I like your idea of a party. I think the Current should organize public mixers. The Current should have a booth at the Santa Barbara art walk. The Current should be a social club. The Current should be a vehicle for conservatives to proselytize. I believe that the left views conservatives with disdain and conservatives view lefties as misguided. Through association and dialogue, people's minds are changed. I pride myself on having turned many lefties. We need to become human and open the mind to other ideas. Our ideas are our answers. Now we just need to become human and gain an ear for our ideas to spread. I want to meet all the people who contribute to this substack. I want to have a dialog with Nancy Freeman and Thomas John. I will bring my guitar and we can jam. It will be glorious.
Thank you Jeff. This is exactly why I feel some sort of National Service would be a great thing. Doesn't have to be military, could be anything, just as long as it was coastal folks with fly over states folk, black with white and all other colors, rich and poor, and all shades of the political spectrum.
The internet has divided us so that the people we interact with are names on a screen rather than faces and personalities we know and love, foibles and all. It is so much easier to be a jerk on the internet than in person.
You know that meme that shows a guy at a card table with a sign saying "change my mind?" Let's do it ! Revive lower State Street ! I suggest the SB Current establish a place for dialogue and discourse, take turns sitting and chatting with the public. I'll bring my wolfhounds and we can call it a Barklet.
I wish I could quote ONE idea Republicans have…..a positive idea, not a criticism of other ideas….to improve our Democracy. I keep asking what you all think Trump will do to help America. NO ONE EVER ANSWERS.
I understand many are saying he wears diapers and often smells bad: THAT WILL NOT HELP OUR COUNTRY!
Someone,please: WHAT do you think The O.T. will do to improve our country….ANYONE? All that garbage Buckley wrote….and NOT one iota about how Trump will improve our lives.
Well, Nancy, one way will be to dismantle the Soviet-style DEI (Diversity! Equity! Inclusion!) bureaucracy that has embedded itself into every school, college, university, and place of learning, along with crippling law enforcement, most businesses, sports teams, city, state, county, and federal government offices, and all kinds of institutions large and small. Only with a Republican administration will that end (and admittedly, there's no guarantee even then). Another would be, of course, dismantling the "transgender-affirming" medical establishment that's kidnapped many parents' children. Then, there would be a more secure border, fairer tax system, etcetera. This "communist-lite" progressive agenda we all suffer under could maybe – there are no miracles here – be halted and reversed, but that's only a "maybe." Country Club Republicans and RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) who mouth conservative values but then march shoulder-to-shoulder with the "Progressive" wing of the Democrat Party need to be replaced. Trump – and believe me, I acknowledge his many faults – could help bring that about. He has brought a fresh approach to the Republican Party, and it's been needed for a very long time. I do believe that approach can also benefit the entire nation if people like you would give it a chance.
Jim Buckley, See my comment above: I asked someone to tell me what Trump proposes to “make America great” IF he is President, and just listen to what Buckley says in response. ( I have not heard these ideas from the PERPETUALLY COMPLAINING ONE himself; I listen, with difficulty, to the Trump but hear only lies and childish bitching ). You, Buckley think trump “should”
1. Remove DEI, which PROTECTS people of color, ethnicity, gender from being treated UNFAIRLY to revert to BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY? WHY? WHY? You sound INCREDIBLY SICKENINGLY UNAMERICAN…..how would you like a law which says all Republican Conservative White Men should be kicked out of this Democratic country called U.S.?
2. DENY CHILDREN AND ADULTS THE PRIVILEGE OF DETERMINiNG THEIR SEX?
Why? Why? Whose choice should it be if not the person whose body it is? Should you , Buckley, in true dictator fashion be the one who decides.
WELL I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO WAVE A WAND OVER YOUR POINTED HEAD AND TURN YOU INTO A HUMAN!
3. You’d like trump to install a “ fairer tax system “? Why am I not shocked. You want the rich people who make their money from our Democratic system, but then trump-like you don’t want them to pay their fair share of taxes…..well, if the rich…who make their money thanks to Democracy DONT pay their share, you are getting their money from the millions of hard working Americans who MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GET RICH….you dummy…..WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR RUNNING THE COUNTRY. The poor can’t do it.
4.You say “ Trump brought a fresh approach to the Republican Party….” Like, Adultery? Cheating on his taxes,? Wrong assessment on his properties?, Assaulting women? Instigating an Insurrection? Admiring Hitler?
There is nothing “ fresh “ about being a colossal SELF-SERVING A-HOLE. MEN HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THIS FOR EONS, throughout history. Democracy has made it more difficult and you want to revert ?
WHO ARE YOU….WHERE AND HOW WERE YOU BROUGHT UP? If I were you I would shut up. You sound worthy of being stoned out of our Democratic United States. Count yourself lucky that you are being allowed to even voice your unamerican pathetic thoughts. You should be ashamed. Keep them to yourself….!
Jeff - wonderful idea! While I think our CommieDem fellow substack contributors are coo coo to believe the Democrat Drivel, I really like their passion in attempting to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, ( right Nance ?), and would love to meet ’em all! Ill be that handsome Republican over there by the bar, but to the Dems, I’m the Atilla the Hun wanna-be!
It’s depressing to see the brain warp occurring in otherwise good people. Up is down, wrong is right, bad is good. It’s awful what 20+ years of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh turned the Republican Party and otherwise smart, decent people into cheerleaders for treasonous, stealing, lying, cheating, certified scum bags. Integrity isn’t just dead in the Republican Party, it’s now a mortal sin as it would undermine the cult. Joe Biden is very far from perfect but in no honest, rational, mind could Joe Biden be bad and also Donald Trump be good. God save the USA.
