The GOP’s deepest brand is white, straight, authoritarian, wealthy & religiously fundamentalist. Their vulnerability is these can be re-cast as bigoted, homophobic, fascistic, greedy & hypocritical…
Thom, great article! I'll just remind you that my son and I recently were on your show to talk about our book, "BRANDING DEMOCRATS: a Top-to-Bottom Reimagining of Campaign Strategies." You kindly said the book was "brilliant."
Your article touched on some of the same concepts we examine in the book. (Available on Amazon!)
I'm happy to report that the book and the ideas we put forward are quickly gaining traction with some important Democratic leaders. Hopefully some of your followers can join us as we push Dems to smarter, more effective branding.
Hi Thom, your article is about a really important subject. I agree with your analysis and hope the Democratic party will pick up the baton and run with it.
This must be a joke. Of course you're right about the Republican Party as you almost always are, but to misrepresent Biden in this way just allows the continued downward spiral that our country is in. The Biden administration pushed a contract upon rail workers without a SINGLE PAID SICK DAY and Biden publicly called it a "good deal" for workers. He is currently siding with the rail industry in making it impossible for workers to sue for injuries incurred while on the job. I haven't heard him using the bully pulpit in any significant way regarding the movements for unionization occurring at the ground level across the country. If you try to refute that by saying he's mentioned it a few times, think of what Bernie Sanders would be saying about this every day if he were president. So he's the opposite of a labor president as far as his actions go. As for a "strong defense." if you call hiring a former Raython board member as your Secretary of Defense and sending $100 billion in weapons to a corrupt oligarchy led by a comedian in the interests of ousting Putin, while escalating tensions with China and North Korea, I would call all that foolish. And point out that Joe Biden and his globalists have no right to put the planet in jeopardy for their economic interests. Of course, with the help of propagandists like you, saying out of one side of your mouth that Putin's military is a paper tiger and out of the other calling him Hitler (aren't they all Thom?) and spouting the Domino Theory, austerity will rule the day until there is nuclear confrontation. Martin Luther King Jr would be spinning in his grave bearing witness to the militarism and hypocrisy of today's liberals, touting escalation to nuclear confrontation as peace and pro-capitalist presidents and pro-labor.
It always amazes me when it’s the democrats fault! Listening to cable news too much, huh! rePUGliCONs or death cult are the ones removing safety regulations, safety nets...anything to help hard working Americans. Now that’s reality and poor white ppl need to wake the heck up!
Anyone who uses the terminology you do shows evidence of the effects of corporate media and the division it sows. I recognize the malfeasance of Republicans, but this is a two-party system and it is the Democrats who have aligned with global corporate interests to screw the working class and distract by grandstanding about social issues. It's not the poor white people who need to wake up, it's those who align themselves with the imperialism of the United States, Incidentally, I only see snippets of the cable news outlets to see how they are misinforming Americans and making them adopt the perspective of the ruling class (eg talking about poor white people in that way). This is some of the media I consume, and it is not working to sell salmon or gold or pillows or pajamas by not offending its cheerleading liberal audience: https://www.levernews.com/
Apparently you missed the fact that our social and economic issues are tied to global social and economic issues. It appears to me that the word Socialist is too scary for y'all to look at. because social is the root of the word!
"Anyone who uses the terminology you do shows evidence of the effects of corporate media and the division it sows."
And of course you're immune to that. I think you're also overdue for a vacation. Biden isn't perfect, but I've personally grown to trust him on most issues because he usually turns out to be right. You, on the other hand, are merely a person with an opinion. I suggest that you might want to think twice before you vote Republican in 2024.
You have no idea who I am or what I do, and that type of personal attack is typical of Biden liberals who think he's been right about much of anything as well as the Trump supporters they hate. Your humor is telling and your discounting of my honesty and non-partisanship is the downfall of our oligarchy.
I find you frustrating. I agree with your critique of Biden and the Democratic Party. I don't trust and never have trusted the Senator from Wall Street (which is why he toadies to banks) And he did sell out the railroad union, an event that will have disastrous effects as regards other unions. It took Buttigeg a week to show up at East Palestine, a fact not lost, while Biden never showed,and how could he after taking the side of the railroads.
The excuse was a rail strike would hurt the economy, raise prices, and help the Republicans.. all true. so what to do?
I cannot overlook your Tucker Carlsonesque depiction of Zelensky,Ukraine and defense of Putin. That is where you blew it. Talking points straight from Putin.
Biden went to Ukraine instead of East Palestine. That, I suppose, is a big sin. Bigger was Buttigieg's, although he said that Gov. DeWine told him Ohio didn't need federal assistance. I'm sure there would be plenty of criticism if Pete had gone anyway, but that's politics.
It's really horrible how you insulted Zelenskyy. He's been a phenomenal leader, and I say that as someone whose late grandfather was both Russian and Ukrainian.
I only see others calling me names, not vice versa. And I'm not exactly a troll, although that appears to be the easy answer when nobody has direct policy-oriented answers to my assertions. Perhaps there is just frustration because I have no interest in cheerleading for the interests of either political party, both of which reflect the interests of those who have zero interest in justice or conflict resolution. So liberals just pile on with Biden's murderous policy of dragging out his proxy war with Russia until Ukraine is destroyed. He doesn't care about the people of Ukraine and neither do the liberals who make excuses for him. If they did they would be pushing him to negotiate a peace with a man he has known for decades rather than escalating towards World War III.
At least you should be aware that many of Biden's past policies are ones he no longer holds. Please have a look at what's behind Delaware's friendliness toward banks - it's state politics, not federal, so he had nothing to do with it. Also please get yourself up to speed on his efforts to eliminate junk fees and to pass the measure on student loan forgiveness. Both would cost banks billions.
I will give Biden his come to Jesus moment. It was he that old Obama to change his his homophobic views. But he caved to the railroads in their conflict with the unions, thus costing him union support.
My good faith suspicion is that he didn't want a rail strike to crush the fragile economy, after all he is President and buck stops at his office.
My bad faith suspicion is that he was concerned bout upsetting big donors.
FYI, I am a skeptic and pessimist, I trust and believe no one and need proof I base my opinions on bast and present performance, but I do permit people to change, because for the first 55 years of my life I was a full blown right winger. Then in 1989 by fortuitous circumstances I had my own coming to Jesus moment.
However I don't believe in messiahs, especially when I watch Biden back the railroads against the unions.
Past performance is a prediction of future performance.
I am proud of Biden's support for Ukraine, but very disappointed with his reluctance to provide them F-16's or allow Poland to supply them with aircraft.
Ha ha ha ha ha...seriously...wow let me guess, you listen to fox NOT news because you have all of their talking points! You do make good points, there is still a lot of work for the older parts of the Democratic Party ppl...so thank you! Thinking is good! Have a great day!
