After listening to the concession speech I’m not sure she learned anything. Then you have that AG from New York. Oye these people.
The media hasn’t learned a thing either. But it’s like I said. We need to make it to January before we start celebrating.
So far we have some milestones. First the state certifications. Then the electoral college meets. Then the congressional certification and then inauguration.
I wish I could take credit for the following, but it comes from Nick Catoggio.
“if you elect a cretin once, you’ve made a mistake. If you elect him twice, you’re the cretin.”
Trump’s win is truly stunning. It is a watershed event, a tectonic shift, pick your metaphor. The Democratic Party is severely diminished. That part is actually good.
The United States will be different from this point forward if Republican populism policies as promised by Donald Trump and JD Vance are actually implemented. Only time will tell. If it goes badly the people who elected this man will be responsible.
Regardless of one's belief system, you have to believe that God saved Donald Trump's life in Butler, Pennsylvania to allow him to become our President. I happen to believe that the protection of Israel plays into this scenario, too.
I live in NW Atlanta just north of downtown and while I didn’t see as many Harris signs as Biden this cycle, there weee still plenty, including an obnoxious K-A-M-A-L-A strung across the front of a house near me. By the time I walked the dog at 8:30 am, almost all of the signs were gone.
Looks to me like some should burn those psychic cards and purchase some new ones. RR received a mandate over Jimmy Carter's egregious policies and inflation. Now DJT has done the same with the Dems destructive policies. It was a great night and all the Dem Socialists are really chapped. DT should extend great caution with his movements and try to stay very safe. There will be assassinations' (more) attempts. Also, he should hire some food testers. Prepare for some Dem brought chaos.
Sorry for the long comment, but below is a story from Robert Kuttner from a progressive site called the Prospect. I am on their mailing list in an attempt to understand their lunacy. If you want to have some inkling of what they are thinking read on:
A Republic, If We Can Keep It
How could this have happened? What now?
Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump was bigger than Hillary Clinton’s. And unlike the inept Clinton campaign of 2016, Harris made no big blunders.
After all we learned from Trump’s first term and from a 2024 Trump campaign filled with narcissistic, deranged bullying, the American people knew exactly what they were getting. But still a popular majority likely voted for Trump.
One answer has to do with race and gender. Too many Americans, especially white men, were still not willing to vote for a woman, even less a Black woman. The anticipated wave of white women’s support for Harris did not materialize at levels sufficient to offset the massive male gender gap in Trump’s favor.
Even the issue of reproductive rights, a sheer gift from the Republican right to the Harris campaign, was not decisive. Late-deciding independents swung to Trump, not to Harris. Despite the widely publicized "island of garbage" quote, Harris actually did worse among Hispanic voters than Biden did.
In Trump’s three elections, the one Democrat who was able to beat him, just barely, was a white male named Joe Biden. That speaks volumes.
But there was more to Trump’s win than race and gender. The second answer is that Harris ran a muddled campaign. When voter after uncommitted voter tells interviewers that they don’t know what Harris stands for, something is wrong. Yes, Harris had only three months to make clear who she was and what her presidency would be about. But that is plenty of time for a candidate with a clear strategy and a clear message.
Imagine voters telling interviewers that they weren’t sure what Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders stood for. So despite the massive advantage in ground game and door-knocking, and several unforced Trump errors in the campaign’s final week, the hoped-for surge in Democratic turnout did not materialize.
Harris might have tapped into the deep unease felt by most Americans about the direction of the country and of their own lives. But she didn’t manage to do that.
At the heart of this unease is decades of downward mobility and displacement, and the sense that the usual machinery of government is failing to address it. That sets the stage for a radical, anti-system leader, the more radical the better. It’s much harder for ordinary Americans to get ahead today than it was a couple of generations ago. The fact that recent years have been a time of overdue attention to Black lives, and LGBT lives, and the lives of immigrants, only added to the sense of nativist grievance.
As various Prospect writers keep pointing out, invoking the history of fascism, when the democratic left does not champion the economic needs, frustrations, and aspirations of ordinary people, especially the working class, the far right is all too happy to take over. The target of that anger might have been billionaires rather than fellow struggling people. But the billionaires got off easy. Economic elites find it all too easy to get along with fascists. In premarket trading this morning, the Dow was up 3 percent.
