This is maybe not so far from the truth

This in the Guardian today

Like Brooks’s creations Bialystock and Bloom before him, this is making Trump desperate. What does a guy have to do to lose this damned election? He gets his wife to plagiarise a speech from Michelle Obama. That doesn’t do the trick. He runs a shambolic convention, filling the prime-time hours with C-list soap actresses and avocado growers – and, on one night, a C-list soap actress turned avocado grower – and still his polls don’t tank. Until finally, as if at the end of his tether, he commits a public act of treason, urging Russia to hack and leak the emails of his rival, even if they contain material sensitive to America’s national security. For heaven’s sake, surely now Americans will end Trump’s agony and reject him?

The article goes on have a read, it's the first bit that interested me.

The GOP could not have fabricated a weaker candidate if they tried, like some mad Dr Frankensteins beavering away in a secret lab they have presented the most flawed and despised of all possible contenders. A man bathed in the heady oils of the 1% since birth, a buffoon with such bad hair that it has a life of its own. A liar, a cheat and a thoroughly shoddy business man/walking talking TV "Spitting Image" of a politician. Caribou Barbie seems like a sane and sensible choice by comparison and that was only for VP, good grief the Alaskan Grifter would stuff and mount him in a debate.

The DNC saw to it that Hillary was anointed hook or by crook. A candidate many of us have said was existentially flawed and widely disliked. The Clintons represent so completely what is wrong with DC that any half decent candidate the GOP could have come up with would have probably walked it all the way to the White House. The Clintons blame someone else machine is at full speed, Russians, progressives and "those people" are at fault; not the shoddily corrupt Clinton/DNC machine.

So we have a candidate that can appeal to the sore and rancid heart of everything that is bad in the American psyche and still not be blown out the water in the polls.

This is quite frankly both hilarious and deeply sad. The conventions have become flag waving religiously extremist, America Exceptionalism and Military Might love ins. Who does god love the most! Absolutely shameful and shows the rest of the world that this is indeed an imperialistic and crusading nation.

Who would you trust to use nuclear weapons! What? Seriously? Nobody.

All that this presidential campaign shows me is the total disconnect between the people's needs and their politicians machinations. I thought we were meant to elect the best and brightest, not the least disliked or most Machiavellian let alone the most vilely foolish.

I am reminded of the words by General John Allen from the convention;

“I also know that with her as our commander in chief, our international relations will not be reduced to a business transaction,” he said. “I also know that our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture, and they will not be engaged in murder, or carry out other illegal activities.”

Too late, they already are and have been unilaterally pardoned by our current President, those maimed, tortured and killed across the globe will bear testament to that now and in the future.

Chanting USA USA USA will not bring me round, in fact they are more likely to make me run away as far and as fast as I can.

This was truly frightening and if you cannot see why then all I can say is take your fucking blinkers off, this is worse than anything said by the Bush Administration after 9-11. Jingoism, pure, simplistic and hence doubly frightening.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYuH5fKUn_0]

Now ask me which candidate I fear the most?

I'm not sure.

They are both doing a pretty fine job at scaring me. Same goes for their uber-partisan followers.

Namaste

Alessandra.

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riverlover's picture

I was driven mad during the roll call (role call?). Nope, not gonna listen. You are braver than I, lafeminista.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

The speech and the reactions to it were more than worrying.

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Alligator Ed's picture

This election campaign becomes more absurd with each passing day. As you correctly analyze, the Orange-faced one seems like he is actually trying to lose the election--no ground troops, no coherent scheme of governance, and often no coherent speech. Yet, the bitter irony of this, especially to us Berners, is that despite HRC's attempts to win seem to give her any lasting upward surge.

May the Heavenly Spirit of the Great Email in the Sky call Hillary home to the ether--before November.

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The 5:38 mark was as far as I could get.

USA, USA, USA. We are all of humanity's last best hope? Seriously?

We are living realtime in Orwell's dystopian world. Up is down, war is peace, violence is caring, psycopathy is loving. This is right up there with newsreels of the Third Reich. More depressing even than the planet's march toward a major extinction event.

I'd rather watch slaughterhouse exposés.

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Capitalism is the extraordinary belief that the nastiest of men for the nastiest of motives will somehow work for the benefit of all."
- John Maynard Keynes

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Lily O Lady's picture

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Oldest Son Of A Sailor's picture

Listening to that speech...

