I believe I continue to present issues fairly and have conversations that are also fair and honest while also trying to listen. Of course, you don't believe that, but you can't please everyone and I'm not trying to. I think my reputation after 40 years in the newspaper business is pretty good. I'll stand by that.
President Biden's toast, your son's words and calling Kevin McCarthy out.......all hopeful signs that the tide may be turning. War is hell, we know that intellectually, but to have experienced it firsthand is nothing to glamorize. Trump is a seriously damaged person.
Watching the courthouse theater in NYC, Atlanta and Washington DC is like watching a Hallmark movie at Christmas time. We know the result before the movie even starts....
Throughout my limited years on the earth, I have only been afraid in regard to our politicians once. It was during the Nixon years. I was young but I knew that man wasn't right and his intentions were not about what was best for the country. As you say, I respected the office and knew that even though I may not agree with policies (Reagan cut all of our early intervention services for handicapped children), their priorities were not mine but they also weren't their own personal agendas. There is such a stark difference now-so clearly good vs. evil. Just the quotes you wrote from Trump showing his ignorance and nonsensical blathering frustrate me. I think I might need to be placed in an induced coma following the election. With so much on the line for our country, the fall is going to be a bit stressful.
I was just starting out in newspapers when Reagan was elected and promised us all a tax cut. I was being paid about $210 a week and the tax cut got me another dollar or so in my paycheck which was worth about one extra beer at the time.
Trump’s word salad about Gettysburg reminds me of every high school essay ever written by students who did not listen in class and did not do the reading. Pure gobbledygook!
Speaking of the free press and an informed citizenry, NBC News recently released an interesting poll on news consumption and presidential candidate preference. It found that preference varied widely depending upon news consumption:
“Don’t follow political news” Trump 63%, Biden 27%
“YouTube/Google” Trump 55%, Biden 39%
“Cable News” Trump 53%, Biden 45%
“Social Media” Trump 46%, Biden 42%
“Digital Websites” Trump 39%, Biden 49%
“National Network News” Trump 35%, Biden 55%
“Newspapers” Trump 21%, Biden 70%
Two points: One, it seems that if you’re uninformed politically, you’re more likely to support Trump. And the more informed you are, the more likely it is you’ll support Biden. And two, our news landscape has changed dramatically in recent years.
I saw that same survey and should be writing about it soon. When people as about where they should get their news, I always tell them to read a newspaper. Not because it has some political slant but because there is nowhere else you can get the depth of understanding than by reading. Yeah, it is more work, but worth it.
In 2000 GWB “won” election with fewer popular votes after a hurried SCOTUS ruling with an 1 vote majority ended the vote recount in Florida. Gore conceded, Bush claimed a “mandate” from the American people for his policies.
After 9/11 Bush set a policy that the USA would respond to terrorism with war rather than treating terrorism as crime. War was used to further desired policy goals of extremist conservatives in government.
We are seeing echoes in the SCOTUS handling of the Trump immunity claim where Justice Thomas, who was the deciding vote in Bush v Gore and has serious conflict due to his wife’s active support for Trump seems ready to stall the trial, and Justices Roberts, Kavanaugh, and Coney-Barrett all served as counsel for GWB in 2000 - tho it must be noted Barrett seems ready to do the right thing here.
October 7th Israel experienced a horrific terrorist attack. Rather than treat it as a criminal incident and rally the world to bring the perpetrators and leaders responsible for the attack to justice, and to prioritize return of hostages the extremist right wing Israeli government chose to follow a desired policy of destruction of Gaza on a massive scale, a policy that amounts to collective punishment and illegal under international law, along with other war crimes, crimes against humanity, and purposeful slaughter of journalists.
Yes, the attack was very disturbing, and that recent history and response to 9/11 which I referenced and was thrown about at the time as a precedent should have been more carefully considered. The Bush response to 9/11 was a fiasco that led to more than 20 years of war, and the US resorting to war crimes such as kidnappings, CIA black sites, torture and establishment of Guantanamo Bay as a legal black hole prison, and the spawning of numerous terrorist offshoots dedicated to attacking free societies around the world.
So the response by Israel to follow the attack with a similar response to one we know was so disastrous, one that echoes the siege and sack of Gaza by Alexander the Great in which every man was slaughtered and the women and children sold into slavery, is incredibly disturbing.
The UN was correct in calling for a response rooted in international law and the Biden administration was wrong not to protect Israel from itself and the policies that have led to slaughter of about 34,000 people so far and the massive and wasteful destruction of useful buildings including hospitals, houses of worship, and historic sites.
We three "Barbara's" responding all agree!!! Thank you, Ken. I really don't need to buy the new Time magazine with Trump on the cover and with his incredible "interview" inside..... except maybe to send it to some relatives...........
