We need to ignore the FOTUS (felon of the United States). If we do this and listen instead to our local leaders his ridiculousness will continue to be exposed. He seeks attention. Let’s not give him that.
Unfortunately, those of us who live in red states can’t always trust our local leaders. Even ones that I once thought were rational and centrist are swinging hard right and running off to MAL to kiss the ring.
I feel sorry for you, but you need to find a way to tell Republican voters that the people they keep electing hate them. Maybe as the impact of Trump's fuckery sets in you need to counter the Fox narrative that their pain is because of immigrants with a persuasive case that it is because of Republicans.
I don't see finding a way to educate Republican voters as a responsibility or even a priority task. Survival will continue to be Job #1 for many of us. You task the Commenter by writing "...you need to find a way..." Have YOU found a way? Why don't you share it with us?
I am in Ohio too and it is a sorry red bastion of gerrymandering and corruption.There are blue oasis’s in Ohio and they are mostly in the big cities and college areas.A lot of nice people there but a lot of snakes too.
Let s hope Trump wrecks the economic my fast then maybe enough of the Repubs will lose their seats in Congress and Senate to allow removal by 2026 by votes in Congress on 14th and 25th amendments! Or 3rd Impeachment as soon as he tries to stop ver rule the Constitution by Presidential order ! Have watched since the Kennedy assassinations all through the Vietnam War MLK assassination and Watergate through the Reagan Contra scandal and Bush s wars and have never seen anything as bad as this come out of the USA!🇨🇦Also never seen such cheating in an election. See smartelectionsUS and ballotbounty.org and Stephen Spoonamore s Substack for details concerns re voting patterns in swing states drop off rates completely out of historical norms. It s terrifying!
With the exception of our two democratic senators (who are now on the FOTUS list for aggressive misinformation campaigns, heaven help them) I do not trust a single leader in my state of Arizona. The hate here is appalling.
I live in Cochise County, one of the reddest counties in Arizona. I watched with sadness on election night as the county voted overwhelmingly for Kari Lake, and for a County Commissioner who is, like Trump, under indictment by the State of Arizona for election tampering from the 2022 election. It made no difference and the sight of him now happily certifying the vote in 2024 made me wonder if it was worth the $800 I spent switching from green card to citizen this year. I would move to Tucson but it's just not feasible. So I do my best to show my fellow Cochise residents that people can lose an election, that their vote can be outnumbered, but they can still be pleasant and helpful and kind and not accuse the other side of malfeasance. Even if we at heart wonder if there wasn't a bit of hocus pocus that went on--why did it take over a week to count 40,000-odd votes? Were they waiting to make sure they couldn't help Kari Lake over the finish line with a few more.....
Really? I thought your democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, is good. I feel for you with a lot of hate. We have the same issue here in Texas, and have two of the worst senators. Fortunately, there are good cities, like the one I live in, which trump will probably try to destroy because the majority population is Hispanic.
I live in Yavapai county, AZ which is so red it should be declared a crime scene. There is more hate here than any place I've lived. It has been run by the GQP since forever yet everything is blamed on Dems & Californians moving here, although most of them are MAGAts. They change their license plates quickly so as to avoid the harassment directed towards California.
Our only saving grace are the great Dems leading the state-Govenor Katie Hobbs, Attorney-General Kris Mayes, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and U.S. Senators Mark Kelly & Reuben Gallego.
Try living in Texas. The hate has been there since the Civil War.
Most Southern churches always considered any POC a sub species and treated them as such. Not surprising to find those bigoted, hateful attitudes a part of fundamentalism.
Sue, and they claim to be christian with a level of hate Jesus warned people about, telling everyone that loving God and showing it by loving one's neighbor as oneself, and that everyone is one's neighbor are the true way to live. I guess those white "evangelical" christians missed that part when they got stuck in the old Testament with all the hate. There is love there too, but usually ignored, just as it is in christian scriptures. It seems they have created their own religion of hate, fear, anger, and resentment, and it is working well for them. OK, it isn't, but they want to believe it is and that they are somehow chosen to gloat when something mean and hateful happens to other people. Unfortunately, this religion can be found all over the country along with the "prosperity gospel" another lie that if one is rich, no matter how it happens, it means one has found favor with god. There is nothing of that in scripture either. Ah well, another new religion. I just wish they would stop calling it christianity.
In honesty, it is only a small consolation to me to realize that probably a large number of the people whom Benedict Donald’s lies, misinformation and disinformation caused. to commit de facto suicide were his own supporters.
Republicans in office have been kissing that ass for many years now. They do it because he won and because he threatens them with losing their jobs if they don't. Since he won, they feel that copying him is the best way to keep their jobs. And the fact that in copying him they did win isn't going to help. You really have to ask yourself why did so many people vote red all the way down and then act surprised when they behave just as expected. Cruel, racist, misogynistic and lacking in any human compassion or decency. Just like him
I was just talking with my husband about this today. He appeals to so many of the citizenry because he gives them permission to display their basest attitudes towards people different from them…attitudes that were previously not socially acceptable to display. That is why I can’t dismiss those attitudes in my acquaintances as mere differences of political opinion. Yes, I do know a few low information voters who are truly unaware of most of what he says, and I do think most of them have been fooled. But far more of them embrace him. I think they have revealed their true selves, and I can’t look away.
I agree. I got to see a side of people in my life that I had never seen. Their political ire was directed at me because I didn't vote for Trump. I'm not a democrat, but I voted for Harris/Walz to keep Trump out of the WH, not necessarily that I particularly wanted Harris. I would have preferred Liz Cheney if she would have tossed her hat into the ring.
Janet, I believe you are right. There are so many people who have learned somewhere that what they are feeling is righteous and if they wish to express their hate, disregard of others, feelings of superiority toward everyone who has what they don't have but want, and everyone who is different from themselves, it is absolutely OK and how dare anyone challenge them on it. When they get a guy who does all that in public and the media bends over backward to cover every nasty, mean, ugly thing he says and does, they are drawn to him. Besides, he is white, rich, and male, the 3 most critical elements a person should have. That does not explain white women's obsession with a misogynistic jerk, maybe it's the wanabee syndrome. OK, they hate trans people too, so becoming male is out of the question for them! What a dilemma!
Frankly I just don’t see what any voter sees in Trump, it’s a mystery to me. When I see pictures of him he appears to look like a typical NY gangster, his awful suits and terrible ties he doesn’t even know how to dress as a man of money and class! He’s so sloppy! But when he opens his mouth to speak is when you can tell he may have money but his accent?? Mr Trump has no klass, he’s crude and rude and not worthy of the title President. For once in his life it would be so pleasant if he would shut up about himself and maybe think about what’s best for the majority of the people in this country ! However that can never happen because he is a NARCISSIST!
