I really really like Kamala Harris. I find her warm, intelligent, thoughtful. I love her smile and her laugh.
But Barack Obama blew me away. He was intense, coiled, quietly angry, and very powerful. His words were gripping.
The video of his speech is not yet online. The transcript is. But if you didn’t see it, you should. In the morning, I will post the video. You have to see him. You have to se his face and hear the occasional sigh.
He knows that the future of our democracy is on the line in November. Nothing less.
Trump is a danger to our nation and the world. He must be replaced by people of intelligence, experience, compassion, and heart. Those are qualities he lacks and will never have. Biden and Harris have them.
We must work hard and do whatever we can to oust the incompetents, white supremacists, authoritarians, and crooks now running the country, people who traffic in bizarre conspiracy theories, and who care only for their own self-aggrandizement. Enough.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Barack Obama’s speech tonight was the best I’ve ever heard from him, both in content and delivery.
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Agree. From the heart.
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He’s obviously been paying attention to this blog! We’ve been warning about this for four years. 😉
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But in all seriousness, Roberta, I agree. This was a serious speech about an existential, unique time in American history. Our democratic republic truly is at stake. If this goes wrong, there will be blood on the streets and, should it happen, I hope I have the courage and conviction to put my life on the line and be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice. It’s that serious, or as we from the South say, it’s as serious as a heart attack.
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Someone on Twitter responded to my praise of Obama’s speech by saying he is a Marxist. Really. How low can they go? I am sure this person has no idea what a Marxist is.
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…we from the South…
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As for being a Marxist, it depends if you’re a follower of Groucho, Chico (Chick-Oh), or Harpo. I’m partial to Chico because he was one hell of a pianist.
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GregB,
LOL! You are on a roll : )
I thought Obama’s speech was chilling. I have no doubt that people in Russia feel this way when they go to vote in the Trump/Putin version of “democracy”. This may be the last election where we have a chance to affect the outcome as there may still be some limits on how much cheating the Republicans can do. But if we get 4 more years of Trump, there will be no limits. And I honestly don’t know if it is already too late.
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PARENT: What is also chilling is how many people listen to this “stuff.” CBK
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All three nights I have been really touched by the stories of ordinary people told in their own voices. While Michele and Barack Obama have both given very powerful speeches, I have found myself close to if not in tears after listening to the stories of “just folks.” The combination of leaders who speak with authority and the lived experiences of the little guy is incredibly compelling.
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…and I like Kamala Harris and Joe Biden more and more every day.
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I heard that the Trump people have engaged the services of that salesman who hawks pillows on TV. Apparently Anderson Cooper made mincemeat out of him in an interview on CNN. You can’t make this stuff up. CBK
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And when Anderson correctly describes this a dietary supplement and not as an approved drug, please send your thanks to Orrin Hatch, who was the champion of this loophole during his entire career in the Senate.
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I heard Anderson and Dr. Sanjay Gupta discussing Mr. My Pillow. His cure is made from the oleander plant. Dr. Gupta says it is highly toxic and more dangerous than COVID.
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I spoke to one of the leading oncologists in the world tonight who said, “This is just nuts. I can’t believe anyone is paying attention to this ignorant charlatan.” The mere fact that he can’t cite a clinical study is all you need to know. Any reputable researcher can cite studies immediately. This whole episode, like hydroxycloroquine, is pathetic at best, genocidal at worst.
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I grew up in Florida. Kids knew that oleander plants were killers, even if they had beautiful flowers. That was a “do not touch or mess around” plant.
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Laura Ditto for me as I grew up in California, Bay Area. We had a whole row of beautiful pink and white oleander bushes in the yard . . and we all knew that they were beautiful, but POISONOUS. CBK
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If after the election cycle we are stuck with 4 (or more) more years of trump misery, I will go out and dig up a Foxglove plant and eat roots, leaves and flowers for dinner. I’ve about reached my limit and no other country will allow an American to cross it’s borders. Foxglove…another beautiful but deadly digitalis plant. And for goodness sakes, we can’t even order MMS to OD on since our Gov’t decided the Genesis II Church of Health and Healing was so vile that they needed to be shut down.
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This is an election of consequences. Everyone (on both sides) knows this. Either Trump and the far right will have consolidated enough power to make mincemeat of our Constitution and make America a “Putin” democracy (i.e. not a democracy at all), or Trump and the Republicans are defeated and democracy continues.
There never has been any progressive movement that is successful when the institutions of democracy itself are destroyed. Progressive movements need democracy to thrive.
