stevenkesslar

I really don't think there is any right or wrong on this. It's a matter of temperament, values, tolerance. I keep saying one of my best friends is tormented by this. He has a lovely sister I have met several times who is full on MAGA. And she is tormented, too. She wants to love and be close to her Gay brother, and embrace Trump. It's a slippery slope. I think everyone does have to make their own decisions about what they can do, and what works right for them. I spent a few years as a volunteer leading outreach teams going door to door in swing districts of the Bay Area trying to persuade people to support same sex marriage. As I have said repeatedly, I look back at that as the most satisfying campaign of my life. The idea at the time was that we'd win this at the ballot box. Some of THE GAYS think it was a legal victory, that ultimately went to SCOTUS. That is true. But members of SCOTUS have literally said that they followed the polls and the public. Had we not spent decades changing hearts and minds, the legal answer could have and probably would have been NO. And I do think someone like Clarence Thomas would roll it back, if he could. But he can't. And part of the reason why is even Trump and my MAGA niece would not want to go there. I don't think. But maybe I am wrong. One way or the other, my bias is that it is better to talk with them than not. But that is completely based on pragmatism. That talking with them is more likely to work than not. It did on same sex marriage. For me, at least, that is a fact. Not a theory. One of my friends and people I respect the most is a Straight woman who was one of a handful of people who cracked the code and figured out based on a lot of polling and focus groups how to persuade people in the center, especially religious people like my niece, to support same sex marriage. She then literally was paid to go to Ireland and design a campaign to win same sex marriage at the ballot, which she did. It was a huge fucking victory in one of the most Catholic countries in the world. And it all came down to talking to and persuading these soft people in the middle. And that all came down to opening hearts more than minds. To paraphrase Julia Roberts, "I'm just a boy in love with a boy. I just want to be able to fall in love and get married like you do." Hell, even Tik Tok is good for something. So, again, I am a pragmatist. Bottom line: it worked. We won. Wash, rinse, repeat.

You got two replies. So I am taking two, as well. It's funny. You literally just described an email exchange I had with my MAGA niece yesterday. And what you said is literally true. Hee hair is always perfect. And she does genuinely love her Gay uncle. But she is hands down the most MAGA relative I have. The other ones are basically people who would rather have Romney, but will accept Trump. She would rather have Trump. She thinks these people like Romney are useless RINOs. Yet, at the same time, she wants to feel like she's a moderate who can accept that whole GAY THING. So part of her MO is that she'll suggest we go to a Gay bar or do something Gay so she can check the box and say she's not one of those haters. Whatever her motivation, which is at core that she loves her uncle, it is all fine with me. I would rather have her try than just be a hater. So she sent me an email yesterday saying I should check out this series called Fellow Travelers. I debated how to respond. But I decided I will go there. So I informed her that I watched the whole series in 2023. It was outstanding, but also relentlessly depressing. And it is interesting that you mention THAT series. Because it is all about how THE GAYS were persecuted and crushed in the 1950's. And many Gay men feel the exact same thing is happening under Trump. including close friends of mine, who are tormented by the fact that their siblings love their Gay brother, but support Trump. She knows I don't have that issue with my family, because she is one of THEM. I'm sure she had no clue that she was exposing a certain type of ignorance, like Trump does when he praises the Black leader of an English speaking country for speaking English well. I'm sure my response annoyed her. I could have left it at saying it is just more fun to watch Jonathan Bailey dance and be pretty in Wicked than it is to watch him be persecuted and die of AIDS in Fellow Travelers. I gave her a small piece of information that she does not want to know, probably. And will almost certainly ignore. @lookin mentioned a friend who keeps trying to convince these true and loyal MAGA folks that they are wrong. She is an example of that in my life. And why @lookin is right. It make no sense to try to change their mind. Our dumb cruel loyal dog is a much more extreme example. As least my niece and I are smart enough to mostly avoid the topic. But she does want to be LOVED by the GAYS. So go figure. Again, I take this as an indicator of just how incredible the victory our community won is. We changed hearts and minds all over the world. So while the persecution is real, as you keep saying, it could be a hell of a lot worse.

Doesn't everyone? I mean, even under Trump with MAGA folk, it is STILL the fashionable thing to do. We do have a minor disagreement about Scott Bessent. I don't disagree with your analysis that he can be viewed as a traitor. As can RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard. In my mind, the latter two are simply whack jobs with no real principles. RFK in particular is short on facts and long on conspiracies. I would not call Bessent a whack job. I think Trump likes having him around because he makes things, including Trump, at least look dignified. And for Trump it is like an acting job, anyway. Not leadership. So having the Gay guy with glasses around gives Trump honor, and dignity. I can't get in Trump's head. That is a toxic place to be. But I think that is probably how Trump views it. Certainly, Bessent makes someone like Rudy Ghouliani look tacky by comparison. I mean, the hair! And I realize I have no fashion sense compared to you, Sis. So cut me some slack on saying Bessent is at least somewhat fashionable. At least to someone like Trump, who likes glitter and gold. So, in a sense, Trump still wants to be loved by THE GAYS, even as he attacks us. Go figure. Just another reason why he is dangerous.

