Dare Trump To Face The Press
At the end of this week, President Trump will hit a milestone -- he will have gone a whopping 400 days since giving a formal solo press conference. In his entire 14 months in office, he has given precisely one such press conference, in February of 2017. So what is he so afraid of? The press corps needs to do a much better job of pointing this out, by absolutely daring Trump to hold another no-holds-barred press conference.
The timing couldn't be better to do so. The story's got a "hook" (the 400-day mark), and it might just be effective at this particular time. In the past few weeks, Trump has reportedly grown much more confident of his ability to manage his presidency himself, and key aides who have been instrumental in holding Trump's worst impulses back have either been fired (Rob Porter, Rex Tillerson), have already quit (Gary Cohn), or have announced they will soon be leaving (Hope Hicks). The effect of having fewer people around him who counsel him to be cautious has freed Trump up to do what his gut tells him more often (as on tariffs and North Korea, to give just two obvious examples). Trump famously hates any perception that he is in any way being "handled," and as the expert handlers depart, he's feeling more confident about just doing and saying whatever he feels like at the moment.
So what better time could there be, really, to goad him into holding a full-on press conference? All it would take would be a steady drumbeat all week of "400-Day Mark Approaches With No Presidential Press Conference" stories, complete with plenty of pundits saying things like: "Trump's downright scared to face the press on his own, because he knows they'll get the better of him," or perhaps: "I won't really believe Trump has freed himself from the GOP establishment puppetmasters until I see him hold a solo press conference -- that'd be the ultimate proof that Trump is now his own man." Push his buttons -- on cable television, where he'll hear it -- and I bet he'd respond just out of spite. Maybe compare him to Obama -- that'd be almost guaranteed to do it!
After all, Trump used to love sparring with the press. He'd give freewheeling press conferences on the campaign trail at the drop of a hat. He saw these as opportunities for verbal combat, and he always saw himself emerging as the winner of such contests. So the only possible reason he hasn't done so as president is that other people have been warning him not to -- people who didn't have confidence that he could handle himself well. They're pulling Trump's strings behind the scenes, because they just don't trust his abilities. They've been holding Trump back because they are worried that the media will look smarter than him, in other words.
There's only one way to really reach Trump with such taunts, and that is for the drumbeat for a Trump presser to get so loud that the folks on Fox News are forced to address it. If Sarah Huckabee Sanders is being tied up in knots over the issue, then Fox would surely rally to her, but if the president saw the entire exercise as one of making excuses for his own weakness, then he'd almost have to react.
The image of Trump cowering in fear of answering questions from reporters and hiding behind his Twitter account is a potent one. But, so far, the White House Press Corps has been letting him get away with ignoring them. For almost 400 days. Now, to be fair, Trump did essentially hijack what were supposed to be joint press appearances twice during that time, but even if you count these, Trump's total is still woefully low -- only three real press appearances in over a year's time. The most recent of these happened on October 16 of last year, or 155 days ago.
In the past, the White House Press Corps has started complaining about a lack of presidential press conferences roughly three months after the last one happened. It became an enormous story when Barack Obama went around six months without a presser, as I recall. It's now been over five months since Trump's last accessible moment, and thirteen months since his last real solo presser. So where is the outrage? Where are the stories pointing this out?
As mentioned, Trump seems to be revelling in his "let Trump be Trump" moment right now. He's doing things without consulting the pointy-headed handlers, he feels freed up personally by his quick actions, and he is apparently going to replace those aides who have left with yes-men who agree with him on just about everything he does. He's even reportedly supposed to be eager to sit down with Bob Mueller, because of his vast confidence in shaping his own narrative. If this is true -- if he's pushing to get the Mueller interview over with -- then why in the world wouldn't he also want to go a few rounds with the press corps? As far as he's concerned, it would only give him more ammo to attack the "Fake News" media, since he (obviously) would emerge on the winning side of any "gotcha" question they could throw at him.
The media needs to do their job, by appealing to Trump's vanity. They need to mercilessly taunt him with the fact that he's gone longer than any modern president without holding a presser. All it would take is one Fox News talking head referring to stories where Trump is portrayed as being fearful of a solo press conference for Trump to boldly call one (likely only hours after he saw such a report on television, during his "executive time" every morning). This ain't exactly rocket science, in other words.
