From Putin’s whispers to an executive order in the making, Trump openly declares his intent to shred America’s electoral system for 2026 before our eyes…
It is even worse than that, Thom. I just saw this on CNN:
“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do.”
In other words, he says the states only have the power (in running elections though by this theory everything else too) that the federal government gives them. And the president tells the federal government what to do. Congress is not involved, state governments are not involved, independent federal agencies are not involved. It is no longer a federal system but an absolute dictatorship.
First, on mail-in voting. Republicans need to lead the way and BOYCOTT. Republicans must set the example laid out by Trump for others to follow. That is their duty. By boycotting mail-in voting, Republicans will create a groundswell and muster other Republicans to vote only on election day, thereby showing their allegiance to their leader. I think it is important for Republicans to back up Trump’s words with actions. Real Republicans Vote In Person on Election Day!
There are over 3000 county clerks in the USA, only SOME of them are fascists. Same for the sheriffs. They get ELECTED. Then move up the elected food chain. I have to wonder if he thinks everyone is going to stand down.
Somehow, someway, SOMEWHERE some elections will happen, and they will be legit. If TRump/Putin/they succeed, there will be an election in a basement; the rebels will be picking a leader.
I'm rooting for the Grim Reaper who is a small "d" democrat. And in the meantime, let's give the rest of them a nervous breakdown. KKK Leavitt looked like she was close today.
Trump makes Nixon, Reagan, etc., look like amateurs, if not just petty criminals.
The absolute absurdity of Trump, first, describing the "Russia, Russia, Hoax", standing next to Putin, and stating that Putin has "experienced" this, and then Putin reaffirming, Trump's insistence that its Biden's war and it would never have happened if Trump was president, followed by Trump describing the revelation by Putin that mail-in balloting is corrupt and you can never have a democracy that way, tells us that we've come full-circle in this Alice in Wonderland Looking Glass World. Trump mouths Russia's false "talking points; Putin restates Trump's repeated lies....
Apparently, the new Republican AG has an open investigation that has stalled whether people illegally registerd in at least 5 counties in 2024. Former Attorney General Michelle Henry initiated the investigations. The former AG and the Department of State said at the time that the fact that improperly filled out voter registration forms were caught by the counties demonstrated the system was working as intended. https://www.witf.org/2025/02/26/multi-county-voter-registration-investigation-ongoing-under-attorney-general/
3. If I were a talking head, I'd want to hear from Gov. Shapiro, every DA in Pennsylvania, and Al Schmidt, the Republican Secretary of State for Pennsylvania.
In the days following the 2020 election, Schmidt, then a Republican City Commissioner in Philadelphia responsible for overseeing elections, publicly defended the integrity of the election and refuted claims of widespread fraud in the city. This stance put him at odds with then-President Trump and his campaign, who were actively promoting claims of election fraud.
Trump's actions and threats against Schmidt: Trump and his campaign publicly criticized and targeted Schmidt, leading to a wave of threats against him and his family. These threats intensified after Trump tweeted about Schmidt by name.
Schmidt's testimony before the Jan. 6th Committee: Schmidt testified before the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol about his experience with Trump's false claims and the resulting threats.
Lawsuits likely targeted election processes and officials in a broader sense. For instance, the RNC filed a petition against Pennsylvania's Secretary of State Al Schmidt regarding the state's provisional ballot instructions. In another case, a judge dismissed a GOP lawsuit challenging how Pennsylvania counts overseas and military votes, with lawyers representing Schmidt arguing against the plaintiffs' claims.
Schmidt's continued role and defense of elections:
Schmidt is currently Pennsylvania's Secretary of the Commonwealth, having been nominated to the position by Democratic Governor-elect Josh Shapiro. He continues to advocate for election security and works to counter misinformation surrounding the election process.
So Daniel,after all that,would you summarize in 25 words or less,where we are. It's like a lot of Dems who like to hear themselves talk endlessly and after 10 minutes of ranting,you can't figure what point they were trying to make. "Short and Sweet".
Get rid of this deranged already convict hitler 2.0 before he reduces America to ashes and the rest of the world with it. He will buy his stupid peace nobel price with american ressources not his own money! Corruption like never seen before. It is gonna be bloody soon
It’s sad. The world’s wealthiest country increased taxes on and stripped benefits from the poor—to feed the wealthy. Gerrymander-elected government does not serve its people. Tear this house down. Give heathcare, food, and living wages to everyone. Here are 108 protest signs for your protests. Protesting is now critical for Occupied D.C. There is time to get signs printed for your protest group. Fill the hands of the signless. FreeDC!