Au contraire, Sis. We definitely agree Trump is dangerous. And this is serious. This is as serious as death, literally. This is as serious as sickness, literally. This is as serious as hunger, literally. I'm of course referring to Trump's big legislative win, which is wildly unpopular with 2 in 3 Americans. And will stay that way. I am paying attention every day. As far as the cruel stupid barking dog goes, he's just your average everyday authoritarian follower. His momma liked Joe Biden. What happened to the cruel dog to make him so cruel? Who knows. I could care less. I'm not a dog psychologist. And to @lookin's great points, this sick puppy is so off the deep end, as he proves every day, that I'd say let's just leave him to the red team. I would not want to be in a room, or a political party, with him. Of course he doesn't see it that way. His incessant barking and applause for cruelty and lies and stupidity makes him proud to be an American, probably. Because he is a loyal authoritarian follower, being good and loyal and true. Even though most people here look at it and think, "What a complete asshole." I suppose there are other solutions. Where is Kristi Noem when you need her?

Agreed. He was always interesting to listen to. RIP.

Well, I have one somewhat subtle three word answer: Que sera sera. Que sera sera does roll off the lips better than "working class economic populism", doesn't it? 😉 I think we had a version of this discussion years ago on Bill's website. I talked about left-wing economic populism. I got the sense you were not enthralled, perhaps incorrectly. As you note, it does involve embracing authoritarian followers, and many of their sensibilities. But everything that has played out suggests economic populism is where the dial is at, for now. Canada a bit less so, since they just elected an Establishment globalist type. I guess there is no explaining what Canadians do, is there? 😝 Part of my point with que sera sera is that it does have to just play out. We already know these things can potentially end badly. Because it did, here, in 2020. Trump got his ass kicked. But not as much as he could have, or should have. And some of that was because of working class sensibilities around things like Defund The Police. And whether or not America is this awful racist place. And even (ugh!) "Latinx". If I recall correctly I did advocate "left-wing" economic populism. So it was partly my bad. Just like you keep talking about authoritarian followers, Ruy Teixeira keeps reminding us that "working class voter" generally does not mean left-wing. To oversimply, they are mostly culturally moderate. Polls show that when it comes to raising taxes on the rich, the working class are for it. When it comes to culture war, the working class thinks Trump is a bit closer to their values than Democrats like Harris. Sanders, as you noted, ran great campaigns twice and failed. America revolted when it looked like Bernie might win in 2020 and lined up behind Working Class Joe instead. So we'll see how it plays out. Trump says, correctly, he won thanks to high prices and the border. Had there been no COVIDflation, and had Old Joe gotten out of the way and let Harris or some other Democrat win a primary and run, I don't think Trump would have gotten 49.8 % of the vote. But what do I know? Some asshole named Steven Kesslar just posted something about how 78% of Americans are unpatriotic because they want to give undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. So when you come down to it only 1 in 5 Americans or so like this Kesslar prick embrace far-right views. And even lots of Republicans don't like Trump's tariffs policies because they threaten to raise prices eventually. Did I mention how Independents deplore Trump's new "victory" and how it will screw Trump voters on Medicaid? And make working class people in Kentucky hungry? So, as my Sister In Cock says, they voted for this shit. Que sera sera. Let them live with it. Seems like the more they live with it, the less they like it. As you and I know, this topic is very complex. But the basic formula is what AMLO did in Mexico. First, the poor and the working class. How do we make life better for them? Second, embrace their sensibilities, too. A lot of college-educated elites in Mexico don't like AMLO for embracing Hecho En Mexico fossil fuels and the like. And the globalist elite types decry AMLO's authoritarian tendencies. My view is that right now it would help Democrats to embrace a very simple view. The working class is smart. And college graduates suck. Especially if they are White. Did I mention I am a White college-educated liberal? But Teixeira is right. As Democrats become less working class and more attuned to the priorities of college-educated liberals, they have not become more popular. This happened under Obama. In 2008 Democrats could win Iowa, Montana, and Missouri. Now we can mostly win places where there are more college students than cows. Do the math. Again, it's complicated. But one of my favorite phrases in politics right now is what Ruben Gallego said. Every Mexican American man wants a big ass truck, and cheap gas to fill it with. Hell, in addition to making cheap gas right here in the gold ole USA maybe we could even import it from Mexico. 90 % of Mexicans view Trump's America unfavorably. That is more than any other nation in the world. Surely, Mexico has their fair share of authoritarian followers. To your excellent point, I think it is because they had a somewhat authoritarian leader in AMLO who focused on their priorities. Pensions for seniors. He literally put money and food in the hands of the poor. He helped working class people who aspire to work hard so they can buy a home and a big ass truck. Is Trump doing these things? The one thing that is the opposite of "que sera sera" is what AMLO and Trump had to do to win power. AMLO fought like hell for decades and lost several times along the way. But when he won, he had a vision and the talent to make that vision work. Trump has neither. Other than to have a big ego and help rich people and autocrats like himself. AMLO handed his successor a landslide victory. And she is a female environmentalist Jew, for Christ's sake. JD Vance is a hillbilly. But the way this is going, he ain't gonna win in 2028 if he runs. Not in a landslide, and not at all. But importing what worked in Mexico will help. I think Harris did a great job under the circumstances. She will likely run to be my Guv, and I will happily vote for her. But she was no AMLO. She sounded like AMLO during one debate she prepared well for, when she kicked Trump's ass. We need someone who can exude the working class passion AMLO did, and have the plan he can talk about without needing to prepare. The huge question to me is can Democrats embrace someone like AMLO. If we even have one here. If not, maybe we can import one from Mexico. 😉 If it's meant to be, it will happen. Que sera sera.