Trump's not going to hold a press conference until the press corps itself dares him to hold one -- by relentlessly pointing out that all his handlers really don't want him to do it. "Trump stymied by GOP weenies into cowering from the press" headlines are really the only thing that'll trigger Trump's impulses. And, again, this would be the perfect week for the press to mount such an effort, since by week's end Trump is going to hit that 400-day milestone. So, White House Press Corps, ask yourselves: what have you got to lose?
[Editor's Note: For those interested in such things, last month the Washington Post ran an article about the lack of press conferences, and if you scroll down a page or two they have a handy "count-up" clock showing precisely how many days it has been since the last Trump solo press conference.]
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Do you think that this strategy could work on a blogger? I mean, if after repeatedly asking nice and this blogger still refused to take on....
There are two major factors that would need to be met for this to work. First, Chris would need to be as narcissistic and mentally challenged as Trump is. Second, Chris would need to be ignoring his obligation to interview everyone who believed they deserved to have their story published. As far as I can tell, neither of those factors have been met.
If you want to get your story published, pay someone to create an article for you to use as promotional material. Clearly, CW isn’t interested in your story. Why you believe that he owes it to you to publish on his personal site a free promotional article about an “organization” that he does not support is beyond me!
LWYH_
it is not really that CW supports or does not support the concept, it is more that DH wants others to write about it so others will come and then he will build it...VS the normal way of building a movement, you know, build it and they will come.
I think the tip of my tongue is rolling around somewhere in my cheek. Someone let me know if they find it.
CW, How dare you demand the authoritarian in chief have a press conference.... those things are for OPO (other presidents only).
Trump is the most trumparent presi of all time and he is more trumparent than Hillary during his campaign, we' all only have a problem because it is trump... said only one person ever.
What's the difference between fake news and a Trump presser?
Everybody seems to think the change since the election in his relationship with the press has been his handlers, but let's face facts, if he wanted to do a press conference nobody could stop him. He's a spoilt idiot, and I'm being generous.
The reason he won't face the press is that he knows every word is being watched by Mueller and even he isn't stupid enough to know where the questioning will go almost instantly - dirty Russian money. And since he is as guilty as hell and so is his extended family, a press conference is the last thing he wants.
Or any other venue where he can't control the conversation.
Don Harris [1] -
Want to start a blog? Here's some handy advice:
https://wordpress.com/start/blog/blog-themes
:-)
Then you can talk about whatever you want, and control ALL the content! Woo hoo!
-CW
LizM [5] -
Entertainment value!
Obviously...
Heh.
-CW
neilm [6] -
Methinks you give him too much credit, personally...
-CW
I concur.
He doesn't want to hold real court with the press because he's not stupid enough to know that he sounds like a blathering idiot without a TelePrompTer.
And, everyone knows that you can't hold a presser with a TelePrompTer.
Well, there's that. And, the fact that he's afraid of any comparisons with Obama.
[11] may require an edit ...
He doesn't want to hold real court with the press because he's not stupid enough not to know that he sounds like a blathering idiot without a TelePrompTer.
And, everyone knows that you can't hold a presser with a TelePrompTer.
... but, I could be wrong about that. I'm not thinking clearly enough.
Don,
No one has the right to dictate what a blogger should write about on his blog.
Reality is a big topic and this blog covers quite a bit of it.
Don [1/3 of comments today]:
Here's an article about a woman with an idea for a political movement who knows how to move an agenda. Her medium of choice is a movie documentary.
And I could definitely get behind a "Puffragette" movement. I already want to buy one of those T-shirts.
But notice what else she's done: she's got imagery, lots of it, including a picture of herself in a pot field, and the aforementioned nifty tee. She's clearly put more work into it than putting up a website and bitching that folks won't join up or discuss it.
Or perhaps the problem is that your idea just sucks. It's one thing to - as Conor Lamb did in his campaign - refuse to accept PAC money, it's quite another thing to ask candidates to deliberately limit the amount of cash they have to make their point. After all, nifty tees cost money up front, and without them, you might not get anywhere.