You had me until you came to Ukraine. Truthfully I see the talking points of an reconstructed Marxist and Russophile, what in England was called a Tankie.. I won't accuse you of being a Putin troll, but apparently you have deep dived into the branding of the Marxist left.
I am a progressive, but I am no Marxist. Marxist are as brainwashed and evil as Christian Fundamentalists, Islamic fundamentalist and Jewish fundamentalists.
FYI, Marx was a proto libertarian. yes he was and the Soviet Constitution was also libertarian. Here is anexample Article 12, 1936 Constituon says, in essence, If you don't work, you don't eat.
Yes! And, Biden just appointed Banga, Mr. Mastercard, to head the World Bank. Banga is one of the select few total rip-off artists on the planet. Watch the Frontline deep dive on the credit card industry; The Secret History of the Credit Card.
Great point, I'm sure you know "FDR" Biden has long worked in favor of the credit card industry in keeping with his service to the overlords of Delaware. I will check out that Frontline feature thanks.
How does ANYONE think it's their place to tell a democratic country they should negotiate with a psychopath? When one refers to Russia these days, it is not a whole government, it's a psychopath. Ukraine will decide what they should do, not us. Talk of negotiation coming from Americans is pathetic considering how this country was formed. Roll-over and play dead for the tyrant, because he's scaring us? That's the definition of an Un-American thing to do!
Perhaps you should talk to the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Somolia, Pakistan and Palestine to name a few as to who they would believe the "psychopaths" are. This country was formed on the backs of those who were tortured and raped into building the wealth of white males, so you can thump your nationalist chest with MSNBC/NPR pride while ignoring that your noble country has killed more innocents around the world in the past 25 years than all countries combined, invaded more sovereign nations and committed more war crimes. The moral mountain you stand on is built of the millions of black and brown corpses we have generated with our American Exceptionalism, an ideology initially based in the notion that we have the right to invade, bomb or stage coups in any country that has resources we can plunder or does not feed our malignant capitalism as a global trading partner or by purchasing more weapons or war from our defense contractors. Now it seems that Biden liberals in their rabid desperation to make a judgment-addled establishment hack look noble are willing to risk nuclear annihilation over admitting that Biden, who has known Putin for decades, has failed to pursue even the most basic diplomacy and instead is playing a game of sending just enough weaponry to perpetuate the conflict but not enough to "win" it, because he knows if he did (eg send fighter jets) Putin could respond with tactical nukes or worse. It's a sickening game now being played by liberals who play fast and loose with the horrors of war, making war fodder for social media insults and flag-waving in the most hypocritical and racist of contexts while assuring themselves that they are blameless in any way for Putin's invasion by simply labeling him a "madman." Yet I never heard or saw any similar outrage for the innocents we have massacred and tortured, no coverage from inside these countries highlighting our malfeasance or the fact that our invasions were completely baseless. At the very least, and Thom has gone so far off the deep end that he denies what people who were in the room at the time have been openly reporting, the NATO coalition that we lead has indeed been threatening Putin since the Clinton administration against the advice of his own State Department at the time. If Russia and China had missiles stationed in Mexico you know what the response of our "madmen" would be. The loss of nuance and critical thinking will be our country's downfall, and our "democracy" has not been lost to a ragtag group of Trump supporters, and how tenuous must it be if they could overthrow it, but to the oligarchs who have convinced liberals that war and regime change is the answer. If one merely looks around at the the state of our country, the staggering degree of wealth inequality and the intensity of the division between factions dueling over Marjorie Taylor Greene and Hunter Biden while the transnational corporations rob us blind, it should be obvious that our imperialist ambitions are whittling away at the institutions that keep civil society civil. Believing the solution is war, propping up leaders who are working solely in the interest of greed, ignoring our own war crimes and illegal invasions, and calling "troll" and "Anti-American" when someone suggests peace is proof positive that our society is not even close to anything that couild be called civil.
Long winded what about ism. Intentional or not, straight from Kremlin playbook.
If you insist on talking about the crimes of yesterday, then let's go into the crimes of Russia and Putin
Those aren't crimes of yesterday, they are crimes of humanity ..today.
Your mentioning of Afghanistan, et all and defense of Russia indicates to me that you are one with the authoritarian, misogynistic, homophobic regimes of the world.
Well that's quite a list Doctor Kaufman. What strikes me is that you use this forum to pound home our horrible track record (and it is), when liberals and progressives are the ones that acknowledge it. Oh we KNOW what has been done in our name, and we are usually the ones out in the streets carrying the signs, educating people, and voting for someone who will take a different path. We are just as real as that history and have been here fighting for what is right all along.
No matter what you say, no matter our past deeds, it is up to the Ukrainians to decide. Nothing changes the fact that Putin is a psychopath, anything negotiated with him will mean nothing to him. He won't feel it, he won't honor it. He doesn't feel the Ukrainians or any of the rest of humanity.
I sense that you feel humanity deeply. There have always been American humanitarians fighting to get this country on the best path possible. Reiterating our wrongs will not make Putin right---just the opposite, because he is so damn wrong too.
I just can't wrap my American head around anyone asking a democracy to give-up their country to save their ass. Progressives want America to do better, and we know that history because we can speak it and read it. If only that were true in Russia.
Outstanding comment. I would like to think Kaufman was posting in good faith. Of course America has it's sins, of course our ancestors were slavers and engaged in genocide, of course our country is still buggered by the control that religious crazies and billionaires have over our political, cultural and social life. But Kaufman takes that and uses our faults as a rationalization for us to stand by and do nothing while a country and government with an even worse and anti human history and current record, wage a bloody, soul less, campaign of genocide against a neighboring country.
There are at least 10% of Americans who sympathize with and support these Orcs (authoritarian religious extremists), because they share their ideology and want what Russia has for America
And there is an even smaller percentage of semi sentient leftists, who are so wrapped up in their ideology, that, hating capitalism and colonialism which they believe are the source of all ills, would deliver themselves and others into the hands of anti humans like the Orcs that invaded Ukraine.
Assuming bad faith, Kaufman is nothing more than a Russian disinfo agent, and really doesn't care about the sins of America, but is only using them to gain credibility and influence with some on the left.
I stole cigarettes and chewing gum when I was a kid, I even broke open and robbed riding machines, and cheated a pin ball machine, but does that make me a criminal for life? How about the times that I have donated to charities, saved animals from harm, helped people who can't help themselves, saw a woman drop her wallet, picked it up and returned it to her.
America has redeemed itself and still tries to, there is zero evidence of the same for Russia. It is a slave state, where the people are mentally and emotionally enslaved by the Russian orthodox church and the unrelenting propaganda of the government. Dissent is punished, with the consent of the slaves. Not so in America where dissent lives openly and Kaufman is an example. He would not last long after a comment like his was made public.
