I cast my first vote in 1960, when I was 22. That was before 18-year-olds were allowed to vote. I voted for John F. Kennedy, and I worked in his campaign. I was thrilled when he visited campaign headquarters, and I got to shake his hand. He was exciting and dynamic.
At the time, critics said he was no better than Richard Nixon.
They talked about his father, his money, his privilege, his Roman Catholicism; rumors swirled about his private life but were never reported by the media.
Public opinion was so divided about JFK, even among Democrats, that Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. felt compelled to write a short book called “Kennedy or Nixon: Does It Make Any Difference?” Of course, he argued that Kennedy was infinitely preferable to Nixon. Kennedy was elected by a narrow margin.
Democrats were even more divided in 1968 when Hubert H. Humphrey ran against Nixon. Liberals were angry at Humphrey because he had loyally served as LBJ’s vice-president and had not spoken against the war in Vietnam. I worked in the Humphrey-Muskie campaign and organized an event on October 31, 1968, in Manhattan. We didn’t have much money, so we rented a big, shabby labor hall on West 34 street in Manhattan. It was a ragtag affair with a lineup of wonderful speakers: John Kenneth Galbraith, Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Herman Badillo, and a parade of other liberal notables of the time. Vice-Presidential candidate Ed Muskie was supposed to drop in. Actress Shelley Winters moderated. In the middle of Galbraith’s endorsement of the Democratic ticket, two people in the front row–a man and a woman–jumped up, took off their raincoats, and ran stark naked onto the stage, where they presented Galbraith with the head of a pig. Shelley Winters threw a pitcher of water at them. The one security officer on duty began chasing them around the stage, and it was like a scene out of the Keystone Kops. Meanwhile, in the back of the room, about 15 protestors marched in, carrying a North Vietnamese flag, banging a drum and chanting “Ho Ho, Ho Chi Minh, Viet Cong are gonna win!”
By the time the protestors moved out, the rally collapsed, Muskie didn’t drop in.
Nixon was holding his own rally across the street at Madison Square Garden, and he had no protestors. Security was tight, and no one got in without credentials.
Our event was a debacle. I knew that night in my heart that Nixon would win.
Fast forward to today.
There are two major party candidates for the presidency, and one of them will be elected in November.
I am an idealist and I fight for what I believe in, but I am also a realist. Either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be elected president.
I will support and vote for Hillary Clinton. I am not telling anyone else how to vote. I am telling you why I am voting for Hillary.
To begin with, I think that Donald Trump is the most unqualified person in my lifetime to be a major party candidate. I think that a presidential candidate should have some prior experience in public life; they should have demonstrated their ability to bring people together and to shape foreign and domestic policies that will advance our national goals and values. Trump represents a nativist view of America, with his open disregard for certain ethnic and religious groups. He openly speaks of “America First,” a long-discredited phrase associated in the 1930s with isolationism. Had we listened then to the America Firsters, Hitler would have conquered all of Europe. Like Nixon, Trump appeals to “the silent majority” and presents himself as the “law-and-order” candidate. His campaign plays on our fears: our fear of Others, our fear of weakness, our fear of decline. His “policies” are boasts: he will “make America great again.” He will turn back the clock. He will bring back all the jobs that were outsourced or that disappeared because of technological change. He will restore the America of a misty and idyllic past. He will revive torture to keep us safe. He believes climate change is a hoax. He thinks women who get an abortion should be punished, or at least their doctors should. He will eliminate gun control and gun-free school zones. He will appoint Supreme Court justices who will roll back reproductive rights, gay rights, and regulations on corporations. He opposes an increase in the minimum wage. He threatens to abandon NATO. He has a thin skin. If someone offends him, he lashes out. He ridicules them, belittles them. Can he be trusted with the nation’s nuclear codes? Will he get annoyed and nuke some country he doesn’t like?
I am not voting for Hillary as “the lesser of two evils.”
I don’t think she is evil. I don’t think she is ethically challenged. I have met her several times in the past and have been impressed by her intellect, her judgment, and her compassion. We all know the ordeal she endured because of her husband’s infidelities. That was not her doing. She tried to protect her family as best she could. We know now that other revered presidents, like FDR and Ike, had affairs; JFK was a serial womanizer. The media abandoned their code of silence about presidential privacy when Bill Clinton was president. Hillary can’t be blamed for Bill’s misadventures, and it was nearly 20 years ago, so who cares? God knows, there are plenty of members of Congress and governors in both parties who would not want their private lives revealed in the news. Remember the Republican Congressman who had a “wide stance” in the men’s bathroom in an airport?
I don’t think Hillary is a liar or a person of low character.
Trump has tried to brand her as “Crooked Hillary,” just as he branded Jeb Bush as “low energy,” Ted Cruz as “Lyin’ Ted,” and Marco Rubio as “Little Marco.”
She got large speaking fees but so what? So has every other major political figure when they left office, as well as every celebrity.
I give her credit for being able to withstand the constant barrage of hatred, vilification, smears, and mudslinging–and she has taken it for 25 years. Republicans blame her for everything.
She must have a very thick skin. They have called her every name in the book, and she is still standing. I admire her courage. I admire her resilience.
I know she is smart. She is super-smart. There are very few people who have run for president who are as well informed about the details of foreign and domestic policy as she is.
I am not happy with her qualified support for charter schools. I would like to explain to her that they are undermining the nation’s public schools, and in some cities, destroying them. I would like to explain to her that the problem is not just “for-profit charter schools.” The problem is setting up a dual publicly-funded school system, one that chooses its students and the other required to accept and enroll every student. It makes no sense.
Like me, she went to public schools. She knows how important they are to our democracy. I believe she would not knowingly sacrifice them to the entrepreneurs and privatizers who want to take them over.
We had a dual system before the Brown decision in 1954 (and for years afterwards). That was a very bad idea. Charters are typically more segregated than public schools. In some states, they are havens for white flight. They are not public schools. They are not accountable or transparent. They are privately managed. They are a form of privatization. They pave the way for vouchers. They encourage parents to think as consumers, not citizens. What we have learned from twenty-five years of charter schools is that deregulation opens the door to fraud, nepotism, and graft. Not all charter schools are bad, not all charter leaders are grifters, but those who are go undetected until a whistle-blower appears.
Hillary says she supports only “high quality charter schools,” but what does that mean? The charters with the highest test scores? Those are the charters that are most likely to exclude students who don’t speak English and students with disabilities and to push out problem students. Why should our government deliberately fund a two-track school system? Charter schools are NOT public schools. They are private schools that receive public funding.
If she is elected, and I hope she is, I will continue to fight for public education. Supporting public education is not a choice, it is a civic responsibility. It is a civic responsibility for those whose children are grown and for those who have no children. This is what good citizens do. I will continue to try to persuade the Democrats to oppose the school privatization policies promoted by ALEC, Scott Walker, Chris Christie, Rick Snyder, Rick Scott, Mike Pence, Pat McCrory, Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and the Tea Party.
The American public school is one of the bedrock ideas of our democracy. We must not abandon it. To privatize our schools betrays our democratic values.
I will vote for Hillary Clinton because I trust that she will have a steady hand on American foreign policy.
I will vote for her because I trust that she will shape domestic policies to strengthen our economy and to increase equity.
I will vote for her because I trust that she will reflect and think before making decisions and will not act or react impulsively.
I will vote for her because I trust she will appoint Supreme Court justices who will make decisions that protect our rights and strengthen our democracy.
I will vote for her because I trust that she will fight for a society that is more just for all.
I will vote for her because she has experience, wisdom, and deep knowledge of our nation and the world.
I will vote for Hillary Clinton because she is eminently qualified to be president of the United States.
Diane Ravitch
#Imwithher
Thank you Diane. I needed to read what you wrote to put things in perspective. Let’s hope that Hillary wins.
Trump is a con man who would be destructive both domestically and internationally. I do not understand people who brush aside his irrational comments that degrade.
Yes, thank you Diane…but when do you sleep? You were still posting comments at 2 AM ET, and now it is early morning and you give us an essay with your considered vision of this election. You have certainly influenced my thinking.
And thank you Carol. I completely agree with your statement.
Plenty of time to sleep when you are dead
I’m with her.
Measured and smart as always. Thank you.
I hope you forward this to all family members. only joking…I really appreciate and agree with what you said below. Walter “Sandy” Silvers
Please consider donating to our fundraising project for the Alzheimer’s Association.
https://www.crowdrise.com/anaffairtoremember/fundraiser/sandysilvers
From: Diane Ravitchs blog To: sandysilvers@yahoo.com Sent: Wednesday, July 27, 2016 9:01 AM Subject: [New post] Why I Will Vote for Hillary Clinton #yiv8512712120 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv8512712120 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv8512712120 a.yiv8512712120primaryactionlink:link, #yiv8512712120 a.yiv8512712120primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv8512712120 a.yiv8512712120primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv8512712120 a.yiv8512712120primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv8512712120 WordPress.com | dianeravitch posted: “I cast my first vote in 1960, when I was 22. That was before 18-year-olds were allowed to vote. I voted for John F. Kennedy, and I worked in his campaign. I was thrilled when he visited campaign headquarters, and I got to shake his hand. He was exciting a” | |
Thanks Diane, a beautiful essay from the heart. That story from the Humphrey-Muskie campaign was both tragic and hilarious at the same time (the guys running around nude with the pig head). I know that Trump would be a disaster for this country. I’ll be voting for HRC.
