Thank you for your comments about Republicans for Harris. I have been wondering what some of my relatives might be thinking as trump continues to deteriorate and Project 2025 (antithetical to the actual teachings of Jesus) is brought out into the open. Many are Evangelical but they believe in the New Testament and following what Jesus Christ instructed. Andra Watkins has pointed out that Christian Nationalist’s believe in the Old Testament God. It might seem like semantics to non believers but a Christian is about following the instructions of Jesus Christ - and I know they believe this because I am in their Bible Study group.
I've had the experience of losing drafts (nothing as important as what you were writing), and it has been a toss-up as to whether I did better or worse in my re-creation. I have been pleased to see the republicans for Harris groups. From what I've seen, I think they have a good chance of bringing others along with them, the ones who aren't sure, or who want a place to go where they know that someone in leadership is a person they can trust. They are able to say the same things the Harris/Walz team is saying, but with an added trust factor. I haven't heard about one yet, but I'm hoping that the same thing happens in Pennsylvania as in Arizona. After all, that's how Josh Shapiro got elected, so we know the process can work.
One year, I had a student from Malawi in my class. Her dad was living in Scotland and she and her brother were in the US with her mom, who was working on her dissertation in nursing. She was living off a grant from USAID to Africa. The mom had not backed up her data, and her computer crashed as she was working with 52 variables for her dissertation. She had to redo most of the work, and live on someone's couch, so she sent her children to Scotland to live with their dad. I am sure she never forgot to back up her data again. Then, years later, the mother of another student came back from Malawi and had mentioned to me that her work was in AIDS research. I asked her if she knew this mom and the mom had gotten her PhD in nursing and was head of an organization working with AIDS education and very successful. I was so glad that her story of determination ended well, because I had been the consoling teacher when that happened. Yay for her. Not the same as losing a laptop, but still losing the information on it at a devastating point.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat — Lucid (and Armando thinks you are also Vivid): You make a tremendous point. Prior to the emergence of the Orange-Carnival-Barker, not ever, and NEVER did I conceive I could be on the same side of substantive issues with the Cheney Family — who had brought us „waterboarding“ (water torture, really) and the PATRIOT Act.
Now, the Cheney family bravely stands up to right-wing fascists.
It is like in WWII, with persons of conscience— Communists, Catholics — natural foes united against the genocidal Nazis in the great cause.
You point this out quite well, with your considerable body of expertise.
I am grateful also to the bravery of Pence who refused to not certify the election. Otherwise I despise him. Same with Kemp of Georgia who stole an election and is a terrible governor. Adam Kinzinger from my state does not have the money to protect himself and his family, but still stood up to Trump and his mafioso like militia followers. The list is growing, and I am betting that in the voting booth there will be many more who are tired of the fear.
I think Kinzinger is moderate enough that he could run as independent or democrat if he dared lol and pull a ton of people from the center and center left Dems and be a successful politician again.
I have been saying for a while I see it as time for the Republican party to end. It seems like it could be imploding. I have heard nothing about legislation or anything of the sort since Kamala entered the race and Tim joined her. I have said that those who are not MAGA (which is its own party, not Republicans) should either join the Dems or form a new party.
Still, I am worried about the Bad Billionaire Bros of Tech. How did we let anyone in our world get that wealthy? It is a crime in itself. Three Multi Billion Euro Businesses in Germany are boycotting their products, at least that of Elon Musk because he supports Trump.
It would be great to send them a list of other US businesses that support Trump and have a multinational boycott of these businesses. I'm in, although, I would not have bought a Tesla anyway. Can we say RECALL!
But still, Musk is obscenely wealthy, and Trump is with other people's money, so it is hard to get to them. Musk can afford to buy several countries, but that does not mean that people will like him. His own trans daughter Vivian can't stand him and got rid of his last name in court.
"How did we let anyone in our world get that wealthy? It is a crime in itself. "
In the US, the Powell Memo contributed to this, along with the Taft Hartly Act, the advent of neoliberal economics, the Commodities Futures Modernization Act, right to work laws, the lack of use of the Sherman and Clayton anti trust laws etc, etc.