Very glad you read it. William, you mentioned percentages and that's where to find truth . Conservative-minded people will always be with us and fight to stop progress. Their dirty fighting has reached a new level with violence all around us.
Also, it is not logical to think we can negotiate away the nuclear threat to us. It's been there our whole life. The Ban the Bomb progressives tried to avoid that too. Putin is a psychopath---no conscience, no empathy, no telling what he will do. It's not logical to think he will abide by an agreement with Ukraine when he doesn't give a damn about killing Ukrainian civilians or his own Russian soldiers.
Psychopaths, yes. The hard truth is, Ukraine was a despotic dictatorship up until a few years ago too. Both countries are also extremely alcoholic. I have friends from Odessa and other parts of Russia and Ukraine; they have vodka for breakfast. The leaders may come and go but the people do not. We have a line in recovery literature that says that the alcoholic is 'strangely insane.' Not just 'insane' but strangely so. This has gone on for millennia. I also think that Ukraine has Russian nukes and Putin just wants his nukes back. These people love to blow the legs off of toddlers. Then again, so do we.
Their path is their own, simply not for us to dictate. Discuss the funding---I get that.
We are responsible for our actions, that includes the ones that enable that fucking psychopath, Putin. Read a lot about him and Russia, but it's always interesting to hear someone's take on another culture when they have experience.
As for nukes, there was an agreement, the "Budapest Memorandum".
Great article Thom. Brand something then get people to identify with the brand and voila, you can pick their pocket and get them to up their lives.
Crips vs Bloods, Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles. Francis I vs Henry VIII at Buologne, Edward IV vs Henry VI at Towton. There are wars fought for existential survival, at least on one side, like Ukraine, but not on the other (like Russia). Putin has effectively, for domestic consumption, branded the war as a war against NAZIs. A war that Russia has kept alive since 1945 with their annual May Day parade, speeches, sermons, eduation and books.
Regardless of how corrupt and oppressive the ruling regime, Russian citizens unite behind the brand.
After the U.S. left Viet Nam, this army of rice farmers was able to invade Cambodia I 1978 and defeat the Khmer Rouge which it perceived as an existential threat, then turn around in Feb and March and defeat the vaunted Chinese Army that invaded from the north., and the country of rice farmers were able to sustain and win an invasion by the French and Anglo allies Very effective branding and defense of an existential threat.
Bush used an existential threat, and the help of American exceptionalism branding to invade Iraq same with Afghanistan, but mission accomplished and the brand loyalty alone lost its impetus.
Actually answers questions that have been bugging me.
For instance the ability of Kings to motivate people to go to their death for them, when all they were doing was exchanging one harsh uncaring master for another. (Also applies to modern nation states)
There is an element of mercenary motivation, like the army of William the Conqueror, which was, except for the Bretons perhaps, a band of thugs motivated with visions of rapine, looting and land grab.
The Bretons were, in fact, at least at a subconscious level, returning the favor,.. Most of Brittany was populated by descendants of the Brythonic peoples that fled in the wake of the Anglo Saxon invasion, hence the name Brittany.
Harold Godwinson should have won the battle at Hastings, and would had not his army been exhausted from a two week forced march from York to Hastings, and the fyrd (Saxon peasant conscripts) had been better commanded and disciplined, such that they would not fall for the feint retreat of the Norman cavalry and go chasing them. Other than that the motivation was on the defense, Also the Saxons had no cavalry
I marveled at how Henry VIII could convince his army that they had a self interest in attacking France, during his aborted invasion, used the royal “we” when he claimed that they were only reclaiming “our” inheritance. Branding himself as part of the people or the populace as part of him, thus Normandy
Was rightfully theirs, not just Henry, but the English people. The English, then and now, cannot separate the person, identity of the sovereign, from their own identity.
In like manner we have the deadly phenomenon of Trumpism, where his cult cannot separate his identify from theirs. Trump under attack and siege is them under attack and siege.
And because their only reference to the world is themselves, their only response is projection. Thus when they call liberals snowflakes, it is because they themselves are fragile and have a tenuous and insecure hold on reality.
When they talk of grooming children, it is because the basis of their power, is grooming children to grow up like them. The same goes for all accusations from
We do need to spread the word but criticizing the other Tribe doesn't work. I like Rev. Warnock's approach. Sen. Warnock ran a really tough race against Herschel Walker but didn't attack him. Everyone knew (including the black and brown communities in GA) that Walker was a pawn who probably has brain damage from football, had a pathological tendency to lie and was in sum, a really messed up dude. The African Americans in GA knew what was going on and found it insulting, degrading. Walker was in no shape to run for Senate that the African Americans in GA knew it. Warnock could have crucified him (no pun intended) but instead took the high road. Warnock focused on his own agenda and has accomplished and will accomplish much as a Senator. Warnock did the insulin bill and that's a good start.
I think Georgia is a special case. Warnock was an incumbent with a good track record. Walker was an ass clown and a hypocrite, he apparently even embarrassed many Republicans unless the final vote was 51.37 for Warnock and 48.63 % for Walker, Considering what an embarrassing ass clown he was, the voter spread should have been greater
In George 59% of whites identify as Republican and 25% as Democrats
For blacks it is 12% Republican and 75% Democrat
There are 10,912,876 people in Georgia of which 59.5% or 6,482,248.344 are white., at first glance it looks like there was a cross over vote with many white Republicans voting for Warnocke, but I doubt that, more likely they decided to sit out that election.
I would like to think that you are correct about not criticizing the other tribe and staying positive, unfortunately that tactic has been employed by the Democratic party (they go low we go high) and resulted in the right wing reign of terror.
Humans are mammals with an amygdala, the lizard brain. It knows only fight or fright, the processing of information goes on in the pre frrontal cotex, and information has to be presented, then processed There is not much of that in the corporate media, and none at all in the propaganda organs that the right is addicted to.
The fascists are motivated by frontal attacks, invoking images of fear, victim hood, evoking anger, angst, hatred. The amygdala is well payed.
The Democrats appeal to reason, policies, achievements all of which are not even heard, and can't and won't be heard by the lizard brain.
There was a massive turnout in Georgia by people who had something to fear in the form of Walker and the GOP. Just as there was a massive turn out in 202 by people who had something to fear (81 million of us) from another four years of Trump.
Warnocke didn't have to attack Walker, he provided the meat for the media to the job for him.
The only way for Democrats to win is go on the offense, get down and dirty, point out the failings of the Republicans, not hard to do either. De Santis may have a following in Florida, but remember any news report that starts with a ""man form Florida" doesn't end well and that tells you all you need to know about the Sunshine State.
