dailykos--2020-08-23--Never forget we're a nation of resilient dreamers

I felt inspired by Joe Biden ’ s speech at the democratic national convention .
And I also know some conservative voters feel that way when listening to Trump .
Some people might call all conservatives fascists .
Or nazis .
Or bigots .
Or racists .
Or misogynists .
Or… you know what , that kind of name-calling is beneath me .
Instead , this post is an exploration into the mind of a conservative voter , and I will attempt to show that one of their more predominant worries about liberal ideals is based in unfounded pessimism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this : they think liberals are hopeless romantics who dream bigger than they can do .
But I urge you to remember that we are , in fact , a nation of resilient dreamers .
I ’ m not claiming that humans have always been resilient dreamers .
Of course , there have been times in history when a group of people ’ s dreams were too big .
And instead of resilience , hubris got the best of them .
For example , Herodotus , the first historian , the so-called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hubris .
In his account of the Persian Wars , he wrote that the Persian King Xerxes ordered his armies to whip the sea .
Each man in the Persian army dealt the Hellespont 300 lashings .
Did this correct the poor behavior of the water ?
Did this help them cross it without losing more ships to its natural chaotic currents ?
A better question : was this real ?
Or did Herodotus embellish this to make the Persians look incredibly dumb ?
Or did he write this to teach the reader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s my lesson to you , dear Reader… history has always been written by the winner .
That ’ s what the P stands for .
ESPN : Entertaining Sports Propaganda Network .
And then there ’ s ESPN 2 : Edging Sexual Propaganda Network .
Honestly , I urge you to stay as far away from ESPN 2 as possible .
So is it propaganda to point to the successes of liberal dreams in the contemporary United States ?
Maybe .
I think it ’ s fair to say everything is propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also argue that some liberal successes in our country can be proven with the use of historical evidence .
There ’ s many liberal policies since the Civil War that can be considered successful : labor laws , social security , unemployment insurance , labor unions , public works programs , the formation of national parks , the ACLU and NAACP ( not exactly policies but don ’ t be so tied to words , geez ) , the Civil Rights Act of 1964… it ’ s shame that most of these occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s almost like we used to dream bigger , and then I was born .
And now everything is conservative and sucky .
It ’ s fair to ask how I know those liberal policies were truly successful .
Well , listen , have you considered delving into the history books yourself ?
Because I ’ ll be honest with you , it ’ s Sunday morning .
I ’ d probably rather go outside .
So how about you take a long look in the mirror… do you ever try researching anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple sources ?
Or do you just get all your information and opinions spoon-fed to you ?
And you probably believe the first thing you read .
You make me sick .
I don ’ t think most people view each other in negative terms .
Sure , humans view other groups of humans negatively .
But specific individuals ?
I think the more common feelings are confusion and sadness .
Maybe anger if a certain individual is not staying on top of their mental health .
But I think , more often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how we feel about those we let into our own circles , we tend to pity others whom we think have “ fallen prey ” to wrongful thinking .
For example , when I have friends who buy dippin ’ dots , I might pity them for thinking they need dippin ’ dots in their life but I certainly don ’ t hate them .
Of course , I hate the idea of dippin ’ dots .
I hate the general idea of the group of people in my head who buy dippin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future ?
And it ’ s just cold dots ?
Are you fucking kidding me ?
Ice cream should never change .
I ’ ll openly hate any abstract group of people who advocate for changing ice cream .
Especially to some bullshit little dots .
But if you ’ re someone I know personally , feel free to eat dippin ’ dots in front of me .
I won ’ t hate you .
I ’ ll just feel bad for you .
I ’ ll pity your poor taste .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I can only guess they feel sorry for liberals for what they perceive to be our ungrounded , hopeful spirits .
They think we ’ re dreamers who dream bigger than we should .
They think our dreams are harmful because they ’ ll backfire on us in the long run .
It not 100 % an illogical opinion .
Sure , Tony Hawk ’ s about as close to perfect as any mere mortal can get .
But I bet Tony Hawk has done some real shitty things .
I bet when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he probably started talking shit to some other skateboarder .
The other guy was probably some up-and-comer , and Tony Hawk probably felt threatened by him .
So he probably lashed into the guy .
“ I ’ m on video games , I ’ m on TV , etc ... ” This is all pure conjecture , mind you .
But c ’ mon , I bet anyone $ 5 that Tony Hawk once spat on a friend ’ s skateboard .
He probably said , “ There , that ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shit.
” No imaginary Tony Hawk , you ’ re the piece of shit .
Perfection is unattainable when increasing the services a government provides , and the same can be said for when you change the services a government provides .
There are likely to be adverse side effects to a change of any kind .
Like when I change the channel away from Game of Thrones when a parent walks into the room .
My intention is to reduce the risk of seeing nudity on TV at the same time as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that causes a sinking feeling in my gut and a general wave of skin-crawling anxiety to overtake my entire aura .
So I change the channel , but silly me — I forgot I was on HBO .
And now I ’ ve ended up changing the channel to a soft core porn HBO is currently airing for god knows what reason .
And now my dad is in the same room with me and we are both looking at the same TV , horrified .
We both see that 90s boob .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shared living space , and we don ’ t know what to do with it .
We avoid eye contact at all costs , and this shall never be openly discussed .
So yes , change is risky .
The thing conservatives forget about what they call the “ liberal agenda ” is that it ’ s not rooted in revolution for the sake of revolution .
Well , maybe the liberal agenda in the USSR was .
After all a while , I ’ m pretty sure their left-wing politics were not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Disregarding Russia , that “ democratic ” shit-show , contemporary liberalism is really the simple call for progress .
The progressive platform , after all , falls within the liberal party .
Comparing democratic socialism to the failed socialist experiment in the USSR is absurd .
Russia has effed up everything it ’ s ever tried .
Honestly , what has Russia ever produced that ’ s good ?
And don ’ t give me common Russian talking points like Tchaikovsky , Dostoevsky , Tolstoy , vodka , borscht , chess , Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or listen ... would you stop listing good Russian things you stupid son of a bitch ?
People who strive for progress often have hope in their hearts and a decent head on their shoulders .
Unless they become jaded , they will continue to have that same hope their entire lives .
If a policy enacted in the name of hope ends up producing negative side effects , it can always be reworked and revised to make it fall more in line with the original intention .
We sometimes forget that hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don ’ t overlook hope as an evolutionary strength .
No matter what American Gladiators might have us believe , humans are not the physically fittest species on this earth .
Half of us can barely stand to get out of our loveseats for more than a drunken stumble to the pantry for more cool ranch doritos .
Our bodies are our temples in the sense that they looked good in the distant past and now show signs of aging and twinkies .
But hope it what keeps our species going .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that and Stanley Kubrick .
Hope is why we all wear masks every time we go out in public .