On Topic:
I think that Trump is in a defensive crouch, rather than playing offense, as his recent tweet-storms might imply. He just hired Joe DeGenova, a former federal prosecutor known mostly for being a reliably anti-Clinton talking head. You don't look for that sort of backup when you're confident of your cause.
To (sorta) quote Trey Gowdy again: "If your client is innocent, act like it."
But as long as you are in the conversation, why not address what the conversation is about- should CW address One Demand either through an article, the comments or direct contact with me?
That is entirely up to Chris.
Don, I'm pretty sure you don't want to be known as someone who tried to hijack this blog rather than participate through positive contributions.
But as long as you are in the conversation, why not address what the conversation is about- should CW address One Demand either through an article, the comments or direct contact with me?
No, I don't think he should. Personally I think he should feed your account info to the comments spam filter and call it a day. At this point that's all you are: Spam, spam, spam, eggs and spam.
Campaign finance is an interesting problem I would like to see something done about. Your take on it, not so much. You have brought up the Field of Dreams "build it and they will come" metaphor. Your version is a roughly sketched diamond on a cocktail napkin and then lots of whining about how everyone is not breaking down the doors of the bar and carrying you off on their shoulders as hero. You haven't built squat. Your whole idea comes down to a single sentence. There are no tools to find these candidates. Stale articles. Your site was down for a month to six week from pure neglect. YOU need to make your idea valuable. At this point it's just half assed at best.
Ah, free speech. There is the flip side. You can advocate your idea and we can trash it if we find it lacking and/or your methods annoying. And for many of us, it's yes to both.
Well, Don, we're all entitled to our own opinions ...
The way things are breaking now I'd be astonished if Blotus EVER has another presser. Show-speeches? Yes. Maybe an interview or two on FOX. But he now has crap coming at him from so many directions and no possible believable responses to them -- and his every word becomes fodder for obstruction of justice charges.
Really, the media should be going after Republicans, who hold the power to do something about Blotus. They also seem somewhat more susceptible to public pressure.
Follow the Cambridge Analytica story. CA turns out to be to social media what FOX is to "news".
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/20/1750459/-Cambridge-Analytica-was-built-to-destroy-democracy-by-any-means-necessary
There are those who shrug off the significance of these efforts. But when you talk to Trumpers and you hear the mishmash of utter stupid garbage they still, stubbornly believe, against all reason, all fact, even all decency, you have to ask yourself just how these people got there. They live in America. They hold jobs (some of them, anyway). They have money. They aren't starving. Most of them aren't even struggling, although they positively hate people who ARE. They didn't wake up one day and become political morons/monsters. They were lead there.
During the campaign I mentioned several times here how frustrating it was to see unbelievably stupid, slanderous crap about HRC being passed around on FB. It was incessant. And it felt wrong. The stuff people appeared to buy - bolstered by millions of comments that turned out to be made by Russian bots under fake and stolen identities - was ludicriously stupid.
But there was also the anti-BLM crap -- messages that Black Activists were just hungering to go out and shoot white people. The misinformation about Antifa activists - all the garbage the spigot spewed, day after day after day.
It was planted, it was spread, it was internalized.
FOX News amplified much of the disinformation spread on social media. It will be interesting to discover whether that was deliberate -- or how deliberate it was.
The key to CA effectiveness was not merely that it spread disinformation. The disinformation was tailored and targeted, i.e. the stuff sent to you was selected to appeal to your specific leanings - based on your own surfing behavior, and personality profiles gleaned from hosts of online "quizzes" - which Star Wars character are you?? - etc. Whatever you already believe, your feeds would emphasize it.
Russian bots convinced people to show up at nazi rallies. They CREATED events that people responded to in real life.
And I just came across this article: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article205946479.html
Headline: Tillis and NC Republicans paid $345,000 to the data firm that’s now banned from Facebook
WASHINGTON North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis and the state’s Republican Party paid $345,000 to a data company that is now under scrutiny for its use of personal information about Facebook users.