When you step in the ring to wrestle with a pig, you are going to get dirty, or you become the pigs lunch.
"The multi-millionaire who’d been born of a patrician Connecticut family put on jeans, leather work gloves, and a flannel shirt, picked up a chainsaw, affected a Texas drawl, and transformed his brand into that of a Reaganesque GOP cowboy."
Almost as ridiculous as that poseur Trent Lott and his pressed-into-a-sharp-crease blue jeans.
We all need to speak out as ambassadors. Call out the lies and expose the truth. To all the brainwashed people who think they are getting the truth from Fox, they need to be educated!!!
I am sympathetic to anyone who is a victim of war, including the Ukrainians, and am looking for a solution other than perpetual war or nuclear annihilation. We have difference. You think Joe Biden and America has the right to do whatever we want anywhere around the world and suffer no consequences, I think Joe Biden does not have the right to threaten all of humanity and the survival of this planet for the interests of the global capitalists who ultimately make the decisions. This invasion is indeed a consequence of our penchant for war and global domination, and our war crimes of yesterday that continue today are coming back to haunt us. Which imperialist nation is worse? I think they are both culpable and capable of destroying the planet for their pride and profit. You endorse that ideolgy by playing the neoliberal "in the past" game, except that what happens in the past tends to dictate what happens in the present. Ignoring history is one of the major steps in the loss of critical thinking, and your logic would be tragic if it weren't so terrifying and once again relying on the personal insults levied by Trump and Biden supporters alike when they have no policy answers. And it is indeed telling that I am expressing empathy for the people of Afghanistan who we have slaughtered and you interpret that as "mentioning Afghanistian." So now apparently in our democracy we are not supposed to mention Afghanistan either as it a reminder of the lies and deception of every president and general involved, which would include Barack Obama and his "surge" and Biden and the war crimes he committed upon his haphazard exit. But I apologize for mentioning the past.
I think the nukes are still there. I know there are agreements but, I doubt they have been followed. Also, Ukraine has one of the largest natural deposits of uranium in the world; worth fighting over for these creeps. It's all about the missile size, isn't it? Ukraine was run by a Putin Puppet for many years.
You have proved it, and I have said before that the name calling that is going on these days is the result of hate radio, hate TV, and hate think tanks. The Republicans started it. What they hate the most is that we are not taking their labeling without labeling back. They cry like little babies when we use their actual behavior to point out who they ARE!
We do need to proceed full speed ahead with the branding. The more they cry, the weaker they look. The closer they align themselves with Fox, the less they align themselves with the youth and diverse groups we love and embrace. Kevin's move with the Jan 6th footage was idiotic. Good, now he is Tucker's idiot. Not a good look for him or the GOP---the mainstream is on it.
You nailed this, even though I wish we were not still fighting Republicans for basic human rights, ours and Ukraine's. How does ANYONE (including DR. Kaufman) think it's their place to tell a democratic country they should negotiate with a psychopath? When one refers to Russia these days, it is not a whole government, it's a psychopath. Ukraine will decide what they should do, not us. Talk of negotiation coming from Americans is pathetic considering how this country was formed. Roll-over and play dead for the tyrant, because he's scaring us? That's the definition of an Un-American thing to do!
I appreciate your thoughtful response. And fortunately those from the right, left and center are coming together to oppose potential nuclear annihilation as the cost of policing the world, as if we somehow have the right to do so when every single intervention we have overseen over the past 75 years has left death and destruction in its wake (and all were largely based on false pretense). So if you see I have some integrity regarding the Democratic Party, perhaps I might have some regarding the imperialist foreign policy that is draining our country. I am open to the fact that occasionally conservatives can be right about something. I hope you will at least lend an ear to Chris Hedges who won a Pulitzer Prize for his war coverage and was fired from The New York Times for telling the truth: https://therealnews.com/the-chris-hedges-report-ukraine-and-the-crisis-of-media-censorship
I used to like Hedges until he became too hyperbolic to have any credibility left. He's the darling of the leftists, but he has had to settle for a career of writing hyperbole with the voice of a preacher from his pulpit.
Yes when they ask why they can't afford their medication or why they can only see nurse practitioners and not physicians or why their Medicare premiums are so high or why they can't afford insurance even on the exchanges or why their Medicaid has an HMO attached to it or why their insurance company has denied treatment they desperately need. Yes we talk about solutions, and why these things are occurring, and we always find agreement in the fact that those running our government, Democrat or Republican, are being run by the health care conglomerates. Again, can you stop attacking me personally and discuss the issues?
$169.40 is deducted from my Social Security for medicare and my wife, who has a Social Security Replacement program pays $169.40 for Medicare. These are premiums and they are not too high, compared to insurance. I have a secondary Insurance to cover the 20% that medicare doesn't cover (and it could with a rewrite of the legislation) and that premium is high, $361 to cover 20%. In total I pay $531 for health insurance and the secondary is too high. If I didn't have Medicare at all my health insurance bill would be over $1,100 a month just for myself. Unless I was fortunate enough to work for a deep pocket employer who footed the bill.
As long as we know now for sure, the DNC picks the candidate, they choose the one who will best protect the current status quo. The status quo isn't working for the people. I can't even imagine them stuffing Joe Biden down our throats with their miserable campaign, "Vote Blue No Matter Who". How to get people to vote is embarrassing at the least. Unacceptable too.
Therein lies the problem Marg. You are laughing, not taking this seriously, and pointing out that often Fox News tells the truth about Democrats, albeit not to change anything just to make Democrats look bad. MSNBC and Thom do the same thing with Republicans, tell the truth about them while hiding the truth about Democrats. It's not at all funny from my perspective as a physician, and your mocking tone is representative of the degree to which journalism has failed us. I can change much more by being realistic about how awful the Democratic Party is and trying to pressure them than I can expounding about how crazy the Republicans are. I have zero chance of influencing Republicans at the leadership level, although I do so by connecting with my conservative patients on a daily basis. The "older parts" of the Democratic Party comprise over 66% of it by the way, and Democratic leadership is either old or representing the establishment.
How do you break down a brand to a few words. So many accomplishments by Biden and still much hasn't been done. What is a cleaver line to grab the attention of media and "we the people". It has to start at home (whit ehouse and democrat party.? and then they keep repeating it and "we the people" do so.
Thom, great article! I'll just remind you that my son and I recently were on your show to talk about our book, "BRANDING DEMOCRATS: a Top-to-Bottom Reimagining of Campaign Strategies." You kindly said the book was "brilliant."
Your article touched on some of the same concepts we examine in the book. (Available on Amazon!)
I'm happy to report that the book and the ideas we put forward are quickly gaining traction with some important Democratic leaders. Hopefully some of your followers can join us as we push Dems to smarter, more effective branding.