We have hope for a better future , and we know that to get there , we need to act right today .
And not just today — we need to act right every day until we fulfill the dreams within our souls .
It ’ s also why if anyone ever gives you either one marshmallow now or two marshmallows in five minutes , you should always wait the five fucking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yes , listen , I get the appeal .
You can have one marshmallow now !
Surely , it ’ ll satisfy some horrid animal craving in you .
You make me sick .
But just imagine doubling those carnal delights by waiting a mere five minutes .
A mere five minutes !
Believe it or not , it ’ s worth it .
You ’ ll thank me later , you disgusting pig .
Anyway , today ’ s liberal party hopes for policy that can address the inequalities facing our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to improve police accountability and a plan to deal with the pandemic .
Both of these plans would be based in the latest science .
And not the kind of science that gets your dick hard .
Unless you ’ re into a little too into public policy , in which case , get a shrink , man .
I mean , I generally do n't mean to kink-shame , but if public policy gets you horny , you have issues .
As liberal plans are carried out , they will be mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resilient .
People who will relentlessly pursue excellence .
How do I know this ?
In my life experience , I ’ ve worked with teachers , the ultimate dreamers .
Teaching is the hardest job ever created .
Yet teachers show up to get the job done .
Even today , they are showing up with masks , air purifiers , and hopefully injecting a lot of bleach .
Because they ’ re resilient , day in and day out .
Also , yeah , you might be surprised to hear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such an important field for our future .
Surely , I ’ ve scarred the children I ’ ve taught .
I hope the students I taught have access to trained professionals to discuss the trauma they endured when my red-headed authoritarian presence gave them lunch detention after lunch detention for interrupting my all-important science lesson on Newton ’ s Third Law or whatever meaningless trivia we think kids need to know .
Anyway , I ’ ve worked in many different schools and seen many different examples of resilient dreamers .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Illinois , and Wisconsin .
And now in my own limited role in Education Technology , I work in education on a global level .
Sure , I wasn ’ t the best teacher .
Sure , I didn ’ t always exactly command respect in the classroom .
Yes , my students made fun of my red hair .
Yes , they also made fun of my last name .
No , I haven ’ t heard a who .
Yes , I am aware my face does that really weird @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , don ’ t show me what my face does again .
Yes , I am over the age of 25 and single .
Let ’ s stop talking about this .
Yes , I do go on dates .
No , I will never tell you anything about my dates .
Yes , I do enjoy the game of football despite how I look .
Absolutely , Cody Parkey should have made that kick .
What I ’ m getting at is… One thing I ’ ll never understand about conservatives is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they don ’ t extend that to American liberalism .
If we truly are a nation comprised of the greatest people on the planet , why wouldn ’ t our liberal-minded citizens be exceptionally great at accomplishing their policy goals ?
Conservatives will be proudly casting their vote for what they think is a system that ’ s already good enough and doesn ’ t need to take on the risk of change .
But liberals believe in the power of our country to go to work or make the necessary sacrifices to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who wins the election , conservatives should recognize the hope shown by liberals .
And honestly , liberals should respect the stubbornness of conservatives .
After all , stubbornness is just hope ’ s rude cousin .
As long as we continue to see the best in each other , that ’ s the true victory .
But I hope that the dreamers win .
I hope we have a chance to see what our country can do over the next four years to tackle our big problems .
I hope to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve been .
Also , I care about black people and trans people and Mexican people and Jewish people and middle eastern people and gay people and men fighting against toxic masculinity and feminists and the planet earth and polar bears and my constitutional rights and soldiers and veterans and immigrants and disabled people and students and women in general and yes even police lives and improvisers and stand ups and even alt comics and out of touch old white dudes and black women and academics and teachers and health workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the immuno-compromised and the lower class and the middle class and the people who are the absolute most fucked up who actually read this far and and and…

Surprisingly,
I felt inspired by Joe Biden’s speech at the democratic national convention. And I also know some conservative voters feel that way when listening to Trump.
Some people might call all conservatives fascists. Or nazis. Or bigots. Or racists. Or misogynists. Or… you know what, that kind of name-calling is beneath me. Instead, this post is an exploration into the mind of a conservative voter, and I will attempt to show that one of their more predominant worries about liberal ideals is based in unfounded pessimism. Their biggest single worry boils down to this: they think liberals are hopeless romantics who dream bigger than they can do. But I urge you to remember that we are, in fact, a nation of resilient dreamers.
Sorry, there aren’t as many visible abs as the movie 300
I’m not claiming that humans have always been resilient dreamers. Of course, there have been times in history when a group of people’s dreams were too big. And instead of resilience, hubris got the best of them.
For example, Herodotus, the first historian, the so-called “father of history,” wrote about Hubris. In his account of the Persian Wars, he wrote that the Persian King Xerxes ordered his armies to whip the sea. Each man in the Persian army dealt the Hellespont 300 lashings. Did this correct the poor behavior of the water? Did this help them cross it without losing more ships to its natural chaotic currents?
A better question: was this real? Or did Herodotus embellish this to make the Persians look incredibly dumb? Or did he write this to teach the reader a lesson? Well, here’s my lesson to you, dear Reader… history has always been written by the winner.
Fuck you ESPN
Like when ESPN forgets time and time again that the 2005 Chicago White Sox won the World Series. Not only did they win it, but they went 11-1 in the postseason. It was a beautiful time to be a lanky, pizza-face, 16 year old boy. When Juan Uribe made that final throw over to Paul Konerko to win it, I jumped out of my chair with a smile so big, you could have seen my braces from a mile away. Yet ESPN, the goddamn New York-biased sports media, loves to casually forget about this moment in time. You could get mad about this, or you could accept that it’s east-coast yuppie propaganda.
That’s what the P stands for. ESPN: Entertaining Sports Propaganda Network.
And then there’s ESPN 2: Edging Sexual Propaganda Network. Honestly, I urge you to stay as far away from ESPN 2 as possible.
So is it propaganda to point to the successes of liberal dreams in the contemporary United States? Maybe. I think it’s fair to say everything is propaganda to some degree. I’d also argue that some liberal successes in our country can be proven with the use of historical evidence.
The Progressive Creed, published in 1912
There’s many liberal policies since the Civil War that can be considered successful: labor laws, social security, unemployment insurance, labor unions, public works programs, the formation of national parks, the ACLU and NAACP (not exactly policies but don’t be so tied to words, geez), the Civil Rights Act of 1964… it’s shame that most of these occurred way in the past. It’s almost like we used to dream bigger, and then I was born.
And now everything is conservative and sucky.
It’s fair to ask how I know those liberal policies were truly successful. Well, listen, have you considered delving into the history books yourself? Because I’ll be honest with you,it’s Sunday morning. I’d probably rather go outside.
