Thank you, Adam, for your courage to speak up. You know, this whole Trump era reminds me to my upbringing in East Germany. Most have known not to believe the propaganda from the news and newspapers which were all controlled by the East German regime and their Russian lords. Their lies were so blatant, they were not even difficult to detect. Still, many decided to go with them. Not because they believed them, but because the came to believe that deceiving is a legitimate Instrument to reach a higher goal. I think the Trump campaign has reached that stage.
Yikes. My sister talked to a couple of German friends back in 2018, and they said it was hard, watching the history their grandparents and parents lived through (i.e., Hitler) repeat itself.
It breaks my heart that so many of my fellow Americans can’t find their better angels because they’ve been used and lied to all these years. I hope enough wake up soon.
Me too! I am stumped at the self-imposed ignorance. Some Republicans are breaking free of this oppression. That's good to see. We need another party, for I am afraid that this one is shattered. Everything that Trump touches turns to crap. He has worked to destroy Springfield, OH, in the state of his running mate. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!! (the woman whose Facebook account this garbage began on is totally regretful. She even kept her daughter home from school because of the bomb threats.) And Miss Sassy the cat was found after all in the basement.
It's not just Republicans. If it was, the polling information wouldn't even be close. Instead, it looks like Trump and Harris are tied at 50% each. This appears to me to be as irrational as Trump himself. Do we have such short memories as to forget J6, a totally chaotic White House, a continuous record of hatred, misogyny, xenophobia and on and on? I am appalled by the demonstrated ignorance of the average voter.
I cling to the hope that the majority of American voters will remember their better self's and ensure a certificate lunatic will win the presidency again. After all, before Jan 6, who would have imagined Adam Kingzingers and Liz Cheney taking a stand against their own party and paying the price. Never in my mind could I have ever imagined considering them as heroes, yet here I am. I'm glad I live in a county in Arizona where I will have the options to vote blue down ballot, even though not all state positions have a democratic option available; those will be left blank.
I know but the EC is in the Constitution so it is very hard to change. There is a way around that - The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. It is a proposal that does not abolish the Electoral College, but instead of a winner-takes-all system, electors would pledge to vote for the winning candidate of the national popular vote, not their state’s popular vote. 17 states and DC have already signed on. The website is https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/ I didn't realize that in 2016 10 faithless electors refused to vote for their states choice- Hilary Clinton and chose trump instead!
Yes I was reading about that. I know the EC is in the Constitution and is difficult to get changed/amended. But we Americans can do hard things. If we, the people, make our voices heard, change can happen.
Demagogues have an acute sense of what to say to manipulate those susceptible to their message, whether it be hate-based like fascism or toxic positivity as in religious cults. I am not sure how to reach those immersed in the MAGA cult short of deprogramming. Some do wake up on their own but many will not.
Better angels have fled the scene until after the 2024 election is over and decided. They are taking a much needed break from all the MAGA induced chaos.
Yes, Adam, Trump is responsible for the extreme polarization of this country. He is deranged, mad, narcissistic, insane etc. He has a base which is inexplicable. He has a more intelligent VP candidate who spews the same hate and garbage he does. Where does it leave us if he wins?
I think Trump also unites us. and I try to look at this side of the sad story. Because he unites a growing and diverse coalition against him and that is a sight to behold.
In some ways, I agree that trump is uniting many of us. The first substack I subscribed to was Heather Cox Richardson’s after following her on Facebook. I’ve added several more, including Adam’s, plus I love Politics Girl’s rants on instagram. I’m old enough to have gotten a good high school and college education on history and government, but I learn so much history from Heather.
These Substacks have pulled so many of us together, keeping us sane and recognizing that we need to worry about politics and the danger our democracy is in. I’m grateful for the knowledge so many share in their comments, but I’m even more grateful to see how many of us there are and how motivated to do something to help, however we can. We are not crazy and we are not alone!
I am glad you found the substack community rather uplifting, Danielle. I have not grown up in America but in east Germany, and so much reminds me of 1989 in my former life over there, when the people raised up to take back their freedom.