I don’t think California is going to tolerate being abused by the incoming administration when the smoke settles. They like our money too much and we are feisty. Let’s see how this plays out as it could demonstrate to the cowardly how to respond to bullies.
I'm in SW MO. I wouldn't trust Hawley to do anything except make things worse and kiss Mango Mussolini's posterior. All he and his buddies would do is offer "tots and pears."
Indeed! Here in Ohio I once thought Mike DeWine was at least a rational man. recently he signed a bill that says teachers are required to out gay students to their parents. Right to life my elbow!
All the up to the FCOTUS (Felon Court of the US). We had previously been led to believe at least Chief (In)Justice was not partisan. We were wrong. Listen to leaders who are speaking up in defense of democracy!
The 'shunning" Amish proved to be 'fake christian nationalists" by supporting Donald Trump......... they would never vote for a women..........they sell the raw milk bullshit and could not care about the health of society........supporting anti-vaxxer moron Kennedy
Some Christians, whom I know and love, are aware of his unsavory behavior and lack of ethics but STILL support and defend him vehemently because they believe that he is being treated unfairly by the Dems, and because they truly believe he had the greatest economy.
And I'm old enough to remember the hippie slogan "turn on, tune in and drop out".
-(don't wreck yourselves by turning on this time), but try the other two. Plus the SIT IN . Simply put, quiet civil disobedience, refusal to do as an idiot commands. Not riots like MAGA.
The only refusal that will matter nationally will be by those with coercive power: police and military. If they uphold cruelty, the people will be slaughtered, all the more quickly if they refuse to comply.
Of course we must individually stand firm on our moral convictions. Just don’t expect that to impress those hypnotized by the lies.
Leaders will be for the greater good! Too many of our local leaders are just as bad as he is! We really are in a terrible situation as a country with this administration that’s about to take over!
I still find it incomprehensible that this sociopath is going to be with America and the world for at least another four years. That any American voted for him bespeaks a populace that is utterly misinformed, enraged by Rupert Murdoch and Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and Fox News. Ultimately the forces of evil will be defeated, but at what cost in the meantime? Yes, we must stick together, not be divided, and be empathetic. And we must not build houses where flooding and fires are probable.
I made sure I had my glasses with me when I went downstairs every morning of his presidency so I could turn on the TV for that news. Now I've had cataract surgery.
Since the only thing they want from us is our money why aren’t we boycotting their business? Make Trump’s economy take a nosedive. Shun Fox News. Refuse to watch his billionaires’ sponsored inauguration spectacle. Insist our congressional representatives resist Trump’s crony appointments.
Yes, we should do all of these as much as possible. I do think he's going to tank the economy all by himself though. If it weren't so serious it would be laughable.
I think it's entirely possible that my last suicide attempt actually was successful - and now I'm in Hell. It's weird that I was allowed to keep my cat with me, though. Maybe it's only Purgatory?
Though I don’t want my first thought of the day to be of the felon 47, I also at some point in my day am hoping he is dead. I do not acknowledge that narcissistic felon as POTUS, just as I never did the first time around. I will only refer to him as felon 47 and only if I have to. I live in a mostly blue city in a sea of red in texas. We have good local politicians that I will rely on for pertinent information while continuing to read all my Substack authors so I can be in the know. I went to a League of Women Voters New Year’s brunch today that left me feeling like all hope is not lost.
I was just thinking that. He is out of shape (physically) and with his large mid-section probably has Metabolic Syndrome which is a medical condition that can be serious. Not a good specimen for health. If he dies we only have to deal with the VP who appears to be a weak man and not too bright. I have worked with many felons and I have to say DJT is one of the worst I've seen. A scary person.
I disagree, sadly re: Vance's intelligence. He is smart and articulate. He just lies constantly and has an horrific policy agenda (aka Heritage) along with his pimp who paid for his Senate seat. The only good part is he lacks the "charisma" that MAGA types hold for Trump. I'm not sure how things would play out with him as President but he's also quite dangerous.
Vance is owned by billionaire South African Peter Thiel, techo, who has worked worked with Trump and has placed his men in high positions in Trump’s admin. He and Musk and Yarkin are all about running the government with AI and use cryptocurrency. They also have plans to create nation states, little countries they run within the US and other countries. They want Greenland for the minerals and water, the Panama Canal for transport and military and wherever else they name. These aren't ideas from Trump who isn't very smart, just a Mafioso malignant narcissist. The South Africans are the new rulers. Vance is their trained puppet.
Google these guys. Prospero off the coast of Honduras is their first trial.
That's a thought. I'm sure it will be a much lower level sycophant who will be busy since foodborne illnesses won't be tracked if all those pesky regulations are removed or dilited. Mainly McDonalds, no?
I will just be happy to see him sent to Leavenworth or somewhere in detention wearing an orange jumpsuit and white sneakers, and with a picture of the WH on his wall, knowing that someone else was there instead of him.
Problem is, he isn't the only creep. If he dies within the next 4 years, Vance could be even scarier because he's not quite as dumb. And then there are also the Usual Suspects, the "advisors" and scriptwriters who hang around Trump and account for the pronoun he always uses: "we". Which he used to increase his bulk, to say the group of them is bigger than his flabby soft, vulnerable body.
Bezos the sex addict? Only thing the guys got on his brain, that & multiplying his billions to keep generating more, he’s as morally bankrupt as the orange weirdo, addicted to evil.
When you're in an abusive marriage/relationship you don't say "Better get used to it..." You figure out a solution to the situation. This usually means getting rid of the problem.
It seems that we have been going downhill as a country since Reagan was elected in Nov. 1980 with a reprieve during the Clinton, Obama, Biden administrations. Why the Dems don't campaign on this knowledge is beyond me!
President Trump is a good man, and he will help the people of California more than anyone in leadership positions there. All they've done is make promises - more reservoirs, more Forestry, more water - but nothing has improved for 30 years, while you build "trains to nowhere, over tax the people and lie. He is criticizing the leadership, not the citizens, and they deserve it. I blame the people for electing the idiots that rule California, but you elected them. I'd have trouble sleeping if I had them in charge of my destiny, too.
I have a feeling that perhaps little by little his own reactions will have less meaning to those who trusted to be helped by him.
Gavin Newsome was , I find personally, wonderful during Covid .