I suggest you stop watching Fox News. Many conservatives have dropped Fox News years ago. It is a visual medium and presents only shallow sound bites due to the nature of this sole visual presentation.
You are missing the larger issues if this is your only conservative input, that led to your misguided conclusion that conservatives and even Trump supporters are ...treasonous ...scum bags. Would you like other suggestions for your media enrichment? Or explain why you don't like protection of private property; rule of law; limited government; and free and competitive markets.
Just so you know Rush Limbaugh is dead and so is Fox News. Fox became the Rhino, Mitt Romney, Nikki Haley wing of the controlled opposition when they fired Carlson, Bongino and Hilton on the same day. Fox does not support Donald Trump. Your seething indictment of the character of the Republican party might fly in thespian club but here it sounds angry and foolish. If you want to highlight the awfulness of Donald Trump it is most effective to point out policy that was bad for you or bad for America. I can point out much that happened under Biden that is bad for me and bad for America. I challenge you to do the same. Otherwise, you might find employment as a clown.
Yes, the Republican party is full of neo-cons, liberals, economic conservatives, and lacks a spine. We need further right, authoritarian individuals willing to enact the policies their constituents voted them in for instead of vaguely supporting a social conservative position.
Do his puppet masters think we are all cnn gulping fools?!? Now I read prices are up 20% since he took office. No it’s MUCH MUCH higher. More like 50%+. And retailers gouging us left and right. He sends BILLIONS to a fake war yet our homeless have multiplied 100 fold. He’s an ABSOLUTE disaster and America can not survive unless he’s defeated.
Did people really forget the events of January 6th? The twice impeached failed former president who can’t even run casinos who wrote his own letter from the doctor stating he would be the healthiest president in US history? Basher of gold star families, POW’s and KIA’s. I could go on and on but I feel as if it doesn’t matter. What could possibly qualify this “man” as a candidate for president?
Just have to comment. "The events of January 6th" are that an innocent military veteran was shot by Washington, D.C. police and died. And, apparently, a cadre of intelligence operatives convinced enough Trump supporters to join them in an assault on the Capitol building. Many Trump supporters then wandered through the building and left. There had never been ANY violence (to speak of) at ANY Trump rally, including the one on January 6. I do believe it was not a good idea to hold the rally, but it went along peacefully enough until the assault by a a small band of miscreants and enablers. Even at the latest rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, with a crowd approaching 100,000, there was no violence, so what did happen on January 6 in Washington, D.C. came as a surprise to President Trump. Did his casinos fail? Yes. Turns out Atlantic City was a bad location for such a grand venture. He doesn't "bash" Gold Star families. He reacted badly to one Democrat Gold Star father who took him to task. Probably would have been better advised not to. John McCain (a POW and American hero) single-handedly foiled President Trump's chance of replacing Obamacare, so Trump had an issue with him. Again, probably should have taken a different tack. There's lots to criticise about Trump, but you can't deny he pushes back against his political opponents, something far too many Republican candidates are afraid to do. And, most importantly, his positions and his defence of them are what defines him. I hate his mindless tweets. I do wish he'd fire people with more grace rather than demean them. But, when placed beside the current occupant of the White House, President Trump is our Stars and Stripes forever.
These are the ravings of a person detached from reality and drinking the Kool-Aid. Where to start? First, no way Trump will win the popular vote. And even if he did, that shocking accomplishment would hardly elevate him to the status of Lincoln and FDR, one of whom squashed the last insurrection and the other who passed monumental progressive legislation that today’s Republicans still fantasize about erasing. Trump remains one of the worst presidents ever, harming working people, spewing racist and anti-media rhetoric and still promoting the big lie that he won the 2020 election. Second, Trump loved to credit himself for economic gains until he screwed up the nation’s COVID response. That’s just the norm, with the usual caveat about limits on real presidential power. Third, there’s no way Trump will be acquitted In Manhattan, though it’s possible there will be a hung jury. Finally, Biden did a pretty good job of cleaning up and reversing the mess Trump made, and advancing infrastructure improvements, though there are durable scars on the federal judiciary and the environment that still remain. Another Trump term would be a profound and dangerous return to chaos, vindictiveness, and threats to democracy and all those who earn less than $500,000 a year.
As a monarchist I wish Trump was a threat to democracy, sadly he is just a populist who is just demonized constantly by the media, your parroting of the term "racism" is just an example of how effective media bias is in skewing people's perceptions of candidates.
The "but muh racism" is a leftist tactic and dogwhistle to assassinate a person's character, I truly have no reason to trust this source or any other claim provided by a leftist/liberal.
That does express the spirit of Trumpian dialogue: “i’m 100% correct and preemptively reject any source, facts or evidence that disagree with my willfully ignorant position.” Enjoy your bunker.
Uh sure, you'd probably be the type of person who believes or still believes in the "very fine people hoax" yet you have the audacity to call me ignorant. Your use of "trumpian" also shows your leftists biases when I don't particularly care for Trump, he just happens to the candidate who gets as close to my beliefs as any other (not very close).