I’ve been worried since 2016. My mother, who was 17 when Hitler took her country, started worrying when the “War on drugs” authorized no-knock warrants. I was visiting her when that was announced on the evening news. She commented “This is how it begins.”
Oscar, I am glad to hear that. We all need some balm for our tender souls these days. You know, the abuser wants us to get mad over him, that is his playbook and thus the playbook of dictators, too. We cannot allow them to poison our hearts.
This is what I love about Kamala Harris. She looks at 45 as what he is, a disturbed poor soul. And she remind us to reject the poison and take back the politics of joy instead.
The inexplicable nature of many MAGA disciples derives from our inability to understand their angst is driven by self-disenfranchisement. It is hard to have compassion or pity on an otherwise normal person who cries out in pain after beating his head against the wall. Their disenfranchisement results primarily from witnessing minorities succeed or receive government aid because minority populations have been discriminated against and disenfranchised for far longer. If minorities had not suffered the burden of white privilege, white supremacy and white hatred toward them, maybe we would be further down the road toward reconciliation and MAGA would mean, My Angst? Gone Away!
What's the most disturbing about Trump gaslighting everyone is how much time and energy we're spending talking about it. Every pundit, including Adam, writes eloquently about it, usually preaching to the choir, and nothing changes. I'm running out of energy and patience for putting up with how we continue to be sucked into Trump's sick orbit. I see no way out until the election. Sorry to be such a downer but there it is.
And most of the MSM like NYT and WaPo, Politico, CNN, don't call him out on his outright lies. His blatantly false statements go unchallenged. This is a huge disservice to America.
I think many in the MSM have called Trump out on his lies. It seems to change nothing. Those of us who hate the lies and want something to be done about them make two mistakes: 1) expecting that calling Trump out will stop it and 2) assuming that it should bother all voters. It doesn't.
Trump thinks that we are too stupid or too gullible not to see what he is up to. That gullibility/ignorance is reserved for MAGA. The rest of us know Trump for exactly who and what he is.
I’m reading more and more about the long history of of the R. Plan that is now being implemented: how this jerk’s just a replaceable pawn of the Heritage Foundation, they got the Sup. Court - proj. 2025 next on their agenda. Scary….
More people are seeing the projection and gaslighting that Trump uses, and reject him because of it. Political analysts are now predicting a landslide for Harris. 400 Electorial College voted for her.
People are suffering in America but they are realizing that they are suffering more when they listen to Trump. Many of those suffering do so because they have made poor choices and lived beyond their means. There is nothing that Trump can do to help them. Harris and Walz may be able to help them. Reverse the 2017 Trump tax structure debacle that has put extra hardship on the workers who make under $75,000 a year. Continue pushing consumer prices down on groceries, utilities, and fuel. Outlaw AR-15 style rifles and make going to school safe for the children. Stop the hate.
There is much to do. We need to defeat MAGA and help the true Republicans rebuild their Party. Everything Trump touches dies, and the GOP has found that to be true.
It's almost 3pmEST which is when several of us join to pray for Adam, his family and democracy 🙏. Today I am going to really ask that All the gaslighting believers tol see the truth before they vote. It gives me some peace and I hope it will for those of you who join in today and daily!!
Thanks, Adam! See you tonight at the Country First campfire 🔥!
🙏🏻it becomes increasingly difficult to help many of us traditional promoters to accept abortion. I feel strongly that for fifty years we’ve had a chance to help families make good choices and we blew it! What we need to do is help people make good choices, not vote for prolife hijackers. Country first, then we’ll deal with policies 🙏🏻🇺🇸🙏🏻
As the madman of Mar-A-Lago continues his massive meltdown we need to be prepared for practically anything. Today's polls are going to cause him to begin devolving exponentially. In other words, we ain't seen nothing yet.
Since his incessant attacks on Harris aren't accomplishing anything except destroying his campaign, expect him to turn on his MAGA/GOP base very soon. It has to be the fault of someone else that this is happening to him. See the pattern here?
Hopefully, his final act will be to Nero Decree all in the MAGA/GOP cult. That would make having to witness this ugly implosion worthwhile for our great nation...