My family has evacuated four days ago . We have a house in Mandeville where we arrived in 1983, and we wait to see if we lose it or not , but so many of my friends, not wealthy people at all, lost their homes in Pacific Palisades.
The firemen and aviators are heroes.
Contrarily to what the press says the majority of people there in the Palisades are not billionaires, so far from it and they lost often all they had.
But the interacting between all of us asking where everyone is and how everyone is, us making Donald very insignificant indeed .
Flo, I hope your house is okay!!! I am so sorry for your friends who have lost their houses!!! An old friend of mine lives in Mandeville Canyon as well. I don't know if she's okay. I have friends in West LA and Pasadena. Some have also evacuated. We are in Simi Valley crossing our fingers. We are all in this together.
I'm so sorry any of this is happening in CA. Flo, I hope you find your home intact and whole. Thank you to all the firefighters for their bravery and hard work.
Ever since our governor was mayor of San Francisco and was first in the nation to encourage gay marriage, I have admired his chutzpah. I have no doubt he has plans forming to fight for us. Somehow we will get through this as long as the looters and scammers are held at bay.
"We know what's coming and we know how to combat what’s headed our way: stick together—don’t let anybody tell you that the best way for you to survive in a crisis is to stop caring about other people."
Four more years of this shit. Can’t give up, though. We have no other choice than to keep telling the truth. Thank you for doing that with your posts, Mary.
Could be two if people finally wake up and vote blue in the midterms. He will still be there but he won't be able to do much if Congress turns blue. I don't know how that will happen but if the stupid voters wake up and smell the coffee maybe they will do the right thing the next time.
I would like to know how Trump won the election over Kamala Harris. I would also like to know who voted for this man after having him in office once before. Wasn’t that first four years long enough to know exactly who Trump is?
Ask Charles Manson how he got women to murder for him.........ask Jim Jones how he got hundreds to drink the koolaid.....ask a mega-church pastor how he gets seniors to turn over their retiement savings to pay for hookers, helicopters and mansions.
Charlene, you're making the mistake I always do: thinking that other people think the way you do. Many don't. Many have cognitive dissonance. Many believe Fox News's lies. Many can't see beyond the ends of their noses. And some of them want the system destroyed. It's incredible to me that people can behave like that but they can and do. Education is the key. Building public education back up will be difficult but we have to do it.
When Donable Lector says...."I like the uneducated".........the streets of America should be filled with millions of protesters this weekend........the Orange jet-stream of bullshit is about to hit Mother Earth........will she survive the stench, slop and greed????
He cheated with the help of Musk, Thiel and Russia. Do not believe that in 2024 he won this election "freely and fairly" when there is so much evidence why and how he cheated in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, including staging a coup to try to stop the certification of electoral votes for President Biden. The truth will come out on the multiple ways he cheated this time around but unfortunately, it will be too late to stop the madness.
Yes it was long enough. People knew who he is and voted for him. That says as much about them as it does about him. It says a lot about our country and our system of voting, especially for President.
I pay attention to what happens after violent weather events since I believe Mother Nature is trying to warn us about human events. This pattern has held true for the, at least, last decade.
I hope Governor Newsom finds a way to keep the $ that California sends to the government. Hopefully, by doing this California will rebuild faster.
Agreed. I could be missing some key details, but it seems like blue states - especially the ones with particularly large and prosperous economies - would be better off not paying a red cent in federal taxes while the White House is being occupied by a parasite who does nothing but villify them, calling them "enemies of America" and a myriad of tasteless inflammatory labels.
Much like last time, Felon47 has made it crystal clear that he does not intend to be a leader for ALL Americans this time around either. So why should they pay anything to a federal government that has become openly hostile to them? That money would be better off remaining in their own respective states where it can be put into the programs that aid their own citizens.
It would also have the added benefit of allowing those strong, proud, godly red states pull themselves up by the bootstraps and support themselves. We all know how they feel about welfare queens and handouts.
I don’t think there is any way to stop the federal government from taking the tax money they think you owe them. Your money goes into a bank account, and they can easily reach in and take it out. The only way a bank can stop it is by having no branches outside the state. In effect, California would have to secede to prevent the money from being taken. Then they would have to spend it defending their border from the red state troops sent to invade them.
Presuming of course that they'd be able to do nearly as much financially if the state with THE largest economy decided to cut itself off from the rest of the country, those red state troops (whose respective states were likely subsidized BY California far more than the reverse) would then have to find enough skilled manpower willing to coordinate and attack who were only recently fellow Americans - possibly including friends and family members.
Yeah but I'd imagine they always envisioned getting the clean end of the stick in that deal. Somehow I don't imagine they'd fare as well as they might initially think without the millions California pumps into federal funding and propping up underperforming red states.
I agree that California should stop sending all our money to the federal government. We support the red states, yet all MAGAts, and especially Convicted Felon Mad King Donny, just insult us and say we should be like them. Um . . . Uninformed, uneducated, unhealthy, lacking empathy and compassion? No, thanks. I’m already disgusted at the use of millions of dollars of our tax dollars for frivolous Republican investigations (Gym Jordan just said they will reopen their bogus investigation of Hunter Biden). If they withhold emergency funds for our state, the hell with them; Governor Newsom is trying to build up state resources to help our citizens because he knows how Convicted Felon Mad King Donny’s mind (whatever is left of it) works.
Thank you, Mary. I am in Ventura County, right next to LA. It's very scary. The wind has come up again and it's bone dry. We have our bags ready, as we do every day of the year in this disaster-prone area. We all know people who have lost their houses and/or had to leave.
Los Angeles has always had fires, earthquakes, and mudslides. These phenomena predate the arrival of Europeans. Climate change has made the weather more extreme, and Governor Newsom has nothing to do with it. Donald is an ignorant jerk. He knows nothing about California and should shut his fat mouth.
Am certainly not in a fire threatened area now ,Paula...but have come close with evacuations in Crestline...and fires & flooding in.Orange Country! Know the terrible price some.of my neighbors have sadly paid.
You & I are tough old birds...we don't give up easily...
Somehow we'll get through this as we have in.the past.
Godspeed and prayers to you and to all my Southern California neighbors.🙌🙏
Provinces in Canada are assessing how they can help California’s response; to date the following is also being mobilized, if requested:
Ontario: Is prepared to deploy Incident Command System (ICS) personnel, two CL-415 waterbombers, wildland and urban firefighters, along with associated equipment; approximately 200 personnel and approximately 120 kg of equipment per personnel.
