HUH? Fox News and GOP Rep Think Democrats Will Draft Michelle Obama Due to Hunter Biden Verdict

As the 2024 presidential election cycle unfolds, one thing is becoming clearer with each passing day. The Republican Party is descending ever deeper into an abyss of desperation and unqualified madness at the heels of their convicted felon nominee for president. Donald Trump’s prospects are rapidly declining, and he is doing absolutely nothing to broaden his base of support beyond the MAGA cult clan that he caters to.

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Michelle Obama, Fox News

In response to this dilemma, Trump’s Ministry of Propaganda – aka Fox News – has leapt into action to buttress his sagging aspirations to reoccupy the White House and impose an authoritarian regime. In addition to embracing his convictions on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records and election finance fraud resulting from his “hush money” payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels, Fox News is clutching feverishly to some of the most bizarre and preposterous rationales to continue supporting their Dear Leader.

SUCH AS THIS: Trump and Fox News Legal ‘Experts’ Call for a Mistrial After Falling for an Obvious Hoax

On Wednesday morning Fox News Senior Trump-Fluffer, Maria Bartiromo, interviewed GOP representative, Andy Ogles (TN-MAGA). Their discussion led to the following exchange that reveals just how far out on the limb of sanity they are willing to crawl.

Andy Ogles: I think that also creates an opening for Democrats to slip someone like Michelle Obama in here. The Biden family can say “Hey, we’re gonna take care of our house. We’re gonna take care of our son.” And allow Michelle Obama to come in and run. Because, again, Joe Biden can’t win this election, and they know that. And they are desperate for another candidate.
Bartiromo: I gotta tell you. I am increasingly thinking that Joe Biden withdraws from this race by the time November 5th comes along. I am buying into what you’re saying there because I agree that the Democrats are desperate right now. They are very worried.

That’s right. Bartiromo and Ogles have somehow twisted their perception of reality into one that accommodates an especially extreme crackpot conspiracy theory. They assert that the finding that Hunter Biden improperly filled out a form when he purchased a gun six years ago will somehow doom his father’s candidacy for reelection. They don’t explain why that would happen, but then they don’t have to. Their audience is comprised of cult followers who will believe whatever they are told to believe.

SEE THIS: HUH? Fox News and GOP Rep Think Democrats Will Draft Michelle Obama Due to Hunter Biden Verdict

For the record, these are the same brilliant analysts who claimed that President Biden rigged the justice system to prevent Hunter from being convicted. After the guilty verdict they claimed that the system was rigged to convict Hunter as a distraction from bigger imaginary crimes. In effect, they are now claiming that Biden rigged the system to push himself out of the race because he can’t simultaneously love his son and serve as President. And their assertion that Democrats are desperate is pure projection.

But Bartiromo and Ogles weren’t finished spinning their fantastical fairy tale of political intrigue. After dumping President Biden, these two MAGA-nauts went on to predict that Democrats would nominate Michelle Obama in his place. Never mind that Obama has repeatedly insisted that she has no intention or desire to run for office. The suggestion that she would do so is based solely on their fears that Trump is likely to lose again to Biden, just like he did in 2020. However, this isn’t the first time that this suggestion has been floated by nervous Republicans.

SEE ALSO: Trump and Fox News are So Scared Of Biden, They’re Switching in Gavin Newsom and Michelle Obama

Fox News and their Republican confederates have good reason to be afraid. Biden has presided over a booming economy. He has championed issues that the American people care about, including reproductive healthcare, tax equity, job creation, voting rights, adherence to democratic and constitutional principles, and support for international allies.

In the meantime, Trump had four disastrous years that left the nation poorer, sicker, more in debt, and more divided than ever. Then he left the White House kicking and screaming about election fraud, stole classified documents and lied about it to the FBI, tried to instigate a violent insurrection, and sought to strongarm state officials into altering election results. Since leaving office he has been adjudicated as a rapist, ordered to pay judgements of half a billion dollars, and has been convicted of multiple felonies.

