The real action in Milwaukee won’t be the show — though it’ll be a hell of a show — around Trump’s coronation; it’ll be in the back rooms where Trump is told who’s going to be his vice president...
I've also wondered if the powers that be have been planning to install a VP selected by the Federalist Society and other organizations, get rid of the "useful" idiot, and then implement Project 2025.
First they gotta get Trump in. Rolling Stone's report of Roger Stone's secret recording is not comforting.
While most agree with you, I wouldn’t call any of tRump’s VP hopefuls “smart” or “disciplined.” They’re just shouty fanatics.
I have a feeling there’s someone who’s little known who may actually do the thinking behind trying to turn the US into a Christofascist country. I have no idea who that might be yet.
Also, I do think JD Vance is pretty intelligent. But he would have to work around Orange Yam’s ego rather skillfully, not take the limelight. I read “Hillbilly Elegy” and fully understood the culture ( I am from Cincinnati and know relatives - by marriage - from the areas of Ky and Dayton the book references). But I find it ridiculous that he isn’t grateful for or doesn’t support the social safety net that saved him and gave him a chance to better himself. What an ass!
The late Joe Bageant's books (DEER HUNTING WITH JESUS and RAINBOW PIE) are excellent antidotes to JD Vance. Plenty of his essays are also available online. How I wish he hasn't passed in 2010 . . .
Thom Hartmann is seeing p2025 for exactly what it is: a project for Making America Go Away, regardless of whomever is its temporary Godhead. Donald Trumpster fire is nothing more than the most useful idiot of the moment. He is the executive clown of the MAGA clown cult - nothing more. The only power Donald has is the imaginary power granted him by the truly powerful individuals behind p2025, favorable media coverage, and dangerous foreign leaders. In other words, as soon as Donny steps too far off the path he's currently bulldozing on their behalf - he's gone. Big time gone. And I would bet zero anything Donald can keep it together much longer. Sooner than later, Trump's exclusive self-interest is going to cross wires with the goals of p2025 in a terminal way. That's when they'll pull the plug - somehow, someway.
In one regard, MAGA is simply a large congregation of dupes. But the biggest dupe of them all is their leader - useful idiot in chief, Donald J Trump.
The big fly in this little seditious plan is that they have to get the Donald elected, and his obvious political stances and big mouth make him something of a liability, as recent polls show. If the Democrats can successfully paint Trump as a danger to the country and concentrate on the positive things Biden has already done, we may have a happy November 6th..... It's up to us.
The question is, do the voters see it coming? It feels like it's summer now and no one cares, but a week of 95 degrees, which will make this the hottest June every, could alert some folks that this might not be the best time to destroy the government. The sharks are moving north very quickly, and Florida has a good chance of being washed away this year. Would each remaining island in the archipelago be given separate electoral votes?
From here, J.D. Vance looks like the most likely VP. He has no integrity, blind ambition, and his beard looks much better than Ted Cruz'. Rubio can't be trusted, as he once was a Republican.
Those "big plans" are nothing new, Thom. The Republican Study Group and the Federalist Society have been making the same suggestions, sometimes reducing them to writing in legislation. Before Trump won in 2016 the Federalist society identified about 150 judicial positions where Trump could eliminate civil service, eliminate the jobs, and apply the spoils system to appoint nothing but loyalists. My job was one of them. He wasn't able to replace us , but eliminated "merit selection" of judges appointed under Article 2 Section 2 of the constitution. The "Federal register" comprised of people who had commensurate trial experience and could pass a background security test, pass a test on administrative law, have the experienced scored and rated and undergo a staged interview by agency representatives someone representing the public and the ABA. Typically if an opening occurred, a best qualified list of 3 candidates would be sent to the agency for selection.
