Election 2024 - Preliminary Assessment
At this point the U.S. presidential election of 2024 seems almost decided.
Today it looks likely that Donald Trump will again become president.
Trump has won the New Hampshire primary and the only other Republican candidate still in the race is the neo-conservative candidate Nicki Halley:
Donald Trump marched closer to the Republican nomination with a sweep of the first two contests, defeating former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley on Tuesday as voters turned out in projected record numbers in New Hampshire’s primary.Trump’s lead here was decisive enough for the Associated Press to project his win shortly after polls closed. With nearly 75 percent of the vote tallied, Trump led Haley by about 11 percentage points.
...
Trump’s victory dealt another blow to critics in his party who saw the New Hampshire race as perhaps the last best chance to stop or slow him.
Halley is kept in the race by some billionaire donations, including from those who tend to donate to Democrats, in an effort to somehow still damage Trump:
Despite her shrinking path to halting Trump’s march to the Republican nomination, Haley’s showing in New Hampshire hinged on independents, who are permitted to vote in this state’s Republican primary.
...
New Hampshire voters in the Republican primary split about evenly between people who were registered as Republicans and those registered as independent or undeclared, with a tiny share saying they were not registered to vote before Election Day, according to early exit polls. Independents and undeclared registered voters supported Haley by about a 2-to-1 margin, while registered Republicans supported Trump by about 3 to 1.
The hope of the Halley supporters is that other open primaries may still give her a lead. Democrats turned Independents could flood such elections and make her look like a winner:
Haley’s campaign manager, Betsy Ankney, released a memo as voting began Tuesday vowing to fight on through Super Tuesday in March, despite pre-primary polls showing Trump with a widening lead here and less favorable contests ahead for Haley. The memo argued that outperforming with independents could buoy her after South Carolina. Michigan has an open primary, and 11 of the 16 Super Tuesday states also allow non-Republicans to vote to some extent.
New Hampshire has already shown that this concept does not work as well as presumed.
President Joe Biden does not have to fear any primary challengers. His party is stuck with him. This despite some awful polling data that should have pushed the Democrats to retire Joe Biden.
Only 38.9% of voters approve of Biden and his policies while 55.7 % disapprove them.
Trump numbers are better. 43.1 % have a favorable opinion of him while 51.8% find him unfavorable.
General election polls have Trump leading over Biden by 5%.
There is little chance for Biden to turn this around. There is nothing in the policy queue that could be seen as a win for him. On domestic issues he is limited by a Republican majority in the House. Problem areas are the perceived state of the economy as well his failure to stop mass immigration. He is also losing in the foreign policy frame. His war in Ukraine is near total failure and the U.S. position in the Middle East is about to explode.
Trump still has dozens of open (kangaroo) court cases against him. But it is doubtful that any court will truly dare to put the leading presidential candidate into jail. In the end a conservative Supreme Court, and enraged Republican voters, would anyway find a way to get Trump out of the mess.
On foreign policy issues Trump has a rather dubious record. But I agree with Stephen Walt who finds that there are only few differences between Trump's and Biden's foreign policies. It is the deep state which is anyway formulating as well as executing them.
But is still more likely that Trump will find a way out of the mess in Ukraine than Biden. Trump is also way less a Zionist than Biden. His opinion about Netanyahoo and settlers is generally low.
My opinion on Trump is unchanged. He is just a run of the mill U.S. president. His biggest fault is his inability to select good people and to keep control over what they are doing. Previous Trump selections like McMaster, Bolton or Pompeo were all too radical and treacherous. They should never have been chosen. For someone who once had a reality show about selecting apprentices that is an astonishingly bad record.
Or, as Stephen Walt expresses it:
To be clear, I’m not saying that this election will have zero effect on U.S. foreign policy. Trump may try to take the United States out of NATO, for example, although such a move would undoubtedly face enormous resistance from the foreign and defense policy establishment. He may focus primarily on his domestic agenda—and his lingering legal troubles—which would further reduce his already-limited interest in foreign affairs and tend to reinforce the existing status quo. Trump was a poor judge of foreign-policy talent during his first term (and provoked unprecedented rates of staff turnover), and that tendency may hamstring U.S. policy implementation and lead foreign governments to hedge even more. There would be subtle differences between Biden 2 and Trump 2, but I’d bet against a radical transformation.
My concern with U.S. foreign policy is the huge damage it is causing all over the world. I see Trump as the better candidate to minimize that. He has avoided wars as far as the deep state allowed him to do so.
One can not say that of Biden.
Posted by b on January 24, 2024 at 12:32 UTC | Permalink
next page »The jackpot accumulates in a pari mutuel lottery without a winner.
Posted by: too scents | Jan 24 2024 12:48 utc | 3
Trump WILL NOT be the 47th President.
They will tear the country apart and burn it down before they let him in again. Why don't you people get that?
IF Trump wins and gets into office, he opens up an investigation which will land 3/4ths of DC on the gallows to be hung, or put in jail for the remainder of their natural lives. Don't you get that? They have committed treasonous acts that call for their execution. What lengths would YOU go to in order to cover up crimes that would get YOU hung, if caught? Well, you'd do just about anything, wouldn't you?
They'll Kennedy him before he gets in a 2nd time, grok that. That's what's meant by Tinvowoot, dumbasses.
Posted by: Joe Blow | Jan 24 2024 12:52 utc | 4
Indeed, the 'election' has been decided, as have elections for many years in the past. Those who control us determine who the titular President will be. Elections in the United States have no relationship to a democracy.
Posted by: Realist | Jan 24 2024 12:57 utc | 5
"My opinion on Trump is unchanged. He is just a run of the mill U.S. president. His biggest fault is his inability to select good people and to keep control over what they are doing. Previous Trump selections like McMaster, Bolton or Pompeo were all too radical and treacherous. They should never have been chosen. For someone who once had a reality show about selecting apprentices that is an astonishingly bad record."
'b'
I'm going to quibble with you on this point.
Yes, McMaster, Bolton and Pompeo were radical shills but I think Trump's idea was in picking these nuts had a strategy.
He was doing his 'good cop, bad cop routine' whereby those cretins will go for the jugular in foreign policy and then the 'good cop', Trump, steps in to save the day-basic negotiation tactics.
However, Trump did not figure on the tremendous grip the Deep State has on actual State operations and he bit off much more than he could chew.
He tried to evacuate US troops from Syria yet his generals just lied to him. They wouldn't have done this treachery if they didn't know the Deep State had their backs.
Trump is an asshole but I do prefer him over zombie Biden for the sole reason that the Deep State and their tightly controlled media intensively loathe Trump-he must be doing something right.
Trump does not like wars and he's often a realist in what he says, but
- there only a weak connection between what he says and what happens. Or what he says later.
- he does not like a war but has little objection to set everything up for war. Ukraine was a clear case of not going to war but putting everything in place to get it started.
Posted by: Tuyzentfloot | Jan 24 2024 13:02 utc | 7
I don't know what happened to the Deep State. Sure, they can pump out lies and undermine a President such as Trump but that's a far cry from JFK/RFK/MLK/Malcolm X. Heck, they can't even remove Zelensky!
If they had power similar to the past, neither Trump nor Biden would be running. Yet, here we are.
Posted by: Eighthman | Jan 24 2024 13:03 utc | 8
The POTUS is an MC for a vaudeville show run by corporations, ie Fascism. Elections are rigged, decided at worst by the Electoral College, old men in the back rooms counting donations against expenses. The last POTUS who bucked the system was murdered. They've now learned: Take the cheers, read the script, kiss a few babies but toe the line. Since JFK each POTUS has toed the line, smiled, picked up his pension and gone back to golf. Sic gloria transit mundi, or That's all there is folks.
