TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2024
The start of a dangerous year: It was one of the Everly Brothers' biggest hits. Its lyrics started like this:
Problems, problems, problems all day long
Will my problems work out right or wrong?
As it turned out, the Everly Brothers' problems were romantic in nature. But how about our nation's problems? At the start of this dangerous year, will those societal problems work out right or wrong?
That's the question our nation should be asking, red and blue alike, as we enter a deeply peculiar election year.
In Kevin Drum's assessment, our problems are going to "work out right"—at least from the blue point of view. Headline included, a recent post started like this:
Top 10 predictions for 2024
Here are a few miscellaneous predictions for the new year:
1) Donald Trump will win the Republican nomination. Joe Biden will be reelected president.
[...]
"Joe Biden will be reelected president?" As we've acknowledged in the past, we don't feel real sure about that!
Our struggling nation is about to embark on a deeply peculiar year. As we start that year, our nation, like every similar nation, is facing the typical economic and policy problems.
Here's the way Kevin assesses one such possible problem:
3) The odds are greater than 50% of a recession by summer. It will likely be a moderate one, maybe about the size of the dotcom bust. There's even a chance of a brief deflation.
Hot dang! We'll undergo a (moderate) recession, but Biden will win all the same!
(As the woman says in When Harry Met Sally, "We'll have what [he's] having"—though we aren't saying Kevin is wrong.)
At this site, we don't know if we're going to have a recession. Also, we don't know who's going to win a White House election between two unelectable candidates, with a bunch of publicity addicts offering themselves to the nation as third-party pseudo-candidates, all of whom might end up dragging votes away from Biden.
Regarding President Biden's chances, we will only say this:
Our blue tribe analysts often cite the low numbers President Obama had at this point in his first term. In our view, here's the problem with that bit of reassurance:
Like Bill Clinton before him, Obama was a brilliant performer—and it seems to us that President Biden is now way past his prime.
Could Donald J. Trump really win this year? Yes, he actually could!
As to what would happen after that, blue tribe pundits are on the air telling us all day long. That brings us to a certain class of societal problems—the kinds of problems we'll catalogue this week as we start this dangerous year.
We'll be speaking about the kinds of problems which plague our national discourse. In our view, you simply can't run a large modern nation on the kinds of fuel which have made our imitations of discourse so silly, so clownish, so dumb.
For example, you can't run a nation on Stupid—a word we've always tried not to use. Also, you can't run a nation on Mentally Ill. You can't run a nation on Silence.
Tomorrow, we'll begin to explore those problems. At this site, we'll also be making some changes this year to address some problems of our own.
These problems stem from medical expenses. As a result, we'll be looking for a way to generate income from this site.
We'll be looking for a few good trillionaires who might want to sign up as medical angels. But we'll also be looking for more pedestrian ways to address the ongoing costs of The [Surgical] Wound That Would Not Heal.
We hate to waste everyone's time with that. Let's talk about that next week.
Tomorrow, we're going to start with a word we've always tried not to use. Our discourse is riddled with problems all day long. but you really can't run a nation on Stupid, and one channel is trying to do that.
Our problems proceed from there. In our view, these societal problems are red, but these problems are also blue.
Drum has predicted that Biden will win. We can't say we feel sure.
Nestor the seasoned charioteer may have said it best. Homer was there to record what he said:
“Tonight's the night that rips our ranks to shreds or pulls us through.”
Tomorrow: You can't run a nation on that
I've been on this "improve the national discourse" thing for a while now. I get it. I'm on board.
ReplyDeleteBut now I'm starting to wonder if it's possible. Are there examples in history where nations had an intelligent discourse in which all participated?
What has led us to this premise that it is even possible?
Probably wishful thinking based on the fact that were a modern nation with personal freedoms for all and we have this great technology now that allows us all to converse in real time.
But maybe as I get older, I'm simply amazed that anything works. I think all the great innovations that we take for granted in our daily lives were built by small teams, insulated from the vast Stupidity of people.
But have a great New Year anyway. I'll try to restore my hope in humanity.
Here's some more 2024 predictions:
ReplyDeleteBob will display his contempt for common decency and anything good about the US by straining pathetically to give Trump every possible break out of sentimentality for the mental and moral midgets who continue to support him.
When he flat out gets something wrong ( the fake electors were not frauds, etc.) he will never acknowledge it.
Any rather exact prediction about how this plays out will be incorrect, except the general notion that they will be surprising.
"Nestor the seasoned charioteer may have said it best. Homer was there to record what he said:"
ReplyDeleteToday, experts believe that Homer, if he was a real person and not a composite of several people, lived around 500 years after the Trojan War. So Homer was probably not there to record what Nestor said.