Thom, I’m a longtime fan and listener to your radio show on WCPT in Chicago…I had the pleasure of having dinner with you in Naperville, Il some years ago when you were at an event in the Chicago area, because one of the board members of the mental health center my husband was then CEO of worked for WCPT and invited us. It was a great pleasure. I was listening to your show about a week ago or so when a caller spoke of his confidence that there would not be free and fair elections in ‘26, no matter what..and that if somehow the election was held and Dems won, Trump would absolutely declare martial law and just take over Congress…it was total doom prediction, and your response was that indeed, that was possible…my concern about this is that what we do not yet know is how the the ‘26 elections will actually play out, and right now, we do not have control over what Trump, a madman, will or won’t do to squash democracy. What we DO know for sure, however, is that if Dems don’t organize with vigor never seen before, turn out voters like never before, and fight like hell to retake Congress, is that we are definitely totally screwed. That is a fact. So I believe that respected commentators like yourself, and I include Rachel Maddow here as well, must emphasize this fact every time a caller makes a totally doom filled prediction…because if you don’t counter such disheartening messages, people will get the message that no matter what we do, there’s no hope of succeeding. And I, for one, am not ready to give up my right as a citizen in a democracy, however frail it is right now. We MUST gather our emotional resources and get motivated for this critical fight to save our country, and if messages of doom go uncountered by intelligent leaders such as yourself, I think you are adding to the likelihood that we lose our democracy.
I hope you will consider countering such predictions of doom with the message that while there are many factors we cannot control right now, what we CAN control is what we do to fight for our democracy and win the next election. If we decide to stay home and not write postcards, make phone calls, knock on doors, tell everyone we know how important it is to vote, if we don’t do all of those things, we surely will lose. We must do what we CAN to fight for our country. We need that message loud and clear, every day.
Nancy is that what you do when faced with an uphill struggle and odds stacked against you?
How about doing like those brave souls in the Warsaw ghetto and fight to the last man and woman, yes they lost but they didn't go to their graves like helpless sheep, the fought and died with their boots on (to borrow a slogan from Hollywood)
What do you think of those people who resigned and gave up to climb into cattle cars to carry them to Treblinka? Or those people who, though faced with impossible odds, took up arms and fought against the oppressor.?
Wow. William, you totally missed my point. My point is NOT to stop ACTING and resisting, the opposite of that. My point is that if people have no hope, they will have no determination and are much more likely to give up and stop fighting. The hope you are thinking of is passive hope that perhaps someone else might rescue you. What I’m talking about is the fortitude it takes to keep going despite great odds, and having that fortitude is made much harder when people all around you are telling you that no matter how hard you fight, you are doomed and cannot possibly succeed. What I’m talking about is the responsibility that all progressive leaders have to continue to support and inspire those who continue to “get out, get active, because democracy is not a spectator sport,” which Thom tells us every day on his show…getting out and staying active is much less likely if many voices are constantly focusing on the futility of doing so. The only thing we CAN control right now is what we do to save our democracy, and that’s something Thom and other leaders must continue to focus on, so that when doomsayers predict the worst, even tho that is certainly possible, I believe such leaders must add to that by saying, “Yes, this could happen. I would put nothing past Trump and his minions…but what we DO know, for sure, is that if we don’t fight harder than we every have to win the next election , we are absolutely doomed…so we need to get out there and get active, because although it might be very tough, that’s the only way to save our democracy. We the people.” That’s the message I was sending.
You and I see it differently Nancy. I see hope as an anesthetic, hopium (hope and opium), it is the reason that the girl crawls into the 55 gal drum, that a man digs his grave.
Trump has changed this country into an authoritarian state, already, but people still have hope that course can be reversed because they have hope.
The hope that the 2026 elections will result in a Democratic Congress and stop Trump, ignoring the fact that he totally control the DOJ, FBI, the police and investigative power of the country and unleash them on even congress, in fact he is doing that at the moment.
The hope that we can retake the executive in 2028, when all evidence is that we won't have the chance.
The hope that the courts will save us, in the face of the fact that that is not happening
Hope leads to inaction, waiting for someone else to ride in and rescue us, to cleanup the act.
The only thing that will save us is ourselves, action, not the inaction of hope.
When that group of men signed that Declaratin of Independence that didn't do it out of hope, they knew the odds were stacked against them, but as Ben Franklin said. "We hang together or hand separately" It was do or die, an act of desperation, an act, not hope.
