'Battle for the Soul’

Biden did not win because he was the better candidate...he won because he was the establishment’s candidate.

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The cover of ‘Battle for the Soul’ betrays the greatest flaw in the book – its failure to appreciate the role played by Bernie Sanders in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, and the fact that, devoid of the direct intervention by the Democratic Party on both occasions, Sanders would have won the Democratic nomination and, most likely, the presidency. The plethora of Democratic candidates are presented in a photo montage showing the various lawn placards bearing their respective names, save one – Sanders.

Whether this oversight was deliberate, or simply indicative of the ongoing denigration of the political insurgency created by Sanders, is not known. What is known is that Dovere treats the Sanders phenomena as mere fodder for his pro-Biden narrative. It takes an astute reader to piece together the intervention of South Carolina Democrat James Clyburn on the side of Biden, which precipitated the withdrawal and subsequent pro-Biden endorsements by Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, and Elizabeth Warren’s decision to stay in the race, to understand how these political machinations cost Sanders the Democratic nomination. Biden did not win because he was the better candidate – he won because he was the establishment’s candidate.

No mention of Obama's role. It was Obama not Clyburn who got the candidates to drop out and Liz to stay in after CA primary.

Dovere’s book tries to sell the reader on the notion that Biden’s 2020 victory was the result of him winning the battle of ideas – the proverbial “battle for the soul,” a take on Biden’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in August 2020, in which he called the upcoming election a “battle for the soul of the nation.” But perhaps Elizabeth Warren had a better insight into the true nature of this “battle.” Dovere quotes her as acknowledging Biden’s turn of phrase, with a twist – “It’s the battle for the survival of a nation that works for most of its people, or only for a thin elite at the top.” The Democrats did not prevail at the polls in 2020 because they had better ideas. They won because they rallied the American establishment against the agent of chaos who had occupied the White House the previous four years.

From the BUT TRUMP files:

Ukraine’s Euro 2020 soccer shirt to carry slogan of Holocaust perpetrators, weeks after arena named for WWII Nazi massacre leader

Ukraine’s national soccer team has sparked outrage online after unveiling its new kit for Euro 2020, which features the rallying cry of Nazi collaborators who played a significant role in the murder of Jews and Poles during WWII.

Since the 2014 Maidan, the groups, historically lionized by neo-Nazis and the far right, have seen their reputation rehabilitated by mainstream politicians in Ukraine, credited as fighters for the country’s freedom. As well as staging paramilitary operations to destroy Polish and Jewish communities, they also fought against the Soviet Red Army as it desperately battled against Nazi German forces in Eastern Europe.

From the Audacity of Obama files:

Obama lamented that such organizations “monetize and capitalize on stoking the fear and resentment of a white population that is witnessing a changing America and seeing demographic changes, and do everything they can to give people a sense that their way of life is threatened and that people are trying to take advantage of them.”

Meanwhile Clinton News Network and MSDNC and their other media sycophants terrorized people on the left and made them afraid that their very own government had been captured by the Evil Russians and especially Vladimir Putin the dastardly brilliant man that has been able to stay just so far enough ahead of the great USA and it's .........oh for cripe's sake I am not finishing that. But how many millions are ready for a war on Russia just because they were lied to?

From the who didn't see this coming files:

Rachel Maddow Rips Merrick Garland For Continuing To Protect Donald Trump
“I don’t think anybody expected it to be continued,” the MSDNC anchor said of the Trump-stained Justice Department.

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Tuesday urged Attorney General Merrick Garland to “clean house” in the Justice Department following its “misbehavior” during the Trump administration or risk setting a precedent that future corrupt presidents could take advantage of.

The hope following ex-President Donald Trump’s use of the department to “go after his enemies and reward his friends” had been that Garland would root out misconduct, come clean and then move on, said Maddow.

Yes it was:

“Under Donald Trump, the U.S. Justice Department was corrupted in multiple cases,”

Let's start with the fact that they tried to overthrow Trump by hook or crook and many people saw that was part of the goal. The other is to manufacture consent for more aggressiveness against Russia, censorship for any view that deviates from the script and that half the country was insane for following Trump.

“Or the Justice Department will be used that way again by the next corrupt president who sees what happened under Bill Barr and the former guy as a legacy of corruption you can build on. And trust me, it will happen,” she warned.