And of course we don’t know if Nestor existed, either.
DeleteOr whether he said what is attributed to him.
Delete
ReplyDeleteI predict that will not be November this year.
Somerby mentions Biden's low poll numbers and calls him past his prime, but he does not mention that Biden has done an excellent job as president under the difficult circumstances of a pandemic and economic turmoil.
ReplyDeleteSomerby doesn't mention that Trump is under indictment in both criminal and civil cases, several of which have already been decided (E. Jean Carroll's defamation suit, the NYC fraud suit) and are in the penalty/sentencing phase. Polls are showing that large numbers of Republicans will not vote for him if he is convicted on criminal charges that most observers consider to be a slam dunk. Nor has Somerby mentioned that Trump may not be allowed on the ballot if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the states who have already disallowed him (based on the 14th Amendment).
If Somerby were an astute observer of politics, he might also mention that abortion is going to be a factor in the next election that will hurt Republican chances and may even result in a landslide loss for Republicans up and down the ballot. Voters are generally pissed off about the culture wars and there may be a considerable backfire.
It is almost as if Somerby reads no one but Drum these days, and of course, he watches Fox News.
Acknowledging Biden's considerable strengths and Trump's considerable weaknesses and liabilities is important to facing the new year with honesty, balance, and hope.
According to the betting markets, Trump is a healthy favorite over Biden.
Deletehttps://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/betting-odds/2024/president/
Sorry, but despite his age, Biden is in better health than Trump. People who have been close to Trump are worried about his declining cognitive capacity and stamina. No one thinks that about Biden. That means Trump cannot be a "healthy" favorite over Biden in any literal sense.
DeleteDo you think that people who bet on such things are the best role models of reason and responsibility in exercising your vote?
I think Drum is smart and interesting, but he doesn’t have Somerby’s courage.
DeleteGay is gone. Stefanik gloats.
ReplyDeleteI predict that Somerby will gloat too.
DeleteIt will be easy for Harvard to find someone to fill her shoes and nothing whatsoever will change about the Harvard board or the administration of the school or its endowment. Righties targeted a black woman for no good reason and she is taking the fall for something she did nothing to contribute to or create. That is scapegoating of a minority woman and it is ugly in all respects. I hope Somerby is satisified.
DeleteFrom The Root (Black Twitter Reacts to the Sudden Resignation of Harvard University’s President Claudine Gay, by Kalyn Womack):
Delete"According to Gay’s resignation letter, she also takes the sudden resignation to be the result of what she called “personal attacks and threats fueled by racial animus.” The backlash was so obviously bigoted even the Fellows of Harvard College issued a letter in response to her resignation saying most of it took the form of “repugnant and in some cases racist vitriol.”
Gay said in her letter she’ll be returning to faculty and promises to continue working alongside the students to build a better community."
The black community is not fooled by Somerby's assertion that she did a poor job answering questions posed by Stefanik.
5:13 - Do you think Gay did a GOOD job answering the questions? She accepted Stefanik's equating "intifada" and "genocide of the Jews". That was moronic.
DeleteI think Gay did a competent job of answering the questions under oath. I believe the followed her attorney's instructions not to elaborate on her answers. I think it is splitting hairs to argue that Hamas is not seeking the extermination of Israel and as many Jews as that takes. To think otherwise is moronic. A hearing is not the place to argue politics. She clearly explained the university's policy, distinguishing between free speech and conduct in the application of their code of conduct. That was all she had to do. It was wrong to pressure her to resign and the hate directed at her is inexcusable.
DeleteI am not planning to donate any money to Somerby. He has already sold his soul. He is old enough for Medicare, should have a teaching pension, and if he didn't save any money from his standup career or what was left to him by his mother, that is not our fault. His heart doesn't bleed for the causes I care about, so I don't particular want to spend my own hard-earned cash helping him denigrate women, black people, professors, higher learning in general, Israelis and other Jews, trans people, Biden and Harris, and the other targets of the right wing. If I wanted to help the right, I would contribute to Boebert's campaign. I hear she is going to need the support with Barbra Streisand against her. At least she is sometimes funny.
ReplyDeleteHave you know empathy?
DeleteI meant, "Have you no empathy?". But "Have you known empathy?" would have worked, too
DeleteI have no empathy for Somerby because he has said many cruel things over the years and is essentially an old bigot and sexist asshole. I don't want anyone to suffer and I hopes he makes medical decisions to prevent that, but we all get old and die eventually. Facing death is the major task of old age (that, and coming to terms with what one has and hasn't done in one's life). Somerby has only the past few months been talking about how old and feeble and incompetent Biden is. Hard to feel sympathy after that.