So how about you take a long look in the mirror… do you ever try researching anything for yourself? Do you look at multiple sources? Or do you just get all your information and opinions spoon-fed to you? And you probably believe the first thing you read. You make me sick.
I find it interesting that despite all the successes I mentioned above, I happen to be very close personally to many conservative-minded people who think liberals are largely filled with a lot of hot air. They hold very strongly on to one central belief that’s really at the heart of a lot of conservatism — they honestly think that contemporary liberals dream bigger than they can do. And the question that really eats away at me late into the night is… why do they think that way? What do they think about liberals that makes them so afraid of believing in hope? I’ll start by saying...
I don’t think most people view each other in negative terms. Sure, humans view other groups of humans negatively. But specific individuals? I think the more common feelings are confusion and sadness. Maybe anger if a certain individual is not staying on top of their mental health. But I think, more often than not, when it comes to how we feel about those we let into our own circles, we tend to pity others whom we think have “fallen prey” to wrongful thinking.
Seriously? People actually buy this shit?
For example, when I have friends who buy dippin’ dots, I might pity them for thinking they need dippin’ dots in their life but I certainly don’t hate them. Of course, I hate the idea of dippin’ dots. I hate the general idea of the group of people in my head who buy dippin’ dots. Ice cream of the future? And it’s just cold dots? Are you fucking kidding me? Ice cream should never change. I’ll openly hate any abstract group of people who advocate for changing ice cream. Especially to some bullshit little dots. But if you’re someone I know personally, feel free to eat dippin’ dots in front of me. I won’t hate you. I’ll just feel bad for you. I’ll pity your poor taste.
Is it foolish to dream?
When I consider what conservatives must think, I can only guess they feel sorry for liberals for what they perceive to be our ungrounded, hopeful spirits. They think we’re dreamers who dream bigger than we should. They think our dreams are harmful because they’ll backfire on us in the long run. It not 100% an illogical opinion.
After all, Lenin would probably self identify as a liberal. Maybe some liberal agendas are unrealistic or even harmful in the long run. This is really to be expected. When you increase the services a government provides, this change surely must cause some negative side effects. Nothing is perfect. Not even Tony Hawk.
Pictured: a real asshole sometimes, probably
Sure, Tony Hawk’s about as close to perfect as any mere mortal can get. But I bet Tony Hawk has done some real shitty things. I bet when no one was looking one time, he probably started talking shit to some other skateboarder. The other guy was probably some up-and-comer, and Tony Hawk probably felt threatened by him. So he probably lashed into the guy. “I’m on video games, I’m on TV, etc...”
I bet Tony Hawk was a real jerk.
This is all pure conjecture, mind you. But c’mon, I bet anyone $5 that Tony Hawk once spat on a friend’s skateboard. He probably said, “There, that’ll grease your wheels, you piece of shit.” No imaginary Tony Hawk, you’re the piece of shit.
United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege. (Joe Biden)
Perfection is unattainable when increasing the services a government provides, and the same can be said for when you change the services a government provides. There are likely to be adverse side effects to a change of any kind.
Game of Thrones: making families feel awkward for 8 whole seasons
Like when I change the channel away from Game of Thrones when a parent walks into the room. My intention is to reduce the risk of seeing nudity on TV at the same time as my dad. Just the thought of that causes a sinking feeling in my gut and a general wave of skin-crawling anxiety to overtake my entire aura.
So I change the channel, but silly me — I forgot I was on HBO. And now I’ve ended up changing the channel to a soft core porn HBO is currently airing for god knows what reason.
And now my dad is in the same room with me and we are both looking at the same TV, horrified. We both see that 90s boob. There’s an areola in our shared living space, and we don’t know what to do with it. We avoid eye contact at all costs, and this shall never be openly discussed.
So yes, change is risky.
What happened to Putin’s shirt?
The thing conservatives forget about what they call the “liberal agenda” is that it’s not rooted in revolution for the sake of revolution. Well, maybe the liberal agenda in the USSR was. After all a while, I’m pretty sure their left-wing politics were not exactly aimed at serving the people.
But let’s be clear — everything Russia does is horrible. They currently have a democracy, but they are basically letting Vladimir Putin rule for life . Dude, Russia is so far gone, it’s not even worth mentioning in the same breath as politics literally anywhere else today.
Disregarding Russia, that “democratic” shit-show, contemporary liberalism is really the simple call for progress. The progressive platform, after all, falls within the liberal party. Comparing democratic socialism to the failed socialist experiment in the USSR is absurd. Russia has effed up everything it’s ever tried.
Honestly, what has Russia ever produced that’s good? And don’t give me common Russian talking points like Tchaikovsky, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, vodka, borscht, chess, Russian nesting dolls, Laika the dog, or listen... would you stop listing good Russian things you stupid son of a bitch?
We must remember:
People who strive for progress often have hope in their hearts and a decent head on their shoulders. Unless they become jaded, they will continue to have that same hope their entire lives. If a policy enacted in the name of hope ends up producing negative side effects, it can always be reworked and revised to make it fall more in line with the original intention.
Pictured: the human spirit, AKA our greatest tool for survival
We sometimes forget that hope brings with it a natural resilience. Don’t overlook hope as an evolutionary strength. No matter what American Gladiators might have us believe, humans are not the physically fittest species on this earth. Half of us can barely stand to get out of our loveseats for more than a drunken stumble to the pantry for more cool ranch doritos.
Our bodies are our temples in the sense that they looked good in the distant past and now show signs of aging and twinkies.
But hope it what keeps our species going. It got us to the moon. Well, that and Stanley Kubrick.
Would MLK pass the marshmallow test?
Hope is why we all wear masks every time we go out in public. We have hope for a better future, and we know that to get there, we need to act right today. And not just today — we need to act right every day until we fulfill the dreams within our souls.
It’s also why if anyone ever gives you either one marshmallow now or two marshmallows in five minutes, you should always wait the five fucking minutes, you complete twat. Yes, yes, listen, I get the appeal. You can have one marshmallow now! Surely, it’ll satisfy some horrid animal craving in you. You make me sick. But just imagine doubling those carnal delights by waiting a mere five minutes. A mere five minutes! Believe it or not, it’s worth it. You’ll thank me later, you disgusting pig.
Anyway, today’s liberal party hopes for policy that can address the inequalities facing our country. They hope for a plan to improve police accountability and a plan to deal with the pandemic. Both of these plans would be based in the latest science.
And not the kind of science that gets your dick hard. Unless you’re into a little too into public policy, in which case, get a shrink, man.
I mean, I generally don't mean to kink-shame, but if public policy gets you horny, you have issues.