How many other Republicans used Cambridge Analytica?
[34] Don: :-)
The thing is, the CA story is THE story today. And it is part of why Blotus can't/won't do pressers. And why Repubs are ducking the press as much as they are as well.
Ted Cruz used Cambridge Analytica: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2018/03/19/ted-cruz-fire-cambridge-analytica-scandal-firm-targeted-voters-data-50m-facebook-users
Paula
171 {copying this forward}
Kush in trouble - yep. The big question: how much did he know? Cambridge Analytica was presented to us a year ago as just this really hip tech consultancy that made skillful use of Facebook ads. It's much, much more than that - much darker in every way.
So about Cambridge Analytica, while I cannot fathom why it took so long to become a focus on the front pages of the so-called "MSM," a reporter named Harry Fox Davies writing for the Guardian had already broken that news in December 2015 in fairly great detail.
https://tinyurl.com/kctlw6n
And FB may be in some really deep doodoo.
And Facebook knew this information was public yet hadn't reached the "front pages." Facebook then chose to lie publicly about the extent of their involvement, while "who knows what" is going on privately behind the scenes. You've no doubt seen the evolving statements of Facebook as this has played out over time, and I don't see now how there's not a few Q&A sessions under penalty of perjury between Mark Zuckerberg and a few investigative committees.
In answer to most of your other questions about who knew: Mueller knows, and barring any unforeseen issues, those that don't make some sort of "deal" with Mueller will die in prison unless they live a really, really long time.
When I let my mind wander down the rabbit hole, I have wonder just how far fetched it would be to find that Manafort was directing the IRA and the IRA was using demographics data supplied by CA to know what to target.
Manafort, CA, and the IRA all have one thing in common that seems to keep popping up, Ukraine.
CA and the IRA is a marriage made in heaven. The IRA has a fully developed and weaponized disinformation program lacking the data analytics to make it fully functional. CA had the data analytics, but no PR wing to generate the content that could make use of the data. Both practice in using the finer points of Kompromat and indulge in the seamier side of information gathering. So why not get together and see what one could really do?
To some extent Mueller has already illuminated two of these dots...
Karen McDougal, a Playboy Playmate of the Year, has sued the parent company of the National Enquirer to extract herself from the NDA agreement she signed wherein she's gagged from discussing an affair. Of course, this will naturally require a deposition from ol' what's his name: "David Dennison."
I, for the life of me, can't understand why "David" wouldn't want to get near a microphone in order to have a press conference. ;) *wink*
[37] Kick: Yes, my husband has been asking the same question for the last week - reminding me that the essentials of the story some time ago.
Our speculations? The original story was pretty technical, which always scares off MSM and most people. The Channel 4 story humanizes it via Christopher Wylie, the sinister Alexander Nix who talks about using Ukrainian hookers, etc.
And when the original story came out we only suspected how disastrous a tRump administration would be - now we know and people are more receptive to learning about how the hell he got elected.
Also, people very much resist the notion they may have been manipulated, as do reporters. The media has been an unwitting stooge at many points along the way.
And, finally, CA has been ticking along, still doing their thing, this entire year. Many times on Twitter people have posted alerts that Russian-bots are swarming. They regularly appear after mass-shootings to try to derail conversations about gun-control, etc.
Facebook banned Cambridge Analytica last week. British authorities are raiding CA offices now.
Dem leaders have been saying Republicans are sitting on their hands about Russian interference as we approach the mid-terms. And the spigot is still regularly delivering his propaganda (witting or unwitting), so he's been receiving it. The machine, IOW, has been cranking along. The Channel 4 story has a whistle-blower, and used a sting to capture Hix talking about how they screw with people.
And Mueller indicted a bunch of Russians for their election interference.
So the story now may have the legs it didn't when it first came out.
Paula
41
So the story now may have the legs it didn't when it first came out.
