Despite frantic efforts this week by President Donald Trump to create the impression of accomplishment and bold action, the traditional first hundred-day "honeymoon" of the new administration comes to a close Saturday with an unprecedented 61 percent of Americans believing that the president is not trustworthy and the lowest public approval rating of a president ever measured.
In California and the Bay Area these numbers are likely much worse given Trump's poor performance here in the election.
The Trump administration's ongoing bluster, manic behavior and gyrating policy positions have inspired resistance at all levels of government, from Congress to state and local governments to the judiciary and from citizens across America.
Locally, we should be especially proud of the actions taken by Santa Clara County and the City of San Francisco to block the president's executive order denying federal funds to sanctuary cities, and of Rep. Anna Eshoo's push for a law requiring presidents to release their tax returns.
These two initiatives reflect the political viewpoints of voters in this region and the widespread belief that President Trump's executive orders pertaining to immigration are unconstitutional and threatening the health and safety of our immigrant communities.
Santa Clara County and San Francisco successfully obtained a preliminary injunction on Tuesday from U.S. District Judge William Orrick that will prevent the Trump administration from carrying out the president's order cutting off federal funds to any sanctuary city or county. Self-declared sanctuary communities are those that have adopted policies of not assisting federal immigration authorities, for example, by notifying them of undocumented immigrants arrested or in custody for alleged non-violent crimes.
The lawsuits are among several filed around the nation challenging the Trump's Jan. 25 executive order but were the first to receive a judicial ruling. Orrick's order applies nationwide until he hears full arguments on whether to make the temporary injunction permanent, and Trump officials pledged Wednesday to challenge the ruling all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary.
In his decision, Orrick said, "The Constitution vests the spending powers in Congress, not the president, so the (executive) order cannot constitutionally place new conditions on federal funds."
"Federal funding that bears no meaningful relationship to immigration enforcement cannot be threatened merely because a jurisdiction chooses an immigration-enforcement strategy of which the President disapproves," Orrick ruled.
Local officials, including most police departments, believe that policies against cooperating with the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents are important to prevent widespread fear among undocumented immigrants to report crimes, attend schools and obtain health and other services to which they are legally entitled.
Contrary to popular belief, an undocumented person living in the United States is not violating any U.S. criminal laws and cannot be arrested or detained by local law enforcement for being in the country without authorization. Federal immigration policies are enforced by ICE strictly through civil deportation proceedings entirely separate from our normal judicial system and without many of the protections afforded by criminal defendants.
Meanwhile, Eshoo is leading an effort in the House of Representatives to enact a law requiring President Trump and all future presidents to release their tax returns. Eshoo insists the effort is neither political nor frivolous, as she believes bipartisan pressure to support the proposal will mount as Trump's tax measure moves forward in Congress. And since the one-page "tax reform" proposal announced Wednesday would appear to significantly benefit Trump and his companies, the demand for the release of Trump's tax returns will likely become part of the negotiations.
Regardless, we're glad Eshoo is pushing this legislation and attempting to get the 218 signatures needed to bring the bill directly to the floor for a vote, even if the ultimate outcome is a presidential veto.
Our local congressional delegation, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and the City of San Francisco are doing the right thing to stand up to the president's bluster in every way possible.
"See you in the Supreme Court!" Trump tweeted indignantly Wednesday.
Sad.
Comments
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2017 at 8:32 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 8:32 am
I think Trump should release his returns out of self preservation. If anyone less well off, say, someone with cancer who can no longer deduct their medical, is harmed because of changes that benefit Trump personally, would the harmed citizens or their surviving children be able to sue the President personally? Disclosure is always better for public officials, as Republicans showed us with Bill Clinton.
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:33 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:33 am
How is that CalTrain electrification funding doing? Resisting Trump comes with consequences....
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:46 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:46 am
It is disgraceful and completely unacceptable for the PA Weekly to act like there's only 1 side to the story.
This article is no surprise, but acting like the fairly-elected sitting President of our nation is not our President but some calamity that needs to be "resisted" is disrespectful of him and all who voted him, and it is an extremely unprofessional by the PA Weekly editorial board.
We know where you stand, we know your political biases and opinions. Why in the world would your release this article to deepen the divide in our town, and in our nation?
The PA Weekly Editorial board is acting shockingly immature and irresponsible.
Many people here actually DO support Trump, and we FULLY support him. You've created a suffocating climate in which we're not even allowed to express it!
To the Palo Alto Weekly Editorial Board: Shame on you.
Registered user
Adobe-Meadow
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:15 am
Registered user
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:15 am
Way to go, PA Weekly! In an age where the president of the US has declared that the media are "the enemy of the people", journalists like yourselves are doing a very important job. Those of us who find Trump's encouragement of racism, incessant lying, and ignorance of basic policy issues a complete embarrassment to this country are lucky to live in an area where three quarters of voters opposed him in the last election. It is only fitting that your editorial stance reflects the political sensibilities of an overwhelming majority of our community.
Trump and Bannon's threats against journalism were what led me to begin a paid subscription to the PA Weekly, because the importance of supporting a free press and other democratic institutions has never been greater. Keep up the good work!
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:18 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:18 am
The PA Weekly takes a position/narrative then deletes anyone who disagrees with that position. Then insert Curmudgeon as a foil. You cannot have a good discussion if you delete what half the people are saying.
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:18 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:18 am
Donald Trump has given strength to the white supremacy movement. Resistance is absolutely necessary in states with a large non-white population.
Crescent Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:22 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:22 am
Surprising, only 61%?
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:40 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:40 am
More judicial over reach. The liberal appointed judges are not so much fair arbiters of the law as Democratic dukes and duchesses for progressive feudalism.
I am glad to see some newly found, self-selective advocacy for the rule of law as the Democratic party is built on a platform opposing the following elements of our constitution:
1st amendment - Left-wing fascists have turned our universities into concentration camps of college censorship. The only things higher about the learning at those institutions are the tuition rates, numbers of bureaucratic enforcers and bonfires incinerating free speech and a range of intellectual thought.
2nd amendment - Despite centuries of evidence that when the government takes away weapons from its citizens then only the bad people get them, Democrats want to take away everybody's guns. It is an unfortunate fact of human nature that not long thereafter the bad people start to use the weapons against the good people. Whether it is ethnic genocide, politically organized death squads, criminal gangs or run of the mill street crime, millions of formerly free people have died as a result of their governments taking away their right to self defense. In their direct experience and wisdom, the Framers knew that without the 2nd amendment the other rights are useless.
4th amendment - It is no surprise that as soon as a Democrat administration took over after the expansion of data collection powers were increased post 9/11 that it immediately turned those capabilities on its political adversaries. Newly politicized Federal bureaucracies like the IRS and National Intelligence Agency both overtly and covertly attacked journalists, businesses, non-profit groups and political campaigns in order to influence elections and retain power.
10th amendment - In a politically incorrect and Cis-gender sort of way, the Democrats do not appear to recognize what is good for the goose is also good for the gander when it comes to states rights. The Obama administration radically applied federal power to coerce states to comply with new national policies for Obamacare penalties/exchanges, DACA and gender neutral bathrooms. However, when it comes to enforcing its national borders (The primary purpose of the federal government not wealth redistribution like many progressives seem to think.) then suddenly state's rights become supreme.
