A few of our friends here appear to be staying away. We miss you. Yes, I dissed Hillary Clinton and her failed campaign. But that’s just me. Surely you know I’ve never meant this to be a home for views that reflect only my own. Anyone can contribute a post, or publish a comment from any point of view. All I ask is that I be allowed to do the same without assumptions that my view rules the site. So even if you don’t like what some say here come on back and share. We miss you.
a gentle goodbye to those we’ve lost on the trail
https://youtu.be/yGL_2paURYA
“keep your nose to the wind and your eyes to the skies”
wapo: Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House
“It is the assessment of the intelligence community that Russia’s goal here was to favor one candidate over the other, to help Trump get elected,” said a senior U.S. official briefed on an intelligence presentation made to U.S. senators. “That’s the consensus view.”
[….]
The CIA shared its latest assessment with key senators in a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill last week, in which agency officials cited a growing body of intelligence from multiple sources. Agency briefers told the senators it was now “quite clear” that electing Trump was Russia’s goal, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
la times:
The final results of the 2016 presidential election look like this: Hillary Clinton got roughly the same number of votes that President Obama received four years ago en route to his reelection, but she nonetheless lost the presidency to Donald Trump, who came in at least 2.8 million votes behind her.
That’s a highly unusual outcome — the biggest gap between the popular vote and the electoral college in almost a century and a half.
… I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic ….
Mike Pence is in a pickle. Or already choosing his Cabinet.
craig, thank you for providing us this podium, this cozy safe corner to stand on our varying soapboxes with, as the trail mission statement proclaims, “the sole purpose of encouraging civil discourse for all points of view.”
just remember even civil discourse can have an edge sharp enough to hurt sometimes. how would you feel if the opinion was repeatedly thrown at you the campaign equivalence of Hillary’s “deplorables” statement as dissing white folks with jim’s venerating the confederate flag as dissing black folks? taken the wrong way out of context, both were equally horrible political-speak-wise…. and both exacted similar retribution.
wapo:
“I’m going after Russia in every way you can go after Russia,” Graham said. “I think they’re one of the most destabilizing influences on the world stage. I think they did interfere with our elections, and I want [Russian President Vladimir] Putin personally to pay the price.”
that is a strong comparison PatD, I get that
heat is turning up on this one: Russia Hacked Republican Committee but Kept Data, U.S. Concludes (NYT)
now if any contact can be found between WikiLeaks, Russians and anybody in Trump world, that’ll be a perfect storm
Baskets of deplorables is cutesie-pie throw-off easily made fun of like binders of women or arrrrrrgh etc. not a serious assessment of a serious problem with some of trump’s most deplorable supporters, which it could have been…..instead was able to be twisted into anyone who supports trump is deplorable…..given some deeper thought……..that point could have been a most effective tool to separate the deplorables from the non-deplorables.
and the clouds are gathering over the goper critters according to that wapo article cited above:
The report highlights and exacerbates the increasingly fraught situation in which congressional Republicans find themselves with regard to Russia and Trump. By acknowledging and digging into the increasing evidence that Russia helped — or at least attempted to help — tip the scales in Trump’s favor, they risk raising questions about whether Trump would have won without Russian intervention.
Trump, after all, won by a margin of about 80,000 votes cast across three states, winning each of the decisive states by less than one percentage point
There was certainly contact between Trump team and Russia (Flint & Manafort to begin with) per Newsweek article below. Whether this amounted to collusion is another matter.
Why Vladimir Putin’s Russia Is Backing Donald Trump
Those who are interested in following and commenting will return. The others…won’t. (You’re welcome. Signed, Captain Obvious)
CIA’s charter to act on its Intel stops at our border, the point at which the FBI becomes the action agency. Unfortunately, FBI was completely committed to Hillary’s emails leaving no resources available for foiling Russia’s successful effort at subverting our National elections.
Sj, yes, drumpf’s cabinet would not be conservative enough for Pence.
I find the denial of the intel by Myrtle and the appointment of Chao to be more than coincidental.
Did she do it or did the media report it that way and then hammer it into the ground every 15 minutes for days? Did they give the same coverage to interchanges with countless people showing her respect and genuine kindness that they gave to one snarky remark? My problem was not an unwillingness to admit Hillary made mistakes, it was the over the top blame game. There is not a single event or issue where if you just changed the names to anyone but Hillary, Bill or Chelsea that would have either been ignored or dropped after a couple of news cycles. It was letting slide much worse actions be barely mentioned. It was the constant snide shots. The constant shaking heads. The frowns and grimaces just to look as if they belonged to some judgmental elite.