Trump has absolutely nothing to run on. So his only hope is to bash Biden. But no one believes attacks on Biden when they come from lying Republicans. So the Trump campaign strategy depends on having a few gullible self-described progressives repeat their atrocious demonizing of Biden in order to legitimize those lies. It works, especially with a complicit media. It worked in 1988, which led to a real (but short-lived) reckoning in 1992 that allowed Clinton to win.It worked in 2000 and in 2004, and then another short-lived reckoning in 2008 when attacks on Obama from the right never got legitimized because everyone from moderates to progressives publicly called them out as lies.
No more of the right wing propaganda in which people claim they have to “hold their nose” to vote for Biden. Obama gave a stirring case and if voting to preserve our democratic institutions “stinks” to someone that much, then they should just vote for Trump and shut up. (And I think many of them plan to anyway since they are trolls).
Because anyone who says that voting for democracy “stinks” so much that they have to hold their nose is demeaning democracy itself, which coincidentally (or not) just happens to be exactly the meme that Trump needs to have people push in order to win.
You don’t hear that from Bernie Sanders or AOC. But there are still some trolls desperately urging people over and over again to join them in legitimizing every right wing talking point to spread doubt.
Biden has an imperfect but reasonable platform and chose a VP who even Michael Moore praised as progressive! Anyone who thinks their job before the election is to attack Biden and sow doubts about Biden’s character is clearly working on Trump’s behalf, and there is no other logical reason in which demonizing Biden right now makes sense.
I know I sound like a broken record, but if you look at my posts throughout the summer and fall of 2016 you will see I begged people to stop giving credibility to the exact same demonizing attacks on HRC that the right wing was pushing. And that was because I had seen that Republican playbook work successfully to sow doubts about the “character” of Gore and Kerry, and I could not believe that any thinking American who was alive in 2000 and 2004 would fall for that again in 2016. It was so depressing to watch 2000 and 2004 history repeat itself in 2016.
I do think there isn’t a real progressive in America who wants to act as a useful idiot for Trump’s re-election but there are some fake progressives who will try very hard to convince progressives to join the “Biden is so terrible that you have to hold you nose to even think of voting for him, and hey, maybe you are just too busy or it’s too much bother to even get out there and vote” movement that is designed to help Trump, not progressives.
I know that Trump will win if I start to read people giving any credibility to those right wing memes demonizing Biden on this blog like I did in 2016. So far, so good! But I truly implore everyone to shut those people down and not give them any credibility. No one repeating Trump talking points is a progressive. They don’t need to be “convinced” by anonymous people on here, they want to sow discord only and discourage voting. And those anti-democratic voices trying to help Trump need to be marginalized and de-legitimized until after the election. Then REAL progressives will have a lot to say, and a chance to say it without being locked up or attacked.
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“But no one believes attacks on Biden when they come from lying Republicans.”
I WISH this were true. I know six people who believe Trump is best for our country. Five of these are college educated. They DO NOT want to hear anything that is biased against Trump. Trump survives on conspiracy theories and lies that people believe. Both CNN and Frontline have aired programs recently telling about conspiracy theories that either Trump promotes or that his supporters promote.
Alex Jones is a loud-mouthed conspiracy liar who has broadcasted programs with Roger Stone. Jones got successfully sued by parents whose children where killed at Sandy Hook. He has been taken off of Twitter and Facebook. Both Stone and Jones claim to have helped Trump get elected.
Trump and the Republicans thrive on lies. They give many reasons why Democrats are going to destroy this country and many believe the lies.
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I live in very conservative area. Unlike 2016 there are few Trump supporting signs on display. Trump still has the majority vote here, but I think some conservatives with a brain and a moral compass are abandoning a sinking ship. I am also in Florida where Covid is still surging. People are getting tired of Trump and his toadie, DeSantis. Let’s hope lots of people are suffering from Trump fatigue. I know I am.
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carolmalaysia,
Yes, you are right and I didn’t mean “no one” believes it.
There will always be a percentage of Americans who will believe in right wing conspiracy theories and another percentage of Americans who specifically love the white supremacist dog whistles of the Republicans. Trump’s made for tv circus does motivate them because they see themselves in him. But there aren’t enough of them to elect Trump by themselves.
It is the people who will never vote for Trump who are the target of this propaganda. They are a majority. And the Republicans don’t want them to vote for Biden. They will disenfranchise them, take away their polling places, take away their mailboxes, and target them with propaganda to get them to do anything but vote for Biden.
Getting those voters to be entirely disgusted with politics completely and stay home helps Trump. “Hold you nose” is a term that is about characterizing the very act of voting as something that is as unappealing as an encounter with a skunk. Why even bother?