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"Do you realize the responsibility I carry?
I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."

~John F. Kennedy~
Economic: -9.13, Social: -7.28,
lotlizard's picture

Whoa, looks like the only “joke” was on me because Hillary and her new improved neocon-neolib Dem regime will rule the world by force of will or know the reason why.

Against a hyper-militaristic Madame Kinetic Action and Kim Jong Kontrol-Freak, a bumbling Trump doesn’t stand a chance.

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k9disc's picture

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“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

a combination that is frightening

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...they were just supplying their $50 worth of cheering. Which, somehow, contributes even more to the nationalist-fascist celebration.

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Wink's picture

3 minute ovation free of charge by more-than-willing supporters. Well, not exactly free. Both Bernie and his supporters put in a lot of time and cold hard for the honor and privilege of those 3 minutes. Something HRC will never get.

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Cachola's picture

It's harsh and might offend some but I get her.
"When I heard all the Americans cheering for the military and the pronouncements of might coming from the speakers in the Wells Fargo Centre, I loathed you. I loathed every single one of you. I knew in my gut that what I was taught as a child was true, which is that YOU are the enemy. YOU are the country to be feared. YOU are the country to be disgusted by. YOU are ignorant. And your greed and self-satisfaction and unearned pride knows no bounds.

You people have no idea what it is like for people from other countries to hear you boast and cheer for your guns and your bombs and your soldiers and your murderous military leaders and your war criminals and your murdering and conscienceless Commander in Chief. All those soaring words are received by the rest of us, by us non-Americans, by all the cells in our body, as absolutely repugnant and obscene."

There's more:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/07/29/my-fellow-americans-we-are-fools/

Edited for spelling.

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Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur.

ZimInSeattle's picture

of either convention. This country is so fucked up I really wish I'd never moved back from Germany. All the shit that is happening in Europe and the ME with terrorism and the refugee crisis can be traced directly back to American imperialism. We are the Dark Side. There's no getting around that. The Queen of Chaos is only going to make it darker.

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"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020

fakenews's picture

But, but - "I support the incubator babies!". The scare tactics concocted by corporate/gov't/media will only get worse under Hillary because she is the director of this "Wag the Dog" reality show. How easily she disbursed the "Russians hacked me" story was mind boggling - ah, yes there is more to come my friends... I once thought the word to describe this country as "fascist" was over the top but not anymore. However, we need a good Frank Luntz equivalent of "fascist" to describe this country because it takes some time for the uninitiated to overcome the shock of that word which best describes where we now stand.

Peace
FN

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"Democracy is technique and the ability of power not to be understood as oppressor. Capitalism is the boss and democracy is its spokesperson." Peace - FN

LapsedLawyer's picture

Russians!" phony finger-pointing.

That's what scares me. That she wants a new Cold War -- actually more than that, with her new no-fly zone in Syria, we could see the following:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UylkQXqhlKs]

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzddAYYDZkk]

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"Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it."
-- John Lennon

TheOtherMaven's picture

First major military offensive of the American Revolution? An attempt to invade and conquer Canada! (It was a disaster, but the American leaders were lauded anyway.)

First major military offensive of the War of 1812? You got it - an attempt to invade and conquer Canada. (It failed miserably.)

"54-40 or Fight" - fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and the western border was aligned with the extant line.

Mostly you don't hear about this shit, as it is not taught in US schools - nothing detrimental to the National Image is.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

It is taught, or was - but I think teenagers don't have enough of their own history to appreciate anyone else's very much, and history classes are famously dry and boring.

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"Mostly you don't hear about this shit, as it is not taught in US schools - nothing detrimental to the National Image is."

- a bit of hope: Many teachers live by the "close the door and teach" method. Despite what the union ordered, most of us our profoundly left in our leanings, and there are many discussions about the harm this country has caused in the world. The kids get it.

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I read it on my phone, and the best I could do with it was drop a link into Sabir's booing diary. I think she was totally on point.

In fact, those very sentiments are one of the reasons I applied to Italy for dual citizenship jure sanguinis for me, my daughter and three grandsons. I may not use it, but it is a family gift that I just had to secure and pass down. When born, all of my great grandchildren will automatically be Italian/EU citizens too. I am 100% Italian and grew up in a large Italian family that is all gone now. It was a gift to my kids and a tribute to the wonderful childhood my Italian family gave me that I just had to do.