Thanks for writing. Events like Trump trials, etc. are very interesting highlighting the differences of opinions between the politically left and right. Hopefully the Trump hater networks will run out of misinformation and concede as the political persecution dilutes, like the NPR chief getting it wrong. The media legacy and the federal government, et al, view Trump as a huge threat to "western civilization." I view Trump as the "David" having the will -and money- to fight the monster government tentacles of oppression. It's astounding at how many are so fearful of capitalism and freedom.... and don't want to view the truth and facts. And astounding that many poison their lives with hatred of one guy. Is he really that powerful?
So if inflation is 9% it’s bidens fault but if it’s 4% it’s not to his credit. Okay got it. What is the value of a $140,000 hush money payment to a porn star if you add in 2024 inflation just curious?
Mr. Trenp, Simply put, if Biden's policies pushed the inflation rate to 9%, then, why should he get any credit for bringing it down to a 4% inflation rate? If I shoot someone and leave him to die, but he, miraculously, survives, do I get credit for "saving" his life if I comfort him in his hospital bed? As for the "$140,000 hush money payment," I have question and an observation: 1) What happened to the "It was just about sex, what's the big deal?" stance your side took during the Clinton/Lewinski era? And 2) It seems way more likely that Michael "Pit Bull" Cohen made that payment on his own, hoping to ingratiate himself with his then-boss, Donald Trump. I don't know that, but borrowing against one's home to raise the money for a billionaire to pay off a porn actress, leads me to consider that a real probability. Afterwards, he pushed to be reimbursed, and he was. In any case, what's the big deal?
Trump fumbled the pandemic and cratered US jobs and the economy. Trump was the disaster. Inflationary pressure? Trump added $7.8 trillion to the debt. Search: Trump 2020 Saudi Russia oil deal. Yeah oil prices and Inflation was on Trump.
Trump wanted to open the economy by the end of 2020. All on public record. The entire "covid" issue was weaponized by Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in election year 2020.
Nor does the federal government set public health policy in the first place; that is left to the states. So the blame for any "covid" missteps lands squarely on Governor Gavin Newsom and the CaliforniaDemocrat super-majority calling the shots in this state. The real nationwide "covid" punishments came once Biden was put in charge and became its leading FUD (fear, uncertainty and death) spokesperson.
Nancy Pelosi's Democrat majority house pushed the trillion dollar "covid" hysteria over-kill response. Guard against ever doing this again. Your numbers are conflated - you are including Biden's later trillions of dollars of "inflation reduction act" monies.
Again, I disagree. President Trump and his allies were among the first to politicize the pandemic. Trump accused Democrats of using the coronavirus as a "new hoax" to undermine his presidency during a campaign rally in February 2020. This rhetoric was echoed by prominent conservative media figures who accused Democrats and the media of weaponizing the virus to damage Trump's political standing. The Trump administration's mixed messages and downplaying of the virus's severity contributed to the politicization. Health experts criticized the administration for undermining public trust and preparedness by sending inconsistent messages about the pandemic. And that goes on today.
The virus really wasn't too serious, it caused cold/flu like symptoms in younger, healthy individuals. Why is the Chinese communist party not being blamed for its failure to warn the world and close its borders to prevent anyone from leaving th country and spreading it elsewhere?
How many of those deaths can solely be attributed to COVID and not other underlying factors. Vaguely recall a report of someone dying in a car crash being listed as a covid death.
In hindsight - you are right. At the time when it was racing though and killing all the obese old folks in nursing homes it seemed pretty serious. Maybe, and I say this somewhat mokingly, but maybe Xi Jinping was just modeling himself thinking 'what would DeSantis do??"
99% large cities are corrupt to their core. Voters to judges, evil places. City dwellers must have government handouts in order to exist, otherwise they will rot from inside out. Trump will never get a fair trial in any large city. This is not a race issue, nor religious issue, but a government subsidy/dependency issue where government has total control on taxing and enforcing. I expect Trump to be convicted by corrupt people of the city who don't want to loose their cheese.
Let me say at the outset: I will be voting for Trump, but only because the alternative is an unmitigated disaster. It's not because I think Trump is the second coming of Moses or Christ like Jim Buckley. Trump screwed up on a lot of things during his presidency. His handling of Covid and his reliance on Fauci and other people like him was a disaster. Scolding Georgia and Florida for opening their states too soon was ridiculous. He is also culpable for the 9% inflation that ensued after his presidency. He spent as much as Biden, so he needs to accept some of the blame. He carelessly squandered $2.2 trillion by signing the Cares Act and another $2.3 trillion the following Dec. Much of the money was used by the states to finance their lockdowns and hundreds of billions were lost due to theft and fraud. His trade tariffs didn't work. One reason why we know they were counterproductive is because Biden has continued them. He also didn't eliminate the deep state, instead he appointed numerous people like the current FBI Director who have undermined our justice system. Trump is not the Abe Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson that Jim Buckley has created in his mind. He is a very flawed individual who on many occasions has shown he is deep in over his head.
So Trump is rough, gruff and no intellectual - so what? He’s an ass-kicker who gets the job done. He couldn’t have known the attributes & shortcomings of all his appointees.
We’re getting enough of self-righteous, sanctimonious Dems with their sense of superiority & moral smugness with FJoe’s gang.
Concur with your assessment of the current jury - it will not be unanimous as required, nor probably even close to unanimous. I suspect a critical number of jurors now feel very dirtied by this case, and feel their time and duty as jurors has been wasted.
Being asked to side only with both Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen as the prosecution's sole supporting witnesses was too much to ask. The case has nothing else to offer. Just pure sleaze. Not enough to get a jury's blood boiling, but plenty to make them want to wash their hands and walk away from this sleaze show trial.