Other general principles - Democrats no longer believe in the electoral college. It is useful when there are Super Delegates to railroad an election from Bernie but not so much when used to protect minorities and ensure diverse representation. Same goes with separation of powers. The president can make treaties without consent of the Senate, Judges can legislate from the bench and Congress does not need to make laws or budgets so it can focus on lining its members pockets.
In sum, the Democratic Party platform no longer believes in the U.S. constitution or form of government. Instead, it has become the party of globalist elites that believes in open borders, multi-multiculturalism and a socialized economy in order to facilitate identity politics, wealth concentration to its constituents and moral protection from its blatant contradictions. Its no wonder the party has lost the support of the the middle class which has recognized that those policies are fundamentally not in its best interests.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:18 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:18 am
I'm not a Trump supporter but using social justice as a "brand" and not care about practical stuff is like parents worrying about the next party while the kids are getting high...oh I forgot, that's ok around here. Why has it taken this long to get Caltrain funded? Or to realize that California is swamped by immigration issues and hardly has time for anything else.
Recall the UC system and how it spent years doing social engineering and left a lot of kids out to dry because they were from the wrong zip code.
California dream big and merge with Mexico but don't make this about moral superiority.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:19 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:19 am
A free press is important as is free speech. If the Weekly sets out its political bias it has to also understand that there will be those who will hold the other point of view and want to be able to voice that also.
Berkeley is unable to deal with free speech or opposite opinion. We must all endeavor to live where we have no fear of having an opinion. We must all live without fears to ourselves, our families and our property, if we voice it. We have anonymous ballots for elections and rightly so. I just suspect that there are many closet Trump supporters who are seeing things they are pleased with in this first 100 days, but are just not saying so in a public forum.
Thankfully, there are ways to voice an opinion without fear of recrimination from those who think that disrespect, name calling and violence are the way to deal with those who disagree with liberal views in California.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:32 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:32 am
"Thankfully, there are ways to voice an opinion without fear of recrimination"
An election?
That didn't work out so well and so the race for California values moves along, Caltrain, UC, immigration abuses for another editorial
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:41 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:41 am
"If the Weekly sets out its political bias it has to also understand that there will be those who will hold the other point of view and want to be able to voice that also."
My posts get deleted as often as anybody else's, but I understand I'm using a private resource whose owners have every right to set their own standards in this still-free country. If you're unhappy with how the Weekly treats you, why not get off your sweet little bippy and startup your own newspaper or blog?
Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:45 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:45 am
President Donald J. Trump is fulfilling his campaign promises to those that supported him, prior to his inauguration.
As 60+ year Palo Alto residents, we appreciate what the Trump Administration has done for our nation during this past 100 days. Many of our friends & family, local & across the country, are satisfied as well.
This editorial does not represent what many Palo Alto households think & value. Thus, those comments that say, "Shame on you, PA Weekly staff", are correct.
From a big picture perspective, this newspaper has a history of using a "My way or the highway" tactic, with dissenting comments deleted on all their blogs, and no matter how benign the dissenting comment.
That is not effective journalism. Serious journalists report the news from all sides, trying to be as impartial as possible, even seeking out those opinions that disagree with staff and the vocal locals that have the journalist's ear.
There could be no more important area in which to do this, than on the national level, and in reporting on the new Administration's first 100 days. The Weekly could have been a part of the solution, bringing citizens together. With this editorial, they chose to be part of the problem, and continuing a divide.
For readers of good will that care about other PA resident's perspectives, among the reasons my family is happy about the new Administration include these:
1- The Supreme Court appointee/s that will likely make the group balanced.
2- Reports are that since January 20th, already we have between 70-90% fewer illegal immigrants coming into our country. The result being that Trump's administration is already serving as a 'wall', and without a penny having yet been spent by anyone for a physical barrier of any kind.
3- America is again seen as having a backbone within the UN, with our new US representative.
4- Our nation is finally looking to become more energy self-sufficient, after years of just talking about it.
5- Many family members and friends own and use guns, responsibly, and their right to bear these guns are likely to remain intact.
6- Having enjoyed Freedom of Speech, Thought and Expression for all our lives, a Trump Administration is likely to preserve those freedoms for us, bringing back the liberties we slowly lost over the past 8 years.
7- The Trump Administration's recruiting strong, educated and capable women for key leadership positions, such as at the UN.
8- Women, in general, are being supported, with appointees such as AG Jeff Sessions that drew attention to the poor decision made in our area, that makes Spousal Abuse a non-issue, calling it 'offensive touching', and disregards Child Endangerment, in cases of domestic violence, offering women and children at the altar of Silicon Valley's Immigrant Visas.
9- Children will no longer be compelled to lose their privacy, at school, making them vulnerable to those that may have more sinister intentions, and that may capitalize on the liberties they were given in the past few years.
10- News comes directly from the White House to interested citizens, and not exclusively from the normal media sources that filter & tweak it for public consumption, such as this biased editorial.
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:50 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:50 am
"The Obama administration radically applied federal power to coerce states to comply with new national policies for Obamacare penalties/exchanges, DACA and gender neutral bathrooms."
Are you aware that the Roberts Supreme Court specifically reviewed and approved those Obamacare penalties/exchanges? If Obama had no authority to do DACA, then Trump would also lack the authority to bust up immigrant families. And that the bathroom thing--a strange fixation, even for Republicans--was enforced by private industry boycotting the holdouts?
"Democrats want to take away everybody's guns."
You do know that NRA conventions are gun-free zones,right? You cannot pack your own heat into them. They take them away from you at the door. Don't that just frost ya?
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:51 am
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:51 am
Although I understand this is an editorial piece,it would be nice to leave opinions out of the story. Remember that communities are made of democrats and republicans, liberals and conservatives and everything in between and your stories should support an unbiased view.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2017 at 12:23 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 12:23 pm
"You do know that NRA conventions are gun-free zones,right? You cannot pack your own heat into them. They take them away from you at the door. Don't that just frost ya?"
Sorry, but that tired old tread is fake news. Guns are welcomed at NRA events to the extent allowed by local, state and federal laws. Unlike criminals (and our most recent Democrat administration), responsible gun owners do follow laws even when they disagree with them. There are many pictures on line even today at Trump's NRA visit with people legally carrying firearms.
Maybe you should take an NRA class or go to the local gun range sometime. It might surprise you. Shooting targets is almost as fun as shooting down other people's points of view and that is a pastime in which you are particularly well accomplished.
Los Altos
on Apr 28, 2017 at 12:52 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 12:52 pm
I left Los Altos 8 years ago and made it across the border to Reno, Nevada! Great place but if/when you decide you've had enough of PC Kaliphornia, I suggest you bypass NV and head directly to Idaho. Nevada is suffering from too many liberal/progressive transplants from the Left Coast. Wish I could have made it to the NRA Convention to hear Trump speak...
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 12:53 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 12:53 pm
Just another liberal rag paper who's editorial board is clueless by assuming everyone thinks like them it's sad what journalism has become a wing of the Democratic party where's my representation? You should take a lesson from the Daily post fair and balanced.
Mountain View
on Apr 28, 2017 at 12:55 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 12:55 pm
It's hilarious that the [portion removed] posters here are defending a man who is totally and completely out of his depth in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue:
Web Link
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:04 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:04 pm
Trump should just resign, if he really is interested in self-preservation.
Of course, then we'd have to deal with Pence, [portion removed], but at least he has experience with government!