The ruling elite destroyed this country, and they deserve all of the scorn they and their empire get.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

I heard excerpts on Dem Now and just stared at the radio slack jawed while Amy went on with the news. It was worse than Poppy's State of the Union after sturm und shield. What utter bullshit! When you openly opt to say you would use nuclear weapons. . . FUCKING STOP ALREADY YOU ASSHOLES!
I vote for humanity over destruction and war. . . and I'm the one who's privileged?
I vote for clean and fair and ACCOUNTABLE election processes and I'm selfish?
I vote for a fair and Living minimum wage index d to inflation and I'm immature?
I vote for and end to corrupt banking practices that siphon money ever faster away from the very people who need it to those who have so much of it they can't be bothered to give a fuck and I have to be pragmatic?
I vote for a separation of church and politics using the tax code to implement policy and the same with big money in politics and I'm unrealistic?
I vote fo a fucking change of direction for energy and drastic immediate steps to mitigate(if we can) the most devastating effects of climate chaos so my wife's kids can live in a halfway habitable world and I need to get over it?
Fuck That Shit.

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Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .

Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .

If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march

Phoebe Loosinhouse's picture

The Producers reference in the Guardian blurb is spot on as is your description. The Donald Trump candidacy is surreal, many people simply can't believe he is in fact the official candidate of the GOP.

As to the list of transgressions, my husband had a theory that Trump merely wanted to be a disruptor and to enhance his own brand when he started his road to the nomination, and that he himself was attempting to blow up his own candidacy at multiple stages so he could return to the comfort of his penthouse and make sniping tweets for the duration. Mission accomplished - his brand would be burnished and he would become in Bizarro Media World a political pundit as well as a reality show star.

We think he was as astonished as anyone that at some point Rance Preibus didn't make the call which said, "Donald? No can do. You're annihilating our Party and you're by the way, a really vile human being who brings out all the evil that most humans have managed to keep squashed down in their reptile brain so that we can have civilization and stuff. But, no hard feelings? Can we count on you for the donor dinner on Wednesday?"

So Rance didn't make that call. Republicans have lost their respect (both internal and external), their credibility, their judgment, their values, their ethos - virtually every quality that would make anyone think they should be running the country or the world. Why? Because they were so afraid of the troglodyte faction of their Party? Because they didn't want Trump to call them imbecilic nick names or shame their body parts? They really were willing to crash the ship on the Donald reef? Why? Why? Why? They could have moved in with the bouncers early on. They missed their window of opportunity which was when Erick Erickson, the only Republican to stand up to Trump, rescinded an invitation to the Red State gathering.

As you say La Feminista, virtually any other Republican could have glided into the White House, given the historical precedents of the succession of a two term Presidency and the many vulnerabilities of the Democratic candidate.

We are left with the smoldering ruins of the two major Parties who have managed to simultaneously put up for office the two most horrific candidates in generations, leaving the majority of Americans who are repelled by both to ponder their options in an optionless world.

IMO those leaning right at the crunch point in the voting booth will go for the Libertarians.
I think most Dems and lefties will succumb to the guilt vote and vote for Hillary (assuming she survives any future scandal, because we all know there will be a future scandal) but possibly enough will vote write-in for Bernie or go Green that she doesn't make the critical threshold.

My prediction for President which I will make here and now is that the Libertarians will have a surprise win and that Rs will retain the House and the Senate.

IMO the best outcome for lefties would be the Libertarian win for President but with a Democratic House and Senate. Without Hillary at the helm, the Democrats will be forced to continue their charade that they care about the 99% at least until the next Presidential in 2020. If Hillary wins and has Democratic majorities we can expect a full slate of DINO legislation with a few tweaks of the ACA as the sop for the whiny lefties plus the potential for numerous foreign misadventures, God help us. Naturally, this is my opinion only based on. . . . my opinion.

Edit to add - The option we weren't allowed to have, a Bernie Presidency and Dem majorities in a wave election of real change with Bernie at the helm would have been awesome! Sniff. . . . .

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" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "

He may well have painted himself into a corner with his Lonesome Rhodes act, not anticipating just how numerous would be the dumb rubes who would buy it. Yet here he is, living out a Monty Python version of a Republican candidacy in a country that just refuses to see the joke.

His problem is that he's pitted against an equally cartoonish, Bond-villainy opponent, with an even less plausible persona of a feminist crusader and cozy abuela. We haven't seen a transformation this unconvincing since the Big Bad Wolf ate Little Red Ridinghood's grandmother and dressed up in her clothes. And she's got an equally impressive following of dumb rubes she has gulled.