But isn't the 'sleeze' of Stormy of Cohen just part of the entourage Trump runs with? This list are his buddies that served time. And these are just folks close to him during his presidency.
1. Steve Bannon- fundraising scam tied to raising dollars to build the border wall.
No one has validated Trump "ran with Stormy". Back in 2006. Every NY developer needs a junk yard dog lawyer from time to time: enter Michael Cohen. The rest of your list makes no sense. Some good people (ha!) in that group.
Trump was a very high profile person. He even hung with the sleazy Clintons. You forgot to add their names. Why is that? Back to the argument - two sets of facts - both cherry picked for whatever agenda you want to support .
The argument Trump is not a Boy Scout played out decades ago. No is Biden. Few in politics and high profile finance could pass your apparent litmus test. Is this still new to you? Why not dislike Trump for policy reasons? What government policies during his term in office did he foster that you really hated?
From my perspective you always seem exceedingly forgiving for your team - and highly critical of the other. Nice group - but all landed in jail. You're like a mom thinking her kid never did anything wrong. Policies? To retrograde on the environment and power generation. I know you think climate change is a hoax, but I'm one of the sheep that believe in it. It's not going to be armageddon - but it's going to have negative impacts - including financial ones. I don't like the tax break for the rich. And I don't like the dept he grew. And I waited 4 years for his healthcare that never happened. Oh, and the family grift. You have a cow - rightly - about Hunter - but look at how well Kushner did. Few billion from the middle east I guess it's fine for the goose - but not the gander. Interesting that Kushner's' dad would still be in prison if Trump had not pardoned him. Just imagine how that would play out with you if the tables where flipped.
Oh, c'mon man. Have you seen stuff from Hunter's laptop? Talk about sleaze. Kushner accomplished a miracle with the Abraham Accords. Hunter, along with a number of Biden family members, is a drug-addled ne'er-do-well who took advantage of his father's position and was enabled at every corrupt step along the way by his father, who is either clueless or standard-less (I believe he is both).
I know you're a fan boy Jim, but both sides have sleese issues. " but Hunter's laptop, but Hillary's emails......" If it had all that lightning - where is the thunder? As for the AI Abraham Accords , the've been frozen since February due to Israel's ongoing war of self-defense. I guess a short lived miracle - but aren't most?
TJ: Why are you asking for any one poster to be "even-handed" and not expressly partisan on this particular forum?
You crow over Trump supporters who end up go to jail, yet overlook those on the other side who keep slipping through the application of the similar laws. Not just my perception, , because the more Trump is attacked, the more popular he becomes and across the political spectrum now. Does that even phenomenon make you even curious?
Trump has now been cast as the populist Everyman, fighting against the long reach and unjust powers of our own government. This is definitely not just me choosing sides, but the growing perception in this country according to the polls.
This is just one issue among many where we have difficulty discussing, since we are coming at this with "different sets of facts". I don't pretend to be even-handed when I post. Why would you even ask for that? However, this forum is doing a decent job tolerating what others across the political spectrum also bring to the table. A rather remarkable accomplishment for a new communications start-up in this community.
What brings you here? What appeals to you hearing from across the spectrum. Where else do you get this exposure in this community, now that the Santa Barbara News Press and its Voices section has been shuttered. Please share, so this prior sense of conservative isolation can be transcended.
I did not crow. You just seemed to make Stormy a one-off with the people a to be President surrounded himself with. There is a ton of sleeze. But thank you for being honest that you are you are not even handed - it's completely obvious but nice to see in writing. Why am I here? I actually would like to hear from different perspectives. I've learned from your postings. And from others here. I'm not as a huge fan of the Dems, and I sure miss what are Rinos now. For your use of the word "spectrum" I hope you feel it is a spectrum and not just two sides.
Buckley….well why don’t you also SHUT UP.? What , you couldn’t face my honest rebuttals to your demented suggestions?
Do you think having a monstrously biased forum like this gives you REPUBLICANS the right to be SO WRONG? TRY A MODICUM OF HUMANITY! What happened to being human, showing some love and kindness. Thanking the Universe for our beloved Democracy….one of few standing…. why are you trying to turn American into a place run by a demented Dictator?
I like your idea of a party. I think the Current should organize public mixers. The Current should have a booth at the Santa Barbara art walk. The Current should be a social club. The Current should be a vehicle for conservatives to proselytize. I believe that the left views conservatives with disdain and conservatives view lefties as misguided. Through association and dialogue, people's minds are changed. I pride myself on having turned many lefties. We need to become human and open the mind to other ideas. Our ideas are our answers. Now we just need to become human and gain an ear for our ideas to spread. I want to meet all the people who contribute to this substack. I want to have a dialog with Nancy Freeman and Thomas John. I will bring my guitar and we can jam. It will be glorious.
Thank you Jeff. This is exactly why I feel some sort of National Service would be a great thing. Doesn't have to be military, could be anything, just as long as it was coastal folks with fly over states folk, black with white and all other colors, rich and poor, and all shades of the political spectrum.
The internet has divided us so that the people we interact with are names on a screen rather than faces and personalities we know and love, foibles and all. It is so much easier to be a jerk on the internet than in person.
You know that meme that shows a guy at a card table with a sign saying "change my mind?" Let's do it ! Revive lower State Street ! I suggest the SB Current establish a place for dialogue and discourse, take turns sitting and chatting with the public. I'll bring my wolfhounds and we can call it a Barklet.