Lets start out with the one thing YOU can do that may help. Because I am nearly in a panic. Feed our barking dog. Give him his treats. He is going to need every bit of energy he can get. Record High Say Immigration Benefits Nation I literally want to throw up. Of course, all the evil socialist lying Fake Media like Politico are seizing on this to tell lies like this: Such lies! They hate America! Obviously they want to keep the rapists and lazy and unworthy in. So that they vote Democratic and suck up valuable government resources for Medicaid and food and shit. Trump needs to double down quickly. It is like a cancer that is speaking. Vermin! At least we have Elon Musk and Grok to tell us the truth. This shows why Trump is right on birthright citizenship. It is not just illegals. Many US citizens are unworthy. They came here decades ago, and their kids got to stay. And they teach those kids unpatriotic values. We're going to have to deport a bunch of them, too, to straighten this out. They may claim they are Americans. But they are not. And can we just be honest for once and admit that you can almost tell that by the color of their skin? And don't go whining on me that I am racist and shit. You are a DEI America hater if you do! it is only going to get worse, if it is not too late already. 78 % of so-called "Americans" say that the illegals should get a chance to be citizens if they meet certain requirements over a period of time. Yeah, right. We tried that when we ended slavery and look what happened. Obama and shit. DEI Harris. This is what happens when you let people in and they say "Oh we love America." Yeah, the America of deadbeats and losers like the shit holes they came from. And if they have their way America will be a shit hole too. Which is what Barack Hussein Obama and Senile Joe and that DEI loser Harris were fast turning us into. We need to end birthright citizenship NOW and kick out a lot of the unpatriotic losers that only claim to be American because of this nonsense. Hopefully SCOTUS will go along since we have a patriotic majority other than the African and Jew. And no I am not racist there are good articulate Blacks like Justice Thomas. Please feed our barking dog now. I had a nightmare last night that there were protests about "hunger" and "hospitals closing" and rural deadbeats even spreading lies. So Trump decided he had to turn @Barknaway into Trump Steaks to feed his own working class lazy ass voters. Since all the SNAP money went to Musk and the donors. And they sure as hell ain't giving it back. We need more barking! And louder! And yeah you smartasses I read that article about how TikTok is full of shit that rots your brain. I admit it is almost like the more our cruel pup pushes Tik Tok and barks incessantly, the more it alienates people. And the less popular Trump and his so-called "cruel" policies become. But that is just what the Fake media wants you to think. We need more barking! Incessantly! Come on, puppy. Be a good puppy, loyal and true! Bark! Bark! Bark! Trump is on a roll. And if you think he is becoming more unpopular because of all these so-called "cruel" things he is winning, you have been brainwashed. Why don't you self-deport and go back to whatever shit hole YOU came from? Trump is on a roll and genuine Americans know it! As if to prove how evil they are and how dedicated they are to destroying America's last best hope, the Fake media is even posting lies like this: GOP warning sign in new poll: Trump’s voters don’t love his tariffs Such bullshit! These people disgust me! They hate America and they should go back to their shit holes. Even Europe or Canada or these other so-called "allies" who have always been lazy freeloaders who feed on America.