Almost two years ago, I knew Trump was an arrogant, ignorant, dangerous man who should never be allowed anywhere near the Presidency. That other voters didn’t see that at least long enough to vote for anyone else absolutely proves that they were gulled by a combination of lies, prejudices, and a media that all too often thinks money and ratings are more important than the welfare of the nation until it is too late as in RIGHT NOW.
IMO, thinking that Trump was mocking only one reporter is myopic. He wasn’t some yokel off the street saying something crude… at the time he was the presidential nominee of a major political party giving a speech at a rally. IMO, it wasn’t just a dog whistle… it was an in your face statement that it was now open season to mock or attack anyone seen as other.
Craig… what if during a press conference Trump called on a known gay reporter and said something like “hey you… it’s your turn… yes, I’m talking to you faggot.” Would you think… well he doesn’t mean all gay people… and certainly not me… no, he means that reporter and that reporter only.
Here I am, stepping out of the mists of Lurkdom (a crowded and non-deed restricted community.)
Craig, I have enjoyed and benefited from your experience and analysis for several political cycles, here and watching you on MSNBC. I missed TrailMix when you went offline after the hack or whatever that was. I’ve always read the comments, agreements and sparring. This is a convivial place, and a bright place. You and the Posters With Great Names (my favorite is Katherine Graham Cracker) keep it that way.
Your stories about Biden, and the most recent one on John and Annie Glenn, tell me you share many of my values. There is no need for you to share them all. I like “learning things.” My profession is journalism, its soft, features and design side. But I was born in D.C. and grew up watching Watergate hearings.
I like it here. While I have little political analysis to offer, I’ll try and post. I’m here. I’ll speak up. Maybe I’ll ask questions. Maybe I’ll try levity. Maybe I’ll share dog stories. Maybe I’ll reference my hero, FDR. Couldn’t hurt.
BTW, I’m in the Florida Panhandke. Tallahassee. Blue. The city, that is, but since the Election, me, too.
Strange how Nov. 7 is s big day on the Russian calendar, and now Nov. 8 may be, too.
“It was the constant snide shots. The constant shaking heads. The frowns and grimaces just to look as if they belonged to some judgmental elite.”
Jamie, the same thing happened to jimmy carter…. nothing he could do/did positively seemed to outweigh the gaffe’s that became his image. his opponent was also the glitzy new toy that mesmerized the media. just as he has done since the presidency, she can reclaim respect in her post-political activities. but it will take the media to accept and acknowledge their role in enabling the spread of lies… aka the euphemism “fake news.”
welcome aboard mr doodlesdog. you have nothing to fear here except fearsome selves.
Greetings, ddog, it’s a pleasure having you here
Hello mrdoodlesdog, always good to see a lurker come in from the dark. And yes, we love dog stories!
HI there Doodlesdog. It’s always a welcome event when a lurker drops in from the clouds. All visitors are welcome as we even try to keep our dust ups within the realm of civilized behavior. A fan of FDR already has a great calling card.
Patd
Those who want to see evil will see evil whether or not it exists. As it stands now, Trump could grow wings and don a halo and I would assume he was going to a costume party orgy.
ddog, kudos if you are responsible for the above artistry…great expression
and a delicious blueberry pie doodles the dog is eyeing.
Hey, mrDdog! Welcome.
Are we really blaming the Russians for this? Really? The other half of Trump’s supporters that weren’t “deplorables” were folks left behind by the Reps & the Dems. Those folks happened to be in the right states to make this happen.
And yes, both Trump & Clinton tried to shame voters into not voting for their opponents, both during the primaries and the general election. Hillary did not “go high” when she talked down to Bernie’s supporters.
Biden is probably kicking himself now. Did he step aside thinking Hillary was a sure thing & he would be SOS? Did Bernie & Elizabeth support her because they were promised something, or, just because Trump is so Trumpy?
Shall we start a pool to guess how long it will take for T to be removed from office for doing something so arrogantly awful that we can’t even imagine it yet?
This troll is focusing on small causes, not politics. It’s too big…and it failed.
Craig,
Not staying away,simply am unable to offer anything substantive.
Watching Trump prepare to take office,for me at least is akin to the country sitting on the foredeck of the Titantic and shouting “iceberg dead ahead,steady as she goes full speed ahead!”
What would it take for us to successfully compel the administration to oust Comey for malfeasance?
View. From my front window early this morning.
Jace, I didn’t realize that you had a sand filled front yard; beautiful!
Welcome Mr.Doodledog
You must be of a certain age – more and more people don’t know who Katherine Graham was.
I thought about going with gnome de plume but Katherine Graham Cracker seemed a better fit.
