So, let’s be honest. It was a shit show. A new low for America and we, the American people, were the losers. We have an election coming up where we are expected to make probably the most important decision we have ever had to make and if any of us expected clarity coming out of this debate, we were sorely disappointed. I say “we” because I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing with me.
Wallace’s questions were long, inflammatory, and failed to solicit anything constructive. When he lost control of the debate, which was in the first 3 minutes, he should have said:
“This debate is not about either of you. This debate is about the American people. The American people deserve the opportunity to hear from both of you without the other cutting in. I AM GOING TO TURN OFF THE MIC OF THE CANDIDATE WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE FLOOR. If that isn’t satisfactory, you are free to leave the stage and I will devote the remaining time to the candidate who remains. If you both choose to leave, I will hand the mic over to one of our correspondents.”
And you know what, Wallace? It’s not about you, either! Did you have to jump into the fray? When Trump answered your question about his taxes the first time, did you have to ask the same question again? Yeah, we get it. You didn’t like his answer. Well, guess what? What you like is of absolutely of no importance to the rest of us. You want to grandstand, do it on your own time. I did not tune into the debates to hear you talk. – Enough about you.
I’m still voting for Trump, because he is the only one who can dig us out of this COVID hole, but I can’t say I’m proud of the way he behaved last night. I am angry because we needed him to win by a landslide to spare us from what promises to be nightmare with the mail in ballots and he might have blown it.
Those disenchanted with the left because of the street fighting in Portland, Seattle, etc., did not need to see a street fight in the debates. They needed to see Trump in a way they’ve never seen him before: presidential, not easily baited, and playing by the rules.
I know George is tickled with the spectacle because Trump clearly dominated but I can’t help but think about all the Americans who, unlike George, don’t have a clue what’s going on. There are a lot of them. They know the elections are important but can’t see through the smoke to understand what’s going on.
Last night, Trump played into the fantasy of “the orange man.” He was a brute with no sense of decorum. Couldn’t he hold it together for an hour? Really???
George keeps interrupting me, saying, “But Biden . . .” I don’t care about Biden!!! When I was raising my kids and they got into trouble, I cared only about what they did. Why would I care about someone else’s kid? My kids were expected to represent themselves well, and sometimes that required them to be the bigger person and play by the rules when no one else did.
Trump left me in the lurch last night. I have lost family members over him, yet I have never wavered in my support. I have protected him behind the scenes from the moment he made the primaries, holding back the critiques in my inner circle who are big part of a bigger circle. I believed God’s hand was on him. He wasn’t my choice, but Scripture is full of stories where God picks the one you never saw coming.
That was then and this is now. It’s no longer just about him. It’s about us, too, his supporters, the people whom he represents. We have a right to expect him to behave well when we worked so hard to get him to where he is and so much is on the line. We’re talking about our way of life. The America we know is literally hanging in the balance.
I’m sure a lot of you are going to disagree with me but it doesn’t make me wrong. I know what I saw and unlike many of you, I am probably a whole lot closer to the middle than many of you are. We lost a good amount of votes last night and it didn’t have to be that way.
Trump needs to apologize to Biden and to the American people and get Biden to continue with the debates . He needs to insist on another moderator. He might be able to turn this around and win bigger than we can even imagine if he can gain the sympathy of the American people who want to see the man; not an action figure.
Stop being the “orange man,” Trump. Start being the bigger man. Every situation needs a hero. BE that hero.
Mrs. Monomakhos
Per George, we are going to be debating this via a vlog. The Michalopulos household is split right down the middle on this.
The debate was an exact microcosm of the bankruptcy of the American political economy. Trump IS the orange man and Hillary Clinton had more manhood than Biden. He is a mouth-piece and always has been.
No new moderator no NOTHING will fix it. Our system is terminal never to recover.
It is futile to invest any time, money, energy or hope into it. We have seen the future and it is us.
So, you and George should stop wasting your energy and recognize that you are both right and both wrong so kiss and make up and forget the rest.
Then kiss again……???
Hey, George LIKES sparing with me. LOL
Not really! Sen John Kennedy (R-LA) said “A man can either be happy or right, not both”.
However, The Fair Gailina and I are of the only two opposite sexes that exist in reality, hence our disagreement. (I hope I won’t be banished to the couch tonight.)
Well there is Tracy and Hepburn, don’t forget!
Exactly!
Gail,
I truly sympathize. I really do.
I. do. not. like. Trump., the man.
There, I said it. My reputation is belligerence and he’s over the top even for me. I did not vote for him the first time because I thought he was too full of himself and couldn’t possibly succeed at what it seemed he was trying to do. I just prayed to God for deliverance of America from the Wicked B*tch of the West.
But I get Trump now. And I tolerate him much like Achilles was tolerated by those on whose side he fought. He is in his “golden years” and by that and his business success he feels entitled to “room to work”. Basically he is a much smarter version of Archie Bunker.
And though I loathe his personality in a certain way, I dare say that that raging bull you saw last night may be the only man in America who could have taken on the Democratic Party, the Intelligence Services and the State Department all at once, all working 24/7 to bring him down. I’m not exaggerating about that. America has many bullies. But none are billionaires with his political acumen who could have withstood the onslaught of the Left.
Remember Ross Perot?
Did Trump lose votes last night? I doubt it. He will likely tone it down somewhat and emphasize substance more than bluster the next time around, if there is one. But it is a spectrum. He offered considerable substance last night, though much of it may have gotten lost in the dust cloud. The bluster has to be there because he’s arguing with two men, not one. That’s inevitable.
Even as aggressive as Trump was, Wallace still managed to deflect focus from Hunter, court packing, the Green New Deal, etc. Trump tried to get Biden to answer questions. Wallace prevented him. Getting Biden (and Trump) to answer was Wallace’s job to begin with.
People who realize that Biden would be a crash dummy for the Leftist/Harris/AOC element of the party and are candid about his growing dementia understand that he would be much worse than Jimmy Carter at a time when we don’t need a weak leader. They understand that Trump is letting it boil to show us what could be . . .
