John Oliver Trashes Trump As ‘A Klan-Backed Misogynist Internet Troll’

Posted by on November 14, 2016 at 2:21 pm. 3 Comments :

It may be difficult to find the humor in last week’s election results. Americans who are appropriately terrified by the prospect of Donald Trump’s presidency may be in no mood to laugh. However, some comic relief could be just the right medicine for a nation infected by the Great Orange Plague of 2016. And who better to fill that prescription than John Oliver.

John Oliver

In the season finale of his HBO program, Oliver spent the whole show assessing the consequences of Tuesday’s debacle. He began by finding a smidgen of positivity by noticing that the promise of opportunity in this country is still alive. “America proved,” Oliver wryly observed, “that no grandpa is too racist to become leader of the free world.” Only in America. He went on to question the potential causes that led us to the edge of this political cliff:

“How the fuck did we get here? Well clearly, there are many possible answers to that question, including: misleading forecasts that bred complacency; a flawed candidate who failed to appeal to white rural and working-class voters; and — and this is worth repeating — deep racism and/or indifference to it.”

It’s impossible to argue with that assessment, as far as it goes. But Oliver then launched an assault on what is certainly one of the primary factors in Trump’s victory: The Media! He castigated it for having neglected its professional obligations to the public. He was stunned by “how a system that is supposed to catch a serial liar failed.” But he was also aware of the shameful malfeasance of the corporate press hacks who seemed to be oblivious to their ineptitude. He quoted CNN’s president Jeff Zucker:

“I’d say that if we made a mistake last year, it’s that we probably did put on too many of his campaign rallies in those early months, unedited, and just let them run. And I think, in hindsight, we probably shouldn’t have done that as much.”

Is he freakin’ kidding?! Zucker considers that an insightful reflection on his performance as a news executive? Well, how could he have known not to pander to Trump incessantly for hours on end? Other than by having been chastised for it repeatedly while he was doing it. Every respected media analyst was loudly condemning the networks for kowtowing to Trump. If this “mistake” came as a surprise to him he is either totally incompetent or in the last stages of Alzheimer’s disease. More likely he was taking the same approach as a network colleague who at least was honest enough to admit that he was in it for the ratings. Les Moonves of CBS told a media conference that “It may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.” And that’s the same theory by which all the networks operate. Greed before patriotism.

Oliver went on to urge viewers to “stay here and fight” because the country can no longer assume that we have a president who will “stand up for the rights of all Americans.” And he pegged Trump as deceitful and opportunistic saying that:

“Trump is a masterful denier of both reality and responsibility. He is a man that would kick you in the nuts and then tell you that your penis did it. So the press is gonna face challenges. Not just because Trump’s chief strategist is Stephen Bannon of Breitbart News, but also because of yet another promise that Trump made:

“‘If I become president they are gonna have such problems. Oh, are they gonna have problems. I’m gonna open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.'”

Let that sink in. Trump, having benefited inordinately from a star-struck press corps, is also threatening to sue them into oblivion. It’s a sort of battered spouse relationship with Trump receiving all the love while meting out the abuse. Unfortunately, that perverse relationship is likely continue as Trump moves into the White House. And Oliver had some closing remarks to make sure that citizens don’t become numbed to the insanity. He urged people to “get actively involved to at least mitigate Trump’s damage” and that:

“It is gonna be too easy for things to start feeling normal, especially if you are someone who is not directly impacted by his actions. So keep reminding yourself: This is not normal. […] because a Klan-backed, misogynist, internet troll is going to be delivering the next State of the Union address. And that is NOT normal! It is FUCKED UP.”

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

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Donald Trump Will Absolutely HATE Being President, And Citizens Will Suffer For It

Posted by on November 12, 2016 at 6:24 pm. 11 Comments :

Among the curious notions that arise when contemplating Donald Trump is his aspiration to be president in the first place. As a wealthy elitist since birth, Trump may not entirely comprehend the sacrifices he will be forced to make.

Trump White House

Trump has lived a privileged life of flamboyant luxury, flaunting his fortune at every opportunity. His hedonistic lifestyle is apparent in his gold-encrusted penthouse as well as the way he treats, and mistreats people. And the admission that he can sexually assault women due to his celebrity is further proof of his imperious attitude.