Sadly, your definition of hope is the opposite of mine and of Simon Rosenberg’s. I’ve been disappointed by Thom Hartmann’s recent pieces on his Substack that are so terrifying & feel like mostly announcing our doom, yet at the end of every one of his talk shows, he says, “Democracy is not a spectator sport. Get out there, get active, you’re it.” To me, and to many others whom you are misunderstanding so badly, it is not hope that makes us passive, it is hope that gets us going and keeps us working so hard to get our democracy back. Barack Obama’s whole campaign in ‘08 was based on it, remember the gorgeous posters the artist Ferris (I think that’s his name) designed? They had the word “hope” in big letters
under the drawing of his face. It was hope for a better country that motivated those young people to walk the streets of Iowa in below zero temps to help win him that caucus. So hope can be a very active and motivating emotion.
The problem is that the regnant liberal mentality, Stephanie Miller for example, have disarmed themselves in the face of the right building up personal arsenals.
Yes I know not all liberals are allergic to guns, but according to AI overview
Gun ownership in the United States is strongly divided along political lines. Approximately 44% of Republicans and Republican-leaning individuals own guns, while only 20% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning individuals do. This significant difference highlights a clear partisan divide in gun ownership, with conservatives significantly more likely to own firearms than liberals, according to Pew Research Center.
President Vladimir Putin approved changes to Russia's electoral law in
May 2020, allowing for electronic or mail-in voting in future elections and referendums
Was this part of why people left the meeting ashen-faced? Did they sit there and listen to Putin telling TRump what he must do to win the next election? Since TRump is not eligible TO RUN, I would think that might have freaked-out Rubio who has his own plans for the election.
TRump's damn lies just keep coming. Some thirty-four countries have mail-in systems. So stupid to lie about that and voting machines.
This is just one more cruel "official act" that SCOTUS will say he is immune for. I guess, Putin is immune as well for putting him up to it. This co-presidency is really annoying! So is having to vote at a place and time of THEIR choosing so they can rig it. We The People have fought and died for our CONSTITUTION, not a bunch of psychos. It's back to that. Thanks for the history, Thom. See you in the streets.
This is a prime and essential opportunity for the sitting democratic party to assemble publically and collectively daily to voice unrestrained outrage over this fascist ploy--robbing all Americans of the sanctity of the free and constitutionallyguaranteed right to vote. I am talking about a daily assembling of office-holding democrats to fill a plaza large enough to accomodate their numbers. Daily, not once, one-at-a-time trickle, in turn, which has been their shameful, puerile routine. Such a tactic simply could not be ignored, even by a purchased press, and the masses of voting Americans would zealously respond in energized support. Simply, nothing is more important. Nothing. And if they don't, and they won't, ibstead of writing to them, calling their offices to politely ask their support, tell them that unless they do, all efforts to replace them in party will give them the rude retirement they deserve.
If this comes to pass we will reach the ultimate end of voter suppression in all of its forms—-one man will decide who is to become president. This is lunacy.
There's always more, or at least for a few more times. Voting can be limited to card-carrying Christians, property owners, whites, people who can pass the Fascist loyalty test, etc.
Robert,the "Neo Nazi" test. We are well beyond Fascism@ this point.If you meet a someone who defines themselves as Republican,ask them how they like being part of the : Neo Nazi: party.
Perhaps it's time to just call the Neo Nazis Nazis. If the jackboot fits...
You are proposing that 28% of the population is Nazi. If you only choose MAGA — and at the least they are Naziesque,— you would find 16% identifying with it. I know several republicans who definitely are not MAGA — they're old-school conservatives.
Thanks Robert,I do wonder about the old school conservatives.If in times less turbulent than these,I might have given them a pass for espousing lower taxes,smaller gov't ,etc,all of which may be questionable. However if you're an old fashioned republican who supports a " Nazi' like trump,you deserve to be called just exactly what you are " a Neo Nazi Lover".
There is a straight line from old school conservatives like William F Buckley Jr, and "libertarians" like George Will to the racist, fascist Trump humpers.
That straight line is not all-inclusive; there are several conservatives vocally opposed to Trump. And in defense of George Will, not only has he left the Republican Party, he voted for both Biden and Harris.
My point is not an attack on George Will, but his brand of conservatism is what has led to MAGA. MAGA are the heirs to conservatism of Buckley, Will and it reaches bank to Edmund Burke.
I stand with evolution toMAGA for if MAGA is a devolution then the default is fascism.