Look, I understand it's hard to have hope right now. On this summer night, let me take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most. I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I know that deep black hole that opens up in your chest. That you feel your whole being is sucked into it. I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes. But I've learned two things. First, your loved ones may have left this Earth but they never leave your heart. They will always be with you. And second, I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose. As God's children each of us have a purpose in our lives. And we have a great purpose as a nation: To open the doors of opportunity to all Americans. To save our democracy. To be a light to the world once again. (Joe Biden)
As liberal plans are carried out, they will be mostly overseen by people who are hopeful and resilient. People who will relentlessly pursue excellence.
Pictured: the hardest job on the planet.
How do I know this? In my life experience, I’ve worked with teachers, the ultimate dreamers. Teaching is the hardest job ever created. Yet teachers show up to get the job done. Even today, they are showing up with masks, air purifiers, and hopefully injecting a lot of bleach. Because they’re resilient, day in and day out.
Also, yeah, you might be surprised to hear that the idiot writing this has worked in such an important field for our future. Surely, I’ve scarred the children I’ve taught.
I hope the students I taught have access to trained professionals to discuss the trauma they endured when my red-headed authoritarian presence gave them lunch detention after lunch detention for interrupting my all-important science lesson on Newton’s Third Law or whatever meaningless trivia we think kids need to know.
Pictured: teacher (me)
Anyway, I’ve worked in many different schools and seen many different examples of resilient dreamers. I’ve worked in education in Arizona, Illinois, and Wisconsin. And now in my own limited role in Education Technology, I work in education on a global level.
Sure, I wasn’t the best teacher. Sure, I didn’t always exactly command respect in the classroom.
Yes, my students made fun of my red hair.
Yes, they also made fun of my last name. No, I haven’t heard a who.
Yes, I am aware my face does that really weird thing when I get annoyed. No, don’t show me what my face does again.
Yes, I am over the age of 25 and single. Let’s stop talking about this.
Yes, I do go on dates. No, I will never tell you anything about my dates.
Yes, I do enjoy the game of football despite how I look. Absolutely, Cody Parkey should have made that kick.
What I’m getting at is…
I have collaborated professionally with too many liberal, hard working, intelligent, resilient dreamers to doubt our country’s ability to relentlessly solve problems. Is this life experience all I need to claim that liberal policy-makers don’t dream too big? Probably not, but it’s a big factor for me. If you want more concrete proof, then go read someone else’s blog. Why do you insist I write exactly what you want to read? You make me sick. Which of them would win in a game of slapsies? Anyway, I have full confidence in the ability of resilient dreamers to get the job done. I’m as confident about that as I am about the fact that monster truck rallies are the coolest thing ever invented. And if they ever convert to electric powered trucks, I promise you I’m the first one there. I’ll even wear one of those beer dispensing helmets, and if you want to play a good old fashioned game of slapsies, I’m in. Redheads have a naturally high pain tolerance. No matter how much you slap my hands, I’ll only feel an ounce of the pain you’d expect.
One thing I’ll never understand about conservatives is they believe in American exceptionalism, but they don’t extend that to American liberalism. If we truly are a nation comprised of the greatest people on the planet, why wouldn’t our liberal-minded citizens be exceptionally great at accomplishing their policy goals?
I want to hope again
Conservatives will be proudly casting their vote for what they think is a system that’s already good enough and doesn’t need to take on the risk of change. But liberals believe in the power of our country to go to work or make the necessary sacrifices to get the job done. No matter who wins the election, conservatives should recognize the hope shown by liberals. And honestly, liberals should respect the stubbornness of conservatives.
After all, stubbornness is just hope’s rude cousin. As long as we continue to see the best in each other, that’s the true victory.
But I hope that the dreamers win. I hope we have a chance to see what our country can do over the next four years to tackle our big problems.
I hope to show the world we’re better than we’ve been.
Also, I care about black people and trans people and Mexican people and Jewish people and middle eastern people and gay people and men fighting against toxic masculinity and feminists and the planet earth and polar bears and my constitutional rights and soldiers and veterans and immigrants and disabled people and students and women in general and yes even police lives and improvisers and stand ups and even alt comics and out of touch old white dudes and black women and academics and teachers and health workers and the service industry and essential workers and the immuno-compromised and the lower class and the middle class and the people who are the absolute most fucked up who actually read this far and and and…
...please dear lord Jesus Christ almighty, let Joe Biden win.
Thanks for reading. Honestly, I probably wrote this for myself. We all need some convincing that the world isn’t going fully to shit. Sometimes, we have to be the ones who tell ourselves. Maybe I should pursue a career in political speech-writing. Or maybe I should just stick to this tiny internet platform. After all, it’d be a pretty weird speech if the politician went into random diatribes about dippin’ dots and Russia.


dailykos--2020-08-24--All The President’s People: The Growing List of Those Who Have Turned On Donald Trump

Trump supporters should deeply question why so many closest to Trump , who know him best , have turned on him .
Many of those that did were people Trump chose to work for him .
They were Trump ’ s “ best people.
” Of course , Trump speaks very differently of them now .
The other point is in the consistency of their stories .
Almost all of these people describe Trump as mentally unfit for the Presidency due to his lack of intellect , his dishonesty , and absence of character and or guiding principles other than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s people who are now against him is astounding not only for its length and breadth , but also for how intimately close to him they were .
The list includes his sister , his niece , his National Security Advisor , his Secretary of Defense , his Director of National Intelligence , his Chief of Staff , his Secretary of the Navy , his Communications Director , another Communications Director , his National Economics Director , his Homeland Security Advisor , the Chief of Staff for Homeland Security , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deal , and even his personal lawyer for over ten years .
Each deserves their own discussion .
His Sister , Retired Federal Judge Maryanne Trump Barry : Nominated as a Federal judge by Ronald Reagan she retired under the cloud of an ethics investigation prompted by a New York Times expose suggesting she and her siblings ( including President Trump ) engaged in illegal financial transactions and tax evasion .
Concern for the legal ramifications prompted Mary Trump ( see below ) to record conversations with her .
In those conversations Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his SATs for him to get into the University of Pennsylvania .
In regards to Trump she states , “ He has no principles .
None .
None.
” She continues in this vein saying , “ His goddamned tweets and lying , oh my God , I ’ m talking too freely , but you know .
The change of stories .
The lack of preparation .
The lying .
Holy shit.
” His Niece , Mary Trump : The daughter of Trump ’ s older brother , Fred Trump Junior , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best selling book Too Much and Never Enough : How My Family Created the World ’ s Most Dangerous Man .
Trump sued to prevent publication of the book , but failed .
The book reveals Mary Trump was the source of the Trump family tax and financial records for the New York Times that prompted the investigation described above .
The book in stark terms , lays out how Donald Trump ’ s upbringing psychologically impaired him in a way making it impossible to be a competent President .
Quote : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald is not simply weak , his ego is a fragile thing that must be bolstered every moment because he knows deep down that he is nothing of what he claims to be.