However, none of these pursuits can be easily undertaken as president. There are constraints imposed by the office due to diplomatic and security concerns. Trump could not jet off to Monaco for a night of gambling and carousing whenever he feels like it. He could not entertain beauty pageant contestants at his resorts. Every time he leaves the White House he will have to observe strict procedures imposed by the Secret Service. There are a great many liberties that must be relinquished in exchange for the honor of being president.

The profound changes that face anyone taking this job are jarring. But they will weigh even heavier on someone like Trump due to the extravagances to which he has become accustomed. And recent disclosures by those in his inner circle affirm the difficulty he’s likely to experience post-inauguration. The New York Times reports that:

“Mr. Trump, a homebody who often flew several hours late at night during the campaign so he could wake up in his own bed in Trump Tower, is talking with his advisers about how many nights a week he will spend in the White House. He has told them he would like to do what he is used to, which is spending time in New York when he can. […]

“The questions reflect what Mr. Trump’s advisers described as the president-elect’s coming to grips with the fact that his life is about to change radically. They say that Mr. Trump, who was shocked when he won the election, might spend most of the week in Washington, much like members of Congress, and return to Trump Tower or his golf course in Bedminster, N.J., or his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach on weekends.”

Trump seems to think that the presidency is a 9-5, Monday-Friday gig. That is clear evidence of his naivete with regard to the job he sought, and regrettably attained. He cannot simply make his Fifth Avenue penthouse an annex of the White House. For one thing, there are resources and people in Washington that he’ll need to be near on a regular basis. For another, trying to secure a building in midtown Manhattan would be a nightmare for law enforcement. And it wouldn’t be any treat for the local residents or businesses either. Already there are barricades around Trump Tower that are impeding commerce and traffic in the neighborhood.

It isn’t surprising that a man of Trump’s advanced age would want to cling to what is familiar to him. But sleeping in his own bed every night would interfere with his official duties. And those duties could also present a problem for an aging, habitual, millionaire. He would not be in a position to chose his projects as he does now. His obligations will, more often than not, be thrust upon him by circumstances. It could be a military conflict in Ukraine or Yemen. Or it might be legislation that lands on his desk from Congress. Then there are always the unexpected obligations arising from natural disasters, government failures, and domestic terrorism.

There is very little that presidents actually get to do for themselves. When they do take on their own initiatives, it commonly requires a great deal of debate and compromise. It could take months, or years, of struggling to get consensus even within one’s own party. Consequently, it is necessary for an engaged president to study mountains of research and participate in marathons of meetings.

The problem in that regard is that Trump has shown himself to be utterly incurious and unwilling to educate himself. He has already indicated a disinclination to receive briefings via memos and documentation. He prefers that someone verbally walk him through the complex issues of the day. By that method it would be impossible to keep up with everything that a president encounters.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

As a result, Trump would have to rely on the advice and direction of his staff. That means that the American people would be subject to whatever prejudices his staff harbor. We would not really have a president, but a committee that has an undue amount of influence. Trump would be a figurehead whose leadership would be purely symbolic. Of course, that might actually be good news because his articulated platform is atrocious. The problem is that the platform of his handlers might be even worse. And they are totally unaccountable to the people.


CONFIRMED: Fox News Was ‘Nakedly Colluding’ With Donald Trump

Posted by on November 11, 2016 at 4:39 pm. 4 Comments :

File this one under “Things We Already Knew.” Yes, it was painfully obvious that Fox News always had a clear preference for then-presidential hopeful Donald Trump. But until now there hasn’t been such a profoundly forthright admission of their bias.

Megyn Kelly Donald Trump

Fox News host Megyn Kelly has a new book, Settle For More, that contains some surprising revelations about her experiences at work. Among those previously excerpted in the press were her allegations of being a victim of sexual harassment. After a dozen other women revealed their harrowing encounters with the disgraced ex-CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes, Kelly finally came forward with her own account.

In a similarly late confession, Kelly’s book also exposes a small piece of the political propaganda machine at Fox News. The New York Times received a pre-release copy from which they quoted a section about the Trump campaign. The excerpt describes Kelly’s discovery that someone at Fox was funneling debate questions to Trump:

“Then, the day before the first presidential debate, Mr. Trump was in a lather again, Ms. Kelly writes. He called Fox executives, saying he’d heard that her first question ‘was a very pointed question directed at him.’ This disconcerted her, because it was true: It was about his history of using disparaging language about women.

