It's trump - that's bad. It is repub politicians - that's bad. But what is the worst of all is...

[NRaleighLiberal]

the behavior it is validating, enabling, bring to the surface. Self admission - I've grown up in a pretty protected, self-selected bubble - college, grad school, living in college towns, only starting to catch a hint of how awful some people can be during my big pharma career when seeing what the lust for power and greed brings about. Many of the -isms were on pretty open display.

But - now - trump didn't drain the swamp, of course - he is the swamp - but what he has done is turn so much INTO the swamp. I don't buy the bullshit about his supporters being shunned, forgotten, left behind - I think that most of them have had choices and chose their plight, with it being easier to demonize liberals and Democrats (for any number of reasons) than to take a good hard look at themselves. They are utterly hopeless on any personal responsibility, any critical thinking - never mind decency.

Now they don't have to do anything but slog in the slime of their choices being publicized and glorified by the biggest slimeball of them all. And because there is plenty of power, money and profit to go around, the republican pols will never, ever turn their backs on it. They are all in.

It is hard to bear - my wife and I can't stand it. What is being lauded is in many cases the very opposite of the values we've held. This is why I can't associate with republicans who own trumpism right now - it is values - values opposite of what we hold dear. We resent being dragged into their swamp....and simply won't go.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. trums crowds

are tinpot crisis actors. See the guy standing near the press box calling Acosta a scumbag. Perfect example. CRISIS ACTORS. They get bused around to these things as if they're interested in buying condos.

[barbtries]

2. i have a theory

at least about my foxbot brother, but likely many others. it's their innate racism mixed with 20 or so years of constantly consuming right wing media that allowed this brainwashing to occur.

what kills me the most is when they demonstrate that they have sacrificed their natural empathy and compassion to be this way. on facebook a friend posted about the children being taken away from their parents. she tagged me, i commented that i thought it might be a crime against humanity, and her right wing friend jumped in "they're illegal! they're illegal!" when i responded no, these are people coming here as refugees seeking asylum, he denied and yelled they want our money. i blocked the dude but i could still see my friend and others trying to find out if he still has a heart in his body.

i do know my brother has always been a racist and has been glued to fox for years and years, at the very least since gw. we have yet to speak since the election. at least this way we don't risk a break that could last til we die with no way back.

[Alethia Merritt]

4. I hear you. And I agree with you.

[Pepsidog]

11. I agree. Fox has rewired their brains. Fox is the enemy of the USA

[Ohioboy]

12. I agree with you about the consuming of right wing media.

You can hear it in Trump. He is one of the biggest consumers of right wing media out there. It gives him power with his base because he is right there in the consumption, as one of them, reconfirming every distortion and lie they have been told.

[Garrett78]

13. Racism is without a doubt the #1 factor, but let's remember that it's not innate.

It's taught. It can be undone, but it takes a lot of work and far more patience than I have. My hat's off to people like Christian Picciolini.

As Democrats, we simply have to outnumber the opposition. That requires raising hell about race-based gerrymandering and voter suppression.

[barbtries]

19. innate is probably the wrong word, however

it's only been in the last year that i began to fully appreciate how deeply baked it is in this country. for now, we need to outnumber the opposition. but we also have to somehow, some way, move toward ending racism. it has to happen. equality and respect and opportunity for everyone, everyone.

pretty sure it won't happen in my lifetime.

[Garrett78]

21. Outnumbering the opposition (i.e., Democrats winning) is a way to do just that.

The only hope we have of passing laws that address systemic racism is electing more Democrats and fewer Republicans. And we should be advocating for the Democratic Party to incorporate into its platform the thorough and highly impressive platform of The Movement for Black Lives, including a call for massive reparations (something the UN Working Group of Experts on Persons of African Descent called for after carrying out a study in the US not long ago).

As for individual racism, that's a different beast. And that's where people like Christian Picciolini come into play.

That said, lessening systemic racism will likely lessen individual racism over time. Just as legalizing same-sex marriage will, eventually, lessen hetero superiority or bigotry toward LGBTQIA persons. One hopes at least. The thinking being that legalization will breed acceptance.

[barbtries]

22. agreed.

GOTV

[Blue_true]

3. Trump has certainly brought out hidden vileness.

People think that it is ok to hurt other people, like it won't come back on them.

[malaise]

5. It turns out that since Barack Obama and his family so beautifully reflected those

values you hold dear, those racists like the Con, Gingrich, their goons and supporters do not plan to forget that he shattered the stereotypes/caricatures of the African-American (and African anywhere) which they had perpetuated for centuries.

It turns out that their racist leader is the most vile of the vile and these days they are competing among themselves to see who can win the prize for most deplorable, despicable low-life vulgarian!!!

In the meantime their policies are meant to ensure that all avenues of opportunity are cut off for all but the white deplorables (there are others) who have no interest in self-improvement or development but will not tolerate non-whites or women who excel.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. Absolutely, my friend. A class act followed by a classless act.

Very well stated.

[malaise]

7. Hi there

[vlyons]

8. His supporters delight in being vulgar and then rubbing our noses in it

Why do you think they complain about "political correctness" so much? They want to be free to say the N-word, call women C%nts, call Obama a "boy", do ethnic cleansing, outlaw all religions except theirs. They want to be free to do and say all that and much much worse without ever being shamed for their vulgarity and hatefulness.

[TryLogic]

9. "Trump did not drain the swamp. He is the swamp."

I really like that wording.

Hey Democrats, take that to the bank!!

Edit: I mean take it to the voters.

[BlueJac]

10. K&R

[shanny]

14. Actually I don't think bringing all this crap to the surface

is a bad thing at all. It's been lurking, underground, forever. Better that it is finally exposed. We can't deal with a sickness until we know it is there, and boy hey howdy there is no denying now.