Because the Congress keeps having show hearings instead of giving them any regulations. Letting them damage and even kill our kids and collect money hand over fist while they’re also tearing apart our nation. These tech bros want a tech monarchy with no democracy. Congress is playing a very dangerous game
I think this attack on our democracy can strengthen it in the long run...if we make the right choices now. Republicans for Harris is one of those right choices. They could lead to the creation of a viable center-right political party in the US and a fracturing of the Republican Party. Coalition governments do have risks. I know that from living in Spain. But I think we need more viable political parties, because more people would be inclined to vote for parties that more closely align to their values.
As an international subscriber, the intense sense of belonging to a political party (GOP) regardless of how it changes internally is remarkable. I don't belong to a political party in my own country, and I vote differently in local/municipal elections than I do nationally, because the issues are different. 'Republicans for Harris' is going to quietly get bigger and bigger, and then WHAM it will hit a critical mass of people who have spoken out. The contrast between Harris/Trump is stark, and instead of using labels, lets me use everyday words - future/past, self-less/selfish, rule of law/break the law, supports women/denigrates women, inclusive/me first, positive energy/doomsday energy, sacred respect for your constitution/terminate the constitution for self-interest. But the contrast between Walz and Trump is amazing - dad-like/absence of any fatherly attributes, compassionate/belittles people, and accepting/insulting.
That would be nice, but brave people are the ones that will be in this group. But it is a permission structure for the Haley (anti Trump) primary voters nonetheless. Hopefully will pull more with republicans actually doing the grassroots events. We shall see.
Excellent piece as always. I’d love to have Olivia Troye (and Michael Steele) explain why they’re still Republicans. “Fiscal conservatism” is bogus. I’d also love to show this to our next door neighbors. One is definitely voting for Trump; the other is”kind of likes” RFK Jr. I said “No! [My husnand] went to school with him and he’s loonier now that he was then!” Doubt if I changed her mind. We have a good neighborly relationship with them and do not want to spoil that. How can 2 intelligent people be so $#*)@&?
Rumor hath it that the Tech Bros who backed Vance plan on him implementing Article 25 once they are in, and taking over as President from Trump by claiming he is incompetent. I wonder whether Elon asked certain questions to help this along. Of course, Kevin Roberts seems to plan to control the Presidency through the Chief of Staff, as I read the job description in the first chapter of Project 2025, White House Office, the COS will be the gatekeeper to almost everyone approaching the President, so the president can be on the golf course while the COS gets things done. That includes I presume using the auto signature, or why was it mentioned. In that chapter the vice president is mentioned last and it is clear his role is to basically to back and placate the president. Trump dictator wannabe doesn't want a VP. None of his heroes have had to have one. Look at Hitler, Putin, Jinping, The Ayatollah, Jung Un. A COS suits him better. However, I wonder whether these two horrid groups, Tech Bros and Heritage Foundation henchmen are aware of each other and are going to duke it out. Will the richest win? the most evil, or will We the People? I am counting on us.
I honestly don't understand how any female, person of color, LGBTQUI+ person, people who aren't billionaires/multimillmiollnaires, and people who know climate crisis is real can be a Republican or a Libertarian - any type of regressive. It boggles my mind and pisses me off.
I guess they don't care about their kids or grandkids.
My lifelong progressive Black husband and I, also a lifelong progressive and white, have no kids by choice. We live in the SF Bay Area. Even if Harris/Walz win in November, we still have SCOTUS, Citizens United, the Chevron ruling, lack of gun safety legislation,etc. to contend with.
I'm feeling optimistic but am a pragmatic, logical retired engineer.
My husband and I are keeping our options open. We travel internationally for months at a time. Frankly, there are better countries to reside in for us.
For a lot of white women it goes back to purity culture in churches. Trump already had a primed audience that had been subject to decades of brainwashing and low critical thinking skills starting from early ages which started at purity culture. It’s sad and it takes years and years to crawl out of, many never do.
