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We know Poppy, you have always been a good driver, a safe driver. But now that you’ve reached your golden years, your reflexes aren’t what they used to be, your eyesight and hearing aren’t what they used to be. Driving now can be dangerous, not just for you but for other people on the road.
We care about you and want you to be safe, so please hand over the keys. You know we are more than happy to drive you anywhere you want to go so you’ll never be stuck in the house. So please, the keys.
What’s going on with Donald Trump?
The man who not that long ago said he was unlikely to get his COVID-19 booster admitted, during an event in Dallas last week, that he indeed got his jab.
This did not sit well with some of the MAGA folks in attendance. In fact, a smattering of boos erupted after he told the event’s co-host, Bill O’Reilly, he got boosted.
Trump would later go on to laud the effectiveness of vaccines during an interview with The Daily Wires Candace Owens.
“Look, the results of the vaccine are very good, and if you do get (Covid), it’s a very minor form. People aren’t dying when they take the vaccine,” Trump said.
It didn’t take long from some factions of MAGA world to condemn Trump for going against one of the main tenets of hardcore Republicanism … vaccines bad!
Conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, came out strongly against Trump’s new push for the efficacy of vaccines.
“This is an emergency Christmas Day warning to President Trump,” Jones said. “You are either completely ignorant about the so-called vaccine gene therapy that you helped ram through with Operation Warp Speed or you are one of the most evil men who ever lived, to push this toxic poison on the public and to attack your constituents when they simply try to save their lives and the lives of others.”
“Hell, we’re fighting Bill Gates and Fauci and Biden and the New World Order and Psaki and the Davos Group. And now we’ve got Trump on their team!” Jones added.
Some have suggested Trump’s touting the benefits of vaccines is all about helping his reelection bid. While he’s the clear favorite to win the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination, he needs to worry about the general election.
Even though Republicans are generally opposed to vaccine mandates, most are, themselves, at least partially vaccinated. A 65% majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents report having received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, according to the most recent CNN polling.
Still, some have likened Trump’s recent public endorsement of Covid-19 vaccines and boosters to the “random foray of an unpredictable political figure.” (Rick Klein)
Then, of course, there is what some are calling the “Occam’s razor” answer to Trump’s new behavior … COVID-19 has significantly killed, and continues to kill, a disproportionate amount of the Republican base!
Is Trump turning into a Liz Cheney… who many Republicans call a RINO (Republican in name only)?
What’s next? Trump will admit that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden fair and square? Will he condemn the January 6 Capitol mob as insurrectionists?
I don’t know but I do believe there is a Republican governor in Florida who isn’t too unhappy with the new anti-Trump rumblings going on in MAGA world (along with one in Texas, and one in South Dakota.)
When Vladimir Putin invested a small fortune to try and get Donald Trump elected in 2016, he knew he might be flushing his rubles down the crapper.
But with Russia’s help, Trump shocked the world and won the presidency (well not the popular vote but the antiquated Electoral College vote).
Now that Trump is about to leave office, it’s safe to say Putin could never have imagined how successful his investment to smear Clinton and promote Trump would turn out to be!
And while Trump did not win a second term, for Vladimir, the chaos, division, violence and mockery Trump wrought on the United States is priceless, far outweighing the billions spent on conventional weaponry like nukes, tanks and planes.
But we did win the Cold War, right?
Photo | nbcnews.com
While some said it would never happen, the President today congratulated Joe Biden on his election victory, six weeks after the vote and a day after the Electoral College officially affirmed Biden’s win.
The President had said he had been waiting for the many court challenges to end before making his announcement. Both he and his close associates had earlier criticized the election process, describing it as flawed and not representative of the will of the people.
But there was no “hidden motive” for not recognizing Biden’s victory sooner, said the President.
Yes, President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, today sent a telegram to Biden to congratulate him and wish him well.
“Putin wished every success to the president-elect and expressed confidence that Russia and the U.S., who bear special responsibility for global security and stability, can facilitate resolution of many problems and challenges faced by the world now despite disagreements,” the Kremlin said.
If only the current president of the United States would follow his hero’s lead.
Photo | businessinsider.com
Reprint from moronmajority.com
White House sources have revealed Trump is prepared to give his concession speech … soon.
Below is the leaked copy:
Four years ago, we won a huge victory against Crooked Hillary, with the biggest electoral college win since Ronald Reagan. On my inauguration day, we witnessed something so beautiful … the largest presidential inauguration crowd in history.
And over the past four years we’ve gotten so much done … more than any other administration. So much winning! We won on the military, we won on taxes, we won on the economy, we won on unemployment, we won on trade deals, we won on deregulation, we won on religion, we won on the wall and we won against the China virus.
And now, after a rigged election, people say I should congratulate Sleepy Joe Biden and concede. But how do you concede when all the courts are saying the election was stolen from us through voter fraud? My attorney, Rudy Giuliani, a big baseball fan, keeps saying “it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” That’s why we’re fighting so hard for democracy, the rule of law and our Constitution.