Mayfield
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:08 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:08 pm
The question that needs to be asked here, is why is the PA Weekly, a news medium which prides itself on publishing stories with local emphasis, writing an evaluation of the current U.S. President? Did the PA Weekly ever write such an editorial about Obama during his presidency? Perhaps so, but I do not recall reading such an editorial. It is one thing to write about how a national issue or policy like immigration can affect local residents. However, it is an entirely different matter when a newspaper whose mission is to cover local issues, publishes a subjective editorial evaluating the current U.S. President. Certainly, the PA Weekly is aware that residents in Palo Alto and along the Peninsula have diverse political interests and are comprised of Democrats, Green Party, Independents, Non-Partisans, Republicans, etc. And certainly, the PA Weekly is aware that some of its readers are Trump supporters. And certainly the PA Weekly is aware that while it provides a free newspaper distribution wise to the public, it can only do this via its paid advertisers. And, given that many who advertise with the PA Weekly are in the Real Estate industry, certainly, due to the nature of their profession, some must be Trump supporters. Lastly, should we remind you what this election was about, and why Trump was elected? Across this country, people are continuing to choose between being able to eat and housed. In Silicon Valley, this struggle gets hidden, however, given the current challenges with people being displaced from housing, and the local income inequality between tech, retail and service workers (local issues about which the PA Weekly has written), it would seem that one could connect the dots. I am a Trump voter, and I support the work he is doing. He is attempting to honor his campaign promises. If Clinton were elected, I would support her to help make life a quality one for all Americans, as everyone born in the U.S. should be able to achieve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The latter incorporates being able to financially thrive and strive, and to be able to take care of oneself, and one's family. Please keep the PA Weekly editorials focused on local issues involving Palo Alto and surrounding communities. Let the subjective editorials be produced and written by those news organizations which have global and national production. So, let it be written. So, let it be done.
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:14 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:14 pm
"Guns are welcomed at NRA events to the extent allowed by local, state and federal laws."
Sure. Just try to pack your 7.62 into the upcoming NRA convention auditorium.
"There are many pictures on line even today at Trump's NRA visit with people legally carrying firearms."
Faked news.
"Shooting targets is almost as fun as shooting down other people's points of view and that is a pastime in which you are particularly well accomplished."
I shot NRA Expert in high school, way back when the NRA was a solid community-serving organization with sane leaders. You know, I feel compassion for those targets. They've done nothing to deserve their fate.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:18 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:18 pm
Although I disagree with virtually everything in this editorial, I support the Weekly’s right to publish anything they want, even though their focus is supposedly on local events. While it is clear that those responsible for this editorial are generally clueless about national issues, the First Amendment gives them the right to take any position they want.
Everyone who has access to this editorial is also free to use it to line the bottom of their birdcage.
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:35 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:35 pm
Web Link
California has much to be trimmed, in terms of federal funds, if it refuses to show a friendlier attitude to Trump. CalTrain electrification is just the tip of the iceberg. Resisting Trump is a fool's errand, and the PA Weekly has bought into that narrative, apparently. The PA Weekly should have learned about the art of the deal.
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:45 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:45 pm
Thank you Longtime Resident and Sanctimonious City and other like minded posters for great comments! You definitely speak for me, I share same POV and it sure is great to know others in town share these views.
Indeed, shame on PA Online for such terrible disrespect of our President. I completely disagreed with almost every single policy, idea, action by President Obama, yet I never showed disrespect for the office nor did I ever question he was our President. I just worked hard to get our Republicans elected wherever I could. It is outrageous, disrespectful and anti-American to suggest PDJT is in some way not a legitimate President.
As for the person who thinks California should merge with Mexico. Ha! That should put the nail in the coffin for California! Why do you think tens of millions of Mexicans have been coming here for decades in big steady streams, both legally and illegally? It's because Mexico is a corrupt, crime ridden, poorly run country with drug traffickers and cartel crime gangs running huge portions of the country and Mexico City. The millions coming here are trying to escape that mess.
I conducted business there for many years, and throughout South America. When visiting a TV station in Mexico City that had 20 foot walls, razor wire and heavily armed para military units protecting it, this reminded me how lucky we are here. Yet without vigilance we can easily become like Mexico. I suggest you go ahead and move there and see how you like it compared to USA.
Those of us who believe in the US Constitution, keeping rule of law culture, and protecting the integrity of US borders, are also happy to welcome legal immigrants here from Mexico and all over the world, as long as they integrate and contribute to our communities in positive lawful ways. Fortunately most of our legal immigrants do, they worked hard to get here and want to be American citizens.
The fact that our great country and Constitution were founded on the great principals and humanist philosophies of the Enlightenment, and have deep roots in Western Civilization, is something all current and future generations ought not forget. These are great foundations for our society and diverse culture which at its best allows and welcomes open discussion of intelligent and diverse views. Something to aim for PA Online!
Those using anti-intellectual labels such as "alt -right" to describe anyone and everyone who supports PDJT only reveals your simplistic and rigid worldview, incapable of thoughtful reasoned debate. If your totalitarian approach dominates going forward, the decline of the United States would be inevitable. Thankfully PDJT has saved us from that cruel fate to date and there is once again great hope for the future of our great Republic.
Crescent Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:47 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 2:47 pm
-- Everyone who has access to this editorial is also free to use it to line the bottom of their birdcage.
Is there no Trump supporter, conservative or Republican who can comment without being nasty, insulting and unpleasant? Why is that such a black swan event?
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 3:04 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 3:04 pm
"It is outrageous, disrespectful and anti-American to suggest PDJT is in some way not a legitimate President."
DJT and his followers questioned Obama's legitimacy for years. Turnabout's fair play, right?
But why do you think a man with obvious dementia is a legitimate president? Which hostile foreign government are you working for?
Green Acres
on Apr 28, 2017 at 3:16 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 3:16 pm
[Post removed.]
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 28, 2017 at 3:43 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 3:43 pm
Government and politics have become very contentious. I remain worried about Trump, but I respect the office of President. I would prefer people who are adults - all - act like adults when discussing public topics.
It's best to discuss issues, not personalities. In addition, trump has made himself a social media personality, so this is a special case. I don't like that. So what's best is not possible for these four years. Meanwhile, the new DNC committee head publicly swears while public speaking. Things go lower and lower.
It's also best to seek out a wide variety of sources of information. I am especially worried with young voters who only read headlines, the beginnings of posts, what their perhaps uninformed peers post.
One has a cursory historical background or doesn't know all the details. Then it's easy to leap onto the bandwagon of outrage on whatever current topic of contention.
I wishe we could improve government, poli sci and geography education of youth. This might help.
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 28, 2017 at 4:11 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 4:11 pm
@ The Usual Suspects....I think the man you are referring to left the White House in January.
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 4:19 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 4:19 pm
This op-ed piece by the Palo Alto Weekly is precisely WHY the Republicans are winning around most of this country. While it might be appealing for an increasingly liberal state like California and the San Francisco Bay Area, it doesn't go over well with most of America.
Over the last eight years, Republicans have won the House of Representatives, the Senate, the White House (winning 30 states), a record number of governors' offices and a record number of state legislatures. Barack Obama -- who liberals are pretending was some popular and unifying politician -- left office with an average approval rating over the course of his presidency that was the fourth lowest in history (47.9% according to Gallup).
Next year, there will be an important election for the U.S. Senate. A third of all seats (33) are up for grabs. Yet, only EIGHT of those seats belong to Republican incumbents. Many of the seats currently held by Democrats are in states won by Donald Trump last year.
