Is anybody getting anything on Mueller's testimony? And how did you all feel before the report?
Has anyone done a reading on Trump supporters? I feel like his support is solid in the Midwest and South, and people, though they may think he lies and is corrupt, are willing to put up with it as long as they feel like the economy is good and their own personal circumstance is looking up. I don't feel they are concerned about children in cages, climate collapse, or anything other than very short-term, me-first thinking. They are willing to buy into his lies. I feel that is precisely why Trump is president. He is a reflection of ourselves. Honestly, I don't see his support among this group turning around unless there is a very immediate threat to their own finances. Not sure this is likely to happen, and even if it does, I have seen interviews with farmers in the Mid-West suffering directly as a result of Trump policies, but these people honestly believe Trump, in all his narcissism, is looking out for them and has some grand plan, despite the blatant and bald-faced evidence of corruption and rot within this Administration. I don't really see much of a counter to what Trump represents of American society, unfortunately. I think short-term, me-first thinking is part and parcel of our society. Just wondering what others would have to say about this. I try to be optimistic for my own sanity, but if I really focus in on who and what this country is, and how much it is likely to remain the way it is, due to gerry-mandering and the electoral college fiasco which gives outsize power and influence to relatively unpopulated states while ignoring the voices of populated states, it would seem that we will remain just exactly as we are --- unless some sort of big shock happens like a depression or natural disaster, in which people are forced to reach outside their usual mindsets and prejudices.
Hi ArtZeal. Welcome to our community. I am glad you posted and I hope you will continue to post here! I think there are people in this country who feel just as you describe - unaware or unconcerned with the climate and plights of others. I feel them when I listen to the news and tune into my conservative friends.
Conservative pundit Ann Coulter did an interview with John Stewart a few years back in which she affectionately described the good people, the conservatives of America, as happy people riding around in their cars listening to country music, (and also they were, she affectionately said, Christians), enjoying their lives. Whereas the liberals she implied were riding in their cars listening to NPR rather than joyful country music. In other words, Coulter's people were focusing on the fun in life. It was a shock of an interview, not the least because the happy good people were Christian in her view and Jon Stewart, as he later pointed out to her, is Jewish.
But I feel the trump supporters are not the majority of Americans. If every person of voting age actually voted right now, I am certain T would lose.
It's a matter of getting out the vote.
I don't think I'm contradicting you. I realize there are polls, and there's a perception out there. Although polls have been so wrong in the past - for example, the 2016 election polls.
But the work for progressives is to get out the vote because they are the majority.
I don't think much is going to happen with Mueller's testimony. I do hope I'm wrong, but my dream of him as white knight in shining armor against corruption has fizzled. He is a republican bureaucrat, honest, yes, but not independent. The fight is elsewhere.
@marcosromao I agree on the Mueller testimony. I am not getting my hopes up but if something good does come of it I will be pleased. As for Moron supporters, most to me are people who don't value things like good manners, empathy or compassion, UNLESS they are the ones who need compassion. I think this is what they see in him that they admire. He is rude, crude and self-centered and they admire that. They are also people who hate change. Moron has promised to bring back the things that they have lost like factory jobs or coal jobs. They don't seem to realize this isn't going to happen. But they want it so badly they won't believe anything else. It reminds me of the Obama is going to come get your guns farce. I know people who honestly believed that! I remember when Rush Lumpital (my name for him) started his rise to fame my mother and aunt and uncle loved him! He hated all the same people they did! Wow. I called my mother out on it one night and ask how she could believe someone who has proven to be an out and out lyer. She said it didn't matter that some people believed what he said and agreed with him so it didn't matter if it was a lie or not. I could never understand that logic!
As for Billy Barr, I would like to know why he took that job. Ego, Money, Blackmail? I do believe in Karma and I believe it will hit him hard. I think he is going to be ruined by this job. I can see him losing his law license very easily. I truly hold the belief when this fiasco is all over a great many of Morons administration are going to pay a very heavy price, some of them even doing jail time. Who knows why they think it is worth it. Just remember Karma is a bitch (excuse my language).
Bill Barr said that at his age his reputation no longer matters and that everyone dies.
www.huffpost.com/entry/william-barr-reputation-everyone-dies_n_5cf139c2e4b0a1997b693ad4
Adam Serwer of The Atlantic did a good job explaining how Barr thinks and what we can expect from him in his article "The Dangerous Ideas of Bill Barr.
"Barr is not protecting Trump because he thinks Trump is the most accomplished president in modern history, because he fears Trump, because the real-estate mogul has some psychological hold on him, or because he has been corrupted. Barr is defending Trump because Barr is a zealot"who
believes that the Mueller investigation would damage the office of the presidency that would go beyond just this president. He really feels that the president is above the law.
He was the Republicans' perfect choice to protect their Ace-in-the-Hole president.
I feel Mueller will follow Barr's orders.
The House dems know this about Barr and they also know that Mueller isn't going to tell them what Barr says not to tell them. They will likely use the testimony to get the American people to see what is in the Mueller report that anyone who has read already knows.
