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Alison Parker's avatar

Why won't the press say it? Because he might be a menace to democracy and a danger to the entire world, but boy howdy, he's good for their business. And that's all they give a fuck about.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

You said it Alison. And should this election go south, the loss of our democracy is squarely on the press. They’re screwing us.

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Victoria Wilson's avatar

I totally agree.I think a lot of the reason we got Little Donnie FuckFelon in 2016 was the press “ but her e-mails”ing the hell out of Hillary.I could see this happening but I was incredulous that they were doing this.After all I had been a faithful reader of the NYT for 20+ years.I initially thought that they knew something that I didn’t but came to realize that they were just screwing us big time.F them and the rest of the press vultures!

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Lamorindalinda's avatar

I do believe this election will be different. People are not falling for the “but her emails” bullshit this time. They can throw whatever they want at the wall and it won’t stick. I mean 500 golf cart Karavan for Kamala at the Villages?!? Who woulda thunk it?!?!

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Jul 28Edited
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bruce somers's avatar

That's what Leslie Stahl did with MTG,and Chuck 'nodding politely' Todd did to lose his job.

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bruce somers's avatar

CNN is 'Fox Lite' now,all MAGA,all the time.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Because that is exactly what republican owner John Malone wants. They take over all the neutral fact-based news outlets, then slowly take them right-wing.This asshole thinks Fox (so-called) News is centrist!

"But complicating that narrative is the fact that Malone has repeatedly wished, in public, for CNN to remake itself. And his prescription happens to sync with the new CNN agenda: a plan to steer the channel away from what Malone and others call a liberal bias they say muddles opinion and news. And to shift it toward a supposedly centrist, just-the-facts bent...

“I would like to see CNN evolve back to the kind of journalism that it started with, and actually have journalists, which would be unique and refreshing,” he said. Then he suggested a model: “Fox News, in my opinion, has followed an interesting trajectory of trying to have ‘news’ news, I mean some actual journalism, embedded in a program schedule of all opinions.”

https://www.vox.com/2022/8/26/23322761/cnn-john-malone-david-zaslav-chris-licht-brian-stelter-fox-peter-kafka-column

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bruce somers's avatar

Reporting of facts and actual truth shouldn't be partisan, there's is no such thing has Kellyanne's 'alternative facts',facts are facts, period,what the liberal or conservative spin of them is,I personally don't care. What this clown Malone wants is ratings and clicks and engagement,and apparently the Fox News 'It's just opinion and entertainment, until someone sues the crap out of us' business model.

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Rebecca Elliott's avatar

Most of y'all aren't old enough to remember the "golden age" of news reporting, when serious people simply stated what happened, without any spin at all, then left the viewers to add any subtext. It was a lovely time, indeed.

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D.Allen's avatar

I can't think of anyone who would attempt to sue, anyone who can afford to sue is already in tfg's pocket already, and that's where they intend to stay, apparently.

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Victoria Wilson's avatar

Fox "News" is a de facto enemy of democracy.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Yes, Murdoch bankrolled it, and Ailes designed it that way. Did you know Roger Ailes was Nixon’s Tv and media consultant? He never got over his hero being disgraced, so he had the idea to start a tv network that would make sure a republican president never had to step down again.

“In 1970, political consultant Roger Ailes and other Nixon aides came up with a plan to create a new TV network that would circumvent existing media and provide "pro-administration" coverage to millions. "People are lazy," the aides explained in a memo. "With television you just sit — watch — listen.The thinking is done for you." Nixon embraced the idea, saying he and his supporters needed "our own news" from a network that would lead "a brutal, vicious attack on the opposition." Alas, his fantasy network did not come into being at that time, and the 37th president was soon engulfed in the Watergate scandal. At first, Republicans dismissed the scandal as a Washington Post "witch hunt." But then the White House tapes proved beyond doubt that Nixon had used the levers of government to pursue vendettas against his opponents and cover up his extensive skulduggery. Disgusted GOP leaders, including Sen. Howard Baker of the Senate Watergate committee, chose principles over party. Nixon was forced to resign. Nov 22, 2019” https://theweek.com/articles/880107/why-fox-news-created

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D.Allen's avatar

It's just disgusting.

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Jul 28Edited
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bruce somers's avatar

What kills me it's the same old MAGAs all the time,the same crew from Fox,now on CNN and MSM, they've lied to your face,and babbled like deranged morons,never actually answer a question,and try to interrupt their way out of losing any debate,and yet MSM what?? Thinks somehow it will be different this time?? Maybe when you've interviewed someone 500 times,and they act like an a-hole, maybe time recognize you might be the a-hole instead,look up the definition of insanity Mr./Ms. Journalist.

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Jul 28Edited
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Victoria Wilson's avatar

Several typos but I cannot edit .Sorry. I am writing this in the high, curvy mountains of Pennsylvania in a car.

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Andrea Fruggiero's avatar

It's the message Victoria. The grammar police are off duty today!!! ;o)

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Doc Blase''s avatar

Must be a big car or very tiny mountains! [/jk]

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

They lied us into "W"'s wars with "weapons of mass destruction"propaganda too, face it, they justify almost all of the republican greed, and wars. Then complain when it takes the Democratic party a few terms to clean up all the damage..

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Mary Hall's avatar

Democrats have been cleaning up Rethuglican messes since 1933.

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bruce somers's avatar

I call that the 'Fox News Inspired Holy War for Profit',and somehow Iraq and Afghanistan being blamed for mostly Saudi terrorists.

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P123Sunny's avatar

Yeesh

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P123Sunny's avatar

Don’t even WANT a horse race any more -

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bruce somers's avatar

I used to like Jake, apparently I guess there's no other job openings at other networks...

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Chet Brandt's avatar

Jake tapper lost me after the “debate.” He can go shit in his hat.

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D.Allen's avatar

He gonna need a big hat. :-}

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P123Sunny's avatar

Consolidation def an issue - but the internet has ruined a lot of things… or should we say ‘reimagined’…

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bruce somers's avatar

The bots have concurred,message approved.

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

MSNBC needs to retire Andrea Mitchell, who has become slower than molasses in winter, & then hire Jake Tapper for that slot.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

👏👏👏👏👏

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bruce somers's avatar

Huzzah!! 🙌

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Louise's avatar

Absolutely, the Press was complicit in 2016. CNN, NYTimes, maybe even msnbc and mainstream media too. The Felon gets ratings and bottom line that's what the media wants.

The print media, I can't explain, but recently the NYTimes has gotten worse.

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Jul 28
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Mary Hall's avatar

Further to your point, it's a GD travesty that GeeDumbya and his handler Cheney The Dick escaped being charged with war crimes for their two wars for fun and profit, from which Cheney made $39.5B from the US government for no-bid contracts. Hanging is too good for these murderous fkers.

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bruce somers's avatar

The Obama administration didn't want to open that can of worms for the sake of 'unity', Obama and Democrats should of realized for a long time,if you give Repubs an inch, they'll take a mile,Newt Gingrich has been spewing his nonsense for decades.

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Mary Hall's avatar

1000% Bruce! Nancy Pelosi was asked when decorum went to hell in politics, and she said it was when Gnewt (sic) Gingrich showed up. Obama wasted his entire first term trying to reason with these mofos whose only mission was to take him down. They have no interest in governing, only ruling and stealing.

Republicans are no longer "worthy opponents" instead, they are our country's worst enemy. They hate America because they don't understand the basic concept of America. No one can call themselves 'French' if they are not born in France, but anyone can become an American. They don't get it.

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P123Sunny's avatar

Senator Amy K ‘warning’ today that EMusk needs to ‘take down’ an AI distorted KHarris video…or…else?

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Geoff Anderson's avatar

Susan Collins would like to have a word...

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bruce somers's avatar

😂😂😂😂

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bruce somers's avatar

Don't make me use my 'wagging' finger damnit!!!

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Bill Lawrence's avatar

Good for her. Trump has been using AI to misrepresent his popularity with blacks for some time now. And the AI-generated image of this guy praying in a pew is yet another example.