The difference is that the Big Bad Wolf desperately wants to eat us all, while Lonesome Rhodes is more like the proverbial dog who caught the car. It's not at all clear he knows what to do now. Of course, Donald can instantly surround himself with stern-faced men who know exactly what to do, and that's terrifying. Trouble is, Hillary has already surrounded herself with stern-faced men and women who also know exactly what to do, and they're not clearly much better.

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Sublimely so.

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wilderness voice's picture

LaFem, Phoebe, DD -

What does a guy have to do to lose this damned election? He gets his wife to plagiarise a speech from Michelle Obama. That doesn’t do the trick. He runs a shambolic convention,... Until finally, as if at the end of his tether, he commits a public act of treason, urging Russia to hack and leak the emails...
The GOP could not have fabricated a weaker candidate if they tried,

Trump merely wanted to be a disruptor and to enhance his own brand when he started his road to the nomination, and that he himself was attempting to blow up his own candidacy at multiple stages so he could return to the comfort of his penthouse and make sniping tweets for the duration.

not anticipating just how numerous would be the dumb rubes who would buy it. Yet here he is, living out a Monty Python version of a Republican candidacy in a country that just refuses to see the joke... like the proverbial dog who caught the car.

greatest hits, all.

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I'm so glad to have this one corner of sanity left on the internet. Just joined up today because I missed great comments like these ever since I left DK months ago. Always loved your stuff DallasDoc, your essay there on Hillary's shameful display at Nancy's funeral was a tour de force, I can't believe anyone could read those words and still continue to support her. The Clinton's truly are a menace to our Republic, and continuing to accept their abuse is a path to our own demise.

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... as we used to call it a couple of iterations ago. You're very welcome here, and thank you so much for the kind words.

Congratulations on your Emancipation day!

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Raggedy Ann's picture

in your libertarian win prediction because they are on all 50 state ballots and Johnson is the "sane" pick over Drumpf. Even only the Senate in dem hands would help, if the House doesn't turn. If Johnson and Stein can get in the debates, anything can happen.

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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

featheredsprite's picture

They actually have 30-some-odd states under their collective belt. But they are about 10 states ahead of the Greens and are working on the rest.

And yes, they have a chance in this election.

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Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.

Raggedy Ann's picture

I had read they were already on all the states ballots. I'll keep an eye on it. Smile

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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

lotlizard's picture

about who is at fault for the sled ending up in the snowbank.

“You knew Trump was awful — why didn’t you stop him?”

You knew Hillary was awful — why didn’t you stop her?

Rinse and repeat.

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Let's say that the thought that Trump is trying to lose the election is accurate. Why isn't it working?

First, too many Republican voters aren't known for their cognitive skills. They are thoroughly conditioned to vote elephant no matter what. (see: FOX viewers, Tea Baggers)

Second, The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy lives and breathes. It is kept alive by the subject of the calumny with Her callous disregard for secrets, security procedures, and the law. Many of Her associations the majority of us find quite distasteful, and we question why these associations have been so generous to someone who isn't generally seen as warm and fuzzy, so we suspect there is more to the gifting than meets the eye.

Thirdly, Her history and Her Machiavellian activities behind the scenes have harmed a great many people. Fearing a repeat, or maybe a resumption of the process, of taking away that which one has become accustomed to enjoying in trade for fair labor, many seek to prevent this. Americans have become so inured with the idea that Manichean politics are the only possible options that they feel forced to support someone they normally would reject. They can't -or won't- see any other possibilties, or fear acting upon them if they can see them.

Fourthly. The late, great Vince Lombardi forever poisoned the American mind with his adage about winning being the ONLY thing. This has seeped into politics, where if one isn't voting for a likely winner, one is declared to be "wasting" one's vote.

Lastly, there is a serious lack of longer-term planning in what passes for American thinking. Too many can't see any further in time than their pudenda are long. Setting up later accomplishments isn't likely to enter the deliberations.

Thus, no matter what Trump does, he will still have support, for he's successfully cornered the market on Republican voters, media coverage, and popular disgust over Hillary's activities. And with the many miscues of Hillary's campaign, she's helping him all she can.

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Vowing To Oppose Everything Trump Attempts.