Great article. Thank you
We had a candidate that polls showed would clearly beat Trump in the general, but the establishment Dems wanted HRC. So be it. HRC is outspending Trump 15-1 in campaign ads and trails in the polls. Own it, DNC and MSM. You wanted her, you got her. When more hacked emails are leaked and Trump surges in the poll, will it be my fault as a Bernie supporter who doesn’t want to vote for someone who is just not Trump?
Liz
The nomination goes to the candidate with the most delegates, not the one with better poll numbers. Bernie was a great candidate, but don’t forget that the GOP attack machine never touched him. I think Trump called him “crazy Bernie,” but mostly left him alone, hoping the Dems would destroy themselves.
Thank you, Liz. I am with you. When we get TPP shoved down our throats and lord knows what with social security, let’s see how much HRC is liked then!
Sky,
It comes down to trust. I wouldn’t buy a used car from Trump. He is a con man.
This will be my only post on this thread (and quite possibly my only post for a while). Chris Hedges sums up my reasons for not voting for Hillary: http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/who-should-bernie-voters-support-now-robert-reich-vs-chris-hedges
I understand where you’re coming from–I feel like this has become too heated a topic for me to start my day with every day. With the conventions and the bleak outlook with both candidates, I need a break.
I’m in the midst of trying to write a book and edit two others. I can’t do this anymore.
I’m out.
How wise of you. I look forward to not hearing you!
Dienne, thanks for the link to that debate between Chris Hedges and Robert Reich. Hedges never supported Bernie, he thinks Bernie betrayed his supporters and is a sell out. I agree with both these men on the other issues besides Hillary vs Trump. Hedges makes so many great points but geezus, he’s so dark, so grim, so dour, so humorless, unrelentingly apocalyptic. Maybe he’s right about everything, I know he’s right about the corporatism. But I’m with Robert Reich on this issue and Reich has a sense of humor.
Off topic side note: every once in a blue moon I see Chris Hedges shopping at the Princeton shopping center. He was actually smiling and looked human for a change instead of his usual stern scolding expression.
I always read your comments Dienne!
Dienne, I value your comments.
Chris Hedges is such a strict and puritanical ideologue I’m surprised he hasn’t turned on Jill Stein yet. Hedges really trashes Bernie and accuses him of being a sell out way before this election cycle, back in the 90s. I think he’s being very unfair to Bernie. But that’s all history now, it’s either HRC or DT, noting in between.
Dienne, thank you for this excellent link. Your comments are consistently knowledgeable and helpful. I rarely comment, but I read Diane daily, and I have come to trust your thinking. Also, I agree with you. My husband and I left the democratic party last night.
Dienne,
Yours is a much appreciated, thoughtful and needed presence on this blog. Don’t go away for too long!
I think Hillary will be a pleasant surprise for Bernie supporters once she becomes president. His influence on the platform and on HRC will be indelible.
A platform is a rhetorical exercise.
Your HRC vote endorses system that does not represent the will of the people… but rather a system based on mainstream media manipulation, donor control, blatant corruption and so much more. Did you really need a 2000 word blog post with boundless deflections to help you and your vote sleep at night? Just like your charter school spin, you put party line politics over actual people like my daughter nd I. But I have to thank you. With the help of your relentless blind regurgitation of (media manipulated) polti-spin on charters, you were one of the ones who helped cement my decision to leave the DEM party, become an independent and start organizing for school choice. The party’s over. Thank You Diane
Good-bye… the party will not miss you. But I hope you do well and organize an independent party that will be up to challenging Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz, in 2020. Maybe Bernie and Jill can do it…not just now.
Jeremy,
Why stop promoting ECOT and other fraudulent virtual charters? If you were concerned about the well-being of people, you wouldn’t work for crooks.
Diane,
I am concerned about people like my own K-12 age children. I am also concerned about public education in my state and our country.
People who are serious about education know that learning never stops… not at any age or grade level.
So what did you learn from this week’s wiki-leak revelations? Did you learn that yes indeed there is a such thing as agenda media? Did you learn that political influence on media to attempt to define and control the public narrative is an actual political tactic? Regardless of party, many learned that this week or confirmed what they already believed.
The Ohio charter debate is built upon this agenda media that you regurgitate.
ECOT started in Ohio over 15 years ago with 0 students and has grown on the backs of the choices Ohioans like me have made for our kids…. not on an evil GOP conspiracy and a man behind the curtain as you so frequently blather about. And it’s not some fringe thing… 15K+ annual enrollment… over 20K diplomas delivered. ECOT is quite possibly the largest and most progressive K-12 eschool in the world… all right here in Ohio. Oddly enough, the highest ranking politicians and educational thought leaders in our state… the ones that pen and push legislation designed to defund and destroy ECOT… have never even taken the time to visit a classroom with actual ECOT students and teachers…. right in their own backyard. Don’t you find that alarming? They have been invited for years. They have passed time and time again.
“Inspecting what you expect” is leadership 101 where I come from. This is failed leadership at it’s core. What is their motive for dismissing so many of their state’s constituent’s voices?
But it still gets worse… they go to the press and stand under oath to serve making wildly false accusations and totally misrepresenting the school, the students and the teachers even the parents like me…. It’s shameful. All for protectionism of a institutional ed system that is so far behind on innovation.
But that still is only the beginning of the story- When “thought leaders” like you choose to take that agenda media and amplify it to those who entrust you.. you are complicit in the deception and the agenda and you assume the responsibility of all you post (even the links) to your readers. Your hands are not clean simply because the New York Times or the local herald “reported” it.
Someday I hope to have the credentials you have and the respect as a thought leader that you’ve earned…. but I will not do it for political posturing or at the expense of progress, my neighbors, their children and their choices.
Jeremy Aker,
The New York Times published a front page article about the scam known as ECOT (the “Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow”) in Ohio.
I hope everyone reads it: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/us/online-charter-schools-electronic-classroom-of-tomorrow.html?_r=0
Your employer, Mr. William Lager, is one of the biggest contributors to the Republican Party in Ohio.
There is no accountability for ECOT because of its political friends.
This is how the NY Times story begins:
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow, an online charter school based here, graduated 2,371 students last spring. At the commencement ceremony, a student speaker triumphantly told her classmates that the group was “the single-largest graduating high school class in the nation.”
What she did not say was this: Despite the huge number of graduates — this year, the school is on track to graduate 2,300 — more students drop out of the Electronic Classroom or fail to finish high school within four years than at any other school in the country, according to federal data. For every 100 students who graduate on time, 80 do not.
Even as the national on-time graduation rate has hit a record high of 82 percent, publicly funded online schools like the Electronic Classroom have become the new dropout factories.
Please shill for ECOT somewhere else. I hope that all the virtual academies run for-profit are shut down. Soon. Sorry you will have to find a new job.
dianeravitch: your comment of 7-27-16, 10:59 AM—
What you said.
😎
Anyone who thinks the mainstream media (MSM) in America is owned and manipulated by anyone other than the 1%, has fallen for the propaganda put out by the super-rich, who have their own agendas and use their money and power to control the MSM and tell the rest of us what they want us to know, including promoting the Illusion of Choice:
“These 6 Corporations Control 90% Of The Media In America” http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6
Homeless, I understand that. Trump is part of the 1%, and I bet he pays no taxes.
Diane, I bet you’re right.
Yesterday, Mark Cuban indicated why he thinks Trump won’t release his taxes: He might have made less money than the Clintons made, and even worse, he may have made less money than how much the Clintons paid in taxes!
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/07/26/mark-cuban-says-this-might-be-why-trump-has-refused-to-release-his-tax-returns/
Homeless, I am playing catch up on this thread but I really have to think, if the emails of the Democrats have been hacked and Trump wants more on Hillary, wonder what his emails look like and the other Republicans? Equality now!!!
I am amazed that there are some people who believe that Hillary and Trump are both equally disdainful. Hillary, while not perfect, is by far the better qualified candidate and not just in terms of temperament but in experience, knowledge, and character. Trump’s ego and narcissism alone should be extremely concerning and I, for one, don’t believe that he has the ability to make the right decisions for the country in a time of crisis. What I do know is that he has bilked many people out of money, many small business owners, shown the world through his comments and actions what a racist and misogynist is, and has nothing more to offer than branding of the Trump empire. When you don’t cast a vote for Hillary, you will be ensuring that Trump will be our next president.
I agree with the things yo said, especially about her qualifications. Listening to Bill, last night, reminded me of the Hillary I remembered, too. I got pilloried for posting a nostalgic piece about Hillary at the new-site where I write. One commenter asked, if the site had been hacked? Imagine, because I ws not screaming and ranting my disappointment that Bernie was not the nominee,and refusing to throw away my write in and vote and go for Jill Stein… (Jill who?).