Oh, it's now got legs alright... complete with shoes... and still quite a really big shoe to drop. :)
Part 3 of Britain's Channel 4 story is out:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/20/1750614/-Part-three-of-Cambridge-Analytica-report-makes-a-liar-out-of-everyone-on-the-Trump-campaign
Of special interest:
In addition to bragging about their ability to make people believe any lie, and their ability to spread those lies in ways that make them look like actual news, Cambridge Analytica’s leaders were also anxious to share how they violated US campaign funding laws by coordinating between the Trump campaign and supposedly independent PACs.
... Mr Turnbull described how the company created the “Defeat Crooked Hilary” brand of attack ads, that were funded by the Make America Number 1 super-PAC and watched more than 30 million times during the campaign.
And:
In one exchange Alexander Nix revealed the company used a secret self-destructing email system that leaves no trace. He said: “No-one knows we have it, and secondly we set our… emails with a self-destruct timer… So you send them and after they’ve been read, two hours later, they disappear. There’s no evidence, there’s no paper trail, there’s nothing.”
Jake Tapper tweets:
"The Board of Cambridge Analytica has announced today that it has suspended CEO Alexander Nix with immediate effect, pending a full, independent investigation."
Well, well, well.
https://www.channel4.com/news/exposed-undercover-secrets-of-donald-trump-data-firm-cambridge-analytica
You Dems/Libs need to be careful how far you push this 'anti-disinformation' thing. If disinformation, fake news and the like ever becomes illegal, you guys wont be able to talk, write, broadcast or publish anything whatsoever!
Don Harris
So it's time for the reality based blogger to address this reality. That is my opinion and I will continue to post it until the issue is addressed or the blogger terminates my ability to post.
CW answered you before as we've discussed on multiple occasions, and he's now answered you again at [7] above. He's also answered you every day since 2015 when he's chosen not to shill for your failed attempt at political activism.
I see no valid argument that I am trying to hijack the blog.
See above and see below.
You have now admitted multiple times that you will troll CW's blog until he answers, which is the very definition of "hijack."
Why don't you run along now and "hijack" Ralph Nader's website until he agrees to devote his website to your failed political venture; at least if Ralph refuses to shill for you, you'll be trolling the SOB who asked for it. :)
Trump announced today that he wants to go talk to Putin.
Apparently, he needs more instructions.
Don Harris [14] -
Let's review. You posted:
Okay. Let me start off with an apology for not reading the whole article.
But after a few paragraphs, I just had to comment.
Then you went off on a tangent that had nothing to do with the article, after admitting that you hadn't even read it.
Then, in [14], you chide ME for going off topic?
Hoo boy.
Look, you've got something to say. You want the focus solely to be on it. More power to you. So as I suggested, perhaps you should set up a blog and write about precisely what you want to?
https://wordpress.com/start/blog/blog-themes
Worked for me.
-CW
Don Harris [27] -
I see no valid argument that I am trying to hijack the blog.
OK, let's put the question to the rest of the audience. How many think this, and how many don't? Readers? What do you think?
-CW
goode trickle [38] -
The IRA? Maybe it's just an extended Paddy's Day hangover, but how did we get to Northern Ireland?
Guess I should be reading more about the CA story, I admit I haven't delved into it as deeply as I could...
-CW
Kick [39] -
I bet Summer Zervos will get to depose the president, now that her case can go forward. That'll be one heck of a deposition to read, that's for sure!
-CW
T: Vlad, what do I do? Mueller's getting close.
P: Fire Mueller. Too bod you can't...
T: No, I can't. I told you that. And by the way, thanks for knocking off the guy in England...what are you thinking? Do you have any idea how much pressure that puts on me?
P: Ees not yur concern. Yoo deed gud. Thos sanctions were heelarious. Coampletley yooseless.
T: I thought you'd like that. I thought of that, you know.
P: Tell yoo vat. Yoo com zee me zoon. Ve haf lots to plan for ze mid-terms. I vill git som Ukrainian hostezezz for yoor veesit.
T: Okay Vlad. Sounds great. See you soon.
OK, let's put the question to the rest of the audience. How many think this, and how many don't? Readers? What do you think?
I vote that Don needs a blog of his own. Badly.
This: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/20/1750506/-Remember-the-Alamo-The-Trump-Cambridge-Analytica-scheme-to-suppress-votes-of-women-and-minorities
It gives me chills reading this - these were the exact arguments people were using on FB throughout the election season - DEMS. They were maddening.
