The message forum is an ongoing dialogue between classmates. There are no items, topics, subtopics, etc.

Forums work when people participate - so don't be bashful! Click the "Post Message" button to add your entry to the forum.

Jay Shackford

Joke and Lie

July 31, 2024

Donald Trump is on the verge of ending his political career in much the same way it all began — as a joke and lie.  

Remember his ride with Melania down the escalator at Trump Tower to announce his bid for the GOP nomination in 2015 where he described  Mexicans and other immigrants as murderers and rapists.  

The Trump team recruited and paid young actors from Broadway at $50 a pop and a free lunch box to fill the small lobby of his over-rated and outdated hotel. The young actors were given signs to hold up and signals on when to applaud.  At that time, Trump wasn’t really running for President.  He was running what he later admittedly called the world’s biggest and cheapest marketing and branding campaign ever known to mankind. 

Now with Kamala Harris having a firm grip on the Democratic nomination and about to announce her Vice Presidential pick,  she has overnight turned around the race for the presidency.  She has incited passion, joy and excitement among the young, old, female, people of color and other Democratic faithful not seen since Barack Obama’s campaign in 2007-08. 

It hit Trump like a jolt of lightning.  He’s at a loss on what to do.  Nothing seems to work.  All that enthusiasm he generated in the 2016 campaign has faded and flipped over to the other side.  His ratings in the polls are starting to slip in favor of Kamala. Fund raising is slowing down, while the Democratic contributions are pouring in.  

Just look at the clips on Kamala’s speech in Atlanta last night.  It was pure joy, a clear and powerful message and she drew a sharp contrast with her opponent. After noting that Trump was back-peddling on his commitment to participate in a second debate in September, she said, “Donald, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”

Let’s be honest.  After the debate with Joe Biden, Trump and his followers thought they had the election wrapped up.  Over confidence is a killer, the old saw goes.  Never underestimate your opponent. But Trump did exactly that, doubling down on MAGA and extremism and nominating J.D. Vance as his running mate solely on the advice of his son, Don, Jr.   Once his past became known, Vance  was immediately branded as not only being inexperienced but also being “weird.”  And let’s face it, J.D. is “weird.” And “weird” is not a winning slogan in a presidential race. 

With all this unfolding in a couple of weeks, I’m guessing that Trump’s strategy will soon shift from running for president to campaigning to stay out of jail, which is his greatest fear.  He will start hoarding funds in his huge campaign war chest by pulling back on his media buys and avoiding the expenses of building a major league campaign operation and hiring expensive political consultants.  At the end, whatever is left — possibly more than $100 million — can be used to pay for his legal expenses. “Staying Out of Jail” — that’s his new slogan.  

Jack Mallory

From NPR news today:

"Former President Donald Trump made inflammatory remarks about Vice President Harris at the National Association of Black Journalists convention Wednesday, questioning her biracial background.

"Harris is Black and Indian American. When asked if he agreed with comments from some Republicans who claim Harris has political power because of 'diversity, equity and inclusion,' Trump falsely suggested Harris has changed how she discussed her racial identity.

“'She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage,' Trump said. 'I didn't know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don't know, is she Indian or is she Black?'"
 

NPR went on to point out what anyone who follows the news knows and has known for years--Harris attended Howard University, one of the best known historically black colleges; was a member of an historically Black sorority; and was a member of the Black Congressional Caucus as a Senator.
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/31/nx-s1-5059091/donald-trump-nabj-interview

So help me out here. Is Trump ignorant, stupid, a racist, and/or suffering from dementia? Is it better or worse if he's stupid rather than ignorant? A racist rather than demented? 

I'm sure we all have our own answers to these questions. But I am reminded of the Britishism that arose in 2016, describing him as a "Tiny Fingered, Cheeto-Faced, Ferret-Wearing Shitgibbon!" 

Straight from the land of William Shakespeare. And it doesn't insult him for the number of kids he's had, his pets, his intelligence, knowledge, mental competence, or race!

Apologies to ferrets and gibbons, of course  

Joan Ruggles (Young)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TVgL1sjzvc

some have said fake Trump here is more cogent than real Trump

Jay Shackford

Great clip, Joan.  Like a  rabid dog, Trump is lashing out by using racial slurs and his new version of birtherism to challenge Kamala's racial and ethnic background.  It's an act of desperation and a  race to the bottom for Trump. Where it ends, who knows? 