This article just popped up about how Mueller's testimony could hurt Trump. The writer says the same thing I just wrote above:
In reality, if Democrats can simply bring to life what Mueller did document — and convey that to a national audience — that alone will be a real victory, and an important public service. -- Greg Sargent, Washington Post
I’ve already posted this under the Buttigieg forum, but I’ve decided to also include it here. Tim Wise, a published author, educator and anti-racism activist was interviewed on a couple of programs yesterday. Wise worked extensively on defeating David Duke when Duke ran for U.S. Senate in 1990 and Governor of Louisiana in 1991. He draws from that experience when he explains that the Dems should make racist politics the central moral issue of their campaign. Wise states, “I would say crafting an argument that this is an existential crisis for the nation--and making it about T****'s bigotry and who we want to be as a country, would be far more effective in inspiring them to make up their minds.” Wise discusses this in a podcast interview he had with Slate: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/one-activist-wants-to-use-the-anti-david-duke-playbook-against-president-trump.html
He also addresses this topic in a long series of tweets, which are worth reading if you have the time. I am attaching those here: https://twitter.com/timjacobwise/status/1152930670093787141
Interesting that one of our community, Karen, got a hit today in her prediction that "A Texan speaks out against Trump." (predicted on 6/6/19) Great quote from Will Hurd, the Republican U.S. Representative from West Texas who voted with the dems to condemn Trump's racists remarks: “If the Republican party in Texas doesn’t start looking like Texas, there won’t be a Republican party in Texas."
https://qz.com/1668332/why-some-texas-republicans-condemned-trumps-racist-tweets/
well I'm disappointed in Mueller but I can't believe if he's asked a direct question he won't be honest.
I agree with Jeanne that simply reading the several cases of obstruction and collusion will be very educational. And about Muller being honest when asked a direct question, wait and see, he will be honest, granted, and also obfuscate: "is this obstruction if done by anybody?" "- Well, it depends, the law, as written, but also the interpretation of Justice XYZ..."
(But Goddess, make me wrong, and may tomorrow be a deluge of righteousness!)
okay, but he certainly wasn't happy with Barr's interpretation.
I think Ari Melber had something on his show showcasing the differences in how questions were answered by James Comey and by Robert Mueller. It was a video montage.
Comey is a story teller. He would be asked a question, and then answer by providing a background, a list of characters, the answer and the nuance and situations guiding that answer.
Mueller will answer the question. He will not provide background or entertainment with it. More importantly, he WILL NOT speculate.
For example, if the question were posed "If the DOJ didn't have the piece saying you can't indict a sitting President, would there have been enough evidence to secure an indictment?"
Mueller would answer something akin to "The team gathered evidence and documented it for future use. I will not speculate if there would have been enough for an indictment as it was determined, early on, that we would not indict the President"
I will leave it to the Rachel Maddow's of the world to find the key soundbites where Mueller "hints" what he wants Congress to do.
In the end, it will be the Fox News drunk crowd that needs to hear this testimony and realize that what they've been fed "no collusion/total exoneration" isn't factual. They need their world shaken a bit so they can wake up.
I just turned on the news in my state of CT and Richard Blumenthal (my state senator and former AG for CT who was one of the best AG's in our state) said "One of the questions everyone asks around here is what do the Russians have on Donald Trump, ... I think one of the questions they should be asking is What do the Russians have on Mitch McConnell?, Why does he keep blocking legislation on protecting our elections?"!!! GO Richard!
Look, most Americans have not read the Mueller report. Dragging him in front of Congress and having him basically recite what he wrote and putting it on TV is the best way to get the existing info out there. Nothing new will arise, but it's a start.
Just spoke with someone who knows more than I do - she said the following:
"SDNY currently has multiple sealed indictments... that means they are sitting on charges. This is being plotted I believe. It's detailed here: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/11/mueller-report-assange-wikileaks-1270625
Michael Cohen said those famously damning things against Donald Trump during his sentencing hearing, the SDNY then took Cohen’s words to a grand jury and obtained an indictment against Trump. When an indictment isn’t intended to be immediately carried out, it’s placed “under seal” which usually means that it’s simply hidden from public view. In this instance it sounds like they literally sealed up the indictment, to prevent Trump and/or his minions from being able to destroy it."
As far as what will happen with Mueller's testimony, she says, "Not much - they're waiting I believe since you can't charge a "sitting" president. So he has to be out of office first - that's why they won't impeach him - they want to keep giving him enough rope."
We'll see, but I pretty much trust her due to some of her contacts.
Hi all. I thought I would jump on really quick. I am not going to watch the testimony today live. I wil go out and take advantage of the cooler weather here and weed my back yard! I did want to share something I heard from another intuitive this AM. She says that the importance isn't in what Mueller will say but what he will be ask by the DEms. She sees the Dems being very organized in their questions. She also said there will be a Rep on the committee who will be nasty and tick Mueller off. She also sees a Rep on the commttee who is taking medication and is ill. You should be able to see this since he will be pale and shaky. I agree with her on the questions ask. I don't know who is on the committee who will be questioning Mueller but there are some very , very smart Dems in the House. I can't imagine they havent been preparing for this for a while.
One weird thing that happened while I was listening to this reading, my phone suddenly went to a different screen even though I didn't touch anything. When I went back to sign into youtube none of the readers I subscribe to or follow came up. It was all kiddy stuff. I don't have a kid so I have no idea where that came from! Weird! Good day all. I will probably check in again at the end of the day
okay, but he certainly wasn't happy with Barr's interpretation.
Hey, Suspira44, it seems I was wrong (and I couldn't be happier!):
Nadler: “Did you actually totally exonerate the president?” Mueller: “No.”
(Yeeeeeeey!)