Donald Trump has been president for all of three months. During that time, the media has unleashed a non-stop onslaught of negativity.
It is no wonder that trust in the media is at an ALL-TIME LOW. The press is being seen for what it is -- opinionated pundits who wish to interpret the news in the hope of influencing. It might work with the easily persuaded, but it isn't working for the majority of this country. Even a majority of Democrats no longer trust the mass media. In fact, one poll released this week indicated that more people trust Donald Trump than the news media.
While loud, bitter and angry politicians, pundits and "news" personalities will desperately try and control a narrative that reflects the DNC's values and goals, it isn't working in middle America. Americans are increasingly viewing the for-profit and agenda-driven press as being out-of-touch with the views of most Americans.
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:02 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:02 pm
"Donald Trump has been president for all of three months. During that time, the media has unleashed a non-stop onslaught of negativity."
It's by default. Fox News(?), Trump's usual mouthpiece, has been distracted after first its founder, then its Spinner-in-Chief, got all bollixed up trying Trump's hands-on style with women, apparently with insufficient celebrity status to pull it off. Check with The Donald for details on the latter point. That defaulted all the presidential reporting to the objective media. Sad.
Green Acres
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:04 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:04 pm
Yeah Leave the white supremacy comment above but delete mine . nice pa online.
Registered user
Barron Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:27 pm
Registered user
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:27 pm
I think the *focus* on "Resist" is counter-productive, and potentially disastrous. Trump was elected because he was *less* unpopular than Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, and the focus on "Resist" does nothing to change that (yes Clinton got more individual votes, but she chose to spend lots on money turning out voters in places where it wouldn't affect the electoral vote).
In a recent ABC/Washington Post poll (Web Link Trump came out the least worst: He was judged out-of-touch by "only" 58%, with the Republican Party registering 62% and the Democratic Party registering 67%. A big part of the "Resist" strategy is to play to the Democratic Party/Progressive core, but it also has the side-effect of pushing further away those who voted for Trump as the "least worst" choice. For example, polling indicates that Trump got a large majority of voters that regarded both him and Clinton as unqualified/unsuited to be President. Yes, polling often gets the numbers wrong for a variety of causes, but these were numbers that were big enough to represent real red flags.
To me the bigger danger that Democrats/Progressives should be worried about is that Republicans are currently one statehouse (governor and legislature) short of having the 3/4s needed to amend the Constitution. The Democratic Party is in its current sorry condition because it failed to adequately prepare for and contest the statehouse elections in 2010, thereby increasing the Republicans ability to redraw districts to favor Republican candidates.
Management consultant Tom Peters ("In pursuit of excellence") pointed out the folly of "We're no worse than anyone else". Similarly, a strategy of resting on "They are even worse than us" is a dangerous one.
Mountain View
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:30 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:30 pm
@38 year resident -- President Obama was highly competent. Your boy? Not. Even. Close.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:32 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:32 pm
Perhaps PAonline felt compelled to run this propaganda piece due to the less than enthusiastic reaction to Chelsea's coming out to run for office and then deciding not to run for office party. The second self-awarded woman of the galaxy trophy in a month and book tour fell on deaf ears and even stalwart liberals were wondering when will they get the message that the public is done with the Clintons.
Meanwhile, Main Street continues its rapid migration away from the Democratic Party on a scale that makes the wildebeasts running across the Seranghetti tiny by comparison. Even dumping $8 million of out of state money and a herd of Hollywood limozine liberals had no effect in Georgia and Trump's post election poll numbers over Hillary have shot up even higher.
As a last resort, they have turned to Obama hoping to recapture some of his magic. Unfortunately, he is busy hypocritically performing $400K an hour speeches to "Fat Cats" on Wall Street so they will have to take a number assuming they can still afford him and he is not off line vacationing on Jay-sees yacht.
Crescent Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:40 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 5:40 pm
-- This op-ed piece by the Palo Alto Weekly is precisely WHY the Republicans are winning around most of this country.
No facts to back that up. Trump won because he had a huge Republican big-data organization funded by billionaires like Robert Mercer, the Koch brothers and others who were able to marginally help out by focusing money and messages to basically lie to workers in middle America, the rust belt and coal mining territory promising them assistance that neither party has addressed. It is easy when you have enough money to screw over the little states for their electoral votes.
The number of Republicans who voted for Trump was only slightly larger than the number of staunch Republicans that always vote. It was the lack of support from the Democrats for the Democratic candidate that put the election into the technical decision of the Electoral College. That tells us that Trump did not galvanize or inspire Republicans or many swing voters to "swing", but instead the ugliness of this campaign worked out in such a way that the popular vote went to Hillary Clinton, just not in the specific areas that it needed to be in to win.
There is no way Trump would have won if voters knew he was going to raise their taxes and cut even more the taxes of hedge fund operators and remove the AMT dumping more debt on the backs of regular taxpayers. The failure of the Republican party to respond to this fraud demonstrates clearly a failure to represent the American people.
I do agree with you that the new head of the DNC is not representing the party well and in my opinion should resign.
Barack Obama's approval rating as of January 19th 2016 were 59% approve 37% disapprove and 4% neutral, at last poll it was 59%
George Bush left office with a 25% approval rating, at last poll it was 34%.
Bill Clinton left office with a 45% approval rating, at last poll it was 66%
George H. W. Bush left office with a 29% approval rating, at last poll it was 56%
Data from Wikipedia: US Presidential Approval Ratings: Web Link
Additional factors that work against Democrats are that the Republicans have gerrymandered districts to their benefit in the last cycle.
It takes a lot of money, power, ownership of the media, and control of the voter rolls and polls in order to suppress democracy at the level it has been in the US ... or to force the square peg of Republicanism into the round hole or democracy and claim this is what our country is all about.
Coincident with that is the capture of the Supreme Court and filling it with "constructionists", meaning people who believe the laws of the land should be written with the original intent of the Founders, when there was genocide, slavery and women could not vote.
It's pretty near impossible to make a case that the American people agreed with the Republican agenda and probably many fewer people would have voted Republican had they not been sold a bill of goods by a master con man, with a plain history of fraud and cronyism bypassed by the media in favor of insults and rhetorical devices aimed at a large field of poor candidates.
Meanwhile it's so interesting to watch Republicans looking for some way to make Bernie Sanders look a villain. Conservatives are desperately grasping for anything to make him look bad. So far they called him a sellout for losing the primary, an old man, a communist and complain he has 3 houses?
Crescent Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 6:19 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 6:19 pm
Heavy duty comment Douglas Moran
-- The Democratic Party is in its current sorry condition because it failed
-- to adequately prepare for and contest the statehouse elections in 2010,
-- thereby increasing the Republicans ability to redraw districts to favor
-- Republican candidates.
This paragraph though implies all things being equal over time, and what has
changed has been the continued influence of big money in elections when
both candidates are of the establishment. That is both parties have gotten
ever more "Republican" in the service of money, with the Clinton and W. Bush
adminstrations as the knee of the curve where the whole system is now run as
good party, bad party theater by a virtual monopoly of consolidated media.