Posted by: Garbo | Jan 24 2024 13:04 utc | 9
Trump could not open an investigation that would land 3/4 of DC in jail. The entire DOJ and FBI are arrayed against him. Moreover, any case brought in DC or the Southern District of New York would have a jury pool that’s 90% democrat. All the levers of power in the US - media, tech, academia and government - are located in states that are overwhelmingly democrat. There is no comparable “red” area. Even Wyoming and Oklahoma are only about 60/40 and there is no court of importance housed in either. It’s a systemic advantage for the democrat party.
Posted by: Sentient | Jan 24 2024 13:07 utc | 10
Democracy is a good intention ...the road to hell is also paved with good intentions. The choice between dumb and dumber might not be the initial intention of the ancient Greeks.
What was the choice ? Nikki Haley Quinn Vs Donald Joker Trump ? How did we do democracy with a Batman villains collection ? And this fall the same ; the Joker Vs Mr Frozen Brain ... great.
Posted by: Savonarole | Jan 24 2024 13:10 utc | 11
Who relocated the US Embassay to Jerusalem,eh?
..and Sheldon Adelson anyone?
Posted by: vato | Jan 24 2024 13:11 utc | 12
It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but here is a rather funny article from Sam Kriss. It is behind a paywall, but you can still enjoy the segment of "Nobody will win the US Election".
Pretty much sums up how I find American politics. And even Putin says it himself that nothing will change with the US even with a Trump president.
https://samkriss.substack.com/p/prophecies-for-2024
Posted by: Wee_Scot | Jan 24 2024 13:15 utc | 13
Democracies everywhere are a joke. Imran Khan gets tossed out and imprisoned because the US handed out bags of cash. The UK hasn’t elected its Prime Minister since … who? Theresa May? Germany is on the cusp of banning its second most popular party - AfD. Justin TruDope retained power in Canuckistan with - what - a 1/3 of the vote for his party? Meanwhile Putin and Xi retain popular support mainly because - unlike politicians in the West - they don’t sell their own people down the river.
Posted by: Sentient | Jan 24 2024 13:16 utc | 14
Modi represents his people. That’s why he’s in the globalists’ cross hairs.
Posted by: Sentient | Jan 24 2024 13:18 utc | 15
Main Headline at Reuters at this moment is this:
Trump furious as he fails to knock out Haley before South Carolina
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 13:21 utc | 16
"Democracies everywhere are a joke. Imran Khan gets tossed out and imprisoned because the US handed out bags of cash. The UK hasn’t elected its Prime Minister since … who? Theresa May? Germany is on the cusp of banning its second most popular party - AfD. Justin TruDope retained power in Canuckistan with - what - a 1/3 of the vote for his party? Meanwhile Putin and Xi retain popular support mainly because - unlike politicians in the West - they don’t sell their own people down the river."
Posted by: Sentient | Jan 24 2024 13:16 utc | 14
I agree that 'Democracies are a joke' but you have a couple of things wrong; the last PM elected by the UK voters is Boris Johnson , not Theresa May.
Secondly, Trudeau who runs a minority government hangs onto power because Canada has three large parties (Conservatives, Liberals and New Democratic Party)and Singh, leader of the NDP supports Trudeau.
Singh is banned from going to India as he is a Khalistan (succession of Muslims from India) supporter; so when Trudeau last month brought up the killing of a Canadian by India whom was a Khalistan leader instead of quietly going to Modi's government and making a deal he publicly made a huge deal of it by going public such that Singh still supports his government.
Trump is an asshole but I do prefer him over zombie Biden for the sole reason that the Deep State and their tightly controlled media intensively loathe Trump-he must be doing something right.
I agree. The more they are pissed at Trump, the more I like him. We are finished as a first world country anyway. Maybe we can build something decent up after the inevitable collapse.
Posted by: Chicago Bob | Jan 24 2024 13:28 utc | 18
"Elections in the United States have no relationship to a democracy"
Posted by: Realist | Jan 24 2024 12:57 utc |
Indeed. One aspect of the New Hampshire primaries which seems to have gone under the radar in terms of comment, analysis and observation is this reported gem....
....which shows Biden winning the Democratic nomination in the State of New Hampshire despite not being on the ballot on the basis of voters simply writing his name on the ballot paper:
"President Joe Biden won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, despite his name not appearing on the state’s presidential primary ballot.
The Associated Press called the race for Mr Biden shortly after polls closed on Tuesday night, as a majority of voters wrote in the president’s name."
That's an interesting and intriguing precedent of a process. If a candidate is, for whatever reason, missing or excluded from the ballot, how many voters do you need to simply write that candidates name on their ballot paper for them to not only win the ballot but also to be considered the legitimate winner?
Fifty per cent +1? Sixty per cent? Seventy five per cent? Ninety per cent?
What a can of worms.
Posted by: Dave Hansell | Jan 24 2024 13:28 utc | 19
@Sentient 14:
Meanwhile Modi in India is faced with an opposition alliance so incompetent that it can't even agree on what language to use for the component parties to talk to each other: English or Hindi, which the non North Indian parties quite correctly and justifiably refuse to use. Meanwhile Modi is giving away the economy to his corporate owners Ambani and Adani, and fascistising the country at full speed. Mount as well not good elections under such circumstances.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayast | Jan 24 2024 13:31 utc | 20
"failure to stop mass immigration" - no, that' wrong. The Biden administration (Joe is just a figurehead) is actively aiding and abetting a foreign invasion. It's not incompetence, it has nothing to do with human rights, this is a vicious attack on the American working class. Sure, some of the mid-level functionaries want to cement a Democratic majority, some of them hate white people, but overall, when the rich enact policies that make themselves richer at the expense of making every one else poorer, the answer is greed.
Your analysis of Trump is quite good, but I am voting for him for one big reason: he did not actively open the borders and aid and abet a foreign invasion. That's kind of a negative reason - I'm voting for him because he will probably not stab me in the back - but it's a pretty darned good reason.
Or do you want to live in a place like Bangladesh?
Posted by: TG | Jan 24 2024 13:32 utc | 21
Trump's less of a Zionist than Biden? I mean, if anything, it seems to me that he's about the same.
I guess one major difference, though, is that Trump has said that he has issues with Netanyahu.
It's mostly just personal stuff. But at this point, I'm convinced that if anything is gonna make the US pull back its support of Israel, it's not going to have anything to do with justice, or realism, or humanitarianism, or principle.
It's gonna be due to some petty personal feud between Trump and Netanyahu. That's jut how Trump operates.
Posted by: SpatialFix | Jan 24 2024 13:37 utc | 22
If Trump were to get elected, does that still mean the Democrats or rather should we say neo-cons,
are going to continue what they did to him first time around?
that wouldnt seem to be in anybodys interests, including those trying to bring him down
although first time around he did have only himself to blame for some of his misfortunes
Posted by: chris m | Jan 24 2024 13:41 utc | 23
Lets hope and pray Trump's plane wont convenietly "crash"...
Posted by: crjohn | Jan 24 2024 13:46 utc | 24
I wonder if Trump's VP can tame him once (make that if he survives the never ending Deep State onslaught) they are in office?
Trump's stance on Gaza is muddled. I don't expect anything good coming from Trump on the Mideast front. More tragedy and disaster.
The wildcard is his VP choice.
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 13:57 utc | 25
Biden stole the last 'election' from Trump
Biden is responsible for war in Ukraine
Biden is responsible for the Genocide in Gaza
Trump is responsible for the murder of Soleimani
etc.
Most likely, they will JFK Trump before he gets to be president again.
If he does become President, he will cave to the Deep State like he did before.
In short, no real solution for peace are on offer.
Posted by: Norwegian | Jan 24 2024 13:59 utc | 26
Biden, of course, will not be running.
Thus, sadly, the 2020 match up of 2 draft dodgers vying for Commander-in-Chief will not recur.
But it could come down this way: Biden picks a competent-appearing running mate then quickly hands off his presidency before Alzheimer's gets him out.
The choices Americans have are limitless.