DeleteYou can go ahead and send him money if you want. It might prevent you from sending it to a red candidate.
"Somerby . . . is essentially an old bigot and sexist asshole."
DeleteBut you are not one to say any "cruel things," right?
I own my honesty and I choose who to feel empathy toward. I don't consider "withholding" empathy to be cruel. Somerby's age and health don't make him any more likeable or deserving of money or kindness. Where was Somerby's empathy for Biden, who has been doing a terrific job of running the country at an age when Somerby says he is "having health issues". I see nothing cruel about what I've said here.
DeleteSomerby's health problems are not my responsibility. I donate to charities that will do some good in the world. What good does Somerby do when he says bigoted and sexist things about people who are more decent than Somerby is?
Send him your money if you think he deserves it. It is not cruel for me to refuse to do so because I dislike him as a person and find other causes more compelling.
In case you haven't noticed, everyone dies. It is a fact of life. Old people are reminded of that every day and many are grateful to have lived as long as they have and happy to have yet another day with loved ones on this planet full of life. I wish Somerby whatever joy he can find in his remaining days. I won't pretend the health issues of old age are unique to him or something we don't all deal with sooner or later. How we deal with them matters, and I wish Somerby courage. I won't send him my money. I doubt that whining on his blog is a good use of his time at any stage of life.
You say that Somerby "has said many cruel things over the years." So - cite just one that is as cruel as "Somerby is an old bigot and sexist asshole." I'll wait.
DeleteI don't see anything cruel about calling Somerby what he obviously is and doesn't seem to mind being. I think it was cruel when Somerby said that if Chanel Miller didn't want to be assaulted, she shouldn't have gotten drunk. I think it was cruel when Somerby excused the molestation of a 14 year old by saying that Roy Moore was considered a "catch". I think it was cruel when Somerby called Ketanji Brown Jackson unqualified for the Supreme Court on no basis other than that they could have found someone else to appoint. It was cruel when Somerby defended Kavanaugh by implying that his accuser was making things up, because real women were testifying to assault. Somerby's remarks about George Floyd and Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin were cruel because he maligned them in order to defend white cops (who were still alive, while their victims were dead). And I find it cruel whenever Somerby attacks some academic in order to undermine their expertise. These are people who worked hard to be expert in their field and they do not deserve Somerby's treatment of them.
DeleteThere is enough cruelty on Somerby's part that I do not think calling him what he plainly is, a bigot and sexist, is anything more than honest. The word asshole is mild compared to things I might have said instead.
No quotations; no citations; nothing but your tendentious (and inaccurate) paraphrases.
DeleteI have been reading Somerby for years. Obviously you have not.
DeleteActually, I’ve been reading him every day for decades.
DeleteThen you may be hopeless.
DeleteBiden didn't win in 2020 because he was a brilliant performer. He won because he was acceptable to the majority of democrats who were looking for someone to rally behind to defeat Trump. If Trump runs again, he will similarly unite Democrats and it won't matter how "brilliant" Biden is -- it will matter that he can and must win.
ReplyDeleteTrump is weaker these days than he was in 2020. How does Somerby expect a weakened Trump to do better than before he committed insurrection, was found to have stolen classified documents, was charged with major business fraud, and is clearly suffering from his own health problems, including likely dementia?
I think Somerby must be soft in his head to suggest that Trump can do anything but destroy the Republican party if he runs again this year.
My concerns are about Ukraine and Israel, and I worry about Russian interference in our election and government. The massive corruption among Republicans who have been bought off by Russia will be a breaking story. I hope that happens before the election, not afterwards (because the press is too cowardly to report stories that might affect the outcome, as occurred with Hillary's campaign). Our democracy is in a weakened state and I hope we can fend off the opportunism of Russia and its allies (Iran, North Korea, China).
Oddly, few people have mentioned the challenges of global warming, which will surely increase in the coming year, resulting in agricultural problems, travel disruption, severe weather in places not used to such events, and heat-related deaths due to power grid insufficiencies. Biden has the wherewithal to deal with such things, but not any Republican in their field. So I believe we had all better root for Biden and the Democrats. Our lives may depend on it sooner than we think.
“The fact that a man is decent is no reason why we should not eliminate him.”
ReplyDeleteHitler's response to the objection that eliminating the Jews might eliminate scientists, artists, writers, scholars.
Somerby is free with the word decent to describe those he goes on to attack. Calling someone decent is the cue that an attack is about to begin. I have sometimes wondered how Somerby can consider someone decent after saying mean things about them, or how he knows whether they are decent at all. I have concluded that it is just his way of saying "nothing personal, but..." and of avoiding a charge of animosity toward someone. But it also strikes me as an empty assertion, since no amount of decency seems to prevent Somerby's hostility toward some people. For example, what did Ketanji Brown Jackson ever do to Somerby?