Ken Weber
Hi Thom, your article is about a really important subject. I agree with your analysis and hope the Democratic party will pick up the baton and run with it.
This must be a joke. Of course you're right about the Republican Party as you almost always are, but to misrepresent Biden in this way just allows the continued downward spiral that our country is in. The Biden administration pushed a contract upon rail workers without a SINGLE PAID SICK DAY and Biden publicly called it a "good deal" for workers. He is currently siding with the rail industry in making it impossible for workers to sue for injuries incurred while on the job. I haven't heard him using the bully pulpit in any significant way regarding the movements for unionization occurring at the ground level across the country. If you try to refute that by saying he's mentioned it a few times, think of what Bernie Sanders would be saying about this every day if he were president. So he's the opposite of a labor president as far as his actions go. As for a "strong defense." if you call hiring a former Raython board member as your Secretary of Defense and sending $100 billion in weapons to a corrupt oligarchy led by a comedian in the interests of ousting Putin, while escalating tensions with China and North Korea, I would call all that foolish. And point out that Joe Biden and his globalists have no right to put the planet in jeopardy for their economic interests. Of course, with the help of propagandists like you, saying out of one side of your mouth that Putin's military is a paper tiger and out of the other calling him Hitler (aren't they all Thom?) and spouting the Domino Theory, austerity will rule the day until there is nuclear confrontation. Martin Luther King Jr would be spinning in his grave bearing witness to the militarism and hypocrisy of today's liberals, touting escalation to nuclear confrontation as peace and pro-capitalist presidents and pro-labor.
It always amazes me when it’s the democrats fault! Listening to cable news too much, huh! rePUGliCONs or death cult are the ones removing safety regulations, safety nets...anything to help hard working Americans. Now that’s reality and poor white ppl need to wake the heck up!
Anyone who uses the terminology you do shows evidence of the effects of corporate media and the division it sows. I recognize the malfeasance of Republicans, but this is a two-party system and it is the Democrats who have aligned with global corporate interests to screw the working class and distract by grandstanding about social issues. It's not the poor white people who need to wake up, it's those who align themselves with the imperialism of the United States, Incidentally, I only see snippets of the cable news outlets to see how they are misinforming Americans and making them adopt the perspective of the ruling class (eg talking about poor white people in that way). This is some of the media I consume, and it is not working to sell salmon or gold or pillows or pajamas by not offending its cheerleading liberal audience: https://www.levernews.com/
Apparently you missed the fact that our social and economic issues are tied to global social and economic issues. It appears to me that the word Socialist is too scary for y'all to look at. because social is the root of the word!
"Anyone who uses the terminology you do shows evidence of the effects of corporate media and the division it sows."
And of course you're immune to that. I think you're also overdue for a vacation. Biden isn't perfect, but I've personally grown to trust him on most issues because he usually turns out to be right. You, on the other hand, are merely a person with an opinion. I suggest that you might want to think twice before you vote Republican in 2024.
Thank you Marycat2021!
You have no idea who I am or what I do, and that type of personal attack is typical of Biden liberals who think he's been right about much of anything as well as the Trump supporters they hate. Your humor is telling and your discounting of my honesty and non-partisanship is the downfall of our oligarchy.
I find you frustrating. I agree with your critique of Biden and the Democratic Party. I don't trust and never have trusted the Senator from Wall Street (which is why he toadies to banks) And he did sell out the railroad union, an event that will have disastrous effects as regards other unions. It took Buttigeg a week to show up at East Palestine, a fact not lost, while Biden never showed,and how could he after taking the side of the railroads.
The excuse was a rail strike would hurt the economy, raise prices, and help the Republicans.. all true. so what to do?
I cannot overlook your Tucker Carlsonesque depiction of Zelensky,Ukraine and defense of Putin. That is where you blew it. Talking points straight from Putin.
Biden went to Ukraine instead of East Palestine. That, I suppose, is a big sin. Bigger was Buttigieg's, although he said that Gov. DeWine told him Ohio didn't need federal assistance. I'm sure there would be plenty of criticism if Pete had gone anyway, but that's politics.
It's really horrible how you insulted Zelenskyy. He's been a phenomenal leader, and I say that as someone whose late grandfather was both Russian and Ukrainian.
Barry, Kindly take your troll elsewhere... along with the avalanche of negativity and rudeness to other readers here. Please.
I only see others calling me names, not vice versa. And I'm not exactly a troll, although that appears to be the easy answer when nobody has direct policy-oriented answers to my assertions. Perhaps there is just frustration because I have no interest in cheerleading for the interests of either political party, both of which reflect the interests of those who have zero interest in justice or conflict resolution. So liberals just pile on with Biden's murderous policy of dragging out his proxy war with Russia until Ukraine is destroyed. He doesn't care about the people of Ukraine and neither do the liberals who make excuses for him. If they did they would be pushing him to negotiate a peace with a man he has known for decades rather than escalating towards World War III.
At least you should be aware that many of Biden's past policies are ones he no longer holds. Please have a look at what's behind Delaware's friendliness toward banks - it's state politics, not federal, so he had nothing to do with it. Also please get yourself up to speed on his efforts to eliminate junk fees and to pass the measure on student loan forgiveness. Both would cost banks billions.
I will give Biden his come to Jesus moment. It was he that old Obama to change his his homophobic views. But he caved to the railroads in their conflict with the unions, thus costing him union support.
My good faith suspicion is that he didn't want a rail strike to crush the fragile economy, after all he is President and buck stops at his office.
My bad faith suspicion is that he was concerned bout upsetting big donors.
FYI, I am a skeptic and pessimist, I trust and believe no one and need proof I base my opinions on bast and present performance, but I do permit people to change, because for the first 55 years of my life I was a full blown right winger. Then in 1989 by fortuitous circumstances I had my own coming to Jesus moment.
However I don't believe in messiahs, especially when I watch Biden back the railroads against the unions.
Past performance is a prediction of future performance.
I am proud of Biden's support for Ukraine, but very disappointed with his reluctance to provide them F-16's or allow Poland to supply them with aircraft.
https://www.politifact.com/article/2015/jan/27/msnbc-fox-cnn-move-needle-our-truth-o-meter-scorec/
Ha ha ha ha ha...seriously...wow let me guess, you listen to fox NOT news because you have all of their talking points! You do make good points, there is still a lot of work for the older parts of the Democratic Party ppl...so thank you! Thinking is good! Have a great day!
You had me until you came to Ukraine. Truthfully I see the talking points of an reconstructed Marxist and Russophile, what in England was called a Tankie.. I won't accuse you of being a Putin troll, but apparently you have deep dived into the branding of the Marxist left.
I am a progressive, but I am no Marxist. Marxist are as brainwashed and evil as Christian Fundamentalists, Islamic fundamentalist and Jewish fundamentalists.