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 28, 2017 at 6:49 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 6:49 pm
Let me correct a fundamental flaw in these arguments. Trump didn't win, he lost by nearly 3 million votes, ending up president due to the feudal, utterly ridiculous "electoral college" nonsense. There is no doubt that the Democratic party is in a very sorry state, having latched on to corporate America and Wall Street, abandoning its principles and core constutuency. Having said that, Trump, using the KGB and Putin's hacking apparatus, running against a very flawed and scandal ridden candidate, lost the popular vote by a fairly wide margin. Practically any other Democratic candidate, not just Bernie, would have trounced Trump.
Community Center
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:18 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:18 pm
Go on line and watch the movie "The Caine Mutiny." Don't focus on the nutcase Bogart character Commander Queeg, but instead on his officers, who quietly conspire to isolate Queeg to make sure he does not endanger lives and possibly sink the ship.
The strawberry scene can be updated in today's terms to Tweets and Fox news.
Then think about being a cabinet officer in the Trump administration.
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:19 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:19 pm
Mauricio,
[Post removed.]
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:27 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:27 pm
@ Mauricio: OK, so the fix was in against Bernie by the Hillary apparatus and California is in the tank for the Left. But we still need federal funds for our projects in CA. Isn't it time to start to deal, instead of stamping our feet and 'resisting'?
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:31 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:31 pm
Martha-- glad that you agree that trumps opinions are nonsensical.
Web Link
And in 2012 trump tweeted that the electoral college was a disaster for democracy.
And wasn't it trump that refused to say that he would accept the results of the election ( obviously if he won, he will gladly accept the results)
Green Acres
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:41 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:41 pm
people need to learn to lose with a little dignity. your anger is not productive.
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:42 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:42 pm
@ CrescentParkAnon.:
That is some interesting spin. If you're going to judge Obama's ENTIRE presidency by where his approval rating was at the very end of his presidency, then you might as well admit that George W. Bush was the most popular president of all time (since his approval reached 90% in the weeks following 9/11.
Web Link
Obama's highest approval ratings were the week he came into office and the week that he left. Everything in-between was mediocre. In fact, Obama's average approval rating for his first term was 49.1%. For his second term, his average approval rating was 46.7%. His lowest approval rating was 38% (twice in 2011 and then again in 2014).
Web Link
Look at it this way:
Trump's approval rating is currently at 43%. During Obama's presidency, his approval rating (as measured by Gallup) was EQUAL TO OR LOWER THAN Trump's approval rating (43%) for 83 WEEKS out of his presidency. For most of his presidency, Obama's approval rating meandered in the mid-40's.
What am I saying? You can certainly argue that Trump is CURRENTLY unpopular. However, he has only been in office for about 14 weeks. Moreover, his approval and favorability ratings haven't changed much since coming into office. A recent poll indicated that he would STILL win the election over Hillary Clinton if the election were held today.
Web Link
Crescent Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:51 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:51 pm
I like President Trump. I do not support sanctuary cities. Eleven year resident of Palo Alto.
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:53 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:53 pm
1) 48 year Palo Alto resident
2) I'm thankful that Trump was elected.
3) I do not respect the ability of the Palo Alto Online staff.
4) I do not respect the ability of Palo Alto City management, but at least it is not as bad as Berkeley.
Crescent Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:57 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 7:57 pm
Bernie Sanders said this week that " Hate speech is not free speech". Really? He is not a villain?
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 28, 2017 at 8:00 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 8:00 pm
It will be interesting to see how many of you Trump supporters will continue to back him if his tax proposals aimed at the high-tax educated states like CA, MA and NY to eliminate deductions for state and local taxes is ever enacted.
Too bad about your CA property taxes, CA cap gains taxes, income tax and taxes on your home sales.
Crescent Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 8:19 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 8:19 pm
If tonly axes were the only thing I was worried about....
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 8:37 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 8:37 pm
"I am talking, and really talking, on this very entrenched power structure, and what we're doing is we're talking about the power structure, we're talking about its entrenchment. As a result, the media is going through what they have to go through to oftentimes distort -- not all the time -- and some of the media is fantastic, I have to say; they're honest and fantastic. But much of it is not -- the distortion. And we'll talk about it, and you'll be able to ask me questions about it." ― Donald J. Trump, Press Conference, 16 February 2017
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” ― H.L. Mencken, On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:02 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:02 pm
I think Trump is doing a great job. I have Fox News on all day and it goes to all of the locations where Trump is speaking. So you are part of the occasions that are taking place. And all of the people he is speaking to are happy and excited. And how is your 401K coming along? Are you all going to complain about the stock market? Yes - things are not always smooth - but this is the first 100 days and he has great command of the meetings and groups he is talking to. Then there is the opposite - the SFC, SJM, and NYT writing reviews that insert every extreme adjective they can come up with. I am expanding my vocabulary with all of the verbiage going on out there. I attribute that to sheer panic and total terror on the D's side.
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:35 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:35 pm
"Are you all going to complain about the stock market?"
Stock market is great news for the elites. But the 2017Q1 growth in the general economy was the lowest seen in 3 years. Sad news for the non-elites.
Crescent Park
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:38 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:38 pm
Trump is really following through on the promise to make peoples' heads spin ... at least some of them. ;-)
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:42 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:42 pm
@ Crescent - I love to see bleeding heart liberals' heads spin. It is funny when they realize that a massive portion of this nation disagrees adamantly with their socioeconomic and policy goals.
Obamacare WILL be repealed and replaced.
Illegal immigration WILL be greatly diminished.
H-1B visa overhaul WILL favor American workers.
Tax cuts WILL favor job creation.
Trade policy WILL help prevent jobs from going overseas.
Midtown
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:45 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 9:45 pm
@ Curmudgeon: IF Obama could blame Bush for the economy getting worse and worse for TWO YEARS (despite promises of the "summer of recovery"), then the slower than expected "first quarter" growth can be blamed on Obama (right?). Of course, Trump was only president for two of the three months anyway.
Downtown North
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:35 pm
on Apr 28, 2017 at 11:35 pm
"IF Obama could blame Bush for the economy getting worse and worse for TWO YEARS..."
At the time I often wished Obama had assigned the blame where it belonged. But he didn't and he lost some optics on that. Used up so much energy fixing he had none left for whining.
In Cleveland The Donald promised us AMAZING and FANTASTIC things would happen instantly when he got into the Oval Office. Like, Obamacare would be repealed on January 20. The rubes bought it. The Donald ain't delivered.
(I shouldn't have to spell this out, but worst economic growth rate in 3 years means the economic growth rate was always better in the last 3 years of the Obama administration than in the first 2 months of the Trump administration. Note to your creators: Make this avatar smarter, guys)
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 29, 2017 at 7:15 am
on Apr 29, 2017 at 7:15 am
Good article today about short traders who are betting against Tesla. Tesla knows who they are - names printed. We already know that George Soros lost billions by betting against Trump before he took office - he already knew that HRC would lose. And Chelsea's husband is a hedge fund manager who also lost big time. So now Chelsea has to hustle to get some money. So now we have a bunch of high rollers who lost bets and are now trying to bring down the whole country so they can reverse their personal fortunes. Mr. Soros funds those groups in black outfits and face covers that appear to beat up everyone at the inauguration and at UC Berkley.
The people in the middle class do not have complicated portfolio's and a lot just stick the money in the top 500 index funds so those people are doing well. So much for the high rollers who are now flaming out. You all bet on the come and come did not happen.
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 29, 2017 at 8:37 am
on Apr 29, 2017 at 8:37 am
Nayeli writes " It is funny when they realize that a massive portion of this nation disagrees adamantly with their socioeconomic and policy goals."