Posted by: Elmagnostic | Jan 24 2024 14:06 utc | 27
Trump or Biden....holy shitstorm Batman, 'muricans must be the most retarded lot on the planet. Maybe we'll get lucky and some crazed zionist false-flagger will blow up the first debate they have, once all the workers have left the building ala Fight Club.
Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 24 2024 14:10 utc | 28
Postal and electronic votes will select the winner.
Backstop is electoral college which completely minced the concept of one man one vote from the day it was set up.
Back in the 30’s Fascism took full force in the Empire as it mustered its largest attempt at taking EurAsia using their new Napoleon - Herr Hitler.
Backed by the Industrialists and the MadMen. Even the fashion designers and PR slogans and narratives.
The backstop then against a failure was the contrived ‘Allies’, if Russia had been destroyed - it came damned close - the remaining allies would have ‘made peace’ with the cousins the not so bad Nazis . Royalty might have been restored to Russians through the ex-king of England - being a relation of the exterminated Romanovs you see and with his prewar friendliness with the German Nazis , all natural of course being German after all!
Crimea and Khazaria would have been restored to the old pirates , a combined effort invasion of China with Japan would have ensued. The sub continent and ‘Commonwealth’ would have remained conquered… Gandhi would have been executed in prison.
Japan would have been handed some resources temporarily.
The dodgy ‘most democratic bullshit system’ would have been installed to provide the fig leaf.
Fascism wholesale and continued Aryan supremacy would have ruled the roost with the Zion kings sitting at the very top of their god palaces.
American Democracy would have retorted to the Fascist model of the winning Germany - democratic in any colour you like as long as it was Black shirted.
Heck even slavery could have returned!
100 years later, as we bear down on the year 2025 - the very same Dynastic Fascists have FAILED again to take Russia with their latest proxy. Funded and supported by the same Dunastic industrialists and Financiers and their Zion King Owners of the Ages.
Russia has survived with only a fraction of the losses. China is solid. EurAsia is secured against the Riding Greenmantle’s attacks of the Great Gamers. The SubContinent is about to explode into its individual Peoples. Africa rises to become the greatest human continent in history with its myriad of Peoples!
The backstop for the fascist Zion kings this time?
Oh look, we have Trump or some other meat puppet we can hide behind ; Musk or some other ‘technocrats’ look they ain’t even ‘politicians’ just ‘geniuses’.
The elections as b noted some weeks ago are all across Europe and wider world; what happened with naked fascist Miely on his wrecking ball in Argentina is the pattern planned for every single such ‘democratic election’. Including our U.K. with the Great Knight Dope Herr Starmertrooper.
However this time there is no backstop that will fool the world. The mass media won’t be able to sugarcoat it.
The majority of the worlds peoples, 85% and their genuine representatives from grassroots up, will shrug off the unipolar Beast that’s been feeding upon them for Millenia.
Lavrov is coming to the end of his 3 days in the UN - the lions den - and he said it very simply and clearly :
‘ Trump will make NO DIFFERENCE ‘
Posted by: DunGroanin | Jan 24 2024 14:11 utc | 29
Posted by: Joe Blow | Jan 24 2024 12:52 utc | 4
Trump WILL NOT be the 47th President.
They will tear the country apart and burn it down before they let him in again. Why don't you people get that?
IF Trump wins and gets into office, he opens up an investigation which will land 3/4ths of DC on the gallows to be hung, or put in jail for the remainder of their natural lives. Don't you get that? They have committed treasonous acts that call for their execution. What lengths would YOU go to in order to cover up crimes that would get YOU hung, if caught? Well, you'd do just about anything, wouldn't you?
They'll Kennedy him before he gets in a 2nd time, grok that. That's what's meant by Tinvowoot, dumbasses.
<=BS. They are all in it together.. Trump did not arrest Hillary I don't give a dam Clinton, and he fired his AG when the Justice department was about to charge her.
Count on it, America is governed by the globalist.. and the globalist don't care about America.
Posted by: snake | Jan 24 2024 14:12 utc | 30
In Foreign Policy article b links to above by Stephen Walt, Walt says that he, personally, would vote for Biden in part because Biden will be better on climate issues. Democrats often say this. The way I see it, Democrats SAY they care about climate change, and Republicans say they don't care about it. Both parties will de-regulate, and push policies that favor their oil-industry donors. If Republicans are in power, they push for more drilling, but they rub it in the faces of Liberal voters in a way that makes the Liberals angry and pleases the Republican voters who derive pleasure from triggering the Libs. If neocon Democrats are in power, they push for more drilling, but say they're doing it because we need to relieve dependence on foreign oil and bad countries like Russia. Biden will send $200 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine and Israel, blow up the largest natural gas pipeline in the world and send methane into the atmosphere in the biggest release in history, and then give US taxpayers a tax credit for putting insulation into the walls of their house. Trump will talk constantly about how climate change is a hoax, but he is less likely to shovel hundreds of billions of dollars into foreign wars and long-term, futile efforts to insure US geopolitical supremacy. Which one is the 'greener' president?
Posted by: Harding | Jan 24 2024 14:20 utc | 31
Like others here, I doubt Trump will be allowed to win by the deep state. Ballot rigging, do a JFK on him, whatever it takes.
Though thinking about it a bit, it may depend on deep state intentions for Russia China and the Persian Gulf. Trump wanted to pull out of Europe to concentrate on taking China down. Iran Israel he's a zionist through and through plus Iran embarrassed his mighty America. Though even there, he might be smart enough to want to stay out of costly unwinnable wars.
America though is like an abscess ready to burst. Will be interesting.
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Jan 24 2024 14:29 utc | 32
Do any barflies know of a good way for a US citizens to emigrate to Cuba?
Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 24 2024 14:29 utc | 33
Bidet has a message for Trump:
https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1749921415120220168
The best part is the muppets cheering at Bidet's flushing noises.
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 14:30 utc | 34
Looks like the MSM acknowledged Trump's lead among Republican voters.
The general election should be an interesting one. There would be some domestic impact, for example on "the border", and on tendency to antagonize opponents in bold, flamboyant, but poorly thought out moves, a-la Trump - vs the chickensh#t style of Blinken-Sullivan, who repeatedly alternate faux negotiation with small sized escalations.
On foreign policy, the big task for the next administration will still be to help Israel, which means a war with Iran. Won't happen in an election year, and it takes almost that long to prepare anyway. Both Biden and Trump will both of course support it. The question that remains, is whether the policymakers believe that they can simultaneously continue provoking China and Russia. This question of doing it all at once is the big current issue in Washington foreign policy circles, I think. (IRL the answer is obvious, but careers can be made going the other way)
Posted by: pxx | Jan 24 2024 14:38 utc | 35
DunGroanin @29: "Postal and electronic votes will select the winner."
Very true, but this only works if the election is relatively close, as in less than about a 10% spread. Mexico's AMLO, for instance, won with enough of a margin that it overrode the election fraud being committed by the same gangsters who fixed the 2020 elections in the US. There is no way to hide a blowout win by the candidate the Establishment is trying to torpedo.
I agree with Lavrov that the Empire will continue its aggression around the planet regardless of who wins in November, but another Trump win could throw Establishment plans out of kilter for a few years again. Buying the world more time while the Empire is in its death throes is how we might be able to escape the Thucydides trap and thus avoid nuclear Armageddon.
Posted by: William Gruff | Jan 24 2024 14:43 utc | 36
Daddy Trump is coming back. Is he good or bad for Israel? Hmmmmmmm.
Posted by: John S. | Jan 24 2024 14:51 utc | 37
It's too early to call. There are still several wildcards:
1) Biden drops out
2) RFK spoiler effect
3) Election fraud
4) Massive escalation to war
5) Disease X
6) Texas border dispute
7) False flags
8) Lawfare
9) Financial meltdown
Posted by: Pym of Nantucket | Jan 24 2024 14:55 utc | 38
b, you forgot stephen miller. a horrible person. i wonder if trump would bring him back if he was reelected.