“She doesn’t speculate where the leak came from. (She reports. You decide.) But that’s another unambiguous takeaway from this book: Parts of Fox — or at the very least, Roger Ailes, the network’s chairman until July, when he was given the boot after several allegations of sexual harassment were made against him — seemed to be nakedly colluding with the Republican presidential nominee.”

There you have it. An eyewitness account of Fox News deliberately interfering with a candidates debate to benefit their chosen one. And the witness isn’t a wild-eyed, liberal, Fox hating, radical. It’s the fastest rising star on the network who is frequently referred to as “the future of Fox News.” So in addition to providing Trump with millions of dollars of free airtime, they were fouling supposedly neutral debate broadcasts.

On one hand, it’s admirable that Kelly includes this in her book. It casts a decidedly negative light on the heavily slanted editorial processes at Fox. On the other hand, she failed her obligations as a “journalist” by not saying anything when it occurred. The fact that a candidate was receiving tips on the questions for an upcoming debate is big news. And Kelly certainly agrees with that principle. She made a big deal about the exact same accusation when it was aimed at Democratic operative Donna Brazile.

In a stolen email released by WikiLeaks, Brazile made comments that implied that she had advance knowledge of a debate question and passed it on to the Clinton campaign. Kelly even raised this issue in an interview with Brazile wherein she asked “Can you imagine if this were a Republican had been fed a question by Fox News? You know, the different reaction we’d be seeing in the media?”

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Yes, we do know, and we don’t have to use our imagination. The reaction on Fox News would be to cover it up until a for-profit book tour could be scheduled. So Trump got away with colluding with Fox News to help him in a debate. And Kelly got a juicy morsel of gossip with which to promote her book. It’s a win-win – for deceitful propagandists and dishonest TV hosts. And, of course, for ignorant, racist, xenophobic, misogynist, narcissistic, wannabe dictators.


How The Obsolete Electoral College Can Save Us From ‘President’ Trump

Posted by on November 10, 2016 at 3:26 pm. 8 Comments :

Before I write a single word on the subject in the title of this article, I want to acknowledge that it is an extremely unlikely proposition. So anyone hankering to post frantic accusations of deranged liberals in denial, STFU. I know. That said, this deserves support purely from a conceptual perspective. It puts a focus on the legitimate reasons that Donald Trump’s election is an aberration of democracy. At the same time, it exposes the anachronistic nature of the Electoral College whose time was over long ago. And in the unlikely event that this notion should gain steam and become plausible, so much the better.

Trump Newspapers

The election of Donald Trump has caused a tsunami of critical analysis, most of which revolves around the shock that it occurred at all. Trump was opposed by an unusually broad array of Americans, including Republicans, national security experts, economists, and more. His utter unpreparedness for the job wasn’t sufficient to dissuade voters from choosing him over a far better qualified woman. In fact, Hillary Clinton’s experience was portrayed as a flaw. Because who wants experience in the most powerful leader in the world?

The day following the election, citizens across the country took to the streets to protest Trump’s victory. It was a spectacle unseen since the protest marches for civil rights or against the Vietnam war. Clearly there is a significant faction in the nation that is looking for a way out. And there just might be one.

There is nothing in the Constitution that binds members of the Electoral College to vote for any particular candidate. Some states have laws that impose a fine if the Elector doesn’t vote for the candidate who won the state, but those rogue votes are still counted. Consequently, Electors could still vote for Clinton when they meet on December 19, and she would then become the president-elect. And since Trump won with a bare majority of 279 Electoral College votes, only ten Electors would have to switch.