” His National Security Advisor , John Bolton : First started working in the Reagan Administration .
When nominated by George Bush to be Ambassador to the United Nations democrats filibustered to prevent it ( Bush used a controversial recess appointment to get him into the position ) .
Trump appointed Bolton as National Security Advisor to replace H.R .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn .
Bolton would last a little more than a year in this merry-go-round position before being replaced by Robert O ’ Brien .
Bolton is the author of yet another book that Trump unsuccessfully sued to prevent publication , The Room Where It Happened .
The book describes Trump seeking China ’ s help in winning reelection , Trump ’ s wrongful meddling in Department of Justice investigations for his own ends , that there was a quid pro quo when holding back arms aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not know Finland was not a part of Russia or that the United Kingdom was a nuclear power .
His Secretary of Defense , James Mattis : The highly decorated Marine Corps General multi-war hero , who earned the nickname “ Mad Dog , ” was appointed by Trump who described Mattis as “ very impressive ” and “ a true general ’ s general.
” Trump would later fire Mattis for having the audacity to say that we should treat our allies with respect .
When Trump later described Mattis as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ famously fired back , “ I earned my spurs on the battlefield , Donald Trump earned his spurs in a letter from a doctor.
” In regards to the George Floyd protests , and Trump ’ s response , Mattis issued a blistering letter stating , “ Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try .
Instead he tries to divide us .
We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ years without mature leadership.
” Describing how he was “ appalled ” by Trump ’ s abuse of the military Mattis wrote , “ When I joined the military , some 50 years ago , I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution .
Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens — much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief , with military leadership standing alongside.
” Some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own regrets for participating in that event .
His Director of National Intelligence , Joe Maguire : A highly decorated Navy Seal Vice-Admiral , Trump first appointed Maguire as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in 2018 .
Trump then promoted him to Acting Director of National Intelligence to replace Dan Coates .
The reason for Maguire ’ s termination is a testimony to Trump ’ s pettiness .
In February of this year a subordinate of Maguire ’ s truthfully testified to Congress that the Russians were seeking to intervene in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing so to support Trump ’ s election .
So Trump fired Maguire .
The firing earned a scathing attack from Admiral William McRaven ( see below ) .
In a Washington Post Op-ed McRaven wrote , “ As Americans , we should be frightened — deeply afraid for the future of the nation .
When good men and women can ’ t speak the truth , when facts are inconvenient , when integrity and character no longer matter , when presidential ego and self-preservation are more important than national security — then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ triumph of evil.
” His Chief of Staff and Head of Department of Homeland Security , John Kelly : Another highly decorated Marine Corps general Trump appointed Kelly describing him as “ `` ) ; background-size : 1px 1px ; background-position : 0px calc ( 1em + 1px ) ; '' > a Great American.
” Kelly states that `` ) ; background-size : 1px 1px ; background-position : 0px calc ( 1em + 1px ) ; '' > he agrees with General Mattis that Trump is trying to divide the nation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration he would have tried to talk Trump out of the Church photo-op debacle .
His Secretary of State , Rex Tillerson : When hired Trump described Tillerson as “ a world class player and dealmaker ” and “ one of the truly great business leaders of the world.
” From that Tillerson went two years later to “ dumb as a rock and totally ill prepared and ill equipped to be Secretary of State.
” To be fair , Tillerson had described Trump as “ a fucking moron.
” When asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tillerson famously said , “ I can not .
” After being fired Tillerson described his frustration in working with a man “ who is pretty undisciplined , doesn ’ t like to read , doesn ’ t read briefing reports ” and who wanted to do things that violated the law .
His Secretary of the Navy , Richard Spencer : When Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher was convicted by Court Martial Spencer sought to at least remove him from Seals .
Trump ordered Gallagher ’ s Seal status reinstated and when Spencer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a departure letter he wrote , “ As Secretary of the Navy .
one the most important responsibilities I have to our people is to maintain good order and discipline throughout the ranks .
I regard this as deadly serious business .
The lives of our Sailors .
Marines and civilian teammates quite literally depend on the professional execution of our many missions .
.
.
The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries .
Good order and discipline is what has enabled our victory against foreign tyranny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it has become apparent that in this respect .
I no longer share the same understanding with the Commander in Chief who appointed me in regards to the key principle of good order and discipline .
I can not in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took in the presence of my family , my flag and my faith to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
” In a Washington Post Op-ed Spencer would later write that Trump , “ has very little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the military , to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.
” His Communications Director , Anthony Scaramucci : In a chaotic mess of an administration , with more turnover than any other , Scaramucci was the pinnacle of it all .
He survived only ten days in the Trump appointed job .
He has since called Trump “ crazy ” and “ off the rails ” and suggested Trump panders to racism .
He founded a super PAC aimed at getting out the votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Other Communications Director , Omarosa Manigault Newman : Trump got to know her as a repeat contender on The Apprentice .
She was primarily hired to be the token black woman staffer in The Whitehouse .
When fired The Whitehouse tried to claim she resigned .
Sadly , Omarosa had taped her firing and gave it to the press .
When Omarosa claimed Trump staffers discussed strategies to take if tapes came out with Trump using the “ n-word , ” the staffers denied any such conversation occurred .
Alas , Omarosa produced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with those involved certainly indicating they believed such an offensive tape did exist .
Her book , Unhinged : An Insider ’ s Account of the Trump White House details this and many other allegations of Trump ’ s racism .
His National Economics Director , Gary Cohn : Appointed by Trump but often disagreed with policy .
Cohn publicly criticized the Administration ’ s response to the Charlottesville white supremacy violence .
He resigned over Trump ’ s insistence on tariffs and was replaced by Larry Kudlow .
He has since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in The Whitehouse willing to stand up to Trump .
His Homeland Security Advisor , Tom Bossert : Bossert quit when Trump dissolved the global health security threats team that he oversaw .
In light of the pandemic that should now be a bigger news story than it is .
Bossert had urged a “ comprehensive biodefense strategy against pandemics and biological attacks.
” The rest is history .
His Former Chief of Staff for Homeland Security , Miles Taylor : While he left on comparatively amicable terms for a big money job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ security expert stunningly turned against Trump .
He was the centerpiece for a powerful advertisement by Republican Voters Against Trump shown at the Democratic National Convention .
He also wrote an for the Washington Post saying he “ saw firsthand how dangerous Trump is for America.
” Taylor stated he “ when it came to national security , I witnessed the damning results firsthand ” stating Trump ’ s “ bungled response to the coronavirus pandemic is the ultimate example.
” His Ghost Writer for The Art of the Deal , Tony Schwartz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the book where Trump claims to have defined himself and his means to success .
Since then Schwartz has been plagued by guilt for his role in boosting Trump to power .
“ I put lipstick on a pig .