FYI, Marx was a proto libertarian. yes he was and the Soviet Constitution was also libertarian. Here is anexample Article 12, 1936 Constituon says, in essence, If you don't work, you don't eat.
Yes! And, Biden just appointed Banga, Mr. Mastercard, to head the World Bank. Banga is one of the select few total rip-off artists on the planet. Watch the Frontline deep dive on the credit card industry; The Secret History of the Credit Card.
Great point, I'm sure you know "FDR" Biden has long worked in favor of the credit card industry in keeping with his service to the overlords of Delaware. I will check out that Frontline feature thanks.
How does ANYONE think it's their place to tell a democratic country they should negotiate with a psychopath? When one refers to Russia these days, it is not a whole government, it's a psychopath. Ukraine will decide what they should do, not us. Talk of negotiation coming from Americans is pathetic considering how this country was formed. Roll-over and play dead for the tyrant, because he's scaring us? That's the definition of an Un-American thing to do!
Perhaps you should talk to the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, Somolia, Pakistan and Palestine to name a few as to who they would believe the "psychopaths" are. This country was formed on the backs of those who were tortured and raped into building the wealth of white males, so you can thump your nationalist chest with MSNBC/NPR pride while ignoring that your noble country has killed more innocents around the world in the past 25 years than all countries combined, invaded more sovereign nations and committed more war crimes. The moral mountain you stand on is built of the millions of black and brown corpses we have generated with our American Exceptionalism, an ideology initially based in the notion that we have the right to invade, bomb or stage coups in any country that has resources we can plunder or does not feed our malignant capitalism as a global trading partner or by purchasing more weapons or war from our defense contractors. Now it seems that Biden liberals in their rabid desperation to make a judgment-addled establishment hack look noble are willing to risk nuclear annihilation over admitting that Biden, who has known Putin for decades, has failed to pursue even the most basic diplomacy and instead is playing a game of sending just enough weaponry to perpetuate the conflict but not enough to "win" it, because he knows if he did (eg send fighter jets) Putin could respond with tactical nukes or worse. It's a sickening game now being played by liberals who play fast and loose with the horrors of war, making war fodder for social media insults and flag-waving in the most hypocritical and racist of contexts while assuring themselves that they are blameless in any way for Putin's invasion by simply labeling him a "madman." Yet I never heard or saw any similar outrage for the innocents we have massacred and tortured, no coverage from inside these countries highlighting our malfeasance or the fact that our invasions were completely baseless. At the very least, and Thom has gone so far off the deep end that he denies what people who were in the room at the time have been openly reporting, the NATO coalition that we lead has indeed been threatening Putin since the Clinton administration against the advice of his own State Department at the time. If Russia and China had missiles stationed in Mexico you know what the response of our "madmen" would be. The loss of nuance and critical thinking will be our country's downfall, and our "democracy" has not been lost to a ragtag group of Trump supporters, and how tenuous must it be if they could overthrow it, but to the oligarchs who have convinced liberals that war and regime change is the answer. If one merely looks around at the the state of our country, the staggering degree of wealth inequality and the intensity of the division between factions dueling over Marjorie Taylor Greene and Hunter Biden while the transnational corporations rob us blind, it should be obvious that our imperialist ambitions are whittling away at the institutions that keep civil society civil. Believing the solution is war, propping up leaders who are working solely in the interest of greed, ignoring our own war crimes and illegal invasions, and calling "troll" and "Anti-American" when someone suggests peace is proof positive that our society is not even close to anything that couild be called civil.
Long winded what about ism. Intentional or not, straight from Kremlin playbook.
If you insist on talking about the crimes of yesterday, then let's go into the crimes of Russia and Putin
Those aren't crimes of yesterday, they are crimes of humanity ..today.
Your mentioning of Afghanistan, et all and defense of Russia indicates to me that you are one with the authoritarian, misogynistic, homophobic regimes of the world.
Well that's quite a list Doctor Kaufman. What strikes me is that you use this forum to pound home our horrible track record (and it is), when liberals and progressives are the ones that acknowledge it. Oh we KNOW what has been done in our name, and we are usually the ones out in the streets carrying the signs, educating people, and voting for someone who will take a different path. We are just as real as that history and have been here fighting for what is right all along.
No matter what you say, no matter our past deeds, it is up to the Ukrainians to decide. Nothing changes the fact that Putin is a psychopath, anything negotiated with him will mean nothing to him. He won't feel it, he won't honor it. He doesn't feel the Ukrainians or any of the rest of humanity.
I sense that you feel humanity deeply. There have always been American humanitarians fighting to get this country on the best path possible. Reiterating our wrongs will not make Putin right---just the opposite, because he is so damn wrong too.
I just can't wrap my American head around anyone asking a democracy to give-up their country to save their ass. Progressives want America to do better, and we know that history because we can speak it and read it. If only that were true in Russia.
Outstanding comment. I would like to think Kaufman was posting in good faith. Of course America has it's sins, of course our ancestors were slavers and engaged in genocide, of course our country is still buggered by the control that religious crazies and billionaires have over our political, cultural and social life. But Kaufman takes that and uses our faults as a rationalization for us to stand by and do nothing while a country and government with an even worse and anti human history and current record, wage a bloody, soul less, campaign of genocide against a neighboring country.
There are at least 10% of Americans who sympathize with and support these Orcs (authoritarian religious extremists), because they share their ideology and want what Russia has for America
And there is an even smaller percentage of semi sentient leftists, who are so wrapped up in their ideology, that, hating capitalism and colonialism which they believe are the source of all ills, would deliver themselves and others into the hands of anti humans like the Orcs that invaded Ukraine.
Assuming bad faith, Kaufman is nothing more than a Russian disinfo agent, and really doesn't care about the sins of America, but is only using them to gain credibility and influence with some on the left.
I stole cigarettes and chewing gum when I was a kid, I even broke open and robbed riding machines, and cheated a pin ball machine, but does that make me a criminal for life? How about the times that I have donated to charities, saved animals from harm, helped people who can't help themselves, saw a woman drop her wallet, picked it up and returned it to her.
America has redeemed itself and still tries to, there is zero evidence of the same for Russia. It is a slave state, where the people are mentally and emotionally enslaved by the Russian orthodox church and the unrelenting propaganda of the government. Dissent is punished, with the consent of the slaves. Not so in America where dissent lives openly and Kaufman is an example. He would not last long after a comment like his was made public.
Very glad you read it. William, you mentioned percentages and that's where to find truth . Conservative-minded people will always be with us and fight to stop progress. Their dirty fighting has reached a new level with violence all around us.