No one is telling Trump voters to “hold their nose” and vote for Trump. Because they know this is an election of consequence. Unfortunately the consequence they want is the end of democracy and the punishment of all progressives and moderates who don’t love Trump.
I’m enthusiastically voting for Biden/Harris I can’t wait to cast my vote.
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“There never has been any progressive movement that is successful when the institutions of democracy itself are destroyed. Progressive movements need democracy to thrive.”
Don’t know if anyone else was struck by this thought since I haven’t run through all the responses yet. I think it is an incredibly important point. This November our first focus must be on preserving our democratic form of government. You have to have a screw loose to believe that Trump will fulfill that promise.
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A great speech.
The immigrant stories were incredibly moving. They show forcefully why Trump and Miller are truly evil people who must be removed from office.
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Agreed. Immigrants bring a fresh perspective to our country and culture. They are also often job creators as so many small businesses are owned by immigrants. They value the opportunities in the country since many of them have come from places without democracy or opportunity.
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Trump has repeated and repeated the lie that immigrants take American jobs. Economists know this to be a lie, for two reasons: 1. Immigrants, like everyone else, get haircuts and fill their tanks with gasoline and so create demand, which creates jobs. 2. Immigrants create new businesses that employ both other immigrants and U.S. citizens at rates far higher than U.S. citizens do. So, the net result is of immigration is a slight (very slight, only about 1 percent) INCREASE in jobs for US citizens as a result of immigration. Trump has economists around him, so he KNOWS that this is a lie, but he repeats it anyway.
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https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/give-me-your-tired-your-poor-and-they-will-create-jobs-for-us/
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So important to have someone who has lived the experience AND can lay out the facts of the importance of immigration. Thank you, Bob!
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Thank you, Sped!
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My middle school special ed students used to refer to themselves as “sped.” It had been used as a pejorative against most of them in their short lives. I would like to say that they were wearing the label with pride, but on more than one occasion I asked a small group if they thought they were stupid. All the hands went up. It was a hard fought battle to get them to see themselves through their strengths rather than their challenges which they, of course, saw as weaknesses. Sorry to lay that on you, Bob. I sometimes have to remind myself that I purposely chose my “nom du guerre.” Everyone of those kids was special to me and I feel honored to have had the opportunity to be their teacher.
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Thanks for this.
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So, the Trump/Miller antipathy for immigrants has NOTHING to do with jobs and everything to do with racism. These guys are white supremacists. You can bet next years’ paychecks that they will repeat the “immigrants are taking our jobs” MYTH at the Repugnican Convention.
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It’s a lie, but the Trumpanzees lap it up.
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As Diane (blessings to her and her loved ones) has said numerous times on this blog, Miller is a perfect example of someone who is from a family of poor, uneducated immigrants; who has benefited from the very openness that he tries to curtail; and now wants “to pull the ladder up behind him.”
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The immigrants’ stories told at the convention were extraordinarily moving. Anyone who can watch these and not be angered by what this maladministration has done is a ghoul like Trump and Miller and Sessions and Cuccinelli and lacks a soul.
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About 15 yrs ago I would have definitely agreed that “immigrants were taking our jobs,” & had had plenty of evidence of it around me already for 10 yrs at that point. It started irking the h out of me when my boys got to teen age & had to compete [unsuccessfully] with grown men for dishwasher & lawn mowing jobs. And not a chance in h to learn construction trades as helpers the way my brothers had done. The then-current mantra that immigrants were just filling jobs Americans wouldn’t take was I thought ridiculous in view of the disappearance of working-class jobs, then the financial collapse.
But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we’d end up w/a president who proposed to correct the situation by pulling the rug out from under DACA kids, building border walls, deporting people right & left, sending ICE around to round up illegals from their homes or even trap them at the courthouse door after giving witness testimony. Let alone the inhumane travesty ongoing for 2 yrs at the Mexican border.
This is a problem, and immigrants-as-consumers doesn’t cut it. But I’ve seen it right along as a function of a perfect storm of bad govtl decisions since at least the late ’70’s. Our foreign policy in S & Central America has ensured a steady flow of immigrants battering at our border, desperate to escape govts & economies we’ve destabilized thro a combo of war on drugs & war on communism & socialism. Simultaneously our response to automation & rise of Asian markets has created a steady outflow of middle& working-class jobs to other countries, while our kids were exhorted to do college & find white-collar jobs– which followed the same paradigm encouraged by our policies!
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This just in: BREAKING NEWS/New York Times/August 20, 2020 Thursday
“The Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny was in intensive care after suffering symptoms of what his spokeswoman called poisoning.