As a Civil War history buff, I’ve spent a good deal of time on the Gettysburg battlefields. While it’s a beautiful park today, it is a transcendent place full of the ghosts and demons of the thousands who suffered and died there. Anyone with even the most basic knowledge of the events of July 1, 2 & 3, 1863 will find it to be an emotional experience. Trump is clueless - he has bullied, lied and cheated for, or inherited, everything has has. Unfortunately, all he really cares about is his own wealth and fame.
Thanks, Ken, for sharing your firsthand experiences with Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. Each of them, regardless of their policies and issues, had and have respect for the office of the presidency, as does President Biden. Unlike Trump. They also had and have respect for a free press. Unlike Trump.
It was heartwarming and reassuring to experience President Biden’s toast to the press, to an informed citizenry, to America, and to democracy.
I tried to give President Trump the benefit of a doubt in those early days. Because he really had notpolitical ideology at that time, he had an opportunity to fix the broken political system and do a lot of good by forcing Dems and GOP to talk to each other, but obviously he chose the opposite. I did not write a lot about Trump in those early days because I hoped he would grow into the office, but he didn't. When did he lose me? My guess is when he fired the FBI director without cause. He failed the leadership test during covid and thousands more needlessly died because of that and of course there will be the lasting legacy of Jan. 6. I suppose he was my president, but respect has to be earned by the man.
"Move past the horse-race numbers and the gotcha moments and the distractions, the sideshows that have sensationalized our politics. And focus on what’s actually at stake." That's what the public will need this coming election.
Yes, it was a great, great quote! I love Biden. Cannot understand why anyone would not vote for him. And his accomplishments are SO many. He really is a decent man. Go Biden!
I think you can disagree with the politics and individual policy but if you compare character of these two, well, there is no comparison. And that should matter.
I believe I continue to present issues fairly and have conversations that are also fair and honest while also trying to listen. Of course, you don't believe that, but you can't please everyone and I'm not trying to. I think my reputation after 40 years in the newspaper business is pretty good. I'll stand by that.
President Biden's toast, your son's words and calling Kevin McCarthy out.......all hopeful signs that the tide may be turning. War is hell, we know that intellectually, but to have experienced it firsthand is nothing to glamorize. Trump is a seriously damaged person.
Watching the courthouse theater in NYC, Atlanta and Washington DC is like watching a Hallmark movie at Christmas time. We know the result before the movie even starts....
Throughout my limited years on the earth, I have only been afraid in regard to our politicians once. It was during the Nixon years. I was young but I knew that man wasn't right and his intentions were not about what was best for the country. As you say, I respected the office and knew that even though I may not agree with policies (Reagan cut all of our early intervention services for handicapped children), their priorities were not mine but they also weren't their own personal agendas. There is such a stark difference now-so clearly good vs. evil. Just the quotes you wrote from Trump showing his ignorance and nonsensical blathering frustrate me. I think I might need to be placed in an induced coma following the election. With so much on the line for our country, the fall is going to be a bit stressful.
I was just starting out in newspapers when Reagan was elected and promised us all a tax cut. I was being paid about $210 a week and the tax cut got me another dollar or so in my paycheck which was worth about one extra beer at the time.
Don't do the coma Barb. Things are about to get interesting no matter who ends up in the oval office. Wouldn't want you to miss it.
Trump’s word salad about Gettysburg reminds me of every high school essay ever written by students who did not listen in class and did not do the reading. Pure gobbledygook!
Well said Ken!
Speaking of the free press and an informed citizenry, NBC News recently released an interesting poll on news consumption and presidential candidate preference. It found that preference varied widely depending upon news consumption:
“Don’t follow political news” Trump 63%, Biden 27%
“YouTube/Google” Trump 55%, Biden 39%
“Cable News” Trump 53%, Biden 45%
“Social Media” Trump 46%, Biden 42%
“Digital Websites” Trump 39%, Biden 49%
“National Network News” Trump 35%, Biden 55%
“Newspapers” Trump 21%, Biden 70%
Two points: One, it seems that if you’re uninformed politically, you’re more likely to support Trump. And the more informed you are, the more likely it is you’ll support Biden. And two, our news landscape has changed dramatically in recent years.
Thank you for sharing. The more speculative the news source features Trump support.
I saw that same survey and should be writing about it soon. When people as about where they should get their news, I always tell them to read a newspaper. Not because it has some political slant but because there is nowhere else you can get the depth of understanding than by reading. Yeah, it is more work, but worth it.
True. And few, if any, "hot takes."
Remembering history is useful.
In 2000 GWB “won” election with fewer popular votes after a hurried SCOTUS ruling with an 1 vote majority ended the vote recount in Florida. Gore conceded, Bush claimed a “mandate” from the American people for his policies.