I feel a deep sense of remorse that I contributed to presenting Trump in a way that brought him wider attention and made him more appealing than he is.
” Schwartz said that if he could rename the book today it would be “ The Sociopath.
” Trump responded by threatening to sue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return all he earned from the book and apologize for his defamatory comments .
That was four years ago .
No lawsuit has followed .
His Lawyer , Michael Cohen : Trump ’ s personal attorney for over a decade once vowed he would never turn on Trump .
The FBI raided his office and home with a search warrant .
He ended up turning on Trump and pleading guilty to a variety of financial frauds .
Among them were financial frauds related to hush money payments to conceal Trump ’ s affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model Karen McDougal .
Cohen testified , and the charging documents treat as true ( famously describing Trump as “ Individual One ” ) , that Trump was a co-conspirator in that fraud .
From within prison Cohen was writing his own tell all book .
Trump ’ s steps to suppress that book hit a new low .
When Cohen was released to house arrest due to Covid concerns in the prison , Trump ’ s DOJ put him back in the prison unless he would agree to sign a prohibition on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cohen sued claiming the obvious retaliation was a First Amendment violation .
The judge agreed stating , “ I ’ ve never seen such a clause in 21 years of being a judge and sentencing people and looking at terms of supervised release.
” The book , entitled Disloyal , is scheduled for release September 8th .
A forward teasing the book was released with Cohen describing Trump as “ a cheat , a liar , a fraud , a bully , a racist , a predator , a con man.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above list worked closely with Trump on matters related to critical issues of national security and their criticisms of him go right to the national security risks Trump entails .
This separate list of prominent Republicans coming out against Bush is also impressive for its diversity and Republican star power luminaries .
The list of such Republicans includes a former President , a former Secretary of State , three former State Governors , two sitting Senators ( including a former Republican nominee for President ) , the Navy Admiral who orchestrated the raid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former President George W. Bush : Bush notably failed to endorse Trump in 2016 but did appear at Trump ’ s inauguration which he described as “ some weird shit.
” After Charlottesville Bush delivered a speech , that while not mentioning Trump , was widely regarded as critical of him .
Bush said , “ Bigotry seems emboldened .
Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication .
Bigotry in any form is blasphemy against the American creed and it means the very identity of our nation depends on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next generation.
” Serious question , can you ever remember a former President of a party turning against the current President from the same party ?
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell : The National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan rocketed to Republican superstar status as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Operation Desert Storm .
A declared Republican , he campaigned for both President Bushes as such .
Throughout the 1990s he was frequently mentioned as a possible Republican Presidential candidate , but declined to run .
He endorsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush won he made Powell his Secretary of State .
In that role he built the case for war with Iraq after 9/11 .
As with me , Powell ’ s loyalty to the Republican Party ended with Trump .
Powell now says he will vote for Biden .
Powell spoke at the Democratic National Convention saying , “ Today , we are a country divided , and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way .
What a difference it will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us , who restores our strength and our soul.
” Senator , and former Republican nominee for President , Mitt Romney : Romney is a sitting Republican Senator and was the Republican Party ’ s 2012 nominee for President .
In 2016 he had harsh words against Donald Trump and wrote in his wife ’ s name for President .
Even so , when Trump won the election two seemed to bury the hatchet with Trump interviewing Romney as a potential Secretary of State .
Trump chose Rex Tillerson ( see above ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator who voted to convict Trump for abuse of power in the Ukraine impeachment proceedings .
Shortly after , Romney directly stated that he would not vote for Trump in 2020 .
Senator Lisa Murkowski : The Republican Senator from Alaska has not yet publicly stated she will oppose Donald Trump in 2020 but says she has been “ struggling ” over whether to support him .
In response to the blistering attack by General Mattis in June on Trump ( see above ) Murkowski stated , that she “ thought General Mattis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and necessary and overdue.
” You should go back and look at what Mattis said .
Murkowski is not up for reelection herself again until 2022 but Trump has already pledged to campaign against her .
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich : A popular three term Governor for Ohio until 2019 and only term limitations forced him out .
In 2016 Kasich declined to endorse Trump , but did not actively campaign against him .
Things are different this time around .
Kasich spoke at the Democratic National Convention , explicitly endorsing Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Republican but the Republican Party has always been my vehicle but never my master .
You have to do what you think is right in your heart and I ’ m comfortable here.
” Former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger : The eight year Governor of California was once so popular in Republican circles that the only thing that kept him from Presidential or Vice Presidential consideration was that he was not a natural born citizen .
In 2016 he announced he would not vote for Trump , the first time he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizen in 1983 .
In 2020 he declared that he is “ ridin with Biden.
” Former Governor of Illinois , Jim Edgar : Edgar was a popular governor of Illinois for eight year in the 1990s .
He announced that he would not vote for Trump in 2016 .
On August 24th Edgar announced he will vote for Biden .
Edgar stated , “ the real issue is character .
The president of the United States isn ’ t going to be perfect .
But you don ’ t want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t trust Putin .
And I don ’ t understand why [ Trump ’ s relationship with the Russian president ] doesn ’ t rattle Republicans more.
” Governor Edgar , neither do I .
Admiral William McRaven : His distinguished 37 year military career as a Navy Seal and Special Operations Commander culminated with his orchestrating the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden .
His speech on how you can change the world by making your bed remains a viral hit and is very much worth hearing .
McRaven took no public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up when Trump revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director William Brennan .
McRaven authored a letter in which he dared Trump to “ revoke my security clearance too , Mr. President .
.
.
so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.
” The letter continued , “ If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism , you are sadly mistaken .
The criticism will continue until you become the leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite a year ago he authored an Op-ed in the New York Times entitled Our Republic Is Under Attack From The President .
27 Additional GOP Former Lawmakers Endorse Biden : As the Republican National Convention kicked off on August 24th more than two dozen additional Republican former lawmakers endorsed Joe Biden .

Trump supporters should deeply question why so many closest to Trump, who know him best, have turned on him. Many of those that did were people Trump chose to work for him. They were Trump’s “best people.” Of course, Trump speaks very differently of them now.
The other point is in the consistency of their stories. Almost all of these people describe Trump as mentally unfit for the Presidency due to his lack of intellect, his dishonesty, and absence of character and or guiding principles other than his own ego.
The list of Trump’s people who are now against him is astounding not only for its length and breadth, but also for how intimately close to him they were. The list includes his sister, his niece, his National Security Advisor, his Secretary of Defense, his Director of National Intelligence, his Chief of Staff, his Secretary of the Navy, his Communications Director, another Communications Director, his National Economics Director, his Homeland Security Advisor, the Chief of Staff for Homeland Security, his ghost writer for The Art of the Deal, and even his personal lawyer for over ten years.
Each deserves their own discussion.