I think the essential problem is that us dumb voters like getting money. What's that about, anyway? Dick Cheney said back in the last century that Reagan proved deficits don't matter - politically. He ran them up and he won in a landslide and got his heir Bush 41 elected. His heir said "no new taxes" and lost. Because he raised taxes and it pissed people off. Clinton proved that in a way, too. He created a surplus and his heir apparent, Gore, lost. W. then proceeded to run up annual deficits again. Trump seems to be against most of what W. did, I guess. Like starting wars with four letter countries that start with IRA... 🤔 Or running up deficits. Trump would never do that, of course. Final example: Labor won in the UK in a landslide. Then they did what they must have thought was fiscally responsible, and cut people's benefits. Then they got crushed in the recent elections. And everyone said it was about the benefits, stupid. Stanley Druckenmiller identifies as a super rich guy, and an old school low tax low government Republican. He said something a few years back that I think was prescient. He said maybe Republicans can hold off taxing the rich, like him, more for a few more election cycles. So far, he nailed it. But eventually when it comes down to cutting Medicare or Social Security or something like that, Druckenmiller knows the pitchforks are aimed right at his pocketbook. In that sense, however it goes, Mamdani may be the handwriting on the wall. People don't want their Medicaid cut or their food taken away to help the noble rich. Either that, or Musk trains Grok to have us all believing that Hitler was good, and guys like Musk and Trump will do what's best for us. If you dissent, you are deported. That's the challenge us dumb voters face.

Of course, Sis. You're so sexy when you get passionate. It is one of the endless things I love about you.

I think we are talking about two different types of voters. As you say, you are talking about Trump voters. And within that, I would distinguish between people who voted for Trump, and people who identify as MAGA (about 3 in 4 Republicans or so). You are absolutely right that there are Trump voters who simply obey. @lookin has made a bunch of really thoughtful posts for years about authoritarian followers, citing various sources. So that is a good concept for the kinds of voters who you are talking about. They are loyal and true and obedient and cruel. Just like our good loyal MAGA pup. Don't forget to give him a treat. He'll be extra cruel just to spite you, Sis. Of course, they don't think they are cruel. They think they are loyal and true and obedient and good. That was my point about citing these Republicans leaders in Valadao's district. Of course they are not going to make people sick or hungry! Of course Donald Trump would never do that! Riddle me this, Batman. I have a Trump voting relative who is literally on the board of a food bank. He is a very smart and compassionate guy, who is very proud of what the food bank he serves on does. Best guess is that food banks would literally have to double their output to make up for the SNAP cuts. Which is basically impossible. So what is the point? Do good by serving on a food bank board, and then support someone who wipes out all the good you did, and makes hunger a lot worse? Now, what would happen if Donald Trump personally decided our good and loyal and true pup had to be turned into Trump Steaks to feed hungry Trump voters when Trump takes their Medicaid and food away? Would the loyal pup suddenly be less obedient? That's a tough one. You'll have to ask the dumb dog yourself. If you can get him to stop barking. I'm talking about different voters. We know that Trump lost in 2020 and won in 2024. We know Valadao lost in 2018 and won in 2020. We know there are swing voters. I think it is clear that Trump won a lot of votes in 2024, especially among people who are working class or young or poor, because they were pissed about inflation or rent or gas prices or whatever. Trump promised not to fuck with them, or their Medicaid. He promised to lower their prices. Tillis was right. They are being betrayed. My point is they are not stupid. The polls say they have already figured it out. 2 in 3 voters don't like this bill. Independents abhor it. When they find out more about the cruel details in the bill, I think they may be even more pissed. But Trump voters, of course, love it. Especially ones who say they are MAGA. Aka The Cult. You're talking about the cultists or authoritarian followers. I totally agree with you. I am talking about swing voters or independents.

This is going to be an interesting one, regarding MAGA programming versus reality. Republicans in Washington are nervous about Medicaid. Not in Valadao’s California district There's a handful of swing House districts in SoCal that have flipped around since Trump first appeared. Valadao is the Republican who has probably done the best job of keeping his district red. He was first elected in 2012. And in several cycles he has been in one of the closest House races in the country. He did lose the seat one time, in 2018, by a whisker, and then won it back by a whisker in 2020. So that article is interesting because it quotes local Republican leaders in his district basically saying, "Oh, no. These Medicaid cuts won't hurt him at all. People won't believe it." It is an interesting example of your point. When you are inside the cult, why would you even consider any other possibility? Valadao is seemingly in the cult, but not quite of the cult. He did vote to impeach Trump. And is one of only two Republicans who did so that is left standing. The article states Republicans know that if they primary Valadao, they probably lose the district. But of course Team MAGA now feels that Valadao is back in the cult's good graces, since he voted loyally. The one time he did lose his race in 2018 was after he voted to kill Obamacare. In these super close races anything can make a difference. But while the cult may have loved the idea of slaying Obamacare, seems like voters in his district didn't. So next year we'll get to see how they feel about Valadao voting to slay Medicaid in a district heavily reliant on it. There is this notion that it won't matter because the pain doesn't start until after the midterms. Except the Republicans may be a bit too clever. The same was true in 2010. Obamacare was law, but not implemented. Didn't matter. Democrats got their ass kicked. Republicans did not kill Obamacare in 2018. Regardless, it was the fact that Valadao voted to do so that seemed to kill him. So I don't buy the notion that voters actually have to feel the knife in their back to know they have been lied to and betrayed.