... that she can't campaign her way out of a paper bag. She has to use her insider machine to either clear the field for her, or to lie and cheat and steal her way home. If that doesn't work, she loses. With her network of Wall Street and MIC sponsors, it's probable she is planning on cheating her way home in November, as her coalition is probably strong enough to out-cheat the Republicans' fossil fuel base. But when Hillary is involved, there's always the possibility she'll lose anyway. I can't think of a more unlikeable figure in national politics in my lifetime aside from Dick Cheney and Dick Nixon.

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ZimInSeattle's picture

I have been telling my Republican colleagues and friends that Trump has no chance of winning since the Queen of Chaos has proven conclusively in the primary that she has control of the election apparatus. So much for increasing voter turnout. Many R's I know are not even going to vote at this point. #DemExit

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"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020

Alphalop's picture

Many R's I know are not even going to vote at this point.

I too know many Republicans that are feeling this way.

Rather than let them drop out, I have been trying to get them to consider instead sending a loud message of rejection by voting for a third party.

I usually make this my "elevator pitch":

"Look, they WANT you to quit, because then it is easier to dismiss you. They can just chock you up as another lazy non-voter rather than acknowledge that you are someone that rejects their position.

Don't give them what they want. I know you probably won't vote Green, but I encourage you to look at both Jill Stein AND Gary Johnson. Spend like an hour or two over a week on each, and dig deeply, don't read from one side and if something sounds odd find credible sources to verify it.

If America is really important to you, you can afford to give it that much of your time."

This can be done in under 30 seconds without sounding rushed or forced and has been incredibly receptive.

Frequently it starts a dialog that then lets me go on a bit about the greens and touch on the little bit that I know about Johnson (I gotta work on that last part.) Edited to add: "Gotta work on my Johnson." Huuhuhuhuhuh! Wink

What is kinda cool to watch is when they realize that if you are not bullshitting them that they actually agree with a large portion of the Green Agenda.

The Democrats are not the only party who's membership is having an awakening, and we need to capitalize on that as a movement.

If we are gonna really get a 3rd or even a 4th party going like I hope we need to start injecting the idea that it is not only possible but quite logical to do so into the public consciousness.

One thing we can't afford to do is live in a bubble like the Democrats do.

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"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me

Wink's picture

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

Hawkfish's picture

Ex military, classified work, really worried about Trump, despises Clinton. Wondered about Libertarians and I said to go for it because I was voting for Stein. We all managed to have a great - and first - political discussion, even though too much wine was involved.

Normally I would stay away from the subject, but damn if it didn't work. So I second this approach.

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We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg

Alphalop's picture

of the end of the division that TPTB have worked so hard to sow?

I am noticing that now that we have the ability to say, "Both parties are fucked" to each other engaging in a dialog with the less rabid conservatives is becoming easier and less tense?

Earlier I realized that it has been much easier to talk civilly and logically with some some conservatives, agree that we disagree on certain points but also easier to acknowledge that we also agree on a lot more than we thought.

If it wasn't for the "PC Tree Hugger" perception (warranted or not) that many of them hold I think a lot more of them would be open to voting green in some cases.

I wonder how much we could get done if we agreed, "Look, you don't try to pass any Pro Life/Anti-Gay stuff for 10 years and we will not propose any new gun stuff for 10 years" without those wedge issues in the way dividing us.

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"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me

Hawkfish's picture

She made no bones about disagreements but indicated a willingness to work on things like de escalation and legalization.

Power makes people deaf.

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We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg

Hillbilly Dem's picture

The Rethug insiders machine will support Trump, because it has to support the nominee. But unlike the Dem machine, the Rethugs did not want Trump (who WAS nominated in a fair and open process) in the first place. The Rethugs will not lift a crooked finger to cheat for him, while the Dems, on the other hand........

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"Just call me Hillbilly Dem(exit)."
-H/T to Wavey Davey

reflectionsv37's picture

I'm sorry I watched that. I could have lived quite happily never having heard that speech. It sounded way to close to the drumbeats of war. I found it terrifying. As bad as the speech was, the cries of USA, USA seemed like something out of a war movie. And it obviously came out as planned. Those USA signs were passed out for a reason.

The whole thing makes me wonder what is going to happen in the near future?

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“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
George W. Bush

Raggedy Ann's picture

This is the mentality they are beating the drum for. Fall into line. Resistance is the only way.