Come to think of it, you might be right. Fascism is the default ordering of society. If that is correct, then MAGA is a return to basics.or originalism in their speech.
Somehow, the 8 billion plus inhabitants of planet Earth are in the thrall of two of its worst. If one of the two weren’t supported by a major political party in a “free” society, it’s possible the other could be effectively addressed. Since that isn’t the case, it’s pointless to ponder the motivations of politicians who know better, or to negotiate with them in any way. They must be challenged and defeated at every turn, ridiculed, demonized, irreparably crushed. Under the best of circumstances it will take decades to undo the damage they have done.
I attended a County Commissioners Court meeting today where a proposal was being heard to cut the number of polling places in the county in half! Below you will find my synopsis.
Welcome to America.
Where democracy is scheduled at 10 am on a Tuesday.
Parking costs $15 and is a long walk.
Where 100 citizens wait three hours…
…to speak for one minute.
This isn’t civic engagement.
It’s a velvet rope around the ballot box.
And still—we show up.
With stories, with reverence, with resolve.
Because even one minute…
is worth defending. It was a ritual of exclusion dressed up as a civic process.
This is the reality that no one wants to face. We are past stopping anything. It is already broken. We live in a Fascist, Kleptocratic, Oligarchy. Now what?
Hey! Let's protest this next Saturday from noon til 2:00! We can go downtown to get our photo IDs (you know, the ones with the fingerprints) and then meet in the free-speech zone out by the deserted strip mall!
First on mail-in voting, Republicans need to lead the way and BOYCOTT. Republicans must set the example laid out by Trump for others to follow. That is their duty. By boycotting mail-in voting, Republicans will create a groundswell and muster other Republicans to vote only on election day, thereby showing their allegiance to their leader. I think it is important for Republicans to back up Trump’s words with actions. Real Republicans Vote In Person on Election Day!
Carl,nice try.Can you come up with something a little more idiotic. If you're a Republican or part of the " Neo Nazi" party,there will be some surprises ahead.
For months I have been saying there will be no elections in 2026. The brains behind the 2025 plan are very pleased with the execution of the plan to date. They are winning all the key battles and they are moving toward the goal. Don't think for a minute that they are going to risk all of this on an "election". No way. They will use the same words he used to dismiss mail in and voting machines. He will simply say it's corrupt and treasonous and the elections will be postponed, INDEFINITELY . We are living in a dictatorship today but don't want to believe it. When the elections are cancelled we will believe it. But I see nothing that will stop them. Nothing.
There are over 3000 county clerks in the USA, only SOME of them are fascists. Same for the sheriff's. They get ELECTED. Then move up the elected food chain. They are all going to stand down?
Somehow, someway, SOMEWHERE some elections will happen. In a basement, the rebels will be picking a leader even if you are right, but I think the Grim Reaper is a small "d" democrat.
Most importantly, please Bulwark and all other Substack and independent journalists, find out how many of these “ICE” raids and detentions (arrests? without warrant, is it just kidnapping) are being done by bounty hunters rather than federally employed agents? And what is the bounty scale? How much for what result, detention? arrest? deportation? injury or death? There is money changing hands on the basis or quasi-deputized kidnapping. The public needs details — as in follow the money — not just disturbing videos of masked men.
It is even worse than that, Thom. I just saw this on CNN:
“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do.”
In other words, he says the states only have the power (in running elections though by this theory everything else too) that the federal government gives them. And the president tells the federal government what to do. Congress is not involved, state governments are not involved, independent federal agencies are not involved. It is no longer a federal system but an absolute dictatorship.
First, on mail-in voting. Republicans need to lead the way and BOYCOTT. Republicans must set the example laid out by Trump for others to follow. That is their duty. By boycotting mail-in voting, Republicans will create a groundswell and muster other Republicans to vote only on election day, thereby showing their allegiance to their leader. I think it is important for Republicans to back up Trump’s words with actions. Real Republicans Vote In Person on Election Day!
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/protest-sign-sign-everywhere-a-sign
There are over 3000 county clerks in the USA, only SOME of them are fascists. Same for the sheriffs. They get ELECTED. Then move up the elected food chain. I have to wonder if he thinks everyone is going to stand down.
Somehow, someway, SOMEWHERE some elections will happen, and they will be legit. If TRump/Putin/they succeed, there will be an election in a basement; the rebels will be picking a leader.
I'm rooting for the Grim Reaper who is a small "d" democrat. And in the meantime, let's give the rest of them a nervous breakdown. KKK Leavitt looked like she was close today.
Yep. God help us.