What now? Are there any firewalls at all?
In Trump’s first term, the grown-ups in the room managed to contain and frustrate his worst impulses. Progressives, ironically, were left to rely on generals and Wall Street veterans to contain outright autocracy. But it worked, barely, and democracy held just enough for Democrats to take back the House in 2018 and the White House in 2020.
Trump will not make that mistake again. He will hire henchmen far more radical and loyal than the more mainstream conservatives that he named on very short notice (expecting to lose) in 2016. And when he says he will use all the powers of his office to go after the enemy within, we need to take him seriously.
The other obvious firewalls are largely absent. The Supreme Court has already functioned as Trump’s enabler, and in four years he will have many more judicial appointments at all levels. The Senate is gone. There is an outside chance that Democrats will take back the House, but just barely.
Democracy was already seriously debased even before Trump’s appalling victory. Given the ability of Trump and his allies in red states to further weaken democracy, it would take a small miracle for Democrats to repeat their midterm success of 2018 and take back (or hold) the House in 2026, but that struggle needs to be waged.
There is also the risk that 2024 marks the beginning of a long MAGA dynasty. Whether or not Trump dies in office, he is very likely to be succeeded by JD Vance, who is at least as skilled a demagogue as Trump and unlike Trump does not come across as demented.
One of the many insidious things about fascism is that daily life still goes on as before, as long as you are not an enemy of the regime. People fall in love, get married, have babies. The restaurants are still open, the food tastes just as good. But democracy, despite its formal trappings, has ceased to function. Then again, it was less and less relevant anyway. Until Hitler ruined it with his war, Nazi Germany was pleasant enough if you were not an enemy of the regime.
Beyond the risks to what remains of democracy, Trump’s recklessness increases the risks of war, even nuclear war. He will probably settle the Russia-Ukraine war on Putin’s terms, but further unleash Netanyahu to create wider war in the Middle East. And notwithstanding Trump’s purely transactional alliance with Bibi and the evangelical right’s weird love for Israel, under fascism sooner or later they come for the Jews.
This will need to be a time of resistance, using all the instruments of the law to contain Trump’s dictatorial impulses. We will also probably see some civil disobedience as well, which runs the risk of playing into Trump’s hands.
As we all adjust to the shock, this will need to be a time of clear strategic thinking about what it will take to limit Trump’s worst excesses, salvage what remains of democracy, and rebuild a movement.
It is a glimpse into the mind of a liberal. And to be honest. It’s no wonder people say liberalism is a mental disease. Let’s make this simple. MAGA. A trigger word for many on the left. But let’s speak it out Make America Great Again. Why is that considered so evil on the left and many moderates?
Do they not want America great? If so why? What’s their agenda?
The GOP has the Presidency, the Senate, and the House. They better not blow it in Paul Ryan/Mitch McConnell fashion like they did last time.
Otherwise, one of my co-workers is black.... and last Friday he told me that he wasn't going to cast a vote for Harris, because he was sick and tired of being "talked down to and taken for granted" by Democrats.
Just saying that many of the Republicans who voted for Trump had to hold their nose to do so. Interpreting those votes, which were probably more than 50% of his total, says that he was voted for more as "the lesser of two evils" than a preferred choice. Don't get me wrong, I am all for Democrats losing, but I just think that our party deserved a better nominee than Trump. But, as Linda says below, it is for sure a mandate of the right over the left.
Trump is probably going to carry Nevada and Arizona, for a total of 312 electoral votes. He's also going to win the popular vote by at least 5 million.
Here’s some side notes. The AG from New York just declared the war will continue on Donald Trump. The lawfare will continue.
Her speech just now was the most despicable thing I’ve seen and it’s not just me saying that.
So I have a suspicion that the Dems are not done yet. It’s going to depend on what Harris says. But they might just try something.
What if the sentencing hearing goes on and they throw him in jail?
How can he govern or be president from behind bars. He also can’t be properly protected.
If that happens look for Harris to appeal to the elector college to vote for her instead.