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shee-rah's avatar

…Praying he doesn’t go to prison.

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RV maxima's avatar

Even with the extra fingers. Sheesh...I have to constantly remind myself how gullible, and sorry stupid are so many people. Especially those voting against their own interests, Republicans!

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Barbara Laman's avatar

The Villages? Wow! Holy moly! Whooopeeee! I’ve been looking for a nice retirement community. I would love to help turn that state blue.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Those of us struggling here, in Florida, would love help with that. The developer of the Villages doesn't deserve your money though, there are tons of nice developments here. I recommend the south Tampa bay area. Central Florida is hotter in the summer, and colder in the winter. And unless you are onh the outsakirts of Orlando, or Ocala miles to go for any kind of cultural pursuits. (my sister hated it for that reason.)

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TCinLA's avatar

Over 500 people joined the rally for Harris there. That's a significant percentage of the population.

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Lamorindalinda's avatar

Oooooooh. “Or else”! Now *there’s* a threat if I ever heard one! I’m sure Elon is scared shitless.

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bruce somers's avatar

I think Elon's made his opinion quite clear, 'Go fuck yourselfs',is what he said.

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DR Darke's avatar

Well, sue him into oblivion for defamation, then!

Making him hurt is the only language that Apartheid-loving thug understands, so give hurt to him in abundance.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Boycott Tesla, thart's where most of his money is, and they would have to justify to the stockholders, why the hand-picked nepo-board just voted to give him back the benefits package, the court in Delware ruled was illegal. They can't justify it if the stock majorly tanks...because of him.

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bruce somers's avatar

But obviously Musk has enough FU money to not really care.

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Lamorindalinda's avatar

Quelle suprise!

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Deb Martina's avatar

I'm horrified by this shit. Really hope voters show up at each and every single election.

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P123Sunny's avatar

BTW - Do not mean to disparage a lone Senator who has the guts to speak up.

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DR Darke's avatar

They're like Season 1 of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION—so determined to show we're "beyond" petty disputes that they take it to absurd extremes.

Only difference is, in ST:TNG's case the worst we got was a boring season of television—here we may well be looking at the End of Democracy.

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Sara Toye's avatar

Are some of the The Village-rs coming to their senses? It’s about time.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

The developer sets the tone and he is a big trump donor, but there are D's there, who either got conned into buying there, being politically neutral, or are just passing through until they can sell their parent's place there. Of course there are retirees that live there, but the entire place skews republican, but it is a large development. I have friends who tried it there and left.

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Sara Toye's avatar

Ethereal…, thank you for the info. I knew nothing anout The Villages except that my brother-in-law’s former sister-in-law (whom I liked) has lived there for years and what I have heard from Floridian friends and seen and read on the media.

I’ve read some comments that you have made about The Villages and appreciate your explanations.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

The funny thing is my one set of friends, ran a swing club in New Jersey and they try very hard to get along with everyone. Even they found them selfish and repulsive, and lasted less than a year. There are of course, Democratic, and Independent, voters there, but they are a small proportion as the developer wants it to be a republican enclave.

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RV maxima's avatar

Thank you for the info. I thought it was tilted right.

After having to make the corporate 'death march' to FL for the annual convention I never want to go there again. Sorry, no offense to those that live there.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

No one sane should come here, let the tourism market suffer. They are a big part of who votes republican here.

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P123Sunny's avatar

Did they have a lot of Covid deaths back in the day? Or just doing it for the grandkids? Either way, nice pivot. TY!

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P123Sunny's avatar

Amy Klobuchar

@amyklobuchar

This week will be a Democracy Showdown as I call on the Senate to pass my bipartisan bills to ban deceptive deepfakes of federal candidates and require disclaimers on AI-generated political ads. 18 states have already acted—it’s time for the federal government to do the same.

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RV maxima's avatar

My Seantor at work!!

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Eileen's avatar

Susan, The press elected Trump in 2016! We all know this like the nose on our faces, but it’s still galls to remember how many millions of dollars of free campaign exposure they gave Trump against Hillary. And here they go again.

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Doc Blase''s avatar

With a dishonorable mention to Jim Comey and his 'coincidental' announcement about restarting the investigation on "her emails" contrary to DOJ policy of not commenting on active investigations.

FBI used to be "all in for Drumph" in 2016.

I wonder how hot they are now on the insurrectionist party.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

I totally agree. MSM owned by wealthy people who want to maximize profits at any cost…and keep their tax cuts.

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bruce somers's avatar

Every network CEO is a Trump donor.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

And AT&T who helped start OAN because Fox wasn't far-right enough for them and used the carrier under their ownership umbrella to boost it.

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-oneamerica-att/

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bruce somers's avatar

Holy crap!!! And since when are publicly traded broadcast network contracts 'confidential'??

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Victoria Wilson's avatar

You are right and it still pisses me off to no end.And now they are doing it again.Damn!The press are giving are Little Donnie FF a pass and they have been doing it all along.The

Press have unofficially been exposed as an enemy of democracy having aligned themselves w Little Donnie FF and Vlad the Bad and are actively working right now to control our election.No horribleness will be withheld.We now know somewhat how dirty they will be.Gird your loins.

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TCinLA's avatar

When he was asked why CNN was broadasting Trump rallies in whole, without commercial breaks, Jeff Zucker replied "Donald Trump gives us high ratings." That's all they're about.

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Robert R's avatar

CNNN….CONVICTS NOT NEWS NITWITS ! No con news is now news no one need know !🚽🧻💩🤔🧐🤪😂😅

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bruce somers's avatar

Nailed it Doc.

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RV maxima's avatar

With the help of Cambridge Analytica, etc.

And a little Putin ad buys and other dark money interests. Now they are flat out in open.

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Charles Austin's avatar

They are. Maybe that's what the people in The Villages have figured out. (Eyes on the road, Susan!)

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Susan Niemann's avatar

Lol! 😂😂

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Mary Hall's avatar

The last couple of decades I have been saying that when the autopsy is written on American democracy, the media will be found as the cause of death.

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Robert R's avatar

Assisted suicide !

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Sooz Hall's avatar

And they shall have done unto themselves as they have done unto others.

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D.Allen's avatar

And, why, why, why??? Are they all in orange guy's pocket? It's the only explanation I can fathom.

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P123Sunny's avatar

Fox interviewer😒

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Alison Parker's avatar

I HATE when they still call him that, and some even on the left do it!! "President" or "Former President". No, fuck that. Don't even call him "Mister". Just say his stupid name, he doesn't deserve anything else.

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bruce somers's avatar

Call him 'convict'.

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arne link's avatar

Felon Trump? I do like the sound of that. Succinct, honest and true, right?

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SPW's avatar

Felon has just as many letters in it as trump so that’s the way I just refer to him now. Why bother with anything else? By the way, what’s with his mini “summit” with Netanyahu as he did with Orban? How is he allowed to get away with this shit?

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Rick Calegari's avatar

This president shit is another one of many media fuck ups that just enables him to carry on with his diseased rhetoric even more. How is it that a convicted felon out on bail and domestic terrorist allowed to continue violating the Logan Act.? First it's Orban and now Netanyahu. It's like he believes he's still in power and the media constantly portrays him in that capacity. Even the purveyor of the devil's dandruff Don Jr., met with Orban and the news coverage appeared to be minimal. We talk about the two-tier justice system and it appears that applies to much of the media as well.

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Robert R's avatar

If our government wasn’t so corrupt we would be calling him inmate or better yet deceased !

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Rick Calegari's avatar

In one of those third-world shithole countries that he has referred to in the past, that probably would've been the outcome.

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bruce somers's avatar

I demand 'proof of life' from Merrick Garland and Christopher Wray.

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Doc Blase''s avatar

As Brian O. Blivion said, in Videodrome:

"The battle for the mind of North America will be fought in the video arena: the Videodrome.

The television screen is the retina of the mind's eye.

Therefore, the television screen is part of the physical structure of the brain. Therefore, whatever appears on the television screen emerges as raw experience for those who watch it.

Therefore, television is reality, and reality is less than television."