Just imagine if Rachel hadn't sold out during Obama and continued on her way of the Air America days where she was against the soulless empire of the USA:

“I’m not sure we knew to expect that some of the worst stuff from the Trump era, from the Bill Barr Justice Department, would be continued under the Biden administration,” she said. “We knew it had to be cleaned up. We hoped that it would be cleaned up. I don’t think anybody expected it to be continued.”

Guess she forgot that Obama prosecuted 9 whistleblowers including journalists during his tenure as well as convened the grand jury that sent Julian Assange seeking asylum from us in the Ecuadorian embassy...we know how that played out. We saw Obama's DoJ let the war criminals go on their merry way and the banks continue to this day to get money given to them starting long before Covid. A total of $29 Trillion were given to them during Zero's tenure. Us? We got a few thousand. Yay. And now Biden's justice department is still seeking to have Assange sent here for trial knowing damn well the risks to his life it brings. Let's talk about that Rachel. Oh that's right. You can't because you can't back it up any longer. Congrats on that sterling move unless that was the plan all ....? by the way Biden is still requesting journalist's work product looking for links. Just found this from ole Jen Psaki about da pro-publica leak on billionaires not paying taxes for years:

Q On a separate issue: — there was a report this morning about, basically, IRS records showing that very wealthy Americans have evaded paying income tax, almost altogether in certain circumstances. One, do you have any reaction just to that as a factual matter? And, two, are you concerned about that just from a leak standpoint?

MS. PSAKI: Well, let me take the second part first because I think that’s important. Any unauthorized disclosure of confidential government information by a person with access is illegal, and we take this very seriously.

The IRS commissioner said today that they are taking all appropriate measures, including referring the matter to investigators. And Treasury and the IRS are referring the matter to the Office of the Inspector General — the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, all of whom have independent authority to investigate.

So, obviously we take it very seriously. I’m not going to comment on specific unauthorized disclosures of confidential government information.

I can tell you that, broadly speaking, we know that there is more to be done to ensure that corporations, individuals who are at the highest income are paying more of their fair share, hence it’s in the President’s proposals, his budget, and part of how he’s proposing to pay for his ideas.

Well except that Biden is willing to not raise taxes after Trump cut them and apparently it is okay to go after the leaker because for some reason Trump did it and it's okay now to go after whistleblowers. Who the hell cares that the middle class seems to be paying most of the taxes for the US of A-holes. Oh well....

They, Obama, Maddow and every person involved in Russia Gate were the ones running one of the biggest intelligence agency psyops on the country evah. I have an essay on that coming soon.....

Those of us who watched Obama let Bush/Cheney/Banks/Criminals of every stripe get off from absolutely heinous acts and crimes are not surprised that Trump used the presidency as his own personal fiefdom, changed the way things were done in oh so many ways and yet here's ZZBiden back to following the gentleman's laws of etiquette for congress and making sure that McConnell/Manchin/Lieberman/Boehner/Baucus/Nelson block any bill that would help mainstream Americans, but no problem sending trillions to their owners.

Yeah I am seeing a rerun of the Obiden admin and it's going just as well as it did the 1st time. Funny how lots of Obama cretins are back running the show. I'd rather have Pompous Pompeo that Blinken who I abhor with every cell of my being. I never realized his agenda. Antony Cheney fits. Hey wait, didn't democrats promise to protect whistleblowers from now on? Didn't they make sweeping changes after their stooge leaked false accusations again against Trump being naughty with Ukraine? Why YES THEY DID, but oh well. Not no more.

Sam is playing 'beaver' this morning. You should see the mess in the living room. I won't be around till later. I am taking Sam swimming hopefully. Up one canyon thru the valley and halfway up anuther and hope that there isn't any fires. The dam closer to us was on fire yesterday which is about 30 miles from my home. It is going to be a long summer. Today the Guv said to "make yellow lawns a thing again" and for people to put their grass on survival rations to keep it alive for better days. Vegas is tearing up the grass around government buildings to save water. And it is not just the west that is in a drought. Many in the mid-western states are also in dire straits. Gee..it's not like they didn't see this coming. Water restrictions for the last 5-10 might have helped push today farther back. Who knows?

Anyway...it's summer and I am going to go play in it. Hope y'all have something fun lined up this summer too.