Posted by: annie | Jan 24 2024 14:59 utc | 39
b.
canuck@6
Ok guys, the pool of people any President can choose from is "pre selected" from that preselection the President must choose, so when you are given a pile of shit to choose from you are still choosing a turd. But in no way, is any President free to choose whomever they wish to work for or with them.
They are stuck with pre choosen insiders who work for the bureaucracy not the President.
Cheers M
Posted by: sean the leprechaun | Jan 24 2024 15:02 utc | 40
Sentient | Jan 24 2024 13:18 utc | 15
200 million Indian muslims would differ from your assessment.
Posted by: bevin | Jan 24 2024 15:06 utc | 41
1) a question is the possible long-term damage domestically via a 2nd Trump term.
The slow transformation of legislatory bodies is not in the focus of public attention but causes major shifts difficult to reverse.
And I would assume that workers´ rights nor unions are pet projects of a Republican led government. (with THE SQUAD even less influencial.)
Naturally these arguments will again be heavily utilized in known scaremongering fashion in Pennsylvania, Ohio and the other usual suspects. However the caveats of long-term harm on institutional level are a real problem I guess.
2) By now I assume NATO could be replaced by something even worse. So it might begin with some naive intentions by Trump of ending NATO but designed in ways that it would just lay the foundation for a global club of warmongers. Long after Trumpy is gone. So that too might only turn out to be a bluff.
3) Cornel West suggested to force a deal with Biden´s people in case there is enough West support in Nov. for leverage, e.g. demand certain progressive policies in a 2nd Biden term.
Posted by: AG | Jan 24 2024 15:15 utc | 42
Trump has won the primaries of Ohio and New Hampshire. That says a lot about the esteem in which the US citizen holds journalists and judges.
In my opinion, Trump is for the USA what Gorbatchov has been for the USSR.
Gorbatchov was a man of the Soviet system - a member of the communist party - who wanted to reform the system because it didn't work. Trump is a man of the American system - a billionaire - who sees the current system as not functioning, and wants reform to salvage the system.
When president, Trump orders US troops out of Syria and out of Germany. Trump administration officials are on record that the presidents' orders were willfully obstructed. Where Gorbatchov is overthrown by the KGB, Trump is voted out in elections which we are not allowed to call into question.
After three days Gorbatchov returned, and abolished the communist party of the USSR.
Today, after four years, Trump is coming back from the dead. If re-elected, it will be interesting to see the US equivalent of Gorbatchov dissolving the USSR power structure.
On the other hand, 45 people have been US president, and four have been killed while in office.
Posted by: Passerby | Jan 24 2024 15:19 utc | 43
What's the point of providing a link the the FP which has firewall to the article.
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Jan 24 2024 15:24 utc | 44
b, you forgot stephen miller. a horrible person. i wonder if trump would bring him back if he was reelected.
Posted by: annie | Jan 24 2024 14:59 utc | 39
Trump has already said quite clearly he intends to install a fascist dictatorship in the US, beginning on day one. The plan was crafted by incel neocons at the heritage institute like Miller and is backed by a who's who of the most vile, reactionary and psycho groups in the country (most of which are rabid xian zionists).
Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 24 2024 15:29 utc | 45
Joe Blow | Jan 24 2024 12:52 utc | 4
You are correct. Actually the next president was decided in November when the President of China came to California. China owns the US. China selected Gavin Newsom.
China cannot take over the US until all of the guns that are privately owned are collected from the people. Newsom has been selected to do that. Until the time is ripe everything else is entertainment for the masses. Just wait for it, you will see too.
Posted by: CeaClearly | Jan 24 2024 15:32 utc | 46
The "Lincoln Project" already predicted months ago that Trump would win the republican primary.
https://www.youtube.com/@TheLincolnProject
Posted by: WMG | Jan 24 2024 15:53 utc | 47
I think the likelihood of the deep state assassinating Trump is very low.
JFK's assassination happened at a time when Americans were much more naive. Much has changed since. Many Trump supporters are red-hot-livid at the deep state, and the occupation of the Congress building clearly demonstrated (then) that there are many people who will act on their revulsion over what our (U.S.) government has become. Those people will not go quietly.
I also don't think Trump is well-understood. He's aroused the ire of the deep state; there's a reason for their fear of him. It's this instinct - this hope that he'll oppose the deep state - that is propelling the ground-swell of support for Trump.
Remember that Trump understands politics well. Last term, he had to make a lot of deals in order to just survive. He may not have to make those same deals this time; he may get an electoral mandate, and that changes the politics a lot.
Regardless of what Trump actually is, or what he actually does, this rage at the deep state is going to intensify, and the more it's repressed, the stronger it'll get. The best the deep state can hope for during a Trump administration is that he embarrasses himself by over-reach, and thereby demoralizes his supporters. That demoralization effect wore off pretty fast, by my estimation. And I think it'll wear off much more rapidly next time it happens.
I don't think the deep state is going to be able to keep the lid on much longer. Every international debacle - every humiliation the deep state suffers - weakens them domestically, as well.
Posted by: Tom Pfotzer | Jan 24 2024 15:53 utc | 48
Election 2024/28/32 etc. Terminal Assessment
From now on they will always find yet another 80 million votes in mail-in ballots for the establishment guy. Everyone in doubt will be called a terrorist, doxed, canceled and locked up in jail. Oh, and the FBI will shoot his dog when they storm his place. It's traditional.
The End.
Coda:
Trump should have won in 2020. He didn't. They locked up some of the Jan/6 protestors without due process to this day and the FBI-provocateurs remain free - including that black thug in a uniform that murdered an innocent woman in cold blood.
Most of the population and the whole of the US-media and press and SCOTUS were a-ok with it and remain compliant. The US is done.
Posted by: Zed'sDead | Jan 24 2024 16:01 utc | 49
My guess is that The Blob will come to some sort of accommodation with Trump 2.0 rather than attempting to Jiffy Pop a second iteration of McResistance. What could this look like? We're already seeing it take shape. Harsher border measures and a robust "Get China" policy. Project Ukraine will disappear. The problem is the Middle East. What is to be done? While Trump would have more room to maneuver than Biden, he won't arrive in the White House for another year.
Posted by: Mike Maloney | Jan 24 2024 16:03 utc | 50
If Trump were CEO of Boeing, planes would be falling out of the sky as often as Palestinian citizens are killed. A Trump presidency is good for America because he is incapable of instituting changes like someone who knows how government works like DeSantis and Haley, who are able to manipulate power so governance really oppresses people continuously.
Posted by: Wilikins | Jan 24 2024 16:08 utc | 51
The establishment (RINOs and Dems) are in the process of organizing a soft coup against Trump. I'll be paying close attention to what happens in the next couple of state primaries. If Nikki somehow pulls off victories in Michigan or South Carolina (or gets close to victory) because Dems and never Trump RINOs flood the primaries, it's going to get really interesting down the road. There's nothing organic about Nikki's rise, and all the people saying she has no chance? All I can say is these are crazy times my friends. New Hampshire should not have been as close as it was.
Posted by: Frank McGar | Jan 24 2024 16:11 utc | 52
i think Trump bring more chaos, which is good in this system, but he is a pretty fervent supporter of Israel.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Jan 24 2024 16:11 utc | 53
@canuck 6
"Yes, McMaster, Bolton and Pompeo were radical shills but I think Trump's idea was in picking these nuts had a strategy.
He was doing his 'good cop, bad cop routine' whereby those cretins will go for the jugular in foreign policy and then the 'good cop', Trump, steps in to save the day-basic negotiation tactics."
Convoluted logic. Trump's or yours?
Posted by: Lawrence Miller | Jan 24 2024 16:14 utc | 54
Democracies everywhere are a joke.
