There’s a bit of a paradox for those of us committed to combatting authoritarianism in the U.S. The more extreme the Republican crime syndicate party becomes, the more daunting it can feel to resist and to work on GOTV for this fall. The rabid authoritarianism and white Christian nationalism can seem so power mad that it can seem like we must summon a huge amount of energy to defeat it. Simultaneously, it can seem so nuts that it is unbelievable that anybody would vote for it. 1/
Do read this story with care. One of Trump’s major advisers, a candidate for chief of staff in a second Trump term is a white Christian nationalist pushing a “post-constitutional” plan for sweeping Presidential powers. This is a detailed action plan for governing unconstitutionally. https://wapo.st/3VyftdG
“What would be informative: A minute or two of unedited video showing Trump’s rambling, incoherent and deranged rants. Rather than merely “fact check” the nonsense blizzard, reports can explore the unprecedented nature of his rhetoric, illustrate the deterioration in his thinking and speech, and discuss how an obviously irrational and unhinged leader casts a spell over his devoted following.” How to report on the election #JenniferRubin — https://wapo.st/45d5wpk
“When supposedly normal Republican officials parrot Trump’s obvious falsehoods and baseless accusations, interviewers must come prepared to debunk them. Republicans cannot be allowed to slide past hard questions about their election denial, false data points, baseless attacks on the courts and hypocrisy (the law and order party?). Treating Republicans as innocent bystanders in the democracy train wreck distorts reality.”
“There is simply no comparison between Biden, who talks in detail about policy, and Trump, who cannot get through a Newsmax(!) interview without sounding nuts.”
@heidilifeldman the expectation that they would be partisan…that they would break laws or display incompetence to pursue Republican Fascist Authoritarian agenda…is clearly rampant.
Modi’s authoritarian Hindu nationalist party did not fare well in India’s recent elections. This unexpected result shows that polls and prognostications are certainly not infallible. What matters is the vote.
While defendants have successfully delayed Trump’s Georgia trial to argue thatWillis should be removed from the case, Sam #Alito continues to get an absolute pass regarding his participation in trials related to Jan. 6 and Trump’s assertion of virtually absolute presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. Here’s coverage of just how slippery Alito has been in explaining why flag associated with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol flew over his homes. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/05/justice-alito-flags-unanswered-questions/ 1/2
As I have said before, thought, there really isn’t any explanation #Alito could give that would obviate the appearance that he is materially biased in cases involving Trump and Jan. 6. 2/2
@heidilifeldman What is it about Justice's wives misbehaving? Are Justices using their spouses as some kind of proxy for their own desire to misbehave, so they don't have to answer for it directly?
There’s an important lesson here: don’t engage in dumb conduct when you are trying to do a critically important job. It doesn’t matter whether Willis’s romantic relationship actually prejudiced her prosecutorial judgment — she had to know how it would look if the defendants made an issue of it, and that they were definitely going to make an issue of it. It’s a shame because on the merits her case is excellent. https://wapo.st/3Vado6q
Voted in #SantaFe#NewMexico today, a place where the Democratic primary determines some of the ultimate races. One race really struck me as emblematic of the future, assuming constitutional democracy survives in the U.S. 1/
In one contest for county commissioner (municipal legislator, for non-Americans), three candidates vied for the Democratic nomination. One of them, though, was, until very recently, a registered Republican. Even before I knew this, it was apparent to me that she was the most conventionally pro-business candidate. Then, I read a column she wrote explaining her change of party. 2/
With the Republican Party having degenerated into a cultish, criminal, evangelical Christian organization, it is no longer a meaningful participant in U.S. democratic politics. So, the Democratic Party is going to absorb many people into its right flank. My prediction: if U.S. constitutional democracy survives, the Republican Party will not, and the Democratic Party will eventually split into two parties, one more to the left and one more to the right. 4/4
Interesting.
“He trained his men for their top-secret commando operations by getting them to climb the walls of Harlech’s medieval castle and break in undetected.
If they succeeded in that part of the mission, they had to immediately run the 38 miles to the top of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and back.” https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c144r2grx05o#wales