Thank you, Diane.
Ps… saw the ole Bill magic, last night… not once did this man, who was President of the US talk about himself. The contrast with the lunatic demagogue could not have been more apparent.
And has any one seen the PBS 2 hour special on the White House, and families the Presidents,the people who lived there. A must see!
I actually appreciate that Clinton isn’t over-promising. I think that’s much more respectful of voters than “make America great again” and this nonsense from Trump on trade deals. He’s lying to his supporters. US companies are multi-nationals. They’re as dependent on trade as “foreign” companies. Some of the foreign companies are also “US companies”. If he puts in trade sanctions on Japan what happens to Honda in Ohio?
I don’t have big hopes so I won’t be disappointed. I’m grateful that she respects voters enough to run as a pragmatic centrist. It’s all I really ask at this point- that they run on what they are. I’m sick to death of the slick marketing. Enough already. Cut the crap and run on what you are. No one believes any of them, and it’s their own fault.
This is so true.
I loved Bill Clinton’s portrayal of Hillary because although I know it presented her in the best light possible, it surely rang true.
She does that boring work that gets things done. That involves compromises – maybe too many. And he left out her willingness to speak for large amounts of money, although I don’t believe for a minute she sold out America for money.
One of the best things was when Bill talked about the health care fiasco, which I recall vividly and which single-handedly turned Hillary into a object of hate, derision and ineptitude that is still characterizing her today.
I didn’t know she kept working to try to get little parts of the program passed. Child health plus. Mental health coverage. It seems like tiny stuff compared to the failure that was her attempt at real reform, but she didn’t give up and she wasn’t doing it to present herself as a savior. She was working because she wanted to improve people’s lives.
I’m with her.
Was wondering all day yesterday where you were Chiara…missed your level headed and informed comments. Thought you might be a delegate in Philly, but hoped you were well. Glad to see you today. as as usual, we agree.
Sorry Diana; Your very smart. But you are supporting a traitor who allowed the American Embassy under Hilary’s watch to be slaughtered. And much more. Therefore, I will end your emails because of this. I know it will not matter to you. But that is OK. Good luck.
Who is more apt to initiate a first nuclear strike? Trump has already shown willingness to talk to Kim Jong Un as well as Putin. Hillary is known as more hawkish than Obama and she has stated the “nuclear option” is on the table. Putin is pleading with western media to stop hiding the truth from US population, to stop threatening Russia, because he is prepared to defend his state against US aggression. It will not end well for anyone.
Dawn,
Surprised to see you believe Putin, who was a KGB agent
Trump, Putin and Kim Jong Un walk into a bar, oh wait, sorry, that was Larry, Moe and Curly walked into a bar. These 3 massive egos are likely to turn on each other at the drop of the hat.
Though I don’t agree with your assessment (she too, has employed every dirty trick she could, and has been so disengenuous in telling every voting group exactly what they want to hear. That’s good research and attempted manipulation, not honesty), I respect your right to have it. I don’t personally see that there is a choice in this election, as Trump is only slightly above a trilobite in his current state of hman evolution, and I would very pleasantly surprised if Mrs. Clinton didn’t ally herself with corporate reformers. I don’t think she’s evil, either, and it eould be absurd to blame her fir her husband’s indescretions (though it would also surprise me if they didn’t have an ‘arrangement’) but I don’t believe she has our interests in mind anymore than Barack did. In fact, for myself, i know it. Too much evidence is right there in the open for us to see.
Education and income inequality are the defining issues of this age, in my opinion. We don’t have to go down that road regardless of eho is elected if they people stay conscious and passionate rather than passive.
Thanks Diane…the pig story reminded me that in Chicago,1968. the Yippies nominated
a pig “pigusis” for President…In retrospect, it’s more tragic than funny and as you and other major historians have pointed out, we study history to avoid making the same
mistakes over and over…it was nice to hear Humphrey referenced in a positive way
during Minnesota roll call yesterday…at this late date, not understanding that
rejecting Humphrey for Nixon or now–by not voting for Hilary and therefore
helping Trump…this is not just theatre but throwing away a vote that has real
consequence… Theodore White reported that by late Oct.1968, HHH was surging yet
out here in Ca. Humphrey was booed offstage at San Jose and San Francisco
State by radicals who claimed to be idealists but were in fact the opposite.As Bernie said yesterday, it’s easy to boo, it’s easy to despair, to build is a lifetime challenge.
What a great story! Thank you for sharing it and your overall reflections on this, perhaps, most important presidential election of our time.
I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 from my privileged place in California. I knew Gore would carry our huge, blue state so I could afford to send a message. I even convinced myself that if Gore lost, it was his fault for not convincing us that he was different enough from George Bush. What a mistake! With such a tight race, the Republicans and the Supreme Court had the cover they needed to make a mockery of the election.
#Imwithher…(pointing to Diane)
Fabulous and gutsy. KC
Sent from my iPad
>
There are three existential threats to the US right now. 1) nuclear strike (because now we have this stupid first strike policy which makes that almost inevitable as we build up so called “defenses”) 2) Financial devastation from TPP trade deal putting corporations in charge instead of sovereign nations 3) Immigrant overload (welfare system eventually unable to sustain everyone….too many hungry people in the street)
Hillary’s stance: !) Nuclear option is on the table. Known hawk. 2) For the TPP; Bill brought in NAFTA, she’s okay with corporate overreach 3) She has stated she will increase the number of immigrants to US by 500%
Trump’s stance: 1) Let’s talk to Putin. No threats. 2) He paid for ads in the NYTimes against NAFTA when it was being discussed; he hates the TPP because it undermines US sovereignty and control of manufacturing and trade 3) Build a wall; close the borders temporarily.
You decide.
What is it about Trump that makes you think he means anything he says? The art of the deal. He will say whatever he thinks will close the deal and/or make him the most money.
Not one of us knows what the future will bring nor what decision — by either Hillary or Trump – will bring about good or bad outcomes. But putting your trust in a man like Trump? Putting the trust of your children’s future in a man like Trump?
Trump actually says some things I agree with along with the hateful things I do not. But even if I agreed with 90% of what he said — I would not be idiot enough to actually think he meant any of them. He has shown that he is running for Trump and whatever the fools who vote for him think once they sign on the dotted line is irrelevant. Just like at Trump U. People who vote for him are as gullible as the ones who paid their cash to Trump U because of his promises.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/07/politics/hillary-clinton-opposes-tpp/index.html
Diane, I can only hope you are preaching to a national choir!
Yes I will vote for her, but they do not make it easy to work for her . As I watched last night I was constantly surrounded by the thought of what a wonderful show they put on, in contrast to the hateful garbage in Cleveland. However I was also surrounded by the thought that I have been here before. Watched the well orchestrated show only to be let down in the end. I missed that election in 68, but was able to vote in 72 and have voted for Democrats or progressives since, so I am not a right wing troll. Nor although I am way more radical than I used to be in the sixties and seventies. I am not ready to follow Hedges into oblivion although I enjoy his writings. So I will not be throwing pigs heads and will be pragmatic as usual . But no sooner did Hillary breakthrough that dynamic glass ceiling yesterday. A display that had me running for cover from the flying glass, did I hear the statement from Terry McAuliffe . Followed by a back track that does not match the facts of the previously passed Fast Track legislation . There are no changes it’s up or down. No discussion to be had . Take it or leave it . Shaft the American people in favor of corporate interests or stand with environmental, labor and consumer groups. No do overs.
So I am sitting here today thoroughly disgusted saying to myself that you knew that was coming. So my question to you Diane is, if a life long Democrat who will do what he has to do and vote for her is disgusted,tired of the glitzy show. What are the American people seeing ? I am going to a retirement party for me on Thursday . A place where i intended to use the soap box to tell my fellow workers to not celebrate with me but protect my pension and their future pensions and not vote for the fraud. I think I’ll just enjoy the party it is hopeless.
“I think I’ll just enjoy the party it is hopeless.”
You’re going to make me wax nostalgic Joel! Never underestimate the soothing comfort offered by nihilism.
Enjoy the party Joel…you earned it.
Great post!!!!!
I only want to address one issue, the notion that the Daley machine “stole” the election. First, there was probably as much cheating on behalf of Nixon downstate as there was in Chicago for Kennedy.
But of greater importance, Illinois ultimately was irrelevant. There were 537 electoral votes in 1960 – since a state cannot be admitted without at least one House seat, and since no state loses a seat except as a result of reapportionment after a decennial census, the admission of AK and HA in 1959 temporarily expanded the House to 437 and thus the electoral college to 537. That means a candidate needed 270 EVs to win.
So here is in fact the data
Kennedy 303
Nixon 219
Harry Byrd of VA 15
IL had 27 Electoral votes then. Takes those from Kennedy and give them to Nixon and Kennedy would still have won, 276-236.
The tale of Illinois stealing the election has always been wrong, and was pushed by Republicans who wanted to delegitimize Kennedy’s win.
Thanks for that historical information, Ken!
Thanks, Ken.
Hear! Hear! Well said, Diane.
