NYT - Trump is Unfit for the Presidency
Who knew?
The “Newspaper of Record” that features “All the News Fit to Print”, the New York Times led today’s editorial posts with:
OPINION
DONALD
TRUMP
IS UNFIT
TO LEADBY THE EDITORIAL BOARD
The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists
whose views are informed by expertise,
research, debate and certain longstanding values
It is separate from the newsroom.
The Editorial Board laid out its case in a narrative, in the middle of which stood five points:
Moral Fitness Matters;
Principled Leadership Matters;
Character Matters;
Presidents’ Words Matter; and,
Rule of Law Matters.
The Times gives you the option to read the short article or the long article (through a series of click-buttons).
The main points were: Trump is oppressive to women; Trump openly supports racists; Trump ignited the violent insurrectionists of January 6th 2021; Trump dehumanizes immigrants; Trump is transactional, each action calculated for his own and only his own gain; Trump needs toadies to feed his sagging ego; Trump feeds off of these toadies; Trump intends to fire health and environmental experts in the Government to install . . . toadies; Trump intends to use his Presidential immunity that the Supreme Court put on steroids to create a society that polarizes against moderates and the left.
Surprisingly, I saw no reference to Project 2025.
Here is the NYT editorial:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/11/opinion/editorials/donald-trump-2024-unfit.html
Well, that was strong stuff. Maybe the NYT Board worried about offending the right, so . . . Just to show, hey, you on the right, no hard feelings, OK, OK?! — Just opposite of this moderately informed anti-Trump Editorial (pointing out the obvious — racist crowd-calls, dictatorial instincts), The Editorial Staff showed they are fair and balanced by publishing George Clooney’s call for Biden to stand down.
Here is the George Clooney Guest Essay (“George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee”):
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/10/opinion/joe-biden-democratic-nominee.html
The NYT has to be fair to both sides, right?!
So, the NYT knows the obvious — a flaming racist with totalitarian leadings who praises dictators and who impugns allies is unfit.
But, we are fair and balanced, so where Biden is so-far what stands between us and totalitarianism, we are not so sure about Biden either.
In case you are not nervous enough, Amy Walter, of the Cook Report (a costly paywall) reports as of 9 July 2024 that their polling now puts six critical swing states in favor of Trump. In this report, Amy Walter notes the divisions at the top of the Party. For those willing to enter the paywall, here is the link:
(Full disclosure: My knowledge of the Cook Report poll is through MSNBC and CNN.)
CNN features an opinion by Professor Julian Zelizer (Princeton — History and Public Affairs), which opens with
If President Joe Biden decides to withdraw from the election, Democrats need not fear — they have a ticket in front of them that can still defeat presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Not only would a ticket with Kamala Harris as president and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as her running mate have the best odds of getting the party through this moment of crisis, but also the potential to excite voters and produce a historic outcome. To be sure, there are serious risks. At the same time, this could present an exciting opportunity for Democrats.
This combination would satisfy the axiom put forth by the brilliant Democratic strategist David Axelrod in 2016, * * * “Voters rarely seek the replica of what they have. They almost always seek the remedy, the candidate who has the personal qualities the public finds lacking in the departing executive.”