Thursday, August 20, 2020 2:29 AM EST
“Aleksei A. Navalny, 44, started feeling unwell while on a flight returning to Moscow from the Siberian city of Tomsk, a spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said on Twitter. The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk, she added.
“’We assume that Alexei was poisoned with something mixed with his tea,’ Ms. Yarmysh wrote. ‘That’s the only thing he drank this morning.’”
I wonder who would poison Putin’s critic? CBK
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If Trump is asked about the poisoning of Russian critic of Putin, he will defend Putin. Maybe China did it?
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Should the Idiot somehow remain in office, I sincerely believe that the Obamas and others will have to go into exile. Their lives will be in greater danger than when they were in the White House. As will the lives of many others, especially ordinary citizens.
Along somewhat the same lines, I can’t help but speculate if Obama has read John Taliaferro’s biography of John Hay. Upon publication of the 10 volume history on Lincoln, written by Hay and John Nicolay, who were Lincoln’s personal secretaries in the White House, Taliaferro cites correspondence between the two to soften their interpretations of Jefferson Davis: “Let the facts make him as despicable as he is–we do not want to appear to hate and despise him. But we do, and I suppose we can’t keep it from sticking out.”
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GregB The great difference is that we don’t have to listen to Obama or Hilary, or MSNBC or anyone else. All we have to do is watch Trump to know what’s at stake. And I’ve been holding my nose for a long time now . . . every time I see Trump on the television or hear him speak. CBK
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I like Kamala’s laugh too. Like when she laughed about 18-24 year olds being stupid. And when she laughed about locking up parents for their children’s truancy. And when she laughed about completely reversing course on her primary debate attacks on Biden for not supporting M4A. “It was a debate!” Ha ha. So in other words, it’s fine to lie and profess things you don’t believe just to score political points. Which is what the whole convention has been. Political theater. Orange Man Bad. Hardly a shred of real policy (a tiny bit from Bernie). It’s worse than the motivational speeches I’ve been forced to endure in my working life. All hat, no cattle. Obama can rile up the crowd “ripping” Trump (just like every other speaker), but he hasn’t a word to say about how his corporatist, war-mongering presidency led to Trump.
A plague on both your houses!
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Dienne,
I understand that you despise Biden and Harris. I like and admire them both. When you find a perfect candidate, let me know. I don’t know any perfect people, do you?
There are only two choices in this election: Trump-Pence or Biden-Harris. There is no alternative.
I assume you won’t vote. That’s your right.
It’s my right not to post comments of the “plague on both your houses” kind.
The thought of four more years of Trump and Pence terrifies me. Not you. You can sit back and watch them destroy civil rights, give lifetime judgeships to rightwing zealots, trash the climate, whittle away at our democracy, coddle up to Putin and Kim while trashing NATO, give billions of federal dollars to private and religious schools while ignoring public schools. None of this matters to you because Biden and Harris don’t meet your purity test.
Bernie Sanders didn’t say “a plague on both your houses.” He said “vote for my friends Biden and Harris.” He said Trump is the most dangerous president in our history. He is right. Anyone who cares about the future of our nation and our democracy must vote for Biden and Harris.
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I wouldn’t worry about Dienne, Diane. She is self parodying and predictably oxymoronic. The progressive Trumpeteer who thinks that a skinned knee is worse that colon cancer.
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Well said, Bob.
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Dienne disappoints me. She’s too smart not to see the implications of her war against the Democratic Party.
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Me too.
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And she provides the valuable service of letting us know what the Russian troll factory attempting to keep progressives from voting is saying these days.
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And if Trump wins reelection because of folks like her, she can then squat amid the destruction of our environment, our alliances, and every basic human right and congratulate herself on how progressive she is.
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Please remember, Bob, the first concentration camp, Dachau, was opened just two months after the Machtergreifung, the Nazi consolidation of power in January 1933. The first ones sent to them were the communists and most left-leaning social democrats; the ones who thought there was no difference between the squishy moderates and the Nazis. The ones that survived formed the basis of the German Democratic Republic, better known to Americans as East Germany. There’s a lesson in there somewhere. I wish I knew what it was. 🧐
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I think it’s right here: the first ones the Nazis sent– early on– to the first concentration camp were the most left-leaning, “the ones who thought there was no difference between the squishy moderates and the Nazis.” In other words, the purists, whose perfectionism is the enemy of the good.
I’d take issue with you, though, that those were the folks responsible for ushering in the fascists. It may seem that way here, in our gerrymandered, voter-suppressed elections where major decisions squeak through on 70,000 cleverly-located votes. But, come on.
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You assume too much in my comment, Ginny. Fascists were responsible for ushering in fascism. They were, however, strongly aided and enabled by left-wing purists, Catholics, and doctrinaire Protestants, each of whom hated each other more than they feared or recognized the threat fascists posed.