It's the cruelty, stupid. Or wait. Is it just the stupidity? 🤔 Anyhoo, as long as he is a good and loyal and true and cruel MAGA pup, he won't be hungry or sick or deported. He'll get his treats. Here boy! Good boy! What a good loyal puppy you are!

And NEITHER are welcome to stay at my house. So there! 😉

I do blame Taco Don. I have said that repeatedly. He is playing divide and conquer. And it comes at a price. The interesting question for historians will be: did it have to be this way? Is this the only way Republicans can win 49.8 % of the vote? And what were the long term consequences? In 2008 and 2020, in different times and different ways, Obama and Biden said they wanted to unite America. And they won more than 50 % of the vote. So why did it have to be Trump, and why did it have to be this way? That is why I loved Game Change. In both subtle and obvious ways it demonstrated how this has been growing for a long time. Trump is more symptom than cause. But he sure added fuel to the fire. More than anything, I think Trump showed the GOP that if they got nasty and fought and lied they could win, barely. McCain in 2008 and Romney in 2012, who were nicer guys with more principles, could not. And the victory is tax cuts for Trump donors, and Medicaid and SNAP cuts for the unworthy working class Trump voters. This is not a sustainable strategy to win. Not to be a gossiping bitch, but. My niece is not welcome in my home. She is, in her own words, OCD. So we do Air BnB's. As far as restaurants go, I won't clock her for her politics. But I did clock her for being a snob. She has a reputation in my family for being the one who will choose the restaurant and then make a show out of bitching about how the food is not right. Or the service sucks, or it is too noisy, or whatever. So I recently had to clock her for that. To her credit, she got the memo. And I'd like to think it is only Republicans that are snobs. But as a former escort in California I have met plenty of Democratic snobs, too. The deeper issue is you sound like a Gay man who is one of my best friends. I have always been a political whore. He has incrementally become more political as he ages. Mostly about LGBTQ politics. So we have talked about this a lot. And we are different. It is agonizing for him. But, more than me, he can't overlook the fact that siblings who say they love him vote for people who appoint Pete Hegseth to tear down Gays in the military. I simply draw the line at family. I learned that from my Dad, who was a Reagan Republican. I think we could talk about almost anything with love and respect. Me being Gay was probably the hardest thing for him. But that is a whole different story. Which is, by the way, a very sound basis for The Gays to feel good. I was recently in a nephew's home surrounded by extended family who was 90 % MAGA. We were talking politics. And I did literally joke, "I'm Gay, I'm liberal, and I'm a Democrat. And I am even from California. I am truly fucked!" Everyone laughed. I could not have done that 30 or 40 years ago. And it is the Gay part that would most likely be the deal breaker. Still is, in some cases. To me it speaks to the tremendous victory we won, changing hearts and changing laws. Hegseth would probably roll it all back if he could. Scott Bessent would not. That's thanks to us, Sis. And our broad community. We changed America - and the world - for the good. And they can't take that back. So maybe there is hope for America yet.

And I have Portugal. And a patriotic American niece. Seriously. She just got back from a two week romp in Portugal with a gal pal. Since her husband is not quite as rich and has less time off from his top tax bracket corporate job. And, as is her way, she is texting me photos of lovely places she goes to from the Delta lounge as she awaits her final leg home. So good to be back in the USA! She is for sure one of the MAGA folk who loves the Big Beautiful Bill. Especially the tax cuts. And is more proud of Trump's America than the Sleepy Joe version. So in a sense it is thanks to her, because she is full on MAGA, that I may get deported. But, shit, I can just go on a trip to Portugal or Mexico with her. A very long one. Besides, Trump loves The Gays. Right? Doesn't he? I love the film version of Game Change. There is a scene toward the end where Julianne More as Sarah Palin is in some banquet room, talking about how we are the real Americans. Everyone in the room is White. And presumably Straight and rich. (Maybe Scott Bessent popped in?) Happily, the room is now a bit less segregated than in 2008. I can't find a clip of that scene. But here is what Julianne as Sarah says: Point is this has been building for a long time. And for some reason it helps me to put some members of my family in that fictional room. They are those people, who do feel we are the true America. God bless them. Maybe it helps humanize something that is, to me, essentially sad. And cruel. But I have nothing to worry about. Trump is just as likely to hurt me as he is to hurt his own voters, who need Medicaid or food. He promised never to do that. And as our dog barks incessantly, Trump is a man of his word.