And by that I mean the Left running rampant at home under Biden and our enemies attacking us without a strong leader to keep them at bay. This game is for all the marbles. The winner will fix it so the losing party can no longer compete. You can bet on it. Each side knows it cannot continue to coexist sharing power with the other. We’ve come to a dead end, zero sum. Sane people are weaving scenarios of civil war, military intervention, etc.
Nonetheless, I agree with you that he has to improve his game. Last night was a missed opportunity which he could have finessed with more grace. Even Chris Christie thought he was running “too hot”. The danger is that his ego convinces him that he has to do everything to keep advancing against Biden when the smart move is to hit and pivot and give Biden room to self-destruct. He doesn’t have to actively knock him out, just land jabs, look good and let him collapse under his own frailties.
I think he’s smart enough to get that but we’ll see. It probably depends on how much he enjoys being nasty, and I agree with you, he does enjoy it too much.
But I might too, given what he and his family have been through.
I appreciate your analysis. I wish you’d go to my FB page where I’m getting pummeled by a few.
Darling, that’s an excellent idea. Misha, would you please consider joining Gail’s FB page? Your analysis is spot-on. If nothing else, it clarifies things quite well.
Done.
On Trump’s style: The young woman on Ben David’s recommended video sums up one understanding of Trump well — paraphrasing: “he talks like a guy from Queens talking to another guy from Queens ~ doesn’t everyone know that?” Well, not me but I’m not from Queens.
To me he seems an insecure youngish teen who blusters quite a bit and flares and namecalls when he is criticized. He is not however deceitful or predatory toward the vulnerable as Biden or Clinton have been. And his actions for the country and the world for religious freedom, pro-life and preserving the Constitution not to mention helping blacks and the poor are miles ahead of the actions of the Democrats. His style is grating. If he only had the wisdom/humility to take the counsel of Pence or Melania, would be productive. That said, still no question about who is best for our freedom and country between the options IMO. Actions speak louder than words and Trump’s actions are all that matter to me.
Sorry not on FB Gail to come to your aid!
Yeah, but your presence on the blog is felt and appreciated.
Indeed. BTW, looks like Misha is on your FB now, Darlin’.
“The bluster has to be there because he’s arguing with two men, not one.”
Joe Biden laughed off stage in 1988 Presidential bid:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=tzzIvOHxnbA
As comment video says, “Ignoring senility, Biden hasn’t changed. The media has.”
Attorneys for Kyle Rittenhouse Prepare Defamation Lawsuit After Joe Biden Accuses Kid of Being White Supremacist in Post Debate Ad:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/09/attorneys-kyle-rittenhouse-prepare-defamation-lawsuit-joe-biden-accuses-kid-white-supremacist-post-debate-ad/
Wallace kept pressing the President who then asked Wallace to name names. Wallace finally labeled the ‘Proud Boys’ as the only group he could think of who were white nationalists (it’s unknown what evidence he has for this claim).
After the debate, candidate Biden used this exchange in an advertisement, wrongly accusing the President of being a white nationalist and indicating Kyle Rittenhouse was as well
Daily Caller on Twitter:
The ADL said there was no evidence that Kyle Rittenhouse was connected to any extremist movements
https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1311327081972682753
I just think he is a real stupid kid. He is not a white supremacist, but should not have brought a gun to a heated situation. He might not have been in jail now.
He’s a hero: an ordinary citizen doing what the state should do, but won’t.
Sure as long as you still get to the rest. No problem.
Watching the debate was like watching Russell Wilson throw an interception on the one yard line to lose the Super Bowl…Yuck! His ego got in the way and dragged Biden and the moderator into the fray. He could win big if he went on MSNBC or CNN and FOX and apologized to the American people for his behavior. Then he could lay out his plan and show some humility.
There was nothing illegal about Trump’s behavior in the debate. I think the lawlessness of others should be much more of a concern, in a civilized society. There is a rather long list, Obama, Biden, Clinton, the Mueller team, Comey etc. that’s being dismissed by some and debated by others, no sincere apology is anticipated, however more obstruction of justice is. Trump should have followed proper decorum, how dare he obstruct or interrupt Joe Biden’s performance! I think TV smashing is just fine.
What if condemning white supremacy is a trap? Critical Race Theory teaches that all white people are racists and America is a country of white supremicists. So the only way out might be to decide that erroneous thinking is ok. We won’t physically attack people, take away their liberties, or destroy their property over thoughtcrime. This might be a gift that Orthodoxy can give to the world — because we believe we hold the correct beliefs, but we don’t persecute others for their wrong beliefs. The American President can be the President for people of all kinds of beliefs, many of which he doesn’t share, some he finds awful. That doesn’t mean white supremacy can or should be sponsored by the govt, but neither should critical race theory. I’m not trying to tie it to separation of church and state, but it’s possible that underneath that “wall” is a foundation of tolerance for difference. Remember Tolerance as a virtue? We used to mock it as a non-virtue, but it was the only shared belief our country had left. So perhaps we (as Americans) should hesitate to condemn white supremacy unless we’re sure we won’t undermine our foundation. Evil acts against life, liberty, and property are crimes, but thoughtcrime is just wrong opinion. IMO.
How did “white supremacy” become evil in a nation conquered, founded, organized and ruled for almost 200 years by white Europeans? And, if that be the current sentiment, what is the alternative?
Identity politics means each group gets to take what they can carry, but not whites who should operate with a handicap because . . . whites designed and built the first society that could even conceive of equality using the labor of those bought from their own people(?!).
There’s a non sequitur there.
What distinguishes pro white from anti white bigotry? And don’t say “justice” because the enslavers and segregationists are no more. Curse them in their graves if you wish. There’s no one left to punish who’s guilty.
Now they’re alleging immeasurable thought crimes . . . and so it’s time to emasculate them.
In our Orwellian, materialistic dystopia we are left with tribe and religion, often overlapping. Democracy is just a game we play vying for dominance. And no one believes it’s the only game in town anymore.