CW-50
Internet Reasearch Agency, otherwise known as the troll farm.
They have been popping up since 2013, and they made their first big splash in 2014, where they became the subject of much discussion in the disaster management relm.
Here is a great pre-election article on them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html?_r=0
[50] CW: Guess I should be reading more about the CA story, I admit I haven't delved into it as deeply as I could...
Delve, man, delve coz (I suspect) this is going to be pivotal!
Also, agree Don should pitch his One Demand on his own blog, though general participation here is no problemo. It's just that 99% of his comments begin or end in the same place.
Don: I see no valid argument that I am trying to hijack the blog.
CW: OK, let's put the question to the rest of the audience. How many think this, and how many don't? Readers? What do you think?
Well, lookie here! I must be psychic today because I have already answered this question.
My short answer is: Hell, yes, there is ample evidence that he is "trying to hijack the blog."
My long answer is at [46] above:
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2018/03/19/dare-trump-to-face-the-press/#comment-117762
Thank you for asking. :)
OK, let's put the question to the rest of the audience. How many think this, and how many don't? Readers? What do you think?
He definitely is persistent and boarders on hijacking / trollery.
He claims to have built something that is ready for prime time but, he has yet to update his site to reflect current dates (something easily accomplished with find and replace) and seems disinterested in growing his base via his own website... If he was he would have some news on the folks mentioned in posts 17 and 18 in his news section on his website.
Really, it is beyond me how one can expect others to lend their reputations that they have worked hard to cultivate via their own efforts to something that has no web presence and has low visibility in search rankings.
A little bit of effort to make his web presence professional and an active and growing entity would carry him a long way. I would even venture to say it might even make others more comfortable about expending energy to talk about his cause...
CW
51
I bet Summer Zervos will get to depose the president, now that her case can go forward. That'll be one heck of a deposition to read, that's for sure!
Oh, yes sir! The video will be even better. He crosses his arms a lot and has a tell when he's lying... a tell other than "his lips are moving"! ;)
Balthasar
52
P: I spasibo chto ya ne vypustil videozapis' ;)
CW,
OK, let's put the question to the rest of the audience. How many think this, and how many don't? Readers? What do you think?
I think he has definitely attempted to hijack this site — or at least guilt you into an article that would give his “disorganization” a huge boost of credibility.
It gives me chills reading this - these were the exact arguments people were using on FB throughout the election season
They're the same sorts of arguments that Altohone was making right here after Sept. in '16. He didn't get much traction here - we can (most of us) take some satisfaction in that. I remember being irked by the pro-Russian stance that many of the websites and articles he linked to had.
[62] Balthasar: Yep.
Balthasar
62
Yes, sir. I remember it well. He kept prattling on and on... sounding just like Michale... about the lack of evidence that Russia interfered in our election. He didn't understand what I meant when I told him the facts back then, but perhaps he'd understand it now in retrospect:
I tried to nicely warn him what was coming. :)
Balthasar
62
Yes, sir. I remember it well. He kept prattling on and on... sounding just like Michale... about the lack of evidence that Russia interfered in our election. He didn't understand what I meant when I told him the facts back then, but perhaps he'd understand it now in retrospect:
I tried to nicely warn him what was coming. :)
Balthasar
62
Yes, sir. I remember it well. He kept prattling on and on... sounding just like Michale... about the lack of evidence that Russia interfered in our election. He didn't understand what I meant when I told him the facts back then, but perhaps he'd understand it now in retrospect:
I tried to nicely warn him what was coming. :)
There are a wide range of characters on this site. Don is right that money is a problem in our democratic process. He is persistent, but it doesn't bother me very much. I looked into his program with an open mind, but it would not work for me - I'm not a single issue voter - if two candidates are similar and one is only taking small donations I'll go for that candidate, but otherwise it is below progressive economics, gun control, opposing bigotry and healthcare (in no particular order).
Hey Altohone - you still out there?
goode trickle [55] -
Aha! Thanks!