Oh how I'd love to be there to witness you debating, Pat!! Better than the Tricia Allen debate!
I wish I could quote ONE idea Republicans have…..a positive idea, not a criticism of other ideas….to improve our Democracy. I keep asking what you all think Trump will do to help America. NO ONE EVER ANSWERS.
I understand many are saying he wears diapers and often smells bad: THAT WILL NOT HELP OUR COUNTRY!
Someone,please: WHAT do you think The O.T. will do to improve our country….ANYONE? All that garbage Buckley wrote….and NOT one iota about how Trump will improve our lives.
Well, Nancy, one way will be to dismantle the Soviet-style DEI (Diversity! Equity! Inclusion!) bureaucracy that has embedded itself into every school, college, university, and place of learning, along with crippling law enforcement, most businesses, sports teams, city, state, county, and federal government offices, and all kinds of institutions large and small. Only with a Republican administration will that end (and admittedly, there's no guarantee even then). Another would be, of course, dismantling the "transgender-affirming" medical establishment that's kidnapped many parents' children. Then, there would be a more secure border, fairer tax system, etcetera. This "communist-lite" progressive agenda we all suffer under could maybe – there are no miracles here – be halted and reversed, but that's only a "maybe." Country Club Republicans and RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) who mouth conservative values but then march shoulder-to-shoulder with the "Progressive" wing of the Democrat Party need to be replaced. Trump – and believe me, I acknowledge his many faults – could help bring that about. He has brought a fresh approach to the Republican Party, and it's been needed for a very long time. I do believe that approach can also benefit the entire nation if people like you would give it a chance.
Jim Buckley, See my comment above: I asked someone to tell me what Trump proposes to “make America great” IF he is President, and just listen to what Buckley says in response. ( I have not heard these ideas from the PERPETUALLY COMPLAINING ONE himself; I listen, with difficulty, to the Trump but hear only lies and childish bitching ). You, Buckley think trump “should”
1. Remove DEI, which PROTECTS people of color, ethnicity, gender from being treated UNFAIRLY to revert to BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY? WHY? WHY? You sound INCREDIBLY SICKENINGLY UNAMERICAN…..how would you like a law which says all Republican Conservative White Men should be kicked out of this Democratic country called U.S.?
2. DENY CHILDREN AND ADULTS THE PRIVILEGE OF DETERMINiNG THEIR SEX?
Why? Why? Whose choice should it be if not the person whose body it is? Should you , Buckley, in true dictator fashion be the one who decides.
WELL I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO WAVE A WAND OVER YOUR POINTED HEAD AND TURN YOU INTO A HUMAN!
3. You’d like trump to install a “ fairer tax system “? Why am I not shocked. You want the rich people who make their money from our Democratic system, but then trump-like you don’t want them to pay their fair share of taxes…..well, if the rich…who make their money thanks to Democracy DONT pay their share, you are getting their money from the millions of hard working Americans who MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GET RICH….you dummy…..WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR RUNNING THE COUNTRY. The poor can’t do it.
4.You say “ Trump brought a fresh approach to the Republican Party….” Like, Adultery? Cheating on his taxes,? Wrong assessment on his properties?, Assaulting women? Instigating an Insurrection? Admiring Hitler?
There is nothing “ fresh “ about being a colossal SELF-SERVING A-HOLE. MEN HAVE BEEN DOING ALL THIS FOR EONS, throughout history. Democracy has made it more difficult and you want to revert ?
WHO ARE YOU….WHERE AND HOW WERE YOU BROUGHT UP? If I were you I would shut up. You sound worthy of being stoned out of our Democratic United States. Count yourself lucky that you are being allowed to even voice your unamerican pathetic thoughts. You should be ashamed. Keep them to yourself….!
Sigh. You are hopeless. Let's not communicate again. Thanks.
Buckley: you’re a Cop-out.
https://www.speakerscorner.net/
Jeff - wonderful idea! While I think our CommieDem fellow substack contributors are coo coo to believe the Democrat Drivel, I really like their passion in attempting to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, ( right Nance ?), and would love to meet ’em all! Ill be that handsome Republican over there by the bar, but to the Dems, I’m the Atilla the Hun wanna-be!
It’s depressing to see the brain warp occurring in otherwise good people. Up is down, wrong is right, bad is good. It’s awful what 20+ years of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh turned the Republican Party and otherwise smart, decent people into cheerleaders for treasonous, stealing, lying, cheating, certified scum bags. Integrity isn’t just dead in the Republican Party, it’s now a mortal sin as it would undermine the cult. Joe Biden is very far from perfect but in no honest, rational, mind could Joe Biden be bad and also Donald Trump be good. God save the USA.
I suggest you stop watching Fox News. Many conservatives have dropped Fox News years ago. It is a visual medium and presents only shallow sound bites due to the nature of this sole visual presentation.
You are missing the larger issues if this is your only conservative input, that led to your misguided conclusion that conservatives and even Trump supporters are ...treasonous ...scum bags. Would you like other suggestions for your media enrichment? Or explain why you don't like protection of private property; rule of law; limited government; and free and competitive markets.
“ . . . protection of private property; rule of law; limited government; and free and competitive markets.. . .” how un Democratic!
