the absence of boots on the ground overlooks what modern warfare has become. And it's galling given what is occurring in Gaza and Ukraine with our ( yours and mine) tax dollars.
As much as it pains you , I am standing by my assertion.
Dick Cheney's endorsement of Kamala Harris is really all you need to know. He did that not because he's changed ideologies but because he knows that she will continue to enable what is described above. Permanent war and the pursuit of the neocon agenda. That is what you are voting for. That is what you are supporting.
DeleteIs this the kind of permanent war philosophy under which Biden withdrew US troops from Afghanistan after Trump left them there for 4 years?
DeleteThat kind of permanent war?
Yes. Ending that conflict doesn't negate the broader issue of our ongoing involvement in conflicts around the world through massive arms sales, drone strikes, and strategic military support. It didn't end our system of military engagement through the military-industrial complex or move us away from a permanent war mindset.
DeleteAt 9:47 you seemed to draw a distinction between a Harris vote for permanent war and some other alternative.
DeleteIs a vote for Trump also a vote for permanent war or no? And please, in your answer, account for the fact that Biden withdrew from Afghanistan after Trump left the troops there for 4 years.
A vote for Trump is a vote for WWIII. He has said so.
DeleteThere is no distinction between the two candidates and no alternative. A vote for Harris is vote for permanent war and the same with Trump. We have no choice that our tax dollars won't be used in the events in Gaza. That's why I say the most interesting political power dynamic right now is American citizens versus the CIA and the Deep State (MIC). They are acting alone, independent of the president and with no mandate from the people If they commit immoral acts, they are doing it on our behalf and with our money yet we have no say at all in what they do. Trump is more of a wild card and not on board with following out the neocon plan of global dominance to the letter which may be why they push back against him.
Delete“Dick Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala Harris is really all you need to know.” You seem to have the inside track into why Dick Cheney endorsed Harris. Have you spoken with him about it? 40/44 Trump appointees will not be voting for him. It is entirely possible that Cheney agrees with them about Trump’s competency. Maybe Cheney thinks Trump is a rambling demented narcissistic old man who is dangerous to our country. Explain why 40/44 appointees will not be voting for Trump before you assume a specific motive for Dick Cheney. Maybe he didn’t like Trump’s role in an attempted insurrection, which was made more clear by Jack Smith’s court filings last week. Explain that fraction : 40/44. You Trump cultists never even try.
Delete“The deep state” ok now I get where you are coming from. Being taken seriously is not one of your priorities.
DeleteYou're right. Cheney's endorsement of Harris may be entirely about Trump’s competency.
DeleteInteresting comment @6:47. IMO the most salient feature of today's Democrats is a desire stay in power. Getting re-elected is #1 for most all pols, but its even stronger for today's Dems. The Trumped up criminal charges and the assassinations are evidence of their commitment to winning.
DeleteWithin my experience single-party jurisdictions tend to be badly governed. businesses are fleeing San Francisco because it has gone to extremes in its laws and regs. Fortunately other locations in US are available, like Texas and Idaho. When the US is completely ruled by one party, where will Americans flee to?
Some may say the US has been completely ruled by one party for a long time - the party of business. With an illusion of two parties - both catering to wedge issues but ignoring their mandate of representing their constituents while catering to corporate/military interests instead.
DeleteWhether you like corporations or not, that's where the wealth comes from to support the citizens and the government -- schools, police, etc. If corporations leave, everything falls apart.
DeleteThe complaint isn't that corporations exists, it's that they gained control over the government and made it so government serves their interests over citizen's interests. The complaint is that corporations abuse their power.
DeleteDavid in Cal,
DeleteIf Democrats were the ones trying to kill Trump, they'd hire a hard-working, get-the-job-done illegal immigrant to do it, like the corporations who support the citizens and the government do. They wouldn't hire some lazy, entitled American, who will whine and cry they only failed because of the Secret Service.
1. dude Perry Paper
ReplyDelete2. wife Fanny Paper
This is why Trump is not going to win. He and his MAGA followers are too stupid for words.
ReplyDelete"here’s a charming little tale from a year ago. it’s about Chris Gloninger, an Iowa-based meteorologist who had the temerity to mention climate change during his weather reports.
Delete“It was ‘I am going to kill you’ written in a very deliberate way in a long letter and followed by obsessive emails,” said Gloninger. His critic demanded that he “go the hell back to where you came from DOUCHEBAG!!!” and demanded “what’s your home address, we conservative Iowans would like to give you an Iowan welcome you will never forget.” The emails attacked Gloninger for pushing a “liberal conspiracy theory on the weather”, calling climate change a “Biden hoax”.
Gloninger’s bosses at his TV station told him to simply stop talking about climate change. fuck that shit and fuck it hard, replied Chris, I’m out of here, you shitwaffles. he’s now chief scientist at the Woods Hole Group in Massachusetts."
Somerby is deleting comments here. That is dishonest.
ReplyDeleteYou're paranoid.
Delete11:43
DeleteClear out your browser cashe.
doesn't help to do that
Delete"Arizona women who have for decades been loyal Republican voters are telling the New York Times that they cannot vote for former President Donald Trump this year."
ReplyDeleteThis is why Harris is going to win and Trump is going to lose this election. People who voted for him in 2016 and should be part of the Republican base are being put off by his extremism, especially toward women.