Agree. But this is where it gets interesting. This is not anti-American. This is America. At least, it is the America THEY want. And they in this case is a pretty big chunk of people. Not anywhere near the 49.8 % that elected Trump, for sure. But a substantial part of it. I look at it the way Donna Brazile does. It has to kind of suck for her. First, right or wrong, I associate her with losing campaigns. Mondale. Dukakis. Gore. Harris. The campaigns she has played the largest role in were for candidates who all lost, I think. To sound a bit racisty, maybe she is another DEI hire? 🙄 Second, with Harris I'm not sure she played any official campaign role. I see her more as a behind the scenes strategist. But at the risk of sounding like an anti-American deranged communist identity politics whacko myself, it had to hurt for a Black woman who has spent her life in Democratic politics to see this choice of electing a Black woman to lead America come so close, and then go down. That is the America she, and I, wanted. At the time, she said something like, "We chose a felon over a prosecutor. Let's just sit with this for a while." Like four years, perhaps? Part of it, which other Blacks like Eddie Glaude, Jr. expressed at the time, was this: "Oh, like I am supposed to be surprised? Oh, like as a Black man in America I had no clue whatsoever that this might be what America really is?" But there I go being all identity politics whacko again. I better be quiet. They may deport me.

Exactly. And I must confess I made an almost unforgivable fashion faux pas. I cited Zsa Zsa above. It was actually Eva Gabor that starred in Green Acres. Out of curiosity I Googled Eddie Albert, her co-star. He lived to be almost 100. Same as my Dad. And he was very involved in humanitarian, environmental, and lefty sounding causes. His wife was a Mexican American who had a reputation as a progressive. She was blacklisted for opposing Franco's fascism. So it's best that Trump stays in Manhattan while his lazy useless working class voters go to Green Acres to work. Because Trump and Eddie would not get along. Albert lived in Pacific Palisades. So that would be a sore spot right there. Albert was the kind of delusional environmentalist who might believe the Palisades fires had something to do with drought or climate change. Ugh! I hate these climate change communists almost as much as I hate lazy unworthy Trump voters on Medicaid. Can't we just deport them to Mexico, along with Albert's whacko communist wife? She died of cancer long ago. But she was obviously not really an American. The plus to sending all Trump's Medicaid voters to Green Acres is, as lazy and dumb as they are, they might be able to educate radicals like Albert. Like we all know the Palisades fires were really caused by DEI. 🙄 In fairness, I'll end by letting the communists have a word or two. Even though they are evil and wrong. It is a free country, after all. God bless America.

Ag secretary says able-bodied Medicaid recipients should replace immigrant farm workforce This makes so much sense. Granted, there could be a few transition issues. If you a worthless, lazy piece of shit who voted for Trump in a MAGA dump like Mississippi, maybe you can't just pick up and move to Iowa. Trump is a genius. He'll figure that part out. And his lazy dumb ass supporters on Medicaid should love it. God how I hate how lazy they are. It is so unpatriotic! Being a Gay lib from California, I will be a bitch and suggest a few innovations. With efficiency in mind, of course. We don't want to waste precious government resources that could be going to Elon Musk. First, I think this Medicaid proposal should be targeted to Trump voters only. They should reap the benefit of their vote for government efficiency. Lazy liberals in California who didn't support this cruelty should be exempt. What good are they, anyway? Second, unlike Zsa Zsa, Trump himself should get to stay in Manhattan. Or Mar A Lago. Or Saudi Arabia at whatever new Trump hotel they will build to curry his favor. Now that he doesn't have to run again, no reason for Trump to have to consort with the worthless lazy low lifes who voted for him. They should just get to work.

That is both encouraging, in the context of a very sad story, and actually a little surprising Meaning that there were actually countries with open doors for them to go to. Certainly not the US right now. But it shows you what one person with a heart and a mission can do. And where the passion that helped fell Biden and Harris is coming from.

Good luck with that, Sis. I read some anecdote about how Jeffries had some meeting with rich Silicon Valley donors. He basically was inquiring about how we can kiss and make up. So he definitely does not speak for the Mamdani generation, in New York or anywhere. It's unfair. But I'll just say he speaks for the donor class. As does Schumer. Any idea that either of those guys were going to lead us to salvation was always a non-starter. We know that when Reagan was King Democrats spent 12 years figuring out, "Who's next?" It took an enterprising and slick Guv from Arkansas to begin to solve the problem. And he got his ass kicked as too liberal in 1994. But Reagan won in two landslides, pulled off the rare trick of handing power to HW for a third Reagan term, and did genuinely popular stuff. Trump won 49.8 % of the vote in a close election in which Democrats picked up one House seat. He just got a wildly unpopular bill barely passed that will piss off and hurt many of his own voters. So I think Democrats have way better prospects now. I did post that back in 2017, arguing that what Democrats needed was someone in the crowd to show up and lead. I think the same is true today. We know in 2020 we got Biden. It is all woulda coulda shoulda. To me, it was mainly the global inflation, stupid. But I think it could have worked if Biden really did have a strategy to be a transitional figure. it was definitely vain and a fatal error on Biden's part to think history had set him up as the perpetual Trump slayer, in a wheelchair. And maybe it was vain of Democrats in general to think it could work that way. Although, thanks to Biden, we never really got a choice. Like I said above, Reagan in effect pulled off anointing his successor in 1988. But even Clinton could not do it, in 2000 or 2016. One of the few things I genuinely admire about Trump is he did do this in the Republican Party. He showed up and led. It is a narrow and negative divide and conquer strategy that is based on the whims of a narcissistic and cruel guy. So I don't admire THAT. But Trump did something like Clinton did. Only worse. This will have to be fought out, no matter how long it takes. Clinton and his wise men are not democratic socialists. But I agree with Doug Sosnik, one of the Clinton era wise guys. He says whatever Democrats do will have to lean into this Bernie economic populism stuff. As you said, we are seeing that play out in NYC. Meanwhile, we have Ryan and Emma to be pretty, and entertain us. And Dancing With The Stars! Things could be worse.