The Arguments For Electoral Vote Swapping:

Changing a vote in the Electoral College ought not to be done lightly. It should require thoughtful consideration and persuasive reasoning. Here is a summary of what might justify this radical step:

  1. THE POPULAR VOTE: Hillary Clinton received nearly a quarter of a million more votes half a million more votes than Donald Trump. The popular vote rarely diverges from the electoral vote, but this year the divergence is profound. Electors could be prevailed upon to honor the choice of the people.
  2. FRAUD AND SEX CRIMES: Trump is currently being sued for fraud with regard to his phony Trump University. Barring a postponement or settlement, the trial will be held later this month. If Trump is found to have committed fraud, it might sway some electors to rethink there obligations. There are dozens of other lawsuits pending against him. And he has promised to file suits of his own against women who have accused him of sexual assault.
  3. THE KKK KONNECTION: Trump has an unsavory relationship with the alt-right, white nationalist community. This includes the CEO of his campaign, Stephen Bannon, who is also the chairman of Breitbart News. Breitbart has become the alt-right’s home on the Internet. And racist icons like David Duke have been cheering on Trump’s candidacy. This affiliation makes it impossible for Trump to represent all Americans.
  4. THE PUTIN FILES: Trump’s ties to Russia are deeply disturbing. He owes millions of dollars to Russian financiers connected to the Kremlin. He has been linked to the Russian hacking that targeted Clinton. His policies are frighteningly aligned with those of Vladimir Putin (i.e. weakening NATO). And it was just disclosed that his campaign has been meeting with Russian officials. Need I say more?
  5. UNFIT TO SERVE: There is a general concern about Trump’s temperament that suggests his unfitness to carry out the duties of the president. He is thin-skinned and vengeful and subject to childish outbursts when he is opposed or criticized. Furthermore, he’s ignorant and shows zero interest in educating himself about the issues upon which many millions of lives rest.

These are serious arguments that could justify an Elector (or ten) voting against Trump. Taking an action like this would be an extreme measure reserved for only serious threats. But if anyone represents a clear and present danger to the United States, it’s Donald Trump. And there are many citizens who are worried about the prospect of his assuming residence in the White House. To that end they have started a petition directed to the Electoral College. It currently has over 1,000,000 2,300,000 3,500,000 signatures (and rising fast) and poignantly asks “Why not use this most undemocratic of our institutions to ensure a democratic result?”

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

That’s a good question. Feel free to sign the petition. No matter how long a shot this is, it’s still a good way for citizens to express their disgust and refusal to submit to the horror of a Trump presidency. Progressives are now the loyal resistance, and they should act like it.


You Maniacs. You Blew It Up. Damn You. Goddamn You All To Hell!

Posted by on November 9, 2016 at 10:44 am. 13 Comments :

On November 8,2016, the United States of America achieved a historic milestone. It elected as its president the first openly racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, narcissistic, wannabe dictator. A majority of the American people [UPDATE: Clinton won the popular vote] voted for an ignorant, unbalanced, pathological liar (see the Trump Bullshitopedia) who made childish insults and hate speech the centerpiece of his campaign. Donald Trump will now prepare to take up residence in the White House and proceed to make America an international embarrassment.

Planet of the Trump

To get there he defeated Hillary Clinton, perhaps the most experienced candidate to ever run for the office. She herself would have been a historic milestone as the first woman president. Apparently it didn’t matter that Americans regarded Trump as dishonest and temperamentally unfit to be president. They still favored him over a qualified woman, proving that male privilege continues to dominant the national culture.

So for its poor judgment, America can now look forward to the Trump agenda that consists of an array of idiotic and/or unachievable promises:

  • A wall along the southern border. Mexico pays.
  • ISIS defeated quickly and easily.
  • A dozen women getting sued by the President for reporting sexual assault.
  • ObamaCare repealed and replaced.
  • Eleven million undocumented immigrants rounded up by deportation force.
  • Outlaw abortion and punish women.
  • Guns everywhere.
  • Muslims prohibited from entering the U.S.
  • Hillary Clinton? Lock her up!
  • Threaten the media with loosened libel laws and lawsuits.
  • Cut taxes on corporations and the wealthy.
  • End all crime in the cities.
  • Disband NATO.
  • Cease all efforts to mitigate climate change.
  • Appoint more conservatives to the Supreme Court.
  • Shadow president Vladimir Putin.

Speaking of Putin, we have him to thank for our president-elect. Along with his accomplices Julian Assange and FBI director James Comey, there was a successful coup against the United States. Clinton’s defeat can be directly tied to Russia’s interference in our election. By stealing private documents, publishing them online, and fomenting fake allegations of criminality, this cabal swayed enough voters to surrender our national sovereignty to hostile foreign powers. Congratulations.