In anticipation of litigation Trump killed merit selection. Executive Order (E.O.) 13843 titled, “Excepting Administrative Law Judges from the Competitive Service” (83 FR 32755). E.O. 13843 states “that conditions of good administration make necessary an exception to the competitive hiring rules and examinations for the position of ALJ.https://www.govinfo.gov/link/cpd/executiveorder/13843
The rule today. No tests. No trial qualifications. No evaluations of experience. No FBI investigations. The only qualification is loyalty.
Our fate as a nation may be decided in the SDFL hearing before Judge Cannon tomorrow.
I am exhilarated by the fact that this offering by laureate Thom emphacises the real power people who are surreptitiously standing silent and dark in the wings, managing and directing all. Exposing the song-and-dance prancing of Trump and his purposely attention-demandingRepublican goofies and replacing that Kabuki with the real picture provides the needed crucial clarity and focus. The MSM avoids even mentioning the real controllers in the game, but so too do most elected Democrats, and includes perhaps the most important people of all--all of us and all contributing pundants.
yes Mr. Solomon, I saw that in Hopium. Everyone should read Hopium. Simon Rosenberg understands it best. He has been predicting this slow moving surge for months now.
I've read Project 2025 and am appalled at its proposals, but it never occurred to me that Trump was not their messiah. You make perfect sense with your conjecture, and I believe you have nailed it.
Trump may be fun to watch as he denigrates anyone and everyone who isn't a white male but his mega-donors really want a stability and surety he can't provide. So of course they will plan to eliminate his influence in everything but riling up his base.
There's the shadow government of which he so often speaks.
He won’t stay president (if elected, what looks more and more a real possibility, whatever the “how” could be) for a long time. But they do need him to win the white house and get rid of democracy once for ever. A big heart attack could come handy, between July and end of Octber, this very year!
You nailed it. Trump is just an egotistical narcissistic tool, an instrument which is powered by strokes and flattery. In him the Federalist Society has found the perfect tool this country into a Christian hell hole.
However I am reminded of Fritz Thyssen and the finance and industrial capitalist that financed Hitlers rise to power, and how in the end they came to work for him, not begrudgingly as he made them fortunes in Reichsmarks, in construction, defense and the chemical industries
Their empires only came apart after the Russians attacked from the East and the allies from the West,
yet American corporations jumped into save them, even as the allies were advancing across France and Germany.
There is bound to be a reckoning if they win. Halting immigration for one thing, and deporting people will result in a reduction in food and protein, an increase in prices. productivity will suffer as the right takes vengrance on liberals and who they perceive as the left. Unemployment will increase, as a drop off in demand, means not only job loss but shortages..
They will have their Christian Schools, their Republic of Gilead, LGBT will be arrested, even executed, at least shoved back in the closet, song and dance will be outlawed as they are in fundamentalist Islamic countries like Afghanistan.
America will be a dreary and unhappy place, reduced to a third world, formerly develped nation, slavery will be relegitmized and enforced to make up for labor shortages caused by deporting immigrants and closing our borders.
The "superior" class of white male Christians and their Handmaid wives will be living in fear of those that their "superior" policies oppress.
The Constitution will be replaced, and this time it will be the left coast and the Blue states that secede, and when the economic misery sets in the Neo Confederate states of America, there will be a war, and as all of the military assets of this country are stationed in Red States, the blue states won't have a chance.
The ante bellum south stood in fear of an armed and educated black population, they have more to fear now from an educated and armed multi racial, multi ethnic population.
Today the subversives are sitting at hope driving $60,000 Ford F250's, living large, living well, and able to travel freeling because they have the money.
In the Neo Confederate States of America or the Republic of Gilead, whatever they call it, the subversives will be those that they disenfranchised, imprisoned, tried to enslave or liquidate. and unlike the ante bellum oppressed, these subversives, are educated,have tools and know how organize and have the means of communication.
The people of Hungary and Russia, have no 250 year tradition of living in a democracy with it's freedoms and opportunities, in one form or another all they have known is living under the thumb and with a boot on their neck, be it a prince, a king,a commissar, a khan or a president. that is not the American experience., that is not the American culture., although for some it was in some areas of the country, like slave states, Chinese in California.
