General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"Make It Plain"
The media is reporting numerous extremely important stories on an on-going basis. Two current, closely related events include Trump's role in his son's meeting with Russians for dirt on Hillary Clinton, and Paul Manafort's first criminal trial. The complexity of these stories is such that it can be difficult to remember everything from as recent as one month ago.
Trump and Rudy Giuliani are actively both trying to cloud the issues, and get ahead of bad news they know is coming right around the corner. White House spokespeople are, at very best, habitually having the claims they make supporting Trump being exposed had absolutely untrue. It's a combined effort to confuse the general public.
That's why I think it is important that Democrats including those running for office practice one of Malcolm X's instructions: Make it plain. (In fact, that's the title of one of the very best books about Malcolm, as well as a related documentary.) I recognize that none of our party's candidates can run exclusively as anti-Trump, but it is an issue that will surface in every campaign. And there are some outstanding Democrats in both the House and Senate that are speaking truth on CNN and MSNBC.
It's extremely important that Democrats at the grass roots level also discuss the Trump-Russian scandal. In part, this is to counter the attempt by Trump to confuse the public, so that republicans can have an excuse to not impeach him. It is also equally important to do to educate the public on the dangerous nature of the crimes the Trump campaign committed, and why it is so important to vote for Democrats in November.
I'm comfortable saying here that I believe that vote tallies in sections of three states Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin were tampered in a manner that changed the official outcome of the 2016 election. But I can't prove it, and thus can not make it plain in a public discussion. Thus, I focus on what can be proven that the Trump campaign conspired with the Russians to influence the outcome of the election.
The Trump family business had extensive dealings with Russian entities connected to Putin for decades. Thus, when Donald Jr. was contacted about potential dirt on Clinton, he readily accepted the offer. He wasn't offended that a foreign adversary was attempting to influence our election. No, these were family friends. He said that he loved it, especially if the dirt came out during the general election contest.
Michael Cohen says that Junior came into a meeting between Trump and Cohen, and informed his father of the offer. Rudy Giuliani denied that, but then spoke of a second meeting that followed, where the top people discussed the upcoming meeting with the Russians. This meeting was to discuss how the campaign could best disguise that the campaign was coordinating with Russia.
In the meeting with the Russians, it was agreed that the stolen e-mails from the DNC and Clinton campaign would go through a cut-out. Manafort identified Roger Stone as the person in charge on the Trump campaign's side. The Russians would make use of Guicifer 2.0 and Wikileaks. In return, the Trump campaign would alter the republican platform on Ukraine, and lift the Magnitsky Act sanctions if Trump was elected.
Junior called his father both right before and after this meeting on a private line. Trump would soon make a claim that he was preparing a speech on Clinton's corruption. Manafort was able to pressure the republicans to alter their platform. Although Trump never made the corruption speech he had promised, he soon blurted out his infamous Russia, if you're listening request. And hours later, Russians attempted to hack Hillary Clinton's e-mails.
In the months that followed, when the Trump Tower meeting was exposed by the media, panic set in the group that had conspired with the Russians. Both the father and son, along with co-conspirators, attempted to lie about the meeting. This shows consciousness of guilt. Junior went so far as to lie to a congressional committee. Some of the half-wits who were not directly involved in the conspiracy would parrot those lies to the media, because Trump lied to them, too. When a client lies to his defense lawyers, it's never a good thing. Thus Jay Sekulow's humiliating admission this weekend that he had bad information when he claimed Trump didn't dictate Junior's statement.
The Trump campaign including the candidate conspired with the Russians. It's as plain as that.
NRaleighLiberal
(59,940 posts)H2O Man
(73,308 posts)Yesterday, a couple of lawyers who support Trump were on the news, making what will be the "talking points" that pretend this conspiracy was not illegal. The first is "Amendment 1," claiming this was "free speech," and no different than the publishing of the Pentagon Papers. The second is that the Democrats "paid Russians" for the information contained in the Steele dossier. Though I was tempted to address these pathetic attempts here, I figured it would be better to do so tomorrow in another essay.
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)H2O Man
(73,308 posts)Hoyt
(54,770 posts)those people who supported trump at one time, but now have doubts. Those who still support him enthusiastically, are lost causes.
If we vote, and just a few former trump supporters become worried about this mess or our country's future, we win. Truthfully, if we show up to vote, I'm not sure we need to convert anyone. But it would be nice.
I try to appeal to those I know who voted third party in 2016, or who didn't bother to vote because they believed the outcome was certain. And, as students return to college, I'm scheduled to meet with and speak to a variety of student groups, that I'll do my best to convince that every vote matters -- and that it is essential they vote for Democrats.
I want the election results to show an overwhelming rejection of Trump, and the cowards who enable him.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)invitations are at the region's NAACP meetings. These are usually well attended when the colleges are open. I'm looking forward to those. I also meet with groups of student activists fairly often. Their insight and energy is impressive.
KPN
(15,585 posts)OneGrassRoot
(22,917 posts)H2O Man
(73,308 posts)Much appreciated!
coeur_de_lion
(3,662 posts)and trump/putin relationship on Facebook as you've probably noticed.
Usually get crickets back. I think people who haven't been paying attention from the beginning can hardly take it in now. They just can't fathom corruption on this scale -- we've never seen it in our lifetime.
Some are aware of what is going on but don't want to discuss it publicly until Mueller releases his findings. Don't want to be wrong publicly I suppose, just in case.
I think even I am still somewhat in shock because it is such a massive betrayal, and they were so stupid about it. How could they think no one would discover it? None of us on social media or email have any expectation of privacy. Did they think they were different or special somehow?