If you count only the legal votes, there is no doubt I won. Remember when the fake news media said Hillary got three million more votes than me? If you didn’t count the votes of all those illegal Mexican criminals and rapists in California, I got more votes. Now they say Sleepy Joe got six million more votes than me? More fraud, more fake news.
But even though this election was totally unfair, I have decided to leave the White House on January 20. 2021.
I am hereby announcing my candidacy for president in 2024. I will continue to hold many, many big beautiful rallies.
Our new slogan will be “Make America Great Again … All Over Again”
I am also using the vast powers given me by Article 2 of the Constitution to pardon myself, my friends and my family of any and all potential crimes, from the start of time to infinity.
So, to all patriotic Americans, stand back and stand by until I’m back in your House in four years.
Photo | politico.com
*moronmajority.com is a satirical site … seriously
In a scene that no doubt is being replicated across the country, hordes of Trump supporters have gathered today in the nation’s capital to protest “voter fraud “and Biden’s stolen election.
Many loyal followers either believe Trump actually won the election or that there is still time for him to “pull it out.” The sentiment of many is that “this is far from over.”
As reported in USA Today, some Trump supporters can’t see how Biden legitimately won:
Marcello Milone, who traveled with his family, including his 15-year-old son, from South Carolina, said they were there to “demand the truth.”
“I don’t understand how the country went to bed with Trump up by tons of votes on Election Night then days later Biden is called the winner,” he said, waving an American flag. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Mr. Milone, it’s actually quite simple … in a democracy, the person with the most votes wins! (OK, in the U.S. it’s the presidential candidate with the most Electoral College votes!) You tabulate the ballots until they are all counted. And, no, legitimate votes are not only those received by your favored candidate.
You’re a sports fan, Mr. Milone, right? Then I’m sure you know, as in any sport, the halftime score is meaningless. You play the game until the final tick of the clock.
Funny, after Trump’s dubious win in 2016, Hillary Clinton graciously conceded defeat on election night.
Trump loyalists at the time implored Dems to “Suck it up, buttercup. Trump won. Get over it.”
Of course, Trump will never concede defeat. And neither will Republicans abandon Trumpism, not when he received over 73 million votes.
For anyone who thought American democracy has restored by Biden’s victory, it’s time to think again.
American democracy is broken … whether irrevocably remains to be seen.
Trump’s fan base is loyal and passionate, as demonstrated by today’s rallies.
As I write this, a group of Trump supporters have gathered in front of city hall, across from where I live, chanting “four more years!” Many are honking horns, from cars and trucks festooned with Trump flags.
Unless Trump eventually finds himself behind bars, look for him to continue to lead his cult followers and do all he can to make the next four years a living hell for Biden and his administration … and our great nation.
Sad.
Photo | nbcwashington.com
The unimaginable does not have to be imagined. Donald Trump will not be returning to the White House for four more years of corruption, ineptitude and chaos. Decency and honor will be restored to our troubled land by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
When all is said and done, Joe Biden will have received the most votes ever for a presidential candidate, currently totaling just over 74 million. But trailing right behind, moving into second place for most votes in American history, is Donald Trump, who stands at just over 70 million votes.
In 2016, Donald Trump received just under 63 million votes to Hillary Clinton’s nearly 66 million votes.
Even with the disaster that has been the Trump presidency, Donald Trump has, so far, increased his vote total by nearly 7 million! This is after shredding America’s rule of law, ignoring the Constitution, mishandling a once in a lifetime pandemic and resulting economic collapse, and otherwise running the federal government like a criminal enterprise.
Yes, Trump may be gone but it appears Trumpism is here to stay.
The hope that this election would be a clear repudiation of Trump and his governing style did not materialize. Far from the GOP getting a wakeup call to reform its ways, Republicans will see Trump’s numbers, even though not enough to win reelection, as vindication that they should stay their Trumpian course.
And yes, Joe Biden promised to be the president of both blue and red states. He’s pledged to unite and heal the country, but how do you do that when nearly half of all Americans thought reelecting Trump was a good idea?
A mid-October poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 85 percent of registered voters described Americans as greatly divided in their values, and only 15 percent say democracy in the United States is working.
Now, don’t expect Trump to do the right thing by being a gracious loser. Odds are he will insist to his loyal followers the election was stolen from him and that Biden is not a legitimate president.
Let’s all pray Joe can make good on his promise. Let’s hope Americans can call a truce to its festering Hatfield-McCoy feud.
As Biden has said,” We may be opponents — but we are not enemies. We are Americans.”
May God bless the United States of America.
Photo | gannett-can.com/jsonline.com
There is a bottle of champagne in the back of my fridge waiting to be consumed Tuesday night.
I will either drink it to celebrate what I hope will be a Biden/Harris victory (or at least will look like one) or down it to drown my sorrows over a possible Trump reelection.
That bottle of champagne in the back of my fridge knows the way in which it will be indulged, but has kept mum.
That bottle of champagne knows if our 244-year-old American experiment in democracy will live or die, but not a peep.
That bottle of champagne that stares back at me every time I open the refrigerator door knows I’m neverous with anticipation, but not a hint.