Absolutely correct. Please interject these comments in upcoming interviews! Gloria Horton- Young posted today— a troubling fear ( if Trump gets in) his team intend to cite the 25– and install Vance. I’ve had this thought, myself. Maybe? We need to share this fear with others? Any opinion?
Or he makes sure there's no cases against him and he turns the reins over to vance. Then he hits Mara Loco and the golf courses. That's what I picture. Maybe even a bigger nightmare!
What I absolutely CANNOT comprehend is that current polling from various sources show a statistical tie between the two candidates for President! Who are these pollsters talking to? I live in Adam's old district (quite Red) and I have a few neighbors with Trump/Vance signs in their yards. No one has a Harris/Walz sign. BUT, our village had an annual end-of-summer celebration last weekend. I worked at our Church booth selling treats to the public. I was a little concerned that political discussions would center around Trump winning in November. HOWEVER, I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to find that everyone that brought up politics was supporting Harris/Walz and all agreed that Trump is unfit for office! As the weekend concluded I went home knowing that there are many more Harris/Walz supporters than the polls reflect! My gut feel is that Harris/Walz supporters are keeping a low profile (think silent majority, but not in terms of a campaign slogan). My gut is that Harris will resoundingly defeat Trump in November. Nevertheless EVERY ONE OF US must turn out and Vote Blue up and down the ballot in November!
Absolutely right, Adam. Sadly, it is spawning violence against him and others (the Gang of Six on SCOTUS today) which he and his minions will use to justify violence against those outside MAGAworld whatever the election outcome. He is using fear to try to silence critics, including decent Republicans who would otherwise publicly denounce him and endorse Harris, who fear, probably with good reason, for their families if not themselves. I have found myself reading a lot of novels and history about Germany in recent months, and just finished a marvelous book about the brothers-in-law Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans Dohnanyi, both strong voices and actors against the Nazis and Hitlers who were hanged in April, 1945 in a last spate of retribution by that horror. I know people find the Hitler analogy overused, but the methods employed by him and Goebbels (author of the "Big Lie" theory)to gain power are frighteningly similar. It CAN happen here, unless we have a very strongly blue November, which will at least limit the violence, because the forces of evil will not have the government behind them. Blue all the way for the USA, because there is no other way.
I like the way you wrote this. Tying all three together gives each of them more weights. Also, everybody knows he lies, but using the term gaslighting is more powerful as it provides a nefarious reason for his lies. Good job Adam!
In my neighborhood 2 more Harris/Walz flags are up. Keep doing what you're doing, Mr. Kinzinger. We keep talking to our neighbors, canvassing, sharing what we want to for our community, our children and our world. Keep working on What Unites Us (another great book from Dan Rather). We work until the polls close on Nov. 5. Together, we are stronger than the hate.
Good for your neighborhood. The opposite is happening where I live. Stolen signs/banners, graffitied signs and destroyed for all to see. People are afraid to post any more as there is a feeling that this could lead to some greater criminal activity.
Thank you, Adam, for your courage to speak up. You know, this whole Trump era reminds me to my upbringing in East Germany. Most have known not to believe the propaganda from the news and newspapers which were all controlled by the East German regime and their Russian lords. Their lies were so blatant, they were not even difficult to detect. Still, many decided to go with them. Not because they believed them, but because the came to believe that deceiving is a legitimate Instrument to reach a higher goal. I think the Trump campaign has reached that stage.
that is so sad and alarming
Yikes. My sister talked to a couple of German friends back in 2018, and they said it was hard, watching the history their grandparents and parents lived through (i.e., Hitler) repeat itself.
It breaks my heart that so many of my fellow Americans can’t find their better angels because they’ve been used and lied to all these years. I hope enough wake up soon.
Me too! I am stumped at the self-imposed ignorance. Some Republicans are breaking free of this oppression. That's good to see. We need another party, for I am afraid that this one is shattered. Everything that Trump touches turns to crap. He has worked to destroy Springfield, OH, in the state of his running mate. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!! (the woman whose Facebook account this garbage began on is totally regretful. She even kept her daughter home from school because of the bomb threats.) And Miss Sassy the cat was found after all in the basement.