There will be many eulogies delivered today, along with some attempts to rekindle a strained fighting spirit. But there remains an unshakable reality that much of the progress we achieved over the last eight years (eighty years?) is destined for a ruinous reversal. Under the circumstances it’s hard to hold our heads up. At least for today. But this day will pass and the duty we have to our children, our planet, our future, must be honored. So grieve, rest, and then rise up with a roar. There isn’t any other alternative.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Putin Voted


Hillary Clinton Gets The Most Bizarre Endorsement Ever From A Fox News Douchebag

Posted by on November 8, 2016 at 9:15 am. 3 Comments :

And now, as the 2016 presidential campaign consumes its final hours, the evidence of its historic peculiarity becomes unmistakable. Fox News has spent the past year and half trying to package Donald Trump as a reasonable choice to lead the free world. At the same time they have been blistering Hillary Clinton with vicious attacks, many made up out of thin air. But nothing could have prepared us for the segment Monday on Stuart Varney’s Fox Business program.

Fox News Ralph Peters

Varney hosted Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, one of the most wild-eyed, vitriolic members of the Fox Contributor Corps. Peters is notable for his unhinged tirades against America’s bitterest enemy, Barack Hussein Obama. One especially deranged Obama rant (also on Varney’s show) saw Peters become hopelessly overcome with loathing. In mid harangue he blurted out that “This guy is such a total pussy it’s stunning.” That earned him a mild rebuke from the host and a two week suspension.

However, on Monday Peters made a shocking announcement with regard to the presidential election (video below). Despite his radically right-wing views, Peters affirmed that he will be voting for Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. Of America! But his endorsement was somewhat, let’s say unconventional:

“I think Hillary Clinton is despicable. She has committed criminal acts. And she’s greedy. She’s corrupt. And yes, I’m going to vote for her. I’m voting for Republicans down the ballot, but I’m voting for Hillary Clinton because it’s a vote against Donald Trump.”

OK, so it’s more of an anti-endorsement of Donald Trump than an endorsement of Clinton. But his explanation of what he finds so objectionable about Trump is worth noting:

“I don’t want Moscow’s man in the White House. I know I could be a lot more popular this morning if I said ‘Trump’s the Messiah, I’m gonna vote for him.’ This is about the future of our country, it is about our security. And here’s a guy who apologizes for everything Vladimir Putin does and makes crazy remarks about NATO, about Syria, about nukes, about the Mosul offensive. And, oh by the way, about foreign trade. Do you want a global recession? Do you want to see your portfolio really tank? Sure, just walk away from all our trade deals.”

Peters’ sacrilege clearly bothered Varney, who made a valiant effort to bring him back into the Fox fold. Varney tried to explain his reasons for being a Trump supporter. Let’s just set aside the impropriety of an alleged “news” anchor announcing that he’s a supporter of a political candidate. His reasons rest on his desire for an economic growth plan that will spur prosperity. So he ought to be supporting Clinton, whose continuation of Obama’s expanding economy, and record eighty consecutive months of job growth, is what he professes to want. Peters responded accordingly by asking with regard to Trump:

“Where is the plan? Show me the plan. Of course we want growth. He is lying to the American people. He is lying to blue collar workers and that is the background I come from. The village blacksmith shop is not coming back. People need skills for the jobs of the future and this cult of Trump is going to lead a lot of places.

“Look, Hillary Clinton’s domestic policies repel me. She is awful, but she is safer for this country’s security than Donald Trump. And I think Vladimir Putin has a deep hold on Trump and we should all be much more alarmed than we are.”

To reiterate, Peters is the guy who thinks Obama is a pussy. But he’s supporting Clinton because she’ll keep us safe and Trump is Putin’s puppet. If it weren’t on video it would be easy to dismiss as a prank or a lost SNL sketch. As it is, it may be the best Clinton endorsement we’re gonna get from a Fox News pundit. And it seems fitting to end the campaign season with an arch-conservative blowhard throwing Trump under the bus and backing up a couple of times to make sure he’s thoroughly flattened.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

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Glenn Beck Confesses ‘So Much Of What I Used To Believe Was A SHAM’

Posted by on November 7, 2016 at 6:01 pm. 3 Comments :

There have been too many bizarre events in the past year to keep track of. This election is going to provide material for a whole library worth of books and analyses. And one of the subsections of the collection is going to have to cover the metamorphosis of Glenn Beck.