Trump makes Nixon, Reagan, etc., look like amateurs, if not just petty criminals.
The absolute absurdity of Trump, first, describing the "Russia, Russia, Hoax", standing next to Putin, and stating that Putin has "experienced" this, and then Putin reaffirming, Trump's insistence that its Biden's war and it would never have happened if Trump was president, followed by Trump describing the revelation by Putin that mail-in balloting is corrupt and you can never have a democracy that way, tells us that we've come full-circle in this Alice in Wonderland Looking Glass World. Trump mouths Russia's false "talking points; Putin restates Trump's repeated lies....
1. We wuz robbed. 2016. 2024. Did Trump admit Musk stole Pennslylvania?
2. Concentrate on Pennsylvanie, where it could be a state crime if one voter was intimidated in 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_interference_in_the_2024_United_States_elections
Apparently, the new Republican AG has an open investigation that has stalled whether people illegally registerd in at least 5 counties in 2024. Former Attorney General Michelle Henry initiated the investigations. The former AG and the Department of State said at the time that the fact that improperly filled out voter registration forms were caught by the counties demonstrated the system was working as intended. https://www.witf.org/2025/02/26/multi-county-voter-registration-investigation-ongoing-under-attorney-general/
3. If I were a talking head, I'd want to hear from Gov. Shapiro, every DA in Pennsylvania, and Al Schmidt, the Republican Secretary of State for Pennsylvania.
In the days following the 2020 election, Schmidt, then a Republican City Commissioner in Philadelphia responsible for overseeing elections, publicly defended the integrity of the election and refuted claims of widespread fraud in the city. This stance put him at odds with then-President Trump and his campaign, who were actively promoting claims of election fraud.
Trump's actions and threats against Schmidt: Trump and his campaign publicly criticized and targeted Schmidt, leading to a wave of threats against him and his family. These threats intensified after Trump tweeted about Schmidt by name.
Schmidt's testimony before the Jan. 6th Committee: Schmidt testified before the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol about his experience with Trump's false claims and the resulting threats.
Lawsuits likely targeted election processes and officials in a broader sense. For instance, the RNC filed a petition against Pennsylvania's Secretary of State Al Schmidt regarding the state's provisional ballot instructions. In another case, a judge dismissed a GOP lawsuit challenging how Pennsylvania counts overseas and military votes, with lawyers representing Schmidt arguing against the plaintiffs' claims.
Schmidt's continued role and defense of elections:
Schmidt is currently Pennsylvania's Secretary of the Commonwealth, having been nominated to the position by Democratic Governor-elect Josh Shapiro. He continues to advocate for election security and works to counter misinformation surrounding the election process.
So Daniel,after all that,would you summarize in 25 words or less,where we are. It's like a lot of Dems who like to hear themselves talk endlessly and after 10 minutes of ranting,you can't figure what point they were trying to make. "Short and Sweet".
We have the capacity to do something to stop MAGA in its tracks.
https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
Republican legislators are worse than trump. THEY are allowing this to happen. Their jobs are more important than our democracy?
trump=true traitor
Sophia,the Republican legislators are " Nazis" just like the fat " Nazi pig" in the Black house.
Get rid of this deranged already convict hitler 2.0 before he reduces America to ashes and the rest of the world with it. He will buy his stupid peace nobel price with american ressources not his own money! Corruption like never seen before. It is gonna be bloody soon
Jack,agree 100%. It is well past the time for the blood to flow. The " Nazis" have taken over.
It’s sad. The world’s wealthiest country increased taxes on and stripped benefits from the poor—to feed the wealthy. Gerrymander-elected government does not serve its people. Tear this house down. Give heathcare, food, and living wages to everyone. Here are 108 protest signs for your protests. Protesting is now critical for Occupied D.C. There is time to get signs printed for your protest group. Fill the hands of the signless. FreeDC!
https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/protest-sign-sign-everywhere-a-sign
And the deportations must stop. Forget food prices going up--without workers on farms and in meatpacking plants there will be no food....