Colleen, Oprah, a Black, female billionaire told us she is an Independent and she backs Harris. Let us hope her behavior is typical for her demographic. Beyoncé is a Black, female billionaire too, and I think she's with Oprah in backing Harris. She is letting her use her song Freedom. I am a lifelong progressive, dual citizen with Brown skin, and my husband has White skin and is German, and we are living in both the US and Germany--where the debate is on restricting knives, not guns. Even so, I feel pretty safe where I live in Germany, and not so in the US. My husband is still working in the US, and we are both going back and forth. We have friends (he is Brown-skinned from India and she is White-skinned American) who just moved to Portugal to have a family and raise it there. He works for a US company, so they are digital nomads. I am in a community of expats through Democrats Abroad, which is super nice.
Having worked in mental health services for over 40 years, I encountered many who held destructive and/or false convictions. Never argue with them. After creating a friendly discussion about any other topic to form some relationship, ask them whether they ever have any concerns or doubts about what they believe. If that is answered affirmatively, you have room for discussion. If you are met with flat out denial, your discussion will devolve into a pointless, unpleasant arguement. It is then time to leave bad enough alone and move on to another subject.
Shortly after we moved here, she started the conversation by saying “You’re probably not going to want to hear this, but we’re conservatives. But we don’t like Trump.” We don’t have any bumper stickers on our cars, or political signs in our yard, so not sure how she knew that.
I was raised in a religious cult. You will never argue someone out of a cult. They can, however, find the answer for themselves with the correct questions and time.
Thank you for highlighting the bridge building the Harris-Walz campaign is doing, Ruth. Your piece reminded me of a comic posted by Allison Gill (@MuellerSheWrote) on Twix of a mom and her daughter at the voting booth. Here’s a link since Substack doesn’t allow images in comments. https://x.com/MuellerSheWrote/status/1815557526488052169
We are all delusional to some extent, but very few as intentionally as the MAGA folks. I blame FoxNews and others like them for deliberately and with malicious profiteering "preaching to the choir." They are the ones who keep the lies and their wealth growing. Perhaps everyone has heard this, but it fits: A psychiatrist said to his delusional patient who thought he was dead, "Dead people don't bleed, right?" His patient agreed, and when the doctor pricked his finger and drew a drop of blood, the patient said, "You're wrong, doc! Dead people do bleed."
Excellent points. We unite to save the country- meanwhile
The press especially the Washington Post is trying their hardest to normalize lying convicted felon & rapist, Trump’s bat💩 crazy delusional ravings of man with visible neurological impairments, probable aphasia & deep seated psychological problems. MSM got Biden out in 3 weeks.
Just today I was sharing my joy at the Harris Walz campaign. I was listing the different groups that had been created out of this wave of joy, and that included Mormons for Harris, Comedians for Harris, Old People for Harris, with big name celebrities joining each group. Then someone responded to me that there are also Evangelical Christians for Harris, and this is his base. So, I looked into it right before a woman commented that she wondered if any of them where White. If this Substack writer Charlotte Clymer is to be believed it definitely is. https://charlotteclymer.substack.com/p/wait-evangelicals-for-harris
I love the way she tells the story too. I cannot help but think that Trump is being way too tone deaf when he associates with Elon Musk, who is not a likable guy, and represents the filthy and obscenely rich. In this Trump has lost his populist creds, because he is now hanging out with the wealthiest man in the world and even with all that money is not having the wave that Kamala and Tim are. Evangelicals want to choose joy too, over hate. Also in Germany 3 multibillion dollar firms owners have said no more Teslas because he is supporting Trump. One of them is one of the largest car rental companies in the world. Sixt. https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/rossmann-drugstores-stop-buying-teslas-over-musks-trump-support
Trump was reported today to be begging his youngest son, who is supposedly best friends with a right wing teen influencer to help him get the Gen Z males. He knows better than to expect that he can get Gen Z girls, of which my daughter is one, to vote for him. He is right. They are sick of toxic masculinity with their own generation, they are not going to want it in an older guy like Trump.