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P123Sunny's avatar

😳

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RV maxima's avatar

James Baldwin has said as much, in that people prefer fantasy vs reality. And white people, the market and viewership of Fox prefer it that way as confirmed by Fox saying they tried to revise their programming but saw that viewership was going to alternate markets.

Can't have that, even before being sued.

What do you do when so ma y prefer a fantasy?

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Lynn O’Neal's avatar

And he still uses the presidential seal on inappropriate things, contrary to the rules

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shee-rah's avatar

Since he never admitted that he lost the 2020 election, in his deranged mind he is still the president. And it seems all the news anchors still call him “Mr. President.”

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P123Sunny's avatar

Merrick? 🦗🦗🦗

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David Jones's avatar

I just call him the rapist. Everyone knows who I'm talking about.

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Robert R's avatar

Just don’t call him …! Let him rot !

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bruce somers's avatar

IMO when you've led an insurrection and continue to deny elections,you've lost the right to call yourself 'president' anymore,he should be referred to by his inmate number.

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P123Sunny's avatar

According to my copy of The Roberts Rules of Order - “Dems aren’t allowed to write new rules…” /s

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RV maxima's avatar

If only someone cared in Congress-besides the Dems.

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bruce somers's avatar

Shit!!

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P123Sunny's avatar

Unless Immune Joe can get real creative - we’re letting these guys run AGAIN…Bizarre:/

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Susan's avatar

Responding to SPW'S comment re Trump:

"By the way, what’s with his mini “summit” with Netanyahu as he did with Orban? How is he allowed to get away with this shit?"

I take your gist, S. In the context of your post, the "summits" are a prime example of the media not doing its job.

There is a general sketchiness in what Trump (or his handlers?) chose to do by hosting those particular guests.

The press needs to be forced (or enticed?) to be more discerning, but that won't happen by itself.

Money and power talk.

The Vote, the Vote. the Vote

These days so much always comes back to the vote. VP Harris and other democratic candidates need to speak to the issue of bias, both hidden and blatant, in Big Media.

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P123Sunny's avatar

Citizen tRumP

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

I prefer "Bronzo the Malignant". Or "tangerini"

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

I call him Fuckhead.

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Margaret's avatar

lol

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DR Darke's avatar

"Convicted Felon Trump" works.

So does "Adjudicated Rapist" Trump.

"Bankrupt Fraud" Trump is also good....

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

Nicole Wallace refers to him as, Disgraced Former President

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Deb's avatar

How about Fulton County, GA Inmate No. P01135809?

Or maybe just Fulton County, GA Inmate Pxxx809 ...like they do with credit cards or social security numbers!😂

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Sam Maruca's avatar

How about "dickless."

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Terri Nighswonger's avatar

I call him Fuckhead.

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James Starr's avatar

absolutely 100%

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the real pambo's avatar

Mary Trump has mentioned more than once that simply calling him “donald” gets under his skin. By default, anyone I disrespect might get their name shortened and typed in lowercase letters, out of principle.

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Robert Eckert's avatar

I call him Dumb Antichrist

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Dee Whitman's avatar

I don't like it either, but apart from Fox's feverish sycophancy, using the title "President' for formers is a courtesy that has long been afforded to all of them. It's incorrect, as Miss Manners wrote in a 2003 column, but at least it's generally bipartisan.

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Michael M's avatar

This is true, but it's never happened in our lifetimes that a former President is also a prospective President, and since Trump refused the peaceful transfer of power and never conceded his loss, it supports the lie his cult believes that he was not defeated legitimately. It is disrespectful to the office and to the current president that a treasonous loser and walking threat to democracy should be equated with the winner of the 2020 election by using that title without any distinction.

The same way he says he "took a bullet for democracy" (with no evidence he was hit by a bullet) this ambiguity feeds his cult. Nobody ever "took a bullet" less than the luckiest bastard on earth.

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Mary Hall's avatar

Shitler was hit with a catsup pack from McDonald's.

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bruce somers's avatar

He's a goddamn domestic terrorist and traitor, I'm not calling him 'president'.

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Doc Blase''s avatar

The courtesy this convicted felon deserves is his own little room in Colorado's Supermax prison and 3 PNJ sandwiches per day.

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P123Sunny's avatar

OK I guess we’ll have to allow it, then. Noted. (Harder to listen to on current propaganda ish channels that weren’t quite like this back in the day…).

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Nunya's avatar

I don’t think he deserves ANY courtesy!

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bruce somers's avatar

And as a veteran, I would never salute his bone spur ass either.

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Lynn O’Neal's avatar

Too many do, though, and I just can’t figure out why

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shee-rah's avatar

“Heil Trump,” is what they are really saying.

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Robert R's avatar

Think about it the money wasn’t earned it was donated by the saps who patronize the grifters . They just get more and more …by far the deepest well in the country ,and we dug it for them free of charge !😳🤪😵‍💫🥴

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Jul 28
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Deb Martina's avatar

I'm with you Junior

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Junior's avatar

And me you.

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Kay-El's avatar

Exactly. I really resent the press putting words he didn’t say into his mouth. They have become Trump’s speech writers after the fact.

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Rick Calegari's avatar

And it's the media that he has constantly criticized that keeps kissing his ass every chance they get.

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bruce somers's avatar

The MAGATS on Jan 6th were smashing MSMs cameras and equipment,you want me to roll that video,you morons?? It was exactly what they do in Putin's Russia.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Doonie O"Sullivan from CNN, reported it for us he was so brave.

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P123Sunny's avatar

Also we constantly hear how he ‘was utterly destroyed’ or he ‘melted down’… uh sure.l

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bruce somers's avatar

It seems they have resorted to outright lying for him.

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Kim Nesvig's avatar

Exactly right.

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bruce somers's avatar

'The press' doesn't exist as we've known it in the past,the press is Fox, Sinclair,the WSJ,and NYP,Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner decided they wanted to own the 'press' and decided to form monopolies to buy local media and newspapers,and close them down to eliminate competition.

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Doc Blase''s avatar

This.

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Dee Whitman's avatar

I think what they're doing is completely shttty, but I disagree about their motive. Journos at *legit* operations have been e been taught to present both sides of an issue, which is the correct approach for most things (ex.: a certain state desperately needs more housing, but building houses and apartments will exacerbate the water shortage, so here are the pluses and minuses of both courses of action) -- but not for ALL things.

I'm dismayed and infuriated by their inability or refusal to see that "democracy vs autocracy" is one of very few exceptions to the "Here are the pluses and minuses" rule, and I say this as someone who worked in newsrooms for most of my career and therefore know firsthand that most journos at *legit* operations are motivated by idealism. The NPR and WaPo examples above are disgusting, to say the least.

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Michael M's avatar

I don't follow it that closely, but didn't the NYT said Biden must step down after his lousy debate performance, but never said Trump must step down after his felony conviction?

To make every story seem balanced, they were equating Trump's felonious and fraudulent nature with Biden's… age.

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Bill Lawrence's avatar

And if it hadn't been for Biden's dismal debate performance, it would be clear that Trump lied and evaded his way through the whole thing. If he tries it with Kamala, she'll bury him.

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Cathy Carrozza's avatar

Bury Trump under the second hole at Bedminster??

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bruce somers's avatar

I'd prefer a 'Mussolini' ending.

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James Starr's avatar

yes ! For sure. That is the one thing I was disappointed with on Biden...He never, or at least rarely ,called tRump out for his blatant lies and when he did it was very underwhelming and soft. And that weakness gave tRump more undeserved advantages.

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bruce somers's avatar

If your political belief system is anarchy and dictatorship,you shouldn't even have a seat at the debate table.

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arne link's avatar

I just can't believe that NPR has turned against democracy. It is shocking. Don't they get huge government financial support? Maybe we should ask that the support be cut off now instead of when Diaper Don is once again "president".

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bruce somers's avatar

Repugs have called for defunding NPR and PBS for years.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

They have done it, so they can donate, and have some sway on what gets said.