Here is a list of suggested traits of truly decent people. Note that age, college attended, profession, gender, skin color, political persuasion are not among them:
https://hackspirit.com/traits-decent-person/
My prediction for 2024 is that the debt will bite us in the ass. At best, rising interest on the National Debt will force the Federal Government to spend less money on things, some of which would be valuable. At worst, there will be some sort of big collapse due to the size of the debt.
ReplyDeleteThis is always predicted but never seems to happen. If you are worried about the national debt, why did you vote for Trump and his irresponsible tax cuts?
DeleteDiC - I knew it! It's time to forget all about Inflation! Inflation! Inflation! and pivot to Deficit! Deficit! Deficit!
DeleteCan you imagine the howls of outrage we would hear from DiC's party if a Democratic president and congress managed to eliminate the deficit and actually managed to have surplus tax dollars collected and used to pay down the debt.
DeleteWe don't have to imagine. The last president to leave office with a budget surplus was of course good ol' Bubba Clinton. He was impeached for lying about a blowjob. His successor, one of the Bush Clan Dynasty, immediately smashed that budget surplus with a sledge hammer, because among other reasons, having a budget surplus meant that we were taking too many dollars from good old American taxpayers. You can't make this shit up. Second, he got Mr. Andrea Mitchell to testify to Congress under oath in support of Bush Jr's tax cut plan , without cracking a smile, that it would be dangerous to pay down the national debt too fast. Aint that right, David?
7:31 - And don't forget - the Bush team was worried that with the economy and the tax structure they inherited, the debt would soon be paid down entirely and we would have money left over.
DeleteThey took care of that worry, big time.
See Reuters article Total U.S. public debt tops $34 trillion as Congress heads into funding fight to read about the effect of the debt on 2024 government programs. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/total-us-public-debt-tops-34-trillion-congress-heads-into-funding-fight-2024-01-02/
DeleteGeorge and the other anonymous commenters seem more focused on blaming the other party and less focused on the impact of the debt.
What is the impact of shutting down the govt because the House is dysfunctional and why don’t conservatives worry about that?
DeleteDiC - Actually, I am concerned about the deficit and I think now is a good time to discuss how to address it.
DeleteI predict the media will continue to pretend Republican voters care about something other than bigotry and white supremacy, even though they won't be able to name one Republican voter who does so.
DeleteHere are some more top 10s:
ReplyDelete7 of the top 10 most dependent states are red states.
71% of our GDP comes from blue counties.
7 of the 10 states with the highest murder rates are red and gun deaths are almost 2x as high in red states.
The Supreme Court has stripped women of their liberty and let red states replace it with mandated birth.
They ban books, silence teachers and make it harder to vote in red states.
The reason Republicans like Ron DeSantis are fanning the flames of culture wars is to distract from the fact that Florida has higher murder rates, worse education, and worse health care outcomes than states like California.
From the most recent Gavin Newsom mailer.
Democrats are going to win in 2024 because the stats are all on our side, including economic indicators. Somerby's grumpy assertion that Trump could win may be possible if all the other politicians are wiped off the face of the earth, or defect to the Democratic party, but if people take a look at what Dems do for them compared to Repubs, if they vote their common sense and sanity instead of Trump's deranged agenda, Biden will have no trouble winning in 2024.
In every category the
@GOP
are on the wrong side.
Left-Liberal: I'm concerned that volatile public opinion will dip in favor of renewed fascism. You guys can you please be serious for a second.
DeleteCentrist liberal just learning to do long division and not fart in front of pretty women:
"My sublimated Father Figure beats me less than yours and is richer so haha we're laughing at you, vote for us!"
Welfare in Nevada is contracted out to the Mormon church and they get worse services not better for being hardline on welfare. If everyone followed the "side" you took there would just be Trump mowing people down in the streets for looking slightly poor.
DeleteWhy are you shaming welfare recipients? Do you think that makes people like you more?
A liberal is just a conservative who is happy to discover he has two choices instead of one.
DeleteWhat's that other choice -- to cut off your dick and balls, demand to be called "she", and whine when they don't?
DeleteI'm sorry Bob is having health problems. I like him. I am Corby.
ReplyDeleteEveryone over 75 years of age has health problems.