I dunno. He will of course get some gen z males, but not a given. My nephew that I am raising just turned 18 and is voting in November and is in no way a liberal or anything. Pretty apolitical, really, but confided in me yesterday that he will Not be voting for Trump. (I was doing internal backflips for sure!)
My Gen Z daughter (a Swiftie), and Gen Z niece and nephews were going to vote for Biden and now are voting for Harris. My one nephew was upset about Gaza and only voting for Biden as the lessor of evils. Rather than debate that with him, I praised him for being mature enough to see that voting is not about the candidate that 100% allies with you, but the one that most closely allies with your values and beliefs. My daughter's boyfriend, who is older than her, has not voted much because he travels a lot, but will be in this election, and he is voting for Harris. He is pretty apolitical too. At least for us, since he is from Texas he was for Bernie not Biden, but definitely not Trump.
“I do not recognize my party. The Republican Party has been taken over by extremists that are committed to forcing people in the center of the political spectrum out of the party. I have something to say to those of us who are in the political middle: You don’t owe a damn thing to that political party…. [Y]ou don’t owe anything to a party that is out of touch and is hell-bent on taking our country backward. And by all means, you owe no displaced loyalty to a candidate that is morally and ethically bankrupt…. [I]n the spirit of the great Senator John McCain, please join me in putting country over party and stopping Donald Trump, and protecting the rule of law, protecting our Constitution, and protecting the democracy of this great country. That is why I’m standing with Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.”
- Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, who describes himself as a lifelong Republican, Friday, August 9, 2024
Dear Dr. Ben-Ghiat. I am so enthralled by the politics and joy and, yes, humor, the Harris-Walz ticket has brought to the presidential campaign. The Vice President reminds us, daily, that the supposed emperor "is not wearing any clothes." The mournful clip of the MAGA supporter who invested $250,000 in "Let's Go, Brandon", paraphernalia that is looking at financial ruin. The articulation of "MAGA is just plain WEIRD", by Governor Walz. And now, Republicans for Harris. I've not been made aware of any "Democrats for Trump" organizations.
Unfortunately, a statistical lead within the margin of error is not electoral victory, considering the culprits on the other side. The intellectual groundwork for the US authoritarian structure was laid in the 1970s. The execution at the local levels began in the 1990s with the culmination of the GW Bush presidency in 2000. Trump and MAGA has been a continuation of the long game. The reactionaries have demonstrated significant power at the judicial and local levels. The US systems held up in 2020; will they withstand another assault?
Our recourse is to demonstrate an overwhelming electoral victory. Ask yourself, are you up to the challenge? Like it or not, gaining an overwhelming mandate is the easy part. The hard part is trying to regain a democracy represented by the rule of law once it has been taken away from you.
I'm sorry your laptop has not been found.
Thank you for your comments about Republicans for Harris. I have been wondering what some of my relatives might be thinking as trump continues to deteriorate and Project 2025 (antithetical to the actual teachings of Jesus) is brought out into the open. Many are Evangelical but they believe in the New Testament and following what Jesus Christ instructed. Andra Watkins has pointed out that Christian Nationalist’s believe in the Old Testament God. It might seem like semantics to non believers but a Christian is about following the instructions of Jesus Christ - and I know they believe this because I am in their Bible Study group.
Christianity IS about the New Testament. Or should be.
Project 2025 is antithetical to the concept of democracy and the Constitution.
Project 2025 is fascist leaning. It sounds as if it were written by sociopaths..... lots of vices, few virtues.
There is a evangelicals for Harris as well. That one REALLY kicked up some dust with the RW media ✊🏼
https://www.evangelicalsforharris.com/
I've had the experience of losing drafts (nothing as important as what you were writing), and it has been a toss-up as to whether I did better or worse in my re-creation. I have been pleased to see the republicans for Harris groups. From what I've seen, I think they have a good chance of bringing others along with them, the ones who aren't sure, or who want a place to go where they know that someone in leadership is a person they can trust. They are able to say the same things the Harris/Walz team is saying, but with an added trust factor. I haven't heard about one yet, but I'm hoping that the same thing happens in Pennsylvania as in Arizona. After all, that's how Josh Shapiro got elected, so we know the process can work.