All this, and much, much more shall come to pass should trump be elected. Project 2025’s aim is to give all power to the reigning president. VP wannabes are performing for the role of President for Life as we speak.
The true power brokers of the GOP know that trump’s days are numbered. So the vice president choice is more important than it’s ever been. Who they select will be telling.
Folks, we are pleased to introduce a simple, yet powerful system developed for elections using Microsoft Excel, with public records enhanced with custom macros. This system is designed to facilitate a quick and easy way to internally audit and verify election results before the final canvass is completed and certified, utilizing the ES&S cast vote record database/spreadsheet and ballot images. You can watch a video on how it works https://youtu.be/t2bUCf8wysk
Our system is called ABE, an acronym for “A Better Election,” and named after Abraham Lincoln, who was a strong advocate of transparency. We are offering it to Arizona counties free of charge in hopes that it will allow election administrators to certify final results with absolute confidence and also help to prevent recounts by quickly and easily showing candidates the actual ballot images from their election, all done by export to a separate computer with Microsoft office installed. Beta test link: The 2024 Election looks to be the trigger! Here is my report on what could be done, bit.ly/4eiWtaA
Many attribute the root of the problem to polarization and tribalism exacerbated by social media algorithms. Indeed, there is the Mirror Effect, where Republicans view Democrats as an existential threat to America as we know it, and Democrats see exactly the same thing in reverse. However, increased polarization may be an effect, not the cause. The cause could be a well-funded, well-planned right-wing takeover of the GOP, the Supreme Court, state legislatures, and redistricting processes, as well as Congress—with the ultimate goal of establishing rule by, for, and of the wealthy.
This is the Occam’s Razor explanation—the reason democracy is in trouble is that powerful individuals have intentionally orchestrated its decline and executed their plan.
Regardless, it will be challenging, if not extremely difficult, to make progress on issues like climate change, public health, racial injustice, and economic inequality within a democratic framework. It will be impossible in an autocracy. This is especially true as Election Denialism appears to be politically and philosophically allied with Climate Denialism and Racism Denialism, forming the triad of major denialist movements.
John Brakey, with over two decades of experience in election integrity work full time, I have observed that each presidential election since 2000 grows in scale but not necessarily in quality, posing a significant risk to our democratic process.
The 2024 Election looks to be the trigger! Here is my report on what could be done, Open Letter to AZ SOS Adrian Fontes: bit.ly/4eiWtaA
The malignant "Trump Shadow" is merely a symptom of a cancerous society and, like any other terminal disease, it will kill you eventually. It has invaded and permeated your body politic and there is no cure. Even were surgery performed and be successful, the patient will die.
More than half the Democrats do not think it can happen here, so am I humble opinion about 85% of Americans won't be expecting the storm that's coming.
Of course moving beyond and around the mess that is DJT would be part of the maneuvering of the Project 2025. [now, I'll go and read what i know will be a brilliant article!]
I've also wondered if the powers that be have been planning to install a VP selected by the Federalist Society and other organizations, get rid of the "useful" idiot, and then implement Project 2025.
First they gotta get Trump in. Rolling Stone's report of Roger Stone's secret recording is not comforting.
While most agree with you, I wouldn’t call any of tRump’s VP hopefuls “smart” or “disciplined.” They’re just shouty fanatics.
I have a feeling there’s someone who’s little known who may actually do the thinking behind trying to turn the US into a Christofascist country. I have no idea who that might be yet.
Maybe “reliably obedient” will suffice.
I dunno. Cruz is plenty smart and a definite sociopath....
Yes Ms. Surlamont, I think you are closest to the correct prediction. Cruz is both of those things.
Leonard Leo maybe?
Maybe. He’s relatively young, and so far he’s definitely doing as much damage as possible to the judiciary and the US as a whole.
