The following is an opinion piece by George Packer, staff writer at the Atlantic. This piece seems to be is a good representation how many Leftists see the world of politics involving Trump. I will go through this article and provide my opinions and counterpoints along the way. Obviously, this process will change the formatting of the original article. To assess the legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency, start by quantifying it. Since last February, more than a quarter of a million Americans have died from COVID-19—a fifth of the world’s deaths from the disease, the highest number of any country. The United States population is highly mobile, including high mileage commuting and active international travel. This makes effective contract tracing more difficult. Further, the United States have the 3rd largest population in the world. When Trump discussed shutting down borders with China, Biden called it “Xenophobic”. So while Trump’s Covid crisis management does not impress, likely neither would any elses. For reference, look at all the other countries in a “Covid crisis” now. In the three years before the pandemic, 2.3 million Americans lost their health insurance, accounting for up to 10,000 “excess deaths”; millions more lost coverage during the pandemic. The characterization that “2.3 million Americans lost their health insurance” happens to include young self employed and people who take care of their health who have better uses for their money than $300 to $600 per month going to an insurance company. So yes, while Trump eased Obama era penalties regarding Health insurance requirements, many took advantage on their own volition. As far as millions of people losing their healthcare during the pandemic, would not job losses be exacerbated because of the high fixed costs of health insurance and the lack of immediate return for this money spent? The United States’ score on the human-rights organization Freedom House’s annual index dropped from 90 out of 100 under President Barack Obama to 86 under Trump, below that of Greece and Mauritius. A subjective score on an index that likely fluctuates everytime it is compiled is not newsworthy. Freedom House has recieved criticism from both Left and Right, according to wikipedia.org. Interestingly, US Government funded Freedom House was apparently involved financially in the Ukrainian elections. Trump withdrew the U.S. from 13 international organizations, agreements, and treaties. There is little doubt in my mind that Trump realized the money we gave for these organizations either was wasted or actually employed in the furtherance of Leftist causes. The number of refugees admitted into the country annually fell from 85,000 to 12,000. Another country’s issues are not necessarily the obligation of the US. Some of these “Refugees” are from countries known for terrorism and being hostile to US interests. About 400 miles of barrier were built along the southern border. Four hundred miles of barrier probably pissed off supporters of both major US political parties, too much for Democrats, not enough for Republicans. The whereabouts of the parents of 666 children seized at the border by U.S. officials remain unknown. Sounds like a “Let’s drop off the kids we can’t or don’t want to take care of and let Uncle Sam babysit them for us”. Even worse, some of these kids may have been used as a ploy by unrelated adults in an attempt to cross the border. “666 children ‘seized’...” is a nice, emotional characterization, is it not? It is not like the US Government was on patrol in a foreign country looking for kids to steal. The children were brought to us and abandoned by the adults who brought them. Trump reversed 80 environmental rules and regulations. One of the “Hallmarks” of the Obama Administration was over regulation of businesses to excert political control for the purpose of benefitting large political donors, to raise government revenues in a low profile way, and to have a method of silencing dissension through selective enforcement of certain regulations. He appointed more than 220 judges to the federal bench, including three to the Supreme Court—24 percent female, 4 percent Black, and 100 percent conservative, with more rated “not qualified” by the American Bar Association than under any other president in the past half century. According to the US Bar Association, 5% of attorneys in the US are Black. Further, 90 plus percent of Blacks vote Democrat. Judges are usually former attorneys. Seems to me, Trump bent over backwards to fill judge slots with as many Blacks as possible given their availability and other political considerations. As far as judicial qualification statistics, it is subjective and thus can be characterized in a wide variety of ways, but as far as raw numbers, given the large number of Trump appointments, the average experience of each judge is statistically likely to be less. Further, we need more “Young blood” in important positions, right? The national debt increased by $7 trillion, or 37 percent. A large part of this increase was related to Covid and Social programs to the benefit of constituents of the Democrat Party. Yes, military spending increased, apparently to address new weapon