You may not have seen my previous venom for those who will continuously misstate Pastor Martin Niemoeller’s “When they came for…I was silent…then they came for me” “quote,” something he never said as it is recorded at the American Holocaust Museum and other places. What he really said was that he and his followers actually supported persecution of Communists and Social Democrats, because they were godless. He felt that politics was not the purview of religion, especially his religion, which was apolitical–at least in his rationalization. He didn’t mind the persecution of Jews so much, because they were not Christian–it wasn’t his or his flock’s concern. He only saw the light when he was sent to Dachau, and even when he arrived there, he didn’t have much sympathy or empathy for his fellow prisoners who were Communists or Jews. It was only late in the war that he began to change his mind.
And in our gerrymandered nation, those same attitudes prevail among left-wing purists, so-called evangelical Christians, doctrinaire Catholics who will unquestionably follow their reactionary bishops and cardinals but ignore their Pope and their lying eyes, and right-wing Jews who believe keeping Israel purely Jewish is the most important–indeed the only–issue that matters. And each of these groups, as they look suspiciously upon each other or engage in cynical, narrow, temporary alliances, aid fascism in the nation and destroy the constitution they purport to support. So, come on. 😏
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dienne77: “Orange Man Bad.”
Too bad you said it sarcastically instead of meaning it. Trump has done nothing good since being inaugurated but you still have to target other Democrats as being as bad as this Orange Monster who cares nothing about you or anyone who isn’t wealthy and lavishes praise on how great he is.
How wonderful that he knows more than scientists, researchers, epidemiologists, engineers who say his wall won’t stand up for long, doctors, environmentalists, workers in the state department [most experts have left because of his ignorance] and anyone with a brain.
Indeed, “Orange Man Bad.” I mean it.
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carolmalaysia,
“Too bad you said it sarcastically instead of meaning it.”
You just NAILED dienne77.
Is there any reason to believe that dienne77 is a real person? Does anyone know dienne77 in real life?
Because it is remarkable how dienne77 parrots EVERY right wing talking point and pushes the exact same narrative that the White House is pushing. From “Mueller Report is a nothingburger” to “impeachment is bad” to “Democrats evil”.
The one narrative that dienne77 will never push is that Trump is bad. She said it SARCASTICALLY and her posts constantly normalize Trump.
If you read about some of the long term propaganda efforts, they started with fake troll accounts pretending to care about issues that the targeted audience cared about. There were troll accounts expressing concern about racism or education, gathering followers who agreed with them, and then those accounts turned and it became about how people concerned with racism or education or integrity should absolutely not vote for the racist, anti-education, corrupt democrats.
dienne77 does NOT repeat the talking points of Bernie Sanders or AOC or Michael Moore. She repeats the talking points of the Trump White House.
When someone is repeating talking points of the far right instead of the talking points of real life progressives — like Bernie Sanders or Michael Moore or AOC — one has to question their motives.
dienne77 does not think Trump is so bad. Because she clearly doesn’t believe that preserving democracy is that important. No real progressives agree.
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I have emailed with Dienne in private exchanges. She is real.
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Thank you, Diane Ravitch, for correcting my wrong perspective about dienne77.
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Put a sock in it, dienne. I miss the old you before most of our discussions devolved into political debates/diatribes. Now is not the time to pull up every negative you can think of especially when you appear to read only what could be termed hard left and ridicule more main stream news sources. What you are doing is little different than right wingers. Your mind seems to be closed even to the possibility that anyone other than “true” progressives are a suitable counter to Trump. Perhaps your life experience has lead you to this place of bitter partisanship. Obviously, you are allowed your views, but you seem incapable of seeing a way forward that is not yours. Democracy doesn’t work that way. It requires listening to the other guy and finding a way forward that a majority can agree on. The time to fight for your ideas is after the election. Bernie and AOC, among others, will still be there to fight the good fight. You are undermining their ability to do that.
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“especially when you appear what could only be termed hard left and ridicule more main stream news sources”
I doubt this. I have not researched dienne77’s cites from the archive, but judging from her most recent cites, she reads balanced sources [“slightly left-leaning,” which is balanced in my book] whose investigative reporting puts MSM to shame. I will agree that her own commentary often seems to me as binary and purist as Linda’s [re: Catholicism], but her sources are good, not extremist. There’s a lack of perspective, a refusal to acknowledge the big picture just 2-1/2 mos before election — timing: these issues are niggles compared to re-electing Trump. That’s why we react so negatively.