Glenn Beck

When the campaign season began Beck was reluctant to choose a candidate. It was an embarrassment of riches with several of Beck’s favorite wingnuts in the running. However, as the roster whittled down he eventually decided that Ted Cruz was God’s choice for president and Beck took up the Lord’s cause.

Unfortunately for God, Cruz was bested by a reality TV game show host. Donald Trump tagged him as Lying’ Ted and cast him into the Lake of Fire. Throughout it all, Beck remained firmly opposed to Trump. At every opportunity he blasted The Donald as unbalanced and unfit. It was jarring to see Beck taking a position that was in alignment with many progressives, at least so far as NeverTrump was concerned. But he still wasn’t on board with Hillary Clinton.

Nicholas Schmidle of New Yorker magazine has noticed Beck’s descent into Bizzaro World as well. He writes that Beck was recently impressed with a speech by Michelle Obama. You know, the wife of the guy that Beck once said had “a deep seated hatred for white people.” On his radio radio show Beck described the First Lady’s speech as “The most effective political speech I have heard since Ronald Reagan.”

Continuing, Beck said that “If you’re a decent human being, those words were dead on.” Although you would still have to wonder what Beck knows about being a decent human being. He has spent most of the last decade condemning liberals to hell and prophesying the end of civilization. But according to Scmidle:

“That was the old Beck, he insists: ‘I did a lot of freaking out about Barack Obama.’ But, he said, ‘Obama made me a better man.’ He regrets calling the President a racist and counts himself a Black Lives Matter supporter. ‘There are things unique to the African-American experience that I cannot relate to,’ he said. ‘I had to listen to them.'”

Of course, Beck has had revelatory transformations before. There is no more reason to believe that this one is any more sincere than the others. It’s often just a scam to attract more media attention. But it is kinda fun. Especially when when he goes after Trump saying that “This guy is dangerously unhinged. And, for all the things people have said about me over the years, I should be able to spot Dangerously Unhinged.” That’s actually pretty funny, and suggests some measure of self-awareness. As does this:

“So much of what I used to believe was either always a sham or has been made into a sham. There’s nothing deep.”

That may be the truest thing that Beck ever said. He is tacitly admitting the fallacy of his whole career as a demagogic broadcaster. Although he isn’t quite admitting that he was responsible for creating the sham.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Time will tell if this incarnation of Beck lasts for more than a couple of ratings periods. But it’s gonna be interesting to watch how his fans react to this transformation. We may already have a hint of it as Beck worries about recent death threats he’s received from Trump supporters. He’s now saying about some of the folks who used to follow him like a prophet that “These people scare the hell out of me.” Me too, Glenn. Me too.


Military Donors Shoot Down Trump – Give Three Times As Much To Clinton

Posted by on November 7, 2016 at 2:33 pm. 4 Comments :

Voting blocs in the 2016 presidential campaign are often fairly easy to predict. Women, African-Americans, Latinos, and the college educated have been reliably trending toward Hillary Clinton. In the meantime, Donald Trump has sewn up the Second Amendment fetishists, evangelicals, white nationalists, and wall enthusiasts.

Donald Trump Military

One group that has been speculated on frequently as leaning Trump is members of the military, both active and retired. However, a new report knocks down that assumption, at least as far as campaign donations are concerned. OpenSecrets conducted a study of public records showing that:

“Individuals who listed their employers as the U.S. Department of Defense or major branches of the military, or who say they’re retired from one of those, have contributed a total of $972,709 to both nominees so far this year. Clinton has claimed $771,471 of the contributions, or nearly 80 percent.

“All major branches of the armed forces – including the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard – have favored Clinton to a much greater degree than GOP nominee Donald Trump.”

The numbers are especially bad for Trump among veterans, a group that he has focused on intensely from the start. The report notes that he received only two percent of the total donations from former military personnel.