syatems. In Trump’s last year, the trade deficit was on track to exceed $600 billion, the largest gap since 2008. The US trade deficit has long been correlated with economic growth. It is interesting the author of this article used 2008 as a base year instead of 2016. Regardless, do not our trading partners benefit when the US spends more on foreign goods each year? Domestic production also advanced under the Trump Administration, right? Trump signed just one major piece of legislation, the 2017 tax law, which, according to one study, for the first time brought the total tax rate of the wealthiest 400 Americans below that of every other income group. In Trump’s first year as president, he paid $750 in taxes. Trump signed just one “Major” piece of legislation... Nice characterization. The Trump tax cuts are designed to stimulate the economy on the idea of attracting investment capital to the US, the belief that businesses know how to allocate resources better than the government, and to create an environment of perceived business friendliness that encourages risk taking behaviours such as expansion and the capital goods purchases and hiring that go along with it. Before Covid hit, unemployment was at historic lows, including minorities and the young as shown by a large string of successive records. While he was in office, taxpayers and campaign donors handed over at least $8 million to his family business. What should we call it when large corporate lobbyists, such as technology companies, make large campaign donations and get together with public officials for taxpayer funded contracts or competition stiffling legistlation? his 25,000 false or misleading statements. Super-spread by social media and cable news, they contaminated the minds of tens of millions of people. Trump’s lies will linger for years, poisoning the atmosphere like radioactive dust. Too bad some of the fact checker themselves are compromised with bias and links to Leftist media outlets trying to restore their long lost credibility. Speaking of contaminating young minds, whatever happened to free speech on major US college campuses? At least for Conservative students? Do I really need to go into the mind bending Leftist content seen in a lot of T.V. shows and children’s cartoons, here? There should be an exposition on these shows with transcripts analyzed. Presidents lie routinely, about everything from war to sex to their health. When the lies are consequential enough, they have a corrosive effect on democracy. Lyndon B. Johnson deceived Americans about the Gulf of Tonkin incident and everything else concerning the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon’s lifelong habit of prevaricating gave him the nickname “Tricky Dick.” After Vietnam and Watergate, Americans never fully recovered their trust in government. But these cases of presidential lying came from a time when the purpose was limited and rational: to cover up a scandal, make a disaster disappear, mislead the public in service of a particular goal. In a sense, Americans expected a degree of fabrication from their leaders. After Jimmy Carter, in his 1976 campaign, promised, “I’ll never lie to you,” and then pretty much kept his word, voters sent him back to Georgia. Ronald Reagan’s gauzy fictions were far more popular. I don’t believe credible history recorded Ronald Reagan himself as a liar or using deception. Certaintly some is his Administration, such as George Bush gave false information without the knowledge and consent of Reagan, in my opinion. The popularity of Reagan for most Americans was that he emphasized US interests and the culture that made the United States exceptional. Trump’s lies were different. They belonged to the postmodern era. They were assaults against not this or that fact, but reality itself. They spread beyond public policy to invade private life, clouding the mental faculties of everyone who had to breathe his air, dissolving the very distinction between truth and falsehood. Trump is more honest than most on material issues and on several levels. For example, when Trump was campaigning in 2016, he said he got great deals by contributing to politician’s reelection campaigns. Trump said several times he used US bankruptsy laws to his benefit because it was legal to do. In other words, Trump has told the truth in spite of it potentially hurting his own self interest. Trump is honest on another level as well. Trump speaks his mind and usually does not hide behind a third party when suggesting or implementing policy. This is unlike the “Trial balloons” released by administration officials and or the media seen in previous administrations. In other words, Trump provides great transparency into how he operates. Their purpose was never the conventional desire to conceal something shameful from the public. He was stunningly forthright about things that other presidents would have gone to great lengths to keep secret: his true feelings about Senator John McCain and other war heroes; Trump is most definately an alpha male who knows how to put his opponents at a disadvantage. John McCain and others were being coddled by the press. Further, it was marketing genius of Trump to say controversial things because of