Also, I do think JD Vance is pretty intelligent. But he would have to work around Orange Yam’s ego rather skillfully, not take the limelight. I read “Hillbilly Elegy” and fully understood the culture ( I am from Cincinnati and know relatives - by marriage - from the areas of Ky and Dayton the book references). But I find it ridiculous that he isn’t grateful for or doesn’t support the social safety net that saved him and gave him a chance to better himself. What an ass!
I live in Appalachia and most people here think he’s a real dip$h!t.
JD or Tucker?
JD in particular over his book Hillbilly Elegy. I don’t know anyone who discusses old Tuck. 😂
I come from an upper
white trash neighborhood- so my
opinion isn’t very important; but I think
it was Mark Twain that said , “ Predictions are difficult, especially about the future “ . Or was that
Yogi Berra ?
So here goes : why does it
have to be a current R
office holder for VP -
could it be Tucker Carlson? A mind numbing
guess .
Could be, I suppose, but Tucker could NEVER be in the background quietly doing his evil deeds.
The late Joe Bageant's books (DEER HUNTING WITH JESUS and RAINBOW PIE) are excellent antidotes to JD Vance. Plenty of his essays are also available online. How I wish he hasn't passed in 2010 . . .
Thom Hartmann is seeing p2025 for exactly what it is: a project for Making America Go Away, regardless of whomever is its temporary Godhead. Donald Trumpster fire is nothing more than the most useful idiot of the moment. He is the executive clown of the MAGA clown cult - nothing more. The only power Donald has is the imaginary power granted him by the truly powerful individuals behind p2025, favorable media coverage, and dangerous foreign leaders. In other words, as soon as Donny steps too far off the path he's currently bulldozing on their behalf - he's gone. Big time gone. And I would bet zero anything Donald can keep it together much longer. Sooner than later, Trump's exclusive self-interest is going to cross wires with the goals of p2025 in a terminal way. That's when they'll pull the plug - somehow, someway.
In one regard, MAGA is simply a large congregation of dupes. But the biggest dupe of them all is their leader - useful idiot in chief, Donald J Trump.
The big fly in this little seditious plan is that they have to get the Donald elected, and his obvious political stances and big mouth make him something of a liability, as recent polls show. If the Democrats can successfully paint Trump as a danger to the country and concentrate on the positive things Biden has already done, we may have a happy November 6th..... It's up to us.
The question is, do the voters see it coming? It feels like it's summer now and no one cares, but a week of 95 degrees, which will make this the hottest June every, could alert some folks that this might not be the best time to destroy the government. The sharks are moving north very quickly, and Florida has a good chance of being washed away this year. Would each remaining island in the archipelago be given separate electoral votes?
From here, J.D. Vance looks like the most likely VP. He has no integrity, blind ambition, and his beard looks much better than Ted Cruz'. Rubio can't be trusted, as he once was a Republican.
Those "big plans" are nothing new, Thom. The Republican Study Group and the Federalist Society have been making the same suggestions, sometimes reducing them to writing in legislation. Before Trump won in 2016 the Federalist society identified about 150 judicial positions where Trump could eliminate civil service, eliminate the jobs, and apply the spoils system to appoint nothing but loyalists. My job was one of them. He wasn't able to replace us , but eliminated "merit selection" of judges appointed under Article 2 Section 2 of the constitution. The "Federal register" comprised of people who had commensurate trial experience and could pass a background security test, pass a test on administrative law, have the experienced scored and rated and undergo a staged interview by agency representatives someone representing the public and the ABA. Typically if an opening occurred, a best qualified list of 3 candidates would be sent to the agency for selection.