DeleteMy husband had a wound that would not heal on his foot. He was diabetic. He contracted an "opportunistic infection" that went from his foot to being systemic. The doctors said that was because he was near death and didn't have the strength to fight off such infections. They amputated part of his foot but he still could not heal after that. Two months later, he died of heart failure, during the first month of covid (they didn't test him for that). At the end, his kidneys failed, he had pulmonary problems, he was intubated and was sedated and incoherent. He was 79 years old.
DeleteThose are "health problems". If Somerby has the nerve to beg for money here, he should consider (1) his stance on ACA and access to medical care for disadvantaged people, especially in red states; (2) whether he has helped others obtain the end-of-life help they need by supporting Democrats, not red state assholes who think cutting everything is the way to balance a budget. My husband was a war-time veteran and a good, decent person in the true sense of that phrase. I cannot see how anything Somerby has done here (not even using health care costs as a stick to beat up the media) has helped anyone our age with so-called health problems.
My husband wanted to vote against Trump. He didn't quite live long enough to do that.
"Somerby . . . should reconsider (1) his stance on ACA"
DeleteSomerby: "Krugman argued strongly that the [ACA] has been a major success. . . . We don't disagree with anything he said." 7/15/15.
Reconsider means that Somerby might think it over and perhaps agree with Krugman next time.
DeleteDo you think "we don't disagree" means the same thing as "we agree"? It doesn't. Such limp dishrag apathetic or non-support for liberals and liberal stances is why some of us have a problem with Somerby, especially when he claims to be liberal.
Try it this way: I don't dislike chocolate ice cream expresses no enthusiasm for chocolate ice cream. It means someone wouldn't spit it out if some wound up in their mouth accidentally.
I guess direct quotations (with citations) just don't matter. Some folks will twist anything to support their bizarre belief that Somerby is a closet conservative.
DeleteI see. English speakers understand that "I don't disagree with Krugman" actually means "I do disagree with Krugman." Got it. In that sense, I don't disagree with you.
DeleteYes, especially when followed by commentary that expresses a lack of support for what Krugman said, which is what Somerby routinely does. This is his form of argument. And then he has plausible deniability because someone like you will quote those introductory words and claim Somerby didn't mean to undermine Krugman.
DeleteSomerby doesn't like to take responsibility for his opinions so he always expresses both sides of a controversy. That way everyone can pick whichever words they prefer. It is dishonest. I've said that before and explained it before. You need to stop hearing what you want to hear and look at everything Somerby has said, not just the parts you like.
Much of the world speaks English now.
Delete7:47 - I think I understand why we differ. I think Somerby says what he means; you think Somerby means the opposite of what he says.
DeleteNot quite. I think Somerby rarely says what he means and disguises his opinions in a confusing mishmash of contradictory statements. His true opinions are often most visible in the adjectives he applies to various people, not his statements of his own views.
DeleteSome examples:
""Joe Biden will be reelected president?" As we've acknowledged in the past, we don't feel real sure about that!"
This is Somerby's way of saying that he has predicted that Trump will win on several previous occasions. When he does say that, he includes hedges such as "possibly" and adds "anything is possible" so that if Trump does win, he would have been right, and if Trump doesn't win, he will have said it was only a possibility not a certainty. Somerby doesn't deal in certainties or absolutes or anything approaching a definitive statement. So he can be right either way. He says:
"Could Donald J. Trump really win this year? Yes, he actually could!" Could means it is possible, not that he will win. Could Trump lose? Of course he could. So what has Somerby actually said?
Well, most liberals are not wasting time talking about the possibility that Trump can win. They are working actively to help Biden win. Instead, Somerby says:
""Joe Biden will be reelected president?" As we've acknowledged in the past, we don't feel real sure about that!" This is how Somerby says he doesn't think Biden will win. If someone thought Biden would win, they would say "I feel real sure about that" or even "I think that is likely (if less sure)." Somerby negative construction (we don't feel real sure) is his way of saying he doesn't think Biden will win (or wants to suggest that to readers, perhaps planting the idea that he shouldn't win or is a weak candidate, incapable of beating Trump). That kind of statement is not supportive of Biden.
Somerby continues: "Obama was a brilliant performer—and it seems to us that President Biden is now way past his prime."
And then he concludes that Trump could indeed win. This is tearing down Biden, not expressing support for him. And this should be obvious to anyone reading this blog who supports Biden. If it is not to Dogface, then it may be because he himself is not supportive of Biden and may like and believe the things Somerby says about Trump winning.
If you think Somerby says what he means, you are not sensitive to the nuances of language. That doesn't make you a bad person, but it does make you wrong about Somerby and what he is saying.
Occasionally Somerby will come right out and say what he means. He did that when he continually called Stormy Daniels a grifter and con artist, refusing to believe (or hold the possibility of truth) in her side of her interactions with Trump. He doesn't mince words or engage in cagey sophistry with that. And that is why I consider him a bigot and sexist. Those situations arise in the context of race and misogyny.