Trump leaves Chaos everywhere!
I agree, this version of the Republican party must be defeated for a decent center-right party to be born.
I submit it has to be a devastating, humiliating loss in order to force the Republican Party to face the total corruption of today's party.
It's not just Republicans. If it was, the polling information wouldn't even be close. Instead, it looks like Trump and Harris are tied at 50% each. This appears to me to be as irrational as Trump himself. Do we have such short memories as to forget J6, a totally chaotic White House, a continuous record of hatred, misogyny, xenophobia and on and on? I am appalled by the demonstrated ignorance of the average voter.
I don't think MAGAts ignorance is self-imposed. It comes natural to them.
I cling to the hope that the majority of American voters will remember their better self's and ensure a certificate lunatic will win the presidency again. After all, before Jan 6, who would have imagined Adam Kingzingers and Liz Cheney taking a stand against their own party and paying the price. Never in my mind could I have ever imagined considering them as heroes, yet here I am. I'm glad I live in a county in Arizona where I will have the options to vote blue down ballot, even though not all state positions have a democratic option available; those will be left blank.
Should be "will NEVER win the presidency again."
the majority will. it's the crucial few in the swing states that will decide.
Again it’s the minority who are the determining factor. Go figure. That’s not a true democracy then, IMHO.
I know but the EC is in the Constitution so it is very hard to change. There is a way around that - The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. It is a proposal that does not abolish the Electoral College, but instead of a winner-takes-all system, electors would pledge to vote for the winning candidate of the national popular vote, not their state’s popular vote. 17 states and DC have already signed on. The website is https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/ I didn't realize that in 2016 10 faithless electors refused to vote for their states choice- Hilary Clinton and chose trump instead!
Yes I was reading about that. I know the EC is in the Constitution and is difficult to get changed/amended. But we Americans can do hard things. If we, the people, make our voices heard, change can happen.
Demagogues have an acute sense of what to say to manipulate those susceptible to their message, whether it be hate-based like fascism or toxic positivity as in religious cults. I am not sure how to reach those immersed in the MAGA cult short of deprogramming. Some do wake up on their own but many will not.
they will wake up once trump is out, the leaders realize that and start to focus on other things.
I hope so. But as it's been said by Gomer Pyle. STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!
Oops, it was Forest Gump, not Gomer Pyle. My Bad! But you get the gist....
I just happened to listen to this today on The Lincoln Project podcast, "Steven Hassan on the Cult of Trump, " which relates to your post. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lincoln-project/id1551582052
I’ve heard Dr Hassan on podcasts. He created the BITE model to explain cult brainwashing
Better angels have fled the scene until after the 2024 election is over and decided. They are taking a much needed break from all the MAGA induced chaos.
Yes, Adam, Trump is responsible for the extreme polarization of this country. He is deranged, mad, narcissistic, insane etc. He has a base which is inexplicable. He has a more intelligent VP candidate who spews the same hate and garbage he does. Where does it leave us if he wins?
I think Trump also unites us. and I try to look at this side of the sad story. Because he unites a growing and diverse coalition against him and that is a sight to behold.
In some ways, I agree that trump is uniting many of us. The first substack I subscribed to was Heather Cox Richardson’s after following her on Facebook. I’ve added several more, including Adam’s, plus I love Politics Girl’s rants on instagram. I’m old enough to have gotten a good high school and college education on history and government, but I learn so much history from Heather.
These Substacks have pulled so many of us together, keeping us sane and recognizing that we need to worry about politics and the danger our democracy is in. I’m grateful for the knowledge so many share in their comments, but I’m even more grateful to see how many of us there are and how motivated to do something to help, however we can. We are not crazy and we are not alone!
I am glad you found the substack community rather uplifting, Danielle. I have not grown up in America but in east Germany, and so much reminds me of 1989 in my former life over there, when the people raised up to take back their freedom.
I’ve been worried since 2016. My mother, who was 17 when Hitler took her country, started worrying when the “War on drugs” authorized no-knock warrants. I was visiting her when that was announced on the evening news. She commented “This is how it begins.”
Thank you for your insight!