Quebec: In addition to the two CL-415 water bombers sent in August 2024 to Los Angeles, the Québec government confirmed on January 10 the deployment of two other CL-415 skimmer airtankers to support firefighting efforts in California. It is considering providing additional water bombers and to having 60 Type 1 wildland firefighters available and on standby for deployment.
Alberta: Is sending a trained and experienced crew of up to 40 Type 1 wildland firefighters. Additional Type 1 firefighters, Incident Command personnel, and qualified support staff will be ready to go when requested. Alberta is also preparing water bombers and contracted night vision helicopters to be ready as well when requested.
British Columbia: Has a long-standing bilateral relationship with CAL Fire, and based on a request for support, is sending a team of senior technical staff to fill specialized incident command system functions.
We don't need to be taken over by another government to be ready (and able) to help.
Indeed, we do love Canada! And we are happy to have you as a good neighbor and ally. That doesn’t mean we think you should give up your sovereign nation status to join our shitshow, no matter what the orange blob says.
We've all heard the phrase "The best defense is an offense." 45 is always on the offense and it seems our response, the defense, is the huge waste of time he intends. It's pathetic that in the middle of a crisis, Gov. Newsom has to spend time defending against 45's BS. I was so proud of POTUS Biden for his recent statements about his employment stats and other successes. I hope we can get ahead of the curve and spend more energy on being more "offensive", blowing our horn rather than trying to muffle theirs.
Thanks so much for this excellent article Mary. You’ve been a voice of reason for so many of us, through these past few years. It’s very meaningful to me, and others like myself.
And though I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you, you’re one of the few people who I regularly read and listen to.
My amazing wife and I live here in the west San Fernando Valley. So we’re surrounded by the current fires (it looked like Mordor here on Wednesday- yikes!), but we’re relatively safe. An evacuation “safe site” is down the street from us here. So it’s smoky, scary, but we’re ok.
Your “Uncle’s” screed of insults and vulgar insinuations were the same reprehensible content were used to hearing from him.
And we’re taking it as a clarion call, to stand up to his ignorance, to be the compassionate and empathic sort of people that he clearly isn’t.
I guess if there’s any good news, it’s that the contrast between those who care about others and those who only look after themselves becomes all the clearer in troubled times like these.
It’s “Love thy neighbor” time, time to stand together and be the change we hope to see in the greater world.
Thanks again for the wonderful reminder here Mary, of who we are, and what he is.
Thanks Paula! It sure was scary- but looks like they have most of the fires contained now. I’m still contacting friends, to make sure everyone is ok. So far so good. We have a few friends who lost their homes though. So devastating. 🤗
I'm so glad you're okay!! I feel terrible for those who have lost their houses. I think this is the worst set of fires we've ever had here, although the Woolsey Fire was everywhere at once too. Please stay safe!!
I have family in Santa Monica. The bloated orange yam better not show his orange face anywhere near them. They are sick and tired of his lies, bullshit and blame shifting. And will be on the front lines of refusing to send tax dollars to DC to support shithole red states if MAGA Republicans do what we know they will do and try to deny disaster aid to those affected by the fires.
I live in one of those "shithole" red states and so do many other people who are going to suffer because of this election. Please remember that red states are full of people doing everything they can to elect representatives who care about what the majority of people want. Unfortunately, all we keep getting is MAGATs because of gerrymandering, that even though we vote to end it, is ignored by our Republican controlled state governments. Plus, good candidates get defeated by billions of dark money dollars flowing into our states to spread lies about Democratic candidates and elect corrupt MAGATs.
Annie, just this morning I read Heather Cox Richardson's Substack addressing this exact issue. I didn't think there was anything left that could shock me about the evil machinations of the GOP. They aren't even trying to be sneaky about it - They are saying it out loud and clear: We will use any tool we want, whether legal or not, to take control over the democrats - even when they have been elected by a large majority.
As a renter whose landlord refuses to make a property inhabitable the rent can be paid into a special account until the property is fixed. Could we do that within our state if our it passed such a law? Just a thought.
We need to ignore the FOTUS (felon of the United States). If we do this and listen instead to our local leaders his ridiculousness will continue to be exposed. He seeks attention. Let’s not give him that.
Unfortunately, those of us who live in red states can’t always trust our local leaders. Even ones that I once thought were rational and centrist are swinging hard right and running off to MAL to kiss the ring.
I live in Ohio which has been wrecked by 30 years of Republican rule.
I feel sorry for you, but you need to find a way to tell Republican voters that the people they keep electing hate them. Maybe as the impact of Trump's fuckery sets in you need to counter the Fox narrative that their pain is because of immigrants with a persuasive case that it is because of Republicans.
I imagine they are trying hard
I don't see finding a way to educate Republican voters as a responsibility or even a priority task. Survival will continue to be Job #1 for many of us. You task the Commenter by writing "...you need to find a way..." Have YOU found a way? Why don't you share it with us?
I am in Ohio, too. Moved back to OH in 1999 from Southern CA and watched my once beloved "swing" state go to the Republican dogs.
I am in Ohio too and it is a sorry red bastion of gerrymandering and corruption.There are blue oasis’s in Ohio and they are mostly in the big cities and college areas.A lot of nice people there but a lot of snakes too.
Let s hope Trump wrecks the economic my fast then maybe enough of the Repubs will lose their seats in Congress and Senate to allow removal by 2026 by votes in Congress on 14th and 25th amendments! Or 3rd Impeachment as soon as he tries to stop ver rule the Constitution by Presidential order ! Have watched since the Kennedy assassinations all through the Vietnam War MLK assassination and Watergate through the Reagan Contra scandal and Bush s wars and have never seen anything as bad as this come out of the USA!🇨🇦Also never seen such cheating in an election. See smartelectionsUS and ballotbounty.org and Stephen Spoonamore s Substack for details concerns re voting patterns in swing states drop off rates completely out of historical norms. It s terrifying!
But the voters keep voting that way.
I can’t believe that Sherrod Brown, a decent and honest person, lost the recent election which shows the depth of corruption in Ohio.
Indeed.. I live next door in Indiana…
Same with Texass (which is now how I refer to this once great state)
With the exception of our two democratic senators (who are now on the FOTUS list for aggressive misinformation campaigns, heaven help them) I do not trust a single leader in my state of Arizona. The hate here is appalling.