Where can I get one of your special Somerby-speech decoder rings? When Somerby says he’s not confident Biden will win, I thought he meant he’s not confident Biden will win. I didn’t realize he was trying to tear down Biden somehow.
DeleteYou could have taken more literature classes in school but now try being more open to nuance.
DeleteI’m sorry to hear this news too.
ReplyDeleteDoes it actually make you feel bad or are you just saying the polite thing you know people are supposed to say in such situations? Is it hearing the news that makes you sorry, or knowing what Somerby may be facing and how he might feel about it? What does "sorry" feel like for you? Sad that you didn't do things that might have helped Somerby with his health care costs, such as vote Democratic?
DeleteAnonymouse 5:37pm, I’m sorry that Bob is going through this, I don’t find him piteous.
DeleteOn the other hand, I do pity you. .
Pitious.
DeleteYou were right the first time, but try looking such words up instead of guessing.
Deletepity definition: "the feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortunes of others"
You say you don't feel pity for Bob, which means you do not feel sorrow or compassion at his misfortunate. And you don't feel regret either, which is the alternate meaning for pity.
Unsurprising, given that you have lacked empathy on so many other occasions. Saying some formulaic words doesn't let you pretend to be a caring human being.
You needn't pity me. I am not having any health issues and I don't need anyone here to send me money. But I appreciate the offer.
Anonymous6:40pm, I didn’t offer you money, though you are utterly pitiable.
DeleteCecelia is pathetic, but doesn’t know it.
DeleteI live in CO. It is a blue state in the urban areas and red in rural areas. We are not proud of assholes who do this kind of thing, and we will not be intimidated into voting for Trump just because some jerk has impulse control problems. Democracy means you solve problems through legitimate channels not by threatening and shooting at people. Acts like this strengthen my resolve as a Democrat.
ReplyDeleteFrom Political Wire:
"Armed Man Shoots Up Colorado Supreme Court
January 2, 2024 at 1:32 pm EST By Taegan Goddard
“A man shot through a window and broke into the Colorado Supreme Court building early Tuesday morning, causing “significant and extensive” damage in several areas of the building before surrendering to police, according to the Colorado State Patrol,” the Denver Post reports.
“The incident happened two weeks to the day after the state Supreme Court ruled Donald Trump cannot appear on the state’s primary ballot based on his actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach and the riot by his supporters.”
Somerby encourages this behavior whenever he suggest that Trump has a chance in hell of winning again.
DeleteThis shooting is horrible. Thank goodness nobody was harmed.
DeleteIn a way, the shooting was predictable. The CO Supreme Court decision undermined democracy. The Maine action was even worse, since it was done by a single individual, who isn't even a lawyer.
Taking away people's right to vote for the candidate of their choice is a radical action. It is not surprising that some nut reacted violently to this unheard-of, revolutionary action. I hope the US Supreme Court overrules these two bad actions ASAP. I shudder to think of what will happen if the two decisions are allowed to stand.
You don't undermine democracy by adhering to the Constitution.
DeleteNo one has the right to vote for a candidate who didn't meet the deadline or qualify to run for an office. That is Trump's situation. He no longer qualifies. People can always vote for whoever they want via write-in votes. (Too much shuddering might be a symptom of some serious health issue.)
I understand your point, but there is a key difference — one criterion is objectively measurable, the other is a matter of opinion. The Constitution does not say whose opinion should count when something is a matter of opinion.
DeleteInsurrection is a serious crime. Trump has never been convicted of insurrection. Trump had never even been charged with insurrection. His political enemies have charged him with a whole laundry list of crimes, but not insurrection.
DeleteThe reason is clear. Trump did not riot. He did not tell people to riot. In fact, he did tell them not to riot. Given those facts, there is no basis for convicting Trump of insurrection.
The only reason chickenshit didn't riot is because the Secret Service prevented him from going to the Capitol, you fucking moron.
DeleteDavid,
DeleteWhere were your tears for poor Osama bin Laden, who was murdered for having an opinion about U.S. foreign policy?
"we'll be looking for a way to generate income from this site"
ReplyDeleteHow could this be? I was informed that Somerby got paid handsomely by Putin. Was I misinformed?
Somerby is talking about increased health costs, presumably above and beyond his living expenses. Health care is expensive -- Somerby said so.
DeleteDo you know of any American trillionaires? Putin and the Queen of England used to own everything but her estates was split among her heirs. Now it is just Putin.
If Somerby had not evaded the draft, he could be treated at the VA, like others of his generation. The VA health care is excellent and he wouldn't need to trade his dignity for handouts from trolls.