The contrast between Biden and Trump could not be clearer. And that clarity is why Fox News and the Republican Party are inventing absurd scenarios that they think will deflect from the positive outlook for Biden and other Democrats. But even their manufactured “horror” stories are hysterically off base. Because Michelle Obama is among the most popular Americans of modern times, If she were actually a candidate, she would crush Trump. So you really have to wonder what Fox News is thinking. Or IF they’re thinking.

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Trump and Fox News are So Scared Of Biden, They’re Switching in Gavin Newsom and Michelle Obama

The legendary Democratic campaign consultant, James Carville, immortalized the phrase “It’s the economy, stupid,” in order to impress upon his staff the importance of focusing on pocketbook issues to deliver votes. In most elections, people generally support the candidate that they believe has the best agenda for boosting their financial well being.

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Donald Trump, Snowflakes

The 2024 presidential election may not hew as closely to that principle as prior elections. The emergence of Donald Trump has introduced some rather unique considerations that skew the strategic landscape in today’s politics. For instance, it’s the first election wherein a major party nominee is facing 91 felony criminal charges, has already been held civilly liable for defamation and rape, and is promising to reign as a dictator.

SEE THIS: Felonious Punk Trump Demands ‘TOTAL IMMUNITY’ – Even for Acts that ‘CROSS THE LINE’

That said, the economy will still be a significant factor on the minds of voters as they make their choices for president. And the fact that the economy is presently firing on all cylinders presents a real problem for Trump and his mouthpieces at Fox News. The last thing they want is to run against Bidenomics as it is creating jobs, lowering inflation, lifting wages, and boosting the prospects of American business.

Consequently, when Fox News’ Senior Trump-fluffer, Maria Bartiromo, interviewed Trump for her Sunday morning program, she made a point of deflecting from Biden to two other notable persons who have made it clear that they are not running for president: Gavin Newsom and Michelle Obama. And Trump was all to happy to take the bait…

Bartiromo: You’ve said that you don’t even think [Biden] is who you’re going to face off in November.
Trump: Personally, I don’t think so.
Bartiromo: Well, Gavin Newsom is right out of central casting. How are you going to do up against Gavin Newsom?
Trump: I tell you what. Because he’s so much bullsh*t. He want’s to say how wonderful…it’s doing horribly. His state is doing horribly. You look at the homeless problem. You look at the people that are leaving. You have companies that are leaving. They’re all leaving for other locations. I think Gavin’s easy because California is a disaster. He has been a horrible governor.
Bartiromo: What if it’s Michelle Obama? How are you going to do against Michelle Obama?
Trump: You have to see. Look, I’ve seen polls where she doesn’t do well. She may do well. But I’ve seen polls where I beat her easily. I beat her by a lot. I had four great years.

This segment could not have been a bigger waste of time. Newsom and Obama have been crystal clear that they aren’t considering any campaign for the White House. Trump’s opinion that Biden won’t be his opponent is based solely on his fear that he is likely to lose to him again, just like he did in 2020. So Newsom and Obama are convenient deflections from that recurring fate of humiliation and defeat.

Naturally, Trump insists that he can easily beat Newsom or Obama. He childishly maligns them as he does any opponent that threatens him. And his confidence that he would prevail is a product of his massive, yet fragile ego. You can rest assured that he has never seen a poll showing that he would beat either one of them. But he has surely seen evidence of the booming Biden economy.

SEE ALSO: The Biden-Harris Campaign Trolls Trump and Fox News on Truth Social with ‘Blowout’ Jobs Report

What’s more, his assertion that he had “four great years” is contrary to reality. He presided over the worst pandemic in a century. And his ignorance, incompetence, and even deliberate neglect, resulted in far more dire consequences than would have been suffered if an able administrator were in charge.

His term also had the worst record on job creation since the the Great Depression. Plus, he raised taxes for the working class, and lowered them for corporations and the wealthy. He put justices in place who set women’s rights back fifty years. And he sucked up to our foreign enemies while alienating our allies.

In short, Trump had four disastrous years that left the nation poorer, more in debt, sicker, and more divided than ever. Then he left the White House kicking and screaming about election fraud, stole classified documents and lied about it, tried to instigate a violent insurrection, and sought to strongarm state officials into altering election results.

That record makes him vulnerable to Biden, Newsom, Obama, or any other challenger. At this point he would lose to SpongeBob SquarePants. American voters are not about to turn over the country to a criminal crybaby with authoritarian aspirations.