Just so you know Rush Limbaugh is dead and so is Fox News. Fox became the Rhino, Mitt Romney, Nikki Haley wing of the controlled opposition when they fired Carlson, Bongino and Hilton on the same day. Fox does not support Donald Trump. Your seething indictment of the character of the Republican party might fly in thespian club but here it sounds angry and foolish. If you want to highlight the awfulness of Donald Trump it is most effective to point out policy that was bad for you or bad for America. I can point out much that happened under Biden that is bad for me and bad for America. I challenge you to do the same. Otherwise, you might find employment as a clown.
Yes, the Republican party is full of neo-cons, liberals, economic conservatives, and lacks a spine. We need further right, authoritarian individuals willing to enact the policies their constituents voted them in for instead of vaguely supporting a social conservative position.
Nailed the sarcasm theme.
Do his puppet masters think we are all cnn gulping fools?!? Now I read prices are up 20% since he took office. No it’s MUCH MUCH higher. More like 50%+. And retailers gouging us left and right. He sends BILLIONS to a fake war yet our homeless have multiplied 100 fold. He’s an ABSOLUTE disaster and America can not survive unless he’s defeated.
Did people really forget the events of January 6th? The twice impeached failed former president who can’t even run casinos who wrote his own letter from the doctor stating he would be the healthiest president in US history? Basher of gold star families, POW’s and KIA’s. I could go on and on but I feel as if it doesn’t matter. What could possibly qualify this “man” as a candidate for president?
Just have to comment. "The events of January 6th" are that an innocent military veteran was shot by Washington, D.C. police and died. And, apparently, a cadre of intelligence operatives convinced enough Trump supporters to join them in an assault on the Capitol building. Many Trump supporters then wandered through the building and left. There had never been ANY violence (to speak of) at ANY Trump rally, including the one on January 6. I do believe it was not a good idea to hold the rally, but it went along peacefully enough until the assault by a a small band of miscreants and enablers. Even at the latest rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, with a crowd approaching 100,000, there was no violence, so what did happen on January 6 in Washington, D.C. came as a surprise to President Trump. Did his casinos fail? Yes. Turns out Atlantic City was a bad location for such a grand venture. He doesn't "bash" Gold Star families. He reacted badly to one Democrat Gold Star father who took him to task. Probably would have been better advised not to. John McCain (a POW and American hero) single-handedly foiled President Trump's chance of replacing Obamacare, so Trump had an issue with him. Again, probably should have taken a different tack. There's lots to criticise about Trump, but you can't deny he pushes back against his political opponents, something far too many Republican candidates are afraid to do. And, most importantly, his positions and his defence of them are what defines him. I hate his mindless tweets. I do wish he'd fire people with more grace rather than demean them. But, when placed beside the current occupant of the White House, President Trump is our Stars and Stripes forever.
These are the ravings of a person detached from reality and drinking the Kool-Aid. Where to start? First, no way Trump will win the popular vote. And even if he did, that shocking accomplishment would hardly elevate him to the status of Lincoln and FDR, one of whom squashed the last insurrection and the other who passed monumental progressive legislation that today’s Republicans still fantasize about erasing. Trump remains one of the worst presidents ever, harming working people, spewing racist and anti-media rhetoric and still promoting the big lie that he won the 2020 election. Second, Trump loved to credit himself for economic gains until he screwed up the nation’s COVID response. That’s just the norm, with the usual caveat about limits on real presidential power. Third, there’s no way Trump will be acquitted In Manhattan, though it’s possible there will be a hung jury. Finally, Biden did a pretty good job of cleaning up and reversing the mess Trump made, and advancing infrastructure improvements, though there are durable scars on the federal judiciary and the environment that still remain. Another Trump term would be a profound and dangerous return to chaos, vindictiveness, and threats to democracy and all those who earn less than $500,000 a year.
As a monarchist I wish Trump was a threat to democracy, sadly he is just a populist who is just demonized constantly by the media, your parroting of the term "racism" is just an example of how effective media bias is in skewing people's perceptions of candidates.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/15/opinion/leonhardt-trump-racist.html
The "but muh racism" is a leftist tactic and dogwhistle to assassinate a person's character, I truly have no reason to trust this source or any other claim provided by a leftist/liberal.
That does express the spirit of Trumpian dialogue: “i’m 100% correct and preemptively reject any source, facts or evidence that disagree with my willfully ignorant position.” Enjoy your bunker.
Uh sure, you'd probably be the type of person who believes or still believes in the "very fine people hoax" yet you have the audacity to call me ignorant. Your use of "trumpian" also shows your leftists biases when I don't particularly care for Trump, he just happens to the candidate who gets as close to my beliefs as any other (not very close).
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/15/opinion/leonhardt-trump-racist.html
I don't know what you're smokin' brother, but save me a puff !
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Thanks for writing. Events like Trump trials, etc. are very interesting highlighting the differences of opinions between the politically left and right. Hopefully the Trump hater networks will run out of misinformation and concede as the political persecution dilutes, like the NPR chief getting it wrong. The media legacy and the federal government, et al, view Trump as a huge threat to "western civilization." I view Trump as the "David" having the will -and money- to fight the monster government tentacles of oppression. It's astounding at how many are so fearful of capitalism and freedom.... and don't want to view the truth and facts. And astounding that many poison their lives with hatred of one guy. Is he really that powerful?
Capitalism is just an economic system, it's not something to idolize nor does it create moral societies.
What is your name, please?
Why do you care to know my name, how is thay I anyway relevant?
Remember the 1950's book "Escape from Freedom" by Eric Frohm?