Do you want to fund Somerby to tell us banning books is A-OK because Moms4Liberty is a parent group? Be my guest.
Anonymices are so literal that you can’t help but wonder if they’re all from some sort of autism support group.
DeleteAnd dogface isn’t literal? LOL
DeleteActually, my question was only partially in jest. To those of you who float the Putin-funds-Somerby theory: We've seen Somerby viciously attack right-wing media. We now see that Somerby presently seems to be in dire need. Do either of these facts create even the slightest doubt in your mind about the truth of your theory?
DeleteIf you didn't want people to know you are funded by the right wing because you are pretending to be liberal, wouldn't the best way to dispel suspicion be to beg for money? You seem to think Somerby is telling the truth about everything he writes.
DeleteI have not seen Somerby viciously attack right wing media. I've seen him excuse Tucker Carlson as an excitable boy (because his dad got divorced) and give Bill O'Reilly a bye because he was nice to Somerby when he appeared on his show a half dozen times (what liberal does that?). He is much worse to Mika and Don Lemon and Anderson Cooper (hmmm, what do those two guys have in common?) than he is to Fox & Friends. Vicious is what he said about Rachel Maddow stuffing money down her pants. Nothing he says about Fox is that crude and ugly.
Somerby didn't say "dire" need. You added that word. He's had a few medical appts and some surgery that kept him away for 2 weeks. That's pretty routine for old people who have a lot of medical appts and often have procedures like hip or knee replacements or stents or cancer treatments that require recovery. Somerby has asked for money before, but not since Trump began running in 2015. I wonder what that means.
ReplyDeleteI thought all the problems related to medical expenses have been solved by Obamacare, long time ago.
It may be a coincidence that Somerby has decided to monetize his blog right at the time when he has "health problems". He should perhaps ask his good friend Roseanne Barr how to get on the right wing money train.
Delete5:25 You apparently don’t understand Obamacare. Bob is old enough that he should be getting Medicare.
DeleteSo Somerby is going to sell out, stuffing money down his pants.
ReplyDeleteTwenty-some years or so of writing around 10 essays a week that Somerby provides you for free, and you repay his kindness by calling him a sellout. Nice.
DeleteWhat would you call him?
DeleteI don’t read this blog for pleasure. I was assigned to it.
DeleteSomeone who provides blog posts for free should never be criticized.
DeleteYou gonna write Bob a check, Dogface?
DeleteAnonymouse 7:08pm, duh.
DeleteCertainly.
DeleteSuckers
DeleteI know for a fact that some of us commenting spend more time researching and writing our responses than Somerby does cutting and pasting his posts. Look at the research mh did on the MS NAEP test scores, for example. There was a lot of research in the comments during the 1/6 committee hearings.
DeleteI've personally caught Somerby in quite a few errors of various types, often statistical. Others have caught him leaving out important parts of other people's statements via incomplete quoting or disappearing links. This effort is worth as much, if not more, than Somerby's effort, which has been deteriorating over time. The fact that Somerby charges nothing is bizarre given the low and often misleading quality of Somerby's recent efforts. A blog needs to be worth reading in order to inspire donations.
Somerby needs to wake up and stop writing this blog and instead write his memoirs. That he continues here supports the theory that his primary purpose is to disseminate disinformation in support of Trump's reelection and other right wing priorities.
Hopefully he will move to Substack and charge 5 bucks a month.
Delete@7:11 AM
DeleteOnly Corby will pay. But she'll pay any price. So, $5/month is not optimal.
7:15 AM:
DeleteOh. Only Corby will pay. But she'll pay any price. So, $5/month is not optimal.
Thanks for letting me know.
Biden is too old. Trump is too mentally ill.
ReplyDeleteWhy not choose the mentally ill, amirite?
Biden is “past his prime.” Can Somerby name any way in which Biden has shown himself to be incompetent or incapacitated because of his being “past prime?”
The problem is that if you don’t do what you can to help Biden get re-elected, you are helping the mentally ill and corrupt Trump.
Off topic -- I was relieved to see that Dr. Gay resigned as President of Harvard. Sadly, her resignation letter
ReplyDeleteconfirmed that she is an awful person. She blamed racial animus for her dismissal. That's major league chutzpah. Her entire career benefited from affirmative actions -- from her stolen, second-rate dissertation, to her crappy, stolen papers, her tenure, her appointment as a Harvard Dean and then President. She didn't apologize at all for her many,, many instances of plagiarism, not to mention her failure to prevent anti-Semitism on campus, and her awful testimony.