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Fox News is TERRIFIED of Michelle Obama Running for President – A Fake Campaign Created By Fox

Ever since Donald Trump lost reelection to President Biden, the fear mongers at Fox News have been furiously fabricating nightmare scenarios to scare their already alarmist audience into cowering under the covers and clinging to the hopes that their Mango Messiah will rise from the dread and lead them to MAGA salvation.

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Michelle Obama, Fox News

The scare tactics that Fox News has employed have included everything from migrant caravans, to gun confiscations, to banning of beloved kitchen appliances, and myriad other preposterous horror stories. Trump himself has led the parade of peril with his incessant sermonizing about the curse of “Crooked Joe” and the “radical communist and fascist thugs” of the Democratic Party. Needless to say, it’s an apocalyptic perspective that has no foundation in reality.

SEE THIS: HUH? Fox News Accuses Democrats of ‘Demonizing’ Trump’s ‘Crazy,’ ‘Deplorable,’ MAGA Extremists

On Monday morning, the “Curvy Couch” potatoes of Fox and Friends introduced yet another monstrous visage of the vile liberals. They agonized over the prospect of former First Lady Michelle Obama throwing her hat into the 2024 presidential race. Co-host Steve Doocy fretted that…

“Cindy Adams in today’s New York Post has an item that says ‘Don’t be shocked if Michelle Obama sneaks in.’ And when you look at what she said a couple of days ago on that podcast, you know, that was not a careless adlib. Cindy is suggesting that that was all planned. And apparently, according to Cindy Adams, she sent a survey to top Democrats about running. And in the summer of 2020 [the article actually says summer of 2022. In the summer of 2020 Biden had not even been elected yet], in New York City, she met hedge fund CEO’s and she said ‘I’m running and I’m asking for your support.’ We’re just now finding out about this.”

OH MY HEAVENS! Could this be true? What’s next? Satan for VP? It must be noted that Doocy’s source for this bombshell, Cindy Adams, is not a journalist. She is the gossip columnist for the New York Post, a Rupert Murdoch rag, famous for fictional stories. And there is absolutely nothing in the article that could pass for credible evidence. No quotes from insiders or hedge fund CEOs. No documents or copies of the alleged survey. No receipts of support from donors. Nothing.

For the record, Obama has repeatedly stated that she would not be a candidate for president, or any other office. But that doesn’t stop Fox News from manufacturing a myth that they know will trigger their snowflakey viewers. And they can’t let a day go by without stirring up a cauldron of conspiracy crackpottery.

Doocy elaborated on his baseless speculation by asking what he says is “The Big Question” about whether Obama, if she runs, would keep Kamala Harris as VP. He also says that “A lot of people like Michelle Obama. A LOT!” Which is a generous admission on his part. But then he returns to the subject of the Adams article in the Post, which in her first few sentences proved her editorial neutrality, saying that…

“Biden won’t debate. Can’t. Our codger-in-chief can’t even read the prewritten script in front of him fast enough to pronounce the words. So, forget him — which most of us already have.”

Of course, Biden is ready to debate. He speaks eloquently, albeit with an occasional stutter that he’s had since youth. And most Americans – including the obsessed and malicious Republicans – have not forgotten him. What’s more, Adams seems to have entirely missed all of the cognitive glitches by Trump, such as the most recent one where he mixed up Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi.

SEE THIS: Dementia J. Trump Confuses Nancy Pelosi and Nikki Haley In a Lie-Riddled Rant About January 6th

No wonder Fox News needs to invent ghastly tales to keep their cult compliant. Their own candidate, Trump, would have to improve several steps to be considered a basket case. However, at least they recognize the intelligence and appeal of Michelle Obama, and the threat she would pose if she were interested in running. The fact that they fear her is a compliment. Just as their suppression of Trump’s deficiencies – -not to mention his tyrannical aspirations – is an admission that he is unfit for office.

