I cannot believe people are talking about Trump as the possible next President.

[kentuck]

What in the hell has happened to this country?

This lying stack of sh*t does not deserve to be in the White House - he deserves to be in prison. Not because he is a Republican or because he is hated by so many "libs", or because he is a sorry excuse for a human being.

But because he is a traitorous son of a b*tch. He betrayed his oath to this country. He tried to overturn an election so he could stay in power. He has done great harm to our country, especially to those that love him. They will suffer the most.

For me, it is unthinkable that the media is discussing his name as the likely nominee of the Republican Party and, very possibly, the next President of the United States.

How can they continue to normalize this scab? Is there no comic relief?

Tell me it's all a joke.

[yagotme]

1. Is he not the current frontrunner for the Rethugs?

If yes, who else is the media going to talk about on that side? You talk about the horse in the lead, at the moment, not the one in the back of the pack. Take a breath, and at least wait until the primaries to get upset. You may live longer. Less stress.

[kentuck]

2. Yes, talk about the horse in the lead...

But, don't sugar coat it. Tell the truth about him when you give his poll numbers. Do not normalize his numbers as prove of his innocence.

[yagotme]

3. That wasn't in your initial post.

Of course I agree, but the media is going to be the media. You, or I, have little chance to change their modus operandi. I was merely commenting on your OP.

[kentuck]

5. I was referring to the media...

...not to you personally.

I blame the media for attempting to normalize the criminal.

They want to be on the right foot, just in case he wins.

[yagotme]

9. I was aware of your direction.

Some members of the media should probably be fired, at least, for journalistic malfeasance (if that's a thing).

[Mr.Bill]

22. No one is the frontrunner until there are primaries.

The only thing he is leading is polls, and we all know how meaningless they are this far ahead of the election. He hasn't even participated in a debate. He is 77 and in very poor physical condition. I not only see him not being president, I don't even see him still alive a year from now.

[yagotme]

23. OK, frontrunner in the polls. nt

[ShazzieB]

28. I sure hope you're right about the last part.

I not only see him not being president, I don't even see him still alive a year from now.

If I really believed he was going to be dead a year from now, I would be SO happy. I've never wished death on someone before, but his terrible impact on this country has forced me into wishing for him to be gone, by any means necessary, as soon as possible.

[Kid Berwyn]

4. It's logical.

All TV talks is Trump.

Trump traitor.
Trump insurrectionist.
Trump NAZI.
Trump pervert.
Trump crook.
Trump moron.
Trump insane.

All true.
Also true that all publicity is good publicity.

Meanwhile Joe Biden saves US Democracy, planet Earth and human civilization gets the blah blah blah ho hum treatment.

[kentuck]

10. Joe Biden, like Hillary, is a victim of the times.

They start a lie, and it is permitted to fester for a year or two, and by the time people are ready to make a decision, "Hillary is a crook" or "Biden is too old and is working with the mob" or whatever they throw out there to stick by election day.

[Kid Berwyn]

12. 24/7/366

The Original Big Lie was allowed to stand — although its mention was prohibited from the networks — and from then on it’s been Big Lie after Big Lie after Big Lie after Big Lie after Big Lie after Big Lie after Big Lie after Big Lie after Big Lie ad nauseam.

I agree wholeheartedly, kentuck, the alarmist talk is concerning. One good thing: their lies don’t hold up in court.

[treestar]

50. Yes, he's "boring"

Which is what a good POTUS would be! We saw how "entertaining" TFG's term was! Yes it was great for the media and for comedians. That's better than a POTUS doing the job? People are ridiculous.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

6. Righteous rant

I completely agree.

[RockRaven]

7. He's good for ratings, and they don't care who gets hurt.

[anciano]

17. "He's good for ratings"....

Exactly! That says it all.

[Walleye]

8. I think it's simple, Trump makes a good TV, low unemployment number doesn't

[Emile]

11. He should be locked up by now.

Hopefully he will be behind bars soon.

[EnergizedLib]

13. We cannot let this happen

Never forget COVID, never forget January 6, never forget Dobbs, never forget the documents and the desire to overturn democracy.

President Biden isn't perfect, no president is. Defeating trump saved America in 2020, doing so again in 2024 will save America again.

[Beartracks]

21. True this. You don't save America ONCE. We must save America EVERY ELECTION DAY. n/t

[MiniMe]

14. We tried hard not to talk about the possibility in 2016

And look where that got us. You have to at least acknowledge the possibility.

[kentuck]

16. But what made it possible.

They normalized his words and actions. He was a sicko from Day One. But they did not choose to speak the obvious to their readers and viewers.

[MiniMe]

20. Stupidity

I never believed it was possible, but I was wrong

[Polybius]

29. What made it possible is that we went along and passed the Twenty-second Amendment

Obama would have crushed Trump. Yeah, I know, we might not have has Obama yet. Bill Clinton might have won five or six terms.