So I’m sorry folks. This may not be as over as it seems. I just got this tingling sense the dems are up to something. Probably my PTSD from dems schemes but I wouldn’t be surprised.
That’s my side notes
Now on to reaction to what Erick said. I really do hope Trump lives up to his promises. Those being…
No more boys in girls locker rooms or playing in girls sports.
That should end today.
People accountable for the law fare need to be held responsible and face some consequences.
Remove energy regulations and reverse the super bad EO’s.
Make the trump tax cuts permanent.
Return private industry to America.
If he does just that much it will be a success.
Now we also need to have Trump go to these people. This coalition he has built and ask them what they want. What do they need? We won’t be able to accomplish everything but some can be.
Lastly I strongly disagree the mid terms will be bad for republicans. Dems have absolutely been a disgrace and I don’t think these people will learn. The progressive arm will be there to keep the party left.
But here’s the reality.
They have lost the Jews.
They have lost the Latinos.
They are losing the black vote.
They’ve lost the Asian vote for a generation.
They already lost the scotus.
And now Trump is gone after 2028. Haha.
What do they have to save them? gov newscum? If that’s who they are banking their votes on. Good luck with that. Gavin vs JD or Desantis. Or a combined JD/Tim Scott campaign will crush any dem that opposes them. This is just the beginning of the tidal wave that will wash away the liberal left forever. Hopefully and good riddance.
ChazAtl You need to understand the Debt can is in the cul-de-sac and against the curb. Coming very soon is a Big Debt Reset. That is an immutable fact. The economy is a house of cards and a huge derecho is coming. Also, the Dems are going to bring some big chaos very soon. Just saying. Selah
Oh, I would bet a paycheck the dems will get up to something. They aren't quitting that easily. And Harris speaking now sounds like they have no intention of backing off.
The violent riots of 2020 were sparked by a cop killing a Black guy, not by the POTUS as on 1/6/2021. Big difference. But I know that you Trumpers believe whatever "truth" justifies Trumps actions. If Kamala and Joe call for a riot on the Capitol to block the certification, then we will be comparing apples to apples.
It was a general admonition to the new Congress. The urge to overreach is hard to resist when you’re convinced the election was a full on embrace of everything you ran on.
It cannot be stressed enough that republicans MUST deliver what has been promised. In my opinion, they are remarkably fortunate that they have been given such an amazing opportunity again, so they had best not blow it up with fractious bickering and stonewalling if they don't happen to agree 100% with a popular idea. We want to see a big cut of bureaucracy in the federal government for one thing. Hope they have gotten the message.
Truth, Erick, absolutely must deliver. Start working for their votes, now, for 2026. Current democrat party needs to dissolve and reform as something reasonable. Unlikely, as it requires wisdom and humility.
After listening to the concession speech I’m not sure she learned anything. Then you have that AG from New York. Oye these people.
The media hasn’t learned a thing either. But it’s like I said. We need to make it to January before we start celebrating.
So far we have some milestones. First the state certifications. Then the electoral college meets. Then the congressional certification and then inauguration.
I still don’t believe the Dems are done yet.
Erick,
I wish I could take credit for the following, but it comes from Nick Catoggio.
“if you elect a cretin once, you’ve made a mistake. If you elect him twice, you’re the cretin.”
Trump’s win is truly stunning. It is a watershed event, a tectonic shift, pick your metaphor. The Democratic Party is severely diminished. That part is actually good.
The United States will be different from this point forward if Republican populism policies as promised by Donald Trump and JD Vance are actually implemented. Only time will tell. If it goes badly the people who elected this man will be responsible.
Regardless of one's belief system, you have to believe that God saved Donald Trump's life in Butler, Pennsylvania to allow him to become our President. I happen to believe that the protection of Israel plays into this scenario, too.
Could he not save Trump without killing that other poor soul?
God saved A life. I don’t think that’s how god works. But we have to be careful with this language. We can’t start giving Trump some divine mandate.
God misdirected that bullet but not in my opinion to make him president.
I live in NW Atlanta just north of downtown and while I didn’t see as many Harris signs as Biden this cycle, there weee still plenty, including an obnoxious K-A-M-A-L-A strung across the front of a house near me. By the time I walked the dog at 8:30 am, almost all of the signs were gone.