Oh, the hell with you! I’m taking you out right now! Yes, I know it’s only 9 am on a Sunday but this waiting game, this uncertainty, has gotten to me.
But not to worry, my perfectly chilled friend . There is a six-pack of Stella Artois ready to take your place come election night.
Photo | delish.com
Articles about the possibility of Trump refusing to leave office after a November defeat are seemingly everywhere. Bill Maher, on his HBO show, Real Time, has been warning about this scenario for some time. And now, after Trump’s interview with Fox’s Chris Wallace, we have renewed interest in the possibility that Trump might hole up in the White House after being voted out on Election Day.
“I have to see,” Trump answered Wallace’s direct question as to whether he will “accept the results of the election” win or lose.
Here’s the thing. It is not up to Trump to accept or reject the election results.
If he loses the vote, Trump will no longer be president as of January 20, 2021. Because the president immediately and automatically surrenders his constitutional authority when his term expires, he would lack the power to direct the U.S. Secret Service or other federal authorities to protect him.
Sure, if Trump could get away with refusing to leave the Oval Office, he undoubtedly would try. But he can’t.
Fred Kaplan, in an article for Slate.com, clearly explains what would happen after a Trump defeat:
On the dot of noon [January 20, 2021], the nuclear codes, which currently allow Trump to order and authenticate a nuclear attack, expire. The officer who has been following him around everywhere with the “football”—which, contrary to popular belief, is not a button or a palm print but rather a book filled with various launch codes—leaves. If Trump and whatever lackeys stay with him prevent the officer from leaving, another officer, holding a backup football, would join Biden at the inauguration ceremony.
By the same token, the entire U.S. military establishment will pivot away from ex-President Trump and salute President Biden. The principle of civilian control is hammered into American officers from the time they’re cadets—and the 20thAmendment of the Constitution states, “The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January”—no ifs, ands, or buts.
If Trump orders the military to do anything, they will refuse his order. If any officers obey his order—say, to circle the White House to keep him in power—they would certainly be tried and convicted on charges of mutiny and sedition, and they would know this before taking the leap.
Meanwhile, the Secret Service will abandon Trump, as they do every president whose term is up, except for a small detail assigned to protect him and his family for the rest of their lives.
Overseas, foreign leaders will cut off relations with the U.S. ambassadors in their capitals and await instructions from Biden or his acting secretary of state.
Meanwhile, Biden’s acting attorney general will have drawn up arrest warrants for Donald J. Trump and anyone who remains at his side on charges—at minimum—of criminal trespassing. If Trump calls on the armed forces or militias or the nation’s sheriffs to come defend him, he might also be charged with incitement or insurrection.
Yes, there are a lot of things to worry about each day Trump remains in the White House (especially between a November defeat and a January inauguration). But his refusing to leave office after a loss is not one of them.
Photo | inquisitir.com
Donald Trump’s reelection chances are looking flimsier by the day.
The latest nationwide New York Times/Siena College poll has Biden ahead by 14 points. What’s even worse, the same polling has Trump losing to Biden in many of the crucial swing states … 47%-36% in Michigan, 49%-38% in Wisconsin, 50%-40% in Pennsylvania, 47%-41% in Florida, 48%-41% in Arizona and 49%-40% in North Carolina.
So, Joe Biden is a great candidate, a great campaigner, right?
No, not really. He is pretty much keeping a low profile these days, allowing Trump’s self-destructiveness to keep propelling him forward. And, most likely, Biden will stick to that strategy for a while longer. What’s the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?”
As Janet Hook and Evan Halper recently wrote in the LA Times, “Voters are not so much upbeat about him [Biden] as they are upset with Trump.”
Though Trump has tried to make the race about Biden and his faults, he has failed miserably. His campaign has already spent tens of millions on attack ads that have fizzled – tying Biden to that Trumpian concoction, “Obamagate” and, of course, to Ukraine funny business.
Finding that the right’s culture war playbook is proving less convincing against a white male target, Fox News is stepping into the breach.
As Matt Gertz writes in the National Memo, “They have started claiming that this fall’s election isn’t really about the relative merits of Trump and Biden. Instead, they have turned Biden — the septuagenarian center-left liberal who capped four decades in public service as Barack Obama’s vice president and speaks movingly about loss, grief, and the need for reconciliation on the campaign trail — into a stand-in for dark forces poised to shatter civilization.”
Here is what Fox’s Tucker Carlson said recently in one of his monologues:
“We should stop pretending that this is an election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. There is no Joe Biden; the Joe Biden you remember no longer exists. The candidate has no independent thoughts of his own. He has no core beliefs. He is empty. He’s a perfect Trojan horse.”
With his chances for November continuing to slide, like on that “slippery” West Point ramp, look for Trump to shake up his reelection team any day now. Of course, this won’t make any difference or change the dynamics of the race. Trump’s problem is Trump.
As William Galston, a Brookings Institute scholar, succinctly put it, “Right now the election is Trump versus Trump, and Trump is losing badly.”
Photo | cnn.com