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Fox News Lies: Falsely Accuses Michele Obama of ‘Pressuring’ Twitter to Ban Trump

When Fox News gets their teeth into what they perceive to be scandal bait for their already brainwashed audience, they hold tight for absurdly long periods of time exceeding anything that could be considered rational. Whether it’s Benghazi, Hunter Biden, or Hillary Clinton’s emails, they clench down as if they’re afraid of it squirming free and escaping to reality.

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Donald Trump, Fox News, Lies

Among their most fevered fixations is anything having to do with President Obama or his wife Michelle. So on Sunday Fox News put out a story that reached back in time to malign the former First Lady for something she wrote nearly two years ago.

The story was an attempt to associate Ms. Obama with the pathetically shallow “Twitter Files” nothingburger that Elon Musk has been hyping as an “exposé” of the alleged liberal bias of Twitter’s prior management. Not surprisingly, they not only proved none of their baseless allegations, they actually revealed how responsibly Twitter’s Trust and Safety team acted to protect their platform – and the nation – from the deliberate incitements to violence of Donald Trump and his “Big Lie” confederates.

SEE THIS: The Sham ‘Twitter Files’ Exposé Actually Proves that Trump’s Coup Plot was Appropriately Muted

Fox’s story featured the sensationalist tabloid headline, “Twitter Files reveal Trump ban came after Michelle Obama, others pressured the company.” Needless to say, the files didn’t reveal any such thing. They merely made reference to a statement that Ms. Obama released the day after Trump’s insurrection on January 6, 2021. Fox’s story began saying that…

“Former President Donald Trump was banned from Twitter the day after former first lady Michelle Obama and others demanded the company ‘permanently’ remove him, according to the newest ‘Twitter Files’ installment.”

In reality, Ms. Obama never “demanded” anything of Twitter. She simply expressed her opinion about what should be done to prevent another atrocity like the one that occurred the day before. Here are some excerpts from her heartfelt and moving statement with the fragment that Fox News quoted in bold [the full statement is here]

“The day was a fulfillment of the wishes of an infantile and unpatriotic president who can’t handle the truth of his own failures. And the wreckage lays at the feet of a party and media apparatus that gleefully cheered him on, knowing full well the possibility of consequences like these.” […]

“I cannot think about moving on or turning the page until we reckon with the reality of what we saw yesterday. True progress will be possible only once we acknowledge that this disconnect exists and take steps to repair it. And that also means coming to grips with the reality that millions voted for a man so obviously willing to burn our democracy down for his own ego.” […]

“I hurt for our country. And I wish I had all the solutions to make things better. I wish I had the confidence that people who know better will act like it for more than a news cycle or two. All I know is that now is a time for true patriotism. Now is the time for those who voted for this president [Trump] to see the reality of what they’ve supported — and publicly and forcefully rebuke him and the actions of that mob. Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior — and go even further than they have already by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technologies from being used by the nation’s leaders to fuel insurrection. And if we have any hope of improving this nation, now is the time for swift and serious consequences for the failure of leadership that led to yesterday’s shame.

Ms. Obama’s remarks were addressed to a nation that was in shock after having watched anti-democratic thugs desecrating the seat of our democracy, assaulting brave, outnumbered law enforcement officers, and threatening the lives of our representatives. She was speaking for millions of Americans who never thought they would witness such a despicable mob of traitors acting out their hostile treachery at the behest of a sociopathic, wannabe dictator, who couldn’t accept the fact that he’s a loser – which he still is, and still can’t.

What Ms. Obama was not doing was “pressuring” Twitter. She was exercising her First Amendment rights to express an opinion about what ought to be done in response to the horror we all saw on our television screens. Fox News offered no evidence whatsoever that she ever even spoke to anyone at Twitter. To the contrary, it was Trump and his cohorts who directly threatened Twitter in response to his well warranted suspension. And regarding the rioters at the Capitol, he is even now promising to pardon them for their heinous crimes if he were to return to the White House.

That shouldn’t surprise anyone who has been paying attention. After all, Trump recently called for the “termination” for the Constitution in order to have himself installed as America’s first authoritarian tyrant.