In anticipation of litigation Trump killed merit selection. Executive Order (E.O.) 13843 titled, “Excepting Administrative Law Judges from the Competitive Service” (83 FR 32755). E.O. 13843 states “that conditions of good administration make necessary an exception to the competitive hiring rules and examinations for the position of ALJ.https://www.govinfo.gov/link/cpd/executiveorder/13843
The rule today. No tests. No trial qualifications. No evaluations of experience. No FBI investigations. The only qualification is loyalty.
Our fate as a nation may be decided in the SDFL hearing before Judge Cannon tomorrow.
https://danielsolomon.substack.com/p/register-democrats-to-save-administrative?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=742145&post_id=145721077&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=zc69i&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS FORM TASK FORCE TO COUNTER PROJECT 2025 AND DEFEND DEMOCRACY
https://huffman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressional-leaders-form-task-force-to-counter-project-2025-and-defend-democracy
I am exhilarated by the fact that this offering by laureate Thom emphacises the real power people who are surreptitiously standing silent and dark in the wings, managing and directing all. Exposing the song-and-dance prancing of Trump and his purposely attention-demandingRepublican goofies and replacing that Kabuki with the real picture provides the needed crucial clarity and focus. The MSM avoids even mentioning the real controllers in the game, but so too do most elected Democrats, and includes perhaps the most important people of all--all of us and all contributing pundants.
Hopium. https://www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/biden-gains-3-and-takes-lead-in-fox?utm_source=podcast-email&publication_id=1223483&post_id=145807046&utm_campaign=email-play-on-substack&r=zc69i&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
yes Mr. Solomon, I saw that in Hopium. Everyone should read Hopium. Simon Rosenberg understands it best. He has been predicting this slow moving surge for months now.
Scary!
And J.D. Vance will fit the bill.
😱😱😱😱😱😱
Great article Thom.
I've read Project 2025 and am appalled at its proposals, but it never occurred to me that Trump was not their messiah. You make perfect sense with your conjecture, and I believe you have nailed it.
Trump may be fun to watch as he denigrates anyone and everyone who isn't a white male but his mega-donors really want a stability and surety he can't provide. So of course they will plan to eliminate his influence in everything but riling up his base.
There's the shadow government of which he so often speaks.
He won’t stay president (if elected, what looks more and more a real possibility, whatever the “how” could be) for a long time. But they do need him to win the white house and get rid of democracy once for ever. A big heart attack could come handy, between July and end of Octber, this very year!
You nailed it. Trump is just an egotistical narcissistic tool, an instrument which is powered by strokes and flattery. In him the Federalist Society has found the perfect tool this country into a Christian hell hole.
However I am reminded of Fritz Thyssen and the finance and industrial capitalist that financed Hitlers rise to power, and how in the end they came to work for him, not begrudgingly as he made them fortunes in Reichsmarks, in construction, defense and the chemical industries
Their empires only came apart after the Russians attacked from the East and the allies from the West,
yet American corporations jumped into save them, even as the allies were advancing across France and Germany.
There is bound to be a reckoning if they win. Halting immigration for one thing, and deporting people will result in a reduction in food and protein, an increase in prices. productivity will suffer as the right takes vengrance on liberals and who they perceive as the left. Unemployment will increase, as a drop off in demand, means not only job loss but shortages..
They will have their Christian Schools, their Republic of Gilead, LGBT will be arrested, even executed, at least shoved back in the closet, song and dance will be outlawed as they are in fundamentalist Islamic countries like Afghanistan.
America will be a dreary and unhappy place, reduced to a third world, formerly develped nation, slavery will be relegitmized and enforced to make up for labor shortages caused by deporting immigrants and closing our borders.
The "superior" class of white male Christians and their Handmaid wives will be living in fear of those that their "superior" policies oppress.
The Constitution will be replaced, and this time it will be the left coast and the Blue states that secede, and when the economic misery sets in the Neo Confederate states of America, there will be a war, and as all of the military assets of this country are stationed in Red States, the blue states won't have a chance.
The ante bellum south stood in fear of an armed and educated black population, they have more to fear now from an educated and armed multi racial, multi ethnic population.