all the media attention he garnered. This allowed Trump’s message to get through: “Yes, I am a asshole, but I love the United States and am concerned where we are headed”. Considering the “White shaming”, the “Men shaming”, and the “Achiever shaming” that occured during the Obama Administration, is it any wonder why many embraced Trump in spite of his “Assholiness”? his eagerness to get rid of disloyal underlings; his desire for law enforcement to protect his friends and hurt his enemies; What leader should ever tolerate disloyalty? Constructive criticism is ok, but spying or other counterproductive behaviours are not. By the way, Trump is very approchable as shown with his battles with Megyn Kelly and certain foreign leaders. his effort to extort a foreign leader for dirt on a political adversary; That is one way to characterize it. Interesting it hit the nerve that it did. Was the justice department getting close to something? International cooperation on corruption investigations are nothing new. Neither is US Presidential contact with foreign leaders concerning political opponents as shown by presedence, although technically illegal. his affection for Kim Jong Un and admiration for Vladimir Putin; his positive view of white nationalists; his hostility toward racial and religious minorities; When you have dangerous adversaries, is it not better to try to befriend them as in “Speak softly and carry a big stick”? Or in Trump’s case, “Speak loudly, carry a big stick, but be approachable”? and his contempt for women. Yes Trump is an asshole. Interesting how many women have been willing to work for him, right? The most mendacious of Trump’s predecessors would have been careful to limit these thoughts to private recording systems. Trump spoke them openly, not because he couldn’t control his impulses, but intentionally, even systematically, in order to demolish the norms that would otherwise have constrained his power. Trump, like the media, understanda the value of “Shock” in gaining attention and ideas across. To his supporters, his shamelessness became a badge of honesty and strength. They grasped the message that they, too, could say whatever they wanted without apology. Trump destroyed conversation controlling political correctness that was effectively suppressing a large part of our culture. Again, this build up of resentment is what led Trump to victory in 2016 with almost 63,000,000 votes and to a contested 2020 election with about 74,000,000 votes. To his opponents, fighting by the rules—even in as small a way as calling him “President Trump”—seemed like a sucker’s game. So the level of American political language was everywhere dragged down, leaving a gaping shame deficit. I hate “Gaping shame deficits”, don’t you? Trump stood at the White House podium and declared himself the winner of an election that his opponent was trying to steal. What would most of us do if we legitimately believed the same? This crowning conspiracy theory of Trump’s presidency activated his entitled children, compliant staff, and sycophants in Congress and the media to issue dozens of statements declaring that the election was fraudulent. The evidence of possible election fraud was viewable by ordinary Americans and also has dozens of corroborating witnesses who signed affidavits. Following the mechanism of every big lie of the Trump years, the Republican Party establishment fell in line. Within a week of Election Day, false claims of voter fraud in swing states had received almost 5 million mentions in the press and on social media. Interesting there was an entity counting all the social media mentions. I wonder what the agenda of this entity is and who it is? Grin. In one poll, 70 percent of Republican voters concluded that the election hadn’t been free or fair. The key to enlightenment for Democrats is understanding why this is the case. Hints given throughout this post. So a stab-in-the-back narrative was buried in the minds of millions of Americans, where it burns away, as imperishable as a carbon isotope, consuming whatever is left of their trust in democratic institutions and values. Distrust of Democrats by many is based upon long term biased media coverage, refusal of Democrat leaders to denounce riots, for a long time, and certaintly not in earnest, that caused significant property damage, injuries, and looting, and the selective prosecutions by Democrat district attroneys according to political affilliation of the defendant. This narrative will widen the gap between Trump believers and their compatriots who might live in the same town, but a different universe. And that was Trump’s purpose—to keep us locked in a mental prison where reality was unknowable so that he could go on wielding power, whether in or out of office, including the power to destroy. This mental prison is applicable to minorities that support Democrats against their own self interest. For many decades, the achievement gap in Democrat big city political strongholds, particularily in many minority neighborhoods has not improved. Further, the Democrat led push to legalize motivation sapping marijuana will likely result in a life sentence of poverty inducing achievement gaps for their minority and other