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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

dance you monster's picture

One can argue that the mood in the Convention was not quite as bellicose as the general's speech suggests. The "USA, USA, USA" chants were, we are told, intended to drown out the "No more wars" chants from other Dems in the arena. But the presence of those USA signs proves the lie to that: the intention of the organizers of this spectacle was to brandish a militant nationalism with unconstrained, unopposed, unquestioned gusto.

That the Democratic Party under Hillary's banner are the ones to try to drown out any anti-war expression in the ranks is wholly sufficient to tell me this is no longer my party. That it may, in fact, be the enemy of anyone who wants to see peace. Like others before me who in retrospect have had to come to realize that the little signals of philosophical dissonance they had brushed off in the past were really the clues to a horror to come, I have to ask myself why I could ever have supported this party. The seeds of the present were always there. I even saw them then, but I always let them pass as I acquiesced to lesser-evilism. No more. No more. The tipping point is behind us now. Opposition is the only moral course.

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But they also need to find a new way to say it. Which is where the poetry comes in. Trump’s strength is his ability to speak directly to the gut, often bypassing the cerebral cortex altogether. It’s no good for enlightened types to harrumph their disapproval. If such an approach is effective, they need to deploy it themselves. If the political brain is an emotional brain, as the evidence has long suggested it is, then progressives need to start speaking fluent emotion. There were no "progressives", only republicans on stage at the DNC.

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Phoebe Loosinhouse's picture

of some interview and storm off. I really don't think he actually wants the tedium and boredom and hard work of the Presidency. He's not up to it. He doesn't seem to have the attention span or the curiosity required to bring himself up to speed on a plethora of topics. He mixed up Tim Kaine and Tom Kean for Godssakes! Who briefs him? He had the biggest gift ever given to any candidate in the history of the world with Hillary's emails and National Security issues in them and then manages to make the whole issue a referendum on himself and Russia! He is making himself into the biggest buffoon in the world in the national spotlight.

If I were one of Trump's kids, and had any interest in retaining the family brand and fortune, I would tell him to find some medical condition ASAP with which he can reluctantly conclude prevents him from gifting his magnificent self to the American citizenry. Then the Republicans can decide if they want to go with Pence (a mistake), Cruz (also a mistake), invite the Libertarians to run under the Republican umbrella (not sure how they could do that but not a bad idea) or whatever conclusion they come to, it can't be as horrible as having Trump as their candidate.

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" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "

MarilynW's picture

Tony Swartz, Trump has 0 interest span. I'm trying to imagine a person with no interest span, he would be like a 2 year old child.

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To thine own self be true.

Lily O Lady's picture

a terrible medical condition. Pence becomes president. Shit meets fan.

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

lotlizard's picture

Someone posted an item about that movie recently.

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Big Al's picture

Anybody say that yet?

The Democratic party is the opposition, the enemy as Margot puts it. I've been saying that all along this election and the major reason why I've been critical of Sanders and critical of the "working within" strategy. The majority of people in this country do not want either of these people to be president. That has to be taken advantage of.

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featheredsprite's picture

First, since Hillary's score on the Wikileaks poll was so dismal [22%], it would be a waste of our precious time to devote too much effort on attacker her, even if she deserves it.

Secondly, I think it's useless to attack Donald Trump. Everybody knows about so many of his faults, a few more probably wouldn't matter.

I think we have to go positive. Address the issues that really affect people's lives. The Green Party has 4 pillars and 10 guiding values [included below]. My plan is to take one of these and push it every day until I get to the end of the list and then start over. [We need to do other things too, of course.]

Green values.
http://www.gp.org/four_pillars_10_kv

The Four Pillars
Charlene Spretnak’s book, Green Politics: The Global Promise, became an early primer and inspiration to those seeking to start a Green Party in the US. The book provided insights into the challenges German Greens faced, as they sought to bring together social movements in an “anti-party” party that was capable of practicing Green values and winning seats in Parliament.
The book also publicized the Four Pillars of the West German Greens, as a values basis for their new party: ecology, social justice, grassroots democracy and non-violence.
.
The wording of the Four Pillars has varied slightly as different local Green Parties have adapted them.
.
The Ten Key Values
The Ten Key Values came about at a marathon session at the first Green meeting in 1984, facilitated by then Los Angeles-based and later Eugene, OR activist Jeff Land, with primary contributions by Charlene Spretnak and Murray Bookchin of the New England Institute for Social Ecology.
According to Mark Satin, a journalist invited to cover the meeting, “About 50 of us were trying to think of a project that could help define us and put us on the political map. Everyone sensed that something important could come out of [the workshop designed to come up with the document]. A “collective brain” seemed to take hold, and we began working together as one…”

Eventually a committee of Spretnak, Satin and Eleanor LeCain (coordinator of the Peace and Environmental Coalition) were charged with writing a draft Values Statement from the notes, and reporting that back for approval.