I wonder if "massive" refers to the nearly 3 million fewer voters who voted for Trump than for Clinton? Maybe the word that Nayeli is looking for rather than "massive" is "yuge, in alternative fact Trump speak. I would be very depressed if it really is the case that a majority of the people of the US truly supported corrupt liars, misogynists, homophobes and racists like those we now see in the White House, at least if they were told the truth about what actions like striking down the ACA, going backwards on dealing with climate change and environmental policy in general, changing tax policy to further benefit the wealthy, etc...
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 29, 2017 at 10:04 am
on Apr 29, 2017 at 10:04 am
What's up with the 3 million?
how many of the 3 mill are in California and other similar dreaming states.
Contrast that to the number of black, brown, gay, women, poor and disenfranchised who voted for Trump.
Absent the pack who made this about the supreme court, the election was about change. People maybe a wee bit tired of the dreaming and needing some practical actions from government.
look at this thread, hating on anything that veers from party lines that's what people are supposed to trust? Nobody believes the dreaming social justice "brand" anymore.
You want to lead? Do something practical, roll up your sleeves and instead of protesting and campaigning for the next election, work with others to fix something, that's what people will be looking for when it's election time again anyway.
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 29, 2017 at 10:04 am
on Apr 29, 2017 at 10:04 am
[Portion removed.]
I do not see any of those dire actions happening. America is about going to school and working hard at a job of your skill sets. No one cares what color that is. People do care about those people who mug others and are in a state of civil disobedience - read gang land. People care who is looting and pillaging. People care about people beating up other people. If the shoe fits wear it.
[Portion removed.]
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 29, 2017 at 10:13 am
on Apr 29, 2017 at 10:13 am
[Post removed.]
Midtown
on Apr 29, 2017 at 11:39 am
on Apr 29, 2017 at 11:39 am
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” ― H.L. Mencken, On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe
Not only moronic, but as 35 professional psychiatrists' recent paper said, he is a mentally sick man.
Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 29, 2017 at 12:01 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 12:01 pm
If people do care about people beating up other people, then you must sign and share this petition to reject DA's plea deal that got this repeat offender CEO wife-beater a mere 13 days for spousal abuse that was filmed. For his other arrest, the mailman called the cops because he was beating his wife in the middle of the street.
The guy has no shame. The DA's plea bargain ludicrous. His argument that he's opposed to deporting immigrants had NOTHING to do with these criminal acts.
Please share and sign before the 5/18 sentencing hearing in PA:
Web Link
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 29, 2017 at 12:02 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 12:02 pm
So we now have hit on the DNC's "talking points" as being not a part of this discussion. So that is how this goes. The talking points are a conversation shutdown and have no basis in actual real life. But that is what you have signed up for.
Downtown North
on Apr 29, 2017 at 12:42 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 12:42 pm
"Not only moronic, but as 35 professional psychiatrists' recent paper said, he is a mentally sick man."
No doubt about it. The evidence speaks for himself: Web Link and before that: Web Link
Midtown
on Apr 29, 2017 at 2:02 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 2:02 pm
@ Stephen:
You wrote: "I wonder if "massive" refers to the nearly 3 million fewer voters who voted for Trump than for Clinton."
My reply:
So, Hillary Clinton won nearly three million more votes. So what? Like both of her husband's election victories, Hillary didn't win a majority either. She gained 48.1% of the vote -- meaning that 51.9% of the voting population voted for someone else.
If you removed California from the election, Trump would have won the other 49 states and D.C. by more than a million votes.
If you removed former Republican governor Gary Johnson from the election, Trump would likely have won six more states (in addition to the 30 that he won).
This is the United STATES. It doesn't matter that Hillary won the popular vote in 20 states (well, 19 + 3/4 of Maine). She didn't win enough support in the states that the DNC sacrificed in their pompous victory parade. Hillary, like the DNC, ignored the working class voters that Democrats used to rely upon.
This is the strange and sad new "normal" for this country. Liberals believe that their views are morally superior to everyone else. "Free speech" is only provided to those who agree with whatever is defined to DNC-approved "politically correct" speech and the "free press" was slain to make way for the ideological nepotism of the profit-and-agenda-driven "mob press."
When Democrats win, they pompously celebrate that "elections have consequences" to push an agenda while the press favorably cheers for them. But, when Democrats lose (going on six years now), the politicians of dyed-in-the-wool blue states (led along by Jerry "Mandering" Brown of Vote-By-Mail-Fraud California) whine about how "illegitimate" the opposition is. As usual, they rely upon the agenda-driven "news" industry to try and control the narrative and influence the easily-influenced.
After the 2004 election, leaders of the DNC announced that the race for 2008 began immediately. They urged all Democrats in Congress to use every opportunity in front of their friends in the "news" industry to blame "the failed policies of George W. Bush" for all of America's problems. They labeled the Republican Party the "Party of No." After they took control of Congress and the White House, Democrats began rushing through an agenda (announcing that "elections have consequences"). Yet, when they subsequently lost both houses of Congress, they complained that anyone who stood in their way was an "obstructionist."
Now, Republicans control both houses of Congress, the White House, a record number of governors' offices and a record number of state legislatures and legislative seats. Yet, Democrats are now told to RESIST AND CRITICIZE at every opportunity. They are pulling off their old post-2004 marching orders (since it was successful against Republicans back then).
However, there are three things that they are miscalculating:
1.) American trust in the press and Democrats is at an all-time low.
2.) The next election is going to be a bad one for Democrats.
3.) Trump is still popular in states where he needs to be popular.
Now, loud and bitter apologists of the "Party of Our-Way-Or-No-Way" are quick to label, stereotype and sling mud at anyone who disagrees with them. They hope that all of the ridiculous and bratty name-calling (e.g., "-phobes," "-ists," "ics," etc.) will stick.
I have to admit that this is both disappointing and somewhat humorous at the same time. It is oddly funny to hear or read the "SKY IS FALLING" rhetoric echoing from the late night comedians, SNL, MSNBC, CNN, Newsweek, Time and other parts of the handful of corporate media empires that control most of the "news" in America. Their heads really do seem to be spinning faster than the "spin" that they spread on behalf of their loyalty to the left and ideological hatred for Trump.
Just yesterday, I read an article that stated emphatically that Trump used "racist rhetoric" at a speech -- for calling Elizabeth Warren a "Fauxcahontas" because or her history of claiming to be Native American in order to gain entry to Harvard, scholarships and, later, employment as a "minority." I think that particular newspaper spent more time focusing on Trump using that term than it did Ms. Warren using the term "Native American" when it was convenient.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 29, 2017 at 2:49 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 2:49 pm
I find it very ironic that people who clearly cannot be honest with themselves and express such a disconnection from reality as Sanctimonious City does above, can even pretend to know what the rest of the workd thinks about Trump. Respect us again? He is making us a laughingstock. Friends in Europe and Asia regarded Obama like Kennedy. Many of them won't come here (or spend tourist dollars here again) because of Bush, and Obama had almost changed minds.