Thom, I’m a longtime fan and listener to your radio show on WCPT in Chicago…I had the pleasure of having dinner with you in Naperville, Il some years ago when you were at an event in the Chicago area, because one of the board members of the mental health center my husband was then CEO of worked for WCPT and invited us. It was a great pleasure. I was listening to your show about a week ago or so when a caller spoke of his confidence that there would not be free and fair elections in ‘26, no matter what..and that if somehow the election was held and Dems won, Trump would absolutely declare martial law and just take over Congress…it was total doom prediction, and your response was that indeed, that was possible…my concern about this is that what we do not yet know is how the the ‘26 elections will actually play out, and right now, we do not have control over what Trump, a madman, will or won’t do to squash democracy. What we DO know for sure, however, is that if Dems don’t organize with vigor never seen before, turn out voters like never before, and fight like hell to retake Congress, is that we are definitely totally screwed. That is a fact. So I believe that respected commentators like yourself, and I include Rachel Maddow here as well, must emphasize this fact every time a caller makes a totally doom filled prediction…because if you don’t counter such disheartening messages, people will get the message that no matter what we do, there’s no hope of succeeding. And I, for one, am not ready to give up my right as a citizen in a democracy, however frail it is right now. We MUST gather our emotional resources and get motivated for this critical fight to save our country, and if messages of doom go uncountered by intelligent leaders such as yourself, I think you are adding to the likelihood that we lose our democracy.
I hope you will consider countering such predictions of doom with the message that while there are many factors we cannot control right now, what we CAN control is what we do to fight for our democracy and win the next election. If we decide to stay home and not write postcards, make phone calls, knock on doors, tell everyone we know how important it is to vote, if we don’t do all of those things, we surely will lose. We must do what we CAN to fight for our country. We need that message loud and clear, every day.
Nancy is that what you do when faced with an uphill struggle and odds stacked against you?
How about doing like those brave souls in the Warsaw ghetto and fight to the last man and woman, yes they lost but they didn't go to their graves like helpless sheep, the fought and died with their boots on (to borrow a slogan from Hollywood)
What do you think of those people who resigned and gave up to climb into cattle cars to carry them to Treblinka? Or those people who, though faced with impossible odds, took up arms and fought against the oppressor.?
Why did they climb into those cattle cars? Hope.
Wow. William, you totally missed my point. My point is NOT to stop ACTING and resisting, the opposite of that. My point is that if people have no hope, they will have no determination and are much more likely to give up and stop fighting. The hope you are thinking of is passive hope that perhaps someone else might rescue you. What I’m talking about is the fortitude it takes to keep going despite great odds, and having that fortitude is made much harder when people all around you are telling you that no matter how hard you fight, you are doomed and cannot possibly succeed. What I’m talking about is the responsibility that all progressive leaders have to continue to support and inspire those who continue to “get out, get active, because democracy is not a spectator sport,” which Thom tells us every day on his show…getting out and staying active is much less likely if many voices are constantly focusing on the futility of doing so. The only thing we CAN control right now is what we do to save our democracy, and that’s something Thom and other leaders must continue to focus on, so that when doomsayers predict the worst, even tho that is certainly possible, I believe such leaders must add to that by saying, “Yes, this could happen. I would put nothing past Trump and his minions…but what we DO know, for sure, is that if we don’t fight harder than we every have to win the next election , we are absolutely doomed…so we need to get out there and get active, because although it might be very tough, that’s the only way to save our democracy. We the people.” That’s the message I was sending.
You and I see it differently Nancy. I see hope as an anesthetic, hopium (hope and opium), it is the reason that the girl crawls into the 55 gal drum, that a man digs his grave.
Trump has changed this country into an authoritarian state, already, but people still have hope that course can be reversed because they have hope.
The hope that the 2026 elections will result in a Democratic Congress and stop Trump, ignoring the fact that he totally control the DOJ, FBI, the police and investigative power of the country and unleash them on even congress, in fact he is doing that at the moment.
The hope that we can retake the executive in 2028, when all evidence is that we won't have the chance.
The hope that the courts will save us, in the face of the fact that that is not happening
Hope leads to inaction, waiting for someone else to ride in and rescue us, to cleanup the act.
The only thing that will save us is ourselves, action, not the inaction of hope.
When that group of men signed that Declaratin of Independence that didn't do it out of hope, they knew the odds were stacked against them, but as Ben Franklin said. "We hang together or hand separately" It was do or die, an act of desperation, an act, not hope.
Sadly, your definition of hope is the opposite of mine and of Simon Rosenberg’s. I’ve been disappointed by Thom Hartmann’s recent pieces on his Substack that are so terrifying & feel like mostly announcing our doom, yet at the end of every one of his talk shows, he says, “Democracy is not a spectator sport. Get out there, get active, you’re it.” To me, and to many others whom you are misunderstanding so badly, it is not hope that makes us passive, it is hope that gets us going and keeps us working so hard to get our democracy back. Barack Obama’s whole campaign in ‘08 was based on it, remember the gorgeous posters the artist Ferris (I think that’s his name) designed? They had the word “hope” in big letters
under the drawing of his face. It was hope for a better country that motivated those young people to walk the streets of Iowa in below zero temps to help win him that caucus. So hope can be a very active and motivating emotion.