The eventual set of Ten Key Values they submitted was approved by consensus in late 1984, and became a foundational basis for U.S. Greens going forward.

Yet it would not be long before the Left Green Network (LGN), formed in 1988, issued their own, this time with 14 Values. Over time, Greens in different states would adopt their own versions of the Ten Key Values, most often modifying Post-patriarchal Values into Feminism and/or Gender Equity; Personal and Social Responsibility as Social Justice, and Future Focus to include Sustainability.
1. Grassroots Democracy
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect his or her life and should not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.
2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.
3. Ecological Wisdom
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.
4. Non-Violence
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society's current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in help- less situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.
5. Decentralization
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.
6. Community Based Economics
Redesign our work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy. Develop new economic activities and institutions that will allow us to use our new technologies in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological and accountable, and responsive to communities. Establish some form of basic economic security, open to all. Move beyond the narrow "job ethic" to new definitions of "work," jobs" and "income" that reflect the changing economy. Restructure our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy: those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work, etc. Restrict the size and concentrated power of corporations with- out discouraging superior efficiency or technological innovation.
7. Feminism and Gender Equity
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.
8. Respect for Diversity
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines. We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.
9. Personal and Global Responsibility
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well- being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.
10. Future Focus And Sustainability
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or "unmaking" all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions. Make the quality of life, rather than open-ended economic growth, the focus of future thinking.

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Life is strong. I'm weak, but Life is strong.

MarilynW's picture

We only have one Green Member of Parliament, Elizabeth May but she won Parliamentarian of the Year award for her diligence. She reads the bills and interprets them for us. She speaks up every chance she gets. We had to fight to have her recognized and given a part in the pre-election debates. I had no idea how powerful one MP could be, if it's the right person. Jill Stein for example would be a powerhouse if she ever got to Congress.

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To thine own self be true.

Hawkfish's picture

We have to use what little bandwidth is left to say something different, something positive.

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We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg

MarilynW's picture

it just has not been recognized officially yet. My hope is that it continues to grow and strengthen. History is full of surprises.

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To thine own self be true.

TheOtherMaven's picture

and the Libertarians are ahead of the Greens in ballot access at this point.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Citizen Of Earth's picture

Thanks for posting the Gen. Allen speech. That needs to get lots of airplay. Scary and horrific to see what the Dems have morphed into.

Uncle DIC (Death Industrial Complex) is smiling and salivating for a President Hellery.

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Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

I can't watch more than a minute or two of that speech withou breaking into a cold sweat. When I started calling the DNC show Triumph of the Hill, I thought I was being hyperbolic.

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Please help support caucus99percent!

but all I could do was wish that Kurt Vonnegut was still alive. That speech was right out of Slaughterhouse 5 - a ludicrous, satirical attempt to Americanize Nazism. (btw, did anyone else notice the swipes at Obama?

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On to Biden since 1973

If I have to choose between Dr Evil and Ernest P Worrell, I'll take the latter.

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Big Al's picture

This is from Fox.

"Dr. Sebastian Gorka reacts on 'Hannity' after ISIS is rarely mentioned during Democratic convention."

Unbelievable. I didn't listen to it but this is just unreal. Here we are ranting about how fucking conservative and warmonger like the Dem party is and they're saying that.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/5064413336001/gorka-the-dnc-has-been-captured...

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Phoebe Loosinhouse's picture

so in that context it makes sense for them t say it. They can hardly say "It's Reagan's Morning In America again over there" can they?

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" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "

thanatokephaloides's picture

Sean Hannity has drifted (Grifted?) so far from reality that no amount of LSD could get anyone with a working brain to even understand most of his positions, much less adopt them!

Bad

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

What if? People keep saying he's trying to lose or just ignorant. But he just beat out 16 experienced, known, Republican politicians, with the whole Republican establishment (not quite as crooked as ours, I guess) and all the media sneering at him. How can that be? Might the Conventional Wisdom on political skills and how to campaign possibly be wrong?