So if inflation is 9% it’s bidens fault but if it’s 4% it’s not to his credit. Okay got it. What is the value of a $140,000 hush money payment to a porn star if you add in 2024 inflation just curious?
Highly relevant, on point!
Mr. Trenp, Simply put, if Biden's policies pushed the inflation rate to 9%, then, why should he get any credit for bringing it down to a 4% inflation rate? If I shoot someone and leave him to die, but he, miraculously, survives, do I get credit for "saving" his life if I comfort him in his hospital bed? As for the "$140,000 hush money payment," I have question and an observation: 1) What happened to the "It was just about sex, what's the big deal?" stance your side took during the Clinton/Lewinski era? And 2) It seems way more likely that Michael "Pit Bull" Cohen made that payment on his own, hoping to ingratiate himself with his then-boss, Donald Trump. I don't know that, but borrowing against one's home to raise the money for a billionaire to pay off a porn actress, leads me to consider that a real probability. Afterwards, he pushed to be reimbursed, and he was. In any case, what's the big deal?
Hush money payment to a porn star? Who cares?
Trump fumbled the pandemic and cratered US jobs and the economy. Trump was the disaster. Inflationary pressure? Trump added $7.8 trillion to the debt. Search: Trump 2020 Saudi Russia oil deal. Yeah oil prices and Inflation was on Trump.
Trump wanted to open the economy by the end of 2020. All on public record. The entire "covid" issue was weaponized by Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in election year 2020.
Nor does the federal government set public health policy in the first place; that is left to the states. So the blame for any "covid" missteps lands squarely on Governor Gavin Newsom and the CaliforniaDemocrat super-majority calling the shots in this state. The real nationwide "covid" punishments came once Biden was put in charge and became its leading FUD (fear, uncertainty and death) spokesperson.
Nancy Pelosi's Democrat majority house pushed the trillion dollar "covid" hysteria over-kill response. Guard against ever doing this again. Your numbers are conflated - you are including Biden's later trillions of dollars of "inflation reduction act" monies.
Again, I disagree. President Trump and his allies were among the first to politicize the pandemic. Trump accused Democrats of using the coronavirus as a "new hoax" to undermine his presidency during a campaign rally in February 2020. This rhetoric was echoed by prominent conservative media figures who accused Democrats and the media of weaponizing the virus to damage Trump's political standing. The Trump administration's mixed messages and downplaying of the virus's severity contributed to the politicization. Health experts criticized the administration for undermining public trust and preparedness by sending inconsistent messages about the pandemic. And that goes on today.
The virus really wasn't too serious, it caused cold/flu like symptoms in younger, healthy individuals. Why is the Chinese communist party not being blamed for its failure to warn the world and close its borders to prevent anyone from leaving th country and spreading it elsewhere?
COVID not too serious? What other malady caused a million deaths in the US in that short period?
How many of those deaths can solely be attributed to COVID and not other underlying factors. Vaguely recall a report of someone dying in a car crash being listed as a covid death.
In hindsight - you are right. At the time when it was racing though and killing all the obese old folks in nursing homes it seemed pretty serious. Maybe, and I say this somewhat mokingly, but maybe Xi Jinping was just modeling himself thinking 'what would DeSantis do??"
99% large cities are corrupt to their core. Voters to judges, evil places. City dwellers must have government handouts in order to exist, otherwise they will rot from inside out. Trump will never get a fair trial in any large city. This is not a race issue, nor religious issue, but a government subsidy/dependency issue where government has total control on taxing and enforcing. I expect Trump to be convicted by corrupt people of the city who don't want to loose their cheese.
You are exactly right.
A fair election Kahn says ? Would that mean an election free of fake elector plots ?
Why do Republicans breeze right past that attempt to subvert our democratic voting systems?
Why have they baselessly destroyed confidence in our electoral processes?
That is not patriotism . It is traitorous.
Gotta love the cartoon the Mr. Buckley selected for his latest screed.
For a “Fair & Balanced” tally of his preferred presidential candidates (many) lies, please peruse the link below, gentle readers…
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opinion/trumps-lies.html&sa=U&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjat-uQ8pWGAxWbJ0QIHY43C4UQFnoECBcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3Kwq7FtnTFm462F7Wvb5lN
Let me say at the outset: I will be voting for Trump, but only because the alternative is an unmitigated disaster. It's not because I think Trump is the second coming of Moses or Christ like Jim Buckley. Trump screwed up on a lot of things during his presidency. His handling of Covid and his reliance on Fauci and other people like him was a disaster. Scolding Georgia and Florida for opening their states too soon was ridiculous. He is also culpable for the 9% inflation that ensued after his presidency. He spent as much as Biden, so he needs to accept some of the blame. He carelessly squandered $2.2 trillion by signing the Cares Act and another $2.3 trillion the following Dec. Much of the money was used by the states to finance their lockdowns and hundreds of billions were lost due to theft and fraud. His trade tariffs didn't work. One reason why we know they were counterproductive is because Biden has continued them. He also didn't eliminate the deep state, instead he appointed numerous people like the current FBI Director who have undermined our justice system. Trump is not the Abe Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson that Jim Buckley has created in his mind. He is a very flawed individual who on many occasions has shown he is deep in over his head.
So Trump is rough, gruff and no intellectual - so what? He’s an ass-kicker who gets the job done. He couldn’t have known the attributes & shortcomings of all his appointees.
We’re getting enough of self-righteous, sanctimonious Dems with their sense of superiority & moral smugness with FJoe’s gang.