Today the subversives are sitting at hope driving $60,000 Ford F250's, living large, living well, and able to travel freeling because they have the money.
In the Neo Confederate States of America or the Republic of Gilead, whatever they call it, the subversives will be those that they disenfranchised, imprisoned, tried to enslave or liquidate. and unlike the ante bellum oppressed, these subversives, are educated,have tools and know how organize and have the means of communication.
The people of Hungary and Russia, have no 250 year tradition of living in a democracy with it's freedoms and opportunities, in one form or another all they have known is living under the thumb and with a boot on their neck, be it a prince, a king,a commissar, a khan or a president. that is not the American experience., that is not the American culture., although for some it was in some areas of the country, like slave states, Chinese in California.
All this, and much, much more shall come to pass should trump be elected. Project 2025’s aim is to give all power to the reigning president. VP wannabes are performing for the role of President for Life as we speak.
The true power brokers of the GOP know that trump’s days are numbered. So the vice president choice is more important than it’s ever been. Who they select will be telling.
Folks, we are pleased to introduce a simple, yet powerful system developed for elections using Microsoft Excel, with public records enhanced with custom macros. This system is designed to facilitate a quick and easy way to internally audit and verify election results before the final canvass is completed and certified, utilizing the ES&S cast vote record database/spreadsheet and ballot images. You can watch a video on how it works https://youtu.be/t2bUCf8wysk
Our system is called ABE, an acronym for “A Better Election,” and named after Abraham Lincoln, who was a strong advocate of transparency. We are offering it to Arizona counties free of charge in hopes that it will allow election administrators to certify final results with absolute confidence and also help to prevent recounts by quickly and easily showing candidates the actual ballot images from their election, all done by export to a separate computer with Microsoft office installed. Beta test link: The 2024 Election looks to be the trigger! Here is my report on what could be done, bit.ly/4eiWtaA
Many attribute the root of the problem to polarization and tribalism exacerbated by social media algorithms. Indeed, there is the Mirror Effect, where Republicans view Democrats as an existential threat to America as we know it, and Democrats see exactly the same thing in reverse. However, increased polarization may be an effect, not the cause. The cause could be a well-funded, well-planned right-wing takeover of the GOP, the Supreme Court, state legislatures, and redistricting processes, as well as Congress—with the ultimate goal of establishing rule by, for, and of the wealthy.
This is the Occam’s Razor explanation—the reason democracy is in trouble is that powerful individuals have intentionally orchestrated its decline and executed their plan.
Regardless, it will be challenging, if not extremely difficult, to make progress on issues like climate change, public health, racial injustice, and economic inequality within a democratic framework. It will be impossible in an autocracy. This is especially true as Election Denialism appears to be politically and philosophically allied with Climate Denialism and Racism Denialism, forming the triad of major denialist movements.
John Brakey, with over two decades of experience in election integrity work full time, I have observed that each presidential election since 2000 grows in scale but not necessarily in quality, posing a significant risk to our democratic process.
The 2024 Election looks to be the trigger! Here is my report on what could be done, Open Letter to AZ SOS Adrian Fontes: bit.ly/4eiWtaA
John R. Brakey
Director, AUDIT (Elections) USA
The malignant "Trump Shadow" is merely a symptom of a cancerous society and, like any other terminal disease, it will kill you eventually. It has invaded and permeated your body politic and there is no cure. Even were surgery performed and be successful, the patient will die.
Get your affairs in order.
Fifty percent of America or more won't see it coming!! Fifty percent of America doesn't read a newspaper! Read - Thinking; Fast & Slow!!
More than half the Democrats do not think it can happen here, so am I humble opinion about 85% of Americans won't be expecting the storm that's coming.
Of course moving beyond and around the mess that is DJT would be part of the maneuvering of the Project 2025. [now, I'll go and read what i know will be a brilliant article!]