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phillybluesfan's picture

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Few are guilty, but all are responsible.”
― Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Prophets

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

snoopydawg's picture

@phillybluesfan

If you want me to take your view over mine then tell me why I should. Tell me what is in the video and what his book is about What makes Nichols right and my story wrong? From what I know of him he’s been a huge propagandist and toes the dem party line. Are you saying that democrats didn’t rig the two primaries Bernie ran in? That is the first point of the essay. Their lawyer admitted it in court.

This tells me all I need to know about Nichols.

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Yeah Biden is doing all he can to keep his campaign promises….

Let’s debate if you feel like it. But this?

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Lookout's picture

Much nicer than pondering the many failures of the ByeDone administration.

We live in a rapacious oligarchy as Jimmy often says. If we had a democracy, I agree Bernie would be in his second term.

Glad you and Sam have one another!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

snoopydawg's picture

@Lookout

We had a blast. I posted about it in the EBs and Sam wasn’t quite ready to swim yet. Surprising but she will get there.

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Raggedy Ann's picture

I actually believe Trump won the election. If Trump had won, I'd be saying I believe Biden won. My mind tells me it wouldn't have mattered who was running, the establishment decided who was going to sit in the resolute desk. Another reason I'm not playing their game, er, voting.

I hope many of you read the articled Matt Taibbi wrote about Dennis Kucinich, which I posted in the Open Thread.

The former presidential candidate on his new book, the "Punch and Judy show" of partisan politics, and how "People move into the system, and instead of changing the system, the system changes them."

The quote brings AOC and the squad to mind.
In keeping with the theme from our treasured Scheerpost website, take a listen to Kuchinich and Scheer discuss the book. https://scheerpost.com/2021/06/04/dennis-kucinich-from-sleeping-in-a-car...

Go along with the system and lose your soul. Pleasantry

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

snoopydawg's picture

@Raggedy Ann

My mind tells me it wouldn't have mattered who was running, the establishment decided who was going to sit in the resolute desk. Another reason I'm not playing their game, er, voting.

Ditto. They have set the agendas decades before and every president has to follow it. Trump pulled the troops and the military just said no. No back talking, just nope we ain’t doing what you said to. And they got away with it just like when the CIA’s troops attacked the pentagon's during a ceasefire. Weird huh?

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About war with Russia, I think I can confidently assert that outside the beltway dinner party circuit, NO ONE in the USA has any further appetite for overseas wars, let alone one with Russia. Why do you think Biden is trying to revive the Iran treaty? Personally, I don't think he gives a damn about protecting Obama's legacy. What I do think is that at some point during the transition he received a briefing from the JCOS with the real figures as to what we actually can afford. Which, I suspect, doesn't include fighting other people's wars. Notice how immediately upon being inaugurated, he announced no further support for the Saudi attack on Yemen.

Who does pay any attention to Rachel Maddow anymore? As for immigration, people's opposition to that is grounded in our own personal experience, not propaganda. Please explain, what money am I supposed to use to hire someone's housekeeper's cousin to do my yardwork? By the time rent and utilities are paid, I have enough for my own frugal needs and that's it. No car, no insurance, no travel. Not necessarily meaning you, snoop, but I do wish some folks would get it into their heads that the American working class is not walking ATM machines.

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Mary Bennett

snoopydawg's picture

@Nastarana

About war with Russia, I think I can confidently assert that outside the beltway dinner party circuit, NO ONE in the USA has any further appetite for overseas wars, let alone one with Russia.

From what I’ve read NATO is still warning Europe about Russia’s aggressiveness because they are building up troop deployments in response to what NATO is doing.

The Iran deal being back in place leaves Biden free to pursue other areas until it’s time to deal with them. IMHO.

Personally, I don't think he gives a damn about protecting Obama's legacy. What

I agree with you that Biden doesn’t care about Obama’s legacy. I think it’s trashed anyway, but Biden is completing a lot of the same things that Obama tried to. Including the TPP making a comeback unfortunately.

Which, I suspect, doesn't include fighting other people's wars.

We have been fighting Israel’s wars in the Middle East for some time, but I think you thought of other wars? Please explain.

Who does pay any attention to Rachel Maddow anymore?

Lots of people still watch Rachel and believe what she tells them. But I included her because she is acting surprised that Biden is still going after journalists and their work product. Anyone who is surprised either didn’t pay attention to the 9 whistleblowers Obama prosecuted including journalists so why they thought Biden would stick up to defend press freedoms is very misinformed about why they are being hounded. Assange should have been a huge honking warning sign but apparently they can’t see it.