constituents. For his opponents, the lies were intended to be profoundly demoralizing. Neither counting them nor checking facts nor debunking conspiracies made any difference. Trump demonstrated again and again that the truth doesn’t matter. Achievers should be the ones to get their ideas heard, not exclusively career politicians, lawyers, media personalities, and artists. Trump is a great achiever, becoming a billionaire, raising many productive children, and becoming a US President in spite of being an outsider and a hostle media. In rational people this provoked incredulity, outrage, exhaustion, and finally an impulse to crawl away and abandon the field of politics to the fantasists. The above statement is exactly the opposite of reality. For believers, the consequences were worse. They surrendered the ability to make basic judgments about facts, exiling themselves from the common framework of self-government. They became litter swirling in the wind of any preposterous claim that blew from @realDonaldTrump. Poetically said, but not based in reality. Truth was whatever made the world whole again by hurting their enemies—the more far-fetched, the more potent and thrilling. Does election transparency and integrity fall under this “Utopian umbrella”? After the election, as charges of voter fraud began to pile up, Matthew Sheffield, a reformed right-wing media activist, tweeted: “Truth for conservative journalists is anything that harms ‘the left.’ It doesn’t even have to be a fact. Trump’s numerous lies about any subject under the sun are thus justified because his deceptions point to a larger truth: that liberals are evil.” Personally, I’ll put more faith upon the testimony of credible witnesses to potential election fraud than a “Reformed” Right-wing activist. he addressed the nation for the first time on the subject of the pandemic and showed himself to be completely out of his depth. The virus was a fact that Trump couldn’t lie into oblivion or forge into a political weapon—it was too personal and frightening, too real. Trump missed an historic opportunity to advance his party’s political agenda with the Global Coronavirus Pandemic. Think about it: Extended border closures cuts down illegal immigration, reduced trade necessitates more domestic production, preparedness vulnerabilities demand a bigger military and or homeland security budget likely resulting in many government contracts to be handed out, including swing states. I am certain Clinton, Bush, or Obama would never let a “Crisis go to waste” like Trump has with Covid. As hundreds of thousands of Americans died, many of them needlessly, and the administration flailed between fantasy, partisan incitement, and criminal negligence, a crucial number of Americans realized that Trump’s lies could get someone they love killed. As intimated before, any US politician does not have the political backbone to see through a virus ending shutdown, along with other necessary steps, to the end. Even then, any internal or external non compliance to necessary mandates would likely result in reinfection anyway. Trump may not be pretty, but he may well be the best we have to represent us of available candidates. Most importantly, if Trump was in fact duly elected, justice demands Trump take his rightful place in US politics and history, for the long term benefit for us all. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com. Edit: Link to source, titied, A Political Obiturary of Donald Trump: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/the-legacy-of-donald-trump/617255/
That is no proof of fraud. It would be if the ballots that were added at that moment would be checked one by one manually to see if they were legal. That never happened. The spike is big enough to enable the Trumpers to proof it. But they cannot, they just guess. The spike was at Nov, 4 when the counting of the mail votes started. These votes were in numbers massively for Biden as his voters used that way much more than Trump voters. If there would not have been a spike it would have looked like fraud. For as far as I understand, the chart is not the result of a continuous stream of counted votes. Votes are apparently uploaded on an irregular timeframe beµase in batches from USB sticks. If there are a few USB sticks that are uploaded with a small delay, the added votes will change the smooth chart and show a kind of spike. If I upload each USB stick that is ready, I get a smooth chart. If I wait a bit and upload several sticks at the same time, you get a spike in the chart. So all depends of the frequency that is used to upload veriefied votes.
Tens of Thousands of Pennsylvania Ballots Returned Earlier Than Sent Date More than 20,000 absentee ballots in Pennsylvania have impossible return dates and another more than 80,000 have return dates that raise questions, according to a researcher’s analysis of the state’s voter database. Over 51,000 ballots were marked as returned just a day after they were sent out—an extraordinary speed, given U.S. Postal Service (USPS) delivery times, while nearly 35,000 were returned on the same day they were mailed out. Another more than 23,000 have a return date earlier than the sent date. More than 9,000 have no sent date.
