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1) The idea that Trump's base possesses a kind of limitless power, reach and depth that still remains untapped is a central feature of Trump's propagandistic depiction of his own political invulnerability.

This notion is central to the Cult of Trump.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
2) Everybody rightly mocked RNC chair Ronna McDaniel for her Baghdad Bob spin of the Kentucky loss.

But, in claiming Trump swung the polls by 17 points (LOL) by activating the base, McDaniel was speaking directly to that cult-like set of beliefs.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
3) The thing is that Trump *actually does* believe he can win only by activating the base.

He puts this into practice every day.

The idea that he needs swing voters is itself an admission of a kind of weakness -- that Trump's America has limits.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
4) Trump and his liars have built up a big story about America around these ideas.

The anti-Trump opposition is a shriveled minority gripped by anti-Trump hatred.

You see this in that dumb "impeach this" map, and in attacks on the "party of the Squad."

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
5) But the real story is complicated.

Anti-Trump anger is continuing to energize the Dem base, but at the same time, Dem candidates are talking to the middle about issues that unite Dems and independents.

Trump/GOP hostility to Obamacare helps w/that:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
6) Anyway, results like last night's, which show Dems continuing to make major gains in the suburbs, crash down (like a blue wave?) on the notion that Trump sits atop a vast, untapped rural/exurban white base that renders him invulnerable.

New piece:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
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Greg Sargent
@ThePlumLineGS
The epic rant from Rep Jim Himes about the both-sidesing of the Ukraine scandal is a seminal moment.

The whole episode shows how Trump's propaganda works: The goal is to get disinformation treated respectfully.

That's what happened here.

New piece:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
We should focus on what Biden *actually did* in Ukraine.

In that context, all these diplomats have also testified to a bigger story, in which Trump's use of Ukraine as a pawn also aligns us with corrupt kleptocracy against western liberal democracy.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
In many ways, the Ukraine scandal is really all about *disinformation.*

That's why getting a *public* statement from Ukraine was so key.

And as Steve Bannon has candidly revealed, getting the MSM to launder disinformation is the whole ball game:

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
Read 3 tweets
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Greg Sargent
@ThePlumLineGS
1) The new defense of Trump from his loyalists is laughably disingenuous.

Their claim now is that, yes, there may have been a quid pro quo, but you can't show *Trump himself* was behind it.

But the *already known* facts show this is steaming nonsense.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
2) Let's walk through this.

Trump himself personally ordered the military aid frozen.

And officials were ordered not to share details about it with lawmakers.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
3) Giuliani publicly confirmed the whole plot as early as May, and continued to do so for months.

Here's an important quote from Giuliani we should revisit now:

“I don’t do anything that involves my client without speaking with my client.”

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
Read 6 tweets
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Greg Sargent
@ThePlumLineGS
Wow. Sondland has updated his testimony, and he's now confirming that he told Ukraine that it would not get its military aid unless it publicly committed to the investigations Trump wanted, NYT reports:

nytimes.com/2019/11/05/us/…

We're getting very close to fully confirming this:
And there it is, the quid pro quo, straight from Sondland's mouth:
It's worth going back to Sondland's original statement.

Note that his wording on the quid pro quo point is weaselly. He carefully says there was no QPQ for "assistance with the president's reelection campaign" rather than for "the statements Trump wanted." Gave him wiggle room:
Read 4 tweets

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❌SlaveWar💡
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@sibeledmonds
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