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P123Sunny's avatar

Got them running scared :/

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Koch donor money poisoned that well. First you get their funding cut, then you make up the vdifference in "donations" then they hesitate to say things that make you angry...

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Doc Blase''s avatar

Well respectfully, the Church of Both Sides is an artificial construct designed to distort facts.

There are no "both sides" to a lie.

There are many more than two perspectives. The media embrace of this construct has become almost invisible, even to its practitioners.

As Tim Snyder has recently written:

"Both-Sidesism is the habit of reducing the world into two perspectives, treating the two as fundamentally alike, and then ignoring or adjusting the data. One cause of this odd behavior is the ownership of media companies. Another is fear.

But Both-Sidesism is not just a practice. It passes in the United States for a principle of journalism. Indeed, the dualism is almost unquestionable. Americans tends to take it for granted.

But it makes no sense. No data from the world around us indicates that two is the correct number of perspectives, nor that any two perspectives, once chosen, would be equal.

These are, rather, articles of faith. Once accepted, they enable the public performance we wrongly call “media.” Both-Sideism does not mediate but mystify. Its practitioners, called “anchors” or “publishers,” are shamans or priests. Mystifiers.

To be sure, “media” people do not think that they are mystifying. Nor are we in the habit of seeing them as practicing a religion. "

Here is the entire piece: https://snyder.substack.com/p/both-sides

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bruce somers's avatar

The media peddles fear,so do most politicians,a match made in hell. I heard a report recently about local,30 minute newscasts, usually the first 8 minutes is a crime report, inevitably who today is going to kick down your door to murder and rape you,or your children and family,or rob you,or steal your precious goodies. It got so bad, people were tuning out, I still have some friends who won't watch news at all,I can relate,I refuse to live my life in fear,media realized this,and usually have some human lighted-hearted fluffiness in the last 2 minutes,to try and relieve the angst. News is a business, traditionally not really a particularly profitable one,breaking even was a good thing,but I believe a lot of journalists have a calling,like teachers and nurses,it's such an important job,the financial rewards are secondary. I believe the cable news,24 hour news cycle changed all that, Rupert Murdoch made news profitable,by being carried by cable outlets,and realized right-wing outrage was good for ratings,CNN and MSNBC wanted to get in on the action. American ideals and ethics will sometimes get corrupted by capitalistic greed.

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Kay-El's avatar

Respectfully disagree. There’s alternative facts. Kelly Anne said so. 🙄 (yes this is snark, she’s a pos)

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Snyder is brilliant, as usual.

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P123Sunny's avatar

(sigh)

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Robert R's avatar

BEND OVER !

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bruce somers's avatar

Screw that 'gifted demagogue' nonsense,he's a babbling idiot leading a babbling idiot cult.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Yes the Gish Gallop is not gifted oration. Hitler was a gifted Orator, Obama was a gifted Orator.

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TCinLA's avatar

The media lost 50% of their readers/viewers after Trump left office in 2020. The intergalactic widgetmakers who own them demand they become "profitable" - get the readers/viewers back - because they want to sell these legacy media companies to the firwst rube who comes along that still believes they're relevant.

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P123Sunny's avatar

If we weren’t dealing with a once -every-100 years pandemic, it would have been great to take that moment and help them regroup - look at how for-profit journalism can’t really meet the moment :/

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bruce somers's avatar

Actually '60 Minutes' did a pretty good report on a mega-hedgefund company buying up local outlets and newspapers,just to close them down,or consolidate them into the giant corporate monolith that exists,who are we kidding?? 4 mega-corporations control almost every industry in America, billionaires buying politicians and judges to stop those pesky antitrust lawsuits,while they do their stock buy-backs and transfer manufacturing overseas to increase profits.

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Kay-El's avatar

Yep, see John Oliver’s take on Sinclair Media. Funny, yet horrifying

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bruce somers's avatar

Oh,and that '60 Minutes' report?? It was like someone covering their own lynching.

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Linda Weide's avatar

Exactly. Journalism schools must not be taking in too many history majors these days. Authoritarian regimes are known to take over the media and get rid of the owners and journalists in unsavory ways. I think it would be good to start writing the press and instead of complaining to them about their shitty totally slanted coverage of the election, just write and point out what happened to journalists under Mussolini, Putin, Hitler, Gaddafi, Mobutu, Pinochet, Franco.

Here is a discussion of media under Hitler. https://mediengeschichte.dnb.de/DBSMZBN/Content/EN/MassMedia/10-medienmanipulation-im-ns-en.html

See here on page 16 a discussion of the press under Franco, including the NYT. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1248&context=hon_thesis

Here is the media under Gaddafi.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/mar/17/gaddafi-controlled-media-propaganda-war-libya

Here is the media under the original fascist, Mussolini. Scroll down to heading Media Manipulation and Propaganda.

https://nuitalian.org/2023/04/27/fascism-rise-to-power-and-media-manipulation/

Here is a discussion of media under Putin from 2 days ago.

https://rsf.org/en/country/russia

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Burke's avatar

By his actions, words and deeds, Donald tells us that he is the paid representative of the worldwide oligarch/autocrat network. Rupert Murdoch ($19 Billion net worth) is a leading member of the Autocrat Club. Rupert owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal and many other propaganda platforms. 93 year old Rupert even showed up at the RNC to support his hand picked political representative.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/retired-rupert-murdoch-makes-surprise-rnc-appearance-in-milwaukee

In J-School we learned to ask What, Where, When, Why, Who and How. Do you ever see a Why question in any Trump World coverage? Nope. Donald gets a pass on the REASONS for his words and deeds.

Donald, WHY do you want the job of President again? You spent most of your 4 years in office playing/cheating at golf? You are 78 years old and you obviously don't really care about the lives of the American People. WHY should we listen to anything you say about wanting to be President again?

Donald, you offered to protect the oil companies from government regulation if they paid you $1 Billion. You offered "good lives" for Musk and Thiel and their billionaire pals, as long as they give you millions every month. WHY doesn't this corruption/attempted bribery disqualify you from running for any public office?

Donald, WHY did you lead a conspiracy to steal the Executive Branch of the Government? When every President before you had the honor to leave when they lost the election?

Donald, WHY do you claim that elections in the future will be rigged against you? Is this another of your con game scams?

So, WHY doesn't the Washington Post, NYT, CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS ask these easy WHY questions?

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Eileen's avatar

Nailed it, Alison! The MSM isn’t going to kill their golden goose, and Trump even laughed at them while he was president, recognizing exactly that.

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bruce somers's avatar

Trump in 2016; Immigrants,birther,

emails,Fake News.

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Bikracer's avatar

That is more or less what I was just going to say but liked your comment better! Yep, it sells “papers”! WGAF about democracy when there is money to be made.

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Ann Anderson's avatar

A succinct and accurate analysis.

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Lisa59's avatar

Because they do not have courage of conviction. The elite owners think the public is dumber than doorknobs. They are in their own bubble. We don't count. Integrity and truth is old school. It's about competitive markets now. They don't respect their readers. As pare for the course, we are always the collateral damage.

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A.J. Madison's avatar

BTW, NPR hasn't been a liberal news media source in decades. Ever since they took money from Chuckie Koch, his name, or foundation is right there on their donor list. Chuckie made NPR say "Mr. Obama" all 8 years when President. But dickweed Dubya got to be called President Bush. I stopped listening to NPR when they started doing all the Doublespeak and Whataboutism stories. Some were incoherent, the rest was just mindless filler. Newt Gingrich was a regular contributor. He even was coherent for awhile, disagreed with everything he said, but at least he spoke clean english. NPR is a conservative asset now. Listen at your own risk.

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bruce somers's avatar

If ya can't beat 'em,buy them.

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Linda Weide's avatar

Exactly!

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Linda McCaughey's avatar

This, from The New Republic:

Kamala Harris has two superpowers, and that's all she needs--

1) She's not 81

2) She's not Donald Trump

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Jeff Tiedrich's avatar

fair point

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Richard Von Busack's avatar

She's beautiful and he's ugly, and that's the kind of thing that matters on television. Joe Biden is a great president, but he looks awful on tv so out he went.