I understand your emotional needs Nancy. Hope all you want, but show me a realistic way to reverse the course we are headed on.
And if the course is reversed, how do we put Humpty dumpty back together again.
Hope will do neither.
GUNS!
The problem is that the regnant liberal mentality, Stephanie Miller for example, have disarmed themselves in the face of the right building up personal arsenals.
Yes I know not all liberals are allergic to guns, but according to AI overview
Gun ownership in the United States is strongly divided along political lines. Approximately 44% of Republicans and Republican-leaning individuals own guns, while only 20% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning individuals do. This significant difference highlights a clear partisan divide in gun ownership, with conservatives significantly more likely to own firearms than liberals, according to Pew Research Center.
The Devil made him do it
AI Overview
President Vladimir Putin approved changes to Russia's electoral law in
May 2020, allowing for electronic or mail-in voting in future elections and referendums
Was this part of why people left the meeting ashen-faced? Did they sit there and listen to Putin telling TRump what he must do to win the next election? Since TRump is not eligible TO RUN, I would think that might have freaked-out Rubio who has his own plans for the election.
TRump's damn lies just keep coming. Some thirty-four countries have mail-in systems. So stupid to lie about that and voting machines.
This is just one more cruel "official act" that SCOTUS will say he is immune for. I guess, Putin is immune as well for putting him up to it. This co-presidency is really annoying! So is having to vote at a place and time of THEIR choosing so they can rig it. We The People have fought and died for our CONSTITUTION, not a bunch of psychos. It's back to that. Thanks for the history, Thom. See you in the streets.
The Devil made him — and in His own image.
This is a prime and essential opportunity for the sitting democratic party to assemble publically and collectively daily to voice unrestrained outrage over this fascist ploy--robbing all Americans of the sanctity of the free and constitutionallyguaranteed right to vote. I am talking about a daily assembling of office-holding democrats to fill a plaza large enough to accomodate their numbers. Daily, not once, one-at-a-time trickle, in turn, which has been their shameful, puerile routine. Such a tactic simply could not be ignored, even by a purchased press, and the masses of voting Americans would zealously respond in energized support. Simply, nothing is more important. Nothing. And if they don't, and they won't, ibstead of writing to them, calling their offices to politely ask their support, tell them that unless they do, all efforts to replace them in party will give them the rude retirement they deserve.
As if we don't.
You have a great idea.
If this comes to pass we will reach the ultimate end of voter suppression in all of its forms—-one man will decide who is to become president. This is lunacy.
There's always more, or at least for a few more times. Voting can be limited to card-carrying Christians, property owners, whites, people who can pass the Fascist loyalty test, etc.
Damn, I left out the obvious one: men. At least theoretically, a black man could vote 50 years before a white woman.
Robert,the "Neo Nazi" test. We are well beyond Fascism@ this point.If you meet a someone who defines themselves as Republican,ask them how they like being part of the : Neo Nazi: party.
Perhaps it's time to just call the Neo Nazis Nazis. If the jackboot fits...
You are proposing that 28% of the population is Nazi. If you only choose MAGA — and at the least they are Naziesque,— you would find 16% identifying with it. I know several republicans who definitely are not MAGA — they're old-school conservatives.
Thanks Robert,I do wonder about the old school conservatives.If in times less turbulent than these,I might have given them a pass for espousing lower taxes,smaller gov't ,etc,all of which may be questionable. However if you're an old fashioned republican who supports a " Nazi' like trump,you deserve to be called just exactly what you are " a Neo Nazi Lover".
Smaller government has always been code, for no taxes, no regulation, just as family values and pro life has been code, for Pater Familias
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pater_familias
Frank Luntz, though not the father of code speak, formalized it
Quite Orwellian. Max Clelland a war hero, a triple amputee was called a coward because he opposed Bush's war.
If you oppose the military take over of a city, then you are pro crime.
This is what we need to counter and improve messaging.
We need things you can put on a bumper sticker, not a treatise.
Again, why not just call them Nazis, or Fascists if that's a better fit.
There is a straight line from old school conservatives like William F Buckley Jr, and "libertarians" like George Will to the racist, fascist Trump humpers.
It is called evolution.
l
t's called devolution.