Thanks for this essay. I hope it will be included in your memoir.
As for your comment ” “Plenty of time to sleep when you are dead,”
I am putting that on alarm clock.
Found the Ben Franklin version: ..”there will be sleeping enough in the grave…”
Thanks, Laura, It is stories like that that I treasure. Most of them I have forgotten but they pop up at odd times. Like now.
My pat response to the presidential candidates/election season threads:
I refuse to and don’t live my life in fear.
I trust that this country can weather any presidency, hell we weathered 8 years of Georgie the Least. Trump can’t be any worse than that. I trust that our system can handle narcissistic con men, hell it handled Tricky Dick. Can Clinton be worse than him?
It has handled the assassinations of 4 presidents Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy. I trust the checks and balances that are in place even though I don’t always agree with the outcomes.
I don’t vote out of fear, I vote for what I believe is in the best interests of this country and that right now is to break the stranglehold of the political duopoly. Therefore I vote 3rd party.
Were all the dissatisfied and more importantly those who feel disenfranchised voters to vote for what they believe in versus out of fear of the greater of two evils we’d be in a hell of a lot better shape as a country.
And as far as the polls go, for me anything under 15 points at this stage is close. Close races make a lot more money for those who gain from a protracted election season, i.e., the media and advertising agencies.
I will use my vote to vote my conscience and beliefs, not to stop anyone. And my conscience dictates that I vote with the long haul in mind so that we can eventually break the stranglehold that the two headed monster of oligarchical duopoly will be slayed and flayed. I will vote FOR something/someone not AGAINST something/someone just as I have since my first presidential vote. That means voting 3rd Party Green, for Jill Stein.
Personally I have my doubts that both the duopoly’s candidates will actually still be in the race come November.
Señor Swacker:
Well put.
😎
I assume that from your position of privilege you’re OK with unmarried women who miscarry being thrown in prison for “illegal abortion”.
My “position of privilege”??
Really??
Damn, I wish that “position of privilege” came with money!
What Bobby Vee sang 40 or so years ago seems to still apply “Come back when you grow up girl, you’re still living in a paper doll world”
I would find it as difficult to vote for Jill Stein as for Hillary. She has no large-scale governing experience, will not speak against the anti-vaccination movement, and did not initially realize Britain exiting the EU was not to be praised (she then covered up her first opinion on the event). She has publicly said a Hillary administration would be as bad as a Trump administration, which I realize you agree with. However, given respective long-term impacts on climate change, the Supreme Court, abortion access, points mentioned above that I may be repeating but which deeply matter to me- I can only find it a demonstration of reasoning skills I would not want leading the nation. If I would be compromising my standards either way, I am happy to vote for the candidate not polling at 3%.
We will probably weather this upcoming presidency, fingers crossed, knock on wood, mal’occhio in reserve. But the thing is, if Trump wins, it will set back the progressive movement much more than if HRC were president. Hillary won’t appoint right wing freaks to the court (Bill and Obama didn’t). Robert Reich and Mike Moore say vote for Hillary. Chris Hedges and Cornel West will vote for Jill Stein. I respect all these men though I am angry at Hedges for really beating up on Bernie, I don’t know about Cornel.
In any case, I am not trying to convince you to do anything. We have all made up our minds a while ago.
I do admit that I am scared shirtless that DT will win. We sort of survived LBJ, Nixon, Bush, etc., but at a terrible cost and price. LBJ is a mixed bag, he perpetrated that horrific unnecessary war in which millions lost their lives but he did enact historic civil rights legislation plus Medicare and Medicaid. His legacy is forever ruined and in disgrace because of his war.
Mentioning LBJ made me think.
We have some pretty amazing social programs that are the result of his legacy. More than 40 years later. We also had a terrible war. But I don’t think he went to war for some nefarious purpose.
It’s hard to sit back and say another President would have avoided the conflict in VietNam but we would still be waiting for Medicaid. Or something else.
In the end, you have to weigh what is good and bad and try to make sure the person in office will make decent judgements not entirely swayed by big donors or politics.
Despite the attacks on her, I believe Hillary cares about this country far more than people give her credit for. She is pragmatic, but not in the pockets of the wrong people, or any people. She wants to get things done to make this country better. And I don’t always like her compromises. But I almost always understand them.
Wow, Diane! Well stated. Hillary’s background certainly trumps Trump’s experience. And her husband’s experience in the White House will be an asset.
I would add, a vote for Hillary is a vote for a positive role model for our future citizens, the children.
This and other threads on this blog re the upcoming elections and people’s election preferences—
Much appreciated.
That said, regardless of the outcome of the election, there will still be a need for “Diane Ravitch’s blog A site to discuss better education for all.” And many other blogs and media venues.
There will still be a need for NPE. And many other other organizations and individuals.
The struggle to ensure a “better education for all” is a never-ending story…
Always has been. Always will be.
That’s the way I see it.
😎
They need bodies. They can’t pay $15 hour for some reason but if you can get to Philly pronto you can make $50 a day. I suppose hotels are full, so maybe you can pop up a tent somewhere. All Bernie delegates have been suspended, so they have 700 openings. A half empty arena won’t look good, so they need bodies, as many as possible. Catch a flight for Hillary. God bless America 🇺🇸
Linda,
You cast aspersions on Bernie. Are you saying he sold out?
On Bernie? No! On the DNC!
Why do you purposely miss the point? They now need bodies to keep the show rolling. Why isn’t this outrageous to you despite the candidates?
That’s was so alarming about your responses. You attempt to scold or shame people who are also distraught and worried.
I am so saddened by your replies. I am so so sorry. I will unsubscribe.
This is fake. It takes 5 seconds to post an anonymous ad on CL.
To add more fuel and another reason we must vote for Hillary, Rachel Maddow just sent this.
——————————————————
Beach, Va., July 11, 2016. Photo by Steve Helber/AP
Donald Trump calls for Russia to help elect him president
07/27/16 12:50 PM—Updated 07/27/16 01:55 PM
By Steve Benen
There’s a temptation among some to believe Americans have seen it all before. No matter how ridiculous our politics can get, no matter how outlandish an election, no matter how severe the dysfunction, there are those who will tell you there’s nothing politically new under the sun.
Those people are wrong. We’ve never seen anything like this.
Donald Trump on Wednesday asked Russia to help find the missing emails from Hillary Clinton’s private server.
“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Trump proposed from a podium at his Doral Resort. “I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.”
The Republican presidential hopeful added that he doesn’t believe Russia was responsible for hacking DNC materials – there’s overwhelming evidence that suggests Trump is wrong – but the GOP candidate said that if Russia did steal Democratic documents, he “hopes” the Russians have Clinton’s emails.
Let’s be very clear about what happened this morning. The Republican candidate for president held a press conference in which he urged Vladimir Putin’s espionage services to help sabotage the American election and put Trump in the White House.
No, seriously. That’s the level of genuine insanity that we’ve reached. Against the backdrop of allegations that Russia is already trying to intervene in the U.S. presidential race on Trump’s behalf, Donald J. Trump took the next step towards true madness today, publicly calling on a foreign government to commit a felony against his American rival on his behalf.
There is literally nothing in the American tradition that’s similar to this. Nothing. Trump is taking his candidacy, his party, and his country into unchartered waters.
The Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes, a conservative Fox News contributor, asked this morning, “How can any Republican support a candidate who openly hopes for foreign cyberattacks on a political opponent?” I don’t know the answer to that question, but I’d love to hear Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Marco Rubio, and others defend their choice in candidates.
Remember, as far as Trump is concerned, those Clinton emails contain sensitive intelligence. In other words, the Republican nominee this morning said he “hopes” Putin’s government gains access to classified government materials because it might help advance Trump’s personal ambitions.
How did we get to this point? Why is this man a major-party nominee for the nation’s highest office? Since when does the Republican Party think it’s acceptable to appeal to rival states to help sabotage a campaign opponent ahead of an election?
Also consider what we’re learning about Trump’s perspective on intelligence. As far as he’s concerned, there’s nothing wrong with urging an unfriendly foreign state to commit a cybercrime against an American for political purposes. If Trump heads the U.S. executive branch, and has some authority over the CIA and NSA, is anyone prepared to argue that he’ll be restrained and responsible?
What more could Trump do to convince people about the dangers of his candidacy? How is this not a disqualifying moment?
Try to imagine – no, really, take a moment to think about – how significant a scandal it would be if Hillary Clinton publicly urged Russia to do her a favor, target a GOP rival, and help her win an election. How quickly would her career in public life end? How many congressional hearings and investigations would Republicans demand?
I’ve been watching this bizarre presidential race every day since it began. It’s never been scarier than it is right now.
Explore:
The MaddowBlog
And all should watch Clinton Cash. Ewmqually disturbing but I don’t think Rachel will post.
Linda..that’s the job of Bernie’s supporters such as we. Watch the Clintons while getting rid of the Trumps.
Equally.
Trump restrained and responsible? I hope Trump is restrained by a straitjacket.