I will read up on the whole CA situation, although (since we're on the subject of easy-to-misunderstand acronyms) I kind of cringe calling Cambridge Analytica CA, because of where I live....
Thanks to everyone for posting good links.
-CW
Kick [57] -
Thanks. I wrote that comment before I had read yours...
-CW
Kick [65-67] -
Your first comment got held for multiple links. I cleared them all out of the filter so it'd see you as non-spam, which is why there's repetition.
Sorry to everyone, and remember, only one link per comment!
:-)
-CW
As one who reads regularly, but rarely comments, I'd rather Don Harris kept more on topic. And yes, I know 'on topic' is loosely defined here.
If you make more pertinent comments, Don, you could then include a link to your own blog or website for anyone interested in following up.
@CW,
depends on one's definition of "trying" - intent vs. process.
in terms of intent, Don is "trying" to solicit all of our participation on his issue and his organization. his efforts directed toward hijacking the blog are a side-effect.
JL
@mezzo,
excellent point. intelligent, on-topic comments with a link at the end would be both less annoying and more effective.
JL
Don Harris
77
To those that actually want to discuss issues I will be happy to engage in reasonable debate.
Meaning, whatever topic is being discussed, Don will simply ignore it and twist the narrative to fit his solicitation of his failed political venture like he's done with CW for years now.
But some of the commenters don't address the arguments I make, they just come up with excuses to avoid the issue at hand and cherry pick a statement out of context and twist it to fit the argument they want to make rather than counter the argument that I made.
You're extremely slow, Don, so here let me spell it out for you in terms a 5th grader could understand: Could you please finally "clue in" to the fact that your sentence above exactly describes what you do with CW's columns on a near daily basis and for the love of God let it permeate your brain that others were giving you back exactly what you dished out? Realize how infuriating you think it is and stop doing it to others because people can give as good as they get... or way better too.
A good example is the exchange I had with Kick (later joined by Bashi) in the comments on "Nail Biter in Pennsylvania".
Boo effing hoo, Don. So you received a few doses of the same BS you dish out daily to CW and his readers. Would you like some cheese to go with your whine or would you like to stop dishing out the daily dose of shilling for your failed political venture until you get an answer because Ralph effing Nader told you to?
Many seems willing to jump in on whether or not I am hijacking the blog, does anyone want to weigh in on the bullshit that some people try to pass off as responses to my comments?
Oh, allow me, Don. Let it finally sink in as has been reiterated to you many times by multiple commenters in various assorted ways: No one on this blog owes you a thing... not CW, not me, not Bashi, no one.
And anyone want to weigh in on whether CW should address One Demand? And this doesn't mean you have to agree with One Demand, it just means that you think CW should address it.
Elizabeth weighed in above; others have weighed in multiple times. Allow me again, Don. How many times must it be said that CW owes you nothing? This fact has been explained to you in no uncertain terms on many occasions. CW has now nicely explained to you the benefits of having one's own blog. Clue in. We keep covering the same content as if it hasn't already been covered multiple times and already been hashed and rehashed because you seemingly for whatever ridiculous reason believe that your repetition and persistence are going to magically earn you a different answer when they could never and will never.
After all, the trolling, hijacking comments are a direct result of me asking CW to address One Demand and not getting an answer or just getting a dismissive answer that is just an excuse to not address the issue.
If he would address the issue I wouldn't have to keep asking.
Get your own website, Don; devote it to "One Demand" and see what it gets you... oh, wait. At this point, such as it is, you're still writing comments blaming the author and his readers for the fact that you "have to keep asking," still persistent in your asinine belief that it's everyone else's fault that you won't stop forcing others to shill for you. Pathetic.
CW
72
Kick [65-67] -
Your first comment got held for multiple links. I cleared them all out of the filter so it'd see you as non-spam, which is why there's repetition.
Sorry to everyone, and remember, only one link per comment!
Oh, look at the mess I totally unintentionally accidentally made.
Apologies.
Don Harris
80
I do not twist CW's statements to fit my argument. I take the concept the CW is using and ask him to apply THE SAME concept to One Demand.
Semantics, Don.
