When I was in Ohio working on a ‘Get Out the Vote’ campaign in 2016 and Donald Trump surprised many by winning the Presidential election, I wrote late that night, actually early the next morning, the following”
The country spoke yesterday.
And we must listen.
We’ve now had two years of Trump and his supporters speaking.
It is time the country speaks again.
And Trump and his supporters listen.
Every vote counts.
Elizabeth Tilis said:
Every vote counts. Except the ones that will never be cast because of the hundreds of thousands of voters who have been purged from the rolls.
Charles L. Tilis said:
Fantastic—Simple without being simplistic.
Question: Did “we” listen post 2016?
“WE” did. Republicans said they would fix healthcare, even the economic playing field, save social security and medicare. He said the system was “rigged” and that would be changed. Climate change best handled through capitalism and not regulations and we would have a safer America. Jobs would be created through a strong infrastructure program so we can compete globally in for the next 100 years. And, of course the deficit would come down (even eliminated during his presidency.) We don’t even hear about “draining the swamp” which is now infested by alligators, sharks and toxic waste. Oh–and “you will never see someone more presidential.”
“We” should be fighting for all of these and more because we listened and place values over political parties. Enough listening–act. Eradicate this clown show.
Land Wayland said:
They will hear what they want to hear and unpleasant sounds will be ignored. There is no reality for people who have ignored it since 5th grade and Mr. T is not about to intrude into their fantasies. To hope for a miracle is not a valid political strategy but to hope for intelligent thoughtful consideration of any issue from the recently empowered yahoos is also not a valid strategy.
The ancient Romans rejected a proposal to require slaves to wear distinctive clothing because that would make it obvious to them how many there were in society. Now that Trump has given his “base” a hat to wear and they have some idea of how many there are with same mentality there are, it may take several elections to return their attention to football and NASCAR.
The only consolation is that Trump has such a big ego he will never allow anyone to share any part of the light with him so when he is gone, there won’t be anyone to assume the mantle
Ellen W. Kessler said:
I continue to be bewildered by the path our country is following–and the person at the head of the path. The hatred, the bigotry, the fear, the division, the betrayal by our elected representatives–I want my country back!
As we endured campaigning in 2016 and the lies of Trump, I kept disputing the polls that promised that Hillary was ahead. After her years of public service and important discourse, people believed all the negatives about her and somehow accepted Trump’s lies and outrages. I worried because I feared the anti-Hillary and anti-woman prejudices I felt. And because of the Electoral College, my fears were realized.
I told my adult children, who were sobbing as the votes were counted, that he couldn’t be as bad as we feared. And I was right–he is WORSE. I worry that somehow, his fear-mongering and lying will triumph again and we may never recover from where he continues to take us. I worry especially for my 10 grandchildren, ages 25 to 3 years old, and the country in which they will live after 4 years of Trump.
So let’s all get out the vote. I was just one of many people here who registered new voters. I’m not sure all of the 2500 new voters here will vote or can help in this peculiar state in which I live. But if everyone votes this time, perhaps we can change direction—God knows we need it.
Richard said:
Ellen Kessler sent the following tribute she wrote about Rose Mallinger (97 year old who died in the Pittsburgh killings):
When one hears of mass killings, one’s heart aches for the victims and one’s brain reacts vigorously to yet another horror. We never do forget, but after a while, we become somewhat desensitized to the pain and shock that real lives were destroyed in our country. When I heard of the murders in a Squirrel Hill synagogue, I felt initially the usual disbelief, horror, and pain, but this was different because I had lived in Squirrel Hill. And when I realized that I knew and cared deeply about two of the victims, I was overwhelmed in a new and awful way.
Rose Mallinger, the 97 year old murdered victim, and her 62 year old daughter, Andrea, had been caring and loving friends of mine. We lived in Pittsburgh from 1970 through 1973, and the Mallingers had been neighbors of ours. The family lived in a two-family house and Sylvia Moidel, Rose’s sister, lived in the other half with her family. Both families had teenaged daughters who baby-sat for my three daughters, ages 4, 2 and an infant. We had been living for a year in Miami near my parents and my extended family, and moved to Pittsburgh where the weather was freezing, the skies were gray, we knew no one, and everything seemed smoky and dark. I was in my twenties and my husband, who had a new job, was working hard, 7 days a week, early morning to evening. The children missed my parents and so did I. It was a hard time for me.