I live in Cochise County, one of the reddest counties in Arizona. I watched with sadness on election night as the county voted overwhelmingly for Kari Lake, and for a County Commissioner who is, like Trump, under indictment by the State of Arizona for election tampering from the 2022 election. It made no difference and the sight of him now happily certifying the vote in 2024 made me wonder if it was worth the $800 I spent switching from green card to citizen this year. I would move to Tucson but it's just not feasible. So I do my best to show my fellow Cochise residents that people can lose an election, that their vote can be outnumbered, but they can still be pleasant and helpful and kind and not accuse the other side of malfeasance. Even if we at heart wonder if there wasn't a bit of hocus pocus that went on--why did it take over a week to count 40,000-odd votes? Were they waiting to make sure they couldn't help Kari Lake over the finish line with a few more.....
Really? I thought your democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, is good. I feel for you with a lot of hate. We have the same issue here in Texas, and have two of the worst senators. Fortunately, there are good cities, like the one I live in, which trump will probably try to destroy because the majority population is Hispanic.
I live in Yavapai county, AZ which is so red it should be declared a crime scene. There is more hate here than any place I've lived. It has been run by the GQP since forever yet everything is blamed on Dems & Californians moving here, although most of them are MAGAts. They change their license plates quickly so as to avoid the harassment directed towards California.
Our only saving grace are the great Dems leading the state-Govenor Katie Hobbs, Attorney-General Kris Mayes, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and U.S. Senators Mark Kelly & Reuben Gallego.
Try living in Texas. The hate has been there since the Civil War.
Most Southern churches always considered any POC a sub species and treated them as such. Not surprising to find those bigoted, hateful attitudes a part of fundamentalism.
Sue, and they claim to be christian with a level of hate Jesus warned people about, telling everyone that loving God and showing it by loving one's neighbor as oneself, and that everyone is one's neighbor are the true way to live. I guess those white "evangelical" christians missed that part when they got stuck in the old Testament with all the hate. There is love there too, but usually ignored, just as it is in christian scriptures. It seems they have created their own religion of hate, fear, anger, and resentment, and it is working well for them. OK, it isn't, but they want to believe it is and that they are somehow chosen to gloat when something mean and hateful happens to other people. Unfortunately, this religion can be found all over the country along with the "prosperity gospel" another lie that if one is rich, no matter how it happens, it means one has found favor with god. There is nothing of that in scripture either. Ah well, another new religion. I just wish they would stop calling it christianity.
In honesty, it is only a small consolation to me to realize that probably a large number of the people whom Benedict Donald’s lies, misinformation and disinformation caused. to commit de facto suicide were his own supporters.
Republicans in office have been kissing that ass for many years now. They do it because he won and because he threatens them with losing their jobs if they don't. Since he won, they feel that copying him is the best way to keep their jobs. And the fact that in copying him they did win isn't going to help. You really have to ask yourself why did so many people vote red all the way down and then act surprised when they behave just as expected. Cruel, racist, misogynistic and lacking in any human compassion or decency. Just like him
I was just talking with my husband about this today. He appeals to so many of the citizenry because he gives them permission to display their basest attitudes towards people different from them…attitudes that were previously not socially acceptable to display. That is why I can’t dismiss those attitudes in my acquaintances as mere differences of political opinion. Yes, I do know a few low information voters who are truly unaware of most of what he says, and I do think most of them have been fooled. But far more of them embrace him. I think they have revealed their true selves, and I can’t look away.
I agree. I got to see a side of people in my life that I had never seen. Their political ire was directed at me because I didn't vote for Trump. I'm not a democrat, but I voted for Harris/Walz to keep Trump out of the WH, not necessarily that I particularly wanted Harris. I would have preferred Liz Cheney if she would have tossed her hat into the ring.
Janet, I believe you are right. There are so many people who have learned somewhere that what they are feeling is righteous and if they wish to express their hate, disregard of others, feelings of superiority toward everyone who has what they don't have but want, and everyone who is different from themselves, it is absolutely OK and how dare anyone challenge them on it. When they get a guy who does all that in public and the media bends over backward to cover every nasty, mean, ugly thing he says and does, they are drawn to him. Besides, he is white, rich, and male, the 3 most critical elements a person should have. That does not explain white women's obsession with a misogynistic jerk, maybe it's the wanabee syndrome. OK, they hate trans people too, so becoming male is out of the question for them! What a dilemma!
Frankly I just don’t see what any voter sees in Trump, it’s a mystery to me. When I see pictures of him he appears to look like a typical NY gangster, his awful suits and terrible ties he doesn’t even know how to dress as a man of money and class! He’s so sloppy! But when he opens his mouth to speak is when you can tell he may have money but his accent?? Mr Trump has no klass, he’s crude and rude and not worthy of the title President. For once in his life it would be so pleasant if he would shut up about himself and maybe think about what’s best for the majority of the people in this country ! However that can never happen because he is a NARCISSIST!
I don’t think California is going to tolerate being abused by the incoming administration when the smoke settles. They like our money too much and we are feisty. Let’s see how this plays out as it could demonstrate to the cowardly how to respond to bullies.
I'm in SW MO. I wouldn't trust Hawley to do anything except make things worse and kiss Mango Mussolini's posterior. All he and his buddies would do is offer "tots and pears."
Tots and pears are at least edible.
Go on internet...midas touch...very truthful. Ben midas (sp) just visited biden in wh
Indeed! Here in Ohio I once thought Mike DeWine was at least a rational man. recently he signed a bill that says teachers are required to out gay students to their parents. Right to life my elbow!
All the up to the FCOTUS (Felon Court of the US). We had previously been led to believe at least Chief (In)Justice was not partisan. We were wrong. Listen to leaders who are speaking up in defense of democracy!
I've been saying for some time: the tactic to apply to Donald is shunning. Old Biblical ploy. Like death to a narcissist.
The 'shunning" Amish proved to be 'fake christian nationalists" by supporting Donald Trump......... they would never vote for a women..........they sell the raw milk bullshit and could not care about the health of society........supporting anti-vaxxer moron Kennedy
Some Christians, whom I know and love, are aware of his unsavory behavior and lack of ethics but STILL support and defend him vehemently because they believe that he is being treated unfairly by the Dems, and because they truly believe he had the greatest economy.
Yep.
And I'm old enough to remember the hippie slogan "turn on, tune in and drop out".
-(don't wreck yourselves by turning on this time), but try the other two. Plus the SIT IN . Simply put, quiet civil disobedience, refusal to do as an idiot commands. Not riots like MAGA.
The only refusal that will matter nationally will be by those with coercive power: police and military. If they uphold cruelty, the people will be slaughtered, all the more quickly if they refuse to comply.
Of course we must individually stand firm on our moral convictions. Just don’t expect that to impress those hypnotized by the lies.