Thank you, Dawn, for making the point about sovereignty. It is a frightening prospect that the United States is becoming subservient to international dictates from money-grabbing politicians, while the industry and integrity of the USA suffocates. It’s ironic how the current administration and Democratic candidates denounce business owners and capitalists (job creators), while they pocket millions from private donors and public funds to line their pockets and guarantee their own existence.
It’s also convenient that the Constitution can be bent and/or ignored to fit their political agenda, then invoked to criticize anyone that disagrees with the liberal agenda as a racist, troglodite. Was it Margaret Thatcher that said “Socialism is great until you run out of other people’s money.”?
Well, Ellen, I guess they have to make a scandal about something. Especially since the Clinton Foundation’s acceptance of funds from misogynistic, oppressive, dictatorial, foreign governments while Mrs. Clinton was Secretary of State isn’t a scandal. That’s what the Democrat-controlled talking television box told me. Now I must follow their dictates and do their bidding, since I am incapable of thinking for myself and the government will take care of my every need and desire.
Thank you Diane for all of your research and facts. One thing that comes to my mind is the phrase, “Truth is stranger than fiction”. If someone were writing a novel or screenplay about this, they would be told to get rid of or redo the Republican candidate, his caricature of a bombastic buffoon is simply too far beyond the realm of actuality to be conceivable. How we got here I will never really understand.
Don’t know why I tortured myself by clicking on this post.
“I don’t think Hillary is a liar or a person of low character.”
I understand the case to vote Hillary (to not get Trump), but on Hillary herself, your glasses are rose-tinted. Your case may be sincere, but it is dishonest. In your refusal to honestly examine Hillary, you have now alienated a good many people, mostly educators and activists who know the truth about Hillary Clinton, the mainstream media, and the political establishment.
While you normally embrace evidence, your fear of Donald Trump has allowed you to throw it to the side when it comes to HRC. There is more available evidence of a lying, corrupt, immoral Hillary Clinton than perhaps any other candidate in political history. It has been posted on this blog over and over again, by hundreds of us. Your analogy of HRC to JFK is incredibly disappointing.
Please detective…remember Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs decision and outcome…and Judith Acton…and Marilyn Monroe, etc.. With some good, there is often, at least a sliding scale of bad. It seems to be the human condition.
But IMO, Trump is beyond bad. rather he is very dangerous…..he repeatedly shows himself to be crazed and truly unstable, and so lacking in the skills needed to run our country. His call to Putin today to keep hacking our government emails is exemplary of both treason and sedition. He should be prosecuted by the DoJ for these dangerous actions.
I do not expect a perfect president. Not even Bernie Sanders is perfect. I expect an honest analysis. If we are looking to convince the people on the fence, and the bitter Bernie army, it MUST be done honestly. Telling them that Hillary Clinton and the democratic party are GOOD would immediately push them further away, because they know that is a lie or ignorance. The way to convince the ones who would otherwise stay home or vote 3rd party, would be to make a strong case that Hillary is truly “lesser” of the two evils. It must declare that Trump is so much legitimately worse, that it is worth backing Hillary or at least voting for her. The best case I have seen so far is by Shawn King: “To stop Donald Trump I’ll be voting for Hillary Clinton”
Hillary clinton is far worse than “flawed.” Thousands have posted why this is true, over and over again, and most of it is not based on myth. It is based on seeing and hearing her with our own senses, and judging her actions with a moral compass.
To Ed Detective:
You really crack me up with your name, hahaha.
There is very true nature in ALL, yes all of businessmen and businesswomen. That is greedy, impatient, and arrogant. They are for profit, not humanity or democracy.
In the same vein, the true nature of gullibility in all educators is a belief in all manipulative tactics and intentional make-believe stories in media that is completely owned, controlled and manufactured by business tycoons. Educators love to read, and trust all make-up information that they read. That is why Lenin, Hitler, Mao and Ho successful cheat all educators to be their mouthpiece.
The worst of being educated without conscience and experience is that intelligent people are willing to be a slave for materialistic reward and comfort = snobbish fame and fortune. Stinky! These “crappy” intelligent people inevitably harm their friends, family members and themselves in the end.
The nightmare of being retired with theoretical experiences is that honesty but naivety will lure old people into evils’ traps to be evils’ mouthpiece and to against these retirees’ adamant principle of UNREALISTIC honesty.
The trait of honesty is like a block of butter that can float in lake, river, or ocean.
The trait of honesty but naivety is like a block of cement (=naivety) covered with layer of butter (honesty). This block of cement definitely sink in lake, river and ocean (=danger), because the theory is not practical in a reality. Yes, a layer of butter cannot sustain the heaviness of cement.
If educators did not assess people through perseverance, intelligence, intellectual manner, experience and nobility, but they only subjectively use all fabricated information, then how can educators cultivate young learners to have a critical analysis? Back2basic.
Thank you back2basic, glad you like my name. I agree with what you’ve said. That’s why I call for an honest assessment of Hillary Clinton, based on legitimate evidence, reason, and perspective.
Please start keeping Hillary and Kaine in line with clarifying their vacillating statements on TPP by signing this Move On petition just sent to me by Just Foreign Policy….ellen
——————————————————————————————-.
Just Foreign Policy
Urge Senate Dems to press Clinton & Kaine to clarify & amplify their opposition to the TPP, including in their speeches to the DNC.
Take Action
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine say they oppose the corporate power-enhancing, democracy-undermining Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement [TPP].
But apparently even Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, longtime best friend to the Clintons and speaker at the Democratic National Convention, “didn’t get the memo.” When Politico asked whether Clinton would turn around and support the trade deal she opposed during the heat of the primary fight against Bernie Sanders, McAuliffe said: “Yes.” After Politico’s article appeared, McAuliffe “walked it back” and said that was only what McAuliffe hoped Clinton would do, not what he knew she would do.
The same Politico article said Kaine “vocally supports the Obama-backed trade deal” even though three days earlier, Politico reported that Kaine was against the TPP.
Urge Senate Democrats to press Hillary Clinton & Tim Kaine to clarify & amplify their opposition to the TPP, including from the podium at the DNC, by signing our petition at MoveOn.
Thanks for all you do to help make U.S. foreign policy more just,
Robert Naiman, Avram Reisman, Sarah Burns
Just Foreign Policy
Help support our work!
If you think our work is important, support us with a $15 donation.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate
——————————————————————————–
This is one way for Bernie supporters to keep the movement going. Keep demanding answers. ellen
The petition link did not appear…sorry…will try again. But here is the report from Wikileaks on TPP.
———————————————–
VICTORY! WikiLeaks publishes TPP text!
On November 13, 2013, WikiLeaks published the full intellectual property chapter of the TPP. According to WikiLeaks, this chapter is “perhaps the most controversial chapter of the TPP due to its wide-ranging effects on medicines, publishers, internet services, civil liberties and biological patents.” The leaked text also includes the positions of the negotiating parties.
On December 9, Wikileaks released a second set of documents detailing the positions of the twelve TPP countries on all thirteen of the draft agreement’s chapters. The documents describe the pressure the US is exerting on other nations—and how close the negotiations are to failing.
A third leak on January 15, 2014, consisted of the full text of the Environmental chapter and a report on the negotiating positions of the parties.
I am pathetic as a techie…i cannot get the Move On petition to appear, please someone with better cyber skills, see if you can post the link.
We all have hope that, just as you realized how horribly wrong and deluded you were about where Republicans were taking American education, you will one day realize the same about your support for someone like Hillary Clinton.
Wrong it’s been verified by many and as soon as it was made public it was taken off Craigslist, but whatever makes you feel better.
Linda,
Do you think that the Bernie delegates were evicted from the convention and no one reported it?
Really?
so, ignore how the DNC and media handed her the nomination, ignore that she was far and away the most hawkish of everyone who was in the running for president and that her election would guarantee more American deaths for the “freedom” of others while continuing to oppress people within our country, ignore that she’s bought and owned by Wall Street and that her election would lead to another recession and ignore that while Trump’s campaign is based on fear of outsiders Hillary’s entire campaign is currently “fear Trump.”
Neither she nor Trump represent enough of what I believe in for me to vote for either. I was not “Bernie or bust” I was “anyone but Trump or Hillary” and the fact that so many fearmongering articles like this one need to be written it’s clear that the biggest problem HIllary faces is that she is literally the only Democrat that Trump has a chance against. It’s not my fault, or my problem, that the DNC backed the wrong horse or that people refuse to vote their conscience which I will do and sit back and laugh as Hillary or The Donald run our country into the ground. I just hope that this election kills the two party system because it’s clearly a loss for the average person
rspalding, my article was not a “fear mongering” one. It was my explanation of my vote. If you disagree, that is your choice. I believe Trump. I repeat: he is the most unqualified person ever to run for president in my lifetime (since 1938).
Thank-you, Diane, for explaining your vote. I especially appreciate your comprehensive explanation about the importance of supporting our public schools. But I do take exception with giving Hillary a pass on her acceptance of huge speaking fees — and many repeat ones at that. I think Anthony Cody has a more well-rounded explanation and caution of what we need to think about if voting for Hillary. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to read it. http://www.livingindialogue.com/critical-vote-clinton/#comment-9291
Thank you Janice for your perspective, and yes, Anthony makes valid points. The Matt Taibbi link is another eye opener. I will vote for Hillary but still am alarmed at how the DNC is run and how this had all unfolded.