SEE THIS: Trump Doubles Down on His Constitution Bashing and Misquotes Himself to Gaslight His Cult

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Fox News Host Rips Media Attacks on Women in Trump Admin – Ignores Abuse of Women By Trump

Kimberly Guilfoyle is one of the conservative co-hosts on the Fox News daily program “The Five.” She is a reliable mouthpiece for Donald Trump and his right-wing, Republican agenda. Last year she was even a candidate for the post of White House press secretary, but lost out to Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Fox News, Donald Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle

In an interview for the uber-rightist website Daily Signal, Guilfoyle expressed her concern for traumatized children being separated from their parents on the border. No, wait, scratch that. How ridiculous. Actually Guilfoyle was expressing her concern for the poor, beleaguered women who work in Donald Trump’s White House. Some would say that they, too, have been traumatized. According to The Hill, Guilfoyle’s sympathies included these remarks:

“It’s sad because these are really incredible bright, strong, patriotic women serving their country, admirably, at great personal sacrifice,” […]

“They’ve been dealt an unfair hand by the media who’s just very dishonest in the way that they cover them, portray them, and really dishonor the sacrifice and the service that they give to all of us, each and every day.” […]

“I just wish [the media] were better about, in fact, being honest about what the accomplishments are, what the sacrifices are. And really, the personal attacks are just quite disgusting. I felt and experienced personal attacks myself based on beliefs and being a conservative woman.” […]

“I just think it’s unfair. It’s not building other people up, that’s for sure. I certainly don’t like it when other women do it to one another.”

First of all, the apparent purpose of both the women and the men in the Trump administration is to disseminate lies and glorify their leader. To the extent that the thanklessness and disrepute that go along with job is a sacrifice, it’s their own fault. And Secondly, when did Guilfoyle ever criticize her conservative comrades for the unfair and dishonest attacks against women like Michelle Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Hillary Clinton, Loretta Lynch, Samantha Power, or Susan Rice? Guilfoyle’s sudden sensitivity is glaringly disingenuous and hypocritical.

What’s more, Guilfoyle utterly ignores the fact Trump has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by at least sixteen women (see video below). He’s even admitted to criminal assault in the infamous Access Holywood recording. But apparently Guilfoyle thinks it’s worse to endure the criticism of partisan politics than the personal agony inflicted by a sexual predator.

What makes Guilfoyle’s complaints even more absurd is that she works for Fox News, a network whose corporate culture virtually encourages sexual harassment. Former honchos at the network (i.e. CEO Roger Ailes, President Bill Shine, Bill O’Reilly, Eric Bolling, etc.) were examples of an atmosphere that was distinctly hostile to women. However, perhaps her concern is of a more personal nature. With speculation about Sanders’ quitting, Guilfoyle may still be in the running for a job in Trump’s White House. And boosting her prospects this time is the fact that she is currently dating Don Jr. That’s a relationship that would prohibit her from doing any commentary on her boyfriend’s father at a reputable TV network. But then, the operative word there is “reputable,” which has never applied to Fox News.

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

Roseanne vs. Trump: You Can Lose Your Job If You’re a Racist – Unless You’re the President

The media is buzzing over the surprise cancellation of Roseanne. Not that it wasn’t warranted, just that corporations making a fortune off of disgusting celebrities usually find ways to justify preserving their revenue stream. ABC deserves credit for doing the right thing in this case.

Donald Trump, Roseanne Barr

Roseanne’s tweet on Tuesday was about as repulsive an act of overt racism as you’re ever likely to see by such a well known pubic figure. The deleted tweet likened former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to an ape. That isn’t a joke, as Roseanne tried to use as an excuse. It’s a window into her rotting soul. It’s no wonder that ABC’s announcement of the cancellation referred to Roseanne’s remarks as “abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values.” Even her co-star and producer, Sara Gilbert, blasted Roseanne for the comments that have made them all unemployed (which sadly includes many innocent people in the cast and crew).

But Roseanne’s racism doesn’t exist in a vacuum. She is a player in of the Age of Trump wherein bigots have become emboldened to proudly proclaim their foul prejudices. She is comfortable enough to not only entertain these thoughts, but to say them out loud. It is a state of mind that is emblematic of professional racists like David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan – and Donald Trump.