I agree with “the time to fight for your ideas is after the election.” Dienne is not parroting Trump talking points as nycpsp so often states– not at all. We on this board are her audience, and she knows we’re not waffling pushovers to be swayed into non-voting just by pricking rose-colored balloons about Dem candidates. She’s just trying to keep us on our toes, so we’ll be ready to keep the pressure on our imperfect (but far better) new leaders.
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speduktr,
I would like to express my gratitude to you for this insightful and important comment. Thank you.
I am sorry I doubted that dienne77 was a real person. But your comment just made me realize why I had my strong doubts.
“What you are doing is little different than right wingers..”
That is why I had my doubts. Bernie Sanders, AOC, Michael Moore don’t sound anything like dienne77 does. She writes comments that are exactly like right wing Trump supporters talk, and sound nothing like real progressives talk.
“you seem incapable of seeing a way forward that is not yours..”
Bernie Sanders has great ideas he believes in but he has never said that his ideas are the absolute only ideas that are progressive and everyone offering an idea that is even a little bit different is an evil right winger. Bernie has always been a great politician because he knew how to compromise without giving up his core beliefs.
Many Trump voters are drawn to Trump BECAUSE he is an autocrat, not in spite of it. Those Trump voters like the idea of a strong guy telling everyone else what to do while everyone else obeys orders or is punished. That is the military, that is Putin’s “democracy”, but it is not real democracy.
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Well, Ginny, now you’ve lost me completely. “She’s just trying to keep us on our toes, so we’ll be ready to keep the pressure on our imperfect (but far better) new leaders.” She’s never done that. Never. Ever. Not once.
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I’m with you, Greg.
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bethree says:
“Dienne is not parroting Trump talking points as nycpsp so often states– not at all.”
I am referring to the many times that dienne77 posted about Biden’s so-called “dementia”, about how Tara Reade was sexual assaulted, about how the Mueller Report “showed no collusion”.
“she knows we’re not waffling pushovers to be swayed into non-voting just by pricking rose-colored balloons about Dem candidates..”
It is totally insulting to Diane Ravitch, to carolmalaysia, to GregB, to Bob Shepherd, to retired teacher, and to a bunch of other intelligent posters I’m forgetting who post here that anyone would think they all need to be “lectured” to because they are all carrying carrying “rose-colored balloons” about Biden. Everyone has made it quite clear that they don’t see Joe Biden as any kind of progressive savior or perfect guy. Again, that is the Trump playbook. Trump supporters push the narrative that Trump is perfect (they have an excuse for everything he does!). So of course, that means that their excuse for repeating the right wing talking points of Trump is that it is their “duty” to “help” those who support Biden who are all completely blind to any Biden flaws. Do you really believe dienne77 just wants to be “helpful” because she has reading comprehension issues and thinks everyone here thinks Biden has no flaws even though no one ever said that?
Also, that excuse doesn’t work because dienne77 posts the same kinds of things when there is a post about Trump and not Biden — as if she has a duty to change the subject from any criticism of Trump to remind people who don’t like Trump that Biden is just as evil and Trump isn’t so bad.
dienne77 made her position clear — she believes that Biden’s flaws are nearly as bad as Trump’s flaws and she is working hard to push that narrative.
Her endgame is clear: “A plague on both your houses!”
In other words, dienne77’s message is: “don’t vote at all or vote for someone other than Trump or Biden.”
I won’t be surprised if the near future brings all kinds of posts from dienne77 about how great Kanye West is and how Kanye has an amazing platform and progressives should embrace Kanye.
I happen to think Kanye is a brilliant songwriter and musician. Thanks to my kid being a huge fan, I’ve heard a lot of his music and it includes not just touching personal songs but astute political and social commentary. But his campaign is a front run by Trump people to draw votes from Biden to re-elect Trump. So I won’t be surprised if those who seem not to be worried at all about Trump being re-elected start pushing the “Kanye is the real progressive” narrative.
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I appreciate that all three days have had women front and center, not just Harris. Many women politicians have been featured along with women’s stories. Warren focused on child care. Instead of being left to one’s own devices, most European women have access to affordable child care. Biden intends to offer early childhood care as is the norm in most industrialized countries.
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I was very impressed with Obama’s speech. He finally left his quiet side of not getting involved and nailed Trump. Of course, Trump can dish out name calling but can’t take anything but total loyalty. There is no accurate name for someone this mentally disturbed and hideous.
………………………………………..
Obama enters battle, enraging Trump
Former President Obama returned to the political battlefield with full force on Wednesday — and immediately got under the skin of his successor.
Obama cast President Trump as an existential threat to American democracy during his speech to the Democratic National Convention. Such an intervention by a former president against his successor is unprecedented in recent history — but merited, in Obama’s view, given the stakes.