Pick a team, load up and mount cause it’s gonna be a rough ride. The rumors of history’s demise were greatly exaggerated.
Another strategic mistake the Left has made with the BLM religion is the whole concept of “white privilege”. Now a Person of Palor (i.e. white) is guilty for all time, even his ancestors and his posterity. There is nothing that can be done to rectify that except purposely abasing oneself (like giving money). This is worse than indulgences in the Middle Ages or the Hindu caste system, where even an outcaste can ascend to a higher caste in his next life should he play his cards right.
Why is this strategically a mistake? (We know why its theologically and logically idiotic.) Because it used to be that as long as you were a Democrat, you got to play the indulgence card without thought. Was your father a hard-core segregationist like Al Gore, Jr? Done! Did your ancestors serve in the Klan? Absolved! Do you, personally, live in a gated, all-white community? Not a problem! Just as long as you put a “D” after your name, you’re in like Flynn.
Now, foolishly, the absolution granted to whites that they obtained because they were Democrats has been taken from white Democrats.
Ergo, look for an influx of more white identitarians. They will probably be progressives, liberals, or moderates. It doesn’t matter. They’ll still be white tribalists. And why? Because the Left is so G*****mn stupid. That’s why.
I was extremely disappointed with the president’s performance. He missed a rare opportunity to completely bury a lying Marxist who suffers from dementia. Nothing could dissuade me from voting for Trump again, but I pray that he did not lose too many undecided voters. Also, Wallace made me want to vomit…I saw that one coming.
Two weeks ago, my doctor put me on meds for high blood pressure. After the debate my numbers were 168/111…on meds!!! I will not be watching either of the two remaining debates.
Oh, no!
Mikhail, there probably won’t be two more debates. The Left is already saying that Biden “won” and Trump really is Bad Orange Man, therefore there’s no more reason to debate.
If the “kill switch” is truly given to “moderators” in future debates, the ultimate censorship will have arrived.
Does Trump practice which facts to get in ahead of time? The distortions he lets pass kill him as much as his manner. If Biden is allowed to have notes, at least Trump could have phrases to prompt his recitation of those facts! The facts are with him!
That may not bode too well for Joe. Hopefully the American people would see right through that act of cowardice.
I really agree with everything you wrote, Gail. Last night was disappointing and not what I expected.
He doesn’t seem to know when he’s ahead. That’s what I have a hard time getting. He was way ahead on substance, then distracts from his own success.
I thought that he let too many slanders pass. Easy fruit he failed to pick. It was disappointing. Over and over again, JB said the most outrageous things (pot calling the kettle black doesn’t nearly capture it) while pleading for unity and decency. Trump didn’t point out his audacity or hypocrisy — concerning the riots or the lockdowns. He didn’t clearly tie the lockdowns to JB’s (true) point about how billionaires (Bezos?!?!) have profited from “the new normal” while they have seriously harmed the working classes — especially people in the service sector. DT did mention alcoholism, drug abuse, and such, but it was disorganized and not forceful. For goodness sake, DT is the only major force in American politics who appears (even appears!) to be concerned about the working class, and he let JB play the honest laborer from Scranton! Also, he didn’t deal with foreign policy, really. What about that reset button of Obama — and yet the war drums that have been beating on the Left for the last decade? Or the three year old media lies about Charlottesville that JB echoed — he didn’t even address that. It would have been a good moment for him to set the record straight directly to the people . . . the “very fine people on both sides” were the people for and against the removal of Confederate memorials, statues, flags, and such — that’s a true and timely statement, but the Mouth of Satan, parroted by JB, distorted Trump’s words and applied them to the white nationalists (who, by the way, weren’t the ones there with blow-torches). So, I was frustrated by so many wasted moments.
Meh, just Trump being Trump. No surprises. Biden really reminded me of Hilary, lots of statistics and empty rhetoric. I think it went very well.
Yes, it went very well for the excellencies for the party heads of the American Democratic Republic. Those are the ones that work to divide anything they determine for their fits, even the Orthodox Church.
Tanya, I find myself agreeing with you.
When Trump criticized Critical Race Theory and Biden for not condemning the looting, and for not having any police support, though he did it loudly, he did it effectively.
Look for future Trump campaign ads to highlight these. He also had the best one-liners. That’s what’s remembered in a debate.
If you insist on inviting a bull to tea, expect some broken china.
So true!
Tanya, Gail, et al: the days of gentility are long gone. The days of gentlemen like Romney and the Bushes are over. Pearl-clutching only works in the Victorian parlor.
Let me put this another way: we can have either Victorian manners and mores or Swinging London. Can’t have both. And once London has swung, then we can’t ever go back. Trump is the bull but America hasn’t been a china shop for at least a generation.
Forgive the clichés!
I think I’ve isolated my problem with Trump and it’s manageable. It may help others to be able to put their finger on it and that’s why I’m sharing this:
It’s the arrogant braggadocio.
Pride cometh before a fall. Adam committed the original sin. But Satan committed the First Sin – Arrogance. It is hard to get away from the feeling that there is a curse associated with that modus operandi.
Trump at the debate (and I’m past it, he did what he needed to do, God bless his combative little heart) gave the impression one gets from seeing two older wealthy ladies in a restaurant talking very loudly without regard to annoying others of lower class in the room. It’s a certain kind of presumption. And I think it grates me in particular because I come from the upper South and it is the caricature of the rude Yankee.
And in fact, what I realize is that that is New York talking. The Bronx. That’s the way they relate up there. They can’t help it. By Southern standards, they’re not housebroken.
I can live with that given what’s on the table.
PS: Biden lost more than a few veterans when he told the President of the United States to shut up.
Tanya, this is Kurt Schlichter’s take:
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2020/10/01/the-debate-postmortem-n2577239
“If you’re going to err, don’t err on the side of prissy”. Trump didn’t.