For those making ludicrous charges about fascist leftists, as applied to people who are just right of center given how far to the right we all keep getting dragged no matter how much debt or income inequality it engenders, be careful what you wish for, you will get it. We will yet see the left equivalent of the teaparty form, and this is not it. You will long for the day of spineless Democrats who let you steal the Supreme Court seat to continue a rightwing anti-ordinary citizen rightwing agenda, and claim it was for "balance". We are in a rightwing extremist time, even during the Obama years, and things tend to swing violently in the other direction eventually. Republicans will get what they want, destroying the American government which we used to defend as the best in the planet and fought wars for, but the left extreme that they made with their constant drive for Party Over Country will fill the void. It seems like the Republican Party believes in nothing anymore except tax cuts for the rich, and saying whatever is necessary to take over and maintain that. Unlike Republicans of yesteryear who believed in investing in our nation and paying our way, Republicans just try to figure out how to prevent billionaires from having to pay back for the public investments that made their wealth and opportunities even possible.
What's really ironic is the rightwingers above with their support for hate and bully speech, who yammer against dissent as if it isn't free soeech they supposedly support. I find that the thing that makes rightwingers I know most upset is simply having to hear facts that interrupt their made up rightwing reality. That's why it's hard to have discussions with people on the right. The people I know get so emotionally attached to viewpoints that simply aren't supported by facts, even if the facts support ther supposed tenets, and they get angry if you try to tell them facts. Like above, they accuse any kind of fact check of repressing their free speech.
There has been a real cognitive dissonance on the right since Ronald Reagan. Objectively, the policies were only good for people at the very top, not for the vast majority, but you still have rightwingers saying Republicans are better for business. The last billionaire businessman who told us we needed a businessman running the country, ran our economy into the dirt like his own business. How many more times has Trump gone bankrupt than Bush did? The economy objectively does better under Democrats, even Trump is on record as having noticed that himself. The economy has slowed in Trump's first three months. What do you want to bet there will be convoluted arguments blaming Democrats? The trouble us that all of these people, Republicans and Democrats, and even Trump himself, could make great contributions to our nation. But the critical missing piece is people on the right being willing to a) be truthful, including with themselves, and b) be willing to understand that the balancing of power is what made our nation different and great. (Gridlock is different and happens when one side, in this case the RIGHT, gets too extreme.)
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 29, 2017 at 2:59 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 2:59 pm
Just like the Obama administration made up new words to claim Radical Islamic Terrorism was defeated (Workplace violence and Man caused disasters) and re-categorized Illegal Aliens so that illegal immigration so that it would not be counted or appeared lower, it also introduced a whole new vocabulary for the economy.
Instead of printing money we got quantitative easing. Rather than bank bail outs we got negative interest rates. Workers were no longer unemployed when their jobs were shipped overseas or they were laid off after training their apparently highly skilled but less capable H1-B visa replacements. They were merely structurally disenfranchised.
The voters understood this nefarious game of socialist Scrabble for what it was and voted Trump into office. The middle class knew that the economy was not as good and that unemployment rate was much higher just like Al Queda was not destroyed. The global elites were lying to them while simultaneously holding them in contempt and robbing their pockets.
Like the famous Monty Python skit about the dead blue parrot, after eight years of Obamanomics the working class voters were ready to recognize that their economic opportunity had "ceased to exist", "was no more" and appeared "bereft of life" and as it sat motionless on the table feet stiffly pointing to the sky they would not be convinced any longer that it was simply pining for the fjords or just resting.
Crescent Park
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:24 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:24 pm
[Portion removed.] Really, why do you think the far right is making strides in Europe? Luckily the US is behind the European Countries so we have not yet suffered the same atrocities they they are experiencing now. The US can learn from their mistakes. The same people who don't want to support the US tourism industry are the same leftists that
encouraged the mess in Europe. Now "Question" will likely respond that the problem with the EU is that they did not make enough accommodations for the immigrants. Really? The French and the Sweedes are some of the kindest and most generous people. They rolled out the red carpet for the immigrants. You really think Obama or any lefty could do a better job than a socialist EU country could do? I know it feels good to be a humanitarian but we have to be realistic. At what cost do we want to destroy our way of life?
Crescent Park
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:26 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:26 pm
Liberals occasionally do believe their views are morally superior. Conservative
hate that, and they wish it was not so, but ...
That is because if you tune out a few outlying extreme over the top Liberal voices,
the Liberal point of view is morally superior. This is ridiculed by
conservatives in lots of ways - calling Liberals do-gooders, bleeding
hearts, losers, nanny staters - because Liberals do not always want
everything to be a to-the-death competition and recognize this creates
massive external costs socially and environmentally - Liberals want
cooperation and growth.
There are many different modes in which this plays out on discussion
boards. One is easy to notice, that Liberals are willing to risk spending
money to make life better for others. That shows they are more generous
which is a moral superiority. Somehow social programs are catastrophic
wastes of money, and yet sweetheart deals for corporations and the
military that costs hundreds of times more are great successes even
though we never have military successes, except in the eyes of those
who profit off the endeavor.
Conservative to hide their moral inferiority claim that Liberals are
spending other people's money, but even as taxes and government
income have become more regressive the volume and intensity or
these complaints just keep going up. Failing to adjust to reality is
another moral inferiority. The fact is that even under Eisenhower when
tax rates were extremely high, the rich prospered, and the middle class
did too. Now, conservatives get what they want but they are not happy
until they can completely destroy the state, and that seems to be what
the leaders of their party are aiming for. How moral is that? No American
voted to destroy the country.
When you see arguments from conservatives about helping people
they are most often of the form - if you do something to help people it
won't help them anyway, so don't bother.
Or the famous, if you help people you make them dependent so you really
do not help them in the long run. The problem is that look who the
Republicans have helped steadily for 40 years - themselves ... the corporations
and the selfishness and greed of the very wealthy is the direct cause of
the attendant slides in just about all US metrics and the downward
trajectory of the US with respect to ALL the other developed countries.
Another moral superiority is that Liberals seek, vet and then use facts
in a logical way. Conservatives, and I am speaking very broadly about
the most vocal conservatives on discussion boards, not all conservatives
and to no one in particular here -- hide, distort or lie about the facts. I am
thinking most directly of Exxon and their own findings on Planetary
Hotboxing (Global Warming) and how they hid their data and lied about
it.
The reason is mostly because most, and the most vocal, conservatives
seek money and power for themselves in the service of gaining more
money and power, and that cycle when it gets a grip anywhere always
leads to decline and fall. Conservatives excuse for amassing this
power and wealth is that they can do better directing it than the people.
But they never hold businesses to account for the damage they do -
it is claimed that they will just go out of business - but look at the US
auto and financial industies and others that just keep needing subsidies
but always keep the same people who should have failed and gone
out of business in place. Failure to look at and see reality - another
moral failing. This, even as they argue that the government cannot
do anything right.
When conservatives do manage wealth and power the numbers show
that they never do the competent job they claim. Corruption and big
budgetary deficits ensure that others have to pay off, and when allowed
to keep money they would have had to pay taxes on they hide it and
do anything but re-investing in the country - it is all about maximizing
their own profits, and regulations to protect others from their recklessness,
another term for immorality, are condemned. A con job, criminality,
another moral failing.
When a Liberal gets fantastic success we get an amazing citizens with
a forward vision.
When a conservative loses it all, we get either a bitter miscreant, or
a new Liberal who understands and has empathy for what others have
to contend with in life.