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Linda McCaughey's avatar

Remember the Nixon/Kennedy televised debate? Perfect example.

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Doc Blase''s avatar

TV sure has fucked up the people of the world. They are no longer able to think critically or discern lies from truth, it's up to the box to tell them what to believe.

TV "programming" programs the *audience*, not the content it carries. The PEOPLE are being programmed.

Thanks TV. It's Videodrome made real. It has a philosophy.

If it ain't on TV, it ain't real! Didn't happen! Doesn't matter.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Listen:

Humans are the only animals capable of believing things that are completely false.

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Cat Cafe's avatar

Next you'll be saying some creepy, sleazy, complete business failure of a con man can pretend to be a super successful businessman on a completely made-up "reality show," and people will buy it!

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Don'tBlameTheDog's avatar

I'd add that social media is television on steroids.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Ugh! Yes. The really bad steroids, that turn you into a grunting, hooting, caveman.

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bruce somers's avatar

Social media has their 'chaos algorithms',more engagement and clicks,top of the feed,lies and misinformation spread 6 times faster than truth, driving further engagement,and that goddamn Zuckerberg weasel with his 'Aww shucks,I'm just a drop-out in a dirty t-shirt' and 'I don't have that info handy, I'll get back to you',(never) and 'look much we stop!!',when his whole goddamn business model was unlimited growth, eliminate competition,and eliminating any human beings from the equation so his nazi-bots can keep the revenue flowing in unimpeded.

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Don'tBlameTheDog's avatar

Agree 100%. I have never, and will never use FB.

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Don'tBlameTheDog's avatar

Unfortunately, Substack owners are of the same ilk.

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shee-rah's avatar

Yes! Today’s parents are worried about their kids’ addiction to social media, not TV.

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Kristy Kanen's avatar

WAY too much " Made for TV " crap.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Meaning simplistic, no nudity, tiny amounts of sex, but plenty of violence, usually.

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Janine Johnston's avatar

Think about it, people watch all these “reality” tv shows that aren’t based on reality. So what they watch is “programmed” reality and they love it! Sort of like “alternative facts” 🙄

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bruce somers's avatar

The folks who think wrestling is real.

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

Those “reality” shows are just horrible, I will never understand why people watch them. They are just silliness.

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bruce somers's avatar

A friend told me once about social media,'If something claims to be 'free',then you are the product'

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

I quit tv in the 90's, I watch the ocassional movie on the box. The spouse on the other hand predates TV, and watches it for many hours.

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Nancy Neese's avatar

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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Eileen's avatar

Richard: as shallow as it seems, the admiration of beauty is as ancient as the Greeks and the Judgment of Paris. Glad our lady is so much more appealing than that porcine, sweaty and gibberish spewing classless clown.

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Linda McCaughey's avatar

One of so many things about "human nature" that, as much as we wish it weren't so,--it is.

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bruce somers's avatar

Just look at MTG, it's 'The Face That Sank 1,000 Ships'

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

All I hear when she opens her mouth, is assine braying, regardless of content.

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Richard Von Busack's avatar

Agree completely

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bruce somers's avatar

That's true,but political campaigns aren't beauty pageants either.

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Eileen's avatar

Mojo goes a long way...

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bruce somers's avatar

But gawd!!! I think VP Harris is gorgeous!! I asked my mom once why she was such a big Kennedy supporter,she said 'They were so handsome!! And they were like us,young, with little ones running around the house!!', 'Mom!! Seriously??' ,'Bruce,

you vote like you vote, I'll vote like I vote'....needless to say, I thought mom was badass.

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

Biden not only began to look awful on tv, he sounds awful on tv. He WAS a great President, he accomplished so many great things & we Democrats are grateful for & respect his 50 yrs of service; but he just had to be forced to see that he had to step aside. He was tanking any chance of winning the Presidency, & he was dragging down Democrat candidates all over the country.

When your parents are in their 80s & can’t remember their way home from the grocery store, or they forget that they took their AM meds at 7am & so they take them again at 9am; what are you going to do? Are you going to just let them continue on doing that until they come close to killing themselves by accidentally overdosing on their heart or diabetes medications? I sure hope not. As an RN x 41 yrs, I could see that Biden was not up to par anymore, the slack-jawed look on his face is a dead giveaway.

I am so glad that enough of the right people spoke to President Biden to help him see that he had to put his country over his own ambition. I am so thankful to Biden now that he did the right thing.

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Mark Marderosian's avatar

This is why I like Pete Buttigieg for calling out the media. The MSM is falling into the trap of thinking that they're extra special and he wouldn't treat them the way he's treated all his wives and girlfriends, former friends, business associates and so on. It takes a special kind of conceit to think you won't be the first to go in a purge.

As far as Vance goes, what's up with these weak losers like him and Cruz that can't even defend their wives? If they can't defend their wives, they can't defend a country. It's really that simple.

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bruce somers's avatar

GOP; 'Ginormous Old Pansies'

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Nunya's avatar

Gassy Old Peckerwoods

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bruce somers's avatar

😂😂😂😂

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Lynn Van Haren's avatar

LOL! Perfect!

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shee-rah's avatar

👍👍👍

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

"Pustules"

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Suessl's avatar

I really love my wife even though she's not white?

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

🎯That is in fact what he said, she's a good breeder, too, evidently.

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bruce somers's avatar

Sounds a little like 'any port in a storm' to me.

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bruce somers's avatar

What the hell does that even mean?? No cats?? Hasn't shot the dog...yet??

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bruce somers's avatar

We've seen with Alito and Menendez,they need someone to take the fall,they're 'human shields'.

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Fastball Fredo's avatar

Stairs? Electricity? No need to vote after this election? Beautiful Christians? WTAF? Once again he sounds insane, once again he sounds as if he hovered up Don Jr.’s 8Ball…. Heck I’m not sure he can make it another 100 days🤮🤮🤮

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Richard Von Busack's avatar

Don Jr is 100% American, but his nostrils are 100% Peruvian.

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steve robertshaw's avatar

Wasn't he the guy who got so excited way back when some tour group member left a packet of crack or some powder in the White House vicinity? He was going nuts saying it was Hunter Biden, or Joe himself, whenever some right wing media had him near a microphone. No wonder. I once thought his speed talking was just due to drinking a lot of coffee!

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Charles Austin's avatar

There isn't enough coffee on the planet.

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bruce somers's avatar

Nancy Reagan would want Don Jr for a 'Just Say No' poster.

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Charles Austin's avatar

😂😂😂😂

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bruce somers's avatar

His work to narrow the trade gap with Peru.

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Laura Pizzicara's avatar

Oh… how I wish his inept, incel assassin had blown his fuckin’ ugly orange mug, hair and head off like a fuckin’ golf swing…Damn it.

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Richard Von Busack's avatar

It would have solved problems, yet it would have created problems

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bruce somers's avatar

That's absolutely not true,all the MAGAs already have a martyr complex.

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Let me sum up's avatar

Don't get my hopes up even more.

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Deb Martina's avatar

Me either

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Lynn Van Haren's avatar

If only…

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Morgan OCailleigh's avatar

Stairs. Sharks. Batteries. Hannibal Lector.

A cognitive test for presidential candidates.

FUCKING CREEPY & WEIRD ...

🙄🤔😏🤣🤷‍♀️

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Dave Drell's avatar

Didn’t Fat Donny want a cognitive test before first debate? Maybe Harris should re-open that request. Can you imagine her obliterating him in that kind of test? She would win 107-0

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Susan Niemann's avatar

When I heard Sharkey McBatteryShitzhispantsay this I thought maybe FINALLY the press would do something. But of course not. JFC! The glimmer of good news is the tremendous voter registration and The Village’s!?? Holy crap! When will this asshole choke and go to McDonalds in hell? And Usha deserves her dolphin porn loving man. 🤦‍♀️. He’s a dangerous joke.

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Geoff Anderson's avatar

I watched a legal expert who works in election law explain that there is no cool-down period in the post convention era of an election where you can just have a re-do on the Vice President candidate selection.