@Posted by: Sentient | Jan 24 2024 13:16 utc | 14
Look who votes. Bidet slurs his words like he is bubbling water
and the crowd of fellow brain dead
react with supportive cheers like canned brains had been poured into their skulls.
(I posted this above, but for reader convenience I am inserting the link here. It is worth it.)
https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1749921415120220168
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 16:16 utc | 55
Posted by: Frank McGar | Jan 24 2024 16:11 utc | 52
You mean they are going to do to trump what they did to Bernie in 2016 and 2020?
Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 24 2024 16:17 utc | 56
Want to reiterate a point.
In New Hampshire Democrats gamed the primaries,
by voting in the Republican primary instead and throwing their support for HAL-ey
in an attempt to make Trump's support look weaker.
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 16:22 utc | 57
39: “Stephen Miller, a horrible person”. What? Stephen Miller was the best person in Trump’s orbit. Love him!
Posted by: Sentient | Jan 24 2024 16:24 utc | 58
@ Posted by: CeaClearly | Jan 24 2024 15:32 utc | 46
Ah so glasshopper you see so clearly as if from inside the mirror!
China want US not US want China! Genius !!
Just one question fu..fu..fumanchu - WHY???
They had thousands of years to just drift around the Pacific before any European navigator ran into it ‘accidentally’ while looking to get to … err China.
As I tried to point out the other day this pantomime season is just starting it’s going to go on for months , it’s Punch and Judy and it’s there to keep the two puppet parties and their actual target muppet ‘citizens’ in a constant circular slap fest as the merry goes round again. Fools. Like the Three Stooges ! If you don’t know them - look them up yanks.
Slap, pock, punch… on and on.
The only purpose here is for the ZionKings to Collect rents and tribute from your robber barons to decide which of their interests win. That determines the ‘National Interest’ across the range of Industry and commerce and the ‘Secretaries’ installed to deliver for the bid winners.
Why you guys and galls haven’t yet understood that is the only mystery!
There is going to be an average spend of $40 per every ‘voter’.
Are you all really individuals who think that such bipartisan opinions are of ANY matter?
Or are you just peddling your next script as the kabuki and slap happy panto season goes full flow.
Oh yes you are! Lol.
Posted by: DunGroanin | Jan 24 2024 16:25 utc | 59
Trump loves war, but only wars against easy objects of capitalist covetousness. War against Venezuela. Maybe war against Iran, although now Iran is much stronger than it was when Trump had Qassem Soleimani assassinated. A cowardly demonstration of power by a demagogue. The war against Gaza is Trump's type of war. Shooting civilians in a barrel demonstrates supreme dominance, while wars against Russia and China would be too damaging and risky. Reagan's wars in Grenada and Nicaragua are Trump's types of wars.
Posted by: Wilikins | Jan 24 2024 16:28 utc | 60
...but he is a pretty fervent supporter of Israel.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Jan 24 2024 16:11 utc | 53
There will be no viable candidate who is not, whether presidential, congressional or dogcatcheral.
Posted by: waynorinorway | Jan 24 2024 16:31 utc | 61
Posted by: waynorinorway | Jan 24 2024 16:31 utc | 61
you're right. i mean shit, it is illegal in some states to support BDS, like Texas.
Posted by: pretzelattack | Jan 24 2024 16:35 utc | 62
Biden is one of the weakest incumbents in history. Why haven't any credible challengers emerged? I'm convinced that it is because it is well known that the DNC is totally corrupt and the fix is in. The Democratic candidate has already been chosen. I'm not convinced that it will be Biden.
Posted by: David | Jan 24 2024 16:40 utc | 63
waynorinorway and pretzelattack - yep... that is a given..
ken bowser astrologer in wisconsin is predicting a trump win with a fair amount of violence in and around the election date.. his track record is good on predicting usa elections..
The 2024 Presidential Election
Posted by: james | Jan 24 2024 16:41 utc | 64
You mean they are going to do to trump what they did to Bernie in 2016 and 2020?
Posted by: hedlykarok
Yep. In 2016 they wanted Trump to win the primary because they thought he had no chance to win. Now they want him off the ballot completely.
Posted by: Frank McGar | Jan 24 2024 16:41 utc | 65
39: “Stephen Miller, a horrible person”. What? Stephen Miller was the best person in Trump’s orbit. Love him!
Posted by: Sentient | Jan 24 2024 16:24 utc | 58
Then you should choose another moniker.
Posted by: hedlykarok | Jan 24 2024 16:41 utc | 66
Mr. B is very probably correct. Trump will very likely return to the white house. Left unstated though, is that neither Biden nor Trump are qualified to sit in the big chair. These two are - apparently - the best america has on offer. That in itself is laughable. Cognitively challenged Biden exploded the national debt, started an unwinnable war with Russia, and continues to allow unfettered immigration via the southern US border. Trump is, simply put, a con man. Entirely without social grace, and with an ego the size of Mount Everest. Every bit the israeli whore that Biden is, don't expect any good from him vis a vis Gaza.
These are the two 'best of the best' running for the big chair. Scary. Sad. Hilarious. Dysfunctional.
Posted by: rgl | Jan 24 2024 16:43 utc | 67
One guy is 77 years old and the other 81.
Besides the question how these guys could possibly represent the interests of a population with a median age of 38 years, one wonders how likely it is that they can physically survive the intense election campaigns ...
Posted by: Marvin | Jan 24 2024 16:45 utc | 68
Posted by: Joe Blow | Jan 24 2024 12:52 utc | 4
I get it and share your feelings but I disagree. Trump is a deal maker and the minute he took office in '16 the Deep State read him the riot act and showed him pics/videos (as allegedly all of the Presidents are exposed to) and he was rapidly wheeling and dealing selecting people for his National Security Team who are a bit radical even for normal Neocons in order to assuage the Blob's concerns. His policies on Israel and the region are examples of these compromises--result was no major war. He had to wave the Zionist flag in order to moderate the Jewish lobby from supporting any real assassination (they have a veto over any major change in Washington) and thus he was able to navigate through an astonishing assault on him by the official Democratic Party/Deep State propaganda organs (nearly all of the MSM). Trump survived the assault which consisted of made up shit and nearly won the '20 election--he may well have won in actuality but that doesn't count since all elections are now, in my view, deeply compromised. Since then, Trump has managed to survive despite the most ridiculous lawfare operation carried out by sometimes sub-standard prosecutors (as in Georgia).
If the Deep State decides to whack him they'll ask for what they want in exchange for not killing him and some deal will be made, if he's elected. If the oligarchs decide to off him then they will be faced with mass revolt among large sections of the country that will make the USA un-governable (which it is moving towards anyway). Because of some inside information which may or may not be true, there was a threat of a military coup if the Bush vs. Gore election was not settle in favor of Bush. I believe that is why the Supremes, using astonishingly twisted logic, ruled in favor of Bush--mind you, nine months later a group of newspapers (when they still existed as semi-official media whereas now they are part of the State) found that Gore had clearly won Florida.
I think the Deep State (not a totally in lockstep enterprise) is divided over Biden being POTUS since he is obviously, in a word, stupid as well as erratic (so the rumors seemed to indicate). In summation--it's really f-ing complicated.
Posted by: Chris Cosmos | Jan 24 2024 16:48 utc | 69
Trump loves war
@Posted by: Wilikins | Jan 24 2024 16:28 utc | 60
[I am not a Trump supporter]
Trump's conflicts were all inherited.
His predecessor had inherited conflicts too, but Obama gave us Yemen, Libya, Syria and a coup in Ukraine.
(You can rightly add more to Obama's list.)
Trump was tossed by the Deep State which installed Bidet. Bidet also inherited conflicts.
But Bidet gave us a Nazi war in Ukraine, support for Genocide against Gaza and the attack upon the Houthi in Yemen.
And Bidet isn't done yet by any means.