One year, I had a student from Malawi in my class. Her dad was living in Scotland and she and her brother were in the US with her mom, who was working on her dissertation in nursing. She was living off a grant from USAID to Africa. The mom had not backed up her data, and her computer crashed as she was working with 52 variables for her dissertation. She had to redo most of the work, and live on someone's couch, so she sent her children to Scotland to live with their dad. I am sure she never forgot to back up her data again. Then, years later, the mother of another student came back from Malawi and had mentioned to me that her work was in AIDS research. I asked her if she knew this mom and the mom had gotten her PhD in nursing and was head of an organization working with AIDS education and very successful. I was so glad that her story of determination ended well, because I had been the consoling teacher when that happened. Yay for her. Not the same as losing a laptop, but still losing the information on it at a devastating point.
Goose-bumpy story, Linda. Thank you. There are really good people wherever you go in the world.
I am excited to see the results of these groups.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat — Lucid (and Armando thinks you are also Vivid): You make a tremendous point. Prior to the emergence of the Orange-Carnival-Barker, not ever, and NEVER did I conceive I could be on the same side of substantive issues with the Cheney Family — who had brought us „waterboarding“ (water torture, really) and the PATRIOT Act.
Now, the Cheney family bravely stands up to right-wing fascists.
It is like in WWII, with persons of conscience— Communists, Catholics — natural foes united against the genocidal Nazis in the great cause.
You point this out quite well, with your considerable body of expertise.
Thank you for a very illuminating column!
I am grateful also to the bravery of Pence who refused to not certify the election. Otherwise I despise him. Same with Kemp of Georgia who stole an election and is a terrible governor. Adam Kinzinger from my state does not have the money to protect himself and his family, but still stood up to Trump and his mafioso like militia followers. The list is growing, and I am betting that in the voting booth there will be many more who are tired of the fear.
I think Kinzinger is moderate enough that he could run as independent or democrat if he dared lol and pull a ton of people from the center and center left Dems and be a successful politician again.
The only issue that matters is democracy. Everything else can be worked out later.
Ruth, the faster we can rid our country of MAGA & any related piece of it, the better off we’ll be! I appreciate your hard work & determination!
If that means the formulation of a new party more American than Trump’s party, so be it!
I have been saying for a while I see it as time for the Republican party to end. It seems like it could be imploding. I have heard nothing about legislation or anything of the sort since Kamala entered the race and Tim joined her. I have said that those who are not MAGA (which is its own party, not Republicans) should either join the Dems or form a new party.
Liz Cheney needs to start a Conservative Party; one that is not owned by Wall Street and one that also has a conscience.
It is hard to imagine any party, let alone a Conservative party that is not owned by Wall Street and Silicon Valley.
If they continue on their current path, they will go extinct.
Still, I am worried about the Bad Billionaire Bros of Tech. How did we let anyone in our world get that wealthy? It is a crime in itself. Three Multi Billion Euro Businesses in Germany are boycotting their products, at least that of Elon Musk because he supports Trump.
https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/rossmann-drugstores-stop-buying-teslas-over-musks-trump-support
It would be great to send them a list of other US businesses that support Trump and have a multinational boycott of these businesses. I'm in, although, I would not have bought a Tesla anyway. Can we say RECALL!
Workers in Sweden are Striking at Tesla because of the poor way E Musk treats his workers. In fact they are joined by other Scandi countries Denmark, Norway and Finland and asking UAW to join in their struggles. https://www.industriall-union.org/in-sweden-the-fight-against-tesla-continues
UAW has its own reasons to take on Tesla, and a stupid Twit-Bro interview with Trump has led to them filing a lawsuit against both Trump and Musk.
https://uaw.org/uaw-files-federal-labor-charges-against-donald-trump-and-elon-musk-for-attempting-to-intimidate-and-threaten-workers/
But still, Musk is obscenely wealthy, and Trump is with other people's money, so it is hard to get to them. Musk can afford to buy several countries, but that does not mean that people will like him. His own trans daughter Vivian can't stand him and got rid of his last name in court.