These numbers might be surprising on first glance, but a deeper look into the candidates’ records yields some clarity. Perhaps military folk aren’t swayed by a mentally unbalanced candidate who only likes soldiers who weren’t captured (sorry John McCain). Maybe they are offended when they get ripped off by a phony charity event. It could be that they just know, better than most, the risks of having an inexperienced leader who seems to be excited by nuclear war. Then again, it might be they don’t appreciate calling vets with PTSD “weak.” And it surely doesn’t help if you malign the Gold Star family of a fallen hero just because they’re Muslim. All of that, in addition to having received five draft deferments, doesn’t paint a particularly positive picture of Trump as Commander-in-Chief.

On the other hand, Hillary Clinton has shown her ability to conduct diplomacy in a manner that can prevent unnecessary conflict. She’s a steady hand who has also shown her grit by helping to dispose of Osama Bin Laden. She may have voted to give George W. Bush authority to invade Iraq, but she also had the integrity to admit that she was unduly persuaded by the lies of the Bush administration and that her vote was a mistake. That’s a rare commodity in a politician.

A few days ago Trump compared himself to a group of decorated veterans he assembled for a photo op. He said that they were more brave than he is, but that he is “brave in other ways. I’m financially brave.” That’s only true, however, if you regard financial bravery as being responsible for repeated business failures. Then he sought to speak for the vets, suggesting that he could read their minds. Of course, his reading was entirely contemptuous of Clinton:

“To think of her being their boss, I don’t think so. I know what they are thinking. It’s not for them.”

Trump emphasized the word “her” in that comment. Because in his mind the military would object to a woman as Commander-in-Chief. Which makes this new report so valuable. Despite every attempt on his part to pander to soldiers and veterans, when it comes to putting up cold hard cash, Clinton is their clear preference. And that demonstrates the good judgment of our women and men in uniform.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.


Trump To Campaign With Vulgar, Racist, Sexual Deviant Ted Nugent

Posted by on November 6, 2016 at 3:00 pm. 2 Comments :

On Saturday, Donald Trump devoted much of his stump speech to attacking Hillary Clinton for appearing with several music superstars. Her campaign event in Cleveland featured Beyonce and Jay Z. She also recently appeared with Jennifer Lopez, Katy Parry, and Stevie Wonder. And Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen are coming up.

Donald Trump Ted Nugent

Trump’s criticisms amounted to another rash of whining and bragging. Since he can’t get any beloved icons of entertainment to support him, he complains that it’s “cheating” if Clinton does. And anyway, he doesn’t need them because he’s just that awesome. On his scarcity of star power, Trump bragged:

“We didn’t bring any so-called stars along. We didn’t need them. The reason Hillary has to do that is, nobody comes for her. She can’t fill a room. That’s almost like a form of cheating, right?”

And on the injury to his tender sensitivities, he whined:

“So he [Jay Z] used every word in the book. I won’t even use the initials because I’ll get in trouble. They’ll get me in trouble. He used every word in the book last night.”

Which makes it all the more blatantly hypocritically that Trump will be campaigning with 1970’s washout rocker, Ted Nugent, Sunday night. If he doesn’t want celebrities boosting his campaign he’s still in the clear. Nugent is hardly a celebrity. He’s spent the last few decades performing as a novelty act at state fairs and shilling for the NRA. But it still demonstrates Trump’s tunnel-blind view of the world as he seeks to exploit his own famous deplorables.

What’s worse is Trump’s forgiveness of Nugent’s repulsive commentaries for the past several years. Trump may not like Jay Z using language that is relatable to his hip-hop audience, but it doesn’t come close to Nugent’s offensive outbursts aimed at his political enemies. For instance:

  • Nugent said that “Jews for guncontrol are nazis in disguise?”
  • He ranted that Clinton “should be tried for treason & hung.”
  • In a tweet portraying Clinton being assassinated, Nugent wrote: “I got your guncontrol right here bitch!”
  • He called President Obama a “subhuman mongrel.”
  • Referring to Clinton in an interview, Nugent said “”You probably can’t use the term `toxic cunt’ in your magazine, but that’s what she is. [and] This bitch is nothing but a two-bit whore for Fidel Castro.”
  • And just a week ago he exhorted his fans to vote for Trump or “the devilbitch will continue the fundamental transformation of the Barack ‘I Hate America’ Obama suicide death march for America.”