Jack Mallory

In a race to the bottom, I know where my money is. 

Jay Shackford

More on Trump's comments at the Black Journalists Convention. By Mara Gay, member of the New York Times editorial board.  https://x.com/MaraGay/status/1818778876207853815

Jack Mallory

Jay--drop the dog comparisons to Trump/Vance, even rabid dogs!

John Smeby

This is really revealing Re: The person who was installed as the Vice-President of these UNITED STATES.

Major General Higginbotham on Kamala Harris' Background.

Major General Higginbotham U.S. Marines (Ret)

The History of Kamala Harris for your knowledge and interest about Biden’s VP. Here is a timely editorial that exposes the hidden background of Kamala Harris from the Combat Veterans for Congress Political Action Committee that is posted here with permission of the author.

CVFC PAC supports the election of US military combat veterans to the US Senate and House of Representatives.

The editorial begins: Kamala Harris' father was an avowed Marxist professor in the Economics Department at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Both of Harris' parents were active in the Berkeley based Afro-American Association; Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were the heroes of the Afro-American Association. The group's leader, Donald Warden (aka Khalid al-Mansour), mentored two young Afro-American Association members, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale; they created the Maoist inspired Black Panther Party which gained strong support from Communist China; the Black Panther Party served as the model for creation of the Black Lives Matter Marxist organization Khalid al-Mansour subsequently went on to arrange financing and facilitated for Barack Hussein Obama to be accepted as a student to matriculate at Harvard Law School.

Following her graduation from college, Harris returned to California and subsequently became the mistress of the 60-year-old married Speaker of the California Assembly, Willie Brown, Jr. Brown's political campaigns were supported and funded by Dr. Carlton Goodlett, the owner of The Sun Reporter and several other pro-Communist newspapers. Brown was elected as Mayor of San Francisco, and strongly endorsed Harris' Marxist political philosophy; he guided Harris' political rise in California politics, leading to her election as California's Attorney General. Willie Brown, Jr. is a well-known long-time Communist sympathizer. Willie Brown, Jr. was initially elected to public office with substantial help of the Communist Party USA. Today, Willie Brown is widely regarded as one of the Chinese Communist Party's best friends in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While serving as San Francisco District Attorney, Kamala Harris mentored a young San Francisco Radical Maoist activist, Lateefah Simon, who was a member of the STORM Revolutionary Movement; Simon currently chairs the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board. Simon has always been close friends with the founder of Black Lives Matter Marxist Domestic Terrorists, Alicia Garza, as well as STORM member and avowed Communist, Van Jones.

Harris has been openly and aggressively supporting Black Lives Matter Marxists; Kamala Harris is still closely associated with Maoist Lateefah Simon and Marxist Alicia Garza. Kamala Harris's sister Maya Harris was a student activist at Stanford University. She was closely associated with Steve Phillips, one of the leading Marxist-Leninists on campus and a long-time affiliate with the League of Revolutionary Struggle, a pro-Chinese Communist group. Phillips came out of the Left, and in college he studied Marx, Mao, and Lenin, and maintained close associations with fellow Communists. Phillips married into the multi-billion-dollar Sandler family of the Golden West Savings and Loan fortune. He funded many leftist political campaigns, and the voter registration drives in the Southern and Southwestern states in order to help his friend, Barack Hussein Obama, defeat Hillary Clinton. Phillips has been a major financial sponsor for Kamala Harris's political campaigns for various California elective offices.

Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff works for the law firm DLA Piper, which "boasts nearly 30 years of experience in Communist China with over 140 lawyers dedicated to its 'Communist China investment Services' branch. He was just appointed to Professor at Yale to school future lawyers in the fine points of Communism. When she was elected to the US Senate, Kamala Harris appointed a Pro-Communist Senate Chief of Staff, Karine Jean-Pierre. Jean-Pierre was active with the New York-based Haiti Support Network. The organization worked closely with the pro-Communist China/Communist North Korea Workers World Party and supported Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the far-left Communist former president of Haiti and the radical Lavalas movement.

Fortunately for Harris, but potentially disastrously for the Republic, elected office holders are not subject to the security clearance process. If the FBI did a Background Investigation on Kamala Harris, she never would have passed, because of her 40-year close ties with Marxists, Communists, Maoists, and Communist China. Harris would never have been approved for acceptance to any of the 5 Military Service Academies, been appointed to a U.S. Government Sub-Cabinet position, or would have been approved to fill a sensitive position for a high security defense contractor. Yet, since Joe Biden was elected, Harris could be a heartbeat away from being President.