I noticed that. Huh.
All the signs disappeared.
Looks to me like some should burn those psychic cards and purchase some new ones. RR received a mandate over Jimmy Carter's egregious policies and inflation. Now DJT has done the same with the Dems destructive policies. It was a great night and all the Dem Socialists are really chapped. DT should extend great caution with his movements and try to stay very safe. There will be assassinations' (more) attempts. Also, he should hire some food testers. Prepare for some Dem brought chaos.
You Sir are on a roll. Your commentary today has been so exact. Everyone would be very wise to pay attention.
There is also a reckoning coming. Let’s talk about seltzer and the other pollster who predicted a Harris win in NV.
It is very true. These two were by far THE most accurate of accurate experts almost predicting the last 8 elections with almost no margin of error.
Dealing with seltzer.
Why did she release that poll she did ?
To me, in my opinion, it was a virtue signaling, or an apparent endorsement of Harris. Same with the other guy.
It was meant to throw a Hail Mary for Harris in the hopes maybe it would fire up a last few percentages of blacks and the dem base.
Those two have now committed career suicide. Nobody will believe them.
If I was Harris I’d be really angry. Not just because of the loss. But because these pollsters absolutely lied.
Had she known maybe she would have changed some of her strategies and rallied differently it might of made a difference. But happy she fumbled.
But it is clear. There is a lot wrong and broken with the media. Not sure it can be fixed. Nor should be.
Sorry for the long comment, but below is a story from Robert Kuttner from a progressive site called the Prospect. I am on their mailing list in an attempt to understand their lunacy. If you want to have some inkling of what they are thinking read on:
A Republic, If We Can Keep It
How could this have happened? What now?
Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump was bigger than Hillary Clinton’s. And unlike the inept Clinton campaign of 2016, Harris made no big blunders.
After all we learned from Trump’s first term and from a 2024 Trump campaign filled with narcissistic, deranged bullying, the American people knew exactly what they were getting. But still a popular majority likely voted for Trump.
One answer has to do with race and gender. Too many Americans, especially white men, were still not willing to vote for a woman, even less a Black woman. The anticipated wave of white women’s support for Harris did not materialize at levels sufficient to offset the massive male gender gap in Trump’s favor.
Even the issue of reproductive rights, a sheer gift from the Republican right to the Harris campaign, was not decisive. Late-deciding independents swung to Trump, not to Harris. Despite the widely publicized "island of garbage" quote, Harris actually did worse among Hispanic voters than Biden did.
In Trump’s three elections, the one Democrat who was able to beat him, just barely, was a white male named Joe Biden. That speaks volumes.
But there was more to Trump’s win than race and gender. The second answer is that Harris ran a muddled campaign. When voter after uncommitted voter tells interviewers that they don’t know what Harris stands for, something is wrong. Yes, Harris had only three months to make clear who she was and what her presidency would be about. But that is plenty of time for a candidate with a clear strategy and a clear message.
Imagine voters telling interviewers that they weren’t sure what Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders stood for. So despite the massive advantage in ground game and door-knocking, and several unforced Trump errors in the campaign’s final week, the hoped-for surge in Democratic turnout did not materialize.
Harris might have tapped into the deep unease felt by most Americans about the direction of the country and of their own lives. But she didn’t manage to do that.
At the heart of this unease is decades of downward mobility and displacement, and the sense that the usual machinery of government is failing to address it. That sets the stage for a radical, anti-system leader, the more radical the better. It’s much harder for ordinary Americans to get ahead today than it was a couple of generations ago. The fact that recent years have been a time of overdue attention to Black lives, and LGBT lives, and the lives of immigrants, only added to the sense of nativist grievance.
As various Prospect writers keep pointing out, invoking the history of fascism, when the democratic left does not champion the economic needs, frustrations, and aspirations of ordinary people, especially the working class, the far right is all too happy to take over. The target of that anger might have been billionaires rather than fellow struggling people. But the billionaires got off easy. Economic elites find it all too easy to get along with fascists. In premarket trading this morning, the Dow was up 3 percent.