You broke it, you bought it. JD Vance is yours unless Vance shuffles off the mortal coil. Note that if Trump expires (and I do not wish that in the run up to the election, because I am not a ghoul) JD Vance becomes the top of the ticket.

Nope, no good options for the R's to alter their trajectory, and it is glorious

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Michael M's avatar

Glad to hear that. It's so blindingly obvious that Nikki Haley was his best hope for expanding his base. I would love to have been in the room where his political advisors told him that and then all suffered eye-rolling injuries when Don Jr. and Eric insisted their buddy JD be the VP nominee. All time loser move for a guy who somehow failed his way to the top without ever showing up to his Politics 101 class.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

Good to know. 💙

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bruce somers's avatar

I've heard the theory when the MAGAs lose again,it'll split it the GOP,it's possible I guess,but Republicans acting rationally is a stretch nowadays.

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Melly Roberts's avatar

Love "because I am not a ghoul"!

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Susan Keefer's avatar

Not to dampen the good news, but just to clarify: The Villages are made up of 67% Republicans and 31% Democrats. The Democrats in The Villages invited the HBO series ‘We’re Here’, a show about drag queens, to perform in their side of The Villages.

I haven’t read whether the support for Kamala was just the Democrats or if the Republicans joined in. They may have because of the threat of losing their Social Security. I hope.

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Ellis Weiner's avatar

Good point. I can't imagine, at this late date, there are many people who used to like Trump and now like Kamala. To like Trump at all is to suffer from a malady I call "being very stupid," or from a related disease called "being evil."

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bruce somers's avatar

Good info,thx Susan!! I take solace in the fact sometimes change doesn't happen overnight, that's why we have hope.

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Susan Keefer's avatar

So true.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

They are unique, some are good people who inherited, or got suckered in, I have several sets of friends who tried it there, thinking it wouldn't be so bad, and they are all low-key people, who would fit it any sane neighborhood. None of them could take it, as the asshole quotient is too high. I do love the news stories (that come out of the local news) though. The golf-cart "chop-shop"/ Meth lab there was a favorite, as was the STD capital of Florida story.

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Dave Drell's avatar

Sorry Jeff but that picture of the Villages might actually be the 31% Dems who Susan referred to, who showed up at the rally. Senior Drumpf supporters rarely switch sides…they are fixed in their

opinions and apparently think he won’t touch their SS payments.

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bruce somers's avatar

I really don't believe you can convert any MAGAs, Independents and swing voters might be another matter.

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Teri's avatar

🎯🎯🎯 Imo magas are lost to us forever. The cult is crazy strong. If it was pouring rain, they would swear it was a sunny day. There is a former Starbucks & restaurant I refuse to go to. They gather and bloviate to where my anger & disgust wrecks my day. Years ago I I formed the mgr & owner of why I would never spend one more dime there.

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bruce somers's avatar

Huzzah!!

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Teri's avatar

Great breakdown of The Villages. So it's not 99.9 percent.

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Susan Keefer's avatar

The percentages were like 67.8% for Republicans and I rounded down.

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bruce somers's avatar

I believe he's the very definition of 'Open mouth,insert foot'

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Charles Austin's avatar

Usha is jealous of dolphins.

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Susan Niemann's avatar

😂😂😂

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bruce somers's avatar

😂😂😂😂😂

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Laura Pizzicara's avatar

Agreed! But uh, what the heck is “dolphin porn?!?” Sounds as weirdly creepy as “Don duh sexual predator!” Eeeew.

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bruce somers's avatar

Repugs on their deathbed,priest; 'Any last requests?', 'Delete my search history'

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Mmmm's avatar

What is the media so afraid of with calling Donnie and the gop out? Are they afraid of project 2025 if Donnie wins and going to prison so they think not calling out his lies and disinformation will help them avoid prison? What gives?

And why is no one getting on their shows or writing editorials calling them out? Beyond time. We know dem politicians are too amiable to call the media out when they are being interviewed but just do it. Wake them up to reality. Use facts. It’s right in front of them.

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Dee Whitman's avatar

Actually, there have been many editorials in the NYT and The Guardian about the dangers posed by djt and P2025. I know that the following is an unpopulat position on this site, but: I've worked in *legit* newsrooms for most of my career, and I can tell you that a lot of the criticisms leveled against the MSM are inaccurate -- and, worse, they turn us lefties into unpaid workers for the right.

The legit press is our only bulwark against autocracy. Please don't uniformly condemn it, because that just adds to the "Can't trust the media," one of the key beliefs necessary for autocracy to take hold.

The legit press makes mistakes. Call out those mistakes. But please don't echo right-wing talking points about the MSM being entirely useless and entirely untrustworthy. It isn't. The MSM is all that stands between us and autocracy. Btw, how do you think most people learned about P2025? Even Substackers and tweeters etc. learned about it from the MSM -- from some forward-thinking reporter who learned about it and publicized it.

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TCinLA's avatar

Look at the New York Times coverage, with their thumb firmly on the scale because the Sulzberger DNA failure who runs the place is miffed that Biden wouldn't give him an exclusive interview, and say all that again.

Or look at Biden's interview with Lester Holt where Holt keeps going after him, and when Biden asks when he's going to do that to Trump, Holt asks another gotcha, and then Biden asks again and Holt says "we've covered Trump," and then Biden says no he hasn't and he won't, and Holt has no response.

The truth is those places you used to work are viewed by the intergalactic widgetmakers that own them as "legacy" media that's no longer useful. They lost half their readers or viewers after Trump lost office, and the widgetmakers demand they get "profitable" so they can be sold off to the first rube who comes along and still believes they have value.

Like Jeff Zucker said back in 2016 when he got criticized for CNN covering all of Trump's rallies live, "Donald Trump is good ratings."

Profitability is all they worry about. The executive editor of the NYT is on the record saying they have no reason to "defend democracy" and put "democracy" as just another "issue" like inflation.

So I am sorry, but the "Broadcast News" world you used to live and work in is as dead as the Hollywood I used to live and work in.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

🎯It sucks, but the world has moved on, with the event of social media as a source of 24/7 propaganda, the MSM can't compete with the truth, so they post click-bait headlines and act as stenographers for the far-right forced-birthers, and politicians.

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TCinLA's avatar

Exactly.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

"intergalactic widgetmakers" is genius, by the way!

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Music Mama's avatar

I agree that "the legit press is our only bulwark against autocracy.”’ But who is legit? After a five month study including WaPo, WSJ, NYT, LA Times and USA Today, Media Matters for America found “Of the 144 articles published, 97 (67%) focused just on Biden's age or mental acuity. Only 10 (7%) articles focused on just Trump’s.”

During roughly the time of the study, I wrote letters to NYT about their biased and weak coverage. After I read the data in the study, I sadly cancelled my long time subscription. I instead subscribed to Jeff’s newsletter and others, and continue to follow my favorite MSM journalists on Twitter/X. I would like to support a MSM source. Who do you recommend?

See https://www.mediamatters.org/washington-post/top-newspapers-fixate-bidens-age

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

The Guardian is pretty good as they are not corporate-owned.

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TreeDogRain's avatar

Thank you -- that stat is just what I was wondering. I'm doing the same as you, though went from NYT print x7/day to the barest bones digital subscription. Cancelling the whole thing will be next. Illustrative reason: the questions posed by the journalist in the Times's recent interview with Pete Buttigieg were antagonistic without being sharp or incisive. His answers were much smarter than the questions.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

I swear they no longer hire "journalists" but stenographers for the right. It's like none of them know ANY history!

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Cassandra Here's avatar

The first move of the fascists is to nullify the press. That’s exactly what trump did.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Ever so much this^^^ Sadly, so many have yet to realize that.

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bruce somers's avatar

I don't live in 'used-to-be' world,you seem to be stuck in it.

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bruce somers's avatar

Jasmine Crocket certainly doesn't have a problem calling them out,love that gal.