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 16:54 utc | 70
Few commentators have noted the court decision saying the RNC and DNC are private corporations and don't need to fulfill the "will of the people" via the primaries or conventions--they can name whoever they want as their party nominee. David | Jan 24 2024 16:40 utc | 63 is quite correct with his thinking. Of course, there's the big problem with continuing to sell the electoral system as being legitimate. IMO, the congressional elections that aren't controlled by the RNC/DNC will be more important than who gets selected as POTUS. Overall, the Outlaw US Empire will continue its downward direction economically and morally as the 1% are reaping in the very few economic gains.
If we learned nothing else from 2016-2020, it is that Trump is weak, stupid and easily manipulated. There is no evidence to suggest that he has learned anything since 2020.
BUT there is a silver lining, namely that America's puppets, vassals, satraps, lackeys, flunkies and buttbois may be less willing to take orders blindly from an America where Trump is in charge.
In addition, he requires more managing than, say, an Obama or a Dubya, even if his administration resembles a meaner, more dysfunctional version of Bush 2.0.
Posted by: Feral Finster | Jan 24 2024 16:57 utc | 72
"I get it and share your feelings but I disagree. Trump is a deal maker and the minute he took office in '16 the Deep State read him the riot act and showed him pics/videos (as allegedly all of the Presidents are exposed to) and he was rapidly wheeling and dealing selecting people for his National Security Team who are a bit radical even for normal Neocons in order to assuage the Blob's concerns."
I doubt that anything so crude is needed. Rather, the process is probably more like something out of "Yes, Minister".
Posted by: Feral Finster | Jan 24 2024 17:04 utc | 73
Oh no! Are we at election season again in thestates? I am dearly sorry to the rest of the barflies for having to suffer the dog and pony show of our executive elections.
But the DJT phenomenon remains ever true in our current season and can be summed up with a question and then a follow-up question:
Will TPTB allow DJT to change the arrangement at the MIC table and so force America into "inwardlookingness" which is what neocon thinktanks continually warn about as bad, bad, bad?!
Answer: no, and if DJT tries this he will be killed.
Follow-up question: if not the above solution, then how will change be brought about?
Answer: From the outside axis that represents the people of the world who long for freedom amd liberty at it exists in the realm of spirit.
Again, terribly sorry for our election season..
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jan 24 2024 17:13 utc | 74
New Hampshire state level election run to the Democratic Party.
That Trump won in spite of a large crossover of independents that vote democratic should worry the Biden team!
Long time NH voter.
Posted by: paddy | Jan 24 2024 17:17 utc | 75
As an aside, here in my region (PACNW USA), lawmakers are looking to again criminalize drugs after more or less legalizing everything.
Washington state I am sure is almost there as well.
This comes after years of democrat tyranny that has absolutely ruined cities and families here.
If the dollar wasn't being used as a cudgel to enact this kind of chaos-sowing, democrats would be doa.
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jan 24 2024 17:17 utc | 76
voting don‘t matter anymore - 2020 proved that
81 million votes.
The most powerful message one can send is to refuse to vote - withhold your consent
Posted by: Exile | Jan 24 2024 17:18 utc | 77
Elections in the US are rigged. The entire 2 year circus preceding them is just that, a circus designed to distract and divide the American public.
I think that this year fewer people are falling for it.
Posted by: wagelaborer | Jan 24 2024 17:25 utc | 78
I have never owned a gun. But if Trump is assassinated or disabled this country will explode.
If the election is stolen again this country will explode. Not sure what I would do with a
gun except hunker down and venture out only when we have to. But sure as heck, if either
circumstance happens there will be no guns to be had. Too late for an "insurance policy".
The last time I recall handling a weapon was decades ago in college. I won a rifle shooting
tournament. But my eyes were young then and paper targets that aren't moving does not tell
you anything about what is going to happen during a, for example, riot of arsonists.
I visited a gun shop but did not buy. I was given the advice at the shop, "buy a shot gun".
Still thinking like life would be normal, I pictured the holes in our walls that a shot gun would make.
Wouldn't even consider buying one of those at the time.
But life is not going to be "normal" if the Deep State causes this country to explode.
Gotta change my mode of thinking. A new reality could descend like a rogue tidal wave.
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 17:27 utc | 79
As karlofi says the real story here is that the Primary system- the century old solution to the damage that 'smoke filled rooms' full of financiers, city bosses and oligarchs, did to democracy- no longer functions as a means of giving the choice of the ruling class a popular sheen.
The system is already one in which it is near impossible for third parties to get on the ballot while the pretense that the party rank in file can choose in the primaries is now demonstrably false.
That was already evident when the Sanders stitch up in 2016 led to its formalisation.
The Parties are private clubs and no voters are part of them.
It really doesn't matter whether Trump or Halley win the Republican nomination- neither of them is fit to run a fully staffed daycare centre- or how the Democrats shoehorn a sentient being into the vacancy at the head of their ticket.
It is now crystal clear that the system does not work except that it delivers a vacuity to the Presidency that oligarchs can fill in their own interests.
We could discuss possible solutions were it not for the fact that half of the posters don't believe that it matters: they are undecided as to who exactly runs things. Some say its the Jews. Others that its The City of London. There are still those who believe that it's a secret conspiracy of communists-the 'left', headed by Joe Biden and George Soros. Then there are those who blame the Rothschilds. Or the Rockefellers. Or the Rhodes Scholarship fund. What they agree upon is that there is no ruling class-perish the thought-and there is nothing wrong with capitalism, that a strong man couldn't put right.
Posted by: bevin | Jan 24 2024 17:28 utc | 80
Few commentators have noted the court decision saying the RNC and DNC are private corporations and don't need to fulfill the "will of the people" via the primaries or conventions--they can name whoever they want as their party nominee.
Posted by: karlof1 | Jan 24 2024 16:55 utc | 71
---
Quite right.
Bernie supporters sued the DNC because they had abrogated their own charter. They got a bucket of cold ice water thrown in their faces.
In large part, the mainstream media has not covered the lawsuit in the six months between the court’s initial hearings in October 2016 to its latest hearing on April 25, 2017. In the latest hearing, attorneys representing the DNC repeated the tone-deaf argument that neutrality is a political promise and that the DNC can do whatever it wants without being legally bound to the charter. The resulting message is that the Democratic Party serves the interests of itself and its wealthy donors and that its voters have no choice but to deal with their totalitarian authority and undemocratic processes.
https://observer.com/2017/05/dnc-averts-democracy-lawsuit-bernie-sanders-supporters/
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 17:35 utc | 81
by Passerby | Jan 24 2024 15:19 utc | 43
In my opinion, Trump is for the USA what Gorbatchov has been for the USSR
Kind of. Different times were way back then. Also good to know is that Trump is not a product of a bureaucracy as Gorby was. Gorby was more inclined to have a smooth transition expecting all kinds of stuff from the West. That didn't materialize.
Trump expects nothing from any one. His mistake is with his non-existing experience in any administration, appointing very strange people, changing them like socks. Protruded vacuum.
Clumsy mistake he did among the first and that is where Russians screamed in horror, was Trump giving military matters away letting a monster mutant of Clinton, Bush, Obama contribution to keep rolling on.
Didn't see Doug McGregor fixing on that in 4 years.
Running with Pence, that was a staunch conservative rightwinger cuckoo egg, Trump fell for many things served under the table there. He showed no ability to transit the USA to a fixing its own home first, leaving the World stage for some time.
As Gorby hoped for it would happen with Soviets.
People like Trump ransacked Russia for almost 10 years.
Some people claim that he at least bought 4 years for Russia in Ukraine. Perhaps unwillingly.
His administration created conditions for today's mess pretty much, from killing Suleimani to not stopping Zelensky in his tracks with clearing Nuland's lair, while reshuffling the Pentagon.
It is a great tragedy that the USA has nothing better to offer to the World.
The finest game in democracy, since the USA, like it or not, influences the whole world, would be that American president is elected by Americans and confirmed by the RoW.