What now? Are there any firewalls at all?
In Trump’s first term, the grown-ups in the room managed to contain and frustrate his worst impulses. Progressives, ironically, were left to rely on generals and Wall Street veterans to contain outright autocracy. But it worked, barely, and democracy held just enough for Democrats to take back the House in 2018 and the White House in 2020.
Trump will not make that mistake again. He will hire henchmen far more radical and loyal than the more mainstream conservatives that he named on very short notice (expecting to lose) in 2016. And when he says he will use all the powers of his office to go after the enemy within, we need to take him seriously.
The other obvious firewalls are largely absent. The Supreme Court has already functioned as Trump’s enabler, and in four years he will have many more judicial appointments at all levels. The Senate is gone. There is an outside chance that Democrats will take back the House, but just barely.
Democracy was already seriously debased even before Trump’s appalling victory. Given the ability of Trump and his allies in red states to further weaken democracy, it would take a small miracle for Democrats to repeat their midterm success of 2018 and take back (or hold) the House in 2026, but that struggle needs to be waged.
There is also the risk that 2024 marks the beginning of a long MAGA dynasty. Whether or not Trump dies in office, he is very likely to be succeeded by JD Vance, who is at least as skilled a demagogue as Trump and unlike Trump does not come across as demented.
One of the many insidious things about fascism is that daily life still goes on as before, as long as you are not an enemy of the regime. People fall in love, get married, have babies. The restaurants are still open, the food tastes just as good. But democracy, despite its formal trappings, has ceased to function. Then again, it was less and less relevant anyway. Until Hitler ruined it with his war, Nazi Germany was pleasant enough if you were not an enemy of the regime.
Beyond the risks to what remains of democracy, Trump’s recklessness increases the risks of war, even nuclear war. He will probably settle the Russia-Ukraine war on Putin’s terms, but further unleash Netanyahu to create wider war in the Middle East. And notwithstanding Trump’s purely transactional alliance with Bibi and the evangelical right’s weird love for Israel, under fascism sooner or later they come for the Jews.
This will need to be a time of resistance, using all the instruments of the law to contain Trump’s dictatorial impulses. We will also probably see some civil disobedience as well, which runs the risk of playing into Trump’s hands.
As we all adjust to the shock, this will need to be a time of clear strategic thinking about what it will take to limit Trump’s worst excesses, salvage what remains of democracy, and rebuild a movement.
I read it.
It is a glimpse into the mind of a liberal. And to be honest. It’s no wonder people say liberalism is a mental disease. Let’s make this simple. MAGA. A trigger word for many on the left. But let’s speak it out Make America Great Again. Why is that considered so evil on the left and many moderates?
Do they not want America great? If so why? What’s their agenda?
Oh Gawd, how untethered. Where do they come up with this stuff.
"... the evangelical right’s weird love for Israel ..." This says a lot about the author point of view.
The GOP has the Presidency, the Senate, and the House. They better not blow it in Paul Ryan/Mitch McConnell fashion like they did last time.
Otherwise, one of my co-workers is black.... and last Friday he told me that he wasn't going to cast a vote for Harris, because he was sick and tired of being "talked down to and taken for granted" by Democrats.
It was a mandate against Harris for sure. But was it really a mandate for Trump?
Not a "mandate" for Trump's character, but rather his policies.
Yeah, I can see that.
Planter That's a shame as you continue to have these discernment failures. Yes, mandate for DT. What did you ascertain from 7-13-2024?
Just saying that many of the Republicans who voted for Trump had to hold their nose to do so. Interpreting those votes, which were probably more than 50% of his total, says that he was voted for more as "the lesser of two evils" than a preferred choice. Don't get me wrong, I am all for Democrats losing, but I just think that our party deserved a better nominee than Trump. But, as Linda says below, it is for sure a mandate of the right over the left.
Trump is probably going to carry Nevada and Arizona, for a total of 312 electoral votes. He's also going to win the popular vote by at least 5 million.
That's a landslide. And a definite mandate.
But, again, for Trump or against Kamala? Everyone I know who voted for him would have preferred an actual conservative.
It’s a mandate of right against left.
That's true. No argument.