Schlichter points out something that is very true. The very worst thing that could have happened would have been for Biden to appear stronger. After all the speculation about dementia and avoiding the debate, that would have been a plus for Biden. Trump foreclosed that option.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/10/01/nolte-donald-trump-sees-approval-rating-rise-post-debate-poll/
Regardless of concerns about decorum, you were right in the overall effect, George. Yesterday, it was too early to tell. Now numbers are coming in:
“According to Rasmussen, after including one night of post-debate polling in its five-day rolling average, Trump’s job approval rating climbed from 46 to 49 percent, while his job disapproval number dropped from 53 to 51 percent.”
Just let the big dog run.
Also, I “get” why Telemundo’s numbers were 2:1 in favor of Trump. Hispanics love a good fighter. Plus a lot of the newer immigrants come from countries that have been devastated by socialist dictators or ravaged by violent cartels.
It takes a sunavabitch who doesn’t care about decorum to protect the little guys who want to live in peace.
If anyone was waiting for a truly polite debate, that time has passed. Gentleman politics went out the door last election for good. Well… until something drastically occurs that shakes the human spirit of every living being.
Times have changed, and a debate isn’t going to sway that many people and I think Trump knows that. What I believe did change people’s mind about Trump already occurred, and it was what has transpired over the past 3.5 years, and more significantly COV-19, the riots, city burning, Antifa, etc. These are fresh matters that are at the heart of every American.
“Stand Back and Stand By”. Says it all really. Whether or not President Trump has been sent by God (I highly doubt that he was), the odds get shorter that your Democracy and Republic will be destroyed because of him. Won’t be the first time in history (Can Trump play the fiddle?) Can you hear Moscow and Beijing laughing? But hey look at the bright side, your Supreme Court has been (yeah Trump is a has-been) stacked with Trump appointees. Whatever floats your boat. And to think that your President needed to perform well in this first debate to jump start his campaign (if the polls can be believed ) and this is the best he could do? LOL You guys have brought this upon yourselves. What did that Great American say once…. mmm let me think…. ah yes “The chickens coming home to roost”; may the memories of Malcolm X and President Kennedy be eternal (both victims of American violence)
Boy, have you made a number of wrong turns.
Why would Moscow and Beijing be laughing? Biden, a man who was easily played by both, was in no position to gain any ground going into the debate and Trump was in no position to lose any.
Had Trump pulled down his pants and mooned Biden, his voting base would have cheered!
Only Trump was in a position to pick up votes, but maybe he knew the “more” (whatever the numbers would have been) were less important than nullifying the debate with a lot of cross talk to slam Wallace.
In hindsight, Wallace was way more of a threat to Trump than Biden.
I wanted Trump to play nice to pick up some votes so we don’t have to face the crap the democrats are going to throw at us if they insist on counting all those mail in ballots. But knowing Trump, he has a plan for this, too, so I’m going to relax.
With respect to seeing God’s hand, I look for God in everything, my friend! It’s the only way I have to get my bearings. Exodus 17:11-14:
11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
God allows things to happen or He causes them. Trump was initially a “wild card” coming from left field. But when God allowed Wikileaks to pull back the curtain, it was clear that Trump was put there to usurp Hillary. He certainly wasn’t a “comely fellow” and I’m not talking about his looks. Milk and honey didn’t pour from his lips (locker room talk was more his cup of tea). He was just a wealthy street fighter from Queens. There was nothing that screamed presidential.
Had God not placed His hand on Trump, he would never have won the primaries. End of story.
That you may see it differently doesn’t matter. He won and those of us who weren’t sure exactly what to expect were well pleased. He said what it was he was going to do and did it as well as it could be done. We now know he can also play chess five moves deep which is a huge plus. God can be trusted. (My favorite saying.)
Yes, the chickens are coming home to roost. This works both ways: Good and bad. We can agree on that. That you don’t see the coop where these particular chickens roost doesn’t matter one bit.
As usual, my Dear, beautifully said.
I’m glad you brought up Assange. In my most fervent dreams, I pray that upon re-election, Trump pardons both Ed Snowden and Julian Assange. And totally lowers the boom on the FBI, CIA and other Deep-staters. And unleashes the DOJ on Antifa, BLM, the rioters and finds out who is paying them.
“Had God not placed His hand on Trump, he would never have won the primaries. End of story.”
Not buying it.
Theo, boy is your anti-Americanism (and historical ignorance) showing. Malcolm X uttered that memorable phrase after President Kennedy was assassinated; it was about JFK.
FYI: Malcolm really hated liberals.
I know that he said it on the occasion of the Assassination of JFK. He was emphasising the hatred that translated into the killing of Kennedy; not that he was happy to see JFK dead. As for his not liking Liberals, I don’t care one way or another. This whole liberal (demonic)/conservative(good) dualism is kinda tiring.
Im not anti-American. I just refuse to hypostasise the American Nation into the person of Donald Trump. History (of which Im ignorant ) has shown that is never a good thing. What’s good for Trump aint good for the nation.
As an American citizen, what, specifically, is worse for you than how things were before Trump took office in terms of policy?
If the Americans want nice debates there is 50/50 chance for that to happen. These days you’ all or younses could actually end up
with a one party so-called democratic system with several candidates for the presidency. You’ll have nice debates then, within a totalitarian regime. People can be useful idiots on the way and therein, see Joe Biden and those that vote democratic.
Matthew, many in the alt.right want a Biden win because they feel that by turning all of a America in a one-party state a la California, the acceleration of the disintegration of the US will happen. Unfortunately, they are not incorrect.
Yesterday, the RCP average of polls had Trump’s approval rating inch up 1 whole point to 45.5%. Basically where Bush 43 & Obama’s were right before their respective reelections. Also, the Proud Boys received unprecedented calls for enrollment in their ranks.
Now, I realize that the debate injected massive entropy into the whole electoral process and with Trump testing positive for coronoavirus, it has roiled the markets already today. Even more volatility has been injected into the system.
There are only two ways forward:
1. a Trump victory which can restore stability in the markets (and eventually on the streets), or
2. a Biden victory which will further accelerate the chaos and accelerate the disintegration of the U S.