[Garrett78]

23. There's some truth in that, but there's also some danger.

We have to make sure we do more than just shove individual racism back into the closet. We need to turn the exposure of individual racism into an opportunity to finally address systemic racism in a meaningful way. The platform of The Movement for Black Lives is a fantastic starting point.

[shanny]

26. I agree.

For too long we have ignored, "closeted", denied all of our failings--racism, misogyny, economic unfairness, imperial tendencies abroad--all obscured by the fiction of our exceptionalism.

Other countries do truth and reconciliation exercises, we should too. But first we have to admit we do some things wrong.

Thanks for the link.

[saidsimplesimon]

15. Your wife and yourself

have escaped the "bubble". Let's help all those like you to the polls in November. I worked for Eli Lilly, retired with benefits. I know you are talking truth to power. "May the force be with you." ( a homage to George Lukas)

It is hard to bear - my wife and I can't stand it. What is being lauded is in many cases the very opposite of the values we've held. This is why I can't associate with republicans who own trumpism right now - it is values - values opposite of what we hold dear. We resent being dragged into their swamp....and simply won't go.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

16. All a part of divide and conquer.

The right-wing billionaire class has a two part plan:

* feed the public with massive divisive garbage 24/7 to divide the masses - making it harder for the left to win. They and their politicians always deny any connection to this effort.
* meanwhile - hidden from view - implement takeover and demolition of all government functions except security, and then privatize and make profitable all prior government functions. When confronted, deny any negative impact on American society and well-being.

Simple plan and they are very patient. tRump is merely a convenient tool for solidifying the division of our society......

[Turbineguy]

17. I would suggest this comparison:

When I was in college I (and others) noticed that the longer the student was there, the less mature they seemed to get. It was a last chance at childhood and as graduation approached, the last chance at childhood had to be enjoyed to its fullest before (and as Tom Lehrer put it) sliding down the razorblade of life. Most of us survived, a few, alas, did not.

And so it is with trump. The trump administration is the last chance for many to be the complete asshole they were destined to be. Once trump is out, the jig is up and we'll all have to go back to treating each other like decent Americans. So in the meantime, as the assholes realize they are running out of time, they will become worse. There are still limits on just how big an asshole a person can be and a number of them will end up in jail. Trump will not be able to pardon them all.

In the meantime, we must be patient and try not to get shot.

[sharedvalues]

18. Limbaugh and Fox ginned them up, paving the way for Trump

Hi NRL,

Like you I have had lots of experience with the science types, but I also have spent lots of time in Trump country - or rather, GOP base country.

My take is that the GOP paved the way for Trump. All Trump did was break down the dam that Republicans has filled up.

The GOP’s race-baiting started in the 70s, but Reagan’s racist-dogwhistle speech at Neshoba County is an obvious early example of this - below-the-surface hinting at hate for minorities. In the 90s, Fox and Limbaugh and right wing radio took this message into overdrive. I watched otherwise good people get corrupted by their propaganda. (The Brainwashing Of My Dad tells one of their stories well.) One example message was telling white people that minorities were taking their jobs and college spots via affirmative action.

So GOP propaganda PREPARED the base. GOP voters wondered why no politician was strong enough to say the “truth” out loud - that black people were holding down white people! (Obvious lie, but propaganda works.)

And then Trump cashed that check. He was openly racist! The GOP base loved it! Finally a politician that could speak the “truth” instead of waltzing around the issue, as even Republican politicians used to seem to as they dogwhistled.

THAT is why the GOP base loves Trump. Because he spoke directly to the propagandized base that right-wing media had taught to hate minorities via lies. (I see this closeup regularly. Many white GOP voters deeply believe the falsehood that minorities are ruining their lives and believe Trump will fix it.)

So Trump didn’t create this hate. The GOP created it. And the hate created HIM.


The distinction matters. Because if Trump created the hate, stopping Trump would fix a lot of it.

But because GOP propaganda media created the hate, we can’t fix the country unless we do something about not only Trump, but also the propaganda.

[Garrett78]

24. Yep, Trump is a monster who was 50 years in the making. As I've written before:

50 years of Southern Strategy/dog whistling, race-based voter suppression and gerrymandering, a highly successful campaign against "liberal media" (resulting in a pathetic infotainment industry that won't call facts facts and lies lies, all while promoting false equivalencies), Moral Majority bullshit, science denial, anti-intellectualism, etc.

The Republicans who are speaking out against Trump (be they pundits or retiring Congresspersons) have blood on their hands. They want to act like Trump is some great anomaly, but he isn't. Trump is a symptom. With the exception of tariffs and being more overt in his bigotry, he's following standard operating procedure for Republicans.

[sharedvalues]

27. I'm right with you, brother

I wish I had a platform to write an article saying this for the NYT.

It is SHOCKING to me that the main centrist newspapers don’t seem to know this— that GOP dogwhistling created the base, and the base created Trump. Not vice versa. That message needs LOTS more coverage.

[world wide wally]

20. I have satellite radio in my vehicle and I mostly listen to the progressive station.

There is humor with Stephanie Miller, intelligence with Thom Hartman, sincerity with Michaelangelo Signorelli, and always reason. During commercial breaks I will switch over to the right wing channel and all I hear is passionate hate and lying. You can hear the passion (hate) in their voices as they try to tell the listener that up is down and black is white.
I can see how they convince not so bright people that their side is right even when their logic is absurd. That is why we are tempted to call them c**ts and other ripe words. I just hope our anger and frustration turns into votes!

[MBS]

25. + 100 n/t