"How did we let anyone in our world get that wealthy? It is a crime in itself. "
In the US, the Powell Memo contributed to this, along with the Taft Hartly Act, the advent of neoliberal economics, the Commodities Futures Modernization Act, right to work laws, the lack of use of the Sherman and Clayton anti trust laws etc, etc.
Because the Congress keeps having show hearings instead of giving them any regulations. Letting them damage and even kill our kids and collect money hand over fist while they’re also tearing apart our nation. These tech bros want a tech monarchy with no democracy. Congress is playing a very dangerous game
Yeah, every party is owned by Wall Street to some degree, really
🤞🇺🇸
I think this attack on our democracy can strengthen it in the long run...if we make the right choices now. Republicans for Harris is one of those right choices. They could lead to the creation of a viable center-right political party in the US and a fracturing of the Republican Party. Coalition governments do have risks. I know that from living in Spain. But I think we need more viable political parties, because more people would be inclined to vote for parties that more closely align to their values.
I think it has already strengthened our center left patriotic constitution democracy loving party
As an international subscriber, the intense sense of belonging to a political party (GOP) regardless of how it changes internally is remarkable. I don't belong to a political party in my own country, and I vote differently in local/municipal elections than I do nationally, because the issues are different. 'Republicans for Harris' is going to quietly get bigger and bigger, and then WHAM it will hit a critical mass of people who have spoken out. The contrast between Harris/Trump is stark, and instead of using labels, lets me use everyday words - future/past, self-less/selfish, rule of law/break the law, supports women/denigrates women, inclusive/me first, positive energy/doomsday energy, sacred respect for your constitution/terminate the constitution for self-interest. But the contrast between Walz and Trump is amazing - dad-like/absence of any fatherly attributes, compassionate/belittles people, and accepting/insulting.
Linda, I liked the contrast words of Prosecutor vs Criminal, and Coach vs Couch.
Here's another one...... sane/sadistic psychopath.
That would be nice, but brave people are the ones that will be in this group. But it is a permission structure for the Haley (anti Trump) primary voters nonetheless. Hopefully will pull more with republicans actually doing the grassroots events. We shall see.
Excellent piece as always. I’d love to have Olivia Troye (and Michael Steele) explain why they’re still Republicans. “Fiscal conservatism” is bogus. I’d also love to show this to our next door neighbors. One is definitely voting for Trump; the other is”kind of likes” RFK Jr. I said “No! [My husnand] went to school with him and he’s loonier now that he was then!” Doubt if I changed her mind. We have a good neighborly relationship with them and do not want to spoil that. How can 2 intelligent people be so $#*)@&?
The answer to that would be worth billions to so many of us.
Rumor hath it that the Tech Bros who backed Vance plan on him implementing Article 25 once they are in, and taking over as President from Trump by claiming he is incompetent. I wonder whether Elon asked certain questions to help this along. Of course, Kevin Roberts seems to plan to control the Presidency through the Chief of Staff, as I read the job description in the first chapter of Project 2025, White House Office, the COS will be the gatekeeper to almost everyone approaching the President, so the president can be on the golf course while the COS gets things done. That includes I presume using the auto signature, or why was it mentioned. In that chapter the vice president is mentioned last and it is clear his role is to basically to back and placate the president. Trump dictator wannabe doesn't want a VP. None of his heroes have had to have one. Look at Hitler, Putin, Jinping, The Ayatollah, Jung Un. A COS suits him better. However, I wonder whether these two horrid groups, Tech Bros and Heritage Foundation henchmen are aware of each other and are going to duke it out. Will the richest win? the most evil, or will We the People? I am counting on us.
So many scary thoughts.
That's a doomsday scenario regarding the 25th Amendment and tRump/Vance.
A doomsday scenario we can prevent by voting in Harris-Walz. Viva la Kamala!