If anyone wants to drop by, I posted a new one on the blog: The Poem Omitted
The New Time cover
Patd
Love the Jeremiah clip. Another Heinlein quote being way too far ahead of his time in 1973. Unfortunately we never got around to finding another place to live:
“Are we really blaming the Russians for this? Really?”
bid, your dr stein is spending a lot of time and money partly based on finding out whether and how they did it.
since you voted for her thought you might back her up or is she also to be thrown under that same bus you threw bernie and lizzie?
Since 11/9 I have found peace in not bothering with television. Netflix is fine. Amazon Prime is fine. I am even using the “On Demand” which is available on Verizon okay. Music provided by SiriusXM and Amazon Prime, along with hundreds of albums spinning on a turntable.
I write now; more and better. My novels are fleshing out and coming together. This morning I was able to create the opening scenes for Red Light on the Green Line; which had eluded me for a year and a half.
There is little I can do for the country, state and federal level right now. For the state, the governor is acting like a center right Dem, which is fine with many folk, but not for me. He avoids the floater knowing that he would lose if he visited the gold commode to drink the toilet water he would lose the next election.
Having seen comments and articles written here appear in a columns and other articles in other media by other writers, I feel content to write what I feel here and hope that my crumbs find a why up to be read by others. Peace within is very important now.
been there and done that – claimed the recounts were being done on Clinton’s behest and that Stein has sold out although what for is unclear
Not blaming the Russians. Trying to assess the impact of what they have been doing.
bbronc, not only “assess the impact” but hopefully they’ll come up with how to keep it from happening again.
Interesting Nate Silver Tweet given that he was right about the percentage of the popular vote:
Clinton lost 4 states (FL, MI, WI, PA) by ~1 point. If not for Comey/Russia, she probably wins them all by ~2 points & strategy looks great.
today’s puzzlements: when did “lying” morph into “telling it like it is”?
and why can’t the media bring themselves to say “lies” instead of “fake news”
huffpo: Russian Interference Could Give Courts Legal Authority To Install Clinton
Rex Tillerson Secretary of State – Drill Baby Drill – Earth be damned while sucking up to Russia.
Secretary of Putin
Patd
That happened when bad manners and vicious commentary became “politically incorrect”.
The whole Sandy Hook as a fake story should be explored by the main stream media. I think it should be traced to its origin and the originators shamed into exile
it makes me laugh when I hear cable anchors talk about fake news
Same bus. None were thrown under it. All jumped in front of it on their own.
Only in a certain version of reality – like Alex Jones perhaps
Maybe real news is too hard to come by, as it takes work build g relationships, asking questions to which you might prefer different answers, etc.
As for the Russians, Hillary won the popular vote. The Russians only successfully influenced certain voters?
It’s been a strange season & I don’t think it’s over yet.
Much of the media is owned by a handful of corporations or individuals.
True Trail Mixers never leave home! Sometimes they just hang out in the room of silence. A good thing, and they always return. This is how you know they are True!
Ping Pong
I just have a safe sulking place that I also use to occasionally try to write something of interest. Please feel free to visit.
ny times: Trump, Mocking Claim That Russia Hacked Election, At Odds With G.O.P.
this was what keith said a week before the election… too bad no one paid attention.
Patd,
The evidence of Russian interfearance would have to be so damning and obvious, as to be beyond reasonable doubt. Certainly Russia had a preferred outcome and probably did everything in their power aid in that out come. I just don’t see any court invalidating the results. Short of proof positive that the Russians paid Comey to release his letter to congress at the most damaging possible time,or that KGB hackers got into voting machines. I just don’t see it. A ruling of that kind would unleash blood shed in the streets. Huff post is still in denial.
The unfortunate thing is there is no one who can stand up to Trump and have an impact on his supporters.
No newspaper. no source of news (sic) no religious figure no political figure
He can lie with impunity – the only way to get rid of him is a crushing defeat in 2018 and a precursor in 2017. Opponents have to pick rallying point – maybe social security and medicare- and just keep repeating this.
Trump voters may not understand what they voted for. Government should not operate like a business that is not the role of government. Recent attempts at privatization have been disastrous including people dying because profit was chosen over service. But for the next two years we are operating under Trump rules – too bad he is our chief deal maker if the first one was any example we are still losers
Breaking the silence!
Time Person of the year should have been Julian Assange for providing the Truth. The Truth is never wrong, maybe painful, but never wrong.
One must also reflect in the silence and be aware of themselves. That does not seem to be happening?
jace, “that KGB hackers got into voting machines” is what needs to be looked at in depth because that’s what could be fixed for future elections. their (or any outsiders) playing mind games on social media and internal disgruntlement causing hatch act violations will always be possible and hard to do anything about, but fiddling with the ballots could be and should be better controlled.
that huffpo article like the ones on the recess appointment possibilities are mostly lawyers/law profs having fun with “what ifs and might bes” arguments of how many theories does it take to screw a bulbous bully..