[inthewind21]

55. So

Trump winning in 2016 was all the medias fault? Not the voters? Not at all? Everyone keeps blaming this and blaming that. Bottom line, the VOTERS elect the government. Not the media. . If the voters are allowing the media to decide FOR them, well that's a whole different topic don't you think?

[vapor2]

15. I agree and ANYTHING can happen in a year.

[FarPoint]

18. The media continues to do so as the tribalism of tRump makes monies...

I myself....typically skip by any delusional topics regarding tRump...I have full battery equipped remote control wherein I switch the channel.

I will not engage,mpaticipte or even acknowledge such " bait".

[lucca18]

19. Trump is a disgrace to our country,(and the world).

He should be shamed and shunned.
He does not deserve any respect.
He deserves jail.
Lock. Him. Up.

[Pisces]

24. No one thought he could win the first time and he was just as unqualified then. He is a serious

Threat!! I feel like we are asleep in a cocoon of self righteousness. He has a very good chance of winning. I can not believe we are in this predicament. It is truly terrifying.

[Quixote1818]

25. It's like a bad shroom trip for me. It's like up is down, down is up, small is big, big is small

I agree with you. Trump should ONLY be getting the insane asylum and KKK vote right now and nothing else.

[LonePirate]

26. People are upset about high prices and high interest rates.

Plus, there are people who think the unemployment picture is awful because people are working 2-3 jobs to make ends meet and they still cannot afford a home.

All of Biden’s legislative wins mean absolutely nothing to most people.

[barbaraann]

33. Yes.

Going grocery shopping is more terrifying than walking down a dark alley in a big city.

[Emile]

41. I tell people it's not like President Biden sits on every corporate board meeting

and decides to jack up prices on their products. Blame the tax evading predatory capitalists, not President Biden because he is on our side.

[uponit7771]

49. Humans have a better sense of self-preservation than this, MSM needs eyes so they're making

... Making up stories with meaningless BS high margin of error poles so they can have eyes on screen.

[Silent Type]

27. You don't think he has a chance? I didn't either in 2016.

[IbogaProject]

30. He was a horrible person overall but ignoring his chaotic and inconsistent pandemic response is beyond the pale

He was caught on tape admitting he knew it was spread in the air in late January and February of 2020. The journalist who sat on that for his big book and the former guy are both at fault. And now any press who is playing this horse race BS for a few pathetic ad clicks or whatever TV rating BS is horrible.

[betsuni]

31. I've decided to go ahead and assume Trump will be president, that Americans are that out of it

or stupid. Disinformation, propaganda is effective on weak selfish simple minds. Americans used to be famous for their optimistic, can-do spirit. Gone.

The Biden administration will keep working every day and getting results but there'll be whining about Daddy breaking promises and not doing enough, not paying enough attention to me me me, why didn't Daddy fix everything and, like, Daddy's too old anyway and doesn't understand me and I need a bigger allowance he's so mean, I'm going to my room. I admire everyone who keeps going and keeps working.

Help us, Taylor Swift, you're our only hope. Only after Biden wins will I think about it because it's too stressful.

[Tree Lady]

32. I feel like I live in the Twilight Zone

millions of people would vote for a man they know is a proven liar, who told them to use bleach for covid, threw paper towels at a country after a hurricane, made fun of a dying war hero, been proven to be a rapist, wanted to start war with Iran, made us broke with tax cuts for the rich, let cops and others die at the capital building because he refused to call for help to stop it, made friends with our worst enemies around the world and openly grifted and took millions of dollars from his followers and us by hotel charges that he owned.

I could go on and on....

Joe may be old but he is a honestly righteous man. He hired good people to fix America and he cares about everyone.

But that said, I felt that way when Bush won reelection I cried and cried not believing anyone could vote for someone like him.

[canetoad]

34. Trump the candidate

Generates an insane amount of money for media companies stirring the pot. Even MSNBC as the anti-trump.

[inthewind21]

56. Correction

Trump draws a boat load of viewers for the media which in turns translates to a boat load of $$$. No viewers, no $$$. Just like any other business, in order to make $$ people have to buy what you're selling. Just sayin

So, who wants to quote what CNN, MSNBC or any other "news" outlet is, at this very moment, is saying about Trump?

[Shellback Squid]

35. It;s a joke, he's aways been a joke

[Oneironaut]

36. Nihilism and Hatred

People are tired of the “other.” To them, Trump is the cure.

They also find destroying the government comical, because in their minds, America will always be a free society no matter what.

[Act_of_Reparation]

38. Remember that time we didn't think Trump could be president?

That worked out well.

[DFW]

40. And you're right to point that out.

But that time, ALL the media gave him a free pass, and the media almost never challenged him. Now, he is getting weirder by the day, and it is not being ignored this time.

[inthewind21]

57. Correction

The voters gave him a free pass. The media doesn't vote.