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Mmmm's avatar

True but she and others need to keep going. Keep attacking them. Daily. Hourly. Just like the repubs have done for decades to dems. Keep hitting them and don’t back down but be prepared. Buttigieg does it but not many others.

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Janan Broadbent's avatar

💯💯💯

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

Jasmine Crockett, Maxwell Frost, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, Jared Moskowitz, Jamie Raskin, & so many others are doing a great job.

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Music Mama's avatar

Yes! I follow all of them on Twitter X.

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bruce somers's avatar

Maybe it's because their jobs are guaranteed by the Constitution,no matter who wins,they still keep them...it's their version of a NDA.

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Geoff Anderson's avatar

Well, with the current slate of Justices on the SC, I wouldn't be so cocksure of their charter in the Constitution. Seems like this goat rodeo of Conservatives in the court are perfectly fine with reading things out of the constitution if it fits their priors.

Makes me hopeful that a liberal court in the future could edit out the second amendment completely and tell the gun humpers to bite their asses

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bruce somers's avatar

Second that.

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Rick A.'s avatar

I am terrified about this court and that they will install Trump no matter what. I truly am. The immunity ruling was an abomination. He will be much more unhinged than 2020 if that is even possible. I expect violence, lawsuits, absolute insane arguments accepted as legitimate. I really do…. I pray I am wrong.

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Teri's avatar

The post election times will be challenging for sure. Biden will be POTUS till inauguration. I try to stay focused and in the present. What's that old saying "possession is 9/10ths of the law"? When Kamala wins, Biden's not letting turd move in. If there's a court fight, he/Kamala are already there LOL.

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Stephen Brady's avatar

Maybe... didn't he say he would suspend the Constitution?

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Sharon C Storm's avatar

Yes, he said it, I’ve seen the video.

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bruce somers's avatar

He did,but you know how the MAGAs love Viktor Orban?? The only thing standing between Orban and complete power was their Supreme Court,he changed the age limit retroactively to remove them. Careful what you wish for Supreme Court justices, dictators don't have much use for courts.

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Sharon C Storm's avatar

I’ve been saying the same thing. SCOTUS isn’t necessary to a dictator, he would make his own laws.

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Deb Martina's avatar

Bought and paid for

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Dee Whitman's avatar

OT but necessary, bc the GOP is attacking Harris with lies:

A fact-checker on PolitiFact (7-24-24) notes that Harris was never appointed "border czar" (the GOP invented that title for her) and that her duties were never to secure the border -- that's Homeland Security's job. Her duties were diplomatic and fact-finding: to understand the factors that prompt people in the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador) to leave their nations for the US, and to try to implement solutions, which will take years. (The problems include poverty/lack of jobs, gang violence, violence against women, and governmental corruption.)

Plus, Dems agreed earlier this year to bipartisan legislation to reduce illegal immigration -- in fact, Dems gave in on lots of provisions they oppose -- only for djt to tell GOPs to torpedo it bc he didn't want a win for Biden. So GOPs are PROVEN to be opposed to solutions to the border problem. You can look this up; GOP Sen. Lankford chosen by his party to help craft the legislation, and he was angry about their torpedoing it.

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Kevin Dale Green's avatar

This leaves open two possibilities. Either the Repugnatans knew that they were lying about how serious the border crisis was or they intentionally jeopardized the nation's security for political gain.

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bruce somers's avatar

In 24 hours of the Republican convention,Fox News carried the headline 'Migrant Crime' 67 times,(thank you John Oliver),Fox creates the crisis and the outrage for their brain-dead geriatrics,and know it usually only takes 3 times of repeating a lie to reinforce it for some.

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Teri's avatar

The GOP rejection of the border bill is not something today's Dems are gonna let anyone forget.

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David (Dave) Jaspers's avatar

"...my beautiful Christians…. Get out, you’ve got to get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote."

There's no context for that to be taken out of. He f😀king said it - twice. And special boy Donny mcshitsinpants gets yet another free pass in the media. Hey news media - do your f😀king job! This ain't no horserace. This is a battle for democracy.

And "beautiful Christians"? What's up with that f😀king s😀t? Look up "creepy dictator wannabe" in the dictionary. you'll see a picture of our dear leader.

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bruce somers's avatar

Americans are 5% of the world's population,there's about 1 billion Christians,(and declining,the second largest belief system is 'Agnostic/Atheist')do the math, it's not a Christian planet,and the US isn't a Christian country,the founders didn't want it that way. My mother was a Roman Catholic,and a Democrat,not only did Trump and the MAGAs hijack the GOP,they've turned Christianity into a cult,not a big stretch IMO, started as a cult,and it's still a cult,now a 'Doomsday Cult'.

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Kevin Dale Green's avatar

One of the main reasons the founder didn't want to form a 'Christian' nation is that they didn't want to elevate one form of Christianity over the others like was done in Europe. If the current Christofascists have their way a good portion of this nations Christian population is going to be just as much on the outside as us non-believers. We're talking a minority population wise with an over-representation politically.

It's hard to say how much is really Trump's fault. He certainly has been enabling the Evangelical base, but the Court already had Alito and Thomas and any Republican would have nominated more Fed Society justices. The GOP has been catering to these nutjobs for decades. They've just finally achieved full control of the party.

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David (Dave) Jaspers's avatar

I have been saying that for the last 30 years.

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bruce somers's avatar

Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated by Republican,and as a conservative,she started to think the Court was becoming too political,and theological,and basically switched teams halfway through the game,cue Leonard Leo,he determined that should never happen again.

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bruce somers's avatar

👍👍👍👍

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bruce somers's avatar

Money talks...

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Dave Drell's avatar

Christianity 2.5billion

Islam 1.9billion

Hindu 1.2billion

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bruce somers's avatar

Thank you Dave!! More accurate numbers,would require me to give a shit.

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Kevin Dale Green's avatar

"I love you Christians, I’m not Christian, I love you" Wait, a sec, did DonT just say what it looks like he said? Did he actually admit he wasn't a Christian? That seems to be a quote that Evangelicals need to have shoved in their faces.

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Kay G's avatar

I totally agree with you!!! I thought I heard it last night. Two of the 6:30 ET national newscasts did actually run that part of his speech and NewsNation actually talked more about it (a huge reversal for them).

But NOT grabbing Trump’s OPEN admission that he’s NOT A CHRISTIAN should have gone off like a 2000 ton bomb in the Christian community.

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Sharon C Storm's avatar

I always watch ABC at 6:30, they covered the remarks about never having to vote again. That’s why I watch it.

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

The “Dear Leader” worshippers claim that we are twisting it, they argue that he said “I’m a Christian” but it was just “kind of slurred” 🤣

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bruce somers's avatar

The extent of Trump's Christianity is he would never step foot in a church,for fear of the lightning bolts,😂

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David (Dave) Jaspers's avatar

Again, media drops the ball.

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bruce somers's avatar

I'm waiting for Shade Vance,VP candidate,to appear on something other than right-wing media,can dolphin boy,he-man-woman-

haters club member,get to dodge MSM media for the next 100 days?? Or do the bubble-head bleach blondes on Fox get to lie and cover for him for the next 3 months??

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David (Dave) Jaspers's avatar

duh... what do you think? free pass - pass go, collect $200, marry my daughter.

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bruce somers's avatar

😂😂😂😂

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Kathy J's avatar

I only have one person I spoke to after CFtfg was in office, and the conversation was on and off after he won the primary. This person is a big-time churchgoer and self-professed Christian; I mentioned how he is not one of them. She told me she knows that; the others she talks to understand it, and they don't care. It was something about how he would fight for them or lift their cause as Christians. Some mention individuals in the Old Testament as evil characters who deliver for the cause. Even though it would seem to us that people representing us would hold our views, it doesn't seem to be the case for them. I've heard it repeatedly in interviews, and they can easily overlook his shortcomings as long as he helps them get what they want. What they want seems obvious to me. They want absolute control over everything and the rest of us.

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bruce somers's avatar

Pretty disturbing,and please tell me what part of 'religion' is that?? My reading of the Bible didn't include buying gold assassination sneakers....It seems they want to worship Judas.