Right now I’d say that the Deep State has some serious thinking to do. There is no way that the markets will recover if it looks like Biden will win. The Oligarchy cannot get to him to give up on all of the socialist idiocy that he promised; Biden simply cannot betray his bolshevik base. In addition, a Biden administration inject even more chaos into the system because Kamala Harris & Co will go all 25th Amendment on Biden. (Jill will have to reach out to Mitch McConnell to gain the votes needed among the GOP in the Senate to prevent Biden’s removal.)
See what I mean by “even more chaos” should Biden win?
Roiling markets will of course mean a crashing economy. Mask mandates and further lock-downs will make the Floyd festivities look like a walk in the park. There is no way that a rebellious people are going to be passive during a Biden presidency. The Proud Boys and the Prayer Partners are merely the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Remember what Trump said in the debate to the Proud Boys? That they should “stand back” and “stand by” but not stand down?
What will the Military Industrial Complex do then? A crippled, dystopian America will not be able to engage in any foreign military adventures for “muh democracy”. Indeed, Orlov’s diagnosis will have become complete because under such a scenario, a staggering military defeat is not only likely but probable. Hence the economic collapse of America will be followed by its political collapse.
Yup, I’d say that the MIC/DS has some serious thinking to do. Remember how I started this response? That America would become a national, one-party Blue State like California? How’s that working for California?
Trump just raised the stakes for everybody.
Dear George,
I understand what you are saying and I’m in agreement with you.
I can’t however understand the mainstream media, they don’t seem to know that they will be among the first to get killed within a totalitarian regime with wokeness. Anderson Cooper will have his job but if he misspeaks just one time it’s all over. I have heard that there are major corporations supporting BLM, it seems they don’t know that they will be killed as well by those that they are supporting. Capitalist giving money to those that will seize their assets and them, hmm. These people are actually more dangerous to themselves than others for normal folk are buying guns.
I know some very good people, these days I have heard them say things like “It looks like we are going to have to shoot them.” in reference to those that want to destroy America. I never thought I would hear them speak in such ways. A friend (who is a surgeon) told me we will wait and see but it looks like an amputation is necessary. He bought 2 guns, one is for his wife, with more to come.
We really should try to help the Democrats realize that antifa is not just an idea. If a civil war breaks out the Republican politicians will not get killed by other Republicans, they will be protected and respected, it’s the right(s) ethos.
Now the Democrat politicians and their families could be killed by the vile and violent Democratic party members that the Democratic politicians have supported and actually encouraged. In the end it’s possible that they will be able to lie together again, with closed mouths.
For the Democrats “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party” is more than a misnomer, it is an impossibility and they have created it and not just to their chagrin it could be to their demise.
“Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country” won’t work for them either, there must be something pathetically wrong with their typewriting.
Pardon any typos or misunderstood ideas and pursuits?
How can you appeal to history if you are ignorant of it?
NY Post:
1. Trump is a Pit Bull Fighting for America.
https://nypost.com/2020/09/30/trump-is-a-pit-bull-fighting-for-america-devine/
2. Trump’s Over-belligerence costs him: https://nypost.com/2020/09/29/2020-presidential-debate-trump-missed-chance-to-let-biden-stumble-on-his-own/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site buttons&utm_campaign=site buttons
From a NY friend
When the heretics debate it is never graceful, I’ve witnessed that on the internet for some years now.
After having some time to reflect, I think it’s best to just let Trump be Trump – not that we have any input or control anyway.
I could not have gotten elected president and done what he has done, so humility leads me to just leave it to him to sink or swim. Dance with who brung ya. We would not be in this position to be able to conceive of putting the other party out of business were it not for Trump.
Not sure if it’s true or not but I read once that it is theoretically possible for a candidate to lose the popular vote 4/1 and still win the electoral college (i.e., assuming he wins by one vote in the states he needs to and loses every other vote everywhere). That’s what Trump has his eye on, winning those states necessary to carry the electoral college. He knows exactly to whom he needs to appeal. It’s unlikely he would have launched the sustained barrage he did last night were it just a personality trait or emotional excess. It was likely premeditated, not just Archie going off. He can’t come out and say, “Look, I was targeting these people in these areas because that’s what they want to hear.” It breaks the spell.
One thing’s for certain. It’s his election to win or lose given the lack of mojo on the other side.
Misha, I understand you want Trump to win because your views and principles are in alignment. However, how would it make you feel, as a citizen of the Republic, if the victory came through such a breakdown of votes? My friends in Russia are always bemused at how one can win the popular vote, and yet lose the election. It brings up a lot of tongue-in-cheek questions re: which country is really more democratic – Russia or the USA. It was easier to explain the wisdom of this arrangement in the past, but when the numbers of votes that “don’t matter” begin to enter into the millions it does start to seem a little rigged. Genuine question, and not Orange Man baiting. Personally, I feel pretty uncomfortable about this.
RE: “My friends in Russia are always bemused at how one can win the popular vote, and yet lose the election.”
Yeah, I’m not sure I believe your “friends in Russia” are setting you straight. Russia knows exactly how this can happen, which is why a new constitution was adopted in 1993 so Russia can be governed as a federal semi-presidential republic.
I meant that in Russia the president is elected by a direct vote, no electoral college in between.
Dan,
You’re relatively new here so you don’t have any way of knowing it so I’ll very briefly summarize my political convictions:
I’m an Orthodox believer and monarchist.
While republican government is tolerable with a strong executive, there’s a disconnect between us because, fundamentally, I do not believe that the authority to govern derives from the consent of the people, but rather from God; i.e., the divine right of kings. The closer a leader seems to the Orthodox mindset, the better. That is all that concerns me, not whether the polls are even open.
Misha, it only takes 11 states to get the 270 electoral votes required to win. With only 4 (CA, TX, NY, FL) you are over half way there(141) It takes IL, PA, MI, NC, OH, GA, NC, VA & MA to get to 270. Eleven out of 50. If a candidate got those 11 the rest of the states would not matter.