Yes. The people who they are killing in Gaza take them seriously. A few very sad thoughts on this. Just a few days ago I watched an interview between John Mearsheimer and Judge Napolitano which is worth 30 minutes of anyone's time. They are kindred spirits on most of these issues. Mearsheimer, who is firmly in the camp that Trump just incented Iran to build a nuclear bomb so we can't fuck with them in the future, laid out a theory about Bibi and Don, the mad bombers. He said Trump has gotten himself into a new forever war with Iran, even though he probably doesn't know it yet. He framed his thoughts by noting that he is trying to get into Trump's head, which is never an easy or safe thing to do. But he thinks Trump thinks he's the top dog, and has it all sorted out. Bibi will show up to discuss a "cease fire" and slather praise on Trump. He'll tell him how badly Israel needs the US and how we thank you for your wisdom and blah blah blah. And in the end Bibi, who Mearsheimer basically said is a much cannier politician than Trump, will break the ceasefire and bomb Iran more and drag Trump into that. A new forever war! And Bibi did it himself. It does seem like we now have a Trump/Arab autocrat/Genocide Jew axis of evil forming in the Middle East. How many real estate deals are Trump's family working on with those Arab autocrat states, by the way? How many luxury planes are they gifting him? So that is a serious matter. Although, Mearsheimer would argue, nothing we can really do anything about. We're just the most powerful democracy in the world, after all. 😨 There was an article in The New York Times by some likely suspect professor saying Democrats don't really understand how wide and deep the split between Democrats and Israel is becoming. It was behind a paywall so I didn't bother to try to learn the details. Because I think it is true and I have it figured out already. I do look at polls all the time. And this one you can track slowly developing over the course of years. But escalating once Bibi really got his genocide going in Gaza. And I do think, at the margin, it was another nail in the coffin of Biden and Harris, not to mention tens of thousands of Palestinians. So this is something to take seriously. I am of an age where I know 25 years ago I revered Clinton and Barak as the peacemakers. I knew Barak was the embodiment of the IDF as well as the Israel Labor Party. But I thought, and think, they wanted to make peace. I did, and always will, hope Arafat burns in hell forever for rejecting a deal that could have prevented all this. But it is what it is. And now young Democrats who weren't alive when all that happened look at Bibi and think, "Genocide Jew." And I agree with them. He is a Genocide Jew. But I have no idea what Democrats will or can do about it.

No problem, Sis. In truth, when it come to true charity, you have always been the more generous one. And we have enough work to do already. Not least of which is feeding all the people the SNAP cuts will leave hungry. One rule of thumb being tossed around is that every food bank in America has to double their capacity. That ain't gonna happen. This is like subprime, without the mortgages. A time bomb rigged to gradually explode. Truth be told, I have an ulterior motive. I am a calculating bitch. As you well know, but graciously refrain from saying. I think Thom Tillis is right. He does know a lot about politics. And the coverup is worse than the crime. He did not say that, literally. He said when you say you can keep your doctor, and it turns out you can't, people get pissed. They feel that you lied. So as bad as the legislation itself is, the fact that Trump and good MAGA folk are trying to cover up what it really does adds insult to injury. I hope Trump and all these cruel MAGA barking dogs bark up a storm about how we should all love this bill. And ain't it great. And won't it be good. They already have 2 in 3 voters who don't believe it. So let them try to cover it up. Let them bark as loud as they fucking can. It will only make it worse for them as this unfolds and the truth is obvious. Sorry. I am such a bitch.