As for immigration, people's opposition to that is grounded in our own personal experience, not propaganda. Please explain, what money am I supposed to use to hire someone's housekeeper's cousin to do my yardwork? By the time rent and utilities are paid

Whoo glad that’s not directed at me..lol. Kamala recently sponsored a bill to allow 300,000 foreign workers to come take American jobs and it passed easily. Congress allows immigrants and foreign workers in so that wages stay low and because they have to according to some trade agreements *.

I’ll respond to the rest tomorrow.

Thanks everyone.

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enhydra lutris's picture

be well and have a good one

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

with such a loathsome pile of lies about the Biden "election"? I saw the sarcasm, but I was begging for sarcasm to hold off my rage at Biden and his blatant in-your-face corporatist atrocities.

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On to Biden since 1973

snoopydawg's picture

@doh1304

It is infuriating isn't it?

to hold off my rage at Biden and his blatant in-your-face corporatist atrocities.

It is also sickening to see how congress is blatantly telling us that corporations get free reign, (rein? morning) to do what they want when they want and to who they want. It is like the curtain was pulled back during Trump and the corruption was plain to see and now they just don't care to hide it from us. What is worse is those who defend him and democrats not doing anything again with the majority except to let repubs water down the bills before they are voted on. Kabuki you say?

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@snoopydawg @snoopydawg @snoopydawg both are appropriate.

Free rein, as in giving a horse the ability to steer.

and reign, which is what our rulers do. (not the figureheads, the rulers)

Sorry I have so little to say snoop, but I am consumed with NYC machinations and Israel for the next few days, at least.

You know, I agree with your posts and read them eagerly.

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NYCVG

Biden did not win because he was the better candidate...he won because he was the establishment’s candidate.

Then Clinton would have won in 2016.

The simpler formulation is that the candidate more loathed lost in 2016 and 2020. Doesn't mean that tens of millions of voters don't adore Clinton or Trump, but as those voters are rigid partisans, they and their feelings are irrelevant. These two presidential elections may be unique in this formulation.

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snoopydawg's picture

@Marie

and which they admitted that they have every right to choose their candidate. You seriously think Biden was ahead in the polls even before he entered the race? He was doing few public events and they didn't show him in a kind light because of his difficulty speaking clearly. Just a stutter tho I am sure.

You do remember all the shenanigans that happened during the last primary with Obama moving the chess pieces so he could get Biden the win of the primary. Did Hillary really win in or do we believe all the evidence of interference?

I believe the evidence. I also believe that democrats did a lot of shady things during the election which has been documented. I will pull links if you want them. Give me time tho. Busy, busy day.

Biden is definitely the establishment candidate that ran on being the opposite of Trump and there are very few things that Trump did has Biden reversed. Giving up on the tax rate and letting the poison pill that republicans put in it stay in because more people will be paying higher taxes when the extension for us runs out. 2025? Corporation tax cuts are permanent. Ours are going to rise. Congress is putting the burden of taxes on us and letting corporations take a free ride. Look for the witch hunt for the IRS leak too that will be coming soon. More prosecutions of whistleblowers. Oh yeah Biden was the establishment's choice. Bernie would never be allowed to win and implement his wishes because he can not. They were signed away in trade deals...

Probably TMI. Sorry...

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A shit ton of Bay Area money was gifted to the Bidens "to beat Trump". Does Grampy Joe haz eyes? Where are they? All I see is a squinty black hole when he takes off the shades. Democrat Joe Biden looks more like a moron Republican puppet every time I see him read a speech. I wonder if my Land Lord feels his National Pride returning, because Trump was so embarrassing to the overclass. Yes, probably yes. Sycophants Unite

Thanks for the OpEd review of that book deal snoopydawg. I see Putin is all up under Scott Ritter now, trying to subvert his dominant paradigm. LOL jesus christ almighty wat Do we all go to RussiaToday for daily nooz now hm? Such a disgrace the United States Media Wurlitzer iz become, I read RT every day and MicrosoftNBC never. ABCgonz was junk since the Clinton-mouthopolis took over, Good Morning MY ASS. CBS all tabloid all the time, and "alternative" Pacifica Network spews DemocracyNEVER! daily. WTF is a Pandemic Report? never mind MEH Putin makes the better propaganda, that's what I think. two thumbs up