I am lately allowing myself to get so angry and perturbed about this “disgraceful human being,” that I want to fly to another planet!
And you are as a great balm for this moment ~ thank you again for helping to be back to my sense of peace!
Oscar, I am glad to hear that. We all need some balm for our tender souls these days. You know, the abuser wants us to get mad over him, that is his playbook and thus the playbook of dictators, too. We cannot allow them to poison our hearts.
This is what I love about Kamala Harris. She looks at 45 as what he is, a disturbed poor soul. And she remind us to reject the poison and take back the politics of joy instead.
Thank you so very much!
Interesting application of the ‘common enemy’ and ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ analogies.
that is an interesting way to put it, Wayne :-)
He won’t. Imo.
That would be answered prayers
The inexplicable nature of many MAGA disciples derives from our inability to understand their angst is driven by self-disenfranchisement. It is hard to have compassion or pity on an otherwise normal person who cries out in pain after beating his head against the wall. Their disenfranchisement results primarily from witnessing minorities succeed or receive government aid because minority populations have been discriminated against and disenfranchised for far longer. If minorities had not suffered the burden of white privilege, white supremacy and white hatred toward them, maybe we would be further down the road toward reconciliation and MAGA would mean, My Angst? Gone Away!
What's the most disturbing about Trump gaslighting everyone is how much time and energy we're spending talking about it. Every pundit, including Adam, writes eloquently about it, usually preaching to the choir, and nothing changes. I'm running out of energy and patience for putting up with how we continue to be sucked into Trump's sick orbit. I see no way out until the election. Sorry to be such a downer but there it is.
And most of the MSM like NYT and WaPo, Politico, CNN, don't call him out on his outright lies. His blatantly false statements go unchallenged. This is a huge disservice to America.
I think many in the MSM have called Trump out on his lies. It seems to change nothing. Those of us who hate the lies and want something to be done about them make two mistakes: 1) expecting that calling Trump out will stop it and 2) assuming that it should bother all voters. It doesn't.
Not enough of them call him out. And when Biden was running, they hit him relentlessly about his age. Where are the age questions now for trump?
Outright double standards are always crazy-making.
Trump thinks that we are too stupid or too gullible not to see what he is up to. That gullibility/ignorance is reserved for MAGA. The rest of us know Trump for exactly who and what he is.
I’m reading more and more about the long history of of the R. Plan that is now being implemented: how this jerk’s just a replaceable pawn of the Heritage Foundation, they got the Sup. Court - proj. 2025 next on their agenda. Scary….
Apparently, many Americans are!
Gaslighting is not going to change even after the election. Vote blue. Rough road ahead.
Have you noticed the Republican candidates are using blue in their propaganda vote for me advertising? Very prevalent in my city/county.
You said it Adam!! Which is why every single one of has to do everything we can to make sure he never steps foot in the Oval Office again!!
More people are seeing the projection and gaslighting that Trump uses, and reject him because of it. Political analysts are now predicting a landslide for Harris. 400 Electorial College voted for her.
People are suffering in America but they are realizing that they are suffering more when they listen to Trump. Many of those suffering do so because they have made poor choices and lived beyond their means. There is nothing that Trump can do to help them. Harris and Walz may be able to help them. Reverse the 2017 Trump tax structure debacle that has put extra hardship on the workers who make under $75,000 a year. Continue pushing consumer prices down on groceries, utilities, and fuel. Outlaw AR-15 style rifles and make going to school safe for the children. Stop the hate.
There is much to do. We need to defeat MAGA and help the true Republicans rebuild their Party. Everything Trump touches dies, and the GOP has found that to be true.
It's almost 3pmEST which is when several of us join to pray for Adam, his family and democracy 🙏. Today I am going to really ask that All the gaslighting believers tol see the truth before they vote. It gives me some peace and I hope it will for those of you who join in today and daily!!
Thanks, Adam! See you tonight at the Country First campfire 🔥!
I too pray each day at Mass and the rosary that right will prevail over evil
Thank you, Lucille!! It's appreciated 🙏!!