I honestly don't understand how any female, person of color, LGBTQUI+ person, people who aren't billionaires/multimillmiollnaires, and people who know climate crisis is real can be a Republican or a Libertarian - any type of regressive. It boggles my mind and pisses me off.
I guess they don't care about their kids or grandkids.
My lifelong progressive Black husband and I, also a lifelong progressive and white, have no kids by choice. We live in the SF Bay Area. Even if Harris/Walz win in November, we still have SCOTUS, Citizens United, the Chevron ruling, lack of gun safety legislation,etc. to contend with.
I'm feeling optimistic but am a pragmatic, logical retired engineer.
My husband and I are keeping our options open. We travel internationally for months at a time. Frankly, there are better countries to reside in for us.
Even if they are billionaires how can they have such unawareness? I live mostly in the EU right now and my daughter is in university in the EU too.
For a lot of white women it goes back to purity culture in churches. Trump already had a primed audience that had been subject to decades of brainwashing and low critical thinking skills starting from early ages which started at purity culture. It’s sad and it takes years and years to crawl out of, many never do.
Colleen, Oprah, a Black, female billionaire told us she is an Independent and she backs Harris. Let us hope her behavior is typical for her demographic. Beyoncé is a Black, female billionaire too, and I think she's with Oprah in backing Harris. She is letting her use her song Freedom. I am a lifelong progressive, dual citizen with Brown skin, and my husband has White skin and is German, and we are living in both the US and Germany--where the debate is on restricting knives, not guns. Even so, I feel pretty safe where I live in Germany, and not so in the US. My husband is still working in the US, and we are both going back and forth. We have friends (he is Brown-skinned from India and she is White-skinned American) who just moved to Portugal to have a family and raise it there. He works for a US company, so they are digital nomads. I am in a community of expats through Democrats Abroad, which is super nice.
I have heard Steele say that he stays Republican just to annoy them lol or for example to prove the point that he is a conservative, they are not.
Having worked in mental health services for over 40 years, I encountered many who held destructive and/or false convictions. Never argue with them. After creating a friendly discussion about any other topic to form some relationship, ask them whether they ever have any concerns or doubts about what they believe. If that is answered affirmatively, you have room for discussion. If you are met with flat out denial, your discussion will devolve into a pointless, unpleasant arguement. It is then time to leave bad enough alone and move on to another subject.
Shortly after we moved here, she started the conversation by saying “You’re probably not going to want to hear this, but we’re conservatives. But we don’t like Trump.” We don’t have any bumper stickers on our cars, or political signs in our yard, so not sure how she knew that.
I was raised in a religious cult. You will never argue someone out of a cult. They can, however, find the answer for themselves with the correct questions and time.
Thank you for highlighting the bridge building the Harris-Walz campaign is doing, Ruth. Your piece reminded me of a comic posted by Allison Gill (@MuellerSheWrote) on Twix of a mom and her daughter at the voting booth. Here’s a link since Substack doesn’t allow images in comments. https://x.com/MuellerSheWrote/status/1815557526488052169
We are all delusional to some extent, but very few as intentionally as the MAGA folks. I blame FoxNews and others like them for deliberately and with malicious profiteering "preaching to the choir." They are the ones who keep the lies and their wealth growing. Perhaps everyone has heard this, but it fits: A psychiatrist said to his delusional patient who thought he was dead, "Dead people don't bleed, right?" His patient agreed, and when the doctor pricked his finger and drew a drop of blood, the patient said, "You're wrong, doc! Dead people do bleed."
Excellent points. We unite to save the country- meanwhile
The press especially the Washington Post is trying their hardest to normalize lying convicted felon & rapist, Trump’s bat💩 crazy delusional ravings of man with visible neurological impairments, probable aphasia & deep seated psychological problems. MSM got Biden out in 3 weeks.
So much for fair & unbiased reporting.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/14/why-trump-keeps-talking-about-fictional-serial-killer-hannibal-lecter/
tRump sees a kindred spirit in Hannibal Lecter. No conscience in either one of them.