That straight line is not all-inclusive; there are several conservatives vocally opposed to Trump. And in defense of George Will, not only has he left the Republican Party, he voted for both Biden and Harris.
My point is not an attack on George Will, but his brand of conservatism is what has led to MAGA. MAGA are the heirs to conservatism of Buckley, Will and it reaches bank to Edmund Burke.
I stand with evolution toMAGA for if MAGA is a devolution then the default is fascism.
Come to think of it, you might be right. Fascism is the default ordering of society. If that is correct, then MAGA is a return to basics.or originalism in their speech.
Somehow, the 8 billion plus inhabitants of planet Earth are in the thrall of two of its worst. If one of the two weren’t supported by a major political party in a “free” society, it’s possible the other could be effectively addressed. Since that isn’t the case, it’s pointless to ponder the motivations of politicians who know better, or to negotiate with them in any way. They must be challenged and defeated at every turn, ridiculed, demonized, irreparably crushed. Under the best of circumstances it will take decades to undo the damage they have done.
Never been two more ridiculous psychos in history. We're just getting started on them and the Cult. KKK Leavitt was losing it today.
Good comment
There's just one step left.
Inside the voting booth: An executioner puts a firearm's muzzle in your ear.
If you dare vote Democrat, they pull the trigger.
Then they pull the trap door's lever for your body.
It slides down a chute for organ harvesting by "Trump Organs" Ltd.'s surgeons.
I attended a County Commissioners Court meeting today where a proposal was being heard to cut the number of polling places in the county in half! Below you will find my synopsis.
Welcome to America.
Where democracy is scheduled at 10 am on a Tuesday.
Parking costs $15 and is a long walk.
Where 100 citizens wait three hours…
…to speak for one minute.
This isn’t civic engagement.
It’s a velvet rope around the ballot box.
And still—we show up.
With stories, with reverence, with resolve.
Because even one minute…
is worth defending. It was a ritual of exclusion dressed up as a civic process.
This is the reality that no one wants to face. We are past stopping anything. It is already broken. We live in a Fascist, Kleptocratic, Oligarchy. Now what?
Let us know the results of that consideration, please.
Answered your own question: "And still we show up". And you are doing so now. Thank you, David.
They cut the number of polling places in half.
Hey! Let's protest this next Saturday from noon til 2:00! We can go downtown to get our photo IDs (you know, the ones with the fingerprints) and then meet in the free-speech zone out by the deserted strip mall!
First on mail-in voting, Republicans need to lead the way and BOYCOTT. Republicans must set the example laid out by Trump for others to follow. That is their duty. By boycotting mail-in voting, Republicans will create a groundswell and muster other Republicans to vote only on election day, thereby showing their allegiance to their leader. I think it is important for Republicans to back up Trump’s words with actions. Real Republicans Vote In Person on Election Day!
My state is mail in voting only. So there, fuck you Trump, and it isn't about to change.
and then kill the power to those voting machines as the Rethugs arrive to vote...
"Oh dear, where did that plug go" ...then wait for "backup" for several hours...
Back in the 1980's it was Republicans, conservatives that wanted to outlaw voting machines.
David has the plug. 🔌 They won’t find him.
Carl,nice try.Can you come up with something a little more idiotic. If you're a Republican or part of the " Neo Nazi" party,there will be some surprises ahead.
For months I have been saying there will be no elections in 2026. The brains behind the 2025 plan are very pleased with the execution of the plan to date. They are winning all the key battles and they are moving toward the goal. Don't think for a minute that they are going to risk all of this on an "election". No way. They will use the same words he used to dismiss mail in and voting machines. He will simply say it's corrupt and treasonous and the elections will be postponed, INDEFINITELY . We are living in a dictatorship today but don't want to believe it. When the elections are cancelled we will believe it. But I see nothing that will stop them. Nothing.
There are over 3000 county clerks in the USA, only SOME of them are fascists. Same for the sheriff's. They get ELECTED. Then move up the elected food chain. They are all going to stand down?
Somehow, someway, SOMEWHERE some elections will happen. In a basement, the rebels will be picking a leader even if you are right, but I think the Grim Reaper is a small "d" democrat.
Most importantly, please Bulwark and all other Substack and independent journalists, find out how many of these “ICE” raids and detentions (arrests? without warrant, is it just kidnapping) are being done by bounty hunters rather than federally employed agents? And what is the bounty scale? How much for what result, detention? arrest? deportation? injury or death? There is money changing hands on the basis or quasi-deputized kidnapping. The public needs details — as in follow the money — not just disturbing videos of masked men.