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

You’ve heard correctly, they do not care that he’s not a Christian. They do not care that he can’t quote 1 single Bible verse, that he’s a fornicator, coveted, liar, etc & generally a horrid person; they voted for him in 2016 because he promised those scotus appointments who would overturn Roe & stop abortions. I got that from my “Christian” sister & nephew. They understood he was a piece of crap, but wanted Roe overturned more than anything.

My ex-husband recently admitted he made the mistake of voting for him in 2016, but that it was a horrible mistake. He is/was a low information voter who fell for the “successful businessman” facade, as I’m sure many did. I’m hoping that enough have learned the truth by now, or are becoming bored with his constant lies & complaining.

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Lucy Guerlac's avatar

He must secretly be reading E Jean’s postings where she addresses her readers in similar fashion.

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Timothy Fifer's avatar

Well, some dems are not as amiable any more and it’s about time. If the MSM won’t highlight the orange shitstain’s negatives ( he doesn’t have any positives) we have to, by taking a strategy from MAGA, minus the nasty vitriol. Obviously we won’t get much help from MSM but we’re better at it than they are.

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bruce somers's avatar

Progressive media is kicking ass!!

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Kate's avatar

Meidas Touch torched fux news on youtube visits/views!!

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arne link's avatar

Love that guy

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bruce somers's avatar

And CNN!!

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Stephen Brady's avatar

It is worth pointing out that every year, MSM uptake decreases.

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Catherine's avatar

I've canceled, blocked, reported and unsubscribed from many MSM with false and misleading digital headlines and content.

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Stephen Brady's avatar

I fired the NYT the day after the 2016 election for all the misleading and divisive things they said about Hillary and all the free coverage they gave to the Orange Menace. I sent a letter to their publisher telling him I would never read ANY of their content ever again.

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bruce somers's avatar

I'd prefer a lot more investigative journalism,and a lot less opinion,and selling books...but that's just me.

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Stephen Brady's avatar

You are not wrong. They are making money still but they don't want to offend the Orange Oaf. The problem is that there is no secondary mechanism, because it takes money to run all the appropriate data to ground and interview people. Part-time, free-lance investigators/journalists don't have the resources . But, still one of them gets lucky and lights a fire every once in a while. Edited to make it clearer

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

Have you subscribed to Medhi Hassan’s new media startup, Zeteo?

I immediately became a founding subscriber as soon as I found out where he had gone after leaving msnbc. Medhi is a truth teller.

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bruce somers's avatar

Yes!!

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Mark Marderosian's avatar

Jeff, you're so right. The very chyron under the loser says "sharing his vision" when it SHOULD say, "Draft dodger and convicted felon calls for end of elections and democracy."

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bruce somers's avatar

Maybe one of headlines yesterday should of been 'Republicans attack Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies'

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Eva Porter's avatar

I KNEW they were going to explain it away like that. I didn’t just fall out of the coconut tree-I know the context here.

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bruce somers's avatar

The ultimate 'both-sides-isms'

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Tess's avatar

Coachfuck McDolohinporn!!!!!!

Geez…Donny Dumbo seriously needs to be committed! Once again your post should be on all media outlets!

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Ilene Fischer's avatar

The media needs to wake the fuck up. It’s no wonder do many of us rely on social media for the real news. Problem is there is just as much misinformation on social as there is on the media. What happened to the news being the truth? I am sick of it. Trump and his band will end our democracy and media need to call the alarm. I am so glad Kamala is taking the orange shot holes bass away. I think Kamala can win, but fear the nazis will pull a civil war to try to win

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bruce somers's avatar

Bring it.

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David Olson's avatar

As usual, Jeff nails it. My comments are faint echoes. His reference to Angelou, ‘believe them,’ is spot on. In Trump’s notorious quote (Access Hollywood), he describes to a “T” his misogyny/sexual predation. His defamation trial at its core was a rape consistent with his boast. His hush money, same idea as Daniels described. So in the past day or so, he tells the faithful ‘Christians’ elect me know and you will NOT have to vote again. Ipso facto, vote Blue like our democracy depends on it—it does.

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bruce somers's avatar

And JD wants to tell us who gets to vote.

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Becky Gibson's avatar

Just the fact that Kamala was able to get this kind of reception in The Villages is amazing and heartening. My dad lives about an hour away from there in a similar area (read: rich Republican mini-mansions everywhere), and they are definitely Forever Trumpers there, so maybe there’s hope for Florida after all!

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Pamela Gross's avatar

I hope you’re right about Florida but I have my doubts. I have relatives in the St. Pete area, both seniors and those still working. They seem to be perfectly happy with DeSatan shipping immigrants to God knows where and having Trump again. The misinformation and lies just don’t seem to sink in with them. “The Republicans are for us” is their motto. How about a party that’s for everyone?? Let’s hope Kamala Harris puts an end to his political career.

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Kate's avatar

Florida went for Obama twice, and the Harris campaign is sending 2600 ground organizers to Florida now! We also need engagement beyond the presidential years and to get rid of the supermajority and gerrymandering—which of course we voted to do but the corrupt legislature overrode it. If Michigan can do it we can too! The party is now more organized than I have ever seen in my almost 30 years here.

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Timothy Fifer's avatar

Yep, Michigan did with a few bumps along the way. But the nonpartisan redistricting kept Michigan from becoming even sl red, that and voters in Detroit. Not that the GOP controlled legislature didn’t try. Thank god for Michigan voters who passed a measure to get rid of gerrymandering.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

The problem is, as you probably know, Death-Santis has appointed 2/3rds of the FL Supreme court, so anything they want to do, they can get rubber-stamped. His own party was shocked at his blatently gerrymandered map, but they were allowed to use it, anyway further screwing us up. And if they don't want us to re-enfranchise felon voting rights, they just change the rules and tack on penalties. It takes years to undo Death-Santis' fuckery and they are, but it is slow progress. And not to mention them raising the approval threshold, for citizen amendment votes to 60% (as they did after the re-enfrachisement passing) and they were talking about raising it to 66% because abortion rights are so popular.

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Kate's avatar

Oh yes—it won’t happen overnight, but if we had kept up momentum after Obama’s two wins we would be in better shape now. We need the state dem party to remain organized as well as get help from the national party to win local elections every year!

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

I know let's hope, and organize. Debbie Murcasel-Powell seems promising, everybody hates Rick Scott, and he only won the first time by a thin margin with an automatic recount, so here's to her win!

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Kate's avatar

He is the WORST!!

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P. J. Schuster's avatar

I’m donating to Debbie every month. I hope all Dem Floridians will do the same, even if it’s only $5/mo. It’s the number of supporters that matters to the DNC, not the dollars raised. They want to know the candidate has broad support from people before they invest their money. Get that info out to people.

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Dave Drell's avatar

If Harris takes Florida, by a hanging chad, then its over for DonnyRatBrain.

No matter Mich or AZ.

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Kate's avatar

Absolutely—Obama didn’t need it either but it was a sweet get both times! And we have the chance to get rid of sick rott too…

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Becky Gibson's avatar

I know whereof you speak. My entire family lives about two hours east of Tampa and they are ALL staunch Republicans. They can’t figure out how I turned out “this way” 🤬. They also can’t figure out why I don’t want to move to Florida to be “closer to them”. I love my family, but that is definitely a bridge too far, to put it politely. In other words, no way in hell would I move to somewhere that, to me, is a hellhole. I’ll take my wonderful upper Midwest state any day, snow and all.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

We have nice pockets of blue, and it wasn't a hell-hole until DeathSantis squeaked in.

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Dave Drell's avatar

The Miami Latino community would have to turn out for Harris- thats a key. Aren’t the Cubans pro Drumpf?

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bruce somers's avatar

At least DeSatan is terming out.

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Charles Austin's avatar

I predict he gets the legislature to change the rules for him. What the fuck else is he gonna do!

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

Still, since We helped elect President Obama, they have gerrymandered the shit out of us, and we have been stuck with some of the worst politicians ever.

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bruce somers's avatar

Don't you know it.

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