After 9/11 Bush set a policy that the USA would respond to terrorism with war rather than treating terrorism as crime. War was used to further desired policy goals of extremist conservatives in government.
We are seeing echoes in the SCOTUS handling of the Trump immunity claim where Justice Thomas, who was the deciding vote in Bush v Gore and has serious conflict due to his wife’s active support for Trump seems ready to stall the trial, and Justices Roberts, Kavanaugh, and Coney-Barrett all served as counsel for GWB in 2000 - tho it must be noted Barrett seems ready to do the right thing here.
October 7th Israel experienced a horrific terrorist attack. Rather than treat it as a criminal incident and rally the world to bring the perpetrators and leaders responsible for the attack to justice, and to prioritize return of hostages the extremist right wing Israeli government chose to follow a desired policy of destruction of Gaza on a massive scale, a policy that amounts to collective punishment and illegal under international law, along with other war crimes, crimes against humanity, and purposeful slaughter of journalists.
Yes, the attack was very disturbing, and that recent history and response to 9/11 which I referenced and was thrown about at the time as a precedent should have been more carefully considered. The Bush response to 9/11 was a fiasco that led to more than 20 years of war, and the US resorting to war crimes such as kidnappings, CIA black sites, torture and establishment of Guantanamo Bay as a legal black hole prison, and the spawning of numerous terrorist offshoots dedicated to attacking free societies around the world.
So the response by Israel to follow the attack with a similar response to one we know was so disastrous, one that echoes the siege and sack of Gaza by Alexander the Great in which every man was slaughtered and the women and children sold into slavery, is incredibly disturbing.
The UN was correct in calling for a response rooted in international law and the Biden administration was wrong not to protect Israel from itself and the policies that have led to slaughter of about 34,000 people so far and the massive and wasteful destruction of useful buildings including hospitals, houses of worship, and historic sites.
Your response is a non sequitur.
We three "Barbara's" responding all agree!!! Thank you, Ken. I really don't need to buy the new Time magazine with Trump on the cover and with his incredible "interview" inside..... except maybe to send it to some relatives...........
Trump is not only saying the quiet part out loud - dictatorship - he is screaming it in a national news publication.
As a Civil War history buff, I’ve spent a good deal of time on the Gettysburg battlefields. While it’s a beautiful park today, it is a transcendent place full of the ghosts and demons of the thousands who suffered and died there. Anyone with even the most basic knowledge of the events of July 1, 2 & 3, 1863 will find it to be an emotional experience. Trump is clueless - he has bullied, lied and cheated for, or inherited, everything has has. Unfortunately, all he really cares about is his own wealth and fame.
Well said.
Beautifully expressed, thank you!
mccarthy is just like gertrude stein’s line about oakland: “there’s no there there.”
Colin Jost's litany of TFG's current and known demerits was appalling. And his comment at the end was perfect. "And they're tied?!!!"
Thanks, Ken, for sharing your firsthand experiences with Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. Each of them, regardless of their policies and issues, had and have respect for the office of the presidency, as does President Biden. Unlike Trump. They also had and have respect for a free press. Unlike Trump.
It was heartwarming and reassuring to experience President Biden’s toast to the press, to an informed citizenry, to America, and to democracy.
I still have a couple photos of me shaking hands with President Bush at the time.
Memories!
Decency? Ken Tingley? Donald Trump was your President too. Where's the respect?
I tried to give President Trump the benefit of a doubt in those early days. Because he really had notpolitical ideology at that time, he had an opportunity to fix the broken political system and do a lot of good by forcing Dems and GOP to talk to each other, but obviously he chose the opposite. I did not write a lot about Trump in those early days because I hoped he would grow into the office, but he didn't. When did he lose me? My guess is when he fired the FBI director without cause. He failed the leadership test during covid and thousands more needlessly died because of that and of course there will be the lasting legacy of Jan. 6. I suppose he was my president, but respect has to be earned by the man.
Read Mueller report please!!!! No hoax!
It also found there was obstruction of justice.
"Move past the horse-race numbers and the gotcha moments and the distractions, the sideshows that have sensationalized our politics. And focus on what’s actually at stake." That's what the public will need this coming election.
Reading the Time Magazine interview with Trump - and the fact check that goes with it - would be a good start. Should be mandatory for every American.
Yes, it was a great, great quote! I love Biden. Cannot understand why anyone would not vote for him. And his accomplishments are SO many. He really is a decent man. Go Biden!
I think you can disagree with the politics and individual policy but if you compare character of these two, well, there is no comparison. And that should matter.
Where do you draw the line? Murder? Setting up camps for political enemies? Raping women? Where is the line?
So you have a tolerance level for murder, assassinaton and treason. I prefer right vs wrong. No one is above the law.