The U.S. constitutional Republic is being threatened by the People's Republic of Communist China (PPC) externally, and by their very active espionage operations within the United States. The People's Republic of Communist China (PPC), with 1.4 billion people, is governed by the 90-million-member Chinese Communist Party (CCP), that has been working with Russia to destroy the U.S. Constitutional Republic for over 70 years. If the American voters read the background information (in Trevor Loudon's article) on Kamala Harris, they would never support her election as Vice President of the United States.

Joe Biden is suffering from the early onset of dementia and will continue to decline in cerebral awareness; he will never be able to fill out a four-year term of office. Since Biden was elected, the Socialists, Marxists, and Communist who control Kamala Harris, are planning to enact provisions of the 25th Amendment, in order to remove Joe Biden from office, so Harris can become the first Communist President of the United States.

Since Biden was elected, because Biden would not be up to it, Kamala Harris would lead the effort to appoint very dangerous anti-American Leftist, Communist, Socialists, and Marxists to fill highly sensitive positions in the Washington Deep State Bureaucracy. She would fill all appointive positions in the US Intelligence Agencies, in the Department of Homeland Security, in the Department of Defense, in The Justice Department, the Department of State, the FBI, the CIA, most cabinet positions, the National Security Council, and in the White House Staff.

American voters must alert their fellow Americans that Kamala Harris is a very serious National Security threat to the very survival of the US Constitutional Republic; she has been a fellow traveler of Marxists, Communists, Maoists, Socialists, Progressives, and Chinese Communists for over 35 years. President Trump had much more background information on Kamala Harris than we presented here, and he was correct, when he accused Kamala Harris of being a Communist subverter.

Geoffrey B. Higginbotham

Major General, USMC (Ret.)

Jack Mallory

John, and General Higginbottham: as Mr. Bryant was wont to say, "Twaddle." 

Just an opinion, needs no evidence since "stating that a person's 'opinion' needs to be supported by facts defeats the purpose of an opinion." Right, John? 

General Higginbottham clearly agrees, given his eschewing of evidence throughout his opinions. 

Nora Skinker (Morton)

I, on the other hand, flounder in frustration as both candidates dodge any mention of the real issues that face our nation, preferring instead to lob insincerities back and forth at each other like school children...no, make that kindergarteners.  Am I the only one who doesn't give a rat's ass about whether any potential leader is called a man or woman, an Indian or not, a (gawd forbid) racist or not (since everybody's been called that, including yours truly), certified Black or not, Swedish or not, old or not, young or not, antisemitic or not, out of touch or not, immoral or not, even inexperienced or not, etc. etc.?? Our national debt is at THIRTY FIVE TRILLION dollars, our country stands on the brink of WWIII (and said 'brink'  includes The Mid East (now expanding to include Hezbollah and Lebanon having entered the fight), a long and bloody Ukraine/Russia war.. and, if that's not enough, a threatening Pacific theatre with China poised to pounce on Taiwan ...our borders are impotent, our national security stretched beyond limits. True that domestically our grandchildren are denied civics or geography, families are broke, spending thousands more each year to maintain food supplies, government agencies are untrustworthy, entitlements need clarity, social security is terminally ill, young couples cannot afford new homes, fentanyl deaths are growing daily, vandalism/gun violence rule the streets of major cities. And we're talking about what random thoughts passed through Trump's and/or Harris' brain which can be twisted to fit whatever narrative or headline can lure the most attention? I mean where, in this food fight, is the meat?

Jack Mallory

Well, Nori, a lot of us do give rats' asses about racism, sexism, antisemitism, immorality, etc. among the candidates. And like you, we care about the economy, national security, immigration, etc. 

That's why we make particular political choices, support the particular political candidates that we feel reflect our views. If you're not seeing/hearing/reading serious discussion of these issues, you need to find a richer environment for political discourse, whether through traditional or social media or person to person. It's out there.

Some of us try to engage in such discourse here on the Forum. Offering our opinions and, as much as John dislikes it, evidence to support those opinions. We don't always agree, but most of us, nearly all of us, manage to maintain our civility. We also post relevant arguments from journalists and commentators. You are welcome to participate, and often do. 