Here is a good place to find recent poll results and analysis:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.hopiumchronicles.com/
The CBS poll that came out today also shows that Harris has the same percent of black voters as Democrats had in 2016 and 2020, 87%. This idea that black voters are draining away is bunk.
Republicans publish biased polls suggesting a swing back toward Republicans. They hope that these biased polls, averaged together with higher quality polls, will suggest that Republicans are catching up and finishing strong. But that isn't what is happening. The idea is that people want to vote for a winner and if Trump is perceived as a loser, he will lose undecided votes. So, they are lying, just as they lie in other contexts with disinformation and fake AI-generated videos and with false candidate statements. The election is not slipping away from Harris and Somerby should know better than to be taken in by this fake info from the right.
So, I just posted a comment as Not a Rodent which has a blogspot profile and it was published and then disappeared.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad. Was it your standard bullshit? Somerby is repeating right wing memes? Why can't everything I read make me feel good like Simon Rosenberg?
DeleteDo you still have the Corby or Perry nyms saved? Try using those.
Somerby has forgotten that we won in 2020, or that disappointed him, but unfounded pessimism is not reality. Reality is that Trump is nuts and has already damaged our country so Somerby’s actions here are wrong.
DeleteAnonymouse 3:10pm, I like the cut of your jib.
Delete.
4:21: But you said anonymouses shared an agenda.
DeleteAnonymouse 7:14pm, you do. However, from time to time, we have seen an anonymous poster who wasn't in your coven.
DeleteApparently another Trump assassination attempt
ReplyDeletehttps://nypost.com/2024/10/13/us-news/third-trump-assassination-attempt-thwarted-when-armed-man-arrested-outside-coachella-rally-sheriff-says/
Just a guy with illegal weapons in his car. CA has strict laws. He wasn’t trying to get near Trump.
DeleteThe guy arrested is a Republican politician from Las Vegas.
DeleteThe Sheriff who investigated said it was an assassination attempt.
DeleteJust for the record, since you are spouting conspiracy theories about Democrats attempting to assassinate Trump, DIC: how many of those three were established to be Democrats? If you want to dispel the label of dishonest troll, it better be more than one.
DeleteStill waiting for a Trump supporter to explain why 40 out of 44 of Trump’s hand picked appointees will not be voting for him, and why, knowing far less about his behavior than those who worked in his administration, Trump supporters think that their opinions merit more weight than those who worked closest with him.
DeleteI don't think the 40 out of 44 figure is accurate.
DeleteThen look it up.
Deletehttps://www.businessinsider.com/members-trumps-cabinet-just-4-endorsed-him-2024-nbc-2023-7
DeleteAccording the Washington Post only three of the 42 people who worked in Trump’s Cabinet have said they will not be voting for him.
DeleteYou didn't get played by the Lincoln Project did you? Because that would be really embarrassing.
Lol - that article is from 15 months ago.
DeleteNow only three say they will not be voting for him, 24 are endorsing him and the rest are not saying.
"Still waiting for a Trump supporter to explain why 3 out of 44 of Trump’s hand picked appointees will not be voting for him, and why, knowing far less about his behavior than those who worked in his administration, Trump supporters think that their opinions merit more weight than those who worked closest with him."
DeleteFIFY
God, they play you suckers so hard. They are con men and your are their marks and you fall for it every time. It's crazy to watch.
DeleteIt’s a bit more than 3:
Deletehttps://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/half-trumps-former-cabinet-secretaries-havent-backed-2024-election-rcna165185
The sucker loser commenter said 40 out of 44 of Trump’s hand picked appointees will not be voting for him. And the number is actually 3.
DeleteCitation, 7:31?
DeleteIt's no wonder you idiots make the posts you do. You're stupid.
Deletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2024/trump-cabinet-endorsements/
DeleteGod, they play you suckers so hard.
DeleteThat Washington post article has the following title: “ Trump’s presidential bid has the support of only half of his cabinet”
DeleteWho’s the sucker?
The sucker is the commenter who claimed 40 out of 44 of Trump’s hand picked appointees will not be voting for him. That is a sucker who got propagandized hard by charlatans. It's no wonder you make such idiotic comments. You're stupid. Bye!
DeleteThat number was reported by Business insider, which isn’t affiliated with the Lincoln project. The post article that you cited says considerably more than 3 aren’t supporting Trump. It’s not clear that the numbers are in actual conflict. The point is that it is unprecedented to have so many cabinet members publicity not supporting their former boss.
DeleteVem Miller, yesterday's alleged attempted assassin is not a Democrat. He apparently belongs to Sovereign Citizens, a weird anti government organization, considered to be conservative. He has run for office as a Republican. IMO all three attempted assassins were nut cases.
DeleteNot supporting someone in the primaries very different from not supporting him in the general election.
DeleteTrump is a nut case.
DeleteI'm not believing that 40 out of 44 number, until I see proof that Trump called for the government to pay reparations to black Americans.
DeleteIt's a made-up story.
DeleteIf Trump called for the government to pay reparations to black Americans, there's no way that 4 Republicans would still vote for Trump.
Hell, I couldn't see 4 Republicans out of 75 million, who would vote for him, if it was true.