Just today I was sharing my joy at the Harris Walz campaign. I was listing the different groups that had been created out of this wave of joy, and that included Mormons for Harris, Comedians for Harris, Old People for Harris, with big name celebrities joining each group. Then someone responded to me that there are also Evangelical Christians for Harris, and this is his base. So, I looked into it right before a woman commented that she wondered if any of them where White. If this Substack writer Charlotte Clymer is to be believed it definitely is. https://charlotteclymer.substack.com/p/wait-evangelicals-for-harris
I love the way she tells the story too. I cannot help but think that Trump is being way too tone deaf when he associates with Elon Musk, who is not a likable guy, and represents the filthy and obscenely rich. In this Trump has lost his populist creds, because he is now hanging out with the wealthiest man in the world and even with all that money is not having the wave that Kamala and Tim are. Evangelicals want to choose joy too, over hate. Also in Germany 3 multibillion dollar firms owners have said no more Teslas because he is supporting Trump. One of them is one of the largest car rental companies in the world. Sixt. https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/rossmann-drugstores-stop-buying-teslas-over-musks-trump-support
Trump was reported today to be begging his youngest son, who is supposedly best friends with a right wing teen influencer to help him get the Gen Z males. He knows better than to expect that he can get Gen Z girls, of which my daughter is one, to vote for him. He is right. They are sick of toxic masculinity with their own generation, they are not going to want it in an older guy like Trump.
I dunno. He will of course get some gen z males, but not a given. My nephew that I am raising just turned 18 and is voting in November and is in no way a liberal or anything. Pretty apolitical, really, but confided in me yesterday that he will Not be voting for Trump. (I was doing internal backflips for sure!)
My Gen Z daughter (a Swiftie), and Gen Z niece and nephews were going to vote for Biden and now are voting for Harris. My one nephew was upset about Gaza and only voting for Biden as the lessor of evils. Rather than debate that with him, I praised him for being mature enough to see that voting is not about the candidate that 100% allies with you, but the one that most closely allies with your values and beliefs. My daughter's boyfriend, who is older than her, has not voted much because he travels a lot, but will be in this election, and he is voting for Harris. He is pretty apolitical too. At least for us, since he is from Texas he was for Bernie not Biden, but definitely not Trump.
“I do not recognize my party. The Republican Party has been taken over by extremists that are committed to forcing people in the center of the political spectrum out of the party. I have something to say to those of us who are in the political middle: You don’t owe a damn thing to that political party…. [Y]ou don’t owe anything to a party that is out of touch and is hell-bent on taking our country backward. And by all means, you owe no displaced loyalty to a candidate that is morally and ethically bankrupt…. [I]n the spirit of the great Senator John McCain, please join me in putting country over party and stopping Donald Trump, and protecting the rule of law, protecting our Constitution, and protecting the democracy of this great country. That is why I’m standing with Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.”
- Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, who describes himself as a lifelong Republican, Friday, August 9, 2024
Dear Dr. Ben-Ghiat. I am so enthralled by the politics and joy and, yes, humor, the Harris-Walz ticket has brought to the presidential campaign. The Vice President reminds us, daily, that the supposed emperor "is not wearing any clothes." The mournful clip of the MAGA supporter who invested $250,000 in "Let's Go, Brandon", paraphernalia that is looking at financial ruin. The articulation of "MAGA is just plain WEIRD", by Governor Walz. And now, Republicans for Harris. I've not been made aware of any "Democrats for Trump" organizations.
Unfortunately, a statistical lead within the margin of error is not electoral victory, considering the culprits on the other side. The intellectual groundwork for the US authoritarian structure was laid in the 1970s. The execution at the local levels began in the 1990s with the culmination of the GW Bush presidency in 2000. Trump and MAGA has been a continuation of the long game. The reactionaries have demonstrated significant power at the judicial and local levels. The US systems held up in 2020; will they withstand another assault?
Our recourse is to demonstrate an overwhelming electoral victory. Ask yourself, are you up to the challenge? Like it or not, gaining an overwhelming mandate is the easy part. The hard part is trying to regain a democracy represented by the rule of law once it has been taken away from you.