How many times must it be said that the question of whether I should have my own blog and whether CW should address One Demand are not the same issue?
How many times must it be said:
But at least there is no longer a need for anyone to go back to the "Nail Biter in Pennsylvania" comments to find an example of exactly what I was talking about.
It's highly instructive that you were under the nonsensical delusion that anyone would go back and read it. Clue in.
What part of "no" don't you understand?
Don Harris
81
My alleged trolling and hijacking seem to be more of concern when Michale is not active.
You've admitted to trolling multiple times now, Don, and simply placed the responsibility for it on most everyone except yourself. Now you want to blame Michale's absence for people's concern?
As CW would say: Hoo boy!
Don Harris
And anyone want to weigh in on whether CW should address One Demand? And this doesn't mean you have to agree with One Demand, it just means that you think CW should address it.
We have all heard about One Demand directly from the source, and most every one of us has pointed out the major flaws we see with your disorganized organization. As someone who ran a non-profit for years and relied on donations to cover 100% of my budget, your horrible web site and lack of a clear game plan that sounds as if it has any chance of being successful are red flags that you won’t find donors willing to back you.
What would CW tell us about One Demand that you haven’t? If you cannot get us excited about it, why would anyone else be able to? Your tunnel vision that getting people to choose small donor candidates will lead to great changes still doesn’t address why I would vote for the One Demand candidate who promises to have the gays rounded up and thrown into camps if they get elected!?!
You point to the success of Bernie being a small donation candidate, but you fail to realize that his success wasn’t due to that single issue. It was his great message and vision that allowed him to be a successful small donation candidate, not the other way around!
Russ
85
You point to the success of Bernie being a small donation candidate, but you fail to realize that his success wasn’t due to that single issue. It was his great message and vision that allowed him to be a successful small donation candidate, not the other way around!
Exactly right... everything Russ said. Add to that the fact that I have told Don repeatedly that Bernie Sanders doesn't fit his definition either because a simple 2-minute search proves BS took in over $30 million in "Big Money." How do we easily discern this, as I have told Don many times?
A simple check of the FEC's website shows that Bernie Sanders took in $30,320,646 that were not $200 or less small contributions as defined by Don in his "One Demand." Oh, I know Bernie campaigned bragging ad nauseam about his average campaign contribution being $27 dollars, but the rhetoric doesn't exactly match the reality.
https://classic.fec.gov/disclosurep/pnational.do
Thirty million dollars in "Big Money" makes Saint Bernard no different than any other candidate (where money is concerned, of course) and a bad example at the outset. In fact, you can check the 2016 campaign cycle and you will find tons more candidates on the GOP side who come closer to meeting Don's definitions, and Conor Lamb in PA-18 came way closer to Don's definitions, yet Don has trashed him multiple times. As I have said many times, the average American already contributes $0 to political campaigns and therefore already meets Don's definition.
I'm not knocking Bernie's political skills either, just pointing out that he didn't remotely meet Don's definition even though Don holds him out as the "be-all-end-all" example; Bernie is not and never has been because rhetoric versus reality are two different things. :)
... continued
... continued
Read what happened when Bernie's rhetoric caught up to reality:
You Say You Want a Revolution? Sorry, Bernie, Not for 27 Dollars Apiece.
https://tinyurl.com/yagk393q
Don Harris
89
"There you go again."
- Ronald Reagan
Perhaps you should apply that lame Reagan quote to yourself.
You won't listen to Russ, you won't listen to Bashi, Bathasar, Neil, or anyone else who's tried to help you, and I'm not wasting another word on your pathetic ass, Don, unless it's to tell you to bugger off or STFU.
As far as I'm concerned, you're not worth another minute of anyone's time. :)
CW-49
My position on RH/VV/OD is already on the record. He wastes everybody's time, including his own. In the days of print journalism the editor would send a letter to him saying something like this:
Dear. Mr. Ron Harris:
I regret to inform you that a mentally deranged individual is sending our newspaper numerous crank letters using your name and address to conceal his/her identity. Naturally, we do not print these letters, but we thought you should know and perhaps consult an attorney and/or private investigator....etc. etc.