Rose and her sister and their daughters reached out to us with kindness and affection, and they were the first hint to us that Pittsburgh and Squirrel Hill were great places to live. Rose had a birthday party for one of my girls and when our baby-sitters were with the children, they would often take them across the street to visit with their families, making them and us a part of their lives. I never saw Rose without a smile on her face. We cared so much about them.
After Pittsburgh, we moved to four cities in the next 7 years, and we lost touch with our dear friends in Squirrel Hill. When I met Toby Schaeffer in New Orleans, we made the Pittsburgh connection: Toby was niece of Rose and Sylvia. Through Toby, we restored contact briefly but then, life moved on. Toby would update us periodically; not surprisingly, she loved and admired these wonderful people. She explained that Rose was vigorous and aware of everything, hard to believe that at 97. Now she reports that Andrea, Rose’s daughter who was also shot on Saturday, was hospitalized and needs another surgery but should recover. I wonder if the grief from losing her mother will retard her recovery–I hope not.
I mourn with everyone the desecration and destruction that this anti-Semite brought to Tree of Life synagogue and its people, and I share the anxiety of us all about the apparent rise of anti-Semitism in our country. I again deplore this violence–here, in South Carolina, and everywhere– and I grieve with everyone about the apparent corrosion of our country. Still, the incident is more than all of those because I and my family lost a friend. May her memory be a blessing to us all.
Anon-2 said:
Interesting comments. Instead of “we must listen”, perhaps you should have said “we must observe”. Sounds like everyone did too much listening to only people who confirmed their fears. If you observed, you’d see:
The economy is booming, taxes are lower, unemployment is low, business and consumer optimism are high, North Korea is considering reunification, ISIS is staggering and depleted, Iran’s path to nukes and long-range missiles got narrower, and we are making progress on trade negotiations. Consumer balance sheets are in superb shape, and we just became the largest oil producer…and there are more jobs than there are people to fill them.
David Meyers said:
% agree you left out moving our embassy to Jerusalem. Right to try act.
Making the VA accountable. Pulling out of the ridiculous Paris Accord
Making NATO pay up. Pulling the plug on the PLO in DC & all the judges he has appointed. I’m sure i’m Leaving out a lot.
BUT MY FAVORITE THING HE DOES IS DRIVE THE LEFT INSAME
Carrie said:
I agree As unpolitically Trump says what he does, he does not say things like “ kick them when they are down” or interfere with their families in restaurants etc. The most hateful things are said by liberals. Even friends who know me have asked if I am against
Immigrants , blacks or Spanish people. That really insults me.
James M Kilby said:
The Trumpsters have everything they asked for. A president, good economy, low unemployment, deregulation etc. Why do they still need people to hate? Why do they need a threat, that doesn’t exist? Afraid of a “caravan” full of people coming to cut your lawns, clean your house and your buildings, take care of your kids, pick up your trash. All the things you’re too fat and lazy to do for your self. “It is a puzzlement beyond my understanding.”
Carrie said:
It is not the People who support Trump who want people to come just to vote and be underdogs. It’s the libs who like having them come and paying them less
David Meyers said:
You have no idea who is in the caravan. If you think it’s okay to have an open boarder why do you lock you car & your house. It’s also unfair to the people who are waiting on line. If you don’t have a border you don’t have a country. We need the wall & the Democratic’s all wanted it till DJT made it a campaign issue period.
The wall works in Israel & every place its built. Do you think all those trying to sneak into our country have all their vaccines? We know MS13 is coming in. You know they are bringing in drugs. So why in the world would you want theses people to come in without being vetted. Come in the front door sign the guest book or stay home.
Richard said:
If you have a few more moments, take a look at what Roger Angell, one of our best writers on baseball and other important issues, just wrote in The New Yorker on the topic of this post: https://bit.ly/2Pg3WPT
Anon-2 said:
The interesting thing is this: TRUMP IS NOT ON THE BALLOT….but the dems don’t seem to have anything to say except to basically lie (in my eyes) about him being a racist. Having said that, what we have here is “yanni vs. laurel” (please google it if you are unfamiliar with the reference)……now, I may hear yanni, but I don’t think those that hear laurel are evil or ignorant…and once the laurels understand that the yannis are just like them, we may have a return to civility.