Overcast with a maybe-possibility of some rain showers this early-afternoon Tuesday here in California’s Central Valley — we’ve just experiencing the first in two/three/four cloud-filled days this week, pitched along with a bit of our infamous ‘tule fog‘ adding to the deep gray ambiance, but reportedly a return to sunshine and warmer temps before the coming weekend.
Gloomy after a few weeks of sunny, warmish days. Endurance has become part-n-parcel nowadays.
Especially in the gloomy factor. I’ve been seemingly somewhat too overwhelmed by the way-shiity news the last few days even to formulate any kind of a post. I know that’s a whine of laziness, but in surfing the news on a many-times-a-day routine, the shit-smell coming from the happenings of a modern world creates a sad overriding inability to put shit to paper (or laptop type) ino any kind of readable form. Although there’s a shitload of subject matter, and I did start a number of posts the last few days, only to just run out of time allotted, or just lose creative/literary interest in the subject. And just about every subject has an even worse backstory.
One does not have to search for bad news in order to undertake ‘doomscrolling‘ as they say — the shit is right everywhere in front of you.
Beyond the frightening, horrid seemingly acceleration of the many displays of gun violence — along with a manhunt still in progress this morning for a guy who killed five people in Texas, the state of Massachusetts had its first mass shooting of te year on Saturday — there’s a gut-clinching horror of the T-Rump becoming president again.
Wise notions via Susan B. Glasser at The New Yorker a couple of months ago, and way-apt today:
That is why I urge you to disregard the conventional wisdom about the former President being a spent force in Republican politics and pay much closer attention to what Trump is actually doing and saying in his campaign—a doomsday-laden frontal attack on American democracy far darker and more threatening to the constitutional order than even his previous two bids. Last weekend, in a speech to cpac that failed to make many front-page headlines but should have, Trump framed his effort to return to the White House as an outright war and vowed that, once reinstalled in power, his mission would be nothing less than “retribution” for all the wrongs that he and his grievance-fuelled followers have suffered. Speaking for more than an hour and a half in front of a crowd that repeatedly cheered his definition of the Presidency as a platform for personalized vengeance, he spoke ominously of “enemies,” and promised to “totally obliterate the ‘deep state,’ ” among other demons, once victory was attained.
This is not a drill:
Trump can win. Period.
These are the same people who said Trump couldn't win the primary in 2016. And the same people who said he couldn't beat Hillary Clinton.
Trump can win and has won.
Self-delusion isn't a political strategy. pic.twitter.com/iKdFoGc3ED
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) May 2, 2023
And that discourse over 2015/16? CNN took the bait — the network has been in a hard move plus right the last few months and yesterday took the full plunge face first into the toilet bowl of the T-Rump.
Via Salon this morning:
The network announced on Monday that anchor Kaitlan Collins will moderate the town hall which will “feature the former president taking questions from New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.” The event will mark Trump’s first appearance on the network since 2016.
[…]
The news of Trump’s attending the town hall received mixed reviews, with many accusing CNN of adding the ex-president to the fray to boost ratings.
“It’s 2015 all over again,” tweeted pundit Cheri Jacobus.
Political commentator and former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann called CNN’s decision to include Trump “journalistic suicide.”
CNN CEO Chris Licht’s conversion of CNN “into a political and journalistic whorehouse is complete,” he added.
“First, CNN systematically purged anyone on the network who was deemed too anti-Trump,” argued journalist and attorney Judd Legum. “Now this.”
Political commentator David Rothkopf said it was “irresponsible” for CNN to host the town hall.
“That said it’ll also be a litmus test as to whether CNN seeks to be taken seriously as a journalistic organization going forward,” he wrote. “Failing to address the coup attempt, his legal woes, his impeachments, his lies will be disqualifying.”
Former MSNBC host and journalist Touré alleged that CNN’s Trump-inclusion “is what choosing profits over news looks like in action.”
And a shrug:
This is how the normalization of wannabe fascist populism happens! https://t.co/RUGRwvr2Eh
— Finchelstein (@FinchelsteinF) May 2, 2023
In a showcase for the ugly aspects of the T-Rump and violence — per The Washington Post this afternoon and an incident aboard T-Rump’s airplane after a rally last March in Texas:
At one point, Trump told Hillyard, unprompted, “I heard you’re a nice guy from NBC, but you’re not.” Hillyard later noted that Trump had played footage from the Jan. 6 attack at his Waco rally, and that he had warned of “potential death & destruction” in a Truth Social post if he was indicted.
“My question to you: Would potentially violence be justifiable? Was Jan. 6 justifiable?” Hillyard asked.
“I’m not for violence at all. But a lot of people are upset,” Trump said, before repeating his baseless claims of widespread election fraud in the 2020 election that cost him the presidency. “I’m not in favor of violence.”
Nearly 20 minutes into the gaggle, Hillyard can be heard trying to ask one more question about the Manhattan criminal investigation.
“I don’t want to talk to you,” Trump said. “You’re not a nice guy.”
When Hillyard presses on, Trump is heard demanding, “Let’s go, get him out of here. Outta here! Outta here!” and then asking if a phone on the table is Hillyard’s.
“Whose is this?” Trump asked.
“That one’s mine, too,” Hillyard said, referring to another phone.
In the audio, a soft thud can be heard as Trump tossed the phones to the side. The journalists were ushered away from Trump, who remained seated at the table, according to a person on the flight who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the exchange.
He’s a monster. And could create an actual living shitstorm worldwide if re-elected.
Gloomy enough, and dead enough:
Despite the actual reality, once again here we are…:
(Illustration out front: New Yorker cartoon by Bruce Eric Kaplan, found here.)