In the rest of the article Professor Zelizer expands on his reasoning and hopes. (No paywall):
My observation:
Biden is, barring unforeseen events, our Nominee, and we must strongly support Biden;
A Trump Presidency is unthinkable for its implementation of programs oppressive to women and totally dehumanizing to immigrants;
Trump’s disdain for law, where the Supreme Court put a potential Trump Presidency on imperial steroids (Thanks, Supreme Court!! We owe you one!) would cripple and gut the Western Democratic Principles that were founded by the statesman, Eleanor Roosevelt — a vibrant, living memory to this 76-year-old, through the statesmanship of Harry S Truman, Dean Acheson and George Kennan (with his ingenious 1946 “X Telegram”)* and reaffirmed through the administrations of Dwight David Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lindon Johnson — Dignity, equal rights, and due process for each and all persons, with what Justice Benjamin Cardozo (during FDR times) classically called, “A System of Ordered Liberty”;
________
* George Kennan published an article anonymously (as X) on 1 July 1947 in the Journal of the Council on Foreign Relations, namely, Foreign Affairs, entitled, The Sources of Soviet Conduct, which is a foundation, the initial planning of America’s Cold War deterrence against the Soviet Union carried out consistently until the fall of the Soviet Union. Anyone interested at all in foreign affairs of the United States, This is a foundational piece and a MUST READ. This classic in Foreign Relations is published in full here:
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/russian-federation/george-kennan-sources-soviet-conduct
Trump’s implementation of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 intends to choke off the Government’s traditional role to promote the health, the safety, the welfare of all citizens and persons of the United States impartially, with due process of law, and with respect for the dignity of each person. Instead, Newly empowered not only by the Supreme Court, but by the powerful and perversely expert services of the right-wing Heritage Foundation which would ruin the Civil Service — since 16 January 1883, the Civil Service has operated under law on the basis of merit. The 1883 Pendleton Act established the Civil Service principle of merit selection and promotion, on the basis of the qualifications of the applicant or employee. Heritage -2025 would change that protection, and return us to 19th Century — To the winner belongs the spoils — where civil service office is rewarded to party toadies. Do I need to expand much on what that would mean under a narcissistic Trump Presidency. A government, not with environmental regulators, but with the Toady, Drill, Baby, Drill;
Trump has voiced that he would call the National Guard to suppress the First Amendment liberties in America. Imagine a crazed Trump Presidency, where, after George Perry Floyd was choked to death by the Police, and peaceful protesters gathered in throngs, a crazed Imperial Trump calling the National Guard to suppress reform. And make no mistake, the protests for Black Lives Matter did move materially the needle — by far, not yet fundamentally enough — for more lawful police enforcement — huh, imagine that, people want police to comply with the law. Not so appealing to Trump.
Trump would be silent in the face of war crimes and dictatorial wars of expansion, as in the case of Putin — Trump is Putin’s Toady. Just the other day, Putin’s war-criminal forces yet again bombed a children’s hospital. This is the Putin in the face of whom Trump would cower.
Think of the NAACP. Even normal, good conservative Republicans. How many Republican Presidents have visited the NAACP headquarters during their terms? George W. Bush avoided the customary meetings, because he didn’t want to hear opposing voices. Think of that! The NAACP — WEB Du Bois — The Soul of Black Folk (oh, please, oh, please, good people, read this classic — what a wonderful work that inspires a whole movement!). The Republicans show who they are with their stances toward the NAACP.
Biden wanted the House to pass the John Lewis Civil Rights Act to protect voting rights that the Supreme Court took away.
Senate procedural rules made sure the Jim Crow forces safeguarded gerrymandering processes in Alabama and the like.
And don’t forget: Even this Supreme Court (!) ruled Alabama’s system unlawful, whereupon the conservative Alabama defied the conservative court!
Biden has brought a strong economic recovery post-Covid.
Biden tries to bring traditional Presidential civility to bipartisan dialogue, featuring Mitch McConnell with the President at the opening of projects that had passed with mostly Democratic but also some bipartisan support.
We badly need civility in political discourse, which is a principle central to Joe Biden and the Biden Presidency.
Even assuming there should be a discussion among leaders about the path of the Democratic Party, it is catastrophic and unconscionable to launch an open partisan revolt with only 116 days before the November 5th 2024 Presidential Election!
Professor Zelizer (Princeton) proposes a ticket of Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer. Armando would be enthusiastic for such a ticket on a whole number of different levels, including my enthusiasm for strong women in power to lead in civil discussion and fact-based planning for the betterment of human welfare and peace abroad.
But even if there were such a ticket, the open divisions start such a ticket with a serious handicap with only 116 days left (and who knows how long it would take to iron out such a ticket — how many days left then?).
A planned passing of the torch is a good and worthy thing.
Panic is ruin.
Think of a lizard who panics and freezes in the face of fire or a rattler.
Panic leads to bad decisions.