Also, it is not logical to think we can negotiate away the nuclear threat to us. It's been there our whole life. The Ban the Bomb progressives tried to avoid that too. Putin is a psychopath---no conscience, no empathy, no telling what he will do. It's not logical to think he will abide by an agreement with Ukraine when he doesn't give a damn about killing Ukrainian civilians or his own Russian soldiers.
I could not agree with you more. Spot on.
I could not agree more. Well said. America has grown soft, because it is prosperous.
Psychopaths, yes. The hard truth is, Ukraine was a despotic dictatorship up until a few years ago too. Both countries are also extremely alcoholic. I have friends from Odessa and other parts of Russia and Ukraine; they have vodka for breakfast. The leaders may come and go but the people do not. We have a line in recovery literature that says that the alcoholic is 'strangely insane.' Not just 'insane' but strangely so. This has gone on for millennia. I also think that Ukraine has Russian nukes and Putin just wants his nukes back. These people love to blow the legs off of toddlers. Then again, so do we.
Their path is their own, simply not for us to dictate. Discuss the funding---I get that.
We are responsible for our actions, that includes the ones that enable that fucking psychopath, Putin. Read a lot about him and Russia, but it's always interesting to hear someone's take on another culture when they have experience.
As for nukes, there was an agreement, the "Budapest Memorandum".
Great article Thom. Brand something then get people to identify with the brand and voila, you can pick their pocket and get them to up their lives.
Crips vs Bloods, Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles. Francis I vs Henry VIII at Buologne, Edward IV vs Henry VI at Towton. There are wars fought for existential survival, at least on one side, like Ukraine, but not on the other (like Russia). Putin has effectively, for domestic consumption, branded the war as a war against NAZIs. A war that Russia has kept alive since 1945 with their annual May Day parade, speeches, sermons, eduation and books.
Regardless of how corrupt and oppressive the ruling regime, Russian citizens unite behind the brand.
After the U.S. left Viet Nam, this army of rice farmers was able to invade Cambodia I 1978 and defeat the Khmer Rouge which it perceived as an existential threat, then turn around in Feb and March and defeat the vaunted Chinese Army that invaded from the north., and the country of rice farmers were able to sustain and win an invasion by the French and Anglo allies Very effective branding and defense of an existential threat.
Bush used an existential threat, and the help of American exceptionalism branding to invade Iraq same with Afghanistan, but mission accomplished and the brand loyalty alone lost its impetus.
Actually answers questions that have been bugging me.
For instance the ability of Kings to motivate people to go to their death for them, when all they were doing was exchanging one harsh uncaring master for another. (Also applies to modern nation states)
There is an element of mercenary motivation, like the army of William the Conqueror, which was, except for the Bretons perhaps, a band of thugs motivated with visions of rapine, looting and land grab.
The Bretons were, in fact, at least at a subconscious level, returning the favor,.. Most of Brittany was populated by descendants of the Brythonic peoples that fled in the wake of the Anglo Saxon invasion, hence the name Brittany.
Harold Godwinson should have won the battle at Hastings, and would had not his army been exhausted from a two week forced march from York to Hastings, and the fyrd (Saxon peasant conscripts) had been better commanded and disciplined, such that they would not fall for the feint retreat of the Norman cavalry and go chasing them. Other than that the motivation was on the defense, Also the Saxons had no cavalry
I marveled at how Henry VIII could convince his army that they had a self interest in attacking France, during his aborted invasion, used the royal “we” when he claimed that they were only reclaiming “our” inheritance. Branding himself as part of the people or the populace as part of him, thus Normandy
Was rightfully theirs, not just Henry, but the English people. The English, then and now, cannot separate the person, identity of the sovereign, from their own identity.
In like manner we have the deadly phenomenon of Trumpism, where his cult cannot separate his identify from theirs. Trump under attack and siege is them under attack and siege.
And because their only reference to the world is themselves, their only response is projection. Thus when they call liberals snowflakes, it is because they themselves are fragile and have a tenuous and insecure hold on reality.
When they talk of grooming children, it is because the basis of their power, is grooming children to grow up like them. The same goes for all accusations from
Pedophile to treason.
Wow thank you!
We do need to spread the word but criticizing the other Tribe doesn't work. I like Rev. Warnock's approach. Sen. Warnock ran a really tough race against Herschel Walker but didn't attack him. Everyone knew (including the black and brown communities in GA) that Walker was a pawn who probably has brain damage from football, had a pathological tendency to lie and was in sum, a really messed up dude. The African Americans in GA knew what was going on and found it insulting, degrading. Walker was in no shape to run for Senate that the African Americans in GA knew it. Warnock could have crucified him (no pun intended) but instead took the high road. Warnock focused on his own agenda and has accomplished and will accomplish much as a Senator. Warnock did the insulin bill and that's a good start.
I think Georgia is a special case. Warnock was an incumbent with a good track record. Walker was an ass clown and a hypocrite, he apparently even embarrassed many Republicans unless the final vote was 51.37 for Warnock and 48.63 % for Walker, Considering what an embarrassing ass clown he was, the voter spread should have been greater
In George 59% of whites identify as Republican and 25% as Democrats
For blacks it is 12% Republican and 75% Democrat
There are 10,912,876 people in Georgia of which 59.5% or 6,482,248.344 are white., at first glance it looks like there was a cross over vote with many white Republicans voting for Warnocke, but I doubt that, more likely they decided to sit out that election.
I would like to think that you are correct about not criticizing the other tribe and staying positive, unfortunately that tactic has been employed by the Democratic party (they go low we go high) and resulted in the right wing reign of terror.
Humans are mammals with an amygdala, the lizard brain. It knows only fight or fright, the processing of information goes on in the pre frrontal cotex, and information has to be presented, then processed There is not much of that in the corporate media, and none at all in the propaganda organs that the right is addicted to.
The fascists are motivated by frontal attacks, invoking images of fear, victim hood, evoking anger, angst, hatred. The amygdala is well payed.
The Democrats appeal to reason, policies, achievements all of which are not even heard, and can't and won't be heard by the lizard brain.
There was a massive turnout in Georgia by people who had something to fear in the form of Walker and the GOP. Just as there was a massive turn out in 202 by people who had something to fear (81 million of us) from another four years of Trump.
Warnocke didn't have to attack Walker, he provided the meat for the media to the job for him.
The only way for Democrats to win is go on the offense, get down and dirty, point out the failings of the Republicans, not hard to do either. De Santis may have a following in Florida, but remember any news report that starts with a ""man form Florida" doesn't end well and that tells you all you need to know about the Sunshine State.
When you step in the ring to wrestle with a pig, you are going to get dirty, or you become the pigs lunch.
"The multi-millionaire who’d been born of a patrician Connecticut family put on jeans, leather work gloves, and a flannel shirt, picked up a chainsaw, affected a Texas drawl, and transformed his brand into that of a Reaganesque GOP cowboy."