Otherwise, surely it could be really bad if Trump has an accident or gets assassinated. That would certainly cause alle-gegen-alle messy civil war/revolt, but not a proper revolution.
It probably could have been avoided, if the USA had a social revolution cycles, as Europe did. Instead, being lead constantly by pretty much out of the date and retarded pilgrim brains hugging to a constitution from 200 years ago, waving it in a face of a planetary civilizational progress.
Maybe the American political sphere is a China-shop which Trump will crumple like the clumsy elephant, but it is more and more obvious that they do not hold all the ropes together anymore, so with him or without - it probably ends in the same manner and by inertia.
Also it is a real possibility that Biden will evaporate long before November. The best burlesque would be that Trump takes Kamala into his administration after she holds the Bible for his inauguration, being stoned out of her head.
Expect the craziest things to happen.
Posted by: whirlX | Jan 24 2024 17:37 utc | 82
Trump inherited Obama's designating Venezuela a national security threat. Instead of denying that lie Trump incompetently tried to overthrow the Bolivarian government and install a typical US puppet dictatorship. One with an incompetent doppelganger. Trump loves war, but maybe not the costly wars like the one in Ukraine, one which exposes the fascism of the entire American project for global supremacy unless he is included in the gravy train. A project Trump endorsed with his China policies. Trump is a demagogue, not a political leader able to accomplish institutionalizing fascism, but Trump is not a friend of the people. He is still capable of inflicting harm on Americans and the poor of the global south. Trump, unlike Obama, could not institute daily kill lists. That did not stop Trump from being Israel's assassin. Those who excuse Trump's malfeasance ignore the assassination of Soleimani, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, tariffs against Chinese goods, Guaidó, racist mass murder by the police.
Criticizing Trump should not be mistaken for support of the Democratic liberal war pigs. Peace advocates and socialists must condemn all the crony capitalist rulers and abandon the false dichotomy of Democrat vs Republican, Trump vs Biden, etc. The only difference between Trump and any Democratic candidate is Trump will bring about the ruin of the American dictatorship sooner. Regardless of which side of the dictatorship of capital holds the American executive, the failure of the American project is the opportunity to overthrow capitalist rule. Accepting a state ruled by butch anarchists as not an alternative.
Posted by: Wilikins | Jan 24 2024 17:38 utc | 83
b's summary of the Trump v. Biden pretty much reflects the conclusion I have reached.
I am in the "But but but Biden . . . !" camp.
Not the "But but but Trump . . .!" camp.
I see zero redeeming features to Biden the man and his administration, and his family. He personally (with all the hair fumbling) and his genocidal policies and dumb handling of domestic issues totally disgust me.
Furthermore he and the Obama cabal bore false witness against Trump from the first day after the 2016 election. The Jan. 6 situation is an outrage. I certainly wouldl not vote for Michelle Obama. And why should one vote for a person who has not even participated in a primary? Or a party that assumes it can appoint a candidate and a president?
The MSM's hatred of Trump is practically a recommendation.
Furthermore, the sector of the population that seems to support Biden no matter what includes wokesters, whose values I do not share. I would like to see them get another shock (like the one they got in November 2016).
I am not happy at all about Trump's Zionist love---but what could actually be worse than what we have now?
At least Trump might take action to close the Southern border.
Posted by: Jane | Jan 24 2024 17:48 utc | 84
@Posted by: Wilikins | Jan 24 2024 17:38 utc | 83
re: Venezuela, Trump had shitty advisors like John Bolton (!)
Trump was horrid at hiring. His very worst was Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III as Attorney General (AG).
Sessions left Trump hanging in the wind once that Russiagate nonsense started. Sessions was less than
worthless and Russiagate set the tone for years to come. A stronger AG would have strangled Russiagate in it's crib.
I understand Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is not going to be part of his administration this time
around. I'll believe it when I see it. That would be a huge plus if he is indeed gone!
Posted by: librul | Jan 24 2024 17:48 utc | 85
Ukraine was a clear case of not going to war but putting everything in place to get it started.
Posted by: Tuyzentfloot | Jan 24 2024 13:02 utc | 7
=================
Not sure I agree with this.
The Ukraine conflict started well before 2014.
Biden, Kerry, McCain and their buddies were all in there looting the place starting at least in 2008. he CIA has has a big hand in directing Ukr politics since 1991. The Ukr made itself a cat's paw for the EU to harass Russia and its smoothly operating gas business (pipleines going through the Ukr).
At least Trump picked up the phone to find out more about the corruption in that country (officially the most corrupt country in Europe before 2014). That was unforgivable for Obama, Biden, and Co. who were profiting handsomely off that corruption.
Posted by: Jane | Jan 24 2024 17:55 utc | 86
"As an aside, here in my region (PACNW USA), lawmakers are looking to again criminalize drugs after more or less legalizing everything.
Washington state I am sure is almost there as well."
Posted by: NemesisCalling | Jan 24 2024 17:17 utc | 76
Just to set the record straight many more people die from legal drugs than illegal drugs:
"Opioids—mainly synthetic opioids (other than methadone)—are currently the main driver of drug overdose deaths. Nearly 88% of opioid-involved overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids." (1)
Posted by: Exile | Jan 24 2024 17:18 utc | 77
Watching and reading from the 'relatively safe' distance of Australia, it appeared that the 2000 and 2004 elections confirmed that all US elections are rigged by the deep state to float in their desired candidate. "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" (by Greg Palast) covered this subject very well at the time.
They have to keep up the pretense of democracy and free-dumb, and so the men behind the curtain flip from party to party with their (s)elected winner.
But...that ploy has worn thread-bare thin, and you will have a civil war on your hands come Jan 2025, and exponentially more likely before then should the orange slum landlord be jailed or killed in the interim.
Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Jan 24 2024 18:06 utc | 88
I had many conversations with self-described “progressive democrats” in the wake of Trump’s 2016 victory. From my point-of-view, that election result opened up space within the largely stratified US political system and created a rare opportunity for gain of actual influence and result, working from the rather large base that Sanders (inadvertently?) coalesced. Most of these persons were not interested in this analysis, and preferred to fully internalize the Russiagate narrative and came to be Biden supporters in 2020.
I realized many “informed voters” saw no agency in the system and were content to be “spectators” cheering for their “team”. I doubt the system is therefore reformable, and the ongoing evident decline of the American political system will proceed apace and will gradually adopt more authoritarian structures. Trump seems to me somewhat an empty shell on which his supporters project unrealized idealizations. He is the Confidence Man, which is an embodied character-structure fully within the American Experience.
Posted by: jayc | Jan 24 2024 18:08 utc | 89
The world will know what to expect from a second Trump term as soon as his cabinet is announced.
Regardless, his focus will likely be China and Taiwan. So while that could mean good news for Ukraine and the Middle East wars, i disagree on Trump being less damaging for the US and the world longer term, since coming up against China will have even worse effects on not just the West, but the whole world economy and security. That is also assuming Trump will be successful in walking back on supporting Ukraine and Israel. It would not be unlike him to press on all three fronts thinking he can win, until he either finds out reality the hard way, or we all get $300 oil or get nuked.
Nevertheless, when faced with the scenario of Biden 2 being guaranteed wars and more escalation, or a small chance of Trump successfully undoing Biden's mess, one has to hope for a Trump win. I'd be putting that doomsday clock a few seconds closer to 12 either way.
Despite the recent comments, one would expect some higher ups from Russia could be making similar calculations. If so, one wonders what sort of surprises Russia, Iran and China have in store to spoil Biden's reelection and serve him a few cold dishes into October, he surely has some coming.
With Trump, they can at least count on a less united NATO to contend with, and far less popular European support for any US aggression, and that can only be a plus, regardless if foreign policy changes or not.
Posted by: Rubiconned | Jan 24 2024 18:12 utc | 90
Re: sanctity of voting in the U.S.
For our foreign friends some illuminating data points
1) no identification required to vote - just state your name at the polling station and sign on the sheet
2) voting rolls are notoriously never EVER updated.