That seems to be a very low bar given that only 2 of these states (the 2 biggest) are west of the Mississippi. The Dems seem to have an advantage so I have never understood their desire to eliminate the electoral college
It’s possible to win the electoral college with only about 20% of the popular vote. You just need a minimal majority in the right states.
When we hit the demographic cliff in 15-20 years, the Dems will be singing the praises of the electoral college.
Hi Dan,
You can simply it for your “friends in Russia” by telling them that if America did not have an electoral college, New York and California would elect the president each time.
Misha, you just hit the nail on the head: Trump indeed, “broke the spell”.
One thing about which both liberals and conservatives agree on in the blogosphere, is what a horrendously piss-poor job Chris Wallace did. It’s almost as if 100% of the anger on all sides is directed at him. Trump did a massive rally last night in Duluth, MN, a Blue State. The debate is all-but-forgotten, except for Wallace’s horrible mishandling.
Meanwhile, Biden’s handlers are busy laying the groundwork for no more debates. (BTW, did anybody else notice how dark Joe’s eyes looked? The pupils were dilated.)
Good. Wallace’s job the other night was to be the more cerebral Megyn Kelly. Her job five years ago in the first GOP debate was to take Trump down. He fought back viciously against her. And he won. And he kept on winning. Right up until November 8, 2016.
Scott Adams said back then that Trump was essentially a “wizard” or a “Master manipulator”. Adams says that at any given time, there are only a couple of dozen of these men on the earth. (Think of LOTR, in which there are only five Istari [wizards] in Middle-earth.) According to Adams, these MMs have the ability to manipulate reality through the power of carefully-chosen words and phrases. A type of mass-hypnosis if you will.
So I’m going to come out and say it: a few months ago, I was talking with a friend of mine who’s a priest and I said “You know what I think? Trump is a prophet”.
He didn’t hang up the phone so, please stick with me here.
The role of the prophet in the OT was to stand outside the normal hierarchy of society and pronounce judgment, to literally be the voice of God Himself. The prophet likewise “broke the spell” of the ruling paradigm. Nathan brought contrition to David, Elijah castigated Ahab, Moses destroyed Pharaoh. Daniel preached the end of Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar; Jonah preached repentance to Nineveh. All of these men’s ministries brought ruin to a nation or (in the case of Nineveh) repentance.
These were life-changing and even nation-changing outcomes. Trump did that back in 2015 and he’s used his scabrous, bombastic personality to bring down the demonic oligarchy that has ruled America. As uncomfortable as his demeanor and words are, that’s the only reason he’s still president. A cuck like Romney or Jeb! or McCain would have folded their tents right after their respective inaugurations had there been a Russian-collusion hoax.
Trump has broken the spell of the mainstream media. Nobody believes it anymore. When Trump talked about Hunter Biden and the cool $3.5 million he received from the wife of the mayor of Moscow, Gail turned to me and said “What?!?” She had no idea. I had but it was only because I read it somewhere two days before. Like a prophet, Trump not only condemned the powers-that-be but preached news that had been hidden.
He has even made liberals “science deniers” and anti-vaxxers. That’s pretty powerful magick if you ask me.
For proof all we have to do is look at the hatred that is being heaped upon Chris Wallace. The hatred that should have been heaped on Trump’s head was displaced onto Wallace’s. Why? Because those who dare to harm God’s anointed (even if he’s a pagan like Cyrus the Great) always come to a bad end. (And not all of God’s anointed were angels or choirboys.)
Where is Megyn Kelly’s career? Nowhere. (It’s good she’s married to a surgeon or she’d probably have to do a Playboy shoot to gain any moolah.) Where’s Shemp Smith? He was unceremoniously escorted out of FOX news’ HQ after AG Bill Barr had a little chat the night before with Rupert Murdoch. I imagine he’s doing Sports on LiveAction News in Dubuque. Don Limon is facing a sexual-harassment suit as is Judge Andrew Napolitano.
I imagine that this story is not over yet. The debate was merely another nail in the coffin of the present ruling paradigm.
In short, George, I agree with you. I hesitate to characterize Trump as a prophet, but definitely he is an anointed gentile king like Cyrus.
IMHO, there is a “God code” and we Orthodox do not have a monopoly on it except at its highest levels. It’s there for anyone to hack into and God invites us and guides us from the other side. The closer we get, the more He blesses us. It is synergia, the elements of Orthodox mysticism and ultimately theosis.
Trump’s doing God’s work giving America a chance to pull back from full secularization, self-destruction and colonization by others. How many of the elements of this synergia does he have? That’s anyone’s guess. But I believe through God he has been raised to a prophetic role, regardless if he has received actual divine prophecy itself.
America as a society (I’m not talking about every indivitual) has become psychologically/spiritually deranged over the last 60 years or so. It’s a case of boiled frogs. It occurred gradually enough that we haven’t perceived how far from the mark we have been dragged. I had to quit watching TV 13 years ago because it’s so awful. Morally, we are off the map historically. It’s that bad. We are much more sexually and gender-domestically perverse than the former Soviet Union and if the last few years of Democratic rhetoric are any indication, we would be bound for Soviet style totalitarianism if they prevailed. So something had to give. It doesn’t get any colder than absolute zero Kelvin.
Misha: Could you explain the “God Code” and that it’s there for anyone to “hack into”, that God invites us & guides us to do this?
I haven’t been Orthodox for very long and I’ve not heard this so I’m very curious since I’ve mainly heard parishioners just discuss fasting, etc.
Your insights would be very much appreciated.
Anna
Oh, I was just making an analogy to computer science trying to explain Orthodox synergia. That’s the term you may want to research.
Thank you Misha!
Yes, Misha, thank you. There are adepts from other religions who are spiritually attuned as well to this “God code” you mention.
In my original comment above, I was speaking about the whole package really, as I mentioned: synergia, mysticism (hesychasm) and theosis (in the broadest sense, not final sainthood).