The difference between Roseanne and Trump, however, is that she is subject to her show being cancelled as a consequence of her nauseating behavior. But Trump still resides in the White House despite having done the same thing as Roseanne, only many times more and often worse. His five year obsession with the racist lie that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, and thus ineligible to be President, was what Trump used to boost his political aspirations. His speech announcing his candidacy was rife with bigoted expressions about Latinos.

And if all of that weren’t bad enough, Trump courted and embraced the support of virulent racist and neo-Nazi groups. He retweeted memes from Klan-affiliated people and Hitler supporters. He even called fascist protesters in Charlottesville “fine people.”

These are sentiments that Trump and Roseanne share. They both have toxic personalities with malicious intent. Earlier on Tuesday Roseanne was posting horrendous lies about Chelsea Clinton and George Soros. She first stated falsely that Chelsea was married to a Soros nephew. After being corrected by Chelsea, Roseanne made heinous allegations about Soros working with the Nazis. That’s not only untrue, it’s stupid in the extreme. Soros was a thirteen year old Jewish refugee at the time. But that didn’t stop Don, Jr. from retweeting Roseanne’s bile.

It’s no wonder that Trump and Roseanne get along so well. They have bonded in the same way that Klan members do. They have all the same mental deficiencies and hate all the same people. It will be interesting to see how Trump responds to his friend’s cancellation. Will he defend her and attack the “liberal” media? Will he accuse Obama and his “Deep State” cabal of having gotten her fired? Or will he say nothing at all about her repulsive comments, thereby giving them his passive approval?

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

One more thing: ABC Television is owned by the Walt Disney Company. Disney is currently trying to complete the acquisition of 21st Century Fox (most of the entertainment businesses, not including Fox News). Will Trump intercede to block the acquisition as he has done with AT&T and Time Warner? He is certainly that spiteful and unconcerned about the law. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Trump held a rally in Nashville Tuesday night and never mentioned Roseanne. And he hasn’t tweeted anything in over 20 hours. Apparently he isn’t offended by his fellow racist’s comments. Plus, Roseanne has been tweeting up a storm after saying that she was leaving Twitter. Including several affirmations of her disgusting lies about Soros. Also, I facetiously speculated that Trump might blame Obama for Roseanne’s cancellation. But Roseanne herself did so, retweeting this:

Roseanne Barr, Michelle Obama

UPDATE 2: Trump finally responded by whining about not getting his own apology from ABC “for the HORRIBLE statements made” about him.” Poor thing. That’s because all of the horrible things said about him are true. But while obsessing over himself (as usual) he said nothing critical about Roseanne’s racist remarks. And that’s because he probably agrees with them.

Leave Melania Alone! Cyberbullying is as Good as Any Project, Considering Her Vile Husband

On Monday afternoon Melania Trump finally announced an official project that will define her role as First Lady. And it only took her fifteen months. The problem of cyberbullying is very real and many children (and adults) have suffered from it’s worst effects. Children’s lives have been shattered and left scarred. Young adults have have actually resorted to suicide from the pressure put on them by peers. It’s not a joke.

Melania Trump

Melania was immediately mocked for her choice of a pet project while serving in the White House. The irony of this particular First Lady taking on the sort of abuse that is often doled out on social media is too rich to ignore. After all, if there were a Cyberbully Olympics Donald Trump would surely win the Gold Medal. He has insulted and assaulted everyone from political opponents to celebrities to even his own cabinet and staff. He seems to delight in the use of infantile name-calling and gets perverse pleasure from throwing around ad hominem insults. That’s quite contrary to the sentiment expressed by Melania at today’s announcement:

So the selection of this issue is a curious one. Is Melania sending a message to her husband to shame him and get him to change his loathsome ways? Are the Trump’s trying to muddy the waters and confuse people as to who the highest profile cyberbully in America is? Or are they actually so dense that they don’e see the glaring paradox they’ve unleashed? Who knows?

However, it may be a little unfair to ridicule Melania for this choice. And it becomes apparent that none of her choices were very good when you take into consideration the abhorrent cretin she’s married to. What was she supposed to do? A brief history of the projects taken on by her predecessors reveals the problem:

Lady Bird Johnson launched a beautification campaign to inspire communities to clean up neighborhoods and highways. But this wouldn’t be any better for Melania than cyberbullying. The President vigorously opposes efforts to to clean up our environment, and his infrastructure proposals have all fallen by the wayside – except for his idiotic border wall.