Almost as ridiculous as that poseur Trent Lott and his pressed-into-a-sharp-crease blue jeans.
But oops, Bush's accent is genuine, due to his growing up in Texas.
We all need to speak out as ambassadors. Call out the lies and expose the truth. To all the brainwashed people who think they are getting the truth from Fox, they need to be educated!!!
Great inspirational writing as always!!
I am sympathetic to anyone who is a victim of war, including the Ukrainians, and am looking for a solution other than perpetual war or nuclear annihilation. We have difference. You think Joe Biden and America has the right to do whatever we want anywhere around the world and suffer no consequences, I think Joe Biden does not have the right to threaten all of humanity and the survival of this planet for the interests of the global capitalists who ultimately make the decisions. This invasion is indeed a consequence of our penchant for war and global domination, and our war crimes of yesterday that continue today are coming back to haunt us. Which imperialist nation is worse? I think they are both culpable and capable of destroying the planet for their pride and profit. You endorse that ideolgy by playing the neoliberal "in the past" game, except that what happens in the past tends to dictate what happens in the present. Ignoring history is one of the major steps in the loss of critical thinking, and your logic would be tragic if it weren't so terrifying and once again relying on the personal insults levied by Trump and Biden supporters alike when they have no policy answers. And it is indeed telling that I am expressing empathy for the people of Afghanistan who we have slaughtered and you interpret that as "mentioning Afghanistian." So now apparently in our democracy we are not supposed to mention Afghanistan either as it a reminder of the lies and deception of every president and general involved, which would include Barack Obama and his "surge" and Biden and the war crimes he committed upon his haphazard exit. But I apologize for mentioning the past.
I think the nukes are still there. I know there are agreements but, I doubt they have been followed. Also, Ukraine has one of the largest natural deposits of uranium in the world; worth fighting over for these creeps. It's all about the missile size, isn't it? Ukraine was run by a Putin Puppet for many years.
You have proved it, and I have said before that the name calling that is going on these days is the result of hate radio, hate TV, and hate think tanks. The Republicans started it. What they hate the most is that we are not taking their labeling without labeling back. They cry like little babies when we use their actual behavior to point out who they ARE!
We do need to proceed full speed ahead with the branding. The more they cry, the weaker they look. The closer they align themselves with Fox, the less they align themselves with the youth and diverse groups we love and embrace. Kevin's move with the Jan 6th footage was idiotic. Good, now he is Tucker's idiot. Not a good look for him or the GOP---the mainstream is on it.
You nailed this, even though I wish we were not still fighting Republicans for basic human rights, ours and Ukraine's. How does ANYONE (including DR. Kaufman) think it's their place to tell a democratic country they should negotiate with a psychopath? When one refers to Russia these days, it is not a whole government, it's a psychopath. Ukraine will decide what they should do, not us. Talk of negotiation coming from Americans is pathetic considering how this country was formed. Roll-over and play dead for the tyrant, because he's scaring us? That's the definition of an Un-American thing to do!
Apologies to Thom and his fans. I will no longer be involved in this demeaning discussion.
I appreciate your thoughtful response. And fortunately those from the right, left and center are coming together to oppose potential nuclear annihilation as the cost of policing the world, as if we somehow have the right to do so when every single intervention we have overseen over the past 75 years has left death and destruction in its wake (and all were largely based on false pretense). So if you see I have some integrity regarding the Democratic Party, perhaps I might have some regarding the imperialist foreign policy that is draining our country. I am open to the fact that occasionally conservatives can be right about something. I hope you will at least lend an ear to Chris Hedges who won a Pulitzer Prize for his war coverage and was fired from The New York Times for telling the truth: https://therealnews.com/the-chris-hedges-report-ukraine-and-the-crisis-of-media-censorship
I used to like Hedges until he became too hyperbolic to have any credibility left. He's the darling of the leftists, but he has had to settle for a career of writing hyperbole with the voice of a preacher from his pulpit.
Yes when they ask why they can't afford their medication or why they can only see nurse practitioners and not physicians or why their Medicare premiums are so high or why they can't afford insurance even on the exchanges or why their Medicaid has an HMO attached to it or why their insurance company has denied treatment they desperately need. Yes we talk about solutions, and why these things are occurring, and we always find agreement in the fact that those running our government, Democrat or Republican, are being run by the health care conglomerates. Again, can you stop attacking me personally and discuss the issues?
"why their Medicare premiums are so high" - we don't pay a premium for Medicare. If you knew wth you're talking about, maybe we'd engage more.
There is an ongoing battle involving Medicare Advantage. Is that what you're talking about?
$169.40 is deducted from my Social Security for medicare and my wife, who has a Social Security Replacement program pays $169.40 for Medicare. These are premiums and they are not too high, compared to insurance. I have a secondary Insurance to cover the 20% that medicare doesn't cover (and it could with a rewrite of the legislation) and that premium is high, $361 to cover 20%. In total I pay $531 for health insurance and the secondary is too high. If I didn't have Medicare at all my health insurance bill would be over $1,100 a month just for myself. Unless I was fortunate enough to work for a deep pocket employer who footed the bill.
As long as we know now for sure, the DNC picks the candidate, they choose the one who will best protect the current status quo. The status quo isn't working for the people. I can't even imagine them stuffing Joe Biden down our throats with their miserable campaign, "Vote Blue No Matter Who". How to get people to vote is embarrassing at the least. Unacceptable too.
Therein lies the problem Marg. You are laughing, not taking this seriously, and pointing out that often Fox News tells the truth about Democrats, albeit not to change anything just to make Democrats look bad. MSNBC and Thom do the same thing with Republicans, tell the truth about them while hiding the truth about Democrats. It's not at all funny from my perspective as a physician, and your mocking tone is representative of the degree to which journalism has failed us. I can change much more by being realistic about how awful the Democratic Party is and trying to pressure them than I can expounding about how crazy the Republicans are. I have zero chance of influencing Republicans at the leadership level, although I do so by connecting with my conservative patients on a daily basis. The "older parts" of the Democratic Party comprise over 66% of it by the way, and Democratic leadership is either old or representing the establishment.
Fox never tells the truth! And if you think so ...
"As a physician." And you said I know nothing about you.
Sure, journalism has failed us, but we are not meant to take anything a face value, are we?
We are a democracy and must work under that constraint, which is what the GOP has forgotten. America is an ongoing project.
"connecting with my conservative patients on a daily basis."
You talk about politics with your patients? How inappropriate.
How do you break down a brand to a few words. So many accomplishments by Biden and still much hasn't been done. What is a cleaver line to grab the attention of media and "we the people". It has to start at home (whit ehouse and democrat party.? and then they keep repeating it and "we the people" do so.