🙏🏻it becomes increasingly difficult to help many of us traditional promoters to accept abortion. I feel strongly that for fifty years we’ve had a chance to help families make good choices and we blew it! What we need to do is help people make good choices, not vote for prolife hijackers. Country first, then we’ll deal with policies 🙏🏻🇺🇸🙏🏻
Prolifers
As the madman of Mar-A-Lago continues his massive meltdown we need to be prepared for practically anything. Today's polls are going to cause him to begin devolving exponentially. In other words, we ain't seen nothing yet.
Since his incessant attacks on Harris aren't accomplishing anything except destroying his campaign, expect him to turn on his MAGA/GOP base very soon. It has to be the fault of someone else that this is happening to him. See the pattern here?
Hopefully, his final act will be to Nero Decree all in the MAGA/GOP cult. That would make having to witness this ugly implosion worthwhile for our great nation...
Absolutely correct. Please interject these comments in upcoming interviews! Gloria Horton- Young posted today— a troubling fear ( if Trump gets in) his team intend to cite the 25– and install Vance. I’ve had this thought, myself. Maybe? We need to share this fear with others? Any opinion?
Or he makes sure there's no cases against him and he turns the reins over to vance. Then he hits Mara Loco and the golf courses. That's what I picture. Maybe even a bigger nightmare!
What I absolutely CANNOT comprehend is that current polling from various sources show a statistical tie between the two candidates for President! Who are these pollsters talking to? I live in Adam's old district (quite Red) and I have a few neighbors with Trump/Vance signs in their yards. No one has a Harris/Walz sign. BUT, our village had an annual end-of-summer celebration last weekend. I worked at our Church booth selling treats to the public. I was a little concerned that political discussions would center around Trump winning in November. HOWEVER, I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to find that everyone that brought up politics was supporting Harris/Walz and all agreed that Trump is unfit for office! As the weekend concluded I went home knowing that there are many more Harris/Walz supporters than the polls reflect! My gut feel is that Harris/Walz supporters are keeping a low profile (think silent majority, but not in terms of a campaign slogan). My gut is that Harris will resoundingly defeat Trump in November. Nevertheless EVERY ONE OF US must turn out and Vote Blue up and down the ballot in November!
I wouldn't be surprised if some people responding to pollsters questions aren't being honest about voting for Harris as a means of self-protection.
I wonder about polling methodology as well. Remember in 2016 when Hillary was up 4-5 points and still lost (well, she lost the EC?)
Absolutely right, Adam. Sadly, it is spawning violence against him and others (the Gang of Six on SCOTUS today) which he and his minions will use to justify violence against those outside MAGAworld whatever the election outcome. He is using fear to try to silence critics, including decent Republicans who would otherwise publicly denounce him and endorse Harris, who fear, probably with good reason, for their families if not themselves. I have found myself reading a lot of novels and history about Germany in recent months, and just finished a marvelous book about the brothers-in-law Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans Dohnanyi, both strong voices and actors against the Nazis and Hitlers who were hanged in April, 1945 in a last spate of retribution by that horror. I know people find the Hitler analogy overused, but the methods employed by him and Goebbels (author of the "Big Lie" theory)to gain power are frighteningly similar. It CAN happen here, unless we have a very strongly blue November, which will at least limit the violence, because the forces of evil will not have the government behind them. Blue all the way for the USA, because there is no other way.
I like the way you wrote this. Tying all three together gives each of them more weights. Also, everybody knows he lies, but using the term gaslighting is more powerful as it provides a nefarious reason for his lies. Good job Adam!
In my neighborhood 2 more Harris/Walz flags are up. Keep doing what you're doing, Mr. Kinzinger. We keep talking to our neighbors, canvassing, sharing what we want to for our community, our children and our world. Keep working on What Unites Us (another great book from Dan Rather). We work until the polls close on Nov. 5. Together, we are stronger than the hate.
Sandy:
Good for your neighborhood. The opposite is happening where I live. Stolen signs/banners, graffitied signs and destroyed for all to see. People are afraid to post any more as there is a feeling that this could lead to some greater criminal activity.
That's MAGA for ya'! These are the kind of people that back Trump. God help us.
T***p and his enablers must lose by large margins.