Because we're human, and exist in a political environment that has become extremely divided and often coarse, our own discourse sometimes reflects that context. My apologies when my comments offend. 

BUT! It's just about three more months until Election Day. That will seem in some ways a very short 90 days, but the level of national discourse will probably not elevate in civility or even rationality. It will be a long and trying three months.

If you're going to survive until Election Day (and after, regardless of outcome) I suggest deep breathing, a sense of humor, walking and paddling. They've gotten me through three, now almost four, presidential elections, even after giving up drinking. 
 

Live long and paddle. Or your own form of meditative contemplation. Even Gen. Higginbotham's Joe McCarthyesque lunacy fades with quiet water, loons, and herons. 

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

I like what I am seeing of Kamala Harris. She gives hope to many who felt hopeless. Her campaign is a campaign of the future. What's wrong with more child care, working towards a clean environmennt, continuing to be part of NATO to help Ukraine against tyranny, prosecuting criminals, supporting the Department of Education and the many good civil servants in the Federal Government. She doesn't want to dismantle those things like Trump does. I agree with Jack too that racism, antisemitism, islamaphobia, sex discrimination etc do matter. We need to be an inclusive country not a country who is just talking of National Christianism like many are in the Maga movement and we don't want the enactment of 2025...so there are choices and to me the choices are clear which one to choose. Love, Joanie

Jack Mallory

Joe McCarthy would be proud of you, John! 50+ unsubstantiated accusations of socialism, Marxism, Maoism, and other political panic prompts . . . I might be off by a couple of accusations more or less, I can only put so much attention into reading fantasy. Or lunacy. 

Easily found by doing a tiny bit of looking, here are some facts, some evidence (cover your eyes, John), about the copypasta disinformation (https://www.apa.org/topics/journalism-facts/misinformation-disinformation) surfing the web under various suppposed authors. Unlike the General's, or whoever's, work, it contains references allowing the reader to evaluate its information--one good way to evaluate valid vs. bogus sources. 

https://www.snopes.com/news/2021/01/19/kamala-harris-marxist/

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack, that is a good rebuttal to the false claims about Kamala Harris. I was just about to post the Snopes article when I saw that you just posted it. I would like to say not to believe everything you read as it turns out the things circulating about Kamala Harris are false. That is the problem with the Trump candidacy, it is based on lies. Love, Joanie

Robert Hall

Jack Mallory

Robert, if Kamala is a Marxist because her dad was a Marxist, aren't I a lawyer because my dad was a lawyer? Aren't my kids PhD.s because I'm a Ph.D? No?

BUT, BUT (clutching my pearls), COMMOONISTS!
 

One of the joys of growing up in the DC area was the WaPo, and Herblock.

"For the times they are a changing . . ." But not so much, Bobby. 

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack I loved Herblock.  He was the best cartoonist ever.  Love, Joanie

Nora Skinker (Morton)

You are SO right in my not knowing enough, Jack.  Life keeps getting in the way and I just don't have enough time in the day to delve into political reading material, let alone checking into the forum several times a day. Perhaps you can fill me in.  

Cutting through the noisy election drivel.... (as I see it) i.e., she's accused of hating Jews because of her Palestinian views...then he's accused of hating Jews because he is so like a Nazi. She is married to a Jew. His son in law is a Jew.  She's called herself an Indian American...then a Jamaican American...but raised as a Black.  What are Blacks? Descendants of slaves? Have we been wrong in thinking they are African Americans?  Or a person who has been "raised as a Black" is Black? Whatever, the labeling seems out of the realm of what's important in this melting pot of today's America.  Do share why you believe it's important. She's accused of prosecuting/incarcerating marijuana users, while admitting she was using marijuana herself.  He's accused of being a racist because he's like a Nazi.  He's accused of wanting to make it illegal for abortion, period, when he has personally been for illegal abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and health of the mother and believes the states should make the decisions according to their voting populations.  She's accused of wanting to legalize abortion up to the moment of birth, without giving the unborn any right at all to life. Is that still the case?  Joanie, is she representing a continuation of the Biden administration and the Biden policies?  In 2019, she openly said she would ban fracking. Are we then to believe that her opinion has changed today because she needs PA? Is she formulating her opinion for later? Now that the elder Biden is not in the picture, Trump is accused of being too old. Trump drones on, She drones on without a teleprompter.  And the point so far, is that there IS no point.  One can only hope that a debate enlightens us as to what clear political platforms exist to address real issues facing our country. OR, can the forum tell me what they are?