“This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win,” Obama said near the climax of his speech.
The president responded in two all-caps tweets, one accusing Obama of having “SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN” and another asking why Obama had refused to “ENDORSE SLOW JOE UNTIL IT WAS ALL OVER.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/the-memo/512870-the-memo-obama-enters-battle-enraging-trump
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Trump is dangerous and will do ANYTHING to avoid going to prison.
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Trump Must Turn Over Tax Returns to D.A., Judge Rules
A federal judge rejected the president’s argument that a subpoena seeking eight years of his tax returns was ‘wildly overbroad.’
A federal judge on Thursday rejected President Trump’s latest effort to block the Manhattan district attorney from obtaining his tax returns, roundly dismissing Mr. Trump’s arguments that the prosecutor’s grand jury subpoena was “wildly overbroad” and issued in bad faith.
The ruling by Judge Victor Marrero of Federal District Court in Manhattan marked another setback for the president in his yearlong legal fight to block the subpoena. The conflict has already reached the Supreme Court once and could end up there again if, as expected, Mr. Trump appeals.
The district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., a Democrat, has been seeking eight years of Mr. Trump’s personal and business returns and other financial records as part of an investigation into the president’s business practices.
Judge Marrero dismissed the president’s argument that Mr. Vance had embarked on a politically motivated fishing expedition, saying in his decision that “established judicial process” did not “automatically transform into an incidence of incapacitating harassment and ill-will merely because the proceedings potentially may implicate the president.”…
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Trump surrounds himself with such ‘good’ people. Why are they so often being put in prison?
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Steve Bannon Arrested In Scheme To Raise Money For Trump’s Border Wall
August 20, 202010:29 AM ET
Barbara Sprunt
Former White House senior counselor to President Donald Trump Steve Bannon leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse after he testified at the Roger Stone trial on Nov. 8, 2019.
Steve Bannon, President Trump’s former political adviser, has been indicted alongside three other people in connection with an online fundraising scheme that federal prosecutors in New York said was responsible for defrauding hundreds of thousands of people.
Bannon, Andrew Badolato, Timothy Shea and Brian Kolfage are alleged to have orchestrated a scheme around an online crowdfunding campaign called “We Build the Wall,” which raised over $25 million. The campaign was advertised as an effort to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico.
“As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction,” said Audrey Strauss, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
“While repeatedly assuring donors that Brian Kolfage, the founder and public face of We Build the Wall, would not be paid a cent, the defendants secretly schemed to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kolfage, which he used to fund his lavish lifestyle,” Strauss continued.
They have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
This is a developing story. This post will be updated.
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I think that getting indicted is a requirement for continued membership in the inner circle of the Don, Cheeto “Little Fingers” Trumpbalone
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Simply shows that one is willing to take one for Trump’s version of “our thing.”
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I strongly disagreed with Obama’s education policy.
But note that there were no scandals and no arrests of aides in eight years of the Obama administration
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No scandals BUT Obama wore a tan suit once and Fox got all bent out of shape. Oh for the days when that was the only thing wrong with our president. [I also hated his education policies.]
Looking Back on Obama’s Tan ‘Suitgate’ from 5 Years Ago & its Juxtaposition to Trump’s Scandals Today
It was the outfit choice heard ’round the world, but now, it has an entirely different meaning.
Back in Aug. 2014, former President Barack Obama wore a tan suit during a press conference at the White House where he spoke about combating ISIS in Syria.
The suit, however, prompted a great deal of backlash from people who claimed it represented a “lack of seriousness” and resembled an outfit he would wear to a Hamptons party — despite the fact that numerous past presidents, including Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, have sported the outfit in the same hue.
Flash-forward five years, and Obama’s “suitgate” now seems like the most innocent controversy for a president to have in comparison to the many scandals that President Donald Trump has found himself involved with…
https://people.com/politics/obama-tan-suitgate-5-years-ago-vs-trump-scandals-today/?utm_source=emailshare&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-share-article&utm_content=20200820
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How about when Michele Obama has the audacity to wear a sleeveless dress! Now you can go to the Internet and find photos of Melania in full frontal nudity.
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carolmalaysia Sometimes it takes a long time for authentic people to realize this:
For the opposition, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT someone says or doesn’t say, does or doesn’t do–they’ll find and spout something wrong with it. These are not careful thinkers but rather dangerous ideological zealots. CBK
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Diane I posted a link to that Andrea Mitchell interview with Fr. Martin in a different note, but it went into moderation. (I haven’t been able to figure out their criteria for that, but . . . whatever.) Here is it again, just in case:
https://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/fr-james-martin-to-deliver-a-prayer-of-inclusion-and-welcome-at-tonight-s-dnc-90377797597
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I have met Father James. He happens to be Stephen Colbert’s priest. He is wonderful! Did you see his prayer?