What if we consider that (some of) what he says might be true? He says the country is being governed badly, the system is rigged, our "trade" policies are destroying us, we shouldn't be intervening in other countries' affairs militarily, and NATO should be reined in. He says that most of us have been getting a raw deal. He says we need to rebuild our infrastructure and provide jobs here at home (America First, oh, eek!). He says something needs to be done for our own people. He actually defended Planned Parenthood on a Republican debate stage, "oh, they've done a lot of good." Paulson has endorsed Hillary, reportedly because Trump refused to commit to cutting Social Security and Medicare. Hmm! So far so good, I think.

He says he likes to win. Seems true. OK, could he have run as a Democrat and gotten the nomination, however perfect his message and language were? Hard to do that any better than Bernie did, and the Clinton Machine stomped him. So let's say that doesn't look like a winning prospect this year.

Now for the bad stuff. He's said a LOT of gross and disgusting and wrong things. Definitely. He ain't got no class, either. His style revolts most of us. But if we assume that he wants to win, considering that he's just REVERSED longstanding Republican Party policy on both 1) free trade and 2) militarism, could he have won their nomination without throwing the masses a lot of red meat? The neocons and warmongers are abandoning the GOP and flocking to endorse Hillary.

I'm focusing on human survival lately: 1) climate change (the TPP "trade" deal would doom us), and 2) no nuclear war (preferably no war at all). All the other goals depend on neither of those things happening. So I'll be interested to see how the general election campaign progresses, in terms of major policy issues, trying to ignore an often revolting style.

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riverlover's picture

More nausea in the future. I made up my mind, Demexit accomplished, want to laugh at the dead cat bounce post-whatever- that-was coronation. A false flag event is on the horizon, sailing our way.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

lotlizard's picture

A false flag event is on the horizon, sailing our way.

Don’t we say that the Deep State (or Disaster Capitalism; take your pick) knows how to stage crises and then exploit them?

Trump versus Hillary and a majority disgusted with both major parties — a crisis.

What angle, this time, and how?

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riverlover's picture

Russia is such an obvious target now. Although I feel great pain calling Russia a target.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

has gone to this much trouble to give us these candidates, they must have some big changes planned for after the election.

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bygorry

Lily O Lady's picture

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Bisbonian's picture

that Hillary was promised the Presidency in 2016 in return for conceding and 'unifying' with Obama in 2008. And that Trump was enlisted to be the boogeyman that would do everything he could to be the worse option.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

TheOtherMaven's picture

because people are finding that the Big Bad Wolf isn't as scary as they were told - and the people telling them so are scarier.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Lily O Lady's picture

pesky kids!

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Watching a scene from Lord of the Flies
Or watching the Democratic Party morphing into the GOP right before our eyes....

Last night someone on the Mahar show asked if this display of militarism disturbed anyone and both Alex Witt and Bill Mahar said it was just democratic retaking ownership of patriotism .... SHEEESH

CHANTING USA USA to drown out No More War ?

Welcome to the USA circa 1968

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Orwell was an optimist

I got a survey from Gallop. Turns out it was only on Trump. Too bad. They asked a ton of questions about his positions that I couldn't answer because I don't know them. I knew the highly publicized things like wall, trade, and infrastructure, but the others no clue. I guess I will have to learn more about him because Hillary.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Lily O Lady's picture

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

of Nationalism in the morning.

Jingoistic exceptionalism, what fun. But we'll have the best weapons, they'll be YUGE weapons, and we'll crush anyone who gainsays us.

I don't think the R's can outdo that speech.

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I was on the floor as a Bernie Delegate, chanting " no more wars"... We were surrounded by people who were physically blocking us from media and the VIP section, and threatened with expulsion or arrest, as well as obstruction of free speech. Very scary.

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Trump did not call on the Russians to hack Hillary's emails - he said that they had already hacked her. And everyone but Hillary supporters assumed that already.

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On to Biden since 1973

"No More War!" During Allen's speech.we were right next to the VIP seating area on the floor, all the way stage left, where Kaine, Bill, etc. were seated. We were immediately surrounded by people with signs to block us (and secret service)...They rolled up the banner in front of us, however, and had to move because they were blocking the ADA closed -captioned TV. Many could not hear us because of noise mitigation machines installed. I was also at the Platform Committee Meetings in Orlando, and can confirm that the Dem Platform on foreign policy was very aggressive. We couldn't do much to change it.

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