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:28 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:28 pm
Well said, Nayeli. The extremists simply cannot control the dialogue - time for people of good will to move towards the center, put aside the whining and firey rhetoric and see what can be done to fix pressing issues, like immigration. No matter how people want to twist it, it's simply about illegal entry and now, after so much abuse, how to restore order to the process. The left does not own compassion - the idea that only they understand is offensive. The idea that those who see danger in accommodation gone too far are racists, etc. The editorial's reference, for example, to illegals being fearful of reporting crime - a popular talking point - doesn't seem to appreciate that being legal offers far better protections for their families and far more opportunities for their young.
The teenage twitter and facebook wars of bullying, shaming, and the superficial socialization of harshly competitive and for many, isolating social media, produced regulated safe spaces. This has now graduated to college campuses treatening free speech, trampling basic rights, respect for others, and the socially essential golden rule.
PAOnline plays a great role in the community but the editorial is unnecessarily partisan and polarizing. On the one hand, great that pa online shares its views but it does seem beyond the scope - and perhaps the expertise - of a community journal.
Crescent Park
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:35 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:35 pm
The Kennedy family of long ago would be comparable to Trump and Bush today. Too bad the Left of today don't cherish and lead with the same values and dreams of JFK. Sigh.
Crescent Park
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:47 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 3:47 pm
How about we want all US businesses the thrives? Even though many are not effected by the stock market on paper we are all effected by our job oportunities. The better that the stock market does the more jobs and innovation are encouraged. Win-win. I know that I want my friends on the left and right to succeed. You know why? Because both are good people and will put their money back into our country. They will be able to hire more people, start new business and DONATE their excesses to causes that are important to them. My favorite recent example of this is when a couple months ago The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation made a generous donation to an international abortion foundation. People on the left were poking fun of Trump for ending tax dollars to fund Planned Parenthood. And comparing gates to Trump saying how awesome and progressive Gates is. My thought to this input was "YES". This is what our country is all about! The more successful businesses are the more successful our country is. Then wilth all of our excess we can give what we want to who want. This is a good thing!!!
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 29, 2017 at 4:29 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 4:29 pm
I think the Ds made a big mistake by hanging everything on "Resist". Any psychiatrist will tell you that starting from that position puts a person at a great disadvantage by prioritizing actions which are counter productive.
And not at all attractive to any one else watching this whole process. A person has to wonder who came up with that.
Downtown North
on Apr 29, 2017 at 4:40 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 4:40 pm
"If you removed California from the election, Trump would have won the other 49 states and D.C. by more than a million votes."
If, if, if... . If we removed all the states where Trump won, it'd have been unanimous for Hillary.
"So, Hillary Clinton won nearly three million more votes. So what? Like both of her husband's election victories, Hillary didn't win a majority either. She gained 48.1% of the vote -- meaning that 51.9% of the voting population voted for someone else."
If, if, if... aside, the hard unalternative fact is the Clintons have always won the peoples' vote tally. Contrast that to the Republican candidates; no Repub has carried the popular vote in a non-incumbent election for 29 years. In other words, Repubs lost the popular vote in 6 of the past 7 elections.
In fact, more votes are cast nationally for Democrats that Republicans in the congressional elections. It is only the electoral nullification by GOP gerrymandering that gives the Repubs a Congressional majority. The Republican Party is on life support. As its man in the White House would say, Losers.
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 29, 2017 at 5:21 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 5:21 pm
Great post, George.
Crescent Park
on Apr 29, 2017 at 5:21 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 5:21 pm
- And not at all attractive to any one else watching this whole process.
As opposed to watching conservatives twist themselves up in knots first
all hating Donald Trump, then accepting someone that their first and correct
reaction to was repulsion and disgust, and then finally working themselves up
to the point of complete unquestioning obedience to the Koch-Ryan party line.
Even while Trump has evolved from waffling ( previously a big, big problem with
conservatives ) to "simple" harmonic motion, with a period of hours instead
of waiting a day or week - it is not fun to watch them trying to keep a straight face
especially when to do they they have to get madder and madder and meaner
and meaner.
Another moral superiority Liberals have in general is that we do not generally
engage in the peculiar practice of pretending to telling the other side what
they are doing wrong so they can be more effective ... or at least trying to
pretend that is what we are doing. Pretense is what conservatism mainly is
these days ... pretending to be the same Republican party as Eisenhower,
even Nixon and especially even Reagan headed up.
Talk about unattractive.
Midtown
on Apr 29, 2017 at 7:35 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 7:35 pm
@ Curmudgeon: I think that you're confused if you think what I wrote amounted to a bunch of "ifs" (when my "if" was, in fact, a rebuttal to someone confused about who "won" or "lost" the election). They certainly weren't "alternative facts" either. I'm pointing out that those who will stop at nothing to mock, ridicule or vilify a newly inaugurated president are the same ones who mocked, ridiculed and vilified anyone who didn't accept the previous president.
Downtown North
on Apr 29, 2017 at 8:27 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 8:27 pm
"I'm pointing out that those who will stop at nothing to mock, ridicule or vilify a newly inaugurated president are the same ones who mocked, ridiculed and vilified anyone who didn't accept the previous president."
The object of all that imputed invective is the same group in each case, right? Some of it is well earned: DJT mocked, ridiculed, and vilified Obama's origins, didn't he? Ironically, The Donald could not provide the required level of proof of his own origins, leaving his qualification to the Oval Office in question. Par for his course.
[Portion removed.]
Crescent Park
on Apr 29, 2017 at 8:48 pm
on Apr 29, 2017 at 8:48 pm
-- I'm pointing out that those who will stop at nothing to mock, ridicule
-- or vilify a newly inaugurated president are the same ones who mocked,
-- ridiculed and vilified anyone who didn't accept the previous president.
Or not ....
People on the right said President Barack Obama was a Kenyan - for years - some still say it. They cast President Obama as a secret Muslim with a hidden agenda to destroy America where part of that effort included a health care reform plan to establish “death panels” and to destroy capitalism. Donald Trump in particular claimed without any reason that Obama's birth certificate was fake, and implied that his grades at Harvard were poor. Is Trump ready to release his college grades? Donald-"who knew?-Trump" further accused Barack Obama of personally wire-tapping Trump Tower. All vicious lies repeated and repeated through the partisan right-wing media, long after it was known not to be true. Virtually nothing of the Republican or Trump narrative on Obama was true.
People on the Left call out Mr. Trump as inciting hatred towards minorities. Trump has behaved like a person of low character who boasted about grabbing women by their genitals and implicitly saying that paying no taxes made him smarter than those of us who were suckers enough to pay taxes. Liberals point out and that Trump asked for and welcomed the help of Russian Internet hackers during the election and note the ways the president and his family are profiting from the presidency ---- all of which is based on fact .... uh ... that's real facts too. Oh, and where are the tax returns Trump said he was going to release.
Alt-righters show positive delight in nailing Obama for going back on his word about the "red-line" in Syria, whereas Donald Trump has faced nothing but a few comedic jabs about not understanding many issues, changing his mind on issues and then claiming no one knew these issues and being President was so hard. Trump's weak action of firing missiles at a Syrian airstrip, fully-fucntional the next day was hailed as Trump growing up and being Presidential in the right-wing media.
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 30, 2017 at 10:10 am
on Apr 30, 2017 at 10:10 am
[Post removed.]
Registered user
Adobe-Meadow
on May 2, 2017 at 7:51 am
Registered user
on May 2, 2017 at 7:51 am
[Post removed.]
Downtown North
on May 2, 2017 at 10:48 am
on May 2, 2017 at 10:48 am
[Post removed due to deletion of referenced comment.]