His Sister, Retired Federal Judge Maryanne Trump Barry: Nominated as a Federal judge by Ronald Reagan she retired under the cloud of an ethics investigation prompted by a New York Times expose suggesting she and her siblings (including President Trump) engaged in illegal financial transactions and tax evasion. Concern for the legal ramifications prompted Mary Trump (see below) to record conversations with her. In those conversations Judge Barry asserts Trump had another person take his SATs for him to get into the University of Pennsylvania. In regards to Trump she states, “He has no principles. None. None.” She continues in this vein saying, “His goddamned tweets and lying, oh my God, I’m talking too freely, but you know. The change of stories. The lack of preparation. The lying. Holy shit.”
His Niece, Mary Trump: The daughter of Trump’s older brother, Fred Trump Junior, she is the author of the bombshell best selling book Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man. Trump sued to prevent publication of the book, but failed. The book reveals Mary Trump was the source of the Trump family tax and financial records for the New York Times that prompted the investigation described above. The book in stark terms, lays out how Donald Trump’s upbringing psychologically impaired him in a way making it impossible to be a competent President. Quote: “This is far beyond garden-variety narcissism; Donald is not simply weak, his ego is a fragile thing that must be bolstered every moment because he knows deep down that he is nothing of what he claims to be.”
His National Security Advisor, John Bolton: First started working in the Reagan Administration. When nominated by George Bush to be Ambassador to the United Nations democrats filibustered to prevent it (Bush used a controversial recess appointment to get him into the position). Trump appointed Bolton as National Security Advisor to replace H.R. McMaster who replaced the now convicted Michael Flynn. Bolton would last a little more than a year in this merry-go-round position before being replaced by Robert O’Brien. Bolton is the author of yet another book that Trump unsuccessfully sued to prevent publication, The Room Where It Happened. The book describes Trump seeking China’s help in winning reelection, Trump’s wrongful meddling in Department of Justice investigations for his own ends, that there was a quid pro quo when holding back arms aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigation of the Bidens, and that Trump did not know Finland was not a part of Russia or that the United Kingdom was a nuclear power.
His Secretary of Defense, James Mattis: The highly decorated Marine Corps General multi-war hero, who earned the nickname “Mad Dog,” was appointed by Trump who described Mattis as “very impressive” and “a true general’s general.” Trump would later fire Mattis for having the audacity to say that we should treat our allies with respect. When Trump later described Mattis as the most overrated general in the world Mattis famously fired back, “I earned my spurs on the battlefield, Donald Trump earned his spurs in a letter from a doctor.” In regards to the George Floyd protests, and Trump’s response, Mattis issued a blistering letter stating, “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.” Describing how he was “appalled” by Trump’s abuse of the military Mattis wrote, “When I joined the military, some 50 years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens — much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.” Some of that military leadership would later express their own regrets for participating in that event.
His Director of National Intelligence, Joe Maguire: A highly decorated Navy Seal Vice-Admiral, Trump first appointed Maguire as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center in 2018. Trump then promoted him to Acting Director of National Intelligence to replace Dan Coates. The reason for Maguire’s termination is a testimony to Trump’s pettiness. In February of this year a subordinate of Maguire’s truthfully testified to Congress that the Russians were seeking to intervene in the election again, and once again were doing so to support Trump’s election. So Trump fired Maguire. The firing earned a scathing attack from Admiral William McRaven (see below). In a Washington Post Op-ed McRaven wrote, “As Americans, we should be frightened — deeply afraid for the future of the nation. When good men and women can’t speak the truth, when facts are inconvenient, when integrity and character no longer matter, when presidential ego and self-preservation are more important than national security — then there is nothing left to stop the triumph of evil.”
His Chief of Staff and Head of Department of Homeland Security, John Kelly: Another highly decorated Marine Corps general Trump appointed Kelly describing him as “"); background-size: 1px 1px; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px);">a Great American.” Kelly states that "); background-size: 1px 1px; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px);">he agrees with General Mattis that Trump is trying to divide the nation and claims that had he still been with the administration he would have tried to talk Trump out of the Church photo-op debacle.
His Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson: When hired Trump described Tillerson as “a world class player and dealmaker” and “one of the truly great business leaders of the world.” From that Tillerson went two years later to “dumb as a rock and totally ill prepared and ill equipped to be Secretary of State.” To be fair, Tillerson had described Trump as “a fucking moron.” When asked to describe Trump’s value system Tillerson famously said, “I cannot.” After being fired Tillerson described his frustration in working with a man “who is pretty undisciplined, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t read briefing reports” and who wanted to do things that violated the law.
His Secretary of the Navy, Richard Spencer: When Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher was convicted by Court Martial Spencer sought to at least remove him from Seals. Trump ordered Gallagher’s Seal status reinstated and when Spencer pushed the issue he was fired. In a departure letter he wrote, “As Secretary of the Navy. one the most important responsibilities I have to our people is to maintain good order and discipline throughout the ranks. I regard this as deadly serious business. The lives of our Sailors. Marines and civilian teammates quite literally depend on the professional execution of our many missions . . . The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries. Good order and discipline is what has enabled our victory against foreign tyranny time and again . . . Unfortunately it has become apparent that in this respect. I no longer share the same understanding with the Commander in Chief who appointed me in regards to the key principle of good order and discipline. I cannot in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took in the presence of my family, my flag and my faith to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” In a Washington Post Op-ed Spencer would later write that Trump, “has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices.”
His Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci: In a chaotic mess of an administration, with more turnover than any other, Scaramucci was the pinnacle of it all. He survived only ten days in the Trump appointed job. He has since called Trump “crazy” and “off the rails” and suggested Trump panders to racism. He founded a super PAC aimed at getting out the votes of Republicans who oppose Trump.
His Other Communications Director, Omarosa Manigault Newman: Trump got to know her as a repeat contender on The Apprentice. She was primarily hired to be the token black woman staffer in The Whitehouse. When fired The Whitehouse tried to claim she resigned. Sadly, Omarosa had taped her firing and gave it to the press. When Omarosa claimed Trump staffers discussed strategies to take if tapes came out with Trump using the “n-word,” the staffers denied any such conversation occurred. Alas, Omarosa produced a tape of that conversation as well, with those involved certainly indicating they believed such an offensive tape did exist. Her book, Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House details this and many other allegations of Trump’s racism.
His National Economics Director, Gary Cohn: Appointed by Trump but often disagreed with policy. Cohn publicly criticized the Administration’s response to the Charlottesville white supremacy violence. He resigned over Trump’s insistence on tariffs and was replaced by Larry Kudlow. He has since lamented that there is no one remaining in The Whitehouse willing to stand up to Trump.
His Homeland Security Advisor, Tom Bossert: Bossert quit when Trump dissolved the global health security threats team that he oversaw. In light of the pandemic that should now be a bigger news story than it is. Bossert had urged a “comprehensive biodefense strategy against pandemics and biological attacks.” The rest is history.