Jack Mallory

There is one central issue behind all your confusion, Nori. What is the evidence for any of the claims and counter-claims you list? I can't "fill you in," as you request. You wouldn't believe me if I contradicted your fondest beliefs, and vice versa; we've got to do the work ourselves.  Over the years on the Forum I've posted several articles on how to verify information, how to detect likely mis/disinformation sources, etc. 

There are many ways to check on the likelihood of claims you see in the news. Being "literate" in the sense of knowimg how to both weigh opinions and check factual claims is part of being a responsible citizen. Come on, you can do this--show the grandkids you're not just a lame cat-lady!

If you can't/won't attempt to find evidence to support or question claims, just chuck them out as irrelevant to your choice of candidates. But without making the effort, by repeating the claims without critical thought, you contribute to the miasma of mis/disinformation that is much, but not all, of American politics today. 
 

John, see above. 

Helen Lambie (Goldstein)

Non-political Olympic News

Katie Ledecky is from Bethesda

Nancy Webster (Emery)

Thanks, Helen, for recognizing that information . She attended Stone Ridge,..but since her swimming acheivements she resides in Florida..

Bethesda should be very proud of her  winning Gold Medals. Congrats to  Katie

Jack Mallory

Trying to post pix with this, but no photos postable since yesterday. 

********

So, we met Bodie today! An hour or so spent with the litter of five yellow male labs—one of which is Bodie—a yellow female and a black male. 

I was a little uncomfortable at first with the breeder's pup/buyer assignment process. She will wait until just before puppy pickup day (8/21) to choose who gets which, based on her assessment of puppy personality and buyer “profile”—how much time at home alone puppy will have, how much/kind of activity/exercise, how active each pup seems, etc.

I have today heard from a breeder I know personally, she tells me this is a common practice, it's how she assigns the Norwich Terriers she breeds. 

 

We got to meet, handle, pet, make goo-goo eyes with every pup. Deb and I came away certain that there wasn’t a pup that we had to have more than any other, no pup that we were more unwilling to have than any other. Little furry yellow bundles of canine joy!

We will happily accept any pup we come home with on the 21st!

Pix to follow, eventually.

Nora Skinker (Morton)

Confusion is lessening, after CNN's David Axelrod indicated that the exuberance for Harris is irrational and due to relief from the cloud which hung over the prospect of Biden, Ok, I get that. Even Joanie is gungho. But, other than that, it is hard to find Harris' potency, other than not being Trump.  This, however,  IS clear: we need NO more wars, illegal immigration, inflation and crime. IOW, what actions will be taken to turn back the last four years of those four issues? Or is simply not being Trump enough?

Jack Mallory

Nori is exactly right. We want no more wars, illegal immigration, inflation and crime. Under almost every President including Trump we had all of those. Under Trump we also had the only President that believed he could define when the Constitution should be terminated. 

Seems like more than enough reason never to have him in office again.

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack you are getting such a cute pup.  Saw the litter earlier you posted.

Helen, thanks for posting that the great Olympian swimmer Ledecky is from Bethesda!

Nori, you are evaluating Kamala Harris from a different perspective   Turns out the evidence shows under Trump we had the worst economy, biggest deficit with tax breaks for the wealthy, cruelty at the border separating babies from their mothers, and yes racist attacks then and now saying the immigrants poison the blood of Americans. He called them vermin and said they take Black jobs   (very hitleresque) He has falsely said the election was stolen. None of the 60 cases with rebublican appointed judges mixed in found any there there.  The Biden Harris administration have gotten the most jobs ever created. Biden with Harris supporting him got NATO to bond together to help Ukraine against Putin, who Trump admires. Biden took the lead in championing women's reproductive rights. with Harris by his side makiing the case and so much more.  So the choice is clear to us Nori that Harris can continue the great work Biden has done and lead us into the future.  She will have her own voice that could differ some but she is committed to continuing so much of the amazing accomplishments of Joe Biden. Trump wants to get retribution for his perceived enemies and settle scores from the past.   We don't want a dictator on day one whose top MAGA allies are the ones who are pushing the radical 2025 agenda. Trump wants to get rid of the Dept of Education, and federal government workers etc. He says no one has to vote again after he is in.  I don't see what you like about him but it's your choice, just we find him a clear and present danger.   Love, Joanie