[DFW]

39. It IS all a bad joke

The joke could still be on us, but I doubt it.

I still say they nominate someone else.

(And whoever their nominee ends up being will be VERY grateful for the current Trump distraction, letting them put together their campaign with little to no media scrutiny at all.)

[raccoon]

43. From your keyboard to dog's ears.

[DFW]

44. With one caveat

Let’s hope that whoever their candidate is, it’s someone as easy to beat as McCain or Romney. If they put up someone serious, we have to be ready with an equally serious campaign to counter it. My concern is that their big money has found such a candidate, and is quietly grooming them for a serious campaign while our humorists have an easy romp with Trump and other clowns, while ignoring the real danger.

[Bluepinky]

46. You got it right, big money donors own our media and the Rethug Party.

They have been working for so long to completely control our political system and destroy our democracy, they’re not going to allow a psychotic buffoon to ruin their chances to finally succeed. It makes sense that one or more Rethugs could be groomed behind the scenes, to take over when Trump is unable to continue his campaign (for whatever reason). All those wealthy donors who fund the right wing “think tanks” will want to see that their money has been well spent.

[malaise]

42. +1,000

He will not even be their candidate

[Martin Eden]

45. The possibility is REAL, so the media MUST discuss it

BUT the media FAILS in its responsibility when this creature is normalized and the THREAT he poses to our democracy is downplayed.

[Bluepinky]

47. It depends on the role of the media as it stands today.

The traditional role of media has been to inform the public about local and global events in an objective way. However, now that much of the media is owned by large corporations and wealthy capitalists, the role of media is to shape public opinion to suit their end goals. Fox News is an example of what much of the media has now become.

[Martin Eden]

48. Above all else, media corporations chase profits to enrich major shareholders

On top of that, what you said is true. There is a market for both liberal and "conservative" audiences, but the propaganda on Fox News is very much a product engineered for the political agenda of the owner.

When the public is presented with wildly at odds versions of reality, objective truth is readily dismissed.

[inthewind21]

59. And the

role of the voter is to think for themselves. So there's that. Everything everyone needed to know about Trump was already known or became public in 2016 BEFORE the election. Bankruptcies galore, Access Hollywood tape, rape accusations, shady business dealings, attacks on gold star families, his disgusting comments about John McCain, his treatment of immigrants, minorities and anyone who wasn't a white male and and and. What more did the public need to know that the media wasn't reporting? All anyone with 2 brain cells had to do was listen to him speak for 5 minutes and who he was and what he WAS NOT should have been crystal clear. Yet he got elected anyway. I 100% agree the media is pure shit. That's why I don't rely on media to do my thinking for me. Not even MSNBC. Yes they have some of the more sane commentators. But they are just that. Paid commentators who get paid, how much they get paid is dependent on how many viewers they can draw not how accurate and trustworthy they are.

The PUBLIC elects the government. If people are relying on the media in 2023, or for the last few decades for that matter, to keep them "informed" well, expect more of the same. What point are people expected to think for themselves, take full responsibility for their actions or inactions and not incessantly be given a pass but instead blame EVERYTHING that is ill in this country on the media? Information is out there in many places other than mainstream media. The problem as I see it, too many are too lazy to go look for it and rely on a profit driven business to tell them what to think.

[C_U_L8R]

51. I can't believe this bozo was ever president.

So surreal. This country is filled with idiots.

[DemocratInPa]

53. I just don't think..

The Young is going to turn out like they did in 2020..

As much as we ignore it, Biden numbers just aren't good.

[Blue Owl]

52. It is complete insanity

The M$M normalizing his behavior and treating him as a legitimate candidate is a huge part of the problem

[dchill]

54. That means the media have done the job...

...assigned to them by their masters.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

58. I just finished Advise and Consent by Allen Drury

And while much of the book is exasperating, this passage could have been written today:

This was the era, domestically, when everything was half done; the era, in foreign affairs, when nothing was done right because nobody seemed to care enough to exercise the foresight and take the pains to see that it was done right. This was the time when the job on the car was always half finished, the suit came back from the cleaners half dirty, the yard work was overpriced and underdone, the bright new gadget broke down a week after you got it home, the prices climbed higher and higher as the quality got less and less, and the old-fashioned rule of a fair bargain for a fair price was indeed old-fashioned, for it never applied to anything. The great Age of the Shoddy came upon America after the war, and Everybody Wants His became the guiding principle for far too many. With it came the Age of the Shrug, the time when it was too hard and too difficult and too bothersome to worry about tomorrow, or even very much about today, when the problems of world leadership were too large and too insistent and too frightening to be grasped and so everybody would rather sigh and shrug and concentrate instead on bigger and bigger cars and shinier and shinier appliances and longer and longer vacations in a sort of helpless blind seeking after Nirvana that soothed them but unfortunately only encouraged their enemies. A dry rot had affected America in these recent years, and every sensitive American knew it.