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Diane No . . . I must have missed Fr. James’ prayer.
CBK
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I will post it.
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You will find the prayers by Sister Simone and Father James Martin here:
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2020/08/20/read-prayers-dnc-sister-simone-campbell-father-james-martin-democratic-convention
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Thank you, Diane! CBK
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It was beautiful. Thank you.
I sent it on to a few friends, including one Trump supporter who sends me stuff from Breaking Christian News. How does an Evangelical respond to a prayer that lists problems the Trump administration is aggravating?
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This is an oldie that fits last night’s speech. FULL sentences and they ALL made sense. Amazing!! [Remember Borowitz is a comedian.]
Obama’s Barrage of Complete Sentences Seen as Brutal Attack on Trump
By Andy Borowitz
April 24, 2017
CHICAGO (The Borowitz Report)—In an appearance at the University of Chicago on Monday, former President Barack Obama unloaded a relentless barrage of complete sentences in what was widely seen as a brutal attack on his successor, Donald Trump.
Appearing at his first public event since leaving office, Obama fired off a punishing fusillade of grammatically correct sentences, the likes of which the American people have not heard from the White House since he departed…
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/obamas-barrage-of-complete-sentences-seen-as-brutal-attack-on-trump?utm_source=onsite-share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=the-new-yorker
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I just got this goodie and had to share it. Fortunately, I don’t have any dreams about President Trump. They would all be nightmares.
What gibberish! This is why people think Trump is a great president!!
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“God Dreams to Make America Great Again” is a book filled with recent dreams, interpretations and prayer decrees pertaining to the future of our Nation.
This book has significant dreams about President Trump, the Praying Church, the Ekklesia and world leaders.
It is filled with hope for a national turnaround and great future as we partner in obedience with God.
Dutch Sheets and Chuck Pierce, in their Forewords, bring forth insight to the season of insight that God is presenting through dreams.
It has been said this book is a “War Chest” for our nation at this time. Increase your prayer strategies at such a time as this.
To buy go to http://www.ClayNash.org
**Note: You will not be ordering this item from Breaking Christian News. Your order will be processed on the Clay Nash Ministries site. Please contact them directly with any order inquiries or questions about this product.
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😀 😀
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70 Former Republican National Security Officials Endorse Biden, Call Trump ‘Unfit’ For Office
A group of over 70 former Republican national security officials, spanning the administrations of Ronald Reagan through Donald Trump, have released a scathing letter criticizing President Trump’s leadership and endorsing Joe Biden.
“We are profoundly concerned about the course of our nation under the leadership of Donald Trump,” the letter reads. “Through his actions and his rhetoric, Trump has demonstrated that he lacks the character and competence to lead this nation and has engaged in corrupt behavior that renders him unfit to serve as President.”
The officials, some of whom are former Republican lawmakers in Congress, said they would support Biden because he “has the character, experience, and temperament to lead this nation.” Among those who signed are Gen. Michael Hayden, the former director of both the CIA and National Security Agency; and former Virginia Sen. John Warner.
“While some of us hold policy positions that differ from those of Joe Biden and his party, the time to debate those policy differences will come later. For now, it is imperative that we stop Trump’s assault on our nation’s values and institutions and reinstate the moral foundations of our democracy.”…
https://apps.npr.org/liveblogs/20200820-dnc/share/former-republican-national-security-officials-14.html
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Watching a genuine human being, a real President, for all his flaws, I cried.
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“We must work hard and do whatever we can to oust the incompetents, white supremacists, authoritarians, and crooks now running the country, people who traffic in bizarre conspiracy theories, and who care only for their own self-aggrandizement. Enough.”
Good luck. I understand everyone has to contact 30330 for a vote. As they say, Vote as though your life depends on it. Triumph in karma.
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WATCH: Joe Biden formally accepts Democratic nomination for president
Aug 20, 2020
WCNC
Former Vice President Joe Biden will close out the 2020 Democratic National Convention by formally accepting the party’s nomination for president Thursday. Biden, who served as VP under Barack Obama, has selected California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate to challenge President Donald Trump this November.
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All/FYI: Here is the link to the Andrea Mitchell interview with Fr. James Martin that I referred to here yesterday before Biden’s speech: CBK
https://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/fr-james-martin-to-deliver-a-prayer-of-inclusion-and-welcome-at-tonight-s-dnc-90377797597
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