Perhaps the most appalling of Nugent’s public meltdowns was a video that went viral a few years ago. It showed him utterly unhinged at a concert where he fantasized about killing several Democratic politicians. While brandishing what appeared to be a couple of automatic weapons, Trump bellowed:

“I was in Chicago and I said ‘Hey Obama, you might want to suck on one of these you punk.’ Obama, he’s a piece of shit, and I told him to suck on my machine gun. Then I was in New York and I said, ‘Hey Hillary you might want to ride one of these into the sunset you worthless bitch.’ Then I was out in California and I thought, Barbara Boxer, she might want to suck on my machine gun. Hey Dianne Feinstein, ride one of these you worthless whore.”

That’s the sort of moral support that Trump is embracing just one day after castigating Clinton’s celebrity supporters. And it isn’t coincidental that most of his targets are women. Nor is it surprising that Trump has such affinity for Nugent. They both engage in childish vulgarity. They are both consumed with hatred for their fellow Americans. Racism is the prime motivating factor for both of them. They are both draft dodgers who now pretend to revere the military. And they have both publicly boasted about their misogynistic affairs and sexual assaults that have included women and girls.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

The picture of Trump and Nugent together is a fitting finale for his repugnant campaign. They are the embodiment of the worst of the right’s bigotry and hateful propensity for violence. It sums up the GOP’s devolution into a party dedicated to division and hostility. And on Tuesday Americans will have the chance to reject all of that and turn the nation away from the neo-fascism that Trump represents. Don’t blow it, America.

UPDATE: Living down to expectations, Nugent managed to offend at the Trump rally. Repeatedly referring to Michiganders as “shitkickers,” Nugent grabbed his crotch and said “I’ve got your blue state right here.” Later he asked the crowd if he should play his stale hit “Wang Dang Poon Tang” for the children?


Watch Bill Maher Passionately Beg The Media To – ‘Do Your F**KING Job!’

Posted by on November 5, 2016 at 4:27 pm. 4 Comments :

In the waning days of this surreal election year, tempers are fraying beyond cognitive sustainability. For those with functioning brain stems, just the thought of Donald Trump as president is unfathomable. There is simply no sane explanation for this narcissistic wannabe dictator even being competitive in the race for leader of the free world. At least not without contorting the imagination into a bizarro glob of Silly Putty.

Bill Maher

No one knows this better than comedian and social observer Bill Maher. But the the strain is even beginning to show on him. In Friday’s episode of his HBO program Real Time, he is obviously at his breaking point with regard to the election and the media’s coverage of it. After noting some examples of the absurd obsession the press has for irrelevancies and false equivalence, Maher explodes. He stares directly into the camera and shouts “Media – Do your fucking job!”

That’s a sentiment that many have been expressing for more than a year. The American people watched with confusion as cable news surrendered their air to Trump’s rambling, racist diatribes. Hour after hour, Trump ranted incoherently with no balance from opposing candidates or the press. And as the campaign wore on, allegedly professional journalists treated Trump’s ignorance and hate-speech as if it were acceptable political discourse.

Maher addressed these failings with the sharpness of a properly jaded humorist. For example:

“The FBI says Americans should look out for terror attacks on Monday. They said they would do it, but they’re so busy with Hillary’s emails from 2009.”

And:

“A terrorist attack – that would be such a nightmare scenario. To watch terrorists ruin our election after all the work Russia has put into doing that.”

Maher noted that “We have reached peak insanity.” What’s really troubling is that that may be an understatement. He also noticed the disturbing relationship between Trump and Russia that the media mostly ignores:

“Republicans are trying to elect a sexually assaulting psychopath who, if not a Russian agent, is unwittingly working as one. And people in America are saying “Well, it’s better than Hillary.” No it’s F**KING not!”

Watch the video below and rest in the knowledge that you are not alone. If you believe a candidate for president who aligns himself with hostile foreign nations is treasonous, you are not alone. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the unconscionable negligence of the media, you are not alone. After November 8, there will be time to recharge and then to focus on these problems. Hopefully we can have some impact before the next election. In the meantime…let’s laugh at our pain.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.