It's not even noon on Election Day. We don't know the results. Disappointment may loom. Or success. But the commitment of so many for so long to combatting a malevolent president and GOP who are actively attacking our government has been deeply inspiring.
You all are fighting for your country. You all are doing what is essential to preserve a democracy. You all are what makes America a country that is so much greater than its many flaws and likely in the end to triumph over our enemies and continue growing and evolving.
Some of you have been engaged in this battle for years & years. All of you know it does not end today. But the sacrifices and brilliance and resolve of so many millions should be a source of hope for us all. And I, like so many others I know, am deeply grateful for your efforts.
Thank you.
And vote. And help and encourage others to vote.
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It is hard to imagine the shock and horror associated with the election of 2016 have been exceeded. But they have been. A president guilty of mass murder, of serial corruption, of crimes against humanity, of being a traitor...and those who enabled, supported, and protected him...
...have not been repudiated, have retained power. Trump aside, think of the message being sent by returning McConnell and his mob to the majority. Think how they will take it. Think what they will read into tonight's results.
And they will be right if they draw the conclusion that a major, unwavering bloc of Americans do not care about democracy or the rule of law or fairness or decency or even about human life, that they are motivated by racism and by greed and by twisted ideologies.
Astonishingly, the normalizers are at it again, at 3 a.m. on the most bizarre and disturbing election night in American history. Sure they're trying to be calm and say all is normal. But it is a disservice to understate the extraordinary damage the president has just done.
It is misleading to underplay the danger posed by Trump right now. Yes, our system should work, but so far, for four years now, it has not. Manifold crimes have gone unpunished. Our institutions have come under assault from those sworn to protect them.
Now, Trump is carrying forward a plan he announced weeks ago. He has launched a coup against the US people. He is attempting to steal the power our Constitution gives to them--to us. And anyone who blithely assumes that won't happen, because "our system doesn't work that way..."
The president, the attorney general, many courts, powerful donors, the Russian government, the Iranian government, and right wing extremists are all actively working not only to beat @JoeBiden but to disrupt the elections and call the results into doubt. Don't underestimate them.
You may feel that polls show the will of the people is massively against Trump, that Trump's disastrous record will sink him or that Biden's competence & decency ensures his victory. Don't kid yourself. Potent forces are working around the clock to ensure none of that matters.
Beating Trump is an uphill battle that will require huge effort between now and Election Day and perhaps even after. Besides the powerful, his allies include the complacency, apathy, and distraction of many American voters. Now is the time to work to counteract all that.
I just watched "The Trial of the Chicago 7." I enjoyed it very much, quirks and Sorkinisms and all. My biggest take away was the level of anger that existed in America over our tragic losses in Vietnam. They were, over 20 years, a quarter of our deaths this year of COVID.
Vietnam was a tragic error. It damaged the US grievously and does so to this day. But, bad as it was, there was at least to a point, a strategic rationale behind it. At least half, according to experts, and perhaps up to 90 percent of US COVID deaths were needless.
Terrible misjudgments led to the Vietnam catastrophe, many officials were responsible--from the military, at DoD, in the White House and elsewhere. But the COVID catastrophe can be laid at the feet of the ego of one man, the selfishness, ignorance and unfitness of Donald Trump.
My book "Traitor: A History of Betraying America from Benedict Arnold to Donald Trump" is out a week from today. It puts Trump in a historical perspective, essential in the run up to this election because it underscores how egregious his crimes have been. bit.ly/34DnTXf
79% of voters support coverage for pre-existing conditions. 77% support a woman's right to choose. 62% support the ACA. 60% support stricter gun laws. Trump is behind 12% in polls. He lost vote in 2016 by 3MM votes. GOP Senators represents 11MM fewer people than Dem minority.
A president supported by a shrinking minority and GOP Senators supported by an even smaller minority, both of whom are likely to see their support shrink in the current election, are trying to force into a lifetime position a judge whose views are radically out of step w/America.
This is the opposite of democracy. It flies in the face of long-established norms & even the promises & weighty pronouncements of GOP leaders. It is a power grab by a fading minority that is a slap in the face to the vast majority of Americans, including many from both parties.