LOL. Yes, that would drive a malignant narcissist, like Trump, absolutely nuts. He'd have apoplexy because no one was paying attention to him.
Great name. Also known as FFOTUS…First Felon….
POSER-POTUS
I completely agree with you.
Although I do like FOTUS. That acronym is definitely worthy of attention.
Not all local
Leaders will be for the greater good! Too many of our local leaders are just as bad as he is! We really are in a terrible situation as a country with this administration that’s about to take over!
I liked your coining the acronym FOTUS. It should be adopted nationally
I still find it incomprehensible that this sociopath is going to be with America and the world for at least another four years. That any American voted for him bespeaks a populace that is utterly misinformed, enraged by Rupert Murdoch and Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and Fox News. Ultimately the forces of evil will be defeated, but at what cost in the meantime? Yes, we must stick together, not be divided, and be empathetic. And we must not build houses where flooding and fires are probable.
I await the day we wake up and the felon Donald J. Trump no longer draws breath.
That will be a good day.
I have a friend who checks the news every morning to see if he's dead yet.
I do, and have done since 2016, first thing each morning
How is it that his S.S. (Secret Service) Prætorian Guard have not yet rebelled and run him through with their swords?
I made sure I had my glasses with me when I went downstairs every morning of his presidency so I could turn on the TV for that news. Now I've had cataract surgery.
LOL, now you don't need your glasses!
🙏
Since the only thing they want from us is our money why aren’t we boycotting their business? Make Trump’s economy take a nosedive. Shun Fox News. Refuse to watch his billionaires’ sponsored inauguration spectacle. Insist our congressional representatives resist Trump’s crony appointments.
Yes, we should do all of these as much as possible. I do think he's going to tank the economy all by himself though. If it weren't so serious it would be laughable.
I get up before sunrise to check. At this point it is our only hope.
I thought obe wan kenobe was our only hope… 🤨😜
Putin is slow.
I think it's entirely possible that my last suicide attempt actually was successful - and now I'm in Hell. It's weird that I was allowed to keep my cat with me, though. Maybe it's only Purgatory?
Oh, Paula, this breaks my heart!!! Please don't do this. There are good people in the world. There's your cat. Please hang in there!
Though I don’t want my first thought of the day to be of the felon 47, I also at some point in my day am hoping he is dead. I do not acknowledge that narcissistic felon as POTUS, just as I never did the first time around. I will only refer to him as felon 47 and only if I have to. I live in a mostly blue city in a sea of red in texas. We have good local politicians that I will rely on for pertinent information while continuing to read all my Substack authors so I can be in the know. I went to a League of Women Voters New Year’s brunch today that left me feeling like all hope is not lost.
I was just thinking that. He is out of shape (physically) and with his large mid-section probably has Metabolic Syndrome which is a medical condition that can be serious. Not a good specimen for health. If he dies we only have to deal with the VP who appears to be a weak man and not too bright. I have worked with many felons and I have to say DJT is one of the worst I've seen. A scary person.
I disagree, sadly re: Vance's intelligence. He is smart and articulate. He just lies constantly and has an horrific policy agenda (aka Heritage) along with his pimp who paid for his Senate seat. The only good part is he lacks the "charisma" that MAGA types hold for Trump. I'm not sure how things would play out with him as President but he's also quite dangerous.
Vance is owned by billionaire South African Peter Thiel, techo, who has worked worked with Trump and has placed his men in high positions in Trump’s admin. He and Musk and Yarkin are all about running the government with AI and use cryptocurrency. They also have plans to create nation states, little countries they run within the US and other countries. They want Greenland for the minerals and water, the Panama Canal for transport and military and wherever else they name. These aren't ideas from Trump who isn't very smart, just a Mafioso malignant narcissist. The South Africans are the new rulers. Vance is their trained puppet.
Google these guys. Prospero off the coast of Honduras is their first trial.
Yup. Thiel is the pimp I was referring to. Disgusted that these white South Africans (Apartheid lovers) are taking over.
Trump probably will be needing one of those people who taste the food for safety before he eats.
That's a thought. I'm sure it will be a much lower level sycophant who will be busy since foodborne illnesses won't be tracked if all those pesky regulations are removed or dilited. Mainly McDonalds, no?
You and me both….. the first thing I check for…. his demise
Yes indeed. Hope it's soon.
Sadly, evil does not die easily....
I will just be happy to see him sent to Leavenworth or somewhere in detention wearing an orange jumpsuit and white sneakers, and with a picture of the WH on his wall, knowing that someone else was there instead of him.
Amen.
Problem is, he isn't the only creep. If he dies within the next 4 years, Vance could be even scarier because he's not quite as dumb. And then there are also the Usual Suspects, the "advisors" and scriptwriters who hang around Trump and account for the pronoun he always uses: "we". Which he used to increase his bulk, to say the group of them is bigger than his flabby soft, vulnerable body.
Don’t forget Jeff Bezos.
Bezos the sex addict? Only thing the guys got on his brain, that & multiplying his billions to keep generating more, he’s as morally bankrupt as the orange weirdo, addicted to evil.
What location is not prone to some kind of climate impact?
Better get used to it because it’s happening.
When you're in an abusive marriage/relationship you don't say "Better get used to it..." You figure out a solution to the situation. This usually means getting rid of the problem.
Been happening for almost a decade.
Im tired, man.
Since 1980, at least.
It seems that we have been going downhill as a country since Reagan was elected in Nov. 1980 with a reprieve during the Clinton, Obama, Biden administrations. Why the Dems don't campaign on this knowledge is beyond me!
President Trump is a good man, and he will help the people of California more than anyone in leadership positions there. All they've done is make promises - more reservoirs, more Forestry, more water - but nothing has improved for 30 years, while you build "trains to nowhere, over tax the people and lie. He is criticizing the leadership, not the citizens, and they deserve it. I blame the people for electing the idiots that rule California, but you elected them. I'd have trouble sleeping if I had them in charge of my destiny, too.
"Ultimately the forces of evil will be defeated"
That's the movies.
This ain't no movie
I have a feeling that perhaps little by little his own reactions will have less meaning to those who trusted to be helped by him.
Gavin Newsome was , I find personally, wonderful during Covid .
My family has evacuated four days ago . We have a house in Mandeville where we arrived in 1983, and we wait to see if we lose it or not , but so many of my friends, not wealthy people at all, lost their homes in Pacific Palisades.
The firemen and aviators are heroes.
Contrarily to what the press says the majority of people there in the Palisades are not billionaires, so far from it and they lost often all they had.