BTW I disagree with Bob's evaluation of Congresswoman Stefanik. IMO Stefanik is a hero. She deserves credit for bringing to public attention how three great universities tolerate or encourage antisemitism. Thanks to her actions, Jews will be safer at these and other universities.
I would have put down money on Gay
Deletekeeping her job.
So I hope you’ve learned not to gamble.
DeleteHell no.
DeleteSave some money for poor old Somerby.
DeleteAnonymouse 11:21pm, you’re telling me?
DeleteIf it wasn’t for TDH, you’d have to get a real job.
I’m not paid. I do this because I believe in the cause.
DeleteYou’re a militant fanatic.
DeleteYou gotta admit, republicans are incapable of governing but they sure as shit know how to rev up the old Mighty Media Wurlitzer outrage machine to take down their latest target. I'm old enough to remember the screeching outrage targeting fucking Bud Light. These are cretins, there is no sense trying to talk to them.
DeleteAnonymouse 6:45am, I wonder what media members and/or DEI dept head convinced Bud Light to target its customers via a cross dresser.
DeleteThey had to be laughing their rears off in glee over that improbable feat. Talk about the setup of the century. Endless stories about angry rednecks and Bud Lite trying to virtual signal like crazy to a woke cohort that hates its guts.
I'd rather we have open borders than a border wall painted in rainbow colors.
DeleteCecelia,
DeleteIs that what you learned in your advance CRT for 3rd Graders class?
She learned about virtual signals.
DeleteI had a woke pebble in my shoe the other day.
DeleteIt was me. I was smelling your toes. They smell funny.
DeleteI am Corby.
Anonymouse 8:45am, although Anonymices are on the Dark Side of the Force, they do not possess Darth Vader’s powers of mind control.
DeleteNo matter how often you attempt to finesse CRT and Antifa, everyone knows that they do exist and they are widely in play within our culture.
Antifa obviously exists. The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, has already stated he will protect them from January 6th insurrection charges.
DeleteAnonymouse 11:55am, and you thought HE was Darth Vader.
DeleteCecelia, you have too much time on your hands and hate in your heart to be wondering about such odd things. I doubt this fictional persons you imagine would be "laughing their rears off in glee", unless they had the emotional maturity of a 3rd grader like yourself.
DeleteAnyway, another win for the anti- cancel culture right wing warriers. I'll bet DiC feels it's better than sex.
Anonymouse 12:34pm, you are definitely on the spectrum.
Delete12:32,
DeleteDarth Vader is a made-up character. Akin to a Republican voter who cares about something other than bigotry and white supremacy.
Bur, of course, you already knew that.
I was nice last year, so the CRT man brought me a train for Christmas.
DeleteDiC - I spent some time trying to find instances post 10/7 where Jews were attacked on campus. They are exceedingly hard to find.
ReplyDeleteDepends on what you consider an attack. Words matter too.
DeleteDeath threats are against the law. They are a form of terrorism.
DeleteWords like "Free Palestine"?
DeleteThis is the second consecutive day that Cecelia’s comments are not as bad as David’s.
ReplyDeleteMy comments are never as good as David’s.
DeleteI like David, but he’s past his prime, while you’re improving.
DeleteRepublicans:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2024/01/republican-support-for-the-violent-overthrow-of-democratic-government-has-increased
Every Republican voted against capping the price of insulin at $35 but it passed the Senate anyway. Thank you Biden and Democrats for caring about older people’s health issues.
ReplyDeleteI’ll bet Trump is on insulin but won’t admit it.
Insulin is generally used for type 1 diabetes, a childhood onset illness. That said, the Republicans can lay claim to Medicare part D, a taxpayer giveaway to the pharmaceutical industry that stipulated payments for drugs could not be negotiated. This was such a gift that the Republican senator from Louisiana who sponsored the bill quit his campaign for re-election after its passage and took a million dollar annual salary as president of PHARMA.
Delete@1:13 AM
DeleteBilly Tauzin, was a US congressman, not senator.
And his career -- from congressman to lobbyist -- is quite common, traditional. Nothing to see here. Certainly far less inventive than turning one's son into a genius abstract painter and taking 50% of his income.
Now Tauzin gets to write the legislation Congress approves.
DeleteSomerby: I would pay a subscription fee if you eliminated the comment section.
ReplyDeleteReally, you should go to Substack. It's set up for monetization and you would do great there.
Operation 32:
ReplyDeleteReassign agent Fanny van der Faart
Operation 33:
Debrief liaison Fanny Passmore-Gass
تحصل على ما تدفعه مقابل، أيها الحمار.
ReplyDeleteLong ago this blog was great. Now it just isn’t. I am Chorby.
ReplyDelete