Pat Nixon promoted civic engagement and volunteerism. But Trump has never done a thing in his life that wasn’t for the benefit of himself and his bank account. Nor has he been a supporter of organizations that perform social welfare activities and rely on volunteers for help. There isn’t even a record of him ever having given blood to the Red Cross.

Betty Ford was well known for helping reduce the stigma of alcoholism. Donald Trump is known to be a teetotaler who was influenced by the death of his older brother to never touch liquor. But even with that potentially heart-tugging backstory, when has he ever spoken publicly about helping people who suffer from alcoholism? His most recent remarks on the subject were to insult via Twitter a “drunk/drugged up loser” in a critical news story.

Rosalynn Carter worked on a council on mental health. The only mentions of mental health by this President have been to divert attention away from the effects of easy access to guns.

Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign was directed at reducing drug abuse. And once again, this is an issue that Trump pays only lip service to. Despite his frequent references to the opioid crisis, he has done nothing to help resolve the problem.

Hillary Clinton worked tirelessly to develop a better health care system. This hardly needs elaboration. Trump has spent much of his first year in office deliberately sabotaging health care for millions of Americans. He’s proven to be a callous, heartless opponent of average Americans who need access to quality, affordable care.

Laura Bush launched a literacy program called “Ready to Read, Ready to Learn,” in an effort to encourage children to enjoy literature. But Trump is a notorious non-reader. Not only doesn’t he read books, he won’t read his national security briefings or other information critical to performing his duties. He can’t even take care to spell correctly or use the proper punctuation or letter case.

Michelle Obama famously worked to fight childhood obesity and to promote health and diet. OK, this is just too easy. Our rotund President is hardly an example of good health. He is overweight and addicted to junk food and Diet Pepsi. And if that weren’t bad enough, his personal health plan is to make his doctors lie about the results of his physicals.

With Donald Trump’s past, that is rife with self-interest, it’s impossible to find anything that might suggest some measure of human charity. So what was Melania supposed to do. Any of the other projects that typically consume the time and efforts of Fist Ladies would bring just as much ridicule as cyberbullying due to the President’s total lack of concern for his fellow citizens. So it’s just as well that she picks one and proceeds with the hope that, if she accomplishes something, no one will notice how absurd it is to be associated with that nasty orange creature who keeps trying to grab her hand.

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

Trump Campaign Co-Chair’s New Year’s Wish Is For President Obama To Die

Tis the season for peace on Earth and goodwill towards men. Unless you’re a close associate of our President-Elect, Donald Trump. Having spent the last eighteen months viciously maligning most of the nation, it isn’t surprising to find the same repugnant behavior bleeding into Christmas.

Carl Paladino

Carl Paladino is a millionaire real estate developer and failed Republican candidate for governor of New York. He was also the state co-chairman of Trump’s presidential campaign. Which makes his remarks now especially disturbing. In a survey conducted by Artvoice, he was asked asked what he would most like to happen in 2017. He responded:

“…that he hoped ‘Obama catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations’ with a cow, dies and is buried in a cow pasture.”

And Merry Christmas to you too, sir. This is coming from someone who himself has been associated with bestiality. Paladino was caught emailing pictures of a woman having sex with a horse. So he is very likely projecting his own perversions into this abhorrent desire.

Paladino is no stranger to offensive commentaries. He has previously accused Obama of lying about his Christian faith saying that “there is no doubt he is a Muslim.” He has also sent e-mails portraying Obama as an African tribesman, or a seventies-era pimp with his “prostitute” wife Michelle. And speaking of the First Lady, Paladino also had a New Year’s wish for her:

“I’d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.”

The Associated Press contacted Paladino and got confirmation that these racist comments were accurately reported. He also said “Merry Christmas and tough luck if you don’t like my answer.” However, a spokesperson for Trump did not provide a response when questioned.

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

It’s notable that Trump has time to tweet about Saturday Night Live and every stop on his “victory” tour, but he can’t pound out 140 characters to renounce this nauseating hate speech. It’s typical for someone who has made childish insults a hallmark of his public persona. And, unfortunately, we can expect him to bring more of the same to the White House.