All who seek to please God are attempting to “hack the code”. Acquiring Orthodox virtues are the elements of success. St. John of the Ladder is saying the same thing in different language. We know the virtues of self-control through fasting and of dispassion. Yet there are others. Faith and confidence in God and oneself count. The Law of God (Закон Божий) is a broad term encompassing Holy Tradition. When one morally aligns himself with our Tradition, blessings flow. I was just using a computer analogy “God code” to express this. We all can conceive of computers and the idea that our world is a great computer matrix manifested by the Programmer. It is an underutilized metaphor in the Orthodox Church. But we think in terms of centuries rather than decades.
Fr. Seraphim Rose wrote some on the overlap between Orthodoxy and some Eastern religion (the Tao). Man has reached out to God constantly with some limited success. Only in Orthodoxy though has God reached out to man. And only Orthodoxy conveys the fullness of salvation/theosis. But even the heterodox can acquire Christian virtues to some degree.
Mother Teresa died in heresy outside the Church. Yet she will have a respectable answer before the Judgment seat of Christ.
Whether Trump is a prophet or not, the main point is he speaks the truth about certain elements in US and international governance. The Church Triumphant in-breaks our world. We, being the Church Militant will do well to stand with the Angels. One such in- breaking is the fact that the Archangel Michael was celebrated by the Orthodox Church on November 8 2016 …the day Trump won the election.
Dulath is more Republican than places like Minneapolis its more rural. Before the crona virus in 2019 there were gains under Trump. I just wished that the tech industry had loses since we have to put up with them.
George, Shep Smith is at CNBC. He is there, according to his promo to deliver “facts” because “facts” always win.
Just as I predicted to my better half right after the debate, Trump’s approval numbers post-debate increased:
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/10/01/nolte-donald-trump-sees-approval-rating-rise-post-debate-poll/#
The secret? People like a fighter.
You want more proof? For the two years before the 2018 midterms, Paul Ryan was Speaker of the House. Did he fight for anything? Not really. During that same time, the GOP in the Senate fought like hell to get Brett Kavanaugh placed on SCOTUS.
The moral of the story? The GOP lost their majority in the House but added to it in the Senate.
Some humor from Ryan Long. A bit crass but good satire.
What internet politics looks like to normal people
https://youtu.be/mK3xRUbnBUw
When woke and racists realize they agree on everything
https://youtu.be/Ev373c7wSRg
In prep for the election: Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents by Rod Dreher on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593087399/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_CKNDFbB0G8YQ2
Is anyone else reading? Great so far!
And he has a free study guide as well. https://drive.google.com/file/d/14iXemZvAWAPbcHhHOfke-wJXMVAD_7RI/view
Great reading indeed!
Another great pre-election read: the Complete Transcript of Fr Seraphim Rose’s 1970’s Orthodox Survival Course, thanks to Orthodox Australia website and to Orthodox Ethos for the link below. For every Orthodox person (and anyone) who wants to understand history since Christ and how to discern and stay true to the Faith. Great companion to Rod’s book.
http://orthodoxaustralia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/course.pdf
The Orange Man and his wife have COVID or at least test positive for it.
I told George a few hours ago when he was interviewed about Hope Hicks that it sounded like he had a cold. May the Lord bless them both. We’ll have to double up on our prayers.
?☦️?
Absolutely.
The debate was the logical conclusion of Finkel-think: two Boomers who in their own hearts aren’t ideologically that far apart, yelling at each other over personality issues rather than ideas of substance.
Trump did win the debate and made Joe look frail and weak, but it wasn’t impressive. With the COVID news, the second debate will probably be canceled: either because Trump won’t be up for it or because Biden will refuse to expose himself even if they stand 200 feet apart.
Both men are in their 70s, Biden is losing his mind, Trump is not the picture of health and has COVID. This is going to elevate the VP debate. If Pence had to step in, he gives me the vibes of George W’s 3rd term. Harris is an utter disaster waiting to happen.
Not just the debate, this whole election is a shit show. Not to mention it will be illegitimate regardless of what happens because ballots all across the country are being misprinted, duplicated, found in dumpsters, etc. We thought the DieBold people were going to sneakily use algorithms in voting machines to subtly rig elections, but it turns out they’re just openly throwing ballots in the trash. Which shows it’s not about controlling outcomes, it’s about delegitimizing the whole process.
We are in end-stage democracy.
And what do I go and do? I tell my 28-year-old daughter she needs to start paying more attention to what’s going on. She’s no dummy, my daughter, but is so turned off by her friends jumping into the fray, she wants no part of politics.
However, when I told her that they were now passing legislation to abort full-term babies, she was shocked, mumbling beneath her breath and choking on each word, “I guess I’m a Republican, then.”
She then decides she can no longer not get involved. So what does she do? She sits down and watches the debate. Geeze.
I then hear, “Mom, Trump lies. The sheriff in Portland hates him, and . . .! I tell her he made a mistake; it was the sheriff in Kenosha who endorsed him but until I can get a full transcript I can even begin to address the damage.
I believe in Trump, but he sure has made my life harder. God bless him.
AS, what happens next?
AS, I don’t dispute your assessment that we are in an “end-stage” right now. However, I’ve received insight from some pretty insightful political observers and this is what happened: when Trump realized that Wallace was working in tandem with Biden and in fact, running cover for him, he decided to blow up the entire charade. In military terms, this is called a “spoiler attack”, an ambush if you will which completely discombobulates the enemy.
And make no mistake, Biden was completely discombobulated. He resorted to calling Trump names. Curiously, Trump did not call Biden one name. He insulted his intelligence but he did not call him “stupid” or anything like that. Biden on the other hand was flustered from stem to stern. So much so that he lost control of the debate. Wallace is merely collateral damage. (Well-deserved by the way.) That’s why the first poll that came out (Telemundo) had Trump the hands-down winner.
Anyway, by acting the way he did, Trump completely upset the electoral apple-cart and even those who don’t like him admit that he “dominated” the debate. Dominate he did.
AS,
I agree wholeheartedly regarding this being the end stage; however, I think there is a remarkable difference in the ideology of the two men. At heart, Biden is a left wing totalitarian and Trump is a right wing authoritarian. What’s the difference?
Well, . . . Christ.