Nuff said... Also.....when Obama was reaching out to North Korea and Fox News had a diarrhea attack of indignation that Obama would want to sit at a table with a dictator and madman....but when Trump does it "Shouldn't we reach out to other world leaders...." Yeah...of course...
Last ‘Kraken’ Slain: Court Notes ‘Federal Judges Do Not Appoint the President,’ Wonders Why Sidney Powell Asked https://lawandcrime.com/2020-electi...he-president-wonders-why-sidney-powell-asked/ The last of the four lawsuits filed by President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Sidney Powell bit the dust late Wednesday in Wisconsin, where a federal judge noted that voters choose who goes to the White House in the United States. “Federal judges do not appoint the president in this country,” U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper wrote in a 45-page ruling. “One wonders why the plaintiffs came to federal court and asked a federal judge to do so. After a week of sometimes odd and often harried litigation, the court is no closer to answering the ‘why.’ But this federal court has no authority or jurisdiction to grant the relief the remaining plaintiff seeks.” The decision fell hours after a similar decision by a federal judge in Arizona, who found Powell’s claims of voter fraud entirely unsupported. “Not only have Plaintiffs failed to provide the Court with factual support for their extraordinary claims, but they have wholly failed to establish that they have standing for the Court to consider them,” U.S. District Judge Diane Joyce Humetewa said. “Allegations that find favor in the public sphere of gossip and innuendo cannot be a substitute for earnest pleadings and procedure in federal court. They most certainly cannot be the basis for upending Arizona’s 2020 General Election.” On Tuesday, federal judges in Michigan and Georgia reached the same conclusion. The tensions of the national moment aside, Judge Pepper said that the case was simple. “The election that preceded this lawsuit was emotional and often divisive,” the judge wrote. “The pleadings that have been filed over the past week are passionate and urgent. People have strong, deep feelings about the right to vote, the freedom and opportunity to vote and the value of their vote. They should. But the legal question at the heart of this case is simple. Federal courts have limited jurisdiction. Does a federal court have the jurisdiction and authority to grant the relief this lawsuit seeks? The answer is no.” Powell compared her lawsuits to the “Kraken,” a mythical, octopus-like creature unleashed into popular culture in the film “Clash of the Titans.” Every tentacle of the litigation is now shredded, though she and her co-counsel Lin Wood have been pursuing appeals in the 11th Circuit for the Georgia case and Sixth Circuit for Michigan. None of those appeals are expected to go far, and the rest of Judge Pepper’s opinion shows the deficiencies and carelessness in the lawsuit that makes the sea-monster dead in the water. Powell wanted to the judge to order the disclosure of 48 hours of surveillance footage at the “TCF Center,” but that convention center is in Detroit, Michigan, the judge made sure to mention in a footnote. Even botching the name of her client, Powell referred to her lead plaintiff William Feehan, a would-be Trump elector, as “Meehan.” The judge called out that typo, too. That lack of attention to detail was emblematic of what the judge found to be a broader aimlessness of the entire enterprise. “Even if this federal court had the authority to order the governor of the state of Wisconsin to certify the results of a national presidential election for any candidate—and the plaintiff has presented no case, statute or constitutional provision providing the court with that authority—doing so would further invalidate and nullify [Feehan]’s vote,” Judge Pepper noted. “The plaintiff wants Donald J. Trump to be certified as the winner of the Wisconsin election as a result of the plaintiff’s vote. But what he asks is for Donald J. Trump to be certified the winner as a result of judicial fiat.” That, Judge Pepper would not do. “This court’s authority to grant relief is confined by the limits of the Constitution,” she noted. “Granting the relief the plaintiff requests would take the court far outside those limits, and outside the limits of its oath to uphold and defendant the Constitution.” (Article includes text of scathing dismal as well)