Craig: I appreciate that you created this forum and I hope nothing I said contributed to the loss of trail friends. But, here’s the thing…You keep opening your mouth and inserting your foot! It must be well chewed on by now. The more you try to explain that ‘deplorables’ cost her the election rationally, the more irrational it sounds. Her use of the term is NOT what cost her the election. The fact that it was constantly referred to by the media, social networks and websites in general AND that the many, many disgusting things said and done by trump and his nazi staff were NOT constantly referred to by all of the above is what cost her the election. You are just pandering to those who brought it about. Not to mention all the fake news that so many people took as gospel. (I even know one of those) While I agree that Hillary wasn’t a good campaigner and didn’t learn how to use the media to her advantage, it doesn’t mean she wasn’t MORE than qualified to be President! I equate that to some very smart people who can’t do well on exams…Doesn’t make them stupid. AND what about the fact that NOBODY insisted on trump producing his tax returns or talked more about his fraudulent business & foundation deeds! Finally of course, Comey banged in the nails to seal her fate. There were so many things wrong in this election that there is no excuse to oversimplify it by saying Hillary was just a lousy campaigner!
End of rant 🙁
mrdoodlesdog: Talk about a great name! Welcome 😀
BiD: I hope some day someone does a definitive study on who & why folks voted for Der Pumpkinfuhrer! I read a Medium story this morning from a woman who wanted to know why her parents voted for him. It was a wonderful, well written piece and I will try to find a link for it later. It showed how off-target some people were in what they thought they were voting for/against. PS: don’t know why you called yourself a troll but I’ll sign on for the pool!
Jace: Will you adopt me? I want to sit and rock in front of that window!
In the meme time…
ping, you mean the Julian Assange that bbc back in October wondered if he was screwing up our elections with a little help from his friends? or maybe snowden another truthy-leaker Assange friend who claimed “russia successfully rigged us election in favor of trump”
acch!, the big furball just grabbed the mic during the army navy game and is being fawned over by the cbs announcers…
Welcome to USof EXUMP or is that Truon
Glad to see you, Mr. Doodlesdog ! As you can tell from some of the sniping, I think it pays to have your rowels sharpened, just in case. We’re in a harsh and bleak section of the Trail right now, but there are lush green pastures ahead. The difficulty will be to find away through or around this chasm. With your help, we stand a better chance of getting ourselves over there.
When the stakes were greatest, you equivocated, traded in innuendo, parroted conservative disinformation, and then had the gall to try and join some ideological “resistance” movement against a regime that you helped usher into power.
…but it’s all our fault. WE have the problem. Sure.
Oh, and you advised us to “stick to our principles”. We’ve been sticking, ———–r, what the —- you been doing?
Good afternoon, Mr Ping !
As our resident contrarian, what’s your opinion of the russian sabotage ?
Mr Bink, I am always glad to read your posts. You are furious. I am too. And, we need to map out a better political direction, and find the women and men who seem best suited to lead in that direction.
Imo, the last 40 years has seen a class war. The repub object is to replace upward mobility with a caste system. An essential tactic of their war is to de-legitimize education and the products of education. The repubs won while attacking public schools, college grads, and educated civil servants (except those in military or paramilitary organizations) – you know, stuck up & snotty bastards like chardonnay drinking quiche eaters. (Ahem, I drink Zin or Primitivo, and flee from cheese, myself.) Anywhat, all this repub campaign crap reminds me of the 1984 Joe Lunchbucket hogwash.
You’re a genius. So, how do we blaze a better Trail for us and the nation ?
Please everyone, bury the hatchet now, and not in each other. We face a tremendous challenge. We will need every soul to make a better future.
Once I get past boycotting Jan 20, the next stage will be to find people to elect in 2017, 2018, 2019, and most important 2020 presuming the star-spangled banner still waves O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave. I’m starting to have significant doubts we aren’t just becoming dividing into classes with the zillionaire barons on top and the unskilled and disposable on the bottom.
GrannyMumantoog,
Stop on by. The home is equipped with two rockers. Tea at three, drinks at six.
Xrep – Yes. As patD said so well, The trail abides.”
And to paraphrase someone on NPR, to blame those who voted for Trump is like blaming them for failing the elites.
Two messages resonated this year; Bernie’s & Trump’s.
The Russians lost the popular vote, though.
Neil deGrasse Tyson
When facts are what people want to be true, in spite of contrary evidence, witness the beginning of the end of an informed Democracy