But the interacting between all of us asking where everyone is and how everyone is, us making Donald very insignificant indeed .
Do take care everyone, and much love
Flo, I hope your house is okay!!! I am so sorry for your friends who have lost their houses!!! An old friend of mine lives in Mandeville Canyon as well. I don't know if she's okay. I have friends in West LA and Pasadena. Some have also evacuated. We are in Simi Valley crossing our fingers. We are all in this together.
Oh Paula thank you
You had your own to deal with in Simi Valley a few years ago
There are still in Mandeville many, many small houses, old people, many like us who would not afford today to move there.
I send you love and to everyone you know.
The same to you, flo! Be safe!! And your friends as well.
Grateful for ALL firefighters.
I have cousins in CA and I contact them almost daily. One near Pacific Palisades had to evacuate.
A friend from school is ok.
Thinking of you and your friends, Flo, as you move through this disaster. Hope your home survives and glad to know you're safe.
Thank you Annie, this is so kind.
It is somehow so great to read or hear from someone who doesn’t even know you.
I'm so sorry any of this is happening in CA. Flo, I hope you find your home intact and whole. Thank you to all the firefighters for their bravery and hard work.
Thank you BC., this is so kind
And if we do then what about those countless families, I feel shame already at this thought.
So horrific
At the same time we all feel so close to everyone
🙏 sending prayers, Flo.
I hope your cousin is ok Bonnie
I feel love for anyone living through this like you do
Ever since our governor was mayor of San Francisco and was first in the nation to encourage gay marriage, I have admired his chutzpah. I have no doubt he has plans forming to fight for us. Somehow we will get through this as long as the looters and scammers are held at bay.
🫂
"We know what's coming and we know how to combat what’s headed our way: stick together—don’t let anybody tell you that the best way for you to survive in a crisis is to stop caring about other people."
Thank you, Mary, for telling the truth.
Four more years of this shit. Can’t give up, though. We have no other choice than to keep telling the truth. Thank you for doing that with your posts, Mary.
Could be two if people finally wake up and vote blue in the midterms. He will still be there but he won't be able to do much if Congress turns blue. I don't know how that will happen but if the stupid voters wake up and smell the coffee maybe they will do the right thing the next time.
I would like to know how Trump won the election over Kamala Harris. I would also like to know who voted for this man after having him in office once before. Wasn’t that first four years long enough to know exactly who Trump is?
Ask Charles Manson how he got women to murder for him.........ask Jim Jones how he got hundreds to drink the koolaid.....ask a mega-church pastor how he gets seniors to turn over their retiement savings to pay for hookers, helicopters and mansions.
Charlene, you're making the mistake I always do: thinking that other people think the way you do. Many don't. Many have cognitive dissonance. Many believe Fox News's lies. Many can't see beyond the ends of their noses. And some of them want the system destroyed. It's incredible to me that people can behave like that but they can and do. Education is the key. Building public education back up will be difficult but we have to do it.
Agree - Education, including critical thinking skills.
When Donable Lector says...."I like the uneducated".........the streets of America should be filled with millions of protesters this weekend........the Orange jet-stream of bullshit is about to hit Mother Earth........will she survive the stench, slop and greed????
Some folks were under the illusion that “things were better” during Trump’s first term.
You can't fix stupid!
Truly.
i think you know. he couldn't have done anything without putin.
He cheated with the help of Musk, Thiel and Russia. Do not believe that in 2024 he won this election "freely and fairly" when there is so much evidence why and how he cheated in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, including staging a coup to try to stop the certification of electoral votes for President Biden. The truth will come out on the multiple ways he cheated this time around but unfortunately, it will be too late to stop the madness.
Yes it was long enough. People knew who he is and voted for him. That says as much about them as it does about him. It says a lot about our country and our system of voting, especially for President.
I can tell you. Elon Musk paid people cash to vote for Trump.
That’s a shit ton of people you’ll have to get to know…….
Thank you, Mary 💙.
I pay attention to what happens after violent weather events since I believe Mother Nature is trying to warn us about human events. This pattern has held true for the, at least, last decade.
I hope Governor Newsom finds a way to keep the $ that California sends to the government. Hopefully, by doing this California will rebuild faster.
Agreed. I could be missing some key details, but it seems like blue states - especially the ones with particularly large and prosperous economies - would be better off not paying a red cent in federal taxes while the White House is being occupied by a parasite who does nothing but villify them, calling them "enemies of America" and a myriad of tasteless inflammatory labels.
Much like last time, Felon47 has made it crystal clear that he does not intend to be a leader for ALL Americans this time around either. So why should they pay anything to a federal government that has become openly hostile to them? That money would be better off remaining in their own respective states where it can be put into the programs that aid their own citizens.
It would also have the added benefit of allowing those strong, proud, godly red states pull themselves up by the bootstraps and support themselves. We all know how they feel about welfare queens and handouts.
I don’t think there is any way to stop the federal government from taking the tax money they think you owe them. Your money goes into a bank account, and they can easily reach in and take it out. The only way a bank can stop it is by having no branches outside the state. In effect, California would have to secede to prevent the money from being taken. Then they would have to spend it defending their border from the red state troops sent to invade them.
Presuming of course that they'd be able to do nearly as much financially if the state with THE largest economy decided to cut itself off from the rest of the country, those red state troops (whose respective states were likely subsidized BY California far more than the reverse) would then have to find enough skilled manpower willing to coordinate and attack who were only recently fellow Americans - possibly including friends and family members.
I strongly agree but is the flip side dismantling the US government not the incoming administration’s goal?
Yeah but I'd imagine they always envisioned getting the clean end of the stick in that deal. Somehow I don't imagine they'd fare as well as they might initially think without the millions California pumps into federal funding and propping up underperforming red states.
I agree that California should stop sending all our money to the federal government. We support the red states, yet all MAGAts, and especially Convicted Felon Mad King Donny, just insult us and say we should be like them. Um . . . Uninformed, uneducated, unhealthy, lacking empathy and compassion? No, thanks. I’m already disgusted at the use of millions of dollars of our tax dollars for frivolous Republican investigations (Gym Jordan just said they will reopen their bogus investigation of Hunter Biden). If they withhold emergency funds for our state, the hell with them; Governor Newsom is trying to build up state resources to help our citizens because he knows how Convicted Felon Mad King Donny’s mind (whatever is left of it) works.
Thank you, Mary. I am in Ventura County, right next to LA. It's very scary. The wind has come up again and it's bone dry. We have our bags ready, as we do every day of the year in this disaster-prone area. We all know people who have lost their houses and/or had to leave.