Something very ugly has happened today but it is under wraps with all the hoopla of the convention. Chuck Shumer is demanding that Alan Grayson drop his Fl. candidacy for the Senate. This seat has two Dems in competition, and Shumer wants his very slimy young protege to be the one to run against Rubio. Too long a tale for here, but suggest reading how Shumer manipulated Grayson’s ex wife and secured enough filth to probably influence this key election pitting a capable progressive against a insider protected upstart who voted with the Reps recently and has taken huge donations from the most questionable sources…all online to read.. Some old time Dems are far from angels. I can understand the anger of the Bernie contingent at how these Dems behave.
The often angry disagreement reflected in the comments is sad proof of the likelihood that regardless of who is elected, our country will continue to stagnate because we will continue to vilify anyone with whom we differ. But I agree with Diane–it comes down to the lesser of two evils. I’m a Republican, but I’m not a sheep who will follow my flock off a cliff. Donald Trump is uniquely unqualified and dangerous not only to our country, but to society. Barring anything unforeseen, I, too, will cast my vote for Hillary.
Jan Morrill, well said
And Diane’s blog is a model of decorum and civility when it comes to disagreements, yet we see divisiveness that is usually absent here. The vilification or othering of those with whom we disagree has its remedy in our public schools.
When all, or nearly all, of the children of a community spend their formative years among others who aren’t cookie cutter examples of themselves, tolerance and understanding is a natural, logical outcome. The boutiquing of education into slices of private, charter and voucher-funded religious schools is what imperils and balkanizes our democracy, creating distance instead of uniting.
I passionately feel we are at a very crucial time of moving forward for our Country…All our children deserve a strong public educattion…
#Vote4PubEd
#ClintonKaine
Hillary may not provide all the necessary funding…However with Her as president all our children will have more of a chance…That is Hope for our future…
With Trump and a GOP Congress, public education is finished
Yes….Most definitely…If we “All those feel for our children we must unite behind #ClintonKaine
#Vote4PubEd
I love this quote: “The American public school is one of the bedrock ideas of our democracy. We must not abandon it. To privatize our schools betrays our democratic values.” I honestly believe that electing Donald Trump wbeould a betrayal of our democratic values as well. I am a supporter of public education as the great equalizer. Thank you Diane Ravitch for another excellent post.
After lying low, deep pocket Clinton donors return to the fore:
Unfortunately, as long as there is no public financing of elections, candidates will rely on deep pocketed donors. Bernie was a rare exception but even he would need to raise $1 billion for the general election. Citizens United must be repealed. Public financing should take the place if deep pockets
http://www.opednews.com/articles/hillary-clinton-and-her-ha-by-gareth-porter-assad_hillary-as-warmongering-hawk_hillary-clinton_military-160729-240.html#startcomments
Good article MPG.
Michael David Morrisssey commented on that article and I have to agree with him. Here is his comment:
Putin has put it very clearly and repeatedly: Russia will aid the only legitimate govt in Syria, whatever its failings, rather than depose that govt and leave a vacuum of power such as that which (thanks to US intervention) occurred in Libya, Iraq and a number of other countries. Persisting in the “oust Assad” goal will pit US forces directly against Russia, which is 1) crazy and 2) totally unnecessary.
I don’t care about Trump’s hairdo or weird statements. If he is willing to behave reasonably towards Russia, cooperate with them, and avoid WW3 and nuclear holocaust brinkmanship, than by all means put him in the driver’s seat. Hillary is dead set on war.
Dawn,
Since when did Republicans cozy up to the Russians
My point is that Trump has made it clear that he would rather talk to Putin than end up escalating the build up of missiles and tensions which can lead to nuclear annihilation. Hillary is intent on removing Assad and continuing with military aggression.
As far as coziness goes, I would say it is the Clinton’s that have some explaining to do::
A new scandal hit Hillary Clinton on Thursday thanks to an exhaustive report from Mike McIntire and Jo Becker at The New York Times.
The story involves a Canadian company called Uranium One, a Russian investor, the State Department, and The Clinton Foundation.
“As the Russians gradually assumed control of Uranium One in three separate transactions from 2009 to 2013, Canadian records show, a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation,” The Times reports.
Here’s the high-level summary. There are more details below.
• Canadian company Uranium One owned uranium mines in the US and Kazakhstan.
• Uranium One’s mines account for 20% of the uranium mined in the US. Uranium is used for nuclear weapons, and it’s considered a strategic asset to the US.
• Russia’s state-owned atomic agency, Rosatom, bought a 17% stake in Uranium One in June 2009.
• The Russian atomic agency decided it wanted to own 51% of Uranium One in June 2010. To take a majority stake in Uranium One, it needed approval from a special committee that included the State Department, which Hillary Clinton led at the time.
• Investors in Uranium One gave money to the Clinton Foundation starting in 2005 and through 2011. On June 29, 2010, Bill Clinton was paid $500,000 to speak in Russia by an investment bank with ties to Russia’s government that had a buy rating on Uranium One’s stock.
• In January 2013, despite assurances to the contrary, a subsidiary of Rosatom took over 100% of the company and delisted it from the Toronto Stock Exchange.
• Clinton was required to disclose all of her foundation’s contributors before she became secretary of state, but the Clintons did not disclose millions of dollars donated by the chairman of Uranium One while the review of the deal was ongoing.
Dawn,
I don’t have any doubt that Trump would sell our country out in a heartbeat to enrich himself. He is without ideology, without principle. He is ME first. Greed over all.
This entry made me sad. This blog was such a great place to get people to focus on the importance of education and to pound on the message that poverty, not teachers, is at the root of “failing” schools.
I logged in after an extended absence and was just sad to see it become a platform to push Hillary vs. Trump. We have plenty of that in the media.
Neither candidate has education in the forefront of their platform. Neither party has come up with a common sense plan to ensure schools are properly funded and to support paying teachers and trusting them with their judgment.
The best thing that can happen, much like separation of church and state, is separation of federal government and education. Leave that to our teachers. Let the states fund it and perhaps appropriate some federal funds to equalize state level funding.
LT said: “The best thing that can happen, much like separation of church and state, is separation of federal government and education.”
The government isn’t the problem. They are the ones on the strings. The puppet masters are the ones making the $$$. The best thing that can happen is not separation of federal govt and education, it is separation of education and entrepreneurship. (Includes philanthropy)
This article makes my skin crawl. If Democrats have such great ideas about education, then why are the schools in so many cities that are run by Democrats, controlled by Democrats, and supported by Democrats performing so poorly? Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Philly… ?
What, exactly, does the Democrat party have to show for itself? How qualified was the current president to run for office when he did? To state that anyone is not qualified, when compared to the current president at the start of his run for office, is astonishing.
RWHP,
In states controlled by Republicans, public schools are being starved for resources and forced to compete with charter, vouchers, and online schools, all of which are bad choices.
RWHP, you are correct. I would add there are many existential issues which the Democratic agenda isn’t properly addressing . The funding and fomenting of violence through Black Lives Matter by George Soros, who is Hillary’s billionaire supporter and advisor, is evidence that a Hillary presidency will be at least more of the same and possibly worse than Obama. Her vow to crush internet sites that she says “have no right to exist” is a taste of the “social justice warriors” goal to eliminate free speech and access to an alternative narrative to the one being uniformly presented every day by Clinton Controlled News, known as CNN or MSNBC. Having the media in one’s pocket makes Clinton Foundation/Hillary pay to play corruption investigations all but impossible. HIllary being joined at the hip with the United Nations is a great threat to our sovereignty. Her support of the TPP is another threat to sovereignty and national control of anything from the internet to employment to GDP. Hillary’s vow to increase immigration by 500% is lunacy. The Democratic Party must import potential voters because the people who have lived under their policies know they don’t work.
To be fair there are many Republicans who have supported a lot of nonsense over the years as well. The real issue is not D vs. R but Constitutionally recognized individual freedoms and national sovereignty vs. an expanded power hungry socialist state willing to go under globalist control by the elite.
I prefer Hillary to an ignorant lunatic who treats others with contempt.
Contempt? No one has shown more contempt for people than Hillary. She refuses to give interviews to the press showing contempt for them and for the people who would like to hear her views. There are entire books written by former secret service agents assigned to her with all kinds of evidence of her contempt for them including cursing at them if they dared to look directly at her or to say “Good Morning.”. She has shown contempt for congress by lying under oath. She has shown contempt for Americans by lying about her emails even when videos of her answers under questioning contradict her public speeches. She has shown contempt for the law by accepting money from foreigners who wanted access to US policymakers while she was Secretary of State. She shows contempt for our Constitution every time she aligns herself with the United Nations which is not compatible with US sovereignty.
Most importantly, she shows contempt for our founding fathers and every American who has given their life to establish and protect the freedoms enumerated in the Bill of Rights by her willingness to give up hard won rights, such as the First and Second Amendment.