Bunker Biden may hide again because of the new fake “bird flu” or will it be called the “caged flu”.
Biden’s real dementia is not fake though.
I would love to hear a real debate w/ difficult questions even for the Bunker Blue side.
Maybe there won’t be an audience because an AI robot might be dressed up to look like Bunker Boy or Bye Bye Biden or fill in the blank … Biden.
The puppet masters don’t want anyone to see, who really is pulling Biden’s strings.
Di - "Bunker Biden" - I'm stealiing that! :)
Concur with your assessment of the current jury - it will not be unanimous as required, nor probably even close to unanimous. I suspect a critical number of jurors now feel very dirtied by this case, and feel their time and duty as jurors has been wasted.
Being asked to side only with both Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen as the prosecution's sole supporting witnesses was too much to ask. The case has nothing else to offer. Just pure sleaze. Not enough to get a jury's blood boiling, but plenty to make them want to wash their hands and walk away from this sleaze show trial.
But isn't the 'sleeze' of Stormy of Cohen just part of the entourage Trump runs with? This list are his buddies that served time. And these are just folks close to him during his presidency.
1. Steve Bannon- fundraising scam tied to raising dollars to build the border wall.
2. Tom Barrack
3. Elliott Broidy
4. Michael Cohen
5. Michael Flynn: (lied to the FBI…)
6. Rick Gates
7. Paul Manafort
8. George Nader:
9. George Papadopoulous
10. Roger Stone
11. Allen Weisselberg
No one has validated Trump "ran with Stormy". Back in 2006. Every NY developer needs a junk yard dog lawyer from time to time: enter Michael Cohen. The rest of your list makes no sense. Some good people (ha!) in that group.
Trump was a very high profile person. He even hung with the sleazy Clintons. You forgot to add their names. Why is that? Back to the argument - two sets of facts - both cherry picked for whatever agenda you want to support .
The argument Trump is not a Boy Scout played out decades ago. No is Biden. Few in politics and high profile finance could pass your apparent litmus test. Is this still new to you? Why not dislike Trump for policy reasons? What government policies during his term in office did he foster that you really hated?
From my perspective you always seem exceedingly forgiving for your team - and highly critical of the other. Nice group - but all landed in jail. You're like a mom thinking her kid never did anything wrong. Policies? To retrograde on the environment and power generation. I know you think climate change is a hoax, but I'm one of the sheep that believe in it. It's not going to be armageddon - but it's going to have negative impacts - including financial ones. I don't like the tax break for the rich. And I don't like the dept he grew. And I waited 4 years for his healthcare that never happened. Oh, and the family grift. You have a cow - rightly - about Hunter - but look at how well Kushner did. Few billion from the middle east I guess it's fine for the goose - but not the gander. Interesting that Kushner's' dad would still be in prison if Trump had not pardoned him. Just imagine how that would play out with you if the tables where flipped.
Oh, c'mon man. Have you seen stuff from Hunter's laptop? Talk about sleaze. Kushner accomplished a miracle with the Abraham Accords. Hunter, along with a number of Biden family members, is a drug-addled ne'er-do-well who took advantage of his father's position and was enabled at every corrupt step along the way by his father, who is either clueless or standard-less (I believe he is both).
I know you're a fan boy Jim, but both sides have sleese issues. " but Hunter's laptop, but Hillary's emails......" If it had all that lightning - where is the thunder? As for the AI Abraham Accords , the've been frozen since February due to Israel's ongoing war of self-defense. I guess a short lived miracle - but aren't most?
TJ: Why are you asking for any one poster to be "even-handed" and not expressly partisan on this particular forum?
You crow over Trump supporters who end up go to jail, yet overlook those on the other side who keep slipping through the application of the similar laws. Not just my perception, , because the more Trump is attacked, the more popular he becomes and across the political spectrum now. Does that even phenomenon make you even curious?
Trump has now been cast as the populist Everyman, fighting against the long reach and unjust powers of our own government. This is definitely not just me choosing sides, but the growing perception in this country according to the polls.
This is just one issue among many where we have difficulty discussing, since we are coming at this with "different sets of facts". I don't pretend to be even-handed when I post. Why would you even ask for that? However, this forum is doing a decent job tolerating what others across the political spectrum also bring to the table. A rather remarkable accomplishment for a new communications start-up in this community.
What brings you here? What appeals to you hearing from across the spectrum. Where else do you get this exposure in this community, now that the Santa Barbara News Press and its Voices section has been shuttered. Please share, so this prior sense of conservative isolation can be transcended.
I did not crow. You just seemed to make Stormy a one-off with the people a to be President surrounded himself with. There is a ton of sleeze. But thank you for being honest that you are you are not even handed - it's completely obvious but nice to see in writing. Why am I here? I actually would like to hear from different perspectives. I've learned from your postings. And from others here. I'm not as a huge fan of the Dems, and I sure miss what are Rinos now. For your use of the word "spectrum" I hope you feel it is a spectrum and not just two sides.
May we *both* just read each other's posts in the future; and not read into them.
I was counting on your negative reply, thanks.
Buckley….well why don’t you also SHUT UP.? What , you couldn’t face my honest rebuttals to your demented suggestions?
Do you think having a monstrously biased forum like this gives you REPUBLICANS the right to be SO WRONG? TRY A MODICUM OF HUMANITY! What happened to being human, showing some love and kindness. Thanking the Universe for our beloved Democracy….one of few standing…. why are you trying to turn American into a place run by a demented Dictator?