This is Demokrat Kalifornia Vote D! amazing grace You know there's a homeless camp By the Dock of the Bay, because of course? Sam Cooke would not be here, now. He would be in Hawaii or somewhere more paradisio. Because there is no soul since BigTech is the latest industry to destroy it along with the environment. The ecology is collapsing but nobody cares so just keep typing. And enjoy the phones and tablets and renting everything from here to their soulless singularity, enjoy! My cousin might still live in the houseboat community down there but I haven't heard from him since my nephew died almost three years ago. every thing is e-stranged

Judge allows Sausalito to relocate homeless camp

A man walks among tents in a homeless encampment at Dunphy Park in Sausalito on Thursday, May 27, 2021. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)

... Named “Camp Cormorant” by occupants, the camp started in December behind Dunphy Park. It grew within a few months as people anchored out in the bay lost their boats to rough weather, or to official confiscation by the Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency, a joint powers authority.

The agency is clearing the bay of debris and vessels deemed unseaworthy or unoccupied in accordance with a directive from the San Francisco Bay Conservation Development Commission. The move has drawn criticism by social justice activists.
...
“It’s a shame,” Powelson said. “But we are going to maintain our focus of saving the anchorage community. In terms of moving to Marinship Park, there are certain concerns it’ll be like an internment camp where we are we forced to camp next to people’s homes being crushed.”

Sausalito set to remove lead-laced dirt near Dunphy Park

“The original plan was to mix this soil with the other degrading material at the site to reduce the overall contaminants and to be less than the state and state limits,” he said. “No offhaul of soils was originally anticipated.”

Sausalito resident Sybil Boutilier expressed concerns that the soil removal could expose the homeless campers to unsafe levels of lead.

So move 'em along, giddyup. Because Yes We Can. D-diddly-do anything and everything EXCEPT lower rents and raise wages for proles. gawd forbid that ever happen. VOTE D! This is presently the current future ... STASI EVERYWHERE (There's an app for that!)

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Lead or Fiberglass? Democrat or Republican? Duopoly Sucks! Monopoly times two!

Save the Bay! ... for the overclass. and murder the underclass. Death by a thousand Pelosi grants and Feinstein "votes". My my that "LORDS and GRANTS" language sounds so very unoffensive to them eh, not like all other imperialist asshole language deployed by the soulless "Democratic" warmongers and their never ending book deals. Who publishes that septic crap, making Bezos ever more billions? cui bono? Oh wait never mind. Bernie bono, that's who. Now AOC bono, Omar bono, Pressley bono, etc.. They have agents to handle all that bono these days. Nothing says kaching like a brand New book Deal.

good luck

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snoopydawg's picture

@eyo

and more on the way. There sure has been lots of billions thrown at the homeless problems over the decades haven't there and yet we have more homeless than in quite some time. Yeah it's a good thing that Cali is run by democrats who are just as beholden to corporations as the bigger guys. They had the votes to pass MFA, but didn't. Now is not the time.

Be well eyo.

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“I’m not sure we knew to expect that some of the worst stuff from the Trump era, from the Bill Barr Justice Department, would be continued under the Biden administration,” she said. “We knew it had to be cleaned up. We hoped that it would be cleaned up. I don’t think anybody expected it to be continued.”

lol of course we expected it to continue, many of us expect it to get worse, that's pretty high up there on the giant list of reasons why we wouldn't vote for Biden.

Snoopy, I hope you and Sam got to enjoy a playful summer outing!

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snoopydawg's picture

@Reverend Jane Ignatowski

That anyone would be surpised by what Biden and the dem clowns are doing just boggles my mind. His history was there for all to see and many already knew how bad he had been during his 4 decades in congress felating every CEO he could.

Sam did have a fun adventure yesterday. She is still recovering by sleeping. Except for when she pawses to be a sock thief. I did laundry with 5 pairs of socks. Hid them under the clothes while hanging them up, but damn if she didn't sneak in and steal half of them. Looked out the window and she is throwing the sock up in the air and catching it or jumping over it after it lands. She entertains herself which isn't surprising with all the toys she has....

Hope you have fun plans this summer and that you are feeling better.

Just looked out and there are a ton of birds on the lawn. I told Sam to stay in for awhile. They are busy eating and drinking... and chirping....oh she just went out. It is very quiet now....

a laugh a minute...

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