His Former Chief of Staff for Homeland Security, Miles Taylor: While he left on comparatively amicable terms for a big money job with Google, the long time Republican security expert stunningly turned against Trump. He was the centerpiece for a powerful advertisement by Republican Voters Against Trump shown at the Democratic National Convention. He also wrote an for the Washington Post saying he “saw firsthand how dangerous Trump is for America.” Taylor stated he “when it came to national security, I witnessed the damning results firsthand” stating Trump’s “bungled response to the coronavirus pandemic is the ultimate example.”
His Ghost Writer for The Art of the Deal, Tony Schwartz: It was Schwartz who actually wrote the book where Trump claims to have defined himself and his means to success. Since then Schwartz has been plagued by guilt for his role in boosting Trump to power. “I put lipstick on a pig. I feel a deep sense of remorse that I contributed to presenting Trump in a way that brought him wider attention and made him more appealing than he is.” Schwartz said that if he could rename the book today it would be “The Sociopath.” Trump responded by threatening to sue Schwartz. The letter demanded that Schwartz return all he earned from the book and apologize for his defamatory comments. That was four years ago. No lawsuit has followed.
His Lawyer, Michael Cohen: Trump’s personal attorney for over a decade once vowed he would never turn on Trump. The FBI raided his office and home with a search warrant. He ended up turning on Trump and pleading guilty to a variety of financial frauds. Among them were financial frauds related to hush money payments to conceal Trump’s affairs with porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. Cohen testified, and the charging documents treat as true (famously describing Trump as “Individual One”), that Trump was a co-conspirator in that fraud. From within prison Cohen was writing his own tell all book. Trump’s steps to suppress that book hit a new low. When Cohen was released to house arrest due to Covid concerns in the prison, Trump’s DOJ put him back in the prison unless he would agree to sign a prohibition on his working on the book while out. Cohen sued claiming the obvious retaliation was a First Amendment violation. The judge agreed stating, “I’ve never seen such a clause in 21 years of being a judge and sentencing people and looking at terms of supervised release.” The book, entitled Disloyal, is scheduled for release September 8th. A forward teasing the book was released with Cohen describing Trump as “a cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man.”
As you can see many on the above list worked closely with Trump on matters related to critical issues of national security and their criticisms of him go right to the national security risks Trump entails.
Other Prominent Republicans Against Trump.
This separate list of prominent Republicans coming out against Trump is also impressive for its diversity and Republican star power luminaries.
The list of such Republicans includes a former President, a former Secretary of State, three former State Governors, two sitting Senators (including a former Republican nominee for President), the Navy Admiral who orchestrated the raid against bin Laden and dozens more.
Former President George W. Bush: Bush notably failed to endorse Trump in 2016 but did appear at Trump’s inauguration which he described as “some weird shit.” After Charlottesville Bush delivered a speech, that while not mentioning Trump, was widely regarded as critical of him. Bush said, “Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication. Bigotry in any form is blasphemy against the American creed and it means the very identity of our nation depends on the passing of civic ideals to the next generation.” Serious question, can you ever remember a former President of a party turning against the current President from the same party?
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell: The National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan rocketed to Republican superstar status as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Operation Desert Storm. A declared Republican, he campaigned for both President Bushes as such. Throughout the 1990s he was frequently mentioned as a possible Republican Presidential candidate, but declined to run. He endorsed George W. Bush in 2000 and when Bush won he made Powell his Secretary of State. In that role he built the case for war with Iraq after 9/11. As with me, Powell’s loyalty to the Republican Party ended with Trump. Powell now says he will vote for Biden. Powell spoke at the Democratic National Convention saying, “Today, we are a country divided, and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way. What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul.”
Senator, and former Republican nominee for President, Mitt Romney: Romney is a sitting Republican Senator and was the Republican Party’s 2012 nominee for President. In 2016 he had harsh words against Donald Trump and wrote in his wife’s name for President. Even so, when Trump won the election two seemed to bury the hatchet with Trump interviewing Romney as a potential Secretary of State. Trump chose Rex Tillerson (see above) instead. Romney was the one Republican Senator who voted to convict Trump for abuse of power in the Ukraine impeachment proceedings. Shortly after, Romney directly stated that he would not vote for Trump in 2020.
Senator Lisa Murkowski: The Republican Senator from Alaska has not yet publicly stated she will oppose Donald Trump in 2020 but says she has been “struggling” over whether to support him. In response to the blistering attack by General Mattis in June on Trump (see above) Murkowski stated, that she “thought General Mattis’ words were true, and honest and necessary and overdue.” You should go back and look at what Mattis said. Murkowski is not up for reelection herself again until 2022 but Trump has already pledged to campaign against her.
Former Ohio Governor John Kasich: A popular three term Governor for Ohio until 2019 and only term limitations forced him out. In 2016 Kasich declined to endorse Trump, but did not actively campaign against him. Things are different this time around. Kasich spoke at the Democratic National Convention, explicitly endorsing Biden and stating, “I’m a Republican but the Republican Party has always been my vehicle but never my master. You have to do what you think is right in your heart and I’m comfortable here.”
Former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger: The eight year Governor of California was once so popular in Republican circles that the only thing that kept him from Presidential or Vice Presidential consideration was that he was not a natural born citizen. In 2016 he announced he would not vote for Trump, the first time he had not voted Republican since becoming a citizen in 1983. In 2020 he declared that he is “ridin with Biden.”
Former Governor of Illinois, Jim Edgar: Edgar was a popular governor of Illinois for eight year in the 1990s. He announced that he would not vote for Trump in 2016. On August 24th Edgar announced he will vote for Biden. Edgar stated, “the real issue is character. The president of the United States isn’t going to be perfect. But you don’t want to be embarrassed . . . I don’t trust Putin. And I don’t understand why [Trump’s relationship with the Russian president] doesn’t rattle Republicans more.” Governor Edgar, neither do I.
Admiral William McRaven: His distinguished 37 year military career as a Navy Seal and Special Operations Commander culminated with his orchestrating the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. His speech on how you can change the world by making your bed remains a viral hit and is very much worth hearing. McRaven took no public position during the 2016 election but spoke up when Trump revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director William Brennan. McRaven authored a letter in which he dared Trump to “revoke my security clearance too, Mr. President . . . so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency.” The letter continued, “If you think for a moment that your McCarthy-era tactics will suppress the voices of criticism, you are sadly mistaken. The criticism will continue until you become the leader we prayed you would be.” Not quite a year ago he authored an Op-ed in the New York Times entitled Our Republic Is Under Attack From The President.
27 Additional GOP Former Lawmakers Endorse Biden: As the Republican National Convention kicked off on August 24th more than two dozen additional Republican former lawmakers endorsed Joe Biden.