If you hate Trump so much….at least you could support Jill Stein who is not so contemptuous of everyone, although she would also be a disaster because she is a flaming socialist.
Evidence? Sources? You cite one article in the NYT on one conflict-of-interest issue (which stopped about two years into the Uranium One program but should be investigated nonetheless) and books written by Secret Service Agents (no bias there?), yet list a number of infractions without any evidence to back them up.
For instance, when did HRC say she will take people’s guns away? She didn’t. The rhetoric looms large on this and many other anti-Clinton propaganda, and the hubris that accompanies it is on par with Trump’s. I’m tired of the lies and misinterpretations. I’m tired of the blaming. I’m tired of people punishing someone for being a savvy businesswoman who actually serves the public, too–sometimes at odds may these two things be. I’m tired of hearing people comment on every alleged misstep (some are very open to interpretation) as if they’ve never made a mistake in their lives. When you’re in a position of power, you aren’t going to suddenly be perfect. You make choices based on who you are and what you know.
The only thing black-and-white about this election is Trump’s unintelligent, bigoted, and misogynistic social statements, not to mention his obvious posturing while waffling on his ideology with after-the-fact pandering. Everything else is open to grey area scrutiny, even Trump’s ties with Putin. When you get down to core values, the only candidate capable of winning who will not destroy this country is Clinton. Not every candidate is going to be all things to all people, but Trump is in a position to set us back socially and diplomatically several decades. Stein has a hell-dwelling snowball’s chance of winning and could actually skew the election toward chaos. Politics isn’t perfect, and you need to consider who can work with others through checks and balances. Trump has shown he takes things personally like a schoolyard bully. Clinton has the resolve to get things done. The president isn’t the only power in Washington, but there is a social influence on congress that comes from the Oval Office. Still, Clinton has shown an ability to work with others while Trump doesn’t play nice with anyone unless they are kissing his butt. This is what a Stein vote will do: allow the Orange One to be put in a position he was never qualified for in the first place. By all means, get on your soapbox, but be smart about it. Positive change takes time. Negative change is generally immediate.
Thank you, Dawn, for making the point about sovereignty. It is a frightening prospect that the United States is becoming subservient to international dictates from money-grabbing politicians, while the industry and integrity of the USA suffocates. It’s ironic how the current administration and Democratic candidates denounce business owners and capitalists (job creators), while they pocket millions from private donors and public funds to line their pockets and guarantee their own existence.
It’s also convenient that the Constitution can be bent and/or ignored to fit their political agenda, then invoked to criticize anyone that disagrees with the liberal agenda as a racist, troglodite. Was it Margaret Thatcher that said “Socialism is great until you run out of other people’s money.”?
This election is too important. There’s an increased inclination to sit this one out because of dissatisfaction with both candidates. Doing so increases the danger of a Trump disaster. See http://www.DontSitThisOneOut.com
Sharing a single Public Relations agency – Bell-Pottinger of London – the time passed between 1979 and 1992 with a successful General Election campaign for the Conservative Party in Britain being transferred to the United States for use by the Republicans in the following year
Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan advocated the reversal of 35 years of a co-ordinated global approach to economic policy which allowed State intervention to support domestic production but the consequence of the removal of barriers to trade was that business moved manufacturing to areas of the world where labour was plentiful and not expensive and offered the opportunity of minimising costs and maximising profits
It has been the case since 1979 that in Britain and the United States and in other nations politicians and Parties were elected to government if they could convince people of their business acumen and that they could assure increased employment and prosperity
It became a badge of honour for luminaries of the Conservative Party to refer to their experiences in the world of commerce as a contrast to their political opponents
Margaret Thatcher liked to emphasise the fact that she was the daughter of grocer and that she had enjoyed a career in the private sector
Ronald Reagan and George Bush Senior and Junior emphasised their business expertise and the fact that they were not members of ‘the Establishment’ – the professional class of government based in Washington D.C. – and the Republican Party won 5 out of 7 Presidential Elections after 1980 and prior to 2008 and held control of the Congress at various times whilst it was installed in the White House and it could have enshrined any political, economic or social reform that it desired
It was perfectly possible for the people of the United States to have voted for the candidate of the Democratic Party at any of the Presidential Elections in the years between 1980 and 1992
It is not possible to know the truth of any proposition that cannot be tested but – assuming that the world had continued to exist – a President and Congress of the Democratic Party during the 1980s would have changed the pattern of international trade, the structure of society and the nature of the economy and government
Bill Clinton became the President of the United States by securing the highest plurality at the Election of 1992 but the nature of his government was influenced by the manner of change in society during the previous 12 years of Republican Party occupation of the White House whereas a Democratic victory during that time may have caused him to adopt a different set of policies
Bill Clinton eliminated a $ 400,000,000,000 Budget deficit, increased employment and prosperity and the United States enjoyed the longest period of economic growth since the end of the Second World War
George Bush Junior led the United States into a severe economic recession which became apparent after 2005 and proved to be the most serious crisis since 1929 and the advent of the Great Depression
Donald Trump does not appear to have raised previously any objection to the international Trade Agreements to which the United States has been a party since the 1990s and which produced several years of economic growth – of which he may have been a beneficiary – and could contribute to a revival in future years
Was the voice of Donald Trump raised against the economic policy of the Administration of George Bush Junior in 2005 or did he believe that it was ‘smart’ to behave in the manner of an asset-stripping corporate locust?
It would not be possible for any supporter of Donald Trump to claim that avoiding the payment of tax was a demonstration of intelligence
It is the beauty of democracy – and in the interests of justice and liberty – that people who do not follow current affairs are asked to give their opinion on issues of the moment and their votes tend to be instrumental in character because they support an individual or Party for the sake of a specific personal objective that they wish to achieve
It would appear that a potential problem of the mid-21st Century has arrived prematurely on the political scene
Britain and the United States share a common experience of a society becoming divided by educational attainment and an economy that neglects manual and menial workers and favours professional classes but attempting to invert the situation will place not a glass ceiling but a concrete roof on aspiration and deter ambition
We know the flow of Civilisation – ideas emerge, wisdom advances, society progresses – but do we alter the current so that reward is removed from people who have education and skills and hold qualifications in order then to send wealth and power in the direction of Citizens who may not have demonstrated an elementary level of application and aptitude in their endeavours?
Donald Trump appears to believe that it is a choice that needs to be made
Distributing resources in an equitable fashion around the population is a desirable aim and not a problem – the Affordable Healthcare Plan was an attempt to assist Americans of modest means with a major expense – but it is a question of devising a mechanism to accomplish the objective
Attacking the ‘Establishment’ is a display of suspicion and hostility towards the intellectual
Do we fail to value aspiration and educational attainment by regarding brands of specious patriotism and piety as pillars of equivalence that can challenge academic eminence?
Voting to ‘Leave’ the European Union means that the United Kingdom has placed a limit on the possibility of the achievement of its population
Following the vote, the global currency markets made a judgment about the prospects of the United Kingdom if it did ‘Leave’ the European Union – the prices of shares and the Pound fell into a vortex and the British economy would have vanished completely save for the fact that the Bank of England and international financial institutions intervened to construct a scaffold which has prevented an absolute disaster since the wee small hours of the morning of 24 June 2016
Having lost control of its economy because of membership of the European Union – according to Dan DiMicco, who is the advisor to Donald Trump – the United Kingdom was projected to experience growth of 2% during 2016, Interest Rates were at 0.5%, the National Debt was being reduced and employment was at its highest level since statistics began to be recorded
Insisting that the process of the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Union will begin in March 2017, the Prime Minister – Theresa May – has set a date for the political and economic demise of the nation and the beginning of a crisis which will engulf the entire world
Experiencing a period of growth because of the fact that the fall in the value of the Pound has assisted certain sectors of the economy, it is sadly a temporary phenomenon and a chapter in the modern history of Britain is concluding but it seems that Dan DiMicco and Donald Trump are envisaging the type of Free Trade Agreement which would mean essentially that the nation was being subsidised by the United States
It is typical of the generosity of the American people that they are willing to volunteer to subsidise the continued existence of the population of the United Kingdom under the aegis of an incipient Trump Administration but the vote to ‘Leave’ the European Union was the choice of 37% of the eligible electorate and it is necessary for the consequences of decisions made by consenting adults to be confronted
Declaring proudly that they refused to accept orders from any foreign power, it is curious that the British people do precisely as they told by Rupert Murdoch at the time of any form of Election and they may have to be prepared to prostrate in obedience to Donald Trump
Rupert Murdoch may not be a budgerigar but he has wished throughout his life to succeed and he inherited from his father a deep and abiding hatred of the United Kingdom and a desire to realise the destruction of the nation and the British people have followed faithfully the malevolent Pied Piper since the 1970s and he has led them to fall off the edge of cliff in the manner of lemmings in an act of collective suicide
It has been the ambition of many an amateur computer enthusiast to decipher the code that would permit entry to the systems used by Departments of the government of the United States and the fact that Hillary Clinton stored E-Mails in her personal account may have ensured inadvertently the safety of these documents and the information they contained
Belonging to a certain generation – aged 50 to infinity – we are aware that technology is temperamental and that remains the case in the digital age or Service Providers would not need to supply us with a means of contacting a ‘Help Desk’
It is only necessary to be reminded of the travails of the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the breaches of security that allowed the abstraction of data including personal information about their employees to know that the government system is not secure
Having seized some time ago the personal computers belonging to Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin, it ought to been possible for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to examine the contents of the various pieces of machinery and ascertain the character of the Messages that had been written, received and sent prior to the Director of the organisation – James Comey – announcing the discovery of E-Mail communications which may have carried the name of Hillary Clinton
Is it a coincidence that the revelation of a revived investigation into the E-Mail messages sent by Hillary Clinton came on the 28th October 2016 which was the day of the announcement that the economy of the United States had expanded at its quickest pace since 2014?