Los Angeles has always had fires, earthquakes, and mudslides. These phenomena predate the arrival of Europeans. Climate change has made the weather more extreme, and Governor Newsom has nothing to do with it. Donald is an ignorant jerk. He knows nothing about California and should shut his fat mouth.
Please don't wait too long to leave--and stay safe!
Correction: he knows nothing about anything. He just lies so well he sounds like he knows what he is talking about, which he never does.
All the winds will probably stop blowing when he does. Sorry you guys are going through this
Thank you, Andy. It's awful but we're used to it. I am beginning to wonder if I can still live this way though.
Am certainly not in a fire threatened area now ,Paula...but have come close with evacuations in Crestline...and fires & flooding in.Orange Country! Know the terrible price some.of my neighbors have sadly paid.
You & I are tough old birds...we don't give up easily...
Somehow we'll get through this as we have in.the past.
Godspeed and prayers to you and to all my Southern California neighbors.🙌🙏
This from the sovereign government of Canada's official website https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/news/2025/01/government-of-canadas-response-to-the-wildfires-in-california.html:
Provinces in Canada are assessing how they can help California’s response; to date the following is also being mobilized, if requested:
Ontario: Is prepared to deploy Incident Command System (ICS) personnel, two CL-415 waterbombers, wildland and urban firefighters, along with associated equipment; approximately 200 personnel and approximately 120 kg of equipment per personnel.
Quebec: In addition to the two CL-415 water bombers sent in August 2024 to Los Angeles, the Québec government confirmed on January 10 the deployment of two other CL-415 skimmer airtankers to support firefighting efforts in California. It is considering providing additional water bombers and to having 60 Type 1 wildland firefighters available and on standby for deployment.
Alberta: Is sending a trained and experienced crew of up to 40 Type 1 wildland firefighters. Additional Type 1 firefighters, Incident Command personnel, and qualified support staff will be ready to go when requested. Alberta is also preparing water bombers and contracted night vision helicopters to be ready as well when requested.
British Columbia: Has a long-standing bilateral relationship with CAL Fire, and based on a request for support, is sending a team of senior technical staff to fill specialized incident command system functions.
We don't need to be taken over by another government to be ready (and able) to help.
Thank you, Canada! We love you!!!
Indeed, we do love Canada! And we are happy to have you as a good neighbor and ally. That doesn’t mean we think you should give up your sovereign nation status to join our shitshow, no matter what the orange blob says.
Not only Donald, but GOP legislators want to punish blue states by withholding assistance.
If it is not a benefit to him he could care less. Period!
Well, that's typical sociopathic behavior. You can't fix it.
We've all heard the phrase "The best defense is an offense." 45 is always on the offense and it seems our response, the defense, is the huge waste of time he intends. It's pathetic that in the middle of a crisis, Gov. Newsom has to spend time defending against 45's BS. I was so proud of POTUS Biden for his recent statements about his employment stats and other successes. I hope we can get ahead of the curve and spend more energy on being more "offensive", blowing our horn rather than trying to muffle theirs.
Yet as usual they are still dissing President Biden in the NYT!
I can’t stand the NYT and gave up my subscription happily.
Thanks so much for this excellent article Mary. You’ve been a voice of reason for so many of us, through these past few years. It’s very meaningful to me, and others like myself.
And though I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you, you’re one of the few people who I regularly read and listen to.
My amazing wife and I live here in the west San Fernando Valley. So we’re surrounded by the current fires (it looked like Mordor here on Wednesday- yikes!), but we’re relatively safe. An evacuation “safe site” is down the street from us here. So it’s smoky, scary, but we’re ok.
Your “Uncle’s” screed of insults and vulgar insinuations were the same reprehensible content were used to hearing from him.
And we’re taking it as a clarion call, to stand up to his ignorance, to be the compassionate and empathic sort of people that he clearly isn’t.
I guess if there’s any good news, it’s that the contrast between those who care about others and those who only look after themselves becomes all the clearer in troubled times like these.
It’s “Love thy neighbor” time, time to stand together and be the change we hope to see in the greater world.
Thanks again for the wonderful reminder here Mary, of who we are, and what he is.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer.
Please stay safe!
Thank You Mary, the worst of it is over out here, and we fared well- just a lot of smoke here, but we were 4 miles out from both burn zones. Whew! 🤗
Stay safe, Earl! We are west of you in Simi Valley. Fingers crossed for all of us.
Thanks Paula! It sure was scary- but looks like they have most of the fires contained now. I’m still contacting friends, to make sure everyone is ok. So far so good. We have a few friends who lost their homes though. So devastating. 🤗
I'm so glad you're okay!! I feel terrible for those who have lost their houses. I think this is the worst set of fires we've ever had here, although the Woolsey Fire was everywhere at once too. Please stay safe!!
I have family in Santa Monica. The bloated orange yam better not show his orange face anywhere near them. They are sick and tired of his lies, bullshit and blame shifting. And will be on the front lines of refusing to send tax dollars to DC to support shithole red states if MAGA Republicans do what we know they will do and try to deny disaster aid to those affected by the fires.
I live in one of those "shithole" red states and so do many other people who are going to suffer because of this election. Please remember that red states are full of people doing everything they can to elect representatives who care about what the majority of people want. Unfortunately, all we keep getting is MAGATs because of gerrymandering, that even though we vote to end it, is ignored by our Republican controlled state governments. Plus, good candidates get defeated by billions of dark money dollars flowing into our states to spread lies about Democratic candidates and elect corrupt MAGATs.
Annie, just this morning I read Heather Cox Richardson's Substack addressing this exact issue. I didn't think there was anything left that could shock me about the evil machinations of the GOP. They aren't even trying to be sneaky about it - They are saying it out loud and clear: We will use any tool we want, whether legal or not, to take control over the democrats - even when they have been elected by a large majority.
Peter, are they okay? We are in Simi Valley--okay so far.
As a renter whose landlord refuses to make a property inhabitable the rent can be paid into a special account until the property is fixed. Could we do that within our state if our it passed such a law? Just a thought.
Trump provided a stellar example of crisis management with the COVID pandemic. Let’s hope bird flu doesn’t provide another opportunity for excellence.
Joking right??
I interpreted David’s remark as sarcasm.
I’m concerned the Orange Menace and RFK Jr. will preside incompetently over H1N1, and there could be an unnecessarily high death toll.
I have no doubt. And blame it all on Biden.
i hope your right. i love sarcasm. but with some people, who knows.
You’re missing the /s.