Melania Trump’s RNC Speech Was Blatantly Plagiarized From Michelle Obama’s 2008 DNC Speech (Video)

On the first day of the Republican National Convention there was plenty of drama and controversy to roil the Trump campaign. A vote on the convention rules blew up with many delegates disgusted by the Trump team’s bullying tactics. Some early speakers took harsh and negative tones that were contrary to the theme of unity and inclusion.

Melania Trump

But the most striking misstep came when Donald Trump’s wife Melania delivered a speech that contained several passages that were obviously plagiarized from the speech that Michelle Obama gave at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. This rhetorical larceny was first noticed by by Jarrett Hill on Twitter. Here are some of the nearly identical phrases that appeared in both speeches:

Michelle Obama, 2008 Melania Trump, 2016

Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them. And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation.

From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life: that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise; that you treat people with respect. They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily life. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son, and we need to pass those lessons on to the many generation to follow.

The similarities here are too close and too numerous not to be recognized as deliberate theft. And the fact that Melania was allowed to go out on stage to deliver that speech is an indictment of the entire Trump operation. Surely she did not write the speech. But it was written by people on Trump’s staff who were trusted enough to put his wife’s fate in their hands. And it had to have been reviewed by by everyone from Trump’s communications managers to Trump himself.

This is going to be tough to explain away. And it will be an indelible stain at the worst possible time for a convention – on the opening night. It’s just downhill from here.

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

Update: The Trump campaign responded with this statement from Trump communications director Jason Miller:

“In writing her beautiful speech, Melania’s team of writers took notes on her life’s inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking. Melania’s immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it such a success.”

It’s hard to tell what part of that statement is a response to this matter. I think it’s the part where they say that “some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking,” in effect, blaming Melania.

Michelle Obama’s Last Commencement Speech As First Lady Scorches Donald Trump

This being an election year, the media is understandably consumed by political news and the wrangling of the candidates. Consequently, it’s easy for other significant events to be overlooked. For instance, this is also the last full year that Barack and Michelle Obama will reside in the White House. There will be a lot of “lasts” as the year unfolds for the first African-American to serve as President of the United State. Then, in November, a new president will be elected and she will be inaugurated in late January of 2017.

Michelle Obama

On Friday, Michelle Obama gave the last commencement speech that she will ever give as First Lady (video below, full transcript here). It took place at the City College Of New York and it was full of the inspirational vignettes that typically populate these ceremonies. What made it extraordinary was the unmistakable blows she landed on a particular political foe:

“…despite the lessons of our history and the truth of your experience here at City College, some folks out there today seem to have a very different perspective. They seem to view our diversity as a threat to be contained rather than as a resource to be tapped. They tell us to be afraid of those who are different, to be suspicious of those with whom we disagree. They act as if name-calling is an acceptable substitute for thoughtful debate, as if anger and intolerance should be our default state rather than the optimism and openness that have always been the engine of our progress.”

Now which name-calling, angry, intolerant person who avoids thoughtful debate do you suppose she might be thinking about? Well, just to make sure that there is no ambiguity about it, Obama continues with some rather direct criticism of leaders who “dehumanize entire groups of people” and do so “because they have nothing else to offer.” She rejected such thinking saying…

“That is not what this country stands for. No, here in America, we don’t let our differences tear us apart. Not here. Because we know that our greatness comes when we appreciate each other’s strengths, when we learn from each other, when we lean on each other. Because in this country, it’s never been each person for themselves. No, we’re all in this together. We always have been.”

Then she winds up and delivers the knock-out blow:

“And here in America, we don’t give in to our fears. We don’t build up walls to keep people out because we know that our greatness has always depended on contributions from people who were born elsewhere but sought out this country and made it their home.”

Coming the day after former First Lady Hillary Clinton delivered an epic smackdown of Donald Trump, this represents a powerful one-two punch from two of America’s most prominent and accomplished women. It is worthy of noting that women, along with Latinos, African-Americans, veterans, Muslims, and the disabled, have been among the most frequent victims of Trump’s divisive and hateful rants. It’s encouraging to see them responding with such intelligence and grace.

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