This “I lost speech” is GAG worthy
Holding my nose while I watch on the Daily Wire
Lets get to work people!
Well, at least she admits she lost. More than can be said for…
Planter I assiduously tell you the fat lady has not sung on the 2020 election. Disclosures will be coming. Selah
I will anxiously await.
Yes, with abated breath, not baited breath.
Only cause it was on the teleprompter 😂 Inside she was like “ Wait……What am I saying??”
Here’s some side notes. The AG from New York just declared the war will continue on Donald Trump. The lawfare will continue.
Her speech just now was the most despicable thing I’ve seen and it’s not just me saying that.
So I have a suspicion that the Dems are not done yet. It’s going to depend on what Harris says. But they might just try something.
What if the sentencing hearing goes on and they throw him in jail?
How can he govern or be president from behind bars. He also can’t be properly protected.
If that happens look for Harris to appeal to the elector college to vote for her instead.
So I’m sorry folks. This may not be as over as it seems. I just got this tingling sense the dems are up to something. Probably my PTSD from dems schemes but I wouldn’t be surprised.
That’s my side notes
Now on to reaction to what Erick said. I really do hope Trump lives up to his promises. Those being…
No more boys in girls locker rooms or playing in girls sports.
That should end today.
People accountable for the law fare need to be held responsible and face some consequences.
Remove energy regulations and reverse the super bad EO’s.
Make the trump tax cuts permanent.
Return private industry to America.
If he does just that much it will be a success.
Now we also need to have Trump go to these people. This coalition he has built and ask them what they want. What do they need? We won’t be able to accomplish everything but some can be.
Lastly I strongly disagree the mid terms will be bad for republicans. Dems have absolutely been a disgrace and I don’t think these people will learn. The progressive arm will be there to keep the party left.
But here’s the reality.
They have lost the Jews.
They have lost the Latinos.
They are losing the black vote.
They’ve lost the Asian vote for a generation.
They already lost the scotus.
And now Trump is gone after 2028. Haha.
What do they have to save them? gov newscum? If that’s who they are banking their votes on. Good luck with that. Gavin vs JD or Desantis. Or a combined JD/Tim Scott campaign will crush any dem that opposes them. This is just the beginning of the tidal wave that will wash away the liberal left forever. Hopefully and good riddance.
ChazAtl You need to understand the Debt can is in the cul-de-sac and against the curb. Coming very soon is a Big Debt Reset. That is an immutable fact. The economy is a house of cards and a huge derecho is coming. Also, the Dems are going to bring some big chaos very soon. Just saying. Selah
Oh, I would bet a paycheck the dems will get up to something. They aren't quitting that easily. And Harris speaking now sounds like they have no intention of backing off.
Doesn’t sound like they are about to storm the Capitol though.
Not sure about that. Just saw someone from ACLU, I believe, telling people they need to get into the streets and stop this.
Get back to me when the cops start taking a beating.
You mean like the entirety of 2020? Stop beating a dead horse. People know the truth.
The violent riots of 2020 were sparked by a cop killing a Black guy, not by the POTUS as on 1/6/2021. Big difference. But I know that you Trumpers believe whatever "truth" justifies Trumps actions. If Kamala and Joe call for a riot on the Capitol to block the certification, then we will be comparing apples to apples.
To the GOP: the “mandate” is to govern. It’s not a mandate to rule.
I haven’t heard trump mention once about ruling. He has said lead allot.
It was a general admonition to the new Congress. The urge to overreach is hard to resist when you’re convinced the election was a full on embrace of everything you ran on.
It cannot be stressed enough that republicans MUST deliver what has been promised. In my opinion, they are remarkably fortunate that they have been given such an amazing opportunity again, so they had best not blow it up with fractious bickering and stonewalling if they don't happen to agree 100% with a popular idea. We want to see a big cut of bureaucracy in the federal government for one thing. Hope they have gotten the message.
...then there is Matt Goetz and MTG. Doubtful.
Truth, Erick, absolutely must deliver. Start working for their votes, now, for 2026. Current democrat party needs to dissolve and reform as something reasonable. Unlikely, as it requires wisdom and humility.
Same goes for the Republicans.