It is permitted for any individual to send E-Mail messages and if it has become illegal in the case of government officials then the number of public servants who must have broken the law during the past quarter-of-a-Century is immense
Hillary Clinton retired as Secretary of State in 2013 and Huma Abedin is her friend and has acted as a political advisor
Donald Trump was celebrating the news of the renewed investigation by the FBI on 28th October with the relief of a condemned convict who has been reprieved
Donald Trump is clearly not a political pachyderm and he has advocated the imprisonment and even the assassination of Hillary Clinton – does he intend to make similar proposals in respect of all of his opponents?
It would be a violation of the Constitution of the United States and an assault on democracy, justice and liberty
Hillary Clinton is accused of sending E-Mail messages and she has been admonished but does anyone believe genuinely that she is a traitor?
Donald Trump is accused of sexual assault but contemplating his denial that he did not attempt to take hold of the private parts of a woman, it is difficult to fathom how he could know that an objection would not be raised because of his status as a celebrated person unless he had practiced and executed successfully such a manoeuvre
Hillary Clinton may not have exercised appropriate caution but that does not absolve Donald Trump of guilt for any folly or infraction that he has committed
It is fascinating that Hillary Clinton has been engulfed by controversy throughout the Presidential Election campaign but Donald Trump does not appear to have gained any significant advantage according to the Opinion Polls – could it be the case that the American people have a sense of the dependability of their respective characters?
Appearing in the newspapers during the past weekend of 05 and 06 November 2016 were allegations that Donald Trump has not been entirely faithful to his wife in his current marriage and such a possibility could enhance the arguments of the plaintiffs in the Court cases that he is being forced to defend and if he was to win the Presidential Election this year, he may be investigated and impeached by the Congress of the United States at a quicker pace than would have been likely in respect of Hillary Clinton
What is the difference between the behaviour of Hillary Clinton prior to – or since – 1998 and that of Melania Trump in 2016 when confronted by the possibility or fact that their respective husbands have failed to be discreet?
Donald Trump is alleged to have infringed laws passed by the Congress of the United States and it should be expected that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was acting as the embodiment of its bill matter by conducting a thorough inquiry into his behaviour and if he is the subject of an evolving or continuing examination then the fact ought to be released into the public domain
It appears that audio and video recordings exist of Donald Trump making obscene and offensive remarks during the course of the production of the Television programme ‘The Apprentice’ but the tapes will not be released at the discretion of the creator of the show, Mark Burnett, who has been an employee of Rupert Murdoch
Donald Trump does not appear to have called for any investigation into the concentration of power constituted by the media Empire – newspapers, film, Radio and Television – controlled by the single pair of hands that belong to his friend Rupert Murdoch
It is not possible to live in the developed world without the name of Rupert Murdoch appearing on a ballot paper by proxy whenever an Election is being held
Messrs. Trump, Murdoch and Burnett appear to believe that they are beyond the purview of the law of the United States
It is difficult to keep a count of the number of occasions over the course of many years that journalists employed by Rupert Murdoch have been tried by Courts in the United Kingdom for abusing modern technology to procure stories and convicted on occasions on charges of perverting the course of justice and Public Inquiries have concluded that there was an insalubrious relationship between his news organisation and the Metropolitan Police – known colloquially as Scotland Yard
Donald Trump continues to seek to exploit the supposed credulity of the electorate by quoting the number of 650,000 E-Mail messages being the subject of the renewed FBI inquiry but that is the sum of the items discovered on the impounded computers belonging to Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin rather than the material in the name of Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump has a narcissistic sense of entitlement to the office of President of the United States: –
“I am absolutely perfect and how dare you fail to recognise the fact!”
Republicans may not like Donald Trump but will not vote for Hillary Clinton because she is Democratic but we may not be at a point in history to indulge in the luxury of conditioned reflex politics
Winning the Presidential Election of 2016 would give Donald Trump absolute power in the United States because he emphasises the fact that his personal affluence means that he is not indebted to any person or group – including perhaps the voters
It would be a personal triumph for Donald Trump rather than the Republican Party
Observing the support that Donald Trump receives from various people who consider him to be a national saviour, it would be salutary to bear in mind that political debts need to be honoured and if he does indeed win the Election on 08 November 2016 and becomes the President of the United States, it is certain that Rupert Murdoch and the former Imperial Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan – David Duke – will be at the front of the queue waiting outside the front door of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and expecting their respective bills to be settled
Donald Trump admires Vladimir Putin for his method of governance – autocratic rule endorsed by a compliant Duma
Donald Trump wishes to curb the powers of the Congress in revenge for the failure of Republican Party politicians in Washington D.C. to support their candidate at the Presidential Election of 2016
Pursuing a policy of iconoclasm does require considering an alternative to the system that it is intended should be replaced
It ought to be noted – incidentally – that veteran members of Congress of both major political Parties could identify and abort any attempt by a rogue elephant in the White House to arrogate greater powers for the office of President of the United States whereas a younger cohort of Senators and Representatives may not realise or prevent the danger
Donald Trump hopes to suborn the legal and political processes to ensure that evidence that would convict him of sexual assault is destroyed and his accusers can be denied justice and prosecuted – indeed persecuted – and he may decide that he will not relinquish office in 2020 or submit to Election to remain as the President of the United States
It is vital to have an ‘Establishment’ of professional administrators and politicians to govern on behalf of the people so that workers are not diverted from a production line to read a 10,000 page document on the potential of super-viscosity in synthetic materials or a train driver is not removed from the cab in the middle of a journey to decide if a School can be built on the site of a former tip for hazardous waste
Repairing the damage that has been done to the Republican Party is only possible by voting for Hillary Clinton
It is a joy of the Constitution of the United States that it forbids the creation or existence of a specific type of American identity and so voting for Donald Trump or the Republican Party is not a means of ingratiation with any group that believes it represents or dominates society
It is disappointing to learn that local officials in North Carolina are being accused of preventing African-Americans from voting for Hillary Clinton
It is necessary only to note the trepidation and turmoil on the domestic and international Stock Exchanges and currency markets at the prospect of Donald Trump becoming the President of the United States – the subsequent fall in the value of the Dollar, inflation and rising Rates of Interest, tariffs and years of reduced trade and increased unemployment and recession as he seeks to change the arrangements that have been previously negotiated and it would divide the land as the Atlantic Seaboard looks to form economic ties with Europe and the Pacific Coast seeks relations with Asia
It is four months since the Referendum of 23 June 2016 at which a majority of the people of the United Kingdom voted to ‘Leave’ the European Union and we do not entirely trust Opinion Polls these days but a recent survey suggests a significant change of mood with 53% of the British population believing that it may not have been the correct decision
Hillary Clinton may have an opinion to express regarding the relationship between Britain and the European Union and the prevention of a global economic disaster which would mark a return to the situation of 2005 and this is a fact known to Nigel Farage, the perennial leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party who played a prominent part in ensuring that the people of his nation voted to ‘Leave’ the European Union at the Referendum of 23 June 2016 and for that reason he has suffered the extreme discomfort of offering his tepid support to Donald Trump
Barack Obama has strived to restore economic balance to the United States – it is likely that Hillary Clinton will continue and develop his work whereas Donald Trump shall remove the foundations that have been laid in order to create a large hole
It is not a question of the character of the candidates seeking the office of President of the United States but the central issue of your job, the Dollar in your pocket or purse or Bank Account and the prospects for your children
It may not be exciting that there is a gradual decrease of unemployment but is it not preferable to a sustained level of increase in the index?
Bear in mind the economic situation that prevailed in 2008 and ask if your circumstances are as desperate as they were eight years ago
It may be possible to distil the misgivings surrounding the characters of the contenders for the office of President of the United States in 2016 into a single question:-
“Do you have absolute confidence that your female relations and friends will be accorded the honour and respect to which they are entitled – and should expect automatically to receive – if Donald Trump is elected as the President of the United States and he and his cronies occupy the White House?
Failing to vote for Hillary Clinton may impair her chances of becoming the President of the United States
Voting for Hilary Clinton is not simply a case in 2016 of electing a President but it enables the people of the United States to solve two mysteries
(i) What harm may have been occasioned by Donald Trump upon several women?
(ii) What is the extent of the influence exerted upon life and society in the United States by Rupert Murdoch?
Who pays the piper calls the tune