3) I once registered my dog to vote - filled out the registration card -
first name, Rudy; middle name, The; last name, Dog. For Occupation , Watchdog
Sure enough a few weeks later received a voting card telling Mr. Rudy The Dog where his polling place was.
Posted by: Exile | Jan 24 2024 18:15 utc | 91
Trump and Biden are both very old. Even if there are no shenanigans, there is a high chance one or the other will be crippled or dead from old age before the election.
Posted by: catdog | Jan 24 2024 18:23 utc | 92
Biden, Kerry, McCain and their buddies were all in there looting the place starting at least in 2008. he CIA has has a big hand in directing Ukr politics since 1991. The Ukr made itself a cat's paw for the EU to harass Russia and its smoothly operating gas business (pipleines going through the Ukr).
Posted by: Jane | Jan 24 2024 17:55 utc | 86
Agree. I also think Bush/Cheney really escalated things more than their predecessors by pushing NATO membership to the Eastern European and Balkan countries when there was no need for it. Wolfowitz Doctrine in full effect. And then once they started pushing for Ukraine/Georgia membership, well...the rest is history.
Posted by: Frank McGar | Jan 24 2024 18:24 utc | 93
Trump WILL NOT be the 47th President.
Posted by: Joe Blow | Jan 24 2024 12:52 utc | 4
Blow it out your ass Joe, you are as clueless about politics as you are about consequence. There will be NO ONE to run against him. You think he and his team are not factoring in assassination attempts, nor planning on who to root out of cushy government positions? Nor who to prosecute? You give far too much credence to the intelligence of the opposition, who have virtually shat upon everything that makes the US function. Fake or election or not, he will win, he has very high level billionaire backers, hell, even the msm are acknowledging he has no competition. Joe, just calm the fuck down and stop assuming you know the outcome.
Posted by: madmarc | Jan 24 2024 18:26 utc | 95
bevin | Jan 24 2024 17:28 utc | 80--
librul | Jan 24 2024 17:35 utc | 81--
Thanks for your excellent replies. This Global Times political cartoon almost gets it correct: It's not the D&R parties that are fighting that are the Elite/Uncle Sam's "Enemy;" rather, it's the rank & file members of those two--the general public--that's the actual enemy, that must overthrow Uncle Sam to liberate themselves and return to the fundamental Conservative/Progressive basis of political values the majority of the nation agrees with and wants.
For an example of what embodies Conservative/Progressive norms and political values, the best example is here, "Year of Family Opening & Meeting with Participants and Winners of All-Russian Family Competitions", which are actually articulated within the US Constitution:
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity...."
It just so happens that Russia and China and many other nations are pursuing those very aims--aims the USA hasn't tried to accomplish for going on about 140 years now, and most certainly not for the last 80.
Ed:
But...that ploy has worn thread-bare thin, and you [may well] have a civil war on your hands come Jan 2025, and exponentially more likely before then should the orange slum landlord be jailed or killed in the interim.
5.30am here... should've been asleep 7 hours ago...
Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Jan 24 2024 18:35 utc | 97
Posted by: Joe Blow | Jan 24 2024 12:52 utc | 4
'Trump WILL NOT be the 47th President.
Blah blah blah
They'll Kennedy him before he gets in a 2nd time, grok that. That's what's meant by Tinvowoot, dumbasses.'
-------
To Joe Blow. America is a nation on the edge of violent revolution. Should THEY decide to shit all over the American people so badly this time by, as you suggest, murdering Trump, I guarantee there will be a war in the USA, and it will not be like Jan 6th setup. This time many millions will be carrying real weapons and be organized in battalions ready to die for their country snd preserve Freedom. Yes indeedy. The Tree of Liberty will be watered with the blood of the tyrants. And how.
Posted by: Áobh Ó'Sheachnasaigh | Jan 24 2024 18:36 utc | 98
Posted by: DunGroanin | Jan 24 2024 16:25 utc | 59
The "why" is easy, everyone can see that the US borrowed a lot of money from China. The US cannot repay the loan. China wants the collateral to monetize in some way. Just like your lending institution would take your house/collateral if you failed to make payments. No different. No matter who you are the lender always "owns" the borrower. Also remember in the beginning of the US, landowners were the only ones allowed to vote. Traditionally, landowners have had a large influence on elections. Have you noticed how much land China is purchasing in the US? Do you think owners of massive amounts of land/acreage will have any effect on elections? Yes, of course they do.
Posted by: CeaClearly | Jan 24 2024 18:47 utc | 99
so many threads
so little time
DAVOS CREW GOES INTO WARP SPEED
I am dumping this here
The DISARM project enabling citizens to report disinforation put out by anyone at all. Commenters on line, deviating from the narrative will be treated as a hate criminal subject to harsh punishments.
There is a significant push to codify hate thoughts and speech as crimes not only at the national level but also at the local level. The United States Mayors Conference issued a “Compact to Combat Hate, Extremism and Bigotry,” calling for reporting hate incidents and the expansion of hate crime laws. DISARM will be the global tool to identify occurrences that will be reported to government agencies.
The top risk in the WEF’s 2024 Global Risk Report is disinformation. If not controlled, societies will be polarized, elections will be disrupted, and there will be mistrust of the media and governments. WEF wants to control free speech to protect it, or social cohesion will be destroyed, leading to civil unrest. Only governments can arbitrate the truth.
Emerging as the most severe global risk anticipated over the next two years, foreign and domestic actors alike will leverage misinformation and disinformationto further widen societal and political divides.
Disinformation Software
MITRE, a massive government IT contractor, collaborated with programming the AMITT platform. Pulling on threads for Department of Homeland Security grants, I found MITRE operates the DHS’s Security Systems Engineering and Development. AMITT’s genesis started with the COVID-19 information and disinformation tracking campaign. It involved NATO, DHS, Canada, and the EU’s European External Action Service assisting in tool adaptations and trials. AMITT has been upgraded to a second generation and renamed DISARM (Disinformation Analysis and Risk Management).
The DISARM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 to maintain and enhance the DISARM Framework on behalf of its users. It was organized in Texas because the State does not regulate nonprofits. Hampton Roese is the organizer and Head of Digital Engagement for the nonprofit Public Democracy America, which has incubated over eighty left-leaning nonprofits.
DISARM’s 2022 990 tax return shows no assets; in other words, it is a shell entity. However, its website lists numerous funding and support sources, notably from Alliance4Europe, which receives co-financing from the EU Parliament. DISARM claims, “We receive no financial support from governments.” Well, at least not directly.
Omri Preiss, Managing Director of Alliance4Europe, an EU nonprofit, is Vice Chair of DISARM. Pablo Breuer serves as Chairman. He has previously worked for the Atlantic Council. Stephen Campbell is the Chief Technical Officer, and he recently completed a one-year extension program on digital forensics with the Atlantic Council. Sara-Jayne Terp is the Chief Scientist who teaches cybersecurity and cognitive security at the University of Maryland and is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. The Atlantic Council is a think tank based in Washington, DC, focusing on NATO and international affairs and substantially funded by US and European governments.
DISARM Framework
DISARM runs its platform and repository on GitHub, a cloud-based service using open-source programming. Using hyperlinks allows the developer to enable anyone to see the repository or choose who can see it. DISARM has published a one-hundred-and-eighty-five-page white paper explaining how to combat so-called hate speech, misinformation, malinformation, and disinformation, which can be downloaded Paraphrasing DHS slogan, “If You See Something, Say Something®; if you view something, report it.
Larry Johnson Article
not sure if it will be allowed so I am not posting the link
Posted by: ld | Jan 24 2024 18:48 utc | 100
The comments to this entry are closed.
Democracy? What a contrived and dysfunctional system. No wonder the outcome is consistently flawed.
Posted by: Lev Davidovich | Jan 24 2024 12:39 utc | 1