It's funny. I took a few paragraphs of my post out. Now given what you wrote I wish I'd left them in. What I said is that for most of my life one political model prevailed. There was Team Republican and Team Democrat. And there could be fierce political battles. But often enough, especially on big things like winning the Cold War or creating a budget surplus, the two teams compromised and got big things done. And this had an impact. There are two Presidents who left office having restored trust in government to about 50 % of the public: Reagan, then Clinton. I'd argued that is because of what I said. People noticed that the Cold War ended. People noticed we had a budget surplus. Since 2000, no POTUS has cracked something like 20-25 % of people who actually trust the government most of the time. Now the model is that we have Team Red and Team Blue. There is much less respect for government, or politicians. And, partly as result, more Independents who say a pox on both your houses. But they have not been effective in building a third party. And, with all due respect to Elon Musk, there is no reason to think they ever will succeed. Parties can change, which Trump has proven. But in the US that is how parties evolve. It is very rare for them to die. So then the game becomes trying to convince Independents, who are turned off in general anyway, that the other team is bat shit crazy. And we have now had a bunch of close elections where it substantially comes down to which way Independents go. So that is what I took out of the post. My point is that in a way what Democrats or Republicans think is irrelevant. All that matters now is Independents. So from that perspective, we don't have to wonder how to convince Independents that this bill sucks, and is cruel. The poll says they are there already. They think the bill sucks. And it is cruel. That is the most important political fact. This is why conservatives like Molly Ball are saying loud and clear in the Wall Street Journal that this is definitely bad news for Republicans. Who were likely to face headwinds in 2026 anyway. What is also particularly toxic is that this poll shows that among Republicans who are NOT MAGA supporters, which is of course a minority of Republicans, they think this bill sucks and is cruel, too. So for at least some slice of Republicans, Democrats are reinforcing what Republicans already believe. For Republicans who are MAGA supporters, the poll confirms you are correct. And our cruel barking dog is proof of concept. He deserves his treat. Because he is conditioned to bark like mad. Especially now. The sick and cruel dog brain is conditioned to think this is loyalty. Not cruelty. In fact, if the sick and cruel dog brain could understand polls rather than Tik Tok, the barking dog might realize he is making an ass of himself. And I am getting joy out of seeing him do it. Which I suppose means I am not Mother Theresa. I never pretended to be. But the sick and cruel dog is helpless, and proves it with each new post. So I will just goad him and laugh at him. It neither helps not hurts the most important reality: Independents think this bill is a cruel piece of shit.

I mentioned in a different post that Molly Ball just wrote in the Wall Street Journal that some analyst said that the Big Beautiful Bomb is the least popular piece of legislation in 35 years. She actually did not cite a name. And it sounded like it was not a poll so much as some analyst somewhere. Harvard maybe? Some ignorant DEI hire? Then again, it is Molly Ball and the Wall Street Journal. Not exactly democratic socialists. So I was curious. So you can see for yourself above. According to KFF, which I think is as independent as it gets, it looks very bad. This is the one big beautiful bill that will define Trump and the GOP Congress. And for Independents it stinks like a piece of shit. It's kind of amazing that even one third of Republicans think it's bad. Will they go vote in 2026 or 2028, as this plays out? Basically the only supporters are like our cruel MAGA barking dog, who have been conditioned to be loyal and cruel. And truthful, of course. So when they bark the truth on Tik Tok about all the great things this bill really does, that will change things. Right? Well, no. It actually gets much worse, when you get to the Cruelty Questions. Every one of these questions could be paraphrased this way. What if you found out that Trump and Republicans did all kinds of unnecessarily cruel things so that his fat cat donors could pay less taxes and rich special interests could have special laws with special favors? Where we start out is that 64 % of all voters view the bill unfavorably. But then as they are told what it actually does to Medicaid and hospitals, it gets worse. So I doubt Andy Beshear will be booed off the stage when he says this is going to be an absolute fucking disaster for rural hospitals and the rural working class in Kentucky. Yes, they really are that stupid. And that cruel.

Here, good MAGA puppy. Here you go. Here's your treat for the day. Good boy. We know in his own words our cruel sick puppy had a Mom who admired Joe Biden, and sounds kind. So who knows what happened? Some kind of trauma? But now it's as if he has flashbacks like please don't bring back Joe Biden or that nonsense. He can bark loud and strong and loyally and even go bite Thom Tillis. And everyone will think he is a good and loyal and true cruel MAGA puppy. Good boy! Good boy! Even those of you who like me who are Democrats and think this effort to make women and kids sicker and hungrier is cruel, please feed the puppy. It is only going to get worse as this plays out. Trump probably objectively has had the best few weeks of his Presidency. At least if you mean a bill got passed, or SCOTUS ruled in his favor. But that is exactly the problem. If the bill that passed is wildly unpopular, which it is, that's actually not a victory. So I feel for our stupid pup. Even as he takes my bait and I laugh at him. He is trying so very hard to be loyal, and true, and stupid, and cruel Just like Trump. Please be kind. Give the puppy a treat.