Anyway I discuss the putin/trump relationship all the time. I'm dying waiting for September or October when I hope that Mueller releases the results of his investigation. Then I can tell my trump loving cousins and siblings they've been prize fools without directly calling them fools to their faces.
I know plenty of otherwise reasonable intelligent people who voted for trump and still support him. They'll post videos about the good things trump has done. But the videos never actually mention anything good! Just talk about God and trump. Still they go along with it.
My oldest sister is one of these people. She's delusional.
I am doing everything I know how to do to promote democratic candidates for mid terms but what they really need is MONEY.
I wish I had millions to donate. That's what we need the most.
The Liberal Lion
(1,414 posts)I know plenty of otherwise reasonable intelligent people who voted for trump and still support him
yeah, no. No reasonable person could ever vote for trump. I don't care what kind of "reasonable act" they may use as a facade, no amount of logic could have been employed that told a person trump would make a good president. Zero.
Further, no person with actual intelligence could have voted for trump. Yeah, I know people with graduate degrees who voted for trump. It is of no matter. Being able to regurgitate facts for an exam does not intelligence alone make. True intelligence requires critical thinking and the ability to dispute with oneself when evidence challenges one's long held beliefs. No one with an ounce of critical thinking would ever decide trump was a good choice for president.
We liberals and progressives can disagree with "true" conservatives. That's American, and just because we libs and progs may not agree with their beliefs and/or their methods we can't call them "unintelligent" or "unreasonable". However, we face no danger in concluding that the trump voter, regardless of education level was driven by emotion and not reason when pulling the lever for trump. And to that end the emotions experienced in deciding for that orange idiot could in no way be classified as a positive emotion.
There were choices the republicans had that could have been termed "intelligent" and "reasonable", in trump this can not be said. People who voted for trump made the "dumb" and illogical" choice.
coeur_de_lion
(3,662 posts)I said "otherwise reasonable". What I didn't say is that they are very good parents, love their families and hold down good jobs. They are nice people and fun at parties. What can I tell you. Apparently at least as far as politics go they are idiots.
They look out for their own. If I was in trouble they would be over here in a heart beat.
Because they voted for and continue to support trump would you recommend that I disown my family? Call them out on their stupidity, tell them I am never going to speak to them again?
I'm tempted. But I think that's pretty unwise.
Half the country is in the same boat. We're all just hoping that people we love come to see their own stupidity once trump goes down for collusion, obstruction, treason, all the shit he's done.
I don't recommend you argue with me about my family. I hate their politics but I still love them very much.
H2O Man
(73,308 posts)overwhelming for many people. It does not fit with pre-conceived notions of what is possible in the United States. I suspect that is more likely true in the cases of people with limited interest and knowledge of history and sociology. Thus, I suspect you won't have to tell your family members -- those capable of understanding will, and those not capable won't believe it.
If a million people donate $1 to a campaign, it adds up to that million. We should do our part, even if it seems small.
I love that you work on voter registration. That's worth more than money.
coeur_de_lion
(3,662 posts)listed for volunteer opportunities doesn't really strike me as enough of a punch to have an affect on the Blue Wave.
I can canvass with candidates which I've done severl times but this is how they do it in my county's democratic club:
1) We have a list of registered democrats and a few NPA, which is what we call independents here. We knock on their doors and leave info about local candidates and some for state legislature. When I ask why we're not doing more to REGISTER unregistered voters I don't get much of a response. Canvassing in Florida in August is murder. I hate it. But if I thought I would be helping register voters I would do it.
2) I've also filled out post cards to remind people to vote, and to encourage them to vote by mail.
3) I've offered to drive people to the polls but they didn't take me up on it.
I could do phone banking but I am too straight forward and my phone manner leaves much to be desired. So . . . .
So I'm frustrated and have turned to Swing Left to see abouth other volunteer opportunities. I think closer to November there will be lots to do but between now and August 28, our primary, I'm going to sit it out.
But after the primary I plan on being very active.
calimary
(80,693 posts)suffragette
(12,232 posts)K&R
eleny
(46,166 posts)Trump wrote the lie about the meeting being about adoptions because he understood that it was wrong to accept something of value from a foreign adversary. There's no way to put that toothpaste back in the tube.
Did Trump Sr. help plan that meeting? Now we wait for Junior to grab his father's lapels and snatch him under the bus.
DJT can only hang on to his supporters with more lies. Given the CNN panel of Trump supporters of today, we see the signs of tiny fissures starting to appear. So it's not only getting Dems and like minded non voters motivated to vote. Former Trump supporters will hopefully add to our left of center numbers at the polls. Ohio 12 will tell an important story today.
Rec'd.
stuffmatters
(2,574 posts)It's pretty clear that Manafort took the "Unpaid" position as Trump Campaign Chair in order to pay back (as in"how do I get whole?" his Putingarch debts.
Manafort is the one who finessed Pence into the VP slot over Trump's original choice of Rudy. If we look at Pence as a human
conduit for both RW ideology & interests/donor cash then we have a pretty good roadmap of what anti democracy "charitable" machines were already compatible, to say the least, with Putin interests.
In Pence Putin already had a Koch et alios proven, controllable, implacable robot. Gulianni might have had some serious Russian ties, but his ego and successful career without the backing of the Repug antidemocracy infrastructure...Kochs, NRA, SadoChristians...made Guilliani too much of a wild card to inherit the presidency if Manafort/Putin's Trump got .
jalan48
(13,797 posts)Trump's decades old financial dealings with the Russian oligarchs seems to get missed by the news networks Focusing solely on the 2016 election is a mistake IMHO.