We face a tormenter and demented would-be tyrant. We face a raging-wreck-and ranter who wants to: (1) Break the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution giving citizenship as a birthright; (2) Under his newfound dictatorial powers bestowed lovingly by the Supreme Court, to disenfranchise citizens who are birthright citizens under the 14th Amendment but born to unregistered immigrants, and to gather and deport millions. Remember the last time: A bureaucracy that whisked away little kids from their immigrant parents and guardians, stole them, weeping, away to far off gulags, where there was some sexual abuse, and severing the chain of custody so that it was nigh impossible to reunite that little innocent with her, with his loved ones.
That alone should halt Trump from the White House.
But we face a Europe at war, where Putin (the Bromance-of-Trump’s-Life) bombs kindergartens, shopping malls, and hospitals, whereas Ukraine responds with attacks only on legitimate military targets.
And Trump wants to gut NATO.
There is a serious danger of China’s advance in the Pacific and increasing harassment of foreign vessels by the Chinese Navy. Under President Joe Biden, the alliance of South Korea and Japan — who are not natural allies — has grown close and the two powers promise to increase their military spending and stance to be a responsible, regional check on China for the Peace of Asia.
Under President Joe Biden, NATO has grown remarkably. Under Trump, President Nicolas Sarkozy had resigned to NATO as being dead.
Now, not only has NATO, with a friendly Presidency of Joe Biden, impressively deepened its strategic territory — Sweden and Finland add yet a deeper military barrier to Putin’s ambitions right on Russia’s border! — but NATO has so strengthened its resolve as to grow the military budgets of even the most reluctant countries.
The addition of Sweden to NATO is especially welcome, because that country hosts a home Navy against Russian aggression in the North Sea:
https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/en/about/organisation/the-navy/
See also:
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights/defence-news/sea/swedish-navy-receives-first-new-sigint-vessel
This development is especially significant as Russia is historically hemmed in and its naval ports are in frigid areas, hindering maneuver.
Putin and Xi Jinping are united in trying to create a new world order based upon a politics uninformed from any tradition of human dignity, equal protection under the law, and due process of law.
Trump and Project 2025, as Kevin Roberts put it, want to create a “Second Revolution” that would not “spill blood” if the “Left” allows it!
We must support the Democratic Ticket. We can discuss leadership, but that must be in a forum that promotes reason. What is catastrophic is that leadership and succession (of good people — Kamala Harris/Gretchen Whitmer — a great, wonderful ticket) are spread through the prairie fires of cable “news”.
Instead of dialogue, there rages panic.
Which brings up: News had a principal purpose traditionally to quell rumors and give honest, straight information instead.
The atmosphere is electric and catastrophic.
We cannot devolve to a food fight 116 days before election and endanger the country with an Imperial Presidency on steroids (thanks, Heritage, Project 2025; Thanks, especially, Supreme Court).
In conclusion, let us foster the future of our youth, my six grandchildren and yours deserve the system designed by the philosophers of the Enlightenment as implemented by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison:
https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/hledej.php?hleda=hoopoe+chicks
(Hoopoe feeding her chicks)
I have come to a conclusion about what Biden should do. My conclusion is that I haven’t a clue. Too many variables, too many voices where I have no reliable way to measure their credibility.
On MSNBC yesterday an “intellectual” posited that we should not stifle debate—not his actual words but my import—about Biden continuing to run or not. In theory, what he said makes sense but I have a question. Does anyone actually believe we can get to some type of “truth” listening to so-called experts debate? Does debate lead to truth or does it reflect the sophistic skills of the debater.
What you propose would be ideal: Harris/Whitmer. And now is the time to put this into play, while folks have a moment to wrap their heads around it. The reality is that Dems are going to vote for anyone other than Trump, so those who are panicking need to chill and consider that this is the point in history where there is OPPORTUNITY. Opportunity to finesse, opportunity to put women forward in a meaningful way, opportunity to advance all that is important to young people and that will improve the world they will inherit after we are gone. The world is ripe for change. Time to pick the fruit and enjoy it instead of waiting for it to fall to the ground and rot.