The Left is the antithesis of the Christian religion. They enable and fund abortion, gender equality, promiscuity and discrimination against Christians in the workplace. They have exerted great efforts to scrub the public sphere of the Christian religion and to move the law toward a system of anti-Christian sanctions. Moreover, they have used the US government to spread their sick ideology all over the world in the form of “human rights”.
Trump’s only real Achilles heel is LGBT. But he doesn’t make a big deal of his hyper-tolerance. If womanizing is dispositive, we need to renounce Solomon and his father. Yeah, he’s been divorced too many times. But forgiveness is golden. He has a nice family now.
Trump is not exactly the portrait of a Christian monarch, though he is a Christian of some sort (Presbyterian, I think) and certainly has monarchial tendencies.
End Stage: It really hasn’t sunk in to most people the predicament that America is in regarding the coming election. The Demsheviks have made it crystal clear that if they win the election, they will make every effort to put the Republicans out of business at the national level. “Nothing is off the table.” And that has actually been their position since Trump was elected, they’re just angry and desperate enough to be open about it now.
As a mathematical consequence, Republicans have no choice but to use their power, should they win, to make sure that the Demsheviks never rule again. They have no choice if they want to survive as a national party. When your enemy declares he is coming for your soul, you should believe him.
In order to survive, the Republicans have to retain either the presidency or the Senate (ideally both, and win the House for that matter). To really gain ground, you need all three. To tread water, all you need is the presidency and the Senate since then you’re not losing ground on judges and can stop anything coming out of the House. And with only the presidency or the Senate, you can shut down legislation coming out of the House unless you only hold the presidency AND the opposite party can get a vote of 2/3 to override your veto in the Senate and House.
But whoever wins, we are heading toward one party rule. The Democrats have made it no secret that it is their intention and thus the Republicans have no choice but to impose it to survive.
If Trump didn’t have a plan to put the Democratic Party out of business permanently, or at least for the foreseeable future, he would never have entered the race for the presidency to begin with since he doesn’t need the money or the agita and the next Democrat administration could be trusted to undo all the progress he makes in any case.
They know he’s playing to win. That’s why they’ve been acting for four years like kamikazes trying to sink him.
If he wins re-election and both chambers, the gloves come off.
Best analysis of what led to the debate? Solzhenitsyn per Breakpoint:
https://www.breakpoint.org/the-best-analysis-on-tuesdays-debate-was-given-42-years-ago/
A great reason for Christians to read and consider Rod Dreher’s new book “Live not by Lies” (title by Solzhenitsyn) just out in hardback and Kindle on Amazon.
Can we imagine Solzhenitsyn’s sorrow at being booed and rejected by the American elite and media after all he suffered as he was trying to awaken us? God is answering his prayers as we listen now through another Orthodox Christian. How pleased Vladika Dmitri would be and how radiant his spirit is! In the flesh he would throw a joyous feast for Rod and Julie to celebrate their gifts to Orthodoxy and our country.
I’ve said recently that Trump has “injected chaos into the electoral process”. True.
But in reality, he wasn’t the only (or first). According to this latest poll, “a disturbingly number of Americans [of both political parties] believe violence is justified” if one doesn’t receive the outcome one desires. Democrats more so than Republicans by a 2:1 margin but still a disturbing result anyway you cut it.
https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2020/10/02/nolte-poll-proves-national-media-push-to-legitimize-violence-is-working/
And who did this? We can thank the mainstream media.
P.S. The Proud Boys are receiving record numbers of volunteers. Just sayin’.
There was an interview with a trans Trump supporter that went underground with Antifa. According to that person they do mid level violence to get their enemies to overreact instead of the bombing of the weather underground though one Antifa member did try to blow up an ice facility in 2019. With both Seattle and Portland, they have killed 3 people this year and caused several others particularity cops to be attack, but the left seems them as punch a nazi even though that person they punch might end up in the hospital.
Did anyone see the Young Turks debate coverage? If Republicans were “disappointed” by Trump’s bluster (honestly not sure why—did you forget 2016?), the progressive left was utterly furious with Biden.
AS, if you don’t mind, could you link The Young Turks coverage of said debate?
Here is a highlight reel I saw. (It has language.)
https://youtu.be/yHpIJr_ZY2g
Thanks!
I think Trump would have had a better chance if he had a personality more like Mike Pence. The Dems have use Trump’s personality to drive suburban votes away.
With Mike Pence, we would have had the same garden-variety neocon Republicrat that says what we want to hear but does nothing.
I’m sorry to hear you say that. Voting and working for pro-life and religious freedom and freedom of speech is a great something in today’s world. Some of our Orthodox brethren, clergy, and hierarchs don’t do this much! Actually work against them. What a sad commentary if you as an Orthodox do not see this as the feat it is from an evangelical Christian who suffers a lot in terms of being reviled and unpopular with a St. Seraphim like composure. Please Johann, reconsider.
Trump on White Supremacy versus Biden and MSM assertions:
I have a question: what is the difference between a man believing strongly that he is a woman or the reverse and a white person believing strongly that he is superior to all non-whites?
Neither ‘belief’ has any ontological, anthropological or spiritual validity but one belief has the force of law while the other is condemned by the law.
Why? Logically either both are allowed or neither. Indeed it is now OK to preach trans/homosexual and black superiority over normal white people.
Does anybody actually believe this chum bucket full of insanity?
Here’s how dumbed some on the left are even if they have college. Robert Iger of Disney is a democratic he wanted Newsom to have a plan to open Disneyland. A leftist states that they got big tax breaks from Trump and should not be open but keep the workers on Forlough. Iger is not conservative Republican and supported Hillary Clinton. Some on the left today don’t read too much and go on emotions.
Well, the picture on Fox News makes Pelosi look like the bright orange Great Pumpkin who has come to save us all by invoking the 25th Amendment to kick Trump out of office and Pence be “acting” President. Maybe the Constitutionally knowledgable folks here could say what her chances of success are?
Maybe Pelosi is really Trump’s evil trans twin ETT for short. Would that make her the ETT girl?